Yanks Welcome the Ice Cream Man

The Yankees already have a Melkman, now they have an Ice Cream Man too.

Cory Lidle, the man Brian Cashman insisted had to be part of the Bobby Abreu trade, excelled in his first start on Thursday, lasing 6 innings in stifling 97 degree heat while giving up just one run.

Lidle was rewarded with six ice cream bars on his stool after the game (one for each inning pitched). The prank from a Yankee comrade was in response to comments from Lidle’s former teammate, Arthur Rhodes, who claimed that Lidle was more interested in “eating ice cream” than he was with working out.

Maybe Rhodes is jealous because he is stuck in Philly, where GM Pat Gillick announced the team won’t even be able to compete next year. Rhodes is no doubt upset that Lidle was sprung from the inferior National League to join the Yanks.

A few things about Lidle: He won’t help the Yanks much in the post-season. He doesn’t have to. As the fifth starter, he will help the team get to the post-season. And that’s all that matters now. He doesn’t need to dominate; he just needs to keep the Yanks in the game and let the revamped lineup do the rest.

Jason Giambi, a former teammate of Lidle’s at South Hills High School in California (the team also included Aaron Small), knows Lidle works hard: "He's a guy who's not afraid to compete. He's not afraid of contact. He goes out there and gives you a lot of innings, and that's definitely something we need in this second half as much as our bullpen has had to help us out."

When you figure that the Yankee 5^th starters have gone 0-5 with a hideous ERA that would burn up upon re-entry to the atmosphere, Lidle is a blessing. He is a consistent pitcher who has averaged many more innings pitched in the last five years than the average Yankee starter has:

Lidle’s Innings Pitched

2001- 188

2002- 192

2003- 192

2004- 211

2005- 184

Average: 193

Compare that to the Yankee average starting pitcher hurling 156 innings. Lidle’s durability down the home stretch will save some wear and tear on the bullpen. That’s even more important now that the Yanks have gone back to 11 pitchers. (I do wonder why Bubba Crosby is still on the team, but that is a question for another day.)

Lidle’s performance on Thursday was just one day, but it was also extra-sweet because WFAN radio host Chris “Mad Dog” Russo attempted to berate Yankee GM Brian Cashman on the day of the trade.

Russo, who has very little sports knowledge and is, in my opinion, the most annoying person on New York Radio today, is often extra nauseating when he doesn’t have Mike Francesca there to babysit him. Such was the case this week when Russo got on Cashman for dealing for such a “crummy pitcher.”

Cashman bitch-slapped the little poodle under a truck and Russo was once again revealed to be what he is: an arrogant, whiny malcontent who hates both New York teams and only got his job because he was in the right place at the right time. It could not have been because he possesses any talent or knowledge, he has neither.

Hurry back from vacation, Mike.

Ah, I digress. Back to Lidle.

Cory Lidle began his career with the Mets in 1997 and went 7-2 with a 3.53 ERA. Since then he has pitched with Tampa Bay, Oakland, Toronto, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. His best year was 2001 with Oakland, when he went 13-6, with a 3.59 ERA, +15 RSAA and a 2.51 K/BB ratio.

This year Lidle is 5-0 in his last five starts, with 26 Ks and 8 BBs. That’s not too bad for a 5^th starter.

Some other positive notes on the Yanks:

The addition of Bobby Abreu should really help Jason Giambi. Abreu is an on-base machine. With Abreu batting 3^rd and A-Rod 4^th, Giambi is bound to be up more times with men on base, which cuts down on the overshift that defenses like to use on him.

Craig Wilson at first is also a significant upgrade over Andy Phillips. How in the world Cashman got Wilson for Chacon is beyond comprehension. The Yanks were likely going to release Chacon anyway

Wilson is particularly strong against lefties, sporting a line of .306/.379/.553 this year. All of a sudden the lineup is deeper. And within the week, Cano will be back.

The Guns of August rage on, tempered with a little Ice Cream.