Game 13: Indians at Yankees
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 18, 2007 
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Here are the lineups:
YANKEES
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Josh Phelps 1B
Melky Cabrera LF
LHP Kei Igawa (101, 7.84)
INDIANS
Grady Sizemore CF
Jason Michaels RF
Travis Hafner DH
Ryan Garko 1B
Casey Blake 3B
Jhonny Peralta SS
David Dellucci LF
Josh Barfield 2B
Kelly Shoppach C
LHP Jeremy Sowers (0-0, 2.08)
Pregame chatter: The Yankees faced Sowers last July 3 and he held them to two runs on six hits. … I’m now officially fascinated by how often Mike Myers is pitching. His seven innings this month are the most he has thrown since he went 8.0 innings in Aug. 2005. Before then you have to go back to 9.2 innings in Sept. 2004. … I’m not saying it’s time to dust off the Joe DiMaggio clips but Alex Rodriguez does have a 17-game hit streak going back to last year. … Back later with some Joe Torre pregame audio.
Well, Myers says he likes to pitch everyday.
I guess Joe is taking him up on it! lol
Phelps in?! I though Doug M_’s HR would keep him in the lineup for a month.
And with our starters’ inability to go long, maybe Myers realized that a LOOGY was a luxury the Yankees couldn’t afford.
Myers throws a 70 mile-an-hour fastball and throws sidearm. He can pitch every day if he wants. There’s no stress on his arm at all.
Ever since Gator told Myers to keep dropping sidearm when facing righties, he’s been able to get righties out (obviously the weird, low angle he comes at is hard for righties, too). Now that he’s shown he can pitch to righties, he becomes much more valuable: when you’re leading by plenty or down by plenty, Myers can come in and eat some innings for you.
Torre just needs to remember Myers can pitch to righties now — he often forgets. If Torre allows Myers to pitch to righties in non-critical situations, he will justify his roster spot.
Also: Phelps is on first tonight, so the infielders should be careful. If you don’t throw it perfectly, he’s not catching it. At least two of Jeter’s much-discussed errors were on Phelps (he has shown a total inability to a scoop a ball out of the dirt). Torre should consider playing Giambi at first against lefties and DHing Phelps.
Let’s go Iggy-san, keep it rolling from the last one.
Stormy – I’m not sure why we’d want to DH Phelps. I would much rather just sacrifice the offense at that position, then… and leave Minky in.
just my opinion.
I know we’re all entitled to it.
even “hello? offense?”
Guys… Remember, it’s like “Beetlejuice,” you write “h?o?” full name three times and he appears.
Well, the Yankees are committed to using Phelps against lefties. I’m just saying that if they are going to put him in the lineup every time they play a lefty, they might consider DHing him and using Giambi in the field, because Phelps seems to be even worse at first than Giambi.
It’s too early to say what Phelps provides as the righty in the platoon at first, but I don’t think it would shock the world if Minky or Phelps is gone in a month. Minky can field, but can’t hit. Phelps so far hasn’t hit and can’t field. You’d have to expect Phelps would be the man to exit.
I think when Matsui returns, we will see the first base “platoon” take new shape.
IMO, we will see Giambi play first, Melky in LF, and Matsui at DH in certain situations.
I think Minky stays because of his defense. I don’t see Phelps playing a lot once Matsui returns.
Yeah, unless Phelps starts producing offesivly, I don’t see him being around too much longer.
I can see more of a Giambi/Minky platoon at first, with Minky getting the start when one of our ground ball pitchers is starting and giambi at dh. otherwise giambi will start at 1b, with melky replacing an outfielder who needs a day off defensively (who will DH), and minky replacing giambi for defense in late innings when needed.
phelps is the only one person I can honestly say is a worse fielder than giambi at least giambi can catch the ball phelps can’t even do that. Minky should be at 1st against righties and lefties by the end of the month Torre will realize that
I bet if A-Rod got to 55 games and then went 0-5 with 2 K’s he’d get Boo’d by some jerks.
I think in the next month or so Phelps will be released unless he really starts to hit if not the Yanks will add another pitcher. I really do not think they can afford to not have Mienk. glove at 1st. The way there defense has been even if Mienk. gets a couple of hits a week he can save 2 or 3 errors a game and it is worth it to have him at 1st. Who knows how good a hitter Phelps is especially when he only plays once a week and his defense would have to be very good to stay at 1st.
Jake, no he wouldn’t, he would get an extremely loud ceer from the crowd. Afterall, the hitting streak is a personal achievement, and the fans don’t fault a player for not achieving it. However, if his play causes the team to lose, then he will get boo’d.
I agree with Stormy. I don’t think the first base platoon is going to work. Joe is having to decide between sacrificing defense or offense. With the way our defense has played, he has no choice but to play Minky.
Phelps showed a lot with the bat in Spring Training. It’s going to be hard to give up on him because our lineup is so heavily lefthanded. He’s not a bad bat to have on the bench.
I’d love to see us trade for a better first baseman. Would a Chase Wright bring us a Ty Wigginton?
Now a rod is not going to get a hit
Go Yankees!!!!
I don’t think all that much of Chase Wright… but trading him for the likes of Ty Wigginton? No thanks.
Chase Wright looked like he had good stuff….lots of awkward swings off the front foot…let him develop, he is only 24. Lets see how he does against the sox on sat
HAHA Mike thats what I thought. Just don’t talk to Michael Kay about jinxes he gets all over callers when they tell him he jinxed someone. I for one Believe in them. It always seems as though, when the broadcaster says so-and-so hasn’t don’t such-in-such, it happens. Like last night for instance, I believe Kay said that Hafner hadn’t hit a homerun, and BOOM he hits a monster shot off of Wright. We know the stats we don’t need to hear them!! LOL
I also think if Chase pitched in a more ideal situation i.e. no rain and cold, we would have seen a different pitcher. Also the ump had a tight zone, which seemed to get longer as the night went on, it seemed like he was called strikes below the knees. I would like to see him get another start up here, I just don’t know if i’d throw him against the soxs.
Also I don’t like the first base platoon, I’d much rather have a sure handed Doug hitting .180, than a guy who can’t scoop the balls out of the dirt in Josh hitting .220.
The Yanks need Myers to actually pitch some innings for them especially the blow out games. Hopefully Igawa, Rasner, Karstens can go atleast 5 innings otherwise the bullpen will be fried by May.
Mike and Jennifer –
I’m with you about the jink stuff. As soon as that stupid statistic was out of Kay’s mouth last night, it was a foregone conclusion (that combined with the statement earlier that Wright had only allowed one HR in quite a number of innings pitched) that Hafner was gonna hit one out. It ALWAYS happens that way. ALWAYS. Well, it least it seems to!
Uh, that should have been “jinx”
Jennifer,
LOL on Michael Kay. He shouldn’t say anything about jinxes. They should scroll such streaks across the bottom of the screen. “In 48 Yankee Stadium at bats, Travis Hafner has never hit a homerun.” or “Kei Igawa working on a perfect game in the top of the 7th” Information without jinxation.
In fact he shouldn’t say anything at all. Is it just me or is he snide?
Phelps showed alot with the bat during the spring with a good amount of power. I dont like having three first baseman on the roster but for now it seems to be alright. Who knows what matsui comes back? If Torre decides not to keep phelps on the yanks does he go down to the minors or back to baltimore?
Peter- do you know why Derek left the game early last night? Didn’t he leave the game in the 8th?
Thank You
Samantha, Bobby also came out of the game. The game was a blowout and it was a good chance to give him a few innings off.
Dave,
There was a Rule 5 player on another team and they said that the player would have to play (I assume that’s stay on the 25-man roster) for the whole season or be offered back to the original team (again I’m assuming-for half the cost). What I don’t know is what happens if that team does not want the player back.
I watched another Rule 5 player on the Royals (Soria) mow down 4 Tigers in the 9th & 10th innings today to earn the win. That was great to see. (He struck out Shef on one of his drunken-looking-off-balance-wrap-around swings)
Mel, Good idea, The problem with Kay is he doesn’t just say the statistic, he harps on it. He beats it into our heads!! It’s like okay Michael I heard it the first 10 times!!
Just like you can see Alex getting uncomfortable when reporters are asking him what is he doing different. He’s like I don’t know! He doesn’t want to try to figure it out, cause than he starts to think about it, and won’t be as hot at the plate as he is now! Alex should say i’m not going to talk about my hitting, ask me about anyone else just not ME!!! LOL
Samantha–
Also it gives Cairo sometime in the field its nice to get him some time out there so if he is needed in an important situation for some odd reason it wont be like he has not seen the field.
mel:
Michael Kay went to Fordham at Rose Hill and is a Bronx boy by birth. (Brooklyn is not the only tough borough you know. In fact, some people believe that Hip Hop was born in the Bronx, so there). When you are educated by Jesuits in the Bronx, “snide” is the commonly accepted form of English. We Fordham guys can, however, talk pretty when we have to. Like Vin Scully or Captain Kangaroo or Alan Alda.
Myers cannot be left to pitch to right-handers unless the game is not close. Yes, Myers was great against RHB last year, in fact better than he was against LHB (.631 OPS against RHB, versus .740 OPS against LHP). But …
Career OPS against RHB: .877 (!)
2004 OPS against RHB: .968 (!!)
2005 OPS against RHB: 1.151 (!!!)
Myers is 38 years old. His effectiveness against RHB in 2006 and so far this year is a Villonesque fluke. More typically, Myers turns RHBs into Manny Ramirez. Add the fact that Myers has spent the last six years pitching in the 35-40 inning range, and we should accept his performance so far as a gift. He is still a LOOGY and should be treated as such.
I’m not a big Phelps fan and don’t figure on him being around much longer.
Having said that, he isn’t really getting a fair shake. It’s kind of unrealistic to expect a guy with a long swing who has trouble making contact under the best of circumstances to produce while playing once a week, which is all the righty half of a platoon is gonna get.
The only way to find out if he can play is to put him in the line-up everyday for twenty or so games and see what he does. If he holds his own, give him another twenty. If he doesn’t, sayonara.
As to Giambi, he shouldn’t even be allowed to take infield practice let alone play the field in an actual game. Not because he’s a horrible defender (although for my money he’s top five worst in the sport at any position) but because his steriod stretched body can’t take even the minimal pounding that a first basemen endures.
Really, they should have worked Matsui out at first in the spring, as he can’t be much worse there than he is in left field.
I think that Giambi would be playing first now if there were any chance he could remain healthy while doing so. Not only would that obviate the platoon problem, but it could improve Giambi’s offense too (as he’s always hit better as a 1B for whatever reason).
I agree with randyhater that Phelps hasn’t gotten enough of a chance to really show what he can do, although he probably isn’t ever going to be more than serviceable no matter how many opportunities he gets. I also agree that moving Matsui to first would have been a better move than bringing in the platoon.
As for Mientkiewicz, I’ve been impressed with his nice plays at first. Having never watched him over the course of an entire season, I’m surprised that his defense belies his statistical record of mediocrity. My guess, however, is that his fielding will decline as the season progresses and his offense will not improve, making him, well, useless.
If Mientkiewicz and Phelps can’t pan out, the team should reconsider (if it ever considered it in the first place) converting Matsui to first base.
I dont like giambi in the field…he is terrible. I would rather see the yanks bring up philips and play him everyday. Phelps cant field or hit and philips is close defensively to minky and who knows…maybe he can find his stroke back. I believe he had around 300 when playing everyday last june.
Mike,
At first I thought you were nuts, but then I looked up Phillips’ June 2006 and saw that you’re right, he had a .333 June (.970 OPS) with 4 HRs. The problem is that he had 246 total at bats last year and put up dreadful numbers overall. I wish he were the answer at first (he’s probably my dad’s favorite Yankee for some bizarre reason) but he’s not.
Giambi butchering plays at first is not a happy thought, but it’s happier than Mientkiewicz and Phelps turning first base into a hitter’s black hole, especially if Giambi still hits better when he fields.
Jennifer, Gayle- Thank you.
I like Miguel Cairo too so I am glad to see him get some playing time. Sleep was more important to me than the end of the game last night.
i’m not sure what any of you guys are talking about with regard to Phelps.
before this game, he had 10 ABs. TEN.
i don’t understang “he better start hitting or he’ll be gone”….he’s had 10 ABs.
Hey Peter are you getting nervous? Alex is 0-3 so far. lol
phelps is hitting .333, is he good now?
Good job Peter. Who do you think you are jinxing Alex like that, Michael Kay?
Peter is saved! now if Kay said it alex wouldn’t have hit the homerun! lol
You’re saved….
Jesus he is a monster so far this year. Wow.