Giambi out with sore left foot
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 09, 2007 
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Jason Giambi has a bone spur on the bottom of his left foot. X-rays taken before the game showed it. He said he could play on it but appreciated Joe Torre taking him out after three plate appearances.
It appears Giambi will sit tomorrow. He said that some rest and treatment should take care of the issue. He first felt it playing first base in Texas last week.
This is why Giambi needs to DH almost regardless of how Doug Mientkiewicz (or Josh Phelps) hits. Playing in the field wears him down quickly.
I couldn’t get close enough for audio, but Alex Rodriguez was singing the praises of his old buddy Mientkiewicz. Love him or hate him, that play Minky made on Gerald Laird in the fifth inning is the kind of thing the Yankees haven’t seen in a while at that position.
Meanwhile, it’s amazing how good starting pitching changes the tone of the team.
Tonight: 7 innings out of Pettitte (win)
Monday: 7 innings from DeSalvo (loss)
Sunday: 5.2 scoreless from Rasner (win)
Saturday: 8 innings from Wang (win)
Friday: 4 innings from Igawa (loss)
Thursday: 5 innings from Mussina (win)
Wednesday: 6 innings from Pettitte (win)
Tuesday: 6.1 innings from Hughes (win)
That’s six wins in eight games and with the exception of Igawa, very strong starts. Now the bullpen is rested and they’re closing in on .500 and you go from there.
Complaining about the bench, Mientkiewicz and Abreu is all a waste of time. If their starters can give them a chance to win, the Yankees will play .600 baseball because of their lineup. It’s really that simple.
Truer words were never written.
“Love him or hate him, that play Minky made on Gerald Laird in the fifth inning is the kind of thing the Yankees haven’t seen in a while at that position.”
Actually, Tino Martinez was on this team in 2005, and he was an excellent first baseman. And even in 2006, Andy Phillips made his share of plays there. So it hasn’t been that long. Giambi hasn’t been the everyday first baseman in years.
Peter,
Is it safe to assume that this lineup will remain intact for tomorrow’s game against the right-handed Tejeda? It definitely seemed to be clicking all game.
.600 baseball from here on out only gets us to 94 wins, we’re going to need more than that to make the postseason.
To answer my own question… obviously not b/c of the Giambi injury. I really need to read more carefully.
*Takes a seat and waits for the ledge fans to come on out*
::sits down next to U.Y.F.::
yeah, i wonder if bobby goes back to batting 3rd?
wasn’t laird out of the basepath on that play anyway, or is the rule different if he’s going towards first?
it is great to see the starters looking good…but yeah, what if we need to play .620 baseball?–whenever people say “x or y dosen’t matter because our z is good enough” I get confused. You don’t know in advance how many runs the other guys are gonna score, how many games the other guys are gonna win. If you did, you’d know how many would be enough. The Yanks could win 93 games and miss the playoffs….
I hope I’m not the only one who’s thinking this but Doug Mientkiewicz is currently my favorite player on the Yankees. He has been for some weeks now regardless of his bat he reminds me of the grit and determination that were the cornerstone of the Yankee dynasty. He reminds me of Brocious in that he does not put up the flashy offensive stats that Jeter, A-Rod, or Giambi do but he contributes each and every game. He seems to have a fire lit under him that I really enjoy to watch. Any one else have an opinion. Also Pete if you see him in the clubhouse let him no he’s my favorite Yankee has been for a few weeks but I was a bit nervous posting it in the troll friendly environment here.
Later all,
Cooper
PS. living in Boston has been hard the past few weeks anyone now some Yankee friendly sports bars within 100 miles?
Somewhat off topic…
Pettitte was great, as he has been all year. As a fan, I have such a sense of calm when Pettitte is on the mound. I always feel confident that he will do what it takes to get through a jam unscathed. Which makes me wonder…
Was there a better FA pick-up than Andy Pettitte? Not only has he been great, but he help the team get Clemens to sign. Meche, Suppan, and Carlos Lee have all been pretty good… and, man, have JD Drew and Matsuzaka come back to earth in a hurry (although I do expect them to rebound to some degree). Pettitte is making Cashman look very good this year.
“Was there a better FA pick-up than Andy Pettitte? Not only has he been great, but he help the team get Clemens to sign. Meche, Suppan, and Carlos Lee have all been pretty good… and, man, have JD Drew and Matsuzaka come back to earth in a hurry (although I do expect them to rebound to some degree). Pettitte is making Cashman look very good this year.”
You know, the so-called “experts” attacked two deals savagely: the Meche deal and the Jason Marquis deal. They said Meche got too many years and too much money, and that Marquis flat-out sucked. Anyone see their numbers so far? Marquis has a 2 ERA. And Meche has a 2.23 ERA and has gone seven or more innings in five of his seven starts. Will these guys be this good all year? Probably not. But I don’t hear anyone dissing Meche and Marquis right now (Marquis was a steal at his price).
I wonder if the Yankees are thinking about what Meche would have looked like as their fourth starter. They couldn’t go there obviously — they had their fill with injuries — but you never know.
“He reminds me of Brocious in that he does not put up the flashy offensive stats that Jeter, A-Rod, or Giambi do but he contributes each and every game. He seems to have a fire lit under him that I really enjoy to watch. Any one else have an opinion.”
I agree with you on Minky…
Speaking of grit and not being flashy, here’s the Yanks 1998 opening day lineup:
1. Knoblauch – 2B
2. Jeter – SS
3. O’Neill – RF
4. Williams – CF
5. Martinez – 1B
6. Chili Davis – DH
7. Chad Curtis – LF
8. Scot Brosius – 3B
9. Joe Girardi – C
1 through 5 was definitely solid, but who would’ve known that 6-9 would produce enough to help win 114 regular season games. Mix in a little Posada, Raines, Strawberry, Sojo; with a smattering of Ledee, Sveum, Homer Bush, Lowell, Mike Figga, and the immortal Shane Spencer.
*”The games aren’t played on paper”*… Yeah, case in point.
I think more importantly the 1998 rotation included Wells, Cone, Pettitte and El Duque (and, amazingly, Irabu, who won 13 games that year with a 4 ERA).
My bold prediction for 5 in the morning. If Nieves doesn’t have a hit by may 15 then Phelps will be the backup catcher, Nieves will be demoted, and Villone will be brought up to be a lefty out of the pen.
Bets anyone?
Hi Pete – what’s the over/under on how long it will take before the special Clemens ‘work schedule’ really upsets the team?
Minky is a gamer, he gets dirty, plays hard , his body doesn’t mean anything while he is out on the field. He isn’t going to hit a ton but they don’t need it. He is going to save runs with his glove. You don’t think arod and jeter enjoy throwing to a guy where you know if its in the dirt he will pick it. We haven’t had that in a long time.
He had 2 nifty play in one inning.
He is also hitting the ball hard and to all parts of the field which is a sign that he is heating up.
FYI he has more homeruns than David Wright!
i was just thinking how some good performances ( especialy from the wang ) give any team a chance to win . couple that with the potent yanks offense – forget about it !! the time is now , kill the opposition . lets get this ball rollin’ right on through october !!!
Comparing Andy Phillips to Doug M at first is beyond ludicrous. Doug M has a Gold Glove. Andy cant even hack it in Triple A.
Its amazing how the tone of the posters changes during a win. I guess its during losses that the ledge jumpers and the quitters and the “season is over” folks come out.
actually, since i’m guessing you havent been paying attention, Andy Phillips has actually been playing very well at Scranton over the past couple weeks.
He’s not a gold glover, but he was a very solid option at 1st base while in the Bronx, and now he’s hitting almost .330 with 6HRs/17RBIs, and an OBP over .400 at AAA.
i’m glad to see he’s back into the swing of things, and that he took the demotion positively and continued to work it out.
On the postgame show Doug M had some good things to say about Joe Torre’s patience and his (Doug’s) work with Kevin Long over the last few weeks. He said that Torre stuck with him where other Managers have given up. Sometimes I wish that Joe had a little more Billy Martin in him, but at least in Doug’s case his approach is paying off.
“Hi Pete – what’s the over/under on how long it will take before the special Clemens ‘work schedule’ really upsets the team?.”
it will happen on the same day you post something worthwhile. so probably never.
Ya it’s also amazing how good your starting pitching can be playing 12 games in a row against two pathetic teams with little offense.
“it is great to see the starters looking good…but yeah, what if we need to play .620 baseball?—”
Exactly!
What Pete is ignoring is just how good Boston is (with a true Ace this year in Beckett…could be a Cy Young candidate) and just how those blown games early in the season could end up mattering greatly in the long run. That’s why having a Clueless Joe at the helm is not a good thing.
.600 baseball from this point on is just “eh” and won’t make the postseason.
I agree, Man K is nice to have on the team. He’s like the opposite of many of the other high priced stars who are expected to get a hit every time up and some of their defensive laxes are overlooked due to their offense. Whenever Man K gets a hit or two it is a pleasant surprise and he’s had a few big ones. What can you say about his defense? It has been outstanding.
As for Clemens, I’m glad we signed him and I don’t think he will take advantage of skipping too many off days as I’m sure he has heard the uproar. However, I am not enthralled by his acting like he is the Yankees captain, he really comes off as a savior and a bit pushy if you ask me.
i’m not sold on Beckett yet.. and we’re forgetting how inconsistent a knuckleball pitcher can be, no matter how many innings they can throw… and julian tavares is currently the #5 in that rotation.
their defense is not as good as last season, their offense isnt as deep as previous years, and they have yet to suffer a major injury, which the laws of probability tell us they will at some point this season.
right now, they just need to remain consistent, and win series… 2-3, 2 or 3 out of 4… keep chugging along… its a looong season.
Jeff NJ –
Clemens being Clemens? The man has an ego the size of the State of Texas, but if he didn’t he probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the tremendous success he’s had in his career. I don’t love it; I wish the Yankees didn’t need him. But, they do. The one thing you have to give the guy credit for, despite the now infamous Family Values Clause, is his work ethic, and if he can impart that to the younger pitchers coming through, he’ll be worth the money.
dennisrasmussin –
No one know now what it will take to win the division. The Yankees can’t worry on a daily basis what the Red Sox are doing. They need to take care of their own business. If the Red Sox stay as consistent as they’ve been, maybe the Yankees do have to take the Wild Card position, but that’s no crime. But I do remember that as late as the all-star break last year, and perhaps later, the Yankees were being written out of it and the Red Sox were the favorites. You know how that turned out.
Although Andy is only 2-1, his ERA is 2.72! that is almost the same ERA as Beckett who is 7-0. Andy is victomized by the Yankees bullpen, and should get more credit than he is receiving. Not to mention Brian Cashman who brought him here.
Annie,
Please stop stalking me and sending me letters, I’m not interested.
Thank you.
do you guys realize that whining about Pete’s estimate of .600 and saying we isntead need .620 means a difference of a whopping 3 games? Besides which, Pete said “If their starters can give them a chance to win, the Yankees will play .600 baseball because of their lineup.” That’s a general statement, he’s not saying that’s all they CAN or WILL do for the rest of the year. If they could do that all year, .600 baseball = 97 wins, a pretty good season that has won us several division titles.
Do we need to win 3 more games and play .620 basball instead because of the slow start, probably, but we don’t know that yet. More importantly, stop whining about 94 games not being enough, we need 97 wins and let them play the damn games. You also seem to forget how many of the remaining games come against Boston and Toronto and how easily this team can get on a roll and beat any of them.
This is not the first time we’ve started the season slowly, and is not the first time we’ve lost the first couple series with the Red Sux. With 12 more games to play against them, it’s certainly possible to get hot and take back the division. Easy, no, never is. But it can be done and those of us who are fans believe it will be done.
I think a lot of people are overestimating the Sox. Yes, they are playing great ball right now. But Beckett started out like a house of fire last year, Dice K DOES NOT look like the second coming and Big Mouth and Wakefield havent made it through a full season in years. Listen, if they all stay healthy/pitching well then it’s going to be tough for the Yanks to catch up. But I think the odds are better that a couple of the five have legitimate setbacks this year.
Edit: I meant a couple of the four
“.600 baseball from this point on is just “ehâ€? and won’t make the postseason.”
You don’t know that anymore than you know than you know .620 or .650 will make the playoffs, just as you guys are pointing out, no way to tell.
The point of Pete’s comment, as I interpreted it, is that we are not going to win or lose the division based on Will Nieves, but based on our pitching. Whining about things that can mean a game or two, and yes, a game or two can make the difference, but pitching can make a hell of a lot more of a difference than a game or two if we don’t get good starts like we have the last week.
omg is that bernie post for real or just some fan with a crush ?!
lol
2006 97 Wins AL East Title (w/Boston 10 games OUT)
2005 95 Wins AL East Title (w/Boston losing tie breaker)
2004 101 Wins AL East Title (w/Boston only 3 games out)
2003 101 Wins AL East Title
2002 103 Wins AL East Title
2001 95 Wins AL East Title (w/Boston 13.5 games OUT)
You get the point. No way to tell so soon how many games it will take. 101 games one year got us only a 3 game lead, 95 another year got a 13.5 game lead…… I’d expect this year to be more like ’05 or ’04 where it’s close, but how many wins is yet to be seen.
If Doug hits .260, he defense more than makes up for any offensive deficiencies. If he hits .160, it doesn’t.
There is no question he has looked a lot better at the plate lately.
As far as his defensive abilities, I love Tino but, Doug is a better defensive first baseman. He covers an awful lot of ground, more than Tino ever did. He can really pick it at first.
Let’s hope he hits enough to warrant staying in the lineup.
As far as what they have to do for the rest of the year, let’s see how they do against teams other than Texas before making predictions.
We will get a better idea of this team on the next roadtrip.
No question, they are playing a lot better baseball the last week. But, its been one week, after 4 weeks of playing bad baseball.
Let’s see how the next couple of weeks pan out.
Oh, it’s me dmm. That chick won’t leave me alone, man. She’s obsessed.
BTW, I’m playing at the Lazy Boy Saloon tonight in White Plains, should be a great show.
eckett on Baseball Tonight
Oh..yeah, everything is just peachy with the Red Sox right now. Beckett is 7-0, the Sox is 6 games up on the Yanks and Schilling can still fit his fat a** into his uniform.
On the other hand, the Yanks overspent for the Rocket (which they actually did, but it was what was needed to get him here). We have no rotation, our pen s**ks. Mo is done. The team has no heart, blah, blah, blah.
Half of you have started to believe what these idiots in the media are spewing. Hey, it’s your time and it’s a free country, I’m not going to tell you how to be a fan. However, you all are going to be in for a big surprise when the Yankees take the division again. At that time, the bandwagon will be off limits to all of the non-believers.
That Sosa looks so slim, or was it just my TV? Looks like he could fit a medium sized T-shirt.
John Hwercherz I agree,
This Yankee bashing stems from ESPN. Every time I turn on Mike & Mike all they talk about is Clemens’s contract.
Only Kay and Waldman see the big picture that come June or July, the Yanks will have Clemens and Hughes at their BACK of their rotation.
How come ESPn who HYPED up Dice-Gay big time doesn’t mention that his ERA is 5.45?!
i don’t care what you say, we shouldn’t have a guy on the team, who will need to play at least once a week, who can NOT hit major league pitching.
The other guys on the bench, cairo, phelps, melky, they aren’t guaranteed to play once a week. But when your catcher is a bit older… not having a guy who can ever get you a hit, could lose us a game or two if he comes up in a big spot.
please get rid of Dr. Donut(Nieves). In fact, i’m sure a team could use Andy Phillips right about now, how about letting him go for a backup catcher???
woosta, agreed, but I’d rather the alternative not be a guy who can’t catch (Phelps). I’m all for finding someone better than Nieves, but if Phelps was a decent catcher, he’d be a catcher and he hasn’t been that for years. He’s a rule 5 guy that a lot of people on here are in love with for some reason, but he’s not a catcher anymore and would be a liability as much or more than Nieves lack of offense is… So the question is, who’s out there to replace Nieves?
“In fact, i’m sure a team could use Andy Phillips right about now, how about letting him go for a backup catcher???”
i’m sure Andy Phillips could net us a backup catcher as good as….Wil Nieves!!
whoops…
Lipton Green Tea –
Sosa did look in good shape. And did you see him motor around the bases? I was surprised at how fast he was.
“Whining about things that can mean a game or two, and yes, a game or two can make the difference, but pitching can make a hell of a lot more of a difference than a game or two if we don’t get good starts like we have the last week.”
Yes, but Boston is getting good starting pitching, too. And it’s another month before Clemens and Hughes are back, so the Yanks could fall back even more. I just don’t understand this reasoning that just because they’re the Yanks that somehow magically everything will fall into place and the bench doesn’t matter…having a backup catcher who literally can’t get a hit if his life depended upon it doesn’t matter, etc. Pete is awfully soft on this team and manager, imo. Those early season games are going to bite them on the a**.
“So the question is, who’s out there to replace Nieves?”
Well Bernie, now you’ve got me. I must admit that I’m better at pointing out the problem than finding us a solution. I guess thats why I’m a fan and not the GM. The other day I listed a few alternatives, one being a folding chair, but seriously I would imagiine this has crossed Cashman’s mind, and although it hasn’t been a pressing need I’m sure it’s one of those smaller issues he’d like to address.
So now we need some names……..
dennisrasmussen, what a lot of people on here seem to misinterpret or ignore is the difference between CAN and WILL.
I’ve said that before. Recent history shows that the Yankees CAN come back from this start and the Red Sux CAN falter at some point (does anyone think Beckett is going to finish 30-0??). I have and will go further and say that I THINK/BELIEVE that they WILL come back from this and take the division because I’m a fan, that’s what I want to happen, that’s what I believe can and will happen, and because I’m intelligent enough to know that it CAN happen.
I’m not betting my house on it because I’m also intelligent enough to know that it’s also possible that it won’t. Just as I know the Sux could fall apart with injuries any day and finish 20 games out of first…… anything CAN happen.
What’s done is done as far as the games already played. Going forward, things really do seem to be levelling out — better, longer, more solid performances from the starters takes pressure off the bullpen and should net a better won/lost percentage than the first 30 games.
No one thinks things are going to “magically” fall into place. The Yankees have an excellent offensive team, and the pitching is coming around. Pettitte and Mussina and Wang are solid. The #4 and #5 for now is iffy, but should be enough to hold the fort until Clemens, and perhaps Hughes, join the rotation. No one’s saying the Yankees are a lock, but I like their chances better now than, say, weeks numbers 1 and 2 of this season. There are three scenarios: they keep the same pace as now, they fall behind, or they start to pick up the pace and gain some ground. Any one of those is just as likely as any other. Why not be positive? It’s not like this is the Royals or something.
dennisrasmussen is Redsox Troll. gtfo on Yankees blogs.
yankeefaninwoosta, I think a bean bag would be a better option, wouldn’t the ball just bounce off and roll away off a folding chair? Who throws it back, the batter or the umpire?
I would agree it’s crossed Cashman’s mind, and has since October. Problem is, Nieves was the best he could come up with so far, and I’m sure it’s still on his radar and we’ll see a trade at some point. Look at last year, we had Stinnett, replaced him with Luigi ‘Stache. Neither great options. Finding a back-up catcher that can hit is rare. But I guess a .230 hitter is better than a .0000000000000 hitter, huh?
Minky is also my favorite player to root for on the team, together with The Franchise. He might not hit more than 10 dingers and hit over .250, but he grinds it out and gives it all he’s got everyday. That is what this game is (or maybe I should say ‘should be’) about as much as winning.
i would love for Pete to do a lookup of some IP addresses and tell us how many posters are the same person.
RainbowTrout
Hello?Offense?
dumpvizcaino
etc. etc. etc.
Pete?
Yankeefaninwoosta,
Actually, Cashman was asked about Nieves on the Mike and the Mad Dog show. He said of course he’s disappointed that he’s not hitting, but that the pitchers like throwing to him and he’s good defensively. He also said he is always looking for improvements (this was also with respect to the bench).
Nieves has a job unless and until someone better surfaces, but if all the people who are supposed to hit are hitting, it’s not THAT big a deal if Nieves isn’t. Of course, I’m hoping he gets his first hit sooner rather than later!
hmmmm, I have no doubt that trout, ho, and gloomy are the same 11 year old troll…….
“He might not hit more than 10 dingers and hit over .250, but he grinds it out and gives it all he’s got everyday. That is what this game is (or maybe I should say ‘should be’) about as much as winning.”
i prefer watching really talented players, but that’s just me.
i don’t mind Mientkiewicz, but all of the “i love gritty gamers” posts in this thread are a bunch of crap.
the 1998 Yankees kicked butt b/c they put up a team-wide ERA+ of 117 and OPS+ of 116. not because Brosius could move runners. not to mention the fact that Brosius had a 120 OPS+ that year. in other words, he was basically Jeter playing 3B.
Brosius was World Series MVP in ’98.
The World Series was 4 games!
Are there people that seriously think we are in such a hole that can’t be overcome? We’re 6 games out with FIVE MONTHS of baseball to play. Good Lord. It’s borderline ludicrous to have the mindset that we are screwed already. We came back from 14 games out in 1978 against the Sox, remember?
Edit: I forgot to mention that it was mid-July when we were out by 14 games that year. The point is, it’s NOT a huge obstacle, and anything can happen in five months.
Wolf in Pinstripes –
For most of us, you are preaching to the choir. For the rest, it doesn’t matter. Don’t get aggravated.
Did you guys see Mets Players shave their heads? Are they becoming a Nazi Soldiers or want attention from Ny Media back pages?
fred, definitely attention. It’s kinda like middle child syndrome, acting out to get attention becuase no-one actually cares about the Mets.
David Wright looks awful, he used to look like an innocent nice kid, now he looks like either a kid with cancer or a skin head
and by the way, a couple of the Yankees did that in ST, just didn’t take with the whole team.
The Mets are just immitators, dime store copy cats…
I have a few solutions for the backup catcher situation:
1) See if Pratt’s still available. Get him into some minor league games.
2) Call up Raul Chavez. He’s not much better, but I bet he’ll get some hits.
3) Find another Molina brother.
Fernando, Pratt didn’t win the job in ST, why would he now…? Same with Chavez.
“I have a few solutions for the backup catcher situation:
1) See if Pratt’s still available. Get him into some minor league games.”
i’m sure he is and i’m sure he’d come back. i believe they parted on good terms with Cashman offering to call around “other teams to try to get him a job.
2) Call up Raul Chavez. He’s not much better, but I bet he’ll get some hits.”
perhaps.
look, if Nieves is still hitting .000 in June, Cashman will do something about it.
a lot of people (not you) seem to think that the team you break camp with in ST is the team you will end the season with. there weren’t a lot of options before the season started, as teams fall out of the hunt, the market loosens up. happens every year. no need to worry about it now.
Nieves plays once a week. that means 4 ABs a week. if he were hitting .250, no one would be complaining, but all that would be mean is that he is going 1-4 instead of 0-4.
1 hit per week. that’s what we’re talking about.
i don’t think some people here could ever root for a SMALL market team. those fans would die laughing if they read all of the wailing and gnashing of teeth about our backup catching situation.
“i don’t mind Mientkiewicz, but all of the “i love gritty gamersâ€? posts in this thread are a bunch of crap.”
you wouldn’t be from the “if it can’t be measured,it doesn’t exist” school of thought would you? i thought that went out with depodesta.
The Yankees need to make up 2 games in the standings, each month. Thats it. 2 games every month.
They can do that in 2 weeks if they wanted too, so 5 months should be fine to make up 6 games.
seriously hmmmm. I know people who are Rays fans and find optimism. One guy I know from Tampa is actually rooting for the Royals this year, becuase a neighbor of his is pitching there now (some reliever I think).. If people can root for those teams, imagine how entitled they must think we are complaining about back-ups when they can barely field a major league team…..
games against the rangers: amazing how bad pitching makes an average team look good. Now if we can only handle good teams like the mariners.
leave me alone
Sorry folks, the Yankees don’t have to apologize for beating the Rangers. They only get to play one game a day and can’t control the schedule or what Boston is doing. It comes back to Mariano Duncan (I believe) who canned the line “We play today, we win today, dats it”. The Yankees just need to win series after series. I calculate that if the Yankees win 2 of every 3 game series and split every 4 game series the rest of the year, they will finish with 96 wins. That makes the playoffs. Of course they won’t win every series, but they will sweep some also so it is all within our reach.
The Rangers may be slumping themselves, but that line-up is full of talented hitters. Let’s not act like they’re the Royals or Carolina Mudcats.
“He reminds me of Brocious in that he does not put up the flashy offensive stats that Jeter, A-Rod, or Giambi do but he contributes each and every game. He seems to have a fire lit under him that I really enjoy to watch. Any one else have an opinion.”
Agreed – I think both him and his cheerleader (Damon) have been a good influence on the ballclub.
Jeff, thats what we all want.
However, you should check out the schedule, and the amount of tough games they have, a lot of them being on the road, between May 15th and June 7th.
“David Wright looks awful, he used to look like an innocent nice kid, now he looks like either a kid with cancer or a skin head”
Yea – he used to look like he belonged in a Disney movie. Now he looks like a freak with those bushy, waxed (but waxed thick) eyebrows.
“amazing how bad pitching makes an average team look good … if we can only handle good teams like the mariners…” I hope that was sarcasm. Name one team we haven’t put up runs against? You can’t score 8 every night, but I’d say leading the league in runs is a pretty good indication that our lineup is better than an “average team.”
“My bold prediction for 5 in the morning. If Nieves doesn’t have a hit by may 15 then Phelps will be the backup catcher, Nieves will be demoted, and Villone will be brought up to be a lefty out of the pen.
Bets anyone?”
He should also be the DH when Giambi is out.
Don’t use the “small market team” thing to argue why we shouldn’t be concerned about the backup catcher. It starts with the team ownership. We have an owner who cares and wants to win, hence, he invests in the team, the team is interesting, people show up to games and watch on TV.
Point being, there are things that small market teams can do about the lack of interest in their team……invest in it!!!And if they still don’t come than shame on MLB for expanding into cities where there is no market.
Anywhoo, I will continue to cry about this backup cathcer thing until Professor Zero can get a hit. ONE HIT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! If it is august/september and posada is sitting on saturday afternoon against the sox i want a guy who has a chance of getting a hit. that one guy can also affect the pitches that the other batters around him will see.
Top 5 batting averages in the AL:
1. B.J. Upton, TB .366
2. Alex Rodriguez, *NYY* .358
3. Derek Jeter, *NYY* .354
4. Jorge Posada, *NYY* .354
5. Joe Mauer, Min .353
Wolf in Pinstripes –
For most of us, you are preaching to the choir. For the rest, it doesn’t matter. Don’t get aggravated.”
Oh, I know Joe – just trying to rally the choir, you know?
Chris,
To add to that…
Top 5 Teams in MLB OBP:
1) New York Yankees .364
2) Boston Red Sox .360
3) Philadelphia Phillies .358
4) New York Mets .356
5) Cleveland Indians .355
Wolf,
You’re from Kentucky, right? Are you keeping an eye on The Rocket?
I’m not saying we’re in too big of a hole to overcome, far from it. I’m just saying that I don’t think .600 ball from here on out, getting us to 94 wins, will put us in the postseason this year. I think we’re easily capable of doing better than that, but we’re going to need to because of this initial hole.
yankeefaninwoosta, no-one’s saying that’s why you shouldn’t care about the back-up catcher, or even that you shouldn’t care… The statement was that fans of those teams, by comparison, would think we’re like Paris Hilton whining about the temperature of her Cristal compared to a homeless man begging for a piece of bread. Doesn’t mean she can’t complain, just putting things in perspective.
That said, no-one is saying we shouldn’t care about every player on our team performing. You’re right, we’re not the Royals, we expect more, and rightfully so. I’m not going to say, well, the Royals are 20 games out, so we shouldn’t complain about being 15 games out.
You’re right to have concern over Nieves, but until there’s a better alternative, there’s not much that can come of that concern. You also need a guy that keeps the pitchers comfortable and calls a good game, for now, that’s Nieves every 5th day.
I know Minky is hitting much better, let’s hope he keeps it up. And yes, Nieves has few opportunities to hurt us, but the at-bats do add up. As the season wears on, Nieves will be asked for more than 4 ABs a week. Something that has been pointed out by Steve Goldman and many other Sabremetricians: you cannot simply give away outs. Anybody remember that it was Phelps who started the ninth innning rally with a homer, thus giving A-Rod the chance to be a hero? You never know when that chance is going to come up. If we are quibbling about either making or missing the playoffs by just a few games, then Nieves going 0-4 every week (or Minkys .160 in April) will hurt. There will be at least a few games where everyone else is not having a good game, and we need a hit (or two!) from our backup catcher or first baseman.
Yes, there is plenty of time. (No kidding). But one sign of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different (better) results.
Let’s just hope we are still in striking distance of the playoffs when the inevitable moves are made.
I agree with everything you just said, jimbo. But 10 starting pitchers in one month is hardly “doing the same things over and over and expecting different (better) results.”
If the back-up catcher and 1B were the reason we’re 6 games out, that’s definitely the place to start changing things. But right now, they’re just lower on the list of priorities. Let’s hope we found a rotation good enough to get us closer until Clemens and Hughes get here. If so, Cash can get back to those needs and hopefully Minky will eliminate the need to look for a new 1B… Maybe Nieves even gets that 1/4 hits, who knows…. but one thing is for sure, Cashman is always looking to improve the team, so if there’s an option out there, he’ll explore it.
One needs to take some solace in the fact that all these things — you don’t want to waste outs and at-bats, etc. — are not only true for the Yankees, but for everyone. The law of averages works on everyone, not just the Yankees. Somewhere else in baseball there are a couple of back-up catchers who don’t have any hits (I just heard of one this morning, as a matter of fact, but darn, I can’t think of his name). Also, when you point out that the Yankees’ schedule is has tough stretches, well, it does every year. And frankly, if your team is going well, even those tough stretches will seem relatively easy, and vice versa.
Oh, what’s the point — I think next time I’m just going to post “glass-half-full” in response to all those negativists, and call it a day. Well, I guess the point is, we must all kind of like this discussion — we keep coming back for more.
“you wouldn’t be from the “if it can’t be measured,it doesn’t existâ€? school of thought would you? i thought that went out with depodesta.”
no, i’m from the “let’s not make up BS reasons why the 1998 Yankees were a good team” school of thought.
“Yes, there is plenty of time. (No kidding). But one sign of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different (better) results.”
yeah, not sure what you are talking about.
just in the last week, the yanks:
1. sent down Kei Igawa
2. dropped Abreu in the order
3. rewarded Rasner by keeping him with the team
4. aggressively filled their most glaring weakness by bringing in Clemens
“Wolf,
You’re from Kentucky, right? Are you keeping an eye on The Rocket?”
Yep – I’m working on it, Todd.
It looks like they are keeping things fairly tight around the UK stadium, but I am going to go over there Friday afternoon, because we leave the office early every Friday. There will be reports on the local sports news each night on TV, I’m sure. They did quite an extensive segment last night. If I can get into Cliff Hagan Stadium this week, I will get some pictures and whatever kind of scouting report I can. Roger was pitching to batters yesterday but asked them not to swing. That was reserved for when Koby showed up, but I never heard if he did or not.
I have tickets for Koby’s team (Lexington Legends, Houston’s Sally-league team)on Sunday, and Roger was said to be hanging out on the “party deck” last time he was here a few weeks ago (found out about that one after the fact .. Damn!). That’s a section down the right-field line past the box seats that is like an outdoor party room, basically. I heard that he was talking it up with fans, giving out autogrpahs, taking pictures, etc. I’m thinking about grabbing some tickets for tomorrow night as well if they are still available.
Two tidbits:
1 – I wonder if the Houston organization is still going to have the “Clemens figurine” night on July 7th now that he has signed with NY. It is still listed on the Legends’ promotional schedule as of now.
2- Charleston will be coming to town later this summer and I am looking forward to checking out Austin “Action” Jackson.
All you guys are a bunch of fruitcakes!
Clemens is the best, Minky is the best. Pettite is the best. That’s great but you’re forgetting one thing:
Mariano and your bullpen SUCK. That’s what you shits need: A new guy in the bullpen. Not an over-priced old man who’s going to give you 4 innings a start!!!!
Red Sox will run away with this one this year. Better luck next year!!!!!!
But, hmmm, none of that counts, because they still have Nieves, and even though Mientkiewicz is hitting better, he’s got to go, too. Oops, and I forgot, Vizcaino is still hanging out in the bullpen along with Farnsworth, the bums, Cairo is still taking up space on the bench, and lets not even discuss Pavano.
“I wonder if the Houston organization is still going to have the “Clemens figurineâ€? night on July 7th now that he has signed with NY.”
i’m guessing no
Especially since NY is is “home”
hmmm (and others)
Yeah, that was your standard cliched finish to a post (I’m at work so I finished it in a hurry).
My point was not about the changes they have made, but simply that the Yanks should not wait until Nieves is 0 for June. I have no idea what is “out there” regarding backup catchers, or first basemen. Yes, Minky’s defense has been very nice, but not way above average. And using a platoon at first is troublesome because it limits Torres options late in games, when he already has made substitutions that have been questionable. A full-time first basemen would help solve that, and Minky at .260 for the year is acceptable only if his OBP stays high.
The other changes you mentioned are good, if not obvious. Let’s hope they continue thinking along the lines of improvement even if they continue to win in the next few weeks.
(And just to be nicely obnoxious, even though the glass is more than half full and getting fuller, Cashman can handle all these things at once. The idea of “priorities” does not come into play. They were “pursuing” Clemens since the end of last season, and they knew after ST what the potential weaknesses were. Some things you just fight through (the pitching injuries) but other things were obvious, like Nieves, and the platoon at first. Hoping they work out is not the way to insure you make the playoffs.
Remember, even after 162 games the chances of making the playoffs often comes down to just a few games.
I guess they’ll take some kind of financial loss on the figurines, though, if they don’t go through with it. Plus, I’d bet people would still like to have them, kind of collectors’ items.
Here’s the thing — we, the fans, are “hoping” things will work out, because basically that’s all we’re capable of doing. However, simply because nothing’s been done in certain areas yet does not mean that Cashman and others in the organization are just sitting around hoping that alternative, and hopeful, improved, situations arise. The Yankees may not do precisely what you want them to do, but I have not known the Yankees to do nothing. Sometimes it’s a waiting game.
Agreed Jimbo. I’m not suggesting those things were ever put on a back burner and ignored. But one still has to prioritize their activities each day. I’m sure when Cashman was trading phone calls with Hendricks working out the details of Clemens’ contract, there was no time to say, “hmmm who has a back-up catcher lying around?” That’s all I meant. He’s always looking, problem is there isn’t much to find right now. No-one is “just hoping things will work out,” at least not me. For me at least, it’s more confidence in Cashman’s dedication and ability to find talent under a rock; along with confidence in this team to overcome its short-comings.
I agree Doreen. Besides, his kid still plays for them and I would think it could create an uncomfortable vibe if they were to dump the promotion. I have a feeling these are going to feature the Rocket in a Legends’ uni from when he pitched a rehab start here last year. Hell, my tickets for Sundays game have a picture of Roger pitching in that game from last year.
“My point was not about the changes they have made, but simply that the Yanks should not wait until Nieves is 0 for June. I have no idea what is “out thereâ€? regarding backup catchers, or first basemen. ”
i guess they could give Chavez a try, but i don’t see how they have a choice but to wait until teams fall out of the race. no one is ready to make any trades yet.
there’s some strange reasoning going on here. cashman is the one who created the first base platoon with mienkiewicz and phelps. supporters of cashman say that was the best he could do considering what was available. then when the two scrappy gamers that he picked up get scrappy (phelps taking out seattle catcher) (mienkiewicz diving for runners and bases) the cashman supporters say something like ” we don’t like scrappy gamers, we like quality players.
make up your mind, do you like quality players do you like scrap heap gamers?
…and as far as the pathetic back up catching goes, brian”marty mille “cashman doesn’t always have everything under control. it would be nice is he acted proactively before he has to overspend to put out a fire( like if posada gets injured). there were and are plenty of catchers out there better than nieves. go ahead and ask me to name 5 and i’ll give you a list of about 15-20. it’s a myth of cashman supporters that there are no back up catchers out there. where would the twins be if they didn’t have redman backing up mauer who might be out for three weeks. the yankees have been at their best when they had girardi and posada. anyone who underestimates the role of the back up catcher just hasn’t been around the game. it’s more than 1 hit a week. redmond has caught twins pitchers for 6-7 years. it’s seamless when he goes in there for mauer. the revolving door at back up catcher doesn’t allow any experience to accumulate of catching the individual pitchers. whatever nieves learned about catching the staff will be gone when he leaves as fast as you can say marty miller.
randy, seamless? I assume you’re referring to his defensive catching (he’s not seamlessly replacing Mauer’s offense…), his calling the games and working with the pitchers. Those are things Nieves does well and has been praised by Yankee pitchers for.
Now, “go ahead and ask me to name 5 and i’ll give you a list of about 15-20.” I’ll bite, name me some that are *available* and at what price?
I’d love to have another Girardi or Leyritz back there, no doubt about it. I’m not asking who/where are they to strictly insinuate there is no-one, but genuinely asking… if there’s someone Cash is missing, who is it? Back-up catchers don’t cost much, it’s not like he just thought Nieves was great or was too cheap to sign one of the fifty Molinas.
chris ny-
by seamless, i meant defensively. but since you bring up offense , redman hit something like .341 last year and .311 in 2005.
this gets old posting this ,but here we go again:2006 partial list:
mike redmond-min-.341
mark lieberthal – phi- .273
david ross- cinn-.251
laird -tx .255
blanco-chc-.241
jose molina-cal-.240
torrealba-col-.328
valentin-cinn.269
sntder-arz-.277
greeene-sf .289
bennet-sl- .223
treanor-fla.229
wilson-detroit-.283
paul-tampa-.260
rivera-mil-.268
fick-wash-.266
castro-nym.238
cashman was being “cheap” over the winter. he was trying to keep the payroll down so he would have moves likes getting clemens which i think is great. but back up catcher is an important role. i think that’s where the argument is here. i like what the twins do with catching. and somehow they do it on 70 million a year. for 1 -1.5 million more , the yankees could have had someone decent. it’s late now to get someone, but who’s fault is that? that would be ca$hmoney. he should have just soent the money and got someone. now he’ll have to overpay to get someone. i think he just doesn’t think a back up catcher is that important. it seems like an afterthought with him.
you certainly MAY be right that Cashman has underestimated the importance of the backup catcher role. perhaps he should be criticized for that.
but half of those players you listed were not even available this off-season. you can’t expect Cashman to sign someone who was NEVER a free agent.
perhaps he should have made a trade. perhaps. but it’s not too late for him to do that this season.
mike redmond-NOT A FREE AGENT (signed before FA period)
mark lieberthal – available
david ross- NOT A FREE AGENT
laird – NOT A FREE AGENT
blanco-NOT A FREE AGENT (signed before FA period)
jose molina-NOT A FREE AGENT
torrealba-NOT A FREE AGENT
valentin-NOT A FREE AGENT (signed extension last august)
sntder-NOT A FREE AGENT
greeene-i don’t even know who you mean, there is no green on SF
bennet-NOT A FREE AGENT (signed before FA period)
treanor-NOT A FREE AGENT
wilson-NOT A FREE AGENT (signed extension last august)
paul-NOT A FREE AGENT
rivera-NOT A FREE AGENT
fick-Fick was available
castro-available
there are like 3 guys on your list who were actually available, and i think it has been well documented that Lieberthal REALLY wanted to play for the Dodgers.
give me a break, you have some guys on your list with like 1-2 years of service time. Cashman just can’t sign whomever he wants.
the list for catchers i gave was for back up catchers better than nieves from 2006. i said,” there were and are plenty of catchers out there better than nieves. go ahead and ask me to name 5 and i’ll give you a list of about 15-20.”
the point is that there were and are lots of catchers better than nieves out there. that’s a fact. if you want to dispute that, i’d like to hear your reasoning.
if you’re saying all these catchers were untouchable, i’d also like to hear your reasoning. the yankees have a whole minor league system that is full of players that could have been traded for a back up catcher . it looks to me that it was just another thing like the marty miller situation where cashman just didn’t put in the time.
“i’d also like to hear your reasoning. the yankees have a whole minor league system that is full of players that could have been traded for a back up catcher .”
nope, i actually agreed with you that maybe Cashman should have pursued a trade.
i was merely objecting to the notion that these guys were available for nothing but cash and that Cashman was being “cheap” by going with Nieves.
he might have been “cheap”, but not with money. he was being “cheap” with his minor league talent by not making a trade.
i think we’re sort of in agreement here. cashman could have done more (either with cash or trades), but it was a back burner issue for him. nieves could still pull off staying with the team if he can even hit.170-.200. the pitching staff seems to like him and he looks like he runs well for a catcher. he doesn’t look like he was cracking under the pressure of the 0-5 years either which is a good sign. i hope he gets his hits and becomes a valuable role player, but if he stays down around .100, they’re going to have to make a change.
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sunnyart
link=http://sunnyart.blogspot.com/
sorry – just trying to figure out how the html stuff works with wordpress. bold, italics, links, etc. no luck so far.
the only thing i figured out was the -strikethrough text-