Trend or tease? Looking at the hot streak
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jun 11, 2007 
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Bobby Abreu: 18 of 38 (.474) in his last 10 games with 9 walks, 9 RBI, 7 extra-base hits and 14 runs scored. His batting average has gone from .228 to .272. Trend or tease?: This is the Abreu the Yankees had last summer. He makes their lineup work and figures to stay hot for a while.
Mariano Rivera: He has allowed one run on eight in his last 13.1 innings while striking out 14 and walking 2. Trend of tease?: Mo was great in spring training and didn’t suddenly lose it in April. Inconsistent work and maybe a touch of overconfidence hurt him but he’s back now.
Melky Cabrera: He is 14 of 37 (.378) with 8 runs scored in the 10 games he has started in center field. His defense has been terrific. Trend or tease: Melky is an interesting case. Is a starting player? For now, he’s what they need.
Alex Rodriguez: Holy cats, he’s 12 of his last 30 with five homers and 18 RBI. He’s on a pace to hit 64 jacks and drive in 167 runs. Trend or tease?: When Abeu hits third, A-Rod rakes. There’s no denying that. The key is getting men on base in front of him because he’s crushing the ball. 150 RBI is reasonable to expect.
Miguel Cairo: He is 7 of 24 playing every day. Trend or tease?: First base is a big problem. Cairo is doing the job for now but he is what he is. Josh Phelps is a disaster waiting to happen in the field and Doug Mientkiewicz will be out another five or six weeks. Johnny Damon makes some sense but then who is the DH? This is the hole Brian Cashman needs to fill at the deadline. They don’t need Todd Helton but they need somebody decent. Dmitri Young maybe.
Wil Nieves: Believe it or not, he’s 5 of his last 15 with three RBI. Trend or tease: I figured for sure Nieves would be DFA’d by now and replaced by Raul Chavez. But he’s hanging in there.
Pete,
Does Abreu talk to the media much? Just curious, because he was known for blowing them off down here in Philly.
Abreu is a weird dude. He could hit, but he would always sulk when the Phillies tried to move him out of the 3rd spot. It was like he thought he had a divine right to hit 3rd.
I just wrote a comment on Abreu, but it doesn’t appear. HHmmmm.
ahh. In three or 4 years, that A-Rod guy might become a real handy player.
Just like arod to pad his numbers with an extra homer against the welfare queens yesterday! The captain would have gotten a base knock. ;o)
The Yanks seem to have a very dynamic lineup in that each batter ebbs and flows with the guys around him. Abreu and A-Rod seem to be picking each other up, and certainly Melky coming around and the general quality of the lineup now is likely allowing even Nieves to see better pitches.
That and they have been playing some minor-major league teams lately..
I like Cairo at first! Good glove!
Pete,
I think the bullpen should be included in the “trend or tease”.
Its so unreliable with regard to strikethrowers and consistency (outside of Mo), I think its become more of an issue than first base at the present time.
Sometimes, it gets shadowed in blowout games. But, the walks and inconsistency in the bullpen is alarming.
Does anybody really trust Kyle Farnsworth in the 8th inning of a one run game? Proctor? Bruney? Its a real weakness with this team.
As you get closer to the deadline, they can find a first baseman to fill a gap, if need be.
The bullpen? Different matter.
Just think of how much tougher this team would be if the 8th inning was a lock. If they had somebody (Tom Gordon at his best, for example) whom you knew, was getting the ball to Mo and the game was over.
That allows the rest of the guys to fall into more predictable (and less pressurized) roles and the entire pitching staff takes on a new dynamic.
Absent that, they can only hope Farnsworth can get it together because, at the present time, there isn’t anybody else on the staff capable of handling the 8th inning on a steady basis.
I’d say that role, more than anything else, is the big question mark with the Yankees at the present time.
Abreu has always been a sulker. He thinks hitting 3rd is his god-given right. When Phillies tried to move him in the lineup, he’d sabotage it by his play. Just ask Phillies fans.
Overshadowed, I meant to say. Pete, we need an edit function here!
I agree SJ, but having a lock for the 9th is hard enough, we’ve been spoiled with Mo.., having a lock in the 8th and 9th is even tougher, obviously… We were spoiled with Mo/Wetland and Gordon/Mo. I think that was the plan for Farnsworth (another closer turned setup man for Mo), but he just hasn’t given us the consistency we wanted.
However, I would certainly be happy to see some more consistency and have relief corps more similar to that of ’96 to ’01 (or whenever Mendoza and company stopped being as effective).
And I totally agree on the walks too. Relievers should be attacking hitters with their best stuff, not walking guys.
Mendoza as the long man with Stanton and Nelson standing by and Mo closing…fearsome bullpen.
Personally, I’m looking for, and expecting, a couple weeks in a row of winning 8 of their last 10 type of winning streaks, a *trend* towards climbing back up the ladder and back in the Divisional race. Unfortunately, we don’t face Boston again till August, so we’re gonna need them to lose some games on their own during the process, but they’re due to cool off at least a little bit.
Da Meat Hook is the last guy I’d ever want to see on this team.
1. abreu is a trend . he needed time to warm-up
2. mo rivera is a trend . he’s finaly getting some sort of consistent work .
3. melky hits w/ runners on but his regular b.a. is a little low but it is getting better w. regular a.b.’s
4. cairo had very little playing time up until doug m. went ont he d.l. what pro player wouldnt hit better w/ reg. playing time ?
5. a-rod = trend . he’s just flat-out nasty
6. wil nieves is a very light hitting b/u catcher i think 5-15 is a tease . i think the yanks will look for an upgrade at the trade deadline .
I’m still pi$$ed at Nelson for going back to Seattle and saying his favorite moment was when they beat the Yankees in ’95. He came here after that to win WS rings and had the nerve to say beating the Yankees was a better feeling than winning with them.
That’s why I was shocked when he wanted to retire a Yankee and said his favorite moments were here……… so I guess that means he was just scorned because the Yankees wouldn’t pay him what he wanted that year he went back to Seattle, so he got all “I don’t like you anyway” on his way out the door.
The difference between Melky the CF starter and Melky the spot starter is pretty stark. His entire approach to the game changes dramatically when he is in there every day.
I am not sold on him being an every day Yankee over the long term (not enough power) but his combination of energy, a strong arm in the outfield, and positivity really seems to infect other players – especially Abreu and Cano.
It will be interesting to see if he ends up being dangled as part of a package for a 1B or if Cashman keeps him around.
Phelps is bad in the field but you’d welcome Dmitri Young?
I still don’t mind a relative offensive hole at 1B if the defense is good and the rest of the lineup is hitting. This is a team expected to average 6 runs a game even with the Mientkiewicz/Phelps platoon. If we’re able to do it for the 4-6 weeks, I say you stick with what you have and if you pick up anything in a trade, it’s a quality arm for the pen. I’m a little surprised I haven’t heard them mentioned in the Gagne talks. I’d gladly trade one of our 2nd tier SP prospects for him, assuming he’d approve the trade to be a setup man. Maybe even Clippard.
They need a right handed big bat. Someone who can play 1b and DH.
I like Cairo in there because he has a good glove–better than Phelps to be sure–and because he won’t generally kill you at the plate. I think he does more on the positive side of the ledger, with good situational hitting and a key base hit here and there–than he does on the bad side.
What bullpens have a reliable 7th inning guy? Theres a reason those guys are pitching in the 7th inning. Its because they cant hack it starting or closing. I’ll take my chances with Proctor and Bruney in the 7th over any other pen.
Abreu: Trend. One of the most consistently good OBP guys in baseball has turned it around. His slump was so far from his career averages, so inexplicable, that it’s a safe bet we won’t see anything like it again this year.
Rivera: Trend, for similar reasons. Great players don’t suddenly become mediocre unless they’re injured.
Melky: His great defense is a trend. His hitting is a tease, but he’s fine for what he is, a fourth outfielder who has to fill in for Damon.
ARod: Hard to say, because this season he’s either been blisteringly hot or ice cold. In the end I expect him to put up numbers similar to 2005, so overall, trend.
Cairo: Tease, Cairo can’t hit, and even a bad hitter can squeeze out 7 hits over 24 at bats. Funny that having Cairo at first instead of Mientkiewicz is suddenly a big problem, even though Cairo and Mientkiewicz are pretty much the same player in terms of their offensive and defensive contributions. Truth is, we had a problem at first base since game 1.
It’s some consolation that Craig Wilson, who I thought should have been our starting first baseman, has been horrendous. We’ve been stuck with the fallout from Giambi’s inability to play first for a long time.
Nieves: Obviously a tease, as Nieves is more a .200 hitter than a .333 hitter, but he had to start getting some hits. His BABIP must have been absurdly low until his recent streak. Bottom line is he’s probably no worse than Flaherty, Stinnett, or Fasano – not that those guys were any good.
Farnsworth is a thrower not a pitcher. He throws 98+ but he loses control with the pitch for velocity.
1-0
2-0
Fastball count. It doesn’t matter how hard you throw Farns, everyone and their mother knows your throwing that fastball down the middle for a strike since you can barely hit corners with it. If you try to dial it down and control it, then its a 92 MPH straight meatball that still gets knocked around.
Farnsworth needs to go!
Someone suggested Lieber for Farnsworth. I’d do that in a heartbeat. Leiber is a solid 5th starter. Clippard is a nice young gun who will go through growing pains this season, Yankees can’t go through that when they are chasing 2 teams.
SJ,
Why don’t they just put “Lights Out” Britton in the 8th? He had a 3.35 ERA with the O’s last year in the AL EAST for that matter. He must be better than Scott Shields, Linebrink, or Zumaya (when healthy).
Abreu is a streaky player so you can say it is both. He strikes out a lot and walks a lot (over 100 of both in almost every season) so there are times when he sees the ball really well and is locked in and there are times when he might as well have blinders on.
Cairo and Melky aren’t going to produce like this forever but are good players. Cairo is going to go through another slump like he did last year filling in for Cano. He just isn’t an everyday player. Cabrera has the skill set to be good but he is still learning and with young players you get the good and the bad. Right now we are getting the good with both players.
Nieves is what it is. He is never going to be Johnny Bench but we can all hope he hits over the .200 mark by the end of the year. Hope was looking very bleak for awhile.
The bullpen is a question but I don’t see it settling a lot of games. Consistant starting pitching has either taken us out of a game immediately or kept us in it in which the bullpen usually holds on for a lead. They are walking a lot of batters but as of right now that hasn’t hurt. It is very likely that it may come back to bite them but I can only think of 4 games where the bullpen has let go of a game the starting pitcher had it won. That isn’t great but I would say it’s better than average around the league. A few of those blown leads came from Rivera too. One quality arm added to the bullpen would obviously make it much stronger but it is a sellers market right now where the demand is much higher than the supply, if you want a quality arm you are going to pay highly for it.
They can live with juggling at first base for right now. No sense overpaying to fill that spot.
Although, all the “experts” in the media seem to think Tex is out of the Yankees reach, I’d still keep an eye on it. These same “experts” said the Yankees had no chance at Abreu last year without giving up Hughes. We saw how that turned out.
As the Rangers get closer to the deadline, they have a very tough decision to make and they make not get what they think they will get for him.
He’s the one guy I hold out for at first because he is an impact player. After that? Keep what you have and look for bullpen help.
The bullpen needs help. If they can find an arm, like a Lidge, Linebrink, Oksuna, etc, a guy that is a solid, dependable 8th inning guy, it would dramatically improve this team, IMO. I wouldn’t touch Gagne at all. Too injured, too many other questions about him.
The bullpen is an area, as the season wears on, and guys get tired, where adding another arm to the ‘pen could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them.
Dimitri Young would be an aging first base man with some pop in his bat. I can totally believe this W/L record with the lack of power in our lineup. Remove Arods gawdy numbers and we are not intimidating. Can’t believe we have 1 more than the red sux at 66. This is a strange year compared to the yankee standard.
Do you remember that Venezuelan right fielder that slammed some 30 in a row during the home run derby? Where is he?
I would love to see a quality arm for the pen to replace Myers, Villone, or Henn. They are the dead weight right now. Most teams can get by with worse relievers than Rivera, Proctor, Bruney, Britton, and even Farnsworth (as long as he’s not the setup guy).
It pains me to say this, but Dmitri Young would be a decent temporary solution at first.
SJ,
Gagne would be a risk but if you get him for nothing it is worth a chance. Giving up a couple no name prospects for a guy who could end up being a part of our playoff run would be worth it in my mind. He only has a one year deal and the wheels are falling off for Texas so I’m sure there isn’t a great demand for him. If he gets hurt, oh well, really nothing lost. I think Steinbrenner wouldn’t mind adding a few mil to the 198 he is already spending for an extra arm that could help even if the chance of him helping aren’t certain.
That being said, if they get him I wouldn’t expect Cashman to stop looking. He is an option but not necessarily a solution.
I’d rather they give Chris Britton(the King) or Edwar Ramirez a shot in the pen before going out and trading prospects for a reliever.
Just sayin’
I also think Kansas City would “rent out” Mike Sweeney for a few months even if they plan on resigning him at seasons end. They aren’t going anywhere and if they can add a few mid-level prospects to loan him out for a few months, why not do it. I don’t think a package for him would have to be anything more than they gave up to get Abreu last year. Then this offseason they can make a play at Texiera.
Just say no to Gagne, unless of course Texas wants to throw him in the Teixera deal. Now if Texas would be willing to part with Otsuka, I do that in a heartbeat, he is solid. Remember a year ago, Texas traded their set up man, Francisco Cordero, who is now strangely enough one of the premier closers in the NL. We definitely need a solid 8th inning option, I just hold out hope that guy is already on the roster. Free Chris Britton!
Yes!
Free Chris Britton!
They traded Cordero in the Carlos Lee deal, so they had to give up something to get something.
Dmitri Young was a dumb suggestion. Look at his career. And then look that he has a .389 BABIP this season. That’s going to come crashing down.
However, Mike Sweeney would be worse.
Isn’t it King Britton or “Light Out” Britton. The hero of the blog definately needs a cool nickname
I think Mike Sweeney would step in and give us what Casey gave the Tigers last year. He needs a reason to compete and would see much better pitching hitting in a good lineup.
Da’ Meat Hook is currently raking for the Nats and is sure to be traded by the deadline. The Nats have no where to play him once Nick the Stick gets back. Despite his off the field troubles, he would be a fine stopgap for 1B this year. He is a switch hitter and has spent a good amount of time in the AL. Nats probably would love to get a mid-level prospect for him since they picked him up off the scrap heap. Ive been thinking of him at 1B for about a month now. I figure you hit him 7th in between Matsui and Cano. A lineup of…
Damon
Jeter
Abreu
A-Rod
Posada
Matsui
Young
Cano
Cabrera
…gives us the perfect L-R balance up and down the lineup.
Uh, Casey hit worse in Detroit last year than he did in Pittsburgh.
Well he was a big reason they made it to the WS so I think he did alright. He also had several home runs during the WS even though it was in a losing effort.
Do you think Scott Hatteberg could be had for first base?
Dmitri Young is hitting .342 with .410 OBP, .513 SLG, 14 doubles, 6 HR, and 33 RBI for D.C. Why would D.C. give him up? According to baseball-reference.com, he was released by Detroit on 9/6/06 which means the Yanks could’ve signed him.
So what does Brian Cashman do? He gets Josh Phelps! Prepare to vomit even more: D.C. signed Dmitri for a year and $500K, $100K less than Cashman signed Phelps who the Yanks can’t even trade!
The only good things Cashman did this offseason were no-brainer re-signings of Pettitte and Clemens. The majority of his signings and trades since 2001 are the reasons why this team hasn’t won a World Series since 2000 and he should be fired for that/ 2001-2006 alone. He got lucky with Small, Chacon, and Bruney, and Brown falling to injury. I shudder to think what he would’ve done with Wang had Brown not got hurt i.e. Wang not come up to take Brown’s place.
Might as well kill the 29 other GMs for not signing a mediocre player over the offseason, who happens to currently be playing way over his head.
We don’t need more old 1B/DHs!!!!
We don’t need more old 1B/DHs!!!!
We don’t need more old 1B/DHs!!!!
We don’t need more old 1B/DHs!!!!
We don’t need more old 1B/DHs!!!!
Horrible fielder and besides, Giambi will most likely be back this year.
1B,
Dmitri Young is a head case, bad teammate, and had legal problems at the end of last year. Cash might not have wanted to add him to this team for those reasons as well as many of the players wouldn’t have wanted this wacko around for a whole year. He also didn’t have a great 2006 so who knew he would be that much better this year. GM’s aren’t fortune tellers
Global,
No one is giving up young players for a 3 month rental without getting a lot in return. If you think this team can win a WS with Cairo or Phelps playing first for the year, you are crazy. Minky wasn’t necessarily the best option there either. Him and Nieves hit about .300 combined.
According to SI, Adam Dunn is on the Trading Block.
Everyone here wanted Teixera and now hes is busted down and on the DL.
Young may be a head case, but Ive never once read a complaint about him as a bad teammate. The guy is not a horrendous fielder, put it this way, hes definitely a step or two above Phelps.
The reason the Nats give him up is they have no where to play him once Nick Johnson gets back. Remember, no DH in the NL. Im not saying to give up an elite prospect for him.
Who knows, maybe a KT, a Jeff Kennard, someone in that vain.
It’s not the offense that will win or lose the WS. We had offense the last few years. It is the pitching, both starting and relief. It needs to be solid, consistent and dependable. I believe we’re getting there with the starters. There’s some time to see who can be the most consistent out of the bullpen at different times. If the offense keeps scoring runs, it gives Torre the opportunity to play around with the pen a little bit. If nothing is truly satisfactory, they can try to do something at the deadline. But to tell the truth, you have to be really careful when you go looking after someone else’s cast-aways.
Strained quad doesnt even come close to busted down or hamstring pull. I’d still pull the trigger on Teixeira right now while he’s on the DL.
and NO DMITRI YOUNG… or Adam Dunn for that matter.
Don V.
There has to be a reason why an 11 year MLB player who hit 21 homers in 2005 signed for 500,000. I don’t know what it is but I think it had to do with his legal trouble last year. Plus I think he was injured a lot too. I don’t really follow the guy to closely but I was just saying there is a reason why he signed with one of the worst teams in baseball for basically nothing.
There is, as I stated in my first message, he had some serious off the field issues last year and the Tigers let him go to make room for Sean Casey.
Nick B.
Dmitri Young couldn’t have been so bad no one would want him otherwise why did D.C., a team trying to win with young players mostly from the farm system, sign him besides their everyday 1B Nick Johnson being out before ’07 even began? I doubt a team like that would sign a so-called “wacko” or “headcase”, so your claims about him or “Yankee players wouldn’t have wanted him” don’t wash. Sheffield was a clubhouse cancer in Milwaukee, Florida, and L.A. and that didn’t stop the Yanks from signing him.
Young would’ve been low risk-high return. The 2001 Yanks blew $1.5M on Henry Rodriguez to appear in 5 games and strike out 6 times in 8 AB (0 for 8), so they could’ve taken a $500K flier on Young and still got Phelps. There is such a thing as giving a guy a second chance, try it sometime. George Steinbrenner did with Gooden and Strawberry. Sometimes a guy has problems with one team then none with the next, like apparently Young has zero problems with D.C.
If D.C. signed Young, the Yanks could’ve signed him.
I tried posting this…I’ll try again. This will give you a little background on Dmitri Young.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Young
Hey if Dmitri Young is the answer in Washington, maybe we can pry old farm hand Nick Johnson back? Jason could use some company on the DL.
Dimitri Young? Is anyone seriously critiquing Cashman for not signing a fat 1B who walks 100 times every three seasons? Who’s 33 and coming off a massively underwhelming season? Who’s getting insanely lucky, as Joseph P. said, on balls he puts in play?
Jesus Christ. I like Dimitri Young. He’s funny. He had one really good season four years ago.
But he’s not that good. And he’s fat. And he’s old. And did I mention that his OBP has never been above .350 (except 2003) because he hates to walk?
Oh, yeah. The Yankees NEED this guy.
I can’t get over this. Outside of this year and 2003, Dimitri Young’s OPS+ makes him a marginally more productive version of Melky Cabrera. And he’s really fat.
I’m not sure if Melky is a trend or tease but it seems that when he starts, the Yanks win more ballgames:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06.....e_king.htm
I’d like to see what the numbers are for last year too. I remember getting a little miffed that Torre didn’t keep him in the playoff lineup (obviously Sheff is a better hitter, but the team dynamic noticeably changed). It seems like the team was so solid and then Sheff came back and it quickly got away from them.
I’m a big Melky supporter. He’s young, brings a lot of energy to the team, and plays excellent defense. I really hope the Yanks keep him and continue giving him AB’s so he can develop into a consistent slugger.
Not to mention Young’s “glove.” He plays the field as though he’s walking through wet concrete with a cinder block on his glove hand.
George King is a joke. Melky is fine. He’s the composite average MLB hitter. His play in the field, despite all the salivary froth of Suzyn Waldman and Michael Kay, is still pretty average. His arm is awesome. He hits for absolutely no power.
Unless the Yankees move the fences in 50 feet when he hits, or unless he starts finding a few more gaps, let’s stay cautious.
Isn’t it King Britton or “Light Out� Britton. The hero of the blog definately needs a cool nickname
Great Britton?
Well, we need a right handed bat who can play 1b/dh. If thats Young, so be it.
And you think he might be a little motivated to play detroit and succeed after last yr?
Plus he’d cost a bad of peanuts unlike Texeira or Dunn. And I only see Cashman trading prospects for pitching.
I will say one thing, though.
Britton deserves as much of a chance as Henn gets. They’re about the same age, and Britton’s MiLB composites are a little more encouraging. Especially the K rates that he began to rack up in Frederick.
But I’m not handing him anything sight unseen, despite the massive 5 inning sample set that apparently proves beyond doubt his Cy Young potential.
I like Great Britton. Hope he can live up to it.
You have to give Henn more chances because hes lefty.
A lefty who throws mid 90′s. Those guys will be given shot after shot and they deserve it.
Young CANNOT play anything. It’s a stretch to imagine that he could even handle the fielding responsibilities requisite to the DH position.
The team scored 56 runs last week. If there’s anything it needs more than a right hander to play first base (?), it’s someone to keep the opposition from keeping pace (bullpen).
That’s a good point, Jake.
But Britton struck out 12.6 per 9 in his age 22 year at Frederick, and his BB rate, while a little high, was in Henn’s range.
I guess Britton gets the ball in the air a little more, which is something you really don’t want out of the bullpen.
But I’d give him some soft spots now and again.
If Houston falls out of the race what about Mark Loretta? He’s a pretty sure glove and he can get on base. He’s hitting .314 this year so far. $2.5 mil salary on a 1 year contract. Unfortunately, it’s the NL Central and that means the race won’t end for a while.
Dmitri Young is constantly hurt and isn’t that great of a glove. Plus on him is he’s a switch hitter who when healthy can hit, which he’s doing this year.
This team is looking more like the late season ’06 team that came back to win the Division.
But you have to wonder if or when Giambi and Minky come back if it will upset the balance the way getting Matsui and Sheffield did last year. Right now they are winning with agressive baserunning that will be impossible with Giambi or Minky back in the lineup.
I know Torre doesn’t like to have a veteran lose a spot in the lineup due to injury, but I think in Minky’s case it’s no coincidence that we’re playing better without him. It’s nice to have his glove as a late game defensive substitution,but that’s all his value really is.
As far as Nieves, I wouldn’t want him as my ideal backup catcher, but his bat has been a little better as of late and even if he hits .200 the rest of the way out, as long as he can keep the opposing running game in check (with help from the pitchers not giving up monster jumps) and maintain a lower target than Posada for Moose, he has some limited value. Plus, Chavez’s bat at AAA is pathetic. He’s hitting .184 through 34 games and he has been charged with 4 errors. Omir Santos would be the better callup, hitting .252 through 31 games and only charged with 2 errors.
Pete,
Did you really type the words, “Dmitri Young?” Somebody call an ambulance! Pete’s lost his mind!! LOL! No Pete. Not Dmitri Young. Sorry
So, what about Dunn since the Reds have said he’s available?
“They have been winning with aggressive baserunning.”
That’s a synonym for pitching I didn’t know existed.
How about Adam Dunn? Are you serious?
When the Reds say he’s “available,” that doesn’t mean “for free.”
Dunn is exactly what no one would want to see. 40 HRs a year are great, yes, but imagine how many late inning spots he’ll be up and strike out. People will be calling for his head in the first few weeks.
220 ABs, 83 Ks, 55 hits
His HRs would be fun to watch though.
STRIKEOUTS DON’T MATTER. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, LOOK AT THE LIST OF THE TOP 10 AND BOTTOM 10 IN K’S LAST YEAR.
IT’S BEEN TRUE SINCE BABE RUTH HIT 29 HRs: STRIKEOUTS DON’T MATTER.
Sorry for the caps. That’s not an endorsement of Dunn, btw. His OBP is too low, and he’s NL. If he walked more, I’d like him.
“Johnny Damon makes some sense but then who is the DH?”
If your knock on Phelps is his defensive liabilities, how does Damon, whose never played a game at 1B in his entire career, make ANY sense? Just because we’d prefer to get him out of the OF, and there are no decent hitters on the Yanks who actually play 1B does not mean that Damon is a “sensible” option. This seems to make the least sense of any moves the Yankees have available to them. I think Johnny is great, but he’s not a first baseman. Let’s not forget that.
halfz,
That analysis makes no sense. Of course looking at the top 10 and bottom 10 in Ks wouldn’t matter. The bottom 10 wouldn’t be an accurate sample of the group.
Plus, Dunn is an exception. Over the last 3 years he averages over 40+ more strikeouts per year than the next in line.
I wasn’t trying to make a case for strikeouts anyway. I know a lot of quality hitters strike out often. But Dunn is the exception. No one that averages 186 Ks over 3 years should be grouped into a group comparing Ks.
I am a life-long Yankee fan (55+ years) but I now live in Virginia. I watch a lot of National’s games. I was suprised at your suggestion of trading for Dimitri Young. If you think Josh Phelps’ defense at 1B is a disaster waiting to happen, you haven’t seen Dimitri. Every pop-up to the right side is an adventure, and his range on ground balls is about 1/2 step. If the move is have Damon play 1B and Dmitri DH maybe. But have Dimitri play in the infield, no way!
Wrong, Jordan
Curtis Granderson led the AL in Ks last year. He’s not very good yet. But:
Sexson-SEA 154 OPS+ 120
Sizemore-CLE 153 OPS+ 135
Peralta-CLE 152 BAD
Swisher-OAK 152 OPS+ 126
Thome-CHW 147 OPS+ 156
Rodriguez-NYY 139 OPS+ 140
Glaus-TOR 134 OPS+ 119
Cuddyer-MIN 130 OPS+ 124
Inge-DET 128 AVERAGE
Teixeira-TEX 128 OPS+ 123
Here’s the list of leaders in AB per K
Polanco-DET 20.3 OPS+ 81
Vidro-SEA 14.1 OPS+ 93
Cabrera-LAA 13.8 OPS+ 95
Castillo-MIN 13.3 OPS+ 91
Kotchman-LAA 12.4 OPS+ 13
Betancourt-SEA 12.1 OPS+ 88
Pierzynski-CHW 11.7 OPS+ 95
Suzuki-SEA 11.4 OPS+ 109
Lowell-BOS 11.3 OPS+ 106
Stewart-OAK 11.0
that’s the last time i try to catch up on a weekends worth of comments on a monday. i didn’t get squat done at work today and only responded to comments over a day old.
anyone think if giambi’s heel is fully healed when(if) he comes back that he would be able to play 1B at all? or are there other injury risks there worried about with him? probably too soon to ask such a question…
I thought you said someone decent. That wouldn’t describe Dmitri Young.
I can’t believe Johnny Damon at first is getting any consideration. Didn’t we learn our lesson last year with trying to convert OFers to 1B just to improve the offense?
What about someone like Ty Wigginton of TB?
Carlos Pena is doing well so Ty might be on the block.
Aaron Boone is doing well playing 1B for the Marlins.
Tony Clark is a good glove and switch hitter.
I’d like to see Wiggington and I’m sure those cheap bas@@#s would love to get rid of that huge 2.7 million in salary.
Are they still lacking a lefty in their pen? Give them Villone.
I like the idea of Otsuka but that would be a miracle. Wetteland-Rivera was only for 1 year and the 2 years of the Tom Gordon thing didn’t quite work out in the post season. Of course, he’s down for the count now. BJ Ryan is down for the count. Pitchers are often injured, that’s why Mo’s once in a generation, not having missed any significant time when he hadn’t already put the team ahead (last Sept), the only present day reliever with his tenure who can say that. Since he had Tommy John surgery in 1992, that clears up one potential problem.