It’s time for The Big G
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Oct 05, 2007 
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Alex Rodriguez was upbeat when he spoke to reporters after the game last night. He talked about swinging at strikes and “passing the baton” if the Indians were willing to walk him.
That happened on two occasions last night. A-Rod walked in the first inning and Posada struck out with runners on first and second. Matsui then grounded out.
The Indians intentionally walked A-Rod to load the bases in the fifth inning. Posada K’d again and Matsui popped out. The baton was passed and they dropped it.
It’s pretty obvious – and with good reason – that Eric Wedge isn’t going to let A-Rod beat him. Why should he? Joe Torre should park the Big G right behind A-Rod tonight. Giambi hasn’t hit much since he came back (22 of 106 including last night) but he’s more of a presence on deck that Posada or Matsui and less likely to strike out.
The official LoHud Yankees Blog first-guess lineup:
Damon
Jeter
Abreu
Rodriguez
Giambi
Posada
Cano
Mientkiewicz
Cabrera
Back later with the actual lineup. But I say it’s time to unleash the West Covina Wild Man.
the yanks as a team are batting 268 against carmona which isnt saying much, they were batting 317 against sabathia. Thas including the bench. Everyone on the bench last nite is hitless against carmona except giambi who is 1 for 5
I agree with Pete. We love Hideki but he looks lost. I said it last week, a smart pitcher will let anyone but A-Rod beat him. A big mistake is his only hope of getting anything although I think Carmona may challenge him more than Sabathia did.
If A-Rod takes you deep you’re going to end up on Sportscenter and not for a good reason.
Pete — do us a favor and steal the lineup card and pencil that in, will ya?
I’m afraid Torre is going to tell us all he’s convinced that Matsui is ready to explode any day now and he’s willing to wait to see him do it.
It most likely will be from his couch at home in Harrison during spring training of 2008.
You really think Giambi is less likely to strike out?
Giambi is more of a presence than Posada or Matsui? He’s less likely to strike out? Please stop already, Pete. You’re embarassing yourself.
There is no way on this earth that a washed-up walking injury is more of a presence in the lineup than a guy who hit over .330 or a guy who drove in over 100 runs.
2007 Strikesouts
Matsui: 73 Ks in 547 ABs
Posada: 98 Ks in 506 ABs
Giambi: 66 Ks in 254 ABs
That’s 7 less Ks than Matsui in less than half the at bats. Less likely to strike out indeed.
2007 K rates:
Matsui 1 every 8.67 AB
Posada 1 every 6.01 AB
Giambi 1 every 4.59 AB
Can Matsui play the field? If he can’t I seriously think about Giambi at first. If he can I seriously think about benching Melky and putting Matsui in left and Damon in center. In the end I suspect that the lineup construction will be much less important than the quality of the starting pitching.
I luv ya Pete, but no thanks with the Giambi idea, it’s 2007 and not 2001. I’m just thankful he has only year left on this team. He’s just a piece of the dead wood that needs to go away. And God helps us if Joe puts him at first base…
The Horror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I should clarify that the rates I posted were per Plate Appearance not AB.
How quickly people forget that Giambi led this team in OPS in 2006. Granted, it’s a year removed, but the point remains that if Giambi is swinging a hot bat and is healthy, he’s one of the guys you want to see at the plate with runners on base. Gel that with the way Matsui looks at the plate lately (I still, for the life of me, don’t understand why he played LF in Tampa Bay – how does running around on concrete help an ailing knee?!?!?).
If Matsui is injured, this is almost a no brainer against Carmona, a hard throwing righty that Giambi is probably matched up well against.
The problem with looking at season long stats to make an argument is they are irrelevent.
An injured Matsui is more likely not to hit. Unfortuately, he is hurt, hitting under .200 for a month, and looked awful last night.
I agree with Pete, gotta changed the lineup. If Matsui had good AB’s, I’d be less likely to lift him.
However, he hasn’t looked good at the plate in a month, they are behind 1-0 in this series, and you have to get Arod pitches to hit.
Might as well try something different. Just staying status quo won’t win this series.
why not throw duncan in there. tho torre will most likely go with matsui who he thought looked good last nite and capable of playing left field if necessary. torre is great for the most part but he sure does have a stubborn streak about leaving players in. if not matsui would not have started and wang would have been yanked after the 4th
Giambi better play tonight. He should have PH for Matsui after Posada struck out with the bases loaded. Giambi is still a force, his incredible eye would have put the pressure on CC to throw strikes with the bases loaded. Bringing in Duncan was a great move but he should have followed it up with Giambi later.
Giambi BETTER BE IN THE LINE UP TONIGHT. At 1B or DH, I don’t care, he needs to play.
Giambi at first is worth two Cleveland runs. H e has ot DH. Let’s say Lofton/Sizemore is on first and Pettite throws over. They go to second automatic. Force Giambi to throw them out at second, which WON’T happen. Now you got a fast runner on second.
Giambi is not “dead wood”. No way you walk someone, even ARod to get to Giambi.
My biggest criticism of Torre is that he’s loyal to a fault. Matsui is hurt, but I bet you he’s in there cuz he’s a “professional hitter”.
Will be interesting to see what Torre does.
LET’S GO YANKEES!
Pete, thanks for taking the rational view that ARod had a decent game, despite going 0 for 2, because he didn’t get pitches to hit in at least two plate appearances.
But I disagree that Giambi is a bigger threat than Posada right now. Posada has had an unbelievable offensive season. While Giambi has to be in the lineup over the hobbled Matsui, Posada is the most dangerous hitter on the team after ARod. He didn’t come through yesterday, but I’m not counting him out yet.
Move Cano up to 6th, install SDuncan to hit 7th and DH, bugger Giambi and Matsui — they’ve each got nothing. Honestly, Shelley had the best AB of the game last night when he worked Sabathia so hard CC shrank to just 285# and then plunked the single that started the 5th inning rally (not Shelley’s fault that Jorge and Matsui bonked).
I’m waiting for comment like this from Pete asking why CMW has Igawan HR rates in the postseason. Is he failing to follow through, is he getting under the ball, is he tipping location?
This lineup is better…
1. Johnny Damon LF
2. Derek Jeter SS
3. Bobby Abreu RF
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Jorge Posada C
6. Robinson Cano 2B
7. Jason Giambi DH
8. Wilson Betemit 1B
9. Melky Cabrera CF
Pete, you have Mientkiewicz at 1B. Does that mean he’s okay. Paper this a.m. seemed to indicate he was not okay to play.
Pah. Can’t insert links with html tags.
Here’s the link I referenced above (“I’m waiting for comment like THIS”):
http://thekeymonk.blogspot.com.....ortem.html
I like this line-up. Giambi, even at his worst only strikes out if a pitcher throwa strikes. Against a guy with strong movement like Carmona you want soemone who can layoff the tough sinker dropping out of the zone.
Matsui had no chance last nigh against CC and Joe Torre was the only one in the Yankee universe who didn’t see it beforehand. I didn’t really like Giambi against a lfety either, and would have taken a flyer on Shelly.
The season is on Andy Pettitte and I don’t feel so bad about that. Remember this start, which set the Yankees up to break the 1978-96 WS drought?: http://www.baseball-reference......0240.shtml
He will find a way to keep them in the game and we could use Joba and Mo for as many as 4 innings tonight.
Is that guess at a lineup just a hunch Pete, or are you hearing things that make you think that’s what Torre is gonna do?
I like Giambi at DH and Betemit at first today. And Matsui locked inside his hotel room.
Posada should not bat behind ARod. He needs to follow a lefty.
CHris I like your idea to play WIlson, but not tonight. I could see that against CC next time though. Load up the righties.
Gargoyle
Why?
I’m on the Giambino bandwagon for tonight. A young, inexperienced (playoff) pitcher is not going to walk Arod to get to Giambi.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to try A-Rod 3rd, with Abreu behind him? If they’re going to walk/avoid A-Rod, might as well move him up in the lineup a bit. Abreu has looked good lately, so maybe it gets A-Rod a few more strikes than the Mats/Posada/Giambi group behind him, and A-Rod still sees lots of pitches behind DJ (and Damon). I don’t agree with change for the sake of it after one game, but as the topic is who to put behind A-Rod, it’s a thought.
I agree that Posada’s got to be the most potent bat in the lineup after A-Rod. And forget about Giambi. He’s painful to watch, in the field, at the plate and on the bases. Leave him on the bench. He’s a great $21 million per year cheerleader.
I think that you have to go with Duncan at DH. When he’s psyched, he can really go on a short-term home run tear. I’d play a hunch that this could happen in his first playoff series, as it did when he first arrived in NY.
I wish that Torre could channel a bit of Casey Stengel, who wouldn’t hesitate to pull any player who wasn’t producing. He was the best at mixing and matching to get the most out of his players.
Betemit is awful batting right. Didn’t think he should be last night, but tonight I’d have him in there.
All the second-guessing, micro-managing and gnashing of teeth are exercises in futility. The fact remains that there are only eight teams in the tournament, the Yankees are one of them, for the 13th consecutive year, and they’ll either win 11 more games and a World Series, or not. The ride has been so enjoyable, and will continue to be, no matter what happens.
Joe will put the team on the field that he and his coaches feel can have the best opportunity to win, based on information that only they know, and we’ll see how they do. I have 100% faith in the Yankees as an organization, and am delighted with the results of their hard work.
Here’s hoping the bounces go their way, and the “game of inches” end in their favor.
Regardless of how it all turns out, I haven’t been, and won’t be, disappointed.
Leave Abe alone. He is just looking for an news angle. At least Abe is not the NY Post. They have an article titled “Fans Call Out ARod” about INDIANS fans boo’ing ARod… I hate that “news”paper.
Abe’s line-up is the right one by the way. Matsui has not been getting it done for a month now. As for Posada protecting ARod, Tribe showed last night that they aren’t scared of him (plus he looked lost at the plate). Maybe Giambi can keep them honest. Another option would be to move Abreu behind ARod and maybe bat ARod 3rd, but that can be seen as a panic move.
I think everyone should relax. The Indians had to win yesterday’s game to have any chance. It doesn’t matter if they won 12-3 or 4-3. Yes, Matsui looked lost last night, but he was hitless coming into the series against Sabathia. He obviously does not see the guy well at all. Torre should have benched Matsui yesterday and used Duncan, but that’s over with.
Even with Matsui’s struggles, I’d still rather have him in there against Carmona than Giambi. Giambi has been brutal since he came off the DL. The only change I’d make is if Mientkiewicz can’t go, Torre should start Betemit at 1B — he’s better defensively than Giambi and he’s a better bet to add some pop against the RHP right now.
Matsui in Sept — .185/.343/.346, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 13 K, 1 HR/23 AB vs. RHP
Giambi in Sept — .164/.370/.309, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 18 K, 1 HR/20 AB vs. RHP
Betemit in Sept — .270/.308/.432, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 14 K, 1 HR/15AB vs. RHP
Robert O’Kelly – you beat me to it about moving Abreu
Bobcat – well said!
Against RH, including walks (these numbers are (AB+BB)/K – so this is roughly PA per strikeout:
Matsui 9.4
Posada 7.1
Giambi 4.9
So that idea is out the window. I don’t mind him hitting 5th though. I’m fine with Matui against a righty though too. Or Posada. All things equal I want to split the lefties up to protect against Perez. I say Giambi, Posada, Matsui go 5-6-7.
To the guy (~Adam?) who said that the Indians would take off for second on any throw to first if Giambi’s there – have you ever watched a baseball game in your life? I’ve never seen this happen intentionally in my life. No major leaguer’s arm is poor enough that he can’t throw out a runner who intentionally got picked off.
You realize what you’re saying, right? You’re suggesting the Indians’ runners INTENTIONALLY GET PICKED OFF because Giambi is playing first. Are you serious?
(yes, I know that to technically be picked off, you have to be going back to first, and you have to be out, but you know what I mean.)
Pat
They’re so lefty heavy that they need to space out the righty batters to make playing “matchup” tougher on opposing managers.
If Giambi plays I too would bat him 5th. Normally I love Matsui in this slot but he seems out of it.
Giambi 5th is a good idea. Posada was WAY late on the fastball last night, and they knew it. That’s why he got a steady diet of them one after another. Could it be fatigue from the long season? Seems like he got a lot of rest late in the year.
Pete, did you tell A-Rod that he stinks ? Did you tell him NOT to pass the baton and to swing at anything that comes his way ? Did you tell him to get out of NY ? Did you tell him that it is HIS fault that Posada and Matsui dropped the baton ? Did you tell him he needed to swing at even the Intentional Balls ? ( Ok, I know, I am getting ridiculous )
As Abreu goes, so go the Yanks. I’d like to know what he hit in wins vs. losses.
Giambi has never been a winner. Posada is. The way that Alex will begin to see some pitches is for the guy hitting behind him to hurt the Indians with a couple of key hits. Posada is the most likely guy on the team to do that.
Matsui is in the lineup Joe just said
Yeah Bobcat! I agree. I said earlier this year I saw 2007 as a rebuilding year. It may not have the look of a typical team rebuilding but a Yankee team rebuilding. Developing young pitching, avoiding insane or long term free agent contracts (Gagne; Clemens was insane but short term), trading veterans to help reload the minors(Sheffield, Wright) and increase focus on the draft. The Yankees even took someone fromt he Rule 5 draft. While I get that the World Series is part of the teams mission statement, it is not a birthright. Ask anyone who followed this team in the 80′s.
Mike & Mad Dog just announced Matsui 5, Posada 6.
WTF!!!? MATSUI IS HURT!!!! I love him, but he’s hurt.
Well, maybe since we’ve all been bashing Matsui all day, he’ll make us all look stupid tonight.
Yeah right. lol
Bobcat -
Thanks for the perspective.
As a post-script, many people, many of you, felt the Yankes would probably lose last night’s game, but still take the next 3. Most of you believed Sabathia would keep the offense down. The only thing that was out of most people’s radar last night was Wang’s ineffectiveness. So, why all the panic about the lineup?
Let’s go Yankees!
Got to thinking about last nights game and remembering days of yore when I played. While we as fans would prefer our boys to go undefeated, reality says that it not possible. Last nights game is an easier loss to take becasue it was so lop sided than a loss where Mo gives up a dink single to some slap hitter and the Yankees lose by 1 run.
Losses like last night are aberrations in Post-season and should be looked by fans as just that. It was a one time arse kicking where things went one way for one team.
So tonight, look for the Yankees to be more aggressive, run the bases better, and look for Pettitte to throw 75% first strikes. Yanks return to the Bronx tied 1-1 with Clemens throwing the ever important Game 3.
Feeling still is that if the Yankees can be up 2-1 going into Game 4, the series will not return to Cleveland.
Do think that you need Giambi in there rather than Matsui. Giambi has better plate discipline, willing to walk, and is more likely to lift a flyball with a runner at 3rd than Matsui.
Plus, with the exaggerated shift, it is harder to turn 2 if Giambi comes up with a runner at 1st.
Matsui is just lost at the plate right now. He is back to his early season pulling off the ball when he swings. His second AB last night, there was no way he was even going to touch the slider. It was thrown at the corner of the RH batter’s box and his front foot was 60% towards first base.
Torre should do it but he wont. He even said so last night. If Matsui was just in a week slump or just looked bad last night then you play him because he can be better then anyone else that you put out there. BUT he has been in a slump for a month and he is clearly not healthy. Just watching him in 2 straight at bats last night take fastballs right down the middle for an 0-2 count then swing wildly at the next pitch. Tonight will not be a good matchup because Carmona gets alot of DPs and Matsui hits into a ton of DPs because he always tries to pull the ball. Torre has to do what is right for the team and a Matsui that is not healthy should be on the bench.
according to mike and the maddog the lineup is exactly the same. but matsui is batting 5th and posada 6th. can someone please expain how this could possibly be better. giambi has taken carmona deep! he’s a young guy. lay down the fear factor.
Matsui 5? Lord, no. Well, here’s hoping this is one of those magical Joe moves that makes us all look foolish.
Rather than yet more evidence that this team needs a new manager.
~Adam.:
Are you kidding about the lineup??!! Arod will never see a pitch to hit with DPs waiting to happen Matsui batting behind him. Just pathetic
mike and mad dog are idiots.
I wonder if the Yankees themselves ever come onto Pete’s blog. they would crack up at all of us who sit on Yankee thrones and throw stones at our boys…or they would be saddeneded at the way we tear them up… hahaha
I am looking for a good game from our boys and expect to see viz, Joba and mo tonight…
Is it true? Matsui 5th and Jorge 6th?
If so, its the final days of Joe as Yankee manager. Can’t keep screwing up in the post-season and expect to keep the job.
They will not win this series with Matsui hitting behind Arod. Not going to happen.
Arod won’t see a pitch to hit all series and he will get the blame if they lose. Amazing.
In his earlier years as Yankee manager, Torre would sit guys who aren’t hitting. Now, he moves them up in the order. Unreal.
It pays to be unproductive on a Joe Torre team nowadays. You never have to worry, he will always pencil you into the lineup.
A big reason why this team in 3-11 in their last 14 post-season games.
What are you guys bitching about? Matsui’s been batting 5th all year? The only question is his health.
Posada should not be batting 5th.
Thank God the rational head of Joe Torre makes out the lineup and not Internet posters.
No to the washed-up juice-bag formerly known as Jason Giambi. As bad as Matsui’s been over the past month, he’s been worse. He can’t even turn on an average fastball, much less the kind of heat Carmona can bring. The only guy who might pitch tonight who he’ll have a chance against will be Borowski.
Stick w/ the original line-up and stop with all the panic. Andy will come up big tonight and Jorge and Matsui will answer the bell.
What’s up with Hughes’ availability going forward now that Clueless used our 4th best arm to mop the floors? This is why Villone and Kennedy should have gotten the nod over Ohlendorf and Veras. Neither of those guys can give you extended innings and neither will get the nod in a legit short situation, so why even have them on the roster?
They need a Big W and if Matsui looks as lost tonight as last night then PH sooner then never. He never really even swung the bat last night. Bad Match-up, it’s over now – GO Yankees!!
Cripes. I’m going to assume everyone here has actually watched the team play for the last month, or more importantly, watched Matsui. Who hasn’t put a decent swing on the ball since Labor Day. And is probably/certainly injured.
Other than the desire to salute Joe’s every move, what is the ‘rational’ basis for playing him today?
You’re crazy if you think Giambi is less likely to strike out. But he is definitely more likely to get on base than Matsui at this point, and that’s what counts. I’d still bat Posada behind A-Rod. Carmona isn’t the K-machine that Sabathia is. The Yankees should be able to knock him around a little.
I would rather see Betemit at 1st base tonight over Doug.
Kennedy couldn’t pitch in this series. He’s still throwing off flat ground in Tampa. He was not healthy enough to pitch in this series.
The “only question is his health”, is a big question, wouldn’t you say?
That’s like saying, “Francisco Liriano is a good pitcher, he just has a bad elbow”.
Matsui is hitting under .200 for a month now. He’s hurt so its illogical to move him up in the order.
If that’s what it is, it is. However, if he looks feeble at the plate again, don’t get mad at posters questioning the move. It would be a first guess, not a second guess. Given the way he has swung the bat in the last month, there is not way Matsui should be batting 5th today.
The bizzarre lineup choices are a minor part of why they are 3-11 in their last 14 postseason games. But that pales in comparison to the atarting pitching over those 14 games. It has been awful. No team would win with those outings, even if you had another A-Rod batting behind A-Rod. Sure it would be nice if Joe used his brain a little more, but let’s get real here. The starters have been terrible in the postseason.
Matsui fans, bases loaded last night. A walk ties the game at 4 and would have brought up Cano. Who knows then.
But with Matsui and Cano back to back it won’t work. Can’t have that much lack of plate discipline in a row.
If he is truely batting 5th, have to concur with the dissenters. Bad move….In case you aren’t familier, Whifffff doesn’t score runs.
randyhater- Kennedy is shut down I think (at least till ALCS) Villone has been bad of late but after seeing those two last night who knows. Hopefully that was just jitters cause if not then I agree on Villone. Get well soon Ian.
gargoyle
October 5th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
What are you guys bitching about? Matsui’s been batting 5th all year? The only question is his health.
Posada should not be batting 5th.
Sorry Gargoyle but you are wrong. Posada should have been batting 5th the whole year. Posada is the Yankees 2nd best hitter this year and your best hitters should always see more at bats than the lesser hitters in the lineup.
SJ44 –
Matsui has been hitting behind ARod for most of the season. Matsui had at least 3 extended slumps this season. ARod did okay, and so did the Yankees. There are just no guarantees in life or in baseball. Last season Joe took all kinds of grief for messing with the lineup that got them there and now he’s getting grief for keeping the lineup that got them there. Poor guy can never win.
I wish Matsui was hitting better, but there is no better alternative. Giambi has been underproductive and Shelley Duncan is a rookie who came up and became, as the papers say, an overnight folk hero, but looking at the whole of his work, he hasn’t gotten much playing time, and when he has he’s been just okay. Given the fact that there is no real alternative, pray that Matsui breaks through.
Does anyone know if Minky’s able to play?
Again with the saluting. It requires repeating. Matsui is HURT. This isn’t just a slump. This is a player who can’t perform due to injury.
It’s got nothing to do with ‘what got them there.’
Peter:
Obviously you’ve been opening Cracker Jack boxes instead of watching Giambino’s at-bats lately!
There’s no way he will catch up to Carmona’s 95-97 mph heater. He may “luck out” and draw a walk!
Come to think of it, that’s more production than Matsui has achieved lately!
raymagnetic
JoPo was horrible with men on last night as well.