Spring training Game 10: Jays at Yankees
-
- March
- 11
YANKEES
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Cano 2B
Duncan 1B
Lane LF
Molina C
Pitching
Wang (3-4)
Rasner
Farnsworth
Phillips
Albaladejo
Ohlendorf
BLUE JAYS
Eckstein SS
Stairs RF
Wells CF
Rolen 3B
Thomas DH
Overbay 1B
Stewart LF
Hill 2B
Zaun C
Pitching
Chacin
Purcey
Davis
Carlson
Wells
Notes: Biff Henderson from The Late Show With David Letterman is here for a few days filing a few skits. He’s interviewing Mickey Rivers at the moment. …
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 9:11 am by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Share and Enjoy: 
| 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Advertisement
Peter Abraham
Glad that Biff Henderson is at spring training again this year. His reports are so funny. I will be looking forward to seeing it on “Late Night with David Letterman”.
Pete - can you find out when it will air?
This Billy Crystal thing is pretty lame.
is that the guy that was massaging a-rod last year?
Does anyone have a copy of the “Cliff Notes’ for this game? I would like to know ahead of time what metrics constitute progress for Wang.
I presume giving up only 5 runs would count, but doubt SJ and the rest would be pleased.
I’m not a fan of the Billy Crystal stunt either.
But at least we don’t have Dane Cook.
RayBlay - yes he was
You have the wrong guy if you think I am worried about Wang’s ST results.
As long as he comes out of the spring healthy, that’s all I care about.
SJ
Thank you. Then that’s the metric. Barring any injury, we’ll just watch and enjoy the game.
For Wang, I want to see 55 or so healthy pitches.
I’d also love to see him demonstrate better command down in the zone with his sinker. He was striding too far and overthrowing it last time, and he and Eiland noticed and fixed it in the pen, so hopefully he should be replicating that consistently.
That’s all
Anyone else tired of Giambi hitting 5th?
This isn’t 1998…
Interviewing Mickey Rivers? That should be a week worth of skits right there.
Dee — or Ben Affleck.
I just realized it’s been almost a week since we’ve heard Hank embarrass the team. He must be under the weather.
Seriously though, I’m surprised he didn’t chime in on the Cervelli hit.
You have 162 games to complain about the batting order.
Complaining about a spring training batting order seems foolish to me.
If you learned anything about the Billy Crystal “signing” its that, no matter how much some try, spring training games don’t matter.
Its just about guys getting themselves into shape. That’s it.
You may have 2-3 open roster spots on this team. Those guys have to show a little more.
The rest? Just stay healthy and get ready for the season.
This lack of radio feed is getting very annoying. Why advertise “listen to the game live on Gameday audio” on the Yankees homepage if there is no audio feed??
luke, you gonna put a guy with a 900+ ops at #7 in the lineup?
In this lineup/case yes I would. I also think his days of a .900 OPS are done.
Pete - they aren’t “skits” they are “sketches”
BoogieDown – yes Affleck! I loved it when he used to take JLo to Sox games, my favorite sight of Fenway ever:-)
you may be right about giambi’s #’s dropping this year but you cant make that assumption based on 2 weeks of ST ab’s.
also, since it is his walk year, he might go back to his 947 ops ways, in which case there would b no reason to move him
i don’t think there’s a line-up i could be tired of 2 weeks into spring training…
ST means very little, but so far, Jason has a .933 OPS. His OPS was over .900 early last year, before his foot started to bother him. If he stays healthy, I think he has a fair chance to post a .900 OPS. This is the advantage of having a great eye and a consistantly high OBP.
In 2006, even with the injury and Torre’s TERRIBLE usage of Jason late in the season, his OBP was 120 pts higher then his BA. In 2006, his OBP was 160 pts higher then his BA. I think he will be a valuable guy for us this year.
What about, “its spring training” do you not understand?
These games don’t count. You put guys in positions for them to get their work in and that’s it.
In terms of what his numbers will or won’t be, you certainly can’t make a blanket statement that his days are over based on what we have seen from him so far in ST.
For the first time in 5 years, he’s hitting the ball to all fields and hitting it hard.
Frankly, the 5th spot in the order is the perfect place for Giambi when the season starts. Sandwiched between Arod and Posada, he’s in the perfect spot in the order to be productive.
If he’s right, its the only spot in the order he should hit in this season. You would have 5 .400+ OBP guys, Damon Jeter, Arod, Giambi and Posada, all hitting in front of either Matsui or Cano.
Can’t ask for much more than that.
Damon and Jeter are not .400+ OBP guys. Even Posada and Rodriguez have a career OBP under .400+. All the players you mentioned get on base at a good clip but .400+ for all five is exaggerating.
Ricky Rios -
They aren’t “skits” or “sketches”, it’s called a “remote.”
I left out Abreu in the lineup. You put him in the third spot, and you have 6 .400+ OBP guys in front of Matsui and Cano.
You also have a bunch of guys who force pitchers to throw a lot of pitches. Which means, Matsui and/or Cano are going to get some great pitches to hit.
Giambi has a ton of value in this lineup if he is healthy. Just go back to 2006.
He was having an MVP-type of second half until he got hurt in Seattle. One could argue, that was the beginning of the end of that season for the Yankees.
He was devastating in the lineup the second half of that season.
He was also off to a very good start last year until he got hurt.
He’s in the last year of his contract and he is in great shape. Sometimes, those two things leads to a player having a great season.
“For Wang, I want to see 55 or so healthy pitches.
I’d also love to see him demonstrate better command down in the zone with his sinker.”
I absolutely agree with this. For Wang today its all about settling down his mechanics and building arm strength. Particularly coming off that first start where his stride was off making the two seamer stay up in the zone.
All I’m looking for in today’s game is that his ball starts sinking more (doesn’t have to be in mid-season form - just an improvement in downward movement) and for him to get his pitch count up according to schedule.
Concerning the MLB audio feed …I believe you have to pay for it.
The skits with Biff are usually hysterical…looking forward to seeing it on the show.
Why do people take Spring Training results to heart??? It’s a time for the players to prepare & get the kinks out for the real season…the games that COUNT !!! Sure it’s nice if they show good results in ST but how many times has that happened and then a bust during the season (Josh Phelps anyone…).
Let the guys have fun now without all the criticism ..they will get plenty of that once the real games begin..
Go Yankees 2008 !!!
I have to say I am not sure what all the negative fuss is about the Billy Crystal thing.IN todays Post 9well that pretty much says it all right there) actually on the back page Kevin Kiernan makes a whole stink about how bad this is for baseball etc etc. I quite frankly could care less this is spring training and I do not think it diminishes the Yankees at all if for one day they let this guy have some fun in the end isnt that really what baseball is supposed to be about in the spring having fun.
things celebrities can do in st games:
batboy
coach 1B
grounds crew (practice your YMCA)
human foul pole
celebrity umpire (only during warm-ups)
stadium announcer (particularly good spot for crystal)
bat during pitcher’s warm-ups
run around the bases during pitching changes
direct crowd chants (’tastes great,’ less filling!)
sing the national anthem
sing take me out
thats plenty, keep them off the field during the games
Spitzer for President.
SJ,
Just want to reiterate, those 6 guys you mention are not all .400+ OBP. They are great at getting on base but lets not exaggerate. Giambi and Abreu have career OBP over .400, the other 4 do not. Damon has never sniffed .400. Jeter, A-rod and Posada have had a few .400+ years but it is not the norm for them.
I like Billy Crystal at the Oscar or on Broadway but not on the field, for the same reason I like that Yanks don’t let their players wear earrings and long hair (even though I’m not against earrings facial hair what have you on guys in everyday life) . Just a purity on the field thing.
“Jeter, A-rod and Posada have had a few .400+ years but it is not the norm for them.”
————————————————–
True. Their career OBPs are .389, .388 and .381. All have had and are capable of .400 OBP.