Ah, generalizing from a special case.

“With the bats and power on this team, if you have to worry about Ensberg providing extra power, then this team is in trouble.”

Yes, the Yankees are FLUSH with righty power, including players such as ARod, Arod, AROD, Alex Rodriguez, and some fellow named Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez.

Basically, I’m saying that a balanced attack against lefties is more important to me than pinch running off the bench. Pinch running off the bench is DEFINITELY not going to win you four or five games a year. Swapping out Giambi, Damon, Matsui or Abreu for Ensberg against lefties might win you another couple games. I submit that the teams horrendous offense against lefties was MUCH more of a concern last year than lack of positional flexibility.

And, frankly, people who consider Ensberg redundant are putting A LOT of trust in Shelley Duncan. You want to discount Morgan’s power? Fine. Let’s say he only hits 25 homers in a normal park. He also took over 100 walks in 2006. Duncan was in the minors for six years for a reason. He has 34 games in MLB. His swing has holes. If he plays too much, they will become exposed. We KNOW that Ensberg has been a productive hitter in the majors before. If you MADE me choose two of Gardner, Ensberg, and Shelley…I’d pick Gardner and Ensberg.

Also, there’s nothing stopping Gardner from being taken on the roster for the playoffs. They have DL guys they can use for roster gymnastics. That, to me, is a time when that one run in that one game matters enough that it’s worth dropping your last reliever for a speedster. But you don’t construct a roster that way for an entire season.

It comes down to balance for me. The ability to beat you in many different ways. The great 1998 team had power off the bench in Strawberry and Spencer, but they also had speed in Raines and Homer Bush. I don’t want a bench filled with all the same type of players. Gardner gives you that something different—another weapon to use.

What’s killed the Yanks in the past has been lack of versatility. Too many DH/1b types, and you want Ensberg and Shelley Duncan on this team along with Giambi. So what are you getting? Another team of too many DH/1B types, with no versatility.

Let’s remember WHERE Ensberg hit those HRs. Houston’s LF is a joke. If you think he is hitting 36 at Yankee Stadium, where LCF is some 37 feet deeper, dream on.

With the bats and power on this team, if you have to worry about Ensberg providing extra power, then this team is in trouble.

But, if he can be Juan-Pierre-who-takes-a-walk, there’s MLB value there. Which could allow the Yanks to move Damon in his contract year OR move Melky OR get better return on Gardner in trade.

Is giving up that possibility worth having a pinch runner that will get used once a week…max?

$64K question there!

I was just thinking the same thing. For that matter…what does Pavano do during the season? Probably not good to have that disease around the team.

Did either of them hit 36 homers in the majors prior to a shoulder injury?

No?

Then I want Ensberg. Molina’s not much of a hitter, and Duncan could easily turn out to be Kevin Maas/Shane Spencer.

I’d MUCH rather have him as a late-innings weapon at the plate than Gardner as a late-innings weapon on the bases.

LF: Damon, Matsui
CF: Melky, Damon
RF: Abreu, Duncan
1B: Giambi, Duncan
3B: ARod, Betemit
SS: Jeter, Betemit
2B: Cano, Betemit

So, to that we can add a (righty) former all-star who may have recovered from the injury that affected his batting last season, and who covers 3B and 1B. That would make our lineup against lefties look like (in no order):

Damon
Jeter
Cano
ARod
Matsui
Duncan (RF)
Posada
Ensberg (1B)
Melky

That’s WAAY better than the lefty-laden lineup we were running out there last year. And putting up an OPS over .750 against lefties is much more important than a pinch runner late in games.