Spring training Game 21: Rays at Yankees
-
- March
- 21
YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Ensberg DH
Cano 2B
Moeller C
Cabrera CF
Pitching
Rasner
Rivera
Bruney
Ohlendorf
Veras
RAYS
Johnson 2B (yes, him)
Crawford LF
Pena 1B
Floyd DH
Longoria 3B
Hinske RF
Bartlett SS
Weber CF
Paul C
Pitching
Sonnanstine
Balfour
Dohmann
Howell
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Peter Abraham
Moeller C
I guess Joe doesn’t want to risk losing Posada or Molina.
Yeah baby, blood and guts baseball in March is back.
Is it wrong for me to hope that Johnson will be in the game when Mo pitches? I can definitely see a little brush back chin music coming his way.
something tells me we’re doing something to someone today ^^
56bomber or just trying to see what moeller can do
Does it mean Ensberg made the club if he’s in the lineup?
Wasn’t there a deadline or something today that they had to guarantee him a spot?
Must suck being a pitcher with the name Balfour. Add one letter L and batters would be salivating to hit against you.
BLOOD AND GUTS BASEBALL !!!
Wolfie:
Yeah, “Balfour” is tough for a pitcher. But how about Gene “Brabender?” I remember him from when I was much younger, looking at his baseball card and thinking, duh huh, that’s a funny name.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/brabege01.shtml
A decision must be made with Ensberg by tonight per agreement. It appears he’ll stay unless he plays horrible tonight. One of the scheduled pitchers along with Mo will make the team with the others going to AAA.
wait, i thought Ensburg signed a minor league contract. i thought that meant we get to keep him no matter what? or is this some ‘clause’ that cot’s doesn’t mention?
you gotta love Shelley
The name on a baseball card that made me giggle when I was a kid was Dick Pole. I don’t remember him playing, but I remember his baseball card. I’m pretty sure he was a pitcher.
how about Gaylord Perry no offense but if his last name would have been Ferry ..let me just stop it’s just ironic
Ensberg has to be put on the 40-man by the end of today, or we lose him. That guarantees his money, but not a spot on the 25 man roster.
I think they’d be pretty silly not to put him on. He’s hit well enough to show that his shoulder’s ok, and he’s got a really good track record against MLB lefties, much MUCH longer and more significant than Shelley does.
Really, whozat? That’s very interesting.
Thanks whozat. It’s nice being schizo, isn’t it? You’re never alone.
I know!
Gitmo :
Guess what ? Dick Pole is the pitching coach for Dusty Baker with the Cincinnati Reds.
not much to get out of this for the yankees. mo may be the only P headed north and still a bit early for the hitter to really get ready.
thanks whozat. i’m sure they’ll put someone on the 60day dl to make room…
Anyone know if tonight’s game is on TV? Which I’ll probaby not watch because NCAA is distracting me too much. But that’s not the point.
brandon, something doesn’t look right in his legs in that picture… 8o
“i’m sure they’ll put someone on the 60day dl to make room…”
Yeah, I think the idle and Sanchez are still on the 40-man right now, and they’re both slated to start the year on the 60-day.
“Anyone know if tonight’s game is on TV? ”
it’s not. I don’t even think it’s on mlb.tv
whozat, awesome. I don’t have to go and look fo the remote then
“I guess Joe doesn’t want to risk losing Posada or Molina.”
I figure it’s possible that Posada caught Wang earlier today. And Molina played yesterday, so that could explain it. And that, if Moeller is still in MLB camp, he DOES need to play from time to time.
This was in today’s NY Post about Ensberg. If the Yanks do release him Tampa Bay is interested in him.
HELD FOR RANSOM
YANKS FACE DILEMMA WITH ENSBERG
By GEORGE A. KING III
March 21, 2008 — DUNEDIN, Fla. - Are the Yankees better served by Cody Ransom’s ability to play shortstop if Derek Jeter goes down or having Morgan Ensberg to DH against lefties?
That’s the dilemma facing the decision for the second and final utility infield spot on the 25-man roster. And since Ensberg can get out of his minor-league contract (worth $1.75 million if in the majors) by midnight tonight, the Yankees may be forced to make a decision sooner than they would like. Especially with Tampa Bay interested in Ensberg to keep third base warm for stud prospect Evan Longoria.
Brandon: Thanks for that picture!
“Are the Yankees better served by Cody Ransom’s ability to play shortstop if Derek Jeter goes down or having Morgan Ensberg to DH against lefties?”
I can’t believe that’s even a question. Ransom can be sent to the minors and called up if they need him, or they can call up Gonzalez. So, it’s basically whatever Ransom has over Betemit on D at SS for ONE game vs having a guy who’s CRUSHED lefties for years at the MLB level to insert into the lineup every time they see a lefty starter.
Seriously?
And, if they keep Ensberg and decide later that they’d like to trade him, I’m SURE they’ll find a taker. Either TB or SF or the Dodgers.
Or, frankly, the Phillies, once they realize that Pedro Feliz is kind of an awful, awful hitter.
Hopefully a good showing tonight by Rasner wins him the longman role over Karstens, who’s painful to watch.
whozat - I actually agree that I would keep Ensberg. He would have trade value down the road should the Yanks decide to go that route.
Ransom has had a good spring but as a back-up to Derek and/or Alex, you very rarely play. I don’t think I would waste a spot on him.
We’ve heard a lot from ARod on how good a hitting coach Kevin Long is on several occasions.
Great quote from Ensberg today on how much Long has helped him from Ken Rosenthal:
Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, who helped revitalize Alex Rodriguez last season, also is making a difference for Ensberg,
“It’s shocking,” Ensberg says. “Everything he does is so simple. He gets rid of all of your excess motions, gets you down to a good foundation.
“I used to be a guy with eight different stances and eight different hand positions. Now I’m down to one. And it took only one session, one 15-minute deal in the batting cage.
“This is the most consistent 3-4 weeks of an approach I’ve had in my life.”
One of the ways Cash has changed this organization is not only focusing on acquiring talent but on developing it - both at the majors and the minors. Bowa, Long, Eiland, Nardi Contreras, etc.
The yankees gave Long an enormous contract for a hitting coach - 3 year deal worth almost $1million dollars. Hitting coaches are almost universally kept on 1 yr deals.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7937722/Loretta-could-be-answer-to-Dodgers%27-problems-?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
Famous jazzman: Dick Hyman. I kid you not.
“Ransom has had a good spring”
There’s also the fact that Ransom’s spring is just that…a good spring. It’s extremely unlikely to be an indicator that he’s all of a sudden a useful major league player. He’s 32 and has had years and years of mediocrity in the minors. This is not a guy who’s breaking out. Keep him at AAA as insurance…if he keeps up his hot hitting and there’s a need at the major league level…bring him up! Other than that…
Take a chance on Ensberg …
Who’s watching UConn?
murph - geez, what a name. Poor guy. LOL
Gitmo - we used to giggle about Pole’s when we were growing up and collecting cards too. Heck, I’m giggling right now recalling those days.
For the record, I’m an Ensberg guy. Ransom’s been good, but if it were my decision, it would come down to Morgan for me.
I just wish we had a spot for Gardner as well. Better to have him playing evry day in AAA than to grow rust on the NY bench, though.
Grant Balfour is pitching……maybe he should change his name to Grant Strikethree LOL AM I RIGHT?
Yeah ok sorry.
uconn stinks!
Rebecca,
im watching Uconn. you believe this?/?
jennifer,
dont tell Pete that!
Yeah, uh, my backet’s just a little busted.
I have no sympathy for UConn.
GO ORANGEMEN!
I just saw UConn loose as well. Yesterday I was 15-1. Today, not so good!
Brian,
Stryktre would be more subtle. lol.
I had no vested interest in that game, but I’m glad San Diego won (sorry UConn fans). They led the whole way and Uconn didn’t play with energy.
I still have 5 of the final 8, and 3 of final 4, and both teams that are in the finals.
I am very ashamed to admit this, but i am second to last place in my office pool. the ridicule is actually quite intense. i had gonzaga in the elite 8.
an my cal bears didn’t even make the tourny
22 out of 24 on my bracket. missed uconn and drake. oops.
“CB:
One of the ways Cash has changed this organization is not only focusing on acquiring talent but on developing it - both at the majors and the minors. Bowa, Long, Eiland, Nardi Contreras, etc.”
Yet he let Bowa go and allowed Meacham in that role. So far he has done a terrible job. A-Rod was given poor directions from him twice already. Bowa wouldn’t have made those errors.
Rebecca, remember, its now just the Orange. No more Orangemen. No more Orangewomen. Just Orange for all.
If I were a betting man, I would bet that Cody Ransom gets sent to Scranton to be the starting 3B, and Ensberg, who, I think, has both a better ML resume and a contract that stipulates that he makes the roster or is released (I think…correct me if I’m wrong, but either way I think the end result is the same) makes the team. They need RH power, and Ensberg can provide it.
A-Point: Like many Syracuse students, I prefer the Orangemen.
(Our school takes political correctness to such an extreme that it makes you feel like you’re back in kindergarten!)
I don’t think it was a matter of letting Bowa go. I think that it was that Joe G. had Meacham as his 3B coach at Florida, when the team overachieved, and wanted him. A manager should be able to name some of his coaching staff. After all, the manager is the one who’s neck is directly on the line. And Joe has had a pretty good seat to see Meacham’s work. Us fans can only imagine what thoughts he has about this.
I think /hope Morgan is put on the 40 man. I believe he will be very useful for the team, and if not we could always trade him.
“I don’t think it was a matter of letting Bowa go.”
Actually, it was a matter of Bowa wanting to work for Torre.
What’s Cash to do? Send thugs to lean on Bowa’s wife or something?
While Bowa said he wanted to stay with the yankees, don’t you think that Joe T was whispering in his ear to leave and go with him to LA?
I don’t think we had a chance with Bowa. If that possibility was there, the Yankees would have kept him.
As a matter of fact, mel, I think Cash was the one who originally brought him into the organization a couple of years ago.
“Yet he let Bowa go and allowed Meacham in that role. So far he has done a terrible job. A-Rod was given poor directions from him twice already. Bowa wouldn’t have made those errors.”
No you’re completely wrong. The Yankees wanted to keep Bowa - a lot.
Bowa chose to leave in order to go with Torre to L.A. There were even some rumors about Bowa wanting to go to Seattle.
And Meacham was not Cashman’s call. Meacham was Girardi’s selection. Meacham was with Girardi in Florida and Girardi loves him. Girardi picked meacham to replace Bowa.
By the way - judging a third base coach on two plays in spring training is silly. Could we wait until the regular season before second guessing?
This is a typical, uninformed comment from someone who just does not like cashman. Absolutely typical.
Where’s Jim Calhoun from? That accent is wild.
CB -
Hear! Hear!
I love when people make broad assertions based on zero facts.
I’m 16-8 in my brackets so far, still have 7 out of the final 8, 3 of the final 4, but, alas, I’m missing USC! Darn. I didn’t get to see any games so far today, but my husband took this week off for vacation and is in college basketball heaven!
Doreen,
We’ve already had two games go down to the wire. One on a buzzer beater.
Mel,
I knew about UConn, because that was on during dinner, with hubby jumping up to go to the TV (no tv in the kitchen in my house). What was the other one?
I can’t believe it. I am in the 99.5 percentile on the ESPN bracket. But even then there are 16000 people ahead of me. I am 21-3 and there are 25 people who are 24-0. That’s hard to believe but many people do multiple brackets. I belong to the Mike Golic school in that I only believe in doing one bracket per site (sheet of integrity).