A bit of a rough start for Cano
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 05, 2008 
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Yes, it’s only four games. But here are a few stats to chew on with your breakfast:
* New No. 6 hitter Robinson Cano is 1 for 15 and has hit four balls out of the infield.
* The Yankees are 2 for 23 (.087) with runners in scoring position.
* Leadoff hitter Johnny Damon has gotten on base three times.
* Kyle Farnsworth has allowed five hits in 2.1 innings, two for extra bases.
* Bobby Abreu is 6 for 13.
Andy Pettitte vs. Edwin Jackson this afternoon. The skies are clear in the Bronx.
So it’s not really a rough start for just Cano, but more like almost the entire Yankee offense?
Pettitte, baby!! I’ll be in field box 84 — looks like we’ll be getting more sun than clouds! Wake up, bats!
Well if Cano would actually take a pitch and get himself in good fastball counts imagine what he would do. Most of the time can’t stand his approach at the plate. Don’t get me wrong I love the kid and think he has a bright future but how many times do we see him just go up there hacking at the first pitch no matter where it is.. He gets himself in terrible counts all the time but is probably the best natural hitter on the team. The thing that has me scratching my head is no matter the situation his approach doesn’t change… We could have a runner on 3rd with 1 out in game 7 against Boston and he’ll just hack at the 1st pitch and be like “Oh well no big deal”… Anybody feel the same way about his approach?
The first three games we faced outstanding pitching. Last night well, they had him on the ropes and let him off which is unacceptable. Hopefully we can just ‘blame’ the weather.
I remember Robbie starting off slowly last year. Wish he could be two solid halves together. Like I said yesterday, we should move our spring training complex up to beautiful Syracuse to get used to the cold weather in March. Our offense as a whole looks pretty bad, not taking anyting away from the Toronto starters, but we looked just as bad against the Rays and Sonnastine for 8 out of 9 innings. We can’t expect anymore than 75-80 pitches out of Pettite today, and we had to use alot of arms out of the pen yesterday. Hope we can get a W. I can’t wait to see how Horne today.
Don’t forget you can follow the Scranton blog to see how he does. Unless you know another ‘free’ way?
4 games. Keep telling yourselves, its 4 games into the season.
Four hits in two games and all of a sudden, a hitter is “hot”.
Not worried about Cano and not worried about the offense.
If they aren’t hitting by June, then worry.
Now? Way too early for concern on any front with this team right now.
The bullpen is fine for today. Ohlendorf and Traber didn’t throw 25 pitches combined. They can both pitch today. So can Bruney, Joba and Mo.
That’s 5 fresh arms, along with Pettitte available for today’s game. More than enough.
I use the Scranton blog along with the gameday from the minor league homepage, while watching the Yanks. Wow, am I a loser or what? MLB extra innings doesn’t offer the Saturday games which is horrible. Wish I was back in New York, so I could watch them on Fox. Out here in South Dakota we usually pick up either Twins or Giant games locally.
Melancon looked good (well at least his line in the box score).
Most players are from California, Florida, and the Caribbean countries/South America and try to adjust to cold weather at this team of the schedule but that applies to every team.
The Yankees are in a midst of a hitting slump as are many teams. The pitchers are slightly ahead of the hitters but that will change soon enough. The hitters will start to get into their grooves.
Iwamura and Crawford were on base a lot for last night’s game. That won’t be the case against Andy today.
If all goes well what do you think the max innings for Pettitte are? 5-6?
I usually follow the Scranton blog, watch the gameday from the minor league homepage, and watch the Yanks. I’m pretty much a loser, I know. They don’t show most of the Yankee games on extra innings. Out here is South Dakota we usually end up with Giant or Twins game locally.
SJ, I know it’s only game 4, just frustrating to see, especially since we haven’t done ourselves any favors by getting off to such slow starts recently. I’m telling you, move the complex up to Macarthur stadium in beautiful Syracuse!
Too early to worry about the offense. They all need to get their timing down. The only thing that should cause alarm from last nights game should be that Kennedy was all over the place. He had a good spring and then last night he couldn’t keep it in the strike zone. But, it is his first start of ’08 and it’s too early to jump on him. And, had the BP not blown that game out we might’ve clawed back into it and atleast got Kennedy a no-decision.
I give Pettite 75-80 pitches. Would be great to get 6 out of him. Another interesting question will be who does Girardi bring in for the 7t if its a close game. We know 8 and 9, but how about 7? I think we are going to see Ohlendorf myself.
We’re only 4 games in. But wouldn’t it be nice to start out hot? I hate the digging back act we go through every year.
2-3 isn’t that bad. But 3-2 is a lot betrter.
John: Maybe Traber for lefties, Ohlendorf for righties?
“… * The Yankees are 2 for 23 (.087) with runners in scoring position.”
Facing great pitching can put the batters in an extended funk. Let’s hope for a quick rebound. But the RISP stat is worrying. With runners on second and third they’re still swinging for the fences every time. Somebody needs to bunt, try for a bloop or long fly once in a while. That’s how close games are won. (The first two were on a mishandled dp ball by Hill, a wild pitch with runner on third, and one clutch hit by Abreu.)
Jennifer-
‘If all goes well’ is the kicker there, usually with Pettitte as throughout his career you can always count on that “One Bad Inning” in any of his starts. If that inning happens in the first or second, usually he rights himself and can hold the team all the way for an entire 7 innings…
However, if that inning happens in the 4th or 5th, look for the first string of hits/walks the following inning and hell get the yank.
Jaewon I think your right, if there is a lefty in the 7th, I thing Traber is the guy, the Ohlendorf or vice versa. Any official word on Alabadejo (sp) being sent down this am?
I said this at the beginning of the season (before Cano’s “slump”) and I’ll say it again – he should be moved down and Matsui should be moved up.
Cano doesn’t have the patience or versatility as a hitter that Matsui has. Cano is a tremendous weapon hitting closer to the bottom of the order – just when the pitcher thinks he’s through the tough part he has to face Cano. Move him down.
The Yankees are usually a slow starting team – especially in cold weather. Fortunately, so do all teams so far into the season. There are no undefeateds… so no worries.
What I found alarming in looking at the boxscores of the Toronto series was the Yankees as a team walked seven times and struck out 16 times.
Well at least Hawkins and Farnsworth impressed last night.
Let’s just win today
I realize we’re not even a week into the season yet, but after attending 2 games I’ve come to several conclusions. First, either Damon or Matsui need to be traded. Damon can’t seem to do what he’s supposed to do best ie get on base, create havoc on the base paths and score runs and he’s not doing any of those things. Meanwhile, Matsui is just an absolute disaster in the field and won’t hit well this season unless he’s an everyday player. I’d also like to see Duncan playing more consistently and not just because I love the guy, but because he has some legitimate power and is always a threat to go deep. Clearly, one of these guys have to go and if I were Cashman, I’d shop Matsui to any National League in need of a guy who can still hit the ball with some power. I don’t know if Matsui has a no trade clause, but I could see him as a good fit in San Francisco where he’d immediately be the clean up hitter and he’ll be in a city with a large Asian population which I’d assume he’d like. Plus, he’s already played for the Giants before, albeit the Japanese version. More importantly, San Francisco has a plethora of very good young pitchers like Lowry, Lincecum, Cain, etc who can eat innings so Cashman if you’re reading this get on it.
Just win, baby!
Sunny, watching the Yanks fall 13 games behind last year, sure did become a big deal in October. Wouldn’t it be incredible to see a hot start? No hole to dig out of. Wang and Hughes looked good. Mussina looked like, well, like most of us expected him to look, and Kennedy had a rough outing. In the very first inning you could see it coming. That umps zone did not bode well for him. Offense has to pick the starters up from time to time. Sonnastine looked like a top of the line starter against us in every inning except the one. Damon needs to get going. Along with Cano.
“More importantly, San Francisco has a plethora of very good young pitchers like Lowry, Lincecum, Cain, etc who can eat innings so Cashman if you’re reading this get on it.”
First of all Lowry just isn’t very good. Second and Third of all there is no way Matsui is bringing back Lincecum or Cain.
Ross, do you really think we could get Lincecum, or Cain for Matsui? This isn’t MLB the show ya know.
Schill:
Thanks for reiterating one of my points. Hawkins and Farnsworth blew that game wide open. It’s a shame too cause Albaladejo pitched a few good innings…impressive.
Patrick:
That stat you posted is pretty disgusting but our offense is not in it’s groove yet. Pair that with Toronto pitchers tossing out some tough starters…We were lucky to take 2 of 3 but I’ll take it all season long.
Edwin Jackson (today’s starter) has an ERA of 5.66 vs the Yankees. Hopefully the Yankees will get it going today against him. We know the Yanks are due to break out.
At least if Hawkins keeps sucking it up, he won’t be around that long with the arms they got in Scranton.
And despite the fact that he gave up a three run bomb, I thought Kyle’s slider was looking nasty last night, and he seemed to be throwing it more than usual.
Matsui plus a halfway decent prospect or 2 could get us Cain. Our farm is now stacked enough to trade a Vechionacci or a Jeff Karstens without feeling a dent. San Francisco’s current clean up hitter is Bengie Molina. They are in desperate need of a guy who can hit the ball out of the park.
Ross, while I agree that SF needs some pop, trading for a Cain would take more than Matsui (aging, below avg LF’er), and a 2 B level prospects. Lincecum and Cain would take 2 A level pitching prospects, plus a big positional bat like Montero, Jackson etc. Young, stud pitchers don’t come cheap.
“Matsui plus a halfway decent prospect or 2 could get us Cain. Our farm is now stacked enough to trade a Vechionacci or a Jeff Karstens without feeling a dent.”
Ross,
Trust me when I say this, there is no way Matsui can headline a package to bring back Cain. Unless it’s Matsui and Hughes for Cain and even then that might now be enough. Cain is San Francisco’s best pitcher and he’s young. This is not fantasy baseball here.
If Matsui can’t play an adequate left field here, why would the Giants or any other NL team want to pick him up. Seems like he would be better suited to an AL club (Oakland??) as a DH and an occasional left fielder.
Matsui didn’t look good in the field last night. Seemed tentative. Not sure if this is still an issue with the knee or if he has really lost a big step in the field.
I thought more than once watching him that Damon would have made that play.
Cano kicks butt. I’m not worried about Robbie. Seems I remember every Yankee player at one time or another going cold.
SJ44.
Agreed that it is far too early to discuss trends. One thing I do feel confident about this early however is that if Toronto’s staff stays healthy they will be in thick of things all year. They will give us both fits.
A good weekend to all of you. Take Care
-dennis
Ross K
Why people think that Damon is some kind of OBP machine is beyond me. He isn’t. Never has been. He’s about a .350-.360 OBP guy – well below Jeter. If he were a righty batter Jeter would (and should) be leading off but with the plethora of lefthanded bats he has to lead off.
I disagree with those that want to deal Damon or Matsui. It’s early, both will be fine and they depth they provide is a great strength of this team.
yes, Matsui is not a great defensive LF, his range seems less than when he first came to the US.
But let’s keep this in perspective – the one last night could have been caught, but it would have been an above-average level of range – a nice catch of a ball that was slammed. Damon would have nabbed it. some statue would not have. Matsui almost did. if he hits his usual numbers, he’s a productive LF. Having both him & Damon is nice – it’s not like they are trotting Tony Womack or Rondell White out there!
Hooray for small sample sizes!
yay, Nate! small sample sizes are the best!! I still do not understand why reporters/tv personalities feel the need to report such small sample sizes. The point they are usually trying to make is, inherently, a bad one.