Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 08, 2008 
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As a long road trip loomed, Mike Mussina was terrific as the Yankees beat the Rays. But Derek Jeter was injured. Brian Heyman has the story.
Bobby Abreu, meanwhile, stayed hot. This notebook also has news on Jason Giambi, Jose Molina and Brian Bruney.
Yankees-Royals today at 4:10 p.m. It’s the home opener for KC but most of the attention here is on Kansas winning the NCAA tournament.
Back later with the lineups.
What a game yesterday. Hope the Yankees keep that up.
Moose was damn good! I sure hope Jeets won’t be out too long….
Will this game be played? The radar look bad for KC.
I sure hope Jeets won’t be out too long
I hope the game is delayed a few hours so the guys can get some rest and I can watch the game when I get home…
Anyone think there’s the slightest chance we see A-Rod at short?
We’ll see about A-Rod at short. I personally don’t think they’ll move him yet. My guess is Betemit will be out there.
Is the weather looking really bad in Kansas?
I doubt A-Rod will start at short… that would be cool though.
How about enough rain to postpone their home opener – although, I promised my Kansas friends that I would wear my Jayhawks stuff yesterday (I did) and now they have to wear all Yankees for the next three days!
Looks like the weather is supposed to clear by mid-afternoon.
Morning everyone.
Postponing can’t hurt too much; the Yankees get some actual rest and I get more time for my coursework =D
Isn’t he like a HR away from some kinda record at short?
Information please:
When is Christian Garcia scheduled to pitch next. I think I saw he was bit hurt and want to make sure his recovery is still on track.
Betemit will be at short until the severity of the injury is known. I personally think Jeter sits the KC series, and is fine afterwards.
No reason to worry about Jeter……………..yet…………….folks.
Ray I liked the idea of ARod being Jeter’s backup SS because at one time several years ago he was arguably the best SS in the game. But some posters pointed out, and I agree, that after years at 3B he won’t have the same feel for the position.
The question is what makes the best combination for the team if Betemit is better at the corner IF positions than up the middle? ARod at 3B with Gonzo at SS? ARod at 3B with Betemit at SS? Arod at SS with Betemit at 3B? I don’t know, only A-Rod can know how comfortable he is at SS after this long. Also something to factor in is, who works better with Cano up the middle?
One thing I know is that although he won’t be the monster SS he used to be, there’s a chance he could still be better than most backup SS guys if he can play it for more than a few games. I also know there will be closed-minded people out there who would call ARod a waste if he’s not the SS he once was in Seattle. He may no longer be an all-star SS, but the team isn’t paying him to be and SS. He’s a damn good 3B but he’d just be a fill-in at SS.
i can’t see why they wouldn’t play a-rod at short. this a perfect way to use ensberg. he’s a natural starting 3rd baseman. betemit is a bench guy specializing at 3rd, but having a bad year so far. we’re headed on a tough road trip. we need all the good bats in the lineup
I just like that the Yankees are thinking creatively about the solution.
I would love to see creative solutions.
For many reasons, A Rod to short makes a lot of sense. Forget about “legacy” and all that crap. Alex is one of the best ever at that position.
How they fiddle with the lineup will also be interesting.
I’d sacrifice Jeter for the entire KC series if it enhanced the likelihood he’d play in Boston on Friday.
my 2 cents: i doubt we’ll see alex at shortstop any time soon. i think it would be a lot to ask to play a position he hasn’t had anything to do with since 2003.
if jeter’s injury is serious and requires DL time, a gonz should be called up, betemit should start most of the time at SS, with alberto a defensive replacement (and possibly starting behind Wang), for the most part.
Can someone who is computer literate explain how the black-bar edit function works?
I’m sure the Yankees had Alex prepare for this just incase a situation like this would happen. Alex surely took groundballs at SS in ST so I wouldn’t mind this because it is actually the right thing to do.
Betemit or Ensberg can play either at 1B or 3B, Alex can shore up SS while Jetes is out and are some posters here kidding ? think about Jeter took himself out of that game, when was the last time he did that ? a sore quad now is a strained groined now my guess is no one here has had a strained groin, this isn’t a 2 – 3 day thing especially w/ cold tempertures and lateral movement at SS, especially the way Jetes plays at SS when he puts extra strain in his movements w/ jump throws and throwing off the run, this may be awhile.
ARod was the best SS in the game 5 years ago. He is no longer the best SS in the game. They should not move him to SS for any period of time, whether it be short or long term.
Here’s a great article about the last Yankee great from the SI vaults:
http://vault.sportsillustrated...../index.htm
For those of you expecting perfection in baseball, you’ll never be happy…
saucy, i disagree. if you call up Alberto, he plays SS and Betemit moves back to the primary IF off the bench.
Betemit is the short-term guy if Jeter sits out just the KC series… anything longer than that, I want my primary SS backup to take over.
A-Rod to SS is a bad move. He is all about being comfortable and he is comfortable at 3rd. Stick Betemit at SS until Jetes gets back, and if he is horrible bring up Gonzalez.
I still haven’t heard a reason Alex can’t do it. The object of this team is put the best team on the field Alex can play SS and what’s this comfort crap some people are bringing up, can he play SS ? yes can he play it better than Betemit ? Yes , do the Yankees want to bring up Gonzo and send someone down or DL someone ? No. So if you think logically putting Alex at SS, Ensberg/Betemit at 3B or 1B your defense improves.
I like how people bring up yeh he was the best 5 years ago like he lost his lateral movement and never took grounders at SS in ST drills.
Saw this in the NY Post about the last time Jeter had this type of injury -he was back within 2 weeks and Derek says that time was worse:
In 2001, Jeter began the season on the disabled list because of a strained right quad and missed the first four games. His time on the DL was back-dated to March 23 and he was healthy enough to play April 7.
“That one was worse,” Jeter said. “This is a mild strain, from what I’m told. The other one was worse, it was something you could feel just moving your leg, period. This one, you have to really start running to feel it. It’s not the same thing.”
I don’t think you move ARod to SS. If you do and he is great at SS it will cause a debate when Derek comes back. Everyone will compare them and call for Alex at SS. Where does that leave Dere? I think that this is a can of worms best left unopened. If Derek is out for a few days, you go with Betemit. If it’s longer you bring up Gonzeles who is a defensive guy (you can sacrifice the bat because you know the rest of the team will hit.)
Joe Morgan’s take:
Al (NJ): Hi, Joe. If Jeter misses more than a few games, should the Yanks slide A-Rod over to short or just play Betemit there so not to ruffle any feathers?
Joe Morgan: (10:46 AM ET ) I don’t think A-Rod can play short anymore. He’s gotten a lot bigger. When I asked him last year if he was going to be a free agent and play shortstop, he said he wasn’t sure he could, because he put so much energy into playing third. Shortstop is demanding, and if you’re not physically capable of moving around, it’s tough. You will not see A-Rod playing shortstop.
For what it’s worth, in The Mick’s time, more than a few jocks drank a lot, ate too much red meat, had a girl in every town, got fat by fifty and never turned back. The rest of us may not have had the girl in every town, but we did the rest and had heart attacks to boot and died young. At the time of Mick’s last game, we were coming out of the Age of the Rat Pack, Camelot and Vietnam. A lot of people were about to give up booze to try pot, LSD and free love. Everybody knows where we’ve been since then. Other than perhaps having a better diet, what’s changed and made Mantle’s closet any darker than everybody else’s?
Mantle was a man of his times in many ways. I don’t mind the revisionist criticism of him as long as we recognize ourselves in the same mirror.
making the assumption that alex took grounders at third doesn’t mean that he did. why would he? he’s a 3b now. they have backup infielders for exactly this reason. just because he used to play short doesn’t mean he’s still the best choice. he also used to play football. does that mean if eli goes down, alex should come fill in?
i just don’t see it. i agree with most others, leave alex at 3b, and put bet at ss shortterm, and if it’s longer, AG. i just see putting alex at ss creating more problems than it solves, and not working as well as one would think.
This is why you keep Betemit on the roster as the everyday backup IF, and why you make the trade that includes Alberto Gonzalez, Brandon. You have a legitimate backup SS to play should Jeter get hurt in the short term and the long term.
ARod was the best SS 5 years ago, but hasnt played the position regularly since what, 2004? Taking some grounders in Spring Training, even if he did, does not prepare you for playing the position everyday… it’s not like riding a bike.
and just you seem to assume the best team on the field would be ARod at SS and Ensberg at 3B, I can just as easily argue that you have the best team on the field when you keep ARod at SS and bring up Alberto to play SS.
“I like how people bring up yeh he was the best 5 years ago like he lost his lateral movement and never took grounders at SS in ST drills.”
Well considering that AROD isn’t exactly a gold glove caliber third baseman I find it hard to believe he could just slide back to shortstop and be what he once was.
**keep ARod at 3B, and play Alberto at SS**
Rain is letting up a little here in KC and is supposed to end by first pitch. However, the wind chill at first pitch is supposed to be 32 degrees. Although I have tix for this game, I hope it gets PPD until tomorrow when it’s supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees.
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I agree with Joe Morgan, especially the bit about A-Rod’s increased bulk. Asking A-Rod to play SS now may risk injury to him too. Bring up A Gonz if Jetes isn’t back soon. His bat is no worse than Betemit’s and I have more confidence in his arm and glove.
Play Betemit @ SS until he proves he can’t field the position. You may be surprised, even.
If it’s something longer, then you bring the AG in.
Does anyone else shudder at the thought of A-Rod taking the throw from Cano at second as the runner comes at him trying to break up the double play?
Pete,
Which injury did Jeter suffered because ESPN is saying the groin now?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3335043
“**keep ARod at 3B, and play Alberto at SS**”
it requires DL’ing someone, who do you DL and if you pick Jetes it’s for 15 days.
Oh since when does Joe Morgan know what’s best for this team, I haven’t heard one damn ESPN guy make any beneficial request other than Gammons w/ Ohlendorfh. Lets call it like it is you people would rather avoid debate and lose at aspot than win. The fear is Alex goes to SS and plays GG caliber again while people begin to question Jetes, this will not be an issue under Girardi, he’s a no BS tell it like it is guy.
hey all. nice game for Moose last night. Nice to see the offense starting to click a little bit too. Bobby has started of scorching! I hope the night traveling and quick turn around for a day game doesn’t mess with them though and they continue playing well through KC. Bannister and Grienke are both good young pitchers and threw well in their first starts. Hopefully the Yankees can put them in their place. i’m not too worried about Jeter, i don’t see it being more than a couple of games and i agree with the camp that says just leave Betemit at SS for a few games. Moving Alex over would be silly, just for the sake of having him play SS again. As much as people like to trash Betemit he’s still played a lot more SS recently than Alex has.
Brandon:
Don’t be a trouble maker
The fear is that A-Rod goes to SS and isn’t as nimble as he once was and/or that he gets spiked or dropped or otherwise injured. Why have him making the pivot at 2d on the DP and exposing him to injury everyday? His bat is too important.
Brandon,
There may be a little of that fear, but the real reason is to get through the next week with Plan A, using your backup infielder. If it turns out to be the DL (which would be retroactive) then you go to Plan B, to bring up the AG. If Jeter’s career ended, then you go to Plan C, which is to have Alex play SS.
No need to move arod. You’d be messing with His head and the overall chemistry. Let Him concentrate on hitting and staying focused.
In my mind, Alex is the Yankees 3B. You have to forget he ever played shortstop. He has now played 3B for 4 full seasons, correct? In that time he has played the odd game at short, maybe 5-10?
It’s not in the Yankees’ best interests, nor is it in Alex’s best interests, to have ARod play a position he is no longer comfortable, or natural, in. If you move ARod you compromise two positions instead of one.
I realize that there is no perfect replacement for Jeter at shortstop, but in the short term, Betemit will be fine. It is why he is on the team. In the long term, if Jeter has to be placed on the DL, then you look at other options, including calling up Gonzalez. You don’t make desperation moves unless it’s a desperate situation, which this is not. At least not at this point.
I don’t necessarily think playing shortstop well after re-training yourself to play third is like riding a bike. And I’m not so sure ARod took infield at shortstop in spring training, as someone above suggested. Why would he? Do they have Jeter workout at at 2nd or 3rd? That’s why you include backup infielders on your roster. Does anyone here know for sure whether ARod has taken infield at shortstop recently?
not being a trouble maker just calling it as I see it.
Alot of people here are question Alex’s lateral movement and how he’d play the DP, I mean has anyone here actually played baseball before ? you don’t forget how to play those positions. Bringing up Gonzo again mel honey would require sending a player down or DL’in Jeter on the 15 day. I like Betemit but if you can place good fielding at both 3B & SS w/ this move I’d do it and I just like that Girardi isn’t afraid to do it.
“O Captain, My Captain”
Where have the days of our youth gone?
As we stand closer to the twilight rather than the dawn of our career.
Father Time nips at our heels (and quads) stealing a little here and a little there of the magic of our youth.
Who shall we petition to turn back the hands of Time?
Alas, the fountain of youth is but a fantasy.
Instead, we shall face the harsh cruelness of reality and consult St. Andy or perhaps Sir Roger the Great. Surely they will know what to do.
Test
“Oh since when does Joe Morgan know what’s best for this team, I haven’t heard one damn ESPN guy make any beneficial request other than Gammons w/ Ohlendorfh. Lets call it like it is you people would rather avoid debate and lose at aspot than win. The fear is Alex goes to SS and plays GG caliber again while people begin to question Jetes, this will not be an issue under Girardi, he’s a no BS tell it like it is guy.”
Three things,
1) Joe Morgan never said what was best for the Yankees. He said A-Rod told him he wasn’t sure if he could still play shortstop anymore.
2)Why would any fan of the Yankees want to see them worse off?
3)I don’t believe A-Rod is capable of moving back to short and playing gold glove caliber defense again. He isn’t a gold glove 3B which is an easier position to play. He hasn’t played the position in 5 years, 5 years is a long time in baseball.
Brandon, if you’ve read my posts, thats what I’ve said… if you have to DL Jeter, bring up Alberto and play him everyday.
If you dont, and it will only be a couple of games, then play Betemit at SS; that’s the option you gave yourself as a team when you kept Betemit over players like Nick Green, Chris Woodward, etc… dont second guess yourself now.
From a defensive standpoint, it’s obvious A-Rod at short isn’t the best solution, not unless A-Rod gets some practice games in first!
However, in a close game, late-inning situation, who’s not to say that A-Rod move to short so Ensberg can pinch-hit? I’ve got a little more confidence in Ensberg with the bat than Betemit, however misplaced it might be.
everyone is aware that bring up Gonzalez would require putting someone on the DL or sending someone down. Which is why pretty much everyone who has suggested that option has said “if jeter is out long term”. that pretty much translates to “if jeter goes on the DL”
ARod has not played shortstop for the Yankees for the last two seasons, (06, 07) and only played 5 games there, total, in 2004 (3) and 2005 (2). Just FYI.
FWIW, if it was a long term situation, then Alex could definitely play the position again.
Jesus, how mobile was Ripken at the age of 60 when he was still playing for the O’s?
Doreen that has to be a misprint the only time I remember Alex playing SS for us is the Jeter dives into the stands game.
Brandon –
Joe Morgan may not be a manager or coach, and he may work for ESPN, but he’s still a HOF 2nd basemen so he knows a thing or two about playing the infield. While he may not know first hand about making the transition from SS to 3B back to SS, and there are guys out there who know some things he doesn’t know, I think it’s a good chance he knows more than most people writing here on Pete’s blog.
If you doubt that, read over some of the comments again
I could understand how it wouldn’t be as smooth a switch as one might think, and ARod would eventually do better after being over there for several games than he would if it was for just a few games. However it’s not like he wouldn’t know what to do over there anymore. He would still be pretty good at it even if he doesn’t play it like an all star anymore.
But at the same time, whoever plays third while ARod’s over at SS wouldn’t be as good a 3B as ARod. Assuming short term is all we’re looking at, like a week, it may be better to keep him at third and bring up Gonzo to fill in for Jeter.
Still, I admit ARod at SS and Enserg at 3B (assuming he’s better than Betemit there) sounds interesting.
Keep in mind Betemit is a utility guy, not a starter. Guys who are good enough to be starters usually go to teams that need starters, and they start. A team whose utility guy is anything better than a utility guy is very fortunate.
To be even more exact, it was a total of 8 innings, 2 in 2004 and 6 in 2005.
http://www.baseball-reference......al01.shtml
This post is for CB and anyone else who inquired further about the River Dogs last night.
McAllister looked very good last night. He struck out hitters swinging and missing with one K looking. 5Ks in all. Almost no fly out. He kept the ball down but seemed a little rattled after walks and was somewhat wild, but always worked the count back in his favor and got the out.
His best moment was the 2nd inning when there was 1st and 3rd with one out and 2nd & 3rd with two outs. He looked the runner back on a grounder and then induced another grounder to end the inning.
He seemed to have good velocity and the hits he gave up were grounders that found holes or swinging bunts that found the right part of the grass.
Montero looked, to me, like Ivan Rodriguez but a lot taller. He has the same compact build and there is a lot of pop in his bat. He was supposed to catch the game but Romine caught it. We never found out why. He rocketed some groundballs up the middle, both got through, but one was a hit, one an error. He flied deep to right and the right fielder made a good, falling down catch to prevent a double.
Brandon Laird looked very good and got a clutch 2-out 2-RBI hit to break up the Sand Gnat’s no-hitter. He went 2-3.
Wady Rufino was 1-4 and showed a good arm in right. I liked his ability to make contact and foul off pitches. He hit some major rockets foul and eventually hit a deep liner to left center that found a glove.
Speaking purely from an offensive standpoint, IMO, ARod+Ensberg > ARod+Betemit > ARod+Gonzalez.
The first one requires ARod –> SS and Ensberg –> 3B. The other two have Betemit and Gonzalez at SS. The defensive order is probably the reverse order from the offensive order, and I don’t think they want to mess with minor league callups, etc., for an injury like this.
I’d prefer (if he can do it) ARod to SS and Ensberg to 3B for games in which Wang and Mussina are not pitching, and Jeter to sit out until Tampa Bay (warm weather).
im sorry guys but you dont know what your talking! A ROD is a gold glover at 3rd ! HE IS THE BEST SHORT STOP EVER TO PLAY THE GAME! he was born to play short. he could play it in middle of his sleep… i hope he plays short for a while to give the yankees fan a real taste what a Short stop could do.. (im sorry jeter fans of course jeter will get exposed)
I woke up w/ a horrible mood since last night I’m not railing on people just saying it’s not as bad as people think. umm..right now ESPN1050 reported Jeter is out for a minimum of one week on thier 20 min. update. It will be interesting seeing what Girardi does w/o his #2 batter in the lineup now he has to think of who he can place at the 2 spot and who can fill in at SS in the mean time.
You know, if it was anyone else that got hurt, save maybe Canò, the solution would have been easier.
I wonder if Shelley can play short…
(okay, I know he can’t, but dude, he can do everything else, so why not?)
Brandon: I’ll believe it when I hear it from Pete.
And remember, Ensberg has always been a starting 3B. I’ve never heard bad things about his defense.
thanks myrtlebeachfan, you would have waited a day you would have seen Dellin pitch tonight.
I think the one thing you wouldn’t want to do, though, if one decides to move ARod to SS for a week or so, is to move him back and forth based on who is pitching. If they decide to move ARod to SS, then you’ve got to leave him there for as long as Jeter is out. IMO.
myrtlebeachfan,
Thanks for the scouting report. Sounds like a good game all around.
Is Brandon Laird related to the Texas catcher?
yes he’s his brother mel
blog question:
whenever i used to refresh the page it would bring me to the most recent post, which was good. now, whenever i refresh the page it keeps brining me back to my most recent post, which was several posts ago. it’s annoying. is this happening to anyone else?
I just saw something interesting. I know how most people feel about the value of the Golden Glove award, but, anyway…
Did you know ARod only won GG at shortstop 2 times in his career? While he was with Texas and just before came to NY. Vizquel won in for 9 consecutive seasons. And once ARod came to NY, Jeter won 3 of them, though I’m sure if ARod had stayed at SS he’d have won them. Just interesting, I thought.
The key question, which I hope somebody asks Girardi in his pre-game gapfest is, did Arod take grounders at short this spring?
If the answer is “yes”, then him playing SS is in play.
If the answer is “no”, then it won’t happen.
They won’t just put the guy out there cold, regardless of how well he played the position five years ago.
If they worked him out at SS in the spring as a security blanket should Jeter miss significant time with an injury, that’s a different deal.
For the Royals series, I would just keep Betemit at short and bat him ninth. He hasn’t hit in the last month of last season, throughout most of ST, and the early part of the year. Can’t hit him anywhere in the order but ninth right now.
After the Royals series, if its determined Jeter is going to be out for a period of time and Betemit isn’t getting the job done, revisit the situation.
Contrary to what some believe, an April series with the Red Sox is meaningless. If Jeter can’t go, he can’t go. You don’t do anything risky that could lead him to missing more time, simply because the Red Sox are the next team on the calendar.
Brandon,
Thanks.
Brian (from PA), when you finish reading posts, click on the date/time of the last one. then when you refresh, you should be brought back to where you were on the page.
ESPN is reporting one week because that is what Girardi said last night. A reporter asked Derek about Girardi saying probably one week. Derek said, “We’ll see about that.”
And also for those geniuses at ESPN, Derek himself said it was his quad and he had an MRI on the quad muscle which showed a strain. I would think that Derek would know which it was.
ESPN is now reporting its a strained quad.
You will get more accurate Yankee information from Pete and the rest of the beat writers and this blog than you will from ESPN.
Some of you looking for proof or confirmation about any Yankee news from ESPN is a waste of your time.
They just pull from wire services or out of their butts when it comes to reporting on the Yankees.
Last nights misreporting of Jeter’s injury is just the latest example.
I’m sure Arod could switch to short and play it on an above average level. But I really wouldn’t want to risk it. If it’s September and we are in the middle of a pennant race than you go with it. Being that it’s April 8th I play it safe and see what you can get out of Betemit or Gonzalez.
Here’s all you need to know about ESPN when it comes to Yankee news.
They BROADCAST the game last night and STILL couldn’t accurately report Jeter’s injury.
Can’t get any worse than that from a news perspective.
This isn’t a big deal.
Damon
Abreu
Matsui
Rodriguez
Cano
Posada
Betemit
Duncan/Giambi
Cabrera
Our reserves are fantastic. Theyre capable major leaguers. I’m not worried at all. If I wasn’t worried when Miguel Cairo was stepping in for Jeter, I’m not worrying about Betemit or Ensberg filling in. Theyre both very good major leaguers.
ESPN is ridiculous.
You don’t bat Betemit ahead of Giambi or Duncan. Betemit can’t hit. If he is anywhere but 9th in the order, its a mistake.
Personally, I’d bat Melky second. He’s a SH, has a good eye, speed, and makes contact.
I wouldn’t move Abreu because he is hot and is the best #3 hitter on the team.
My batting order would be:
Damon
Cabrera
Abreu
Arod
Giambi
Posada
Matsui
Cano
Betemit
Its more balanced from top to bottom than moving a bunch of guys to spots in the order they don’t normally hit in.
Back to the minor leagues for one moment – does anyone know the severity of Christian Garcia’s hurt shoulder or when he is scheduled to pitch again?
*** An attempt at humor ***
To: SJ44,
From: baseball writer at espn
———————————————————–
A few quotes from you about me on the Lohud Yankees Blog:
“Some of you looking for proof or confirmation about any Yankee news from ESPN is a waste of your time.”
“They just pull from wire services or out of their butts when it comes to reporting on the Yankees.”
“Last nights misreporting of Jeter’s injury is just the latest example.”
“Here’s all you need to know about ESPN when it comes to Yankee news. They BROADCAST the game last night and STILL couldn’t accurately report Jeter’s injury. Can’t get any worse than that from a news perspective.”
Thanks for the vote of confidence,
signed Buster Olney, Tim Kurkijan, Steve Phillips and Peter “El Demon” Gammons
myrtlebeachfan,
Thanks so much for that terrific run down of the Charleston game last night. That was great. That team is just loaded with talent and its nice to be able to hear a bit about how they look.
If you happen to some other games I’m sure many of use would appreciate hearing about them, particularly if you happen to see one of Betances’ or Heredia’s games.
Much appreciated.
Folks its not only that Alex hasnt played short for 4 years that a problem. He’s gained like 20 pounds since. He isnt the nimble player he once was with Seattle and Texas. As much as im not a fan of Betimet. I think he could play the position better today than would alex. As someone else stated, you also want your best hitter comfortable at the plate and not worrying how he’s going to play another position.
I cant believe noone is talking about the performance the Moose had. I for one never expected this type of performance anytime this year. If he could just stay between the first start and this one we’ll be in good position once Joba lands in the starting role.
If we had no shortstop replacements, I’d say explore what Alex could do. But we do have options, and should not risk any decreased production from our best hitter by far.
There’s a delta between Jeter and Wilson/Alberto. But the delta isn’t nearly as large as risking ARod’s production.
fixing the jeter thing is easy, start with wilson when he fails to please, bring up ag, when he fails trade both of em for cairo.
If Jeter can’t play SS by the time the Boston series comes along, Betemit may still be better a defensive SS than Lugo.
Of course it’d be great to have Jeter in the game but it’s not crunch time in Sept yet.
Let’s say it’s just for the KC series … they could put Jeter’s mom out there when Joba comes in to pitch.
I personally dont wanna see A-Rod at short either. He is looking great at 3rd, I think he is finally very comfortable over there.
Anyone hear about any roster moves concerning the injury?
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