A clash over the coaches?
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- October
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On Sunday and again on Monday, Joe Girardi said he did not anticipate making any changes to his coaching staff before 2009. The question seemed to surprise him.
Brian Cashman got the same question yesterday and said it was something they had to discuss during the coming organizational meetings.
That could well mean nothing happens. Cashman very rarely gives yes or no answers to anything at this time of the year. Or it could mean that the GM and the manager will be having a very serious discussion sometime soon.
Pitching coach Dave Eiland is safe. I also think the Yankees still have faith in hitting coach Kevin Long, albeit a little less than they used to.
The question will revolve around third base coach Bobby Meacham. He was one of Girardi’s choices for the staff last fall and he had a rocky first season, making a bunch of mistakes with runners. But the bigger problem – as George King of the Post wrote today – may be that Girardi leaned more on Meacham than his other coaches for advice.
One way or another, and I have written this before, the Yankees need somebody who will be more of a presence around the players.
I know some people want Willie Randolph to come back. But his ego is unlikely to allow that. He also can sit around for a year and collect his paycheck from the Mets. Paul O’Neill wants nothing to do with doing more games for YES that he already does, he’s certainly not making a six-month commitment to be away from his family.
Tino Martinez? Luis Sojo? Somebody from outside? There are a lot of possibilities.
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on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 at 2:48 pm by Peter Abraham.
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mohawks = strange.
Here’s a name to throw out there. What about Lee Mazilli? He was the Yankee’s bench coach in 2006 and seems to me that he’s the type of guy who’s not afraid to give someone a boot when needed.
Mazilli = SNY Analyst
I doubt he’ll quit to be a 3rd base coach.
Maybe Sojo would be a better option.
Sojo would be great to get back… I’d also love it if they threw a bunch of money at bowa
the rookie just hitted his first postseason homer.
As I recall, Luis Sojo already had one stint as (3B?) coach, and didn’t exactly get rave reviews. But my memory could be off on this.
I think the suggestion of Don Baylor, made a couple of days ago, sounded pretty good. As either 3B or bench coach.
Longoria is the real deal.
Or throwing a lot of money at Larry Bowa, if he would leave his friend Joe. I read on a previous post that he supposedly has an “out” on his contract.
never believed, would be seeing bunting draping the walls/confines of that ballpark.
From what I recall Sojo started out rough but once he got some time under his belt he was pretty good.
Longoria and David Price…being awful for so long has its benefits.
Harold Reynolds is an excellent analyst.
Aside from Chip Carey and Buck Martinez, all these broadcast teams have been very good.
And just like that Longoria already has a better post season career than Alex.
If Girardi was leaning on Meacham for advice, thats even more of a reason to get rid of him.
What great words of wisdom did he give Girardi? To sit Johnny Damon during the most important part of the season when we were trying to gain ground?
Kind of funny, ex-Yankee Vazquez pitching to ex-prospect Navarro. While the Yankees sit home and watch.
Wait? What’s the story with Paul O’Neill there?
Bucky Dent for 3rd base coach!
I’d put Robbie Thompson back behind the scenes, prepping all the scouting reports and statistical analysis.
I’d make Tony Pena the bench coach.
I’d put Mitch Seone at first base.
I’d offer Bowa a 3 year contract for $1 million a year and bring him back to coach third. He has an out in his Dodger deal at the end of this season.
If Joe Torre could put his ego aside in his later years as Yankee manager, and put a staff together of former managers and strong personalities, Joe Girardi can do the same.
One thing Cash has to explain to Girardi is the following:
If you want to act like Bill Belichick, WIN like Bill Belichick.
Also, if you look at Belichick’s staffs over the years, they were filled with talented people.
Its not about the “act”. Its about the staff. The better the staff, the better job a manager can do.
It takes a guy being secure in his position and his own ability to do it. Hopefully, Joe is up to the task.
Something Joe needs to realize if he wants a long career as Yankee manager.
Tino? I’d leave him right where he is….at Cash’s side in a growing role as an advisor.
Tino has a good eye for talent and has been a quick study in learning the league. I think his greatest value to Cash is as a former player, not long out of the game, who can seperate guys who can play from guys who just compile numbers.
A guy that has been in the dugout, and knows what it takes to put together guys on a championship team, can be invaluable to Cash as they discuss acquisitions.
Here’s a guy that would definitely light a fire under a Cano’s rear, if he didnt outright deck him first: Greg “Puff” Nettles.
We can dream, cant we? lol
Meacham was his sounding board?? Wow, what can Bobby meacham teach Joe Girardi? How to get called by passing a runner on the base paths?
To be fair, Brett Gardner played 42 games in 2008. His first 21 games he had a .189 batting average and his last 21 games he had a .283 batting average.
If you look at Gardner’s minor league career, here’s what happened:
2005 A Ball – .284 BA
2006 A Ball – .323 BA
2006 AA Ball – .272 BA
2007 AA Ball – .300 BA
2007 AAA Ball – .260 BA
2008 AAA Ball – .296 BA
Baseball isn’t that simple but now lets look at his MLB:
2008 MLB Ball – .228 BA
2009 MLB Ball – ?
I’m comfortable thinking he could hit .270 in a season. With plus defense and his speed, that is attractive.
“Paul O’Neill wants nothing to do with doing more games for YES, he’s certainly not making a six-month commitment to be away from his family.” Eventhough after Girardi got the job Paul said that he was going to talk to him about possibly being on the coaching staff…
“Patrick Bateman
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
If Girardi was leaning on Meacham for advice, thats even more of a reason to get rid of him.
What great words of wisdom did he give Girardi? To sit Johnny Damon during the most important part of the season when we were trying to gain ground?”
I don’t know Meacham, however he doesn’t strike me as a baseball coach. And we know his shortcomings at 3rd base. Hopefully, Girardi knows/likes other persons, who may be qualified and a greater benefit to him.
SJ44,
Forgive my ignorance, but who is Mitch Seone and what makes him qualified to coach in the majors?
If I am Randolph I stay away and see if 09 unfolds like 08. If it does Girardi is gone and he becomes the lead candidate for the slot.
Also I would find a way to bring Bowa back for Cano’s sake and 3B coaching duties. Also maybe Rob Thompson is over is head as bench coach and we may need more of a pure baseball strategist to provide Girardi advice.
Chet
ps – I know it is 20/20 hindsight but I was pulling Donnie last year as it would have been less of a transition from Torre. He also has trememdous respect in the clubhouse. Does Girardi have that??
Drive,
Cano’s act wouldn’t have carried on so long this year if Posada didn’t get hurt.
Jorge would have jacked him up WAY before September, that’s for sure.
Robbie should ask El Duque how lucky he is Jorge got hurt.
Luis Sojo should be the third base coach next season. I’m surprised that Pena hasn’t gotten another Managerial position, maybe he’s sticking around to see how Girardi will do? I can even see Pena moving to bench coach next seson. Either way Meacham was never a winning ball player, and can’t coach third. Not a bad guy, just not right for us.
Willie as a bench coach would be tremendous. O’Neill is my all time favorite yankee but i dont know how good of a coach he would be, unless of course you’re talking about firing kevin long and getting O’Neill as a hitting coach. Seeing the hitting coach argue with umpires would be great.
Bucky is another good choice for the staff. He’s a very good tactician of the game.
He and Torre didn’t get along too well. I’m not sure of his relationship with Girardi or, even if he has one.
SJ44—
Do you envision Tino as a GM at some point in the future?
That’s why using Tampa as a model for the Yankees is flawed. We will NEVER have the chance to acquire players like that through the draft. We can’t acquire sure-fire cornerstone players like the Rays and other small market teams can. Aside from Montero, we’ve flopped in the International market in recent years, going for B level players instead of the top guys like Inoa. Even then, these are 16 year old kids they are too far away.
All we can get is the draft is injured pitchers with question marks like Brackman. Thats no way to build a team. You have to take a wait and see approach, can’t make any assumptions and think these guys will save our franchise. Development is fine, but some realism needs to be included. The Sox did that. Their core last year was Manny, Beckett, Schilling, Lowell, Dice-K, Drew, Ortiz, etc. and they slowly incorporated young players, didn’t rely on them. The vets won them the rings in 04 and 07.
Mitch has been with the Yankees for years. He used to play in their farm system in his playing days. He’s worked with guys in the minors and is currently doing what Robbie Thompson did last year.
Mitch coached some first this year when Meachem was away from the team.
If he was a basketball player, he would be known as a “gym rat”. Just a guy who has been around the game, and the Yankees, for a long time and who has a good understanding of the game.
Cash was saying yesterday how Gardner has always made adjustments while advancing through the minors. He seemed to be doing the same last month albeit the sample is too small to make a judgment.
To be continued in March….....
noticed the heckler have playoff tickets. Should’ve let him, throw out the first pitch. Loyal.
What did Jorge do to El Duque?
As for Thompson, he could end up in AAA if Dave Miley gets the Seatle job.
Doreen,
I think that’s where his future lies. Tino volleyballs back and forth, trying to decide whether he wants to be on the field or in the front office.
He loves teaching but, I think he is really enjoying the process of putting together a team.
I expect Tino to be a guy in 4-5 years people talk about as being one of the bright young minds in the game, from a GM standpoint.
He’s really got a good feel re: team construction. I hope he decides to stay on the front office side of things. In time, he will make a great GM, IMO.
Who knows, perhaps he can be groomed as the successor to Cash.
Anyone else think Harold Reynolds sounds a little like Chris Rock?
The problem with giving him experienced bench coaches is that if we get off to a bad start, everybody will be calling for Girardi’s head and to make (Baylor/Pena) the manager. Girardi may feel threatened by having so much experience.
I also am not sure if him and Bowa could co-exist, they have similar fiery personalities. Girardi might feel Bowa will undermine him. The players might get too worn out by 2 abrasive guys like that too. It worked well with Torre because he was the fire to Torre’s ice. They mixed well and Bowa was the one who was the firey guy who spoke up when needed and knew how to push the righ buttons. Players listened because they knew Torre was there in the background.
Giant crowd of 36,000 today….
“the Yankees need somebody who will be more of a presence around the players.”
that’s a polite way of saying that now when players look up a coach’s mlb stats they see that they are a better player than the coach ever dreamed of being.
the yankee staff is way to generic. i’m not sure how they change that though. anyone with charisma immediately becomes a threat to girardi if they start out slow in 2009 as they probably will since cashman will still be pursuing his youth plan with youths that aren’t either ready or any good.
It does seem that Tino is in being groomed to take the job one day.
TurnTables: disagree. This isn’t the NFL. No matter which position you draft, you will land ++ talent if you do the homework/pay over slot.
and as you mentioned, you have the International market, as well.
Yeah, Pete… that Paul O’Neill thing needs more elaboration.
Is he not coming back as a broadcaster next year?
Lar-rey Bowa! Clap, Clap, clap-clap-clap!
Jorge punched out El Duque in the locker room one day.
Got tired of El Duque shaking him off and bad mouthing him, and he beat the crap out of him one day.
It was the last time El Duque ever gave him lip. lol
They still had occasional flareups on the mound but, El Duque was much more respectful of him after that.
Jorge is loco. To me, he’s loco in a good way. A way that keeps everybody on their toes.
Every team has to have a guy like that and the Yankees really missed him this year.
When you are injured, you don’t have the same impact in the locker room as you do when you are there everyday.
Big two out homerun.
Where’s that Tampa Bay pitching?????
Jorge going crazy in the locker room? that’s crazy. Since Jeter is the captain of the team, Posada is the Punisher of the team.
Bowa has no desire to manage again. That’s one reason why I think it would work.
If he had a desire to manage again, like Pena does, then its dicey to put him in that role.
Same with Willie. That’s why I can’t see Willie taking a job on the staff.
He still has money coming from the Mets. He’s going to make sure Wilpon pays him all of it with no discounts taken because he has taken another job.
Ed, you are correct. A guy like posada could never be a captain. But he is jeter’s enforcer. The two of them work very well together.
Tino would be an uncomfortable situation, another aspiring manager next to Girardi who is his best friend too.
You also need to make sure he isin’t a guy who is too buddy buddy with the players either, Girardi is already on shakey ground with the players so the last thing he needs is a guy who could potentially be the players safety net to undermine Joe.
Can you imagine the White Sox advancing? Followed by the Cubs getting bounced this round? That would be hilarious.
If I were Willie I’d want all my money too after getting treated like that by the Mets.
FergsKU
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
And just like that Longoria already has a better post season career than Alex.
A Rod vs Minn 2004 ALDS
19 ab, 8 hits, 3 doubles 1 homer, 5 rbi .421 ba. .476 obp,737 slug%
He also hit .409 with a .421 obp against the Yanks in the 2003 ALCS. People do forget that ,up until Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, A Rod was a very good post season player with Seattle and the Yanks.
O’Neill likes his life just the way it is right now.
Girardi offered him a job on the staff last year (they are very close friends) and he declined.
He doesn’t want to travel that much and be away from his family.
The YES Network has asked him to do more games and he has declined. He wants to stick with his 20-25 game schedule.
Why not make Hank the bench coach?
He could provide some fire to the team
A Rod vs Minn 2004 ALDS
19 ab, 8 hits, 3 doubles 1 homer, 5 rbi .421 ba. .476 obp,737 slug%
He also hit .409 with a .421 obp against the Yanks in the 2003 ALCS. People do forget that ,up until Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, A Rod was a very good post season player with Seattle and the Yanks.
Then the wheels completely fell off…..
I think it is to be expected that Girardi leaned on Meachem. remember he was one of the 2 coaches he was allowed to name and they have a prior coach/manager relationship.
it doesn’tmake it wrong or unrelastic that he did lean on him. That is NOT to say that he should be back.
O’Neill no issues with YES it is just that he likes to spend a lot of time at home with the kids and doesnt like to do more than a certain amount of games. Believe me YES would love to have him do more games.
Bowa – Does he have any loyalty to Joe T or if the Yanks offered him a ton of dough is it just like players money talks and BS walks. I know he said he had a great time here and enjoyed working with the players just not sure where he stands. I was sort of surprised that the Yanks didnt even offer him an interview for manager. He certainly has the experience.But then again when he managed the Phil there were a lot of problems with his interaction with the players.
doreen-
the white sox might stink ,but they won’t choke. they’ve seen everything( including a world championship) from ozzie.
i would not be surprised to see them run the table like st. louis did when no one expected them to do it.
Just put Whitey Ford on the bench with a bottle of Jack… It’d be like having Zimmer back.
“Why not make Hank the bench coach?
He could provide some fire to the team”
fire? you mean like firing and re-hiring other coaches several times a series?
SJ 44 –
do you know anything about Eric Byrnes possibly being a salary dump for the D-Backs? He is most certainly going to be the 4th OFer for them. If they resign Dunn, then Byrnes isn’t needed anymore.
I would say Javy Vazquez is good for a six spot this game.
another home run for Longoria.
the Rays, no longer anyone’s bee*tch.
SJ44,
I ususally don’t watch YES Network’s Centerstage. But last week’s interview with Posada was good. You can feel the passion in the man.
My wife & I laughed hard when Kaye asked him if he “hated the Red Sox guts”. He didnt blink an eye before saying an emphatic “Yes!”.
You can tell that, like Jeter, this is a man that hates to lose. He takes being a Yankee very seriously and has no patience for those that don’t play the game the “Yankee way”, as he called it.
A Rod vs Minn 2004 ALDS
19 ab, 8 hits, 3 doubles 1 homer, 5 rbi .421 ba. .476 obp,737 slug%
Well Longoria already has more homeruns than Alex did that series.
Vasquez may be the worst pitcher of any of these playoff teams.
TurnTables: The Yankees had a verbal agreement with Inoa but he changed agents and reneged on the deal. The Yankees refused to talk with his new agent.
They did sign Montero when he was the best player on the intl. level.
Besides in the draft there is talent everywhere.
Posada round 24
Pettite: 22nd round-but did not sign. Later signed as an undrafted plyer.
Albert Pujols: 13th round
Soriano also had a good series or two… I wouldn’t get carried away with Longoria=Reggie yet.
Vasquez, picking up right where he left off in 04.
Burhlee will save the day tomorrow though. Danks and Floyd will be tough too.
posada will have a long career in baseball, even when no longer a player.
Todd Helton just hit a triple, FYI
“Here’s a guy that would definitely light a fire under a Cano’s rear, if he didnt outright deck him first: Greg “Puff†Nettles.”
I always wondered why Nettles stopped coaching. He loved being around the game so much as a player but only had a few short stints as a coach.
He seems to enjoy being a spring training instructor and worked well with A-Rod prior to 2004 geting him up to speed at 3rd base.
Posada will be our next manager.
I think Nettles just fell under the radar when it came time to get a coaching job.
One thing is for sure: he’ll never work for the Royals!
Sea Net,
His wife gave him the ok and it’s recorded on Centerstage lol
Can we negotiate with Bowa even though he is under contract? Does he have to opt out before we can talk to him? Why would he opt out then unless he has a guarantee from us?
I must say, Harold Reynolds is an excellent announcer. He provides good insight and perspective into the game, plus he actually knows what he’s talking about.
The way he broke down Longoria’s swing on that 2nd homerun was genius. He was saying how he adjusted before the replay was even shown.
Why did ESPN get rid of this guy again? He’s in a different league than anyone you hear announce the ESPN games. What color commentators does ESPN have? Anyone that has ever read my posts knows I cant stand Joe Morgan. Who else do they have? Steve Phillips. Ouch. Kruk? Hah.
I’m sure AZ would love to trade Byrnes and dump that contract.
I’m equally sure the Yankees wouldn’t be interested.
Lot of money for a limited player. Those are the kind of deals the Yankees pass on these days.
Cash should do what he can to get Bowa back.
What happened to Carlos Pena today?
Sadly, Curtis Granderson is a better studio analyst than Kruk or Steve Phillips.
Harold Reynolds is great. epic FAIL on ESPN there…
Nettles has had some serious health issues the past few years.
He still comes to ST as a guest instructor.
I think a day to day gig would be too much of a grind for him at this stage of his life.
Posada is a huge p*u*s*s*y. HUGE. He should give his salary back to the Yankees .
Harold Reynolds got dumped by ESPN because a female co-worker accused him of sexual harassment….. not sure how it ended up being settled but ESPN booted him after those charges…. I think Reynolds denied it and I’m not sure if they settled out of court or not
The next manager of the Yankees will hopefully be Mattingly, who probably should’ve been here in the first place.
The case between Harold and ESPN as settled out of court.
Harold sued for wrongful termination and the case was settled just after depositions.
Jef——- Do you think Mattingly knows how to handle a pitching staff or a bulpen….. thats going to be a lot of pressure on Eiland if we got Mattingly
Tyler I thought I heard something like that.
I remember thinking he was the only ESPN guy that was objective when talking about the Yankees, then they got rid of him.
I wonder if he was set up.
Harold Reynolds got dumped by ESPN because a female co-worker accused him of sexual harassment….. not sure how it ended up being settled but ESPN booted him after those charges…. I think Reynolds denied it and I’m not sure if they settled out of court or not
Seems like ESPN held a double standard with Reynolds. There are tons of stories on the internet (Deadspin) about the frat house atmosphere there.
I will never forgive Eric Byrnes for stupidly pushing Jason Varitek rather than touch home plate in Game 3 of the 2004 ALDS. Oakland led the the series 2- 0 and Byrnes would have scored the tying run in the 6th inning. All the idiot had to do was touch home plate,but he went after Varitek instead. Varitek then tagged him with the ball.That play started the Boston’s comeback and they came back to win the series. The rest is history.
A pox on Eric Byrnes.
That Harold Reynoldsis already on board for the MLB Network gives me great hope that the channel will actually be decent
I see a lot of people asking for Sojo as the 3B coach, but he was pretty bad when he used to do it. Plus, isn’t he a pretty popular guy amongst the younger kids he coaches?
It would be great to get Bowa back. This is one of those small but important areas where the Yankees should use their money where most teams can’t.
“Tyler
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Harold Reynolds got dumped by ESPN because a female co-worker accused him of sexual harassment….. not sure how it ended up being settled but ESPN booted him after those charges…. I think Reynolds denied it and I’m not sure if they settled out of court or not”
the old sexual harassment/Anita Hill trick.
speaking of Anita Hill, wonder if she ever made any porn vids.
I don’t think it was ever proven if Reynolds did what she accused so at the time I remember thinking it was a little bit premature to fire him…. he seems like a good guy at least on camera
Vasquez is so bad that the Rays are swinging at everything he throws because they think they can hit it. Thats why he has 6 Ks in 3.1 innings
Ideal Yankee bench
Ryan Freel-2b,3b,cf,lf,rf.
Casey Blake, or, Eric Hinske-1b, rf, 3b.
Jose Molina-c
Cody Ransom-inf.
Every game that Torre wins in the playoffs makes us look worse and worse.
Tim Raines gets my vote as the 3b coach
Bobby Meacham should be sent back to Columbus.
Or put on the Columbia Space Shuttle.
Either way, he needs to be gone.
Longoria is the greatest hitter in post-season history.
He’s Josh Beckett with a bat.
What Torre does in LA has nothing to do with the Yankees.
I really don’t see how the Yankees get Bowa at this point. Unless he doesn’t like the west coast. Because he’s having a pretty successful season with Torre, and he must like working with Torre, because he went with him. I wouldn’t get my hopes up in that direction.
From mlbtraderumors.com:
“Angels owner Arte Moreno seems willing to stretch payroll past $124MM for the right players. The Angels’ postseason performance will be a big factor.”
Does that fit Lackey (option), Vlad, Tex and CC? I don’t think so.
If we end up with the guy they don’t get, (Tex or CC) I think it is tolerable. Especially if Peavy is a possibility.
sj44-
i agree nettles doesn’t look like he’d want a permanent coaching job. i’ve been 5 lockers down from nettles in a locker room and i can tell you he’s no kiss ass with management . because of that i don’t see him in the present locker room.
spring training is a whole different animal and he’s a valuable addition there.
i’m looking forward to the MLB network. i can see that as my default tv station, when nothing else is on…
i like football, but i think the last time i watched the NFL network was whenever they last broadcasted a live game.
i’m sure a lot of people are in the same boat as me…
“Every game that Torre wins in the playoffs makes us look worse and worse.”
No it doesn’t.
Peavy is not an answer. He won’t be able to handle the NY atmosphere.
“I will never forgive Eric Byrnes for stupidly pushing Jason Varitek rather than touch home plate in Game 3 of the 2004 ALDS.”
Blech, I had ALCS tickets too. You know, for the Yankees-A’s games in Yankee Stadium West.
“Peavy is not an answer. He won’t be able to handle the NY atmosphere.”
your basing that on what exactly?
“Every game that Torre wins in the playoffs makes us look worse and worse.”
Why? He was great while he was here but both parties obviously thought it was time to move on. You only look bad if you knew you were making the wrong decision, for the wrong reason but you made it anyhow.
Basically, if the Angels get eliminated in the 1st round, Moreno is going to go on a spending frenzy. He isin’t going to watch his team get embarrassed by Boston again. This was supposed to be their year, they won 100 games, they owned BOS in the regular season, they traded for Tex, K-Rod had a historic year, etc. He will not stand for another 1st round flop especially since he is printing money and can spend as much as he wants.
Similarly, if the Cubs flop in the 1st round, they arnet going to just accept it. They too have the resources to go all out. Sabathia did list Chicago as his favorite road city too.
This postseason will have a huge impact on the FA market as well. Some of these big teams will not hesitate to go for it all this winter if they flop.
Fire the 3rd base coach! This is a George move from the old days. I hope Cashman is not going to waste too much time with moves like these.
Nick: lot of yankee fans in SanFran?
for bench coach how about Tom Kelly from the twins.
TKinDC: it’s gonna cost alot if they resign krod, pickup Lackey and Vlad.
SJ:
Here we are counting the days again. So, I’ll offer a baseball story, of sorts, to help pass the time (true story):
My wife’s aunt and uncle are up in The Bronx from Puerto Rico and are staying with my mother-in-law for a couple of weeks. They are from Manati, same town as Beltran. The Uncle is a huge baseball fan and it’s always interesting to get his take on the game. Pick any player in the majors with a latino surname and the Uncle will tell you if the player is Puerto Rican. (Needless to say, there is a lot of pride involved when that player is Puerto Rican).
So, he and I get into a baseball conversation with me speaking my broken Spanish and he speaking his broken English and my wife translating the rest. At one point, we started talking about how much the Yankees missed Po this season, when the Uncle swears to me, having nothing to do with anything, that Jorge Posada and Mike Lowell are both Cuban by blood and that they are “only” Puerto Rican in the sense that they were born in PR.
I was about to ask my wife’s Uncle how Puerto Rican someone has to be in order to be “truly” Puerto Rican, when my mother-in-law puts a hand over her heart and does a loud “Dios Mio!” Po is her favorite Yankee. Now that she thinks he is “really” Cuban, it’s like a death in the family.
I’m glad I’m Irish. We let anybody be Irish if they want to be.
How long ‘til Pitchers and Catchers?
Krod is probably as good as gone. Vlad will have his option picked up and Teixeria is the wild card on whether or not they retain him, but they will obviously have the money to do so.
I don’t think they should call on Willie or Maz at this point or anyone else who could be construed as a potential replacement for Girardi as manager. Tony Pena isn’t viewed as that kind of threat, but it’s dicey at this point. I’m not thrilled with Meacham either at this point, but I think Rob Thompson needs to be called into question as well, since he’s on the bench and directly in Girardi’s ear during games. Maybe he’s not the problem, I’m not aware, but I would think he should be discussed as well.
I do think they did a great job handling the bullpen and keeping regular players rested. Some of the calls during the game could be called into question, but that’s the case with any and every coaching staff. Meacham could get axed, but then again he could be much better next season, assuming he understands he’s in hot water.
“I’m glad I’m Irish. We let anybody be Irish if they want to be. ”
Never has a truer statement been spoken on these boards, lol
There are lots of Yankee fans in the Bay Area and there have been lots of games in Oakland where they’ve taken over the stadium.
Why on earth would Larry Bowa come back to the Yanks? He left with Torre and Donnie and now they’re in the playoffs. He probably thinks the Yanks shafted Torre, and again, he left. He’s not coming back…
Posada’s father is cuban and his mother is Dominican
“TKinDC: it’s gonna cost alot if they resign krod, pickup Lackey and Vlad.”
I would suspect they are done with K-Rod (please Mets, blow big bucks on him!)
Loved your story, murphydog.
Mr. Ed,
Larry Bowa has said this year that he wanted to rejoin the Yankees this season but they never offered to bring him back.
When is Longoria a free agent??!!
He’s pretty good.
Evan Longoria is a monster
Ignorant yankee fan statement of the day:
Think Tampa would take Kennedy, Shelley Duncan, Betemit and Robertson for Longoria?
Next year’s all star game>>>>>>>>Longoria to Arod…move over!
So I guess Evan Longoria is clutch?
Patrick:
“Posada’s father is cuban and his mother is Dominican”
Thanks, Patrick. I was thinking about passing that info along to clear things up, but I have a feeling that if I share that with the extended family I may have to call 911 for my mother-in-law.
Next year’s all star game>>>>>>>>Longoria to Arod…move over!
Quite possible, but lets not get to far ahead of ourselves, its an odd year, you know what that means!!!!
Ah, thanks Patrick. Although that seems like another indication that he isn’t coming back.
ray (sox fan)
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Next year’s all star game>>>>>>>>Longoria to Arod…move over
yup
Who are we cheering for in this series? You know, in case the Red Sox escape the Angels.
True Standing ONeill
Arod seems to have his monster years every other year on the odd year. What is up with that?
Tampa Bay
and don’t sleep on them to take the Sox out
True Standing ONeill
Arod seems to have his monster years every other year on the odd year. What is up with that?
No idea, lol. Although I’m sure 99% of the league would kill to have hte numbers he puts up during even years…except some yankee fans, lol.
TK,
I can understand them passing on K-rod, but are the Angels really prepared to go with Arrondondo?
He doesn’t seem quite ready for prime time yet.
Mel,
I think the Sox would have a much easier time with the White Sox than the Rays, so I guess that is your tip to cheer for the Rays! lol
mel: the Rays.
Haha murph..
I also just read on wikipedia that Mike Lowell’s father is Cuban but that he’s of German and Irish descent.
White Sox will NEVER beat the Sox.
Their all-or-nothing lineup will get no hit by Beckett, Dice-K, and Lester.
The likes of Vasquez, Burhlee, Floyd, and Danks won’t get outs in Fenway Park against a lineup with gamer after gamer.
Atleast Tampa has good pitching so they stand a chance.
Neither will beat Boston though. They just have to much mystique and gamers. Angels were their only obstacle.
thanks for sharing the story murphydog. i wonder what the feeling would be like in a bar, in puerto rico, watching Jorge or Lowell step up to bat in the WBC…
ray,
Tampa Bay certainly look like world beaters, huh?
And which NL team would give you guys fits? You know, so we can pray.
I still think the Angels will beat out the Sox..
Doreen:
It was a funny moment, the kind of thing that you can’t make up, especially with my mother-in-law’s timing and melodrama. She remains upset over her “loss.”
“Next year’s all star game>>>>>>>>Longoria to Arod…move over!”
wrong ray –
You see, next year is an odd-numbered year. This obviously means that A-Rod will win the MVP!
“Next year’s all star game>>>>>>>>Longoria to Arod…move over!”
Lets not compare Longoria to Arod please
Great stuff murph!! lol
You and Nick in SF have to come around more this off-season.
Besides the fun baseball talk, we could you guys sense of humor!
“He doesn’t seem quite ready for prime time yet.”
mel –
The flip side is that K-Rod is looking for Mariano money over 5 years or so. When you factor in what happened to Thigpen after he set the save record as well as K-Rod’s loss of velocity they would be fools to sign him.
Speaking of fools, the Mets need a closer!
“You see, next year is an odd-numbered year. This obviously means that A-Rod will win the MVP! :)”
PLease dont jinx it
I think we can safely say that Girardi was a bad choice as manager.
Tampa really needs a new stadium. Autumn, and they are playing indoors in florida.
whoops – didn’t see Standing O’s post – didn’t mean to poach. Great minds think alike?
mel
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:25 pm
ray,
“Tampa Bay certainly look like world beaters, huh?
And which NL team would give you guys fits? You know, so we can pray.”
The only weakness right now with Tampa Bay might be (and I only say might be) their pitching.
Kazmir has not been nearly effective in the last part of the season and I think Percival is out right now.
I haven’t even thought about NL opponents. If the Sox aren’t in the WS I would cheer for the Cubs.
It would seem strange to see a Sox/Dodgers WS, with Torre there and all the ex Sox including Manny, Nomar, and Derrick Lowe.
murphydog –
I can picture it! (Sometimes I watch Spanish language soaps when I can’t sleep.)
It’s serious business, which particular Latin nation a person is from!
“Tampa really needs a new stadium. Autumn, and they are playing indoors in florida.”
Doesnt it rain every day in florida?
Right, Harry, after your first year on the job when you struggle, we’ll all say that hiing you as a whatever you do was a mistake…
“I think we can safely say that Girardi was a bad choice as manager.”
He did win 89 games with almost no rotation, no offense, and he builded a bullpen
“Great stuff murph!! lol
You and Nick in SF have to come around more this off-season.
Besides the fun baseball talk, we could you guys sense of humor!”
Not to mention, it would help the guys:gals ratio.
@Patrick:
Mike Lowell consider himself Cuban.
He even stayed out for a day in protest of the Elian thing along with other Cuban Marlins a few years back.
saucY:
“i wonder what the feeling would be like in a bar, in puerto rico, watching Jorge or Lowell step up to bat in the WBC…”
It’s complicated stuff, I can tell you, from seeing it on the inside. There are innumerable divisions and differences that are invisible to most Anglos (like me, the pink guy at the table who’s not sure what acapuria is). My wife’s Uncle is not an ignorant guy by any means – he’s successful and educated – but not surprisingly he sees things differently than I do.
i say 50% of these people are bandwagon fans
There you go Rebecca bringing logic into the “Girardi was a bad choice” debate.
Ironically, Girardi won more games this season than the Yankees did (87) the last year they won the World Series in 2000.
@harwood “Doesn’t it rain every day in florida?”
Not exactly, but often enough to f#@k things up.
Taking advice from Meacham is like taking advice from Mike Pagliarulo…who..actually…advised the Yanks to sign Kei Igawa.
Well, at least there seems to be some consistency in seeking out the counsel of fools.
Cervelli recovered just fine, thank you
What happened to the days when the Rays, aka Devil Rays, would leave a kid like Longoria in the minors, so his arbitration clock would not start? I miss those days.
I remember hearing the word “Anglo” in reference to, well, white Americans like me, years ago. My sister’s sister-in-law is from Puerto Rico and she just used the word in casual conversation and I was really nonplussed at the time. Especially since I’m of Italian/Hungarian descent and never thought of my self as plain white.
It was eye-opening in its way, in that I learned everyone makes generalizations about everyone else. And it’s not always comfortable when you’re the subject of the generalization.
“i say 50% of these people are bandwagon fans”
yeah. and i’d say about 5% are lifelong fans…
who is clayton richard? he has 5 Ks in 1.2 innings
D’OH!
http://www.wjno.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=244038&article=4338967
Leaked: Homer To Vote For Obama
Off topic but still important.
Heads up guys, the deadline to vote is tomorrow for many states.
In New York, you have to be registered 25 days before Election day. But some days require 30 days. So please get on this before you find yourself without any voting power November 5th.
Even if you don’t care about voting, think of a family member or friend that might care and pass along the info.
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/
I don’t know if they are “bandwagon fans”, per se.
They just make the same mistakes some people in the Yankee Heirarchy make. They believe whatever their payroll is should guarantee them the playoffs and playoff success.
Unfortunately for them, that’s not how it works. Once the game starts, payroll plays no role in hitting, pitching and catching the ball.
It’s why a season like this is good every once in awhile.
It humbles EVERYBODY and gets folks to begin to pull on the same rope again.
Notice in Cashman’s PC when talked about how important it is for EVERYBODY to be in the same page in order to fix this thing.
why didn’t we get this Cuban Missile (A Ramirez)?
SJ,
The main thing is that it humbles the ballplayers.
Interesting things at the mlb playoff blog @ espn
*Edwin Jackson led the teams in wins, but Sonnestine was chosen over him for the ALDS roster
*Percival is not on the roster and the Rays will depend on Wheeler and BallFour
*Lots of skepticism re: Beckett’s injury. Talk of it being a cover for something else as an oblique would take 4-6 weeks to recover from.
*Pena scratched his eye Wednesday, explaining why he was pulled from the game.
SJ: Logic? Me? In the same sentence?
Come off it. I’m too busy writing a post comparing Coke to Joba. Logic isn’t something I understand.
Rays are such a talented team. A rotation of Price-Kazmir-Shields-Garza. Plus plenty of pitching in the minors like Hellickson, Niemenn, Mcgee, Davis, that they can use to spin for a Houston Street type closer and some position help.
They will be tough, they are the team that Us and the Sox will be competing with. Cashman needs to remember that when putting next years team together. Forget about only Boston, there is a team better than Boston in our own division so we have an even higher hill to climb to make the postseason in the next few years.
wtf? Orlando?
I WOULD GIVE THE NL COMEBACK PLAYER TO CANTU
Rebecca,
I thought you liked Coke and X
*Lots of skepticism re: Beckett’s injury. Talk of it being a cover for something else as an oblique would take 4-6 weeks to recover from.
I wondered about him recovering from an oblique in a week. When Abreu had an oblique injury last year, one of the Yankee announcers said the recovery from a broken bone is usually shorter and more certain than an oblique.
What is up with Orlando Cabrera? He’s a darn good player but a flat out punk. Good for Balfour striking him out.
white sox blew their chance
tampa bay rays: We don’t need playoff experience
Doreen:
“It was eye-opening in its way, in that I learned everyone makes generalizations about everyone else. And it’s not always comfortable when you’re the subject of the generalization.”
Amen. It’s always valuable to see and be seen through another’s eyes.
Wow tempers are going to flaire in this series. Cabrerra kicking the dirt, Balfour pointing at hime when he struck him out. And I think I saw Ozzie coming out after the out.
Balfour just fingered Orlando Cabrera ala Hulk Hogan ..how professional was that
does anyone know the history of Balfour and Cabrera? that’s a must know now.
“What is up with Orlando Cabrera?”
Hate him. Haven’t forgot him sliding into Cairo, in the 04 playoffs.
“Rays are such a talented team. A rotation of Price-Kazmir-Shields-Garza. Plus plenty of pitching in the minors like Hellickson, Niemenn, Mcgee, Davis, that they can use to spin for a Houston Street type closer and some position help.”
The D’Rays won a TON of one-run games. You could read that as ‘they are gritty and have character’ or ‘that isn’t going to happen again’.
I agree that they have a ton of talent and more on the way. Price is going to be a pure ACE imo. It is a great story.
he can point after a strikeout
just no fist pumping!
Remember Cabrera’s commentes last year about Yankee fans not being as well behaved as Boston fans? I guess he never had a fan take a swing at him while going for ball or run out on the field to steal his cap. He says and does stuff that is really off the wall.An easy guy to root against.
Vader: I do.
But I’m comparing him to Joba right now. Which, of course, doesn’t seem plausible.
Why is the reliever’s name “Ball Four”?
“It humbles EVERYBODY and gets folks to begin to pull on the same rope again”
i don’t really see humility in cashman. i see him blaming everyone but himself. hank did this. hal that. if only all those other people in the organization would just get out of his way everything would be fine.
right now it’s all perception what people think about cashman. his value could be argued until the cows come home this winter, but next year’s record will tell the story. i haven’t seen anything from him so far that isn’t just talk.
maybe it makes other people all warm and fuzzy inside. i have a slightly different reaction.
maybe his new plan is to talk other teams into submission with his feisty new attitude.
randy – We get it. You hate Cashman.
Cashman could trade for Babe Ruth and randy would be extolling the virtues of ‘No No Nanette’.
cashman MUST win next year.
it would be the beginning of his 4th year in power. he has $88 million coming off the books, moving into a new stadium, coming off a non-playoff year.
how proactively he attacks the offseason will determine how good we will be for the rest of his tenure. this team has a lot of work to do, he shouldn’t be blinded that they played well when the games didn’t count.
cashbum needs to sign manny and sheets!!!
I love how GI Joe does his interviews w/ his kids in the background, part of me thinks he waves at them to make noise while he’s talking to Mike on purpose.
“It’s always valuable to see and be seen through another’s eyes.â€
Murphydog,
That is the truest sentence ever written. Your voice has been missed around here.
source: mlbtraderumors
“Olney heard the Yankees’ 2009 payroll will be in the $180MM range, down $29MM or so from this year”
Good. No Tex.
Glad Joe stressing the important of defense.
Enough using 1B as the 2nd DH and using the OF for over the hill players who can’t field
pauly –
Cashman will be more active in the trade market than exploring the free agents.
So Olney heard what our payroll will be before the off-season even starts? Now he is a psychic?
So Olney heard what our payroll will be before the off-season even starts? Now he is a psychic?
no one would take Olney serious if he provides some serious proof.
I seem to be the only one who found it strange and possibly revealing that the statements on both sides (Steinbrenner and Cashman) set the goal for next year as ‘getting back in the playoffs’. After years of bluster about how any season in which the Yankees don’t win the WS is a failure, this seemed like a conspicuous change of tone and an admission of lowered standards.
Incidentally, I am not saying I ever agreed with the theory that anything short of a WS represents a failed season. For myself, the goal I would set for the Yankees would be to win about a quarter of all the WS ever played. That is not unrealistic given their history.
What I am saying is that it represents a striking change from everything we have heard for years and years from this organization. All their official statements are vetted in advance and these were no doubt carefully crafted in advance to be in agreement.
Ed: Yes. Hopefully he will get creative. He will do well.
” We get it. You hate Cashman.”
no, i hate losing.
you don’t hate losing?
cashbum needs to sign manny and sheets!!!
If he does that he deserves to get drop kicked in the jewels
Kind of premature to speculate on the payroll… if we don’t get CC, that will make a HUGE difference. It’s not like if we miss out on him, we’re going to allot that money towards Dempster and Jon Garland. All pitchers are not created equally. Similarly, what will Pettite and Mussina come back for? Will they even come back? What if we sign Burnett and Lowe instead of CC and Burnett? What if we sign Tex and trade Matsui?
Way too many variables to make a concrete assessment.
“maybe his new plan is to talk other teams into submission with his feisty new attitude.”
Too funny
I’m not a big Cash fan but I’m still glad he came back. I wasnt looking forward to the circus that would have accompanied his leaving.
Everytime I look at Cashman I hear a voice in my head scream “and you saw WHAT in Kei Igawa???”
And then when that voice shuts up another chimes in ” Ian Kennedy handed a rotation spot on a silver plater???”
Then voice #2 zips it and I hear a whisper ” how can you lose not ONE, but TWO of our top 3 picks???”. LOL
But I do think (or at least want very badly to believe ) that he is intelligent and will learn from his mistakes. I’m willing to let bygones be bygones and wish him good luck.
“Olney heard the Yankees’ 2009 payroll will be in the $180MM range, down $29MM or so from this year. ”
That is light – no way that we are going to cut $29M from this year’s number.
Harold got his ‘Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison’ simile backwards. For those of you scoring at home.
Cashman did also say that it’s not enough to get to the playoffs, that they want to be “the last man standing.” I took that to mean World Champions.
Everytime I look at Cashman I hear a voice in my head scream “and you saw WHAT in Kei Igawa???â€
speaking of Igawa, I would seriously be shocked if Cashman managed to find a suitor for Igawa.
Don Baylor is a good baseball man and would be valuable As Girardi’s bench coach.
Rob Thomson could coach 3rd base or be assigned major league scouting duties.
Tino should begin his apprenticeship with Cashman as a taslent evaluator.
He also said getting to the first round and being done is not much better than not getting there at all. So I don’t think you need to worry that their ultimate goal is any different. They want to win the WS.
Harold Reynolds is a great analyst.
from Baseball America Q&A with John Challis
Manolo, Puerto Rico: Please pick me!! True or False: Brett gardner is a future starting CF for the Yankees or elsewhere
Jim Callis: (2:46 PM ET ) No. Fourth outfielder.
Bob (New York): Hey Jim, How do you project Austin Jackson? Average Player or Above Average…Don’t think he will be a star.
Jim Callis: (2:36 PM ET ) Solid average regular. I like him but I don’t think he’ll be a star either.
“Harold got his ‘Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison’ simile backwards. For those of you scoring at home.”
Is that an E-11? (play-by-play guy must come before analyst)
“randy l
no, i hate losing.
you don’t hate losing?”
I would rather lose, with kids and have a youth system. Rather, then winning via mercenaires.
I’ve come home to such great joy. The Rays are winning.
Cashman wants to build a team like the Red Sox, Rays, and Cubs who can go deep into October. Not a team like the White Sox who is good enough to slug their way there but will bow out unceremoniously in 4 games to a good team in the 1st round.
Randy L—Right there with you. I’ve always felt that Cashman had people in the press (just like George used to) who make sure to cover his arse when things go wrong.
In one breath he wants credit for the early dynasty years, but doesn’t want credit for any year before the last 3.
That doesn’t strike anyone else as odd?
As for the coaching situation, I know how we, as fans, want a little old timer’s day in the coaching choices, but the truth is they need solid baseball people in those roles—not just ex Yankees.
Zim, Bowa and Pena weren’t ex Yankees (at least I think) and they all proved to be great coaches here.
I’m afraid of Girardi’s ego not allowing a strong presence to come in, but frankly, Girardi didn’t prove to be much of an enforcer or teacher this season and I think he would benefit from having more experience next to him.
Willie is not the right fit. The day Willie becomes bench coach or 3b coach is the day Joe Girardi is officially on manager death watch.
The best idea is to find someone who was a smart successful player and would hold some respect in the locker room.
Get me a Tim Raines or Andre Dawson type—guys who were great players and good leaders or a former manager who has no immediate aspirations (like Manuel did) to get the managers job.
Bobby Meacham isn’t any of those.
Nick in SF =
Messed up simile noted here, too.
Yesterday they and the “understudy” instead of the “understatement.”
I may just keep a score card!
Ralphie,
Sounds about right. Gardner is probably destined to be a good 4th OF and Jackson isin’t projected to be a star. He has 5 tools but none of them are great. Someone projected yesterday Melky with more gap power, that is a good comparison. He is not a Cameron Maybin/Dexter Fowler type prospect. Jackson is extremely overrated in these parts due to our lack of position prospects.
Well Rebecca, than that might be sign that maybe, you are on coke and X…Not that there is anything wrong with that.
With that said, I would have to temper your thoughts on Coke, hopefully he turns out to be a valuable lefty out of the pen, one that can go an inning or two and face lefties and righties.
“speaking of Igawa, I would seriously be shocked if Cashman managed to find a suitor for Igawa.”
Nationals?
You can find a suitor for Igawa.
Offer him to SF straight up for Zito and his contract and they’ll take him.
Randy,
The season ended a week ago. There aren’t any moves that Cashman can make right now even if he wanted to so there’s no way you will see anything different from him. But I’m sure you know this already anyway.
“October 2nd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
“speaking of Igawa, I would seriously be shocked if Cashman managed to find a suitor for Igawa.â€
Nationals?”
LMAO – Good old Jim ‘Cold Pizza’ Bowden, GM Village idiot!
harwood –
he would get bombed in the NL east.
Tabata is better than Jackson. Younger, more speed, better arm, better hitter with a much better understanding of the K-zone.
Jackson doesn’t have 20 HR power or 30 SB speed. Not a great defender, as good as Gardner probably. Not much of an arm. Will strikeout 100 times a year.
He has the looks of a frustrating player who will slump a lot. He hit 5 of his 9 HRs all in one week this year in May and did nothing in the month of August. Accumulated all of his SBs early in the year. His production comes in bunches.
“Cameron Maybin”
Didn’t I see his face on the side of a milk carton? He’s disappeared.
Y26, when did winning the first game of a division playoff equate to going deep into October? Christ…at least wait for game two.
“Cashman could trade for Babe Ruth and randy would be extolling the virtues of ‘No No Nanette’.
That was pretty funny.
You can find a suitor for Igawa.
Offer him to SF straight up for Zito and his contract and they’ll take him.
G Love – I wonder if Brian Seban would be dumb enough to do that.
“or a former manager who has no immediate aspirations (like Manuel did) to get the managers job”
Bob Brenly?
A short logical exercise:
If the Yanks were to cut $29M from their payroll to start the 2009 season, that roster would not, on paper and barring some fabulous rip-off trade, be able to compete with the Rays and the Red Sox in the AL East.
The Yanks will not open the season with a roster that they do not feel has a better than