(Almost) midnight snack
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- February
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When I was younger, I would often slip out of bed and go downstairs late on a Sunday or Monday night and find my dad sitting in the kitchen, eating a snack and watching the end of the football game. Remember, back then Monday Night Football started at 9 p.m. and often didn’t end until after 12, and my dad liked to unwind with the game on. Still does.
Now, I know we skipped dinner in this day-of-food blogging sequence, but the late-night snack is sometimes just as good. As a kid, I often ended up having some hot chocolate as we watched the fourth quarter; when I was covering the Yankees beat, I often hit up the deli near my apartment for a bagel and cream cheese at 1 a.m; and one time in college my roommate Oz and I made bbq chicken and scrambled eggs at 3 a.m., which, amazingly, tasted really, really good to us at that particular moment in time.
Anyway, in that spirit, here are a few little random tidbits to tide you over till morning, when Pete’s official 2009 Spring Training Preview will be posted (don’t worry – he wrote it last week so as not to interrupt this week’s gearing up for Tampa). I’ve got some work to do, but I’ll check in tomorrow afternoon, then once or twice on Saturday and Sunday before Pete comes back to your waiting arms on Monday.
Now …
· If the Yankees end up trading either Nady or Swisher, their bench is suddenly a bit of an issue. Is there a veteran out there to increase their versatility? Or even just give them that feared pop that someone like Ruben Sierra (the second time) provided?
· Most of you probably heard it/read about it, but Mike Mussina went on WFAN and talked about the Torre book and his comments regarding Mariano Rivera. It was an interesting spot. Check it out on the WFAN web site.
· The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that Jorge Posada is the absolute key to the season. If he gets hurt and has to DH, it throws everything off from Matsui as the DH to Jose Molina as an everyday player. Suddenly, the Yanks are down a big bat in their lineup and now that CF spot – which, at this point, is less productive – looms a little larger. Posada HAS to be healthy and catch most of the time for the Yankees’ plan to work.
· Remember when Hank Steinbrenner was trying to make it sound like his rich history in horse racing made him a baseball expert? Thankfully that period is over and Hank has quieted down, but he did talk briefly to the AP in Tampa, saying he’s excited about the upcoming year. Oh, and he hasn’t read Torre’s book yet though he does plan to sit down with it at some point.
Great job today – looked like nearly 1,000 comments. Sleep well, all. Back tomorrow.
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on Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 11:26 pm by Sam Borden.
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Chad Jennings
Josh Thomson
Serendipity. I just got back from the kitchen with my “midnight” snack: a Klondike bar.
I thought for sure you were going to say now you have to take a Pepcid.
The Posada issue is just another example of why signing Ramirez wouldn’t be a mere luxury. With that kind of OPS, you can get rid of Nady, who doesn’t get on base much and provides inferior power to Manny.
Oh, and I do agree that Posada’s health is the biggest issue the team has right now.
Also, Swisher makes, what, about 7 million a year? Why would he be more trade-able than Nady? You’d figure in a market that could have Abreu making 8 for one year, Swisher wouldn’t have that great a value.
Drew,
I’m more of a Prilosec guy, actually and I already took one earlier today.
Tom,
Klondike Bars are AMAZING. My grandmother had them for us every time we came to visit. All the varieties too though I always preferred the classic choc shell w/vanilla ice cream to be the best.
“Did you guys know that the guy who played Robin with adam west was one of the fastest readers? Supposidely he can read a whole book in minutes.”
So he was annoyed with Joe Torre hours before anyone else? Lucky.
PAT M.: nothing on the Lakers game, all of my plays are NCAA tonight. It’s all going pretty well but I need Gonzaga to win.
^^^Cascadian Farms and Whole Foods have better, healthier versions of the Klondike Bar. And what’s also great is you can pronounce the ingredients and even recognize them as representing real food groups.
Bodhisattva,
I wouldn’t rule out Manny, Cash’s recent comments notwithstanding. There is a very real possibility that after the 4-hole, weakness sets in…Manny would certainly solve that, and then some.
Bodhisattva, how much do they cost?
Geez, all this food talk is making me hungry.
Pete will return to a bunch of fat Yankee bloggers. Even the girls in the Lace and Stiletto ads are looking a bit chunky.
Great, now I am jonesin for some Chunky Monkey.
DT, well done on your letter, I hope it is seen far and wide throughout the land. And I think everyone but the total absolutists got the point.
If posada goes down, cash would HAVE to make a move. The team set up as constructed would suffer a great deal due to his loss – we would need a REAL catcher and not molina who is only good as a backup a few days at a time and/or a legit hitter out of centerfield. The offense already likely has one hole and as i said earlier, we cant really afford to have a struggling gardner and molina in the lineup every single day. Thats why its never good to start the season with a weak spot in the lineup – sure, now it looks fine to give melky or gardner another shot but as soon as a bench player is in that lineup, it will not look so pretty.
Sam,
The way ypu talk about the CF position one would wonder if you would ever be willing to take a chance on a home-grown unproven talent at all?
Seriously, Gardner can steal 70 bases (not reflected in his OPS) and track down doubles and triples in the gaps. Look at his progress through the minor leagues and you will see he has improved significantly EVERY single year.
If you think Ellsbury and Baldelli represent a significant advantage over BG & Melky, then you should say so. But otherwise, what is there not to like???
”
# The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that Jorge Posada is the absolute key to the season. If he gets hurt and has to DH, it throws everything off from Matsui as the DH to Jose Molina as an everyday player. Suddenly, the Yanks are down a big bat in their lineup and now that CF spot – which, at this point, is less productive – looms a little larger. Posada HAS to be healthy and catch most of the time for the Yankees’ plan to work.”
Most things don’t scare me too much.
This terrifies me.
repost from last subject
GreenBeret7
February 5th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
PAT M.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Randy I, I have a mental image of GB7, lining up a 5 footer for a quad boogie, gets his line and then drops to his knees and stokes a billard type stroke and with some insane form of English, sinks the bloody putt…..
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Al Cvervik is my hero.
“I hear this place is restricted, Wang, so don’t tell ‘em you’re Jewish, okay?”
Tom
February 5th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Bodhisattva, how much do they cost?
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More than Klondike Bars. Gotta pay to be healthy. It seems good health is an invention of the rich
^^^not that I am, LOL! I just spend $$ on organic food and the Yankees! I sacrifice stuff like health insurance.
Rebecca,
We can remove the fear. We can sign the most feared hitter in baseball.
That solves the Jorge/Matsui crapshoot, the Melky/Gardner production issue.
Do you guys have MELONA Bars? The original is honeydew, but they have banana (mmmm) and strawberry, too.
The best.
Arun
February 5th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Sam,
The way ypu talk about the CF position one would wonder if you would ever be willing to take a chance on a home-grown unproven talent at all?
Seriously, Gardner can steal 70 bases (not reflected in his OPS) and track down doubles and triples in the gaps. Look at his progress through the minor leagues and you will see he has improved significantly EVERY single year.
If you think Ellsbury and Baldelli represent a significant advantage over BG & Melky, then you should say so. But otherwise, what is there not to like???
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Ellsbury can’t hit. Gardner isn’t as good defensively, but he’s good enough and he probably isn’t worse offensively. Melky has more power than Ellsbury.
The Yankees will regret passing on Ty Wigginton. The Orioles got him at $6 million, 2 years – an absolute STEAL for a solid hitter and a great bench player who can play every position. He’ll have a better year than Swisher for less than half Swisher’s salary.
ooh another bunt attempt! this is so exciting!
m,
when I lived on Oahu, I remember eating these soft plum candies as a young child. They tasted like ume plums, but sweeter. Do you have any idea what this is? Don’t know if it was a brand or generic, or how it was packaged. I just know I loved them and have never been able to experience that exact taste again. We’re talking about the early 60s.
“Seriously, Gardner can steal 70 bases (not reflected in his OPS) and track down doubles and triples in the gaps. Look at his progress through the minor leagues and you will see he has improved significantly EVERY single year.”
Let the guy get 70 hits before you say he can steal 70 bases.
oops. That’s not very clear. Melona bars are ice cream bars. Where’s everybody?
bodhisattva
February 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Rebecca,
We can remove the fear. We can sign the most feared hitter in baseball.
That solves the Jorge/Matsui crapshoot, the Melky/Gardner production issue.
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totally
Bohad,
manny would cost us 25 mil – the payroll is around 196 without including signing bonuses and incentives. If we could somehow trade matsui for nothing and have the team absorb 10 mil of his contract, we would be around 186 mil. Add manny’s 25 mil which is the least he will take if we sign him to a three yr 75 mil deal and we are at 211 million dollars. Tack on the signing bonuses and the some of pettittes incentives and we are pushing 220 mil. Would the yanks go from “we want to decrease payroll” to increasing it by at least 14 mil. I dont think so.
any possible issues concerning Posada is why I would consider signing catcher Curtis Thigpen, who was non-tendered by Toronto. Good glove and decent hitter.
Sam
Good stuff, and good thoughts. Keep up the good work. You don’t display that condescension and loathing that Pete does for his readers, and its refreshing.
Jorge will be just fine if his midnight snacks are Italian heros. Or coffee ice cream with brandy.
More seriously, however, the Yanks are really screwed if Jorge is out.
Keith, I still need to think about this a bit, but initially I think you’re right about Wigginton.
OK, sandwich time!!!
bodhisattva,
I’m not sure. But there’s a ton of preserved fruits imported from Asia. It’s called ‘crack seed’.
The most common is ‘li hing mui’ which is a red dried up salty-sweet-sour plum.
I didn’t grow up on crack seed so I refuse to eat it. But local people love it.
I bet Chien Ming Wang eats crack seed.
“I just spend $$ on organic food and the Yankees! I sacrifice stuff like health insurance.”
good thing you don’t live in ma.
you get fined big time for not having health insurance.
i once owned an natural/organic food store with some friends.
it was called “sufferin succatash”
Keith from the Bronx
February 6th, 2009 at 12:04 am
The Yankees will regret passing on Ty Wigginton. The Orioles got him at $6 million, 2 years – an absolute STEAL for a solid hitter and a great bench player who can play every position. He’ll have a better year than Swisher for less than half Swisher’s salary.
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Why would Wigginton play once a week for the Yankees when he can play every day for Baltimore?
Ellsbury actually proved to be capable over a season last year which neither melky nor gardner did in 2008. I dont know how good ellsbury is but i would feel more comfortable with him than with either of the gelky duo. I am trying to be optimistic about gardner (I think melky is finished) and i think at his absolute best next year, he will put up juan pierre 2008-like numbers of 280 330 obp with 40 stolen bases in about 400 at bats. That is probably his ceiling. Yea, he could steal 70 bases but he would have to get 550 at bats and hit over 280. He could do it but it really is not very realistic to even think that would be possible.
Ariel
February 5th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Bodhisattva,
I wouldn’t rule out Manny, Cash’s recent comments notwithstanding. There is a very real possibility that after the 4-hole, weakness sets in…Manny would certainly solve that, and then some.
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It seems Cashman doesn’t agree with us.
Dave,
I’m aware of all that.
I vote for Second-callup Gardner. I didn’t like his brothe First-callup Gardner very much.
m,
I think wang eats crack for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wang loves his crack …. ummm seed, crack seed.
Frtiz,
You think pete loathes his readers? Why would he spend so much time keeping us informed if he hated us? That makes no sense.
Wigginton played more than well enough to earn a starting role next year. He is not even borderline – he was fantastic last season. He deserves to start.
Gelky? LOL! Beats Mardner.
Melky’s got it made because no one seems to expect anything of him. I don’t think he’s finished, I think he’s going to have a decent year. Gardner got me excited at the end of the season, there. My money’s on Melky, though.
bodhi,
Your aware of it…. but you still think the yanks may make those moves?
thanks, m. I’ll make a note of. Planning a trip to Hawaii in November. I’ll check out.
randy l
February 6th, 2009 at 12:03 am
“Randy and GB Jousting on a golf course. I’d pay to see that.”
tom-
yeah , pat m, gb7, and me are going to stay at sj44’s house in miami and gb7 and i are going to take on pat m and sj44 at sj’s club.
gb7 got a week full of lessons from orville moody who was so distressed that he sent gb7 to vietnam a few weeks later. orville won the us open a year later despite watching gb7’s swing. he’s actually my partner. but that doesn’t mean i’m safe . with his swing no one is safe on a golf course.
pat m can hook and slice equally well, but i think he’s a bit of a sand bagger who’s better than he’s letting on.
sj is worried we won’t get him called in front of his country club board because he like to annoy them. i just hope he doesn’t hold any grudges if he has to find a new course to play on.
we’ll throw the whole thing up on a blog, but we need a catchy title like thrilla in manilla or rumble in the jungle.
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“Orville’s Revenge”? “Romp In The Swamp”?
Melky is one bad season away from no longer even in the discussion. Gardner has not even been given a chance at the major league level. Unless melky wipes the floor with gardner in spring training, I think gardner deserves to start in center. Gardner has had 120 at bats to show us what he can do while melky has had 1400 at bats. If they are both going to define mediocrity, I would rather see what gardner can do.
bodhisattva,
I’m not sure it’s still there, but there’s a place called “Crack Seed Center” at Ala Moana. All the stuff’s in jars.
Otherwise any market or drugstore has all the stuff packaged. Just ask anyone who doesn’t look like a tourist.
dave
February 6th, 2009 at 12:20 am
bodhi,
Your aware of it…. but you still think the yanks may make those moves?
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It’s not that i think they’ll make those moves, it’s that I see the beautiful baseball logic of doing so. Either Cashman feels compelled to defeat expectation on Manny, or he’s a killer poker player.
SJ doesn’t need to worry about getting called in front of the committee. He needs to worry about not getting thrown out of the country.
melky just got a raise. he’ll get every opportunity to win the job. the question is do we have room on the bench for speedy g.
thanks m. hey, do the Hawaii Islanders still exist? I remember we used to go to their games because we were missing the Yankees. No YES network in those good ‘ole days.
m
February 6th, 2009 at 12:25 am
melky just got a raise. he’ll get every opportunity to win the job. the question is do we have room on the bench for speedy g.
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Hope so. extra young outfielder who can play defense and run bases would be nice.
Ha, I still love the “Melky is too big to fail” theory because of his massive new salary. I think the job is anyone’s for the taking out of ST. Tie goes to Melky – maybe.
Guys,
On that website link from yankees.com to the fantasy baseball roundup they discuss 28 yankees only a few of which (i THINK just Mo and Marte) are in the bullpen. They dont discuss any of the relievers we had last year. However, melancon is on the site with a little evaluation. I like that they include melancon over all of the guys that were in the pen last year for a fantasy baseball pick. I have a feeling Mark is going to be HUGE for us next season. Melancon and Rivera 2009 = Rivera and Wetteland 1996.
I swung and missed on Thigpen today….Too many Vicodins today or it the sins of my youth catching up with me……Curtis ( not to be confused with Bobby ) would be a nice catch….I still veiw the # 3 catcher slot on the depth chart an issue…..Jorge should be fine, although full extentsion swinging from the left side could be an issue
“In 1996, Rivera served primarily as a set-up man for the closer John Wetteland.[2] Rivera typically would pitch the 7th and 8th innings, before Wetteland pitched in the 9th. Their effectiveness as a tandem essentially shortened their games to 6 innings, as the Yankees had a 70–3 record that season when leading after the 6th inning”
Yup, just like good old 1996
bodhisattva,
No. I think the franchise moved to the mainland? It’s been centuries. Really sad that they’re not bringing back winter baseball. Boooo. Can’t surf in Arizona.
All things being equal I think Matsui is the better hitter so he’d probably DH over Jorge. Maybe if his knee allowed it he could go to left and Damon to center. Actually If there are no trades it won’t be to long before Swisher is the everyday center fielder. The best offensive line up usually ends up being the one manger will fill out.
“…and one time in college my roommate Oz and I made bbq chicken and scrambled eggs at 3 a.m., which, amazingly, tasted really, really good to us at that particular moment in time because we were blazed as hell.”
/fixed
randy l
February 6th, 2009 at 12:14 am
good thing you don’t live in ma.
you get fined big time for not having health insurance.
i once owned an natural/organic food store with some friends.
it was called “sufferin succatash”
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At least you make it more affordable up there. And the natural foods stores and restaurants are better and more numerous.
“melky just got a raise. he’ll get every opportunity to win the job. the question is do we have room on the bench for speedy g.”
m,
Im sorry to say that there is just no way that is true. Melky will not be handed the centerfield job out of the spring just because he is making a cool mil next year. He will have to earn it every step of the way this time. If they both fail miserably i think we may make a trade right then and there. There are no free passes on this team anymore. Melky cant just show up and expect to start in center like he did last year. This is the majors, this is the yankees and you need to play well to earn a spot on this club.
Very nice win for the California Golden Bears to go to 17-6, beating the ranked Huskies of Washington. A much-needed win by the squad from Berkeley.
m,
Did you get to see Brackman or IPK out there?
Regarding 3am munchies:
Someone apparently likes what Phelps likes. NTTAWWT
PAT M.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:32 am
I swung and missed on Thigpen today….Too many Vicodins today or it the sins of my youth catching up with me……Curtis ( not to be confused with Bobby ) would be a nice catch….I still veiw the # 3 catcher slot on the depth chart an issue…..Jorge should be fine, although full extentsion swinging from the left side could be an issue
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Yeah, that extra catcher would really look good. Thigpen’s only 26 years old. He has to be a better option than Kevin Cash.
Everything that I’ve seen says that Posada is progressing just fine…no issues. Until they get into warm weather parks, I figure he’ll only catch 3-4 times a week. Just a guess. I don’t have a huge concern about him and Rivera. It’s doubtful that hell catch more than 120 games a year, anymore, though.
James that’s true until you roll around to 8th inning of a close game….Then leather becomes the difference in winning or losing the close game….Firstbase cost the Yanks at least 6 games kast season…Rightfield at least another 3…..Either Melky or Gardner will be that 8 th inning guy….
What do you mean cashman feels compelled to defeat expectations on manny? What expectations is he compelled to defeat?
no, I had comp tickets, but it was my sister-in-law’s b-day so I passed. I think one of the guys pitched and it was a good game.
Isnt posada not exactly even positive that he will be able to start for the yanks on opening day?? Or will he definitely be ready to go?
I agree with you Pat that’s why Gardner would go in for defense, at least that’s the way I see the season shaking out.
Nobody is definite for opening day!
James if he can make ground ball contact and get on base ( .375 )he’ll be a valuable cog…He has the opportunity to prove his worth in the next 7 weeks….His speed is stupid…Should be an interesting spring for both he and the Melk-man….But as of now, it’s Damon or Nick in CF to start come March 1….
Nick,
OK, Mr. Smartypants-But-Not-Smart-Enough to take the Lakers. What will Melky have to do AND Gardner not have to do for Melky to win the job?
(my currect pet theory is that they’ll put Melky out there and yank him if he slumps or has a boneheaded play. cash and joe g. love gardner, but gotta play it right. although Melky out of options is a wrinkle in my theory.)
That Manny for Favre trade is not looking so outlandish at this point huh?
I’m reading the Torre book. There’s a passage that sort of paints Clemens as a rather insecure mama’s boy but it’s borne from a private phone conversation that Clemens had with his mother that Torre “overheard”.
I guess it didn’t really make it to the big time like the Kevin Brown and Damon passages as no one really cares about Roger anymore.
*current or correct…not both
Blue Jays Add T.J. Beam, DFA Russ Adams
By Tim Dierkes [February 5 at 4:23pm CST]
According to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, the Blue Jays claimed pitcher T.J. Beam off waivers from the Pirates and designated infielder Russ Adams for assignment.
Beam, 28, posted a 4.14 ERA and 4.7 K/9 in 45.6 innings for the Pirates last year. The Bucs had signed him as a free agent in January of ‘08, but designated him for assignment a few days ago to make room for Eric Hinske.
Adams, 28, hit .259/.341/.417 at Triple A this year. He was drafted 14th overall in 2002. He was the team’s starter at shortstop and second base at various points in ‘05 and ‘06.
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Why not claim or work out a small trade for Adams? He’s a scrappy young player who could probably give us more than Barroa. ????
Bronx Jeers,
That’s creepy. Torre wrote of a conversation that Roger was having with someone on the other side?
Was it not bad enough to eavesdrop?
dave
February 6th, 2009 at 12:42 am
What do you mean cashman feels compelled to defeat expectations on manny? What expectations is he compelled to defeat?
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His statement that the Yankees aren’t pursuing him. He doesn’t want that expectation out there that Ramirez is going to be like the Texeira thing, or to have it gain any sort of momentum, so he’s nipped it in the bud by making a public statement.
They are NOT just going to hand melky the position because he is making more money next year. One of them will outplay the other in ST and the one who plays better will end up in center on opening day. I have this sneaking suspicion that no one will even want to bring melky’s name up by this time next year. If melky starts in center out of ST and flops again midseason, he is done in ny. This is his final shot if he gets the job out of spring. He is running out of chances and options.
Nick,
I meant with Posada’s current status is he even expected to be ready by opening day not even including what happens in the coming month. I heard he may not even be ready for opening day at his current pace. That is a horrible way to start off the season.
Bronx Jeers
February 6th, 2009 at 12:54 am
That Manny for Favre trade is not looking so outlandish at this point huh?
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Make it Favre for Manny and you’ve got yourself a deal.
boddhi,
I dont even think many ppl believe a word cashman says anymore. It just seems more like logic at this point that the yanks dont get him just because of where payroll is at and how hard it will be to move matsui. I dont really think that I assumed manny was not coming to NY based on anything cashman said. He also said that bubba crosby was our starting centerfielder right before we got damon and he said there was no way we would sign both tex and cc this off season. He has said a ton of things that ended up being false. Im not about to start buying into a word he says now.
“Why not claim or work out a small trade for Adams?”
that’s what I thought of at first but then again, he can’t hit.
m.: I didn’t take the Celtics either! All my plays either hit or are about to (hi Gonzaga) with the cruel exception of the Nevada Wolfpack, as true disappointment.
As for Melky, I think they would be willing to flush him and his million down one of Hank’s horse toilets if they thought that would give them the best chance to win.
As for what either has to do or not do to win/lose the job, eh, anything I say would be pretty superficial. If they both look good or both look bad, it’s a pretty tough call. If one of them seperates from the other, duh.
More interesting is, which one would the team *want* to succeed if they could pick one? Gardy has the speed, a much-needed commodity. Melky has the power and the arm. But can he harness his wandering mind??????????
Remember that Clemens was raised by his mother and grandmother. His stepfather died when he was still in grade school and never knew his real father. His mother was dying during the early ’00s, so, yeah, I suppose he was close to his mother.
Nick,
Gardy. No question. If he could he hit, he’d be their ideal player (sans power).
All I’s know is that we need a good defensive CF behind Jeter. I’m not a big Melky fan, but I know he can provide that.
I am a Gardner fan, but it’s mostly because of his speed and intangibles. Cuz at this point there’s not much else to speak of.
Gardner has far more speed than melky has power. I think gardner would be the far better asset if they both hit for the exact same avg and obp.
Nick I usually respect your knowledge, but Gardy is such a corny nickname..
But ‘leche’ is ‘melkman’ are both cooler nicknames than ‘gardy’. And my ‘got melky?’ shirt is cooler than no shirt. Agonizing.
Horne has been taken off a rehab schedule and put on a regular off-season throwing program.
http://community.thetimes-trib.....-quot.aspx
A super speedy pinch runner off the bench is a nice weapon to have in a tight ballgame, and is something the Yankees haven’t had in recent years. Gardner could provide that role.
the yankee lineup can survive without jorge’s bat, though i think he’ll be 80 20 80 (runs, hr, rbi)… sam make sure you post your normal blog before you leave, youve got me hooked with the amount updates youre willing to do and insights.
Gardy is just corny.. Sorry.. He doesn’t have to have a nick name,lol
Gardner can be “the guy who can steal bases without falling down” – something we could have used more of last season.
I know he’s a really bad defensive CF but I’d still play Swisher there over Melky or Gardner. Swisher’s offensive production last season was a fluke. He was moved, ironically since I’m saying we should do the same thing, from 1st to CF and asked to a leadoff hitter. At the bottom of the lineup he’ll be just fine. He sees more pitches per at-bat than anyone. In that aspect he’ll make up for the Abreu loss. Listen, I love Melky’s arm. I love Gardner’s speed. But I’d rather stack the lineup and have those young guys on the bench. Gardner’s speed is an asset anytime but it can be especially useful off the bench IMO.
LF-Damon
SS-Jeter
1B-Teixeira
3B-Arod
RF/C/DH -Nady/Posada/Matsui
2B-Cano
RF/C/DH -Nady/Posada/Matsui
RF/C/DH -Nady/Posada/Matsui
CF-Swisher
Bench-Ransom/Barroa, Gardner, Molina, etc. etc.
I’d rather have a lineup something like that than to start Gardner or Melky as our CF and keep a better player like Swisher on the bench. Swisher certainly strengthens our bench A LOT but I’d still like to get his bat in our everyday lineup.
If Posada goes down, Cashman will make a move. I don’t think it is time to make a move until we see what the Yanks have going into the season. As great as Jorge has been, if his production goes down and he can’t catch then he is dead weight on the roster. Although Posada won’t make that easy for anyone I’m sure.
sam is thinking what i’ve been saying for a few days. the CF experiment is very risky considereing posada’s situation. if the yankees have to carry molina’s and gardner’s bat in the lineup most of the year, that is really going to hurt the offense.
in really not big on ST, the only thing we’re going to know coming out of it is whether jorge can squat behind the plate to start the season. i dont believe ST performance will indicate whether melky or gardner will work out at CF, b/c what happens in ST never carries over into the season. also consider that this year with the wbc going, it will really by scrubs against scrubs in ST alot of the time.
i think we need to upgrade at CF or at b/u catcher. i trust that cash has some kind of plan to address this, id really hate to have to wait until the trade deadline before something can be done but i guess im willing to wait and see what jorge can do in ST.
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This one’s for you
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....pen-2.html
Centerfield, etc.
Arun has a point. A team with an identity is almost always more cohesive than a thrown together collection of past all stars. Just look at the ‘95-’01 or so Yankee teams. It was a blend of home grown and free agent talent that accepted the Yankee way on how to go about their business. You get clamboring to sign every good free agent out there because X is better than our Y and you have a team without a base.
Gardner and Melky are not bad players. Nor are Hughes or many others. They may be ready. We’ve already signed three huge free agents and a guy that will likely be a fine utility player. How much more tinkering does the team really need? When is enough enough?
I will say a team is better with a mix of stars and young and hungry players than a boatload of free agent past or present all stars 99% of the time. Let the Yankees be the Yankees.
btw, trivia question: which Yankee utility player had the most appropriate name ever?
I don’t have all that much faith that Melky Cabrera is the CF answer. Both he and Brett Gardner should spend considerable time in spring training with Mickey Rivers for bunting drills. Neither one is needed for long ball power but Kevin Long can work with them to be gap hitters.
In the case of Gardner, let a gap hit skip past an outfielder and it’s a sure triple.
I know Cashman is aware because he had been quote (probably in December it was) as saying two of his biggest concerns were how Posada and Mariano were going to bounce back from their respective surgeries.
Part of it is with Swisher and Nady they have some nice depth. They have b/u catchers – but not a backup to Posada’s offense. Unless they need another full-time catcher, I don’t think it’s possible to get someone who will be at the ready. A guy who is good enough to replace Posada is probably already playing everyday for someone else. Cash’s move to get Pudge last year didn’t turn out well, but the he had the right idea.
It would be nice to upgrade at CF, but what would you be looking at losing in order to do so? And why not at least enter spring training giving Gardner and Melky the opportunity to fight it out?
One of Cashman’s strengths is fixing on the fly. If they HAVE to replace Melky/Gardner, I think he’ll be quick to put something together.
But don’t forget that this is a really good pitching staff – with mostly proven guys. They have a good chance that the pitching can get them through a few close games.
It’s going to be interesting to see how everything unfolds.
So, I am watching the Bob Costas interview with Joe Torre this morning. Costas is doing a wonderful job. He is a skilled interviewer asking good questions so far.
Torre is a skilled interviewee, but his responses have elicited some personal impressions. First, he is very emphatic that what he has written is true. I don’t doubt that the instances he talks about took place. What is subjective is the tone – he believes his tone was fair. A reader may not see that. And while something may be true, it may not be necessary to divulge.
My impression is that Torre talked to Verducci about particular players and perhaps made blanket statements such as, perhaps, Kevin Brown was an emotional wreck. Well, Verducci can’t write that without asking Joe, how? In what way? Give me an instance. It’s easy to see how that would lead to Torre talking about the time Brown was curled up in a corner. A supporting anecdote, if you will.
The problem with the stuff about Cash is there is not enough concomitant support for his move to embrace sabermetrics, no acknowledgment the he had the difficult job of getting the Yankees to catch up in the changing landscape of team/organization building. I believe Torre was trying to help Brian remember the “heartbeat,” but it comes off as condescending in the book. Again. Attribute that to tone.
In the interview, all the explanations and qualifications go a long way toward making some the book’s contents more understandable. Why weren’t those in the book itself to avoid this controversy? Especially with respect to ARod. In the interview, Torre seems to really have cared about ARod and wanting to help him, but the book comes across so much more critical and harsh. And they need to clarify in the book that the A-Fraud stuff was only the first year. It was not stated that way in the book. At any point.
With Verducci’s SWB reference for ARod, was it wrong to ARod to look to Jeter for guidance in how to handle oneself in NY? I think characterizes the situation in too negative away.
He says he wanted only to manage one more year and only one more year, but wanted a 2-year contract to ensure against his job status coming under scrutiny on a daily basis by the media. If that is truly the case, why not offer this: Give me a 2-year contract, but I will retire after the first year and guarantee that to you in writing. I think if he had done well the first year of that contract and won the WS that guarantee could have been torn up and he could have managed the first year in the new stadium.
Going back to Cashman, I wish Costas had asked Torre about the passage in the book where Torre talks about how Zimmer didn’t trust Cashman and after awhile, Torre started to question whether he could/should trust Cash. I’d like to have seen how Torre explained that.
It is a good book. All the historical information is great. Overall it reads well and I didn’t get the feeling it was mired in the salacious. I think some references, some of that anecdotal support, could have been toned down and still rung true.
I think the interview by Costas puts the book in a better perspective, and I do think Torre answered most of his questions and acquitted himself well without seeming too uncomfortable. I don’t believe he realizes, still, how those of us reading the book perceive some of the tone of the book. They are 100% correct, in my case at least, that the book is so much more than the sum of its excerpts.
Bench player with pop: Frank Thomas. Sign him up!
Sam, you’re doing a fantastic job filling in. You should definitely have your own blog.
sam, you like or dislike arod?