Spring Game 3: Yankees at Twins
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 27, 2009 
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YANKEES (2-0)
Gardner CF
Ransom 2B
Swisher 1B
Posada DH
Nady RF
Cabrera LF
Berroa SS
Leone 3B
Cervelli C
TWINS (2-0)
Gomez CF
Casilia 2B
Crede DH
Morneau 1B
Cuddyer RF
Young LF
Redmond C
Harris 3B
Punto SS
Pitching for the Twins: Scott Baker, Brian Duesing, Kevin Mulvey, Ben Julianel, Bob Keppel, Jason Jones.
Pitching today: Ian Kennedy followed by Eric Hacker, Andrew Brackman, Wilikin De La Rosa, Anthony Claggett and Michael Dunn.
Notes: We have a 2.5 hour drive to Fort Myers, so don’t expect any updates for a while. … The beat writers and Joe Girardi had a nice dinner last night in Tampa. Media Relations Director Jason Zillo organized the event. We took Joe out last year and he was nice enough to return the favor. Lots of good baseball talk, albeit all off the record.
In the interest of giving you something to do, here are two free downloads for you music fans:
No. 1: Bernie Williams playing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”
No 2: Bernie joining Bruce Springsteen for “Glory Days” at Joe Torre’s Charity dinner in 2007.
Both cuts are on Bernie’s new jazz guitar record “Moving Forward.” It drops on April 14. Thanks to Bernie’s label, Reform Records, for making these available.
For more information, go to Bernie Williams.com.
WATCH BP TODAY: The News-Press in Fort Myers will show a live video stream of batting practice today starting at 10:15 a.m. You can find it on their home page.
I’m supposed to stop by and offer some commentary when the Yankees are on the field. That should be around 11 a.m. or so.
UPDATE, 11:32 a.m.: Here we are in Fort Myers. The video stream of BP is working, so clink the link above to watch.
UPDATE, 12:43 p.m.: The game is a few minutes off. Chamber of Commerce conditions here in Fort Myers and a big crowd on hand. I’ll update the blog every half inning or so.
UPDATE, 12:54 p.m.: Rod Carew threw out the first pitch to Paul Molitor. Two great players there.
UPDATE, 1:21 p.m.: 2-0 Yankees. Here’s how it went:
Gritty, gutty Brett Gardner singled up the middle and stole second. RBI single after a good AB by Cody Ransom. Single by Nick Swisher. After Posada flew out, Nady grounded to short. Minnesota got the out at second but Casilia threw the ball into the crowd trying to complete the double play and Ransom scored.
UPDATE, 1:26 p.m.: Good inning for IPK. Swinging, F-9, walk and 6-3.
UPDATE, 1:31 p.m.: Angel Berroa singled to start the second inning. Then forgetting he was 50, he tried to take second and was thrown out by six feet. Bad idea as Justin Leone then homered deep to left. 3-0 Yankees.
It is believed Leone rode the team bus to the game.
UPDATE, 1:34 p.m.: Brett Gardner, who clearly is the man, doubled to center. Melky Cabrera is going to have to hitchhike home at this point.
UPDATE, 1:43 p.m.: The Yankees scored only once as Gardner was stranded.
UPDATE, 1:48 p.m.: Ian Kennedy left a runner stranded at third to end the second inning. His line:
2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 3 K.
UPDATE, 2:06 p.m.: Still 3-0. Yankees put runners on second and third with one out as Swisher and Posada singled before Nady grounded out. But Melky popped to short. After Berroa walked, Leone grounded into a force.
Eric Hacker now pitching.
UPDATE, 2:16 p.m.: Hacker walked two but got Crede to ground into a double play to end the inning. Still 3-0 Yankees.
UPDATE, 2:33 p.m.: Eric Hacker is getting knocked in the fourth inning. He has allowed three straight hits and a run and now Anthony Claggett is in. It’s 3-1 Yankees now.
UPDATE, 2:40 p.m.: Nice job by Claggett, who left both runners stranded. He’s one of the guys they obtained for Gary Sheffield and could well be the best of the bunch. 3-1 Yankees.
UPDATE, 2:43 p.m.: Jorge Posada just singled and came out for a pinch runner. Jorge was 2 for 3 and is 4 for 5 in two games.
UPDATE FROM THE CLUBHOUSE, 3:49 p.m.: It’s 3-3 in the 8th.
Now they’re down 5-3. All of the starters are halfway home by now. Long spring games are the worst.
Man I would love to see brackman pitch. Sucks this game won’t be on mlbtv
Is it on YES? I checked my guide but showed Mike Francesa at 1 p.m…..
Dude, rock on Bernie, not too bad on that lead guitar!
First time I ever cried listening to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Beautiful, poignant rendition.
I want this version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” played at my funeral one day!
that was SO beautiful!! i cried too doreen! thanks for posting pete
Pete, thanks for the article on Posada – I’m very encouraged, of course, but I don’t want to get too excited. Mainly, I’m happy for Jorge – I can’t imagine how frustrated he must have been last year as the strength in his shoulder just evaporated.
I was very happy with Phil as well – I thought he was very solid. The kid never makes excuses – I’m eager to see how he does this spring and in AAA. It’s going to be exciting to track his progress……
XM Radio has today’s game. Channel 177 or 178: I cannot recall which of the two, but one or the other does.
That rendition of “Take me out to the ballgame”=awesome
Yesterday boded well for both Jorge and Phil Coke. (I didn’t catch Melancon’s outing and JB Cox didn’t exactly impress.)
The test for Posada, of course, will be March 15th, the first day he catches, or more accurately, March 16, The Day After.
Unfortunately, Posada has no other way into this team’s lineup. I actually would have preferred to see the Yankees trade Matsui and re-sign Abreu for this reason. It would have afforded them more flexibility in the DH and OF positions; no one would have monopolized DH. And as far as I’m concerned Matsui is no longer a better hitter than Abreu and can’t play the field at all.
As for Coke. Each time I watch him pitch my hopes and enthusiasm for his future rise.
Once again, our genius GM got exceedingly lucky the Pirates changed their mind at the last minute and chose Karstens and McCutchens instead of Coke and Kontos.
(That’s the second time actually. He almost traded Wang and Cano for Randy Johnson also. Fortunately, the Diamondback didn’t want either.)
What is the rule in Spring Training for away games? There is a certain number of regulars a team has to bring with them. I forget how many, 6, 7?
Should be interesting to see Brackman, De La Rosa and Dunn pitch. (especially Brackman)
does anyone noe a site were they stream the game for free most of the sites charge alot but i seen games stream online and its not bad
lol, Cashman has really been terrible!
Totally agree I really think is going to be very helpful on this team….its real early in his career but Coke is not afraid of throwing strikes unlike Kennedy and Ohlendorf and he has the stuff…. over 90 fastball, hard slider and a OK change…I would not be surprised if he make some spot starts during the year
Any news on who will be pitching for the Yankees against Team USA?
Agreed, an awesome version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Ken Burns’ documentary, Baseball. There are several versions of this song as background music. The ones on piano are particularly good. Bernie’s guitar version would fit right in.
I wanted this to be my wedding song, but the band we hired couldn’t play a dignified version of it, and my wife wanted absolutely no part of the cheesey stadium version.
“(That’s the second time actually. He almost traded Wang and Cano for Randy Johnson also. Fortunately, the Diamondback didn’t want either.)”
People need to evaluate Brian Cashman at two separate periods. The pre-total control era, and the total control era. When your boss tells you “Get Randy Johnson”, that is what you must do. It really ties your hand. Not many people projected Wang or Cano to be big league successes (at least at the levels they have displayed) so it is really hard to fault him there.
If you look at his body of work the past 3 years it has been really impressive. Ditching Sheffield for Abreu was a great move. Adding Nady and Marte will prove to be a great trade. We will likely get draft picks back for Nady next year, or even trade him for prospects this year. Adding Swisher was a smooth move. Holding out on Sanata (even though another Stien almost forced his hand) was a superb move as well. Adding all the Type 1 free agents in one year, costing only our picks for this year (a year in which we have two guaranteed supplemental picks) was a great move. Especially looking at next years FA class. He has also stocked our farm system with young arms that are creating one of the best bullpens in baseball.
The Cashman haters do need to separate these two eras.
Hey, I don’t hate Cashman. I think he’s a competent, albeit mediocre, GM. A GM who has become overrated by and among the internet cult he’s developed and who have turned him into some kind of cult hero.
I’ve heard different things actually about Cashman’s responsibility for offering Wang and Cano to Arizona. Although ownership commanded him to acquire The Wall Unit, CASHMAN, as I understand, selected the minor league players to offer them. And in the first list he submitted, he chose to include Wang and Cano.
Yet a mere four months later, the very same Cashman promoted Cano and Wang. The very same pattern actually he followed this year. First he offered Coke to the Pirates. Next thing we know, Cashman promoted him in September and he becomes the great surprise of last year’s call-ups. The pattern disconcerts me.
By the way, I still contend that if Cashman was going to trade Tabata, et. al. to the Pirates, he received the wrong outfielder in return. Had they forsaken Marte, they could have received Bay instead of Nady and then signed him long-term.
The Yankees didn’t need, and don’t need, Marte, especially with Coke’s (and Bruney’s) emergence. (More irony there about Coke preempted the need for the guy he was almost traded for.)
Cashman acquired Marte because he’s had a fixation with Marte for years. To my mind, an unwarranted one.
“The Cashman haters do need to separate these two eras.”
This is what confuses me about this argument. If the two eras have to be seperated, can we Cashman supporters claim the 3 world series titles as Casman’s doing? He was the GM. Or, do we ignore them, when talking about his accomplishments because he didn’t have total control? Or, do we cherry-pick the good and say it was all Cashman, while the his bad moves/faliure’s are not his because he didn’t have total control?
I’ll second bdog375. Huntington isn’t a good GM, but he made the correct choice in taking Karstens and McCutchen over Kontos and Coke. Coke may have impressed you in September with 14 (HUGE SAMPLE SIZE) great innings. But he’ll be 26, and in a pitchers’ league at Trenton, he had a 1.22 WHIP (didn’t look good in Scranton, either).
Kontos may turn out OK. But he’s 24, and he won’t be starting in NY this season. Probably Scranton.
Meanwhile, he got Jeff Karstens. Karstens can’t locate some of his pitches, and he’s HR-susceptible. But with softer NL lineups he turned into a replacement (102 ERA+) pitcher. So FWIW, the Pirates got someone they could plug in immediately.
If he’d taken Kontos and Coke, he’d look really dumb.
Melky in LF is interesting…
Coke’s “emergence”? You want to take those 14 innings to the bank as we begin 2009? 1.32 career MiLB WHIP. 3.61 ERA. 490 H/495 IP.
I’ll be delighted if Phil Coke can put together a solid year in the bullpen. But I’ll be stunned if he turns into a dependable 1+ year option.
When you call someone up in September, you hope they do really well and you call attention to them, so that the Jim Bowdens of the world start thinking they need these players.
Marte was a good trade. Keep in mind the Yanks didn’t have any lefty in the pen when they acquired him.
Phil Coke was a starter in Double-A when that Marte deal was made and almost landed with the Pirates in that deal. They didn’t anticipate him moving to the pen and being promoted to the big club the way it turned out.
We’d all like to see Coke pitch well and become a mainstay in that pen. But they cannot depend on him just yet.
People need to be careful about predicting a kid’s future with the club based solely on his September performance.
Spring Training numbers and September numbers should never be used as measuring sticks for evaluating players.
“Cashman acquired Marte because he’s had a fixation with Marte for years. To my mind, an unwarranted one. ”
Marte is one of the most consistently good left-handed relievers in baseball. Considering the rarity, I think his fixation was very warranted.
Also, back when Cash offered Cano and Wang for Johnson, both prospects weren’t that highly thought of. If Cashman made a mistake offering those two guys then so did every scout in baseball. Cano and Wang were not expected to be nearly as good as they are.
Cashman isn’t the best GM in the league but I’d put him above or equal to most.
Further, people need to be careful about considering Phil Coke a “kid.” When you’re performing decently at levels where you’re the most experienced, it says something. It’s easier to trick 22 year olds.
Are there 4 starters in that travelling roster?
How are you supposed to download both audio files??? Ive been trying to download them just like I would download any other file off line and it wont work…
1. Go-Go, CF. 2. Casilla, 2B. 3. Joe C., DH. 4. MVP ‘06, 1B. 5. Cuddy, RF. 6. Young, LF. 7. Red-Dog, C. 8. Harris, 3B. 9. Punto, SS. Pitching: Scott Baker.
Brian Duensing, Kevin Mulvey and Rob Delaney are scheduled to pitch. Can’t wait to see Delaney.
“Are there 4 starters in that travelling roster? ”
Is that the rule? I was trying to figure out the minimum number of regulars that have to be in the game for away games.
I guess you could claim that Nady, Swisher, Gardner, Cabrera and Posada are “starters”
Gardner, nick, posada, Nady.
Gardner, nick, posada, Nady.
Melky will be starting over Gardner.
Posada is the only person in that line-up guaranteed an opening day job if healthy. If Melky/Brett and Swish/Nady are fighting it out, that’s 3 starters at best.
We haven’t set the roster, so there are a lot of potential starters.
But if pressed, they’d probably say, “Posada, Nady, Cabrera”
what do you guys know about berroa and leone? thanks.
I’m not judging my evaluation of Coke on 14 innings in September.
I’m judging him based on what I saw of him as a starter in Trenton after he abandoned his curve and developed a slider, posted a 2.51 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
Until I see Marte reproduce his 2003 season with the Chicago White Sox, I remain dubious. National League performance doesn’t sway me. And Marte, at best, was erratic in his few months with the Yankees last year.
Sure it’s a boon to have an effective left-handed reliever to match-up late in games. But the Yankees have turned the left-right matchup into an idee fixe.
I’ll still take two or three fire-balling right-handed relievers with an out breaking-pitch– like Veras’ curve and Bruney’s slider breaking– over a league average left-hander every time.
“If the two eras have to be seperated, can we Cashman supporters claim the 3 world series titles as Casman’s doing?”
I do not think so at all. He did very little to build those team (IMO). I think Gene Michael, Bob Watson, and George Steinbrenner deserve all the credit for the 90′s dynasty.
Michael (who mostly deserves the credit) used George’s ban to build the farm system that yielded us Jeter, Petitte, Rivera, Posada, Bearnie etc. And while he may have not drafted/scouted all of these players, he did not trade them when they were young.
Watson added the final pieces to the puzzle with Tinos, Boggs, Cone, Key etc.
George bankrolled it all. This includes the more marque players that were added during Cashmans tenure Clemens, Knoblauch, etc.
I don’t see enough of Cashman in this equation to give him any real credit for this era. If we can return to glory the next few years then he can claim to be the man behind the machine (in my opinion).
A quick question a bit off the subject, perhaps someone can answer it for me. Is the upper deck in the new stadium closer (lower) to the field than in the old stadium? It looks like it is based on the 3-D views from the website, but I was wondering if there’s any definitive info regarding this.
kill.schill:
Really? The same Jose Veras who allowed a .767 OPS to LHB? You know, his WHIP was over 1.40 last year. And, uh, he’s going to be 28. He’s had one decent season as a reliever…and that was partly a function of luck. And to be honest, he got hit like a drum starting in around August.
Cashman deserves credit for working with such a crazy family and the Tampa faction. Is there some kind of award we can give him?
Like him or not, he’s our guy. And he wouldn’t escape in some gorilla suit. Please tell me that happened on Halloween.
It’s hardly unusal for left handers to develop or finally click around this age.
i dont see it were ist the live streaming of battin practice
I’m not sure Cashman is the equal of most GMs.
In the American League alone, I’d choose Theo, Andrew Friedman, Ken Williams, Mark Shapiro, Dave Dombrowski, and Billy Beane over him. I’d might even take Andy MacPhail and Dayton Moore over him too.
Before the Twins GM retired, I would have take Terry Ryan over Cashman without question.
Dave Dombrowski over Cashman? Don’t make me laugh…
I believe it is lower. I think I read that a few months back…
Anyways, Gardner playing CF over Melky shows who has priority for Girardi. We all know how much Girardi loves Gardner
Kenny WIlliams? Really?
In the American League alone, I’d choose Theo, Andrew Friedman, Ken Williams, Mark Shapiro, Dave Dombrowski, and Billy Beane over him. I’d might even take Andy MacPhail and Dayton Moore over him too.
Before the Twins GM retired, I would have take Terry Ryan over Cashman without question.
____
I’d love to hear the explanation for this one.
Please explain about each one and why you think they are better exactly?
“In the American League alone, I’d choose Theo…Ken Williams…Dave Dombrowski”
Are you crazy? These three are horrible! Williams and Dombrowski and Williams have ruined there once WS winning teams. Theo is a puppet, he is not calling the shots – Larry Luchiano is.
Holy God! Ken Williams! You must be out of your mind. Friedman and Theo, sure. Beane, sure. Shapiro and Dombrowksi aren’t as clownish as Bowden, but I wouldn’t want them. MacPhail is piling on, though Moore is a pretty sharp mind.
Terry Ryan was the best name on your list.
the live stream is here
http://news-press.com/apps/pbc.....Y=SPORTS02
Is there some kind of award we can give him?
Isn’t the “award” he gets the 15th and 30th of every month enough?
i found it its started already
http://www.news-press.com/arti.....27016/1075
Friedman was bound to have a good team eventally since tampa got the first pick in the last 10 drafts.
John_Halfz
February 27th, 2009 at 9:38 am
“Further, people need to be careful about considering Phil Coke a “kid.” When you’re performing decently at levels where you’re the most experienced, it says something. It’s easier to trick 22 year olds.”
I can’t document this off the top of my head, John, but it seems to me that lefties often take longer to mature than righties.
Yes, Coke could be a fluke or he could simply be one of those late blossoming southpaws. Time will tell, but I certainly don’t think his emergence as a competent lefty out of the pen can be ruled out because of his age.
Comparing GM’s is really silly, they are all in different situations. Different budgets, different owners, different degree of media coverage, etc.
There are some that are clearly awful (Jim Bowden, Wayne Krivsky, Ned Colletti, Bill Bavasi) but most GM’s are pretty competent.
pete should do this when they dont televised the game stream the game for us
On the subject of Kenny Williams, how in the world does he allow Ozzie to act like he does. Could you imagine if Joe G did that in NY, the media would hang him up a flag pole by his underwear. I really don’t understand how he gets away talking like he does.
Yes, I’m familiar with Veras’ shortcomings. But I invoke him as a model of the kind of reliever I think is just as valuable to a bullpen as a league-average left-hander.
Give me a right-hander who throws hard– fine, if not Veras, than take Melancon or Humberto Sanchez or Brackman, if you’re not going to start him– and who has a dominating breaking-ball as an out pitch– and I’ll take him over Marte or any other league-average left-hander.
The Angels’ bullpen has excelled the last five years without having a dominant left-handed pitcher. (And no, I don’t consider Darren Oliver, despite his stats last year, a dominant left-hander reliever.)
I don’t follow the careers of other GMs very much, but I gotta say Kenny Williams is not a very good GM. That world series run was more about a song by Journey (!) than him.
Dombrowski, what has he done?
“Shapiro and Dombrowksi aren’t as clownish as Bowden.”
Are you kidding?
I think Ozzie is one of the best managers in baseball. He maximizes his team very well. He says some of the stupidest things I have seen, but he manages his pitching staffs very well, and just has a great feel for the game.
Dude, if you honestly believe Cashman is a better GM than either Mark Shapiro or Dave Dombrowski, then I’m going to assume you’re part of Cashman’s “Roberto Duran” cult and I’m not going to waste my time, or yours, by arguing with you.
pat,
It’s probably not enough for the grief he gets. lol.
So he has to be content with the satisfaction of of making his sons Hal, Hank, and Teddy very happy boys!
Ask Nick what he thinks of Ozzie. The season that they won the WS was a magical run. He some how managed to get his entire pitching staff to pitch complete games.
Dombrowski? Ever heard of the 2003 Marlins? A team he constructed after they completely dismantled the 1997 incarnation.
I do recall another team the Yankees lost to in the 2006 ALDS. Hmmn, they had a number of hard-throwing righties I recall Dombrowski drafted and because he places a premium on them.
I then recall Cashman quickly trying to emulate him and doing likewise.
It would be nice to have a couple of relievers who don’t have major control issues as well.
Veras does have good stuff and throws hard – but he also gets himself into a lot of jams because he can’t throw strikes consistently.
If they do add Coke and Melancon to the mix (at some point) – they will be adding two strike throwers with very good raw stuff.
Where is this on there home page?
WATCH BP TODAY: The News-Press in Fort Myers will show a live video stream of batting practice today starting at 10:15 a.m. You can find it on their home page.
Jennifer, I would guess that Ozzie was not big on Nick to begin with. In other words, Kenny Williams is probably to blame with Swishers bad fit and not Ozzie. In terms of their WS, they did not have some magical run. They dominated from opening day to their WS title, albeit with a poor second half of the season. Since then the team has gotten older and the pitching much worse, but I think he continues to get the most out of his team.
Ah, okay. Didn’t realize that Dombrowski was with the Marlins. Points there.
But take off points for trying to bring everyone in from that 2003 team. And neither of those teams had Alex Rodriguez! (that’s a joke, guys, relax)
Never mind i found it.
ajw
http://www.news-press.com/arti.....27016/1075
max of 50 people
When I read blogs the thing that I find the most amusing is how people actually think they truly knew what negotiations occurred in different trades and trade talks..as if they were there or they actually have some “inside” information when in reality they know as little as the media does in most instances. They read the papers or listen to talk shows and take speculation as fact.
When it comes right down to it …the only people who really know what goes on in the Yankee doings are the true people involved …Yankee personnel.
As far as Cashman …his flaws (not always his doing …Giambi, Johnson, etc) are emphazied while his accomplishments are downgraded whereas the reverse is true for Epstein. He’s made a quite a few bad moves too but yet he’s hailed as a baseball “guru”. Epstein has done a fine job but it hasn’t all been perfect either.
Anyway …I’m hoping for a great season and another little trophy to be dusted off daily ..
)
Go Yankees 2009 !!!
kill.schill(ing)
February 27th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Hey, I don’t hate Cashman. I think he’s a competent, albeit mediocre, GM. A GM who has become overrated by and among the internet cult he’s developed and who have turned him into some kind of cult hero.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The cult status you speak of is that way for a reason. Cashman resuscitated the farm system, the most dramatic positive contribution he’s made as Yankee GM.
He basically willed the organization from dinosaur thinking to template of developing our own talent. He has guts because as much as everyone complained about George, many more people wanted Santana to get done and Cashman resisted (would have cost Hughes and Wang). His vision for the club’s future is in place and the pitching has never been deeper throughout the ranks.
As far as I’m concerned, he can’t get too much credit for that. Look at the pitching the Yankees have stocked; a guy as talented as Christian Garcia is hard on the comeback trail and has front-of-the-rotation stuff, but people barely know of him – that’s how deep our pitching in the ranks is (they’ll hear of him this year).
We suddenly have left-handers like Bleich, Banuelos and WDR on the rise.
I don’t know, Kill.Schill. You’re the one who wants Jose Veras to lead the way in ’09. Kidding aside, GMs face different task sets and objectives. When you’re talking about this stuff, the flip side of any trade, or any unmade trade…that’s all counterfactual.
There are scalar differences as far as market size, market expectation, etc. I guess I’m more impressed by the 2006 Tigers than the 2003 Marlins…though the former was an illusion that sort of caught fire.
I don’t think Cashman is a genius or the way forward. I just think that there are a few “industry leaders,” a large middle pack who generally make reasonably sound decisions, absent interference (Cashman inserted there as well as your apparent idols), and a group of about 8 slavering idiots.
Why in God’s name are we debating how good of a GM Dave Dombroski is? This is possibly the dullest conversation I’ve ever been a part of on this blog.
Moving on…
I saw this on ESPN – http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3938665
Over half the money in the $45 million offer to Manny is deferred. He would only be making $10 mill this year and $10 mill next year with the rest of the money deferred (no interest). Now that this comes out, I don’t blame Manny for rejecting the offer. At some point though, he will have to accept something.
“It would be nice to have a couple of relievers who don’t have major control issues as well.”
I think that Bruney no longer has control issues. He improved his walk/9 a lot last year and I expect it to get even better in 2009. Marte isn’t terrible when it comes to walks but he certainly isn’t amazing either. Albaladejo also has pretty decent control and I do expect him to make the team.
I see the first of the Stanford Financial Group was arrested yesterday. Laura Pendergest-Holt. Maybe Jonny and Xman will get some reprieve soon.
But I will say this… if they ever make a woman’s prison movie with Laura in it I will definitely be watching!!!!!!!!!!
(insert big smiley face here!)
“I don’t think Cashman is a genius or the way forward. I just think that there are a few “industry leaders,” a large middle pack who generally make reasonably sound decisions, absent interference (Cashman inserted there as well as your apparent idols), and a group of about 8 slavering idiots. ”
I agree completely and that’s exactly the point I was trying to make in an earlier post. In the last few years I’ve really grown to like Cashman’s thought process and the logic I see in his decisions. Sometimes they don’t pan out but I do see why he does what he does (and I usually agree).
Verducci on DP show yesterday with lots of Manny talk.
But I found two little nuggets in the recap:
-Verducci thinks there will be another chapter in the A-Rod saga. Selena Roberts’ book comes out in early April and there is a good chance something controversial will come out with the release of the book.
-Dan asks Verducci which five MLB players are BCW (bathroom/beer can wait) worthy. Verducci’s choices are Albert Pujols, Manny, A-Rod, Jonathan Broxton and Tim Lincecum.
In fact, you could make the argument that the success of the 2003 Marlins (Pythag: 87-75) almost totally hinged around Mark Redman’s aberrant year of success. Turn his record around and the Marlins are in a tiebreaker situation with Philadelphia to determine the NL wild card. They were a fringe playoff team that Tim McCarver willed to stay young and get hot long enough to beat the Yankees.
Also strange was overpaying Luis Castillo as though they magically knew he’d bounce back.
I credit Cashman for restoring the farm system’s priority and its talent, Buddah.
But to my mind, simply because he recognized what was glaringly obvious even to someone as obtuse as Bill Madden hardly strikes me as the inspiration of genius.
Too many misguided decisions like Kei Igawa, Josh Phelps, Wilson Betemit, not making IPK/Hughes work for their rotation spots– going into 2006 with Will Nieves the backup catcher– since he assumed full authority as GM and too many wretched decisions prior to 2006 that multiple sources attribute to Cashman– Weaver/Lilly/Brown, Vasquez, forsaking Lowe in 2004, forsaking Beltran, etc., etc.
I don’t think Cashman’s a poor GM. God knows, next to Lin Garret and company, the changes Cashman has wrought since 2006 can make him seem a genius by comparison.
Ultimately, I just don’t think he warrants the gangsta rap hero status you guys over there grant him.
“Dan asks Verducci which five MLB players are BCW (bathroom/beer can wait) worthy. ”
I’d say Pujols, Manny, Joba, Braun, Upton (in the playoffs anyways)
Used to be Guerrero, Ortiz, Hafner too
Verducci’s choices are good. My list would include Vlad Guerrero. I got to see him in Anaheim twice in 2004. The closer you are, the more awesome his swings are. And at most, you’d only have to wait 2 or 3 pitches before he did something.
kill.schill, its like you are ignoring everything we say. Most of us agree that Cashman is a good, not great, GM. Just like the majority of GM’s in the league. There are only a handful that are ahead of the pack and Cash isn’t one of them.
“I don’t think Cashman’s a poor GM. ”
Cashman is just like every other GM. He’s won some and he’s lost some. No GM will ever be perfect. Sometimes, the guys you like perform well and sometimes they don’t. It’s just the nature of human beings and the nature of baseball.
Cash doesn’t have gangsta rap hero status here. Well, he is called Ca$hmoney sometimes.
It’s just that he’s a Yankee. He’s been in the family a long time and has built up respect in the game and a lot of goodwill with the fanbase.
Nothing wrong with that. As long as he does totally screw up, he’ll stick.
He’s open and accessible and knows that he has to take on a larger role with the media. So if that makes him a larger than life figure, then that’s what it is. What’s important to me is that he doesn’t shrink or collapse when lesser men would.
yanks on da field
whatever. the “argument” is over. by lumping in roster fillers like Josh Phelps and Wilson Betemit with the Kei Igawa move, he’s proven it’s motivated by personal animus. Or maybe he’s really exercised that people seem to like the GM. It’s not worth it. I mean, woe betide the guy who mentions Theo snapping up Eric Gagne like a tasty dessert.
I don’t think there is a more difficult GM to evaluate than Brian Cashman because we cannot be certain how often he gets his way. For example all indications are he wanted to let ARod walk after the opt-out but Hank won that negotiation. He was willing to hold the line on contracts to Posada and Rivera, but we think Hal stepped in and gave the long term Yankees an extra year.
So if ARod has a great year and the Yanks win it all does Cashman get credit? If the circus instead leads to divisions within the team and they miss post-season play again is Cashman to blame?
We do know this. He has made over the farm system and the results have been extremely positive. He has recontructed the 2009 team into one that is younger, more athletic, deeper and loaded with pitching possibilities. But it doesn’t matter if the Yanks are on th eoutside looking in come October.
Anyone who thinks Cashman was responsible for signing Giambi and Randy Johnson wasn’t paying attention.
keep trying to get into the streaming video thing…I kept refreshing and finally got in.
How hard is it to be the GM of the Yankees when you can spend more than double or triple that of your competitors? And your closest competition in Boston, spends almost $80 million less than Cashman needs to.
Let’s not act like he has some remarkable skill… his owner gives him money and he spends it. If MLB ever does implement a salary cap, Cashman will look like Isiah Thomas.
Pete’s talking on the streaming video now …I just got in ..
Go Yankees 2009 !!!
IMO, even Omar is a better GM than Cashman
Look at the Church/Schneider trade, the JJ Putz trade, John Maine trade, Oliver Perez trade, Santana trade, Delgado trade etc. compared to what Cashman has done.
He also signed Wright/Reyes to outstanding cheap contracts, stole KRod, found a gem in Tatis, and revived their farm. Heck, they have more prospects in the BA top 100 than we do.
I know people like to knock Omar, but taking payroll out of the equation, he has a better track record in recent years.
Jeez, the Twins guy is a real conversationalist during BP. He has like nothin’ to say.
Pete if this newspaper thing doesn’t work out you can always be a commentator for live batting practice, Nice job!!
OK i am now totally set for baseball. Playing Bernie’s take me out to the ballgame with the live BP feed at the same time hearing the crack of the bat with that song is pure genius
Bernie’s rendition of Take me out to the ball game was awesome. Thanks for providing it to Yankee fans. I checked your live streaming, nice indeed.
Scott
February 27th, 2009 at 11:13 am
How hard is it to be the GM of the Yankees when you can spend more than double or triple that of your competitors? And your closest competition in Boston, spends almost $80 million less than Cashman needs to.
Let’s not act like he has some remarkable skill… his owner gives him money and he spends it. If MLB ever does implement a salary cap, Cashman will look like Isiah Thomas.
————————————————————
Here’s something that you don’t see every day….a discussion about payroll. How refreshingly original.
You have to love it when the camera pans around the outfield.
Did anyone pick up on the fact that Melky is in Left and Gardner is in center the first time Girardi had a chance to get them in the lineup together??? Is this a sign of who he prefers?
Wow this announcer is pretty terrible
“IMO, even Omar is a better GM than Cashman”
Luis Castillo, enough said.
Joe –
Gardner played left yesterday, I think he’s just trying to even up the playing time at all positions.
If the Dodger offer for Manny really includes $25 of the $45 million in deferred money, (10 in 2009, 10 in 2010 and 25 deferred the following 3 years with no interest) some other team would be foolish to not jump in. They could better that offer just by adding interest payments to the deferred portion.
Let’s please not call Fernando Tatis a gem
Can someone tell the guy doing the commentary that Jorgie is not the catcher today and that Nick Swisher as much as we all like him is not the biggest star the team brought today
Gardner played left yesterday, I think he’s just trying to even up the playing time at all positions.
———–
No, he didn’t. Gardner played center. Damon played left and was later replaced by Colin Curtis.
“Patrick
February 27th, 2009 at 11:43 am
“IMO, even Omar is a better GM than Cashman”
Luis Castillo, enough said.”
Carl Pavano, enough said.
Nick swisher is the man
Marte is a situational lefthander. Phil Coke (if he makes the 25-man roster) can pitch 2 innings out of the bullpen if an opponent has a stacked lefty lineup.
Jared Wright, enough said.
Jason Giamby, enough said.
“IMO, even Omar is a better GM than Cashman”
He’s been a GM for 3 years.
Moises Alou, Heath Bell & Royce Ring to Padres for Ben Jonhson and John Atkins, Lindstrom to Marlins for Jason Vargas and Adam Bostick, Brian Bannister for Ambriorix Burgos. Oh, and he signed Luis Castillo.
Heath Bell, Lindstrom, and Bannister for nothing. You don’t think any of those guys could have helped the team?
Ooops my bad, I guess I got confused since Brett went in for Damon.
Joey A
Dont forget the Scott kazmir trade!!!
Why did I watch that streaming video? It’s too painful to listen to “Ice Cold Beer Here” while sitting in a cubicle.
I’m looking forward to Eric Hacker pitching. He was great in the minors last year.
That Sizemore, Brandon Philips, and Cliff Lee for Bartolo Colon trade was one of Omar’s greatest.
One expresses “personal animus” by identifying a GM’s misguided decisions or the recurring precedent they suggest?
I cite Betemit, Phelps, Igawa, Hughes/IPK because they illustrate Cashman’s very mixed, erratic, and dubious record in evaluating talent, pitching talent, especially. And because since Cashman only acceded to the GM’s job in more than name alone in December 2005 the record by which to judge him isn’t voluminous. Even in this limited sample size, a sufficient number mistakes stick out however to unnerve me.
I don’t feel anything toward Cashman, quite frankly. Certainly not “personal animus.” I’ve never met the man. He could be Mother Theresa or Beezelbub himself for all I care.
What concerns me is his professional judgment. And here, I wonder why should the Yankees be satisfied with mediocrity or an “average” GM.
Isn’t the organization committed to setting the standard of excellence in everything from their state-of-the art Stadium, to their innovative marketing arrangements, to their branding and image, to their player personnel?
The inexplicable paradox is that they don’t seem committed to the same standard of excellence in the one department, to my mind, that matters most– the GM’s office.
I would have hoped the person running their baseball operations whould be the elite person in his field.
He isn’t. And why? Well, I suspect because the Steinbrenners, to their detriment, too often have valued loyalty, pedigree, and personal ties over merit.
Despite the arrested, deliberate pace with which the organization is modernizing, Hank and Hal, thus far, seem to share their father’s priority in this regard.
I certainly hope that changes.
Talk about bad luck, they were ending the feed after me watching it for 30 seconds.
People need to stop giving Cashman crap for Pavano. You cant treat Theo like a God and then ignore the fact that he offered Pavano more money than the Yanks did. Wright was a bad signing. Giambi was a George signing. Every GM makes good moves and bad moves. Deal with it.
Anyone happen to know who is scheduled to pitch tomorrow against the Twins? Saw the game is on the MLB channel.
By what criteria do you assess that omar is better than cash?
Is it all of those playoff appearences the mets have made in the last 3 years?
How about putting that amazing bullpen together?
paying pedro a 4 year contract to get one year out of it?
Where exactly is he better than cashman?
At least I think we could all agree that Cashman, Omar, Theo, whoever….they are all better than Steve Phillips!
RConn -
Joba is scheduled to pitch tomorrow.
I am at the game, section 107 in the 4th row! I will be taking a load of pictures and posting them tonight! I am excited to see Brackman! Go Yankees!!!!
The live stream from Ft Myers today was terrific! Thanks Pete for the heads up!
Joba starts tomorrow.
Many thanks Steve M and jennifer.
i can say for all my neighbors here in philadelphia that we all think omar is doing a great job, too! (sarcasm alert!)
Brian Cashman had the $ in his budget to spend top dollar on free agents, so all he had to do was present a check… Cashman’s job isn’t rocket science my friends…
I’m pretty sure Wright was Tampa’s signing
I think even Verducci’s book, as uncharitable to Cashman as anything I’ve ever read, attributes Wright to George’s Kitchen Cabinet.
I never give Cashman a hard time about Pavano. I do wonder however why the Yankees didn’t pursue Lowe that off-season. He was 32 at the time and signed for $8 million less than Pavano with the Dodgers.
Perhaps Cashman would have pursued Lowe had the Tampa Idiots not already signed Wright.
How about all the good things that he’s done that seems to get forgotten? He brought up Wang and Cano when most scouts said they wouldnt help. He traded for Abreu(money helped there). He brought in Small, Chacon & Bruney. He brought in Mussina. He traded for Justice. Like I said earlier, all GM’s have hits and misses. Too many people look at just the bad things.
From dp’s site (ET reporter as a guest)
-The top athletes who are also celebrities are Brady and David Beckham. He also says that the British soccer star has made more of an effort than any athlete to be a crossover celebrity. He has a publicist who tips off paparazzi as to where the Beck and Posh will be. If Alex Rodriguez played in Los Angeles, he’d be a HUGE celeb and a major crossover.
(too bad Torre hates Alex)
“HOT” topics:
-Joe Torre
-Alex Rodriguez
-Jeter at SS
-Brian Cashman
-Steroids
kill.schill(ing)
February 27th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
.
I do wonder however why the Yankees didn’t pursue Lowe that off-season. He was 32 at the time and signed for $8 million less than Pavano with the Dodgers.
————————————————————
Perhaps because Lowe had been hammered the two previous years in the AL East.
“• GIAMBI RETIREMENT PLAN — Oakland Athletics slugger Jason Giambi doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon, in part because he said he’s not qualified to do much else.
“What else am I going to do? Seriously. Maybe bouncer at a strip joint. That’s about all I’m qualified to do,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle.”
pat,
Nice find. And people wonder why Giambi gets a pass all the time. Great guy.
I notice that you’re our “sports business” expert. Darren Rovell of CNBC was on our local radio station this morning. Had lots of interesting things to say about the economy’s effect on all the sports. Do you read any of his stuff?
If you don’t mind sharing, what sites do you frequent for sports biz stuff?
Fair point, GB, except for those two ’04 games that will remain nameless that mattered most.
Anyone got the MLB Gameday link???
Good stuff, Pat.
Quotes like those remind why I always liked Giambi, notwithstanding all the problems that accompanied him and his overpaid contract.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_minmlb_1
Just bookmark it and click “Today” above the scoreboard each day to get that day’s games.
With all of this Brian Cashman talk, he is only 12 seats over from me, I just got my picture taken with him. Want me to ask him any questions? Ha ha
kill.schill(ing)
February 27th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Fair point, GB, except for those two ‘04 games that will remain nameless that mattered most.
————————————————————
So they should have signed him because of two games? If he had been on a team that scored fewer runs that Boston, he could have a 20 game loser. He gave up too many hits, too many walks and too many runs, not to mention too few strikeouts.
Jonathan,
Wow. Small world.
Ask him if they’re planning to put Joba in the pen.
Thank you “M”! Appreciate it!
Where’s Randy I,,,His perspective on Brian Cashamn always rounds out the profile…And adds a great deal of humor to the conversation….I think he’s done a great deal of good, as the focus has been on building the organization with young pitching first…My beef with him is how he discharged too many quality instrucors / coaches….With all the bank that the Yanks have, they need to improve the ratio of instuctors to players at all levels….Cashman is moving in the right direction for certain, but moving at a snails pace in regards to coaching……
Jon- Tell him the lohud blog network says hello.
m- Do you want Cash to beat Jon over the head with his cell?
Thomas,
No problem. Last year there was a gameday index that you couldn’t get to from the site’s main page. I’m trying to find that page if anyone could lend a hand.
“That Sizemore, Brandon Philips, and Cliff Lee for Bartolo Colon trade was one of Omar’s greatest”
ouch. That even surpasses the Jeff Bagwell trade. And maybe even Liriano/Nathan, etc
stolen base gardner
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Where’s Randy I,,,His perspective on Brian Cashamn always rounds out the profile…And adds a great deal of humor to the conversation….I think he’s done a great deal of good, as the focus has been on building the organization with young pitching first…My beef with him is how he discharged too many quality instrucors / coaches….With all the bank that the Yanks have, they need to improve the ratio of instuctors to players at all levels….Cashman is moving in the right direction for certain, but moving at a snails pace in regards to coaching……
————————————————————
Randy has been put in “The Time-out Corner” until he behaves himself. They need to take away his Super Sugar Crisp and Hershey bars. Too much sugar.
the little G steals 2nd!
How did the little G get on base?
BTW Jon tell Cash to come and say hello, just tell him who to ignore.
How are you guys getting updates?
Cody Ransom base hit 1-0 yankees
Mlb.tv has the radio broadcast
i wish i could have seen him run…yanks 1-0
are you watching live or did i miss a radio link or something
jennifer–infield single
Ah, didnt bring the headphones into work today
I’m excited about a stolen base I can’t see. How sad is it, that we really only have one stolen base threat?
Nick Swisher with a single
ransom reaches 3rd on a single from swish-jorge up with runners on the corners
awright. li’l g has to make the 25-man. just has to. even if it’s just to pinch run. he’ll drive the defense crazy with distraction.
Looks like Gardner showed up this spring ready to compete…Melky better represent
Jorge Posada Pop up in foul territory
these minny announcers are well informed about our guys–i’ll give them credit. they are better than most
x man drives ransom in
ransom scores on an error swisher forced out
Ha ha, when I went over the I was all awe struck. He is being punk rock an sitting on the stairs. He is sitting with 3 other guys and the one has a radar. Pretty darn cool! Great top of the first so far.
Mike they are pretty good.
Melk grounds out to end the inning.
the melkman promptly down 0-2–takes a ball and then grounds out to morneau
It is intense to shake the hand of a guy who signs contracts for millions of dollars.
Jonathan,
No! You must go back and tell him, “The LoHud Blog said to tell you ‘wassup!’”
Why do I feel like I’m in a Priceline commercial?!
gameday is like and hour behind for me, so thanks for the updates
I’m listening to the game on the radio feed….Reminds me of the days of Red Barber, Mel Allen, Phil Rizzuto listening to the games on my transistor radio with those crappy earplugs at night in bed…In those days the games didn’t start until 8:00…..GB7,who were the players on the 61 team that hit 20 or more hr’s…I thought it was Roger, Mickey, Berra, Moose, Blancard, Boyer ???
jonathan…did you shake cash’$ hand?
IPK up
Jonathan
So did you tell me we said hello? Tell him thanks for getting all the top fa. And we love him!
Jonathan,
Now go back, and shake his hand so hard that you break it. No more big contracts!
The MN screw are John Gordan and Dan Gladden. IMO teh best in the business.
Ian Kennedy K’s Carlos gomez
ipk throws a ball
then it’s a 1-1 count
cervelli is catching kennedy and he throws in another and then IPK fans gomez
So what is the score 2-0?
yes 2-0
wow–i wish i was watching the newly aggressive kennedy
K!
“I’m excited about a stolen base I can’t see. How sad is it, that we really only have one stolen base threat?”
Gardner is one of the fastest runners in the league. There are few players who have his brand of speed. However, I still believe Damon, even in his mid-30s, is
a threat on the basepaths.
Jeter and A-Rod are also still fine, high-percentage baserunners.
Alexi Casilla flys out to left
sorry a flyball to left that is
i wonder how joe crede’s back will hold up in the metrodome?
Ellie Howard not Clete..
Joe Crede walks on 5 pitches
m
I have a Google News alert with keyword Yankee set up but alot of the things come from a business associate.
The company I work for has a news clipping contract for the industry I work in. Everything written about the industry is sent to our PR dept. The account rep for that company is a Yankee fan and knows I am too so he shoots me off things everyday that are Yankee or baseball related that he thinks I might be interested in.
Morneau grounds out to short to end the inning.
If it wasn’t that we Melky had to clear waivers to go down. I’d think that Brett would be up with the team. As much as Joe loves Brett, I believe that unless Melky stinks it up Melky will be the starting cf’er. Unless Brett hits a ton, and Joe has loads of pull.
IPK gets out of trouble–good for him!
Ha ha. Once I went over and after I left he got swarmed. I tried to muster up some words but what came out was “thank you so much for the new players and a hello from the LoHud fans!!”
rconn,
Yes, that came out wrong. The others can steal, but they’ve more situational.
I like having a guy who you know’s going to steal and you can’t do anything about it.
Jonathan so what was his reply? Did he say hi back or anything?
Berroa singles but thrown out trying to leg out a double
Pat M……
Not Boyer, Elston Howard was the 6th member of the 20-HR club in ’61
Leone Home run 3-0 yankees
pat,
Wow. You’re an ‘insider’! Thanks for passing on the nuggets of info that you do.
Jonathan,
Really? We were just teasing, but good going. Theo probably wouldn’t have given you the time of day.
Carl- Who?
Justin Leone I believe out of Fresno
http://den-a.plr.liquidcompass.....ilverlight
if ya wanna listen to da game
I tried to muster up some words but what came out was “thank you so much for the new players and a hello from the LoHud fans!!”
==============================
Who’s Bowden? He’s having a tough time with the Rays.
Fransico Cervelli grounds out to 2nd
Gardner doubles
What’s the joke behind Pete’s “It is believed Leone rode the team bus to the game.”
He just smiled and said enjoy it. Pretty cool though, I called my Dad right after. Gardner just ripped a double, he is no joke.
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I’m listening to the game on the radio feed….Reminds me of the days of Red Barber, Mel Allen, Phil Rizzuto listening to the games on my transistor radio with those crappy earplugs at night in bed…In those days the games didn’t start until 8:00…..GB7,who were the players on the 61 team that hit 20 or more hr’s…I thought it was Roger, Mickey, Berra, Moose, Blancard, Boyer ???
————————————————————
Howard over Boyer. Maris, Mantle and Skowren still have the record for homer by three team mates at 143.
Grady Sizemore will not play in WBC.
loss for team USA.
Steve M,
That was a dig at A-rod, who could’ve saved himself some grief if he had taken the team bus from Dunedin.
Clever, but very naught, Pete!
Ransom out to end the inning 3-0 yankees
Gardner !!
keep proving the people wrong
steve- a jab at Alex.
Brett wants to make the team.
Nice job Brett!!
Let me hitch a ride home with Alex’s cousin. Melky that is.
*naughty
Brett is doing awesome, but remember, Joe is going to take whichever guy is playing best on March 31st, not February 27th. A lot can change, but a guy’s heart can’t and it seems clear Brett came prepared to win.
scott baker is a good pitcher too, so what gardner is doing is even more impressive
i do worry about his defense though… its not as good as melky’s and he doesn’t have a good arm. yesterday’s play is a perfect example of one that melky makes in his sleep getting the DP.
Ian Kennedy gets Cuddyer to pop up 1 out
jennifer,
Keep riding the Scranton shuttle. You might run into Melky.
Sorry! That’s so mean.
Ian Kennedy is working really fast. Delmon Young with a line drive single.
Michael Kay said on his show that Girardi really wants Brett to win the job and Cashman really wants Melky to win it.
So if Melky does end up winning it, Cash must have had something to do with it. I hope he doesn’t meddle and he lets Girardi take whoever he wants to. He is the manager, not Cashman.
Chances are both Melky and Gardner will make the team. It is a matter of who starts. The only way both dont start the season on the team is if Posada cannot catch.
m,
True. Gardner is that type of player. Unfortunately so is Ellsbury. I can’t really think of too many other players who can match their type of speed. Carlos Gomez, perhaps.
Melky’s Brett Gardner voodoo doll, despite the many pins now sticking in it, appears not to be working.
I’d start packing a bag Melky.
Boltin’ Brett is making a very strong case for himself.
I say take 6 relievers. It’s a risk, but 4 of the 5 starters go deeeep into games and Girardi is very regimented in how he uses the relievers. There’s a revolving door for the bullpen and it’ll be a chance to get more guys exposure in the pen.
Ian Kennedy k’s Redmond. Delmon Young steals 2nd.
Delmon young you 3rd base on a wild pitch.
UPDATE, 1:34 p.m.: Brett Gardner, who clearly is the man, doubled to center. Melky Cabrera is going to have to hitchhike home at this point.
=================================
Mebeh he call his cousin?
you = to
m -
They should take 7 relievers at the beginning of a season, pitchers are not going to go too deep in April for risk of burnout later on.
Even with 7 relievers though there is still 4 open spots on the bench: Molina, Ransom/Berroa, Melky & Brett (Matsui)
Ian Kennedy K’s Harris.
Steve,
I think it’s either 6 relievers, 2 catchers, or 1 of the 2 (Melky or Brett) to AAA.
Tough, tough choices. I don’t want to see Melky go down, but I think Brett on the opening day roster is a Good Thing.
If we have to carry a 3rd catcher, I think it’s a given that Melky will start the season on the team and Gardner will go to the minors, regardless of how he performs in ST.
Thats why Cashman wants Melky to win the job… he doesn’t want to lose him to waivers and he knows he can’t keep him on the bench to start the season because we’ll probably need a 3rd catcher.
“Michael Kay said on his show that Girardi really wants Brett to win the job and Cashman really wants Melky to win it.”
“I’d start packing a bag Melky.”
Would highly doubt either Girardi or Cashman would divulge who they want to “win” the job!!
Also doubt Cabrera, who can’t be sent down, and would unlikely clear waivers, could be packaged in a deal that fills any Yankee needs.
That 61 team had 7 pitchers in double figure in wins, and 5 pitchers that threw shutouts…..GB7, Bill Stafford had just turned in back to back 14 win seasons ( 3 shutouts ) had an era of 2.64…Then fell from there…What happened to him ??? Ralph Terry was 16-3…Starters had 42 complete games…..Downing and Tresh came up briefly that season….The collpase in 65 should never of happened when you consider that Jim Bouton and Mel Stott were coming up in the next few years…
Melky is out of options. If he doesn’t make the 25 man, he goes through waivers and probably gets claimed.
Nick Swisher singles to left.
Melky has a strong arm. Maybe he can learn quickly how to be the 3rd catcher.
Jorge Posada singles. Men on first and 2nd no outs.
m,
Bowden is Michael Bowden, a highly-touted prospect for the Sox.
Keith Law of Scouts Inc. ESPN went and saw him pitch last year and was underwhelmed with his stuff. He did pitch well in a couple of major league starts last year though.
X grounds out. Swisher to third, Po to 2nd. 1 out.
Melky would and could easily be traded if he doesn’t make the team. Which I think he still may. He’s a valuable backup OF. He is not a starting OF at this point, however.
Gardner just does too many things much better than Melky, who is average across the board, except for an above average arm.
Also… I listened to Bernie’s Take Me Out to the Ballgame.. I did not cry.
back to the earlier topic…
Sadly, newspaper demise a great time for fans
Friday, February 27, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry
FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron ruminates:
With the Rocky Mountain News folding today, it got me thinking — where is the online baseball community headed? Between The Hardball Times and blogs like ours here at FanGraphs and Tango’s work at The Book Blog, there is a remarkable flow of tremendous content being put out simply for the sake of improving the quality of baseball knowledge available. For guys like Studes or Tango, this isn’t their career — it’s a hobby, and something they do because they love it.
The same goes true, I would suspect, for most of the new analysts we’ve seen rise up in various sites over the last year or two. From guys like Sean Smith to Sky Kalkman, Colin Wyers, Josh Kalk, Mike Fast, and all the rest, there is a deep well of talent that is advancing baseball knowledge for everyone. And they’re doing it without charging for their efforts.
Much like the open source movement in software, there’s been a revolution in the baseball community. The best content available isn’t being written in books or newspapers, or even behind subscription walls that require payments to access — the best knowledge available is free to everyone who wants it.
And, while it’s sad to watch newspapers fold and business models fail, it’s exciting to be living in an age where anyone who wants to educate themselves on the game can do so.
It’s easy to assume that every time the world changes, it’s changing for the worst. And the older one is, the easier that assumption becomes. I’m going to miss newspapers, and every time a colleague of mine loses his job, I know it could have been me and I worry for my future.
But man, this sure is a great time to be a baseball fan.
I really don’t see the need for a third catcher. Even if Posada is only good for 2-3 starts a week at catcher, is Kevin Cash really a better option than Jose Molina? Of course not!
Melky is a far superior defensive player, and as a candidate for the 9th spot in the lineup, defense is clearly the most important characteristic. If only one of them goes, Melky will go and start. If both of them go, then the start will go to whoever is playing best on Marc 31st.
Melky pops up 2 outs. Berroa up to bat.
Why do we need Melky and Brett on the team?
We have Nady, Brett/Melky, Swisher, Damon, all who can play the OF. Swish and Damon could play CF. Matsui could play left/right in an emergency. So we in theory have 5 guys who can play the outfield on the team, 3 of them that could play CF.
What purpose does the loser of the Brett/Melky battle serve on the team?
Berroa walks bases loaded. Leone up to bat.
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
That 61 team had 7 pitchers in double figure in wins, and 5 pitchers that threw shutouts…..GB7, Bill Stafford had just turned in back to back 14 win seasons ( 3 shutouts ) had an era of 2.64…Then fell from there…What happened to him ??? Ralph Terry was 16-3…Starters had 42 complete games…..Downing and Tresh came up briefly that season….The collpase in 65 should never of happened when you consider that Jim Bouton and Mel Stott were coming up in the next few years…
————————————————————Stafford had a marvelous future ahead of him, as did Roland Sheldon. Both of them blew out their arms and ended up with the Mets, as did Tom Sturdivant. NYY had the makings of a great rotation with Stottlemyre, Ford, Downing, Stafford and Bouton. Terry was traded for Pete Ramos a day late to be eligible for the ’64 World Series. Berra had him closing in September. If Ramos was pitching in the Series, NYY would have won the game, because they wouldn’t have used Pete Michelson so much.
Leone grounds out. 3 outs.
Exactly.
Melky’s defense blows Gardner’s away. He has a cannon arm too. He’s also proven he can actually hit .270 at this level with some gap power.
Some of you are selling Melky shot. There is a reason that Cashman wants him to win the job, because he knows he is the superior player and will help the team the best, especially with his defense/arm.
66 –
So who would you rather on the bench if not the loser of Melky/Brett? Kevin Cash? The loser of Berroa/Ransom? Shelley Duncan? Who? Because I would take Melky/Brett over ANY of those guys.
Having Gardner on the team as the stolen base threat. If he doesnt start, for late inning running.
If the idea is that Melky or Brett will be starting most of the games in CF, then the guy not starting is the pinch runner/bunter/defensive replacement on the bench. There is definitely a use for a guy like that on the bench.
You guys are all just excited about Gardner’s speed. He barely hit the ball out of the infield last year. Melky has proven he can hit MLB pitching.
Freddy Garcia is getting tattooed in ST. Can barely throw 88 anymore. Thank god we didn’t sign him
Eric Hacker on to pitch now
Eric Hacker gets Punto to ground out to short.
The bench should be Molina, Swisher/Nady, Melky/Gardner, and Ransom/Berroa.
Tek -
Nobody is selling Melky short – his 2008 performance speaks for itself. He was dreadful. And his 2007 season wasn’t exactly fantastic – it was simply pretty good, but a dropoff from a very encouraging rookie season.
So he had a nice year as a rookie in 2006, slipped in 2007, and slipped even more in 2008. I think there is currently more proof that Melky is never going to be a quality major leaguer than there is that he will be.
And this is coming from someone who really, really, really wants to see Melky succeed. As a Yankees fan, why wouldn’t I want him to do well?
Actually, Gardner is the perfect bench player. But he might play himself into the lineup.
I think more balls will make it out of the outfield this season. He’s slow to adjust, but he’s always proven that he can.
And you can’t teach heart. lol.
“Melky’s defense blows Gardner’s away. He has a cannon arm too. He’s also proven he can actually hit .270 at this level with some gap power.”
gardner’s defense is fantastic, he doesnt have melkys arm but he is much much faster…and about the .270 avg…gardner still hasnt proven he cant hit that…
Eric Hacker walks Carlos Gomez on 5 pitches.
God, Brett Gardner rules.
Steve –
When has Melky really shown that he can hit major league pitching? He has yet to put up one season of average major league performance at the plate.
correction: out of the *infield*
PAT M, remember swing man Jim Coates, tall skinny right hander…won 13 games in ’61? There’s a great story about him in one of the books. Coates slept with his eyes open….never moved, hardly breathed. Stengel had his wife, Edna on the team plane with them. Mantle and Ford are sitting behind them. Coates is sleeping in the seat across the aisle from Mrs. Stengel. She notices that Coates doesn’t appear to be breathing, not moving and his eyes are open. She leans over and whispers to Casey, “Dear, wake up. I think one of your players is dead.”
GB, Remember Hal Reniff ??? He had some good years for them…But Bill Stafford # 22, what caused the spiral downward ?? I forgot that Bullet Bob Turley was still pitching for them in 61
Some of you guys crack me up, you throw Melky down the river for a poor last year, but treat Swisher (who’s 2008 season was worse) as the team savior. I don’t get it!
Eric Hacker walks Casilla on 4 pitches.
Call me crazy but i dont agree with the idea we have too many outfielders but keeping both melky and brett.
Damon has health issues even if he doesnt go on the DL, Matsui is definitely a health concern, swish and nady dont play center field.
Tom K
http://www.baseball-reference......me01.shtml
2006 – 2007…1005 At-Bats .275 average….that in the 9th hole is proven MLB hitting
Team Melky!
Eric Hacker gets Crede to ground into an inning ending double play.
Gardner covers more ground in center than Melky. His speed is much needed in the yankees lineup. Michael Kay said that Girardi wants Gardner to win the job. Melky looks lost.
Steve,
Nah. It’s not throwing Melky down the river.
Personally, I’ve never been a big Melk fan. I appreciated what he did when he first came up, but his decisions sometimes, oy, they drive me crazy.
But I don’t look at his batting average last season like others do. I’m okay with Melky, I just like what Gardner brings to the table.
Like Gardner, going to have to see more than 3 ST games. Last year he hit .220. melky’s problem became mental and i believe he will get past that this year. They can both be valuble.
swisher batted 219 with 24 hrs and 69 rbis with a 332 obp
melky batted 249 with 8 hrs and 37 rbis with a 301 obp
oh yeah melkys so much better (sarcasm)
GB,
In reference to the 8pm starts. It was like that into the 80′s. I remember watching the games on WPIX(11 Alive) and they started at 8pm into the mid-80′s I believe. Then they went to 7:30 for awhile and ultimately to 7pm. Do you remember when the changes occurred?
Gardner needs his adjust time. He has had 3 good ST games, but tomorrow he can go 0-4.
A Rod game 1: Homerun and two walks
A Rod game 2: K and DP.
It can change. wait for consistency.
Cervelli Grounds out. 1 pitch 1 out.
Gardner hit well in the majors last year the second time he came up. I think he was hitting around 280 his second stint with the yankees.
Melky is a 4th outfielder
Melky batted 30 points higher than Swisher and is a better defender and more of a SB threat
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
GB, Remember Hal Reniff ??? He had some good years for them…But Bill Stafford # 22, what caused the spiral downward ?? I forgot that Bullet Bob Turley was still pitching for them in 61
————————————————————
Hal Reniff? Yeah…big, hard throwing right hander. Was supposed to be a near clone to Dick Radditz. Stafford ended up tearing a rotator cuff and elbow problems….same as Sheldon. A big mid season pickup was pitcher Bud Daily from KC for Art Ditmar.
Rollie Sheldon, remember him well..He had 2 shutouts that season as a spot starter…Short career…1961 was a coming of age season for me..1960 is when I started to understand baseball, 1961 was my breakout season…I collected Topp’s cards as if I were addicted to them, a nickel a pack, I can still smell the gum…..I liked Roger , loved the Mick, but in thoses days it was one or the other….
Gardner walks? not sure they were talking about golf.
Where is the evidence that Melky Cabrera is a better defender than Gardner? His defense certainly doesn’t blow Gardner away.
Rob Neyer, in one of his recent columns mentioned that Gardner’s defensive metrics in CF last year were very strong.
Melky has a good arm, but this notion that it’s a somehow irreplaceable cannon is just not true. Considering who he took over for in CF, anyone’s arm would look like a rocket.
Gardner has more speed and covers more ground. He also offers two tools offensively that Cabrera simply doesn’t have – speed and an ability to get on base.
What tools exactly has Cabrera shown? His numbers have pretty much stayed the same across the board during his major league tenure, and they are all far below average.
Listen, neither Gardner or Cabrera are high-ceiling players. But this idea that Cabrera has a skillset that blows away Gardner is just silly.
66 — It’s called depth. The Yanks have basically four every day players. Posada and Molina will share a fifth spot which leaves six guys (Damon, Nady, Swisher, Matsui, Cabrera and Gardner) for DH and 3 OF jobs. Other than Damon
That means you have two quality players on the bench every day.. three if you count the catcher not starting. Add in a utility IF — likely Borroa or Ransom — and you have room for 12 pitchers. Other than Damon I don’t expect any of the others to start 140 X.
If a 3rd catcher (Cash)is needed because Posada’s not quite ready to start the season they most likely would send Gardner to Scranton until the extra backstop was no longer needed.
12 pitchers is almost a must to start the season. I’m betting on a bullpen of Rivera, Bruney, Marte, Veras, Melancon and Coke with Aveves the long man/emergency starter.
Bad Scooter
February 27th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
GB,
In reference to the 8pm starts. It was like that into the 80’s. I remember watching the games on WPIX and they started at 8pm into the mid-80’s I believe. Then they went to 7:30 for awhile and ultimately to 7pm. Do you remember when the changes occurred?
————————————————————
I think the 7:30 PM starts happened when MSG televised the games, but, a lot of that time, I was out of the country, so, I’m not definate.
Bud Dailey, had one arm longer than the other….As for the change in starting times, I think it started right around the time when oil embargo’s were becoming an issue as prices sky rocketed…Remember in 73, Nixon asked everyone to obstain from Christmas lights to save energy….
Cody Ransom Strikes out. 2 outs.
I agree, there is no point to keeping the loser of the Melky/Gardner competition. Swisher can play CF in a pinch and despite what Girardi and Cashman say I think Damon will play a significant amount of time in CF. All four guys will get a lot of at-bats which negates the need for a fifth outfielder.
Who will be on the bench? Ransom/Berroa (leaning towards Berroa), Nady/Swisher, Molina, ? There is one open spot. Does Duncan have a shot? Maybe Cashman will force Girardi to keep Melky on the bench so we don’t lose him.
deja –
Come on man, you missed the point. I wasn’t comparing Melky to Swisher. Swisher is clearly better. I was analyzing the treatment LoHud readers disproportionately give these two players despite similar 2008 troubles comparative to their ability.
M -
I understand you’re point of view. Keep in mind, I have always been a fan of veteran over rookie in ST (despite Melky still only being 24). I think it’s a lot easier to impress against ST pitching than against MLB pitching so I guess that is why I am always skeptical in Feb/March (ex. Enrique Wilson being the best bat in March in 2005 I think it was. ENRIQUE WILSON!).
Gardner another stolen base.
Steve when has melky ever been better than below average? It’s not just last year
“Melky batted 30 points higher than Swisher and is a better defender and more of a SB threat”
LOL
Stick a fork in Melky folks. He’s DONE.
Please don’t compare Swisher to Melky, that’s not fair to Swish.
Nick Swisher flies out. Inning over.
Patrick,
Oi. Duncan over Melky? Melky or Gardner would both be great defensive substitutes off the bench. But, yeah, if it were a 26-man roster, I’d definitely take the bopper, too.
Steve M,
Melky and Brett both making the team would be a compromise for Girardi and Cash. We’ll see how Jorge looks on 3/15.
Gardner is really going after it, he is really playing hard to win this job.
Gonna stop the updates now.
How quickly the discussion goes from Melky earning a job in CF to earning a spot on the 25 man roster.
Melky Cabrera:
2006: .280 Avg batting 9th over 460 AB with 26 2B, 7 HR
2007: .273 Avg batting 9th over 545 AB with 28 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR
I would take any player batting 9th with those consistent numbers with gap power ANY DAY! That’s below average for a middle of the order guy, definitely not for a 9th batter.
A lot can change in a month. Melky is a better hitter than Brett, period. As Steve said, its about who is hitting well on March 27th not Feburary 27th. Melky has the GM in his corner too.
What inning are we in?
Patrick,
He talked about it over the winter. The problem with, and for, Melky is that he doesn’t handle competition well. When he has the job, he’s the man.
Having both Melky & Gardner on the team will help, because neither one is guaranteed to hold the job and changes can be made without roster moves.
“Oi. Duncan over Melky? ”
Duncan could be a valuable pinch hitter, Melky can’t bunt, hit or steal bases. Maybe he’d be useful as a defender but I think we have enough outfielders, 3 of which can play CF.
Honestly I don’t want Duncan on the team either but who else is there to take the 25th spot? Maybe a third catcher makes the most sense. It would have been nice to get a better utility infielder who could challenge Cano for play time but I guess we are stuck with Ransom/Berroa.
carl,
Thnx for doing that.
Brett Gardner is my hero. Short Guys FTW!!!
Patrick,
Duncan can be a valuable pinch hitter on any team but the NYY. There is nobody in the lineup that should get pinch-hit for. Everybody in the lineup is better than him.
“Having both Melky & Gardner on the team will help, because neither one is guaranteed to hold the job and changes can be made without roster moves. ”
Melky will get zero at-bats if he makes the team as the fifth outfielder. If Gardner bombs I’d rather shift Damon over to CF and put Swisher as the starting LF. Melky just isn’t that good, especially on a team like the Yankees.
Gardner should go north with the team….Swisher can back up Tex at first And sub for Johnny and Gardner in Centerfield…..Melky can play left field when Matsui’s on the Disabled list like he was last year….Nady’s proven he’s an Everyday player in Right Field!
“Duncan can be a valuable pinch hitter on any team but the NYY. There is nobody in the lineup that should get pinch-hit for. Everybody in the lineup is better than him.”
Ok then who’s your suggestion for 25th spot on the roster? Everyone is telling me how useless Duncan is with no other alternative. Melky is even worse than Duncan.
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Rollie Sheldon, remember him well..He had 2 shutouts that season as a spot starter…Short career…1961 was a coming of age season for me..1960 is when I started to understand baseball, 1961 was my breakout season…I collected Topp’s cards as if I were addicted to them, a nickel a pack, I can still smell the gum…..I liked Roger , loved the Mick, but in thoses days it was one or the other….
————————————————————
Just mentioning the smell of the gum, brings it back. Flat, brittle, hard, not too bad tasting but, after it broke up, there was nothing left to do but spit it out or swallow the gum. Remember Fleer, with those God-awful cookies. Jell-O and Post cereals had their cards. A&P grocery stores had the giant Jell-O boxes and on the back was a 2×4 foot picture of Mantle. I talked them out of it, and it took three trips to Detroit and Chicago for games before I finally got him to sign it. Al Kaline called him over and asked him to sign it. This was after I told Kaline that he wasn’t half as good as Mantle. Kaline was and is one of a kind. Much more pleasant than Mantle. Here’s a gift for you…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziy8T-DL7b0
Melky is FAR better than Shelley Patrick. We’re not an NL team. Our bench players need to provide strong defense and a decent bat. Spotty power without any defense or speed is not an asset on our bench.
The 24th & 25th man will be two of the following:
1. 7th bullpen arm
2. 3rd catcher
3. Melky or Gardner
Someone will be the odd man out.
Eric Hacker gives up a walk and 2 singles and now the yanks are going to the pen. Clagget is coming in.
Melky is even less of an asset on the bench. He does not have a decent bat. His only tool is his arm. He has slightly above average range in CF and a very good arm. The team already has 4 outfielders that will get a lot of at-bats. There is next to no value in keeping Melky as the fifth outfielder. I can’t think of a single situation that he’d be useful in a game unless there is an injury.
m –
Yea I think that’s correct, I think our discussion of Melky and Brett rests on the assumption that a third catcher is not needed. If Posada can’t catch, than we have more problems than CF.
just back in from lunch…so it seems they can’t get the little G out, but melky–not so much
The 25th man on the roster should be an intangible guy. Melky will get 0 at bats on this team unless Gardner bombs… then Gardner will get 0 ABs on this team.
Use that spot on Duncan. He is a great clubhouse/chemistry guy who can loosen the team up along with Swisher. His presence in the dugout/clubhouse will be more of a contribution than Melky.
Anthony Clagget gets Redmond to line out to Ransom.
Damon is NOT playing centerfield. It isnt even one of the options.
I started Collecting BB Cards in 1966….in my Very First Pack I got Whitey Ford and Jake Gibbs…..
That’s when I Became a Yankees’ fan….my brother was a die-hard Mickey Mantle fan and we’d stay up on summer nights here in the Dakotas, picking up Yankees games on the radio from the Rochester, New York station that broadcast Yankees’ games to games from the Big A in Anaheim, California….
My brother went off to college in the fall of 1967, but I started a scrapbook that followed the Yankees in 1968, Mickey Mantle’s final season….
It broke my heart to see Mickey retire, but I ultimately got to meet him at the LAX Airport Hilton at a 1986 Card Show! He autographed his 11×17 photo that I still have, and “The Mick” for my brother…he was a generous man with his time that day!
Anthony Clagget gets Harris to pop up to Ransom.
“The 24th & 25th man will be two of the following:
1. 7th bullpen arm
2. 3rd catcher
3. Melky or Gardner
Someone will be the odd man out. ”
The Yankees will carry 7 in the bullpen no matter what. There was no point during the course of last season that there were less than 12 pitchers on the staff. In fact, in the beginning of April I’m pretty sure we had 13. Here is how the roster shakes out: 5 starters, 7 bullpen arms, 9 starting position players, swisher/nady, molina, berroa/ransom, ????
I am not arguing in favor of Duncan over Melky. I was simply throwing out the possibility of Duncan making the team because Melky doesn’t bring much to the team off the bench. To be quite honest, I don’t think either guy is all that useful. I’m thinking the Yanks will probably end up carrying a third catcher.
I don’t know many AL teams who carry only 6 BP arms. NL teams do because they need a deep bench for pinch hitting.
The 7th guy in the bullpen like an Albaladejo or Robertson will contribute more than Melky or Kevin Cash.
Patrick,
We are going to have to agree to disagree. It baffles me how you can disregard Melky’s defense and bat and praise Shelly’s wildly inconsistent .221 career batting average is beyond me.
I just don’t understand some of the thick headed Melky love.
He stunk last year. He was handed CF for the Yankees and couldn’t even stay in the major leagues and totally regressed.
He was one of the big reasons along with his buddy Cano that the offense stunk last year after you got through the top 5 hitters.
Have you forgotten that with a 7-8-9 of Cano, Molina and Melky rallies died and innings quickly ended?
At least Cano has shown the offensive ability to justify some patience, but Melky is what he is. He’s an extra OF.
He’s not an everyday player.
Gardner got a cup of coffee last year and showed progress in his 2nd stint.
He also has the speed that this team (and Melky) lacks. He’s a weapon if he can hit enough to start.
If the guy gets on base enough to steal 50 bags he’s a major asset.
I understand people like Melky because he came up through the system and he’s made some great defensive plays in the OF (robbing Manny over the wall one of his best), but he doesn’t have the offensive tools to be an every day CF.
If he has Gardner’s speed it’d be a different story.
I have been saying all off season that I have a sneaking feeling that Melky does not make this team.
I think his relationship with Cano had a lot to do with his getting sent down when he did. He’s also getting expensive after getting over a million w/o going to arb.
I’d much rather see Gardner get the shot and see what he can do with it.
If there’s room for Melky on the roster good. You always need a guy who can play good defense and can hit a little to be on the bench.
But I’ve seen way more of Melky than Gardner and I’m pretty certain that Melky isn’t the next Bernie Williams.
Anthony Clagget gets Punto to pop up to gardner. 3 outs.
Send Melky to AAA right now as it won’t matter about him being out of options as no team will claim him after last season. He’s been a below average player for the last 2 seasons.
Don’t all teams have 7 bullpen arms? It’s pretty standard regardless of how deep your staff is.
And isin’t the goal not to overwork these guys anyway like CC so they don’t flame out by the postseason?
And we have Joba who will probably only go 5 innings anyway.
The 7th BP arm is crucial.
DET X2
February 27th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
The 25th man on the roster should be an intangible guy. Melky will get 0 at bats on this team unless Gardner bombs… then Gardner will get 0 ABs on this team.
Use that spot on Duncan. He is a great clubhouse/chemistry guy who can loosen the team up along with Swisher. His presence in the dugout/clubhouse will be more of a contribution than Melky.
————————————————————
Duncan has very few tangibles, much less intangibles. Until they create a 26th roster spot and a position called utility good guy, Duncan has no place on this team.
The reason the bullpen was so successful last year was because nobody was overworked. All 7 guys got equal time. Even Dan Giese the long man got into games frequently for an inning or so to stay sharp. We spread the wealth and used all the arms, not just 2 or 3 guys.
Why would we miss with the winning formula by cutting an arm for the pen? For what?
don’t know many AL teams who carry only 6 BP arms. NL teams do because they need a deep bench for pinch hitting.
The 7th guy in the bullpen like an Albaladejo or Robertson will contribute more than Melky or Kevin Cash.
____
7 arms in the pen will still leave the space for the loser in cf to make the team.
“Damon is NOT playing centerfield. It isnt even one of the options.”
You are mistaken. He might not play there full-time but he WILL start games in CF this season.
Jorge Posada base hit left center.
Assuming only 2 catchers are needed, there’s no room for both Melky AND Gardner, not to mention Shelly.
I really think Girardi has to go with both Ransom and Berroa. There’s no way you start the year with more outfielders than infielders. And the Yanks always seem to go with 12 pitchers, which leaves 13 position players:
posada
molina
tex
cano
jeter
arod
ransom
berroa
nady
swisher
damon
matsui
gardner/melky
dan l,
Like your thinking. The option is what’s clouding a lot of people’s judgement, including Cashman.
I’m torn, I’m not ready to give Austin Jackson anything so I’d like to hold on the Melky. But if Gardner catches on AND Jackson can play the OF, you’re looking at Jackson, Gardner, Swisher until they sign an OF.
Melky can play OF for a lot of teams, but there are so many OF available now. Hard to see him getting picked up.
i agree with g love 100%–melky has regressed every year. there is no reason to suppose that he will improve in any way. it’s obvious that neither cashman or girardi like melky’s slothful approach, much less his carousing. he’s got a cannon, but takes bad paths to balls. i don’t see maelky making the team either. if gardner doesn’t cut it in the majors they will make a trade. but should he do well in the spring i hope they give him a shot
Nady flys out. 1 out.
Vin, Swisher can play first base … how many games are you envisioning Arod, Jeter and Cano sitting out? NO WAY Berroa and Ransom both make the team.
Ransom and Berroa aren’t BOTH making the team.
Gardner and melky have a better chance of both making the team.
Ransom and Berroa aren’t BOTH making the team.
Gardner and melky have a better chance of both making the team.
I’d like to see the Yanks keep Melky even if Gardner wins the starting CF job out of spring training. It’s possible that pitchers will learn how to get Gardner out and Melky will then be the stronger player.
Rodriguez Pitch running for posada gets thrown out at 2nd on a pitch out. Melky out on a ground out.
Who are the teams right now that would claim Melky?
“The reason the bullpen was so successful last year was because nobody was overworked. All 7 guys got equal time. Even Dan Giese the long man got into games frequently for an inning or so to stay sharp. We spread the wealth and used all the arms, not just 2 or 3 guys.”
Exactly. Joe Torre is gone, we all agree that his BP usage was sub-par. Even while running out a bunch of starters who didn’t throw many innings per start, the Yanks had a very reliable pen last year. This is because there are two types of major league relievers:
- The very few who are consistently great (Mo, Papelbon, Shields, etc.)
- Everyone else who is going to be good most of the time, and will have a few stinkers here and there.
Okay, so we agree that the 7th bullpen and the 10th OF are better than the 3rd catcher?
Best case scenario is that Posada has a good showing on 3/15 and gets strong enough to catch 3-4 games a week.
Steve,
Perhaps you should actually read my posts before saying we disagree. I have said numerous times that both options aren’t really inspiring. I simply brought up the point that Duncan is a possibility for the 25th spot.
Nady, Swisher, and Ransom can all play 1B.
A guy like Berroa might be more valuable than Melky considering we already have 5 guys on the roster who can play the OF whereas we are thin at utility infielders. Can Ransom even play 2nd?
Berroa also like he is friendly with Cano, so that might help. He can fill the role that Melky did (being Cano’s friend) while contributing more than Melky.
Ajax is now in center. Anthony Clagget gives up a single.
I think Melky’s pressuring out. He feels us discussing his future.
C’mon, Melky. You can do it. You had a great winter.
Anthony Clagget gets Casilla to ground into a double play.
I think I may have misrepresented my position. I am not for Melky over Brett. I am for Melky on the 25 over anybody else (Duncan). I would love to see Brett win the job because I really love the guy. I just think Melky is deserving of being on the team.
Patrick, you argued that Duncan was a better option than Melky, which I disagree with.
I agree with the assessment that the 13th man will be either Gardner or Melky…
But I can see Joe Girardi going with 11 pitchers early on coming out of Spring Training which opens up a spot for Melky to go North with the team….
With Texeira and Swisher, there’s simply not room for an extra 1st Baseman, so that leaves Shelley Duncan as the extra DH…behind Johnny D and Hideki Matsui…..
To me, Melky’s best shot at making the Yankees out of Spring Training is as the Starting Centerfielder with Gardner Starting in Left Field….Matsui and Johnny D. as our DH or trade one of them!
Anthony Clagget strikes out Crede. 3 outs.
Claggett is another of the young bullpen arms to watch. He could end up being better than Sanchez, who may never be healthy.
Don’t forget about the improved K/9 rate of 8.66 the pen had last season. Cashman has done a good job of improving this steadily over the last 4 years 05-08 6.38, 7.28, 7.39 and 8.66.
Gardner for President.
Best case scenario is that Posada has a good showing on 3/15 and gets strong enough to catch 3-4 games a week.
___
This isnt the best case. Best case is 120/162. Three out of every 4 games not 3-4 games a week max.
There’s no reason for both Melky and Gardner to make the team – except maybe that Melky is out of options (I think).
I guess I have a Cody Ransom man-crush. I like the way the ball jumped off his bat (for whatever that’s worth), and he seemed pretty good at the corners. Not sure how Berroa would fare as a 3B – he’s only played 1 game there (and only 6 games at 2B). Ransom just seems like a more useful guy on the bench than the other half of Gardner/Melky.
Tex,
That’s 3-4 games right out the chute. Right now, he’s at 0!
Jackson is in CF for Gardner. Pena is in for Ransom at 2nd. Miranda is in for Swisher at first. Linden in RF for nady. Rodriguez dhing for Posada.
Cash is going to make the team until Posada proves he can throw out runners effectively. Posada himself even said that it will take him right until opening day to be ready. That is cutting it too fine. We play Baltimore and Tampa early and those teams can run… So I don’t think they would risk it if he can’t throw 100%.
They carried Moller around for most of the yr last year until Posada went on the DL, I figure it will be the same this year.
This is why I thin Melky makes the team early on, so they don’t lose him. Then when Posada proves he can catch, Cash goes down and Gardner comes up.
Berrora pops out in foul ground for the first out.
vin,
I think a lot of us already have Ransom down as our backup infielder.
It’s really a discussion of Melky and/or Gardner.
“Patrick, you argued that Duncan was a better option than Melky, which I disagree with. ”
I’m not really sure how many different ways I can say this but NO I DID NOT. My first comment regarding the matter was “Does Duncan have a shot?”
I don’t see how that is arguing that he’s better than Melky.
Great Mantle interview..I remember that Late Night with David Letterman show….8 years later he was gone…..Thanks GB….
None of it really matters, because some guys will get injured in spring (hopefully not) and just like last year, the team coming out of ST will be different by May, and will probably be completely different again in August. I’m mostly just waiting for Gardner to take the job and for Melky to get his head on straight.
Leone pops up 2 outs.
Clagget is on the 40 man. Does he have a shot to make the team?
Cervelli gets his first base hit of the day. 2 outs.
Ajax up to bat. Cervelli to 2nd on a wild pitch.
They are comparing Ajax to Torii Hunter.
Ok lets get off this Melky thing.
Steve, for the record, I am not a fan of keeping either Melky or Duncan. I think they are both AAAA players and shouldn’t be on a team like the Yankees. Melky still has a shot at the starting job but I don’t think he will win it. If he doesn’t, I don’t want him on the bench either.
I am hoping someone gets cut from another team that the Yankees can pick up and put on the bench.
Check us out! a Yankee fansite made by fans for fans! Join on ans contribute. It’s brand new but will be a great source to Yankee news and banter. Hope to see you there.
http://www.TheYankeeBlog.com
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Great Mantle interview..I remember that Late Night with David Letterman show….8 years later he was gone…..Thanks GB….
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Mantle was a great interview, because of his stories and self-depricating humor…much like Uecker. Mantle wasn’t much on play by play, though. His Ford, Martin and stengel stories were classics.
“I think a lot of us already have Ransom down as our backup infielder.”
Unfortunately, what we think doesn’t carry any weight. The Yankees might go with Berroa just because of his prior big league experience. Frankly, I’m not even sure why they got him. What Ransom did towards the end of last season should have been enough to guarantee him the utility guy spot. Just once, it would be nice for the Yankees to give one of the farm guys a REAL chance at making the team.
yeah carl, i was a bit surprised, but happy to hear that
Ajax Strikes out. 3 outs.
Patrick –
“Ok then who’s your suggestion for 25th spot on the roster? Everyone is telling me how useless Duncan is with no other alternative. Melky is even worse than Duncan.”
It’s stupid to argue over something so stupid though on February 27th. Let’s see what happens a few weeks from now.
“Melky still has a shot at the starting job but I don’t think he will win it. If he doesn’t, I don’t want him on the bench either.”
Nor should you. Melky adds absolutely zero coming in off the bench, offense wise. He’s fine as a late inning defensive replacement, but that’s pretty much it.
“They are comparing Ajax to Torii Hunter.”
I think that is an excellent comparison. Torii Hunter is the type of player that Jackson projects to be at his ceiling. Very good fielder, some power, above average bat. Not a star but better than average.
Brackman is in
Brackman gets Peterson to fly out.
Is anyone else listening to the Twins radio feed….I’m not certain as to what the qualifications are to be a Twins radio broadcaster other than being an idiot…They’re trying to make a point on how the Yanks buy their players not knowing what in the hell they’re talking about….Austine Romaine is behind the plate….
Andrew Brackman gets winfree to line out at 2nd.
Twins had better start the bats moving in the dugout if they’re going to hit Brackman.
“It’s stupid to argue over something so stupid though on February 27th. Let’s see what happens a few weeks from now.”
I agree. However, its never too early for fans to speculate
Honestly, if you look at the guys in camp there really aren’t that many options for bench players. Granted, the Yanks don’t rely on a strong bench. The 25th spot basically comes down to Melky (or Gardner), Duncan, Cash, ???
I’m hoping towards the end of spring training there are some better players available.
lol Pat I agree.
What are they saying about Brackman?
And is Bleich in camp? He had a good winter, too.
Pat M,
lol. Are you hungry? It’s Romine, not Romaine.
Andrew Brackman gives up a solo homerun to Kubel.
solo shot – dang!
Is anyone else listening to the Twins radio feed….I’m not certain as to what the qualifications are to be a Twins radio broadcaster other than being an idiot…They’re trying to make a point on how the Yanks buy their players not knowing what in the hell they’re talking about….Austine Romaine is behind the plate….
____
these guys are idiots. they whine and whine in minnesota. Their owner was the richest owner in baseball, and never put money into the team. Say what you want about the steinbrenners, but they put their money into their team and their fans.
PAT M.
February 27th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Is anyone else listening to the Twins radio feed….I’m not certain as to what the qualifications are to be a Twins radio broadcaster other than being an idiot…They’re trying to make a point on how the Yanks buy their players not knowing what in the hell they’re talking about….Austine Romaine is behind the plate….
————————————————————
I think these guys are the Single A Miracles announcers.
Andrew Brackman gets Ramos to fly out. 3 outs.
wow 99 cents for a dozen eggs.
First HR given up by the Yankees. Not bad.
Looks like Brackman’s a flyball pitcher.
I’m not too concerned about Brackman. He’s barely pitched since high school. I’m hoping that he opens the year in Charleston.
Yesterday’s game on YES was the highest rated ST game beating out the Va Tech game from last year.
Controversy may not be good for some peoples blood pressure but it’s good for business.
That’s my issue with Melky on the bench.
He can’t bunt and he’s not a power threat. He doesn’t have great speed, although I guess he’s a better base running option that the catchers we have in a pinch running situation.
When you get down to it, unless he hits a ton all of a sudden, he’s strictly a defensive replacement.
With Gardner he can be a defensive replacement and he can be a killer pinch running option off the bench. He has more versatility even if he doesn’t start.
If the Yankees sent Melky down I don’t think there’s a team in the league who is going to claim for his current salary which is just north of a million.
Melky has to win the job here or hope someone gets hurt on another team.
Milwaukee was actually a good landing spot for him. He’d be a great 4th OF for them.
Pena strikes out. 1 out. 3-2 yankees.
Thanks m, time for more meds…..And to think I watched this kid play in HS, and to mispell his name….
“It’s really a discussion of Melky and/or Gardner.”
And I don’t see how that is even a discussion lol
Juan Miranda with a double off the right field wall.
miranda with a double
If Melky doesn’t start he’d be the fastest guy on the bench, the best defensive outfielder, and the best bunter. He’s also a switch hitter. Who would be more valuable to have on the team??
Pat M,
Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your reverie with GB7. I can picture you two swapping baseball stories over checkers in the park.
Great stuff.
Rodriguez flys out to center. 2 outs.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxsco.....refresh=30
How does Romine look? With Montero, does Romine ever have a chance at being a Yankee?
Linden flys out. 3 outs. Yankees 1-11 with runners in scoring position.
looks like 2008.
melky is awful from the right side and is not a good bunter..
George Kontos gives up a single.
Romine has the chance to be a special defensive catcher, and has an arm comparable to a young Pudge Rodriguez. He throws absolute lazers.. he also has excellent power potential, and is a terrific catching prospect.
Montero has a special bat, but is huge already at 18, and no sure thing at all to stay behind the plate.
Romine has the chance to be a special defensive catcher, and has an arm comparable to a young Pudge Rodriguez. He throws absolute lazers.. he also has excellent power potential, and is a terrific catching prospect.
Montero has a special bat, but is huge already at 18, and no sure thing at all to stay behind the plate.
m, We’re not relics….I thought being in your 50′s was the new 40′s…..That being said, I suspect we are definately the medi-care group……….
AAA Rotation:
Hughes
Kennedy
Aceves
Igawa
Tomko/Mitre/Johnson (some vet)
Better than any MLB rotations? I mean, that’s some serious depth.
Where does Montero play then? You have to keep a guy with his power…
Right field?
George Kontos gets Macri to fly out. 1 out.
Tex’s New Best Friend
February 27th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
How does Romine look? With Montero, does Romine ever have a chance at being a Yankee?
————————————————————
I’m thinking that Romine ends up as a corner outfielder and platoon catcher with NYY. He’s pretty quick, great arm, athletic….just not a mechanically sound catcher, right now. Slow feet, slow hands.
George Kontos gives up a base hit to Martin. 1 out. Men on first and 2nd.
i disagree. melky has done a good job laying down bunts over the last few years.
George Kontos gives up a base hit to Tolbert. 3-3 game runners on first and 2nd 1 out.
KennyH123
February 27th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Romine has the chance to be a special defensive catcher, and has an arm comparable to a young Pudge Rodriguez. He throws absolute lazers.. he also has excellent power potential, and is a terrific catching prospect.
Montero has a special bat, but is huge already at 18, and no sure thing at all to stay behind the plate.
————————————————————
Montero isn’t as big as Mauer and Wieter. He may play a little outfield from time to time, but, not regularly. As of right now, Romine isn’t close to being “a special catcher”.
Melky just needs to play to his strengths. When he got sent down last season, he tried too hard to make things happen. Got thrown out at home plate, a lot of caught stealings.
George Kontos strikes out Hughes. 2 outs 2 men on.
Melky is a pretty bad bunter. I don’t know where you’ve been.
George Kontos strikes out Peterson. 3 outs. 3-3 game.
Melky bunts about as well as he makes solid contact with pitches outside of the strike zone.
wow i dont know if its my computer or not, but gameday is pathetically slow.
gameday is slow as heck for me too
Kevin Russo grounds out to 3rd.
Nunez with a base hit. 1 out.
you gotta have— it’s not your computer–they aren’t reall updating gameday till the end of each frame it seems.
and yes, i must re-iterate that melky cannot bunt…nor do anything very well except make throws.
Nunez thrown out at 2nd.
I totally forgot about Miranda. Maybe he can make the team as the 25th guy? He is a better hitter than Duncan or Melky, unfortunately he doesn’t offer much in the way of defense or running.
I know that we’ve had this discussion in the past, but GB is right about Austin’s footwork being his a weakness…Either he takes ballet lessons or he’ll end up being a rightfielder or a 3rd baseman….He hits,has a great stroke..
Bernier walks. 2 outs. Romine up to bat.
Where is gameday???
Francesa on the radio giving us an update on his continuing battle vs. Ryan Church and David Wright.
Romine flys out to center. 3 outs.
More encouraging signs from Posada, and Kennedy pitched well. All of the other pen arms appear to have sucked today – but I’m just glancing at the thread, so obviously I could be wrong.
On another board I frequent, I started a thread where we list the positives/negatives from each ST game (we did this last year as well). Obviously no one cares about wins or losses, but it’s always fun to posts our own (and read others) observations of what we are seeing. I don’t know if there is a way to do that kind of thing here, but if there is, it might we worth looking into. Or, I guess – we could just do that unofficially in a later thread (not the game thread) – something to keep up the baseball talk.
“Francesa on the radio giving us an update on his continuing battle vs. Ryan Church and David Wright. ”
Francessa doesn’t like Church and Wright? I think they are pretty good…
Jeremy K — Can’t wait for April February 27th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Where is gameday???
============================
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_minmlb_1
Wilikin De La Rosa is on to pitch.
Wilikin De La Rosa gives up a single to Winfree. No outs.
LOL Francessa goes below the belt on Church
Calling out Wright too
Thanks SA. I couldn’t find that anywhere. . .
ha ha this is hilarious, francessa killing wright and ryan church
Betsy, good idea with the positives/negatives.
For me, the positives:
+ Posada continues to hit
+ Gardner is really dynamic right now
+ Kennedy pitched well
negatives:
- Melky continues to struggle
- Hacker had no control
So Mike is live on location at Mets ST and he is killing the Mets on a personal level
Nice lol
Wilikin De La Rosa strikes out Pridie. 1 out.
Is there anyone Francesa is not fighting with? I guess maybe Jetah, Mo, Bernie..
Can someone explain why Francessa hates Wright and Church?
Wilikin De La Rosa walks Ramos. 1 out. Men on first and 2nd.
With the exception of Kennedy, all the pitchers who appeared today are in AA or below. So it’s not like these guys are competing for anything. ST is so long this year that these younger-level guys will be filling in a lot of the time so they don’t overwork the MLB regulars.
The Yankees never send a lot of good players on long trips like Fort Myers, only the bare minimum 4 ‘known’ position players to meet MLB requirements.
‘Wilikin De La Rosa strikes out Pridie. 1 out.’
First of many for WDR
Why would anyone hate Wright. It’s not his fault the baseball gods screwed up when passing out unis
Wright is too sensitive
Wilikin De La Rosa Gives up a base hit to Valencia. 4-3 Twins.
Patrick-The Wright thing is that Francesa was critical of Wright’s performance down the stretch last season, that he was not clutch and something else happened(I can’t remember). So Wright is pissed off at his highness of Diet Coke and doesn’t wanna come on the show.
The thing with Church was some time last season Francesa said on the radio that some Met official(someone) told him that Church hates NY and wants to leave(I think I have that correct) Church denies that, Francesa won’t back down from what he said and Church will not come on his show.
I think that’s pretty much it.
Patrick -
Wright doesn’t like how Mike and Chris accused Delgado of not coming out for a curtain call (even though if you read his lips and look at his hand gesture, he is clearly telling him not to do something). He also didn’t like how Francessa killed him for not hitting in the clutch in the final week of the season (even though that was true as well).
As far as Church, he said he heard from people in the Mets organization that Church hated NY. Church was furious about it and the two of them have exchanged shots back and forth for the past couple of months.
So basically Francessa is a blow-hard d bag. Enough said
Thanks for the explanation S.A., I don’t blame Wright/Church for spurning Fatboy
I wonder if A-Rod comes on with Francessa when he comes to Yankees camp…. Francessa grilled him during this whole steroid thing.
Wilikin De La Rosa walks Macri. 1 out bases loaded.
LOL. That’s pretty much it Patrick.
As far as Duncan making the 25 man, I think the odds are nearly 0. He isn’t on the 40 man so he would have to do something special for them to take someone of the roster to put him on.
I think Cash also isn’t on the 40 man so he isn’t assured a spot either.
I don’t think Alex is going anywhere near Francesa. Can you imagine that interview?
Wilikin De La Rosa gets Martin to fly out to right. Ramos Scores. 5-3 Twins. Yankees are going to the pen.
Steve Jackson is on to pitch.
Fire Girardi and the whole coaching staff…fire Cashman….trade everyone for whatever they can get.
Steve Jackson gets Tolbert to fly out to center. 3 outs. 5-3 twins. Last chance for the yanks.
im worried about the pen… today they blew a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning
we may need to put joba back there
“im worried about the pen… today they blew a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning
we may need to put joba back there”
haha I hope you’re being sarcastic..
serious john?
serious john?
Austin Jackson base hit.
“im worried about the pen… today they blew a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning
we may need to put joba back there”
i hope your being sarcastic because nobody that pitched today is going to be on the opening day roster
I am hoping John was kidding, if not, my god
Pena base hit. Men on first and 2nd. No outs.
john — they weren’t playing to win. They were playing to pitch certain guys. the pitchers were pre-determined. These aren’t of the guys who will be pitching big innings for the Yankees once the real season starts. And don’t worry, Joba will be great in the starter role.
“i hope your being sarcastic because nobody that pitched today is going to be on the opening day roster”
Hmm I never even noticed that but you’re right. I think Kennedy might have some time in the majors this year and maybe a few of the other guys but I doubt any of them will contribute a lot.
A few weeks ago, Francessa said they will be in Yankee camp during the WBC so they could miss Jeter and A-Rod.
I think its great that you all are even questioning if he was kidding or not.
Miranda flys out. 1 out.
Thanks for the updates Carl!
little g > scotty pods?
assume he wins cf. lets play over/under on his 09 stats.
1 avg…275
2 obp…330
3 2b….30
4 3b….10
5 hr….5
6 sb….40
7 g…..120
8 wsmvp.1
____________
mine:
1. over
2. over
3. over
4. over
5. over
6. over 80
7. over
8. over (thats right)
Rodriguez walks. Bases loaded 1 out.
over
over
under
under
over
over
over
under
Francesa said they had cancelled the trip to Yankees camp next week because Jeter, Arod and Cano were not going to be in camp as they were away for the WBC and how could they come to SP and not be able to interview Jeter. he said he would doubt Arod would come on anyway but with all the players gone for WBC didnt make sense.
Linden strikes out. 2 outs.
Russo grounds out but Valencia bobbles it. 1 run scores bases loaded. 5-4 twins.
Wow. Did not know that they shut camp down during the WBC.
1. Under – He will bat .240
2. Just under
3. Under – maybe 16 or so
4. Under – maybe 7 or 8
5. Under – 1
6. Under – Won’t get on base enough. Maybe 25
7. Under – He won’t hit enough to get a regular spot
8. Over – I believe he will win WS MVP
Nunez grounds out to third Yankees lose.
Ok I am done for the day. Yankees lose a good game. I’ll do another spring training game if its not on yes or mlb.tv bye all.
disappointing loss… we had this game in the bag
carl,
Thanks, again.
np
Back up the truck. Dump everybody, eat all of the salaries if you have to, but, unload every bum in the system including managers and coaches. I’m finished with this.
Why do the Yahoo standings have the LA Dodgers and Cleveland still in the Grapefruit League?
Sea Net
February 27th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Why do the Yahoo standings have the LA Dodgers and Cleveland still in the Grapefruit League?
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Because they’re a bunch of yahoos over there.
gayle
There are 60 players in ST. I’m sure he could have found someone to talk to. Jeter talks but doesn’t say anything anyhow so what difference should that make.
thanks carl
That’s it. I am done with this team.
I was hoping for perfection.
The twins announcers are acting as if they won the world series. They are pretty amusing.
So I guess the other 23 guys (who will make the roster in Yankee camp are chop liver). They go to the Mets camp. Eeew who wants to interview any of them.
It is so great to be playing ball again!
Just lost some respect for Bern.
There are plenty of other people to interview other than A-Rod and Jeter that we’re interested in—- Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Rivera, Bruney, Joba, Hughes, Teixeria, Posada, Damon, Swisher, Girardi, Cashman, Eliand etc.
And to be honest, listening to Jeter interviews are painful considering he gives you nothing. I also doubt A-Rod would have come in with Mike anyway. So it seems kind of curious on his part to cancel the trip down here,.
Francessa could have at least 10 best shows ever just having Guidry, Ford, Berra, Nettles and Gossage on for two days each.
I can’t tell you how sweet it is to come to the blog and see a line-up and the bolded “update, 12:56″. can’t wait for the season to start!
~
melky should start packing his bags. this could get ugly as gardner appears to be on fire.
seanet- Maybe the Yankees told him they don’t want him there? Is it at all possible?
I had to step away for like 50 minutes and Francesa still going on about the Wright/Church battle..