Spring Game 13: Blue Jays at Yankees (includes A-Rod surgery update)
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- March
- 9
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YANKEES
Gardner CF
Cabrera LF
Teixeira 1B
Posada DH
Swisher RF
Molina C
Berroa 2B
Leone 3B
Pens SS
Pitching today: Andy Pettitte followed by Ian Kennedy, Dan Giese, Dave Robertson, Jose Veras and Jon Albaladejo.
BLUE JAYS
Adams LF
Hill 2B
Lind DH
Overbay 1B
Lane CF
Snider RF
Campbell 3B
Chavez C
McDonald SS
Pitching today: Brad Mills followed by Rick Bauer, Brian Burress, Casey Janssen, Brad Mills.
Notes: This will be the first spring start for Pettitte. … A-Rod is having his surgery this morning. … Back with more later.
UPDATE, 9:12 a.m.: The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was pretty real in the 1970s when guys like Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk really disliked each other. Now, it’s mostly a creation of the media and fans. The players don’t see it as Athens against Sparta.
Up in Canada, some of you will be displeased to learn that Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia are becoming boys. Their friendship started at the All-Star Game last season.
“Tremendous guy and obviously a tremendous player,” Pedroia said last week when he was at Steinbrenner Field. “It has been great getting to know him.”
It’s easy to understand why Jeter would get along Pedroia. Like him, Pedroia is a guy who always plays hard and plays to win.
Meanwhile, here in Tampa, Mariano Rivera has returned from Puerto Rico and will throw a bullpen later this morning. The team is now in the middle of a meeting. There are always meetings in spring training. I think today is a presentation from the MLB Alumni group.
YANKEES MAKE SOME MOVES, 9:39 a.m.: Andrew Brackman was optioned to Single-A Charleston. RHPs J.B. Cox, George Kontos and Kanekoa Texeira were reassigned to the minor-league camp.
UPDATE, 10:33 a.m.: Mariano Rivera just threw 30 pitches in the bullpen. He had a lot more pop than he did the other day.
“Tremendous,” he said as he walked away.
UPDATE, 11:24 a.m.: Jorge Posada made a dozen throws to second base this morning. “Felt great,” he said.
* * * UPDATE, 12:50 p.m.: Dr. Marc Philippon just did a brief Q&A with the media. A-Rod came through the surgery fine. Get this, before the end of the day the rehab protocol calls for him to ride an exercise bike. He’ll do range of motion exercises through the weekend before they get to muscle-memory exercises. Dr.Philippon said there was “no doubt” they made the right choice.
He even guaranteed A-Rod would hit in the playoffs and be accepted as a true Yankee.
OK, that’s not true. But the good doctor seemed convinced that A-Rod will be fine and that the rehab will proceed quickly. So that’s good news for the Yankees.
UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.: Andy Pettitte gave up a one-out double to Aaron Hill then fanned Lind and Overbay.
UPDATE, 1:43 p.m.: Pettitte came out after seven batters, having reached his limit. His line: 1.2 1 0 0 1 2.
UPDATE, 2:04 p.m.: 1-0 Jays on a solo shot by Russ Adams off Dan Giese in the third. Yanks have one hit.
UPDATE, 2:08 p.m.: Gritty, gutty Brett Gardner has done it again. He just lined a two-run homer over the wall in right. It was his third shot of spring training.
2-1 Yankees.
UPDATE, 2:46 p.m.: Brett Gardner, the Maury Wills of his day, just reached on a bunt single. He went to third on Melky Cabrera’s single. But when Cabrera got hung up between first and second with two outs, Gardner did the right thing and broke for the plate. Alas, he was tagged out.
IPK pitching. He allowed a run in his first inning. It’s 2-2 after five innings.
UPDATE, 3:28 p.m.: We just talked to Andy Pettitte. He felt fine and threw 31 pitches. He was only supposed to throw one inning but bargained for three more hitters.
“I felt great today and my shoulder has been feeling great,” he said.
Yankees down 6-2 after seven. Rough day for Ian Kennedy.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
Who takes over as Nexus of the Universe while Arod is under anesthesia?
My guess would be Gardner and Melky. The rest of the issues, with the exception of the last couple of spots in the bullpen, are settled.
Peter,
Do you know where we all can send “Get Well” cards for Alex?
Bobby
Mark your calendars for May 4th.
I have a feeling that will be the day of A-Rod’s return to the Yankee lineup.
Why?
Oh, because it’s well within the time frame the docs have anticipated his rehab and because it marks the first meeting of the 2009 season against the Red Sox at the new Stadium.
It just seems kind of fitting. More theater for the biggest rivalry in sports.
From a previous thread – Wally Matthews is an idiot. Ian O’Connor is an idiot. Anyone that suggests the Yankees are better off without Alex……..follow my line of thinking. I appreciate the heads up, Guiseppe Franco – when I open my Newsday, this way at least I will be prepared for that article staring me in the face. Having surgery is never a good thing, but it will have it’s benefits. Alex could use a few weeks off from the front-pages here – this will allow him to get healthy both physically AND mentally. It also gives fans a break – the media is simply going to have to get back to covering baseball.
Phil is going back to AAA even if he’s lights out the rest of ST, and that’s how it should be. Forgetting Joba for a second, Phil seems to have made significant progress in refining his stuff and he needs the time (that he never got in 2007 and which he was suppposed to get) there to just pitch. He can work on his FB command, his secondary pitches and overall consistency – this is what the minor leagues are for. Phil will get his chances to pitch in NY this year, but this time in AAA will be the best thing for his career.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....g_aro.html
Without A-Rod to provide some cover, in more ways than one, all eyes will be on the new guys. For that matter, as Rodriguez apparently is going to rehab his hip in Colorado for the next few weeks, the $443 million free agents are likely to notice his absence.
“CC and I were talking about that, how we’ve been able to come in under the radar,” Burnett said Sunday. “But I know (the scrutiny) will be there when the season starts. I’m no dummy”
****LOL AJ…….
More:
Burnett threw a 96-mph fastball for a called strike, came back with an 85-mph slider that broke sharply enough for Sheffield to miss it by a foot, and then buzzed a 98-mph fastball inside that Sheffield had all he could do to fight off for a weak ground ball to second.
Considering Sheffield’s pull-happy swing and still-quick bat, it was a dazzling sequence, even in early March.
Burnett, who says he has stopped trying to max out on his fastball as a way of taking better care of his oft-injured arm, practically apologized for radar gun reading.
“I didn’t mean it,” he said with a laugh. “I was just trying to be easy, man.”
Betsy,
Agreed 100% on Hughes. He needs to continue to get on that mound and work on his game. His freak injuries the last couple of years has prevented him from doing that.
He’ll get his chance to pitch in the bigs again this season. Someone will go down. These guys will not make every start this season. And when Hughes is called on to fill in – let’s hope he continues to impress.
Staying healthy is still my #1 concern with Hughes. He has the talent to do great things if he simply takes the mound every five days.
Yeah, Mathews and O’Connor both may assignment changes (perhaps covering the local dog shows?) because they have no business covering baseball.
Regardless of his so-called baggage, it is ludicrous to suggest that removing the Yanks’ best player and replacing him with Cody Ransom is gong to make this team better.
Dog Fancy Magazine may be more up their alley.
“Who takes over as Nexus of the Universe while Arod is under anesthesia?”
LOL, is Jeter still going out with Mariah, I mean the media has to get their fix from somewhere, I mean imagine this folks, now they actually have to talk about baseball x’s and o’s instead of the latest gossip on their backpage and headlines. Can’t wait till they go sniffing around Jeter about Arod when Selena’s book comes out. Pigs I tell ya, bloody pigs.
Yeah, the Yankees are “better off” without Alex.
Until of course, his replacement is hitting .235, with 5 HR, 18 RBI and the team is 10 games out in June.
You don’t just replace 40, 120, .300 because some columnists don’t like the person producing those numbers.
These same guys will be CRYING for a big trade or the return of Alex if the Yankees struggle in his absence.
Saying a team is “better” without the best player in the game is idiotic talk radio crap. Its the kind of stuff that fuels debates and little else.
In the short term, the Yankees have to make due. Long term though, they aren’t a better team without Arod, despite the diva nonsense, than they are with him.
Unlike his colleagues Wally Mathews and Ian O’Connor, Ken Davidoff gets it.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....?track=rss
Why do i have a feeling that the Selena Roberts book wont be released until after arod is back? Damn I hate her guts!
Davidoff is the yin to Matthews yang at Newsday.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....918.column
Best twitter of the day so far comes from Nick Swisher )whomever asked this question yesterday will especially find it funny)
Nick tweets:
WOndering what the record is for the most walks by a player in spring training”
This her quote from her si article.
Selena Roberts: We have no hard evidence about any year other than 2003. Certainly, you wonder why Orza would tip a clean player about an upcoming test in 2004, but whether this was a one-time thing is probably best for Alex to answer if he chooses to clear the air.
Giuseppe Franco, I heard on the radio that you aren’t sponsoring YES network this season! What will all of the bald men do?
You have to give some of the blowhards in the media their due, their job is to create discussion, even if it is pointless and regurgitated. They are just doing their job.
steve
SI lawyers might require “hard evidence” but Harper Collins lawyers would probably be okay with anecdotal evidence, unnamed sources and hearsay to sell a book.
Chris,
You can create discussion without being clueless and moronic.
Guys like Buster Olney, Neyer, Kepner, Curry, Davidoff, Sweeny Murti, Feinsand, and Pete all consistently make compelling arguments even if I don’t always agree with them.
Guys like Madden, O’Connor, Matthews, Francessa, Sherman, and King all consistently make idiotic arguments because that’s all they know.
You tell me which group is more respected by the fans who actually know the game?
hey all,
Down in St. Pete!
Got tickets to the games today and tomorrow!
Just a couple quick questions…
Any tips on where to go to get autographs? Places to stand?
And what time should I get there?
Thanks!
Anyone wanna start a collection to buy Alex a one of those edible fruit arrangements and flowers for a get well gift?
Alex should send us a get well card when the ulcers settle in come late april if the team can’t hold it together with all of these ’slow starters’…
The Davidoff column is the best written column since this Arod stuff began this spring. It should not only be required reading for fans. It should also be required reading for guys in Ken’s own profession who continue to say/write nonsense on a daily basis on this issue.
What is the difference between being optioned (as Brackman was) and being re-assigned to the minor league camp (as were the others)?
uuu ohhhh. Tom Verducci and Terry Francona are coming out with a book titled the “boston years.” In chapter 5, it discusses Dustion Pedroia’s “single white-female obsession with Derek Jeter.
Doreen-
Brackman is on the 40 man roster and the others aren’t-I think.
I wonder what people will say when the Yankees are leading the AL East in May?
Since Orza knew the results of the “base line” tests from 2003 it stands to reason he would attempt to warn those who tested positive before the ‘04 testing began. Why this is beyond the grasp of so many media twits is beyond me. Why Ms. Roberts thinks Alex and not Orza should be answering that question is bizarre. Maybe she got that question from a Duke Lacrosse player.
Perhaps Matthews et al may be trying to convey that without Alex this might be a better “team” even though it is a less talented group of individuals overall. That’s not an unreasonable premise. The Yankees became a better “team” by trading the supremely talented Bobby Bonds years ago. They became a better “team” in the 90s in part by replacing a much more talented Mike Stanley with Jor Girardi.
It would be a better argument if they waited to see of the Yanks picked up a more proven, legit MLB talent for 3B.
Pat,
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
I listened to her dan patrick interview again and she would be a lier if she states anything else.
The “optioning” question was answered correctly. You have a certain number of “optional assignments” to place players on the 40-man roster onto minor league squads. The exact number I don’t know, but I do know they’ve used up Melky’s but not Gardner’s.
It’s among the reasons teams are insane to give MLB contracts to draft picks. They not only take up a spot on the 40-man long before they are ready to even be considered for the big club, but you start using “options” on them as well.
“In the short term, the Yankees have to make due. Long term though, they aren’t a better team without Arod, despite the diva nonsense, than they are with him.”
Someone should go into the Yankees clubhouse and ask all of the players if they think that they are better off without him. I’d bet serious money that the answer would be a resounding NO.
Tom/Doreen -
Exactly as Tom said it. Brackman is on the 40 man because he signed a major league contract when drafted and therefore had to use one of his options to be sent down (you get 3 of them, but you can petition for a 4th which the Yankees will likely do). Once the options are up, the guy has to remain in the bigs or be waived (this is the case for Melky this year).
I never realized being a Yankees fan meant that misery defines my life.
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/40932147.html
Heading out to the game in tampa shortly, excited to see TEX and Jorge
HA!!!
People in Milwaukee are so jealous we have an owner that wants to win. God Forbid they actually try to hold onto their best players. It’s funny how you think you will hold onto the best pitcher in baseball with 5/100 when the 2nd best got 6/137…
What did you think was going to happen Brewers?
Get over it.
I can’t listen to Max Kellerman anymore – I heard one second of his show (that the team could be better off without Alex) and I shut it off.
I also can’t understand this panic about Mark Texeira. Evan and Joe have blathered about how there is all this pressure on Tex, how when he signed his contract he said he was looking forward to being just one of the guys, etc.. Did Tex just forget out how to hit? He’s hit his whole career and he did very well for the Braves and Angels down the stretch (and, in the case of the Angels, in the playoffs as well). The guy is just a slow starter – lots of players are – but he’s a terrific hitter and I am very confident that he will do HIS part.
“Burnett threw a 96-mph fastball for a called strike, came back with an 85-mph slider that broke sharply enough for Sheffield to miss it by a foot,”
What’s particularly interesting about Harper’s description of how helpless Sheffield looked up at bat against AJ yesterday is that Burnett really does not throw a slider.
Obviously we couldn’t see the game so it’s possible that AJ did in fact throw Sheff a slider.
But last year AJ threw his slider less than 1% of all of his pitches. That’s it – it was just a kind of show me pitch at best. And even at that – it was barely a show me pitch.
Given this it would be extremely unusual for Burnett to even attempt a slider his first outing in spring training.
I bring this up not as a knock on Harper but because this possible mis-observation on his part tells you a great deal about how devastating AJ’s curve ball is.
Burnett’s curveball at times has as much downward movement the game’s best power curveballs do but also at times can have as much horizontal movement as the game’s best slider’s do. That’s probably why Harper thought it was a slider. And it’s not a “slurve” – it’s a tight, power curveball that just has so much spin on it that it moves both vertically and horizontally as if it were both a curve and slider at once.
Burnett’s curveball is so good when he’s throwing it for strikes that it’s in the conversation for the single best pitch any pitcher in the game throws. Now when he’s throwing it for strikes is the big issue… but when he’s able to locate it its simply unreal.
His talent is unreal. And that pitch is one of the most unique in the game.
Big thing for AJ is whether or not he throws his curveball for a strike. That’s the thing to watch when he throws. If he’s getting over for strikes go home because you’re not hitting it.
“Up in Canada, some of you will be displeased to learn that Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia are becoming boys”
Pedroia doesn’t bother me. Truth be told, i would trade him for Cano in a minute.
Dustin Pedroia is the Eddie Gaedel of the modern age.
Yea obviously only Jeter and Pedroia play hard to win. The rest of the players in the MLB are just money loving slackers. Thanks for the great insight.
I have no problems with Sox/Yankee players being friends – I like that our guys are friends with players on other teams. That said – the players may not hate eachother, but the fans do….and that does keep the rivalry flaming hot.
The catalysts of the rivalry are basically gone on the Red Sox. Pedro, Schilling, Millar, and Manny were the ones who really fed the rivalry. Sure the Yanks still have Arod, but he’s expected to get boo’s anywhere he goes, and just not at Fenway. I remember when the Sox won it in 04, they seemed to be upset with guys like Sheffield, and Arod, but had respect for Jeter, Mo, and Jorge.
Is Bernie Williams an idiot as well for suggesting the Yankees may be better off without A-Rod
Or is that okay because Bernie is beloved and the media isn’t?
I really want to hate Pedroia, I just can’t. At least Youk makes it easy!
It’s not like the Yankees are the only team with a hurt player or two. Good pitching and timely hitting will get the team by and when A-Rod returns, doctors will tell him to cut down on his swinging for the fences every at bat. It should cut down on his strikeouts especially with runners on base.
Pedroia comments on his Jeter man crush a whole lot more than Jeter speaks of his admiration of Pedroia.
Anybody, Bernie included, who thinks the Yankees are “better off” without Arod is an idiot.
Simply put, does anybody really believe Cody Ransom or Mark Teahen for example, make the Yankees a “better team”?
Really, I get the fact that the spring is filled with boredom and folks have to say something interesting to stir debate.
But this “The Yankees are better off without Arod” stuff is really nonsense.
Perhaps if they had David Wright, they would be “better off” without Arod. Absent that though, its pretty hard to make the argument this is a better team without its best player.
The difference is in how Bernie phrased it. Bernie said it was a blessing in disguise in that it would give A-Rod a break from the spotlight. Bernie even basically said he was sympathetic to what ARod’s going through.
sounds like he’s saying arod might be better off without the yankees for a bit and not the other way around
“I really want to hate Pedroia, I just can’t. At least Youk makes it easy!”
very easy
Bernie didn’t say they are a better team without him.
UPDATE, 10:33 a.m.: Mariano Rivera just threw 30 pitches in the bullpen. He had a lot more pop than he did the other day.
“Tremendous,” he said as he walked away.
________________
Great pic, too
CB, that’s really interesting – great post.
In some ways, AJ is the key to how good the Yankees can be. CC is going to be very good, we expect Wang to be solid as usual, Joba is going to be very good as the #5 and Andy will hopefully provide good support as the #4. If AJ is good, the staff will be very good. If AJ is very good, the staff can be lights out. He’s giving off this country-boy vibe, with his “bashful”, ” I didn’t mean to”, aw-shucks kind of attitude towards his fastball. I love it, to be honest. I don’t mean that he’s doing this to cultivate a persona – this just appears to be who he is. People are in awe of his talent (as they are generally in awe of anyone with extreme talent), the fact that he could throw mid-90’s in his first ST start and look like he’s not trying at all. It’s so tantalizing – if he’s one of those late-bloomer types, then we really have something.
CB, Given that Phil now has something of a power curve, do you think it would be a good idea for him to be mentored by AJ? He’s got access to the best cutter in the world (Mo) and now to one of the best curves – it seems that this is the best of both worlds for Phil. Also, what do you think of him incorporating the slider into his repertoire (or, reincorporating it), even as just a show-me pitch?
Given that Phil now has something of a power curve, do you think it would be a good idea for him to be mentored by AJ? He’s got access to the best cutter in the world (Mo) and now to one of the best curves – it seems that this is the best of both worlds for Phil. Also, what do you think of him incorporating the slider into his repertoire (or, reincorporating it), even as just a show-me pitch?
Just wanted to give Pete a huge thanks here for fulfilling my request and hooking us up with a link to the Spring TV/Radio schedule post in his “Posts of Note” section. Thanks again, Pete.
“It’s easy to understand why Jeter would get along Pedroia. Like him, Pedroia is a guy who always plays hard and plays to win.”
-P3t3 Abe, of the Journal News
One word from Mo means more than a thousand words from anyone else – that “tremendous” alone makes the whole day.
I think Bernie meant that it’s good for Alex to get away from the circus for a few weeks. It’s never good to have surgery, but in that regard, I agree. He can recover in peace in beautiful Colorado and then concentrate on rehabbing without all that clutter distracting him. Cash has indicated that he’s spoken to Alex, who is now in a very good frame of mind (he was, naturally, bummed when he got the initial diagnosis). That’s encouraging – this attitude will help through the lonely days of rehab, knowing that he is just weeks away from rejoining his team and jumping back into the fray again.
Bernie never said the Yanks would be a better team without A-Rod.
He said that it might be a blessing in disguise for A-Rod to get a break from all the hoolpa that has followed him since the beginning of ST.
Those are two completely different points.
How boring must Spring Training be for Mo.
CB,
Thanks for that. Goodness gracious, what potential is hidden in that arm. And he’s our #3? Anyone who grumbles about Cashman needs to get back in their rocker.
It’s not that the Yankees will be better off without Alex. They won’t be.
But, it’ll be a chance to play and live without Alex as the center of the universe. The players say the right things, but it can’t be free and easy living in his world.
Betsy,
AJ mentoring Phil? I bet they’re more alike than not, but I don’t want to see Phil show up with a sleeve tattoo.
CB,
I tend to doubt that Harper has the ability to differentiate between Burnett’s power curve and slider.
I’d bet a hundred bucks that Burnett threw nothing but fastballs and curve balls during yesterday’s outing.
As you certainly know, pitchers don’t usually break out their entire arsenal the first time they see game action.
So, Pens is penciled in at short today?
Poor Mo. Will this be the first iPhone foto to grace the cover of a biography, Pete? Los Lonely Yanqui.
Mark Feinsand has his prediction for the 25-man roster:
http://www.nydailynews.com/blo.....ineup.html
He thinks Robertson will beat out Edwar (a move I’d be happy about) and Gardner will beat out Melky (another move I’d be happy about).
However, I know Melky has no options left – but how could they justify carrying six outfielders (including Matsui)?
If he loses the job, which seems almost inevitable at this point, I think Melky will be either traded or DFA’d and sent back to Scranton if nobody claims him.
They may have to carry a third catcher depending on Posada’s health and I don’t see any legitimate reason to keep him on the roster when they have other areas of greater concern.
Just saw Kruk’s “preview”. Nothing we haven’t said before.
ESPN is projecting the 8/9 as Ransom/Gardner.
m
Yesterday was the first time I thought Jeter sounded annoyed with the questions rather than the subject of them.
from the NY Daily News:
“You guys still ask me about him and he’s not even here, so I’m sure you’re not going to stop asking,” a feisty Jeter told reporters. “That’s up to you, though. If you guys don’t ask questions, then no one has to answer them. I’m sure you’ll bring up something else to ask about (Rodriguez).”
Asked if it gets tiring answering questions about another player, Jeter replied, “I’ve been answering for a lot of people. I’ve been here for a long time, man. It’s really nothing different, to be quite honest with you. Before Al it was somebody else. I know there’s a lot more stories with him. But I guess it comes with the territory.”
Giuseppe, you’re absolutely right that some of the media folk do their job a lot better than others (with Mr Francessa’s solo show a glaring example of the bad). I do get mad at some of these guys when they go out of their way to crucify ARod or whoever the villain of the day is. It’s not like ARod is dogging it on the field, and his steroids use is the only thing he’s done that deserves serious venom.
And if Tex gets off to a slow start, I know they will just spew nonsense into the papers and airwaves, or if one of the pitchers has a rough couple of games. Not that they shouldn’t be allowed to take shots at these millionaire athletes, but the venom should really be reserved for players who fair because of lack of preperation and effort.
pat,
lol. Who’s Al? The only Al I know is Al Bundy.
Good to know that Jeter is letting them know that he’s sick of answering questions about him. He’s right, he’s not even here. But the questions are legit because it is news that he’s having surgery and will be out for a bit.
A big “deal” is being made of the fact that Jeter’s the captain of Team USA. Does anyone know who was the captain last time?
pat- It is funny on the news they cry and whine about having to report yet another story about Alex. Here’s a novel idea, don’t report it. Simple.
m
I’ve heard Jeter call him Al before but I’ve never heard him call him A-Rod.
Dallas Cowboys- America’s Team
Derek Jeter- America’s Captain?
How has Cano looked so far this Spring?
pat,
I like Captain America better.
Did you hear the sound byte from TO?
Something about going to North America (apparently that’s where Buffalo is).
He said he was leaving America’s Team to go play for North America’s team. It’s funny. I felt bad for him though because he was struggling to find the right words.
Thank you to all who answered my question about the optioning versus being re-assigned.
Mariano throwing bullpens, Matsui running the bases, Posada throwing across the diamond, starters on track.
So many good things to talk about.
Its North America team because they will be playing game in Toronto…the original TO
I wonder when Jeter started calling A-Rod Al. I don’t think he was doing that last season. Maybe it’s something they just came up with.
Dont mention TO please…
I listened to his press conference about leaving North America and was shaking my head in awe.
Even if Buffalo was in Canada, it would still be north america. And watching him stutter around fixing that comment was brutal.
burnett is gonna shart on the redsox
Here is how the day will go:
Gardner: Walk
Melky: GIDP
Gardner: Single, stolen base
Melky: pops up
Gardner: Walk
Melky: GIDP
Felix,
That makes sense. So the Arizona Cardinals are Team de Norte Americano?
Pete, you know who else always plays hard and plays to win (as opposed to playing to lose? That’s a mighty strong accusation)? Alex Rodriguez. Can’t understand why those two don’t get along.
Borough watch
March 9th, 2009 at 10:33 am
It’s not like the Yankees are the only team with a hurt player or two. Good pitching and timely hitting will get the team by and when A-Rod returns, doctors will tell him to cut down on his swinging for the fences every at bat. It should cut down on his strikeouts especially with runners on base.
————————————————————
Why is it they people think that if a player’s swing/approach at the plate is geared to driving the ball, they are automatically “swinging for the fences”? More unbridled intelligence turned loose on the world.
Here is how the day will go:
Gardner: Walk
Melky: GIDP
Gardner: Single, stolen base
Melky: pops up
Gardner: Walk
Melky: GIDP
____
A little extreme. What has Gardner done to be annointed next Yankee King? 2 homeruns in ST?
im enjoying the wbc and rooting for team usa. that leaves me in the strange position of rooting for guys like youkilis and pedroia, wright and chipper. but they are members of team usa and im rooting for them. its kind of fun actually. putting the whole rivalry and fan hatred aside, pedroia is a very likeable guy and despite yankees fans constantly doubting him he’s won the rookie of the year and mvp in consecutive seasons.
its interesting to think back and remember how yankees fans HATED johnny damon before he came to the yankees. now he’s certainly one of the most popular yankees. he didnt change, he’s still the same guy, he’s just wearing a different uniform.
sometimes its good to be reminded that good players are good plaers no matter who they are playing for.
Good news about Jorge. Baby steps with no setbacks are needed now more than ever.
tex- where can I see it?
GB7,
The observation is legit. There was a time in ‘07 where Alex was struggling. He was swinging for the fences. They fixed it, and he started driving the ball more.
There were a few times when a ground ball to the right would score the run, but it ended up being an unproductive popup or a swinging for the fences strikeout.
So, yes, Alex does drive the ball, but sometimes he got away from that. And I’d like to see a different approach in certain situations.
“Bernie didn’t say they are a better team without him.”
No he didn’t say they’d be better off. He said it would probably be a good thing for the team. Which to me sounds a lot like he thinks they just might be better off.
“”I think probably it might be good for the (Yankees), too,” Williams continued. “It’s gonna leave a big hole in their lineup, but they have enough firepower in that lineup.”
Source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....ury_c.html
SJ44 people have differing opinions about whether they’d be better off or not. Doesn’t make them an idiot. Just means their opinion is different from yours. They just might be more of a team without A-Rod and all his drama around.
A ton of people thought the Red Sox were and are better off without Manny Ramirez because they’re more of a team.
imo melky is going to have a good year. he’s gonna bat around .275 with 10 homers and is going to be the yankees regular CF. nothing spectacular but enough of an offensive improvment to cover his solid defense. i think gardner will contribute alot off the bench and in late innings situations, but i still see melky as our best bet in CF
Anyone see or hear the news on Pedroia’s brother
YIKES
http://www.bostonherald.com/sp.....id=1148049
If Jorge can catch right off the bat, I’d like to take both Melky and Gardner.
If Jorge can’t catch to start the season, then the 3rd catcher is an evil necessity.
I’ll understand why it happened, but I’ll be disappointed if Gardner “won” the job and still ends up starting in Scranton.
And the backup IF is a must now.
All of Alex’s long term friends call him “Al”. That’s been his nickname for a since he was a teenager.
There is a difference between “overswinging” and “driving the ball”. I think that’s where some folks get confused.
Guys like Alex swing to drive the ball. They just can’t overswing.
You don’t change a guy like Alex, or any power hitter for that matter, approach at the plate. You just make sure his mechanics are solid enough that he doesn’t overswing.
m
March 9th, 2009 at 11:46 am
GB7,
The observation is legit. There was a time in ‘07 where Alex was struggling. He was swinging for the fences. They fixed it, and he started driving the ball more.
There were a few times when a ground ball to the right would score the run, but it ended up being an unproductive popup or a swinging for the fences strikeout.
So, yes, Alex does drive the ball, but sometimes he got away from that. And I’d like to see a different approach in certain situations.
————————————————————
Every player lets his swing get away from him. Players like McGwire, Sosa were swing for the fence types.
Mantle was the biggest proponent of that. His own words, “I go up there not just trying to hit a homer, but I try to see how far I can hit it. I know that I should just try to get a single to win the game, but, I swing for the fences.”
Rodriguez is a guess hitter and when he guesses wrong, he looks bad. Look at the direction of his hits. When he’s in sync, a large part of his hits are to right and right center.
Yeah right…it’s only us childish fans who think there’s a real rivalry.
Joba/Youklis
ARod/Varitek
Beckett running his mouth in the dugout
etc
Anyway…who cares if the players “like each other”. It’s still a team rivalry, and that’s bigger than any little acquaintance that’s made in the off season.
Maybe Dusty will cry a tear when his pitcher plunks Jeter, and Derek will laugh it off because he and Pedroia are “friends.” (eye roll)
GB7,
Thanks. I still like Matt Stairs comment from the NLCS. “I always try to hit a homerun” But he’s a pinch hitter.
About guess hitting. Manny’s approach is better. “See ball, hit ball”.
Oddly enough, the first chorus of “Call me AL” seem to describe Alex:
A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don’t want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
tex- where can I see it?
See the TO Presser?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1rD9Zywt3Q
I think this is it. i dont have sound on my computer at work so i dont know if this is the North America stuff.
m
March 9th, 2009 at 11:59 am
GB7,
Thanks. I still like Matt Stairs comment from the NLCS. “I always try to hit a homerun” But he’s a pinch hitter.
————————————————————
No problem. That’s exactly what got Giambi into trouble. After his first year in NYY he changed from a drive the ball-hit it where it’s pitched guy, to a swing from your azs and pull it guy. He never got that Oakland swing back.
On the field, all bets are off. But most of the guys are cool off the field.
I wanna see Swisher hit a bomb off Beckett. Or was it Papelbon? Who did he say he hated?
Hey, here’s something you’ve all been waiting for: another conspiracy nut. Well, I can’t help myself.
At a point in time when he was catching more flak than the Red Baron (the bizarre photo-op maybe being the tipping point) he’s suddenly shuffled off to media dead Colorado.
No one volunteers to go under the knife, so I’m not saying the whole situation is a sham – just the timing of it. He was hitting as well as ever, and according to Cashman not complaining of pain, and the condition is documented/presenting no immediate concerns.
The A-Rod clan is telling the world the surgery is on Monday, and the Yanks put out there “He’s playing through it”. I call Shenanigans.
It seems almost inevitable that Gardner will win the job over Melky.
Melky has had three years to put a stranglehold on that CF job and hasn’t done it. He also seems out-energized and out-motivated this Spring Training when he knows he’s fighting for a job.
Melky appeared to have a better day at the plate than Gardner did yesterday but he also got thrown out trying to steal AND got picked off first base as well.
Girardi already loved Gardner before the fist day of ST and it’s pretty clear Gardner has done nothing but impress so far.
I don’t expect him to be any kind of star in this league – but he certainly brings more to the table at this point.
I know Melky has no options left – but how could they justify carrying six outfielders (including Matsui) if Gardner beats him out?
If he loses the job, I think Melky will be either traded or DFA’d and sent back to Scranton if nobody claims him.
They may have to carry a third catcher depending on Posada’s health and the A-Rod situation and I don’t see any legitimate reason to keep Melky on the roster when they have other areas of greater concern.
Swisher said he didn’t like Beckett. That certainly plays well with the Yankee masses.
As far as player hate is concerned, this rivalry is nothing like it was in the 70’s.
Even today, 30+ years later, there are guys on both sides that can’t even stand being in the same room with one another.
A few years ago, the Mohegan Sun Casino was opening a Sports Bar and wanted Yankee and Red Sox players from the 70’s to christen it.
They couldn’t get some of the guys to be in the same room together because the hatred was so thick. They had to do the promotion they planned in stages so guys could avoid one another.
Aside from Youk and Joba and Arod and Varitek, you don’t really have any real hatred between the players now.
Some guys may not like one another but, hate? That’s in short supply.
In the 70’s, the hate was very noticable.
Oops:
They may have to carry a third catcher depending on Posada’s health or another infielder given the A-Rod situation and I don’t see any legitimate reason to keep Melky on the roster when they have other areas of greater concern.
tex-
No that wasn’t it. But it did have the funny comment at the end about beating to his own beat. or however he said it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pVyw2JlloM
The best I’ve ever seen,” says a longtime scout ,,,,,Buster Olney
A little trivia.
Disregarding base running, who is the only player in history to be in the top 30 in every offensive category in baseball, except strikeouts?
Yikes is right about the Hobbitt’s brother. I hate the entire Red Sox organization (except Big Papi and Tito), but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Checking out A.J.’s 3-yr splits pitching in Fenway — Yes, I live a very exciting life — I find the #s mind-boggling:
23 innings pitched
9 hits allowed
0.40 era
.118 BAA
Tell me one guy in the Red Sox lineup happy to see A.J. on the mound. It’s one thing to make an out, but no one likes to look foolish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3GZiB1NiQ
This maybe?
I’ll keep looking.
On if there will be an adjustment for him, moving from a larger market to a smaller one:
No, not at all. I just have to create my own following up here inNorth America
_____–_
Ok back to the Yankees now.
you guys are delusional about gardner. this is ST. so far he’s got a .228 ba and a .283 OBP and you guys want them to basically give melky away based on 10 decent early ST games.
id like to point out to you that he has not shown the minimal skill nessesary to even be in the majors to this point.
if he impresses enough through ALL of ST that the team has some confidence he will be able to greatly improve over his performance of last year, then he will be given a shot at CF with melky on the bench in case it doesnt work out. if they have any doubt whatsoever, then melky becomes your CF and gardner heads to either the bench or scranton.
i like gardner and im rooting like crazy for him, but melky or another CF has to be on this team when they break camp no matter what gardner does in ST.
Joe D?
Never mind. Joe D. isn’t in the top 30 in HR, is he?
gb ill guess dimaggio.
who hit the first every WS pinch-hit HR?
first ever
first ever
I liked it better when the players hated each other! Actually some still do. I wouldn’t take Derek as the model of how they feel about each other since he tends to ingratiate himself to every player he comes across.
Ask Jorge Posada how he feels about the Red Sox. Now THERE’S a man!
With teams expecting a huge drop in attendance this year and swimming in red ink, it will be interesting to see what teams start dealing off their high paid players. I can see the Padres unloading Peavey, but keeping Adrian Gonzales and Seattle trying to move Suzuki.
“Attendance Projected To Be Down 17-20%?
By Tim Dierkes [March 9 at 9:00am CST]
In a blog post this morning, ESPN’s Peter Gammons wrote:
Major League Baseball has warned club business people that attendance is expected to be down 17-20 percent in 2009, and it could be worse, especially with franchises like the Padres, Blue Jays, Tigers, Indians, Astros, Rockies and others that could be seriously impacted by the recession.
MLB’s attendance stayed remarkably steady from 2007 to 2008 – 32,785 per game in ‘07 vs. 32,543 per game in ‘08. With the average ticket price at $25.40 in ‘08, that game could see a total dropoff of around $400MM in ticket revenue.”
Giuseppe Franco-
Thank you for the Davidoff article. He was spot on to the way I feel about the situation. To think that any team would be better off without Arod is an insult to the game of baseball.
Re: Rivalry. There is no rivalry with the players accept the few that were mentioned in prior posts. The fans that hate each other are the knuckleheads on both sides that are not respectful. IMO.
I had a great time the All Star game this year and was treated very well and had some great baseball dialogue the whole week even with my B cap on. I see the same thing happening at Fenway when the Yanks are in town. I have been a season ticket holder since 94 and the rivalry has become more civil. The games are by far the most intense but the hatred has lessened. I am sure I will get folks that disagree however a computer screen usually brings out the less civil. It is usually much different sitting down with a fan on the opposite side a bar outside the park talking basbeall. Again, JMO.
-dennis
you guys are delusional about gardner. this is ST. so far he’s got a .228 ba and a .283 OBP and you guys want them to basically give melky away based on 10 decent early ST games.
———–
We’ve watched Melky regress for two straight years when he’s supposed to be getting better.
He hit .235 /.281 /.300 from May 1st through the rest of the season last year.
We know what he’s [not] capable of.
I also have no delusions about Gardner. He’s not going to be a star in this league but he has improved considerably since his debut and he has more tools to help this team win.
And frankly, I’m tired of Melky and his play. I’d like to see him gone altogether.
Is it a Yankee, GB?
Tom
March 9th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Joe D?
No…actually it’s a guy that hardly ever gets a second though when talking about one of the best, pure all around hitters in history. Had he wanted to, he could have stolen bases, too. He had the speed. It’s a good thing that he hurt his arm and couldn’t pitch again. A 20 game winner in the minors.
***Stan Musial***
“We’ve watched Melky regress for two straight years when he’s supposed to be getting better.”
I think we watched him overachive in ‘06. He’s just not that good. Aside from throwing, there is nothing that he does above average and plenty he does below average, especially offensively. He is adequate as a 4th outfielder at the big league level, but he shouldn’t be starting for anyone, especially a good team.
Ah, I should have guessd. Stan Musial. Here I am staring at his autograph on a baseball.
Victorino, Granderson, Reyes, Ellsbury, Upton.
I want to have a stolen base threat. And not to pinch run.
Regarding rivalry: I went to YS last July when RS were in town (traveled 500 miles, wife and I go to YS 2x/ year.) We sat in RF bleachers. Many RS fans there, including one guy dressed like Manny. He would stand up and yell things and NYY fans would give it back. All good natured and really funny. Best part was Mo saving game 2-1.
Tom
March 9th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Ah, I should have guessd. Stan Musial. Here I am staring at his autograph on a baseball.
————————————————————
Every time I see videos of Don Mattingly’s swing, I think of Musial’s. Nearly identical. All Musial had on Mattingly was health and more speed. Mattingly would have been that good. The great thing is, they had the same temperment and humility.
Agreed, Steve.
I was on the “trade Melky” bandwagon after the 2006 season for the very reasons you mentioned.
I had hoped they would trade him while his stock was high but to no avail.
He overachieved in 2006. It’s as simple as that.
Call me crazy, but doesnt this “friendship” between Jeter and Pedroia seem awfully one sided to anyone else? You constantly hear Pedroia waxing poetic in the press about how wondrous Jeter is (can’t really argue with him there) but I havent heard Derek say much if anything about him. Quite frankly this sounds more like a mancrush to me!
I never liked Wade Boggs. I still think he stole Mattingly’s ring. And then had the nerve to ride around on a freaking horse…
“I liked it better when the players hated each other! Actually some still do.”
I don’t think any of them really do anymore. Not even Posada, whose issues were largely with a guy who has been in Queens the past 4 years.
Those old 70’s teams really disliked each other. Nasty clashing of personalities with guys like to Fisk and Lee, who thought they were smarter than everyone else and the blood and guts guys like Munson, Nettles and Piniella. Plus back then, the financial incentives for getting to and succeeding in postseason play probably meant more to players.
GB
The River Dogs are having a job fair this weekend and are looking for ushers.
You’d get paid to tell stupid fans where to go instead of offering that service here for free.
http://www.oursportscentral.co.....id=3787343
bbb- A single white female obsession to be more exact.
Victorino, Granderson, Reyes, Ellsbury, Upton.
————-
Don’t forget Grady Sizemore.
If I could choose any center fielder in the game, he’d be my #1 target.
Upton would probably be #2.
Anyone know if we can listen to the game on the net?
“About guess hitting. Manny’s approach is better. “See ball, hit ball”
M: lol. You have it right.
“We’ve watched Melky regress for two straight years when he’s supposed to be getting better.”
This is basically the crux of the matter to me. Melky’s getting worse while Gardner’s getting better. Who do you want on the team?
Also, earlier in the winter here someone brought up a very good point…I had never even thought to look at this, but Melky’s major league stats his rookie year were better than the numbers he had put up at any time in the minors! How is that not a giant red flag….now meanwhile Gardner’s numbers have progressed a lot more like you’d expect your average MLB player’s would. I know some of you will tell me he’s not been average in MLB, he’s been below it, but at least his career numbers suggest the capacity for improvement. Melky’s suggest a continued decline.
pat
March 9th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
GB
The River Dogs are having a job fair this weekend and are looking for ushers.
You’d get paid to tell stupid fans where to go instead of offering that service here for free.
http://www.oursportscentral.co.....id=3787343
————————————————————
LMAO. And to think, I do that on here and Pete sends me to the timeout corner. The problem with that job is two-fold….number one is affording the gas to take my friend’s boat up the coast for 71 games a year and number 2, I’d be one of the people I’m paid to say, “Get out of that seat for real customers.”
“Victorino, Granderson, Reyes, Ellsbury, Upton”
I love BJ Upton’s game. Tampa will not be locking him up (aka Longoria)
either way, hopefully AJax can be BJ Upton-lite
Okay, guys, I think you missed my point.
We have our legs on the team. His name is Gardner.
But yeah, any of those guys would do. haha.
Except Victorino, Granderson, Reyes, Ellsbury, Upton etc. can hit
Reyes hit .297 with 16 HRs (72 XBH in total) and .358 OBP
Victorino hit .293 with 14 HRs (52 XBH) and a .352 OBP
Granderson hit .280 with 22 HRs (61 XBH) and a .365 OBP
Upton hit .273 with 9 HRs (48 XBH) and a .383 OBP (walked almost 100 times)
Ellsbury hit .280 with 9 HRs (38 XBH) with a .336 OBP and was benched because he didn’t hit enough.
I think the better comparison for Gardner is Pierre/Podsednik.
“Oddly enough, the first chorus of “Call me AL” seem to describe Alex”
Tom: hilarious. : )
“I was on the “trade Melky” bandwagon after the 2006 season for the very reasons you mentioned.
I had hoped they would trade him while his stock was high but to no avail.”
Pretty disturbing when you think of what Pittsburgh was offering for him. Lefty SU/CL Mike Gonzalez for Melky and Proctor. Atlanta ended up doing the deal w/them instead, sending Adam LaRoche…can you believe there was a time when Melky was deemed even slightly comparable to LaRoche??
Even though Gonzalez got TJS shortly after the trade, he would be helping us right now, providing insurance in the 8th, even lightening Mo’s load in the 9th, and the Marte trade/signing wouldn’t have been necessary, we could have maybe used some of his 09 monies on a Util IF, we might (stress MIGHT) still have Dan McCutcheon or Tabata…the rebound effect is really amazing. Worst non move by Cash in recent memory, hands down.
In the interest of full disclosure though, I was dead set against that potential trade at the time. A good friend of mine pulled for it hard and still hasnt let me hear the end of it!
“Okay, guys, I think you missed my point”
yes. Took it you were meaning a total/complete player. However, with Ellsbury in the group i should’ve known better.
no one is a bigger Gardner fan, then I. Not expecting him to be an all-star. In my view his ceiling is Juan Pierre. And on this team, i’ll take that all day long.
Pete great update . ! Great News on Alex .. ride that bike and get better .
Go Arod . Go Yanks !
I know that Gardner’s offense is his weakness. I’m just saying that there are certain guys who can change a game with their legs.
I’d love to have any of those guys, but it aint happening. So I’m saying to use Gardner in a way that benefits us the most.
He’s a smart kid. He’ll figure this major league thing out.
GB
Oops!
I thought you lived in Charleston.
I see Gardner as a Podsednik clone.
When I see Jackson play, nothing screams “star” to me, he’ll be a solid player. Can do everything pretty good but nothing great.
I’ll admit, I’m one of those fans that can’t stand when Jeter floats around like he’s everyone’s best friend in baseball.
At some point he and Torre became “ambassadors of the game” and I felt that, as a fan, this coincided with losing the proverbial eye of the tiger the team had prior to 2002.
I wish the guys on the Yankees wanted to beat Boston’s brains in, but I know it’s not personal anymore to most of the guys on the team.
That said, I would also trade Cano for Pedroia in a heartbeat. That guy is a winning ball player and I can respect him.
I also respect Youkilis even though I despise him and his body language on the field.
I wish we had a player that was willing to change positions at the drop of a hat and still be productive offensively and defensively no matter where we put him.
At one point in the off season there was talk that Boston would sign Tex, keep Lowell at 3b and put Youkilis in the OF and Youkilis was fine with it.
That’s a player I can respect even though I can’t stand the sight of the guy.
As for Arod, I think any Yankee fan who thinks his absence is going to make the team better is silly.
The only thing I think is that this injury/surgery is great for Arod. It will give him a chance to catch his breath and it also creates a storyline when he comes back that he’s fighting through injury, surgery, rehab to help his team win this season.
If there ever was a guy who needed that kind of good PR, it’s Arod right now.
The one thing I don’t want to see is Cashman sit on his hands and not find another player who can play 3b in case Arod’s rehab doesn’t go as planned.
We can try to get by with Ransom for a month. More than that w/o any other option on the team is a bad job by the GM.
I hope he’s just waiting to see who is on the bubble on other teams as spring training winds down.
Wow, already on the bike by the end of the day. I guess they don’t want scar tissue to build up.
If I could pick any CF for the Yankees it would probably be Grady Sizemore. Next would be Curtis Granderson.
Beltran and Upton are really good too but Carlos is getting a bit old.
Pete,
LOL. If the doc could guarantee that part about the playoffs, he would get a playoff share, WS ring, and Jennifer Steinbrenner.
Good news regarding Alex. Get on that bike Al!
“inny-b __NYY fan and WBC promoter__ March 9th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
“Victorino, Granderson, Reyes, Ellsbury, Upton”
I love BJ Upton’s game. Tampa will not be locking him up (aka Longoria)
either way, hopefully AJax can be BJ Upton-lite”
I think the Rays wanted to get in negotiations to lock BJ Upton up before last season but he didn’t want to negotiate yet. Maybe in the back of his mind he knows he can get ‘Paid’ more somewhere else but let’s see if his mind has changed after what happened in the 08 season. It would be interesting if he walked b/c he’s part of that core w/ Longoria. If that happened I’m sure Longoria will try to find a way out eventually
I see no problem giving Gardner the job and keeping him at the bottom of the lineup
The problem is when in April, we field with team with the bottom of the order featuring Nady-Ransom-Molina-Gardner. When healthy, we should have no problem carrying him.
“He even guaranteed A-Rod would hit in the playoffs and be accepted as a true Yankee.”
Thanks for the update Pete, great news indeed.
I guess it will be upsetting to quacktards like John Kruk though, who seem desperate to believe (from what little of Baseball Tonight I was unfortunate enough to catch yesterday when Nets/Knicks got boring) and convey to the audience that ARod will miss 9 weeks of the reg. season. Fatty didnt even bother to say *6 TO 9* weeks nor stipulate that the rehab clock begins today! fail.
Good news on A-Rod.
Girardi to be on with Francesa after the game
Sorry if this has been posted already, but does anyone have a gameday link for the game (if there is one)? Thanks!
The doc can have Hank or Felix the Gardener too, if he wants
Wow, pretty gross Jeter. How could you let me down like that dude? Pedroia is a little bastard chipmunk. Plus I still think he will get figured out to some degree. I seriously defy him to keep having seasons like last one. No way that’s going to happen.
Great news on Alex – he’s going to be on a bike before the end of the day? My hip is perfectly healthy and I don’t even do that, lol…. Great news on Jorge as well…….This has already been a good day for the Yankees, no matter what happens on the field.
I don’t think Yankee fans ever have to worry about Jeter not wanting to win badly enough – that’s all the man cares about is winning and it’s one of the reasons why he’s so respected in the game.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_nyamlb_1
GameDay link
Thanks for the update Pete.
‘How has Cano looked so far this Spring?’
Surprinsingly very patient. I don’t think I’ve seen a game where he hasn’t had an 0-2 count go full or atleast a hitters count.
Thank you Forntoso!
pat
March 9th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
GB
Oops! I thought you lived in Charleston.
————————————————————
No, actually, I live a couple of blocks from Paulsen Stadium in Savannah. Me and the sand gnats (the real ones, not the baseball team) are on first name basis. They’re worse than Red Sox trolls on this board….guys like Ray (sox fan). I only pretend to be nice to him. Wait until the Boston Clippers basketball team lose or the minor league Boston Red sox lose. I’ll really give it to him, then.
“When I see Jackson play, nothing screams “star” to me, he’ll be a solid player. Can do everything pretty good but nothing great.”
I agree I think he’ll be good maybe even an all-star but not great. He’s likely a guy who will hit .280 20 homers and 80 RBI with 30 something steals.
gameday anyone?
Surprisingly* sorry I’m still in shock
Josh Hamilton would be my first choice for Yankee CF. Sizemore 2nd, Victorino 3rd. There may be other guys with better numbers than the Flyin Hawaiian but (and pardon me in advance for sounding like Gammons mancrushing on one of the saux here) Shane is the heart and soul of that team, plays w/a belly full of guts (hey, at least I didnt call him a scrappy grinder!
) and motivates them like nobody’s business. Plus, unlike other Gritty McScrapsters around the game, he’s actually a damn good baseball player and does everything pretty well.
If I had a dollar for everytime I wished Victorino was a Yankee, I could afford to add Rolen’s contract to the Yankee payroll.
G. Love, I agree with you, but times have changed. Jeter takes great pride in being an ambassador of the game and all the accolades that come with it. He doesn’t take the rivalry as seriously as some other players might. Jeter has done it all in the game– won the 4 rings, now he has set his sights higher as his time winds down.
Heck, he went 0-2 yesterday and ESPN chose to interview him after the game.
Wow! I know they like you up and about right away with most surgeries these days, but riding an exercise bike by this evening????? That’s truly incredible.
I’m glad the surgery went well. Thanks for the update, Pete.
‘He’s likely a guy who will hit .280 20 homers and 80 RBI with 30 something steals.’
This is bad why ? Plus post steroids or HGH that is going to be a standard in MLB.
Hmmm, my comment didnt go thru – am I not allowed to call John Kruk a quacktard? Guess I’ll find out now lol. If that is indeed the reason, apologies, Pete.
Lori
March 9th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Sorry if this has been posted already, but does anyone have a gameday link for the game (if there is one)? Thanks!
————————————————————
Lori, you can save that “Gameday link” in favorites and every day just click on the calander in the upper right corner to change the date….click the the scoreboard at the top and get it.
***calendar***
For the most part, rivalries only exist between the fan bases and the front offices.
I always think it’s silly to “hate” a player because they wear an opposing uniform. You really don’t “hate” the player. And if you do, it’s probably time for a little introspection.
I root against the laundry, not so much the person.
If Pedroia played on the Yankees, people would be on this site extolling his virtues. He would be the prototype Yankee.
The same goes for Jeter if he had played his career with the Sox. (Ugh, can’t believe I just wrote that.)
They would build a monument to Jeter on Yawkey Way.
Is anyone surprised that two guys like Jeter and Pedroia would respect and grow to like each other? They play the game the same way. The same way Don Mattingly did.
As a Yankees fan, I hope Pedroia’s perfomance falls off a cliff this year. But “hating” the guy, because of the way he plays the game, doesn’t make much sense.
Laura – If I’m right about your quote, that is quickly becoming my favorite Coldplay song.
By the way, where did you get the Al reference from?
“Wait until the Boston Clippers basketball team lose”
Magic in 6 in the ECF
Youkallis is such a great player and a team guy. He was willing to move to any position to accommodate Teixeria– 3B, LF, RF, anywhere. He signed a team-friendly contract when he could have robbed the Boston FO for a new deal. Plays the game intense and is just such a gamer. And on top of that, he is one of the best players in the game. Gold glove defense, 30 HRs, drove in 115 runs with a .390 OBP.
I hate the guy but I would love to have him on my team. I wish we could find/develop players like that. Pedroia too. Players like them are the reason they survived without Manny, banged up Lowell, and an ineffective Ortiz.
“Wow! I know they like you up and about right away with most surgeries these days, but riding an exercise bike by this evening????? That’s truly incredible.”
Yeah surgeries these days are incredible. They had me walking around and stretching the day I got my knee worked on its crazy.
“He’s likely a guy who will hit .280 20 homers and 80 RBI with 30 something steals.”
Not bad at all. Just saying some people are expecting .320, 40 HR’s, 120 RBI from this kid before he has seen a major league pitch. I’ll take that stat line I posted from any player.
OT – I just got off the phone with my best friend. She has been in W. Palm Beach for the week looking for a condo down there (as an investment property). She told me that the houses on the ocean there make the mansions of Newport look like guest houses! You know I’m not a materialist at all, in fact I am pretty much the polar opposite.
But just for say, a month, I’d love to know how those folk live!
Meanwhile, it’s snowing in Rhody.
Thanks GB7! I’m doing that now – great tip.
Victorino is wildly overrated in my opinion. Also, Josh Hamilton shouldn’t be playing CF. He is much more suited for RF. He has a cannon for an arm but he’s a really big guy and doesn’t cover that much ground.
Curtis Granderson is a monster IMO. He had a few injury problems last year but look at his 2007 numbers. .302/.361/.551 with 38 doubles, 23 triples(!!!), 23 HR, 74 RBI, 26 steals (only 1 caught stealing). He is also probably the best fielding CF in the majors.
Why would Victorino want to leave Philly? He just won a ring and they look to be competitive for a long time, I doubt he’d want to leave that situation
Good to see Alex’s surgery went well, I have a feeling he’ll have a speedy rehab and be back sooner than expected. He’s in great shape and works hard, the man will be on a mission
tampa yankee:
yes. I had heard (don’t remember the source) BJ Upton stated, he will not be signing a Longoria type contract. It sound like, he will let it ride out until his free-agent years. IMO, if you are the yankees he is the type of player you save your free-agent dollars for.
BJ Upton = 5-tool player
A great comp for Austin Jackson is Torii Hunter. Great fielder, solidly above average hitter with some pop. That is basically what Jackson will be if everything breaks right for him.
Brandon – Where is Robbie batting in the Dominican order?? Just curious if he is surrounded with better or worse hitters than he would be batting, say, 7th or 8th in the Yankee lineup. If superior hitters, maybe that is helping his patience? I saw him take an AB for the 1st time yesterday and he did indeed work an 0-2 count full before grounding out. Downright Swisherian! <—-lolz, how long before Sterling and “Oh my goodness gracious” start busting out w/that whenever someone sees a ton of pitches and then walks?
pc dan- can’t you say the same for Alex. He moved to third from SS a position he was great at.
When the Yankees are 10 games over .500 when A-Roid comes back, will you then believe they are better off without him?
Texas was so great with A-Roid in the lineup and winning MVP awards, that they finished dead last all three years. The first year they get rid of him, they win 89 games and finish just 3 games out of first place.
Seattle was so devastated by A-Roid’s loss that the very next season they won a record 116 games and won the division in a landslide.
Please stop showing your ignorance by thinking stats mean anything. They don’t. A-Roid couldn’t get a big hit if he were playing recreational softball in Central Park. Enough already with this overrated, overpaid player.
“I root against the laundry, not so much the person.”
Yeah unless it’s a Barry Bonds type.
Here in Rhode Island if you’re a Yankee fan you absolutely abhor the Red Sox. The same goes for being a Sox fan, and feeling that way about the Yankees. But you don’t really stop to think about the individual player. It’s the laundry. But MAN ALIVE we hate that laundry!
Lori
March 9th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Thanks GB7! I’m doing that now – great tip.
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You’re most welcome, Lori. It beats waiting and hoping that somebody posts it.
I love Victorino for obvious reasons. Why would he leave Philly? It’s a perfect park for him to hit in.
But the parallels between Victorino and Gardner are similar. Victorino’s fate was even worse. He was bounced around. But the (then) Scranton manager kept bugging the Phillies with daily Victorino updates of his game-changing moves and catches.
We’ll see.
“A great comp for Austin Jackson is Torii Hunter. Great fielder, solidly above average hitter with some pop. That is basically what Jackson will be if everything breaks right for him.”
If Ajax becomes Hunter I would be ecstatic.
Patrick:
agree with you, on Granderson.
when he was in the minors, was he on everone’s radar? Or, did he kinda come out of no where?
When it’s all said and done, A-rod might miss the same number of games this year as he did last year. He missed a portion of April and May due to the hamstring injury last year. If everything goes well, he will miss all of April and none of May this year.
Carl Crawford’s numbers last year are probably with Jackson’s numbers will look like… except with some more power (especially doubles power). But .273 avg and 25 steals seem spot on.
Anybody who thinks Austin Jackson was going to post Arod-like numbers needs to step away from the computer.
Guess what? If he posts 20HR/80-90RBI/30 SB numbers as a ML, he’s an all star in this new era.
The Yankees would GLADLY sign on for that type of production.
Trisha,
The better mansions down here are in Boca and Delray Beach.
Palm Beach is old, inherited money, most of which was invested by Bernie Madoff. Not exactly “secure” in these lean times! lol
For people between the ages of 25-50, and are interested in moving to South Florida, move as close to Delray Beach as you can. Its a nice place to live, not overly expensive off the ocean, and there is a lot to do.
Still has a small town feel to it and it hasn’t been overdeveloped like the rest of South Florida.
Patrick
March 9th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
A great comp for Austin Jackson is Torii Hunter. Great fielder, solidly above average hitter with some pop. That is basically what Jackson will be if everything breaks right for him.
————————————————————
Let’s not get too carried away, here. He’s not likely to hit 25-30 homers a year. 18-20 will be fine. More like a right handed Johnny Damon with an arm, and, that’s just fine with me.
“when he was in the minors, was he on everone’s radar? Or, did he kinda come out of no where? ”
He was drafted in the third round and pretty much dominated every level of the minors.
Kenny, you do know that Texas and Seattle have been far below .500 in the years FOLLOWING A Rod’s departure, right? Not just the next year, but several years following.Neither team got better, in fact both have been pretty horrible.
I know you are an intelligent guy, you post like one on PP. I don’t think the Yankees doing well without Rodriguez will have anything to do with him being gone. His offense has carried the Yankees despite poor pitching. Now the pitching gets to do it’s part.
too bad Kontos was sent down. Would’ve like to see him pitch. Busted TV schedule.
The best comparison for Jackson is Victorino with less steals and more strikeouts.
Or maybe Upton with less OBP and 1\2 the steals (closer to 20 than 40).
It’s hard to find a good comp. for him. He doesn’t have elite speed like a Reyes, Ellsbury, or Upton, probably 20 SB speed. He doesn’t have the power of a Granderson or Sizemore, though he probably will have similar strikeout numbers.
Overall, Victorino is probably the closest comparison hitting/power-wise but with less SBs and more Ks.
“Let’s not get too carried away, here. He’s not likely to hit 25-30 homers a year. 18-20 will be fine. More like a right handed Johnny Damon with an arm, and, that’s just fine with me. ”
With Jackson’s athleticism, he is projected by many scouts to develop more power. He also doesn’t have the same speed as Damon.
And if the Yankees aren’t 10 games over .500 in Arod’s absence, will you stop posting here?
One player can’t turn around an entire franchise if there is no pitching in the organization. Blaming the Texas situation on Arod? That’s pretty funny.
Seattle? How have they been since he has been gone? Except for one year, they have been on a downward spiral ever since.
Don’t let your hatred of Arod cloud your judgment.
If you think he is overrated, you don’t know anything about baseball. There are plenty of blogs where such lack of knowledge would be praised. This ain’t one of them.
Brandon – Where is Robbie batting in the Dominican order?? Just curious if he is surrounded with better or worse hitters than he would be batting, say, 7th or 8th in the Yankee lineup. If superior hitters, maybe that is helping his patience? I saw him take an AB for the 1st time yesterday and he did indeed work an 0-2 count full before grounding out. Downright Swisherian! < ——lolz, how long before Sterling and “Oh my goodness gracious” start busting out w/that whenever someone sees a ton of pitches and then walks?
————————————————-
He’s batting 6th, he should be #4 or 5 in the order because no way anyone can tell me Fernando Tatis is a #3 hitter. That alone will hurt Team DR.
Robi is batting #6 and protected by Jose Guillen so they are throwing him slop.
Curtis Granderson was drafted in the 3rd round?
proof you can select a top-top position player, without drafting high in Round 1.
Just for the record, I don’t think Victorino would want to leave Philly at all, but since everybody was naming their dream Yankee CF’s I thought I’d throw his name out there since I love him and he’s a baller. Choices like Granderson are more realistic as his team is going nowhere, losing money and pretty much has to trade almost anyone they get a good offer for. But just had to throw Shane’s name out there!
While we’re talking about good young(ish?) OF’s, know who I have some serious love for is the Twins’ Denard Span. He’s just such a great athlete and so much fun to watch. I think he’s gonna be a big time player and would be willing to trade them almost anyone for him.
When the Yankees are 10 games over .500 when A-Roid comes back, will you then believe they are better off without him?
————
Maybe you should read Ken Davidoff’s piece today:
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....?track=rss
If you recall, Jeter dislocated his left shoulder in the 2003 season opener. The Yankees proceeded to go 25-11 without him, a phenomenal .694 winning percentage. Not a soul said, “Hey, they’re better without Jeter!” No, people understood that a) the Yankees had a deep offense, and b) sometimes, freaky things happen for short periods of time.
You know that many won’t have such perspective if these Yankees get off to a similarly hot start without A-Rod. Nope, it’ll be all of the proof they need that this guy is not an asset, despite all appearances, but a liability.
If the Yankees do struggle, however, if the new guys can’t live up to the expectations and the old guys can’t reach back for better days, then perhaps the haters will finally have their question answered. They’ll finally realize the old “Be careful what you wish for” axiom.
Nah. They’ll probably just hate A-Rod all the more for getting injured.
I doubt Jackson ever approaches Hunter’s power potential or defense.
Same type of hitter though… .270ish average with decent speed.
4×4:
I don’t know. Based on what i’ve followed of Jackson, Tory Hunter seems like the best/projected comparison.
“doubt Jackson ever approaches Hunter’s power potential or defense”
Tory Hunter isn’t exactly Barry Bonds.
Jackson may not have world class speed, but, he has an explosive first two steps and is a smart base runner. As for power, he’s right handed and mostly a gap hitter. If he get’s the right pitch, he’ll hit it out….more fence scrappers than bombs.
I’m not even talking about “realism” in getting one of these CF’s. I’m just ranking them on how much I’d want them on the Yankees.
I’d probably go with:
1. Sizemore
2. Granderson
3. Upton
4. Beltran
I don’t consider Hamilton a CF, he will be playing RF next year most likely. He should be playing RF this year.
To be honest, there aren’t that many REALLY good center fielders.
Hopefully Jackson will dominate AAA and be the starter for the Yanks for many seasons.
Good news on Alex. Hopefully he’ll be back in early May.
Power is the last thing that develops with young players. Most of them are playing in pitcher friendly ballparks, where the ball doesn’t carry well, in the minor leagues.
They are also filling out physically and learning the game, such as how to pick out certain pitches to drive.
Minor league power numbers, except for those who play in the PCL, where the altitude skews the numbers, are always low.
I think Austin can develop 20-25 HR power as he fills out. He certainly has the bat speed to hit with power.
I think of him more though as a gap hitter.
‘Tory Hunter isn’t exactly Barry Bonds.’
He’s a special player and game changer on the field. If you heard what the Indians AA team said of Jackson in the playoffs I think ppl would understand the hype.
Well, Pettitte allowed a double to a developing Yankee Killer, Aaron Hill, but got out of the trouble by striking out Overbay and Lind.
Jackson isin’t going to have mid-upper 20’s power like Hunter, IMO.
Damon does seem like a good comparison for him, with less speed and more strikeouts but a better arm.
“Jackson may not have world class speed, but, he has an explosive first two steps and is a smart base runner. As for power, he’s right handed and mostly a gap hitter. If he get’s the right pitch, he’ll hit it out….more fence scrappers than bombs. ”
Yes but as I said, he is extremely athletic and scouts project that he will develop more power as he gets older and more experienced.
CB brought to light some very interesting info on AJ earlier….During the winter we both agree that last season AJ may have made the switch from a thrower to a pitcher…CB made the Schilling comparison which might be spot on….I think the light bulbs upstairs finally came on for AJ and he’s decided to become AJ the pitcher…Much like Randy Johnson did…..His time has arrived..
I never knew there were so many minor league experts on here. I am only quoting scouts when I say that Jackson’s best comp is Torii Hunter.
I put some stock in what GB7 and SJ44 has to say because they have actually watched these players.
“He’s a special player and game changer on the field. If you heard what the Indians AA team said of Jackson in the playoffs I think ppl would understand the hype”
yes. I expect/hopeful of this from AJax.
my point was, i don’t think Tori Hunter’s power numbers are so imposing, that AJax can’t duplicate them in the future. Like others have stated, power develops last.
Bromance is in the Air… oh Dustin you cheeky little son of a Gun
Is Andy okay? why is he already out of the game? Did he reach his pitch limit?
Pete, why is Giese replacing Andy in the middle of the inning?
Patrick
March 9th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I never knew there were so many minor league experts on here. I am only quoting scouts when I say that Jackson’s best comp is Torii Hunter.
I put some stock in what GB7 and SJ44 has to say because they have actually watched these players.
————————————————————
I’m waiting for Brackman, Muruszak, Higashioka, Bleiche and Venditte to start this year here in Charleston. That should be an interesting group. Not sure about the rest of the kids, though.
“my point was, i don’t think Tori Hunter’s power numbers are so imposing, that AJax can’t duplicate them in the future. Like others have stated, power develops last. ”
I agree with you. Hunter has only hit 30 HR once. Also look at his first two seasons in the majors. In 1999 he played 135 games and hit 9 HR. In 2000 he played 99 games and hit 5 HR. It wasn’t until his age 26 season that he hit more than 20.
yea is andy hurt or pitch limit
Yeah I am jealous of you GB, you get to see Brackman pitch! You’ll also have to update us on how Bleich looks, a lot of Yankee fans are down on his potential but he could turn into a very good pitcher.
Darnit- Gameday doesn’t show pc.
Pete is Andy okay?
We won’t need power from our CFer, by the time Jackson is on the team.
A-Rod, Tex, Holliday (or whomever we sign for our RF/LF vacancy), DH will provide more than enough power.
We should stop thinking in terms of how 98-06 teams were contructed.
As an organization, one is better off to seek out speed, good defense, and a high avg/OBP out of a CFer than power numbers.
Carlos Beltran strikes me as the only 5 tool CFer in the game. His talent is few and far between.
Bottom line, the position of CFer demands speed, a strong arm, intelligent paths to baseball. You are less likely to find all of that AND a 25-30 HR threat in this day and age.
Leave the power to the corners. Up the middle should be all speed and grit.
Carlos Gomez w/ a 280-290 avg and 330-350 OBP would be ideal CF
Something must have happened. That was only 14 pitches by Pettitte.
I still think AJack has a pretty high ceiling. He’s been developing in fits and starts because he was behind when he entered the system. At the same time, he has battled a bunch of extreme pitchers parks on his way up. His road splits made him look much better last year. I think his power will become more consistent when he know which pitches are his, and I think his power has been disguised by the system.
“I never knew there were so many minor league experts on here. I am only quoting scouts when I say that Jackson’s best comp is Torii Hunter.”
Well at least no one said he’s going to have Gary Pettis power. I hope he can work on cutting down on his strikeouts. I see him being in the exact situation Hughes was moving up in the system. Everyone wants him to start in center field for the Yankees yesterday and wont just let him develop. Who knows what he will be. I mentioned this a week ago. Cleveland dumped Marte which i believe alot of people on this blog thought he was a sure thing. Its a crap shoot with these minor leaguers. Hopefully it pans out with AJAX.
Um I hope Pettitte just threw a lot of pitches and isn’t hurt.
Instead of the A-Rod jokes which aren’t funny how about an update on Andy?
“Seattle was so devastated by A-Roid’s loss that the very next season they won a record 116 games and won the division in a landslide.
Please stop showing your ignorance by thinking stats mean anything. They don’t. A-Roid couldn’t get a big hit if he were playing recreational softball in Central Park. Enough already with this overrated, overpaid player.”
This is so nonsensical I don’t know where to begin. First of all, Seattle landed Ichiro during the offseason after A-Rod left and Bret Boone had an ..ahem.. career, MVP-like season. And he might have had some help with that.
Second, Texas had no pitching. Not some, or a little – none. How is that A-Rod’s fault, exactly? That’s the fault of the front office.
Second, stats mean a lot. The front offices that carefully follow statisitcal analysis usually succeed, i.e. the Red Sox, Yankees, A’s). Stats aren’t the end-all, be-all of the how players are valued, but it’a a crucial part.
If teams didn’t believe stats meant “anything” then they could just sign anyone, you know, since the numbers don’t mean “anything”.
Your argument is absurd.
GreenBeret.. where did you get that pitchcount from?
Pitch count must have been wrong. At least Pettitte came out effective and healthy.
Whew! Thanks, Pete. While I want Hughes to get a chance, I don’t want it this soon!
Phew…
Pettitte came out after seven batters, having reached his limit. – Pete’s blog update..
Phew- thank god. I thought something happened, it didn’t seem like he faced too many hitters.
Great news about Arod!
I read an interview with Giambi after the Selena Roberts vs. A-Rod thing happened and Big G referred to him as “Al” too. At first I was thinking how odd that looked, and that maybe it was some kind of California-cool thing Big G was perpetrating. But then I realized that “A-Rod” is the odd-looking, fake handle, not Al.
Hearing that people call A-Rod “Al” instead of A-Rod seems to humanize him.
“Seattle was so devastated by A-Roid’s loss that the very next season they won a record 116 games and won the division in a landslide.
Yep they did win 116 and then got bounced in the playoffs by the Yankees.
And Alex has had important clutch hits.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....p;c_id=mlb
Patrick
March 9th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Yeah I am jealous of you GB, you get to see Brackman pitch! You’ll also have to update us on how Bleich looks, a lot of Yankee fans are down on his potential but he could turn into a very good pitcher.
————————————————————
Unless they block out the wireless signals from Joe Riley and Paulsen Stadium, I’ll try updating from the parks. I’ll even describe the taste of the beer and hotdogs. If I get cut off, never fear…it’s only because I smacked the snotty nosed kid next to me that used my sleeve to wipe his nose on. If I ever learn how, I’ll try downloading videos of some of the games.
does anyone know if Jorge still pees on his hands through out spring training? not sure why i thought of this, but a couple years ago i read a brief article about him doing it to toughen up the palms of his hand.
The Riddler
March 9th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
GreenBeret.. where did you get that pitchcount from?
————————————————————
During ST games, it’s next to the pitcher’s picture and during the at bats, it counts the number of pitches next to the batter. It added up to 14.
In the short term, the Arod absence could make this a better team in this respect:
The past few(4 or 5) years the Yanks have come out of the gate looking complacent, or at least not playing with a sense of urgency. Without their best player, they will have to play like their backs are up against the wall, and some players are going to have to step up. If they do, and stay with the division leaders, they will be that much better off when Arod is back. Of course, he must be there for the team to sustain success and finish the season. But maybe, some of these historically slow starters will know that they have no other option than to do what they can to play their best ball right now.
Hokiehill:
From what I understand it’s a real old school thing. Not sure if he’s still doing it, but I’d be surpised if he changed his “lucky” routine this late in the career.
I remember a line attributed to Jorge in a story about this, something like, “Yeah, this time of year is not a good time to shake hands with me.”
Moises Alou allegedly does the same thing.
Why arent the Yankee games Televised and all the Damn Met games are?????
Let’s see how Jackson does with a full year of AAA games under his belt before we annoit him as the next…(name your favorite centerfielder here)
There is now guarantee that he’ll be any better than Gardner or Cabrera. He certainly has more tools than either player, and a much higher ceiling, but as so often happens, those tools may never translate to actual performance.
“Is Bernie Williams an idiot as well for suggesting the Yankees may be better off without A-Rod
Or is that okay because Bernie is beloved and the media isn’t?”
Didn’t Bernie say it would be better for ARod? I don’t think he said anything about how ARod being out would negatively affect the team.
positively*
GB, You’re going to love watching Kyle…He may very well be the catcher for the Yankees in about 3-4 years…Great mechanics….
It’s crazy that the Yankees signed CC and AJ and AJ seems to be the one getting all the attention. And I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. You bring in the most dominant pitcher over the last 2 years and his teammates talk about how happy they are that they don’t have to face Burnett this year.
I was against the Burnett signing because of his injury history and because I didn’t think the Yankees would sign CC, AJ, and Tex. I’m still not convinced he’ll be able to stay healthy, but I’m obviously hoping he does. What are reasonable numbers to expect out of him assuming he starts 32 or so games?
What is the over/under for games won by CC, Wang, and AJ? 53?
Another HR for Gardner! 2 run shot. 2-1 Yanks
Haha. The power of the blog. 2-run shot by li’l g.
PAT M, I’m looking forward to it seeing Higashioka for the first time. I’m taking a stopwatch with me for the first time. Just to time things, like catchers….footspeed. Just for something extra to do.
Melky is probably so angry lol
G.G.B.G. is da man!
Little G wants that CF job. Is his kid at the game again?
“Trisha,
The better mansions down here are in Boca and Delray Beach.
Palm Beach is old, inherited money, most of which was invested by Bernie Madoff. Not exactly “secure” in these lean times! lol
For people between the ages of 25-50, and are interested in moving to South Florida, move as close to Delray Beach as you can. Its a nice place to live, not overly expensive off the ocean, and there is a lot to do.”
SJ funny that you mention DelRay. That’s where they looked at a condo they might be interested in! It’s in a place called the Pines of Delray. Do you know anything about that particular complex?
I just hope that Gardner doesn’t all of a sudden think he is a power hitter and starts TRYING to hit home runs. Still has to remember that his greatest strength is his speed and he needs to hit grounders and line drives to all fields.
Jennifer,
Maybe we can call him Big G after Giambi retires.
Pete,
Can you talk to Kevin Long and see what Gardner’s doing differently?
The Triple Crown race between Gardner and Berroa will be hard-faught and tight all year.
Seattle? How have they been since he has been gone? Except for one year, they have been on a downward spiral ever since.
=================
Ah, but baseball, like all things in life including the economy and politics, are cyclical. You just watch that upward climb starts now
Speaking of politics…
Why are you Yank fans worried about this season and the quest for the 27th ring anyway? Have no fear, there’s a democrat in the White House
I’m liking Gardner… it’s definitely better that he hits a few out versus not hitting any out.
But let’s see him in another week or two when pitchers start throwing something other than fastballs (which have an alarming tendency to stay straight this time of year).
Teixeira’s on fire. Apparently he saw what Kruk said.
“Pete,
Can you talk to Kevin Long and see what Gardner’s doing differently?”
m – competing for a position!
from mlb trade rumors:
“Major League Baseball has warned club business people that attendance is expected to be down 17-20 percent in 2009, and it could be worse, especially with franchises like the Padres, Blue Jays, Tigers, Indians, Astros, Rockies and others that could be seriously impacted by the recession.
MLB’s attendance stayed remarkably steady from 2007 to 2008 – 32,785 per game in ‘07 vs. 32,543 per game in ‘08. With the average ticket price at $25.40 in ‘08, that game could see a total dropoff of around $400MM in ticket revenue.
I am very curious to see how the 2009-10 free agent market shapes up once this lower attendance has been realized.”
What’s going on with Brett Gardner? Is that 3 HRs this spring?
“It’s in a place called the Pines of Delray. Do you know anything about that particular complex?”
I think they share tennis courts with Del Boca Vista Phase II.
Gardner with a HR, Teix with a double
Gardner is hungry as it gets, I don’t even care about the HR’s but just seeing him get on base is fun as a Yankee fan to see that kind of player on the bases, it will be stunning if he is not in CF come April 6th.
“I think they share tennis courts with Del Boca Vista Phase II”
I don’t know what that is.
I agree murphydog. But my point is, lets not hope he all of a sudden thinks he is a power hitter just cause he hit a couple. I think that happened to Melky last year. Looked like he was always trying to hit the ball out instead of just hitting the ball where its pitched. He needs to get back to that and I hope Brett continues to spray the ball around as well.
Del Boca Vista
From Seinfeld fame.
What about Boca Del Vista ? I hear there’s an opening for condo president if anyone’s interested.
“The scouts Buster Olney talked to absolutely adore Stephen Strasburg. One of them said, “Right now, he’s better than A.J. Burnett.” There’s no way the Nationals can pass on a talent like this.”
Jumping in and out so sorry if this is a repeat:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....l_sur.html
“Del Boca Vista
From Seinfeld fame.”
Well that explains it…
Knoblauch also thought he was a power hitter for a few years there. To his credit, though, when they got to the playoffs he always went back to doing what made him valuable in the first place.
Where did Gardner’s power surge come from?
does anyone have a gameday?
According to the stories I’ve read on Gardner this ST, he has been working on driving the ball with his legs more and he eliminated his leg kick.
I recall last season he didn’t have any drive at all. He was basically swinging with all arms and barely slapping the ball out of the infield.
Pat:
Bad question. You just know someone is going to say ’steroids’. Just a matter of time.
“I’m waiting for Brackman, Muruszak, Higashioka, Bleiche and Venditte to start this year here in Charleston. That should be an interesting group. Not sure about the rest of the kids, though.”
GB7: Do you know if the Yankees have officially made/released any news as to which prospects will be assigned to which levels this year? I know with some of them, especially the ones in the lower minors, it is obvious, but I live near the Thunder and just curious who I should keep an eye out and/or make a point to go see for this year. I’ve heard the team won’t be as good as previously (last 2 years) but I bet they’ll still be competitive.
I’m really excited about Higashioka’s potential and cant wait to monitor his development. Also excited about Brett Marshall, do you know where he will be playing next yr?
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_nyamlb_1
Gardner has found his “boli”
pat
March 9th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Where did Gardner’s power surge come from?
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He’s either corking his arms or it’s spring training. Hey, Nick Green has two homers so far.
Gardner’s staying down in his crouch, instead of coming out of it when the pitch is on the way. This keeps his lower half involved and gives him more power. It’s not all that suprising since the guy is a walking fast twitch muscle.
Stratsburg is better than AJ Burnett right now?
Talk about hyperbole
Trisha,
That complex is about 5 miles from my house. Its ok, nothing special. They can find better places in the area.
Pat M,
My nephew had a big weekend in Tallahassee against FSU. First time in BC history they won two of three on the road against a Top Ten team. He went 7-12, a HR and 7 RBI.
He’s now hitting .455 and is leading the ACC in RBI and hits and is second in HR and total bases.
BBB:
Also hoping that Carmen Angelini can rebound from a bad year last year. Yanks liked him so much they gave him 1 mill bonus but he struggled mightily last year. I assume he will be back in Charleston. Also excited to see what Garrison Lassiter does this year. Jeter is getting up there is years and Yanks will need to find his heir apparent some day.
oh, and as far as where to visit and/or live in South Florida, as far as I’m concerned the 305 craps all over the 954 or anything northward. Just had to say it – Sunny Isles Beach/Eastern Shores for life! Although then again, I am on the younger side of the 25-50 age bracket and I enjoy overdevelopedness, as long as there is still some beach nearby. Delray Beach isnt bad but to me, it has nothing on Northeast Dade anywhere east of Biscayne.
Gardner is going to have to show some of that power if he wants pitchers to give him a chance to walk. Otherwise, they’ll throw him nothing but fastball strikes knowing he can’t hit it.
SJ, for the same kind of money? Any names I can give them to look at?
BBB
March 9th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
“I’m waiting for Brackman, Muruszak, Higashioka, Bleiche and Venditte to start this year here in Charleston. That should be an interesting group. Not sure about the rest of the kids, though.”
GB7: Do you know if the Yankees have officially made/released any news as to which prospects will be assigned to which levels this year? I know with some of them, especially the ones in the lower minors, it is obvious, but I live near the Thunder and just curious who I should keep an eye out and/or make a point to go see for this year. I’ve heard the team won’t be as good as previously (last 2 years) but I bet they’ll still be competitive.
I’m really excited about Higashioka’s potential and cant wait to monitor his development. Also excited about Brett Marshall, do you know where he will be playing next yr?
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No, BBB, I haven’t seen any rosters, yet. Just going on the assumption that the kids from last year’s draft will move from short season to Low A level teams GCL and Staten Island to Charleston, mainly to make sure they don’t have the best players from one or two positions on the same team. I think that this year, you may see some position experiments or switches.
BBB – I know they intend to stay in the Delray area. For whatever reason my friend seems to love it there. She said she loves Delray Beach. If I’m not mistaken isn’t that that the beach you drive your car on? I remember going there on spring break when I was in college and I thought the beach was pretty gross. That is, if I am thinking of the right place.
JohnC: Ditto on all counts. At this point imo it’s especially important for one of Lassiter or Angelini to do well this coming year because the Yankees lost SS/2b Reegie Corona to Seattle in the Rule 5. (Operating on the assumption he won’t be returned to us) I really liked what I saw of Corona in Trenton and I don’t think he’ll ever be an everyday player or our SS of the future, but I saw him as capable of filling in for Jeter often enough to ease the burden as Cap’t ages, and until one of our real SS prospects was ready.
If Garrison or Angelini both show nothing this year then I think it is time to think about going outside the org. for Jeter’s replacement.
Ok, so now that ARod won’t be hitting the first homer in the new Stadium, it looks like Battlin’ Brett will be getting that honor!
They migtht have Urena or DeLeon or both on the Charleston team this year. Almonte and Angelini look like they’ll repeat.
Berroa hit a ground-rule double off Mills. Shaun Marcum in. Good to see him back. Not.
So will they introduce Alex on opening day? Will he be at the stadium?
JohnC
March 9th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
BBB:
Also hoping that Carmen Angelini can rebound from a bad year last year. Yanks liked him so much they gave him 1 mill bonus but he struggled mightily last year. I assume he will be back in Charleston. Also excited to see what Garrison Lassiter does this year. Jeter is getting up there is years and Yanks will need to find his heir apparent some day.
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angelini has a lot of tools and talent. He needs to be in Tampa, where there are more coaches to help him smooth out a couple of things, mainly his defense. Snyder is another with good talent with the bat, but, they need to find him a position and work on his defense. Angelini is going to be good. Quick bat and speed. Stiff hands and bad footwork on defense. Torre Tyson’s a fine young manager in Charleston, but, he’s incredibly understaffed.
I wasn’t implying PEDs. More wondering whether K Long or someone else had made some sort of adjustment with him.
Jose Reyes… When is he a free agent? Maybe it works out that he is free when Jeter is ready to move to DH.
Girardi holds ‘WBC Ryder Cup’ at Yankee camp
March 9, 2009
Spring training gets rather monotonous for players, especially pitchers. There are only so many side bullpen sessions and pitchers fielding practices (PFPs) you can do before you get bored to tears.
Today, Joe Girardi found a way to combat that boredom.
Instead of doing PFPs, the Yankees’ pitchers took part in PPP – pitchers putting practice. Girardi actually named it the “WBC Ryder Cup,” as the entire group of pitchers played “golf” on the basepaths with a bat and baseball.
The guys were split up into eight teams, each led by a player representing a different country. Well, sort of representing countries. There were only seven countries represented (Mariano Rivera could have given them an eighth with Panama, but he was throwing in the bullpen), so they made the eighth team “Native America” led by Joba Chamberlain. Creative stuff.
The countries were Chinese Taipei (Chien-Ming Wang), Cuba (Christian Garcia), Japan (Kei Igawa), Dominican Republic (Jose Veras), Puerto Rico (Jonathan Albaladejo), United States (A.J. Burnett), Mexico (Sergio Mitre) and “Native America” (Joba).
The “golf course” consisted of the basepaths, with pitchers putting baseballs with a bat. The winning team was rewarded by only having to run half as much as the rest of the pitchers. Burnett’s squad looked strong after he had a “hole-in-one” on his first shot, but things went south in a hurry. Girardi said the tournament was Burnett’s idea.
Wang’s team, which included Phil Hughes and Scott Aldred, the Triple-A pitching coach, emerged victorious, beating out Igawa, Dave Robertson and Steven Jackson. Robertson had an opportunity to make a big putt, but, in his words, “I choked big-time.” Still, Robertson said the event was much more fun than PFPs, “especially after we’ve been doing them for three or four weeks.”
Hughes was the only one on the winning team to benefit from the win, however. Wang is still not doing much running as he returns from his foot injury, and Aldred doesn’t have to run sprints since he’s a coach.
First a pool tournament and now a WBC Ryder Cup. What will Girardi think of next?
Goose Gossage observed the tournament, prompting my colleague John Harper to ask him if Billy Martin ever set up such an event when Goose played for the Bombers.
“Nope,” Gossage said. “We went to the bar.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/yankees/
You can’t drive your car on Delray Beach. You used to be able to do that in some sections of Fort Lauderdale Beach.
These days, you can’t drive your car on any beach in South Florida.
Trisha,
There is so much available inventory for condos in South Florida now, you can name your price.
There are some nice condos downtown that are unsold, one development is called the Astor, and there are deals to be had.
Its best to consult one of the local realtors because a lot of the good places that are available aren’t even listed right now. They keep them under wraps before unveiling them on the MLS.
pat,
Guissepi answered above (thnx!).
I think the process started during his second callup.
Don’t know if they got together over the winter, but whatever it is, it’s sinking in.
“The scouts Buster Olney talked to absolutely adore Stephen Strasburg. One of them said, “Right now, he’s better than A.J. Burnett.” There’s no way the Nationals can pass on a talent like this.”
========================
But this is one Rosy that would be tickled pinker than normal if they did
(M’s sure picked a fine time to finally play – if they only hadn’t sweet the ‘phants in that last series ;-(
Who is our DH in 2010?
Re-sign Damon or Matsui?
Matt Holliday?
Manny?
SJ44,
Sounds like your nephew is the real deal. He obviously has a great bat, how are his skills behind the plate? Is he going into the draft this year? It sounds like he is a legit prospect, good luck to him.
Gardner for cleanup! LOL
Pete, how is Gardner looking in the field compared to Melkman?
I’m glad Brett is driving the ball more w/ his legs but I won’t put so much stock into ST for all we know these are cookies or hanging mistake pitches that he is doing all this on. The good news is that he’s driving the ball now.
pat
March 9th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I wasn’t implying PEDs. More wondering whether K Long or someone else had made some sort of adjustment with him.
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I’ve only seen Gardner a couple of times this year, but, he’s just driving the ball more, and getting it in the air a little more. He’s pretty strong for his size, but, he’s swinging the way he should have last year…not flipping the bat at the ball or trying to work walks/afraid to swing.
Who is our DH in 2010?
Re-sign Damon or Matsui?
Matt Holliday?
Manny?
___
I say re-sign Damon for 2 years if he will take that.
Manny will opt out so there is a chance for him.
It depends on how the Yankees do this year. If they struggle again, its almost a certainly to see Manny behind Al next spring.
“I think that this year, you may see some position experiments or switches.”
Okay, now I’m intrigued! Any idea who they plan to experiment with? I hope it’s not Jesus at 1b! Not just yet, anyway.
Gardy is the next Rickey Henderson. Mark it down.
But seriously, I love what he could potentially add to this lineup. He’s gotta be the everday CF, not Melky.
SJ, thanks! I’m going to call my friend now and tell her not to sign anything at the Pines.
“Nope,” Gossage said. “We went to the bar.”
Greatest line ever.
Jennifer,
Thanks for that. Funny stuff. I’m just glad they’re not hitting the bar like they did in the old days.
ooohhhhh, Kelvin DeLeon, another one I’m really excited about. I wonder if his development was part of what made the Yankees more inclined to move Tabata..
“We won’t need power from our CFer, by the time Jackson is on the team.
A-Rod, Tex, Holliday (or whomever we sign for our RF/LF vacancy), DH will provide more than enough power.
We should stop thinking in terms of how 98-06 teams were contructed.
As an organization, one is better off to seek out speed, good defense, and a high avg/OBP out of a CFer than power numbers.
Carlos Beltran strikes me as the only 5 tool CFer in the game. His talent is few and far between.
Bottom line, the position of CFer demands speed, a strong arm, intelligent paths to baseball. You are less likely to find all of that AND a 25-30 HR threat in this day and age.
Leave the power to the corners. Up the middle should be all speed and grit”
completely agree. Nothing wrong with a Mickey Rivers type in CF.
Patrick,
The scouts I have talked to have said he is AA calibur defensively right now. His catching and throwing is actually the strength of his game. His bat is just starting to come around.
His work in the Cape Cod League this summer really helped develop his bat.
He’s only made 2 errors in the last 51 games he’s played behind the plate in ACC play. He only made 2 errors in the Cape this summer.
If his bat stays consistent, he has a shot of doing very well.
Best part about it is, he loves playing and he’s a good kid. Head hasn’t got too big with his success and his work ethic is top notch.
That will carry him in life even if his baseball dreams get stalled.
Let’s hope the LoHud Valley News sticks around. Too many newspapers in trouble because of the economy.
http://people.boston.com/forum.....7399599064
“I’m just glad they’re not hitting the bar like they did in the old days.”
At least not before noon!
“The players don’t see it as Athens against Sparta.” That’s a problem. For us. Not for them. What do they care? They’ve won a couple World Series since 2000.
Trisha – I’m not sure what beach you can drive on, but it’s definitely not any of the three I used to frequent (Sunny Isles, Hollywood and South Beach) when I lived down there! In SoBe they don’t even allow cars on Lincoln Rd and some other streets near the beach, iirc.
As for cleanliness, some of them can be kinda dirty…my friend once found a hypodermic needle @ SunnyIsles…but for a gal like me who spent the majority of her spring breaks/ prom weekends, etc. at good ole Seaside Heights in Dirty Jersey, all SoFla beaches were the picture of cleanliness!
The whole area is really fun though, and no matter where in the Tri-County Area someone lives, everywhere fun is basically accessible. Sometimes I wonder why I caMe back up North!
SJ, What a great start, and to do this on the road is outstanding…..He maybe playing elsewhere come this time next spring…..One has to think that has the season moves ahead, more and more scouts will be following his progress….What is the cutoff for signing, 2nd round ???
SJ’s nephew, BC catcher Tony Sanchez, today named ACC player of the week! Congrats SJ. Say it, you taught him everything he knows.
hit in the playoffs? lame.
Francessa said he wants Cano in the cleanup spot while A-Rod is out. Said it would be good for his development.
8. NY Daily News is one of several large papers fighting for circulation and advertising in the New York City area. Unlike The New York Times, New York Post, Newsday, and Newark Star Ledger, the Daily News is not owned by a larger organization. Real estate billionaire Mort Zuckerman owns the paper. Based on figures from other big dailies it could easily lose $60 million or $70 million and has no chance of recovering from that level.
———————-
Oh no what would we do without Lupica?
“I’m just glad they’re not hitting the bar like they did in the old days.”
At least not before noon!”
It’s always five oclock somewhere
Hopefully the Triple G (Gritty Gutty Gardner) isn’t the second coming of Mr. March, Enrique Wilson.
BBB – I’m not a sun worshipper so I know why I am in the north as opposed to the south! But I sure wouldn’t mind being able to have somewhere to get away.
“Who is our DH in 2010?
Re-sign Damon or Matsui?
Matt Holliday?
Manny?”
I also say re-sign Damon to a 2 year deal, but only allow him to be the full time DH in year 1. After that, (2011 and beyond) I’m all about free agent Adam Dunn. Have you guys seen him in the WBC?! What he can do when surrounded by quality players is SICK!! If the USA wins, he’s definitely getting MVP.
I wanted the Yankees to sign him this year and the only reason I was ok about it not happening, was getting Teix instead. But I hope they dont pass him up the second time.
“Francessa said he wants Cano in the cleanup spot while A-Rod is out. Said it would be good for his development.”
Thank God Francessa has no influence on the team. If he were the manager or GM of the Yankees, they would finish in last place every year.
Brett caught in a run down. In other news, Melky gets a hit.
You could always drive on Daytona Beach…not sure if that’s considered South Florida.
Francesa just said the Yanks should start the season with Cano batting cleanup. And he’s serious. I’m speechless.
going on hour 3, and still waiting for Francessa to make an intelligent statement.
shame on me.
‘Francessa said he wants Cano in the cleanup spot while A-Rod is out. Said it would be good for his development.’
He said the #3 spot w/ Teix protecting him.
“Melky is probably so angry lol”
hence, why Melky was picked off on the basebaths two times yesterday.
BBB
March 9th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
“I think that this year, you may see some position experiments or switches.”
Okay, now I’m intrigued! Any idea who they plan to experiment with? I hope it’s not Jesus at 1b! Not just yet, anyway.
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I don’t see Montero moving, but, I can see him tried at first and right field. Romine is the one that I can see getting moved to left or right field for a position change. PAT M thinks maybe third base. The bat is real, though and he has some pretty good speed. Angelini, it all depends on how Maruszak and Lassiter progress, could move eventually. He’s great on going deep into the outfield on flies (sound familiar) and that might necessitate a move to the outfield. Watch out for Seth Fortenberry in Trenton (right field). Great fielder at all three spots, speed and O’Neill type power. He’s also got a bit of a temper (directed at himself).
Well, I have bought his catching equipment since he was 10 so, I have to get some credit for that! lol
Really excited for him. He was one of those kids that got overlooked by his dream school (University of Miami), overlooked for travel teams in Miami because of parental politics, and used it as motivation to get better. I’m really proud of him.
Pat M,
Its more money than round cutoff. If he continues to progress, at some point, a certain number to sign will come into play. If the number is hit, he will sign. If not? Back to BC for his senior year.
Now? I just look forward to the Georgia Tech series in Atlanta this weekend. Our philosophy since the summer has been to take it one series at a time and whatever happens with scouts, the draft, etc, will happen. That’s out of our control.
melky being melky. brett go gun. good time to try with 1 out
so sounds like Brett getting tagged out was Melky’s fault? Had no business going for second?
oops though melky got gunned at 2nd as well
GB: what do you think of Damon Sublett. Does he rebound from an injury 2008 and have a future in NYY one day?
My projections for the 2009 lineup:
Damon: .288/.365 15 HR 72 RBI 106 R 23 SB
Jeter: .309/ .376 11 HR 73 RBI 110 R
Teixeira: .305/ .405 36 HR 126 RBI 103 R
Rodriguez (128 games): .302/ .396 33 HR 104 RBI 98 R
Matsui (140 games): .286/ .365 18 HR 91 RBI
Posada (125 games): .282/ .378 18 HR 80 RBI
Cano: .307/ .350 22 HR/ 93 RBI
Swisher (if he starts): .259/ .375 28 HR/ 92 RBI
Nady (if he starts): .279/ .338 22 HR/ 89 RBI
Gardner: .273/ .360 6 HR/ 60 RBI 83 R 38 SB
Trish, when are you coming down?
I like the Melk Man but he hasn’t improved a lick in four years and his base running is quickly going down hill. Shows what he does under a little pressure.
Wow. Those last two half-innings certainly sucked.
5-2 Toronto.
Congrats on your nephew’s success SJ44. He plays for Boston College, right?
I moved to Boston about two years ago, I’ve been meaning to take in some college baseball. I’ll have to check him out.
Hopefully, he’s drafted by the greatest franchise in the history of sports one day soon:)
vinny-b __NYY fan and WBC promoter__
March 9th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
GB: what do you think of Damon Sublett. Does he rebound from an injury 2008 and have a future in NYY one day?
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Love that bat, power and speed. Good glove that will get better. He did well in Hawaii this winter. He’ll be healthy this year and really start to push the other 2nd basemen. If he’s healthy, Cano had better be watching out. Cano has him on defense (for now) but, Sublett has the speed. Just my opinion, though.
is it me, or were there more spring training games on TV last year?
YankeeRay, I’m sitting here thinking that the next trip I am going to try to plan that will fall through is getting to watch the WBC in Miami! So I am going to have to try to build something around that.
If it works, it will be around March 18th.
_____________________________________
GET RID OF KENNEDY NOW!
Vinny-b, spring training was definitely better covered last year, whether it was with more YES games or a combo of television and radio!
This stinks.
“Love that bat, power and speed. Good glove that will get better. He did well in Hawaii this winter. He’ll be healthy this year and really start to push the other 2nd basemen. If he’s healthy, Cano had better be watching out. Cano has him on defense (for now) but, Sublett has the speed. Just my opinion, though”
thank you. I like what he did at Witcha St, and at Staten Island. Would like to see him make a push.
Suzyn on espnews.
Said guys in the clubhouse aren’t worried about the a-rod thing like the fans & media.
Said the guys are going to do their thing.
“GET RID OF KENNEDY NOW!”
one day (soon) he will have no trade value left
lol
raved about cc/aj/wang
updates on mo and po. said mo gave her a wink and a ‘bueno’.
said things are going swimmingly. uh oh. something bad’s going to happen now.
vinny-b __NYY fan and WBC promoter__
March 9th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
“Love that bat, power and speed. Good glove that will get better. He did well in Hawaii this winter. He’ll be healthy this year and really start to push the other 2nd basemen. If he’s healthy, Cano had better be watching out. Cano has him on defense (for now) but, Sublett has the speed. Just my opinion, though”
thank you. I like what he did at Witcha St, and at Staten Island. Would like to see him make a push.
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NYY can’t keep them all, but, I love watching Cano play 2nd base (most of the time). It’s like watching Manny Trillo in the 80s with the Cubs and Oakland. Best 2nd baseman I ever saw, including Grich and Mazeroski.
SJ.
Great post re: catching equipment and being proud of your nephew. Best post of the day.
Just to get your thoughts on one issue. I would like to see the NCAA move towards wooden bats. As you know the Cape Cod league and other elite college summer leagues mandate wooden bats and the NE-10 (a division 2 league) has made the switch in league play. Scouts like it and it is more than likely safer…I go to a 8-10 NCAA games a year as well as handful of Cape league games. I prefer the “crack” to the “ting”…
Curious to hear your thoughts or other posters thoughts on the above subject matter.
-dennis
“Francesa just said the Yanks should start the season with Cano batting cleanup. And he’s serious. I’m speechless.”
Every time Francessa opens his mouth, he proves that he’s not a Yankees fan.
GB:
Damon Sublett = Mark Loretta ?
the only beaches you can drive on in florida are usually the central florida beaches on the east coast, daytona, new smyrna beach(3 hours north of Miami), but the crowds and beaches are pretty trashy(think redneck riviera). No south florida beaches allow cars I believe, and for good reason; beautiful beaches(more tropical) and usually classier people
vinny-b __NYY fan and WBC promoter__
March 9th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
GB:
Damon Sublett = Mark Loretta ?
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He should be miles ahead of Loretta if he developes as expected.
so is melky fault brett was thrown out
“the only beaches you can drive on in florida are usually the central florida beaches on the east coast, daytona, new smyrna beach(3 hours north of Miami), but the crowds and beaches are pretty trashy(think redneck riviera). No south florida beaches allow cars I believe, and for good reason; beautiful beaches(more tropical) and usually classier people”
daytona beach is pretty nice. At least it was 7 years ago.
Dennis,
I wish they would go back to wooden bats. For years, the NCAA said it was a “money issue”.
They get 6 BILLION dollars in TV money for March Madness. I think they can afford wooden bats!
My nephew took a shot in the elbow off a backswing from an FSU hitter this weekend. He said the aluminum hurts a heckuva lot more than the wood when that happens! lol
Seriously though, the time has come for the NCAA to go back to wooden bats. Its safer and it makes for a better game, IMO.
Tampayank, it was daytona!!! I knew it began with a D. And I kept thinking the name had something to do with NASCAR. Man that beach was disgusting!
Did Austin Jackson get hurt? According to Gameday, he was only in for 1 or 2 innings and didn’t even get an at-bat before being replaced by Colin Curtis.
Could they please just trade Ian Kennedy?…if anyone would take him.
SJ44
March 9th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Dennis,
I wish they would go back to wooden bats. For years, the NCAA said it was a “money issue”.
They get 6 BILLION dollars in TV money for March Madness. I think they can afford wooden bats!
My nephew took a shot in the elbow off a backswing from an FSU hitter this weekend. He said the aluminum hurts a heckuva lot more than the wood when that happens! lol
Seriously though, the time has come for the NCAA to go back to wooden bats. Its safer and it makes for a better game, IMO.
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The difference between a lead pipe and a broom stick, huh?
Sublett has to stay healthy and put together a solid season. He does have the tools but I wouldn’t call hitting .253 in Hawaii doing well.
I think people here are too down on Melky Cabrera. He obviously had a down year in 2008, but to cutting him would be a mistake. He’s still just 24 years old and has been very good in stretches.
In 2007, from May to August, Melky had an .842 OPS. You can’t ask for much more than that out of the CF position. Last year, for example, only 5 CFers had a higher OPS for the season. As a 21 year old in 2006 he had a 3 month stretch with a .829 OPS and a 4 month stretch with a .789 OPS.
People that are saying that he hasn’t shown anything in the majors aren’t being fair to what he’s done. Everyone is excited about Gardner because he’s new and he’s got great speed, but I’d say there’s a better chance that Melky puts together a full 6 month season with a .775 OPS than Gardner and he’s 2 years younger. That being said, I don’t mind Gardner getting a chance, I just think cutting Melky would be a big mistake.
Why are Yankee fans so eager to trade Kennedy? If he is worth so little (he isn’t) then what could you possible hope to get back for him? The Yanks don’t have to depend on him this year so I don’t really get the angst.
Celky Mabrera
March 9th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Sublett has to stay healthy and put together a solid season. He does have the tools but I wouldn’t call hitting .253 in Hawaii doing well.
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He was playing part time in a pitcher’s league in large parks. He did just fine.
I had to step away and now my gameday won’t load. What happened with Kennedy? Not so good outing?
I would love to see Sublett come up. I’m a Wichita State graduate and he was great. Maybe he can play a little SS and be a nice option to replace Jeter someday. Who knows. He was also a pretty good pitcher believe it or not, pitched a lot of relief.
SJ.
Thanks, You are being very humble re: your nephew. He had one helluva of a week. ‘Nough said on that subject!
One thing you did not mention in the other post is that he is getting one heck an education as well, but I may be a tad biased.
Have a good afternoon.
-dennis
“trisha – As long as you’re in pinstripes, Kei, I’ve got your back. March 9th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Tampayank, it was daytona!!! I knew it began with a D. And I kept thinking the name had something to do with NASCAR. Man that beach was disgusting!”
ha ha yeah sounds like Daytona, don’t know how that beach was ever popular for spring break in the 80s and 90s; it’s just ugly. The best beaches in Florida in my opinion are Palm beach county and south to Miami Beach and the Gulf coast beaches south of Tampa. The panhandle beaches have great white sand but it’s too isolated for me
“daytona beach is pretty nice. At least it was 7 years ago”
check that, ST Augustine Beach
Wow, that Vantage is pretty damn nice – definitely a reason to drool there, Rupert-NHRN. Too bad that motorway isn’t the Autobahn.
I love old historical things, so like you I thought Stonehenge was pretty cool. My only *disappointment* with it was that it was smaller than I thought it would be. Its still big, but when you have been dying to visit something for years, I think it becomes larger than life or something in your thoughts.
LOL at the sheep making you flee. Your new blog title could be RL – Across The Pond: Travails involving eurotrash swans, sheep and other animals.
I will now admit that I was wrong to doubt Brett Gardner’s playing abilities. While I still don’t believe he’s a .300 hitter with .380 OBP potential, I do expect that he can hit .270 and get on at a rate of .350, which is far better than I would have expected he or Melky to do this season.
He has shown this spring that he is in it to win it. I thought, at the start of the spring, that the suggestion of Gardner as the starting CF was ludicrous and that Melky would easily beat him out. Alas, the older (yet less experienced) player seems to have won the battle.
Unless Melky starts raking, this contest is over.
The HBL was dominated by pitching when Joba was there but last year saw a big raise in batting averages and overall offensive numbers. Several guys just drafted pounded the ball. Pitcher’s league? Not last year.
“I would love to see Sublett come up. I’m a Wichita State graduate and he was great. Maybe he can play a little SS and be a nice option to replace Jeter someday. Who knows. He was also a pretty good pitcher believe it or not, pitched a lot of relief”
kewl. : )
Dennis,
He made the Deans List last semester. As far as his mother is concerned, that’s his best achievement thus far at BC.
Ian Kennedy angst is every reactionary Yankee fans dream. If he isn’t any good, why in the world would somebody think he has a trade market?
He will go to AAA and the hope is, he pitches well in the AAA rotation. If he does, and guys like Hughes, McAllister, Brackman, Aceves and Betances continue to develop, THEN you have a shot at getting something for him in trade.
Until then, he isn’t going anywhere.
Trouble brewing in Gothem, Batman. “The Boston Strangler”, Matt DeSalvo is warming up in the Mets batpen.
A few years ago we went and stayed on Sanibel Island. A cousin of mine has a condo there. I don’t know what all the hoopla is about Sanibel. The beach was worthless – what there was of it!
The last thing on anyone’s pinstriped list of things to worry about is Ian Kennedy.
The problems are, in order: A-Rod’s hip and Ransom’s stamina, Posada’s shoulder, Matsui’s knees, Jeter’s range, Cano’s head, Melky vs. Gardner, Joba’s lack of control in ST…
It’s bad for IPK that he may be irrelevant this year, but for the team? Not an issue.
St. Augustine Beach is still nice.
Most of the North Florida Beaches are because there is less commercial development than Central Florida beaches.
a question, how does one find the gameday links? they are not where they usually are, at least for me.
People may not want to give merit to ST, or how guys show up to ST.
BUT, it’s obvious one CF candidate has made it his motivation to develop his skill set and do the best he can with what he was given.
So far, all of the qualities Brett Gardner possesses that could be an asset to our team he has demonstrated.
I’m not saying he has won anything yet, but, at least to me, it seems one guy has treated it like the competition it is, while the other continues to have a “few and far between” impact.
I’ll let you decide who is who.
I don’t even want Kennedy cluttering up a roster space. I want him to disappear altogether. Poof! No more Kennedy.
trisha – As long as you’re in pinstripes, Kei, I’ve got your back.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
A few years ago we went and stayed on Sanibel Island. A cousin of mine has a condo there. I don’t know what all the hoopla is about Sanibel. The beach was worthless – what there was of it!
————————————————————
None of the beaches around Ft. Myers is that good. Cape Coral has one decent one. Ft. Myers beaches were polluted by Boston Red Sox fans going down there. They left a dirty ring on the beaches.
I want Kennedy off my team, NOW
bardos, that drove me crazy and I insisted on figuring it out until I decided it was easier to use the link someone put up here and save it as a favorite for updating!
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_nyamlb_1
Kennedy is Kennedy. Take him out now and who is throwing these meaningless innings?
“I don’t even want Kennedy cluttering up a roster space. I want him to disappear altogether. Poof! No more Kennedy”
You talking bout the Yankees or the US Senate?
Brett Gardner > Melky
found this interesting. the flawed draft pick compensation system for free agents is being considered in this contract:
” (Orlando) Cabrera has a $4MM base salary, and he’ll receive a $250K bonus if traded. Interestingly, the A’s agreed not to offer him arbitration if he’s a Type A free agent after the season. Cabrera is not inclined to let draft pick compensation get in his way the next time around.”
mlbtr.com
That is a very, very difficult thing to do especially given the committment to Fall and Spring baseball. That is tremendous. I would like to say I made the Dean’s list one semester but that would be hyperbole. BC is a special place. I hope when he graduates any disapointment from being passed over at UofM is displaced with a love for “The Heights”..
Kind Regards.
-dennis
“Ft. Myers beaches were polluted by Boston Red Sox fans going down there. They left a dirty ring on the beaches.”
Seriously LMAO!
“I want Kennedy off my team, NOW”
Seriously CMEO! (I just made that up, I think – but it’s crying my eyes out.)
Carl, oh yeah I’m with you.
Joey:
Your assessment seems to be about right. Gardner has come play this spring. And Melky has been Melky.
“You talking bout the Yankees or the US Senate?”
Well, both varities have been known to annoy me!
Kennedy? I don’t even think about him anymore.
Best thing is to not say anything about him at all.
But he gets another notch for plunking Millar.
It’s amazing how far Ian got just because he’s a Kennedy.
The same kennedy that got the highest draft bonus even given by the yankees (until Brackman). He migth be a AAAA pitcher, but he’s still young. If there is another standout starting prospect besides Hughes ready to pitch big leagues, i’m sure they’d be willing to trade kennedy, especially ifhe has a strong year in the minors. But I still think he is thought highly of by Cash and Company. If you could get some infield prospects for him, i think that would be a wise move.
“It’s amazing how far Ian got just because he’s a Kennedy.”
He he he he he.
(you are being funny, aren’t you?)
5 ER in 2.2 innings! Hey it has that old Stadium feel to it.
Jen, I just read that piece from the Daily News – thanks for posting. That’s terrific – these guys are getting their work done AND having fun. Kudos to AJ – too bad he didn’t benefit from his own game, lol
Swisher hitting .133 this Spring. FYI
How is he supposed to win the job from Nady if he doesn’t hit?
trisha,
Yes, it was a joke. I’ll stop now, tho. It’s better to say nothing at all, if there’s nothing nice to say.
Pete,
Thanks for that about Pettitte. The heart skipped a beat when I saw that he was replaced with 2 outs.
Its March 9. You can fill quite a list of guys who tore up ST on March 9 only to do nothing once the season gets underway.
Vice versa is also the case. Last year, Wang couldn’t get anybody out in the spring and he was rolling in the regular season before he got hurt.
I know folks get caught up in what happens right in front of them and make snap judgments. Let’s see who is playing well on March 28, when its closer to the season getting underway, before deciding who wins jobs. We’ve got a LONG way to go this spring, thanks to the WBC.
Dennis,
He loves BC. Its really worked out well for him. Going away to school has been the best thing for him on a number of fronts.
All in all, it was the best possible situation for him. Even better than if he stayed close to home and went to Miami. I think he’s a better and more mature player and person by going to BC.
Truthfully, for me, the showing up of Gardner and lack-of showing up of Melky says almost as much as their physical ability.
I think Melky got complacent as starting CF and believes his skills alone warrant the starting position.
Unfortunately for him, he has a guy on his heels who possesses the same skill set (minus some power and arm strength, but adds speed and superior CF defense) and has made it his job to improve upon his skills to make the team.
Options may be the only thing working in Melky’s favor this ST, as he is out of them, where Gardner can still be thrown around.
All in all, ST has shown us the type of player we can expect Gardner to be, one that will never take his place on the team for granted.
haha, getting old. I was wondering how Austin Jackson could make the last out and still be up.
That’s Justin Jackson for Toronto.
“How is he supposed to win the job from Nady if he doesn’t hit?”
But he’s fun and the media likes him!
Speaking of showing no improvement. Mistaaaaaaa KENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEDYYYYYYYYYYY..
Gameday was wrong, Austin Jackson is still in…
I just checked MLB Trade Rumors –
there is nothing about Kennedy being traded to Hyannisport
(Cape Code League?) for a sand dune to be named later.
SJ-
Regardless of performance, you must admit Gardner has proven he is here to work and improve on himself. Melky hasn’t shown that.
Gardner has been taking first to third on certain plays, stealing, and, most importantly, improving on bunting.
Last season, a glaring weakness for Cabrera has been his inability to bunt. Have we seen him bunt once in ST?
Gardner knows what he can do, and works to improve those areas of his game. Melky seems like he expects his talent to just blossom and be there.
“I know folks get caught up in what happens right in front of them and make snap judgments. Let’s see who is playing well on March 28, when its closer to the season getting underway, before deciding who wins jobs. ”
Well I’m CERTAINLY not one of those folks! I decided Kennedy shouldn’t have a job before I even saw him this spring!
lol Swisher to me seems like kind of a novelty act. His stores of loosening in the clubhouse are nice Spring Training fodder, but he has to perform on the field for him to get playing time.
Girardi/Cash have been hyping Swisher as this “super utility” player all Spring long citing his versatility as well. Joe seemed to indicate he has to win the job from Nady, and so far he hasn’t done that.
“I just checked MLB Trade Rumors –
there is nothing about Kennedy being traded to Hyannisport
(Cape Code League?) for a sand dune to be named later.”
Either you guys are flippin hysterical or I am overtired.
“Have we seen him bunt once in ST?”
I believe we have.
“All in all, ST has shown us the type of player we can expect Gardner to be, one that will never take his place on the team for granted.”
This is nonsense. Last year Melky had an .850 OPS in April. So by your logic that’s the kind of player we can expect Melky to be, no?
Boo, I’d hoped Kennedy could put together a nice spring and increase his trade value some. Although even with his performance today, he might STILL be better than a lot of the guys Detroit or Texas could throw out there (thinking of Blalock and Inge…prefer Inge cause he can catch, but what a whiner!)
Kudos to the Jays thus far. I know they’ve traded away some very valuable pieces but if memory serves me, last year they had the lowest ERA in the majors!
That said, the score is 6-2. Take away, say, 5 of those ER and the Yankees would be in the lead.
Just sayin’
…
Pat M, I think you could be right about AJ – he wouldn’t be the first player whose brain was a bit late in catching up to his arm. I wouldn’t even just want to chalk it up to a lack of brains because that makes it sound like I think AJ is a dummy. It’s hard to explain – it’s just that some people have such outsized talent that they almost don’t know what to do with it. Their emotional maturity often doesn’t match those physical gifts and it’s a bit of work getting the two in synch. AJ finally seems to have “gotten” it..I think it also helps that some people are just good fits in certain places and with certain teams.. I don’t know what he was like in Florida and Toronto, whether he took his teammates fishing or devised games like this fake Ryder Cup, but it’s very clear that he’s comfortable with his new teammates.
I asked this before, but I will ask it again since I am just incredibly intrigued by this guy…….Pat M, CB, SJ44 – do you guys think it would be a good idea for AJ to mentor Phil (M, I saw your comment from a previous thread, I think….lord, I would not want Phil to join the nipple ring/tattoo gang, lol)? They don’t obviously have the same stuff, but if Phil is trying to perfect his power curve, he couldn’t do better than to learn from AJ. I wonder also if Phil has tried spoken to Mo about his cutter….he could really benefit from his expertise (who wouldn’t?!)…..
Isn’t the rule of thumb to never trust numbers players put up in March and in September?
I don’t see how Kennedy could have improved his trade value or how we can gauge anything with Gardner at this time of year.
Saying a player has improved because they look like Babe Ruth in meaningless spring training games is beyond ridiculous.
Nady’s been awful this ST. At least Swish is getting on base. Yesterday, before his homer, Nady struck out by swinging at a pitch that was over his head. He doesn’t know the strikezone.
trisha – As long as you’re in pinstripes, Kei, I’ve got your back.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
YankeeRay, I’m sitting here thinking that the next trip I am going to try to plan that will fall through is getting to watch the WBC in Miami! So I am going to have to try to build something around that.
If it works, it will be around March 18th.
——-
I think they play here this weekend? Let me know if you are planning or if your plans work out lol
Swisher (like most players) hasn’t had THAT many at bats – why do we need to judge his capabilities based on ST? By that regard, many good players wouldn’t make teams as many players often have crappy springs. I love that he’s walking and not hacking away at lousy pitches……
ST numbers are all meaningless. I don’t know how managers even make roster decisions based on its results.
Angel Berroa is not this good.
Well, last time I checked, ST was the time for these battles over position to take place.
We aren’t going to let the guys battle through April and May. You win the job in the month of March.
So far, one is on the right track, the other is still on whatever path he was on last season.
I’m not putting too much into the results of ST, BUT, this is the time to win the position. Maybe more merit is given to late March b/c of SP being stretched out.
BUT, at the same time, you can’t very well tell me what Gardner has been doing counts for nothing.
IF both Melky and Gardner started out with clean slates @ 0, Gardner has to be ahead of Melky at this point. time will only tell if he deserves the praise he has received thus far, but what he is doing now can only help his cause and hurt Melky’s.
Betsy, Burnett might be able to help Hughes (and others) with some pitches, but, I think the organization would sleep better if sabathia and Pettitte took over that role. Chamberlain is more Burnett’s type….God help the league if they ever team up.
Trisha,
I just saw it was snowing up north..How much are you getting in RI?
-dennis
Joe mentioned that Swisher needed to take the job away from Nady— so far, he hasn’t done that.
Girardi can’t just bench Nady coming off a .305/25/97 year in favor of a guy who hit .219.
So he did what was fair and made it an open competition and gave Swisher the opportunity to win the job. But Swisher hasn’t taken advantage. He isin’t going to take Nady’s job by walking a few times.
Hmm. Losing 6-2 I see. Just curious. How many ‘GET RID OF KENNEDY’ posts did I miss?
AJ and Phil are different types of pitchers… I don’t think he’s the right guy for Phil. He seems more like a guy who could take Joba under his wing, similar stuff, mindset etc. Pure country boy hard throwers.
What does Francessa think about Gardner? Trying to figure out what angle he’ll come from with Girardi. Maybe put him in the setup role?
“Hmm. Losing 6-2 I see. Just curious. How many ‘GET RID OF KENNEDY’ posts did I miss?”
All of mine except for that one!
Dennis, the snow we got didn’t even stick to the ground. It has stopped already. Tomorrow is supposed to go back to 47 so if it starts up again and accumulates at all, it will soon be gone.
Not sure how places north of me are faring though.
Joey,
What happens if Melky gets hot for the next two weeks? Does that change your thinking?
ST and September stats are the least times to evaluate talent. Nobody in the game, at least not the talented folks, let ST and September numbers affect their thinking.
There are so many mitigating factors in ST evaluations. Pitchers aren’t throwing their full arsonal of pitches until later in the spring. There are no scouting reports, jumbled rosters, and wind blown HR’s. Those are just some examples. There are more.
Its March 9. Its too early to make ANY evaluation on ANY player. No person with any baseball background in the game is determining roster spots on March 9. You see interesting qualities in some guys and you keep an eye on them and see how they progress. For veterans? Its just about getting ready for the season. Their numbers mean nothing.
Gardner has some interesting qualities. Most notably, his speed. However, we have a LONG way to go before Opening Day and its best to let things play out because a lot can happen in 4 weeks.
mel,
He originally was not a big fan of Gardy because he didn’t feel he could hit enough, though he liked him on the bench.
Though now he is resigned to him being the CF and has started to embrace him a little more.
Francessa says they should trade Gardner for Bronson Arroyo, while his trade value is hot!
Ray, yes the games in that block are supposed to be in Miami. So I am thinking about trying to go to the finals in that block and hope Team USA is one of the teams! I also want to look to see where the Yanks will be at that point in time because maybe they will be in that area and I can kill two birds with one stone. If I end up in the Miami area for the WBC game I definitely won’t care to drive to Tampa!
Oh Ray you meant this weekend. I’m probably not going to make it until around the 18th.
Ian Kennedy = Caucasian Kei Igawa
Speaking of jumping on the wagon.
I cant wait till the pre season is over so i can buy me a “GARDNER MLB 2009 PRE SEASON HOMERUN CHAMP” t-shirt. Whos with me!!
Francessa: What do we think Gardna’ can be, at best, like Brett Buttla’ ? I mean come on, the kid can’t hit a lick. He’s a punch and judy hitter with some speed. Speed though, kid is no Bernie Williams I can tell you that. He didn’t get on base with the Yanks last season at all. What numbas’ do you need? He wasn’t any good in the minors, don’t give me minor league numbas’ he won’t hit major league pitching, he proved that. He STINKS!
Carl,
Thanks. Such a bandwagon fan.
JohnC,
Haha. We’re holding out hope we can trade him for Santana.
We get to see Joba on YES tomorrow night
I hope we get to see some new pitchers– not the usual Coke, Dunn, Tomko/Igawa, Veras, Robertson, etc. We see those guys every televised game
johnc- I hope you are joking!
* that was an interprative version of what Francessa would say about the All American Hero/Homerun Champion/Middle East peace giver/ Yankee HoF CF – Brett Gardner.
I see Alfred had another great showing this afternoon…
Sorry about that random post off-topic (Aston Martin’s and Stonehenge) from me earlier. I thought I was posting on my friends (who is currently in the UK) blog, lol. But turns out I wasn’t, and posted it here.
Go figure. I couldn’t post a baseball post here last night, but I could about something that wasn’t even meant to be posted in here in the first place. Ack.
Folks the Kennedy experiment is easy. Ask yourself one question. When did it start going down hill for Ian? Yes. When he got hitched. Like an old school boxer in training,where he cant sleep with his wife. I think he needs to take it for the team and sleep in different rooms for the whole baseball season. Just for one season, so we can trade him and get something in return.
Ian Kennedy couldn’t bring us Ted Kennedy back in a trade.
Francessa says they should trade Gardner for Bronson Arroyo, while his trade value is hot!
==========================================
LOL
No doubt Gardner is having a heck of a spring so far, and Melky, not so much.
However, how on earth can you question someone’s drive or motivation? All you can judge is the results. It is not fair to say that Brett is more motivated than Melky at all. It is fair to say that whatever Brett is doing is giving him good results, and the opposite for Melky.
I really have an issue when people question a player’s drive.
Francessa making a little sense. Let Cano drive in the runs. But can he handle it?
Cashman should give serious throught to dealing Kennedy and another player to K.C. for Mark Teahen before Kennedy’s stock drops even further.
You know it’s a rough day when you get yanked for a guy who wasn’t even scheduled to pitch… Better luck next time, Ian.
S.O.S. – I think with Kennedy it’s the kind of thing we see when players do too much off the field – you know kind of like when Joba got swept up last year into too many PR appearances!
Kennedy has to make a decision, and it’s one that only he can make. It’s gotta be baseball or the magazine. He can’t have it both ways.
Doreen,
I don’t think Melky lacks heart. I just think he doesn’t like competition. When the job is his, he’s the man. But he got yanked by Torre when Shef came back from injury. So maybe he’s always looking over his shoulder.
I don’t know for sure, just looking back at his time in the majors. When he’s competing he seems to try to hard. And runs (pun intended) into trouble.
Kennedy is headed to Scranton and Hughes will make it hard for Girardi to keep him off the team.
“I don’t think Melky lacks heart. I just think he doesn’t like competition.”
A professional athlete who doesn’t like competition… Thats a new one. LOL!
Ya gotta love the amateur psychologists out there!
Brad – trade Kennedy while his value is as low as possible. You’d make a brilliant GM.
GENERATION TRE shirts are rarely seen anymore.
John,
Okaaaay. How about he can’t handle competition?
I think Ian Kennedy deserves a full 2 MORE YEARS in the minors before judging him.
Sometimes I forget Yankee fans want players to ALWAYS be successful out of the gate.
And NO, 2 years is not NEARLY enough to judge a starting pitcher.
He can’t handle competition?@!?!
How did he make to the major leagues???
He’s just not that good is all… He’s an below average to average baseball player… Thats it.
Girardi on WFAN
John
March 9th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Brad – trade Kennedy while his value is as low as possible. You’d make a brilliant GM.
…………………………………
John:
Smell the coffee. Kennedy has no future as a Yankee.
m -
I can see where you’re coming from and that could be something regarding Melky. Some people thrive on competition; it wreaks havoc with others. What you said that is different from what others have said is acknowledging that he IS trying – albeit, possibly trying too hard, which is often counterproductive.
I just don’t like when people make the assumption that if the results are not there it means the work is not there. That’s just not always true. I would imagine that Melky wants the job. So to question that – ?.
mel,
I have to dissagree. Didnt Melky de thrown Damon in center field? Who would have thought at that time that Damon wouldnt be our centerfielder? I think its not the competition as much as its the pressure one puts on himself. Its still early, we will see how it pans out.
Trish,
Kennedy needs to go back in time and find what is missing. He had a good track record from college to the minors. He reminds me of the other kid that got traded before Hughes came aboard. Cant remember his name. He did well in the minors and was brought up and was never the same again. Not Desalvo or Chase. I think it was Tyler Clippard.
GB and Kernal – good points. Of course, CC and AJ are buddies, so they could tag team with Joba and Phil, lol. I only thought AJ/Phil because of the power curve that Phil is trying to learn……
I’m not giving up on Kennedy as a major league pitcher, but he has a lot still to learn even though he was supposed to be the most polished of the 3 kid pitchers. He’s also the least talented, which explains a lot.
Aside from Kennedy, how’d the other guys look? Albadladejo? Robertson? Veras?
I wish the bottom of our lineups didn’t suck so badly, lol. Look at the 7th, 8th and 9th hitters that we fielded today – ugh. Therefore, we can’t judge this team for not hitting – not when we’ve got those guys bringing up the rear and Cano and Jeter not in the lineup
Brad – Thats entirely possible. But it won’t be b/c the Yankee staff thinks he stinks after a grand total of 13 major league appearances.
I wonder if there was a Twins fan out there in 2000 who said after Johan Santana made his debut, got rocked and kicked out of the rotation, “Gee, Smell the coffee. (Santana) has no future as a (Twin).”
Chances are Kennedy wont be a MLB player. Same chance faced by any prospect. But you simply have no idea after 13 appearances.
Betsy
March 9th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
GB and Kernal – good points. Of course, CC and AJ are buddies, so they could tag team with Joba and Phil, lol. I only thought AJ/Phil because of the power curve that Phil is trying to learn……
I’m not giving up on Kennedy as a major league pitcher, but he has a lot still to learn even though he was supposed to be the most polished of the 3 kid pitchers. He’s also the least talented, which explains a lot.
Aside from Kennedy, how’d the other guys look? Albadladejo? Robertson? Veras?
I wish the bottom of our lineups didn’t suck so badly, lol. Look at the 7th, 8th and 9th hitters that we fielded today – ugh. Therefore, we can’t judge this team for not hitting – not when we’ve got those guys bringing up the rear and Cano and Jeter not in the lineup
————————————————————
The only kind of tattoo I can ever picture Hughes getting is the kind that you get on paper, wet and stick on….so he can fit in. Then he rushes home and washes it off before his parents see it.
new poast
“Francessa says they should trade Gardner for Bronson Arroyo, while his trade value is hot”
lol. And if Arroyo gets hot, consider flipping him for McClouth.
Francessa is worthless. Arrogant and worthless.
Oh Ray you meant this weekend. I’m probably not going to make it until around the 18th.
—-
Yes so you will be missing WBC and meeting me
What is Francesca’s Love affair with Bronson Arroyo????
I have a couple of comments on petes comments:
One, I find it strange that alex is doing leg exercises, the day of his surgery to repair a problem involving his labrum. Im sure everyone knows by now that the labrum is the cartilage encircling the acetabulum in which lies the head of the femur. Riding a bike, is basically rotating that femur around that socket over and over again. Honestly though, he has some of the best in their field telling him what to do so I wouldnt dream to say they are wrong but it is a bit strange to hear – its VERY strange to hear.
Two, its funny pete used the term muscle memory. I hear it all the time but today, my neuroscience prof said that the term muscle memory is used far too loosely and in reality, has never been proven in the context in which it is used. I thought that was ironic.
Three, correct me if Im wrong but havent the yanks and sox got into multiple brawls over the last decade. i REMEMBER at least two off hand. There definitely has been some intense anger going on at certain points well past the 70s.
Brandon, Mr.Pringles: ‘It’s an acquired skill to play hard’
March 9th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
‘How has Cano looked so far this Spring?’
Surprinsingly very patient. I don’t think I’ve seen a game where he hasn’t had an 0-2 count go full or atleast a hitters count.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I find nothing surprising in it. His OBP in Winter Ball was respectable and it has nothing to do with quality of pitching, btw, it’s the hitter getting it together at the plate.
A general note: whoever said here they’d trade Cano for Pedroia, you’re a fool. Pedroia’s a good player who had a great year. Cano will have an elite career. Big difference, which you’ll get eventually.
m
March 9th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Francessa making a little sense. Let Cano drive in the runs. But can he handle it?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cano drove in 97 runs two years ago, BATTING SEVENTH, without ANY protection. Lol, I think he can handle it.
Cano, with ANY KIND OF protection, is an instant monster at the plate.
FYI: In ALDS vs. Cleveland Cano: .333/.375/.800 slug. Too bad everyone else wanted to go home. Kid was going to rake and rake he will in 2009.
Doreen
March 9th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
No doubt Gardner is having a heck of a spring so far, and Melky, not so much.
However, how on earth can you question someone’s drive or motivation? All you can judge is the results. It is not fair to say that Brett is more motivated than Melky at all. It is fair to say that whatever Brett is doing is giving him good results, and the opposite for Melky.
I really have an issue when people question a player’s drive.
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It’s the most self-serving, unintelligent gloss of these guys to make sweeping statements about their “motivation.” I couldn’t agree with you more and a truer thing has never been said on this forum. Translation: “I have no tools to analyze this player so I’ll say he lacks heart.”
Thank you Doreen, for some sanity.
pat
March 9th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
“Have we seen him bunt once in ST?”
I believe we have.
XXXXXXXXX
Yes, we have. He bunted an eventual run to second. He’s always been able to bunt.
To the original guy criticizing Cabrera, who has been bunting in ST, for NOT bunting in ST:
Try watching the game, it’ll help you make sounder statements. Goes to show, people look for the fulfillment of what they wish to see, and when it fails to happen, they think they’ve seen it anyway.
JoeyA
March 9th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Truthfully, for me, the showing up of Gardner and lack-of showing up of Melky says almost as much as their physical ability.
I think Melky got complacent as starting CF and believes his skills alone warrant the starting position.
Unfortunately for him, he has a guy on his heels who possesses the same skill set (minus some power and arm strength, but adds speed and superior CF defense) and has made it his job to improve upon his skills to make the team.
Options may be the only thing working in Melky’s favor this ST, as he is out of them, where Gardner can still be thrown around.
All in all, ST has shown us the type of player we can expect Gardner to be, one that will never take his place on the team for granted.
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Melky walked twice and singled in yesterday’s game. He’s getting on base, which is what he did in Winter Ball. He’s also gone back to solid at-bats, and isn’t long in his swing, as he was last season.
So, how is it that you’ve decided he’s demonstrated “a lack of showing up”?? You have NO BASIS for that comment. None. After reading back, I see you’re the SAME GUY who asked “has he even bunted” in ST. Well, if you don’t know what he has or hasn’t done, genius, how are you qualified to asess his psychological state for qualifying those results? You are an idiot.
However, how on earth can you question someone’s drive or motivation? All you can judge is the results. It is not fair to say that Brett is more motivated than Melky at all. It is fair to say that whatever Brett is doing is giving him good results, and the opposite for Melky.
I really have an issue when people question a player’s drive.
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Birds of a feather, Doreen
While I can’t comment on any Yanks specifically, I totally agree with your take that drive, motivation (and I’ll add heart) are things we as fans can actually see and quantify in players. Fans up here in the left corner seem to question players (from the gridiron to the diamond) in this regard and it always leaves me scratching my head…
Doreen,
I can’t tell you what kind of heart Melky has but I can tell you that Gardner showed up to ST three weeks early to work with the hitting coaches and Melky showed up either the day or two days before they had to report. You tell me who wants to win that battle. As for those who say Gardner has proven nothing due to ST pitching not being up to par, then I would like to know why he is seeing weak pitching but no one else is hitting the ball like he is (besides Tex).
would it be wrong to have a Joba/Hughes night? Where Joba will pitch 5 then Hughes pitch the rest of the game?