Jeter leading off? It makes sense
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 26, 2009 
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The Yankees are “toying around” with the idea of hitting Derek Jeter first and Johnny Damon second according to Joe Girardi. It’s safe to say this will carry into the season. Teams don’t toy around with lineups on March 26, they finalize them.
Let’s look at this dispassionately.
Derek Jeter’s career’s OBP: .385
Johnny Damon’s career OBP: .354
Derek Jeter GIDP the last two years: 45
Johnny Damon GIDP in last two years: 9
So Jeter should get on base more often and have fewer opportunities to ground into a double play. This would seem to make sense.
David Pinto, who’s much smarter than I am, figured out that the new look would give the Yankees three more runs a year. If that results in one more victory, it was worth it.
Beyond the numbers, this move reflects what we all know to be true: Jeter has become more of a singles hitter. He had 39 extra-base hits last season. His previous seasons:
2007: 55
2006: 56
2005: 49
2004: 68
But Jeter still can work a count. His walk numbers haven’t dipped at the same rate. He’s not a base-stealer but he remains a good base-runner.
Damon had one of the best seasons of his career last season. He’s also in the walk year of his contract, which should provide plenty of incentive.
Far too much is made about lineups and this change is far more subtle than radical. But it makes good sense.
It also seems that this decision is related to another. Brett Gardner is almost certainly the center fielder and will hit ninth. Hitting Jeter first separates two left-handed hitters in Gardner and Damon. Girardi considers matchups critical to his lineup decisions and tries his best to make decisions tougher on the opposing manager.
So now the lineup is:
Jeter R
Damon L
Teixeira S
Matsui L
Posada S
Cano L
Nady R
Ransom R
Gardner L
What do you think?
I think we’re go for launch.
It will be interesting to see how this works out and how long Joe will stick with it. Jeter seems to be the proto-typical #2 hitter because he is so good with the inside-out swing. Though he was somewhat brutal in the GIDP last year.
Looks good to me.
Hey Pete any idea who is starting the exhibition games at the stadium?
Ditto Jennifer!
haha I am watching the game now. I hear some guy whining don’t cut my beer off, and the beer guy going YOU’RE CUT OFF!!
“It will be interesting to see how this works out”
this is only even slightly interesting b/c one of the players is named Derek Jeter.
if any other team did this, no one would even mention it
not trying to knock Jeter or sound like a jerk, but why wouldn’t this work out?
Mind you that was in the first inning, so how sloshed was he!?
Exhibition games
Friday is Wang
Sat is Pettite/Burnett combo
Response to Jennifer:
Game 1: Chien Ming Wang
Game 2: Andy Pettitte
Hope this helps!
Also, Michael Kay killed the yanks for the Jeter/Damon swap. Personally, I think it’s not a bad idea at all… especially with A-Rod out and Jeter’s SLG going down.
and when gardy gets on first, his speed will help keep then out of DP’s when DJ comes up next…
Jeter leading off sounds good. Wasn’t he the lead off several years ago?? Not like he hasn’t done it before, whatever the case anything to decrease GIDPs i’m game for.
love it
The Nationals could go cheap and not take Strasburg ….
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Oh PLEASE let it be so!
All I can do is hope and pray that Girardi in 2009 isn’t once again a slave to the R, L, R, L alternating order. It’s good to balance your lineup in regards to rightys and leftys but you have to be flexible. Last yr, joe had the RL combo all the the way down the lineup almost every single game. Please put more thought in this year.
Who’s more likely to have “contract year magic” Damon or Nady?
Sounds like a good idea. It might even save Gardner from having to face a few Lefties because Jeter is hitting behind him.
If it cuts down on game beginning double plays, I think it’s a good idea.
i agree jeter and then damon makes alot of sense
Jeter leading off makes a lot of sense. Jeter works a count very well and will have less opportunities to GIDP which is huge early in games. Damon could hit anywhere hes really good and also has more power than Jeter at this point in his career. I like the move.
I really like the idea. Switch it up, less DP’s for Derek, Damon has more power than DJ, Damon can pull the ball and move runners over.
Only time will tell but it seems fine to me.
“Oh PLEASE let it be so!’
be careful what you wish for. Sox pick right before the Yankees.
i think it’s best to just hope he stays in the NL.
and it will be good for baseball if the Nationals get a player like that.
unfortunately the Yankees pick behind Boston this year. If Strasburg were to fall he wouldn’t get past Boston….
Jeter is not a base stealer anymore…..
I really don’t want a slower man leading off, that is pointless.
Oh, I see serious question, beat me to it. Nice work.
in mlb 09 the show, i did the same thing, should of mention, would made me look smart
Brandon
Why is Michael Kay killing the Yankees over the Damon/Jeter swap? What is he saying?
TEAM MELKY
While the batting order has L and R in turns, why the rotation has two left-handers starting in consectutive games? Won’t the opponent teams get used to the left-hand pitcher?
Line up looks great!
Go Pitt! Wake up!
“Why is Michael Kay killing the Yankees over the Damon/Jeter swap? What is he saying?”
if Kay hates it, that should confirm that it’s a good idea.
“Oh PLEASE let it be so!’
be careful what you wish for. Sox pick right before the Yankees.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
But the M’s pick right after the Nats
“But the M’s pick right after the Nats ”
sorry, should have picked up on that from your name.
think the Mariners are kicking themselves for not losing a few more games last year??
This lineup gets me so nervous! We needed manny
“While the batting order has L and R in turns, why the rotation has two left-handers starting in consectutive games? Won’t the opponent teams get used to the left-hand pitcher?”
nah. this is only to start the season, the order of the rotation will get re-shuffled at some point. it always does.
serious question
March 26th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
“Why is Michael Kay killing the Yankees over the Damon/Jeter swap? What is he saying?”
if Kay hates it, that should confirm that it’s a good idea.
========================================
Lol, QFT
Acrobug:
Kay said it had no merit, that Jeter is a great number two hitter and Damon is a leadoff hitter. They also made points about how Girardi pissed off Damon last year by sitting him when he was red hot, and how this should piss Damon off this year, moving him from the leadoff spot.
That’s the gist of what I got out of it.
“Kay said it had no merit…”
__
That’s enough to convince me that Jeter should leadoff.
Will there be collusion against Boras in this Stratsburg thing where nobody drafts him with that price-tag in order to keep the draft Pascale intact?
Pete
Did Jeter and Damon comment about the switch?
“They also made points about how Girardi pissed off Damon last year by sitting him when he was red hot, and how this should piss Damon off this year, moving him from the leadoff spot. ”
this is dumb (not trying to kill the messenger).
who cares if Damon is pissed off? he will play hard b/c he wants to get paid next year. his feelings are irrelevant.
Thanks Gayle and Brandon.
“Will there be collusion against Boras in this Stratsburg thing where nobody drafts him with that price-tag in order to keep the draft Pascale intact?”
if teams do that, they will be unhappy when the Yankees refuse to play along.
How do the Sox pick first when they finished with several more wins than us.
“Did Jeter and Damon comment about the switch?”
Damon did, he sounds FURIOUS!!!!:
“I’m OK with it if it makes our team better,” Damon said. “We know Derek’s on-base percentage is a bit higher than mine. Hopefully, we can tinker with this thing, and my production in the two-hole could increase with someone on base quite a bit.”
…
Damon said that if left-handed-hitting Brett Gardner makes the Opening Day roster as the starting center fielder, moving him down in the lineup also might make sense in disrupting opposing clubs’ bullpen planning.
“It also helps out if Gardner ends up being our No. 9 hitter, because teams can’t bring in a lefty to take care of him and myself,” Damon said. “It probably helps balance out our lineup a little bit better.”
45 GIDP!?! I knew it was alot but GEEZ!
Pete, this was one of the most informative posts you have written in a LONG, long time. I think Jeter to lead off makes sense on so many levels, and they toyed with Jeter hitting first a few years back.
At this point…eh…give it a month or two, if it doesn’t work out, switch back.
“How do the Sox pick first when they finished with several more wins than us.”
the pick is from the previous year. when they didn’t sign Cole, they got the pick in the same slot as 2008, which was 28th
The numbers say that Jeter is and has always been a better lead off hitter then Damon.
The first time they see the starting pitcher in a game.
Jeter in 1978 games .323 ba, .381 obp, .487 slg.
Damon in 1891 games .272 ba, .344 obp, .389 slg.
The numbers are even more startling when you are talking about first batter of the game even if Damon has done it 3 times as much as Jeter.
Jeter in 448 games has a .354 ba, .408 obp, .561 slg.
Damon in 1519 games has a .274 ba, .345 obp, .389 slg.
Per Girardi, Jeter was fine with it last night. Just gave a smile.
Damon is in “whatever makes us better” mode.
I don’t care, the batting order at the top, just as long as Gardy makes the team. Better if he wins the job outright. With Brett, we have 3 legit leadoff guys.
sorry, should have picked up on that from your name.
think the Mariners are kicking themselves for not losing a few more games last year??
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Yeah.
What a time they picked to “stomp the ‘phants”…
M’s swept Oakland in the last series of the season and it would have only taken two more losses to earn the first pick.
“the pick is from the previous year. when they didn’t sign Cole, they got the pick in the same slot as 2008, which was 28th”
Thats silly we should be allowed 2 picks. One for missing out on Cole and the other for missing out on the playoffs.
How exactly does Damon sound furious?
Pete, it makes SO much sense that it isn’t funny. The GIDP is the major stat I care about, and having Jeter lead off likely lessens the number of rallies he will be killing with his growing propensity to GIDP.
Eureka, mama mia, gracias a dios, and every other thing.
oh yeah – YAHOO!!!!!
By the way, I want Duke to go down in flames because I think any coach that doesn’t know how to pronounce his own last name doesn’t deserve to win!
They would disband the league if the Yankees ever got their hand on Strasbourg (anyone feel like listening to Mozart?). But lets see him make the majors. There’ve been a ton of “can’t misses”.
I really don’t think the order of the lineup matters much. As long as we have the same 9 guys, we’ll be fine.
Could be a little early to say with certainty that Derek Jeter is now more of a singles hitter.
He was never the same last season after eing drilled in the hand with a pitch… It certainly seemed to me that it was after that point that he stopped driving the ball with any consistency.
While common sense says his best days are behind him, I would not be the least bit surprised to see him looking more like the Derek Jeter we know and love this season.
“Thats silly we should be allowed 2 picks. One for missing out on Cole and the other for missing out on the playoffs.”
well, you won’t get any argument from me!
How do the Sox pick first when they finished with several more wins than us.
___
We lost our pick as compensation for CC. We get a makeup pick for not signing Cole at the end of the round.
Then as long as Jeter and Damon aren’t cranky about it, okay by me. Wouldn’t want anything to disrupt the Kumbayafest.
trisha-Come on! Duke’s coach is a HOF!
I think we should get 3 first round picks. Because we’re the Yankees.
“How exactly does Damon sound furious?”
that was a joke. aimed at what Michael was saying how the switch would piss of Damon.
It’s un-American to hate on Coach K!
Yankees n’ more-I completely agree on Jeter. The NYP makes it sound like he has one foot in the grave.
m-And then 2 more for missing the playoffs.
the obs between jeter and damon is close enough. the reason for the difference between jeter and damon (45 and 9, respectively) hitting into double plays has to do with how much more often jeter comes up with a runner on (compared with damon). two aging players…..
Jeter is so amazingly consistent. His averages in the #1 & #2 holes are almost mirror images.
m-Also agree on Coach K. Go Duke!
Screw Duke, and the Tarheels as well….
I don’t think it makes sense to use career #s for OBP in this argument.
You’re saying that Jeter is declining, so to speak, well so is his OBP.
I’m not saying that Jeter shouldn’t lead off, just that using career OBP isn’t enough to justify it. Let’s look at the trends. Damon had a better OBP than Jeter last season.
The double plays could very well be a product, in part, to hitting 2nd. I’d expect Damon’s GIDP to go up hitting 2nd vs 1st.
Again, I’m not saying it’s a bad idea – just that some of the logic being used to argue for it is questionable.
Jeter in LF- Thanks for the info. I’d rather have Sabathia I suppose.
PAT M.,
You’ve got the second part right!
“the reason for the difference between jeter and damon (45 and 9, respectively) hitting into double plays has to do with how much more often jeter comes up with a runner on (compared with damon). ”
no, this isn’t true.
Damon is actually one of the best players of all time at avoiding DPs, even when you control for the number of opportunities.
here is a link:
http://riveraveblues.com/2009/.....neup-9354/
somebody said it before but could Damon’s lead off spot be why he has so many less GIDP? if jeter batted 1 would he still have 45? Probably not.
elbyw
March 26th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
the obs between jeter and damon is close enough. the reason for the difference between jeter and damon (45 and 9, respectively) hitting into double plays has to do with how much more often jeter comes up with a runner on (compared with damon). two aging players…..
————————————————————
You’re forgetting that in 2007, Damon was batting with runners on base all of the time. Look at the numbers of the 6-9 batters in 2007.
Another thing to maybe think about is damons speed will also provide less GIDPs. Think of how many times he outruns an infield single just throwing the ball to first. seems like it happens often to me, but maybe I just remember the good times lol
C.C. is one of the best pitchers in the league. Question: Am I the only one annoyed by SNY’s love affair with Santana? Adam Schein’s going to pop the question soon…
“We lost our pick as compensation for CC. We get a makeup pick for not signing Cole at the end of the round.”
Actually, the Yanks are giving their 1st pick to Anaheim for Mark Teixera. Poor Cleveland only gets a 2nd rounder for CC
Damon probably isn’t thrilled because as a free agent to be, having the opportunity to display his ability to leadoff gives him a greater than marginal benefit. But he’s a team player and he knows this team can be special if they stay healthy.
Yeah, I hate Duke too. Go Pitt.
Cano he didnt-I think their speed is about the same. I guess Damon just finds holes.
Next yr. Gardner is leading off.
Actually, the Yanks are giving their 1st pick to Anaheim for Mark Teixera. Poor Cleveland only gets a 2nd rounder for CC
__
My bad. Those arcane rules get me every time.
Boston Dave
March 26th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
“We lost our pick as compensation for CC. We get a makeup pick for not signing Cole at the end of the round.”
Actually, the Yanks are giving their 1st pick to Anaheim for Mark Teixera. Poor Cleveland only gets a 2nd rounder for CC
————————————————————
Cleveland isn’t getting anything for Sabathia. They didn’t have his contract. Milwaukee did.
“if jeter batted 1 would he still have 45? Probably not.”
Jeter still had 30 of those DPs after the first inning. Jeter is hits more groundballs than anyone in the league.
and whether we want to admit it or not, he’s lost a little footspeed.
lots of groundballs + not as fast as he used to be = more DP’s
I guess technically the Yanks did lose their 1st to Cleveland as soon as they signed CC but it eventually went to Anaheim for Tex.
Apparently, if Seattle hadn’t signed Josh Fields, the Yanks would still be picking ahead of the Sox.
GB,
you are right… thanks for correcting that.
I meant Milwaukee
“Damon probably isn’t thrilled because as a free agent to be, having the opportunity to display his ability to leadoff gives him a greater than marginal benefit”
he might get more RBI’s though. and, with the runner going and opening that hole, he might get more hits, which will bring his numbers up.
i don’t think this will hurt him at all.
Although Matt LaPorta isn’t a bad consolation prize.
m, once UCLA went out my college b-ball season virtually came to an end…..Anybody other than Duke, NC, Kansas…Pitt would be fine….
This is all REALLY confusing.
“It also seems that this decision is related to another. Brett Gardner is almost certainly the center fielder and will hit ninth. Hitting Jeter first separates two left-handed hitters in Gardner and Damon.”
But Melk is a switch hitter, stronger from the left side. They could do this switch and have the same benefit with Melk in there.
Boston Dave
March 26th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
GB,
you are right… thanks for correcting that.
I meant Milwaukee
————————————————————
Nom problem. There’s no difference in the two cities except for the beer and brauts.
Damon doesn’t have much to prove as a leadoff hitter. Any team signing him this offseason will know he can hit leadoff for them.
If he does well hitting 2nd, it will just add to his value, IMO. It may cut into his stolen bases but as long as teams believe he can still steal bases, it shouldn’t hurt him too much.
I’m gonna miss Johnny if he leaves via FA.
What the..what channel is Duke on!
I know who the starters will be for the cubs exhibition games. But will the everyday lineup play? And if they do will it be for half the game or the whole game? I don’t know whether I should buy these $40 terrace tickets if its not gonna be the A lineup the whole time. Anything is appreciated. Thanks
Never mind. Found it.
I can’t help it. I cannot STAND coach S! (Told you he can’t even pronounce his own name.) I think he is too full of himself and therefore I want him to lose. Meanwhile, what’s up with us having to watch Missouri and Memphis with the Duke game in Boston???? This is all very confusing to me. Never mind, they just switched to the Duke game.
About Jeter, as Pete said, if you try to look at this dispassionately, we’re much better off having Jeter hit in a position where he can do the most good and the least harm. He’ll help the number 9 hitter, and if the 9 hitter is speedy, the chances for DPs lessens that muchy more.
This exhibition game thing is stupid. Nobody cares about exhibition games. And then you have a conflict later: What’s the 1st game at the new stadium? My theory is that the Yanks just wanted 2 shots to win their first game there.
How does that lineup look when A-Rod comes back?
David-Awesome.
“Jeter still had 30 of those DPs after the first inning. Jeter is hits more groundballs than anyone in the league.
and whether we want to admit it or not, he’s lost a little footspeed.
lots of groundballs + not as fast as he used to be = more DP’s”
I don’t even want to think back on the times that I sat watching Jeter GIDP at very important points in the game and just got that horrible sinking feeling, nor the times that he came up with someone on first and so many of us posted at the same time something like “here comes a DP.” It got to be that glaring.
Damn, I don’t really follow basketball but if I did and knew this game was in beantown, I definitely would have gotten tickets to it. That could have been fun.
“How does that lineup look when A-Rod comes back?”
Like this:
Jeter-SS
Damon-LF
Tex-1B
A-Rod-3B
Matsui-DH
Posada-C
Cano-2B
Nady-RF
Gardner-CF
WOW THAT WAS COOL!
trisha-Remeber A-Rod? He set a record for double plays in one month. Ugh.
There was some fantastic HOF who hit into a lot of double plays. Name is slipping my mind, but he was pretty darn good.
Tex, to tell you the truth I don’t remember when Arod did that. I think that there was always so much hoopla surrounding Arod that one negative thing tended to blend into another! The thing with Jeter that makes it so memorable is that he is the last player you ever expect anything but top stuff from. So when you expect him to come up with the typical clutch hit and he now ends a game hitting into a DP instead of coming up with the winning hit, oh is that memorable.
You what I’ll miss the most?
The inning ending GIDP by Jeter…
Immediately followed by…
The Jeter Ford Edge commercial.
Now that was a 1-2 punch you could write home about.
“This exhibition game thing is stupid. Nobody cares about exhibition games. And then you have a conflict later: What’s the 1st game at the new stadium? My theory is that the Yanks just wanted 2 shots to win their first game there.”
actually, i think this is pretty standard for a new stadium. gives them a test run to see if everything is working.
Bronx Jeers, that is so funny that it is tear evoking! I laughed so hard on that one that tears came to my eyes!!!
I’m still laughing..
Bronx Jeers,
touche!
After Tex signed, Pete made a post about an early look at the lineup, and the vast majority said Tex 3rd and then tinkered with the 5-9 spots. I made the point that the change that we needed was to put Jeter 1st, then Damon.
I also like A Rod 3rd and Tex 4th, but we will have that discussion in a few weeks. A Rod needs protection in the lineup more than Tex if you ask me.
The best part of this whole thing is that it shows Girardi is thinking outside the box. By the way, in 2010, we’re looking at LF Brett Gardner hitting leadoff and Jeter back to hitting 2nd.
umm isn’t there a flaw in those stats… Damon has way less GIDP because he’s been LEADING OFF. I do agree it could benefit the team to switch jeter and damon but that stat doesn’t really mean much.
“umm isn’t there a flaw in those stats… Damon has way less GIDP because he’s been LEADING OFF. I do agree it could benefit the team to switch jeter and damon but that stat doesn’t really mean much.”
read the link i posted at 9:55.
that not the reason.
I’d have no problem giving Damon a 1-2 yr deal if he has another good season. He fits this lineup perfectly. Very underrated player.
“read the link i posted at 9:55.
that not the reason.”
Still, you’d expect Damon’s # of GIDP opportunities to go up hitting second and thus, his GIDP. Of course, you’d expect that he’d be much better than Jeter in that regard.
I found my old post:
Jeff NJ January 29th, 2009 at 8:48 am
This topic is so worthless when everyone puts the same 4 batters first and shuffles the rest behind them to a varying degree. I got shot down last time I said this, but I still think the top four should be:
Jeter
Damon
A Rod
Teixiera
Yes I know Jeter hits behind the runner well, but he also hits into many, many double plays and rarely gets extra base hits. Jeter used to be a great leadoff hitter and as the leader of the team, I like that he is the first Yankee to bat. Ok start your attacks on this.
Has anyone posted this from Rob Neyer yet?? (still working, taking a little break):
Rays or Red Sox? Which one ranks No. 1?
Thursday, March 26, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry
Dave Cameron is approaching the end of his excellent rankings of all the organizations, and clocking in at No. 3 are the New York Yankees. Money:
When you outspend everyone else by close to $100 million, it’s hard not to win. The Yankees have done a fantastic job of creating a revenue model that works better than any other franchise in any sport, and they’re reaping the rewards of that advantage. Unless MLB intervenes and adds a third franchise into New York, it’s hard to see them ever going through a sustained down period. They are the Wal-Mart of baseball, and the machine is basically unstoppable. Love them or hate them, they aren’t going anywhere.
Only two teams left to rank, and they’re also in the American League East.
Care to guess who comes first, the Red Sox or the Rays?
It depends on how Cameron weights the various categories. If he gives each of them — ownership, front office, major league talent and minor league talent — equal weight, the Rays actually have a shot. I’m guessing both franchises will get A grades in each of the first three categories, but the Rays have a real edge over the Red Sox in the fourth.
Baseball America rates the Rays’ system as fourth-best and the Red Sox’s as 13th-best. John Sickels has the Rays with four prospects graded B+ or better; the Red Sox with just two (Lars Anderson and Michael Bowden). Essentially, the Rays are a straight-A student, but the Red Sox might well get an A+ or two, with extra credit for their $120 million payroll (which is not huge relative to other clubs but does dwarf the Rays’ payroll).
Either way, do you remember when everyone said the Rays would never be able to compete in the American League East?
Everyone was wrong. All the Rays had to do was do everything perfectly.
here’s the ranking he references:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs.....rankings-3
Andrew, Jeter’s Ground Out to Fly Out ratio was 2.12. Damon’s was 0.97. Tells me all I need to know.
Jeter needs to be batting 7th not first.
1.Gardner
2.Cano
3.Tex
4.Matsui
5.Posada
6.Cano
7.Jeter
8.Nady
9.Damon
Now that would be a great balanced line up.
Wait I know all the Jeter Crazies will cry about.
Ok pat him 9th then.
Or first Im ok with that since no one else like Jeter in the 7th hole.
If that idiot Torre can bat A-Rod 8th. Jeter can bat 7th!
Speaking of the exhibition games at the new Stadiums…I read that St. John’s will be playing at Citifield before the Mets ..I believe the end of March…so technically the Mets won’t be the first team playing at their new Stadium. At least the Yankees will be even if it’s an exhibition.
Go Yankees 2009 !!!
I think Damon just gets down the line a lot quicker. He’s faster, he’s a lefty, he pulls the ball.
3-6-3 is the hardest DP to turn and with Damon it’s real hard.
4-6-3 not as hard but the odds are better than with Jeter trying to beat out 6-4-3 or 5-4-3.
“I’d have no problem giving Damon a 1-2 yr deal if he has another good season. He fits this lineup perfectly. Very underrated player.”
Totally agree.
Heard one of the best EEI shows ever on the way to work the other day. They had Mitch Willilams on talking about Schilling’s retirement. They were asking him whether he thought that Schilling would make the HOF. He said he didn’t think he belonged there since he had won only 213 (?) regular season games. They then asked about his postseason record and Williams said he thought that Schilling was one of the best big game pitchers he ever saw and that if they had a postseason HOF he would want Schilling in it. But he said that he felt the HOF was for playhers who contributed throughout the season. Then they asked him about Arod and whether he would want Arod on his team and he said without a question. They tried to talk him into calling Arod a distraction, etc., but he said that professional ballplayers should be able to separate what someone does off the field from what they do on the field, and if they can’t, they don’t belong there. When asked if Arod belonged in the HOF he said absolutely. Then they talked about the postseason and how he chokes and asked Williams why he thought that was, and Williams said he thought that Arod felt he had to carry the team and that it wasn’t fair for him to feel that pressure, since he is one member on the team and they should all be able to count on each other to carry the team in the postseason. He said Arod contributes more than most during the season and helps the team get to the postseason, so he is doing what he is paid to do.
Then they asked him what team he felt would win the AL East. He said that with the Yankees’ offseason acquisitions, they were definitely the team who would win the AL East. He said that Boston had too many question marks, especially with starting pitching. He said that they needed Beckett to pitch like the Beckett of old and there was no way to know if that would happen. He also mentioned that Wakefield had a lot of age on him.
Boy did I walk into work smiling. I can’t tell you how great it was to hear someone talking up the Yankees and talking down the Red Sox, on WEEI. It was great.
“Either way, do you remember when everyone said the Rays would never be able to compete in the American League East?
Everyone was wrong. All the Rays had to do was do everything perfectly.”
On the contrary, all the Rays had to do was be the worst team in pro sports for many years, stashing away #1 pick after #1 pick while trading any worthwhile veterans for young prospects.
This isn’t a model for any respectable franchise. Teams do go through rebuilding phases, however, Tampa Bay went through a “rebuilding decade”.
dennis, if you’re out there, it’s looking grim for Memphis -5 at the half. Next time listen to the cheesesteak over the brain!
I was sorely tempted to take Missouri +8 2H to create a middle with my Memphis teaser, but frak it, I’m going with Memphis 2H. So far UConn 2H and Pitt 2H ended up being the biggest plays of the day.
Duck Fuke,
Your confidence in Cano is unprecedented. Kudos to you.
I’m not sure MLB will allow it. Maybe one day.
I am confused, how can Cano bat 2nd and 6th.
I dont like Ransom but batting Cano twice might be a little too much.
Joe G is a brilliant baseball mind. I think this has the potential to work very well.
“If that idiot Torre can bat A-Rod 8th. Jeter can bat 7th!”
So if batting ARod 8th makes Torre an idiot, then…
I used to same exact stats to anchor my article on the same subject early this afternoon, so i absolutely agree with you on this concept and the analysis. Were you reading Heartbeat of the Bronx today around 1 PM? Haha just kidding, but i think this is a brilliant move on Girardi’s part that will pay big dividends. I would tend to believe it will generate 2-3 WINS per year as opposed to 3 RUNS.
Well I guess I’ll power down for the night. Love Girardi and am loving him more all the time. Great handler of the bullpen, great strategist when it comes to finding a way out of the devastating GIDP that had become part of Jeter’s repertoire.
Good on ya Joey!
Night all.
Bear with me, I’m just talking hypotheticals. But if Gardner and Austin Jackson both have big years AND we win the WS, you won’t see Damon back.
NickSF.
Oh mama. I still have hope.
I just bet the 2nd half over of the duke game 72.5…
Trisha. You enjoyed listening to someone that agreed with you? Mitch Williams, again, Mitch Williams.
Shocker. I know, I should take my deal to SOSH.
-the puck
PETE- (Duck Fuke)Should not be allowed to drink after the 7th inning, or for that matter not allowed to after the 6th guy in the batting order.
“But if Gardner and Austin Jackson both have big years AND we win the WS, you won’t see Damon back.”
I think that if Gardner and Ajax just don’t totally flop, Damon won’t be back next year, WS win or lose. I think Cashman is itching to get rid of the Matsui and Damon contracts.
Three runs per year? A single error in a single game can increase runs by 3 per year. It must have been a typo for 3 runs a week, maybe.
“Bear with me, I’m just talking hypotheticals. But if Gardner and Austin Jackson both have big years AND we win the WS, you won’t see Damon back.”
I’m not sure Damon is coming back under any circumstances. Boras is his agent and he may try to command a long term deal. It’s likely that the economy will again be a big factor but the dearth of projected free agent talent in 2010 could cause a needy team to overpay (in terms of years, specifically) for a proven guy like Damon.
“Toto, I don’t think we’re in Conference USA anymore!”
Tell you what, dennis, if Memphis can come back and cover the 2H -8 *and* the -5 for the game, I’ll drive to North Beach and have a beer at O’Reilly’s tonight.
Heck, I could say I’d fly to Dublin and try to find an O’Reily’s there at this point…
I’m stupid I just got what Duck Fuke is the words in the names. Each letter. Smart word play from a not so smart post.
Haha I’m not that bright then.
NickSF.
I hear ya. LOL. I like Vill in the 2nd half and the over.
GB7. Please pull us through!
-the puck
Brank & Feans?
Frank,
The old standby is Suck the Funs.
Hey Mel.
Hope you are well.
Glad to see Orlando beat the C’s last night?
-the puck
Upon reading this, I didn’t think it was a great idea, but I thought about it a little bit, and it makes sense.
Jeter is definitely a double play threat now, and it kills a lot of Damon leadoff hits. That isn’t to say Damon won’t become a Double Play guy now, but he has an extra burst of speed to break them up.
Also, Damon would be a good hitter for a hit and run, especially with a smart baserunner like Derek at first. Damon has that crazy swing, and he is capable of leaning into a pitch no matter where it is and slapping it into shallow left or right field, ideal for a hit and run.
So yes, I think it would be a good idea, although I don’t think Girardi will implement it.
Dennis,
Yes, and I just need one more favor from the C’s. A win over Cleveland!
Jeter
Damon
Tex
Arod
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Gardner
m
March 26th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Bear with me, I’m just talking hypotheticals. But if Gardner and Austin Jackson both have big years AND we win the WS, you won’t see Damon back.
————————————————————
As long as Damon is healthy and has a strong season, NYY would probably resign Damon, since they will let Nady go and possibly move Cabrera. They could then break in Jackson easily and not hand him the job. Jackson could easily float between all three positions.
Mel.
You are confusing and yet so predictable….
-the puck
Hey….a Roberto Kelly sighting. Now coaching first base for the Giants.
“As long as Damon is healthy and has a strong season, NYY would probably resign Damon, since they will let Nady go and possibly move Cabrera.”
GB,
Do you see Damon settling for a 1-2 year deal? You have to assume Boras will seek a longer deal. It will quite possibly be Damon’s last contract and last chance to cash in. If next offseason is similar to this one, I guess he’d have to settle. If not, is it a good risk to sign him for longer than 2 seasons?
GB7,
If we’re getting rid of Matsui, then I’m getting rid of Damon, too (in my mind). Too bad he’s a Boras client and a year older.
Nady won the job. Or is that a wish list.
dennis-costanza(sox fan)
March 26th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
NickSF.
I hear ya. LOL. I like Vill in the 2nd half and the over.
GB7. Please pull us through!
-the puck
————————————————————
Evening, Dennis. Hope all is well with you and that poor, unfortunate girl.
Sorry, but, can’t help you. Notre Dame isn’t playing. The rest of the teams are minor leaguers.
GB7.
Just looking for some karma however things are good so far!!
Again, hope the breakfast was plentiful.
-the puck
Boston Dave
March 26th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
“As long as Damon is healthy and has a strong season, NYY would probably resign Damon, since they will let Nady go and possibly move Cabrera.”
GB,
Do you see Damon settling for a 1-2 year deal? You have to assume Boras will seek a longer deal. It will quite possibly be Damon’s last contract and last chance to cash in. If next offseason is similar to this one, I guess he’d have to settle. If not, is it a good risk to sign him for longer than 2 seasons?
————————————————————
NYY will offer arbitration to both Damon and Nady. Neither would accept that, but, the picks will be fine. I’d still make a legitamate offer to Damon, though.
“NYY will offer arbitration to both Damon and Nady. Neither would accept that, but, the picks will be fine. I’d still make a legitamate offer to Damon, though.”
Good point. Forgot about the picks for Damon. I hope they can keep Damon on a reasonable deal.
dennis-costanza(sox fan)
March 26th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
GB7.
Just looking for some karma however things are good so far!!
Again, hope the breakfast was plentiful.
-the puck
————————————————————
Oh, yeah. Breakfast was plentiful. So good, I’m going to call up the “ex” to fix breakfast again.
I always liked Roberto Kelly – glad to see him still in the game.
Most of you seem for the lineup switch. I for one am not.
Dow many WS rings does Jeter have batting second?
Enough said
Way too many variables to determine next year’s team.
1. Does Gardner prove to be more than a borderline ML starter? Setting the bar at .260/.330 is not an option if he wants a full-time job.
2. How good a season does Jackson have at AAA? IMO, he needs to master AAA before he gets a full-time guaranteed job. Less strikeouts, ability to hit the breaking ball, more HRs, consistent play rather than streaks, etc. Don’t want a Hughes/Kennedy situation.
3. How does Swisher look? Does he hit enough in his limited ABs to get a starting spot in 2010?
4. How does Damon perform? Does he continue his trend of getting clutch hits, being a sparkplug, hitting in the playoffs, stealing bases, etc?
5. What kind of contract is Damon looking for?
6. How does the rest of the lineup perform? Can the offense widthstand the loss of Matsui, Damon, and Nady with not much replacing them?
7. Most importantly, how does the team perform? Do we win the WS? Lose the WS? Miss the playoffs? This may be the most important factor.
Betsy
March 26th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I always liked Roberto Kelly – glad to see him still in the game.
————————————————————
Yes, I did too. I was surprised to find out that this is his 2nd year with the Giants as 1st base coach. Reunited with Dave Righetti.
Damon only got a 4 yr deal 4 years ago. He’s not getting anything more than 2 now. Maybe even just 1. Guess it depends on how it goes this year. Maybe 1 more year in left for us. DH could easily be filled by Posada-Jeter or god-forbid ARod.
Personally I see him hanging it up.
The outfield next winter could be like this winters rotation. Hopefully the Gardner experiment will work out better than the Hughes-IPK thing last season. If not it could be Holiday hunting next winter. I’d like it if we didn’t need to get the biggest guy available.
Hughes-IPK ?
To think a year ago many of us were hoping for 20-25 wins (combined) from those guys. Not 1 stinking win.
Maybe Damon will be willing/want to come back on a 1-year deal to go for #28.
“Dow many WS rings does Jeter have batting second?
Enough said”
This reminds me of that Mr. Head Injury Guy from SNL. That old skit where the guy only remembers things from the distant past.
I like the new order.
Jeter
*D*amon
*T*eixeira
It has the DT good luck charm.
Oh, wanted to make 2 more comments about Kay that I just remembered:
Kay said that Damon was faster, and that’s why he should bad leadoff.
He also said that leadoff only matters once a game (true point) however, he did say 162 at bats that Jeter can’t GIDP and he said that’s only 1/6th of the season… true, however… that’s quite a lot!
How many WS rings does Jeter have without Paul O’Neill in RF and Tino at 1st?
Enough said.
NickSF.
Great 2nd half in both games.
I need 22pts more in the duke game.
-the puck
Memphis is making a comeback. Oh MY.
Too little too late from Memphis. I blame them not getting that #1 seed.
well one reason that Jeter has more GIDP’s is because he has hit behind Damon for a long time. What I would like to know is how many GIDP opportunities did Damon have the last few years? I suspect he had far fewer opportunities than Jeter did in the #2 spot. So I am not sure if this is a useful stat.
Damon has more power so I like putting him second any way. Jeter hits to opposite field anyway so I don’t think it matters as far as moving runners over. Melky is a switch hitter so it really doesn’t matter which one is in center as far as L-R-L in the lineup.
Brandon
March 26th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Oh, wanted to make 2 more comments about Kay that I just remembered:
Kay said that Damon was faster, and that’s why he should bad leadoff.
He also said that leadoff only matters once a game (true point) however, he did say 162 at bats that Jeter can’t GIDP and he said that’s only 1/6th of the season… true, however… that’s quite a lot!
————————————————————
Not disparaging Jeter, but, last year, he has 7 GIDP in the first inning and 38 in his career.
JMO-
But I would not buy a car from Calipari..
2nd half lines are a great hedge…
-the puck
zell has some great new photos of the new stadium:
http://nyyankeesrumors.com/new.....ate-32609/
Memphis screwed up my brackets or more accurately I screwed up my brackets but Memphis really helped.
Well, several people in my pool had Memphis taking it all but I’m the only one who had ‘Nova beating Duke. There’s my silver lining.
Nice 2H over, dennis!
I’m totally taking Memphis over Duke in the consolation bracket.
NickSF.
Nice call on Vill even with a CS buzz…
All good.
-the puck.
Finally a big score, Nova drill Duke……Back in the Black
Wow somehow in one of our brackets things on Yahoo I am on 3rd place. I have never been that high this far. Of course in the other one I am in 142nd which is more like it
The Jeter/Damon flip is a no-brainer. Jeter has a higher OBP and less HR power than Damon, yet he hits into a ton of double plays. By having him lead off, it reduces the double play threat because Damon is not only one of the toughest players in the game today to double up, he’s one of the top ten toughest players to double up in the HISTORY of MLB. He also has more HR power, which means some of his jacks will be two-run shots than single blasts.
Jeter doesn’t steal as many bases as he used to, but he’s still an exceptional baserunner.
Good move.
As Ken Singleton said today, “Jeter’s an excellent baserunner. He didn’t score all those runs by accident.”
“however, he did say 162 at bats that Jeter can’t GIDP and he said that’s only 1/6th of the season… ”
how is it 1/6 of the season? players don’t get 1000 plate appearances or am I missing something?
it’s closer to 1/4 or 1/5 of the season (I’ll average those out and we get 9/40 of the season).
it doesn’t matter anyway. if the team is better off even in the slightest, then you do it.
“JMO-
But I would not buy a car from Calipari..”
neither would John Chaney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51-4sJTf7iQ
Like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, Duke’s exit from the tourney is a welcome rite of Spring.
(no offense to any Duke fans who might be on the board, of course)
Singleton’s counting on the Yanks batting around. A lot!
I’m sort of counting on it as well.
Those new stadium pics look awesome. 3 weeks away. I have to admit I’ve been somewhat of a curmudgeon in regards to tearing down the old stadium but damn does that place look good.
I love the picture of the “Yankee Bat & Ball Storage” room.
It’s like “Hey where are all the bats & balls?”
“Why they’re in the Yankee Bat & Ball Storage room. You know, the room with all the bats & balls in it.”
I must say that I kind of like the idea of the flip-flop in the order. Separating the lefties does have an appeal.
My heart has been ripped out, thanks to Missouri and Villanova.
Nick in SF…..Watching Duke go away is one of my favorite sport moments……Next to go, The NC Tarheels….
A chance meeting that ends with a lesson in humility. Great story about Ralph Terry, the tall Yankee right hander….a pretty good pitcher with the Yanks.
http://pecklers.blogspot.com/2.....terry.html
I like the line-up.
Anyway Max Kellerman has been calling for this for years – for whatever the hell that is worth. Thought someone should mention that because Max can’t.
I see all the reasons but Damon xbh and hr numbers alone do it for me.
But 3 runs per year?? Wow!
GB. I had that Topps card with Terry and Tommy Tresh…Great book October,1964….I just started Torre’s book the other night…..Actually it’s better than expected……It’s been sitting in my bookshelf for nearly a month…Just wanted to wait until we grew closer to opening day…..Man that Yankee team from the mid 90′s was a very special group of players…..
So what happens if in the 1st game Jeter leads off with a single and Damon follows with a HR?
Does that mean we can only expect 1 more extra run over the next 161 games? If so, I hope it happens in a tight game you know what I mean.
Yeah why not. He’s gotta do something with Jeter.. It’s either up or down in the line up.. Those GDPs seemed to be contagious last year.
PAT M.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:06 am
GB. I had that Topps card with Terry and Tommy Tresh…Great book October,1964….I just started Torre’s book the other night…..Actually it’s better than expected……It’s been sitting in my bookshelf for nearly a month…Just wanted to wait until we grew closer to opening day…..Man that Yankee team from the mid 90’s was a very special group of players…..
————————————————————
Thinking about baseball cards makes me ill. I had more than 15,000, including a Gehrig a Ruth and every Mantle Topps card they made including a rookie card. I stored them in the attic when I left for Vietnam, and when I got home, I found that my mom had given them all to the kid down the street. One other thing in that stuff was a giant Jell-O box used as a display at the A&P stores. On the back was a 2′ x 4′ poster of Mantle that I had autographed. I took it to Chicago to a game and Pepitone saw it and got Mantle to sign it for me. Joe Pep signed on the front of the box. I still cry.
TEAM MELKY:
http://www.bloggingthemystique.spreadshirt.com
(I’m not trying to solicit sales; just felt like being silly tonight and came up with that on the fly)
Ouch,,,,GB, those cards would be as valuable as IBM stock in the 60′s…..I had several Mantle cards, but holy S..t a Mantle Rook card….
PAT M.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Ouch,,,,GB, those cards would be as valuable as IBM stock in the 60’s…..I had several Mantle cards, but holy S..t a Mantle Rook card….
————————————————————
I know. It would have been a tough decision to ever sell them, though. especially the poster.
GB that which does not kill us makes us stronger – so I’ve been told
GB7-
I can’t believe you didn’t go after that kid, those cards would be worth a ton. I used to sell baseball cards years ago.
Uncle Ellsworth
March 27th, 2009 at 1:22 am
GB that which does not kill us makes us stronger – so I’ve been told
————————————————————
I’ve died a thousand deaths. Actually, 15,000 deaths.
The Mantle collection would yield 6 figures….I haven’t looked a a Beckett card guide in several years, but the Mick would bring in some serious dough GB….
Buddy Biancalana
March 27th, 2009 at 1:25 am
GB7-
I can’t believe you didn’t go after that kid, those cards would be worth a ton. I used to sell baseball cards years ago.
————————————————————
The kid had moved by the time I got home after 2 years.
PAT M.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:31 am
The Mantle collection would yield 6 figures….I haven’t looked a a Beckett card guide in several years, but the Mick would bring in some serious dough GB….
————————————————————
They were all sorted and kept together with a rubber band. You could still smell the bubble gum.
Elizabeth,
I’m sorry but I’m afraid you may be selling ketchup popsicles to a white glove crowd. At the very least you may want to offer something for the Gardner consumer base.
I can’t take full credit for this but this wasn’t too bad I thought.
3G Speed!
Gritty
Gutty
Gardner
Pat M
Have you no soul!?
I had my Yankee teams ( complete with WS Highlight cards ) seperated by years and rubber bands is how I stored them…1961 was my favorite set…I too can still smell the Topps bubble gum ….My collection is long gone…I did pick up the hobby in the early 90′s…I have all of Jeter’s early cards as well as his minor league cards….
PAT M: I will be overjoyed if Gonzaga can somehow pull the upset.
UNC vs. Duke is like the Iran/Iraq war.
So…. does anyone have any insight as to what impact Cash may have.
Will he make the team, possibly push Molina out, or is he just an extra body to use in ST?
PAT M.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:44 am
I had my Yankee teams ( complete with WS Highlight cards ) seperated by years and rubber bands is how I stored them…1961 was my favorite set…I too can still smell the Topps bubble gum ….My collection is long gone…I did pick up the hobby in the early 90’s…I have all of Jeter’s early cards as well as his minor league cards….
————————————————————
I remember paying a dime for a pack of 5 cards. Remember the ’63 edition that had the metal coins with the pictures of players? The ’64 series had stamps and you got a book to put them in.
GB, You’re not only dating yourself, but you’re dating me as well…..But I do recall those cards….1959 cards is when I started to collect…..A pack of 15 or so was a nickle……
Frank
He’s just insurance.
Molina is the back up to Posada. good thing you asked this late at night there are Molina fans here that would go nuts at the mere mention of Molina being dethroned. Some want him to have Posada’s job.
On the contrary, all the Rays had to do was be the worst team in pro sports for many years, stashing away #1 pick after #1 pick while trading any worthwhile veterans for young prospects.
This isn’t a model for any respectable franchise. Teams do go through rebuilding phases, however, Tampa Bay went through a “rebuilding decade”.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I guess I would call it a “building” decade. I don’t think that you can “re-build” if you have yet built. Seems to me that creating a strong farm via the draft and collecting young players is exactly the right way to build a team. As my ECS (that would be Trisha) would say, “Good on ya, Rays!”
I wish MY team had done more of that sort of building in recent years (as opposed to signing aging vets and trading away young talent). Seems there was a lot more hope and promise in the days of home-grown Griffey and Gar and Tino and Alex and Raul. Sure there were some clunkers (e.g., Meche, Pineiro, Widger, Gipson). But, overall, I like the idea of assembling a young group that develops together (in a sense “grows up” together) to provide a strong foundation upon which to build upon and add select pieces for the future.
Well, a girl can dream can’t she …
it is, after all, “A New Day. A New Way.” in Seattle.
CompassRosy,
you are right – building decade… It’s not a horrible strategy but most fans don’t want to wait more than a couple years to field a competitive team.
Too bad about your M’s. Felix is taking forever to develop into an ace and the Bedard trade isn’t looking like a good one right now. I won’t even bring up Carlos Silva (though I guess I just did) or JJ Putz (oops).
I guess the Rays do give other teams hope. In the Mariners case at least the tide might be turning in the AL West. If the Rangers prospects don’t pan out, the door is open…
GB,
While it’s not nearly as bad, I feel your pain.
I bought Bill Russell and Bob Cousy rookie cards from a classmate when I was 10 (looking back he probably swiped them from his dad) for $5. I then sold them for a huge profit ($20). This was before I knew about Beckett and the internet wasn’t around.
Thankfully I held on to my Michael Jordan rookies and sold those in college for $2500 and $800 – beer money for 4 years.
BD ~
Fans may not WANT to wait, but the fact that the Rays have already made it to a World Series is pretty impressive, especially considering the division they play in and that they are still in their infancy in baseball terms. Heck, my team is already past it’s teenage years by comparison and (thanks in large part to the NY Yankees) they haven’t even gotten there yet.
Sure the DBacks and the Marlins got there (and won) very quickly, but I would think that they are the anomalies.
ok – getting late, even here on the left coast…
Hurry up, April!
Jeter leading off makes sense for now – it can always change depending on gardners performance and arods return and so on. I am not thrilled at the 7, 8, 9 but its girardis call. I would prefer to split up gardner and ransom. Furthermore, I would start swisher over nady. As for gardner, Hot spring training streaks usually end when the season starts – not always but often they do. I like gardner over melky and always have but i am a bit suspicious of having two potential easy outs back to back as rally killers. Maybe they will continue to surprise us though – who knows??
What do you do with Ransom then? Bat him cleanup?
Ransom should be at the bottom of the order. It doesn’t make any sense to put someone with just 100+ ABs anywhere else.
Good Morning M
I think leading off with Jeter makes perfect sense. He can utilize his # 2 hitter skills to hit and run with Gardner on and it willmaximize what Damon offers.
I don’t think breaking up Ransom and Gardner matters much. I look at that lineup and picture Alex in and Ransom out and that could be pretty potent.
Swisher will get plenty of starts. I think we’ll see Matsui out of the lineup vs many if not most LHP. If you look at his career only in 2005 was he strong vs LHP (.972 OPS).
Good morning -
I just wanted to add my thought(s) to the conversation about the Rays and their building strategy.
It could be argued that the didn’t have to worry about pleasing a fan base because they didn’t really have one, and because of that (no revenue) they were subsidized by MLB (the Yankees) and so could take their time.
However, they do seem to have a knack for choosing very good prospects, don’t they? I mean other teams have had early picks for a few years (Pirates?) and done nothing with it.
So who do we think the extra player the Yankees will carry for the first 5 games until they need to activate Joba in game 6? Kevin Cash, Ramiro Pena?
“So who do we think the extra player the Yankees will carry for the first 5 games until they need to activate Joba in game 6? Kevin Cash, Ramiro Pena?”
Probably an extra pitcher. Starters don’t tend to go to deep during the 1st week or so of the season.
Why would the Sox use Wakefield as a relief pitcher? Soon as a guy gets on base against him its an easy stolen base. Unless they plan on making him the long man and Masterson the #5 guy…
“Why would the Sox use Wakefield as a relief pitcher? Soon as a guy gets on base against him its an easy stolen base.”
Isn’t that true when he’s a starter too?
Adding to the baseball card conversation:
(Gee, you guys sure stay up late jawin’!)
GB7 -
My heart breaks for your loss! Seriously. My brother was a collector in the 60s and even then, he kept his cards in mint and was very protective of them – way before it was prudent to do so. But my mom sounds like she was a bit like yours – she got rid of “clutter.”
My brother has turned into quite the collector in his adulthood though. I don’t think he ever got over losing his cards, either.
And I’ll bet you’d have NEVER sold your most valued cards, but you know, I bet you had a few that you could have parted with during some lean economic times.
“So who do we think the extra player the Yankees will carry for the first 5 games until they need to activate Joba in game 6? Kevin Cash, Ramiro Pena?”
Joba’s going north with the team, right?. They would have to option him down to AAA to get an extra roster-spot.
I read that Damon lost a lot of money in the ponzi scheme run by Allen Stanford in Aruba. He may really need the money, so I wouldn’t expect him to sacrifice to stay with the yanks if Boras, who invested the money, can get him a better contract.
k
Jeter as leadoff makes sense- great career OBP and an excellent baserunner. I feel Jeter will have a better 09 than 08, so he will be more productive at the plate. While he is the nominal leadoff hitter, I think this gives the edge to Gardner as the opening day CF. He will bat 9th- but after the first turn through the lineup, he will bat immediately ahead of Jeter. If you want to groom Gardner to be the eventual leadoff hitter, what better way to do it ? Essentially by the 3rd or 4th inning of the game, Gardner is your leadoff hitter and Jeter is back to his usual #2 slot. With Gardner getting on base ahead of him and with Gardner’s speed, Jeter will have a surprising number of RBI opportunities. Gardner gets to 1st, possibly steals 2nd, then scores on Jeter’s hit. Interesting to contemplate.
“… he did say 162 at bats that Jeter can’t GIDP” A good point, but in addition to that:
Often enough, Gardner could be the guy on base when Jeter comes up. Not every time of course. But when Gardner IS on base, we’ll have Jeter working the count (which he still does well) and giving Gardner every opportunity to steal. And if Gardner’s on 2nd (or 3rd) instead of 1st, Jeter can sometimes move him over up those times he would otherwise have a GIDP.
I think I like the Jeter-Damon flip-flop. It’s a subtle change, probably slightly better, but right now that’s just speculation. I’m looking forward to seeing how it works out though.
The thing is – what is the difference between Gardner being on base for Jeter and Damon being on base for Jeter? Gardner may be faster than Damon, but there were many times last year that Damon never got a chance to steal because Jeter had already GIDP’d – which would seem to indicate he WASN’T working the count so much.
I think this is strictly a R-L-R move by Girardi to protect the bottom of the lineup – as they did talk about on the MLB program last evening. I don’t think it has to do with Jeter’s GIDP rate as much as it’s being written about.
we’ll see how this turns out…i’m on the fence right now
“We needed Manny”? Name the last time Manny carried a team to the playoffs, or won a World Series.
Wait, never mind.
I like the move and it goes nicely with what the guys at RAB were saying a few weeks ago as far as importance of batting order spots. They called it.
What will be even more impressive is when we get ARod back. We’ll have R-L-S-R-L-S-L-R-L with Nady in the 8 hole or Swish switch hitting in the 8th spot. It completely takes the lefty-righty match ups out of the picture. Of course it all sounds good on paper, they will still have to PRODUCE.
It’s the managers job to put the team in the best position to succeed and I think Girardi has got the right ideas here.
looks good!