Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 05, 2009 
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This time, the Yankees believe they have assembled a rotation that will get them back in the playoffs.
Andy Pettitte and A.J.Burnett for some work in yesterday as the Yankees wrapped up spring training. Ernie Palladino was at the Stadium and has that story.
I’m off to Baltimore to cover today’s workout. Check back later for a report.
Good morning,PeteR. Good luck in Baltimore. I’m on my way to the arport for a business trip to Mexico D.F. I’m sure you’ll have more fun in Batimore than me in Mexico. Well at least I have my laptop to watch NYY opener.
If the exhibitions games offer an accurate indication of how well the ball carries at the new stadium, it’s good that at least three of the five starters can be dominant strike out pitchers.
I was somewhat surprised that the Yanks went with concrete walls instead of the more flexible walls. Wonder if that gets changed after this season?
GreenBeret7
I was somewhat surprised that the Yanks went with concrete walls instead of the more flexible walls. Wonder if that gets changed after this season.
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I missed that. I hope it doesn’t take an injury to make the change.
Glad to see that my boy Miguel Cairo still has a ML job.
Added to the Phillies 25 Man Roster yesterday.
Time to buy a Phillies Hat now….even if it only ticks off the MUT fans!!!
I like our team, but we’ll need to really pitch and hit. Our outfield is the epitome of mediocre, without a single arm. I expect everyone to run on us.
Nady has a good arm
“My call is the Sox win 105 games this year, the Division as well. No post season predictions yet. ”
-Curt Schilling
lol
Nady gets rid of the ball quickly, but he doesn’t get much on itl. Fortunately for us, Cano’s is a rifle. I think the Yank outfielders should practice hitting the letters on throws to cutoff men ad nauseum.
So did the board discuss on Friday how Kay said during the game that Nady is better defensively than Swish and that’s probably why he got the nod? I’m pretty sure Swish has better numbers in most if not all defensive metrics. Nady got the nod because it’s his walk year and he played fairly well as a Yankee last year. Wish Kay wasn’t so much of a Yankee yes man. (no pun intended)
Why do you think they CALL it YES.
Love Pete’s line comparing Pavano to Madoff in the first article.
Darrell Rasner debuted today.
IP 3.0 H 8 R 6 ER 6 BB 0 SO 1 HR 1 ERA 16.20
Sorry I’m not good at English and cannot write the details.
espn expert predictions:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....xpertpicks
Somebody was posting as me last night. I disagree with everything that poster wrote and absolutely think that the Yanks need ARod and his production back ASAP.
Rishi,
We’d better put that “experts” i quotes, no?
Thanks. Had a good laugh, especially Gammoms.
No love for Cano from ESPN? Why am I not surprised.
He could take two categories: “breakout year” and MVP.
I remember three years ago when Peter Gammon’s predicted Bobby Crosby would win the MVP.
That said, I’m surprised anyone would pick the Yankees. It makes sense for ESPN to pick against them. It motivates interest.
I wrote on this blog a year ago, who stays healthiest of Yanks, Rays, and Sox will win east (I’m also known as Cpt Obvious). The next healthiest will win the WC because the AL West and Central are garbage. I think the chances the Rays rotation stays as healthy and pen performs at the level it did a year ago is zero.
bodhisattva –
I thought the same thing after I posted it…I wish they would also show “previous year record” for each or something – I’m also surprised with how many thing the world series is going to be a repeat – how rarely does that happen!
what exactly is Cano supposed to break out from? He had a very good rookie season, followed by two outstanding seasons. This “bad” 4th season consisted one bad month in April.
GB,
I also hate the anti Cano comments. First three years were .297, .340, .305. Last year he ended up .270. Bad year for him, sure. I’d place my money on him returning to .300+.
Re: Cano
Out of all the players on the team, I’m most excited about Cano’s upcoming season. Offensively and defensively, he looks like a complete baseball player.
But the biggest noticeable difference I see in him from this year as opposed to last year and even the other years of his career when he hit well, he has finally realized how his quick reaction time allows him more time to judge a pitch. In his earlier years, I’m not convinced he really believed in his ability to wait on a pitch and still manage to have enough time to react to it.
This is a player with lightening fast reflexes and extraordinary hand-eye coordination finally recognizes his abilities and using them to his advantage.
Robinson Cano is going to have a monster year.
GreenBeret7
April 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
what exactly is Cano supposed to break out from? He had a very good rookie season, followed by two outstanding seasons. This “bad” 4th season consisted one bad month in April.
====================
He’s supposed to “break out” from the ignorance of the people who fail to recognize how great he is, especially Yankee fans, who wanted him traded last year.
Cano looks even better at the plate in person; he is poised for a monster year.
William Buckner
April 5th, 2009 at 10:13 am
GB,
I also hate the anti Cano comments. First three years were .297, .340, .305. Last year he ended up .270. Bad year for him, sure. I’d place my money on him returning to .300+.
————————————————————
He committed some major screw-ups last year, but, looking back through his box scores, his errors tend to come in bunches, and usually when he isn’t hitting. It annoys me that he has yet been able to separate his hitting from his fielding. Last year, he .151 in April and .297 the rest of the season…..including playing through a hand injury in August. None of this excuses the lack of hustle, but, it’s hardly the first time I’ve seen players that were bigger NYY stars than Cano go through that.
Bret the Hitman
April 5th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Re: Cano
Out of all the players on the team, I’m most excited about Cano’s upcoming season. Offensively and defensively, he looks like a complete baseball player.
But the biggest noticeable difference I see in him from this year as opposed to last year and even the other years of his career when he hit well, he has finally realized how his quick reaction time allows him more time to judge a pitch. In his earlier years, I’m not convinced he really believed in his ability to wait on a pitch and still manage to have enough time to react to it.
This is a player with lightening fast reflexes and extraordinary hand-eye coordination finally recognizes his abilities and using them to his advantage.
Robinson Cano is going to have a monster year.
==============================
Amen. I’ve had this argument with people who doom him to a career of miserable OBP.
I think actually the lack of patience was product of a kind of neurological “belief” that he could get to anything to hit it. I’m happy to say that sort of “Vlad principle” is still w/him, and I wouldn’t want to see that aggressiveness go away, but now it’s strengthened by a more closed stance and giving himself time to look over pitches, as per your point.
William Buckner
April 5th, 2009 at 10:13 am
GB,
I also hate the anti Cano comments. First three years were .297, .340, .305. Last year he ended up .270. Bad year for him, sure. I’d place my money on him returning to .300+.
===================================================
In the words of Joe Willie White Shoes, it’s a guarantee.
Cano’s never going to walk much. Mid-40s will be his tops, so those looking for .380-.390 OBPs are in for a long wait unless he also hits in the .350-.360 range. His talents are hitting everything hard to every part of the field. Same thing his his power potential. about 25 tops because he’s never going to be a pull hitter. That would get him in trouble.
GreenBeret7
He committed some major screw-ups last year, but, looking back through his box scores, his errors tend to come in bunches, and usually when he isn’t hitting. It annoys me that he has yet been able to separate his hitting from his fielding. Last year, he .151 in April and .297 the rest of the season…..including playing through a hand injury in August. None of this excuses the lack of hustle, but, it’s hardly the first time I’ve seen players that were bigger NYY stars than Cano go through that.
=====================================================
That hand injury untimely came; he was raking in that series up in Boston when it happened (off Lester pitch). I have to say, Cano is the most disrespected Yankee in my lifetime, relative to offensive/defensive ability.
GB,
The lack of hustle is frustrating, but I think Girardi got through to him the end of last year. Some guys struggle with that. Soriano didnt run out a double yesterday – he still hasn’t learned.
Hopefully Cano trends towards the player he should be, which is an AS talent and not the player he was some of the time last year.
On another note, did anyone read that Pedrioa called Arod a dork. Reminded me of Animal House line, “he can’t do that to our pledges.” “only we can do that to our pledges.”
GreenBeret7
April 5th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Cano’s never going to walk much. Mid-40s will be his tops, so those looking for .380-.390 OBPs are in for a long wait unless he also hits in the .350-.360 range. His talents are hitting everything hard to every part of the field. Same thing his his power potential. about 25 tops because he’s never going to be a pull hitter. That would get him in trouble.
=====================================================
He doesn’t have to. In 2007 postseason, he had a .375 OBP and hit .333. That’s not great separation, but that’s fine from him. He’s a doubles machine when he’s hitting, but I think he’ll hit 30 homers this year, but certainly not because he’ll pull everything.
illiam Buckner
April 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
GB,
The lack of hustle is frustrating, but I think Girardi got through to him the end of last year. Some guys struggle with that. Soriano didnt run out a double yesterday – he still hasn’t learned.
Hopefully Cano trends towards the player he should be, which is an AS talent and not the player he was some of the time last year.
On another note, did anyone read that Pedrioa called Arod a dork. Reminded me of Animal House line, “he can’t do that to our pledges.” “only we can do that to our pledges.”
===============================================
His lack of hustle is greatly overstated. He lost focus and was down in the mouth for stretches, but people mostly accuse him of lack of “hustle” because of his effortless ability. It’s their eyes that need fixing. Visible strain does not always equal effort, and effortless ability does not always equal a lack of it.
If the reports prove accurate from Piniella, the ball doesn’t carry well to center and left center. The two that could be most affected by that are Rodriguez and Cano. That’s their power areas. Hopefully, by June, they’ll know where to go with the pitches. Perhaps Rodriguez will start going more opposite field, where he has as much power as any of the left handed pull hitters. Cano just needs to stay with this new stance.
Somebody, some day soon is going to take Pedroia out on a slide into 2nd base and plaster him against that green wall.
Nice one Pete.
Carl “Bernie Madoff” Pavano….. lol
Be careful when you go to Cleveland. I hear the “Injured Injun” is placing band-aid wrappers all around the visiting clubhouse – just one slip and it’s the writer DL for you.
GB7,
You’ll have Banuelos/DJ Mitchell/Marshall/Brackman down there this year. That’s enviable. Keep us updated.
I also see more than 25 HR as Cano’s ceiling. That laser shot the other night is something he can do more regularly. I would also expect to see him mature as a hitter and get into the 50-60 walk range.
It’s fine to be supportive of him, but to deny the “hustle” problems in his bast is disingenuous at best. Hopefully that stuff is behind him and he continues to improve as a MLB player.
It’s way too early to reach any conclusions about where the ball will and won’t carry. There’s really little reason to think it’ll be much different than the old place.
Robinson Cano is going to have a monster year.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I’d be good with that (except vs. the M’s of course) … Robinson is the second baseman for my fantasy team
Robinson Cano is going to have a monster year.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I’d be good with that (except vs. the M’s of course) … Robinson is the second baseman for my fantasy team
espn expert
Classic oxymoron.