The LoHud Yankees Blog

A New York Yankees blog by Chad Jennings and the staff of The Journal News


Good morning … and Happy Youth & Sports Day …

Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on May 19, 2009 Print This Post Print This Post | Email This Post Email This Post

… to our many, many readers in Turkey. Seriously. Look it up here.

Now, there are several other holidays being celebrated around the world today (including Malcolm X Day here in the United States), but given the Yankees’ current situation I thought it was particularly appropriate for us become honorary Turks . Think about it: The Yankees are on the greatest run of their season and they certainly wouldn’t be enjoying such a roll without their youth (or, for that matter, sports).

Last night was just the latest example. I wrote last night about Phil Coke’s breathless four-out save (and subsequent awe over the closer’s role), and Melky Cabrera joined Robinson Cano in showing some 2007-style offensive prowess. It’s worth mentioning Cano also dazzled in the field, too.

But holiday cheer is also owed to Francisco Cervelli, the 23-year-old catcher who has suddenly found himself as the Yankees’ starter. Thrust into an incredibly high-pressure situation where he must deal with several veteran pitchers as well as a slew of unproven rookies, Cervelli has shown poise behind the plate and unexpected pop at it (2-for-2 yesterday, 9-for-24 overall).

Late last night, Andy Pettitte heaped praise on Cervelli, who helped guide the lefty through a game in which it was obvious early on that he had little bite on his pitches. “As soon as Josie (Jose Molina) went down (injured) in my last start, I grabbed (Cervelli) and said, ‘Look, you’re in the middle of the fire right now, buddy,’” Pettitte said. “He’s handling it very well though. He’s very confident.”

So how does Cervelli, who has played in exactly 12 big league games, know what to say to guys he’s still getting to know? “I ask a lot of questions,” he said. “I just try to make them comfortable.”

So far, it’s working. Obviously no one expects Cervelli to continue hitting at a .375 clip and, once Jose Molina or Jorge Posada is healthy, it seems likely Cervelli will return to being a bit player, but who knows? There’s no doubt that he’s impressing and, frankly, if you’re looking to honor a Venezuelan who played for the Italian WBC team, what better day is there than Turkish Youth & Sports Day?

 
 

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91 Responses to “Good morning … and Happy Youth & Sports Day …”

  1. 86w183 May 19th, 2009 at 9:56 am

    To me Cervelli is the most pleasant surprise of the season to this point. For him to do what he’s done with limited experience and under tremendous pressure is quite impressive. Pleasant surprise # 2 wou’d be the play of Melky Cabrera.

    What do they do to celebrate this day in Istanbul?

  2. mike from long island May 19th, 2009 at 10:02 am

    When will pete be back? This theme nonsense his terrible.

  3. Annie May 19th, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Posada & Molina are old ,
    I Hope Cervelli will be next Posada and be a greatest catcher .
    Go Yankees !!

  4. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Listening to Joe and Evan about the Mets now………this should be fun,lol

  5. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Cervelli’s been fantastic and the vets obviously love pitching to him – pretty amazing, considering that he’s been up for a minute and has almost no experience catching them. Even if/when he does fall back down to earth, it says a lot about the kid that he’s come up huge when thrown in the fire the way he has been. Unbelievably, Frankie has made the loss of Posada and Molina bearable……

  6. Zach in Port Jeff May 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am

    If anything Cervelli has at least shown that he is worth holding onto and giving a shot at the post-Posada catching spot (as everyone knows Molina is not the answer there, nor is he expected to be). I agree that he and Melky have been very pleasant surprises…Pena as well for that matter!

    Sam, don’t listen to em, I think the themes have worked just fine.

  7. hokiehill May 19th, 2009 at 10:12 am

    that Zach in Port Jeff post was me…he was upset about his lack of immitators yesterday so I had obliged him and haven’t posted since!

  8. Wang IS Taiwan May 19th, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Sam, I love your blogging. Ignore the many jerks we have that post here.

    As far as Frankie goes, he’s been a surprise and a delight. I hope he’s able to stick around for a while. I see a future in pinstripes for him…

  9. Guest May 19th, 2009 at 10:15 am

    Mike from Long Island,

    Yea….super gay

    How bout we celebrate shut up with the Martha Stewart garbage and talk about baseball day

  10. Bronx Jeers May 19th, 2009 at 10:16 am

    Ahh…. Francisco Cervelli.

    Who among us has not felt the insatiable lure of those penetrating eyes?

    Seriously this guy has been awesome. At the plate, behind the plate, with the staff, on the basepaths, the guy just makes the most of it. And he’s fiery! I can’t wait until he gives Youkilis a facial with his glove!

    The Not-So-Italian Stallion.

  11. Tom in N.J. May 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am

    The Kids have been (with apologies to The Who) Alright.

  12. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am

    http://www.wfan.com/As-Easy-As.....ntRating=1

    So much for the core players being uptight, lol……I don’ recall Brett being pied, though….

  13. TYPICAL HATER May 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am

    I DON”T LIKE SAM BECAUSE HE DOESN”T BLOG LIKE I”M USED TO. I DON”T LIKE IT WHEN THINGS CHANGE AND THINGS CHANGED SO I AM AGAINST IT. HIS BLOGGING IS DIFFERENT AND I DON”T LIKE WHEN THINGS ARE DIFFERENT.

  14. Rishi May 19th, 2009 at 10:23 am

    Brett was pied right after Melky in the same game – I was listening to the radio when he got pied while on with Suzyn – they probably don’t have it on film so they don’t show it

  15. RussW210 May 19th, 2009 at 10:26 am

    Good post! I always thought he was Italian then got confused when I heard his post-game interviews.

    Cervelli looks great out there. It is great to see some agility in our catcher. Posada should split DH/catcher next year and we should have Cervelli play half the games if he continues to produce.

  16. jessiedog May 19th, 2009 at 10:28 am

    Bronx Jeers – not sure if you were being sarcastic about Cervelli’s eyes – but you may have helped me figure out why I enjoy watching him so much – it all seems so refreshing.

  17. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:28 am

    Rishi, thanks – sorry YES didn’t catch that.

  18. BLACKACCORD May 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am

    On a serious note, today is World Hepatitis day..
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Hepatitis_Day

    My father is sufferering from Hep-C and I just wanted to share the awareness with you all…

  19. rbj May 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am

    LOL, typical hater.

    Cervelli is a real pleasant surprise. I’m sure his hitting will go down once he’s more exposed to the league, but if he can hit .275 with some pop, I’d like to keep him, trade Molina (or send him to AAA as insurance) and ease him in the next couple of years as the new catcher. Jorge to DH.

  20. Rishi May 19th, 2009 at 10:34 am

    I would say with two injured catchers and Posada known to DH when Molina catches, you run with all three…also allows you to PH for Molina and let Cervelli pick up the late innings…

  21. Laura - Win together, strike out alone! May 19th, 2009 at 10:35 am

    It would be interesting to see if AJ would pie Jeter or Posada. I have a feeling that they wouldn’t appreciate it.

    On a serious note, something has to be done about Swisher. I like him as much as anybody, but the guy is in a world class slump. How long is Girardi going to keep sending him out there? It would be one thing if his fielding was great, but even that is below par. SJ44 suggested a deal to get DeRosa from CLE. I’d be on board for that. Send them Veras and/or Ramirez.

  22. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:37 am

    Cervelli will be up here for awhile as Molina isn’t close, but when Molina does return – Frankie has to go down so he can play. Molina is a terrific backup and nothing has changed

  23. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:39 am

    I really don’t get why anyone wouldn’t like a pie in the face – loosen up, dudes, lol.

    There’s nothing to be done about Swisher. I disagree with SJ about him not being an everyday player – he’s in a bad slump, that’s it. All players go through this. Sit him a game? Fine, but he just has to play through it………

  24. Shant May 19th, 2009 at 10:40 am

    Youth Day in Turkey, interesting… Are one of the activities they play “Deny the Genocide”?

  25. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 10:43 am

    Please, no Shelley Duncan – unless he’s strictly a PHer…….

  26. Mauro May 19th, 2009 at 10:46 am

    Posada and Molina will keep getting hurt because they are old….

    Lets hope they keep “Frankie Brains” in the organization otherwise we’re going to be looking at him like we look at Dioner Navarro

  27. rover May 19th, 2009 at 10:49 am

    Since the confirmation the pies are whipped cream. I demand a pie in the face, right now. I know that somewhere sometime somehow in my 62 years I have come through big. I know it. Just give me the freakin pie!!

  28. MikeEff May 19th, 2009 at 10:51 am

    SAM—- you’re doing an excellent job–ignore the riff-raff

  29. jennifer May 19th, 2009 at 10:55 am

    Listening to Joe and Evan. Apparently Joe T goes out and argues calls. Now where was that when he was here? He was too busy sleeping to do so.

  30. vin May 19th, 2009 at 10:55 am

    “Please, no Shelley Duncan – unless he’s strictly a PHer…….”

    I wouldn’t even go that far… I’d only want him as a PBer (pinch brawler).

  31. jennifer May 19th, 2009 at 10:55 am

    Further proof that is was time for a change.

  32. Manton May 19th, 2009 at 10:56 am

    Man how I love the theme day posts, it’s so different and out of nowhere, (and here comes the tie-in…) just like Cervelli! Keep’em coming, Sam, you just started my day off on a big laugh. It’s much appreciated.

  33. vin May 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am

    Crazy thought… can Cervelli play any 1b? Wouldn’t be a bad idea for a guy like him to try to pick up additional skills and versatility to help him stick in the big leagues, long term. Just trying to help the guy out in the unlikely event he does not make the HOF as a catcher alone. ;)

  34. Doreen May 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am

    I love the theme posts, too. Thanks, Sam.

    I saw a clip of Pena high-fiving Teixeira after the play and Tex made last night. Now, I now Tex is not an old guy, but he made Pena look about 12! And it made me think of the nice mix the Yankees have right now…

  35. Brandon Pie "Because it's the thing to do in this stadium" May 19th, 2009 at 11:04 am

    “Trevor
    May 19th, 2009 at 8:50 am
    Now we know why Kate Hudson was at Friday’s game:

    http://www.nypost.com/seven/05.....169914.htm

    Kate Hudson = 3 straight YS walkoff wins, 1 by Arod himself after the night w/ her, Teix raising his BA by 42 pts., Gardner inside the park HR

    Keep her around. :)

    As for the pie in the face tradition I love what Suzyn said here (I know rare)

    *To those of you who say “Act like you’ve been there before” or “That’s not the Yankee way!”….I say to you…, well, most of these guys have NOT been there before, and how’s that “Yankee Way” worked for the past 7 years? A little life is needed in there…if a pie in the face on a walkoff win is what does it…so what? Add to that the gold WWB (or WWF…whatever it is now) belt being passed around to the star of the day. It belongs to Johnny Damon and the belt was a gift from AJ Burnett’s two little sons…

    Alex Rodriguez is determined to get it back, after losing it to Damon yesterday. Alex had it for one day…after his walkoff on Saturday…and HIS pie in the face.*

  36. Baha Men May 19th, 2009 at 11:06 am

    Shant, awesome. The amnesia over the Armenian Genocide is shameful.

  37. Betsy May 19th, 2009 at 11:12 am

    Suzyn is right…….and I’m still impressed with Mo getting into the act, lol. I like that he picked AJ up, who was dejected about giving up those 2 runs…….and now the pie has become a tradition, very quickly.

  38. Aunt Becca-Optimist Prime May 19th, 2009 at 11:12 am

    There’s a really good movie about the Armenian genocide called “Ararat”. It’s not for kids, though.

    Cervelli’s doing a great job and what I love most is that he’s absolutley beaming every time you see him. That’s the type of enthusiasm that’s been missing from this team for way too long.

  39. bodhisattva - OPPC member May 19th, 2009 at 11:13 am

    BLACKACCORD
    May 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am
    On a serious note, today is World Hepatitis day..
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Hepatitis_Day
    My father is sufferering from Hep-C and I just wanted to share the awareness with you all…
    ======

    Best of luck to your Dad. :)

  40. Mikey S May 19th, 2009 at 11:13 am

    Cervelli’s done a nice job, but I wouldn’t go nuts over him just yet. The guy was hitting .190 in Double A.

  41. RussW210 May 19th, 2009 at 11:15 am

    Gardner is hurt?

  42. K-ace May 19th, 2009 at 11:15 am

    Anyone can help me and tell me if Section 208, Row 16 is any good?

    Definitely want to go to the game tonight

  43. 86w183 May 19th, 2009 at 11:17 am

    Betsy — I know you believe in Swisher, but he has been proven to be a mediocre every day player. I think he would be much more effective if you mix and match him in the lineup and avoid using him against high strikeout pitchers since he’s so K-prone as it is.

    He’s a career .243 hitter with more strikeouts than hits. He’s never hot over .262, never driven in 100 runs, never had 150 hits and only once topped 24 HR. Exactly where does your faith in him come from?

    I don’t dislike the guy as a player and I love his personality. He’s just best suited to play about 3-4 times a week not 6-7.

  44. Doreen May 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am

    86w183

    I agree with you about Swisher. He was at his best this season when he was alternating with Nady. Once Nady went down and he HAD to be in there everyday, he’s tapered off a bit.

  45. Aunt Becca-Optimist Prime May 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am

    K-Ace: If you’re talking about 208 in the main (ie, not bleachers), do it in a heartbeat. I was in 211 on Friday and the seats were fantastic.

  46. MikeEff May 19th, 2009 at 11:21 am

    Hey K-Ace—–

    if you go to the yankee page at MLB.com you can look under the Yankee Stadium tab and look at 3D seat selector. it will show you the view from every section

  47. K-ace May 19th, 2009 at 11:24 am

    Yeah, 208 In Main Outfield for tonight.

    I bought two tickets on StubHub just awhile ago, 20 bucks each.

    Thanks Becca :)

  48. Wave Your Hat May 19th, 2009 at 11:28 am

    “Exactly where does your faith in him come from?”

    I’m not Betsy but I have some faith in Swisher and here’s why:

    Playing EVERY DAY between 2005 and 2009, Swisher’s OPS+ has been:

    2005: 101
    2006: 125
    2007: 127
    2008: 92
    2009: 129

    His career platoon split:

    RHP: .797 OPS
    LHP: .839 OPS

    The above numbers indicate an above average player who’s had one bad year. Swisher’s BA and strikeouts do not reflect his true worth, as people with some statistical sophistication should know.

    Maybe last year reflected a fall-off in Swisher’s ability, maybe it reflected his playing a position he was uncomfortable playing, maybe it was just bad luck.

    Swish is in a slump right now, but you have to look at his entire career, and his entire year so far.

    There’s absolutely no reason to conclude he’s a part-time player.

  49. Tim Sherman May 19th, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Too early to tell what kind of hitter Cervelli will be. He hit .259 over four plus seasons at various levels in the minors, but did hit over .300 last year at Trenton. One thing is for certain, he is a good defensive catcher already. He is only 22 years old and that is encouraging for his future. Nice to see a young kid get a chance and show some promoise. Time will tell what kind of player he will be, but it’s fun watching him break in.

  50. K-ace May 19th, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Only 1 problem, It looks like the foul pole is really disturbing Haha.

    Hopefully not, but I’ll see

  51. Don Altobello May 19th, 2009 at 11:31 am

    Message to Yankees office: please get some real sweet pies from the nearest bakery for our next walk-off victories. Shaving cream is horrible to eat for a hero. Hurry Cash!

  52. Wave Your Hat May 19th, 2009 at 11:32 am

    I think Damon last night said they’d been using whipped cream.

  53. Aunt Becca-Optimist Prime May 19th, 2009 at 11:33 am

    K-ace: Yeah, Friday I got two face value $80 tickets for $25 each.

  54. jennifer May 19th, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Swish is starting to hit the ball hard again. Last night he hit a ball to left field that died, if the wind was blowing out a bit it would have been gone. Have patience. With the way we’ve been playing he can continue to try and work out of it.

  55. jennifer May 19th, 2009 at 11:38 am

    AHH Joba to the pen again. What a moron!!

  56. vin May 19th, 2009 at 11:39 am

    When Jorge and Josie return, what happens to Cervelli? I doubt they’d keep him up and stunt his growth. Does he go back to AA, or is there room for him in SWB?

  57. Christina (UPDATED:pictures from the Toronto series on my blog) May 19th, 2009 at 11:40 am

    Wow, Rebecca. How did you score those? StubHub?

    I wish I could go to more games.. Yankee Stadium is too far away….

  58. SJ44 May 19th, 2009 at 11:42 am

    There us plenty of reason to conclude he’s a part-time player.

    The last 2 years.

    It’s more than just raw data. What are his 2008/2009 numbers to date?

    You can make the stats read nicely when you include earlier numbers.

    This “slump” has now lasted over 200 games over 1+ seasons.

    That is an indication that his skills at the present time don’t translate to everyday duty.

    Add to it his lack of defensive skills in RF, aside from playing with stats to make a point, he has not shown himself to be a competent everyday player for a significant period of time.

    Two teams and over 2 seasons ago to be exact.

  59. K-ace May 19th, 2009 at 11:49 am

    Your from Toronto Christina?

    Luckily, I live in Brooklyn so I just hop on the 4 train straight to the stadium.

    Yeah my tickets face value are 50 bucks, so 20 dollars each ticket wasn’t that bad either. Stub hub works miracles, Section 208 isn’t bad at all, good view only the foul pole is little disturbing.

    Next time, I’ll do more research before buying the tickets, just found way better tickets for like few extra dollars.

  60. frankiedue May 19th, 2009 at 11:51 am

    For what it’s worth, Chad Jennings of SWYankees Blog reports this morning that “Chien-Ming Wang’s locker is cleared out and he’s not listed on the upcoming Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rotation.”

  61. carl May 19th, 2009 at 11:52 am

    Wang might be coming back soon?!?!?!

  62. David May 19th, 2009 at 11:54 am

    Speaking of Swisher’s slump, I remember Lou Pinella batting under .200 when his slump lasted the entire year. Outrageous considering he was a career .290 hitter.

  63. Christina (UPDATED:pictures from the Toronto series on my blog) May 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    K-ace- I am from Upstate NY, which is a good 3 hours from Yankee Stadium. While Toronto is farther, the tickets are 10 times cheaper so the price ends up always being a lot cheaper if I just head to there for a 3 game series.

    You can’t beat 20 dollar seats. For me, a 20 dollar seat turns into a 100 dollar+ trip (driving, tolls, food, and parking). I think once they get that Metro North stop put in the trip could turn out to be a lot less costly.

  64. Glenn May 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Lot’s to like about the near future catching of the Yankees. Frankie Cervelli showing he wants to be here with Jesus Montero and Austin Romine working their way up.
    All 3 have seen spring trainings as invitees and working hard under the tutoring of Tony Pena.

  65. Tom in N.J. May 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Wang comming back? Or, is Scranton going on the road and Wang maybe going down to Trenton to get his next rehab start there?

  66. Wave Your Hat May 19th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    SJ44-

    I refuse to get in a protracted argument with you this morning (as I have other things to do!) but I don’t agree with you.

    Swisher had a relatively poor year last year – not horrible, with an OPS+ of 92. His year was not consistently bad, he had a good June and a good August, and a poor May, July and September.

    But you have to count all of this year, and overall he has had a good 2009. He’s been in a slump lately, but overall a good year.

    Plus, if you are going to look at last year, there’s no reason not to look at 2007 as well. Looking only to the beginning of 2008 is an arbitrary cut-off which you chose merely because it tends to support your point, while looking back before 2008 undercuts your point.

    Swisher had to play CF last year, and it could easily have at least partly accounted for his off year.

    Swisher’s platoon splits do not indicate he should be platooned. I see no indication he “wears down” in his record, either.

    You are incorrect as to his defensive ability as a corner OF. Throughout his career he has been average to slightly above average when playing a corner OF position. (You can check it for yourself at baseball reference if you like.)

  67. no.27 May 19th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    I don’t think Swisher should be hitting as high as he is in the order, but he does have the talent to be an everyday player. The guy has power from both sides of the plate, a high OBP, takes a lot of pitches, doesn’t clog up the basepaths, and plays solid defense. As a corner outfielder, he’s not a top hitter, but I think he could .255 with a .370 OBP and 25+ HRs this year.

    I do think he could use a day off to get out of this funk though.

  68. CountryClub May 19th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    Most of you probably didnt see the ESPN broadcast last night. So I figured I’d infuriate many of you and let you know that Hershiser threw his 2 cents in and said that Joba should be in the pen. He did qualify it by saying that the makeup of this particular team is what formed his opinion. So I don’t know if he would want Joba in the pen under different circumstances. Still, it blows me away how many ex players think Joba belongs in the pen. They do relaize that he has the lowest ERA on the staff, right?

  69. Christina (UPDATED:pictures from the Toronto series on my blog) May 19th, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Tom- Isn’t Wang coming to NY so Girardi can watch his side throw? I would assume they will make the determination based on how he looks.

  70. 86w183 May 19th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    Wave —

    It’s obvious you over-rate on base percentage like all too many fans. The ability to walk is a nice thing, but if you don’t run the bases extremely well it doesn’t do much good. Rickey Henderson’s ability to walk was huge, Nick Swisher’s is not.

    Even using OPS as a standard he is a slightly above average major league hitter for his career and a below average hitter the past year plus. That’s not an every day player in the Bronx.

    Don’t bother quoting those bizarre defensive stats. Most of them are completely subjective.

  71. S.A.--Let's get ready to rumble! May 19th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    Wang is throwing a bullpen session at the stadium today. But they still have concerns about him

  72. vin May 19th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    Why not just put CC in the bullpen? Do you honestly think he wouldn’t be great in the 8th inning. (that’s my rebuttal for the Joba to bullpen argument)

    The only way I’d be in favor of Joba to the ‘pen is if 2 things happen:
    1) if the other 4 guys get on a roll and Hughes/Aceves/whoever proves they can get ML hitters out as a 5th starter.
    2) Joba is approaching his IP limit (he’s already thrown 40% of the total # of innings he pitched last year)
    And these two conditions would only send him there for the remainder of this season. Next year he’s back in the rotation, and hopefully able to reach 170± innings.

  73. Tom in N.J. May 19th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Didn’t hear that.

    Thanks, Christina and S.A.

  74. S.A.--Let's get ready to rumble! May 19th, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    new post ——————->

  75. New Post May 19th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    New Post! :-)

  76. CountryClub May 19th, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    By the time Joba pitches again the Yanks will have played 40 games (1/4 of the season) and Joba has thrown 40 innings. It’s been widely reported that his innings limit this year will be about 150 innings. That means he’s only slightly ahead of a full season’s pace. The Yanks will just have to skip him once or twice (when off days permit) to keep him at his innings limit. That should allow him to remain a starter all year.

  77. SJ44 May 19th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    Wave,

    You can look at all the stats you want. Watch him play.

    How has he had a “good 2009″? He hasn’t at all since Game 10 of the season.

    In has last 27 games, he’s hitting .186, 4 HR’s, 11 RBI and 32 K’s. That’s “good”?

    Are those numbers the numbers of an everyday RF in baseball right now?

    Take those numbers and add them to his season totals AND last year, and you don’t see a trend developing?

    Do you think he has played well defensively in RF this year?

    Don’t go by arbitrary stats, use your eyes.

    Last night for example, he misplayed an easy carom on Morneau’s double that would have held him to a single. That was the second time he did that in the series.

    A ML RF has to be able to make those plays.

    Those are just a couple of examples. There are more.

    His throws have been awful. Late and inaccurate.

    You just want to look at data and reach conclusions. Its more than just data.

    If you want to use the excuse he had to play CF for a spell (not as much as you think) last year, and that lead to his slump, fine.

    What’s his excuse this year? He’s playing everyday in RF. A position he has played for a good chunk of his career.

    He’s playing for a manager he says is, “the best manager he has ever played for”. So, no managerial friction exists.

    Yet, his overall numbers and play are underwhelming?

    Statistical blips or the sign of a limited player at this point in his career?

    Its more than just numbers. Watching the guy also counts.

    Don’t you find it amazing that a ballpark that has surrendered more HR’s than any ballpark in baseball so far this year, has surrendered NONE from Swisher? A guy who is supposed to provide some pop?

    At this point, saying he is an everyday player, as his numbers go down each day, makes little sense to me.

    He’s an everyday player because they don’t have anybody else at the present time they can play in RF.

    If such an option becomes available, I bet he sees the bench and goes back to being a part-time option.

    Not unless he breaks an over 200 game trend and starts showing the numbers he showed in 2006-07.

  78. Wave Your Hat May 19th, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    SJ44-

    As I said, I don’t have time to argue with you today. Swisher’s in a slump, so you don’t like him. When he breaks out of the slump, which he will, you’ll change your mind. Fine.

    86w183.

    Suit yourself. I’m sure the seat of your pants works fine for you.

  79. 86w183 May 19th, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    If Swisher played half the time in RF with Nady and filled in occasionally at 1B, LF and DH that would be great. I’m not saying he doesn’t have the physical ability to play every day. I’m just pointing out he’s not good enough to warrant playing every day. Sitting him 2X or 3X a week to avoid certain pitchers would probably make him more productive.

    Last year he started out 16-50 and hit .213 the rest of the way. The year before he was .295 in mid-June and hit .237 the rest of the season.

    The prosecution rests.

  80. ANSKY May 19th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    Wave –

    I have a ton of stuff to do too, so I’m not in ‘debate’ mode either … but … Swisher becoming something like a .290/30/100 hitter is pretty unlikely.

    His eye and patience is good and therefore his OBP is good, maybe he has the pop for 25-30HR if he plays full time, but he’s not going to hit over .250.

    Same goes for being an above average OF. He’s not bad, but he’s not above average either, which is what this team pretty much lacks at all 3 OF positions. (well, Melky’s doing real well … so far) Swish iss a good glove at 1B but Tex is better than he is in so many ways.

    Swish is good at the supporting role on this team, at 1B and OF. His contract happens to be for more $$ that someone should making as a backup, but that contract was originally made with another team. The Yanks just needs to use him more in the OF now because the X-Man has been out. Of course I wouldn’t know first hand, but everyone in the know says he’s a good guy / teammate too (which definitely counts) but that only goes so far.

  81. SJ44 May 19th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    I didn’t say I didn’t like him. Don’t put words in my mouth.

    You, as is your wont, overvalue players you like. You did it with Pettitte last year and you are doing it with Swisher now.

    I said I like Swisher fine as a guy off the bench, not as an everyday player. His numbers in the last two years, no matter how much you want to message them, don’t translate to everyday play.

    Also, his numbers over the last 200 games don’t denote a “slump”. They denote a significant downward trend in his production.

    If you don’t agree, then you are choosing to ignore the most recent data on his play. If you do that, how can you use the stat argument for him? It makes no sense.

    His walks are meaningless because he doesn’t have any speed.

    If Brett Gardner had Nick’s numbers, Brett is a weapon because of his legs.

    Swisher drawing walks isn’t a weapon because he can’t use his legs to generate any run production.

    He is a corner OF. He has to drive in runs and show power.

    The guy hasn’t hit a HR in the most homer friendly park in baseball. You don’t find that troubling? I certainly do.

  82. Wave Your Hat May 19th, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    “His walks are meaningless because he doesn’t have any speed.”

    Walks are meaningful because they aren’t outs.

    Nuff of this silliness. Yes I’ve seen Swish make some lousy throws, but I don’t think he’s a lousy OF. You have to look at data when you evaluate players in addition to your eyes, because your eyes will always emphasize the things you are looking for. I try to look at both data and what I see.

    It doesn’t matter anyway, because Swish is going to play most every day, and I agree he probably won’t be an All-Star. Let’s see where he ends up.

    And I won the Pettitte debate, not you. So there.

    Gotta go.

  83. Richie May 19th, 2009 at 12:37 pm

    Posada > Cervelli > Molina > Cash

  84. Joey's Poodle May 19th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    1. Swisher is average at the plate and below average in the field, definitely not a keeper in the Bronx. Let some team that aspires to be average have him.

    2. Cisco Cervelli, on the other hand, looks like he might be a keeper — at least a good defensive catcher, and might not be too much of a drag on the team at the plate if he doesn’t get overexposed.

    3. If Pena’s mistakes can be laid to inexperience he may turn out to be a sound utility infielder as his experience grows.

  85. 86w183 May 19th, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    Do the Yankees have a major league record number of fourth outfielders?

    Wave — Since June 18, 2007 Swisher is 212-932 .227. That’s one hellacious slump.

  86. SJ44 May 19th, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    How did you “win” the Pettitte debate.

    You wanted to pay him 10 million dollars and I said the Yankees offer of 5 for what he is right now in his career, a #4 starter, was fair.

    What did he get? 5.5 million and what do his numbers indicate? He’s a #4 starter?

    That’s a “win”? Ok.

    Wave, you don’t look at data. You look at data only in the context that it helps your argument. You don’t look at ALL data.

    That’s why you want to pay Pettitte double than what he is worth.

    That’s why you insist Swisher is an everyday player despite all the recent data that suggests otherwise.

    If you think the numbers Swisher has put up over his last 200 games indicate he is an everyday player, especially as a corner OF on a playoff contending team, you simply have no idea how to read data.

  87. Tony May 19th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    What’s not to like about Cervelli? So far he’s supplied a few clutch 2 out hits. He’s got a fine arm and shows a lot of fire. He’s obviously handled the staff with expertise beyond his years. I’m actually happy to see him come to bat in an important game situation.

  88. Wave Your Hat May 19th, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    Right now it looks like Andy’s good for the full $12MM.

  89. bethysketch May 19th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Oh, Sam. Loving your posts… the last sentence on this one was juuuust right.

  90. Dan May 19th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    Yeah this theme was certainly a stretch. I come here for baseball and a little side (but otherwise relevant!) chatter. I don’t care about Kid’s Day in Turkey, and I still don’t care about Museum Day.

    Come on Sam, I’m not a typical hater, I rarely post, but I thought, for your sake, I’d just be honest. Sorry if that makes me a jerk.

  91. saucy May 19th, 2009 at 5:27 pm

    Youth & Sports Day?

    That’s nobody’s business but the Turks…

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