Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 09, 2009 
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Derek Jeter has an off night but Nick Swisher delivered a walk-off home run for the Yankees.
Dave Robertson is going to get his elbow checked by Dr. James Andrews. This notebook also has updates on the quest for home-field advantage and Ian Kennedy’s progress.
Rishi
September 9th, 2009 at 8:47 am
upstate kate
September 9th, 2009 at 8:41 am
yeah, AJ got him good. Does anyone know what AJ was saying to Swish?
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Something to the effect of “it’s real shaving cream, not whipped cream, so don’t eat it”
Yes, Yankee Stadium is a home field advantage to this current Yankee team.
Swisher is 15 for his last 39 with five homers and 10 RBI. He is second on the team in home runs and third with 77 RBI, and became the sixth Yankee to win a game with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
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For Wilson freeking Bentiment!! Amazing! Hats off to you Cash. That was the steal of the century!
This team rocks.
Here’s hoping for the best with Robertson. He’s a big piece of the puzzle.
hopefully robertson is fine. all these young pitchers in the organization, and more down on the farm its very impressive.
Fast mover: John Harper over at the Daily News is fast becoming my least favorite sportswriter, after the immortal Iron Mike Loopyca of course.
Before last season, when Pettitte was going through the HGH hell he created for hismelf, Harper was epecially shrill in his initial criticism of Pettitte as a person. Now he’s trying to find a way to make a fool out of Jeter for allowing Swish to have his day in the sun. Have a look. He wrote about Jeter’s no-show with the media last night:
“No doubt he’ll say he didn’t want to intrude on Nick Swisher’s night, after Swisher hit two home runs, including a walk-off shot to right in the ninth to give the Yankees a 3-2 win over the Rays.
But obviously it’s bugging Jeter that his expected coronation as the Yankees’ all-time hit leader has turned into intrigue.”
[Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....z0Qc8bRROo
“Obviously”??? “Coronation”???
First of all, it’s far from obvious, Johnny. In fact, it’s more consistent with Jeter always stepping back to let another player shine. Seriously, does Harper not think that Jeter knows he will get way more than his 15 mintues of fame when he does break the record? So why should Jeter suck up all the energy in the room on his O-fer night when Swish was the star? And imagine what a boob like Harper would write if Jeter had stuck around and the backpage today was Jeter instead of Swisher?
Second of all, a “Coronation”? Maybe in Harper’s ego-driven world of deadlines and bylines a star expects a coronation. But there is nothing, absolutely nothing in Jeter’s background that suggests he is expecting, welcoming or planning on a coronation.
When it does happen, after paying tribute to Gehrig, Jeter will “aw, shucks” the whole thing, and deadpan that it only means he’s been around so long. That’s going to be the least Regal series of interviews anybody has ever seen.
So many of these pieces are Rorschach tests, revealing more about the writer than the person written about. Congrats to Harper for helping to manufacture the faux controversy of the day.
Well said, murphydog.
totally agree murphydog. Jeter is always about the team, why would he want to take away from Swish’s night? Some people aren’t happy unless they are stirring something up.
I’m surprised swisher made the back of those two rags, and not the 0-4 with 3 strikes by Jeter.
I can’t blame Jeter for not wanting to stick around and talk about his 0-4 night.
Let Swisher and Godan (sp?) get the spot light. They shined last night. Incidentally who got the belt last night?
Oh and want further proof about Nespn being a shill for the soxs. Clutch performer Dusty? Give me a break, that game was a blow out. Both of Swisher’s homeruns were huge. One to initially give us the lead, the second to win the game. without either one of Swisher we might not have won the game. Without both of Dusty’s the soxs would have won.
Remember folks……….ESPN=Exclusive Sox Patriots Network
Agreed, murphydog. Just two points of clarification:
1. Lupica is not a sports writer. He’s such a hack, I don’t even consider him a writer. I could place my laptop upside down on the floor, stomp on it for 15 minutes and whatever shows up on the screen will be more articulate than anything Lupica has ever written. I see the News has now given him a weekly political column (as if he doesn’t poison the sports section enough as it is). The News should give him a column in the business section, too. Then he can write about three subjects that he knows absolutely nothing about.
2. Bad column by Harper, to be sure, but relative to the other local writers, he’s not too terribly bad. Maybe this was one of those “Oh damn, I have a deadline and no ideas!” cases? Or he’s just doing his part to sell papers?
Jennifer -
I thought I saw that clutch performer thing on MLB. But I was sleepy, so it’s possible I had on ESPN. Whichever, they’re so wrong. How is 3 rbi clutch in a 10-0 game? Swishy was the clutch guy last night. No doubt about it.
As for Jeter. The day before he stood before the media after 2 games that the Yankees won answering questions about his 0-fers. I’m sure he didn’t want to do that again. He would certainly have nothing new to add. “I hit one hard, but right at someone. We won, that’s the most important thing.” If that was all it was, I’m sure he’d a stood through it. But the questions go on and on and they come back to “are you pressing,” and “do you want this over with” and he’s already answered those. And it DOES take the attention from the guys who actually did something to help the team win last night.
Also, Jeter does not always do post-game interviews, especially when he is not one of the key players of the night. So, in that sense, last night was no different than how he’s conducted himself all season. NOT breaking the record is not a story. When the record is broken, or if a hit he gets or a play he makes is important to the outcome of the game, he will make himself available.
guys, you should check out the MLB Network interview with Swish after the game. It is really good. Its on yankees.com, the video after Swisher’s HR.
Doreen
You could be right. Someone posted in a previous entry. I didn’t take note of which channel had it. I just automatically assumed it was espn.
what do you all expect from the same espn that spent 2 months talking about nothing other than A-Rod and steroids, but seems to cover and defend the accusation against ortiz.
speaking of clutch, alex is starting to look very comfortable and with 24 homeruns, clearly not swinging for the fences each AB. the hits are what matters and he is hitting and driving in runs when they count.
hopefully he brings that attitude into the playoffs.
benfica356
Thanks I’ll try and remember to check it out when i get home.
jennifer -
That was me who posted earlier.
“On a night when Berra, his parents and actress-girlfriend Minka Kelley were in the crowd hoping to see history”
Pete
Minka and her agent are gonna be mad at you. You broke the cardinal PR rule- Write whatever you want but make sure to spell the name right.
Oh LOL. Espn still deserves to be trashed.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo....._game.html
jeters first game
jennifer -
I’ll agree with that!
Swisher is 15 for his last 39 with five homers and 10 RBI. He is second on the team in home runs and third with 77 RBI, and became the sixth Yankee to win a game with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
**************
For Wilson freeking Bentiment!! Amazing! Hats off to you Cash. That was the steal of the century!
====================================================
Don’t forget that we also got 23 year old right hander Kanekoa Texeira in that deal. Texeira had a very good season at Trenton and may someday be a valuable piece of the Yankee bullpen.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....pid=444427
jeter has always been that way.
he probably would say i went ofer & didnt tie or break any records,we won,gaudin,swish & others were the stars.
why should i take the spotlight
when he ties & or breaks the record jeter will do what he does best & better than anybody else.act like a gentleman.
all by doing it the right way
Cashman getting swish for wilson is not so hot. The guy isn’t even likely to hit 40. For a player of wilsons stature that not such a good deal. hehe.
I asked Swish for an autograph in Baltimore and he told me to get a life.
Has anybody been aware of the fact that Mo only needs 2 more strike outs to get #1000?
Dassit, I’ve heard that about the 1000 strikeouts for Mo, but over the last couple of weeks the attention has been focused on his number of appearances.
Stateman52
September 9th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I asked Swish for an autograph in Baltimore and he told me to get a life.
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Those are good words to live by. I’d take his advice if I were you.
What are Swisher’s defensive metrics?
Could we be looking at the Yankees’ right fielder for the foreseeable future?
Jeter’s chase is starting to take on the feel of Alex’s 500th HR. Lots of people waiting and watching every pitch with flashes popping and groans when it doesn’t happen.
It is probably more fun to reach milestones at home but it might be easier on the players to do it on the road.
Price had good stuff last night but Jeter K’ing looking twice was very un-Jeterlike.
Whether you want to call it pressing or slumping, the spotlight has to feel a little hotter when it’s only on you.
when my son was little he told my husband to “get a wife”, maybe that is better advice
It’s entirely possible the Yanks decide to stay with Swish in RF with Damon as a LF/DH making more playing time for Gardner and Melky with Melky in RF for late inning defense.
Not a terrible plan and much less expensive than what they are doing right now with Matsui as DH.
Swish has really impressed me this season and I think he has the chance to go down as one of the best trades in Yankees history. Maybe not Sparky Lyle for Danny Carter but in that neighborhood.
Jeter will get the hits.
Just hoping that only a home-grown Yankees thereafter breaks his record.
-Boston all happy about beating a team that is 32 games behind,while the Yankees beat a team that owned the division last year.That’s ok they get the Rays right after the Yankees.
great trade by cash.
swish & a decent pitcher for betemit.
we are fine with swish in rf.
lf,cf,dh,pitching is where we should concentrate on
if we signed damon for a year & stayed with melky & gardner in cf & to rest damon & swish i think we are ok as long as we have the pitching.
a solid pen arm & maybe if we can get a solid number 1,2,3 pitcher we are in great shape
Bru: great link on Jeter. Thanks.
i saw him in toronto, and he was very nice to people asking him for photos and autographs. seems to be very accessible to fans.
i love the guy, but let’s remember that he is not always hot. when not, he is an ob% guy who strikes out a ton and is challanged in the of.
Jeter had trouble with Price last night but has hit the ball hard on several occasions in the past two days, they just haven’t dropped in. I don’t call that a slump, ask me in a week if he still hasn’t broken the record. Meanwhile, the Yankees have won 3 in a row so what difference does it make, Jetes will not only top Gehrig but also pass 3,000 hits before he stops playing. And, for all we know, he will decide to play into his 40′s and go after the all time hits record.
Cash did a great job this year.
Regarding Robertson, its incredible to me that a guy that young, only throwing 40 or so innings has hurt his elbow
JeterJobaCanoFanForever, enough said
September 9th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Bru: great link on Jeter. Thanks
y/w
The White Sox got Jhonny Nunez in the Swisher trade. He imo is going to become there future closer.
Cash did a great job this year.
Regarding Robertson, its incredible to me that a guy that young, only throwing 40 or so innings has hurt his elbow
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He has been dialing up the speed lately though. started at 92-93 but i think i saw him hit 96 the other day. That can lead to blowing the elbow out.
i like swisher but he is taking playing time away from gardner or melky
i want gardner and melky both in the OF in october…
great trade by cash.
swish & a decent pitcher for betemit.
we are fine with swish in rf.
lf,cf,dh,pitching is where we should concentrate on
if we signed damon for a year & stayed with melky & gardner in cf & to rest damon & swish i think we are ok as long as we have the pitching.
a solid pen arm & maybe if we can get a solid number 1,2,3 pitcher we are in great shape
___
This would also allow Jackson to work a little more in AAA on his K totals and power numbers.
swisher’s defense is not bad enough to lose his offense to gardner in the lineup.
“Regarding Robertson, its incredible to me that a guy that young, only throwing 40 or so innings has hurt his elbow”
It happens all the time, pitching is one of the most violent actions possible for a human elbow. It shouldn’t be a shock at this point. Based on the comments from the player and the team it seems like the kind of situation that should be healed by some rest, and I think the visit to Dr. Andrews is just to confirm that D-Rob can’t screw his elbow up further by continuing to pitch after some time on the shelf.
2. Bad column by Harper, to be sure, but relative to the other local writers, he’s not too terribly bad. Maybe this was one of those “Oh damn, I have a deadline and no ideas!” cases? Or he’s just doing his part to sell papers?
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Disagree, Ditmars.
murphydog has Harper pegged: he is a guy who sort of roots out whatever material he can from a situation to suggest some morality play, and is indeed shrill with his point.
Anyone who watched Jeter leap out of the dugout smiling after the walkoff would know he didn’t have a care in the world, and his only goal was to get to the circle of teammates to celebrate another Yankee victory, which Jeter lives for.
The article rings completely false – the writer has no idea who the player is.
me and my
tex’s friend
September 9th, 2009 at 11:30 am
swisher’s defense is not bad enough to lose his offense to gardner in the lineup.
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For some reason, slug is under rated by some Yankee fans. And you are right, Swish has really come around defensively, and is not the liability, say that Abreu was in RF. Even his arm has improved.
Slug is your friend, Yankee fans. The whole Posada thing also just turns a blind eye to slug.
Also, Gardner can really give us a major boost off the bench. This way, you don’t have to hope he gets on base – someone else has already done it, late in the game, when we need a RISP. What a weapon – to put him on first and let him wail.
He can also play late innings defense for us, once we’ve got a lead.
As a defensive outfielder, Swish is a great hitter. Did I mention he refused to give me an autograph in Baltimore? He told me to get a life.