Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Nov 06, 2009 
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Lots of coverage as The Journal News puts out a World Series special section. Take a look, then hang around as the live blog of the Yankees parade will begin shortly!
The Yankees – and their fans - are ready for a parade, Josh Thomson writes, and the Canyon of Heroes is primed to welcome the World Series champions.
Derek Jeter had yet another quality postseason, even if his numbers weren’t as noticeable as some of his teammates. Chad Jennings has more on Mr. November.
My column looked at Hal Steinbrenner, who is a lot like his dad but does seem to be able to enjoy victory a little bit more – an important difference, I think.
Joe Girardi was a good Samaritan on his way home from the clincher, writes Hoa Nguyen. Girardi is a classy guy.
Hideki Matsui’s World Series MVP performance has made the Japanese community proud. Akiko Matsuda has a nice piece looking at Matsui’s local fans.
In a city awash with unemployment and sky high taxes, who’s paying for this parade? Great priorities there. I can sit in my living room and bask in the satisfaction of a Yankee championship without paying for police and sanitation departments and their overtime. Maybe the Steinbrenners can pick up the tab, considering we had to pay for their new mallpark too.
Repost:
“If the RedSux can help Jeremy to realize his potential they will have an All Star caliber player on their hands which is why I’ve been saying for 2 years that the Yankees go get him.”
The Florida Marlins are a perversely run team. But one thing they are very good at and have to be good at because they refuse to spend any money is the evaluation of young players.
That the Marlins were going to non-tender Hermida and then traded him to Boston for not that much speaks volumes for how little the Marlins thought of Hermida as a “talent.”
And the Marlins had a huge sunk cost in Hermida in terms of opportunity cost. This was a guy they thought would be a franchise cornerstone and they gave him every opportunity to succeed.
And he didn’t. He never came close.
It’s remarkable how any personnel move the Red Sox make is automatically deemed some form of genius – either explicit or hidden.
Hermida has two really big problems. He hits for very little power and has never shown too much in the way of translating his tools into major league power. And he simply cannot hit left handed hitting.
Power is often said to be the last thing that comes for young players. But that doesn’t mean it always arrives. In fact, it often never does because the player – even a strong one with good bat speed – simply doesn’t have the swing plane needed to hit home runs/ hit for power.
It’s likely that playing in Florida depressed Hermida’s power, but not that much. Fenway isn’t going to help him that much as a left handed hitter who doesn’t go the other way with much authority.
And the other things which is always dicey with high-ceiling prospects who hit left handed is how they will adjust to major league left handed pitching. Left handed pitching in the minors is both infrequent and generally terrible. So you can never be certain how left handed hitters will react to quality left handed pitching until they get to the bigs. Great case in point – Jay Bruce. Minor league player of the year who has been very mediocre in the pros and just can’t hit left handed pitching.
Hermida can’t hit left handed pitching. And it’s really unlikely at this point that he’s going to.
And these are the issues he has outside of the biggest criticism that is leveled at Hermida – he doesn’t have a strong work ethic and doesn’t work at the game.
He’s a fine guy as a back up – but on a good team that’s all he is.
It’s remarkable how much credit is thrown on the Sox for marginal moves. Last winter Brad Penny was going to get back to being the fire balling all star he once was because he would get to work with John Farrell.
Patrick, yes, that’s me!
Erin, I wonder what Kermit had under that trench coat!
Do I like AJ? Like Damon is to Erica, AJ is to me – I love the guy. He’s a fantastic teammate and it’s not just about the pies. He literally learned Chinese so he could communicate with Wang and he has mentored the young kids……For all his quirks and issues, he’s still a good pitcher who, when it comes down to it, won the biggest game of the year. It was far bigger than game 5 because if the Yankees had gone down 0-2, well – that would have been a tough chore to come back, to say the least.
What a day – I’m so excited. LOL I’m flipping between ESPN radio and WFAN and so will probably not get much work done. I can’t WAIT to see the faces of the new guys – it’s one thing to hear about it, but another to experience it. I’m going to keep my tapes forever.
I want to thank George Steinbrenner for caring about this team as much as we the fans do. We all sit back and watch at least 20 teams not spend, not care, trade their best players for minor leaguers, and think to ourselves, thank god we have an owner who wants to win, who will invest in winning, and who agrees mediocrity or worse is just not an option.
ditmars
On Fox 5, they made sure to say that the cost of the parade is not coming out of the taxpayers’ pockets, but is funded by private contribution.
CB. this is just another story in the red sox, low risk – high reward policy that got them the services of such great 09 performers as John Smoltz’s 7+ ERA, Brad Penny’s 5+ ERA, and Rocco Baldelli, who can only play once every 3rd day at best.
Doreen
Really? That’s great news! I do apologize for being so cynical, but you see, unemployment has made me very depressed. And now that the season is over, that’s one less thing to cheer me up. But I will be sustained for a bit by the WS title. What a great season!!!
ditmars
you did not pay a dime for the new Yankee Stadium.
betsy- I never thought of that! It’s kind of like the “does a superhero wear anything under his uniform” question. LOL
Agree with you about AJ-I love him. I think he’s an incredible teammate and he seems to love being a Yankee.
ditmars
Understood. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think at least a little bit about how these “extras” can be afforded when money is so tight everywhere.
Does anyone else not want any part of Jason Bay?
Or Matt Holliday for too much money?
No reason for the city to pick up the tab. Glad someone or some group of someones is getting it done. Wish I could be there. Have never seen a victory parade.
Is there any doubt Pettite returns? They have a lot of work to do on the pitching staff if he doesn’t.
These Fox people don’t know who anyone is.
CR9 –
I don’t want them, either.
Mark. I think holliday is a nice player but whoever gets him will overpay for sure. as kate said he hadn’t had success in the AL (although many players don’t at first and he wasn’t there that long and was on a bad team). The problem with the players you listed is that they are either 1-2 type hitters or they are worse than matsui. I’d love to have Crawford but he’s not going to hit 5th. I don’t want any part of dye. Would much rather keep hideki
CR 9
Count me in your camp. Neither Bay nor Holliday is a $ 15 million a year guy in my view because both are iffy defensively.
Still, would love to acquire Andre Ethier who would be awesome in the Stadium. Unfortunately the price tag would begin with Cano….
I also favor revisiting a Roy Halladay trade… price might be more reasonable now that he is in his walk year. This is a bigger issue if Pettite retires.
ditmars
do you have any idea how much money this is bringing into the city? All the restaurant and bars?
CR9, you know nothing about economics or how their deal was constructed for the new stadium, so get a clue on that, please. For starters, I’m guessing you don’t live in NYC.
Regarding your post on Bay and Holliday – I think Bay, while…serviceable, is that the right word?.. is a bit over rated. I do like Holliday, but I think his price tag will outweigh his talent. CR, what do you think of the Damon/Matsui encores?
Jennifer, one day of beer guzzling doesn’t make up for longer term issues, but I do understand what you’re saying. Every bit helps, I know that, and I am glad to see a parade. I just think there are other priorities, that’s all. Now we also just need to figure out how to make it through the off season. I have a copy of that big Ken Burns baseball documentary. I’ll start watching that soon!
I would love ethier also. He’s a star in the making but all of you ready to ship cano out of town need to think about who you’re going to replace him with. His defense has greatly improved and he turns the double play as good as anybody. Its much harder to find quality secondbasemen than corner outfielders
ditmars
It’s how you look at it. The Yankees took out interest-free loans (bonds) to pay for NYS. Essentially, the city does not have that money to spend and is not receiving interest. But in the long term, the money is coming out of the Yankees.
I cant think right now which, if either would be better for the Yankees to have next season. Matsui, I love the guy, he is everything you look for in a DH. Damon is getting older, injuries are becoming a concern, his play in the outfield. But on a 1 year deal, I’d take him back. If we dont get Matsui, I would love for him to go back to Japan, the hero that he is, rather than seeing him on a different team.
Anyone knows where I can watch the parade online??? Im outta state today.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/livenow?id=7102254
Mlb.com/live
parade
The money doesn’t bother me as much with holliday because let’s face it the Yankees overpay for all of their free agents. The years he will accept are the kicker.. The Yankees likely won’t committ to another long term big money contract. I’d prefer them resign matsui and damon for 2010. Add a quality starter if possible and go after Crawford next offseason…
CR9
There are many ways to look at it, but it all comes back to the taxpayers in the end. Look, I don’t want to drag out politics here, but I’ll simply say that when the Yankees get interest free loans while the city has budget gaps, that interest is made up for in tax increases to you and me. There’s more, but I’ll leave it at that.
Anyway, conventional wisdom says to go with Damon, since he can still play the field and hit in the top of the order (leadoff, until this season). I agree with that. But Matsui is an excellent DH and I love the guy too. Here’s to hoping they can keep both, and if not, I too would love to see Matsui go back to Japan on a high note.
blake,
The hitters I had listed as 1 or 2 type hitters would be guys I would adsvocate replacing Damon. Honestly, Matsui is the player I would like to see back in NY. Although both are declining, I think Matsui is more able to carry his skills into older age. Damon has already lost speed and defense significantly from 2006 or so, and his bat may not be far behind.
Matsui never had speed to lose, is a full time DH, and has a more solid swing that can still be effective as the bat speed diminishes with age. I had assumed this would be his last year in NY for sure, but I have changed my mind since June.
blake —
A little reading comprehension would help. I didn’t advocate shipping Cano out of town like you suggested. All I did was point out my concern that he would be what the Dodgers would want in an Ethier deal.
I’m not certain whether or not I’d pay that price, but it’s worth considering. I’d much rather get Ethier for Gardner, Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke but I don’t see the Dodgers doing that.
Do you have an idea for finding an “easy to locate” quality corner OF?
86w183,
Is there a chance Soriano might be available from the Cubs? He hasn’t given tham quite what they expected when they gave him a big deal. He, like Rios, might not cost a lot in terms of players, since the contract is so large. I listed 5 or 6 OFs on the last post that could be avaiable in one way or another.
I think Soriano has not played up to his ability since he left NY in part because he hasn’t respected the teams or organizations he has been with. That would not be the case with the Yankees. As bad as he might be defensively, I think he is better than Damon at this point, and still a very exciting player.
MArk —-
Soriano might reclaim his game elsewhere, but with five years and $ 90 Million left on his contract no one is going near that toxic deal.
if Soriano can stay healthy that is not a “toxic” contract at all….health is the only thing that’s kept him from 40 hrs the lst 2-3 years
Ethier is another good example of a young player moving to a better organization(A’s – LAD) and a change of scenery and growing into his game.
I also think that Mattingly has his hands all in the development of Ethier.
I think that Long go do very good work with the base skills that Ankiel has as a hitter for instance and that would be a huge impact bat in our lineup. 2yrs and $10mil would get it done and we’d have GREAT D in CF(until AJax is ready and then Ank would move to RF) with Leche/Gritty in LF and Swish in RF.
A future OF of AJax-CF,Ank-RF and Melky/Gardy-LF would defensively be the best in the game….
How annoying is this background song. Playing the same thing 1000 times now. CHANGE THE SONG!
The Yankees are champs but I have not been happy with the outfield. The weakest
in Yankees history. It has to be upgraded. I love Damon but I can stand his floppy arm
throws. Swisher is fun but pops out a lot and whiffs a lot. Melky is average,
Gardner swings flat footed and can’t get on base enough. All the yankees stars are
in the infield and DH.