Rex Ryan: “We went out and got the best”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 02, 2009 
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Let’s start today with something light, shall we? Yesterday, Sam wrote a little bit about Joe Girardi going to Jets practice to teach quarterback Mark Sanchez how to slide on his right leg. Pretty random, but the Yankees passed along a series of quotes and some of them are pretty funny.
Here’s Jets coach Rex Ryan:
“Today, we had the privilege of having Joe Girardi out here. We had a couple of issues that we needed to go over. Number one, the obvious free agents, who’s available. So, after the counseling and my input, which I know he regards highly (laughter), then we got into the other business. I had Joe come out here and teach Sanchez how to slide (laughter). That’s the truth. I actually did that. We had a little sliding mat out here. I told Schotty (Brian Schottenheimer), ‘I’m going over your head. I’m going over (Matt) Cavanaugh’s head. I’m going over my head. We’re bringing in a world champ to get this done.’ We did have Joe Girardi out here and quite honestly, we spent 10 minutes out there. He was running and learning to slide off his right leg. We literally did that. He’s (Sanchez) too valuable and he needs to understand that we need him out there and people are going to take shots at him if he doesn’t start sliding. I really did want to make an emphasis to Mark and get the best guy that we can in the area. I made a call today to the Yankees and I was really happy that Girardi came over and did that for us.”
On not being able to get Rickey Henderson
“Rickey Henderson? No, because he always slid head first (laughter). That’s our problem. (Sanchez has) seen way too much of Rickey Henderson. You know Girardi was a catcher, so you know he was sliding feet first, so that how we went.”
On if Girardi taught the hook slide or the pop-up slide
“He’s popping up. No, I’m just kidding (laughing). That pop-slide is probably not recommended in football. If you pop up a little too quickly, you might get a Riddel (helmet) in your face.”
On if Girardi actually slid
“Yeah, he showed him. His son did it. His son looked good, by the way. He showed him. He got down on the ground with him and was showing the techniques. It was really great. This is probably the first football player he’s ever done that with, but he’s a natural. He did an outstanding job. He even talked about protecting his left hand. He did a way better job than I knew I could do and I was right. When I saw him, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s too bad my kid wasn’t here for the lesson.’ You have an opportunity to get the best and that’s what we did. We went out and got the best and I feel really good about it.”
Here’s Joe Girardi:
“It was great watching the Jets practice. I’d had the chance to meet coach Ryan at Yankee Stadium earlier this year, and I’m glad I was around to take the trip out to visit him. Football practice is so much different than batting practice because there is so many facets of the game that need to be covered… After practice I spent a little time with Mark Sanchez working on sliding techniques. He wears a brace on his left leg so we tried to help him learn how to slide on the other leg. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
Finally, here’s Mark Sanchez:
“I’ve never really been a slider. In baseball, I slid head first. In football, I’ve done the same thing, or tried to get out of bounds or throw the ball away. It’s something that you need to learn at this level. Once you get the first down or as many yards as you need, just protect yourself and protect the ball and give yourself a chance to play.”
On when he learned Girardi would be at practice
“Right before practice. Coach said he’d have someone out to work with me on sliding. I thought he meant it would be one of the coaches, or a quarterback coach or something.”
On what he learned from Girardi
“(How to) hook my leg, because I wear that brace on my left leg so you don’t want to hook that leg into the ground because it might get stuck. He showed me how to do it with the opposite leg and hook that leg under. He showed me how to protect the ball while I am sliding and try not to fall on one side or the other on my shoulder, just absorb the blow with my butt and my legs. It was important for me to learn that and I really appreciated it.”
I love girardi. I hope he’s the manager for a long time..
Just a bizarre situation – I had no idea that sliding was so important in football, or that baseball techniques could actually be that useful to a football audience.
Girardi can do it all
Paco Dooley December 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
Just a bizarre situation – I had no idea that sliding was so important in football, or that baseball techniques could actually be that useful to a football audience.
For a quarterback it is.
So apparently Wanger is signing with the Braves for 7 million pending a physical. The soxs offered him arbitration and Wagner is classified at a type A free agent. So for pitching a grand total of 15 innings last year the soxs get a first round pick. Want to talk about something that needs to be corrected?! That is total bunk!
That should be Wagner.
“That should be Wagner.”
And those draft picks should belong to the Mets.
Yet another example of why Minaya is a horrible GM.
Rich- What did the Mets get in return for him?
The RS gave up a AAAA player for Wagner.
I don’t understand why he was ranked so high. Changing leagues? Pay offs?
Yeah the arbitration system is messed up. The Brewers for example got screwed last year, so did the Blue Jays. I can’t hate on the Red Sox though, they took advantage of the system and read the market correctly on Wagner.
Not only does the arbitration and compensation system have to be revamped, they need to get rid of these elias ratings. They are downright absurd. Here are how type A, type B, etc are decided:
* 1B/OF/DH: PA, AVG, OBP, HR, RBI
* 2B/3B/SS: PA, AVG, OBP, HR, RBI, Fielding percentage, Total chances at designated position
* C: PA, AVG, OBP, HR, RBI, Fielding percentage, Assists
* SP: Total games (total starts + 0.5 * total relief appearances), IP, Wins, W-L Percentage, ERA, Strikeouts
* RP: Total games (total relief appearances + 2 * total starts), IP (weighted 75%), Wins + Saves, W-L Percentage, IP/H ratio, K, ERA
If you know anything about statistics that is just horrendous
Clutch I don’t get it either. 15 innings this year, 47 the prior and he is ranked a type A. Why was Pettitte only a type B?
* RP: Total games (total relief appearances + 2 * total starts), IP (weighted 75%), Wins + Saves, W-L Percentage, IP/H ratio, K, ERA
*********
This still doesn’t explain how someone who pitched a grand total of 60 innings over 2 years is ranked as a type A.
They also get a sandwich pick. So they’re basically getting two # 1′s for this clown.
“This still doesn’t explain how someone who pitched a grand total of 60 innings over 2 years is ranked as a type A.”
The other stats help him.
IP should be weighed far more than it is, wins + saves is meaningless, W-L percentage is even more meaningless.
IP/H ratio, K and ERA are useful but should be weighed a lot less, especially when talking about a relief pitcher. There are very very few RP’s that deserve type A or B compensation.
It’s just a broken system, nothing more we can really say about it.
he is type a just so boston can get the pick. have you seen their farm? they need all the help mlb and company can provide them.
for a guy that missed most of the last two seasons to be type a while pettitte, a man who pitched a full year AND clinched every series win in the playoffs is a type B?
maybe jesse ventura can talk about this on his new tv show.
Not long ago, the Yankees scored IPK and Joba as comp picks for 38 year old Tom Gordon signing with the Phillies.
SJ44
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:45 am
Get back to me in 6 years re: draft picks because that’s how long it will take to see if any of those picks pan out.
More worry about nothing.
___
Who cares how many draft picks the Red Sox have. No need to worry.
Regardless of whether the Red Sox prospects are good or not, the media and organizations like B.A. and B.P. will be there to prop them up and give them value.
the thing that bothers me is that wagner said he would decline arbitration wich is why the rs offered it to him
that should not be allowed imo.
CountryClub
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
They also get a sandwich pick. So they’re basically getting two # 1’s for this clown.
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yankees could have had 2 picks for damon as well had they offered him arbitration. Boras would not have accepted it since he’s looking for both damon and himself to get paid with a multi year deal…pennywise and pound foolish.
Atlanta journal- constituition papers has the Wagner story.
http://www.ajc.com/sports
He’s close to his home,which is in Va.
If I not mistaken Bobby Cox(mgr) announced this would be his last season in 2010.
Sherman’s take on the state of the Halladay negotiations:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....JPB60ZoTdI
“the thing that bothers me is that wagner said he would decline arbitration wich is why the rs offered it to him
that should not be allowed imo.”
That happens fairly frequently Bru. Sometimes it’s agreed upon in advance. Sometimes you just know (example: The Cards KNOW Holliday wasn’t accepting) In fact, there have been cases where a player has signed elsewhere before the deadline to offer arbitration. The player’s prior team was able to offer arb knowing the player was already locked up elsewhere.
CR9 (Red Sox farm system = Hydra, except cut off one head and 6 more grow back)
“Who cares how many draft picks the Red Sox have. No need to worry.”
__
When your primary competition turns a marginal prospect like Chris Carter into the 20th pick and a sandwich pick, it gives them the opportunity to get better.
In what universe is that a non-event for a sentient Yankee fan?
“yankees could have had 2 picks for damon as well had they offered him arbitration.”
Obviously the Yankees were not convinced he would not accept.
The Redsox will spend 10M on the draft
The Yankees will spend 8-10M on the draft
#1 picks are irrelevant as long as there is no slotting. One of the Yankees best picks in 2008 was left handed SP Nik Turley drafted dead last in the 50th round.
That being said, the Elias rankings are a joke. It should be based on 1 year of performance.
JK
“#1 picks are irrelevant as long as there is no slotting. ”
This is patently false. If a team, like the RS, that pays overslot drafts ahead of you, draft picks and draft order matter.
The RS will pick twice before the Yankees pick. That will remove two players off the board that the Yankees could have paid overslot money to.
squidward
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:54 am
“yankees could have had 2 picks for damon as well had they offered him arbitration.”
Obviously the Yankees were not convinced he would not accept.
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Yes that was always a possibility – but thats why I wrote pennywise pound foolish – I like holliday but not if he’s going to tie up another spot on the 25 man roster for the next 6 years at 17 million – had damon been offered arb and accepted you have damon playing for another contract the following year – so you know he’d be playing his butt off…yes it would have cost what another $3 million to keep him but when did the yankees become the florida marlins and worry about an extra 3 million? if he didn’t accept (he is a boras client – how many boras clients actually took arbitration over free agency – 1 greg maddux) the yankees would have gotten 2 picks…. it really was a no brainer – but then again we’re talking about cashman here – you can look very smart when you have billions of dollars to throw around..
All these people talking about how draft picks don’t matter and the yankees will base moves off of not trying to get more draft picks (because they want to save money!) are stupid.
you want as many draft picks as possible. Let me repeat. The Yankees, and EVERY TEAM IN BASEBALL, want AS MANY DRAFT PICKS AS POSSIBLE.
Paying the draftees is another thing entirely, but if you are the yankees, and you have 10 million dollars, you want to have as many choices as possible.
More picks = more players = more players you can follow in the cape cod league = more high schoolers you can tkae a chance on = more safe college players you can draft if you wanna play it safe
There is no way, that any organization, is going to make moves purely to limit the amount of draft picks they will have. That is foolish and plain stupid.
You do not have to pay the draftees! You don’t have to! Its not like you sign a contract the moment you draft em.
I would be shocked if the Yankees offered Damon more than $10 mil per. When you are trying to keep your payroll at or near $200 mil, $3-$5 mil is significant.
Sab:
I think they’d like to have Damon back on their terms, which is probably something along the lines of 2 yrs/$9M-$10M per. Offering him arbitration could serve to diminish their negotiating power. I think once Boras/Damon come to grips with the strong likelihood that a 4 year deal, or even a three year deal, isn’t out there waiting for him, there is a strong chance he’ll back with the Yankees, which is really where he wants to be, at a reasonable two year deal.
As a Yankees and Jets fan it is nice to see them both working together. Good job by Girardi.
Damon for two years ties up too much of the 2011 payroll.
“Damon for two years ties up too much of the 2011 payroll.”
Depends on how crazy they go on re-upping Jeter and Mo.
Wagner’s agent had said Wagner would consider arbitration. I wonder if their was a tacit agreement he would not accept. If not, Epstein took a risk it would be accepted. Cashman was unwilling to take that risk. The Yankees could make up an extra pick by signing one of the Cuban pitchers.
“Depends on how crazy they go on re-upping Jeter and Mo.”
Cot’s has the 2011 payroll at $136m:
http://spreadsheets.google.com.....utput=html
I doubt that Jeter or Mo would take a paycut, so even if they re-sign at similar terms, that brings the payroll to $171m. Factor in raises for Hughes, Joba, DRob, etc., and you are over $175m. If you gave Damon $10m, that puts the payroll over $185m.
You probably want to add other pieces as well from now until then.
With the possibility of Mauer, Halladay, and Crawford as free agents, and the likelihood of a $200m or less payroll, I would want more flexibility.
The idea that Sherman lays out about trading for Halladay for one year only makes sense if the price tag comes way down.. Otherwise there’s no way they are trading any top prospects for a one year rental..
I hope they trade for him and give him a 4-5 year extension because I think it could directly lead to more titles and he Could make the other pitchers better as a mentor. I think he’s that good…
Depends on how crazy they go on re-upping Jeter and Mo.
———————————————————-
And therein lies the yankees problem….
if you want to lower payroll, and baseball is a business, you can’t be signing jeter at age 36-37 to a $20 million a year contract next year….because if you do then you shouldn’t be nickel and diming johnny damon over 3 million dollars and arbitration…or hiding behind the “older and younger” mantra and not offering matsui a $10 million 2 year contract…if you’re going to sign jeter (whom i love and is a top 10 alltime yankee)to a 4 year contract next year at an absurd price then you need to stop being cheap and screwing the 2 players that singlehandedly won games 4 and 6 for you in the WS…
how many teams will sign jeter next year at 15 – 20 million dollars a year? no one….so the yankees should offer him 10 million for 2 years and lower their payroll that way… not by saving a few pennies here and their with super intelligent moves of not offering arbitration….
thats similar to merril lynch laying off 10 hard working employees who make 30K a year to save money but still paying their CEO 150 million for sitting on a golf cart 4 days out of the week…
The thing I liked about Sherman’s piece is that he reported that “the Blue Jays have yet to divulge exactly what it would take to land Halladay,” thereby contradicting the false meme that the Jays must have Montero and Joba/Hughes that the mediots have disseminated.
sab
Although I agree with your general premise, the Yankees are probably going to treat Jeter and Mo differently. I think that’s a bad business decision, but ironically, it’s why they have to hold the line on non-foundation players like Damon and Matsui.
I have to think the Mets were trying to help out the Red Sox’s playoff run by giving them Wagner away for nothing.
That’s the only plausible rational. Yeah, we know the mets stink, but not even a gross incompetent gives up a first round pick (what they would have received by letting Wagner go to FA) straight up for a scrub prospect and a million dollars.
After all, the Mets lost a first round pick when they signed Wagner in 2006 which the Phillies used to draft highly thought-off pitchng prospect Billy Drabek. The mets just gave away a chance to come full circle by drafting a prime prospect.
The stripper(s) are about to hit the fan!
http://www.usmagazine.com/cele.....ou-2009212
Tiger, this is why God invented high priced call girls. The pros don’t accumulate evidence and run to the tabloids or contact your spouse.
Looks like you didn’t learn a thing at Stanford.
Draft picks are like gold but, the Yankees can always flex their considerable financial might in the foreign markets.See Chapman for example,no picks needed for him,just the Benjamins.
Rich, I really don’t think it’s a big deal at all. Hey, if fans want to get upset about it, that’s their right, but so be it. Ok, the Sox have extra picks…I just don’t see it as being worth the fuss people are making over it. The Yankees will have a chance to make a good pick…..so be it.
As to Damon, I’ve no problem with the Yankees not offering him arbitration. Wagner definitely wasn’t going to accept, but Damon might have; who wants to pay him $16 million (or over) a year ?
Rich in NJ
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:34 am
sab
Although I agree with your general premise, the Yankees are probably going to treat Jeter and Mo differently. I think that’s a bad business decision, but ironically, it’s why they have to hold the line on non-foundation players like Damon and Matsui.
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I agree Rich, and ultimately its not my money, but I kind of get a little PO’d when they overpay for just about everyone and then make a stand for 3 million dollars on others….in 5-7 years pretty much all of their high priced players will be gone – at that point i would think talking about a lower payroll would be appropriate….
Betsy,
It’s not about “a fuss,” Betsy, it’s merely stating the fact that the RS got a free opportunity to get better.
Rich, I think the OP sounded like he was going to jump off a cliff or something….I’m surprised this is getting as much play here as it has, but I guess there’s nothing to really talk about.
By the way, can any one summarize the Sherman piece for me? Thanks!
Betsy,
Every star started out as a draft choice. The more draft choices the greater the chance at striking gold.
Boston got their xtra lottery picks for nothing.
If the Mets gave Cashman the 20th pick in the draft for a washout player and a million bucks, every GM in the league would be freaking out and demanding an investigation and a new rule to prevent the Yankees from taking candy from babies in the future.
It’s getting laughable with all of the crying about Boston and getting draft picks. NYY have been exploiting the weaknesses and loopholes in the FA and draft processes and it didn’t bother any Yankee fans. Now comes all of the hue and cry from the usual whiners. Break out your Kleenex boxes. There are no conspiracies.
Cashmam is playing Boras right.He’s making Boras/Damon scramble.Boras has to produce,because Damon would’ve most likely taken a year with an option for another.
Boras compares Damon to Jeter,and thinks Damon should get what Jeter will be offered.Damon might have to come crawling back like Alex did.Should be interesting.
BUT,do you want a player on the team that feels cheated?
Gary Sheffield comes to mind.Every team he feels disrespected him,he stop performing.
Billy Wagner gone from the bosox,further weakens their pen,and another lefty the Yankees don’t have to play against in the division,or league.