Pregame notes: Half day off for Rodriguez, full day for Johnson
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Apr 24, 2010 
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There were a few factors that went into Joe Girardi’s lineup decision this morning in Anaheim.
1. Day game after a night game eliminated Jorge Posada starting behind the plate.
2. Girardi wanted to give Alex Rodriguez a day at DH, and Rodriguez told him today would be a good day to do it.
3. Nick Johnson’s lower back is a little stiff after taking extra batting practice yesterday.
“I’ve had a back issue,” Girardi said. “A little stiff can become a lot of stiff. Let’s keep it a little stiff, but I expect him to be fine. I expect him to be available.”
Mostly, Girardi said, his decision to sit Johnson had more to do with wanting to give Rodriguez a half day off with his first start at DH.
“I think it’s important that Alex gets a DH day,” Girardi said. “He’s swinging the bat so well right now that you hate to give him a full day off.”
Here’s Girardi’s pregame session.
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• Girardi admitted that he would have considered dropping Johnson in the batting order had his regular DH been in the lineup. “We might have dropped him down, we might have left him there,” Girardi said. Assuming Johnson starts tomorrow, Girardi said it’s possible he will not be in the No. 2 hole.
• Girardi said he talked to Johnson about his struggles and Johnson said he went through a similar slump last year. “I said, ‘How do you handle it?’ And he said, ‘Sometimes I become a little more aggressive.’ There was a point last year where he said he became too aggressive, so it’s a fine line. When you’re struggling as a hitter, I think hitters get in a hurry to get going. You don’t want them to become overly aggressive. The bottom line is, you have to get a good pitch to hit.”
• Still haven’t heard anything about the extent of Angels catcher Bobby Wilson’s injuries after last night’s collision at home plate, but Girardi once again said he had no problem with the play. He also had no problem with the fact Teixeira went straight to the dugout without checking on Wilson immediately after the play. “We’re playing for something,” Girardi said. “This isn’t a family reunion softball game.”
• By the way, Girardi said Angels manager Mike Scioscia’s reputation as a catcher was as a guy who would do anything to block the plate. “He used to basically sit on the plate and say come on, I dare you,” Girardi said. “He was tough. He dropped down on both knees and said, go ahead and try.”
• Speaking of tough, you probably remember how good Joel Pineiro was against the Yankees the last time he faced them. Girardi said the key is to lay off the low sinkers. “If the ball starts just above the knee, it’s not going to be a strike,” he said. “But that’s easier said than done when it’s coming in at 90 miles per hour and it’s sharp and late, but you do your best to lay off it.”
• Girardi is very excited that the Northwestern quarterback was drafted.
• Random but hilarious pregame moment: Ramiro Pena got to his locker to find a huge Yankees hoodie hanging among his clothes. It was either put there by accident or as a joke, but regardless, Pena took one look at it and walked across the clubhouse to CC Sabathia’s locker. “CC, is this yours?” Pena said. It was.
Angels lineup
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli 2B
Brandon Wood 3B
Associated Press photo
Chad, any free online coverage of the game?
That’s hilarious. Pena would absolutely drown in that hoody.
California,
What game? Remember? They’ve already been played? 2-4?
we aren’t missing anything with Johnson out.
and it’s time to walk Kendrick and morales every time they come up.
The Yankees will win today.
Nicky Johnson’s back is bothering him even though he doesn’t swing in his at-bats at all, walks around the bases, and even doesn’t play on the field? Imagine what he would be like otherwise.
Am I nuts or would granderson be better in the two spot instead of gardner? Thoughts? They are facing a righty. I feel like gardner is being shoved down my throat.
Did you look at Gardner’s average and OBP?
Small sample but still…..
nature boy,
Granderson might be better in the 2 spot, but you are nuts for thinking that Gardner’s being shoved down your throat. He’s not even an everyday player right now.
That’s a fine strategy to walk two hitters in the lineup every AB.
Teams don’t win very often with 8-10 walks per game (and assuming they don’t walk anyone else).
I wouldn’t mind seeing Granderson in the #2 hole. I assumed when the trade was made that he’d end up there anyways.
Of course, that was before they signed Johnson.
Gardner stinks – he cost us the game yesterday along with Girardi.
1st and 2nd no outs and he can’t even make a productive out…
He did not hit into a DP
Simple solution to fix the lineup bench Nick Johnson and make Cervelli the DH when he is not catching. Cervelli has become a hitting machine you cant take his bat out of the lineup.
Bat NJ 9th.
That way, he is always on base for Jeter and Granderson.
And with the amount of pitches he takes, Gardner will get plenty of opps. to steal hitting in front of him.
I don’t know whether to laugh at some of these ridiculous suggestions for modifying the line up, or cry at the stupidity of the people making them. It’s April for goodness sakes! Let’s give it at least a month before we declare somebody a lost cause.
Yikes Melky. Wasn’t someone saying last night how great the Melkman is?
# znzkcnz April 24th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Simple solution to fix the lineup bench Nick Johnson and make Cervelli the DH when he is not catching. Cervelli has become a hitting machine you cant take his bat out of the lineup.
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Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?
Johnson has a track record. He will start hitting eventually.
They aren’t carrying three catchers – which is what they’d end up doing if they had two catchers in the lineup everyday.
Yeah… the guy who was supposed to replace Damon and Matsui is batting 9th. That will look real good on Cashman’s resume….
Nick Johnson was supposed to replace 2 players?
Wow. Maybe Cash should have gone out and got Pujols if he needed one guy to replace the production of those 2.
“Giuseppe Franco
Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?
Johnson has a track record. He will start hitting eventually.
They aren’t carrying three catchers – which is what they’d end up doing if they had two catchers in the lineup everyday”
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THe yanks have lost 2 in a row. The angels got a good chance of sweeping them. Girardi has got to ride the hot bats now.
What are the other options right now?
Gardner has been solid in the number 9 hole and is a perfect 9 hitter you dont want him hitting 2nd. Granderson historically has a low obp and strikes out a lot and struggles with lefties. That is why he is not a good number 2 hitter. He is a guy with 30 homerun power thats why he should be hitting down in the lineup. He is capable of driving guys in.
Nick Johnson sucks right now. He is costing the team he can never get a clutch it. Cervelli is crushing the ball right now. Cervelli should be hitting number 2.
Oh no! The Yankees have lost two in a row for the first time this season! The Angels will sweep them! They’ll never win another game! The sky is falling!
znzkcnz April 24th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
THe yanks have lost 2 in a row. The angels got a good chance of sweeping them. Girardi has got to ride the hot bats now.
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You’ve got to be kidding. They are the defending World Champions. They’ve only played one game this series and they’re already in danger of losing all three?
How do Yankee fans become so cowardly and easily panic stricken?
I’ve got news for you. This team is going to lose two games in a row several times this season even if they win 105 games. That’s the nature of baseball.
Girardi isn’t going to panic and shuffle the lineup every time they do lose twice in a row.
Cervelli isn’t crushing the ball. He’s hitting the ball and they are finding holes.
Johnson is the regular DH and that’s not going to change. Granderson has performed much better against lefties so far this season.
Game thread up