The LoHud Yankees Blog

Our next Pinch Hitter, Tyler Patterson, is a 25-year-old third-year law student at Penn State. He began following the Yankees in 1995 and wrote that he’s been “spoiled ever since.”

“The best two days of my life,” he said, “were when my family was given tickets to sit in a suite at the old stadium for a late-September game during the 1999 season. During this game we met a very wealthy gentleman who gave us seats for the final game of the series that were right next to the dugout. Before the game I was able to strike up a conversation, albeit a very short conversation, with Mariano Rivera (he did not have a ball to show me his cutter grip) and was also able to chase down batting practice home run balls slugged by Bernie Williams. Heaven.”

For his guest post, Tyler looked back at some of the occasionally overlooked Yankees who made a lasting impact.

—

Unheralded Yankees You Need To Know

Every Yankee fan, or baseball fan for that matter, is intimately aware of the Yankee greats. Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, Ford, Dickey, Gomez, etc. The list goes on and on. However, there is a myriad of other, lesser-known, and perhaps even underappreciated Yankees who contributed to the franchise’s past successes. The don’t carry the name recognition of the legends, but players such as Scott Brosius and Orlando Hernandez will qualify for the “unheralded Yankees” title; non-superstars but legitimate ballplayers who greatly contributed to title-winning Yankee clubs.

One such unheralded Yankee is Allie “The Indian” Reynolds. Reynolds was one of the best pitchers in baseball during his Yankee stint from 1947-1954. During his time in pinstripes, Reynolds compiled a record of 131-60 with an ERA of 3.30 and a FIP of 3.64. Casey Stengel would often match up Reynolds against the opponent’s top starter and he would rarely falter, ironic since he was traded to the Yankees with the reputation of being a “choker.” In 1951 Reynolds finished third in MVP voting (Yogi Berra won), and he won the Hickok Belt award given to the pro-athlete of the year. He had a 17-8 record, two no-hitters (wow), seven shutouts, and seven saves in 14 relief appe

arances. The following season he finished second in MVP voting, leading the AL in both ERA and strikeouts.

The way to make Yankee fans adore you is to perform in October, and Reynolds did just that. He won six titles with the Yankees (1947, 1949-1954) and was brilliant in World Series play. Reynolds won seven of his nine World Series starts with a 2.79 ERA. If that isn’t clutch enough, he had a slash line of .308/.357/.346 in 28 World Series plate appearances. A stalwart of the Yankees’ starting staff during the greatest sports dynasty ever, The Indian is definitely worth knowing if you’re a Yankees fan.

Another unheralded Yankee, Bill “Moose” Skowron, played nine seasons with the Yankees and was a five-time all-star as the everyday first basemen beginning in 1957. Skowron compiled a slash line of .294/.346/.496. He was a part of four Yankee world championship teams and, like Reynolds, he was at his best in October, hitting .293 while slugging .519 and playing excellent defense. In the 1958 World Series, Skowron knocked in the deciding run in Game 6 to force Game 7, in which he hit a three-run homerun to lead the Yankees the title (coming back from a three games to one deficit to defeat the heavily favored Milwaukee Braves). Like Reynolds, Skowron was no legend or Hall-of-Famer, but his consistent performances — especially in October — should not go unnoticed.

One last unheralded Yankee is Tony Lazzeri, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame by the veterans Committee in 1991, and for good reason. Lazzeri played 12 seasons with the Yankees (1926-1937) and hit .293/.379/.467. He was one of the best infielders, if not the very best infielder of his era, playing second, short, and third. Lazzeri won five titles with the Yankees, and as a second-basemen in 1929 he hit a ridiculous .354/.429./561 with 18 home runs and 106 RBI while scoring 101 runs. Even more insane was Lazzeri’s performance in the 1937 World Series in which he hit .400/.526/.733 with a 1.260 OPS. Reggie Jackson, eat your heart out.

There are a number of other former, unheralded Yankees who were equally important to the franchise, players such as Waite Hoyt, Bobby Richardson, Elston Howard, Gil McDougald, and Billy Martin. It is easy to forget, or perhaps even be aware of these Yankee greats. But just think, where would the franchise be without them? Luckily no one has to find out.

Associated Press photo of Reynolds

Two years ago, the Yankees best hitter was Mark Teixeira. Last year, it was Robinson Cano. Could it be Alex Rodriguez’s turn again in 2011?

“We talk about Cano as obviously one of the best players in the game,” Kevin Long told ESPNNewYork. “Alex had more home runs and drove in more runs in five less weeks. So if Cano’s considered one of the best, what’s Alex considered? I think there’s still plenty of production there.”

In his story, Wally Matthews mentioned Rodriguez’s ugly splits against left-handers last season. Long is well aware of the numbers, and so is Rodriguez.

“I just said to him, ‘Lefties,’” Long said. “And he said, ‘I know.’”

A few more links from today.

• Speaking of Yankees coaches, Larry Rothschild has inherited a thin rotation with uncertainty at the top (A.J. Burnett) and uncertainty at the bottom (the competition for No. 4 and 5). Rothschild thinks Burnett is on the right track, and he’s happy with what he’s seen from Ivan Nova. “Nova’s certainly a young kid with good enough stuff,” he said.

• Rothschild also talked today about the state of the Yankees bullpen.

• Over at FanGraphs, Dave Cameron wrote about the possibility of the Yankees making a trade for Francisco Liriano.

• Over at ESPN.com, Buster Olney wrote about Brewers closer John Axford, who spent one largely forgotten year in the Yankees minor league system.

Associated Press photo

Here’s the paragraph that sent Francisco Liriano’s name buzzing through trade rumors late last night.

With six pitchers vying for five spots in the Twins starting rotation, one possible solution is trading Francisco Liriano. Speaking to team officials recently, I’ve been surprised how open they are to this possibility, but the logic makes sense.

It’s from Joe Christensen’s story in the Star-Tribune, and given the Yankees current rotation, that paragraph has understandably sparked all sorts of speculation about the Yankees potential interest in the Twins’ starter.

Like Christensen said, the logic makes sense.

Being open to a trade, though, is not the same as pursuing a trade, and it’s certainly not the same as putting Liriano on the bargain rack. Small market teams occasionally have to trade a player like Liriano to keep the cycle of young talent flowing, and given Liriano’s reported asking price for an offseason extension, it makes sense for the Twins to at least consider the possibility.

That said, the Twins won the AL Central by six games last year — 13 games ahead of the third-place Tigers — and that was without Joe Nathan, and without Justin Morneau for much of the season. There’s no reason for the Twins to think they’re out of the hunt for 2011, and Liriano is still under team control through 2012.

The Twins don’t have to trade their best pitcher. They simply could trade him if the price is right. As long as he stays healthy — a concern for both the Twins and any potential trade partner — Liriano will still have considerable value in July, or in November, or next season.

That means Twins won’t necessarily push Liriano toward New York. The Yankees would have to lure him out of Minnesota. And he might very well be worth it. The Yankees almost certainly have a good enough farm system to make it happen, but as always, it’s a matter of value.

What would it take? And what is he worth?

Associated Press photo

In his second season as Yankees manager, Joe Girardi made a change at the top of the order. He swapped Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, moving Jeter into the leadoff spot and dropping Damon to No. 2. It wasn’t an entirely new concept — Jeter had been a leadoff man before — but it was bold, and when Jeter responded with a near-MVP season, it seemed only natural that he’d return to the role in 2010. Now that Jeter is coming off the worst season of his career, a return to the No. 1 spot is up for debate.

The possibilities
Curtis Granderson was a leadoff man in Detroit, but he didn’t get a single start in the leadoff spot last season. Robinson Cano is coming of a .381 on-base percentage, but his bat is better suited for the middle of the order. Ultimately, the top-of-the-lineup decision seems to be between the incumbent Jeter and the upstart Brett Gardner.

The easy choice
There’s nothing easier than sticking with The Captain. He’s one year removed from a .334/.406/.465 season, and that slash line would look awfully good in the leadoff spot. Jeter worked with Kevin Long this winter, trying to quiet this swing and rebound from the worst season of his career. Whether it will work is anyone’s guess, but Jeter has a Hall of Fame track record, and he might very well be given the benefit of the doubt. Spring training numbers don’t often mean much, but if Jeter is productive this spring, it could be enough to earn a return to the leadoff spot (at the beginning of the season, anyway).

The alternatives
Gardner was unusually patient hitter last season. Almost uniquely patient. Even when he struggled through a wrist injury in the second half — an injury that certainly contributed to his sudden inability to hit for average — Gardner still carried a solid .364 on-base percentage after the all-star break. When healthy, he reached base nearly 40 percent of the time. That ability to consistently reach first base — and run when he gets there — seems to make Gardner an ideal leadoff hitter, but his track record is slim. Gardner had one good season. Jeter had one bad one. Is that enough to swap places in the lineup?

Another option might be a platoon situation at the top of the order. Gardner’s platoon splits are not especially pronounced — especially in terms of on-base percentage — but Jeter’s splits are significant. Even in his worst season, Jeter still hit .321/.393/.481 against left-handers last year. The Yankees could use Gardner at the top of the lineup against right-handed starters, and keep Jeter in the top spot against lefties.

A separate but related issue
If one season is enough to prompt a change in the leadoff spot, might is also be enough to prompt a change at No. 3? Last season, Cano was an MVP candidate while Mark Teixeira was productive but not quite his old self. Will Teixeira’s previous track record of consistency be enough to keep the middle of the lineup unchanged? The Yankees must also decide what to do with Nick Swisher, who opened last season as the No. 8 hitter and finished as the No. 2. Is he best suited in a run-producing spot (No. 6 maybe) or should he return to the No. 2?

Associated Press photos

My friends in Tampa were reporting gray skies this morning. Although it cleared up after a while, it seems there wasn’t much going on down there today. Things will probably stay relatively quiet until Monday, when camp actually opens and Joe Girardi addresses the media.

I know Bryan Hoch and Marc Carig are flying into Tampa this afternoon. I’m getting into town tomorrow. A few more beat writers are making the trip this weekend. It’s getting close, folks.

• Russell Martin did some drills that had him squatting for a second straight day. That’s good news for his knee and hip.

• Larry Rothschild was in the mix and said he feels good about A.J. Burnett after going to Burnett’s house this winter. He said Burnett’s head is in a good place.

• Rothschild also compared the Yankees current bullpen to the Cincinnati bullpen of the early 90s. That’s the Nasty Boys group, and that’s a rock solid reference. Rothschild was their bullpen coach.

• Derek Jeter was at the complex for a fourth straight day.

• Also back in the mix: Both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain.

These were Nick Swisher’s words last spring.

“I remember my first three days of camp (in 2009), I just sat my locker,” he said. “I didn’t really say much. I was just like, all right, I’m just going to soak it up here. Then, next thing you know, something clicked and just kind of locked in. And we’ve had that ever since.”

Swisher is occasionally portrayed as some sort of character built on personality rather than substance. It’s not necessarily fair, and last season, the Yankees saw just how much substance Swisher can bring to a clubhouse and a lineup. Adam made the case this morning that Swisher is on his way to being one of the Yankee greats. I’m not ready to give Swisher that status based on one breakout season, but I believe he’s taken the next step from an energetic everyday guy to being one of the better right fielders in baseball, a guy who’s legitimately difficult to replace.

Next winter, the Yankees will have to decide just how replaceable Swisher is. He’s one of a handful of players the Yankees can keep or let go in 2012. There are also a couple of players who can decide for themselves whether they want to stay or go.

Robinson Cano
$14 million club option for 2012
Cano’s contract includes another club option for 2013. Next year’s jump to $14 million would be a $4 million raise, but for one of the best players in the American League, that should be a no-brainer. Barring some sort of massive injury, it’s hard to imagine Cano could have a season bad enough that the Yankees would decide against bringing him back.

Damaso Marte
$4 million club option for 2012
Considering the Yankees will be paying Pedro Feliciano $4 million next year, the number attached to Marte’s contract wouldn’t be unreasonable if not for … well … everything that happened during the three guaranteed years of Marte’s deal. Aside from his ’09 playoff performance, Marte has been both disappointing and injured. Declining next year’s option seems to be a formality.

Russell Martin
Arbitration eligible
Technically, Martin is no different from Phil Hughes or Brett Gardner or any other current Yankee who will be eligible for arbitration next year. I’m including him in this list, though, because the fact he has one arbitration year left was a perk of signing him this winter. It keeps the Yankees in the driver’s seat beyond this season, which makes his free agent deal essentially a one-year contract with an option for a second year.

Nick Swisher
$10.25 million club option for 2012
Swisher’s option was more in question after 2009 than it is today. Not only has Swisher improved in the past 12 months, the outfield free agent market has also changed in the wake of the Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford contracts. Assuming the option is picked up, Swisher will still be making $9 million less than Crawford.

—

CC Sabathia
Allowed to opt out
This one’s out of the Yankees hands, but assuming this year goes as well as the previous two years, the Yankees will certainly want Sabathia back. Even at the $23-million price tag, Sabathia has been worth the money through his first two seasons in New York. The good news for the Yankees, Sabathia has said he has no plans of opting out.

Rafael Soriano
Allowed to opt out
The Yankees are locked in for $11 million in 2012 and $14 million in 2013, but Soriano is allowed to opt out this winter or next winter. It’s considerable leverage for a guy who could go shopping for a job as a closer. There are a lot of closers heading for free agency next winter, but that also means a lot of closer openings next winter.

Associated Press photo of Cano

Pinch Hitter Adam Holley is a 26-year-old currently living in St. Augustine, Fla., but originally from Staten Island, where he lived until two and a half years ago. “I’m pretty sure my father taught me to choose the Yankees over the Mets right around the time he taught me not to walk into oncoming traffic,” he wrote. “I’m pretty sure he thought the two mistakes went hand in hand, turns out he was right.”

Adam would like to get into professional writing and has a blog called, For The Love Of New York. He started it last year — “really using it for practice back then” — and said he’s looking forward to doing more work with it this season.

For his guest post, Adam wrote an impassioned case for Nick Swisher’s place in Yankees history. And, as a treat for Sam and I, he threw in a rather obscure West Wing reference at the end.

—

The Importance of Being Swisher

What makes the Yankees, The Yankees? Championships? That’s what many on the outside think, and while it is a nice perk, it’s false. What makes the Yankees “great” are the “Yankee Greats.”

I strongly believe Nick Swisher has a chance to become one, and I don’t want us to miss out.

What makes one a Yankee Great? Every team has a most memorable moment. For the Giants, it would be Bobby Thompson and “The Giants Win The Pennant.” For the Red Sox, rather hilariously, this moment still remains in the glove (or rather under the glove) of Mr. Bill Buckner. While one of these moments is of triumph, the other of regret, they are the most historic plays of their respective franchises.

If you had to pick the most significant moment for the rest of the league, 29 times out of 30, you’d end up with big plays as well. Then you reach the Yankees. If you were to pick a scene most identifying of the Yankees as a whole, I’m picking one of three moments:

1. Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech.

2. Mantle and Maris, side by side, bats up against their shoulders.

3. The Boss looking sternly down at the field from the suite.

Not one of these is a play during the game. Why? Because the Yankees are so good, their history is so rich, they have become so much more as a team that they nearly transcend the game itself. Yankee history is not written by what Yankee greats do. It’s who they are.

Nick Swisher doesn’t play for himself. He plays for us. Has anyone reading this ever accused him of having a lack of effort? When he plays, when he is interviewed, when he partakes in events, you can see it in his face: When he arrived in New York, he realized things were different and so, he sat down and made a decision to take the opportunity to make this so much more. He let New York into his heart, and decided to make himself wholly a Yankee.

More impressively, he succeeded.

Swisher gets it, and it isn’t something easy to get. He let us — this city, this team and this history — into his heart, and he changed himself as a player, not for numbers, not for glory, but because he felt he needed to do more for a team that deserved more. “I’m going to be a part of this, and put every bit of effort into it getting the best from me.” The guys whose faces and actions read this way, they are the special ones.

These facts all translate into one thing: Nick Swisher understands what it means to be a true Yankee. He came to this town, this team, and recognized that things here are just different. He wrapped himself so completely in Yankee pride, it motivated him to make changes, to become a better player, simply because Yankee tradition demanded it.

I hear so much these days that the Yankees will never be the same when the Core Four are gone, but this can’t be true. Did we feel the Yankees would never be the same after DiMaggio? Reggie Jackson? Mattingly? Maybe, but each time we learned that Yankee greats give birth to new greats. Passing the baton is part of what keeps the Yankee tradition alive. It’s a Yankee great’s job to teach those who follow what it means to be a true Yankee. It’s our job, as fans, to accept those who follow.

The outside view of the Yankees is skewed. People see the team, see the payroll, and think the Yankees are only out to buy championships. They lure big-money players with huge-money contracts, then lay them by the wayside when they’re through. When Yankee history is truly known, the opposite is actually true. We have a habit of keeping the special ones, the “true Yankees,” right where they belong.

Nick Swisher has the ability, has the tools – in both his bat and his heart — to forever take his place in the Yankee saga, and losing him and therefore taking that chance from him, would make my blue-bleeding heart pour red.

As I look out over this magnificent vista of Yankee future I hope, I plead, and maybe most importantly, I trust the Yankees to see Mr. Swisher forever in pinstripes so he can do us all proud. He’s earned it, and really… don’t you think we’ve earned him?

Associated Press photos

In case you missed it, Sam and I held a video chat this afternoon, and you can go back and watch it in the archives. Otherwise, here are a few notes and links from the day.

• Jerry Crasnick reported the contract details of Eric Chavez’s minor league deal with the Yankees: He’ll make $1.5 million if he makes the big league roster, and he has the chance to earn another $4 million or so based on plate appearances and time on the roster.

• Joel Sherman reports that the Yankees managed to void their minor league contract with reliever Luis Vizcaino after he was injured this winter. Perhaps most interesting is Sherman reporting that the Yankees’ scouts had Vizcaino steadily hitting the mid-90s and thought he was a legitimate candidate to make the roster.

• Kevin Long expects most of the Yankees lineup to be better in 2011 than in 2010. “It would be hard for Cano and Swisher to duplicate what they did last year,” Long told ESPNNewYork. “If they stay even close to that, great. But I expect the rest of them to do better.”

• Frankie Piliere is high on the Yankees top prospects, ranking Jesus Montero (4), Manny Banuelos (13), Gary Sanchez (34), Dellin Betances (44) and Andrew Brackman (60) among the Top 100 prospects in baseball.

• FanGraphs likes the Red Sox signing of Alfredo Aceves as a low-risk move with some upside.

• It almost goes without saying, but Bryan Hoch took a look at Michael Young as a potential trade target for the Yankees and found that it’s not a good fit.

• Good news for former Yankees pitcher Ross Ohlendorf: He won his arbitration hearing.

• Bad news for Ohlendorf: He’s still with the Pirates.

He’s not a prominent name in the Yankees minor league system, but first baseman Jorge Vazquez has been an offensive force in Mexico and yesterday he was named the MVP of the Caribbean Series — a six-game round-robin between Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Vazquez had two home runs and six RBI as the clean-up hitter for Mexico, which won the series with a 4-2 record. The team’s name? The Yaquis.

As for Vazquez’s place with the Yankees, it’s hard to know what to expect from him. He’s about to turn 29, so he’s not young, but he’s not in mid-30s either. He spent the past two years in the Yankees system and more than held his own (.302/.337/.544 between Double-A and Triple-A). In 76 games for Scranton last season, Vazquez hit .270 with 18 homers, but he also struck out 95 times. He’s primarily a first baseman with some experience at third, but I’m not sure anyone is sold on his defense.

Before the Yankees signed him, Vazquez spent 10 years in the Mexican League and absolutely crushed the ball (.321/.370/593 career slash line). In 2005 alone, he hit 33 home runs in just 71 games.

Vazquez got a late invitation to spring training last year, and I have to think he’ll be invited again this year. He’ll probably have to outplay Eric Chavez, Ron Belliard and Brandon Laird to get any sort of crack at a reserve corner infielder job, but if he makes an impression in camp — and continues to hit in the minors — he could put himself in the mix. The Yankees did, after all, move Alfredo Aceves very aggressively after he signed out of the Mexican League and proved himself against an increased level of competition.

—

Speaking of Mexico’s championship in the Caribbean series…

• Mexico’s closer was Luis Ayala, who saves two of the four wins and today agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees.

• Their center fielder was Justin Christian, the former Yankees outfielder who signed a minor league deal with the Giants.

•Their right fielder was Karim Garcia — yes, that Karim Garcia — who made the Caribbean Series all-star team (more of an all-tournament team).

Associated Press photo of Vazquez playing first base

Just a few days ago, the Yankees agreed to minor league deals with veteran infielders Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard. Those two will come to camp trying to prove they can still hit, and if they can, they’ll give the Yankees the option of experienced backup at third base. But even if those two make a surprise run at a roster spot, the Yankees will still need a true utility infielder to backup Derek Jeter at shortstop. They have a short list of candidates.

The possibilities
In reality, there are two candidates. Doug Bernier is a fine defensive infielder in camp on a minor league deal, and Kevin Russo’s versatility includes a little bit of experience at the shortstop position, but this seems to be a choice between Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena.

The easy choice
The Yankees know Pena. They know the positives and the negatives. They know the glove and the bat. They know exactly what to expect from him, and they know he won’t flinch at the big league level. There’s comfort there, and if either Chavez or Belliard shows something in camp — giving the Yankees a offensive-minded backup at third — they could more easily stomach the all-glove, no-hit option of Pena backing up at shortstop every other week.

The alternative
The best bet for an impact utility infielder is Nunez. His defense seemed to take a step forward last year, eliminating some of his inconsistency. He’s also a proven base-stealer, and his bat is good for an up-the-middle infielder. If the Yankees expect their utility man to play a lot — if they don’t carry another option at second or third — Nunez seems to be their best bet for production out of that role. Otherwise, the Yankees might consider sending Nunez back to Triple-A to keep playing everyday. He’s the best in-house option to replace Jeter if Jeter continues to slip.

A separate but related issue
Alex Rodriguez had surgery in 2009 and landed on the disabled list in 2010. The Yankees know they’re going to have to give him a few DH starts — and maybe a full day off now a then — but spring training should give them some idea of just how far Rodriguez’s hip has come in the past two years, and just how often they’ll need to rest him during the season.

Associated Press photos of Nunez and Pena