The Yankees biggest hitter
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on May 09, 2011 
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All around the Yankees clubhouse, Curtis Granderson is surrounded by bigger names and bigger players. Granderson hit 30 home runs in a season once. The rest of the Yankees have done it 32 times.
“I know there are times it’s possible (to hit a home run),” Granderson said. “But even in batting practice when we have home run rounds, I always lose that.”
In that clubhouse of bigger players and bigger names, no one has been a bigger hitter when it counts than Granderson. Robinson Cano is right there with him, but the rest of the Yankees have come and gone. Alex Rodriguez has fallen into a massive hole, and Nick Swisher’s still trying to climb out of one. Russell Martin’s bat seems to have left him, while Derek Jeter just found his.
There there’s Granderson, who this weekend returned to Texas — the site of last year’s much discussed mechanical changes — and hit his league-leading 11th home run of the season. He didn’t hit No. 11 last season until August, just days after Kevin Long reworked his swing with remarkable success.
“I think if you asked Curtis if he expected it to be this good for this long a period of time, he would be very, very pleased with it,” Long said. “I know he feels real good about his swing, where he’s at, and there’s not a whole lot of thinking going on. And that’s what you want.”
This is the player the Yankee envisioned when they traded Austin Jackson, Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke more than a year ago. In fact, this is probably beyond what the Yankees envisioned.
“It’s just a matter of looking to drive a pitch,” Granderson said. “Sometimes the ball can get out of the ballpark. Other than that, there really is no key or anything else like that. I don’t consider myself a power hitter by any means. When you measure me up against the other guys like Alex Rodriguez or Ryan Howard, those guys are 30, 40, 50 pounds heavier than me. I don’t know what it is.”
Whatever it is, it’s working, and while the Yankees bigger bats have searched for offensive consistency, Granderson has produced when it’s mattered most.
Associated Press photo
He’s always been able to hit righthanders. The difference is that he now hits lefties as well, if not better. His OPS against lefties this year (admittedly, a small sample size) is off the charts at 1.155.
The Grandyman
I guess Curtis is in what they call “a good place”.
Don’t try to figure it out, or think too hard about it. Just ride it for as long as possible. And then, someone else will have found it.
That’s my philosophical input for the day.
Vineyard Yankee May 9th, 2011 at 11:44 am
LGY May 9th, 2011 at 11:27 am
No my reference was that O’Neal and O’Neal were also hurt ( not playing ) both teams had injuries. Yes I did follow the series and here is a current link regarding Isiah and Dolan.
http://bleacherreport.com/arti…..ames-dolan
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Jermaine O’Neal was not hurt. I am not sure what you are talking about.
Also, bleacherreport is a joke. They publish anyone. There are kids in middle school published by bleacherreport.
RE: Yankee farm system credibility
Michael Dunn, Mark Melancon, and Tyler Clippard are or are becoming some of the better relief pitchers in the NL.
I’m sure I’m forgetting some players, but the point is, the Yankees can point to these players at the trade deadline. They are going to get credibility when they want to deal second or third tier pitchers from their system.
Their success should allow the Yanks to keep the B’s and still get good value for some of the other arms. Add Ian Kennedy to that.
That shouldn’t be underestimated. When a Yankee prospect is traded and does well, it still helps the Yanks.
Also, bleacherreport is a joke
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And not a very funny one.
As for J. O’Neal, he isn’t hurt anymore than he was when he started playing again late in the season, but he was never anywhere close to 100% in the first place.
BD (Boston Dave),
How would player a doing well on another team have any bearing on another team trading for player b on the yankees?
As I said at the time, I wish Melancon had received an extended opportunity here.
Michael Dunn, Mark Melancon, and Tyler Clippard are or are becoming some of the better relief pitchers in the NL
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Dunn’s had a rough week after getting off to a great start. Jury is still waaaaay out on him. He wasn’t walking guys early on, but he has been lately. Big arm though. If he’s throwing strikes, he’s tough.
LGY May 9th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Jemaine O’Neal was hurt, not hurt, inactive whatever you want to call it he wasn’t playing at the time so basically they had no big man. Call it whatever you want.
Whether you like or dislike Bleacher Report is up to you, it was also in the Post and TDN so cherry picking the link really makes no difference as it was reported in the NY Daily’s.
Time will tell while Isiah chirps in Dolans ear.
“Jemaine O’Neal was hurt, not hurt, inactive whatever you want to call it he wasn’t playing at the time so basically they had no big man. Call it whatever you want.”
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???
Jermaine O’Neal played played in all 4 games and averaged 23 minutes per game.
You sure actually watched the series?
Jermaine O’Neal did re-aggravate a wrist injury in NY (I think game 3). He went to the locker room and came back into the game after some treatment.
Dolan told Walsh that Knicks won’t rehire Thomas: source
The sources told The Post Dolan has remained friendly with Thomas but no longer trusts him to the point of giving him another basketball job.
Walsh, who is close to finalizing a new deal with the Knicks, is confident he no longer needs to be threatened by the dark cloud of Thomas, according to two people familiar with the situation. Walsh is expected to be granted permission to hire his successor as a central part of a new agreement that should be formally announced shortly. A two-year contract extension has been discussed
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....z1Ls8fBgRx
As I said at the time, I wish Melancon had received an extended opportunity here.
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Maybe the NL is the place for him. He hasn’t exactly been dominating this season. He’s not striking out many and is putting a little over one batter on per inning, but he has reduced his walks and to this point is getting a ton of ground balls, which has made him pretty effective. Who’s to say how his stuff would play in the AL? Nice to see him doing well though.
Jermaine O’Neal played played in all 4 games and averaged 23 minutes per game.
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It’s probably worth noting that O’Neal is a role player for the Celtics…..at best. While not healthy, his importance to the Celtics is rather minimal whereas the guys the Knicks didn’t have available or at 100% were key guys. If both teams were 100% healthy, I still think the Celtics wipe them away in either 4 or 5 games, but it’s ridiculous to suggest that a hampered O’Neal and a missing O’Neal is somehow as devastating as a hampered Stoudemire and a missing Billups.
Maybe, Mell.
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Cash on WFAN:
1) Felix won’t be available. He is still looking for starters, but Colon/Garcia take away the emergency. He’s excited about Nova’s emergence.
2) He’s optimistic about Hughes, but mentioned as an aside that sometimes exploratory surgery is needed when you can’t find a problem, but he really doesn’t think it will be be necessary. There was some shoulder inflammation.
3) He knew the risk with Feliciano, but there are so few good LH relievers out there, that you have to take risks. He’s not optimistic that he will pitch this season. His situation is such that even if you have surgery, the chances aren’t good that you will come back.
4) Soriano is going through an adjustment period in his role. He compared it to what Posada is going through.
Cash Money !!!!! kinda danced around the Reyes question though
He knew the risk with Feliciano, but there are so few good LH relievers out there, that you have to take risks
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Hard point to argue with. Still might have preferred to see him throw the extra million a year to have Downs, who is a better pitcher. He’s been a little banged up too though. Relief pitching can be a real crapshoot.
I would have liked Downs too. But he was a type ‘A’ free agent.
I would have liked Downs too. But he was a type ‘A’ free agent.
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Ah! There was the rub. I had forgotten that.
Soriano needs to adjust to a role that he used to be in 2 years ago?
didnt Downs start the year on the DL too?
Downs had a broken toe.
where can I listen to the Cashman interview?
the interview was held with Joe and Evan on WFAN . so maybe its up on WFAN.com .
Melancon and Kennedy are better off in the NL.
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Always liked Granderson (even when he was struggling.) Solid player and man.
They should have signed Fuentes instead of Feliciano. Just as good against lefties but with the added bonus of being better against righties. The only problem is that Fuentes throws like a girl and I hate him.
Dunn has crazy high walk rates, but I saw him pitch in person behind home plate and he does throw some pretty good baseball. Still, with his command I don’t think that was a big loss. In hindsight paying anything for Javy Vazquez stinks, but at the time the trade was great and Boone was pretty good against LHP last year.
Melancon is the one I’ll never figure out why they didnt give him a consistent audition.
Another update from The Situation Room
http://i55.photobucket.com/alb.....erek-3.jpg
Thank you
They should have signed Fuentes instead of Feliciano. Just as good against lefties but with the added bonus of being better against righties. The only problem is that Fuentes throws like a girl and I hate him.
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And if he is on a contender, that helps us as the Yankees generally pound Fuentes when he pitches.
RiverAveBlues RT @EyeOnNY: George Steinbrenner Blamed Legal Advice For Illegal Campaign Contribution To Nixon http://goo.gl/fb/qnMSj
Jerkface May 9th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
They should have signed Fuentes instead of Feliciano. Just as good against lefties but with the added bonus of being better against righties. The only problem is that Fuentes throws like a girl and I hate him.
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I taught my wife not to throw like a girl. Too bad she’s a righty.
RiverAveBlues RT @EyeOnNY: George Steinbrenner Blamed Legal Advice For Illegal Campaign Contribution To Nixon http://goo.gl/fb/qnMSj
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Remember the old quote that “people get the government they deserve”?
I think some people, particularly rich people who have had a lot of prior dealings with lawyers, often get the legal advice they deserve because they, as sophisticated clients, usually seek out the advice of professionals who they believe will find ways to achieve their preconceived goals.
So I am more than a little skeptical about this claim.
Saw where the Sox called up Iglesias…..I keep hearing them connected to Reyes as.a possible location if he were to be traded….who in the world do they have to trade to the Mets? Iglesias and a bunch of A ball guys, I just don’t see that being a top offer if he’s made available
blake,
Don’t know if you read Cafardo’s propaganda piece yesterday but according to his sources every team in the league is drooling over the immortal Josh Reddick.
They should be able to trade him for Felix and Pineda straight up soon.
igelsias was hitting in the low 200s in aaa. defensively he might be there, but his bat has a long way to go.
is there that much upside in his bat that he’s considered to be a top prospect? doubt it.
reminds me of the mets shortstop before reyes, all glove no bat.
IIRC, Steinbrenner spread that contribution around among his employees at Kinsman to avoid detection.
Hard to believe that someone as detail oriented as George didn’t know that was fishy.