Pregame notes: Time to find a glove
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on May 19, 2011 
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The Yankees did not hit on the field this afternoon, which meant no infield drills. At least, that was the initial plan. Just a few minutes ago, Derek Jeter and Eduardo Nunez went to shortstop and Jorge Posada went to first base for a brief session of infield practice.
“Every day I’ve been taking grounders,” Posada said. “Today, I wish I could take a little bit more grounders because obviously I’m out there. I would like to be on the field taking more grounders, yeah.”
Obviously Posada got some friends to help him out. Someone asked if Posada made a point of telling the shortstop to make all of his throws chest-high. Posada said he told all of the infielders that.
Joe Girardi said he had this in mind a few days ago, deciding today would be a good day to give Mark Teixeira a DH start, and all along he was planning to play Posada in his place at first base. The Yankees told Posada to start taking extra grounders after Eric Chavez went on the disabled list.
“Where to be with people on base, where you have to be (on) cut-offs, if it’s a double. It’s just challenging,” Posada said. “You have to think about it before the play starts. It keeps you in the game.”
By the way, Posada got own first baseman’s glove this spring. Until this year he’s kept a first base mitt with him, but it was an old one that used to belong to Tino Martinez.
“(The ball) will find me,” Posada said.
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All things considered, Chris Dickerson is in good shape. He has a cut along the bottom of his forehead extending just above his left eye. The bump from last night is gone, replaced with a scratch that Dickerson said might be from the ball itself grazing his face. He has a very minor concussion, but none of the usual symptoms — no sensitivity to light or dizziness — except for a “splitting” headache.
“Every time I look at the replay, if you don’t look down just in time, it hits you right in the face, right square in the eye rather than in the side,” Dickerson said. “I just feel extremely fortunate today.”
Dickerson said he absolutely does not believe the pitch was intentional, and he also does not believe he’ll need to be placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Girardi said it was a possibility, but Dickerson said he felt surprisingly good today. He was still wearing the bracelets from his hospital visit last night.
Here’s Dickerson speaking this afternoon.
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• The tarp just came off the field.
• Girardi said there was no serious consideration of a player move. The Yankees feel that they’re covered for multiple innings because Amauri Sanit is here as a second long man.
• It’s not a sure thing — Girardi said it depends on what time the Yankees get back to New York tonight/tomorrow — but right now the Yankees are planning to have Alex Rodriguez go for a short checkup tomorrow afternoon.
• Phil Hughes did more or less the exact same series of throws that he did on Tuesday. Said everything still feels pretty good.
• Girardi said it’s possible he’ll use Teixeira for late-inning defense tonight.
• Girardi said he will not use Dickerson tonight.
• No word on whether Dave Robertson is available tonight. The only pitcher Girardi ruled out was Hector Noesi. He has to check with Robertson and the rest to make sure they’re up to pitching. The fact Robertson got hot in the bullpen last night almost counts like a game the way the Yankees view workload.
• Girardi said it’s good to start Posada at first base on a day CC Sabathia is pitching. “A lot of right-handers in their lineup,” he said. “CC is a guy that, he’s going to get his share of ground balls, but you’re going to think more of them are going to be to the left side than the right side.”
• Had Rodriguez been ejected last night, Girardi said his first thought would have been to put Posada at catcher and Russell Martin at third base. “Probably would have been my first thought and we would have seen how it went,” Girardi said. “Or maybe you put Texy at first and Jorge at first.”
• Yes, Girardi really called Teixeira, “Texy.”
ORIOLES
Robert Andino 2B
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Adam Jones CF
Felix Pie LF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Jake Fox C
Brandon Snyder 1B
Associated Press photos
“Every day I’ve been taking grounders,” Posada said.
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Montero will do the same if he comes up.
Texy?
• Had Rodriguez been ejected last night, Girardi said his first thought would have been to put Posada at catcher and Russell Martin at third base. “Probably would have been my first thought and we would have seen how it went,” Girardi said. “Or maybe you put Texy at first and Jorge at first.”
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So that answers the question of whether Posada is their emergency catcher.
Say a prayer for Jorge.
#
I’d aim for Felix Hernandez and try to lure Billy Beane into the talks. Then I’d try to get Gio Gonzalez when the Mariners refuse to give up Felix. Felix will make 20 million next year…that’s money I want to spend on JOSE REYES!!!
BTW jerkface, I supported the Granderson trade from day 1 while others left the board because Damon signed elsewhere and then defended Granderson while still others wanted Brett Gardner to take his place in CF and wanted Granderson off the team.
So Holliday, Haren, Granderson, Russell Martin (favored that before trade rumors leaked). I also wanted Matt Kemp last year.
Oh and DeJesus hit like .500 last week. He’s destroying Swisher on the season. Oh and I also wanted to trade Gardner when he was hitting .333 at last year’s deadline.
I also would’ve included Hughes with Montero in any offer for Felix before this season. I got killed for that.
Oldies but goodies.
Montero will do the same if he comes up.
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Hopefully, Montero will be taking grounders in Seattle and King Felix will be starting Game 2 of the ALDS at the Stadium.
is that some form of brilliant revelation? of course he would be taking grounders, every catcher in the ML does.
Oh and DeJesus hit like .500 last week. He’s destroying Swisher on the season. Oh and I also wanted to trade Gardner when he was hitting .333 at last year’s deadline.
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David DeJesus: .234/.319/.348
Nick Swisher: .215/.329/.304
Oh yeah, he’s destroying him
They better retaliate tonight
Nova would have. CC has in the past, so hope he does tonight. It is incumbent upon the pitcher to retaliate and shouldn’t need his manager or anyone to tell him to. I’m sure no one told Joba to hit Youkallis back in 07 with Torre or Nova to hit Bautista last year.
Retaliate CC!
the greatest baseball mind on Sports Talk radio is MIKE FRANSESSA
Ya, DeJesus and his .232/.318/.348 is just what the Yankees need. /sarcasm
Retaliation is bush. Play like a Yankee and remind them you are better than that.
Swisher and his 33 K’s and his choke routine and his horrible defense…will not be with us in 2012.
The hardest thing to find is pitching…which is why Cashman has tried trading Jesus Montero for pitching like 3 times now.
———-
But Cash has to find a Lee/Halladay type pitcher… aka a Top 5 pitcher. If he can find that, of course Jesus will be gone.
He isn’t trading Montero for a Liriano, Gavin Floyd, Danks, Billingsly, Carmona etc.
It would have to be a King Felix, Kershaw, Johnson, etc.
Can the Yankees get Colon’s doctor to put some of Colon’s stem cells in Hughes arm?
Bret,
Just one question, so you wouldn’t develop a core for the team from within but rather get players from elsewhere and regard the farm as pure trading chips??. I think we already tried that not once but twice and it didn’t workout
I’d trade Jesus Montero for Gio Gonzalez and include more.
I’d trade him for Billingsley as well.
Posada is “The Extreme” emergency catcher.
Oh and I also wanted to trade Gardner when he was hitting .333 at last year’s deadline.
_________________________________________________________
Considering Gardner’s one of a handful of guys on this team that’s provided above league average production on both sides of the ball, that probably would have been a bad idea.
Luis,
I’d keep Betances and Banuelos…especially in light of this thin pitcher’s market. I don’t think we need to promote a DH from within as part of our core.
Selling high on players is always a good idea.
I’d trade Jesus Montero for Gio Gonzalez and include more.
I’d trade him for Billingsley as well.
—————-
:pukes:
Bret
As you know, I love Gio, but now that Braden is hurt, I don’t see A’s making any deal that gets rid of a pitcher.
“I’d trade Jesus Montero for Gio Gonzalez and include more”
____________________________________________
I’m glad you aren’t Brian Cashman I guess.
Don’t see how you are having such a hard time seeing that starting pitching is very low on the list of priorities within this organization, especially when it comes to acquiring it from the outside.
Swisher and his 33 K’s and his choke routine and his horrible defense…will not be with us in 2012.
—————-
So let’s trade him for someone that sucks and definitely won’t be here next year?
Bojo,
This is true.
Do you see any other arms on the horizon that may be undervalued by their GM?
Ok Bret, i think we disagree on that one, but it’s good to know that you would keep Betances and banuelos i would too
BloggingBombers As the grounds crew was rolling up the tarp, the rain started to fall once again. Tarp now back on the field. Could be a long night.
Bret The Hitman May 19th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Selling high on players is always a good idea.
———————————————————————————————————————-
There’s a Hell of a lot of difference between trading players high and trading players when you’re high.
especially when it comes to acquiring it from the outside.
CC – FA
Burnett – FA
Nova – Mystery Prospect
Colon – FA
Garcia – FA
Hughes – Broken
Joba – Failed
Yeah, really hard to see where their priorities are.
Look at Gonzalez’ home/road splits the last 2 years.
He also walked almost 100 guys last year. Walking a tick under 4 per 9 this year. Had a 3.7 FIP last year and 3.3 this year.
Billingsley is an NL pitcher.
Montero needs to be traded for a stud, not a maybe.
GreenBeret,
I can’t tell if you posted that one on or off your meds.
“Had Rodriguez been ejected last night, Girardi said his first thought would have been to put Posada at catcher.”
I can here the gnashing of teeth and the exploding of planets and myths.
I’m hoping the organization from top to bottom is starting to prioritize development.
Maybe that ship has sailed with Joba, but he’s shown enough this year to put himself back in the conversation to be the great one’s successor. At least he’s shown the ability is still there in spite of what the organization did to screw him up.
I believe Cashman’s commitment to Nova this year is more representative of what’s to come for this franchise. Nova has been far from perfect, has a 1.51 WHIP and has taken his lumps, but ultimately he’s keeping us in games, is 4-3 with a sub 4.50 ERA and is continuing to show enough improvement to suggest that he can be a big part of this team’s future.
There are enough arms in this organization that if we can develop a legitimate number 2 starter behind Sabathia (I was hoping, and still think, this can be Hughes), our rotation could be full and cheap for a long time. Nova, Noesi, Warren, and then Banuelos and Betances obviously all have the ability to pitch and pitch successfully at this level.
Similarly, why would teams trade a Hernandez or Kershaw for a 1B/DH with a .800 OPS in AAA?
This is not Bryce Harper/Mike Stanton/Jason Heyward 5-tool phenom here. Or a 2-way player like Smoak/Hosmer.
If you can get a Danks/Floyd/Gonzalez for Montero, you take it and run. Or do we want to wait till he exposes himself like Tabata and only gets traded for a Xavier Nady when he could have headlined packages for Oswalt/Dontrelle Willis etc. back in the day?
G-C,
That’s exactly what this franchise should do, develop internaly and complement it with good FA signings not the other way around. I think betances and Banuelos are going tobe better than hughes though
G-C,
I agree with all that…except the part about the Yankees being able to develop that #2 that they need right now in Phil Hughes.
I think that guy has to come from the outside while Banuelos and Betances hone their crafts and Nova/Noesi gain experience.
That’s why we also differ on whether to make Jesus Montero DH or trade him for a starter.
LGY – u could also trade him for someone half good who then totally sucks when he arrives. Lotta flexibility, many itterations.
I’d trade Montero for Danks, Gio or Billingsley.
Tarp’s back on the field
Bret The Hitman May 19th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Bojo,
This is true.
Do you see any other arms on the horizon that may be undervalued by their GM?
___________
Yes–
I’ll stay way from teams that won’t trade with the Yankees. And I won’t say undervalued because any team trading with Yankees is going to over-value their own players. So let’s just say players that might be available.
But still, some names that I think would be great in the Bronx include:
Jared Weaver
Zack Greinke
Johan Santana
Chad Billingsly
Tom Gorzelanny
Luke Hochevar, KC
Bruce Chen, KC
But the truth is that I am now very happy with the talent on board or in the pipeline and no longer see the need for a trade to acquire from outside.
I think Colon is a #2 ace, and Garcia is fine as #5, I think Nova and Noesi provide great depth and promise, and I expect Hughes to rebound better than before.
And I still have the hope that eventually they will see the light with Joba and start him.
Add to that the Wanna B’s and I think we are fine for play-offs and beyond.
I forgot to add Danks
Bret,
I can’t dispute much in your first two paragraphs.
Other than that I would hope that people give Hughes a pass on what happened earlier this season and take him for what he is when he returns.
The guy has been victimized by some bad luck in his career so far. Had he been allowed to stay in the rotation in 2009, he looked well on his way to a strong season as a starter, and perhaps that would have minimized the mystery arm issue he’s battling right now.
I think he’ll come back strong, though, and ultimately believe he’s still the best young arm in the organization. For as good as Betances and Banuelos are and have been, Hughes was even better in the minors. He flashed that ability last year, and I think he’s still going to be a strong front of the rotation pitcher in time. It just may not come until he’s 26 or 27 instead of 24.
AJ is also here for two more years regardless and appears to have refined himself to be able to pitch into his thirties.
I know its difficult to bank on anything from him for sure, but there aren’t a whole lot of # 2 and 3 starters in the American League that are actually better than AJ Burnett.
Bojo,
Interesting to see Greinke’s name there. Some other interesting names as well. If Colon falls, do you think the Mets would deal us Santana?
When I have seen CC pitch against another team’s ave (like Beckett), I always get the feeling that although he is a great pitcher, he isn’t a top tier ace who can beat a Beckett, Lester, Felix, or Halladay…and that eventually the Yankees need to get that ace.
To me, we already have him pitching the 8th inning. If allowed to develop, I think Joba could be the dominant guy who can go pitch for pitch with a Beckett and win. We’ve seen him do it. I hope he gets the chance again.
Bret, Bojo,
Why on earth would you trade for santana?, when he returns and if he retuns, shoulder injuries usually means trouble. Besides what would you be willing to give up??
“When I have seen CC pitch against another team’s ave (like Beckett), I always get the feeling that although he is a great pitcher, he isn’t a top tier ace who can beat a Beckett, Lester, Felix, or Halladay…and that eventually the Yankees need to get that ace.”
_________________________________________________
I know what you mean. In April and May.
From June on, Sabathia is bar none one of the best pitchers in baseball. I don’t think Yankees fans (myself included) appreciate him as much as he deserves to be appreciated, because of feelings like you described above that even I’ll occasionally get.
But he is good enough to be that guy and we saw it in 2009 when he carried us through the playoffs.
I dunno fellas. I guess I’ve given up hope on Hughes as a frontman and Joba as a starter. Given this year’s plunge into the scrap heap, one would think this season, if any, would be one to push Joba into a starter’s role. But who knows? If he finishes the year as the best setup man in baseball, they might Phil Coke ‘em.
Bret The Hitman May 19th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Bojo,
Interesting to see Greinke’s name there. Some other interesting names as well. If Colon falls, do you think the Mets would deal us Santana?
________
I don’t think Colon is going to necessarily fail. He is a pro, and knows how to get through a season.
I think it is more likely that an injury might do in a pitcher and lead to a need to fill a spot. I think that could come from within.
HOWEVER, if the team finds it needs another ace because of injuries. I think I would approach Mets about Santana and Beltran and offer several tier 2 level prospects to make it happen. Mets would eat some salary to get back talent (according to reports).
Luis,
Money alone. In that scenario, I’d keep Jesus Montero.
Brackman, Joba, Romine, Nunez…players like that for Johan Santana.
Bojo,
By “fall” I meant, “fall to injury”. Colon is ok in my book but I worry about the long haul following his long layoff from baseball.
I know what you mean. In April and May.
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And in October…cold weather.
Bret–
I am very curious to see the results of the treatment Colon got and how long it lasts. It seems like he is completely healthy again, and I am optimistic about his chances for staying healthy. Fingers crossed.
I guess it was stem cells? Did the Docs somehow cause rotator cuff cells to proliferate?
luis May 19th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Bret, Bojo,
Why on earth would you trade for santana?, when he returns and if he retuns, shoulder injuries usually means trouble. Besides what would you be willing to give up??
_____________
This spring when I was suggesting getting Beltran, I heard the same sort of thing.
But these two players are real pros and competitors, and want to be on the field competing. Beltran would be great as a 4th OFer/DH, and I beleive Santana will be a winner again as well.
Call it a gut feeling. Of course, I’d wait to see him throw about 25 innings first. But then try to do a deal.
As far as who to give up for him, I’d offer Romine, and several lower level prospects. But I have no idea what it will ultimately take at the time it happens. Too many variables to guess.
Bret The Hitman May 19th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
I guess it was stem cells? Did the Docs somehow cause rotator cuff cells to proliferate?
__________
That’s above my pay grade.
The Yankees have no desire to spend the next 2 years pay Santana to rehab and certainly not add in 4 players.
GreenBeret7 May 19th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
The Yankees have no desire to spend the next 2 years pay Santana to rehab and certainly not add in 4 players.
___________
Hence the comment about seeing him pitch 25 innings to check his health.