More on the state of the Yankees’ offense
Posted by: Brian Heyman - Posted in Misc on May 23, 2011 
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The Yankees scored 17 runs in the three-game Subway Series. Eight of the first nine against the Mets were produced by homers. The final eight, of course, were scored without one, all in that seventh inning in Sunday’s 9-3 rubber-game win.
Their power can be a great advantage, but they can’t always count on that. They need to be able to consistently produce the smaller way as well, especially with runners in scoring position. They’re at .249 in RISP and at .219 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Their team batting average is at .254.
The Yankees have scored 119 runs via homers and 116 via other methods. They have a major-league-high 71 homers. They have 22 multi-homer games, sending out at least one homer 35 times in going 25-20. They have six players with at least six homers.
Joe Girardi had a lot to say Sunday about the Yankees’ long-ball tendencies and this whole subject about scoring so many of their runs via homers as opposed to the small-ball way since he was asked about that a lot. He doesn’t care if all the runs come on homers, as long as the Yankees are scoring. So he wasn’t about to devalue production via long distance. And he pointed out that the homer-happy way isn’t just a Yankees thing.
This was from his pregame press conference:
“If you’re getting hits and they’re home runs, they’re still hits. I think sometimes people … we talk about home runs like they’re not hits. They’re still hits. They’re hits with runners in scoring position. They’re still hits. Do you score runs in bunches sometimes with home runs? Absolutely. But I don’t want to take away from a lot of times it’s a line drive or well-struck ball that happens to go out of the ballpark.
“Yeah, you’d like to be able to put five or six hits together all the time, but that’s not always easy to do. So if you have to score them by home runs, you score them by home runs.
“But there are a lot of American League teams that score a lot of runs by home runs. That’s just the nature of the American League. Now when you go out to the West Coast, it’s a little bit different because the ball’s not going to carry as well. But you look at some lineups, there are five or six guys capable of hitting 20 home runs in every lineup.”
This was from his postgame press conference:
“It almost seems like to me that a home run is not a hit the way we talk about it. A home run is actually a hit. It’s just a hit that goes a little bit farther than most. Our club is built around a lot of power. I mean, that’s what we have in our lineup. We have some guys who are fast. … Our ballpark is tailored around our lineup where we have a lot of left-handed hitters, and our right-handed hitters are able to go to right-center and to right field, which helps with that. That’s just kind of the club that we are.”
The picture of Derek Jeter from yesterday’s game is courtesy of The Associated Press.
I think the hysteria over the percentage of runs scoring on HR is just silly. Sure, you’d love to have a team full of guys who hit .400 with RISP and never ground into double plays, but the world is pretty strange when you have to apologize for leading the league in HR and Runs.
Home runs are hits.
Bunts are not (always).
Which do you guys prefer?!
The idea that Girardi had to take the time to address this ridiculously stupid issue is crazy. It’s almost like he’s expected to apologize for the route the team has taken to leading the American League in runs scored and leading Major League Baseball in Slugging an OPS.
Girardi had a funny line at yesterdays post-game. He said a homerun is a hit . . it just goes a little further than a normal hit. . lol lol lol
JOE G !!!
Shame Spencer:
Wow…gotta think about that one. NOT!
Hey — I’d rather someone hit a HR, then hit a single and get stranded. I’m in support of RBI in general — regardless of how we get them!
Granted, against the best pitchers who are often pitching against us in the playoffs, we have to put together a string of hits — and bunts aren’t always productive. Sometimes you just lucky (like last night).
Didn’t the 2009 team hit a lot of homers as well? Sure they need to score other ways…..but hitting the long ball also allows you to make up deficits quickly and keeps you in games. Scoring runs any way possible is the most important think in May…..they have plenty of time to get rolling offensively in other areas including making roster changes if need be. When they start hitting better overall…..the start scoring runs in different ways.
Shame
what a great game you got to see
Oh upstate kate, thats a total understatement! My friend actually flew down for the day from Syracuse just to see the game because she’d never seen a subway series live before. I was glad the Yanks were able to pull out a win and make her commute worth it!!
Even with all the excitement of seeing my old roommate and witnessing an awesome Yankees game, I have to admit when Granderson was bunting my thoughts were here with LoHud
Shame-that’s a tough one.
Didn’t the 2009 team hit a lot of homers as well?
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By my quick calculations, 41% of the 2009 Yankees runs were a result of a homers.
* a result of a homer (no s)
If Girardi would simply treat these questions the way Alex did, I think we can all feel better about it.
The goal of this team is a championship and u ain’t hitting HR’s off pitchers you see in the playoffs, at least not at the rate we hit HRs.
By comparision, the homerun happy, but average and OBP challenged, 2010 Toronto Blue Jays scored 53% of their runs via the homerun ball.
shame spencer your right…
how many times have we seen our yankees pop up a bunt, or bunt foul 2 times and be 0-2 in the count…
im not sayin we shouldnt bunt but if the time and situation was right, then fine, id rather have a team that can tie the game in the 9th with one swing than a team that goin into the 9th down 2 runs knows they need 4 hits to tie…
When you construct a team full of power hitters you’re going to score a lot of runs via the home run.
Duh.
6 of the 9 regulars are capable of hitting 20+ home runs every season – 7 of 9 if you include a healthy full season of Martin.
Mell,
Thanks….I think the Yanks will diversify their runs scoring portfolio as the season progresses.
The 61 Yankees didn’t do too badly with hitting so many HRs. LOL! This whole issue is McESPN speak. They are impressed with the RSux scoring more runs off the green monster, I mean doubles. LOL!
One thing about a HR… it means you score and there is no defense for it. What’s not to like about that? A double is great, but a baserunning error can turn it into an out. The HR is the only thing that is guaranteed not to make an out scoring run(s).
When you get to the play-offs, it’s a crap shoot for how you score runs. The real key is quality pitching to keep the score close, and also playing good defense and not giving up runs through errors. And finally, patiently working the count to get the opposing starter out.
When the Yankees do these things, they win. If the opposing pitchers do better 3 out of 5 or 4 out of 7, we go home.
I’ll take our chances with the current approach.
As Earl Weaver said–”the best play in baseball is the 3 run homer.” Girardi just needs to call it more.
The only legit concern is for the playoffs…..where you see the best pitching which makes less mistakes and allows less homers ……however that’s so far away that its really not.much of a concern right now. A team’s identty can change a lot between now and then.
Don’t know if it means anything, but as of today, only 3 major league teams have failed to win at least 20 games and only 4 have lost fewer than 20. On May 23, 2010, with virtually the same number of games having been played (Yankees were 26-18), 10 teams had failed to win at least 20 games and 9 team had fewer than 20 losses.
Parity? Or maybe parody?
Alex is right, its harder to hits HRs against good pitchers, but I think some people here pointed out a couple weeks ago that good pitchers are also much less likely to allow 4-6 hits per inning.
Personally, I like knowing a lot of our guys can make one hit count.
blake May 23rd, 2011 at 9:33 am
A team’s identty can change a lot between now and then.
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Exactly–I fully expect the team to be wearing fake noses and Grouch mustaches during the play-offs…which will confuse the other team greatly.
When you get to the playoffs which is more likely, a good pitcher making a mistake and giving up a HR, or a good pitcher giving up a single, BB, SB, another single etc.
I understand you can’t score all your runs via the HR, nor should you wait for them, but having a bunch of guys who can hit the long ball seems like a good thing to me.
Some of the difference between this team and the 2009 team is the come-from-behind and walkoff wins. Those kind of wins will always energize a team and make them feel better about themselves going forward.
I thought we debunked this playoff pitchers give up less HR thing?
Kate,
That’s true….ideally you want to.be able to score in a number of ways….however having several guys that can hit the ball out is never a bad thing.
LGY
I thought we had too
108
IIRC, the come from behind and walk off wins started in May w/ the Twins in 09. They do need to get better at those kind of wins.
I thought we debunked this playoff pitchers give up less HR thing?
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The playoff HR rate is equal or better than the regular season rate in most cases, but Wave Your Hat brought up that I should have compared only the rate of specific teams in the playoffs. That was too much work, but I did it for 09 I think and the rate was less than the regular season rate by 2 or so AB??
The perspective that this team has been depending too much on the home run is absolutely on the money. It’s amusing how some prefer to ignore the truth; I guess if you have an agenda, you love the glamor of the long ball, or don’t want to be realistic as to ways this team can improve; that’s what you will do.
“Their power can be a great advantage, but they can’t always count on that. They need to be able to consistently produce the smaller way as well, especially with runners in scoring position. They’re at .249 in RISP and at .219 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Their team batting average is at .254.”
Everyone should want the yankees to hit for a higher average as a team. Unfortunately home runs count in batting average calculations. I wonder which nerd was responsible for that blunder
The only reason the Yankees lost any games to the phillies were because of big home runs.
Good morning –
1. And, another nice win yesterday. Great 7th inning.
2. IMO the difference in that game was the difference between Ivan Nova and Mike Pelfrey. After giving up 3 in the 2nd, Nova shut the Mets down. Despite putting men on base in what seemed liked every inning, he got the DP, the K, the ground out or popup he needed to to prevent any further damage. He got it done.
Contrast that to Pelfrey. Despite pitching better thru the early innings, when he got into trouble in the 7th, he couldn’t get out of it. That was key, because it kept the ball out of the hands of Isringhausen and KRod, who have been lights out all season. Instead, Collins had to rely on his second tire pitchers. The Yanks put the game away agaisnt Pat Mitsch. All because Pelfrey couldn’t get out of his one jam.
This may be secondary to Pelfrey’s lack of mentorship. He’s got good enough stuff. But, while Nova can be seen talking to the likes of Sabathia, Garcia, and Colon, guys who have been around the block and know how to win, Pelfrey does not have that. Who’s he going to for pitching advice, RA Dickey? Chris Capuano? Nothing against those guys, but they don’t have the resumes and records of sustained success that CC, Garcia, or Colon do.
3. GB -Very sad story about Moose Skowron that you linked in the Chicago Tribune. Nicely written, but very sad. Moose is a class act.
http://itsaboutthemoney.net/ar.....-hits-too/
The sign of a well rounded team is scoring runs with 2 outs. True, a certain amount of luck happens like a ball hit barely over an infielder’s glove but the idea is to continue the game with a safe lead to take pressure off the pitching staff.
In later innings, approach the game like there’s never enough insurance runs.
I think getting Cano, Swisher, Posada, etc….going will go a long way towards helping the offense. Pretty much everyone in the lineup aside from Granderson and Gardner the last month or so has been underperforming so far……they just haven’t clicked yet.
I really think this is a media-created non-issue, it’s like the Yankees hitters only think long ball when they are up at the plate.
Anyone who has ever played baseball knows you go up there trying to hit the ball hard, period.
If you are facing a really good pitcher, you try to take what you are given and hit the ball hard. That means you may not get many pitches in the right place to drive it out of the park but it doesn’t mean you do things any differently.
It’s not like there are 80% less post season HRs than in the regular season, it’s just consistent (in terms of HR per AB) to the way the post-season pitchers pitch during the regular season.
The Yankees haven’t been very good this year in driving in runs with RISP, that will change because virtually all of them are below their career averages with RISP-they all didn’t forget to hit since last year or the year before.
I have no agenda.
I don’t like reliance on the HR.
I personally like small ball.
However, I am certainly not going to complain that the Yankees are scoring the majority of the runs via the HR. I just don’t see it as a problem. It is not like everyone is swinging for the fences and not trying to score in other ways.
How much longer does Cashman stay with his two weakest bats in the corner outfield spots? Gardner has 6 stolen bases and has struck out as much as Arod with 25+ less at bats.
How much longer does Cashman stay with his two weakest bats in the corner outfield spots? Gardner has 6 stolen bases and has struck out as much as Arod with 25+ less at bats.
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Good thinking, Gardner to Cf, Granderson to LF. problem solved.
Since April 8th: .275 .350 .440 .790
Since April 23: .338 .413 .525 .938
Go gardner!
We`ll see with Gardner I guess. I think for a guy who hits with no power he strikes out way too much and for a guy who supposed to be a speedy guy he doesnt steal that much and gets caught too much.
I really, really like Dickerson. I’m sure he won’t stick, but its nice to have some competition in the outfield. I wonder how long Swisher will continue to slump. Hopefully he finds his way out of it.. but I don’t mind seeing some new faces out there (not named Andruw) every now and then.
SS: Two weakest. Hmm. You mean weakest on the team? I guess you’re forgetting Jeter and Jorge, among the starters. Weakest of outfielders? I guess you’re forgetting Andruw.
In either case, Gardner doesn’t qualify as weakest.
And by the way, who do you suggest as their replacements? Mickey and Joe D. aren’t available.
The HR issue to me is the post season issue. We saw last seasons that the ability not to hit HR’s when they needed them and not to manufacture runs can kill an offense. What you have to remember is Cliff Lee didn’t beat the team all 4 games. There were pitchers who had no business shutting down the Yankee offense shutting it down in the post season because the HR’s dried up.
The other issue with the HR’s is the players on the team start to swing/play for them. It affects their at bats and makes them act like pull hitters just up there to mash.
Swisher’s been the most guilty of that this season and his offense is non existent. There are times this season when you see Arod, Tex, Posada and Cano up there swinging from their heels trying to hit HR’s.
The guy who looks the least like he’s trying to hit a HR is Granderson oddly enough. He looks like he’s trying to hit hard liners and he’s smacking the ball out.
You don’t want your offense to rely on just walks and HR’s. You need guys hitting doubles or singles with runners on. The 8 run inning vs. the Mets yesterday was what the team needs more of in theory to improve the offense.
After Friday night what looked to be a bad weekend turned out to be a very good one so let’s hope the offense starts clicking. I think the way Girardi is benching Swisher here and there and using Dickerson is great. Dickerson is a really nice player. He looks better than Swisher in the field (it’s fun watching a RF not fall down everytime the ball is hit at him) and he makes good contact. Not an all star, but a good solid piece for this team and better than what Mitre would have given this team here.
The thing the Yankees need to do is find the RH OF/DH bat. Jones isn’t it. He looks like he’s having a laugh out there and the games just don’t matter to him anymore. While I’m in favor of making Gardner the full time LF and letting him go against LHP, we need a RH DH bat who can play the Thames role from last year. Thames was a great guy last year because he had a way of getting the big hit when the rest of the guys were slumping. His offense last season always felt like it came out of nowhere and sparked the team.
Not saying get him back here, but someone like him is needed in my opinion.
Gardner is really the least of problems….he’s playing pretty darn well right now. Great D and big hit last night.
# Shame Spencer May 23rd, 2011 at 10:58 am
I really, really like Dickerson. I’m sure he won’t stick, but its nice to have some competition in the outfield. I wonder how long Swisher will continue to slump. Hopefully he finds his way out of it.. but I don’t mind seeing some new faces out there (not named Andruw) every now and then.
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Dickerson is gaing more support. Like you said he won’t stick but I like what I see so far
Shame Spencer May 23rd, 2011 at 10:58 am
but I don?t mind seeing some new faces out there (not named Andruw) every now and then.
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yeah, I’m definitely over the Andruw Jones experiment.
I read the latest Mickey and Yogi biographies and Moose Skowron always was depicted as a great guy and class act. I wish him the best.
If he hadn’t played in the old Yankee Stadium with its 457 foot power alley, he would have a lot more home runs. He could really hit.
Dickerson does a lot of things fairly well …..which is what you want in a bench player. If you have a one trick pony on the bench then thy need to do that one trick very well (Thames and hitting lefties for example ) .
In May, we have played 20 games and we are 9-11. We hit 27 home runs during that stretch and sport a .249 team batting average. Home runs are great but we also need to do a better job scoring in other ways.
gaining*
In May, we have played 20 games and we are 9-11. We hit 27 home runs during that stretch and sport a .249 team batting average. Home runs are great but we also need to do a better job scoring in other ways.
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The yankees have lost 4 games in May where they scored 5 runs. That needs to change.
Excellent post by G. Love.
The Yanks were in a slump ……when they pitched they didn’t hit and when they hit they didn’t pitch…..it happens to every team. They have won 5 of their last 6 games now and hopefully are past it.
YankeesPR Anyone want to say hey to @PhilHughes65? He’ll be greeting fans today at 5pm in the Great Hall!
How many games have we lost when leading after 7 innings? How many have we won trailing after 7?
Jerkface- were those 4 losses in May, when the team scored 5 runs, due to the bullpen being scored upon?
Yankees are 22-1 when leading going into the 9th. 21-4 when leading after 7 (and 8), 2-2 tied into the 7th, 2-0 into the 8th, 2-1 in the 9th. Biggest problem
1-12 behind going into the 6th, 1-14 into the 7th, 1-16 into the 8th, 1-17 into the 9th
Yanks are 1-0 when trailing when going into the 7th since May 22nd
Yanks are 1-0 when trailing when going into the 7th since May 22nd
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Yankees are only 1 game over .500 since yesterday. ITS 2010 ALL OVER AGAIN
blake – that’s the spirit
I keep asking this but I guess no one has been able to partake yet… but hey, why not try again? Has anyone been to any of these mini meet and greets at the stadium?
Jerkface-
Thanks. You underscored what the main problem is-inability to rally in the last few innings. Yesterday was an exception.
Also the Yankees are 2-0 post apocalypse
Also the Yankees are 2-0 post apocalypse
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This is the apocalypse for some people here, having to watch an undefeated yankee team
blake May 23rd, 2011 at 11:10 am
Dickerson does a lot of things fairly well …..which is what you want in a bench player. If you have a one trick pony on the bench then thy need to do that one trick very well (Thames and hitting lefties for example ) .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The best trick Cashman can do is give a pink slip to Andruw Jones who is an absolute waste of a roster spot. Be it Dickerson or whoever, corner outfielders with enthusiasm can be found.
Jerkface,
How much more rope do you give Swisher? I think you have to give him until the break because he’s been a good player the last couple years……but he doesn’t have a guaranteed deal for 2012 and at some point they need something from RF……if he doesn’t pick it up by the trade deadline I think they could start to consider other options and could start to consider decllining his option (which seemed like a foregone conclusion previously ). Im expecting him to play better……im just wondering what they’ll choose to do if he doesn’t
This complete 180 from a 6 game losing steak to us playing much better in the last week can be attributed to only one man….
That man is.
Chris Dickerson (The man, the myth).
Clearly he is the glue holding this whole thing together.
ASB I guess, but they should already be working in other guys there (nunez or whomever). They are going to pick up his option regardless though. 2 good seasons vs 1 bad, no other options in FA, and the cost only being 9 million (1 mil buyout).
108,
I agree…..I think when Chavez is ready Andrew will be smiling and collecting his check from the couch at home…….which it kinda seems like he’d be ok with to be honest.
Yea they might pick up the option regardless…..might be to trade him though if they can find a different option out there and he doesn’t start hitting.
blake,
I keep platooning Swisher with Dickerson for now until Dickerson starts to give you 0-fer’s. Swisher is giving way too many 0-fer’s against RHP at the plate and in the field and he has to earn his way back into the spot. If Dickerson can play a solid RF and get some key knocks it’s better than having a cartoon character at the plate trying to hit the ball to OZ everytime he’s up.
The only time I give Swisher a start against a RHP is if the guy is a pure straight fastball pitcher. Any pitcher with off speed stuff or a fastball that moves? Swisher should be benched.
The only way they don’t pickup the option (and I think they would regardless) is if they trade for an OFer under contract to replace him. And even then, Swisher 4th OFer doesn’t sound bad.
Beltran ?
ASB I guess, but they should already be working in other guys there (nunez or whomever). They are going to pick up his option regardless though. 2 good seasons vs 1 bad, no other options in FA, and the cost only being 9 million (1 mil buyout).
___
I bet they at least talk to Beltran about a 2 year deal.
Does he think he may get 3 or more with his age and injury history?
He can play RF for us and DH sometimes.
The Yanks have had some strange and inconsistent results from their lineup thus far. For the most part, the guys who can and usually do hit homeruns have been hitting a lot of them. Thank God! Everyone else has been struggling, and the team would be in fourth in the division if the homers hadn’t been coming! Now that Jeter and Gardner have started to show life, and Dickerson is sharing time on the field, the team might be able to mix some small ball into the offense. Yesterday is an indication of more to come once the bats awaken for good.
I think Cash has already been working on OF options, and possible trades. The thing is, with so many teams in the hunt at this point, it’s more difficult to do a deal. I think come next month, mid-june or so, as some teams start to fall back, that players will become more available and we are more likely to see Cash make a move.
FWIW on Swisher (from yesterday)
BryanHoch Girardi said he was waiting to make a lineup because guys are banged up. Swisher apparently among them.
The Yanks have had some strange and inconsistent results from their lineup thus far. For the most part, the guys who can and usually do hit homeruns have been hitting a lot of them. Thank God! Everyone else has been struggling, and the team would be in fourth in the division if the homers hadn’t been coming! Now that Jeter and Gardner have started to show life, and Dickerson is sharing time on the field, the team might be able to mix some small ball into the offense. Yesterday is an indication of more to come once the bats awaken for good.
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Only thing missing is Montero. Send Cervelli down, let Montero catch 1-2 times a week and platoon at DH with Posada (who cannot hit lefties at all).
then when Chavez is back, drop Andruw Jones.
G Love,
Short term that might be the best way to win games now…..however the problem is that Swisher was pretty good last year and that him performing to his capability is probably better than what a platoon could provide……if he’s not playing much then that’s unlikely to happen. Its always a question of how long do you wait on a guy to play like he can? I think you have to give Swisher a little more time……though I like Dickerson and hope they keep him in the roster.
Would you guys listen to yourselves already? We took 2 of 3 from the Mets’ AAA team. And it wasn’t easy……90-72
teixeiramark25 This is me and my family enjoying lunch in the sun. Oh wait, it’s raining for the 10th straight day! http://yfrog.com/h2ydisjj
Beltran is really swinging the bat well so far….question is though woukd the Mets deal fairly with the Yankees. I don’t know about that…..
Beltran is really swinging the bat well so far….question is though woukd the Mets deal fairly with the Yankees. I don’t know about that…..
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Talking about as a FA though….
Short term, the Yankees may try to get by with what they have here and in AAA.
I dont see if Swisher continues like that, how they can pick up his option, hence the Beltran possibility.
Hunter Pence is another bat that could be had . just something to look at .
New Post: Pitching matchups vs. Blue Jays
Yea id rather pick up Swisher’s option than give Beltran a new contract……unless it was one year.
Pence is a good player and the Astros are dreadful……don’t know what the price would be in him.
Swish had such a great year last year and it looked like he was transforming his career a bit. This year he’s been even worse than his career average. I think he’s somewhere in between. Let’s not forget that when we traded for him before the 09 season, he was intended to be a bench player. Nady was the everyday option for the team.
If he could get his avg. up to around .250 and hit 25-30 home runs, which is what he did in 09, we could live with that granted our more talented players get going. If not, he’s going to be a severe detriment to the team and might lose his job by the break and his chances of coming back next year could be shot.
He’s such a great intangible player to have. I hope he gets going!
All this discussion and no mention of our designated hitter. Sometimes, no matter who he is and what he supposedly meant to the team, when he constantly gets the 3rd out with runners in scoring position and the game on the line, perhaps Joe needs to play coach and sit his useless butt. Just saying.