Pregame notes: “That’s good company right there”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on May 31, 2011 
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The reactions were probably exactly as you might expect. Alex Rodriguez shrugged, Joba Chamberlain laughed and Derek Jeter really didn’t want to talk about it.
Today, Sports Illustrated released the results of a player poll that ranked the most overrated players in baseball. Rodriguez was first, Chamberlain second and Jeter third.
“That’s good company right there,” Chamberlain said.
Those three have led the overrated poll each of the past three years. Chamberlain was No. 1 last year and Jeter was No. 1 in 2009, the year he went on to finish third in the MVP voting.
“I’ve been on this list many, many times, and I’m sure I’ll be there again next summer,” Rodriguez said. “I will say this: If this is the only thing we’re talking about, we’re doing good.”
I have a hard time getting too worked up about something like this. It’s fun to talk about, but it’s also impossible to say whether players took the word overrated to mean overpaid, overhyped or overly famous. It’s also hard to know how much money and jealously play into something like this. A player in New York, with the Yankees, is naturally going to get more exposure than a player in Milwaukee playing for the Brewers. Does that makes Yankees more susceptible to being overrated? If a player is overrated, doesn’t that say more about the person doing the rating than the player himself?
“I guess I’m disappointed that I’m not No. 1,” Chamberlain said. “I’ve still got a job, so I’m doing something right.”
Jeter said he didn’t vote: “I’m more focused on more positive things,” he said.
• If you’re curious, Jayson Werth was fourth and Jonathan Papelbon fifth in the SI poll. The magazine noted that Nick Swisher just missed the top five. He got 4 percent of the vote.
• Girardi said he put Russell Martin’s name in the lineup before he had a chance to check with him. Martin will do what he did yesterday, go through stretch and drills to make sure his toe is up to playing.
• Lately, Girardi has been starting Eduardo Nunez against left-handers and using either Jeter or Rodriguez at DH. Today, he decided to DH Andruw Jones and could take advantage of Brett Gardner’s defense in this spacious outfield. “You’re playing in a big outfield and Gardy has hit lefties,” Girardi said. “I just felt, it’s a good day for Gardy to play.”
• What day is good for Rodriguez to get a DH day? “Tomorrow would be a great one,” Girardi said.
• Girardi went further than before in admitting that his DH spot has become a platoon. “You could look at it that way,” Girardi said. “Jorge hasn’t had success right-handed this year, but he’s had success in the past. It’s just kind of worked out that way.”
• Before the game, Phil Hughes did long toss with Ivan Nova. Hughes will throw a bullpen tomorrow.
• Girardi’s scouting report on Brett Anderson: “Outstanding breaking ball. And he’s going to throw it for a strike, and he’s going to try to back foot the right-handers, and you’ve got to try to lay off it. The young man’s got very good stuff. When you face these guys, they know how to expand the zone, and that’s where you have to try to lay off them.”
• Left-handers have a higher batting average than right-handers against Anderson this year, but Anderson has yet to give up an extra-base hit to a lefty this season. “Lefties don’t hit him for power,” Girardi said. “They definitely don’t. And righties, I think, have only hit four homers off him this year, so it’s not a guy that gives up a lot of homers, but the extra-base hits come off of righties.”
ATHLETICS
Coco Crisp CF
David DeJesus RF
Conor Jackson 1B
Josh Willingham DH
Ryan Sweeney LF
Kurt Suzuki C
Mark Ellis 2B
Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B
Andy LaRoche SS
Associated Press photos
SJ’s nephew, Tony Sanchez is 1-3 with an RBI single and a walk against Trenton. Trenton losing 2-0 in top of 8th inning. I guess that it’s ok to boo him. He can do whatever he wants against the rest of the league, but, lay off the yankees, kid.
Alex will make $32M this year. I’m sure that will help him get over the disappointment of being overrated.
Montero must have eaten his spinach tonight. 2 run triple and solo homer to right
so, right now. Cliff Lee or Bartolo Colon?
swbyankeesTT
Just my take, but Montero is going to get bored playing in AAA. I don’t know if it’s time to give him a look, but it’s getting real close.
4 minutes ago
Keeping Montero in AAA is hurting three-fold.
1. He should be replacing Posada and Cervelli
2. Stopping his advancement
3. Stopping Romine’s advancement too…
Montero showing the Yankee Stadium power with the oppo HR.
Weird. Montero is hitting .339 with an .873 OPS on the road.
GB,
Is Scranton bad for his swing?
Alex over rated maybe, but selfish definitely.
Yep, 32 mil – Hank’s folly. Opt out, peds and years to go the while we weep. This was not ending well while they were still signing the contract, never mind now. High kick, low kick – irrelevant, steady decline. Posada’s tantrums are small potatoes, more to come. “I’m Derek Jeter and you’re not, Posada did nothing wrong”
A-Rod can eventually move into the full time DH role….
Clock is ticking on Montero’s callup, maybe starting tonight…
now that some people are here, right now do you want Lee or Colon at #2, knowing everything we know, the salaries, years, results….
Lee not having quite the experience he hoped for over there in the pitcher’s league….
Montero will be 30 by the time they call him up. Seriously he can’t be that bad as a catcher than Posada was or Cervelli was last year.
If I were an elite hitting prospect with about 700 plate appearances at Triple-A, I would get bored too.
swbyankeesTT Since last June 1, Jesus Montero is hitting .317 (150 for 173) with 34 doubles, 3 triples, 22 HRs and 76 RBIs
The Yankees desperately need offense, young offense, high average. Montero is our only hope and he plays bat, maybe 1B with time. Hopefully A Rod can handle 3B for another 3 years. Granderson’s rebirth is a godsend. This team flounders each time a pitcher has quality offspeed pitches.
ac 1 – realizing the folly of making decisions based on the basis of limited data – I pick Bartolo. I do so based on a projection that Colon will continue to pitch well, not just for this year, but next as well. Because of his age he will not likely get a longterm contract offer. Thus, by this calculus, if Cash can sign him for another year, or even two, he will provide reasonably priced insurance for a pitching staff that will be looking at bringing up young, cost-controlled pitchers like Banuelos and Betances. Lee’s contract makes him more problematic for an organization.
Of course, this was not the original plan. But, sometimes things work out a certain way, you make some lemonade, and wind up getting lucky.
Has anyone heard from SJ or CB lately?? Where are they?
I’m thinking that Granderson will get an extra base hit tonight.
The over-rated stuff from SI is, well, over-rated. Why do they bother doing anything like that? Its petty, oh, I guess that answers the question.
Heathcott – seven strike outs in the last 2 games. Yoicks
Love that people brand Joba as overrated.
Hopefully, it gives him some fuel to keep up the fantastic start he’s had.
He’s continuing to build his fastball velocity and both his slider and his curve have been as good as they’ve been since 2008.
I still say he looks like a starter, but I’m enjoying the fact that he’s having sustained success in SOME role right now so I won’t bicker about it. He’s a very important part of this team right now.
Lee’s non signing was a God send. The Yankees have enough woes with dysfunctional long term contracts.
I think it’s immaterial whether it’s Nova or Noesi starting. They’re getting experience and learning at the Major League level. They’re getting top level coaching and Major League exposure. This is all good. The talent is there, all they need is patience and time to build up experience and boost their self confidence.
BloggingBombers
Red Sox have tweaked their rotation to start Lester, Buchholz and Beckett at the Stadium next week against the Yankees.
___
Love that the greatest team ever, with absolutely no weakness keeps changing their rotation to get these same three pitchers up against the Yankees….
But yeah, perfect 1-5 rotation…
Yankee envy is butt ugly.
LGY,
“Weird. Montero is hitting .339 with an .873 OPS on the road.
GB,
Is Scranton bad for his swing?”
Maybe you don’t bring JM “formally” up to the NYYs, you just tell him he’s playing in NYS is a road game.
Old friend Brain Bruney trying his hardest to blow the game for the White Sox.
Man he sucks.
Bruney had that one month a few years back where he was out EIG and was pretty good.
One whole month…
Grandyman!