Rodriguez keeps moving forward
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Aug 08, 2011 
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The latest from The Associated Press in Tampa about Alex Rodriguez’s rehab from knee surgery. The last paragraph provides a most unexpected update on Pedro Feliciano (remember him?).
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has stepped up his workouts while recovering from knee surgery.
There’s still no timetable, though, on when he’ll rejoin the team.
Rodriguez had Monday’s session moved from the Yankees’ minor league complex to their spring training site at George Steinbrenner Field because of rain.
A-Rod took part in a situational hitting drill during a 57-pitch batting practice session. Rodriguez says his progress so far is “thumbs up.”
Rodriguez is hitting .295 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs. He had surgery on his right knee July 14.
Also, left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano, who hasn’t pitched this season because of a tear in left shoulder, has resumed working off a bullpen mound. He might be ready to throw batting practice next week.
luis August 8th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
arning Track Power August 8th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Luis-I believe Posada still has a great passion for the game, but his skills are failing him.
If he’s smart, he will retire after the season.
Buster Olney reported the Yankees won’t release him-I accept that.
Yankees have a lot of class and outright releasing Posada would be very, very disrespectful to Posada, but also to Mo and Jeter & the Yankee universe.
That would be a PR nightmare.
————————————
Spot on, please give me something to disagree with, lol
luis August 8th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
ID,
I completely agree on the need to bring Montero up before Sept 1st, not only because i think we potentially could incorporate him to the PS roster, but because a think he can be an upgrade both in the Dh position and Catcher ( Resting Martin to see if his bat wakes up).
On your point about Posada being on the PS roster, unfortunately i don`t think Po has anything left, remember that matsui was a lot younger than Posada is right now, he had his bat speed intact, he just didn`t have his legs to play the field anymore. On Posada`s case his bat speed has decreased almost 4mph, that`s a huge drop. JMHO
The Yankees and Posada need to come to an understanding where he goes on the DL until September. Then send him out with style at the last home game at the Stadium.
There is no sense for everyone to bury their heads in the sand about what is going on here.
It doesn’t benefit anyone to go this route.
“Maybe Montero gets pitched tough in the playoffs, or maybe he Andruw Jones/Cabrera’s a playoff series or two? Maybe Posada’s guess hitting style doesnt work out in the playoffs? Maybe he does everything right but just physically can’t do the damage the Yankees need?”
Maybe he turns around a 99 mph heater from Bard and puts a big dent in the green monster. Its time to find out just what he really can do.
luis August 8th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
arning Track Power August 8th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Luis-I believe Posada still has a great passion for the game, but his skills are failing him.
If he’s smart, he will retire after the season.
Buster Olney reported the Yankees won’t release him-I accept that.
Yankees have a lot of class and outright releasing Posada would be very, very disrespectful to Posada, but also to Mo and Jeter & the Yankee universe.
That would be a PR nightmare.
————————————
Spot on, please give me something to disagree with, lol
************************************************************
Excellent. Who knew fans on this forum could have a healthy conversation.
LGY,
Im actually hoping Jorge retires……I hate seeing him go out like this. The Yankees had no choice really but he deserves better…..he deserves better than his body and skills to just desert him.and he deserves to go out with class. If he retires the Yankees can virtually throw a Jorge Posada fiesta at the stadium one day and give him that send off.
A-Rod, he’s our ace in the hole…
West Coast Yankee Fan August 8th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
If it were my decision, this would be my rotation. It will never happen, but it should.
Sabathia
Colon
Nova
Garcia
Hughes
———————
That would be the ideal rotationas of today, but unfortunately is not happening
hughes is not ideal in any rotation
blake August 8th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
I`m with you on this……But do you know how hard is to look in the mirror and say to your own face that you don`t have it anymore??….sad
Doc Iac August 8th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
hughes is not ideal in any rotation
Thats why he is the fifth starter
gotta disagree,
id put AJ fifth over hughes
But do you know how hard is to look in the mirror and say to your own face that you don`t have it anymore??….
============================
It times like these that it would helpful if Randy were here.
luis,
Very few pro athletes can do it, and if they do, they usually think they can make a comeback. I think one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen was Willie Mays’ last year with the Mets.
Doc Iac August 8th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
gotta disagree,
id put AJ fifth over hughes
——-
That`s fine with me, i just think that hughes age and upside trumps AJ`s consistent inconsistency and inabilty to translate stuff and raw ability in to good performances. But nobody is the owner of the truth, which means i could be wrong
Tom,
Yup, even in regular life, two years ago i thought i was having a heart attack .. turn out to be nothing….but i learned that i wasn`t afraid of dying but of getting older and not being able to do the things i love the most….
luis,
Betsy IS the owner of the truth!
tomingeorgia August 8th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
luis,
Betsy IS the owner of the truth!
———–
C`mon Tom give her a break!!!!, But a very good one!!! LOL!!!!
This isn’t a funeral. It’s a game. You can still play for fun. You can still coach. You can get involved with little league. You have earned over one hundred million dollars in your line of work ($104,358,500). You have won 5 world series. You grew up with and shared your playing years with legends (Jeter and Mo).
Sad day?
Get over it Jorge…we started missing the real you sometime in 2010. We’ve moved on.
I hate to say this but I hope AJ gets shelled tmw.
Once and for all he should be put out of his misery.
This would settle the rotation conundrum.
The regular season is secure, it’s the postseason that’s scary with him in it.
Some say he has kept us in games but that’s not what he was signed for.
He’s a timebomb.
mick August 8th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I hate to say this but I hope AJ gets shelled tmw.
Once and for all he should be put out of his misery.
This would settle the rotation conundrum.
The regular season is secure, it’s the postseason that’s scary with him in it.
Some say he has kept us in games but that’s not what he was signed for.
He’s a timebomb.
*****************************************************
Spoken like a true Red Sux fan.
Take a walk.
Turn in your pinstripes
Bret,
Believe me when i tell you, coaching, little league never compares with the thrill of playing a sport at the highest possible level…..it`s like a drug
WTP,
Right on! AJ should now throw 7+, six hits, 2 runs, and further cloud the picture.
tomingeorgia August 8th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
WTP,
Right on! AJ should now throw 7+, six hits, 2 runs, and further cloud the picture.
*****************************************************************
There you go. That’s more like it.
Mick must be wearing his #27 Fisk jersey when he types here. How else can anybody explain his thought on A.J.
LGY August 8th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
The Yankees and Posada need to come to an understanding where he goes on the DL until September. Then send him out with style at the last home game at the Stadium.
There is no sense for everyone to bury their heads in the sand about what is going on here.
It doesn’t benefit anyone to go this route.
——————————
Sportswriters LOVE it.
DL Posada, DFA Molina, Call up Montero
Only in a Yankee Red Sox game could Phil come into play last night.
I mean, Mo was in there, ready to save the game and a pop up to right becomes a double,
necessitating Phil , who was on a roll and ready to start on Tuesday.
There really was no other pitcher available with Ayala and Noesi each throwing about 30 pitches the day before.
Imagine if we didn’t have a 6 man rotation.
Who was next, Swisher?
Now he is pushed back to the weekend. This could disrupt his progression.
CC-Colon-Freddy-Nova is the way to go anyway, so be it.
Jerkface August 8th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
DL Posada, DFA Molina, Call up Montero
————
Posada’s not hurt, you try to DL him and the union will be all over you.
If you want to get Montero up here there’s only one way to do it – send down Cervelli. With Posada on the bench you can still play both Martin and Montero in the same lineup. Can you get by with that for a month? Sure. It’s not like Cervelli has been good defensively this season anyway.
Gardner – LF
Jeter – ss
Granderson – CF
Tex – 1b
Alex – 3b
Cano – 2b
Swisher – RF
Montero – DH
Martin – C
Bench: Chavez, Nunez, Posada, Jones
Face reality.
I am a proponent of the 6 man audition for playoff spots and would love for Phil and Nova to pitch their way into the playoff rotation.
AJ can’t be trusted and you know it.
If not for Martin and Rothschild it would be 2010 all over again for the fragile one.
LGY August 8th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
The Yankees and Posada need to come to an understanding where he goes on the DL until September. Then send him out with style at the last home game at the Stadium.
There is no sense for everyone to bury their heads in the sand about what is going on here.
It doesn’t benefit anyone to go this route.
————-
Agreed, it’s just bad business right now. There’s really no need for it.
Alex is an amazing specimen with unbelievable recovery time. Now if he can just convince his body to not break down in the first place, we’d be in business.
Hope the fans don’t hype this kid too much and have some patience with him. They have to remember, “He’s only 7!”
http://espn.go.com/sports/socc.....ngel-coira
@SI_JonHeyman #yankees may go with 6 starters 1 more time thru. but they realize nova is their 2nd best pitcher. he has to stay in.
Gammons said the same thing the other day about Nova being their 2nd best starter. I wonder if the Yankees actually believe that and are telling reporters.
Chip
Team’s put players with phantom injuries on the DL all the time.
Nobody has any faith in Burnett.
Even if he throws a gem, he is always one bad inning away from imploding.
Again his durability and Posada’s, for that matter, is making it hard on the team and fans to make the right decisions.
Ones not based on sentimentality or how much a so-called #2 makes.
Chip,
Ok, i agree on the roster for position players. What about the pitchers??
Mick,
When was the last time A.J. has two consecutive
impressive starts?
I don’t remember any myself, but there has to be proof somewhere, yes?
come back Alex, teach cano how to hit in big spots.
One thing Betsy is right about is that Phil would have been better off in regular rotation this Tuesday.
Perhaps, setting him up for this glitch shows their preference for Nova over him.
You’re only DLing Posada until Sept 1.
CMW sighting-
Tonight he opposes the cubs in chicago.
To date CMW is 0-2
Gammons said the same thing the other day about Nova being their 2nd best starter. I wonder if the Yankees actually believe that and are telling reporters.
————
Curry said a similar thing on the postgame last night (I believe he said the Yankees believe he is one of their top 3 starters).
Mick must be wearing his #27 Fisk jersey when he types here. How else can anybody explain his thought on A.J.
Spoken like a true Red Sux fan.
Take a walk.
Turn in your pinstripes
================================
WTP
# Warning Track Power August 8th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Mick,
When was the last time A.J. has two consecutive
impressive starts?
I don’t remember any myself, but there has to be proof somewhere, yes?
===============================================
You must be drunk or bi-polar.
When Nova has that good slider he probably is their 2nd best starter……let AJ and Hughes duke it out to stay in.
LGY,
what do you think? Be honest, is nova our second best pitcher? I’d like to think so. It’s been a pleasure to watch him blossom in front of our eyes.
Or both…
JobaTipsHisCap August 8th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
come back Alex, teach cano how to hit in big spots.
=======
my my my how times have changed. At one point during alex’s career in pinstipes he was getting villified for not hitting in big spots.
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Mick must be wearing his #27 Fisk jersey when he types here. How else can anybody explain his thought on A.J.
Spoken like a true Red Sux fan.
Take a walk.
Turn in your pinstripes
================================
WTP
# Warning Track Power August 8th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Mick,
When was the last time A.J. has two consecutive
impressive starts?
I don’t remember any myself, but there has to be proof somewhere, yes?
===============================================
You must be drunk or bi-polar.
******************************************************
Mick-Take a look in the mirror
It was you, not me, who wrote about A.J. getting shelled.
Put the 7 and 7 down and sober up before
you make a fool of yourself
By the numbers….Garcia has been their 2nd best starter.
You can’t pronounce , other than CC, who fits into what spot in the rotation until playoff time.
What does it matter now?
The rotation hasn’t been aligned for months.
Come playoffs is when you design it to suit your needs.
This is the audition.
Benny
I really don’t know. I am confident he is one of their top 4 but before I say he is the 2nd best I want to see how hitters handle him now that his slider is in the scouting report.
WTP
Would you trust him in a big game?
Better to self destruct now then to do it in the playoffs.
Sure. I’d like him to be consistent, but really, when has he been?
Chip August 8th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
My lineup would be:
LF Gardner
SS Jeter
2B Cano
3B Arod
CF Granderson
1B Texiera
RF Swisher
DH Montero
C Martin
I’d have Posada, Chavez, Cervelli & Nunez on the bench. I would also add A Jones or Golson & drop a pitcher.
I know the majority of fans who come here would love to see AJ disabled, as well as Jorge for that matter.
as of today, A.J. is the 6th best starter on the team.
wants some stats:
in his last 10 games, A.J. 2-5.
his EAR went from 4.09 to 4.54
in 6 of those starts he could not get into the 7th inning.
the team won 5 and lost 5 in those 10 games.
the most shocking stat to me is not being able to reach the 7th inning in 60% of
the starts.
that is horrible.
WTP
You seem to be agreeing with me.
Mick-
I don’t want to see A.J. getting shelled during any point of the season.
That is where you and I differ greatly.
I’m rooting for the guy to succeed while you’re salivating
for him to fail miserably.
•Rival executives say the Yankees lead the league in waiver claims, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
——————————————
If true, sounds like the Yankees are trying to add a piece or two.
We have no power over what he does.
One thing I can tell you is he casts a black cloud over the mound and most would love to see him gone.
He personifies loser.
Hard to root for…
We will have to decide between Hughes and Nova for a playoff spot because AJ will get his obligatory spot , is that what you want?
I was looking forward to watching Hughes pitch. It’s gonna be 11 days between starts maybe more. Save for the few pitches he threw yesterday will he be sharp? I was hoping he would go every 5 days. I guess they’re not worried about innings.
Aj draws Dan Haren tomorrow night. It’s time for him to start earning his pay, and not say I’ll be better next outing.
I wonder if the Yankees put a claim on David DeJesus.
Anything more to add WTP?
Trader,
Maybe…..but probably just trying to block other teams more than anything.
Warning Track Power seems to fall a little short…
I was looking forward to watching Hughes pitch. It’s gonna be 11 days between starts maybe more. Save for the few pitches he threw yesterday will he be sharp? I was hoping he would go every 5 days. I guess they’re not worried about innings.
———–
If Nova had a bad/mediocre start on Weds, then he will probably be the odd man out while Hughes gets back in.
If Burnett is bad tomorrow, he probably gets skipped next time for Hughes.
It’s odd, but it looks like the rotation aside from CC/Colon/Garcia will be based on performance from start to start. If Hughes had a bad outing in Chi-Town, he probably would have lost his spot. Just like Cash said Nova’s good start in Chi made them reconsider their options.
Hughes and AJ should be competing for the 5th spot……if they are trying to put their best lineup on the field then they should be doing the same with the rotation.
mick,
i think he told you he agrees in that AJ is as inconsistent as you point him out to be, he just doesn`t agree with rooting against him. Which i also agree with, rooting against him is like rooting against the yankees, i couldn`t support that either
I wonder if the Yankees put a claim on David DeJesus.
—————
Give it up dude
Blake-
On the bright side, being 1 game back does allow the Yankees to claim players that the RS might want. Are there any AL players with prohibitive contracts that might not be claimed and the Yankees could get just by taking on the remainder of their salary-only players that could help??
blake,
That`s the way it should be, but….will it be?? that is the question
Hughes and AJ should be competing for the 5th spot
==================================
The ideal playoff rotation would be with Hughes and Nova in it.
As good as Freddy has been they would give more length.
Burnett does not personify a loser. A loser is someone that doesn’t put in the work, that doesn’t shoulder any responsibility, and is an unlikable guy in general (see: Carl Pavano).
He’s not getting the desired results but don’t insult the guys effort. It’s there. I would much rather AJ than a jerk in the vein of Lackey, Vicente Padilla, or Brett Myers
i think he told you he agrees in that AJ is as inconsistent as you point him out to be, he just doesn`t agree with rooting against him. Which i also agree with, rooting against him is like rooting against the yankees, i couldn`t support that either
========================
luis
you can root all you want.
it won’t help him or you when he disappoints you.
everybody roots for posada but he is now officially toast.
i am rooting for hughes and nova to supplant him in the rotation.
Mick,
But if you root against AJ, are you not rooting against the Yankees? That’s all WTP was saying.
He’s not getting the desired results but don’t insult the guys effort.
——————————–
never mentioned the word “effort”
how can you even define that word?
its results we’re after.
again, the majority of yankee fans would love to see him disabled to create a real competition between hughes, nova and freddy for playoff spots
not an overpaid fraud
,He’s not getting the desired results but don’t insult the guys effort. It’s there. I would much rather AJ than a jerk in the vein of Lackey, Vicente Padilla, or Brett Myers”
Who questioned his effort? Im not.one.of these people that thinks AJ is a headcase or doesn’t care about his job……I think he does care a lot and I like him……I just don’t think he’s very good anymore and I don’t want him blocking guys that are at the same level but 10 years younger.
I like AJ and I wish he’d pitch better…..but I’ve grown increasingly tired of watching him pitch and think its getting to be time where he needs to prove he deserves a spot in the rotation……a 24 year old kid and two retreads have all outpitched him this year.
Trader,
I can’t think of anyone off hand.
The only thing that matters is results. There is no question about Burnett being a mediocre pitcher. That will never change, he’s always been this way and he’s on the wrong side of thirty and it will only get worse. He’s never going to be one of those guys who will survive into their later years on finesse and command. You need to absorb some money and deal him this winter to a National League team if you can.
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
i think he told you he agrees in that AJ is as inconsistent as you point him out to be, he just doesn`t agree with rooting against him. Which i also agree with, rooting against him is like rooting against the yankees, i couldn`t support that either
========================
luis
you can root all you want.
it won’t help him or you when he disappoints you.
everybody roots for posada but he is now officially toast.
i am rooting for hughes and nova to supplant him in the rotation.
————————
I`m rooting for the yankees to win….but i agree that is AJ the one who should be fighting for his spot…. he won`t disapoint me because i already know what to expect from him, which is as i said before, to be consistently inconsistent and unable to translate his raw ability and stuff in to good performances.
tom
i watch , more than root.
it’s hard to root for a guy who constantly disappoints
i am rooting for the best pitching staff.
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
tom
i watch , more than root.
it’s hard to root for a guy who constantly disappoints
i am rooting for the best pitching staff.
******************************************
and the best staff is represented by the starting pitcher on the mound,
i.e. A.J. tomorrow
you’re not rooting for him to succeed, so i question whether or not
you’re a Yankee fan.
he’s always been this way and he’s on the wrong side of thirty and it will only get worse.
======================================
after this contract runs out and he moves on he could become a pitcher when his raw stuff diminishes
i wouldn’t count on it because that requires a mental aspect he doesn’t seem to possess
West Coast Yankee Fan August 8th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I think tha`s not happening this year or next….but in the last year of his contract it could be a distinct posibility…but i agree that what you propose is the better outcome that we could ever expect
and the best staff is represented by the starting pitcher on the mound,
i.e. A.J. tomorrow
==============
that makes no sense.
WTP,
he is a yankee fan….he is just fed up with AJ….
…but again, rah rah sis boom bah!
I’m not sure why Phil isn’t pitching tomorrow given that he only threw 13 pitches – the only real reason I can think of is that the team wanted to keep Nova on something of a regular schedule. Now if he doesn’t pitch instead of Garcia, it’s going to be a long time between starts for him, which is not exactly ideal. He’s got an option -send him down and let him pitch.
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
and the best staff is represented by the starting pitcher on the mound,
i.e. A.J. tomorrow
==============
that makes no sense.
——————-
it does….when he is on the mound, he is the yankees, so you root fo him
Blake, I don’t agree – I don’t think AJ has been nearly bad enough to even consider taking him from the rotation. Plus, the Yankees have publicly stated several times that they think (and they are correct) that he’s pitched much better than Hughes has this year. It’s clearly not AJ who they think needs to prove himself…….
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
…but again, rah rah sis boom bah!
——–
LMAO!!! that a good one
betsy
phil needs to pitch up here. he’s got plenty of time to get into a routine in the next 2 months.
Rodriguez says his progress so far is “thumbs up.”
——————–
Is that some new poker term?
phil has to get major league hitters out not aaa.
if you don’t think girardi wants nova and hughes to outpitch aj the rest of the way into playoff spots, think again.
Colon is still our 2nd best starter – a bad game against the Sox doesn’t change that
Third year of the Burnett deal and he is still a middle of the pack starting pitcher. Posters here will continue to say the same things about how he can and will be corrected when he is in the fifth year of his deal. Burnett is a head case and always will be.
cc and colon should be 1 & 2 in the playoffs.
hughes and nova would look good at 3 & 4
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
if you don’t think girardi wants nova and hughes to outpitch aj the rest of the way into playoff spots, think again.
***********************************************************
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
mick August 8th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
have you noticed?? you and betsy are actually agreeing on something
you folks are overreacting with posada. he’s a part time player now. what’s the big deal.
at the present time the yankees don’t have a dh. chavez? you’ve got to be kidding. he make nick johnson look like and ironman.
the yankees need montero to be called up because he has the potential to be an impact bat. they need him at dh and they need him to start getting used to the pitching staff.
the yankees have made a offensive mess of the catcher position by not brining montero up sooner.
now they are stuck with an over tired martin who doesn’t hit and cervelli who never could hit and gets exposed if he plays too much.
at least get montero’s bat into the lineup and roll the dice. i don’t see any downside.if they do have to create an opening posada has post concussion syndrome so they can disable him any time they want …. or they could play chavez 5 days in a row. hat’ll create a spot too.
Luis, let’s not go that far, lol, and I don’t think we are agreeing. I certainly don’t think Girardi has any particular desire to see Phil Hughes take over AJ’s spot. Phil is pretty clearly the low man on the totem pole – he’s going to start when a chance opens up for him, but clearly he won’t be on a regular routine. I think we’re going to see him pitch out of the pen for a bit (unfortunately) to keep himself sharp.
Anyone who thinks that Burnett will shine in the playoffs or otherwise should think again. You never ever know what you will get from him from start to start.
Reading the comments here it is always; good AJ tonight or bad AJ today etc. etc.
Get off of the Montero soapbox already people.
Cervelli’s defense>Montero
Montero’s offensive capability> Cervelli at the plate
Due to his lack of defensive skills at this point in time, Cervelli is the option.
Plain and simple.
Montero is not yet ready to catch once every 5 games like Cervelli is capable of doing.
I would much rather have my back-up catcher with plus defense vs my back-up catcher with defensive skills that are sub-par.
Montero? Fuggettaboutit.
He hasn’t shown that he’s anything more than a slightly above average AAA hitter this year. There’s no reason to believe that he can contribute anything to the Yankees this year, other than blind acceptance of the Yankees years of hype about him.
If you’re looking for a DH, there are other players on Scranton who have hit better; if you’re looking for a catcher, who is to say that he will do any better than Cervelli?
Betsy August 8th, 2011 at 6:03 pm
just trying to help, lol. I hope that you are wrong there, i rather have Hughes than AJ at this point…
WTP,
If Montero is at least as good as Piazza or Posada behind the plate, why can’t he play a couple of times a week, and DH sometimes? There’s a black hole at C, which could be fixed at no cost.
Posada is slowly but surely being shown the door, the one that takes the rubber key. First they batted him ninth which irritated him, now he has been told he won’t be the regular DH anymore.
Posada shouldn’t expect anything more than just an occasional PH appearance from time to time. His poor performance at the plate has dug him a big deep hole.
Betsy,
Im sure they don’t have any intention of taking AJ out of the rotation…..but it needs to be because he’s one of the 5 best starters and not because of his contract. Hughes was a better pitcher than him last year…..and he’s got the potential to be a better pitcher than him this year.
Niblick August 8th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Montero? Fuggettaboutit.
He hasn’t shown that he’s anything more than a slightly above average AAA hitter this year. There’s no reason to believe that he can contribute anything to the Yankees this year, other than blind acceptance of the Yankees years of hype about him.
If you’re looking for a DH, there are other players on Scranton who have hit better; if you’re looking for a catcher, who is to say that he will do any better than Cervelli?
——————————-
Nobody here believes your “slightly above average” argument. He’s a 21 year old catcher who has been told to focus on his defense yet still is hitting .290 with a solid OPS. He’s not slightly above average anyway you put it. His bat is elite.
Luis, nothing can help, lol. I don’t think Hughes is any better than AJ, so I’m fine with AJ in the rotation, but I think it’s terrible to just have Phil sitting around. That’s why I think he should be sent to AAA – just so he can pitch.
Yeah Montero sucks.
Let’s call up Jorge Vazquez!
Nunez sucks too.
His AAA numbers were average. Send him to Scranton for someone with better AAA numbers.
WTP,
have to respectfully disagree on this one, as of right now martin is giving us BUC production with good defense, because he is no longer capable of sustaining the amount of abuse he has endure during the season. better than two buc catchers one with good defense and another with a questionable one ( Cervelli has been awfull the last two seasons ), let`s bring a potential impact bat in to the equation
Blake, it’s pure speculation that AJ is in the rotation simply because of his contract……..that’s fan stuff. It’s pretty clear from everything the Yankees have said that they think Phil is the one who has to prove himself……….but that’s going to be hard if he’s going to be pitching on an irregular basis.
Tyler, believe what ever you want, if that makes you happy. Look at his stats at AAA this year – just barely above average.
luis,
No more speculation. The TRUTH is here.
tomingeorgia August 8th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
WTP,
If Montero is at least as good as Piazza or Posada behind the plate, why can’t he play a couple of times a week, and DH sometimes? There’s a black hole at C, which could be fixed at no cost.
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i base my opinion of Montero on what i read. i have not seem him catch on t.v. since
Spring Training.
i have to trust the decision makers-if they believe Montero is not ready, then i guess he is not ready.
IMO, a catch with defensive skills is much more important then a catcher who can hit, but who’s defense is lacking.
especially on this team with a very strong line-up already.
Got to go, very good posts all around, enjoy the rest of the afternoon/evening
I bet the Red Sox are kicking themselves for calling up Reddick
A 230 AAA hitter! Fuggettaboutit.
tomingeorgia August 8th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
luis,
No more speculation. The TRUTH is here.
——–
LMAO!!!!!
the catching position which was a strength in april has become a black hole for the yankees .
cervelli’s claim to fame is he knows the staff.
so does the bullpen catcher.
yankee management should have brought up montero at least 6 weeks ago to see if he could do the job. i agree it’s too late for him to learn the staff and the staff to be comfortable with him, but who’s fault is that?
martin has the potential to be good back there, but something’s not right with him. either partying again too much like in la or an injury he’s playing through.
the reality is the catching position isn’t going to be an advantage for the yankees over other teams. that’s really a shame when montero could have come up earlier and possible made a difference.
WTP,
OK, but as many others have said, the Yankees without a catcher who can hit doesn’t fit my memories.
“IMO, a catch with defensive skills is much more important then a catcher who can hit”
are you talking about cervelli having defensive skills?
hahahahhhhhahahhahhahhahahhahahahhaah good one.
he’s not good defensively.
Betsy,
So you think if AJ were making 400,000 bucks he’d still be in the rotation after last year? I don’t…..it wasn’t fan stuff when they left him off the ALDS roster last year.
randy l. August 8th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
“IMO, a catch with defensive skills is much more important then a catcher who can hit”
are you talking about cervelli having defensive skills?
hahahahhhhhahahhahhahhahahhahahahhaah good one.
he’s not good defensively.
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going on what i have read since the spring,
it appears to me that Cervelli>Montero behind the dish.
if true, that just goes to show how much work Montero has ahead of him to become
a very good receiver.
Randy,
Do you think Montero can catch well enough to stay there in the big leagues? I seen him a fair amount and he really doesn’t look THAT bad to me…..he’s not Yadier Molina…..but he’s not a disaster either from what I’ve seen and he appears to set up better and receive the ball softer this year as well.
They have a big investment in Burnett and know he has a fragile psyche… I wouldn’t take any public statements they say about him seriously.
He might be a better pitcher than Hughes, or he might not be. AJ is solidly mediocre and a non-difference maker. It is at least worth seeing if Hughes CAN be better because it would set us up much better in October if he is. Same with Nova. They are not missing anything by removing AJ from the rotation.
Blake, the fact is that while he has been mediocre this year, he’s been a lot better than Hughes. I don’t think the Yankees were fooled by Hughes’ 18 wins last year – one of which came out of the pen. That is to say, I don’t believe after the season that they thought he had this great year – he had a great half a year. I believe the Yankees think AJ’s awful 2010 was a fluke predicated on some personal issues he was having………I don’t think they are under any illusion that he’s going to be what they hoped he would, but I also don’t think they think of Phil the same way they used to. Coming into camp out of shape didn’t help matters. So to answer your question, in terms of this year, no I do not think AJ is in the rotation only because of his contract.
blake,
Is he as good a catcher as Piazza? That’s all I ask.
Yanks78, I don’t think the Yankees are doing right by having Phil skip his start on Tuesday (when clearly he could pitch) and then leaving his next start up in the air to the tune of a possible 11 days of rest when next he starts………… but I don’t think he’s an impact pitcher in the post-season anyway.
luis is none other than 9 R C
F
R
A
U
D
i enjoy off-days,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NOT!
can’t wait for Yankees baseball again tomorrow.
Make of this what you will. Jesus Montero’s splits for this season:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....pid=524968
WTP,
You can always cheer against the Sox tonight.
“I don’t think the Yankees were fooled by Hughes’ 18 wins last year”
Were they fooled by AJ last year somehow? I mean Girardi keeps saying he’s got history…..has it been good history though the last 2 seasons? I understand giving AJ a pass for last year……they had to as he was much worse than he’d ever been and because they still owed him around 50 million dollars …. I just think that the time is coming where he’s going to have to perform to stay on the rotation…
m August 8th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
WTP,
You can always cheer against the Sox tonight.
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I do that all the time.
Tonight will be no different.
And did you all know there is another catching Jesus Montero in the Cardinals system, 2 years younger also from Venezuela? Same city, and they look an awful lot alike??
VN-
They are brothers.
And did you all know there is another catching Jesus Montero in the Cardinals system, 2 years younger also from Venezuela? Same city, and they look an awful lot alike??
___________________________________________________________
Maybe they’re twins?
blake-
i’ve said it before that montero like graig nettles has a slow lower body and fast upper body.
montero looks fine to my eye as a catcher. yeah he’s got the big lumbering body, but did you ever see nettles run? same thing, different position.
i think montero like nettles can over time learn how to use his hand speed to catch just fine.
the ship has sailed on montero catching this year because the yankees didn’t bring him up sooner.
they got too enthralled with martin who has shown he can’t play as much as they thought he could and still be good.
the yankees will have to live with catching being a weak spot this year. no excuse next year though.
And did you all know there is another catching Jesus Montero in the Cardinals system, 2 years younger also from Venezuela? Same city, and they look an awful lot alike??
———————-
It’s his younger brother.
One thing I like about Martin is his consistency, he has been consistently awful since May 1st! He manages to keep his BA around .225.
montero can throw.
piazza couldn’t.
with teams running more , piazza would have a tough time catching now.
of course , with drug testing he’d have a tough time hitting too.
Montero’s Father builds race cars and his Mother played softball for the Venzuelan National team.
Interesting family.
MTU -
Really? Wow. I did not know this. The younger Montero (Cardinals) is not as big.
m -
Not twins. They’re ~2 years apart.
“One thing I like about Martin is his consistency, he has been consistently awful since May 1st! He manages to keep his BA around .225.”
i agree. he’d make a hell of a good back up though.
I’ll tell ya, it’s amazing sometimes what I don’t know! And amazing what you can find if you look.
So, first glance, Montero’s offensive numbers don’t scream to me “BRING ME UP YOU DUMMIES!!”
I do understand that he’s been doing better in the second half.
And I do understand that he has the raw talent.
Also, in relation to the rest of the team, Jorge Vazquez has incredible power numbers, but also off the charts strikeouts.
“Montero’s Father builds race cars and his Mother played softball for the Venzuelan National team.
Interesting family.”
it would be an even more interesting family if their son was starting at dh for the yankees tomorrow night.
Keep Nova and Hughes in the rotation, have Montero catch both. Montero caught Nova all last year & this year, so he doesn’t need to ‘learn the staff’. Hughes isn’t hard to catch he has 1 pitch. Could also do Colon as well.
Randy,
thanks, i think it would be great if the Yankees could have a situation where they start the season catching Martin about 60% of the time and Montero the rest…..
No question that the Jorge situation is a delicate one but if he were to consider retirement before the end of the season or sooner, what does it say about keeping Andruw Jones who could easily be replaced by younger and faster OF’s in either Golson or Dickerson who can’t possibly have a worse bat than Jones ?
” Montero caught Nova all last year & this year, so he doesn’t need to ‘learn the staff’. ”
i knew if i kept reading you long enough you’d come up with something good.
this is good.
kills two birds with one stone.
someone reporter should ask joe what he thinks about this idea. how about in september ?
“Keep Nova and Hughes in the rotation, have Montero catch both. ”
but what about AJ? He has history
Actually, no one’s killing at for the Yankees at DH. Could Montero be any worse???? And perhaps he’d be super-motivated.
Randy-
I thought they were holding Montero down because they might trade him.
Now that that is over I was hoping he’d be up.
There seems to be some strange sh*t going on with bringing him up.
Anyway, he gets his cup of coffee soon.
Not twins. They’re ~2 years apart.
So they say.
m -
what does it say about keeping Andruw Jones who could easily be replaced by younger and faster OF’s in either Golson or Dickerson who can’t possibly have a worse bat than Jones ?
——-
Yeah, Golson or Dickerson would definitely OPS 850 against LHP
Montero has a 1.030 OPS in August and a .926 OPS overall this year vs LHP.
Randy
I agree that I can’t understand why they have kept Montero in AAA all year. I expected him to be on the team from ST and then at least by AS break. I can’t believe anyone would choose Cervelli over Montero especially since Cervelli can be sent back to AAA still w/o waivers.
A lot of things don’t make sense to me, but Montero not being on MLB roster is most dumbfounding.
Blake-
You keep trying to get Girardi’s attention but it’s falling on deaf ears.
I think the Yankees kept Montero at AAA for a few of reasons….1)they wanted his trade value to be optimal if a trade arose that made sense 2) they wanted him to work on his defense as they didn’t think he was ready to catch in the majors 3) Martin was the starter and they wanted him to play and not sit 4) they wanted the extra year of control.
Pretty much all 4 of those things are either irrelevant now or or less of a concern.
MTU,
If Girardi listened to me we’d probably be in trouble…..I’d have AJ in the pen and Montero on the big club
Actually I wouldn’t have AJ in the pen yet…..but I’d let him and Hughes compete for who gets that final spot.
Blake-
Bet you would change the batting order too.
You’re trouble.
You’re a rebel.
MTU,
A little…not significantly from what they have now.
If we can see that the Yanks are over using Martin behind the dish & Cervelli is a weak hitter & weak defensive catcher then surely the Yankees know this. I thought maybe Posada was going to catch some this year but even that seems remote now.
Martin is banged up & has been for some time. Maybe they are planning on playing ARod strickly as a DH for the rest of the year & alternate Nunez & Chavez at 3B.
Of course Nunez play at 3B & his not covering 3B on the bunt when Mo fielded it caused the tying run to advance. ARod would have been at 3B & probably Chavez too. It was a costly mistake.
“There seems to be some strange sh*t going on with bringing him up.”
yeah , it makes no sense.
you’d almost think congress were running the yankees.
New thread =>
Randy-
Yeah. I see your point.
Everything bass ackwards.
The Yankees would be broke and handing out Yankee dollars instead of being rich.
And using YES to hype all their prospects and confuse the public.
Just like a Congress.
Keep ‘em fat, dumb and happy.