Pregame notes: Montero all but locked into postseason roster
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Sep 25, 2011 
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If there were any doubt about Jesus Montero’s roster status, it’s surely gone at this point.
“I can’t envision a scenario where he won’t be on our postseason roster,” Joe Girardi said.
The lingering question has more to do with playing time rather than a spot in the clubhouse. Montero seems to have locked up regular against bats against left-handed starters, Girardi wouldn’t commit to using Montero as his regular designated hitter against right-handers.
If the Yankees play the Tigers in the first round, they won’t see an left-handed starter the entire series.
“It very well could (affect his playing time,” Girardi said. “But every team does have left-handed relievers.”
Montero seemed happy to hear the news. He said he won’t fully believe it until Girardi makes it official — “I don’t want to say, ‘Yes!’” he said — but it’s clear that Montero’s hit enough to feel confident.
“I’ve been doing a good job, thank God,” he said. “Just trying to do my best. I’m helping and doing whatever they want me to do to help the team to win. I don’t decide anything else.”
• CC Sabathia threw four simulated innings this morning, a total of 65 pitches. He didn’t pitch deep enough into his sim game to pick up his 20th win. “Able to work on some things and not be as intense, but get my work in,” he said.
• Sabathia faced Ramiro Pena, Greg Golson and — after an inning — Chris Dickerson. He said he’ll throw a bullpen on Tuesday and be ready for Friday’s postseason opener. He hasn’t started studying scouting reports for either possible opponent. “I faced both teams a bunch of times, so we just have to wait and see,” he said.
• Sabathia on the possibility of pitching Game 4 on short rest: “That’s up to them. I’ve done it before.”
• Girardi said he had not yet talked to Phil Hughes about how he feels a day after yesterday’s bullpen. The Yankees are still hoping to have him pitch in some capacity during these last three games, but they don’t have a game picked for him.
• Girardi said he was not ready to announce any of his Tampa Bay rotation.
• All of the regulars not in the Game 1 lineup will be in the Game 2 lineup. No one is sitting out hurt. “There might be one guy that I use in both games today,” Girardi said. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t bring in someone late, but I think you have to be smart about it at this point.”
• On using Jorge Posada as the cleanup hitter: “He has a lot of experience against Wakefield,” Girardi said.
• The Yankees have locked up home field advantage because Detroit lost last night, so these last five games are all about getting ready for the playoffs. “It’s something that we worked very hard for during the course of the season,” Girardi said. “And it’s nice because I’ve always said that our club is built around our ballpark. We’ll still going to go out and play hard. It’s not going to change my approach, in a sense, but we’ll be smart with guys these last four days.”
RED SOX
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Carl Crawford LF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Conor Jackson RF
Marco Scutaro SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
Mike Aviles 3B
Associated Press photos
I imagine having Chavez available against lefties is the plan, and I think that’s the right move. Chavez plays a better 3B than A-Rod. You could DH A-Rod in those games.
Can someone explain to me how and when we will know which team the Yankees will play in the first round, and when we will know if any of the ALDS games are day games? I am trying to decide whether to make a 14-hour roundtrip to catch a game, and bringing children would be easier if we could skip school instead of sleep. Thanks!
• CC Sabathia threw four simulated innings this morning, a total of 65 pitches. He didn’t pitch deep enough into his sim game to pick up his 20th win. “Able to work on some things and not be as intense, but get my work in,” he said.
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Yikes. And this against the Yankees’ “C” line-up.
Should we be concerned?
That means if they face the tigers montero might only get 1 or 2 at bats in the whole series. Yuck…
• All of the regulars not in the Game 1 lineup will be in the Game 2 lineup. No one is sitting out hurt. “There might be one guy that I use in both games today,” Girardi said. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t bring in someone late, but I think you have to be smart about it at this point.”
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Could that be Jorge behind the plate?
When is the last time (if ever) C.C. dominated in a postseason game?
SI_JonHeyman
#yankee lineup not great today. must not hate #redsox as much as i thought. no cano, @cgrand14, teix or @nickswisher
What does the weather look like today? Any chance either game is delayed or postponed??
if heyman’s tweet is not lame…well isn’t that what twitter appeals to anyway, nevermind?
justsaysomethinganything
Tigers play the Indians after this and the Rangers play an Angels team still fighting for their lives and they face Haren/Weaver I believe. So still some hope that we draw Texas
Red Robin September 25th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
When is the last time (if ever) C.C. dominated in a postseason game?
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When was the last time you had a date?
Repost
Good management is all about contingency planning, seamless. No scrambling. And that’s what the Yankees have been about this year.
Starting pitching was at least eight deep.
As Cashman said, even he was surprised how well things worked out this year.
The devil is in the details.
they would never use chavez vs a lefty and dh arod when they have montero
I anxiously await to see who is on the bubble of making the postseason roster.
cashman revolutionized the game this teay by stockpiling pitchers
now they all will do it esp boston
watch for big contract offers to freddy and colon by boston
mick September 25th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
they would never use chavez vs a lefty and dh arod when they have montero
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Sorry, that was a typo, I meant righties. Chavez against righties, Montero against lefties. Chavez tightens the infield up and his bat is nothing to sniff at.
Travis I’d say it comes down to the last day of the season. Yanks will play the team with the worst record between Detroit and Texas, if the wild card comes out of the AL East. If the wild card were the Angels, Yanks would face the Angels.
It’s always the team with the best record facing the wild card, unless the wild card is in the same division. In that case, you go to the team with the next-to-the-last “best record” of the remaining teams.
I think I got that right.
tex,robbie,jete,alex,chavez,nunez
gardy,grandy,swish,jones,dickerson
martin,posada,montero
cc,nova,freddy
morosolo,wade,ayala,hughes
aj/bart is your bubble pick
I’m starting my A- Team both games ….no breaks for that team keep the pressure on
joeman. you get hit with a lightening bolt?
Girardi has blinders on. He is such a single dimensional thinker and that is what hurts him as a manager.
It behooves the Yankees to have all the wild card teams having to keep playing their best throughout the last week. If he can help force it to a playoff between them, so much the better.
He is stuck on stupid with his attitude about Montero’s hitting. He is stuck on stupid with putting out two lesser lineups in this double header against the Red Sox. Win these two games and it keeps the pressure on a team that made them look silly throughout the season.
On top of that, the fans who paid for these games deserve a better showing than the lineup he put up. The Yankees should give money back to the fans who are paying to see these two games. It is two decimated lineups. It is two games he doesn’t seem to give a crap about, yet the fans who paid for those expensive seats surely don’t want to see two crappy lineups. Resting a couple of players is one thing, resting more than half the lineup in the first game, and nearly half the second is a rip off.
I look forward to when the Yankees dump Girardi. I don’t care if the Yankees win with him, it is despite him being there, rather than because of it.
Maybe next year Posada can start coaching for the Yankees and position himself to take over for the real Clueless Joe.
# mick September 25th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
joeman. you get hit with a lightening bolt?
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meaning ?
Garcia was a late signing so he was available to anyone.
Yankees – Mean Machine
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
anybody who bites at that one must enjoy arguing…not me.
“I look forward to when the Yankees dump Girardi.”
Did you feel the same way about Joe Torre too when he rested players all those years preparing for the playoffs?
this is baseball not football
no revenge factor
just win baby
thats raider football so nevermind
bbfan bit
heyman/sherman tweets//posada to catch 2nd game believeitornotidontcare
enjoy the games try to keep a sense of humor
bad job by JG with this starting team today
The hate for Girardi is unbeleivable.
May be these folks deserve Francona
Today’s lineup is well thought out by Girardi.
This is ideal lienup for a knucle ball pitcher.
You need to play small ball and this lineup is well suited for it.
I look for this team to put up a bunch of runs.
The player Girardi is refering to playing both games, my guess is A-Rod.
He needs to get his timing back.
He will DH and chavez will man 3B.
Montero should be the catcher.
You guys can’t be serious. The people who have blinders on are those who care more about sticking it to the Red Sox and running Yankee players into the ground than having them rested and ready for next weekend.
This team has played a brutal stretch of games this Sept – not only because of the opponents and traveling – but also due to having so few days off in the process.
They’ve accomplished everything they wanted to in the regular season (postseason berth, division title, and home field advantage) and have 5 games left to rest guys and get ready for prime time.
Girardi doesn’t owe anybody jack. This scenario could not have played out any better for the Yanks. They’ve earned it.
Stop the BS whining. Don’t care if they are facing the Red Sox. Right now, getting ready for October is the only thing that matters.
# BBFan September 25th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
The hate for Girardi is unbeleivable.
May be these folks deserve Francona
Today’s lineup is well thought out by Girardi.
This is ideal lienup for a knucle ball pitcher.
You need to play small ball and this lineup is well suited for it.
I look for this team to put up a bunch of runs.
The player Girardi is refering to playing both games, my guess is A-Rod.
He needs to get his timing back.
He will DH and chavez will man 3B.
Montero should be the catcher.
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what he needs to do is put his best team on the field…
It looks like a lot of you here have lost your minds. Do you want Girardi to run the A line up twice today? That’s why you’re not a manager.
The Yankees don’t need to win another game, it’s a doubleheader, so he never would have featured his best line ups anyway, and the Red Sox are STILL playing awful baseball. This line up could probably still compete.
Rest the guys and work on your playoff roster.
what he needs to do is put his best team on the field…
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why? so gamblers get a fair shot at picking winners?
BBFan and Giueseppe Franco beating me to the punch. Good to see the inmates aren’t running the asylum just yet
On paper Texas is stronger than the Yankees. Better offense shakey starting pitching and hellacious BP, same as the Yankees. Detroit – the Verlander factor.
Spazzing out about Boston is contra indicated.
Hello all,
I just wanted to write since in the lineup post I read a # of you saying you were okay with Jesus not playing because of the knuckleball.
He faced Dickey a couple of times last year before the Mets called him up and took him deep a few times. He should be in the lineup every day, but Girardi knows best.
If the Yankees think their best lineup against right-handers is one without Montero, they are making a serious mistake that might cost them in the playoffs .
like i said bbf,gf and radiokev, it’s not worth it…
Had a decision to make. Something I have to do today and so I decided to do it earlier rather than later. So I will miss about the first hour of the game.
GO YANKS!!!
GO RAYS!!!
GO O’S!!! (want them to stay crisp even though they did their job v. the Tigers)
Here’s my hope for today. Crush the Sux both games AND keep the guys fresh.
Later y’all.
“what he needs to do is put his best team on the field…”
What for?
What else they have to achieve in regualr season?
Now resting the players and have them ready for PS is what is required.
They had a brutal September and it is time to take care of the players and get them ready for PS.
# Giuseppe Franco September 25th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
You guys can’t be serious. The people who have blinders on are those who care more about sticking it to the Red Sox and running Yankee players into the ground than having them rested and ready for next weekend.
This team has played a brutal stretch of games this Sept – not only because of the opponents and traveling – but also due to having so few days off in the process.
They’ve accomplished everything they wanted to in the regular season (postseason berth, division title, and home field advantage) and have 5 games left to rest guys and get ready for prime time.
Girardi doesn’t owe anybody jack. This scenario could not have played out any better for the Yanks. They’ve earned it.
Stop the BS whining. Don’t care if they are facing the Red Sox. Right now, getting ready for October is the only thing that matters.
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wish my boss would tell me to take a day off with pay and rest up for tomorrow……they play baseball 3.5 hrs a day and rest the other 20.5 hrs
wish my boss would tell me to take a day off with pay and rest up for tomorrow……they play baseball 3.5 hrs a day and rest the other 20.5 hrs
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doubt you’d say that if you were a ballplayer
# mick September 25th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
what he needs to do is put his best team on the field…
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why? so gamblers get a fair shot at picking winners?
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interesting thought
# mick September 25th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
wish my boss would tell me to take a day off with pay and rest up for tomorrow……they play baseball 3.5 hrs a day and rest the other 20.5 hrs
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doubt you’d say that if you were a ballplayer
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nope just a lineman who worked 17 hrs straight 13 days in a row and nobody ask me if I wanted a day off & rest up
wish my boss would tell me to take a day off with pay and rest up for tomorrow……they play baseball 3.5 hrs a day and rest the other 20.5 hrs
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I’m sure if your boss invested millions of dollars into your physical condition they would do the same.
Trisha, thanks for taking a shot at explaining the Yankees’ postseason opponent for the first round. Any idea, anyone, when they will announce times for the games?
A little “Salt” in Boston’s wounds, lol.