Moving forward: The outfield
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Oct 10, 2011 
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As long as Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner are in the everyday lineup, there are going to be those who doubt and question the Yankees outfield. Neither hits for a particularly high average, Gardner doesn’t have typical corner outfield power, and Swisher has struggled in the postseason.
But there’s a good chance the Yankees are going to stick with them.
Gardner’s streaky at the plate, but he’s a Gold Glove-type in the field, and he gets on base enough to create havoc with his speed. He’s just now entering his arbitration years, so he’s still incredibly affordable. Swisher reaches base and hits for power, and he had another productive regular season even with an awful first half. He has a $10.25-million option for next season, and that’s not particularly out of line given what happened to the corner outfield market last winter.
Of course Curtis Granderson will be back to play center.
If the Yankees do stick with what they have, they’ll still be in the market for someone to fill the Andruw Jones role (could be Jones himself). Chris Dickerson and Greg Golson provide some speedy alternatives — and when he’s healthy, Colin Curtis will be in that same mix — but ultimately, moving forward could be as simple as renewing contracts.
It doesn’t seem out of the question that the Yankees could go into spring training with the same starting outfield for a third year in a row.
Associated Press photo
LGY October 10th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
LGY,
Im beginning to think you don’t like Martin……Jeter is going to be jealous
——————–
I’m feeling sentimental about Jeter recently after watching Jorge’s last hurrah.
I don’t trust Girardi with Martin and Montero on the team. Cashman needs to take him away.
—
Yeah, I know what you mean, but Girardi would just come up with someone to take Martin’s place, like Romine.
Love Martin……..very glad he’s on the team.
Montero should be his backup and DH.
I’ve never been a big Gardner fan – I think he’s more of a 4th OF. Swisher? I don’t want him here long term……….
TylerKepnerTyler Kepner
@BloggingBombers Greatest locker-room clean-out day moment ever: Bubba looking at a lineup card Joe gave him and throwing it in the trash.
Play Gardner this year…..trade him next winter.
Despite the attention given to Yanks and Sox, the Rangers are “the” team in the AL – they are on the verge of going to the WS for a 2nd year in a row.
LGY October 10th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
2012
Jeter
Granderson
Cano
Big Papi
Alex
Tex
Montero
Swisher
Gardner
:ducks:
–
Three lefties in a row. If Girardi saw that lineup he’d have convulsions.
# mick October 10th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
as it stands right now, at least with swisher in rf, you know who your dh will be
beltran will , no doubt, get some of his ab’s
esp vs rightys
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# mick October 10th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
beltran will present the posada factor at dh
as a switcher
Montero at catcher makes the lineup so much deeper and dangerous.
Forget Martin. Let’s see what the kid’s got. They have plenty of catching depth to back him up.
After he tucks Little Dante into bed, I wonder if Girardi dreams of more gritty catcher defense and Montero rotting away somewhere else.
I don’t want Big Sloppi. I want Montero to get most of the DH slots & catching some games.
the only way montero gets thrown into the fire is if martin gets hurt
Martin is a very good catcher…..not a great hitter, but a very good catcher. I’m glad we have him for another year……….Where exactly is this depth? Romine is a real prospect, not some never will be; he should be playing in AAA instead of being a backup – he’s not even ready for the big leagues anyway.
Nick in SF October 10th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
After he tucks Little Dante into bed, I wonder if Girardi dreams of more gritty catcher defense and Montero rotting away somewhere else.
///
He has that snivel-laugh to go along with it.
I don’t want Romine to rot on the bench either. But I disagree that he’s not ML ready. I was impressed with him behind the plate.
Texas has more contact guys and are more consistent vs RHP. Hamilton, beltre, Young, andrus, Napoli….etc….all can hit for average. Yanks need more BA in their lineup…..it plays better vs good pitching.
–
I take umbrage with this list. Beltre, career .270 hitter, has hit over .290 4 times in his career. Recently, I guess, but even swish hit .280 last year! Andrus??!? Has hit over .260 once. If that is true Brett Gardner can hit for average. Napoli? Career .264. This is just grass is greener junk.
Texas also has the luxury of hitting in a huge hitters park. They hit .260 on the road with no power. OPS like .860 at home. Yankees play at a neutral field.
Is Joey Votto athletic enough to play RF?
romine cant hit a lick and cervelli hits better than martin
he could still be the buc
Texas is good…..but they have some decisions to make soon as to the direction of their club…..are they going to pay Wilson? And then are they going to pay Hamilton? What about these arbitration guys like Cruz?
Martin in and of himself isn’t a problem. It’s their tendency to over rate these types of players & assume their grit is going to make them better than they are.
Cashman comparing him with Munson really made me want to throw up. He’s not Munson, and he’s not going to be Munson in a big spot at the plate, no matter how cool you think he looks rolling around to block balls in the dirt, Cash.
If they could cease to romanticize this kind of guy & see him for what he is, maybe it would work out.
LockDown, he’s not ready with the bat and it’s just a complete waste of a prospect. The Yankees lineup should be able to withstand a weaker #9 hitter – I think Martin brings a lot to the table. I like the idea of Montero being a DH/BUC – I guess Romine could come up here in an emergency, but we really should get a real BUC. In any case, no matter what the Yankees say, it’s clear Montero needs to work on his catching skills – they clearly didn’t want him to catch at all down the stretch and in game 5.
Beltre has hit for average recently……you just don’t like it that walks and homers don’t play as well in October
you need hitters with less holes and high average guys are usually that.
@WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Stern says that the first two weeks of season have been cancelled.
Blake, every team has decisions to make. They are very well run and they also have a very good farm system. If they make the WS, they are the team to beat for the next few years…….until someone beats them. Probably this is the case even if they lose to Detroit because I’m not sure Detroit has the staying power.
That’s unfounded. Romine isn’t a slugger, but he can hit, especially for a catcher. He needs to learn to get on base more, but he can hit and he may develop more power. Let him spend some time at AAA a while to see what he becomes offensively.
Why would the Reds trade Votto? And even if they would he would demand a fortune in return…….I think he coukd fake it well enough in the outfield if he had to.
right now i can see martin w/ cervelli at buc and montero dh
this would be what joe will lobby for
Well, that news was expected. I hope they can play some of the season. On WFAN, they asked (last week) why the NBA couldn’t extend the season past May – and still have a full season if they did that.
Both Heyman and Buster have mentioned Votto as possibly available this winter. Don’t know where it came from but there might me something there.
Too bad, too……….the Knicks were going to be intriguing and I wanted to see how their draft pick looks; he’s getting very good reviews
romine might have hit in milb but not in the majors
Betsy,
I agree that Texas may be the Yanks primary competiton for the pennant in the coming years…..which is one good reason to sign Wilson….it hurts them in the process.
You don’t mess with Stern. He will play hardball.
The Reds have Alonzo that coukd step in if they traded Votto……my guess is they are looking for a huge return…..just gauging his value.
Betsy,
Cervelli will probably be the BUC/bench warmer. I don’t want to waste Romine’s talent. Plus, let him work on his hitting in AAA. At some point, he’ll probably be traded.
In a perfect world, Montero plays RF, Martin catches 60% & Romine 40%. Oh well
Romine is a good hitter and has improved his BB rates and OBP. He also has some power. He is an above average hitting catcher and will be a better hitter than Cervelli.
Montero could play RF about as well as Jorge could have…..i think he may be slower than Jorge. LF at Fenway might be the only place you coukd hide him out there.
Trade Romine for Danks.
What are you, a comedian, mick? hasn’t hit in the majors?? You mean for all of the five minutes he’s been here?
Add Montero and Votto. Lineup issues solved!
Blake, I’m not even talking in terms of just the Yankees….. There are other teams as good as the Yankees out there and we have our own issues. I don’t want to sign Wilson just to keep him from the Rangers – I don’t want him. I just can’t abide another burdensome, long-term deal. While he’s a genuinely good pitcher, he’s not CC and not worth what he’s going to get. I feel very strongly about this…………so much so that if we have to go with more than one kid and take a step back, I’d be willing to do it. It won’t happen, but it’s how I feel.
Montero really doesn’t have to catch. He can have a great career as a DH, an even longer one without the wear and tear of catching. Let him backup Tex a little at 1st.
Montero’s first steps are slower than Posada’s. Once he gets moving, he’s got a better pace. But Jorge’s quicker from neutral on foot.
Lock Down, forget Montero in RF. As one caller to WFAN said, you can’t just take players and play fantasy baseball with them as if they’re robots- it’s not easy to learn a positio and Montero is not athletic enough to be an OF, not quick enough. He’s just a fairly lumbering guy.
I really would like to see Cervelli traded, but with his history of concussions, who would make that deal – even if the other team didn’t give up much?
Texas will never be “the” team in the AL.
he clearly doesn’t look like a major league hitter, sure he can improve, let’s see what he does in aaa.
Texas might be the best team in the AL West for years. Don’t they benefit from getting the Astros in realignment?
I can’t even remember the last time “the” team in the AL won the WS.
Oh yeah, they’ve never won a championship no wonder I have no recollection of it.
you saw him in one AB against Jonathan Papelbon, & you’ve already put your scouting report to bed on him. He’s got hitting tools, he’s green. He’s had like 15 ABs at AAA. Sheesh.
Beltre has hit for average recently……you just don’t like it that walks and homers don’t play as well in October you need hitters with less holes and high average guys are usually that.
–
3 of the hitters you listed aren’t average hitters! Especially Andrus! And all Napoli does is walk and hit for power!
“I don’t want to sign Wilson just to keep him from the Rangers ”
of course not….but it’s a bonus you think about if the money were right. I think the Yankees would have had a good shot against Texas had they played them.
yankees had no trouble dealing with Texas, with a 7-2 record. Doesn’t look that they are so much better than NY, unless you think Texas was just laying down for the Yanks.
The yankees got beat by a bunch of guys that hit .260!
did hamilton beltre and cruz even play against the yanks
There will be some team out there that will overpay for CJ Wilson. Until he shows me he’s a much better pitcher in the postseason this year, let some other team get him.
Hi everyone,
So montero can’t catch? or Romine hit?….The only reason i would keep Martin for next year is to ease Montero in to the catching position and wait for Romine to be ready, then i would use a tandem between the two.
2011:
Napoli: .320
Andrus .279
Hamilton: .298
Beltre: .296 (hit .321 last year)
Young: .338 (career .304)
looks pretty good to me….
Walks and homers don’t play in October
I’ll take guys who don’t make outs and hit homers any day. Thank you very much!
Blake, but the $$ and years won’t be right, so it’s moot. The Yankees may have had a good shot against the Rangers, but they weren’t good enough to get out of the first round, so that’s also moot. They’re a good team to be sure, but there are a number of good teams in the AL.
texas should win it all…their pen is filthy
“The yankees got beat by a bunch of guys that hit .260!”
their .260 hitters got more big hits than ours.
hey luis, if all goes well, Sanchez/Montero is the winning ticket, maybe by 2014.
“I’ll take guys who don’t make outs and hit homers any day. Thank you very much!”
until you face good pitchers than don’t give up walks and homers….then you need contact. I’m not saying that walks and homers aren’t good….obviously they are….but they need to be part of a balanced attack and you need guys that can make consistent contact against good pitches….that’s what the Yankees are lacking a little bit right now….especially vs RHP
The more I think about it, I would make Montero the fulltime DH next year with Cervelli as the BUC, if he’s healthy. Give Montero very little time there, let him maximize his hitting skills.
J. Alfred Prufrock October 10th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
hey luis, if all goes well, Sanchez/Montero is the winning ticket, maybe by 2014.
===============================
Hi JAP, yes that’s the winning ticket if all goes well, i just didn’t want to get that far ahead!!
You must have a BUC beside Montero b/c when he DH’s you lose the dh if he has to buc.
blake October 10th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
“I’ll take guys who don’t make outs and hit homers any day. Thank you very much!”
until you face good pitchers than don’t give up walks and homers….then you need contact. I’m not saying that walks and homers aren’t good….obviously they are….but they need to be part of a balanced attack and you need guys that can make consistent contact against good pitches….that’s what the Yankees are lacking a little bit right now….especially vs RHP
=========
Spot on…..The 90′s teams had power but what defined them wa that they could beat you in so many different ways
luis, no reason why we can’t use Romine & then deal him when Sanchez is ready.
You can start Montero occasionally behind the plate to rest Martin when you want arod to dh.
Let’s not get caught up in flat world thinking on Columbus Day.
The yankees got beat by a bunch of guys that hit .260!”
their .260 hitters got more big hits than ours.
————————————————–
Look at the Yankees team BA for their series against the Tigers. They hit exactly .260 as a team, so actually they got beat by a bunch of guys that hit .228.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/st.....rk-yankees
mick October 10th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
You must have a BUC beside Montero b/c when he DH’s you lose the dh if he has to buc.
======
That’s what Cervelli is for…
I’d carry Montero, Martin and Cervelli next year with Romine working on his offense at AAA (if he’s not traded). They carried 3 catchers more or less last year and it didn’t hurt them. Let Martin and Montero catch the bulk of games and let Cervelli catch every now and then and be the true BUC. Catch Martin 100, Montero 45, and Cervelli the rest.
Montero needs to be eased into catcher duty. 20+% of games. Catch bullpen sessions of all the pitchers. Play some at 1B and a lot of DH. I don’t think he should be solely a DH. A-rod & some others are going to need to DH also.
. Alfred Prufrock October 10th, 2011 at 10:40 pm
luis, no reason why we can’t use Romine & then deal him when Sanchez is ready.
=======
Great minds think alike!!
“Look at the Yankees team BA for their series against the Tigers. They hit exactly .260 as a team, so actually they got beat by a bunch of guys that hit .228.”
Yanks outscored them in the series….it’s about when you score them. Blew them out twice and couldn’t get the big hit in the other 3 (especially game 5). They should have scored at least 4 or 5 runs off of Fister.
Hi Luis!
So true, Blake……
Blake,
Exactly!
Lockdown,
Very good points, you give Montero some versatility, and you get him ready to take over 1b once Tex’s contract is up
Hi Betsy,
Hope everything is fine up there!!
opening day lineup:@ TB
jeter
grandy
cano
alex
tex
montero
swish
martin
gardy
I don’t trust Girardi with Martin and Montero on the team. Cashman needs to take him away.
———–
Unfortunately, I don’t trust the guy who compared him to Munson while talking about how he tried to acquire him for 3 years, to get rid of him either.
Swisher/Tex will get all the attention, but Martin was just as bad if not worse and was a blackhole in the lineup for most of the season.
Everything’s good, Luis – we’ve finally had a stretch of decent weather and I’m looking forward to Halloween. I love dressing up in my office- gives me an outlet for my creativity.
Everyone complains about Montero’s defense and raves about how good Sanchez is. Including his year of age 18 (same as Sanchez this year), Montero was never as bad as Sanchez was this past season. 8 errors and 26 passed balls in 60 games.
Blake-
That posting was just a bit of irony. In truth they got beat by a team[bunch of guys] that hit .228.
One more measely hit at the right time, one more timely at bat and the Yankees are still playing, having just faced two lefty starters.
On 10/10 we celebrate the birth of a modern and free China; let’s not think like an old and fading feudal dynasty.
mick October 10th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
opening day lineup:@ TB
jeter
grandy
cano
alex
tex
montero
swish
martin
gardy
=======
How about this:
Gardner
Jeter
Cano
Arod
Grandy
Montero
Tex
Swish
Martin
Winning the series was doable. Even with just moving Posada up the lineup, maybe the 5 hole. All you have to do is look at the following stats for Posada:
.429 AVG
4 R
6 H
0 RBI
4 BB
What’s wrong with this picture?
Look at what the Rangers have done with Mike Napoli as their primary catcher this postseason and ask yourself if the Yankees really need Martin behind the dish.
Offense at up the middle positions wins championships and builds dynasties.
I like Capt Morgan but the most interesting man in the world, ugh!
Nick in SF October 10th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
On 10/10 we celebrate the birth of a modern and free China; let’s not think like an old and fading feudal dynasty.
========
Free???
How about this:
Gardner
Jeter
Cano
Arod
Grandy
Montero
Tex
Swish
Martin
=======
not bad.
What’s wrong with this picture?
he was batting in between Swisher and Martin, so no RBI oportunities
Hitting with RISP is the only thing that killed us. Imagine how much worse it would have been if Cano, Posada, and Gardner didn’t have a good series.
I understand the need to blame someone, so most people will pick on Swisher and Martin and for a day or two it was Tex.
But they lost as a team, so I can’t see any big changes to the lineup.
They might be able to live with Martin if they had, say, Matt Holliday in one corner.
BTW-Pujols is killing the Brewers tonight
4 fo4 3 doubles one homer 5 RBI’s
Cardinals will find a way for him to be resigned, especially if they make the WS.
“Free???”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China
Happy 10/10, Chien-ming Wang.
The second the names Pujols and Fielder come up this winter is when Montero lovers will cringe…
Swisher has had several awful post-seasons. It certainly wasn’t all his fault, but he’s one of the very few components of the lineup that can be “fixed” – via a trade or just not signing him. Otherwise, except for Gardner, that lineup is beyond inflexible.
Yank97, they were able to live with Martin just fine during the regular season. It’s not something we’re going to agree on I’m sure……..I recognize he’s not perfect, but I like what he brings to the team and I’m glad the team recognizes it as well.
LockDown October 10th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Winning the series was doable. Even with just moving Posada up the lineup, maybe the 5 hole. All you have to do is look at the following stats for Posada:
.429 AVG
4 R
6 H
0 RBI
4 BB
What’s wrong with this picture?
///
Oh, c’mon, Lockdown, how are they supposed to move a charity case up in the lineup? They told us all year he was finished, Girardi just brought him along to be a good guy, right? Ceremonial farewell tour.
I understand the need to blame someone, so most people will pick on Swisher and Martin and for a day or two it was Tex.
///
The “need to blame” is not applicable. It’s reflecting on why the team isn’t playing any more. I couldn’t care less about finding a scapegoat. So put that on yourself.
Jeter
Granderson
Pujols
Cano
Arod
Tex
Montero
Swisher
Gardner
Nick in SF October 10th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Oops!!! you got that one right!!, sorry…
luis October 10th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
What’s wrong with this picture?
he was batting in between Swisher and Martin, so no RBI oportunities
====
You get PIE.
BTW-Pujols is killing the Brewers tonight
4 fo4 3 doubles one homer 5 RBI’s
————–
Sign him to play RF!
Let him and Montero platoon in RF!
JAP
Oh, c’mon, Lockdown, how are they supposed to move a charity case up in the lineup? They told us all year he was finished, Girardi just brought him along to be a good guy, right? Ceremonial farewell tour.
—-
I forgot. My bad….
J. Alfred Prufrock October 10th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
I understand the need to blame someone, so most people will pick on Swisher and Martin and for a day or two it was Tex.
///
The “need to blame” is not applicable. It’s reflecting on why the team isn’t playing any more. I couldn’t care less about finding a scapegoat. So put that on yourself.
======
ditto
LockDown October 10th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
luis October 10th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
What’s wrong with this picture?
he was batting in between Swisher and Martin, so no RBI oportunities
====
You get PIE.
————-
The more deserving answer was JAP’s, but thank you
Since they got little from Teixeira and Rodriguez, moving Posada up one spot wasn’t likely to give him many more, if any more RBI chances.
I understand the need to blame someone, so most people will pick on Swisher and Martin and for a day or two it was Tex.
==================
Some have put the blame on Girardi.
Yeah? Bases loaded, one out, I’ll take my chances with Jorge Posada.
Baseball is a team sport so saying they lost as a team is just stating the obvious.
However at the core of it baseball is a very individualized sport.
It’s not difficult to identify which individuals showed up and which did not. Which is why it’s not about looking for someone to blame but accurately evaluating what happened and deciding how to proceed forward based on that.
Napoli: .320
Andrus .279
Hamilton: .298
Beltre: .296 (hit .321 last year)
Young: .338 (career .304)
looks pretty good to me….
–
Hamilton and Young are the only guys on there that hit for average in their career. And including Andrus on there is silly. He sucks. Its not about hitting for average, the Yankees best players in the series outside of Cano were not pure average hitters. Its about being able to handle mistakes and have good matchups against opposing pitching. The Yankees don’t need contact bats if those bats don’t play against RHP.
THe 4 top hitters for the tigers in the ALDS hit .240 combined in the regular season. Contact hitters dont have any more of an advantage against good pitching because merely being a batting average/contact hitter does not necessarily mean you lack holes or cannot be gotten out. How many of those types of hitters will chase out of the zone? How many are susceptible to 2-seam fastballs? How many build their average on ground balls that could suffer a BABIP deficiency in the postseason and you end up with a .100 average 2 GIDP in a series?
Get me patient, powerful hitters that can handle mistakes. The Yankees have too many guys that just had glaring weaknesses going into the PS and they still almost won.
GB7,
Good point
Cashman, Girardi, Tex, Swisher, and Martin will all be here next season. All the reflection in the world won’t change that.
bases loaded two were out for swisher which could have been posada hence girardi…
Yom Kippur has just ended, but has Martin finished his atonement?
The Yankees have too many guys that just had glaring weaknesses going into the PS and they still almost won.
=========
I assume you mean Arod?
J. Alfred Prufrock October 10th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Yeah? Bases loaded, one out, I’ll take my chances with Jorge Posada.
————————————————————————————————————————-
You’re assuming Posada would have gotten the same pitches that he had hits on….mostly fastballs.
So Stern cancelled the 1st 2 weeks of the NBA season. It would help if and when the season commences, that they cancel the first 3 quarters of every game, as they don’t really go out until late in the 4th!!
Nick-It looks like you have a winner with the Lions tonight. However don’t bet on seeing Pujols in a Yankee uniform next year.
Michael Young is a career .224 hitter in the PS. So not seeing where being an average hitter is helping him there.
However don’t bet on seeing Pujols in a Yankee uniform next year.
============
Substitute Fielder for him, he’s younger and could be the 1st to hit one out of the Stadium.
I don’t have any money on Pujols in pinstripes, just on the Lions tonight.
J. Alfred Prufrock October 10th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Yeah? Bases loaded, one out, I’ll take my chances with Jorge Posada.
=================
Or Montero for that matter
Not assuming anything. It’s about having a chance, not assuming some foregone result. He has also worked a bases-loaded BB a time or two in big spots in his career. Give me Posada.
GreenBeret7 October 10th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Since they got little from Teixeira and Rodriguez, moving Posada up one spot wasn’t likely to give him many more, if any more RBI chances.
—
I was advocating moving him up 2 spots. Would rather him move up 3 spots, but I don’t want the world to collapse from the shock of moving A-rod from the 4-hole.
Let’s be honest here… Q: Bases loaded, 2 outs, who do you want to see at the plate in the post, Teix, Swisher or Posada?
luis, or Him
.
Let’s be honest here… Q: Bases loaded, 2 outs, who do you want to see at the plate in the post, Teix, Swisher or Posada?
==========
Posada hands down
Get me patient, powerful hitters that can handle mistakes. The Yankees have too many guys that just had glaring weaknesses going into the PS and they still almost won.
————————————-
Jerkface-
Swisher led the team with OB%, has power, but I don’t think he handles mistakes well. Does 2 out of 3 count as the kind of player you want in the post season?
I wouldn’t have moved Alex down, though. Alex just ran out of time. He’s a great hitter, & I always assume he’ll have a chance to do something, even when he’s not 100 percent.
I don’t think Swisher’s regular season hitting style is useless in the postseason.
The problem is he completely changes in October. It’s the same problem Robbie used to have with RISP.
Plus bat, good approach, minimal holes in the swing is obviously ideal. But at the end of the day you need players that have the ability to stay within themselves.
Even guys with all the perfect traits won’t get the job done in October if they can’t slow things down in a big spot.
JAP,
I agree that A-Rod had more of a chance than Teix & Swisher. And I actually believe that if they had advanced, he would have found his timing somewhere in the Texas series. But for game 5 in a do or die, I would have no problem moving him to the 5-hole. Then move him to the 4-hole with Posada behind him the rest of the way against righties, unless he was still totally lost.
Swish is an anomaly in that he is not what he appears to be.
How many times did Swisher swung at pitches out of the zone, or tried to pull an outside pitch?, or Martin who was supposed to be a patient hitter but became an increasingly first pitch swinging type of hitter and doubleplay machine?
What you need is great situational hitters
Plus bat, good approach, minimal holes in the swing is obviously ideal. But at the end of the day you need players that have the ability to stay within themselves.
—————————————————————
Agree 100%. Don’t need to swing from the heels. Watched the Tigers” poke” at least two homers over the RF wall
The problem with Swisher is that he had his own cover version of ‘Heroes’ running through his head at the place in the ALDS.
LGY,
Very well explained…good post
Lock, it’s not unreasonable, & Alex’s only HR since returning was a line drive, so those legs probably weren’t going to help him be his cleanup self this year…but I was really liking Alex’s approach in the series…Really, just moving Jorge up could have made a big impact…sigh. What’s to be done, eh? Next year…(except, no Jorge, & that makes me ever sad).
(except, no Jorge, & that makes me ever sad).
========================
jorge would take away abs from montero.
Losing of itself sucks..but to me, this one hurt more because it was Jorge’s last go-round.
Recent Yankee teams have always had problems with situational hitting. Look how many times we’ve had the bases loaded with less than two outs and ended up with nothing. More contact hitting and less swinging for the fences would be better. Sometimes, you wonder about the baseball IQ of the current Yankees.
Recent Yankee teams have always had problems with situational hitting. Look how many times we’ve had the bases loaded with less than two outs and ended up with nothing. More contact hitting and less swinging for the fences would be better. Sometimes, you wonder about the baseball IQ of the current Yankees.
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Wasn’t it basically the same team that won it all in 09?
m October 10th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Recent Yankee teams have always had problems with situational hitting. Look how many times we’ve had the bases loaded with less than two outs and ended up with nothing. More contact hitting and less swinging for the fences would be better. Sometimes, you wonder about the baseball IQ of the current Yankees.
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Spot on…..They just let the pressure take the best of themselves…That’s why i Think Swisher and Martin are not good fits for this team.
JAP,
What I liked most about A-Rod in the post was with each AB he seemed to be able to “see” the ball better in the sense that he wasn’t swinging at as many “balls”. When he first came back, he was swinging at awful pitches. But toward the end, he just didn’t have the timing.
It would have been perfect if the season ended for Jorge with a ring. He gave it all he had. He didn’t try to do too much, wasn’t trying to pull everything. Oh well…
Wasn’t it basically the same team that won it all in 09?
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I’ll get that.
That was the year Alex carried us.
Wasn’t it basically the same team that won it all in 09?
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Not even close……You had a healthy Arod, a better version of Tex, Posada was very good from both sides of the plate, Jeter was outstanding
Yeah, Lockdown, Oh well
. Nice story on him in the Post today…going to be weird not seeing him next season. Jeter’s going to really miss his best buddy…I hate endings..Oh, well. Have a good night.
Good night Pruf, good night everyone.
You guys are forgetting Matsui. Excellent situational hitter. And Damon, his baserunning still gives Lidge nightmares.
I think Martin is a great fit for the team. The problem is that he doesn’t hit well when he’s overworked at catcher. With days off, he comes out much stronger at the plate.
It boggles the mind why Martin was catching almost every game after they clinched. He should have had the week off, except maybe with AJ against the redsox. And even then, Martin didn’t have to catch. Let Montero get most of the catching & a game for Romine & Posada.
The real shame is that even with a flawed team, that we still had a chance at #28, with the greatest team ever since the 27 Yankees out and the best pitching staff ever since the 1971 Baltimore Orioles with four 20 game winners, also out!
Good night all.
m,
In deed, how can we forget Matsui’s 6 RBI’s or Damon double steal!!
I propose a radical new coaching device called the PP whacker. Everytime Swisher swings
out of his shorts – put it on the bench – Whack. “Don’t do that”
I’m sure by next post season he’d be cured.
I have been at work all day but I heard rumors that the Texas crowd was chanting “Yankees Suck” after Cruz hit his walkoff HR or at some point near the end of the game.
Please someone who was actually watching the game tell me that this did not happen. That would be really pathetic if it did.
It will feel strange not to see Jorge in pinstripes, yet his decline has been seen throughout the season, despite the uptick at the end. It is not easy to see them go, but I think it is harder to watch these heroes of the past stay too long and see them struggle more and more as the season progresses.
One of the things I admire about Mussina and even Pettitte is that they left when still successful. Both of them might have still been competitive for another year, or even two, but that isn’t guaranteed.
Players don’t always acknowledge when their best days are behind them. We are seeing the ending of a era of very special players. The core 4, then three, now two.
The positive side is that we can see some new talent come up, possibly Cano and Montero or some of the young pitching talent, that form a new core. It helps take some of the sadness away, but that doesn’t mean those players won’t be missed. Every generation goes through this. This is part of why a good farm system is important. Bringing up kids from the farm that can contribute to winning just has a good feeling and brings new hope to franchise being handed off to others who can bring them championships.
Cashman understands this. Keeping a balance between keeping good talent, or trading for help that is needed. The key is not giving up on a player that could have a team built around them.
Nelson Cruz hit the first walk off grand slam in post season history. I’m amazed that it’s never happened before.
He sure can mash.
m October 10th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Cashman, Girardi, Tex, Swisher, and Martin will all be here next season. All the reflection in the world won’t change that.
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Add to that: Nunez, Gardner,CC, AJ, Garcia, Wade, Logan, Ayala and Joba.
Yank 97 October 10th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
They might be able to live with Martin if they had, say, Matt Holliday in one corner.
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Exactly. Or Montero has to play every day at DH, although again he is more valuable and our lineup is more circular/dynamic with Montero at C.
Lol at Rangers fans for chanting “Yankees suck” after Cruz’s gland slam……..inferiority complex much? It seems like the Rangers are really trying to push a rivalry with the Yanks……good for business I guess
The Tiggers are in trouble……they may get swept.
If the Yankees do stick with what they have, they’ll still be in the market for someone to fill the Andruw Jones role (could be Jones himself). Chris Dickerson and Greg Golson provide some speedy alternatives — and when he’s healthy, Colin Curtis will be in that same mix — but ultimately, moving forward could be as simple as renewing contracts.
It doesn’t seem out of the question that the Yankees could go into spring training with the same starting outfield for a third year in a row.
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All the moving foward articles by Chad, basically were maintaing the status quo. Sounds like last year. I hope Brian is going to be more aggressive than Chad is.
The Yanks have 25 or so million coming off the books…..of which some of that will go to arbitration raises.
They can either spend it this year…..or put it under their pillow and go nuts next winter. I think they’ll see what they can do on the trade market this winter……if they can rent an upgrade to the rotation or perhaps buy low on an outfielder with upside……but aside from that adding Montero may be the main move.
Can someone tell me what’s the situation with Robin Ventura/Nelson Cruz?
Did Ventura hit a grand slam that was counted as a single? Is that how I’m reading it? I vaguely remember – it was my “I’ve got my fingers in too many pies” period of baseball interest.
If so, why does Cruz get credit for a GS?
We had more than enough offense & more than any playoff team to win the ws.
It just didn’t happen & when a hit was needed,we didn’t get one.
That is what it’s all about.
Getting pitching that keeps you in the game,wich we did & your offense has to do the rest,wich it did not.
Usually in the playoffs,all the teams are good enough to win,so it is about getting hits at the right time.
A lot of games end up being decided by te pen.
Now would you like to see swisher with a higher ba,so he has more of a chance to get a hit?
Absolutely.
Also,tex against rh pitchers,wich he faces most of the time,has bad numbers.
400 ab
.223 ba
.323 obp
.450 slg
.773 ops
Swisher,jeter also bad numbers against rh hitters.
This has to be addressed,imo.
At the very least,we should upgrade lf & rf with hitters that are better against rh pitchers because tex & jeter are not going anywhere.
Yes gardner & swisher are good players but you can’t have swisher,tex,jeter with very bad numbers against rh pitchers & gardner + martin with not much better numbers against them.
That’s 5 starting players that are not good against rh pitchers.
Not good.
Imo,we need to trade gardner,swisher & get a pitcher to slot right behind cc.
*** correction ***
Swisher,jeter also bad numbers against rh pitchers,is what i meant.
Well, here’s the other thing.
I think it was an unusually down year versus RH pitching. So, you don’t overreact to an unusually down year.
You make some adjustments, you hope the hitters themselves make some adjustments.
But don’t need to go overboard.
Villa NovaNy- Ventura stopped after touching 1b, so I think he only got credit for a single.
The Rangers are two wins away from the WS and all their fans could think to chant was Yankees suck? I hope they get pasted in the WS
Betsy October 11th, 2011 at 8:14 am
The Rangers are two wins away from the WS and all their fans could think to chant was Yankees suck? I hope they get pasted in the WS
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Betsy, At least they are two wins away from the WS. Their hitters also come through in the tough spots. Hope they make it there and win, AL winning the WS is always a good thing. They deserved the right to yell whatever they want. They are still playing and we aren’t.
Thanks, Joe from LI. Did his teammates rush him at first? Am I remembering that correctly?
This was back in the day when fans could rush the field, too?
Gary, I don’t care about an AL team winning……….and I’m annoyed at the fans; you and I will have to disagree. Did I say they don’t have the right to yell what they want? I think it’s asinine. I don’t care abgout the Rangers. If it’s not the Yankees, then it doesn’t matter to me who wins. I said last night, that the Rangers are “the”team in the AL – I mean, when you get to two consecutive ALCS and very likely 2 consecutive WS, that’s pretty special. If the Yankees did it, we’d be crowing.
Betsy October 11th, 2011 at 8:21 am
Gary, I don’t care about an AL team winning……….and I’m annoyed at the fans; you and I will have to disagree. Did I say they don’t have the right to yell what they want? I think it’s asinine. I don’t care abgout the Rangers. If it’s not the Yankees, then it doesn’t matter to me who wins. I said last night, that the Rangers are “the”team in the AL – I mean, when you get to two consecutive ALCS and very likely 2 consecutive WS, that’s pretty special. If the Yankees did it, we’d be crowing.
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Betsy, but we didn’t do it, all that matters. We never care about what the fans yell, it’s what Americans do. Just look at the idiots down on Wall Street, bunch of deadbeats that want everything handed to them, yet do nothing on their own to earn it.
Well, actually, their hitters were also thwarted earlier in the game. Bases loaded no one out and they didn’t score. A couple of other situations, too. What they were able to get was the HR off Scherzer to tie the score. But it took 11 innings for them to beat a diminished Tigers team.
I agree with Betsy. While any fan has the “right” to cheer in any way they want, it is rather pathetic that their chant was focused on the Yankees.
And the Rangers didn’t win 4 yet.
Easy on the politics Gary…. both sides have their lunatics, be they called Tea Partiers or “Occupiers”… they want what they want and they have no plan on how to pay the price for it.
I also find fans chanting against another team to be pretty pathetic. The stupidest of all is when fans chant “OVER-RATED” as their team is pulling an upset. Nice way to demean you own accomplishment by pointing out the team you beat isn’t all that good after all.
Gossip Break:
http://www.businessinsider.com.....er-2011-10
Gary, what’s the big deal? My comments about the fans have NOTHING to do with the Rangers…….let’s drop it
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It’s going to be a long off season and longer before the Yankees win another World Series. Can you say “OLD”