Tuesday notes: Platoon situation takes shape
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 21, 2012 
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Raul Ibanez might have been signed to be the Yankees regular designated hitter, but that doesn’t mean he won’t need a glove.
“We plan on DHing him,” Joe Girardi said. “We plan on putting him in the outfield as well. We’ve talked about trying to give some guys a DH day or a rest day, and it gives you more flexibility since he can play the outfield as well.”
It’s the same story with Andruw Jones. Essentially, those two will form a platoon, but it’s not exactly a DH platoon.
“Not necessarily,” Girardi said. “I could stick Ibanez in left field, for example, and if I wanted to DH Granderson to give him a day, move Gardy over. I envision (Ibanez) playing against right-handers, and Andruw always playing against left-handers, that sort of thing. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll always be a DH.”
• Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to pitch off a full mound tomorrow. It will be his first time off a full mound since Tommy John surgery. “You want to see how he’s progressing and you want to see where he’s at,” Girardi said. “You look at him and say, ‘It’s probably feasible that we’ll have him by this date’ from what you see. As he starts to throw more bullpens we’ll have a much better idea, but so far he’s looked great.”
• Rafeal Soriano on the possibility of Mariano Rivera’s retirement: “Whatever decision he makes, it’s fine with me. Let’s see what happens. Right now I don’t think about that. I’m going to think about winning this year.”
• Girardi on the possibility of this being Rivera’s last year: “With Mo, you appreciate every year that he’s out there. You really appreciate what he does. I’ve had a chance to catch it and to coach it and manage it, and obviously we all knew that one day it’s going to all come to an end. Do I necessarily feel in my mind that this is going to be his last year? No I don’t, so I don’t know if I look at it that way. For example, if someone had shared that that’s what he said, then I might. But I don’t know if that’s what he’s going to do.”
• George Kontos felt some stiffness in his oblique on his third-to-last bullpen pitch. He said it got a little tight, and he’s hoping it’s only going to take a few days for him to get back on a mound. Girardi wasn’t quite as optimistic. “He’s probably going to be down for a couple weeks, I would imagine,” Girardi said. “You have to wait to see how he feels tomorrow. He was pretty sore.”
• Kontos should be in the mix for that last, wide-open spot in the bullpen. He’s been throwing for months and probably came into camp ahead of most pitchers in terms of winter workload, so he’s hoping that even a week of downtime won’t knock him significantly off schedule.
• Girardi explaining how he handled Jones’ sore knee last season: “There were days I couldn’t use him. That’s all. I would know that day or the day before that I wasn’t going to be able to use him. You go into that ballgame just saying, you know what, I don’t have Andruw today. I would check with him to make sure there wasn’t fluid on his knee. You just kind of kept in touch with him.”
• Looking for an under-the-radar guy who could legitimately pitch his way into a big league role at some point, maybe at some point soon? Tim Norton was terrific last season and got to Triple-A before being shutdown with a shoulder injury. My old friend Donnie Collins reports that Norton is pitching again and, according to Mark Newman, “feeling fine.”
• Speaking of Yankees prospects off the radar: Yesterday I was talking to one of the Yankees younger pitchers. Unprompted, he mentioned former Yankees prospect Christian Garcia, who’s now signed with the Nationals and finally healthy. The guy I was talking to played catch with him quite a bit this offseason and made this prediction: Garcia will be in the big leagues with the Nats before the All-Star break.
• The Yankees team getaway is “in the works” and Girardi said he’s 90-percent sure that he knows what it will be. It’s probably going to be on March 1, the day before the first Grapefruit League game.
• Bill Hall and Chris Dickerson were the only new position players spotted in the clubhouse today. Dickerson did say that Brett Gardner is also in Tampa hitting at the minor league complex with Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson, each of whom we already knew was down here.
• Girardi’s very basic, barebones take on the first two days of workouts: “The guys are just starting their first bullpens. You don’t expect them to be as sharp as they’re going to be or expect them to have their breaking ball in order yet. I’ve been pleased with the work that we’ve seen.”
Associated Press photos
• Speaking of Yankees prospects off the radar: Yesterday I was talking to one of the Yankees younger pitchers. Unprompted, he mentioned former Yankees prospect Christian Garcia, who’s now signed with the Nationals and finally healthy. The guy I was talking to played catch with him quite a bit this offseason and made this prediction: Garcia will be in the big leagues with the Nats before the All-Star break.
“I could stick Ibanez in left field, for example, and if I wanted to DH Granderson to give him a day, move Gardy over. I envision (Ibanez) playing against right-handers
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Bad Girardi
Ibanez in LF is a bad move if it’s made, besides a big step down in defense from Gardner.
He should be the DH vs.RHP only who plays the field only if he is absolutely needed e.g. he or some other righty hitter pinch-hits for Gardner or Granderson, he’s the only guy on the bench or the only one besides Cervelli etc., the Yanks are up 12-2 where Gardner or Granderson has played 10 straight games etc.
The Yanks should do the following:
Don’t rest anyone in the outfield vs. righties so Jones can’t suck with the bat and Ibanez can’t suck with the glove.
Rest each starting outfielder vs. a lefty on this rotation: Gardner/Swisher/Granderson. This way if the Yanks face a lefty 42 out of 162 times, each starting outfielder gets 14 days off from the field, Jones gets 42 starts vs.LHP, and Ibanez never makes a start in the outfield.
Start Jones in LF in games Gardner rests, RF in games Swisher is the DH or rests.
Start Gardner in CF, Jones LF in games Granderson is the DH or rests.
jerkface-
kershaw’s left foot looks like it’s side ways to his landing foot.
similar to sabathia.
pineda is almost two feet backwards from that.
it’s the extent he does it that’s weird looking.
now maybe it might work or at least work for some pitches, but it’s not a pretty delivery.
imagine what would cause kershaw or sabathia to continue with the left foot another two feet out towards shortstop. it ‘s a further spin and rotation that nether have .
that’s what pineda does when pitching in a game.
kershaw’s left foot looks like it’s side ways to his landing foot.
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Look at the video I posted, you can clearly see his swing foot land behind his plant foot.
Proof: http://imgur.com/iTKYu
Would love to see Tim Norton in full health and at AAA by June or July after some time in Trenton.
This is a serious issue for 2012 that I hope gets resolved sooner rather than later.
http://nymag.com/daily/sports/.....se-be.html
please, i dont have to hear sterling and waldman for another 9 days and you had to burst my bubble. how many seasons have to go by before they decide that the yankees broadcasters should be among the best in baseball, in relation to the team? at least one more year i guess…
I’m going with (and you have to use hard, rolling R’s and staccato delivery of the first 2 words)…
“RRRRRaul! RRRRRRRReaches the seats!”
Ibombyez
If Norton is pitching this year, he’ll be back in Scranton where his season ended.
Guess who has a short temper and no sense of humor over “Valentine invented “The Wrap”?
PeteAbe Pete Abraham
Wrap jokes are so November. Try and keep up // RT @PaulWBorresch: @PeteAbe yeah so what?! did he say what kinda of wrap Buchholz likes?
Raul’s recipe called for a dinger.
im glad this place has warmed up to the idea that Ibanez will actually hit a home run as a yankee. Baby steps people, baby steps
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....damon.html
sterling’s ibanez homerun call? RAUL-LA-LA
RAUL earns another KISS from the HOMER woman!
Ys Guy February 21st, 2012 at 6:18 pm
please, i dont have to hear sterling and waldman for another 9 days and you had to burst my bubble. how many seasons have to go by before they decide that the yankees broadcasters should be among the best in baseball, in relation to the team? at least one more year i guess…
——————————-
1 more year might be correct but call me crazy because I’d miss them dearly. Sort of a “home is where you hang your hat” thing I guess.
He’s really scraping the bottom to start this.
JonHeymanCBS Jon Heyman
I’m wondering if rivera retirement suggestion could be an early negotiating tactic. Maybe he’s taking page out of matt lauer playbook.
jerkface-
show me one time when pineda does this like kershaw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
…in a game.
kershaw looks nothing like pineda in this one either
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
That’s a video game you’re referencing.
kershaw nothing like pineda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
Randy,
Why is Kershaw able to use similar mechanics to Pineda without you criticizing him? We don’t have to prove that Pineda doesn’t whip his leg around, because we do not know that it is bad to do that. There is no correlation between what Pineda does and lack of control or future injury. We can show that other pitchers do similar things, including a very successful one. He does it twice in a row while striking out Beltran at the end of that youtube I sent. We know Pineda does not do it in bullpens, neither does Pineda.
By the way Pineda doesn’t leg whip on his very first pitch of the game Apr 22.
Randy, no comment as to why Kershaw has a severe leg whip on 2 consecutive pitches against Carlos Beltran that we have on video from a live (non-video) game?
Quick somebody with an XBox have Pineda throw a perfecto and well end this right now!
“My first day as a Yankee,” the big right-hander said Monday. “Can you believe it? I’m a Yankee. It can’t be better than that.”
“I didn’t feel good about my second half, and I’m not going to let it happen again,” Pineda said. “I lost my focus. It was a learning experience. I learned you’ve got to work hard for a full season.”
“Randy, no comment as to why Kershaw has a severe leg whip on 2 consecutive pitches against Carlos Beltran that we have on video from a live (non-video) game?”
link please
Random thought of the day: This car chase scene from ‘Ronin’ has to be one of the best all-time.
Good news on Joba.
How about “Raul’s no fool!”. No? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAEQuD4cnhQ
I linked this to you already.
I love this kids attitude.
It reminds me of nova.
I read that his changeup got better at the end of 2011,and martin said it looked good in st.
I know he has a lot of work to do on it,but maybe it is in better shape than we think.
Let’s wait & see.
I can tell you one thing though.
If he ever developes a nice changeup,he is going to be at the top of the elite pitching list.
Of course this is all just serving as pretense to Randy claiming how he had a “baseball discussion” with someone who has a divergent opinion, and while he won’t change his mind, he’ll say he “learned something”
1 more year might be correct but call me crazy because I’d miss them dearly. Sort of a “home is where you hang your hat” thing I guess.
///
I thought home was anywhere you hang your head?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
Matt Garza, landing behind his plant foot.
“I linked this to you already.”
that’s bad amateur video and hard to watch.
i do see one pitch that looks similar to pineda , but it looks like kershaw slipped.
if you’re saying when kershaw slips that he looks like pineda, i’ll agree with you
JonHeymanCBS Jon Heyman
I’m wondering if rivera retirement suggestion could be an early negotiating tactic. Maybe he’s taking page out of matt lauer playbook.
////
He don’t know Mo.
He does it twice, consecutively and he doesn’t slip. Sorry, Randy. Can’t get out of this one. Your intellectual dishonesty and opaque agenda are incredibly apparent.
You can only see 2 of Kershaw’s full wind ups and followthroughs in the video, and both times his back leg clearly lands behind his plant foot. its a perfect side on shot, nothing ambiguous about it.
Here comes Mr. Misery.
Notice how, though the swing shoe and the plant shoe end up very far apart here, the body mechanics remain tight and compact. Not a good result on this pitch, but the form is strong.
http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/.....1277055729
This plant foot debate between randy l and JF is quickly turning into a game of whack-a-mole.
garza video better and shows similar motion but again not as extreme as pineda.
the question is how far is too much. there has to be a point that it’s too much.
that’s it for me tonight.
to be cont.
ron February 21st, 2012 at 7:24 pm
“I didn’t feel good about my second half, and I’m not going to let it happen again,” Pineda said. “I lost my focus. It was a learning experience. I learned you’ve got to work hard for a full season.”
____
Better not post this; someone might come in here and say Pineda doesn’t work hard.
Jered Weaver……don’t like the delivery…..he’s repeats it….he’s good….he hasn’t gotten hurt.
You could also just say… watch any of Kershaw’s starts and watch him do the same thing. Even if he does not do it every time, why is Kershaw able to find success with this method? No one says Kershaw will get injured, no one bad mouths it. If Pineda is doing 1 thing, we can atleast say he is doing it consistently, and consistency is the mother of success in baseball.
And as I said, there is no evidence other than you trying to latch onto something you perceive as different of what Pineda is doing as being bad for a baseball player. Nolan Ryan often finished with a severe leg whip. Nova has an extreme leg whip, though he lands his leg stiffer and a couple feet to the side instead of behind.
What if Pineda is simply more comfortable spinning after releasing the ball? We know he uses this method to nearly lead the league in K/9 and sport very good control.
yankeefeminista February 21st, 2012 at 7:41 pm
ron February 21st, 2012 at 7:24 pm
“I didn’t feel good about my second half, and I’m not going to let it happen again,” Pineda said. “I lost my focus. It was a learning experience. I learned you’ve got to work hard for a full season.”
____
Better not post this; someone might come in here and say Pineda doesn’t work hard.
///
Maybe Pineda was hanging out with, and was corrupted by, Montero, last year?
Home isn’t where it used to be.
there has to be a point that it’s too much.
–
No there doesn’t.
Good news about Joba being on the full mound tomorrow.
Chad, how does Hughes’ leg drive look?
Also Chad, not surprised by the predictions about Chris Garcia, if only he can stay healthy. Nat’s director of player development, Doug Harris, said Garcia looked very good after Nats’ Instructs and was hitting 95 on his fastball with good sink. I was hoping we would re-sign/rehab Garcia last season.
I’m loathe to even use this example as I know exactly how you would paint it, but a much shorter pitcher named Francisco Rodriguez uses a much more off-balance right handed mechanic than Pineda and he has managed to not only be very successful but develop a change up which is considered his best pitch.
The Olney article I linked talks about how at the age of 15, Pineda had his incredible growth spurt, but was able to control his body as he converted from 3B to P.
Basically Pineda’s control with his size is something to marvel at, not discredit.
Also Chad, not surprised by the predictions about Chris Garcia, if only he can stay healthy. Nat’s director of player development, Doug Harris, said Garcia looked very good after Nats’ Instructs and was hitting 95 on his fastball with good sink. I was hoping we would re-sign/rehab Garcia last season.
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Should have hung on to him just a little bit longer.
jnorris427 Josh Norris
@ @JonHeymanCBS Isn’t his best negotiating tactic just: “I’m Mariano Rivera”?
Garcia was out of options and no place on the 40 man roster
Like a lot of others, I feel Damon brings a certain batting savvy and clutch. Maybe they are working on some observation of Ibanez by Kevin Long that he can fix his swing.
Seems like they won’t carry a 5th outfielder (except for Ibanez, maybe Nunez). That leaves 12 pitchers, if I’m counting right. The extra LOOGY?