Pregame notes: Just a day off for Cano
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Jun 15, 2012 
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Robinson Cano is just fine, just getting a day off. Even with an off day yesterday, Joe Girardi said he felt like this was a good time to give Cano a precautionary day off against a left-hander who’s had some success against him. Cano is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in his career against Gio Gonzalez. Jayson Nix is 3-for-7 with a home run.
“It’s preemptive,” Girardi said. “He got spiked the other night on his leg. We’re going to have this stretch of games, then we’ve got 13 in a row. I felt, if there’s a time to do it, now is the time. Nixy has seen Gio, had some success off him, so I figured it works out OK.”
Cano said he tried to change Girardi’s mind — he had the day off yesterday and didn’t need one today — but Girardi’s generally been proactive about keeping his players healthy. If Cano’s going to get a day off, it might as well be against a National League team with a starting pitcher who’s given Cano some trouble.
Although he was spiked earlier this week in Atlanta, Cano said that’s a non-issue.
Turns out, Cano actually has a bit of a friendship with Bryce Harper, who asked to meet Cano during the spring of 2010. The two exchanged numbers, and Cano said he texted Harper just a few days ago to congratulate him on his hot start in the big leagues.
“He can throw, run, hit,” Cano said. “The thing is, he’s only 19. I know he’s going to criticized and things, but I hope people understand he’s only 19, and it’s hard to come up to this level with this opportunity to learn and improve. Sometimes you’ve got to say, he’s a young kid, he’s not even 20 yet. Hopefully he learns quick and soon, because he’s got all the talent to be here for a long time.”
• Andy Pettitte turns 40 today. When a group of reporters gathered around him, someone joked that we were there to sing him Happy Birthday. “I want to hear it,” Pettitte said. “Let’s go. In four different parts.” Needless to say, the Yankees beat doesn’t do four-part harmony.
• Speaking of Pettitte, there’s a set of four lockers on small piece of wall in the middle of the visiting clubhouse here in Washington. This week, those four lockers belong to Alex Rodriguez, Pettitte, CC Sabathia and Derek Jeter. In this presidential city, that’s quite the Mt. Rushmore of Yankee locker assignments.
• With Dave Robertson activated, Girardi once again confirmed that he’ll use Robertson in an eighth-inning setup role, but the success of Boone Logan and Cory Wade would make Girardi comfortable switching things up depending on the situation. “If you’ve got left-right-left in the eighth and you’ve got three right-handers in the seventh, maybe you flip Robertson and Boonie around a little bit,” Girardi said. “There’s things you can do just because those guys have pitched in the back end of games.”
• Girardi on the conversation telling David Phelps he was being sent to the minors: “He was good. He understood. It’s never a fun time to listen to that conversation, but this is a young man that we have high hopes for. We think he’s going to be a starter for us in the future. Our starters have been giving us a lot of distance so he’s going to go down and start. They’re building him up down in Tampa and then he’ll go to Triple-A. If we need him before that, we’ll call him back.”
• Girardi seemed hopeful that Brett Gardner could be back soon after the all-star break. “The way I understood it, it was three or four weeks that he’d be back,” Girardi said. “We’ve said that before, right? It just depends on how it heals. I don’t think any of us really have a true timetable of when he’s going to come back. He’ll come back when he feels good.”
• Unexpected but welcome surprise in the clubhouse: Gene Monahan is here, filling in for Steve Donohue. “Stevie’s got a graduation to go to, his daughter’s graduation, so Geno’s going to fill in for a day,” Girardi said. “It’s great.”
Associated Press photos
5-1 UCLA over Stony Brook in the 3rd.
Loved going to Omaha as a kid… we never got there at Mizzou but it is really a great tournament. Cool to see 2 newcomers in SBU and Kent State this year also.
tomingeorgia June 15th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Glad to be back on somebody’s bad side. Legislating (coercing) behavior, besides criminal behavior, based on “progressive thinking (meaning I’m right, you’re wrong)”, has started more conflicts than its settled. I don’t care what anybody watches on TV, what sexual preference anyone has, or what color someone is. Just leave me alone and go on your way. Deal fairly with me and I’ll be your friend. Proscription doesn’t attract me. Personal rights do.
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“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.”
“Nixy” = #baseballscandal2012?
Nick in SF June 15th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
“Nixy” = #baseballscandal2012?
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gotta love nicknames that are longer than the actual name.
cano is something like 11/20 vs. the nats bullpen, including 7/13 vs. the lefties(burnett, m gonzalez and gorzelany). cano will miss ab’s against a guy he can’t hit and will pinch hit against either a righty or a lefty he can hit.
LGY,
Who said that?
Gorzelany is in the Nats ‘pen now? Good lord…
Pat M.,
Thanks, by the way.
gorzelanny has 0 starts, 18 appearances, 30IP.
I guess we’re going to find out how good this Washington team is
I guess we’re going to find out how good this Washington team is
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I think they’ll make the playoffs, or atleast get 1 of the wild card games, but I don’t think this series is going to make any grand statement. They won 2 out of 3 or swept us or whatever in 2009.
GregD June 15th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
I guess we’re going to find out how good this Washington team is
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We’ll find out how good this Washington team is by where they are entering September. The biggest question in my mind is whether they can hold up over time not how they are playing right now.
Binder Joe’s inability to understand the concept of small sampl size is getting the better of him once again. Let’s hope it doesn’t get the better of the Yankees today.
Ys-
How’s he doing? Seems like the guy has been everywhere with really little to no success as a starter
Niblick June 15th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Binder Joe’s inability to understand the concept of small sampl size is getting the better of him once again. Let’s hope it doesn’t get the better of the Yankees today.
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He’s just giving Cano a day off… did you think he would play all 162?
I just want to find out if Mick Kelleher can outrun the Presidents.
tyler i wasnt even aware he was on the nats, and i lost the br page but i think it was lik 3.2 era and a 1.22 whip.
the strange thing about this natinals team is that their best two hitters, werth and zimmerman have contributed next to nothing so far, werth on the dl and zimmerman slumping since coming off the dl.
Nick,
No, Lincoln wins tonight.
the binder mentality is producing one hell of a bullpen again. and this time you can’t dismiss it and say anyone could build a bp around mo…
Tyler – no, but Binder Joe justifying it by citing Nix’s success (in 7 AB) shows how stupid Joe really is.
” Lincoln wins tonight.”
dibs on old george…
cano is 0/9 with 4K vs. gio but pretty much owns the bp.
strategy my man, strategy…
I think his previous ABs against Gio is just a secondary thing to talk about…..he wanted to give Cano a day off or he wouldnt be playing Nix over him no matter who is pitching…..
Ys Guy,
But Adams and Jefferson have been getting packages from Papi, so it’s hard to tell.
Well i agree that three games won’t be a complete test….we should get some idea……
Binderball knows bullpens….thats for sure….
what are the odds on teddy?
…he’s due…
Giving Cano a second day off is far from one of Girardi’s worst crime.
Cano and Granderson both need to recharge their batteries once in awhile.
That’s a clown lineup bro. As Robbie said, he had yesterday off. He’s in the prime of his career and he doesn’t need another day. Stop meddling, bro and don’t try to fix what isn’t broke, you clown.
You’ve won 6 in a row and you just might need Robbie to turn two in a pinch, instead of someone not familiar with the position.
“but Girardi’s generally been proactive about keeping his players healthy.”
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The exceptions being Jete when he had the bad leg and Grandy who just lives out in CFer.
here’s the all time president’s race standings from wiki: george washington 94, thomas jefferson 108, abraham lincoln 151, teddy roosevelt 0 and jason werth 2.
Cano and Granderson both need to recharge their batteries once in awhile.
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I remember last year Cano went ages before any time off and it showed.
fercrissakes,
The guy has played every game, can’t hit the guy who’s pitching. A day off is a sin? Ought to give Granderson the same thing, bu I can’t think of a pitcher he can”t hit.
How has Teddy never won? That seems impossible…
Chad, that is a very beautiful picture of Robinson; he is a recognizable statue framed against a poppin’ sky. Nice, did you take it?
(Cont.) That is, it’s the model for a fine statue, but he is in action, handing something. Visually alive. You musta been laying with your head on a step.
(Cont, again, sorry) I guess he’s demonstrating his famous flip for double plays.