HOPE Week continues with Jorge Munoz
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jun 26, 2012 
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The New York Yankees are proud to continue HOPE Week 2012 (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) on Tuesday by celebrating the charitable work performed by Jorge Munoz. Yankees players Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Hiroki Kuroda and Boone Logan will honor Jorge Munoz by surprising him in the kitchen of his home and helping him cook the daily meal he prepares for 140 people. Later that afternoon, Munoz and his family will be the Yankees’ special guests for their 7:05 p.m. game vs. Cleveland. They will watch batting practice from the field and be part of pregame on-field ceremonies. Shortly after the start of the game, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman along with Yankees front office staff and former HOPE Week honorees will join Munoz in traveling back to Queens to assist in distributing food to the hungry at Munoz’s usual time and location (9:30 p.m. underneath the elevated subway tracks at Roosevelt Avenue and 73rd Street).
THE STORY OF JORGE MUNOZ, “AN ANGEL IN QUEENS”
http://www.anangelinqueens.org/
Known as the “Angel in Queens,” Jorge Munoz, 48, emigrated from his native Colombia in the 1980s with his mother and sister, and spent his subsequent years working in retail stores and as a school bus driver. In 2004, he drove past a group of mostly Latino day laborers who were standing underneath the elevated subway tracks on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens. They told him that on days they cannot find work, they go hungry.
Identifying with their plight, he began bringing them food. That first night it was eight brown bag sandwiches. Now, eight years later, he is responsible for feeding as many as 140 individuals a night with meals ranging from chicken with rice, to beef with pasta, to pork with beans. While some neighborhood businesses contribute supplies, the majority of cooking is done by Munoz, his sister and an assistant cook in the tiny Queens home he shares with his mother, his sister and her son.
Since beginning his work with the hungry in 2004, he has established his own nonprofit and served over 70,000 meals to New Yorkers who otherwise could not afford to routinely enjoy a hot meal. Jorge has missed serving food just one night over the last seven years due to an impassable snowstorm. He continues despite being laid off from his job in December.
i can’t believe i never heard of this. this is literally 5 blocks away from my place…
Great story.
this is what i love about Hope Week, that it highlights awesome individuals like this and brings attention to what they do
For my LoHud friends:
Never get into fights with ugly people, they have nothing to lose.
Now I really must go
Repost:
Shame Spencer June 26th, 2012 at 11:12 am
The problem with defensive metrics are the varied playing fields. There’s not a lot you can do about that. It also can’t take into account the defensive abilities of the other outfielders. The fact that they leave something to be desired might not really change given those hurdles.
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Jerkface June 26th, 2012 at 11:13 am
It also can’t take into account the defensive abilities of the other outfielders.
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For the most part that shouldn’t matter.
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Shame Spencer June 26th, 2012 at 11:15 am
JF – Well it depends though, doesn’t it? If Gardner can get to balls from LF that normally the CF would cover, it might make it seem like Granderson isn’t making plays he should be. Or am I interpreting the stats incorrectly? I’d think having speedy LF and/or RFers could hurt a guys metrics.
Jerkface June 26th, 2012 at 11:19 am
Or am I interpreting the stats incorrectly?
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Yes. It doesn’t hurt Granderson directly. If the ball is caught by Gardner, Granderson would take no penalty. The only way it would hurt Granderson is because he would not get any credit for it, so he may not have a foundation of easy catches to help pad his miscues.
But Grandy hasn’t had Gardner by his side all season, and he is dead last in range. Last year there was a good article on either IATMS or sweet spot NYY that showed the biggest hits to Granderson’s defensive metrics. His iffy route running, some times overconfident positioning, and poor reads leads him to botch some routine outs that hurt him overall.
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Thanks JF.. how does the difference in field construction affect the metrics?
I guess I thought the UZR thing was determined by those quadrants.. so my thinking was if Gardner kept catching balls in Grandersons quadrant, it would seem as if he wasn’t making those plays when he should be.
Even the most ardent stat head will agree that defensive metrics are far too flawed to be considered anywhere close to an accurate measure of a player’s ability in the field.
Thanks JF.. how does the difference in field construction affect the metrics?
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Unless there is something terribly weird (fenway LF), they shouldn’t really. Most stadiums that have a weird construction are going to be like an extra big section of the stadium, but balls hit there will have little impact on a fielder’s UZR because average players won’t get to those balls.
Even the most ardent stat head will agree that defensive metrics are far too flawed to be considered anywhere close to an accurate measure of a player’s ability in the field.
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Even the most eyeballinest eyeballer will agree that the eyes are far too flawed to even be considered anywhere close to an accurate measure of a player’s ability.
Give me the breadth of multiple defensive metrics any day.
Jerkface June 26th, 2012 at 11:28 am
Even the most ardent stat head will agree that defensive metrics are far too flawed to be considered anywhere close to an accurate measure of a player’s ability in the field.
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Even the most eyeballinest eyeballer will agree that the eyes are far too flawed to even be considered anywhere close to an accurate measure of a player’s ability.
Give me the breadth of multiple defensive metrics any day.
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I’ll take the combination approach.
I’ll take the combination approach.
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So you think the metrics are complete hogwash and yet you’re willing to take a combined approach? What you are saying should match what you say you are doing.
Who would have guessed before yesterday’s game that
Wise would hit a HOME RUN that went further then
Cano’s HOME RUN?
Nobody would have predicted that.
Wise swung at that hanging breaking ball as if he knew the pitch was coming.
I was watching the game last night courtesy of ESPN. Sutcliffe and Boone went on and on about how “GREAT” Cano has become. They declared he is by far the best player on the Yankees team.
I have to agree.
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-yo.....-evaluated
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Here is the article I mentioned that breaks down where Granderson lost a lot of points last year.
Even the most eyeballinest eyeballer will agree that the eyes are far too flawed to even be considered anywhere close to an accurate measure of a player’s ability.
Give me the breadth of multiple defensive metrics any day.
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Give me Granderson’s game saving catch against the Tigers in the ALDS last year where A.J. was on the ropes.
I dont think defensive metrics are all hogwash ….and I think a lot of scouts are dumb….so I like a combination of both as I dont rely on either totally……
JF-
Nice find.
Boston.com reporting that Obama got booed for making a Youkilis joke (he’s a White Sox fan). Sad thing is…they were saying “Youk.” How does Boston.com not pick up on that? The Pres did misinterpret it too, but I’ll give him a pass.
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....readerComm
Does anybody think we would be better off keeping ajax,and ian kennedy instead of granderson?
With the payroll situation,and ajax having a great year?
We could of traded kennedy for a position player,maybe a rf/lf?
Hip hip Jorge Munoz — good job.
Jerkface June 26th, 2012 at 11:35 am
I’ll take the combination approach.
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So you think the metrics are complete hogwash and yet you’re willing to take a combined approach? What you are saying should match what you say you are doing.
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I never said they’re complete hogwash. I said they’re flawed. Just as observation is flawed. There is no one perfect system and thus using a combination is helpful. For example, if both observation and metrics show a player to be an outstanding defensive player – then odds are pretty good that’s what he is. If observation shows a player to be outstanding but metrics suggest he’s average then there’s more room for debate either way.
ron June 26th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Does anybody think we would be better off keeping ajax,and ian kennedy instead of granderson?
With the payroll situation,and ajax having a great year?
We could of traded kennedy for a position player,maybe a rf/lf?
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I’m sure there’s someone who does – I’m not one of those people.
Musta been a Miracle that Granderson made those diving catches in the Alley vs Detroit in Game 4. Of course, you had to actually See those catches to appreciate how quickly and how much ground the man had to cover to make the catches even remotely possible.
“There is no one perfect system and thus using a combination is helpful.”
But then how do you choose the right combination? How do guard against bias confirmation?
One could argue he made those diving catches as a result of being out of position/not reading the ball off the bat very well.
Grandy is still a perfectly acceptable OFer in my opinion.
Shame Spencer June 26th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
One could argue he made those diving catches as a result of being out of position/not reading the ball off the bat very well.
Grandy is still a perfectly acceptable OFer in my opinion.
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But could the argument be made that we’d be better off with Granderson in LF and Gardner in CF?
“Grandy is still a perfectly acceptable OFer in my opinion.”
Especially acceptable when he has 21 HRs by June 26th.
We all Saw how he read the ball off the bat. That issue will Not hunt. NEXT
If we knew everything we know now you could make an argument against the Granderson trade……but you cant judge in hindsight…..you have to go on what they knew then
RadioKev June 26th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Shame Spencer June 26th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
One could argue he made those diving catches as a result of being out of position/not reading the ball off the bat very well.
Grandy is still a perfectly acceptable OFer in my opinion.
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But could the argument be made that we’d be better off with Granderson in LF and Gardner in CF?
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Oh sure. Gardner is just faster.. he might be one of the fastest guys in the game. That can cover (I would think anyway) for a lot of other deficiencies he might have (like tracking balls). But the point is kinda moot right now. We need upgrades in the OF. I don’t care if they find a RF/LF or CF.. but they need to find one of the three to strengthen the line up and D.
“BIS also tracks what it calls Good Fielding Plays and Defensive Misplays & Errors, in which it tags plays into approximately 30 positive (GFPs) and 50 negative (DM&E) categories. The system is explained in greater detail here. Granderson rates as high risk and high reward, ranking among the leading center fielders in both GFPs and DM&Es.”
From Face’s link. This is why some (many?) Yankee fans think Grandy is a really good CF. The spectacular plays stand out in your head. When you see a great play, you think to yourself, how could Grandy be a poor CF? Look at the play he just made! As perfectly evidenced Donnybrook just above
DONNYBROOK June 26th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Musta been a Miracle that Granderson made those diving catches in the Alley vs Detroit in Game 4. Of course, you had to actually See those catches to appreciate how quickly and how much ground the man had to cover to make the catches even remotely possible.
DONNYBROOK June 26th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
We all Saw how he read the ball off the bat.
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Not sure exactly what it would mean. Of course you saw it, it was on TV. How do you know he was in the right position initially? Conversely, one could argue he was asked to play closer to the wall… meaning he had to compensate for the defensive strategy employed by Uncle Joe.
Haven’t liked the look of Granderson’s at bats lately. He seems to be guessing at every pitch…and getting it wrong most times. Need to get him and A-Rod going some time soon.
“But could the argument be made that we’d be better off with Granderson in LF and Gardner in CF?”
Yea you could……but what if Granderson was much worse in LF than Gardner while Gardner was only marginally better in CF than Granderson.? I think it probably would be better with Gardner in CF…..but right now I dont see it as an issue…..if they do re-sign Grandy then it should be to play LF though….
blake June 26th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
If we knew everything we know now you could make an argument against the Granderson trade……but you cant judge in hindsight…..you have to go on what they knew then
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That and Jackson doesn’t make up for Granderson’s production. Nor does Montero. Can’t really reinvent the past, so it’s not worth it.
At the end of the day I think it’s a reasonably fair trade.
If we’re being honest, the stats for defense are not as intuitive to someone uninterested/ill equipped to look into how they’re calculated. Some people just aren’t interested and the calculations aren’t exactly simple. BA, OBP, etc, are just easier for people to understand at a basic level so I can’t really fault people for being unable to grasp some of the concepts involved in the defensive metrics.
I saw a study once that said Grandy in Left and Gardy in Center would only save a few runs throughout the whole year. So it probably isn’t worth rocking the boat.
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Yankees have really proven that they can win on a consistent basis. This club might completely go run and hide with their lead in the East.
blake June 26th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
“But could the argument be made that we’d be better off with Granderson in LF and Gardner in CF?”
Yea you could……but what if Granderson was much worse in LF than Gardner while Gardner was only marginally better in CF than Granderson.? I think it probably would be better with Gardner in CF…..but right now I dont see it as an issue…..if they do re-sign Grandy then it should be to play LF though…
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My only point is that to say Granderson is “perfectly acceptable” when you’ve got a guy that could be “great” doesn’t seem right. I’m not really arguing for it (all though it would make sense), just putting the thought out there…why should we be content when we could be better?
There are a lot of domino’s that fell due to the Granderson trade and we dont know how they fall without it…….there is a scenario you could come up with where they signed Holliday instead……Kennedy is in the rotation so they then dont trade Montero……they eithee deal Gardner or Jackson for something else they need etc……
“e…why should we be content when we could be better?”
As Unknown said…..at this point I dont think its worth rocking the boat for…..if they continue on with both of Gardner and Grandy then its probably something to visit at some point…..
blake June 26th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
There are a lot of domino’s that fell due to the Granderson trade and we dont know how they fall without it…….there is a scenario you could come up with where they signed Holliday instead……Kennedy is in the rotation so they then dont trade Montero……they eithee deal Gardner or Jackson for something else they need etc……
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Exactly, who’s to say what would have happened. At the end of the day we got a fair trade and an offense upgrade.
And by the way…Kennedy’s not having a hot year…not that I’ve really monitored him. 4.42ERA.
“There are a lot of domino’s that fell due to the Granderson trade and we dont know how they fall without it…”
We don’t even know how quickly Kennedy and Jackson would have blossomed here, or whether they would have at all.
I could come up with a hypothetical where without the Granderson trade the Yankees lineup right now includes Holliday, Montero, and Austin Jackson……and their rotation includes Kennedy and a Jordan Zimmerman or somebody that Gardner was traded for……would they be a better team? Maybe…..but its really difficult to say how things would have played out……all we know is that Granderson has hit 62 homers since the start of 2011…..and thats pretty good.
sounds like a good time to mention the “fallacy of the predetermined outcome”
which only exists in the mind of Mike Kay…
http://riveraveblues.com/2012/.....o-2-70749/
Marco Scutero for the Yanks? I like it if they can get him for virtually nothing on the prospect side…..Jeter needs more rest…..
What blew me away on Jackson’s stats, was that he was outslugging Granderson. 21 HRs – how could that be? Wel, twenty less games, for one.
Would the Yankees have had the patience to put up with Jackson’s struggles last year?
It’s a whole nother ball of wax in Yankeeland.
Axisa (MLTR) says Wigginton might be available soon. Always liked him, plays everywhere. $4million, team option for 2013.
“Would the Yankees have had the patience to put up with Jackson’s struggles last year?”
Dont know about the Yankess…..but the fans certainly not.
blake June 26th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
http://riveraveblues.com/2012/…..o-2-70749/
Marco Scutero for the Yanks? I like it if they can get him for virtually nothing on the prospect side…..Jeter needs more rest…..
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No thanks. I would rather have Nix out there or Nunez before Scutaro.
Plus, last night Scutaro was beaned in the helmet by a Strasburg fastball.
Wiggy cant play SS though….which is what they need….tbey need somebkdy to spell Jeter
Nix and Nunez arent very good SSs which is why Derek is playing so much…..I hope Nix plays tonight ….seems like a great day to give Jete a full day off with Masterson pitching.
As an old school baseball fan, and one who played the game into college, I can sorta see the value of sabermetrics when it comes to hitting numbers, mainly because numbers are numbers. But the defensive metrics, or whatever it’s called, is bunk. I would much rather judge a defender on what I see. Things like positoning and jump on the ball and footwork are what make a good fielder.
Who would you rather rent for the rest of 2012…..Carlos Quentin or Shane Victorino?
Dont know about the Yankess…..but the fans certainly not.
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Yeah, I was a big Jackson fan and hated the trade but because it was the Yankees and the instant results meme, I choked it down. It helped that Granderson isn’t chopped liver and has lived up to the top percentile. Trade was as advertised – now compared to three years from now.
Jackson is smooth in the field though. Worth watching a couple of innings now and then.
We all watch a lotta Yankee games, which obviously includes many different Yards. How many balls do you recall falling into the alleys for doubles\triples??? And I’m talking this season without Gardner in LF. Where a player is positioned, and the jump he gets onna ball, are 2 Entirely different things.
munson15 June 26th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
As an old school baseball fan, and one who played the game into college, I can sorta see the value of sabermetrics when it comes to hitting numbers, mainly because numbers are numbers. But the defensive metrics, or whatever it’s called, is bunk. I would much rather judge a defender on what I see. Things like positoning and jump on the ball and footwork are what make a good fielder.
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I think the point, and I could be wrong, is that the metrics illustrate if a player has good positioning and/or footwork. If they do… theoretically, the numbers will show that.
I’ve watched several Philly games with Wigginton at 3rd and 1B. The guy is an absolute butcher, (worse than Nunez), and on the bases he’s a tugboat. NO SOAP
I would only trade assets for a player that will start in the playoffs.
http://riveraveblues.com/2011/.....how-50796/
This is why nunez in not a backup infielder.
Wave Your Hat June 26th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
“There is no one perfect system and thus using a combination is helpful.”
But then how do you choose the right combination? How do guard against bias confirmation?
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You don’t – hence the imperfection.
Per MLBTR
The Phillies won last night but are still in fourth place in the NL East, eight games out of first and 4.5 back of the wild card spots. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said he could be a seller if his team doesn’t improve back in May, but in today’s Insider-only blog post, ESPN’s Buster Olney says Philadelphia has yet to put Cole Hamels or Shane Victorino on the market.
Olney says contending teams are monitoring the Phillies — as well as the Brewers — to see if they become sellers in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. The Blue Jays have already inquired on both Hamels and Victorino, and you have to think almost every team in the league will check-in on those two at some point. Amaro could also market Juan Pierre, Ty Wigginton, and Joe Blanton at the deadline, though that is just my speculation.
Milwaukee could offer Shaun Marcum, though his recent elbow injury is throwing a wrench into those plans. He tried to play catch yesterday but things did not go well according to Todd Rosiak of The Journal Sentinel. The Brewers also have trade candidates in Zack Greinke, Randy Wolf, and Francisco Rodriguez.
blake June 26th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Who would you rather rent for the rest of 2012…..Carlos Quentin or Shane Victorino?
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Tough call – I guess it depends. If Gardner comes back I would take Quentin – he would DH the rest of this season and then Cash could try to keep him as a lower cost alternative to Swish.
If Gardy isn’t coming back then I would take the Flyin’ Hawaiian to improve the LF defense from the Ibanez/Jones platoon. But he would strictly be a rental since I don’t think an OF of Gardner, Granderson and Victorino is a legitimate possibility.
How about:
Adam Warren and a lower level prospect to the Astros for Jed Lowrie and Justin Maxwell
Yeah, the time to get Wigginton was 2-3 years ago.
Headley would be a good get, but very expensive I fear.
“Adam Warren and a lower level prospect to the Astros for Jed Lowrie and Justin Maxwellx
I think itd take more than that.
Q – YEP
Free Agent Victorino – NOPE
P.S. Anyone noticed how Colby Rasmus has come to life? Maybe Toronto would trade in the division for young pitching…
blake June 26th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
“Adam Warren and a lower level prospect to the Astros for Jed Lowrie and Justin Maxwellx
I think itd take more than that.
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I guess it depends on the second guy – Maxwell is a fourth OF so I don’t think he would take much; he’s essentially a guy you get for PTBN – so it’s really Warren and a low level guy for Lowrie…which I would still do.
If Gardner cant come back then Victorino woukd be a nice target for the right price…..
Cashman would be eating Crow if he dealt for Maxwell – Not Gonna Happen.
Lowrie is a prerty good player having a nice year…..he can start for Houston so I dont think theyd deal him for a B prospects…..
Victorino is a free agent. Plus, his most productive spot in the batting order is leadoff\Jeet. NOPE