Pregame notes: “They just want to be smart”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Sep 07, 2012 
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After running the bases this afternoon, Mark Teixeira told Joe Girardi and Steve Donohue that he felt healthy enough to play tonight.
“Joe and Steve Donohue agreed that when you say you’re OK, you’re probably saying it too early,” Teixeira said. “Give it one extra day. I would have loved to play today but they just want to be smart. … If I don’t play tomorrow, then we’re going to have a lot of conversation. Today I just said, OK, whatever you guys think is best. Tomorrow I definitely want to play.”
Teixeira said his strained calf still feels a little bit tight, and despite the state of the division race, that tightness was enough to leave the Yankees a little hesitant.
“I think the tightness lets me know that the injury is there, and so I’m not going to give it that extra burst,” Teixeira said. “Speed is not my game anyway, as you guys know. It’s not like I need to go out there and run balls down in center field. If I don’t steal any more bases this year, it’s going to be OK. If I don’t leg a triple out that could have been, it’s not going to kill the team. I think we’d rather just be safe and make sure that I could run at 85 to 90 percent and be OK.”
Teixeira said he expects to return as a first baseman, not a designated hitter, because it’s easier to stay loose when he’s playing the field.
“I know what he’s been through the last 10 days and how he’s felt,” Girardi said. “He was able to run today, and I wouldn’t even call it 100 percent, but he was able to run better than he did on Tuesday and than he did yesterday. Our thought is, see how he feels tomorrow and if he feels OK, we’re going to put him in there.”
• No word on Ivan Nova, who wo’nt be activated tonight but could be activated tomorrow. Girardi said the Yankees still haven’t settled on a role for Nova, and it seems fair to wonder whether Nova could start in place of Freddy Garcia on Sunday or take David Phelps’ next start in Boston. “Right now we haven’t made any decisions,” Girardi said. “We’re on rotation.”
• Andy Pettitte will throw another simulated game tomorrow. Under normal spring training circumstances he would likely throw roughly 30 pitches, but it seems he could throw more than that. “We’re speeding it up a little bit,” Girardi said.
• Pettitte will see the team doctor in New York on Monday.
• Went back to Dave Robertson for further clarification on his recent pitch selection. First thing to know is that he does not throw a cutter. When you see “cutter” listed on PitchFX charts or on MLB.com’s GameDay, that’s just his four-seam fastball which has always had natural cut to it. I remember that being the case when he was in the minors. He’s doing nothing to make it cut more or less from pitch to pitch, it’s just that it’s often listed as a cutter these days. As for using his curveball less often, Robertson said he’s just been really happy with his fastball lately, and when that pitch is effective, he tends to stick with it. He said he’s gone through fastball-heavy stretches as far back as 2008.
• Against this home run hitting Orioles lineup, Phil Hughes will be faced with a challenge of keeping the ball in the ballpark, or at least limiting the homers to solo shots. “For him it’s always that fastball command and using his other pitches,” Girardi said. “That’s how he gets a lot of people out is with his fastball, so he has to use his other pitches to make it better.”
• Asked about Eduardo Nunez’s playing time, Girardi said once again that the Yankees are only planning to use Nunez as a shortstop these days. With Jeter at short and Alex Rodriguez getting a DH day, that left no spot in the lineup for Nunez.
Associated Press photos
Good job letting Nunez get practice at multiple positions in AAA so he could help out at spots other than SS when he got called up.
i know, right?
Well newsflash DRob….you dont have Mariano’s command and you cant just throw all fastballs…..you have a great curveball…..use it…..especially when youre facing a fastball mashing lineup like Baltimore
“Good job letting Nunez get practice at multiple positions in AAA so he could help out at spots other than SS when he got called up.”
What positions did Nunez play in AAA, and how many in each game, do you know?
“Good job letting Nunez get practice at multiple positions in AAA so he could help out at spots other than SS when he got called up.”
They decided to just play him at SS becahse he was a nightmare defensively when they tried making him a utility guy.
girardi and smart does not sound right. Girardi and stubborn more like it.
I don’t think people have really understood how valuable Nunez could prove to be as a shortstop in his career. He has some power and could feasibly hit 15-20 home runs in a season and drive in between 50 and 80 runs with 20SB and probably a pretty decent avg (at least 260, more feasibly 280). There aren’t many shortstops who are that good offensively. The kid can improve his defense. He has good range and a good presence at the position. He’s also got a pretty good presence in the batter’s box. Many teams could use a guy like him as a starting SS. I think we’re spoiled by the numbers that people like Derek Jeter and Troy Tulowitzki put up that we forget about all of the light hitting shortstops in the league.
Ultimately, what I’m saying is that the kid has trade value and he might even have a future with this team in replacing Derek Jeter, but it’s hard to imagine that could happen in the next few years with the way Jeter is playing…
Nunez played 14 games in the infield and 4 in the outfield for SWB.
I find that so many responses to what is posted are knee jerk and facile. How about doing a little homework before you are so quick to criticize.
DRob’s best pitch is his curveball and his usage of that pitch is down 10% lately.
It’s like everyone on this team is set to stupid or suck lately.
charleston, Girardi had said that Nunez was being groomed to be the next Yankee SS. Whether or night that ends up being the case, I don’t know. But I know he said it.
trisha – true pinstriped blue September 7th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
“I’m excited to see again a couple of the mid-season additions, Pearce and McGehee. Their acquisitions helped turn the team around. And coincidentally, they were cheap.”
Absolutely feel the same way, austin.
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Austinmac is obviously being sarcastic.
LGY September 7th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
@AndrewMarchand: Girardi said he didn’t give Nunez really any consideration for the lineup today.
2 years after Nunez was the breaking point in the Cliff Lee trade.
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Was it Nunez or Nunez and Nova?
I’m glad Tex will be fully rested for those huge games in December. Oh wait.
Nunez played 14 games in the infield and 4 in the outfield for SWB.
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For the Yankees. They sent him down and he played every game at SS or DH in AAA. They are giving up on him as a utility infielder, which is probably smart. He isn’t a good enough defender to move around the diamond and expect even average play.
Pearce and McGehee, two guys who were touted for strong platoon splits and who have been platooned 100%:
.200 .273 .200 .473 and .186 .234 .326 .560
“DRob’s best pitch is his curveball and his usage of that pitch is down 10% lately.
It’s like everyone on this team is set to stupid or suck lately.”
How about some are set to not really being back to where they were before injury?
“For the Yankees. They sent him down and he played every game at SS or DH in AAA. They are giving up on him as a utility infielder, which is probably smart. He isn’t a good enough defender to move around the diamond and expect even average play.”
Even more reason not to start him in the outfield!
One thing i don’t get… why does Rothchild never go to the mound? I swear…. every time one of our guys gets in a jam, we just let him pitch himself into a complete melt down. Larry is just hanging his arms on the side of the dugout doing nothing. This dude should be out there the moment a pitcher looks rocky. Calm him down. It really bugs me… your the pitching coach. Get out there and talk to your pitcher bro.
JF-
How do you see the Texas middle infield situation playing out into the future… do you see Kinsler being traded and Andrus or Profar moved to 2B? Or some other scenario?
Nunez isn’t an option for outfield play right now… even though I’m not sure he’d be that much worse than Andruw. Nunez would actually be best at DH in my opinion for the stretch run. It’s not like Ibanez/Andruw/Chavez are tearing it up at that spot right now.
How do you see the Texas middle infield situation playing out into the future… do you see Kinsler being traded and Andrus or Profar moved to 2B? Or some other scenario?
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Andrus probably goes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to keep Andrus and Profar.
Even more reason not to start him in the outfield!
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Yea but that doesnt address realkevins complaint, which is that they did not prepare him to even be an option.
They could probably get a nice haul for Andrus too…
What’s sad is if that is actually the case.
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100?s of pitchers get hamstring injuries and none of them are bringing it up 5 years later. It is a lame excuse
Tabbert – it bothers me too when there aren’t trips to the mound to calm the pitcher, etc. – whether it’s the catcher or Rothschild. Do you think that Rothschild doesn’t want to embarrass them, especially the vets, or make it looks like he doesn’t have confidence? I don’t agree with it, by the way, but just wonder if that’s any part of the reason.
Nunez looks aight in the OF, why can’t these think out of the box for a sec and play him some in the OF. I think Nunez has a chance to above average MLB ss as a whole package. but if you aint going to play him as SS (see Jeter) then make him two dimensional at least. now it’s prolly too late. This whole organization lacks creative thinking…
“100?s of pitchers get hamstring injuries and none of them are bringing it up 5 years later. It is a lame excuse”
Because they’re not bringing it up doesn’t mean they haven’t suffered from it. I tend to give the benefit of the doubt as opposed to thinking they’re pretending. But I have no way of proving it either way.
“Yea but that doesnt address realkevins complaint, which is that they did not prepare him to even be an option”
Sorry, I confused that with someone asking about the outfield.
Jones and McGeehee might very well run into a fb against Chen tonight… but it doesn’t mean trotting em out every day because the opposing happens to have a guy throw on the opposite side. DHing hasn’t kept him healthy, it’s his leg stupid. For christ sake, play him on the field already G. Free the DH spot.
Oh the drama, Nova for Freddy Sunday?….Andy for phelps, next start…I can’t take it….
Nunuez to DH next 2 games…Arod to 3rd.
Ichiro out next 2 games?
Gotta love this…
Cashmoney September 7th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Nunez looks aight in the OF, why can’t these think out of the box for a sec and play him some in the OF.
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I’ve never seen Nunez in any of his minor league games in the OF but from what I have seen in his major league games in the OF he has looked very shaky. I’m disappointing Arod is @ DH tonight, if the injury was to legs I could understand back to back days @ DH. I’d like ot see Nunez in the lineup but considering how big these games are now I would not have him in there at anything other than DH.
Texas will trade Andrus before they trade Profar……but I wouldnt trade either.
mcgeehee and pwearce t gether? my god…
what entertainment….
If youre gonna trade Andrus then the deal that probably makes the most sense is to try and deal him for Upton then just play Profar at SS…..I dont think Id do that if Im Texas and I hope they dont because 1) I want Upton and 2) I want Andrus as a FA ina couple of years
jones and ichiro a platoon? crazy…
nah Butt, I def would not play Nunez in tonight’s game in the OF. But i think given some practices Nunez can’t be worst than Iba and JOnes out there. The idea is that Nunez doesn’t have the hands and footwork to be all over the infield which i agree. But it don’t mean you categorically determine he can’t be better the two dinosaurs out there in eventuality. Which means, play him half and half in the minor in SS and OF is something reasonable to entertain.
As of now, I would not stick him in the OF.
What I will be looking for from hughes is velocity.
I would have DFA’d Jonesy by now…..he wouldnt play another game.
Trisha-
I really don’t know. The thing is… i notice it the most when hughes and nova have been on the mound. So, i don’t really understand why the pitching coach would not be out there to help calm down our young pitchers. I just find it really odd. It seems like a lot of these meltdowns happen because the inning starts to unfold way to quickly. One way to slow the pitcher down, the pace of the game, etc… is to take a slow walk out to the mound. I am sure that he goes out there a lot and I am just not remembering. But… it has to not happen enough for me to notice and be upset about it. lol
Guys – every manager has a reason for setting a lineup the way he does. Because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense. Managers are paid to think about yesterday, today, AND tomorrow. I’m sure Girardi believes that he has put together the best lineup to face Chen and has reasons for each person.
Okay, I’m not saying I necessarily understand each and every move. But I do try to find the logic in what he does. And if I can’t find stats to back it up, I know there is a managerial reason for it happening. Maybe against this team he isn’t willing to chance anything beyond that lineup. Maybe he wants the most major league experience he can put together. You know he believes in his players.
This is a critical game. The Yankees have been up and down for a long time now. Maybe against the hot O’s he’s not willing to chance someone with lesser experience.
JUST GUESSING HERE.
trisha-
your approach to the game is simplistic.
it mean nothing to say pitching, pitching , pitching ad infinitum.
quantify it.
what percentage of your payroll would go into pitching?
we know you’d trade montero for pineda. what about cano for a pitcher? how far do you go in building this “pitching” team?
the yankees are going to spend about 185 million in 2014. how much of this do you want to be allocated for pitching?
if you want good pitching are you going to pay a premium for defensive players.
what’s your ideal score you’re looking for?
i assume it’s a 4-3. 3-2, or 2-1 kind of thing. you do realize that the lower the scores get the more likely a lucky run will be a factor. this is why both good teams and bad teams both tend to play .500 ball in one run games.
if you want to take luck more out of the equation you’d want to create a lot of scoring where the good team would not be penalized as much by one run.
in other words the 1936 yankee team that scores about 7 runs a game isn’t going to be as affected as much by that lucky run as say the 1959 white sox that scored about 4 runs a game.
1936 yankees had a 4.17 era
1959 white sox had a 3.59 era
notice that when teams get good pitching there is not much of a gap between really good and just good. generally a half a run or so.
that’s because once you get to a point there’s not any real way to go much lower.
on the other hand , offense can add lots of runs upward.
pitching only can be reduced on an extreme level by about 4 runs because you can’t get better than zero.
but offense can go up infinitely though in practice the difference between good and bad teams is almost few runs a game.
in short, it is easier( less expensive) to create a run on offense than it is to reduce a run with pitching .
Okay… pulled out my Robbie Cano 2011 All Star shirt. Lets hope that He has is own Home Run Derby tonight.
Tab – I have felt the same way many times. Other pitching coaches go out to the mound with regularity.
The Yankees are sure a different breed. That brings with it both good and bad.
Fingers crossed for tonight. See you game time!
The lucky shirt is officially on. Let the winning begin tonight.
randy, I just started to read your post but definitely want to discuss it with you. In what I read you bring up very good points. I will answer anything you’ve asked to the best of my ability. I’m taking a before-the-game run to drop something off to my niece. See you gametime and then after to go over that question.
Triple Short of a Cycle September 7th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
What’s sad is if that is actually the case.
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100?s of pitchers get hamstring injuries and none of them are bringing it up 5 years later. It is a lame excuse
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Maybe it was more than a hamstring
Ichiro knocked in 2 runs with a clutch hit in the 8th inning last night. So tonight he sits.
Meanwhile Nunez just seems to sit and sit some more. Way to add some speed to the line-up.