“We need everybody to swing the bats”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Sep 13, 2012 
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At some point, positive signs have to turn into positive results, right?
Derek Jeter is having a great year, and Alex Rodriguez has hit since coming off the disabled list, but the strength of the Yankees lineup is its depth, and for a few weeks the Yankees weren’t getting much from Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher or Robinson Cano. The past few games, those three have hit, and the Yankees need that to continue.
“Everybody,” Jeter said. “We need everybody to swing the bats, especially this time of year. I’m happy to see we’re getting it going, especially Curt hitting home runs. Swish really has been swinging the bat pretty well. It’s great to see the results.”
Swisher’s cold streak came at the end of a hot streak, so it was a little easier to look past it. Cano’s cold stretch came near the end of another very good all-around season, and there was no chance of Cano dropping down in the order. Granderson is the one the Yankees had to worry about because he’s been cold for months, and he’s pretty close to an all-or-nothing guy even on his best days.
After that three-hit, five-RBI game in Baltimore on Sunday, Granderson went deep twice last night.
“Everything still feels the same as it has before,” he said. “It’s just a matter of I wasn’t able to get the consistent contact the way I wanted to. I don’t necessarily feel like I’m locked in by any means now. I didn’t feel like I wasn’t locked in before. Just, something wasn’t executing the way I wanted it to.”
For the Yankees lineup to execute the way they want it to, they need Granderson to hit his homers, they need Cano to be an elite hitter, and they need Swisher to be all-around productive.
“Those are two big bats in our lineup,” Joe Girardi said. “Grandy had a huge night for us, Robbie Cano with the two-run homer as well, Swish hitting the ball off the wall (and) swinging the bat pretty good with a couple hits (Tuesday). It’s really important to our lineup.”
Associated Press photo
Ive read a lot of criticism about Girardi’s managing the last couple of games…..particularly the bullpen management. My question is how could he do it differently? Who else could he pitch?
The problem that a lot of folks keep glossing over is that their bullpen just isnt very good……Girardi has two guys that he can have confidencein out there…..3 if you count Logan I guess but even he is somewhat shaky at times.
He cant throw Robertson and Soriano every relief inning…..and the issue is that aside from 2 guys the rest are matchup guys unless Joba permanently gets straightened out.
They miss Mo badly……Soriano has done a great job closing but having one less non situational reliever is really hurting them…..
Im not sure what else Joe can do to be honest……hes trying to navigate late innings with mediocre relievers in very important games……thats not his fault
Still cant believe Cashman didnt add a reliever in July or August………
I’d love it (but probably not as much as the players would) if the press was banned from speaking to the players for 1-2 days each month.
That way, Giro wouldn’t be forced to repeat the platitudes and we wouldn’t have to read them any more. Just hit already, I don’t need to hear the generic microanalysis anymore
Hopefully Jeter can at least DH tonight…..they need his bat against the Lefty
Ive read a lot of criticism about Girardi’s managing the last couple of games…..particularly the bullpen management. My question is how could he do it differently? Who else could he pitch?
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blake, some yankee fans have to blame someone for the loss, Giradi is usually the scape goat
All of Joe’s pitching changes do get annoying but what folks miss is the reason he does it…..the reason he does it is because virtually all the middle relief guys are matchup guys and they arent very good……and are nightmares against opposite handed hitters.
My only critique of Joe.last night was that I think he coukd have left Phelps in longer……after he pulled him it was survival mode
I did not watch the game last night … but I would like to read some meaty stuff like ABs analysis from the said names above instead of stating the obvious. a two year could have written this post. but regardless, lohud does provide an friendly environment in most are freely to express their opinions on the NY Yankees. tell me why they got the hits, not the fact they need to hit.
In hindsight, I should have added that I do not fault Chad, I’m talking more about the hounddogs who smother Giro at every opportunity and dogpile on the players in the showers and batting cages
I am saying Chad could have written something more original then rehash the obvious.
Wade has been doing better of late. I think he might be returning to his earlier season form. At least, I hope so.
The Yanks didnt score more runs last night in large part because Nix, Ichiro, and Stewie came up with runners on base and they didnt come through.
The Yanks just dont get enough hits as a lineup…..they can draw walks and they can hit homers but they dont get a lot of big hits because they dont get a lot of hits in general……especially in the bottom 1/3 of the lineup
“Wade has been doing better of late. I think he might be returning to his earlier season form. At least, I hope so.”
Hopefully…..I dont know if they have time to regain trust in him though…..he was important last year and looked good the other night…..so we’ll see.
Considering how bad Teix has been, it’s ironic how much the Yankees miss him. The subs have been even worse with Swisher as his replacement. Ibanez, Jones and Ichiro have basically been none factors, black holes if you will.
Then come the streakys in varying degrees. Swisher, Granderson and Martin are enigmas. The whole platoon mess must be driving Girardi around the bend. The Yankees got lucky that Granderson didn’t miss two cookies, especially the one by Aceves. That was on a tee.
the yankees are swinging the bat, they need to make hard contact though. Ks, pop up, routine groundball is not going to do it.
good stuff Bo. Cogent as usual.
My only critique of Joe last night was that I think he could have left Phelps in longer……after he pulled him it was survival mode
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That’s the thing. BECAUSE he has fewer 6th and 7th inning options he needed to get a few ore outs from Phelps.
He also didn’t need to go through the bench in the 6th inning. He hits for Ibanez and Chavez but not Ichiro and Stewart? Doesn’t add up.
And it’s obvious Girardi has no use for Nunez which is confusing.
“Considering how bad Teix has been, it’s ironic how much the Yankees miss him.”
I think Tex is a bit like Hughes in that we focus so much of what he was supposed to be that we overlook what he is…..
“That’s the thing. BECAUSE he has fewer 6th and 7th inning options he needed to get a few ore outs from Phelps.”
I agree there.
blake September 13th, 2012 at 9:31 am
The problem that a lot of folks keep glossing over is that their bullpen just isnt very good……Girardi has two guys that he can have confidencein out there…..3 if you count Logan I guess but even he is somewhat shaky at times.
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This is basically what I was trying to say last night, regarding the loss of Mo and how magnified it is… but I think it was taken as complaining about not winning by enough runs somehow lol.
I’m surprised that the whole creaky mess hasn’t collapsed in a ten game winless streak. They keep staggering along. This is where I feel defensive about Girardi. “Options, I don’t have no stinking options”. The oppo trots out a lefty then a righty reliever, and it’s “Okay, we’re done, no more runs today”.
The starters have pitched more high stress innings then any mortals should, the BP ditto.
Maybe dialing up the pressure a notch will help us in the playoffs this year, instead of being on cruise control after mid-August for once. Hey, it can’t hurt, except the BP’s elbows
If Nova or Pettite finish strongly the Yanks could have Hughes/Phelps and Joba in the pen which would be pretty strong.
Girardi on Phelps was a juggling act. On the one hand you want to nurture the rookie, who did a very nice job, but is fragile vs the BP arms who are tired. It’s the Swiss cheese dike.
It’s like a special diet kitchen at a nursing home. Cano, Chavez and Ichiro don’t hit lefties, Jones and Ibanez don’t hit at all, Nix shouldn’t be playing every day, Granderson and Swisher – are to whom it may concern, and so on, ad infinitum
Nunez had a .969 fld% at SS in the minors this year. Major league avg this year is .977. I guess Joe doesn’t know that or doesn’t trust it.
Although Nix has a .983 fld% at SS this year so I guess he has earned it.
- THURSDAY MUSINGS -
(1) EVERYBODY in Yankee Land is all fine-and-dandy following the Yankee win last night. Problem is, the Yanks won due to the HR. A double edged sword, that is used Against the Yankees by Playoff caliber Chuckers. No joy in Mudville when you win like the Yanks did last night. ANY team can win when hitting HR’s.
(2) NOT sure why Nunez was called up Sept 1. Guy was banished to the bushes to learn one position\SS. Jeet goes down during the game, and Girardi allows Nunez to continue gathering moss. Not to mention Girardi Publicly questioning Nunez’s slide after Tuesday night’s game. Girardi continues to drag this kid down.
(3) Soriano continues to do his best Stanhouse Routine with the gut wrenching 9th inning tight rope acts. Come playoff time, that aint gonna fly.
(4) R\Sox\Valentine continue to be a Bad MLB Cartoon. The multiple ejections were right outta the last reel of a Three Stooges short, minus the creme pies. And their continued proclamation about continueous sell-outs is hysterical.
(5) Jeet goes down for Any length of time, and you got Trouble In River City. He’s the glue, and the Yankees are a balsa wood Spruce Goose. They are big-and-bad, but things would fall apart quickly minus The Captain.
It’s like a special diet kitchen at a nursing home.
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That’s just it lol, we don’t have enough players that compliment each others flaws.. only ones with all the same flaws.
jack, from what i recall, Nunez did a serviceable job defensive last year at SS. I think his stay at AAA this year was all in all brief due to injury, hence, you can make a case that fielding pct is by product of SSS. But… I can understand Joe being leery of it since every game is a big game henceforth. The problem is if you don’t play Nunez or find a spot for him at DH one of these days, you are essentially relegate him to pinch runner duty. With all the dinosaurs this lineup has, I find it hard that Nunez can’t be utility in any other ways. Frankly, Yanks been losing with this cast, what’s wrong with take a chance on Nunez for a game or two?
“If Nova or Pettite finish strongly the Yanks could have Hughes/Phelps and Joba in the pen which would be pretty strong.”
I dont see any way you can take Hughes out of the rotation unless he just bombs like all the rest of his starts
I read the Yankees once again were O’ fer in RISP… I am surprised that never made it to any analysis of last night’s game…. or is that something we take for granted?
Francesa fell asleep on the air while on the phone with sweeney? Hilarious!!!!!
he fell asleep because of the 3 meatball subs he downed for breakfast….next time needs a Yuuuuge Pepsi to make it work
Well, Nunez had a terrible fld% last year at SS. That’s probably why Joe won’t put him there. I would also like to see Nunez a little instead of the old dinosaurs, he’s an exciting player at times.
Good to see everyone in Yankeeland is happy this morning as the team is on a one-game winning streak! Be nice to do something we haven’t done for a month and make it two-in-a-row tonight. No more games left against the Orioles and the Rays are going to regard this weekend’s series as a “must win” so a pretty important four days coming up. If we’re still tied for first come Sunday night I’ll be satisfied.
“I read the Yankees once again were O’ fer in RISP… I am surprised that never made it to any analysis of last night’s game…. or is that something we take for granted?”
1 for their last 25 with RISP.
I fondly remember Nunez and Gardy running riot last year. Was it only last year, seems like ages ago.
Hard to take Hughes out of the rotation when he’s arguably been the second-best pitcher in the second half
Iglesias is one of the slickest gloves Ive seen at SS in some time……but he also has one of the wettest noodles Ive seen for a bat at the big league level.
Makes me wonder…..would Ozzie Smith have ever become Ozzie Smith had he played today? Would a team have given him like 5 years to learn how to hit just because of his glove? Im not sure…..
Here is my attempt at predicting Girardi’s lineup:
Jeter – DH
Swisher – RF
Arod – 3B
Cano – 2B
Martin – C
Granderson – CF
Jones – LF
Nix – SS
Pearce – 1B
Let Mcgehee play….Pearce sucks
Here’s the lineup I would like to see tonight (but won’t):
Jeter – DH
Swisher – 1B
ARod – 3B
Cano – 2B
Granderson – CF
Martin – C
Nix – SS
Dickerson – LF
Suzuki – RF
the yankees roster will be ideal if it is played in basketball rules, you can sub offense and defense. Sub nix with nunez, sub jones/ibanez with mesa/dickerson. Not I am saying that nix, jones and ibanez are hitting but they are being put in there as if they are.
have those of you who keep calling for Nunez at SS ever actually watched him botch the simplest of plays there?
I don’t understand why Nix pinch hit for Chavez so early in the game when he already had 2 doubles but that is a question for another day.
Moving Nix to SS late in the game made all the sense in the world instead of putting Nunez out there made all the sense in the world, the last thing you need is an error on a simple play late in one of these games.
I wish the Yanks had a big enough lead so that they could throw Nunie out there some to.see if he could catch the ball well enough……also to give Jeter more rest…..but with things being as tight as they are I cant blame Joe too much.
nunez at ss? the yankees played nunez at ss in the minors exclusively when he was demoted bec. they think it is his best position and he is good there, plus they think playing him all around cause him to make all those early errors. Girardi on the other hand would not play him there. 2 thoughts, which one is right? I guess the only way to find out is if girardi will be brave enough to play him there.
“nunez at ss? the yankees played nunez at ss in the minors exclusively when he was demoted bec. they think it is his best position and he is good there”
I think moreso because its where he has the most value…..hes still not good there or hed be playing some.
Phelps’s two seamer has Kuroda like last night the way he was nipping the inside corner with it to lefties……Ive always loved that pitch since Maddux kinda brought it to light. Very effective but takes some confidence to throw as your basically throwing a fastball at the hitter and trusting it to move back to the plate.
Phelps being in the conversation next year for the starting rotation is a huge boost. I still think you have to try to get Kuroda back for another year, but boy would it be nice to have Phelps as the 5th or 6th guy as opposed to Freddy.
Meanwhile, our season doesn’t live or die by what happens with Nunez but if we aren’t getting him in there more can we get Dickerson or another young OF involved more? Do we have any good defensive guys down there, even if they don’t have a bat? Or is that Dickerson lol?
MG, I see what you saying. Nunez is wild card at D in a big spot. and every game is a big game. I can see Joe’s preference going to a sure hand in Nix. No one is arguing that is the prudent move. Put him at DH or LF is an option, Fenway might be a tough choice because of Greenie. But Jeter’s fielding pct was 969 in his first full year and 962 in 95 while Nunez fielded to the tune of 972 at SS last year. The point is, he needs some rep to find out if he is the long term solution at SS, I think so, but no one to find out if you don’t play him.
They are using Alex as DH, though.
“We need everybody to swing the bats (more selectively)” /fixed
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Not crazy about Robi talking to the media about being The Man. He needs to be more discerning, not try to compensate for the lineup in every AB and on every swing.
Robi’s is a special bat, but he can’t carry the lineup alone. Not like he’s a centerman in hockey, or a point guard in basketball, controlling the tempo of the the offense and the game.
He just has to take care of his own ABs. That’s how he can help best.
And Chad, they were pitching “around” him before the injuries.
Villa, entertain the thoughts of Alex @ 3B when you facing a lefty, or giving Jeter’s barking ankle a day off and sub him late innings. Or put in LF for a game or two with certain match up where the ball won’t find him as much. all of which are plausible scenarios.
I agree Pearce sucks, but I haven’t seen much to make me believe McGehee does not as well.
Girardi has no one to turn to against left handed pitchers. The Yankees face three more in the next four games. I am hard pressed to be confident.
Likewise, Girardi has no one to rely upon to pitch in the middle innings. If someone could suggest a reliable pitcher, I’m sure he would like to hear it.
Cashmoney, don’t know what you are looking at, but Nunez fielded .913 at SS last year, not .972.
Cashmoney -
They seem adamant that Nunez will not play anywhere but SS. With Hughes going today, perhaps they’ll put him in the field today, put Jeter at DH, and “chance it” with Alex at 3B. I don’t know why they’re putting Alex at DH so much (is his hip barking???).
Unless Jeter physically cannot walk, he’s not letting anyone take his place right now.
I watched the game via ESPN last night. Curt Schilling had so many positive things to say
about Phelps, before he even threw his first pitch.
Schilling said Phelps can be a legit #3 starter for the Yankees. Schilling loves the way Phelps throws the ball.
During the game, Schill was almost predicting how Phelps would throw his next pitch and for the most part Phelps followed what Schill had predicted. AMAZING!
In the inning where Phelps left the leadoff runner stranded at 3rd, Schill could not say enough terrific things about how Phelps attacked the hitters and kept the runner from scoring.
my bad Jack, you right. I just hit my 83 hr for the season…
definitely look under the wrong column in baseball ref.
Red Sox for sale.
Yea it was weird watching the game last night because I felt dirty liking what he was saying……Schilling is actually a pretty good announcer.
Phelps got a double play in the 6th right? I didn’t understand why with no one on Girardi didn’t try to get that last out from him either, but I guess you want to make sure after a couple of so-so outtings that the kid walks away with confidence. That early hook is going to be the death of this team in the playoffs though… CC, Kuroda and Hughes will all need to go 7 for us.
“Red Sox for sale.”
Interesting
JF, link?
Jerkface September 13th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Red Sox for sale.
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I’m seeing the reports.. is this real life?? I hope not.. it might make them contenders again. But the fire sale to the Dodgers would absolutely lend itself to this story making sense.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/ind.....-on-block/
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/9.....-liverpool
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports......-for-sale/
blake September 13th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Yea it was weird watching the game last night because I felt dirty liking what he was saying……Schilling is actually a pretty good announcer.
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Very true. I almost wanted to shout, “shut up already”, but Schilling kept making more and more sense when he discussed Phelps.
I actually enjoyed his commentary.
I hate it when the blog tells me I’m posting too quickly… I have something to say!! Quickly!
The other day it wouldn’t let me post the word ‘bad.’ twice lol… even if I capitalized one letter I hadn’t before it told me it was a duplicate comment lmao.
Please let it not be Cuban.
“I hate it when the blog tells me I’m posting too quickly… I have something to say!! Quickly!”
Lol.
Maybe McCourt will buy them!
Hal, don’t let the Sox sell before you do. Call Cuban.
Hey guys,
I just hope that Jeter takes an Andruw like trot down the line, instead of going all out as usual.
It figures, that the Sux are for sale, the fire sale makes complete sense.
PAbe says that further discipline is coming for aceves today and being released isn’t out of the question after his stunt last night.
Also luccino called the fox buisness report nonsense.
Ys – What did Ace do now??? I must’ve missed that.
Hey Mac,
Read your post yesterday, thank you, is very good to have you around as well
Aceves pretty much refused to give the ball to valentine when he went to get him.
I almost feel bad for Bobby V…..he never had a chance with that bunch.
Blake,
In any case, I think Bobby V stays as manager. I think that bunch will be shipped out as the others were. With maybe Pedroia staying. They are in full rebuilding mode
when Bobby came to get a aceves after he got bombed he handed the ball to Saltalamacchia and walked off the back of the mound avoiding Valentine
luis September 13th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Hey guys,
I just hope that Jeter takes an Andruw like trot down the line, instead of going all out as usual.
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He won’t. Which is really why they should sit him for just one full game. I dunno exactly how many off days are between now and the playoffs but losing Jeter would literally doom us at this point in the year. You know he won’t be 100%, he hasn’t been for at least a month or so (which makes it even more incredible how good he’s been!!), but a day off could at least give him some rest at the moment.
Oh man, I dunno how I missed that (probably watching Britney on X-Factor..)… I wish the elf didn’t have to go deliver a baby, because I would have loved to see another confrontation between the two. When they showed the replay of it during the game yesterday it struck me how Ace was kind of grilling Bobby with his eyes and seemed to have said something to him as Bobby just walked away.
I actually like Valentine… but it’s still strange to see all this support coming out of no where.
The lineup today should be like this:
Jeter DH
Swisher 1B
Cano 2B
Rodriguez 3B
Granderson CF
Martin C
Mesa LF
Suzuki RF
Pena SS