Yankees postgame: Small ball/long ball; Nunez runs wild
Posted by: Brian Heyman - Posted in Misc on Sep 16, 2012 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Alex Rodriguez called the Yankees’ five-run third “one of the best offensive innings we’ve had all year.” There were three hits, three walks, one homer (the three-run shot by Russell Martin), one error, one wild pitch and two steals, plus a Nick Swisher sacrifice.
“We get small ball and Bronx ball going back and forth, it’s going to be a lot of fun for us,” Swisher said. “A little Swisher-ism.”
Eduardo Nunez may be an adventure in the field sometimes, but he does have his value, especially in the small-ball game.
“I think I can run a little bit,” Nunez said.
He led off the big rally by working out a full-count walk. The following inning, he led off again and reached on an error before stealing second and third and scoring on an A-Rod sac fly in the fourth. His speed gives the Yankees an ability to create runs that they had been lacking without Brett Gardner.
“He changes the game offensively for us,” Rodriguez said about Nunez. “He has a unique package where he has power, speed and he has enough recklessness where it’s really helpful for our lineup.”
Martin has finally perked up in this lineup. His average is up to all of .209 after a 10-game stretch in which he has batted .343 with three homers and 11 RBI.
“The laws of averages, they’re on my side right now,” Martin said. “I just feel like I’m seeing the ball well.”
Joe Girardi saw Derek Jeter, the DH for the fourth straight game, still limping a little on the bases thanks to the bone bruise in his left ankle.
“I think it’s still hurt,” Girardi said. “I don’t see him as the shortstop yet right now as we speak.”
Girardi said he will see how Jeter feels on Tuesday following the off day. Jeter is one hit away from his eighth 200-hit year and his first since 2009, impressive at age 37/38 this season.
Hiroki Kuroda got some run support, which hasn’t always been the story of his season. He gave up four runs and four hits over six, with three runs coming in the sixth, two on a bad-hop single by Evan Longoria. Kuroda is 14-10 with a 3.26 ERA.
“With that kind of run support, I wanted to go deep in the game … but I hit that bump in the sixth inning,” Kuroda said through an interpreter. “That’s the only regret I have.”
The Yankees have won two in a row, four of five, five of seven and seven of 11.
“We talked about playing better baseball,” Girardi said. “We starting to do that.”
“I think September is going to be the biggest blessing in disguise for us,” Alex Rodriguez said. “This is the kind of baseball we’re going to have to play to win in October. And the other thing is, these are playoff-caliber games. We’re stepping up to the occasion a little bit.”
Un poquito, Nunie.
Nunez is an element we need to win
Nunez is literally taking his opportunity and running with it. Love it.
Good thing for Jeter he had a very good year.
““The laws of averages, they’re on my side right now,” Martin said.”
Yes. Not only on your side Curtis but on the side of the Yankees for RISP. As for the O”s definitely against in 1 run games. I like our chances.
Nunez giveth, Nunez taketh away. What you get at the bat, you lose in the field. I am always uncomfortable when the ball is hit to him. At the moment we need his speed. I hope his glove doesn’t end up costing us.
We don’t need Nunez to win. Been doing it all year. As far as 200 hits at 37/38 being impressive, it is impressive at any age. Also, this is not an aberration but roughly equal to his mlb career average. Hitting 270 a few years ago was the aberration.
Tar, I prefer he were Curtis Martin, who always saw the ball very well and knew what to do with it.
But seriously, I am grateful for the adjustments and the oppo approach.
“I think I can run a little bit,” Nunez said.
////
yeh, a little….modest kid
////
“He changes the game offensively for us,” Rodriguez said about Nunez. “He has a unique package where he has power, speed and he has enough recklessness where it’s really helpful for our lineup.”
Make this man player-GM!
Got to love Alex’s employment of “recklessness”… Nuney’s dynamism and unpredictability give us picante!
I like how Martin has been hitting, I’m just afraid the Yankees will see this one good month (after 5 bad months) as the true Martin and give him a multiyear deal because of it.
Stats aside, and they support it, my eyes show Martin has had a lot of bad luck hitting.
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
Tar, I prefer he were Curtis Martin, who always saw the ball very well and knew what to do with it.
///
YF, what a great tribute to Curtis Martin at JetLife Stadium on Sunday, huh? The way he carries himself, reminds me of Jeter. Class guy. Great ballplayer.
The only bad luck is that Martin is a member of the yankees
Martin had a streak of bad luck before the spigot finally started flowing. He also has been a horrendous hitter at other times this season.
I will say this for Nunez and his defense– it is not as bad as he played. He was voted the best defensive SS in AAA. He came up they made him into some super sub and it didn’t work.
It was obvious from last year that he was a spark plug for the offense. It was also obvious to me that Gardner and Nunez added a special dynamic that somehow just meshes and makes the whole line-up lethal.
It is a lot on a young player to expect him to perform offensively, and at the same time master 3 different positions. I think he rightly focused on his offense, and didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to play all over the infield.
And not trying to place blame but I do wonder how much the Yankees prepared Nunez to play the super sub role they put him in?
longtime, he’s not my first choice, either, but he’s helping the team win at the moment. Been good both in approach & numbers vs. LHP.
Hi Alfred, me, jmills.
Hello Mr. mills,
See my post in other thread? I told Chad to give you my email. I think he’s off right now, but you should have it when he returns. You can recommend a book for me to read: poetry or fiction
.
And you can give me your review of Mr. Bulgakov, too!
Be back, have to listen to Rex’s presser.
Anything by Plath, is King, Alfred.
Take care!
It is a lot on a young player to expect him to perform offensively, and at the same time master 3 different positions. I think he rightly focused on his offense, and didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to play all over the infield.
And not trying to place blame but I do wonder how much the Yankees prepared Nunez to play the super sub role they put him in?
///
Well, he hadn’t played much 3B and he hadn’t played in LF. Suzie asked him in her pregame segment on CBS how many reps he took in the OF in ST. And Nunezy said “None.”
So, I think zinging them for a lack of prep is quite just. Glad the light has finally gone on, though. What irks me about them is the way they’re all rah-rah about something, they give lip service to it, as well, and as soon as it goes awry, they scrap it. Nuney should have been up earlier. But: better late than never
.
P.S. I think Cashman should delegate all personnel decisions to Alex Rodriguez.
jmills September 16th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Anything by Plath, is King, Alfred.
Take care!
///
jmills, she’s a queen, but I need some light to go with her dark
.
Alfred, Sylvia Plath had the light!!!
jmills,
I do understand.
Alfred, thanks. I support Plath no matter what.
jmills,
Ted Hughes was not helpful.
Alfred, Ted Hughes hurt Sylvia!!
jmills,
lockout plus baseball ending….plenty of time to read poetry!
Josh Norris@jnorris427
By my count, there are 208 days til the @TrentonThunder home opener for 2013.
____
For Pruf, Villa, et al.
jmills September 16th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Alfred, Ted Hughes hurt Sylvia!!
////
Yep. An SOB, likely threatened by her talent, which dwarfed his.
Good news that DePaula will be in US for Instructs.
Malkin to Metallurg. At least he gets to play with Gonchar, but I don’t want my players getting hurt, or worse…
Martin has the tools to be a lot better hitter than he is…..he doesnt have a bad swing and hes got good bat speed…..when he thinks middle and opo and just stays short then hes shown he can have some success……its he tries to go Martin to the moonie every swing that he starts pulling off everything and goes in these long funks.
I had the same reaction to Alex’s choice of word: “recklessness” – it’s a wonderful description of the way Nunez is on the bases! And it’s a great balance to the measured approach that is the base of the Yankees attack. And a necessary one!
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Josh Norris@jnorris427
By my count, there are 208 days til the @TrentonThunder home opener for 2013.
____
For Pruf, Villa, et al.
///
Thanks, YF. J-Ram a comin’.
Would Nunez have gotten a shot if Jeter didn’t get hurt?
Alfred and Yankee Feminista. – rock on.
Villa Nova-Ya September 16th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
I had the same reaction to Alex’s choice of word: “recklessness” – it’s a wonderful description of the way Nunez is on the bases! And it’s a great balance to the measured approach that is the base of the Yankees attack. And a necessary one!
////
Our Alex can turn a word
And a full season of Turley, Austin and Flores.
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Good news that DePaula will be in US for Instructs.
Malkin to Metallurg. At least he gets to play with Gonchar, but I don’t want my players getting hurt, or worse…
///
No Aeroflat!
“I had the same reaction to Alex’s choice of word: “recklessness”
Alex Rodriguez–baseball savant.
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
And a full season of Turley, Austin and Flores.
///
Yes to that. And Turley deserved a better fate, I thought.
Pruf, I rode on Aeroflot far too many times. But I’ve lived to tell it, fortunately.
jmills, God’s lioness does!
its he tries to go Martin to the moonie every swing that he starts pulling off everything and goes in these long funks.
///
Um, that’s Nuney’s gig
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Pruf, I rode on Aeroflot far too many times. But I’ve lived to tell it, fortunately.
///
OMG. Thank heaven. Very sad, sad outcome for that Russian Team.
Tar -
I just read your post.
I think the Yankees both recognize and value the dynamic that Gardner and Nunez bring to this team. It’s important to note that both of those players were on the team in April. They tried to make Nunie fit (and perhaps pushed a bit too hard – not easy to learn on the big league level and to be a jack of all trades – you end up being master of none) because they saw his value.
Stuff happened. Gardner got hurt, and I don’t know how you solve the Nunez issue, which is that Jeter ain’t gonna stop being the SS for the NY Yankees for a long time. I hope they figure something out this off-season. I don’t want him traded away. I love rooting for this guy. He’s got an infectious positivity about him.
My favourite American – Plath
yankeefeminista -
200+ days is a looong time!!!! I want to read Norris’ piece. Said it was a retrospective that turned into a look forward that made him excited about next season.
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 8:04 pm
“I had the same reaction to Alex’s choice of word: “recklessness”
Alex Rodriguez–baseball savant.
///
He really is. Wonder if he’s keen to retire to Miami once he hangs ‘em up, or would he want to stick around here? He probably would have a better shot at a high ranking position with the Marlins, than the Yanks, especially if the same group owns the team. Unless, Hank is let out of the attic! He can give him a 20-year contract to be the GM.
Pruf, Turley pitched great. Second playoff start.
Instructs start in 3 days.
Villa, should be an interesting read. Glad we have Instructs to look forward to. And fall league.
jmills, good taste.:)
YF, I’m trying
Tidrow -
It’s possible he would not have. But baseball’s funny.
DRob initially got the closer role when Mo got hurt. But I think many of us thought that while we hoped DRob can eventually be that person, Soriano should have gotten the call. So what happens? DRob gets hurt and Soriano takes the job and runs with it. 40 saves and counting and fate made the right call on this.
Same here. Yankees needed prodding from the baseball gods to put a fresh player in there. But where? Sometimes stuff happens and it’s that “blessing in disguise” – makes it easier for a manager to make a decision he maybe shoulda made on his own, but we all know it’s not cut-and-dried all the time.
Now that that nunez is playing because of a injury not because of girardi now we no gutless joe won’t bench ibanez an jones never want to wish bad luck in anyone but it seems that’s what its going take for dickenson or mesa to play
yankeefeminista September 16th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Pruf, Turley pitched great. Second playoff start.
Instructs start in 3 days.
///
“I think the Yankees both recognize and value the dynamic that Gardner and Nunez bring to this team. ”
Hey Villa
Yeah I do too. I didn’t mean to imply that the Yankees didn’t. I really was expecting somewhat of a breakout year for Gardner. I was hoping for a slash and dash type a la early Gwynn. He has the eye and bat control, just needs a touch more aggressiveness. Kind of funny how a line-up with Alex and Tex and Jeter etc misses the like of the Gardner and Nunie’s.
But having said that I’m don’t think the whole Nunez situation was handled properly. He was not mentally ready for the defensive challenges ahead of him. But in Joe’s defense he stuck with him after that error. And like J Alfred said better late then never.
Tar, I really did like that Joe put Nunez right back out there after the error. Props to Joe. But the Yankees came off as very naive thinking Nunez would be able to play 3B and OF without any prep time. I still am unsure what they were thinking. I wouldn’t just he wasn’t mentally ready, but not physically acclimated to play corner positions. Also not sure why they took so long to bring him back; I understand the supposedly lack of a position, but with the bat speed, base speed, and ability to hit LHP, you have got to get him in there. Sit someone, but just do it. Especially when this team was struggling.
wouldn’t just *say he wasn’t…
referring to DH and not SS
YF
Yes to all of that. And of course you just did a better job at explaining my position.
. I really hope you are not too uncomfortable, and feel well soon.
Good night everyone.
Nunez better we starting DH next year. He isn’t your prototypical DH but can he really be worse than Jones? 1. Jeter 2. Nunez 3. Cano 4. A-rod 5. Tex 6. Grandy 7. Swish 8. Martin 9. Gardner