Is it time for Gardner to play every day?
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 05, 2013 
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In certain circumstances, I guess I disagree with Sean’s central point in this morning’s Pinch Hitter post. For the most part, I like the idea of a platoon player.
A lot of hitters have shown extensive statistical proof that they’re productive against right-handed pitchers but ineffective against left-handers (and vice versa). A platoon is a good way to find relatively cheap value, and a good way to utilize a bench. Defined roles are helpful, and platoons can help break in a young player or get lasting impact from a veteran.
But obviously not every player needs a platoon partner, and the Yankees owe it to themselves to find out whether Brett Gardner is one of those players.
The Yankees have always seemed a bit hesitant to give Gardner an everyday job. Some of that has been because of the guys around him — Curtis Granderson was hitting lefties too well to be benched regularly, Nick Swisher was a switch hitter, so Gardner was the natural choice to sit from time to time for an effective right-handed alternative — but these are Gardner’s career splits.
vs. RHP — .269/.352/.378
vs. LHP — .256/.362/.335
Obviously there’s some more pop against righties, but Gardner’s true offensive value pretty much begins and ends with his ability to get on base and run, and he’s actually gotten on base more often against lefties than against righties. So why sit him, especially in favor of a defensively inferior player?
Some of that might be because of scouting (maybe the Yankees have reason to believe those left-handed splits aren’t sustainable) and some of it might be because of alternatives (maybe the lineup has greater need for a slugger) but some of it might also be because of exactly what Sean wrote: an “increasing comfort” with the idea of platoon player.
It makes sense for the Yankees to carry a right-handed fourth outfielder. And it makes sense to let that reserve get regular at-bats against lefties. But should we assume that Gardner will be the one — or should be the one — to sacrifice at-bats? Not necessarily.
Associated Press photo
yes
The plan is probably (hopefully) to use the RH 4th OF to give all the LH OF a day off vs lhp here and there, not just platoon one of them.
I really hope Gardner has a bounce back year… that would be SO big for our club.
Repost:
Shame Spencer February 5th, 2013 at 9:45 pm
I think the debate regarding kids is tough..
I think it’s in the same vein as complaints over sexy clothing on teenage singers. I don’t believe in the premise of that debate (neither do my parents for what it’s worth), so it’s hard to buy it in this one.
…and the lakers contintue their climb in brooklyn…
With this roster ..,yes Gardner should play every day in CF unless they just wanna give him a day every now and then against a tough lefty
So Chris Carpenter won’t retire and walk away from 12.5 million even though he can’t even pitch….and people actually thought Alex was going to leave 114 million on the table? Nobody will say a word about Carp either
Gardner being a productive every day CF would be awesome.. it would also help us rest a little easier about 2014.
Grandy’s splits against LHP were pretty bad last year… I almost think you’re better off sitting him in that case instead of Gardner.
” blake February 5th, 2013 at 9:55 pm
So Chris Carpenter won’t retire and walk away from 12.5 million even though he can’t even pitch….and people actually thought Alex was going to leave 114 million on the table? Nobody will say a word about Carp either”
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to be fair, carpenter pitched through injuries all last year and came back to help them in the fall when other pitchers would surely have decided to shut it down, have surgery and come back for enough of 2013 to get paid.
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to be fair, carpenter pitched through injuries all last year and came back to help them in the fall when other pitchers would surely have decided to shut it down, have surgery and come back for enough of 2013 to get paid.
Oh I don’t blame Carpenter….just think it’s interesting how he basically said he was done pitching but won’t retire because he wants the money….it’s his right but if Arod does that he will get destroyed
if the cardinals think he can’t pitch at all this year, they should release carpenter.
Ys Guy February 5th, 2013 at 10:06 pm
if the cardinals think he can’t pitch at all this year, they should release carpenter.
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I think the reports today stated he was very likely to not pitch for the entire year and that things don’t look good for him going forward.
Sports’ Jon Heyman tweeted out the following statement from Cervelli:
“Following my foot injury in March, 2011, I consulted with a number of experts, including biogenesis clinic for legal ways to aid my rehab & recovery. I purchased supplements I am certain (they) were not prohibited by Major League Baseball.” – Cervelli
Cervelli needs a better PR person to help him craft better statements.
Biogenesis was an HGH and steroids factory. Plain and simple. Supplements? Lol.
Shoot, at least Melky “Juan” Cabrera smelled like the ‘Braun’ advantage.
Cervelli’s name is just written, not next to any name of PEDs, so he should be technically clear unless they find something else.
Yeah, I know. There’s been no positives or any analytic evidentiary PED links associated with Cervelli. I get that part. But it’s still comical.
mick February 5th, 2013 at 9:46 pm
How can anyone speak for a parent when they are not one?
__
I was a kid. I had parents. I have nieces. I have friends who have kids. I love those kids. Do you seriously think you cannot have empathy unless you experienced something directly? If so, then that inability is on you, not me.
Danny Valencia has released a statement on the Yahoo! report linking him to Biogenesis clinic. Here it is:
“As any innocent person would be, I am shocked and troubled that my name is in any way connected to this story. I have never met or spoken to anyone connected with Biogenesis, in fact I had never even heard of this company prior to the New Times’ story. I take tremendous pride in the hard work and dedication I put into being a professional baseball player and have never taken PEDs or failed a drug test of any kind during my career. I look forward to fully cooperating in MLB’s investigation in any way that I can, and will explore taking legal action if this issue is not resolved in a timely fashion.”
Where’s the post about our starting catcher taking PEDS?Who cares about pinch hitting and Gardner.This PED mess is gonna get worse and worse.
We have a starting catcher??? Stealth Cashman strikes again!
We have starting catchers…
Cervelli is a stahtin’ catcha!
im falling asleep so im not gonna make it.
but feb 6th should be a national holiday.
or a NY state holiday
or at least a lohud holiday!
Happy 118th Birthday to the Greatest Baseball Player who ever lived
Babe Ruth!
Here’s an example of good parenting:
Ch. 7 in NY just showed a video of some 18 year old kid in FLA who was fined $10,000 for drug possession, and then gave the judge finger, which got her 30 days.
I have never see that before.
Yes for Gardner to play everyday. you got to find out what you have in him for present and future.
quick thought, Rays made a good deal in signingl K.Johnson imo, I thought he would have been an option for the Yanks. But Pronk is the high risk high reward guy, if he does pan out, he can be a legit power source in the middle of lineup which K.J. isn’t.
It makes sense for the Yankees to carry a right-handed fourth outfielder.
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whom , my guess is they will roll with Rivera out of spring training unless the other candidates wow Cmoney.
Except Rivera shouldn’t be allowed in the OF anymore. I really hope we don’t have to put up with the same situation as with Ibanez last year.
Someone will probably fall to them between now and the end of ST, either through waivers or a trade. The bar isn’t particularly high at this point.
Good Morning everyone
And the beat goes on:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....-1.1256495
endlessjose February 5th, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Where’s the post about our starting catcher taking PEDS?Who cares about pinch hitting and Gardner.This PED mess is gonna get worse and worse.
So maybe it’s not just about the Yanks starting catcher!
The Yankees should release Cervelli and leave A-Rod on the disabled list for the rest of his contract or until he accepts a buyout of half his remaining salary.
They should also offer Jeter two years on the condition he moves to third base after 2013. If he turns down two years, then he wants at least three, the Yanks should tack on a mutual option for a third year and let him walk if he doesn’t accept that. If he turns down moving to third base, the Yanks should let him walk unless he’s willing to move to third base. If he wants more than $24M for two years, the Yanks should let him walk. The Yanks should offer him $12M a year tops, a $5M savings from 2013 they could use to sign a one-year stopgap veteran shortstop if Nunez can’t cut it. At $12M salary for 2014, Jeter would make $3-4M more than his 2014 player’s option, $9M more than his buyout for 2014, and still make $29M for 203-14, an average of $14.5M a year, $41M 2013-15, just shy of $14M a year. He’d also have job security: a contract through 2015, plenty of time to pass Hank Aaron for third place on the all time hits list (Jeter has 3304 hits and needs 468 hits to pass Aaron who has 3771 hits = figure Jeter collects 180 hits in 2013, another 180 in 2014, and passes Aaron in early 2015.) I predict Jeter will have at least 3843 hits through 2015.
*I meant Jeter would need 469 hits to pass Aaron on the all-time hits list and figure Jeter passes Aaron sometime after the 2015 All-Star break if he collected 360 hits in 2013-14 for 3363 hits total through 2014, 109 hits shy of passing Aaron going into 2015.
Great ! now Cervelli ??
After reading the New Times story, I am not convinced of anything. The sources seem to be disgruntled ex-employees who were never paid their money. I will let this play-out before I pass judgement.
digruntled ex employees are a good source.
and si.com has now got ahold of the evidence and they are publishing it too.
its not clear what services cervelli (and jesus montero) paid for from bosch’s clinic, just that they were both clients of some sort.
If Cervelli said he used “supplements”….. Chances are he used something illegal by MLB standards. Those Aging Clinics don’t give you over the counter GNC products.
The clinics usually delivers HGH or Testosterone to men
If Cervelli used PEDs then he is proof they don’t work
a little more shine comes off ‘generational’s’ star…
Good morning Blake.
Enjoyed my blogcation.
Are we there yet ?
blake February 6th, 2013 at 7:41 am
If Cervelli used PEDs then he is proof they don’t work
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No idea if Cervelli actually used PEDs, and if he did, whether he used enough to make a difference (I assume that this comment is intended as sarcasm). PEDs can clearly make an ageing player stop his decline (as in Bonds and Clemens) and take a good player and make them do things that would otherwise not be possible (Sosa and his >60HR seasons). They will not take a bad player and make them a star as far as the evidence suggests..
I agree with Tar and blake
I would like to see Tex on a list. It would be some indication that he actually cares about getting better.
so now only the cheaters are trying to get better?
So now Tex just said in a recent article that he is resigned to his decline. Did you miss that? Chad had a post about it.
Hey MTU,
I haven’t been around much either….got two sick younguns at the house and I don’t really have much to say that hasn’t been said already anyways…..just tryin to get them healed up and waiting for ST to start
i couldn’t give a crap what a player says in the offseason, that’s why i didn’t even comment on it.
do you remember tex saying he was gonna start laying down bunts?
do you rememeber him saying he was going to try to start hitting to all fields again?
i dont listen to that crap. it means nothing.
Actually, the argument that “Cervelli stinks so if he used PEDs it is proof PEDs don’t work” is just proof that none of you actually know the first thing about them.
Steroids, HGH, and the others do not magically give you the skill to become a professional athlete. They enable you to recover from injury faster (Andy admitted to using them for this reason) they enable you to recover from fatigue faster so you’re able to work out longer and harder without wearing down. They will not help a player hit a curveball or learn how to throw a Mariano Rivera like cutter – but they help players get in better shape. This doesn’t sound bad until you take into account the price your body pays down the road. The body requires natural recovery time for a reason, don’t give it that recovery time and your body will start to break down; plus there are the side effects of the drugs themselves – by creating an imbalance of hormones in your system your mind goes – rage and depression are the most common results. Rich, you said that you’re fine with drugs in that the only people getting hurt are the drug users – how about guys who, in a roid rage, slaughter their families and then kill themselves as was the case with professional wrestler Chris Benoit? You fine with that too?
The drugs work you clowns – saying they don’t work because you don’t understand what they’re supposed to do in the first place is like saying your television doesn’t work because you’re too stupid to know you have to hook it up to a cable box for it to get any channels.
do you rememeber him saying he was going to try to start hitting to all fields again
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Yeah, it lasted about a month. You really like the word crap.
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:04 am
So now Tex just said in a recent article that he is resigned to his decline. Did you miss that? Chad had a post about it.
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As people get to a certain age their skills diminish – this is not a new phenomenon.
When Tex tries to hit to all fields it makes him worse….it’s like Shaq trying to be a 3 point shooter. From the left side his swing always him to pull the ball and hit homers….that’s pretty much it so he should just do that
wow its been like half and hour since i posted that montero is on the list…randy’s montero-dar must be in the fritz…
As people get to a certain age their skills diminish – this is not a new phenomenon.
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Who knew? It started with him at the ripe old age of 30. The new phenomenon is the way monster deals take away incentives. If he was on a one year deal, I doubt he would have the same approach.
MLB is out to get Cervelli.
When Tex tries to hit to all fields it makes him worse
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With his current swing/mechanics.
blake February 6th, 2013 at 8:14 am
When Tex tries to hit to all fields it makes him worse….it’s like Shaq trying to be a 3 point shooter. From the left side his swing always him to pull the ball and hit homers….that’s pretty much it so he should just do that
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Agreed – instead of getting caught up in his head and over thinking, just play the frigging game and stick with what you’re comfortable with – it’s gotten you this far.
so you guys agree that tex is full of it when he talks hitting and what he’s ‘going to do’ , yet dissected every word of what he said the other day like it meant something.
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:17 am
When Tex tries to hit to all fields it makes him worse
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With his current swing/mechanics.
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And because changing his mechanics makes him uncomfortable and causes him to overthink things.
Ys Guy February 6th, 2013 at 8:18 am
so you guys agree that tex is full of it when he talks hitting and what he’s ‘going to do’ , yet dissected every word of what he said the other day like it meant something.
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shhhh…you’re ruining their narratives.
maybe pineda , as a drunken prank, went to bosch’s clinic and wrote montero’s name in the register!
And now it is finally over – after more than a year of generational poetics and snobbery – the end of the Montero talk – my job is done here lohud – I will self-terminate again – now that this has come to light:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....-1.1256495
Sadly, it was never about Montero for me – just the silly overreaction to the trade – but unfortunately Montero came to be the symbol of it all – it pains me as a prospect hugger to hear this about Montero – - – - -
On that note – this is my final sign off – my work is done here – - – -
I missed all of this new PED stuff, is there an article that lists all of these new names together? Braun, Cervelli and Montero?
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:16 am
As people get to a certain age their skills diminish – this is not a new phenomenon.
-
Who knew? It started with him at the ripe old age of 30.
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As it did with many ball players until the drug industry got into the game.
so you guys agree that tex is full of it when he talks hitting and what he’s ‘going to do’ , yet dissected every word of what he said the other day like it meant something.
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I agree that he should remake his LH swing.
Is Jeter on drugs, Chip? Because he found his old hitting coach at nearly 37 and changed his approach. You are drug-obsessed.
RadioKev February 6th, 2013 at 8:20 am
I missed all of this new PED stuff, is there an article that lists all of these new names together? Braun, Cervelli and Montero?
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I hadn’t seen Montero until the Daily News; but Braun and Cervelli were both listed as being people who owed the clinic money – though NOT listed as having received PEDs. Braun says he used the clinic for consultation when he was appealing his positive test and Cervelli said he went to them for treatments that are not in violation of league policy.
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:23 am
Is Jeter on drugs, Chip? Because he found his old hitting coach at nearly 37 and changed his approach. You are drug-obsessed.
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If you’re going to read my posts please read all the words. If there are ones you don’t understand I will be happy to explain them. “Many” is not “all”
Chip
Spare me the condescension.
Blake-
Hope they get well real soon.
Same with me. Just waiting for the season to get under way.
idk if this has all the names, but here are the latest:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....-1.1256495
im pretty sure si.com has a more complete article, too.
McCarthyism is alive and well.
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:28 am
Chip
Spare me the condescension.
———————-
I’m not being condescending. It seems like you might have a problem where you can only read those words in a post that fit into your absurd narrative.
Ok, I am being condescending, but you deserve it.
If Tex, and we will see, continue to decline as LH hitter, then they should start looking for other options to replace his LH ABs. If you are resign to what he is becoming then find it better solution. 1b who can ops 800 plus really isn’t that rare nor expensive.
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:30 am
McCarthyism is alive and well.
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Proof that you know less about McCarthyism than you do PEDs.
Chip
It makes you look bad, not me.
from what i read, the papers from the clinic don’t say what braun or montero or cervelli recieved.
its braun who’s throwing out the story about him owning them money for consulting.
can you believe him a second time?
no comment from montero’s people yet. his agents appear to be very deeply into this as they represent melky and nelson cruz, too.
personally, i’d go with the fertility drug story. seems to work…..
I get it, Chip. You are convinced that PEDs improve performance, but you can’t prove it, so you engage in personal attacks. Keep it up, it’s funny.
you can be a communist and do ped at the same time, study have shown (my pal one testi bob in san quentin embark on one) that there is 77 pct more likely chance that a communist does PED than a Captalist would.
Damn commies
Real work to do…later.
Rich in NJ February 6th, 2013 at 8:35 am
I get it, Chip. You are convinced that PEDs improve performance, but you can’t prove it, so you engage in personal attacks. Keep it up, it’s funny.
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um….what?
this is from 30mins ago from me:
“Steroids, HGH, and the others do not magically give you the skill to become a professional athlete. They enable you to recover from injury faster (Andy admitted to using them for this reason) they enable you to recover from fatigue faster so you’re able to work out longer and harder without wearing down. They will not help a player hit a curveball or learn how to throw a Mariano Rivera like cutter – but they help players get in better shape. This doesn’t sound bad until you take into account the price your body pays down the road. The body requires natural recovery time for a reason, don’t give it that recovery time and your body will start to break down; plus there are the side effects of the drugs themselves – by creating an imbalance of hormones in your system your mind goes – rage and depression are the most common results. Rich, you said that you’re fine with drugs in that the only people getting hurt are the drug users – how about guys who, in a roid rage, slaughter their families and then kill themselves as was the case with professional wrestler Chris Benoit? You fine with that too?
“The drugs work you clowns – saying they don’t work because you don’t understand what they’re supposed to do in the first place is like saying your television doesn’t work because you’re too stupid to know you have to hook it up to a cable box for it to get any channels.”
I posted a few days ago the fact that Ted Williams, who everyone assumed was just being stubborn and unwilling to change by going to LF instead of hitting into the teeth of the Boudreau shift, claimed later that that wasn’t it at all. Ted frankly admitted he simply found it too hard to do! He finally did adjust with the help of a Paul Waner suggestion to stand further back in the box.
But I mean if Teddy Ballgame found it difficult to do, why isn’t it reasonable to think that Tex just can’t do it and that trying to adjust screws him up further? Not everybody, not even pros, necessarily have that ability. That being the case, I agree with Blake, Chip and Y’s Guy – better he does what he still does well rather than further mess himself up.
But I mean if Teddy Ballgame found it difficult to do, why isn’t it reasonable to think that Tex just can’t do it and that trying to adjust screws him up further?
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it perfectly reasonable to consider that. the question is what he does well would be good enough if Yanks are rely 1b as middle of the order option which most teams do.
Good! I’m glad this came to light. Now maybe, finally, all the whining over Montero and second guessing Cashman on this will finally come to an end!!
Dang – this is what I meant to say for my final post – you get one mulligan – here it goes:
The irony of this whole thing is that it all began with speculation – speculation that Montero would be generational – that he was a Mickey Mantle talent – at least from the most ardent Montero supports from this comment section.
And now here we are again with speculation – but it is direct at PEDS and what impact they have on a player’s performance and speculation that Montero may or may not have taken such susbtances.
The ultimate irony is that the snobbish/elitists of this blog (who fortunately I will not have deal with anymore b/c my job is done) cannot handle it when speculation is being pointed back at one of their main principles – that Montero is a beast – a generational greatness – or Melky.
No, the dialogue changes to – you are speculating, it is McCarthysm, you do not know if PEDS actually work (yeah, because all of these professional athletes are stuffing themselves of substances for the fun of it with no intention that it will help their performance and make them millions of dollars – okay).
Remember, if you dish it (speculate about Montero’s destined greatnees), you then have to be preprared to take it (speculate about PEDS, is Montero on a list, did he take them, did that help him hit his generational HRs in Lakewood in 2008).
You can either be a good sport about it and take it as you dished it out over the last year and acknowledge it, or you can whine and complain that others are speculating (doing exactly what you did a year ago). Sadly, and this is the reason why I am outta here, I know a majority will chose the latter – - – -
This is Stoneburner, reporting from Ceti Alpha V in permanent self-exile, with the last wax poetic minute – - – -
Tack-
Right now the only person reporting Montero being on the list is Bill Madden which is a little odd considering that Yahoo Sports had the other names so I’m just waiting until someone confirms that.
my guess is tex have a chance to maintain his power but his walk rate won’t increase because that glaring weakness in his swing mechanic as LH hitter. he is a ruben sierra with no speed as LH hitter and equally predictable to watch.
Can’t believe Gardner will turn 30 this year. They better just let him play every day before he slows down, which he probably has already.
amen stoneburner
I’ll be waiting the release of Stoneburner 4
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tex as a full time RH hitter eventually.
If the Yanks end up with a good RH hitting 4th OF he can play for any of the other three with them either getting a whole day off OR serving as the DH.
I doubt Diaz or Rivera is going to show enough to warrant being in the lineup against all LHP but we shall see.
I think the RH of bat we seek is not this roster 86, I am intrigue by Almonte and Mesa but I don’t know either are really MLB caliber or ready. I see 1 of 3 retread in Diaz,Canzler or Rivera going north for now.
addendum: short of blake abducting J.Up and put him in a Yankee uniform that is.-
I think the RH of bat we seek is not this roster 86, I am intrigue by Almonte and Mesa but I don’t know either are really MLB caliber or ready. I see 1 of 3 retread in Diaz,Canzler or Rivera going north for now.
___
Canzler is gone no?
Didnt the O’s claim him on waivers?
wasn’t paying attention, if he is, scratch that name then AC.
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