Well, as you can see the blog looks a little different these days. The logo artwork up top is created by Michael Tramontozzi (thanks tram), and also, since a lot of times I'm inspired by other sites about what to write on here, I gave you guys some links so you can check out some other great sites as well. There is the WCWP Sports blog, which is the blog for the radio station I'm part of, MLB Trade Rumors which has more rumors than anyone can handle (if its whispered, they hear it), RiverAveBlues which is a great blog run by three guys who refuse to tear down the old Yankee Stadium, The Lohud Yankees blog which is run by Peter Abraham and is my new obsession for this spring training. If you want any information, up to date, as soon as it happens about what is going on with the Yankees, check out that one. Eat Sleep Mets is the blog of my friend Ryan Schlachter and that's just on there to be nice, and finally, my favorite site that you all know about, The Pinstriped Bible. That is an official Yankee blog, written by Steven Goldman, but I love it due to the fact that unlike the majority of official blogs, he is actually allowed to write negatively about the team. He truly gives an honest, open look at the team and it is fantastic. It's updated Mon-Fri while all the other blogs have daily updates.
On a team note, the Yankees were listening and they decided not to go with a long reliever at the beginning of this year. Dan Giese, Brett Tomko and Alfredo Aceves will go to AAA, and Jonathan Albaladejo will being the year in the major leagues. This spring training, Albaladejo pitched 9 2/3 innings with 8 K's and a 0.93 era. I think we all like those numbers. The bullpen is set now, and he will join Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras and Phil Coke. I like that bullpen, what do you guys think?
The only roster spot left to fill is the Utility Infielder. Ramiro Pena or Angel Berroa. Berroa is a much better hitter. Much better. The only problem is, this player is only going to be on the team until A-Rod comes back, so he wont be hitting much. This guy will be playing defense and pinch running. Pena is much faster, and scouts say he is already an above-average major league defender. He cant hit for nothing, but he shouldn't be getting at-bats so it will be OK. I'm worried because he has hit great this spring and hes a bigger "name" that they will go w/Angel Berroa, but that wouldn't be the right choice in my opinion. Get Pena some major league experience and then send him back to AAA when A-Rod is ready. The one thing is, neither of these players are on the 40 man roster, so in order to bring one of them up, someone will have to be designated for assignment, and will potentially be off the Yankees. My guess is going to be Dan Giese because he doesn't really fit in anywhere with the team, he had a poor spring, and the Yanks may be able to get something for him. Humberto Sanchez is a possibility as well, considering his injuries in the past, but my money would be on Dan Giese.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Line-up is set
This doesn't come as a surprise, and you all know my stance on it so I'll keep this short, but Brett Gardner was just named the Opening Day Center Fielder. To quote a great man "Very Nice!!!" Melky will stay with the team as the 4th Outfielder. Hopefully Gardner produces and Melky doesn't see much playing time, maybe we can even deal him away since he is out of options. Well, with all being set, now we just have to know who will be the utility infielder Angel Berroa or Ramiro Pena (my vote is for Pena) and who is/will there be a long reliever? ( my vote is no long reliever, stick with the best relievers and bring Jonathan Albaladejo. Don't put Brett Tomko on the team just because he can throw more than one inning. He can throw four innings, but that doesn't mean those innings will be good. Kind of like Miguel Cairo, yea he can play 27 positions, but is he good at any of them?)
That was the most I've ever written inside of a parenthesis. Pretty cool I'd say. So, as of now, here's how the Opening Day Line-Up could possibly look:
1- Derek Jeter- SS
2- Johnny Damon- LF
3- Mark Teixeira- 1B
4- Hideki Matsui- DH
5- Jorge Posada- C
6-Robinson Cano- 2B
7- Xavier Nady- RF
8- Cody Ransom- 3B
9- Brett Gardner- CF
What do you guys think?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A bit of Bad News
Today I bring a bit of bad news. This was announced a few days ago, so you guys may already know, but Bob Sheppard will not be ready for opening day. The man who will not reveal his true age, but is believed to be about 98, dealt with a bad case of pneumonia last year and is still dealing with it so he, his family and his doctor believe he needs more rest and should stay home on opening day.
Sheppard has been the voice of the Yankees since before the invention of baseball I believe. This is sad news because all of us grew up with Mr. Sheppard, but, obviously, his health is the most important thing so I wish him all the best with his recovery. On a side note, if and when Mr. Sheppard is healthy enough, obviously he will not be well enough to do it on a consistent basis, he can make some very special guest-appearances, so the Yankees need to hire a new full time announcer other then the Faux-Sheppard they had last year. That man was trying to re-create the voice of the Yankees and it was not working. There is no other Bob Sheppard so the Yanks should go in a completely different direction. Maybe a woman? Corey Sobel? Uncle Johnny? All work, as long as its not the guy from last year.
Mr. Sheppard, I wish you, your friends and family, and your grandmother Helen Brown, all the best of luck and support.
2 Side Notes: Yankees acquired Charles (No relation to Nick) Nolte today for a player who because of the Rule 5 Draft, wasnt even on their team. Its confusing, but if anyone is interested in how this happened, let me know and I will fill you in. Nolte played in Low-A ball last year and had a 2.05 ERA. He will prob never see major league time with the Yankees, but hey, its better than having a 5.00 ERA. Secondly, Girardi will name his opening day center fielder either tomorrow or Monday so he can use his Regular-Season line-up during the last week of Spring Training. Through comments he has given recently as well as Brian Cashman, Gardner has all but locked up the job. As long as I'm not getting too far ahead of myself, this time, they got it right.
Sheppard has been the voice of the Yankees since before the invention of baseball I believe. This is sad news because all of us grew up with Mr. Sheppard, but, obviously, his health is the most important thing so I wish him all the best with his recovery. On a side note, if and when Mr. Sheppard is healthy enough, obviously he will not be well enough to do it on a consistent basis, he can make some very special guest-appearances, so the Yankees need to hire a new full time announcer other then the Faux-Sheppard they had last year. That man was trying to re-create the voice of the Yankees and it was not working. There is no other Bob Sheppard so the Yanks should go in a completely different direction. Maybe a woman? Corey Sobel? Uncle Johnny? All work, as long as its not the guy from last year.
Mr. Sheppard, I wish you, your friends and family, and your grandmother Helen Brown, all the best of luck and support.
2 Side Notes: Yankees acquired Charles (No relation to Nick) Nolte today for a player who because of the Rule 5 Draft, wasnt even on their team. Its confusing, but if anyone is interested in how this happened, let me know and I will fill you in. Nolte played in Low-A ball last year and had a 2.05 ERA. He will prob never see major league time with the Yankees, but hey, its better than having a 5.00 ERA. Secondly, Girardi will name his opening day center fielder either tomorrow or Monday so he can use his Regular-Season line-up during the last week of Spring Training. Through comments he has given recently as well as Brian Cashman, Gardner has all but locked up the job. As long as I'm not getting too far ahead of myself, this time, they got it right.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Jeter batting leadoff?
I Like It!
Joe Girardi said recently in an interview that he is thinking about switching Damon and Jeter in the batting order and having Jeter lead off. This is quite interesting, as many people consider Johnny Damon to be a more true lead-off guy, but I am going to support this 100%.
1st off, during Spring Training, there were days where Jorge Posada batted lead off because he was catching, was going to come out of the game early, and Girardi wanted to get him some extra at bats, and in these days, Damon batted second and showed a different side of him. He bunted a little, moved runners along (usually Posada), and really seemed to fit the role well.
Also, Damon has more power which is good for a #2, and finally, the piece-de-resistance (im not sure if that's actually how you spell that, I just wanted to say it), this will give one extra at bat per game where Jeter cannot ground into a double play! Even the biggest Jeter supporter (I am looking at you Mike from Manhattan) has to admit that the man is a ground ball machine. My father even pointed this out, 2 years ago! With Jeter batting 1st, and Gardner 9th, that also puts a super-fast player on the basepaths for Jeter, which will also cut down on the double plays. And even though Damon is faster, Jeter is a smarter base runner as well.
Also, Jeters career OB% is about 30 points higher, and if Jeter gets on and the 1B is holding him on, Damon can more easily pull the ball through the right side hole.
Now, this may all be about nothing. Jeter did bat lead off in today's Spring Training game, but that means very little. Odds are Damon will be the lead off guy, but due to Damon having more power, and Jeter being a better base runner and a ground ball machine, I'm hoping Jeter is the 1st Yankee to have an at-bat in the new Yankee stadium.
Joe Girardi said recently in an interview that he is thinking about switching Damon and Jeter in the batting order and having Jeter lead off. This is quite interesting, as many people consider Johnny Damon to be a more true lead-off guy, but I am going to support this 100%.
1st off, during Spring Training, there were days where Jorge Posada batted lead off because he was catching, was going to come out of the game early, and Girardi wanted to get him some extra at bats, and in these days, Damon batted second and showed a different side of him. He bunted a little, moved runners along (usually Posada), and really seemed to fit the role well.
Also, Damon has more power which is good for a #2, and finally, the piece-de-resistance (im not sure if that's actually how you spell that, I just wanted to say it), this will give one extra at bat per game where Jeter cannot ground into a double play! Even the biggest Jeter supporter (I am looking at you Mike from Manhattan) has to admit that the man is a ground ball machine. My father even pointed this out, 2 years ago! With Jeter batting 1st, and Gardner 9th, that also puts a super-fast player on the basepaths for Jeter, which will also cut down on the double plays. And even though Damon is faster, Jeter is a smarter base runner as well.
Also, Jeters career OB% is about 30 points higher, and if Jeter gets on and the 1B is holding him on, Damon can more easily pull the ball through the right side hole.
Now, this may all be about nothing. Jeter did bat lead off in today's Spring Training game, but that means very little. Odds are Damon will be the lead off guy, but due to Damon having more power, and Jeter being a better base runner and a ground ball machine, I'm hoping Jeter is the 1st Yankee to have an at-bat in the new Yankee stadium.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
20 Most Important Yankees
I frequent a lot of internet sites everyday, many involving film, but the majority of the sites I go to on a daily basis are based around baseball and The Yankees. One of my favorite sites thats I go to is riveraveblues.com and lately on their site, the numerous writers for the site are putting out a list of their 20 most important Yankees for 2009 as well as beyond. Well, my schools basketball team refuses to lose so their game is going out on the radio tonight and my show is cancelled. Because of this, I am in the mood to talk baseball so I too, will put out my list for my 20 most important Yankees for this year and beyond. Not all are players, not all are in the major leagues, but all whether it be through statistics, decision making or development, they all will affect the way this team operates this year as well as years into the future.
Just on a side note, all stats are from Spring Training games only and do not include to the two exhibition games vs. Team USA and Team Canada, as well as minor league games players pitch. Many people do not know that major league pitchers also pitch in minor league camp as well. Today for example, Andy Pettitte was scheduled to pitch, but the Yankees had an off day. To compensate for this, Pettitte was sent to minor league camp and pitched in a minor league game so he could get his work in.
So, without further ado, here we go.
(1) Brian Cashman
The 2009 New York Yankees are this mans team. Years ago he wanted full authority and he finally has it. He no longer has George breathing down his neck telling him what moves he has to make, or even negotiating deals himself such as what he did with Gary Sheffield. He is GM until 2011 and the decisions he has made this year and will make over the course of his contract will greatly affect what kind of team franchise the Yankees become over the next few years.
(2) Jorge Posada
Some people may consider this a bit high, but I would assume those people didnt see any games last year where Jose Molina had to step up to the plate. A .216 batting average over almost 300 AB isnt going to cut it this year. Now, especially with the Rays being a formidable opponant, the Yankees can not be giving away at bats. Posada needs to play, and he needs to be a catcher. Im not expecting 140 games out of the guy, but 100-120 with some days at DH is needed if the Yankees want to contend. Pitching and Defense win championships, but with the Yankees assumingly getting subpar offense from whoever plays center, declining offense from Damon and a RF who wont hit as well as Bobby Abreu, and an overall aging line-up,they are going to need as much Top-Notch offense this year as possible. Posada is currently hitting .313/.389./531 in Spring Training, if he could come anywhere close to these numbers, the Yankees will have little to worry about at the Catcher position. On the other hand, he is a 37 year old catcher coming off a year where he played 51 games and couldnt throw. Lets hope for the best.
(3) Alex Rodriguez
The man who loves Steroids, Himself, His cousin Vinny, Prostitutes, Himself, Hip Surgery and Himself. Nothing can be said about A-Rod that hasnt been said in the past three months so il leave this one short. Whether we like it or not, this man is under contract for nine more years. Lets hope 2007 truly was a PED-Free year, we need him to be good. In his two spring training games, he was 3/7 with 1 HR and 5 RBI
(4) Mark Teixeira
The Signing of Mark Teixeira means the Yankees realized 2 things. One, Nick Swisher could not be the only offensive addition of the offseason after Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu leave, and two, DEFENSE IS IMPORTANT! We have a 3B who is really a SS, a SS who is 35 and has trouble moving to his left, and a 2B who wouldnt hustle for a groundball unless his boyfriend Melky Cabrera was there waiting for him. Mark Teixeira is a gold glove defender which is a HUGE improvement over the last seven years of Jason Giambi, who, to quote Steven Goldman, has the vertical leap of a bank safe. Also, it goes without saying how important his bat will be infront of A-Rod for the next 8 years. He can hit well from both sides of the plate, can hit 30-40 homers w/125+ RBI, walks a ton and hes one of the few Yankee position players under the age of 30. Easily the most important offseason signing. So far in spring training his numbers are .378/.429./.595
(5) Joba Chamberlain
Will the real Joba Chamberlain please stand up? This is the year where we truly have to find out if Joba Chamberlain is a potential ace, or a guy who cant stay healthy and will have to set-up until Mo retires. I used to be a supporter of the move to the bullpen, but that was before I knew of someone who will be mentioned later on in this list. If Joba can stay healthy over 150 innings, with a respectable era, his place is in the rotation due to him having 4 plus pitches. If he cant stay healthy though, he may need to make that move to the bullpen so he doesnt become the next Mark Prior. Thankfully though, either way we have 23 year old pitcher who is going to have a very special career, we just have to find out where. In spring training thus far he has a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings w/11 K's
(6) A.J. Burnett
I know what many of you are thinking, Burnett in front of Sabathia? Thats crazy! The thing is, first off, Sabathia has an opt-out clause, so he is going to opt-out after three years. Also, we know what were going to get from him. Cleveland-type numbers over 200 innings. He is our ace, and he is important, but the health of A.J. Burnett, in my opinion, is more important. If healthy over the next 5 years, Burnett could potentially post better equal numbers to Sabathia, if not, we may have Carl Pavano 2: Electric Boogaloo
(7) C.C. Sabathia
With all that said about Burnett, we still gave Sabathia a potential 7 year deal (even though it will be three, i mean, come on, when was the last time someone didn't use an opt-out clause). The question marks with Sabthia arent as big as they are with Burnett, so his future is more set in stone. He will give us 16-20 wins guaranteed, he will pitch 200 innings, he will get a lot of K's. The only question mark is can he handle the big city and I dont think many people have doubts about that. Hes important to the team, but he will be fine, Burnett's success is more important because it is far from guaranteed
(8) Robinson Cano
A career .303 hitter, Cano hit .271 last year and showed many signs of lack of hustle. Many people contribute this to the departure of Larry Bowa, many people point to his close relationship w/Melky Cabrera, another young player who doesnt necessarilly work as hard off the field as he should. Is Cano the guy who hits .271, .342 like he did in 2006 or is he somewhere in-between? My guess would be closer to his 2007 numbers of .306 19 97. Solid numbers, especially from a 2nd baseman, and if he can play like this for the rest of his career, if not, and he hits .271 again, odds are the Yankees will let him walk after his four year extention is up in three years. A bounce back year from him, just like Posada's health, is necessary is the Yankees want to contend in 2009. His spring has been shortened because of his playing in the WBC, but his numbers thus far are .382/.417/.559
(9) Mariano Rivera
What can be said about this man that hasnt already been said since 1996? He is the greatest closer of all-time, and last year at age 37, posted an ERA of 1.40. We will get a strong era from him, probably around 2.00, and defy his age forever. No surprises here, just more and more memories of watching the greatest closer of all time continue to close out games for the New York Yankees. People have concerns about his offseason surgery, but no worries here. Spring Numbers so far, no runs allowed in four innings with 6 strikeouts.
(10) Derek Jeter
I know many people think its a shame he barely cracked the top ten, but at this point, how important is he really to this team? In three years, he will be brining in millions of dollars as he approaches 3,000 hits, but now, hes an aging shortstop who was never an AMAZING defender to begin with, but still good. Has never been good at going to his left and can't belt out 20 homers any time soon. At best, he will hit a little over .300 w/15 homers and 75 RBI while playing adequate defense. With all the new guys, young guys and recovering guys, Jeter is no longer at the forefront of impact New York Yankee players. Sorry guys. So far in his abbreviated spring training he is 6/13 with 1 HR and 6 RBI
(11) Chien-Ming Wang
Another guy like Mo (not saying hes the player Mo is, he just isnt going to surprise us). His inury last year had absolutely nothing to do with pitching, it was a fluke baserunning injury. He will bounce back and he will do what he has always done, win 17-19 games with an ERA in the upper 3's. Important to the team, but again, no surprises coming from here this year. His ERA wont be 5, and it surely wont be 2. Wish he could strike out more guys, but with the improved infield defense with Teixeira, he may actually see a bit of a drop in ERA. So far in Spring Training he has thrown 16 2/3 innings with only 7 K's and a 3.24 ERA
(12) Nick Swisher
Say what you will about my thoughts on Nick Swisher, but he is important to this team. Even though he won't be starting (unfortunately), he will get many at-bats filling in at all outfield positions, as well as DH and 1B. More importantly, Swisher is important for the future. Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon all have expiring contracts this year. As far as I can tell, none of these players will be back. If Brett Gardner emerges as a CF, and Austin Jackson continues to develop, if Swisher plays well enough to be a starter, the Yankees will not need to splurge on a free agent outfielder next offseason (even though I think they will be in on Matt Holliday no matter what). In spring training so far, he is hitting .257/.400/.314
(13) Phil Hughes
As a 20 year old, Phil Hughes almost pitched a no hitter and relieved Roger Clemens in a playoff game and pitch spectacularily. As a 21 year old, he was given a rotation spot, pitched poorly, got injured and then led the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the championship once he got healthy. Many people, including myself have not gotten down on Phil Hughes and still believe he can be a potential ace or strong #2. People must remember, he is only 22 (a year older than me, wow!) As long as everything goes as planned this year, he will be the 1st guy called up in case of injury, and will also pitch some games for Joba Chamberlain because of his innings limits. As well as he performs as expected, Andy Pettitte's 2010 rotation spot will be passed along to Phil Hughes. Hughes has been sent to AAA already to get more innings in, but his spring gave in 8 K's in 12 1/3 innings with a 2.19 ERA
(14) Joe Girardi
The man. The manager. Last year, he did an amazing amazing job with the bullpen. Amazing. With that said, he didnt have the respect of the players or handle the media well. When it comes down to it though, his job is on the line if they dont make the playoffs, but he can only do so much. He also is managing the Yankees, a team that, when healthy, almost manages itself. He has some areas to improve and has many things out of his control. Other than that, the only real surprise is how short his military haircut can get
(15) Brett Gardner
The man who will hopefully win the starting CF job. Has the speed and glove to play the position, and the patience to get on base plenty. Unfortunately, that will come with little-to-no power. He has to hit enough singles to justify giving him a batting spot, and I believe he can do that. Not to mention with his speed, any single can become a triple after only two pitches or so. If Austin Jackson plays as he should, the job will only be Gardner's for a year, but his one year as a starting CF, may determine the many years afterwards. Spring training so far has Gardner hitting .409/.469/.750
(16) Austin Jackson
If Melky Cabrera plays the way he always has, and Brett Gardner isnt able to be a starter, the Yankees are going to need a starting CF. Free agents are still available such as Jim Edmonds and the Yankees can re-visit talks for Mike Cameron, but in the best case scenario, Jackson could be ready mid-season. Hopefully Gardner/Cabrera are playing at a level where this isnt necessary, but when you have a spring training battle between two question marks, all other options become more and more important as the season goes on. He has been assigned to minor league camp, but his spring numbers were .333/.385/.667
(17) Mark Melancon
The man who single-handedly made me change my mind on the Joba Chamberlain argument. Remember this name. He posted incredible numbers in the minors last year. He, like Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy rushed through all minor league systems in one year with an ERA of 2.84 in A, 1.81 in AA and 2.70 in AAA. He will be 24 and he will be 26 when Mariano Rivera's contract expires. His spring training numbers dont look great because of one bad outing, but he posted a 7.94 ERA with 5 K's in 5 2/3 innings. Dont let the numbers fool you, he is the real deal, will start the year in AAA and will def. see time in the major leagues before the season is through.
(18) Andy Pettitte
Again, another person with whom we know what production will come. ERA around 4.35, 180-210 innings and 15 wins. The Yankees have a lot of pitching depth and wont even be that bad off if Pettitte sees an injury, but you would like the young guys to not be rushed to the major league's so Pettitte's health is important to the team. On the other hand, he has performance based incentives so if he gets hurt, maybe the Yankees can actually save some money. His spring looks shortened because of off days falling on his day to pitch, but in 4 2/3 Spring Training innings, hasn't let up a run and has struck out three
(19) Jesus Montero/Austin Romine/ Francisco Cervelli
As mentioned earlier, I consider the health of Jorge Posada to be one of the most important issues of the year. The development of these three players is very important. Montero and Romine are both 19 years old and developing very well thus far. Romine is a great defender while Montero is a strong hitter with a big build who will probably end his career as a 1B. Cervelli is the closest to being major league ready, but he also projects to be a back-up. If he can develop into a solid back up/platoon player with Posada in 2010, hopefully Montero and/or Romine continue to develop and are ready to play a significant role with the team in 2011. If Posada can stay healthy, these kids (I can call them kids, 2 of them are younger than me) will have more time to develop, but thats asking a lot of a catcher is who approaching his 40's. These three, especially Montero, have a big future in this franchise and this year we have to hope they continue to develop as they have. In spring training, Romine is 0/5, Cervelli is 3/12 and Montero is 6/9 with a Grand Slam. Just like Melancon, get used to hearing these names.
(20) Cody Ransom
Before A-Rod's injury, Ransom was going to be the utility infielder, now, for the first month and a half, he will be the starting third baseman. We cant expect much out of him offensively or anything spectacular defensively, but he must play well enough so the Yankees dont overreact and make a trade. Bill Hall's huge contract (I cant remember how much it is, something like $11 million or so but I may be wrong) and Bobby Crosby's $5.5 million do not need to be added to this already bloated payroll. If Ransom can hit .250, play adequate defense and hit for a little bit of power (which is the one skill he does have), the Yankees should be content for the first month and a half. He has the most at bats for the team in the spring and has hit .283/.333/.377, decent enough numbers.
Honorable Mention: Kei Igawa
The $46 million man who passed through waivers and wears his sunglasses at night, had a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings with 13 strike outs. Yes, its only spring training, but these numbers are outstanding. Has he finally reached a point where he can contribute, maybe in a long-relief role? Has he pitched well enough where if the Yankees pay $8 mil of his remaining $12, could they actually deal him for something? Anything? I dont know, but for some reason, I still like Kei Igawa and support him 100%. I am insane, I know.
Well, im sure nobody will read this, but due to the lack of radio show tonight, I needed to get this out of my system. Thank you for reading for those who have, I am sure there are many many disagreements, and those are welcome. If this blog accomplishes anything, the thing I would like the most is good arguments/discussions. Thanks for reading and Dad, if you read this, sorry for the grammer mistakes, not re-reading this.
Just on a side note, all stats are from Spring Training games only and do not include to the two exhibition games vs. Team USA and Team Canada, as well as minor league games players pitch. Many people do not know that major league pitchers also pitch in minor league camp as well. Today for example, Andy Pettitte was scheduled to pitch, but the Yankees had an off day. To compensate for this, Pettitte was sent to minor league camp and pitched in a minor league game so he could get his work in.
So, without further ado, here we go.
(1) Brian Cashman
The 2009 New York Yankees are this mans team. Years ago he wanted full authority and he finally has it. He no longer has George breathing down his neck telling him what moves he has to make, or even negotiating deals himself such as what he did with Gary Sheffield. He is GM until 2011 and the decisions he has made this year and will make over the course of his contract will greatly affect what kind of team franchise the Yankees become over the next few years.
(2) Jorge Posada
Some people may consider this a bit high, but I would assume those people didnt see any games last year where Jose Molina had to step up to the plate. A .216 batting average over almost 300 AB isnt going to cut it this year. Now, especially with the Rays being a formidable opponant, the Yankees can not be giving away at bats. Posada needs to play, and he needs to be a catcher. Im not expecting 140 games out of the guy, but 100-120 with some days at DH is needed if the Yankees want to contend. Pitching and Defense win championships, but with the Yankees assumingly getting subpar offense from whoever plays center, declining offense from Damon and a RF who wont hit as well as Bobby Abreu, and an overall aging line-up,they are going to need as much Top-Notch offense this year as possible. Posada is currently hitting .313/.389./531 in Spring Training, if he could come anywhere close to these numbers, the Yankees will have little to worry about at the Catcher position. On the other hand, he is a 37 year old catcher coming off a year where he played 51 games and couldnt throw. Lets hope for the best.
(3) Alex Rodriguez
The man who loves Steroids, Himself, His cousin Vinny, Prostitutes, Himself, Hip Surgery and Himself. Nothing can be said about A-Rod that hasnt been said in the past three months so il leave this one short. Whether we like it or not, this man is under contract for nine more years. Lets hope 2007 truly was a PED-Free year, we need him to be good. In his two spring training games, he was 3/7 with 1 HR and 5 RBI
(4) Mark Teixeira
The Signing of Mark Teixeira means the Yankees realized 2 things. One, Nick Swisher could not be the only offensive addition of the offseason after Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu leave, and two, DEFENSE IS IMPORTANT! We have a 3B who is really a SS, a SS who is 35 and has trouble moving to his left, and a 2B who wouldnt hustle for a groundball unless his boyfriend Melky Cabrera was there waiting for him. Mark Teixeira is a gold glove defender which is a HUGE improvement over the last seven years of Jason Giambi, who, to quote Steven Goldman, has the vertical leap of a bank safe. Also, it goes without saying how important his bat will be infront of A-Rod for the next 8 years. He can hit well from both sides of the plate, can hit 30-40 homers w/125+ RBI, walks a ton and hes one of the few Yankee position players under the age of 30. Easily the most important offseason signing. So far in spring training his numbers are .378/.429./.595
(5) Joba Chamberlain
Will the real Joba Chamberlain please stand up? This is the year where we truly have to find out if Joba Chamberlain is a potential ace, or a guy who cant stay healthy and will have to set-up until Mo retires. I used to be a supporter of the move to the bullpen, but that was before I knew of someone who will be mentioned later on in this list. If Joba can stay healthy over 150 innings, with a respectable era, his place is in the rotation due to him having 4 plus pitches. If he cant stay healthy though, he may need to make that move to the bullpen so he doesnt become the next Mark Prior. Thankfully though, either way we have 23 year old pitcher who is going to have a very special career, we just have to find out where. In spring training thus far he has a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings w/11 K's
(6) A.J. Burnett
I know what many of you are thinking, Burnett in front of Sabathia? Thats crazy! The thing is, first off, Sabathia has an opt-out clause, so he is going to opt-out after three years. Also, we know what were going to get from him. Cleveland-type numbers over 200 innings. He is our ace, and he is important, but the health of A.J. Burnett, in my opinion, is more important. If healthy over the next 5 years, Burnett could potentially post better equal numbers to Sabathia, if not, we may have Carl Pavano 2: Electric Boogaloo
(7) C.C. Sabathia
With all that said about Burnett, we still gave Sabathia a potential 7 year deal (even though it will be three, i mean, come on, when was the last time someone didn't use an opt-out clause). The question marks with Sabthia arent as big as they are with Burnett, so his future is more set in stone. He will give us 16-20 wins guaranteed, he will pitch 200 innings, he will get a lot of K's. The only question mark is can he handle the big city and I dont think many people have doubts about that. Hes important to the team, but he will be fine, Burnett's success is more important because it is far from guaranteed
(8) Robinson Cano
A career .303 hitter, Cano hit .271 last year and showed many signs of lack of hustle. Many people contribute this to the departure of Larry Bowa, many people point to his close relationship w/Melky Cabrera, another young player who doesnt necessarilly work as hard off the field as he should. Is Cano the guy who hits .271, .342 like he did in 2006 or is he somewhere in-between? My guess would be closer to his 2007 numbers of .306 19 97. Solid numbers, especially from a 2nd baseman, and if he can play like this for the rest of his career, if not, and he hits .271 again, odds are the Yankees will let him walk after his four year extention is up in three years. A bounce back year from him, just like Posada's health, is necessary is the Yankees want to contend in 2009. His spring has been shortened because of his playing in the WBC, but his numbers thus far are .382/.417/.559
(9) Mariano Rivera
What can be said about this man that hasnt already been said since 1996? He is the greatest closer of all-time, and last year at age 37, posted an ERA of 1.40. We will get a strong era from him, probably around 2.00, and defy his age forever. No surprises here, just more and more memories of watching the greatest closer of all time continue to close out games for the New York Yankees. People have concerns about his offseason surgery, but no worries here. Spring Numbers so far, no runs allowed in four innings with 6 strikeouts.
(10) Derek Jeter
I know many people think its a shame he barely cracked the top ten, but at this point, how important is he really to this team? In three years, he will be brining in millions of dollars as he approaches 3,000 hits, but now, hes an aging shortstop who was never an AMAZING defender to begin with, but still good. Has never been good at going to his left and can't belt out 20 homers any time soon. At best, he will hit a little over .300 w/15 homers and 75 RBI while playing adequate defense. With all the new guys, young guys and recovering guys, Jeter is no longer at the forefront of impact New York Yankee players. Sorry guys. So far in his abbreviated spring training he is 6/13 with 1 HR and 6 RBI
(11) Chien-Ming Wang
Another guy like Mo (not saying hes the player Mo is, he just isnt going to surprise us). His inury last year had absolutely nothing to do with pitching, it was a fluke baserunning injury. He will bounce back and he will do what he has always done, win 17-19 games with an ERA in the upper 3's. Important to the team, but again, no surprises coming from here this year. His ERA wont be 5, and it surely wont be 2. Wish he could strike out more guys, but with the improved infield defense with Teixeira, he may actually see a bit of a drop in ERA. So far in Spring Training he has thrown 16 2/3 innings with only 7 K's and a 3.24 ERA
(12) Nick Swisher
Say what you will about my thoughts on Nick Swisher, but he is important to this team. Even though he won't be starting (unfortunately), he will get many at-bats filling in at all outfield positions, as well as DH and 1B. More importantly, Swisher is important for the future. Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon all have expiring contracts this year. As far as I can tell, none of these players will be back. If Brett Gardner emerges as a CF, and Austin Jackson continues to develop, if Swisher plays well enough to be a starter, the Yankees will not need to splurge on a free agent outfielder next offseason (even though I think they will be in on Matt Holliday no matter what). In spring training so far, he is hitting .257/.400/.314
(13) Phil Hughes
As a 20 year old, Phil Hughes almost pitched a no hitter and relieved Roger Clemens in a playoff game and pitch spectacularily. As a 21 year old, he was given a rotation spot, pitched poorly, got injured and then led the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the championship once he got healthy. Many people, including myself have not gotten down on Phil Hughes and still believe he can be a potential ace or strong #2. People must remember, he is only 22 (a year older than me, wow!) As long as everything goes as planned this year, he will be the 1st guy called up in case of injury, and will also pitch some games for Joba Chamberlain because of his innings limits. As well as he performs as expected, Andy Pettitte's 2010 rotation spot will be passed along to Phil Hughes. Hughes has been sent to AAA already to get more innings in, but his spring gave in 8 K's in 12 1/3 innings with a 2.19 ERA
(14) Joe Girardi
The man. The manager. Last year, he did an amazing amazing job with the bullpen. Amazing. With that said, he didnt have the respect of the players or handle the media well. When it comes down to it though, his job is on the line if they dont make the playoffs, but he can only do so much. He also is managing the Yankees, a team that, when healthy, almost manages itself. He has some areas to improve and has many things out of his control. Other than that, the only real surprise is how short his military haircut can get
(15) Brett Gardner
The man who will hopefully win the starting CF job. Has the speed and glove to play the position, and the patience to get on base plenty. Unfortunately, that will come with little-to-no power. He has to hit enough singles to justify giving him a batting spot, and I believe he can do that. Not to mention with his speed, any single can become a triple after only two pitches or so. If Austin Jackson plays as he should, the job will only be Gardner's for a year, but his one year as a starting CF, may determine the many years afterwards. Spring training so far has Gardner hitting .409/.469/.750
(16) Austin Jackson
If Melky Cabrera plays the way he always has, and Brett Gardner isnt able to be a starter, the Yankees are going to need a starting CF. Free agents are still available such as Jim Edmonds and the Yankees can re-visit talks for Mike Cameron, but in the best case scenario, Jackson could be ready mid-season. Hopefully Gardner/Cabrera are playing at a level where this isnt necessary, but when you have a spring training battle between two question marks, all other options become more and more important as the season goes on. He has been assigned to minor league camp, but his spring numbers were .333/.385/.667
(17) Mark Melancon
The man who single-handedly made me change my mind on the Joba Chamberlain argument. Remember this name. He posted incredible numbers in the minors last year. He, like Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy rushed through all minor league systems in one year with an ERA of 2.84 in A, 1.81 in AA and 2.70 in AAA. He will be 24 and he will be 26 when Mariano Rivera's contract expires. His spring training numbers dont look great because of one bad outing, but he posted a 7.94 ERA with 5 K's in 5 2/3 innings. Dont let the numbers fool you, he is the real deal, will start the year in AAA and will def. see time in the major leagues before the season is through.
(18) Andy Pettitte
Again, another person with whom we know what production will come. ERA around 4.35, 180-210 innings and 15 wins. The Yankees have a lot of pitching depth and wont even be that bad off if Pettitte sees an injury, but you would like the young guys to not be rushed to the major league's so Pettitte's health is important to the team. On the other hand, he has performance based incentives so if he gets hurt, maybe the Yankees can actually save some money. His spring looks shortened because of off days falling on his day to pitch, but in 4 2/3 Spring Training innings, hasn't let up a run and has struck out three
(19) Jesus Montero/Austin Romine/ Francisco Cervelli
As mentioned earlier, I consider the health of Jorge Posada to be one of the most important issues of the year. The development of these three players is very important. Montero and Romine are both 19 years old and developing very well thus far. Romine is a great defender while Montero is a strong hitter with a big build who will probably end his career as a 1B. Cervelli is the closest to being major league ready, but he also projects to be a back-up. If he can develop into a solid back up/platoon player with Posada in 2010, hopefully Montero and/or Romine continue to develop and are ready to play a significant role with the team in 2011. If Posada can stay healthy, these kids (I can call them kids, 2 of them are younger than me) will have more time to develop, but thats asking a lot of a catcher is who approaching his 40's. These three, especially Montero, have a big future in this franchise and this year we have to hope they continue to develop as they have. In spring training, Romine is 0/5, Cervelli is 3/12 and Montero is 6/9 with a Grand Slam. Just like Melancon, get used to hearing these names.
(20) Cody Ransom
Before A-Rod's injury, Ransom was going to be the utility infielder, now, for the first month and a half, he will be the starting third baseman. We cant expect much out of him offensively or anything spectacular defensively, but he must play well enough so the Yankees dont overreact and make a trade. Bill Hall's huge contract (I cant remember how much it is, something like $11 million or so but I may be wrong) and Bobby Crosby's $5.5 million do not need to be added to this already bloated payroll. If Ransom can hit .250, play adequate defense and hit for a little bit of power (which is the one skill he does have), the Yankees should be content for the first month and a half. He has the most at bats for the team in the spring and has hit .283/.333/.377, decent enough numbers.
Honorable Mention: Kei Igawa
The $46 million man who passed through waivers and wears his sunglasses at night, had a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings with 13 strike outs. Yes, its only spring training, but these numbers are outstanding. Has he finally reached a point where he can contribute, maybe in a long-relief role? Has he pitched well enough where if the Yankees pay $8 mil of his remaining $12, could they actually deal him for something? Anything? I dont know, but for some reason, I still like Kei Igawa and support him 100%. I am insane, I know.
Well, im sure nobody will read this, but due to the lack of radio show tonight, I needed to get this out of my system. Thank you for reading for those who have, I am sure there are many many disagreements, and those are welcome. If this blog accomplishes anything, the thing I would like the most is good arguments/discussions. Thanks for reading and Dad, if you read this, sorry for the grammer mistakes, not re-reading this.
wcwpsports.com
Man, i should really proof read my posts. Lots of grammer errors. Whatever. just a quick note for those interested, il be hosting "Talking Baseball" tonight on www.wcwpsports.com from 8-10 PM EST. Listen in!
Quick Update on Austin Jackson
Ok, so those who know me and listen to the radio show i am on know that we've been talking about Austin Jackson for a while now. I believe he will be the starting CF in 2010 and beyond, he got re-assigned to minor league camp today, which means nothing, because nobody was expecting him to make the team out of spring training.
His stats for the spring are as follows: He hit .333 with three homers, 10 RBI, a double and a triple. He also struck out 12 times, but as a 22 year old, his plate discipline will only improve. For someone so young, getting a good amount of at-bats in major league camp, you gotta like these numbers.
He will start the year in AAA and if he plays very well, we all may get to see him before the year is through.
His stats for the spring are as follows: He hit .333 with three homers, 10 RBI, a double and a triple. He also struck out 12 times, but as a 22 year old, his plate discipline will only improve. For someone so young, getting a good amount of at-bats in major league camp, you gotta like these numbers.
He will start the year in AAA and if he plays very well, we all may get to see him before the year is through.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Well, im already 0-1
Well, I guess Joe Girardi didn't read my post last night. Xavier Nady has been named the starting right fielder. Nick Swisher is upset but hes handling it the right way.
"Coming over here, that was the biggest thing: I want to win. But I also want to be a part," he said. "I've played every day pretty much my whole career. I think there's going to be a lot of at-bats out there for me. I've got to be ready when I'm told I'm ready to play"
Well, there is nothing that can be done now except for accepting this and hoping for the best. Nady can hit left-handed pitching well, and hes a better fielder than Bobby Abreu (but so is Helen Brown so it doesn't really mean much), but outside of batting average, he is clearly the inferior player to Nick Swisher.
Whatever, 13 days until opening day and 17 days until Swisher takes his job back. By the way, if anyone is interested, from 1-2PM on Tuesdays and 8-10PM on Wednesdays, i talk baseball on a radio show on http://www.wcwpsports.com/. check it out!
"Coming over here, that was the biggest thing: I want to win. But I also want to be a part," he said. "I've played every day pretty much my whole career. I think there's going to be a lot of at-bats out there for me. I've got to be ready when I'm told I'm ready to play"
Well, there is nothing that can be done now except for accepting this and hoping for the best. Nady can hit left-handed pitching well, and hes a better fielder than Bobby Abreu (but so is Helen Brown so it doesn't really mean much), but outside of batting average, he is clearly the inferior player to Nick Swisher.
Whatever, 13 days until opening day and 17 days until Swisher takes his job back. By the way, if anyone is interested, from 1-2PM on Tuesdays and 8-10PM on Wednesdays, i talk baseball on a radio show on http://www.wcwpsports.com/. check it out!
Monday, March 23, 2009
1st post & thoughts on Yankee Spring Training
So, I know nobody is going to read this, but what the hey? I really enjoy talking about the Yankees so i figured maybe, possibly, one person will read this and enjoy it. I highly doubt that will happen, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I wont be talking about my life too much, maybe a little now and again, but for the most part, this will be about baseball, and more specifically, The New York Yankess.
Well, its only about 2 weeks until Opening Day and the Yankee Pitching Rotation is set w/Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte and Joba, with Hughes in AAA ready to come up when necessary.
The line-up on the other-hand is not so set. Seven positions are set, but CF and RF are not. This is when the ever-so-important Spring Training Battles come into play. In the CF battle, we have Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera, and for RF, we have Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher.
Lets get this off the bat right away, outside of establishing more bullpen pitchers in one year than Joe Torre did in 12, Joe Girardi has an abysmal year last year. Constant changing of line-ups, didn't get the respect of his players, didn't handle the media well, and, of course, no playoff appearance. If his comments about the Spring Training battles so far are any indication, this year isn't going to be much more successful.
Lets start with the more difficult decision, Right Field. Xavier Nady is a 30 year old Career Bench Player who has career rates of .280/.335/.458 ( for those who don't know, that is Batting Average/On-Base %/ and Slugging %). Out of nowhere though, last year he had a season where he hit well above his career averages in all categories with stats of .305/.357/.510. Now, this is what we call a fluke. Xavier Nady is in no way a bad player, but he is not the player he was last year and the odds of him suddenly breaking out at age 30 are improbable at best. Nick Swisher on the other hand, had a poor season last year hitting .219/.333./.410, well below his career rates of .251/.361/.464. So for those who are following, Xavier Nady= 2008 Career Year and Nick Swisher= 2008 Down Year. The odds of either player repeating what they did last year is minimal. It must be noted that even in a career year, Xavier Nady's On-Base % was only .24% higher even tho his batting average was almost 100 points higher! When it comes down to it, if both players play to their exact career averages, Nick Swisher will have the better year, except for batting average, which is the stat based most on luck and fluctuates the most from year to year. While I keep rambling, it must also be noted that Nick Swisher is a switch hitter, so while batting lefty, he will benefit greatly from the Yankee Stadium right field fence. Even though it would seem that Swisher is the clear front runner for the Job, lets get to the Spring Training battle since this organization is so clearly blind.
Nady in ST- .244/.262/.488
Swisher in ST- .265/.409/.424
In this time, Nady has drawn zero walks. That's not a type-o, ZERO. Swisher on the other hand has walked 14 times! So clearly, after the career rates as well as the Spring Training, Nick Swisher is the front runner, right?
Not so fast. Joe Girardi said is the season Opened today, the starting RF would be...... Xavier Nady, adding "Nady did a lot of good things last year," Girardi said. "He had somewhat of the upper hand coming in. Swish gives us a lot of flexibility"
Ok, this blog is already very long, but this quote is what inspired me to write today. So lets get this straight, a major league manager, who is very intelligent and highly respected is basing his decision off of what 99% of people who follow baseball know was a career year and will not be repeated? What about every year before that? What about Spring Training? What about the fact that Xavier Nady walks less than Pudge and swings at more pitches than Vlad?And, finally for this topic, even in a career year, after his trade to the Yankees, Nady hit .268/.320/.474 . nothing special. nothing great. nothing Nick Swisher couldn't do with his eyes closed. That gives me an idea, maybe Nady should bat with his eyes closed! He would def. draw more walks.
Now onto the CF job. This one is much simpler and more to the point to detail Girardi's insanity.
Gardner in ST- .405/.468/.714
Melky in ST- .295/.380/.409
Enter Joe Girardi: "In this game, things aren't always going to go the way you want that day or the next day -- or maybe for a week -- but Melky didn't panic," Joe Girardi said. "He just kept doing his thing, which is a sign of maturity."[snip]"I'm happy with the way Melky is playing; he's really started to swing the bat," Girardi said. "They've both played at a very high level. Gardy started a little quicker, but to me, they're both playing at a very high level right now. It's been a fun competition to watch."
They aren't both playing at a very high level. Brett Gardner is playing at a very high level, Melky is playing well. The fact that Gardner hasn't already been told to report to CF at the new Yankee Stadium is astounding. Melky has been in this league 3 years. Never, in any of those years has he developed any new skills and he wont now. He will hit .250 with few walks and little power, but a great arm. Brett Gardner has the capability to hit .300, be a suitable lead-off man in the future and play well above average defense with the speed of the road runner.
What it comes down to is the Yankee Organization has openly admitted these two battles are taking place. Girardi continues to support Melky and Nady as the starters when you don't even have to be a baseball fan to understand which numbers are lower. Joe Girardi is the manager of the New York Yankees, he can do whatever he wants, its hit job. But why are we calling these competitions when it is so clear that the results mean very little? As said before, numbers are numbers and it isn't hard to decipher which ones are best. There is still plenty of time for Girardi to change his mind, lets just hope that he does.
SO, that's it for me for now. If anyone reads this, i would appreciate all comments and I am 100% open to any disagreements and discussions. I had fun doing this so I will prob. post again soon and I promise it wont be this long. Again, feel free to comment.
Joolz, I Love You :)
Well, its only about 2 weeks until Opening Day and the Yankee Pitching Rotation is set w/Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte and Joba, with Hughes in AAA ready to come up when necessary.
The line-up on the other-hand is not so set. Seven positions are set, but CF and RF are not. This is when the ever-so-important Spring Training Battles come into play. In the CF battle, we have Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera, and for RF, we have Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher.
Lets get this off the bat right away, outside of establishing more bullpen pitchers in one year than Joe Torre did in 12, Joe Girardi has an abysmal year last year. Constant changing of line-ups, didn't get the respect of his players, didn't handle the media well, and, of course, no playoff appearance. If his comments about the Spring Training battles so far are any indication, this year isn't going to be much more successful.
Lets start with the more difficult decision, Right Field. Xavier Nady is a 30 year old Career Bench Player who has career rates of .280/.335/.458 ( for those who don't know, that is Batting Average/On-Base %/ and Slugging %). Out of nowhere though, last year he had a season where he hit well above his career averages in all categories with stats of .305/.357/.510. Now, this is what we call a fluke. Xavier Nady is in no way a bad player, but he is not the player he was last year and the odds of him suddenly breaking out at age 30 are improbable at best. Nick Swisher on the other hand, had a poor season last year hitting .219/.333./.410, well below his career rates of .251/.361/.464. So for those who are following, Xavier Nady= 2008 Career Year and Nick Swisher= 2008 Down Year. The odds of either player repeating what they did last year is minimal. It must be noted that even in a career year, Xavier Nady's On-Base % was only .24% higher even tho his batting average was almost 100 points higher! When it comes down to it, if both players play to their exact career averages, Nick Swisher will have the better year, except for batting average, which is the stat based most on luck and fluctuates the most from year to year. While I keep rambling, it must also be noted that Nick Swisher is a switch hitter, so while batting lefty, he will benefit greatly from the Yankee Stadium right field fence. Even though it would seem that Swisher is the clear front runner for the Job, lets get to the Spring Training battle since this organization is so clearly blind.
Nady in ST- .244/.262/.488
Swisher in ST- .265/.409/.424
In this time, Nady has drawn zero walks. That's not a type-o, ZERO. Swisher on the other hand has walked 14 times! So clearly, after the career rates as well as the Spring Training, Nick Swisher is the front runner, right?
Not so fast. Joe Girardi said is the season Opened today, the starting RF would be...... Xavier Nady, adding "Nady did a lot of good things last year," Girardi said. "He had somewhat of the upper hand coming in. Swish gives us a lot of flexibility"
Ok, this blog is already very long, but this quote is what inspired me to write today. So lets get this straight, a major league manager, who is very intelligent and highly respected is basing his decision off of what 99% of people who follow baseball know was a career year and will not be repeated? What about every year before that? What about Spring Training? What about the fact that Xavier Nady walks less than Pudge and swings at more pitches than Vlad?And, finally for this topic, even in a career year, after his trade to the Yankees, Nady hit .268/.320/.474 . nothing special. nothing great. nothing Nick Swisher couldn't do with his eyes closed. That gives me an idea, maybe Nady should bat with his eyes closed! He would def. draw more walks.
Now onto the CF job. This one is much simpler and more to the point to detail Girardi's insanity.
Gardner in ST- .405/.468/.714
Melky in ST- .295/.380/.409
Enter Joe Girardi: "In this game, things aren't always going to go the way you want that day or the next day -- or maybe for a week -- but Melky didn't panic," Joe Girardi said. "He just kept doing his thing, which is a sign of maturity."[snip]"I'm happy with the way Melky is playing; he's really started to swing the bat," Girardi said. "They've both played at a very high level. Gardy started a little quicker, but to me, they're both playing at a very high level right now. It's been a fun competition to watch."
They aren't both playing at a very high level. Brett Gardner is playing at a very high level, Melky is playing well. The fact that Gardner hasn't already been told to report to CF at the new Yankee Stadium is astounding. Melky has been in this league 3 years. Never, in any of those years has he developed any new skills and he wont now. He will hit .250 with few walks and little power, but a great arm. Brett Gardner has the capability to hit .300, be a suitable lead-off man in the future and play well above average defense with the speed of the road runner.
What it comes down to is the Yankee Organization has openly admitted these two battles are taking place. Girardi continues to support Melky and Nady as the starters when you don't even have to be a baseball fan to understand which numbers are lower. Joe Girardi is the manager of the New York Yankees, he can do whatever he wants, its hit job. But why are we calling these competitions when it is so clear that the results mean very little? As said before, numbers are numbers and it isn't hard to decipher which ones are best. There is still plenty of time for Girardi to change his mind, lets just hope that he does.
SO, that's it for me for now. If anyone reads this, i would appreciate all comments and I am 100% open to any disagreements and discussions. I had fun doing this so I will prob. post again soon and I promise it wont be this long. Again, feel free to comment.
Joolz, I Love You :)
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