An exciting race ends with a fairly lackluster finish as Brett Gardner beats out Melky Cabrera for the CF spot. At the very least, it was a good race that saw the speedy Gardner win the spot away from the younger and more experienced Cabrera.
Personally, I like either in this spot. With that in mind, I hope to never see Johnny Damon or Nick Swisher out in Center. In case you forgot, I need defense in that outfield. While I'm at it, I also never want to see the name Mike Cameron anywhere near the words "trade talks heat up".
The one thing that does surprise me about this move is the fact that we start Cody Ransom instead of the rehabbing Alex Rodriguez at 3rd base. I just think that Melky's experience kind of wins out in this situation. Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but an 8-9 of Cabrera, Ransom seems like it would turn over the lineup a bit better than Gardner, Ransom or Ransom, Gardner at the bottom.
I do expect to see a lot more running from this team this year though, and that seems to be the way Girardi's leaning. Melky's poor baserunning and nonexistant basestealing plus his lackluster and fading numbers are, after all, what sent him to Scranton last year. Anyone who's seen Gardner play knows that his speed is his game. And just to hammer his point on speed home, Girardi had this to say on the subject, “Speed is an interesting dimension to a club, and I like it, because it puts a lot of pressure on the defense”.
There you have it. With the Jeter-Damon flip-flop, the addition a Teixeira, a healthy Jorge and Matsui, Nady for a season with a touch of Swish, and Brett Gardner looking to swipe a few bags we've got a very new, new-look New York Yankees on our hands. This looks to be a very proactive and clever club equally adept at manufacturing runs as well as knocking them in.
Only one more week...
Showing posts with label Brett Gardner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brett Gardner. Show all posts
30 March 2009
28 March 2009
Johnny's Last Stand
It's plain to see now. In fact it's fairly obvious. Johnny Damon's tenure as a New York Yankee is officially coming to an end. I couldn't be happier.
When I first heard that Joe Girardi made an adjustment to the top of the lineup by pulling the ol' switcheroo with Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon I assumed it was more due to Jeter's new habit of grounding into double plays in key situations. The more I thought about it, the more Johnny Damon's new role started to sink in. After all, Damon was seen as a much needed savior and crucial cog in the machine when he was acquired as a free agent 3 years ago. Keep in mind, back then he was a lead-off hitting centerfielder. He begins his final tour of duty in Yankee pinstripes as a leftfielder hitting out of the 2-hole. Frankly, he's outplayed his usefulness. Good riddance.
In typical fashion Johnny Damon had something to say and didn't disappoint. He said this of the move, "I'm definitely bigger than most leadoff hitters, so it's time for me to move down, and I hit the ball on the right side a lot." Damon added, "I’m O.K. with it. It makes the team better. We know Derek’s on-base percentage is a lot higher than mine. Hopefully, we can tinker with this thing, and my production in the two-hole will increase with Derek on base quite a bit [...] He'll be on first and I can jack home runs." Curiously, he then added "Whatever Joe wants, I think how this camp has been going, you know, everyone's got to do what Joe wants."
That last line I feel is th most telling. Joe Girardi may say he's "toying" with it, but I fairly certain his mind is made up in this regard. When we open in Baltimore, Jeter will lead-off and Damon will bat second. This will be the 1-2 punch all season. Get used to it.
The CF battle between Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera has been one of the more interesting stories to keep an eye on down in Tampa. Gardner seems like he's gonna get the nod. He's often cited as Girardi favorite and looks like a Giradi disciple. Plus he's batted at a .343 clip this spring with 3Hrs. Melky isn't going quietly though. He's hit at a .313 clip and boasts 9 RBIs. Personally, I'd go with Melky in Center, shift him to left in the 7th, bench Damon, and let Gardner patrol CF during the last 3 innings. Did I mention I hate Johnny Damon? Regardless, look for the decision to be made by Monday.
Speaking of decisions, the long-man spot out of the pen is up for grabs today. Dan Geise, Brett Tomko, and Alfredo Aceves take the hill vs. The Atlanta Braves toaday a 1:15 PM ET. This may seem like a throw away position to the uninformed and nothing more than a dull battle between garbage arms, but if you remember anything about recent Yankee history, you'd know pitching is the most important thing. This is no different. We have 5 starting pitchers, yes, but none of them are without their nagging questions. The long man can either save the day like Ramiro Mendoza or compound your troubles like Ramiro Mendoza. --Sorry, I can't think of another long man besides Ramiro Mendoza.
This battle is also important because if Brett Tomko wins it out, someone will have to be sacrificed off the roster to make room as Tomko came to camp as a non-roster invitee. For the record, Tomko looks far superior to the other two this Spring posting a 1.46 ERA through 12 and 1/3 innings. Aceves has pitched to a 4.97 ERA and Geise carries an ERA of 7.43 -- pretty ugly fellas. Uglier still when I mention the 9 combined HRs the opposition has hit off you both. Today may be the last to make an impression.
When I first heard that Joe Girardi made an adjustment to the top of the lineup by pulling the ol' switcheroo with Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon I assumed it was more due to Jeter's new habit of grounding into double plays in key situations. The more I thought about it, the more Johnny Damon's new role started to sink in. After all, Damon was seen as a much needed savior and crucial cog in the machine when he was acquired as a free agent 3 years ago. Keep in mind, back then he was a lead-off hitting centerfielder. He begins his final tour of duty in Yankee pinstripes as a leftfielder hitting out of the 2-hole. Frankly, he's outplayed his usefulness. Good riddance.
In typical fashion Johnny Damon had something to say and didn't disappoint. He said this of the move, "I'm definitely bigger than most leadoff hitters, so it's time for me to move down, and I hit the ball on the right side a lot." Damon added, "I’m O.K. with it. It makes the team better. We know Derek’s on-base percentage is a lot higher than mine. Hopefully, we can tinker with this thing, and my production in the two-hole will increase with Derek on base quite a bit [...] He'll be on first and I can jack home runs." Curiously, he then added "Whatever Joe wants, I think how this camp has been going, you know, everyone's got to do what Joe wants."
That last line I feel is th most telling. Joe Girardi may say he's "toying" with it, but I fairly certain his mind is made up in this regard. When we open in Baltimore, Jeter will lead-off and Damon will bat second. This will be the 1-2 punch all season. Get used to it.
The CF battle between Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera has been one of the more interesting stories to keep an eye on down in Tampa. Gardner seems like he's gonna get the nod. He's often cited as Girardi favorite and looks like a Giradi disciple. Plus he's batted at a .343 clip this spring with 3Hrs. Melky isn't going quietly though. He's hit at a .313 clip and boasts 9 RBIs. Personally, I'd go with Melky in Center, shift him to left in the 7th, bench Damon, and let Gardner patrol CF during the last 3 innings. Did I mention I hate Johnny Damon? Regardless, look for the decision to be made by Monday.
Speaking of decisions, the long-man spot out of the pen is up for grabs today. Dan Geise, Brett Tomko, and Alfredo Aceves take the hill vs. The Atlanta Braves toaday a 1:15 PM ET. This may seem like a throw away position to the uninformed and nothing more than a dull battle between garbage arms, but if you remember anything about recent Yankee history, you'd know pitching is the most important thing. This is no different. We have 5 starting pitchers, yes, but none of them are without their nagging questions. The long man can either save the day like Ramiro Mendoza or compound your troubles like Ramiro Mendoza. --Sorry, I can't think of another long man besides Ramiro Mendoza.
This battle is also important because if Brett Tomko wins it out, someone will have to be sacrificed off the roster to make room as Tomko came to camp as a non-roster invitee. For the record, Tomko looks far superior to the other two this Spring posting a 1.46 ERA through 12 and 1/3 innings. Aceves has pitched to a 4.97 ERA and Geise carries an ERA of 7.43 -- pretty ugly fellas. Uglier still when I mention the 9 combined HRs the opposition has hit off you both. Today may be the last to make an impression.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
