By "down the middle" I didn't mean "throw the ball right at belt level, and cut the plate in half." I meant throw a pitch that the particular hitter at the plate has a better chance to hit. My fault for using my common speak online. I guess it doesn't translate well. Basically, what I mean is, if the count is 3-1, and you have first base open, do you throw one out of the zone and hope ARod chases it, and deal with Teixeira with the bases loaded if he doesn't, or do you try to throw your best strike pitch twice, and hope he doesn't bring home Damon and Jeter? Then does the same opinion apply if you reverse Teixeira and ARod? I'd never want to have to make that choice, because you're basically picking your poison, but if I did have to make the choice, I'd rather face Teixeira with the bases loaded than ARod. BTW: In response to the "Huh?" question, I took your previous comments as being more abrasive than I guess you meant them. Again, it's the written word vs. spoken. Again, I'm just yapping because there's not much else to yap about right now.
And I don't disagree that pitchers would make that choice nine times out of ten. The point is whether it affects the team as a whole. (It doesn't.)
Yap about Smoltz going to the Sox..it doesn't make a lot of sense for them to give a 6th starter a chance to make 10 million unless somebody is already hurt, expected to be hurt or expected to be traded.
I get it now. We're talking apples and oranges. I'm discussing the particular instance, and you're talking about the overall effect of grouping all of those instances together over the course of a season. Correct? So we agree that it could have an effect on a particular at-bat? You go further by saying in 20/20 hindsight after the season, it wouldn't have had a significant season-changing effect, right?
Exactly. I don't care whether Girardi decides to bat A-Rod third or fourth. Won't make hardly a whit of difference over the course of the season because if A-Rod's batting fourth, then for every situation where he might not get a pitch to hit because a pitcher would rather walk him to face Posada or whomever (which isn't really a bad thing for the Yanks), there'll be another situation where he will be able to drive in an extra run or see a better pitch because Teixeira is on base ahead of him. (Honestly, any runner on base puts more pressure on a pitcher than the quality of the hitter at the plate.)
What's with shopping Nady/Swisher? What do you guy think Cash's got cooking? I'm all out of ideas. It would have to be for young talent, I would think.
Swisher was going to play first because I dont think Terx was in the original plan. Now Tex is at first so Swisher becomes an extra outfield...we suddenly have a bit of a cluster fuck in the OF....not great talent anywhere but a lot of guys.....gotta move someone...that and Im sure the Steinbrenners wouldnt mind putting a couple sheckles back in their wallets after they went on their spending spree
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news...t_id=3737001&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy Yankees make deal to put PS3s in Luxury Boxes and other Sony products http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLB_09:_The_Show Sony's MLB game for this year
I think they could still be looking for a CF or a 5th starter. Interesting since this just came up. "The Pirates have had trade talks with the New York Yankees regarding outfielders Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady, one high-level source said today, but there is little cause to expect a deal involving either coming to Pittsburgh. In Swisher's case, he is owed $22 million the next three years and is coming off a down season in which he batted .219 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs. Moreover, the Yankees are seeking pitching, the Pirates' most precious commodity, so the match is poor. The source described the chance of a Swisher deal being done as "a long shot." A Nady deal is seen as even less likely, and the talks on that front have been no more than cursory. The primary reason is that the Yankees never could get back as much as they gave up for Nady and reliever Damaso Marte in the teams' July 26 trade -- outfield prospect Jose Tabata and starters pitchers Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen -- and that could make for an awkward set of circumstances. Nady can become a free agent after the coming season. Several other teams have been in touch with the Yankees about Swisher and Nady. " http://community.post-gazette.com/b.../01/08/pirates-yankees-talk-swisher-nady.aspx
Yeah, the outfield seems to be a mess. None of the people in any of the three positions are anybody you would really want there. Not on a Yankee team anyway.
No, I wouldn't say that. I like Damon, as long as he's healthy. His arm is worse than a 14 year old girl's, but his speed generally makes up for it in left. Nady is servicable. Not great, and his arm is crap too, but his bat is good enough. Melky has a canon attached to his shoulder, and speed to cover center. If he can hit decently, he's the best center field option we have on the team. The problem is, can he hit consistently? I'm no fan of Gardner, I've never made any attempt to hide that. He's fast, but beyond that, IMO, he shouldn't be a MLB ballplayer. Swisher is a wildcard. Can he hit consistently? Can he field a corner position well? I read on the Yankees' web site that Cashman does not envision Swisher as a center fielder. Either Melky or Gardner will play center, and either Nady or Swisher will play right. Damon is the full-time LF and leadoff man. Matsui is the full-time DH. If it were up to me, I'd risk Melky in center, and pray he hits. I'd send Gardner back to AAA unless someone offers us something for him. I'd start Nady in right, and Swisher would platoon right and first to rest Nady and Teixeira. Unfortunately, I think Nady is going to be the one to go. It looks like the Yankees would rather move him than Swisher, and there's more interest for Nady on the open market. They're making it an open competition between Melky and Gardner for centerfield.
The answer to the latter question is yes. The answer to the former question is, he has in the past. This is exactly what they should do. Sell high on Nady after his career year. I'd bet almost anything that Swisher puts up better numbers than Nady next year. Why? Because he's done it every year except for the last one.
Well, with the Yankees everything starts with center field and when you had more than 50 years filled in center with only 4 guys it seems ridiculous to have Melky there now. As you mentioned, Damon was good 5 or more years ago but he is a liability now and Nady they are trying to trade. To me that leaves the whole outfield in disarray. A Yankee outfield anyway.
So you think the Yanks should build their roster based around the history of the team? Oh God, are you one of those "True Yankee" believers?
That's all fair. I just like Nady after how he played and how he acclimated to the clubhouse last year. I'll get over it, especially if Swisher plays well. Well, history is history. I wouldn't say it's "ridiculous" to have Melky there. The key with Cabrera is whether he hits or not. Fielding I don't foresee a problem with him. Damon is far from a liability in left. Sure, his arm makes Chad Pennington look like Peyton Manning, but he's got the speed, and is smart with the ball once he has possession of it. Add to that the fact that's he's cutoff by Jeter and Rodriguez, and his lack of arm strength is almost a non-factor. As you see above, losing Nady isn't that big a problem. If Swisher is able to bounce back, then we're fine. What I had wanted to see for this year was an outfield of Damon (LF), Swisher (C), Nady (RF) so that's why I'm a little disappointed. I'm willing to sacrifice the defense to gain the overall offense. If Nady or Swisher is traded we definitely see either Melky or Gardner in center, and neither of their defenses make up for the tailoff in offense in the batting order. Granted, either would bat ninth, but why not have the best lineup possible?
I believe they should build their outfield starting with a solid center fielder. Somebody they aren't trying to trade and somebody they know will be there for awhile. Otherwise it's impossible to know what to do for the corners. What exactly do you believe anyway?
I believe that the Yanks aren't going to try to get a long-term CF for this year when they have Austin Jackson maybe only one year away.
