Joe G.'s first 6 weeks as manager

by Cbeck3 on May 14, 2008 12:27 PM EDT

About an hour after I posted a comment mildly critical of Girardi as manager I saw a poll on LoHud asking people to rate Joe as manager. Well, the choice"I'm reserving judgement for now" is the overwhelming winner.

I wanted however to say more, so I will.

This is a complex subject. I think Joe has done a good job with the pitchers. He has built Farnsy's confidence and helped him become a solid contributor. He has used the other guys well. Nobody grossly over or underused. A

He blew a game pitching to Manny with first base open. F If it's a close call I do not mind consulting the pitcher. In the end it is the Manager's call and Moose against Manny in the clutch. I want to walk Manny even if first is not open. Really!

I don't think he has much control of roster moves. No grade.

He is willing to use his subs. (Maybe he has had to) But I do not think he has done enough to get his struggling hitters, Giambi and Cano, out of the lineup. I have always believed a couple days off is the best cure for a slump. C

He's not talking about the injuries frankly. I'm not as upset as the beat writers about this. Anything we tell the fans and the press we tell the opposition. He can stay mum. We'll watch the personnel moves and figure out what's happening eventually. No grade

The team has looked flat, tired old. It is his job to set the tone. Jeter says"You always look flat if you're not hitting and scoring". So, I'll be patient for now. Joe needs to make the team look better. No grade, yet. But this is the key, they have to look better on the field. These are the Yankees; win or go home. Stienbrenners are not famous for patience.

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Reserving judgment

Hitting and scoring runs does wonders for a team. I’m going to wait until we actually have our team on the field for a month before I take umbrage to any of Joe’s moves, strategies, insights, decisions.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on May 14, 2008 12:52 PM EDT 0 recs

I think he hits and runs

too often. Also someone kept calling for pitch outs during one of IPKs worse starts. He had already walked someone and was having trouble finding the strike zone, and now lets have him pitch out twice to a batter so he is behind in the count. Great idea.

I am not sure if thats Joe Girardi, or if that was Molina, or who calls those sorts of things on the Yankees, but I can rmemeber not being happy about it

Crowds are won and lost and won again, but our hearts beat for the diehards.

by Edwantsacracker on May 14, 2008 3:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

When Igawa pitches ...

Joe doesn’t need to call pitchouts. Igawa is always high and outside. I guess that can be considered a positive thing … sort of.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on May 15, 2008 3:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

Revenge of the nerds

Remember that 80s classic? Kind of reminds me of this year in the Bronx.

After the uber-cool of Torre, Girardi seems a.) wonkish (too much small ball), b.) neurotic (no junk food in the clubhouse) and c.) paranoid (paging Jim Dolan). Those attributes can coalesce into Bill Belichick, but let’s hope the Patriots-era Belichick, not the Browns-era Belichick.

Now combine nerd one with Cashman. Since the Boss tuned out, Cash seems like a teenager whose parents are away for the weekend. By dint of a silver tongue, he’s so managed to keep the Baby Steins from doing anything, er, non-nerdy. (Trading for Santana, you say? No need. Just look at what we concocted on the farm. We’ve got a whole family of pitching Frankensteins.)

You know what happens when you give the keys of a big enterprise to a nerd? You get Yahoo. And it’s anybody’s guess how that’s going to turn out.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on May 14, 2008 3:43 PM EDT 0 recs

Maybe we'll get the WWE

but hopefully without the body slams and T & A. Well, the body slams anyway. Vince McMahon gave his son, Vince McMahon Jr., the keys to a big business and he built it to an enormous enterprise – far bigger and more profitable than the old man did. Hey, there are exceptions to every rule.

Of course, I’m not going to compare the WWF of the early 80s to the Yanks now, but if Hank and Hal are so dissatisfied with Cashman, they can decide not to resign him.

That said, in retrospect, pulling the trigger on the Santana deal wouldn’t help this team score runs. Posada and A-Rod would still be out of action and the team still would have lost a finely pitched ball game by Wang. They’d also be missing their starting CF as well.

by anaconda on May 14, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

We do not know who would have replaced Melky

but if the guuys we have are a sad lot, they’d be a lot sadder if Melky were not here.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on May 14, 2008 6:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

Not crazy about

the way Joe G. overreacts when they’re facing a lefty, which for whatever friggin’ reason seems to be every day (two more this weekend).

Just write out a lineup and leave it just the way it is for a week or so (subbing in ARod when he returns). Veteran players are creatures of habit, knowing where in the lineup they’re hitting and knowing they’re in the lineup every day helps ‘em stick to their routines. Joe of all people should know that.

QUIT TINKERING!!!!!

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on May 15, 2008 10:38 PM EDT 0 recs

Lineups

Couldn’t agree more about the lineups.

I do like Girardi but the continuous tinkering with the lineup drives me nuts more than anything else. Write down a freaking lineup and stick with it. I think he’s doing more harm than good by screwing around with it so much. It’s like he’s trying to outsmart conventional wisdom.

I’m also not a fan of giving so many off days to Damon (when he’s hitting well) and Matsui. Hey, the offense is struggling and Girardi is resting some of the few hitters that were actually hitting. I don’t get that.

by anaconda on May 16, 2008 12:23 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yea, there is a tradition of trying to break a slump

by shaking things up. Billy used to draw a lineup out of a hat once in a while.

But to break up a routine you have to have a routine. Maybe Joe should break the routine by putting the same lineup out there 4 or 5 days in a row. This feels panicy to me. He seems all over the place.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on May 16, 2008 12:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

I hate to prematurely

call it for Girardi, but I’ve got a sinking feeling he ain’t gonna make it in the Bronx. And if he does, it’s not going to be with Cashman. There’s a real dearth of stature in the Bronx right now.

Girardi needs somebody like a John Schuerholz. Somebody who might have said, let’s not get desperate for a win right now and rush Kennedy back to the rotation. Having him start last night, imo, was a capital offense. Kennedy should have been left in Scranton until the end of the month. The whole thing smacked of Igawa-noia: fear of getting lambasted for putting him on the mound. It’s fine for the fans to throw tomatoes, but the FO has to be above that. They should have taken their lumps and let Igawa start last night.

We’ve picked a course with these kids, and somebody’s got to manage their development properly. The Girardi/Cashman tandem ain’t getting it done.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on May 16, 2008 2:13 PM EDT 0 recs

Call me biased if you will

but I don’t think Kennedy was nearly as bad as his pitching line indicated. Yeah, he gave up 5 ER, but he threw a lot more strikes and got ahead of the hitters. He also allowed 6 base runners (5 H, 1 BB) in 5 IP. I’ll take a 1.20 WHIP from any Yankee starting pitcher.

What did Kennedy in is that he made a couple of mistakes up in the zone and he paid for them big time. I think he’ll have better results next start if he continues to be aggressive in the zone.

Again, call me biased, but they have something to work with in Kennedy. Right now, there really isn’t anyone else in the minors ready to make a contribution to the major league club.

by anaconda on May 16, 2008 2:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

Right, Kennedy was pretty good

He also pitched economically. His pitch count was low so he could have pitched more innings. I am optimistic that he does not need more minor league work. I think he has to get a little of the swagger he had in the minors into his pinstripes. If Rasner and Moose have their share of good outings we can surely afford to carry IPK as #5 as he develops.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on May 16, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

I am not calling you biased

I agree with you 100%. Kennedy is MLB material. He’s going to be a stud. I think he would have been a whole lot better off pitching another game or two in Scranton at this point. Because they just took the net out from under him. If he goes back down again, it’s going to be a lot longer before he comes back up. He’s now got to work it out in the majors or basically write off the first half of the season.

I just don’t see the rationale for brining him back so soon. That’s all I’m saying. There may not be anyone else ready to make the right contribution, so let Igawa take his lumps and never again haunt our days.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on May 16, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think Igawa's done unless there

is a miraculous turn around in Scranton.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on May 16, 2008 4:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

No, no...

I’m calling myself biased because I’ve always believed in the kid. I wasn’t suggesting you were doing so.

Perhaps I’m giving Kennedy the benefit of the doubt and wouldn’t be cutting as much slack to someone else? There’s probably some truth to that.

But I disagree on the Igawa front. He’s not even worth the time anymore. I hope the team unloads him one way or another.

by anaconda on May 16, 2008 4:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

Any points

you are making that are valid (and there are several) get washed out by the notion of giving Igawa the ball again. That’s just lunacy.

There is quite a difference between “taking lumps” and pitching batting practice. That guy doesn’t belong here. They might as well ask Suzyn Waldman to pitch.

"Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankees win."
-- Phil Rizzuto after hearing about the Pope's death

by matthaggs on May 16, 2008 4:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

Dude,

I completely agree that Igawa is a washout. But I think letting him pitch another outing or two and giving Kennedy time to get his bearings right is the better move. Batting practice pitcher is a bit strong. In fact, he’s better than this fella was:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/ponsosi01.shtml

Believe me, I am in no way an advocate for Igawa. I am an advocate for letting Kennedy get his mojo back in Scranton. I’d actually have preferred bringing up another minor league arm before Kennedy.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on May 16, 2008 6:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sweet Lou

i really wish we had gotten rid of torre a year before and brought in lou pinella, how long can joe g put giambi in the lineup when he does not hit for his life, it drives me out of my mind

by yankee_fan on May 21, 2008 4:42 PM EDT 0 recs

The whole situation has

the dank stinnk of desperation. I never thought Joe T. was desperate and grasping at straws. Maybe Joe G. Will right the ship and grow on me. Right now I am not a happy Yankee fan.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on May 21, 2008 6:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

im not allowed

considering that arod is the greatest shortstop to play the game dont you think when derek has a boo-boo he plays short and betimit plays 3rd wouldnt that make them a far better team oh im sorry i forgot the captain dosnt allow for that .what a team player that derek is

by todd delamuca on May 28, 2008 5:09 PM EDT 0 recs