Melky & Brett: Neither a Starter Nor a Reserve Be
by jscape2000 on Nov 11, 2009 11:00 AM EST
in Analysis
10 comments
| Brett Gardner | |
|
.274/.336/.416 OPS: .752 wOBA: .331 EQA:.259 UZR/150: -2 BB: 8.1% K: 12.2% LD: 20.9% GB: 49.5% FB: 29.6% |
.270/.345/.379 OPS: .724 wOBA: .337 EQA: .264 UZR/150: 15.4 BB: 9.5% K: 16.1% LD: 18.1% GB: 49.0% FB: 32.8% |
Despite Joe G.'s insistence on treating Gardner as a 4th outfielder throughout the playoffs, Gardner is the more valuable player in my eyes because of his superior batting eye. Melky has an edge in slugging (equivalent to turning 18 singles into doubles over the course of 500 ABs). I also prefer Gardner's greater range over Melky's arm.
Gardner won the starting job out of spring training, then lost it by hitting .220/.254/.271 in April.
As a split-time situation (hard to call it a platoon when Gardner hit lefties better than he hit righties in a small sample, and Melky saw twice as many ABs against righties than lefties) developed, neither player could win the job outright, but each seemed to heat up as the other cooled off. Gardner outperformed Melky in May and June (.937 OPS to .732), then Melky began to heat up in July (.819 to .621).
And when Gardner hit the DL with a broken finger at the end of July, Melky reminded the world why he needs a partner in CF by hitting .260/.322/.395 for the rest of the season.
Either player could probably be a starter on any other team, counting on his above average defense to make up for his bats weakest moments. But, we are the Yankees, with a legacy of slugging center fielders. Patience is, at the best of times, short.
Objectively speaking, we shouldn't hand the starting job to either player, not for Gardner's epic defense (though I'd be ok with it) and not for our happy memories of Melky's walkoff hits.
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i still say ...
leave damon, put melky in left, gardner in center and keep matsui.
by blindmole on Nov 11, 2009 11:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
i have a feeling
that’s what we’ll see next year
buying time for ajax
by holycowboy on Nov 11, 2009 11:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm ok with that
Add in JHJ, Shelley Duncan, or Colin Curtis for depth and to keep the pressure on the boys.
"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."
by jscape2000 on Nov 11, 2009 11:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I like 50-50...
but like Blindmole said, LF and CF for Melky/Gardner would be fine with me. Maybe Melky finally breaks out?
At worst that would be a pretty bad 8&9 hole hitters..but they both seem to be decent “small-ball” players so that may help.
Defensively that would be excellent.
Ideally, I’d like to get a real everyday CF…but who exactly is out there I don’t know.
"It ain't over till its over"---
by FreeBradshaw on Nov 11, 2009 11:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
what about....
Melk in right cuz he has the best arm, Gardy in CF? isnt the best arm suppose to play RF
by Joe G. Blows on Nov 11, 2009 12:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Range is more important than arm strength.
Left field in Yankee stadium is very big, you need a guy who can track a lot of balls down in left.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
by CasanovaWong on Nov 11, 2009 12:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder how our CF stats combined compare with other teams
Purely from a CF perspective if you combine MC and BG, what would it look like up against the other fulltime CF’s? (I’m sure this is out there somewhere…at work still, can search later) I’m guessing middle of the road. (hopefully)
I wish we could continue to just show up and play for no reason. No umpires, no scorers. Just show up and have fun.
-- Alex Rodriguez
by dorsal on Nov 11, 2009 3:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Gardner's speed...
contributed to him coming off the bench in the World Series. Although the two might be about equal, as you argue, I don’t think Girardi wanted to lose Gardner as a weapon pinch running off the bench in crucial situations.
Additionally, Melky has a terrific arm for a CF (despite what McCarver might have had you believe during the World Series), and because no one else in the Yankees outfield does, it helps the team defense to have him out there in some capacity—-either in CF or RF—-almost all the time. That being said, I think Garner has improved his defense over time…he can now how his own in CF…
If we could combine the two of these players, we’d have a great everyday CF, but until then they should both remain role players. And the Yankees have shown they can win with that arrangement.
by PCP on Nov 11, 2009 3:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Did you read the entire post?
Garder did a lot better than hold his own in the field.
Crowds are won and lost and won again, but our hearts beat for the diehards.
by Edwantsacracker on Nov 12, 2009 5:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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