The Tools of Ignorance: Saturday News

by jscape2000 on Jan 23, 2010 9:14 AM EST in New York Yankees News

As the market for left fielders begins to dry up around him, Johnny Damon must be muttering to himself.

Rick Ankiel signed with the Kansas City Royals (1yr/$3.5M).

The Mets made a great deal for a lousy player- trading a reliever no one wanted anyways for an outfielder buried on the bench. Sure, Gary Matthews Jr. has been awful, but maybe the prospect of re-winning a starting spot will bring some new motivation, and the Mets are only paying $2M/2Y. For a team that has used Gary Sheffield, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Church in the oufield in the last 12 months, Sarge is an upgrade.

Over the last 3 seasons, Ankiel has averaged a wRC+ of 108, which a sharp drop off last season.

Matthews has averaged 90 wRC+.

Damon has averaged 123 wRC+. If 90 is worth $1M (Matthews), and 108 is worth $3.5M, then 123 is worth a hair under $6M. Could it get done this week?

Jayson Stark thinks there should be a reliever only award. We recognize that pitching out of the pen, especially in the late innings of a big game is a different beast than pitching the first 7 or 8 innings. We know that even the best reliever in history doesn't really stack up to the best starter, and we know that the writers don't really value relievers if there is anyone else to vote for (see Colon, Bartolo- 2005).

I like the idea. I also think that it's time to put 2 decades of reality in writing and agree the Cy Young Award is for pitchers and the Most Valuable Player Award is for position players.

I've been going through the roster of Connie Mack's Giants for a little game I'm going to share with you in the next couple of days. I was struck by how nearly everyone had a nickname. This article from Bruce Markusen at Hardball Times is well-timed, as he runs down the greatest baseball nicknames ever. The Iron Horse makes the list, but not Joltin' Joe, the Yankee Clipper, the Hit Man, the Babe, the Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, the Colassus of Clout, or the Big Bam.

Which brings me to my thought of the day: which Yankee is most in need of a nickname? We have the Cap'n, GGBG, and Houdini Robertson. ~~My pick is Robbie Cano- with Melky gone, there's no more Los Chicos~~. Robbie is the Ninja Assassin, Curtis Granderson will be Grand Central in a few weeks.

Maybe a nickname for Hughes or CC? Suggestions?

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Comments

OMFG!!!

ANKIEL!! he was das LF anwessers? NO!!!!

I thought Cano was “ninja assassin”.

..I like El Gaucho. I didn’t look it up yet so I have no idea what it means…I guess I was playing too much Resident evil 4 lately.

Maybe Matalo! ?

You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there

by FreeBradshaw on Jan 23, 2010 9:36 AM EST reply actions

D'oh!

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jan 23, 2010 9:41 AM EST up reply actions

I'm not a Spanish expert

but isn’t a gaucho a cattle herder? Maybe I am wrong so if someone can correct me there that would be nice.

by sjkqw on Jan 23, 2010 10:58 AM EST up reply actions

nevermind

that is only one definition. It is like a Spanish cowboy. Guess that is okay

by sjkqw on Jan 23, 2010 11:01 AM EST up reply actions

"Maybe a nickname for Hughes or CC?"

Isn’t C.C.’s nickname…C.C.?

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 23, 2010 10:45 AM EST reply actions

Baby Hughey?

by blevs4 on Jan 23, 2010 11:15 AM EST reply actions

GMJ

I really do pity Mets fans as Omar strikes again. He’s a complete waste of a roster spot.

by Scooby Snacks on Jan 23, 2010 11:23 AM EST reply actions

Not that terrible a move

I’m not saying it’s great, but it is a backup outfielder for 1M per year. He can get hot and maybe have a resurgance with the Mets. So not that bad a move for Minaya’s standard.

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

Vince Lombardi

by moose35 on Jan 24, 2010 5:20 AM EST up reply actions

You’re more optimistic on GMJ than I am. I believe he is what he is. The fact that the Angels took $18M as a sunk cost is pretty telling. Even though Brian Stokes is nothing to write home about, the Mets could still have possibly received an outfielder with a neutral-to-positive “WAR” (or one young with the potential to be) in return for him. If GMJ ends up sucking, the Mets’ only option is to DFA him since they can’t demote him to AAA without his consent.

by Scooby Snacks on Jan 24, 2010 9:59 AM EST up reply actions

If WAR is going to be brought into this

then a “replacement level” player was more valuable the past couple of years than GMJ.

Then again, I have quite a few problems with the WAR concept.

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 24, 2010 12:38 PM EST up reply actions

Is Baldelli the last of the "Rockies"?

There used to be a ton of Rockies, some based on name (and just looking like a Rocky, like Rocky Colavito), and others with negative references to their brains (Rocky Bridges).
Now we’re knee-deep in Brandons, Jasons and Joshes all of a sudden, and I have no clue where they all came from.
Can we baptize one of the younger Yanks with Rocky if he gets picked off a coupla times, or does a Castillo?
Also missing for a few decades: Bubba (Phillips & Church, to name two).

by Richard Deegan on Jan 23, 2010 11:25 AM EST reply actions

Hasn't beeen that long

since Bubba Crosby.

by gwc3 on Jan 25, 2010 3:18 PM EST up reply actions

nickname

I’ve been calling Phil Hughes- Phil of the Future, but since he’s finally playing extremely well i dunno if that flies. I like Grand Central, we’ll see if it works when hes in pinstripes.

by dyanks10 on Jan 23, 2010 12:37 PM EST reply actions

I was calling him

Philthy when he was throwing nasty stuff last year.

by Jaybat on Jan 25, 2010 10:51 AM EST up reply actions

Damon at $6MM for one year a steal!!!

Cash & Hal… make it happen !!!

Abreu certainly earned his Angel contract last year & Damon will be the same

Trade Gaudin & his $3MM contract for prospect to make the budget numbers work.

Damon will help us get more wins in 2010 than Gaudin.

by YANKEES FOREVER on Jan 23, 2010 2:03 PM EST reply actions

+1

Damon>Gaudin

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jan 23, 2010 4:14 PM EST up reply actions

We can go slightly over,

for a Yankee favourite can we not?

YES WE CAN!

by Vancouverguy on Jan 23, 2010 11:19 PM EST up reply actions

GMJ

is legitimately terrible, that if the Mets are paying him anymore than the league minimum that it’s a real waste.

He hasn’t hit in 2.5 year, he has been a very bad CF defensively, he’s 35, not exactly the right time for a bounce back season, oh right he have exactly 1 season in his career where he actually had more than 500 PA AND hit above league average to begin with.

As bad as Gary Sheffield was last year, it wasn’t worse than GMJ, which says a lot.

I mean if you really need to gamble on a guy for half a season… you gamble on him mid season, with still nearly 3 month before the seasons starts. the Mets deciding to make this move is simply inexplicablly bad.

by RollingWave on Jan 23, 2010 2:42 PM EST reply actions

yeah...

GMJ has been awful. Paying him anything above league minimum is too much, he’s been below replacement level for 2 straight years, and was only .5 WAR 3 years ago.

by Wraithpk on Jan 23, 2010 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

GMJ

The Mets are only paying like 2 of the 23 mil he’s owed over the next 2 years. They needed someone who could play CF since Beltran might be out until the all-star break. It’s a nothing deal for them if Beltran’s healthy he’ll be a 4th or 5th OF.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Jan 24, 2010 12:47 AM EST up reply actions

Luxury Tax Impact?

Does anyone know whether the fact that the Angels are eating 21.5 mil of the contract also comes of the Mets luxury tax no.? If it doesn’t then this deal could end up costing the Mets more than the 2 mil left over.

by Mo42 on Jan 25, 2010 12:45 AM EST up reply actions