New York Yankee notes: How the Bombers could fall apart
by Ed Valentine on Feb 9, 2010 7:41 AM EST
in News
19 comments
Here are a few New York Yankee-related stories to entertain you while we wait impatiently for Spring Training, which is just a few days away.
- As we know, the Yankees are one of those franchises in sports that you either love or hate. And we know Yankee-haters are just dying to see the Bronx Bombers fall flat on their collective $200 million faces after winning the World Series in 2009. The Orange County Register has a photographic, and sometimes light-hearted, look at how that could happen in 2010.
- Bench? What bench? NoMaas is not impressed with the collection of spare parts General Manager Brian Cashman has assembled for the Yankee outfield.
- Speaking of Cashman, he says Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter will have to wait until after the season to negotiate new contracts.
- FanGraphs says Joba Chamberlain lost an average 2.5 miles-per-hour off his fastball in 2009, the biggest drop of any pitcher with at least 50 innings in the big leagues last season. We saw last post-season that Joba can still dial it up, but he just doesn't bring the same heat when he starts games.
- Just like Derek Jeter used to work his way through the Maxim Hot 100 before Minka Kelly got ahold of him, Alex Rodriguez seems to be into Hollywood starlets. Seems he has moved on from Kate Hudson to Cameron Diaz.
- River Avenue Blues tries to put together a former Yankee farmhand All-Star team.
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Clicked through those Orange County pictures. At one point he wrote: “see Varitek, John, in my Red Sox article.”
Since my name is John, for a minute I thought he was merely directing this comment directly to me; then I realized he’s a moron who writes for the Orange County Register who doesn’t know the name of one of the better catchers in MLB (certainly among the most reported on) over the last decade.
"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."
I hear you
It’s all just wishful thinking on the part of a Yankee hater. But, hey, if it gets you a little riled up that’s good.
Earl clearly has no idea
what he is talking about. Who in their right mind would ever, ever, ever, consider Jason Varitek to be an equal of Jorge Posada? that is an absolute joke. In what way is Posada being exposed? not as a hitter, Posada has remained consistent while Varitek has been so bad at the plate, he probably should consider becoming a left handed hitter, he could not do much worse.
Is it as a defensive catcher they are being compared? Varitek has always been the better defensive catcher. So where is the Comparison?
Also, with Girardi, Jeter, and Mariano’s contracts ending this season, it got me thinking about what it is they are going to be renewed at.
Say the Yankees have another World Series appearance, say they win. Girardi probably gets a 5 year deal for 15 million. If the Yankees make the World Series and Lose, Girardi probably gets the same deal. Now if the Yankees do not make the WS, Girardi is probably looking at a 3 year deal. No Playoffs, Probably a 2 year deal. What do you think?
Jeter is going to be interesting, I cannot see the Yankees giving Jeter more than a 5 year deal in the 18-22 mill range. Jeter has remained remarkably consistent and I do believe he has a lot left to produce for this team. I do not think, as the Post thinks, that he should be getting AROD money, I just cannot see that happening.
Mariano, I believe will get a 2 year deal between 20-22 million.
It will be interesting to see
I love the minotaurs and Arod thing.
Seeing that Matsui picture sitting next to Scioscia made me spit out my coffee!!!
Joba throws much harder as a relief pitcher than a starter. That is one big difference in Joba. Throwing 92-94 is good, but throwing 96-98 is much, much better.
Gardner for President
but throwing 98 for 3 innings and then getting shelled because you’re too tired is worse than both. Joba needs to work on his endurance so he can throw high velocity and still last in games.
3 innings?
No, he should just lock up the 8th inning and sometimes the 7th and 8thinning.
25-40 pitches an outing. Never 3 innings though. 6-7 batters.
It just seems that with Joba he is stronger in relief than starting. Both physically and mentally.
Gardner for President
He seems stronger at doing something that is easier????
You don’t say! What next!?!?!
This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
Right. (nice sarcasm coupled with extra punctuations)
So if he is just mediocre at best as a starter and he throws fukking fire in the late innings, then there is your answer. Let me ask you a question.
Do you think he is bright? I don’t and that is another reason why to throw him late. Along with the fact that 2 years ago he was arguably one of the top 5 relievers, and with HUGE upside. Then we tried to limit his innings, make him a starter, fuck with his head more , and then he threw some really shitty games last year, and finally comes back with some fire and heat and is successful, again, relieving. Hughes starts, Joba i relief. Less thinking, more throwing gas.
Gardner for President
Mariano Rivera threw fire last year out of the bullpen
and Andy Pettitte was solid but mediocre in the rotation.
Rivera was worth 2.0 wins to the Yankees.
Pettitte was worth 3.3 wins to the Yankees.
Baseball isn’t about throwing fire. It’s about having a consistent, long-term approach to being as successful as possible in as many innings as possible.
This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
No, it still isn't
the point is that a mediocre starter is more valuable than an excellent reliever.
There’s a reason starting pitchers get paid more money and are always in higher demand.
The positions of “closer” and “set-up man” were only created by agents in the dawn of free agency to try and get more money for their clients that weren’t good enough to start.
Taking someone as talented as Joba and putting him in the bullpen would be criminal. If he turns into even a slightly-above league average starter (which is nowhere near his potential), then it’s still the right move.
This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
Why is everone excited to point out
that a fastball will play up when in the bullpen, and then shocked and outraged when it plays down in the rotation?
That’s sort of the point…
This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
Even though Jeter is getting up there in age for an athlete, I think he will get a BIG contract when the time comes. He deserves more than A-Rod. In the top three of Yankee players of all times.
He doesn't deserve more than Arod, because Arod puts up much better numbers.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
Falling Apart
For the most part, the Yankees won the World Series last year because they remained healthy. A-Rod was out in the beginning but survived the season and finished strong. Same with Matsui. Conditioning remains the primary concern. There are a number of player to worry about: Jeter, AJ, Posada, A-Rod, Andy, and Mo. Any of them would be impossible to replace.
The Bench...
Our bench just got a little better yesterday, with the addition of Thames.
We now have 2 outfielders to back up/cover for Gardner. Our man Francisco can hit better than Molina, and I like the way he handled himself defensively. I would rather see Pena play every day at AAA, then once every 10 days n the majors, at his age, he needs at bats and playing regularly, but…If they have to they will pick up a player or two during the season like last year, Hinske, Hairston, then Gaudin in August.
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