Comments on: Concern About the Yanks #5 Hitter? http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449 A Digest of New York Baseball: We talk Mets, Yankees, and Minor League News, Opinion, Rumors, and Analysis Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:48:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Studiophototrope http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449&cpage=1#comment-24307 Studiophototrope Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:16:25 +0000 http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449#comment-24307 Mike...Thanks. One other point I wanted to address. You're correct in saying that w/Posada, Cano or Granderson batting fifth, ARod would lead the league in walks. Question is, do you pay the highest paid player in the game to have him lead the league in BB's? I don't. To me, Damon's the answer, although I don't believe Yankee management is capable of realizing that 1- Damon's no longer a base stealer so you wouldn't really be signing a first/second hitter, you're signing a lefty RBI/power hitter/DH, 2- Damon is a clutch RBI guy not afraid of the big spot and in the Stadium he's a legitimate #5 hitter. Even if they resign him after the DeRosa deal is announced, they would never use him as a fifth hitter. Too bad. As far as Cano, he's extremely fortunate he had the excellent defensive year he had this year, otherwise, I think he would already be gone. If we want to get really daring,not go over budget and give the opposition a deep lineup here's what you do. Gardener leads off and plays CF [give Brett a full opportunity, this team needs some over achievers]] Cano gets his chance and bats second on a trial basis Jeter moves to the 3 hole ARod 4th Tex 5th Posada 6th Johnson/Nady/Hoffman DH [I believe Hoffman's a player] Swisher 8th in RF [Nick behind the DH to get the opposition to pitch to the DH's] Granderson in LF [double leadoff] That's assuming they don't get a real left fielder/# 5 hitter. As far as your Damon assertion re: a left heavy lineup...I never worried about Damon facing a lefty/righty...with the exception of just a couple of lefty power pitchers Along with my playing background I didn't play Strat-O-Matic all these years for nothing. Best Regards, Louis P.S. I'm glad I found your site. Great job. Mike…Thanks.
One other point I wanted to address. You’re correct in saying that w/Posada, Cano or Granderson batting fifth, ARod would lead the league in walks. Question is, do you pay the highest paid player in the game to have him lead the league in BB’s? I don’t.

To me, Damon’s the answer, although I don’t believe Yankee management is capable of realizing that 1- Damon’s no longer a base stealer so you wouldn’t really be signing a first/second hitter, you’re signing a lefty RBI/power hitter/DH, 2- Damon is a clutch RBI guy not afraid of the big spot and in the Stadium he’s a legitimate #5 hitter. Even if they resign him after the DeRosa deal is announced, they would never use him as a fifth hitter. Too bad.
As far as Cano, he’s extremely fortunate he had the excellent defensive year he had this year, otherwise, I think he would already be gone.

If we want to get really daring,not go over budget and give the opposition a deep lineup here’s what you do.
Gardener leads off and plays CF [give Brett a full opportunity, this team needs some over achievers]]
Cano gets his chance and bats second on a trial basis
Jeter moves to the 3 hole
ARod 4th
Tex 5th
Posada 6th
Johnson/Nady/Hoffman DH [I believe Hoffman's a player]
Swisher 8th in RF [Nick behind the DH to get the opposition to pitch to the DH's]
Granderson in LF [double leadoff]

That’s assuming they don’t get a real left fielder/# 5 hitter.

As far as your Damon assertion re: a left heavy lineup…I never worried about Damon facing a lefty/righty…with the exception of just a couple of lefty power pitchers

Along with my playing background I didn’t play Strat-O-Matic all these years for nothing.
Best Regards,
Louis
P.S. I’m glad I found your site. Great job.

]]> By: Mike Silva http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449&cpage=1#comment-24282 Mike Silva Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:21:37 +0000 http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449#comment-24282 Louis Great replay. Fair points in all. Few things that Frank Russo and I talked about on last weeks show. 1. Trading Melky was partially a message to Cano according to his Yankee insider. They weren't happy with his performance in the postseason which reeked of "Bad Cano" 2. The Yankees believe Matsui will break down. The work he had to do to prepare for a ballgame gave them reason to believe even a one year deal was not worth it. 3. I think Damon coming back would make for a very left handed lineup. I would prefer a Right handed bat, and don't mind Dye, hence my Sheffield suggestion. 4. Great point on weakening the bottom of the order. The best Yankee lineups never gave a pitcher a break, not sure if this squad qualifies, but way too early to make any definitive statements. Louis

Great replay. Fair points in all.

Few things that Frank Russo and I talked about on last weeks show.

1. Trading Melky was partially a message to Cano according to his Yankee insider. They weren’t happy with his performance in the postseason which reeked of “Bad Cano”

2. The Yankees believe Matsui will break down. The work he had to do to prepare for a ballgame gave them reason to believe even a one year deal was not worth it.

3. I think Damon coming back would make for a very left handed lineup. I would prefer a Right handed bat, and don’t mind Dye, hence my Sheffield suggestion.

4. Great point on weakening the bottom of the order. The best Yankee lineups never gave a pitcher a break, not sure if this squad qualifies, but way too early to make any definitive statements.

]]> By: Studiophototrope http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449&cpage=1#comment-24281 Studiophototrope Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:16:06 +0000 http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449#comment-24281 I was the chap who brought up the 5th slot last week. Let me expand a bit. Posada, whom I think is great, is just not a 5 hole hitter, plus, at his age and position he wears down as the season progresses. Additionally, if you move Jorge to the 5 hole, you really remove the huge advantage the back "half" of the order has had recently. [Unlike most, I divide lineups into unequal halves, the first five and the bottom 4] Having Posada in the 6th/7th slots makes this lineup really formidable. Can we also add Swisher to an excellent "bottom half lineup" player? As far as Granderson or Cano in the 5th slot? I'm not a big believer in Granderson turning it around against lefties, even with a new hitting coach; his career stats speak for themselves. I really can't see him a a #2 hitter either, with his penchant for the strikeout, despite his base stealing ability. I think you have to bat Granderson where you batted Melky, in the bottom half. [BTW...Andy Van Slyke indicates Granderson is a corner outfield kind of guy, not a center fielder] Moving to Cano...I'm not a big Cano fan, plus, the Melky move was definitely a message to Cano, imo, but, there is no one on this current team who is LESS clutch than Cano. So, wrong choice for the 5 hole. My thought is to try Cano in the 2 hole in front of Tex and Arod, he could really flourish there despite his inability to use the bunt and, with his contact ability he would make a great hit and run guy.... But that still leaves the 5th slot. First question...why give an injury prone Nick Johnson 1 year, 5.5 mil, when you could have done the same thing with Hideki [see the Angels]? Makes no sense to me. For the same money, even with limited legs, I'd take Hideki over Johnson anytime. Plus, the one benefit of Nick J would be his defensive abilities. Sorry, there's only one First Base on a diamond. My guess is the 5 hole will become a problem if it's addressed with guys not fit to fill it. My other guess is that with a void in the 5 hole and a void in left...there's another move to come. Believe it or not, all of this would be moot if they resigned Damon...one could then move Cano to the second spot, and, hold onto your hats, put Damon in the 5 hole. They don't come anymore clutch than Damon., imo. I'd rather have Damon than Bay or the other hyped free agent left fielder on the market.....don't laugh me out of this saloon, I'm serious. I've often thought, even as a lifelong Yankee fan, if this organization didn't have limitless monies to field a team, would they be capable of cultivating, evaluating and fielding a winner if they couldn't outspend everyone else? I sometimes think not. Best Regards, louis I was the chap who brought up the 5th slot last week. Let me expand a bit.
Posada, whom I think is great, is just not a 5 hole hitter, plus, at his age and position he wears down as the season progresses. Additionally, if you move Jorge to the 5 hole, you really remove the huge advantage the back “half” of the order has had recently. [Unlike most, I divide lineups into unequal halves, the first five and the bottom 4] Having Posada in the 6th/7th slots makes this lineup really formidable.
Can we also add Swisher to an excellent “bottom half lineup” player?
As far as Granderson or Cano in the 5th slot? I’m not a big believer in Granderson turning it around against lefties, even with a new hitting coach; his career stats speak for themselves. I really can’t see him a a #2 hitter either, with his penchant for the strikeout, despite his base stealing ability. I think you have to bat Granderson where you batted Melky, in the bottom half. [BTW...Andy Van Slyke indicates Granderson is a corner outfield kind of guy, not a center fielder]
Moving to Cano…I’m not a big Cano fan, plus, the Melky move was definitely a message to Cano, imo, but, there is no one on this current team who is LESS clutch than Cano. So, wrong choice for the 5 hole. My thought is to try Cano in the 2 hole in front of Tex and Arod, he could really flourish there despite his inability to use the bunt and, with his contact ability he would make a great hit and run guy….
But that still leaves the 5th slot. First question…why give an injury prone Nick Johnson 1 year, 5.5 mil, when you could have done the same thing with Hideki [see the Angels]? Makes no sense to me. For the same money, even with limited legs, I’d take Hideki over Johnson anytime. Plus, the one benefit of Nick J would be his defensive abilities. Sorry, there’s only one First Base on a diamond.
My guess is the 5 hole will become a problem if it’s addressed with guys not fit to fill it. My other guess is that with a void in the 5 hole and a void in left…there’s another move to come.
Believe it or not, all of this would be moot if they resigned Damon…one could then move Cano to the second spot, and, hold onto your hats, put Damon in the 5 hole. They don’t come anymore clutch than Damon., imo. I’d rather have Damon than Bay or the other hyped free agent left fielder on the market…..don’t laugh me out of this saloon, I’m serious.

I’ve often thought, even as a lifelong Yankee fan, if this organization didn’t have limitless monies to field a team, would they be capable of cultivating, evaluating and fielding a winner if they couldn’t outspend everyone else? I sometimes think not.
Best Regards,
louis

]]> By: Ben http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449&cpage=1#comment-24275 Ben Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:10:26 +0000 http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=19449#comment-24275 sheffield? please lay off the drugs sheffield?

please lay off the drugs

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