3/20 – Yankees at Blue Jays
Happy Spring to everyone from Knology Park in Dunedin, Fla. Here’s a random thought — why do they call it Spring Training when it’s still winter until the last week to 10 days? That falls into line with: why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
Ah, yes, Knology Park, where 1987 came, someone hit the pause button and said, "This is good enough." If you like ’80s music, this is the place to be. I’ve already heard Huey Lewis and the News, Bryan Adams and Don Henley during batting practice today. I’m just waiting for the DeLorean to pull up. Good times.
YANKEES
Johnny Damon LF
Melky Cabrera CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Hideki Matsui DH
Shelley Duncan RF
Wilson Betemit 1B
Cody Ransom SS
Jose Molina C
Nick Green 3B
PITCHING: Ian Kennedy RHP
BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein SS
Alex Rios RF
Vernon Wells CF
Scott Rolen 3B
Frank Thomas DH
Matt Stairs LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Aaron Hill 2B
Gregg Zaun C
PITCHING: Kane Davis RHP
Bryan Hoch
Marty!! The Libyans!!…
If you’re going to build a time machine, why not do it with some style? Besides, the stainless steel construction made the flux dispersal … look out
The BTTF’s are STILL my favorite movies. Great Scott!
Now that Chamberlain has been ‘penned for the start of the season, I’m curious what route the Yanks take with the rest of the bullpen…
Ian K. is looking pretty sharp today.
Bye Bye Nick Green. Someone tell Ensberg to change his number for a contract. Karstens is the next Pavano.
HR Wilson Betemit.
I have your car towed all the way to your house and all you’ve got for me is *lite* beer?
Colon sent to the minors.
Charges dismissed in the Bonds case. New Perjury charges coming.
Nice performance by Kennedy today…
4.1 IP; 6 H; 1 ER; 4 K’s…
2.70 ERA this spring!
Also, Cano and Duncan with 2 Hits each!
Yankees are looking good!
Bottom of the 6th…
Yankees 7, Blue Jays 1
Jimmy27NYY
http://baseballtheyankeesandlife.mlblogs.com/
John Patterson, former ‘Ace’ of the Nationals, was just dropped from the team. Maybe he’s worth taking a look at for AAA….
Hard to believe how quickly John Patterson has fallen. He’s got to latch on somewhere, you’d think.
2 more hits for Ransom, still not sure if he’s worth the roster though.
Where’s the Bonds news – can’t see it anywhere on mlb.com, they have changed the layout though
I wrote Ransom today. Not sure about his chances but the fact that he’s still hanging around means he’s right there. I’m not convinced you need to carry both Betemit and Ransom/Green/Woodward but if they do, Ransom’s the guy.
Joba Chamberlain’s 1st inning
K K K
Betemit all day.
Chamberlain from the pen for the first time this spring.
3 SO. that’s about what we’re looking for
Wang,Pettitte,Hughes,Moose,Kennedy
handing over to
Traber,Hawkins,Farnsworth,Joba,Mo
Seems a lot better than last year.
Bonds news espn.com
Has anyone seen this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2008/news/story?id=3302755
seems a bit of an odd thing to do – even if the coach’s car was ancient – what if he had some sentimental attachment to it
Betemit should never bat righty though he’s too good of a lefty hitter and too bad of a righty, why turn around if you’re an auto out 88%+ of the time?
I think in the Yanks lineup it might be worthwhile to see if Betemit can cut it as a righty.
Are his stats really that bad from that side?
This spring he has, but in the season that’s an exaggeration he batted .220 and on the road batter sub .200 for whatever that’s worth. But the bulk majority of his power numbers are from the left side, but thats a pretty good point the lineup is too left handed as it is, and he’d replace Arod as a righty at times.
Bryan,
I am pulling for Gardner and not Ransom. The process of Gardner will determine the career of Cabrera.
I also don’t know where you put Duncan, I think his energy in the second half would be much better. Let him start in AAA because with G, Ensberg, and Sui, Duncan is reduced to a Reben Sierra cheerleader role.
IF anything, both Ransom, and Betemit should start in AAA. Betemit just isn’t that good. His HR, and RBI totals are slightly misleading as some of them came in garbage time in games that were out of hand ( 16-8 win over KC 3RBI, and an 18-9 loss to LAA with 1HR 3RBI ). Duncan can provide just as much if not more offense as Betemit, as can Ensberg who has proven that throughout his career. Woodward can provide the same flexibility in the infield, and while not an offensive force will provide consistent offense than Betemit. IF this team gets off to a slow start, it will need players who can provide solid offense, and depth. Not like last season when they had weak hitters like Betemit on the bench who won’t do much.
As for Gardner, he would make a good pinch runner with his blazing speed late in games, and might make a good CF in the near future, but he isn’t a leadoff hitter. He strikes out way too much. Going to have to show he can hit quality pitching as well as his BA fell from .300 with Trenton to .260 with SWB. At best he will be nothing more than a PR or PH later in the season, but in the meantime his best chances will be to start in AAA and get those K’s down, and that BA up.
Betemit shouldn’t even be on this roster at the start of the season. He doesn’t offer anything. He can’t even provide more offense than Duncan or Ensberg. In short he doen’t offer anything to this team.
I agree with everything you said about Gardner, Matt. I watched him play in about 20 games last season. He is a good player but unless he cuts down on his strikeouts he will never be a leadoff man in the majors. He needs to raise his BA as well. Also needs to walk more his K’s outnumber his walks. He is a lot like a Juan Pierre. He should start in AAA, he’s just not ready for the majors quite yet. He would be a good fit as a PR later in the season.
I agree with you guys, Betemit doesn’t add anything to this team. Matt, you bought a good point about Betemit, quite a few of his RBIs came when games wereout of hand so his stats are somewhat misleading.
Gardner at this time and point is nothing more than a late season call up at best as a pinch runner. prowe, I think you’re right he strikes out too much and doesn’t walk enough to be considered a lead off man.
I was just cruising through some of the other Yankees blogs a few minutes ago, and I happened on one of the more boring ones where everyone happens to have a mancrush on the next guy, and no one has the balls to disagree with anyone else.
Well anyway, he was trying to make an argument against Matt’s comments about Betemit’s stats about them coming in garbage time. All I got to say is get a life dude, you can break down whatever stats as much as you want, it doesn’t change the cold hard facts that some of Betemit’s RBIs did come in garbage time, you’re simply wrong. Again he was trying to extrapolate numbers which is absolutely the wrong thing to do since when you do that you aren’t basing numbers on fact. You can do that with any player no matter how good or how bad they are just to make a simple argument and make a bad player onto a HOFer. Matt’s comments didn’t concern every player so they don’t apply here. Of course hitters are going to have RBIs during garbage time at some point but that’s not even the point!! You just wasted your time by pointing out Betemit’s RBIs in every game MAtt wasn’t talking about that either. Talk about questionable opinions.
Also to the person who wrote that post. It’s not a matter of garbage time being a hitter’s fault, I don’t know where you got that, and that wasn’t Matt’s point at all. statements like that really make me wonder if you got the point at all. You obviously went overboard in your argument as no one mentioned anything about all of Betemit’s RBIs. I don’t mind people disagreeing with me but when you do at least make some sense. Man its comments like these that ruin it for a lot of people.
Thanks for having my back glewis. You’re absolutely right. Some people can go off the deep end when it comes to stats. They can break down the numbers as much as they want, that’s fine with me, but what itcomes down to are results, period,and how those numbers translate to success. If people want to disagree with what I say that’s fine with me, but stick with reality, and be sensible. Stop extrapolating numbers since that doesn’t deal with reality. Managers don’t do that, and coaches in other sports don’t do that. If they did you would see mediocre more players in every sport. You’re right glewis, you can make any player regardless of how good or bad they, look much better by extrapolating numbers. Where does that get anyone by doing that? Why don’t we extrapolate numbers of players who won’t be getting into the HOF because their careers were cut short by injuries like Don Mattingly? Yeah right!!!! IF extrapolating numbers were a good way to make an argument players like Mattingly would be in the Hall by now, and players like Betemit would be starters, but they aren’t. Why? Because it isn’t based on reality. The writers who vote for HOFers realize this, and managers realize this as well. All they care about are results they can see. So extrapolating numbers isn’t even making a case for any argument, far from it. Lets stick with reality.
IF a player is as good as people say, then why would you have to extrapolate their numbers in the first place? I have yet to see a good reason to keep Betemit in the first place no one has made a solid case for that. You guys are absolutely right, that guy has no balls or class he’s a coward!! But what can you do? He has every right to say what he wants on his own blog, and post wherever he wants. Its also his right to be gutless!!
****!!!! This just in, that so-called Yankee fan was agreeing with himself again on his own blog!! What a surprise!!!!!! His opinions on Betemit show how much he missed the point and how dense he is!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!
It’s better to let this drop guys. Obviously this guy doesn’t know stats. Lets just hope he stays where he is and not bother showing up anymore. I think we have a pretty good idea of what type of person he is.
once again, thanks for having my back you guys!!
No prob. Matt, just saying that there are a couple of mediocre blogs people should stay clear of otherwise be prepared to die from boredom.
I can’t believe some of the stupidity, and ignorance, and show classless they are by doing that to fellow Yankees fans. It’s appalling. IF they can’t take confrontation or are unable to have a civil conversation with those they disagree with then maybe they have no business having their own blogs or posting on someone else’s.
Now, on to some baseball, I feel that after today’s game we have seen the last of Karstens, so there’s no reason to argue about him anymore. IF the Yanks need another pitcher down the road he shouldn’t even be considered as the first option. Bring up Horne or Marquez, I don’t think a pitcher like Melancon will be ready in the near future so try Sanchez in the pen as well. Like most of you I feel this is the best blog by far. I’ve seen those other blogs where people don’t do anything but agree with everyone else, soooo pathetic! Also those other blogs are full of nothing but ignorant if not foolish comments, and bloggers make up sign-ons just to try to make themselves look smarter. I look forward to blogging here with other real Yankee fans.