You Can’t Tell The Players Without A………..

With all the recent Yankees trade activity, I’m guessing that the Yankees roster will shape up like this for tomorrow’s game:

Pitchers (11)

Mike Mussina - Starter #1
Worm Killer Wang - Starter #2
Randy Johnson - Starter #3
Cory Lidle - Starter #4
Jaret Wright - Starter #5
Mariano Rivera - Closer
Kyle Farnsworth - Mr. 8th
Scott Proctor - Mr. 7th
Mike Myers - The LOOGY
Ron Villone - Jack of All Trades
Sidney Ponson - Break Open In Case of Fire

The Regulars (9)

Jorge Posada - Catcher
Craig Wilson - 1B
Miggy Cairo - 2B (Until Cano Returns)
Derek Jeter - SS
Alex Rodriguez - 3B
Melky Cabrera - LF
Johnny Damon - CF
Bobby Abreu - RF
Jason Giambi - DH

The Bench (5)

Nick Green - Placeholder for Robinson Cano - then this is Cairo
Andy Phillips - Back-up CM/Emergency MI/Main Clubhouse Squeeze
Bernie Williams - In Charge of Green Tea
Sal Fasano - Beta Catcher
Bubba Crosby - In Trouble When Matsui Returns

When Hideki Matsui comes off the D.L., I could see Bubba Crosby getting kicked off the team and then Melky Cabrera becomes the best 4th OF in baseball.

When Sheffield comes off the D.L., no one will have to move because it will be after September 1st. (Although it will be interesting to see who is left off the post-season roster for Sheffield. It’s between Bernie, Phillips, and Wilson. Knowing Torre, it will be Wilson.)

As a side note, for a while, all the Yankees starting OFers will have first names that end with “Y.” Has that ever happened before?

Back to the roster, I hope that Nick Green and Aaron Guiel get to come back when the rosters expand on September 1st.

Torre and Cashman seem to like T.J. Beam. So, I expect Ponson will be gone soon. And, of course, the Godot Twins (Dotel and Pavano) will probably be after Ponson’s spot on the team as well.

It’s going to an exciting last two months of the season. I’m looking to see what this team can do now. If Randy Johnson can be decent, and everyone else just plays their normal game, this team can and should win the A.L. East - and has a very good shot at the pennant.

And, I would love to see this Yankees team play the Mets in the World Series - especially after the moves the Mets made and didn’t make today.

July 31, 2006 | Filed Under Trap Door Items

Comments

7 Responses to “You Can’t Tell The Players Without A………..”

JohnnyC on July 31st, 2006 10:54 pm

“As a side note, for a while, all the Yankees starting OFers will have first names that end with “Y.” Has that ever happened before?” I don’t know about the Yankees but EVERY player on the Mets had first names ending in Y when Bob Murphy did play-by-play. Even Cleon-y Jones.
MJ on August 1st, 2006 8:34 am

“(Although it will be interesting to see who is left off the post-season roster for Sheffield. It’s between Bernie, Phillips, and Wilson. Knowing Torre, it will be Wilson.)”

The scary thing about that is that you’re probably right. If the Yankees are able to win their division (too soon to tell) and the Twins are able to win the Wild Card (also too soon to tell), the Yanks would be crazy to leave Wilson off the post-season roster since the only thing he does well is hit LHP. But then again, Torre will revert to Bernie because the old man’s been hitting LHP this year too…
rbj on August 1st, 2006 8:57 am

No way in Hades is Bernie left off the post season roster. If you go by numbers, yes, but Torre is very loyal — even unto a fault.
Rich on August 1st, 2006 9:30 am

My guess is that for the post season roster you’d carry one less pitcher, seeing as you don’t need a 5th starter. Bernie’s bat, if he’s rested, will probably be pretty useful in the playoffs. He might not have the numbers in the regular season, but he shows up just fine in the post season. Experience is definitely important in that regard.

If you make Wright/Lidle the long guy, Ponson is useless. If Ponson’s spot is taken by Dotel/Pavano, TJ Beam is expendable. Shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Steve Lombardi on August 1st, 2006 9:32 am

Good point about facing the Twins MJ.
MJ on August 1st, 2006 9:36 am

We play the Twins to open the month of September so I guess we’ll see what Torre does with respect to matching up Wilson vs. the two Twins LHP (assuming that we even face them over that weekend).
Joel on August 1st, 2006 9:55 am

This is just about right. Phillips really is the odd man out with the addition of Wilson. I heard Cashman on Michael Kay’s show, and he cited Wilson’s .900+ OPS against lefties as something he really liked. Also, Wilson can be a number 3 catcher in an emergency.