Via Mark Feinsand -
The Yankees held a players-only meeting less than an hour before Tuesday night’s game in an attempt to reinforce the sense of urgency that filled the visitors’ clubhouse at the Rogers Centre.
Only a couple of players spoke during the session, but the message was clear: Unless the Yankees get their act together, they’ll all be going their separate ways before October.
“Just go out there and pick each other up, believe in each other and believe that we can get back to the postseason,” Johnny Damon told the Daily News when asked about the meeting. “We play most of those teams we need to catch, so it’s up to us. We need to leave it all out there. This is a playoff atmosphere now where we have to win games.”
Team meetings in Toronto…it’s the new Yankees tradition.
18 Responses to “Yesterday’s Players-Only Meeting”
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August 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I’m sick and tired of these players only meetings. I have to imagine all the players are too.
At what point do these guys — many of whom have very little experience with free time in October — start tuning Girardi and his repetitive messages out? I’ve already begun to and I was all gung-ho about hiring him.
Also, much as I like him, I wish Johnny Damon would shut up about what the Yankees have to do. Catch the f****ng ball and keep your dumb trap shut.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:01 am
I have no problem with Damon talking.
It’s what David Cone did when the Yankees were good. Every team needs a press-go-to guy, esp. in New York.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:08 am
It’s what David Cone did when the Yankees were good. Every team needs a press-go-to guy, esp. in New York.
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Accountability is a good thing. But “[w]e need to leave it all out there” is a lousy quote when you leave a giant turd out there thanks to apathetic and unfocused play by Damon himself. Tossing his glove after the fact doesn’t mean shit to me. Catch the ball the way every single other major leaguer would catch it. Until you do, I don’t want to hear you talking.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:17 am
He messed up…he didn’t half-ass it..he hustled…he tried to make the play. If he didn’t hustle or try hard and made his comment then I would dog him but I can’t see how you could dog him for talking. If there is one thing I will never question about Damon it is his desire. He always plays hard, so I see nothing wrong with his comments other than unfortunate bad timing.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:18 am
This is a playoff atmosphere now where we have to win games.”
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is that why A-rod has been struggling? (sans Sunday) (i couldn’t help myself
August 20th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I give Damon a pass. Yes, he blew a critical play last night, but it’s still the 4 and 5 hitters in the lineup that are killing the team. Not scoring runs puts too much pressure on everything else.
In the game thread on Pete Abe’s blog, someone wisely commented that if the hitters were hitting then Melky might never have been sent down….
The only thing this team has to look forward to, is knocking the Sox out of the playoffs on the final weekend of the season. And maybe Mussina finally gets his 20th win (and first no-hitter) on that Sunday?
August 20th, 2008 at 10:32 am
One more thought: In the inevitable Girardi vs. Torre comparisons to come, I don’t think that it matters in the obvious sense. There is no dropoff in game strategy, motivation, etc.
However, what Girardi lacks is the baseball credibility to confront established, well-paid, underperforming players. He cannot bench Giambi in the way that Torre dropped Arod to 8th in the lineup against the Tigers.
This was also Willie’s problem with the Mets.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Team meetings in Toronto…it’s the new Yankees tradition.
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Strip clubs are better there… I wish we would have team meetings in Toronto.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
is that why A-rod has been struggling? (sans Sunday) (i couldn’t help myself
)
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HA!
August 20th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Strip clubs are better there… I wish we would have team meetings in Toronto.
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haha
August 20th, 2008 at 10:49 am
This was also Willie’s problem with the Mets.
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Eh? I’m not quite sure I follow; Randolph was still playing when Reyes was still in diapers. At the very least Randolph had the “baseball credibility” to do what he felt was right. All kinds of managerial types have lost their players & clubhouses.
ARod & Giambi aren’t the problem.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
~~Randolph had the “baseball credibility” to do what he felt was right. All kinds of managerial types have lost their players & clubhouses.~~
Umm, how many World Series rings does Willie have as a manager?
~~ARod & Giambi aren’t the problem.~~
I respectfully disagree. (Or do their combined 7 strikeouts last night not matter?)
August 20th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Umm, how many World Series rings does Willie have as a manager?
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The same number as the guy who replaced him, and the guy who he replaced.
If you don’t think that Willie Randolph doesn’t have “baseball credibility” after 18 years as a player, and 11 years as a coach (not to mention 6 World Series rings as a player and a coach), then we will have to agree to disagree.
As for ARod & Giambi, their performance over the course of a season overrules their performance in one game. Just like Damon’s defense; you’ll see him in CF again despite him dropping two easily catchable balls.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Raf,
Let’s agree to disagree.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Ken,
You’re retarded.
August 20th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
What’s retarded is that they are about two weeks too late with this meeting.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
What’s retarded is that they are about two weeks too late with this meeting.
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i dunno about that, feels like they’ve had 1 every week since June
August 20th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
~~Ken,
You’re retarded.~~
asdf: Thanks for your useful contribution to this thread.