WasWatching.com Water Cooler Talk 2/5/09
Posted by Steve L. on February 5th, 2009 · Comments (12)
Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.
Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…
Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.
Anybody else wanna see Mark Grudz on our bench team this year?
Can Grudz even bend down to field a grounder anymore?
I like RAB’s write-up on the idea because, personally, anybody would be better than Angel Berroa. But my problem is that, with your utility infielder, they should be capable of playing all infield positions and Grudzy is a 2b. That means he may be able to switch over to 3b, but not necessarily SS. He’s also 39 so you can’t make the case he’s young and athletic enough to just be thrown at SS.
Good thinking though.
You make good points too Crank..what other options are out there for the Utility role? Also, if we keep both Nady and Swish, doesn’t that mean that one of them will essentially be a Utility guy?
You make good points too Crank..what other options are out there for the Utility role?
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That’s the tough part, there isn’t really much available. Besides Grudzy, we’d have to choose between Rich Aurillia, Miguel Cairo, Nomar and Ray Durham. So as quick I was to shoot down the Grudzy idea, I clearly don’t have a much better alternative.
As for the Swish and Nady thing, I really think if both are kept it will be more of a rotation/matchup with the two of them. Damon will be in left but wil sometimes have days off and/or DH, that’s when Swish will get some time there. Swish can also play CF if absolutely needed, or if Girardi wants to put his best offensive lineup out there. Then RF can be based on matchups, sit Nady against tough righties and so on. It can be done, and I really doubt one of them will just sit the bench until they’re needed.
Mnay people are quick to look at Swisher’s BA last year and label him a utility player for the Yankees when, in reality, he’d be more valuable to the Yanks as an ever day starter than Nady would be.
Mnay people are quick to look at Swisher’s BA last year and label him a utility player for the Yankees when, in reality, he’d be more valuable to the Yanks as an ever day starter than Nady would be.
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Yeah, I don’t understand why people prefer Nady to Swisher.
As for UI. The Yanks’ season will not be made or broken on the 25th man on the roster. Like middle relief, they’re a dime a dozen, and can pretty much be found anywhere.
As for UI. The Yanks’ season will not be made or broken on the 25th man on the roster. Like middle relief, they’re a dime a dozen, and can pretty much be found anywhere.
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That is definitely a key to remember. As much as it would be nice to have a David Eckstein as your UI, adequate infielders rarely opt to be your bench player over a starter elsewhere. Also, like Raf said, our 25th man will not make or break the season.
However, my problem with Berroa is that i’d at least like the Yankee UI to play defense above the rest. According to FanGraphs, of all active shortstops who have fielded 1000 or more grounders, Angel Berroa is 5th worst in all of baseball with a Defensive Efficiency Rating at 71.1%. Then, you add to that that he can’t hit a lick, and you really start to hope Cody Ransom gets the job.
Nice work the other day, Steve. I’d rather post it here than the relative thread, where it may get buried.
Yeah, I don’t understand why people prefer Nady to Swisher.
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I don’t understand it either. Personally, I’m hoping Girardi gives Swisher every opportunity to get playing time this year. I hope he doesn’t end up buried on the bench because I really think Swisher’s got a lot of ways to help a team.
Does it count as being “Yankee-focused” if it involves someone, at least Yankee fans, were focusing on this offseason?
Apparently Sheets agreed to a 2-year deal with the Rangers and the deal may be nixed because the physical shows he’s going to need elbow surgery. This guy CANNOT catch a break. Just another reason to be glad we re-signed Andy.
I don’t know if you guys read the baseball toaster, but it’s the last day over there. It was a great baseball blog site, worth checking out. Or at least it was.
http://catfishstew.baseballtoaster.com/
As for how this is Yankees related, Giambi re-signed with the A’s, and he used to play with the Yanks
prob why the yanks didnt go after him after they met with him