WasWatching.com Water Cooler Talk 2/6/09
Posted by Steve L. on February 6th, 2009 · Comments (5)
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.
Please, not Torre talk anymore…
Idk if you guys read FanGraphs, but they did a write-up of the worst defensive teams to make the playoffs in the win value era. The worst: 2005 Yankees.
I quote: “That season, the aggregate UZR in the Bronx was -130 runs. -130! Despite a tremendous offense worth +139 runs, only nine runs remained due to defensive ineptitudes.”
Here are some UZR numbers from various 2005 Yankees.
Tino: -1.3 runs
Matsui: -1.9 runs
Giambi: -3.2 runs
Jeter: -12.5 runs
Cano: -18.4 runs!
Bernie: -28.6 runs!
Sheff: -29 runs!
Of course, the only guy who played above league average: A-Rod at +1.4 runs above average. So, maybe all those ignorant Yankee fans should point more than just A-Rod as why we haven’t won in the playoffs. Maybe some poor pitching and miserable defense had a bit to do with it and not so much of one player’s offensive output.
Further to your point, A-Rod won the 2005 MVP and was perhaps the biggest reason (along with Shawn Chacon/Aaron Small and RJ’s hot September) for why the Yanks even made the playoffs that season.
When the Yanks needed a hit in the playoffs that year, it wasn’t only A-Rod who didn’t come through. I seem to remember Sheffield and Matsui both stumbling as well.
Yankee defense has been bad for years. It’s why having Teixeira will be a nice change at 1st base.
Idk if you guys read FanGraphs, but they did a write-up of the worst defensive teams to make the playoffs in the win value era. The worst: 2005 Yankees.
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And if you want to legitimately blame Cahsman for something, there it is; neglecting the team defense
And if you want to legitimately blame Cahsman for something, there it is; neglecting the team defense
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Certainly. Although I don’t know what he could’ve done to change it. A-Rod, Jeter, Matsui, Sheffield and Giambi were entrenched at their positions. The first opportunity Cashman had to fix defense at first, he signed Teixeira. Sheffield was traded for pitching, and Matsui will likely not be retained.
Seems to me like Cashman had his hands tied unless you want to criticize the Matsui/Giambi signings and the A-Rod trade from a defensive perspective, which I suppose you could do. Then again, I’d make those three moves again too.
Seems to me like Cashman had his hands tied unless you want to criticize the Matsui/Giambi signings and the A-Rod trade from a defensive perspective, which I suppose you could do.
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There are too many moving parts to point the blame at Cashman. Besides, bad defense or no, the Yanks have done quite well over the past few years.