How Have The Last 10 Weeks Been For The Yanks?
On the whole, the last 70 days in Yankeeland have been pretty good…to say the least…
At the close of May 12th, the Yankees were in 3rd place, with a record of 15-17, and were 6.5 games out of first place.
At the close of July 21st, the Yankees are now in 1st place, with a record of 56-37, and are 1 game ahead of second place.
So, from May 13th through July 21st, the Yankees have gone 41-20 (which is a winning percentage of .672 over the last ten weeks).
How did the Yankees pull this off? Thanks to the bats of Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, Hideki Matsui, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. And, thanks to the arms of Mariano Rivera, Alfredo Aceves, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia.
As Yankees fans, let’s hope that these ten players keep up the great work – and let’s hope that guys like Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera can maybe turn it up a few notches as well..
Well, I’ve heard many commentator say that this could be Damon’s best offensive season yet. He’s already got 16 HRs and 50 RBIs, although his steals are down a bit. Importantly, his OPS+ is the highest its ever been (128) partly because he has been walking more this year. Damon’s defense has certainly been horrendous, but that is really the only area I would ask him to improve on.
As for Swisher, I’ll simply say his OPS+ is 115 and (I think) he’s playing better than league average defense. A few bonehead plays might stick out in the memory, but even Jeter dropped an easy pop-up, we just don’t make a big deal out of it. ….and I don’t really expect Melky to turn it up a notch.
43-22 since Alex’s return.
@ thenewguy:Nick Swisher’s last 91 PA (prior to the game of July 21st) have produced a BA/OBA/SLG line of .213/.297/.338
Rich wrote:
What was the Yanks R/G without A-Rod and what’s been their R/G average since he’s been back?
Steve Lombardi wrote:
I don’t think R/G is the best way to measure any player’s contribution because it’s insensitive to situational factors and because it reflects a number of variables that are outside any player’s control. So I’ll get to that last.
Alex’situational hitting:
with RISP:
.269 .442 .474 .916
with runners on:
.259 .425 .527 .952
Let’s now examine aggregate measures:
OPS+: 145
wOBA: 405
Alex has done that even though he has been unlucky:
BABIP: .229
LD%: 15.8
So his BABIP should be .278
Then there is Teix’s production since Alex returned to hit behind him:
Before: .198/.339/.396/.735
After: .277/.378/.543/.921
So there is ample if not overwhelming evidence that helps any detached observer understand why their record is so much better with him than without him. I also don’t think that it should be overlooked that Alex’s contribution was made even though he came back before he was fully recovered from hip surgery and that he wasn’t given sufficient rest, contrary to his doctor’s instructions, until recently.
But because you asked:
R/G
From 4/6-5/7: 5.64
From: 5/7-7/21: 5.44
So it’s almost identical.
Again, I don’t think that is very meaningful, but even if one thinks that R/G viewed in the context of one player’s contribution is meaningful, then the inescapable conclusion given the Yankees’ record with and without Alex is that he is truly the player that brings the most intangibles.
he is truly the player that brings the most intangibles
———
LOL, don’t tell that to Derek Jeter, who has crafted his reputation on being evaluated almost exclusively on his “Captain Intangibles” persona. If your shit didn’t stink the way Jeter’s doesn’t, you wouldn’t want to share the “intangibles” moniker with riff-raff like A-Rod!
Rich wrote:
Thanks Rich. So, bottom line, how has A-Rod’s return caused the Yankees to score more runs – compared to when he was out? Doesn’t look like much.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy that he’s batting well. And, FWIW, he has also somewhat impressed me when he’s not going well – because I sense a sincere feeling of being really P.O.’ed from him when he fails now – when, in the past, it seemed like eyewash. But, again, when you look at the before and after in terms of R/G, I just don’t get home some people can say his return turned this team around.
Arod is the best player in baseball….and don’t give me the Pujols crap–he may be a SLIGHTLY better hitter, but Arod is a better player…..so certainly having him back in the lineup makes the Yankees better in numerous ways. No matter what the runs per game is with and without him.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
I said as much last year, when the Dodgers acquired Manny.
The benefit of having both players is that their bench replacements aren’t as good as the starters. But overall, a team will perform about the same. It’s the way that it’s designed. A team usually can take a hit to a player, it’s when you lose 3-4 that it becomes a problem.
UNC Tarheel wrote:
RAR, WAR (runs above replacement, wins above replacement)
AR: 23.4, 2.4
AP: 53.5, 5.4
RCAA (runs created above average)
AR: 15
AP: 64
FWIW, Rodriguez hasn’t been “better” since 2007. Pujols also has the advantage of being 5 years younger.
Steve Lombardi
Thanks Rich. So, bottom line, how has A-Rod’s return caused the Yankees to score more runs – compared to when he was out? Doesn’t look like much.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy that he’s batting well. And, FWIW, he has also somewhat impressed me when he’s not going well – because I sense a sincere feeling of being really P.O.’ed from him when he fails now – when, in the past, it seemed like eyewash. But, again, when you look at the before and after in terms of R/G, I just don’t get home some people can say his return turned this team around.
Steve, extending your logic, the Yankees are no better whether Teix hit the way he did before Alex came back or after.
Let’s look at two players’ splits:
Melky:
4/6-5/7:
.333/.418/.536/.954
5/7-7/21:
.253/.302/.376/.678
Swisher:
4/6-5/7:
.267/.405/.611/1.017
5/8-7/21:
.218/.339/.383/.722
So, bottom line, how has A-Rod’s return caused the Yankees to score as many runs – compared to when he was out? Along with Teixeira, who according to his own admission has benefited from Alex’s presence, doesn’t seem disputable.
Fixed.
So, A-Rod gets points because Swisher and Melky suck?
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Yes, because he compensated for their suckiness.
Rich – not sure I agree with that approach.
If you had 8 Lou Gehrigs batting around Albert Pujols on one team,
and then you had 8 Rey Ordonez’s batting around Albert Pujols on another team,
does that make Pujols better on the Ordonez team?
No. It’s still Albert Pujols on both teams.
And, if the 8 Rey Ordonez’s batting around Albert Pujols scored 5 runs a game,
while the 8 Lou Gehrigs batting around Albert Pujols also scored 5 runs a game,
then having Pujols on the Ordonez means what? Not much…like the pre-and-post A-Rod Yankees this season.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
That sounds like an argument that addresses the effect Alex has had on Teix.
Does Pujols still get pitched around more often if he is surrounded by a team of Gehrigs or Ordonezes? I think it’s apparent that Pujols would never see a good pitch if it was the latter.
But to your point, over time, the Ordonez team wouldn’t score nearly as much as the Gehrig team, but if the Ordonez team scored runs as a result of a statistical anomaly rather than their true talent while Pujols was out, and then slumped, but the team scored the same amount of runs when Pujols came back, then the fact patterns would be analogous.
Rich wrote:
A-Rod has had zero impact on Tex.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Tex disagrees.
Could be a matter of Tex just trying to be polite.
But, these facts tell the truth:
http://waswatching.com/2009/07/09/the-a-rod-protection-myth/
Steve Lombardi wrote:
I think it’s possible, and I don’t mean this in a negative way, to cherrypick sample sizes in order to make a point.
But that overlooks the mental aspect of the game. If Teix feels more confident at the plate because Alex is batting behind him, he is more likely to relax and get the most out of his ability.
I was kidding when I mentioned intangibles above, but that may be what A-Rod does for this team. His presence helps them relax because of the damage he can do.
Now, if that would only extend to the postseason.