Scout wrote:

Perhaps there is another lesson here: beware of small sample sizes. Marte pitched very little in 09, and at the start of the year he was injured. His career track record suggested that, if healthy, he would be an effective relief pitcher. Once he rounded into shape (including more use in the post-season), that is exactly what he demonstrated.

Bingo.

IMO Girardi probably *really* wanted to take Bruney instead of Marte, but Bruney made that decision easy for him during the last few weeks of the season…

Marte’s performance this postseason definitely shot me back to Lloyd in ’96. It was nerve-wracking to live through for sure, but one of those little things about the whole championship run that makes you smile when you look back on it…

Perhaps there is another lesson here: beware of small sample sizes. Marte pitched very little in 09, and at the start of the year he was injured. His career track record suggested that, if healthy, he would be an effective relief pitcher. Once he rounded into shape (including more use in the post-season), that is exactly what he demonstrated.

My point: the Yanks should stop getting guys just because they are south paws.

This list doesn’t even include the epic failures known as Felix Heredia, Sean Henn, Alex Graman, Alan Embree, Wayne Franklin, Stanton V.2, Donovan Osborne, Gabe White, Brad Halsey, C.J. Nitkowski, Jesse Orosco, Randy Keisler etc.