Sherman: Montero will be promoted tomorrow, not Banuelos or Betances

August 31, 2011 by Mike Axisa 174 Comments

Via Joel Sherman, the Yankees will call up Jesus Montero when rosters expand tomorrow, but neither Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances will be in the big leagues next month. They have enough concerns about their fastball command to leave them down, though they had entertained the idea of using both out of the bullpen. As for Montero, Sherman says he is “going to get opportunities to play and specifically hit.” There’s a chance he could hit his way onto the postseason roster as well, but that would require a Shane Spencer type of September from their top prospect. Either way … yay.

http://twitter.com/sprotster Stephen R.

YE
Cy Pettitte

Jesus, finally.
- Brian in NH
  
  JESUS IS COMING!!!
  
  …quick, look busy!
  
  http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2008/04/jesus.gif
http://facebook.com/andrewjcalagna Drew

Thank Jesus!
http://www.twitter.com/ngoral Jake LaMotta’s Left Hook

FINALLY

…. And exhale
Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat

He will start against Lester and hit one ovah the monstah in his first AB.
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  It will be on his second pitch seen.
  
  On his first pitch seen, he will foul one into the Sox dugout, hitting John Lackey square in the face and fracturing his nose and orbital bone, turning him from the ugliest man in baseball into the ugliest man on the planet.
  
  Frankie Cervelli will clap in approval.
  - NYinTX
    
    You mean he isn’t the ugliest man in the world already? I think he might go for the galaxy next.
  - wolf larson
    
    Better yet.. let him nail that fraud (“I’ll get to the bottom of this”) Ortiz.
  - Pat D
    
    This would be the best thing in the history of ever.
  - CP
    
    I have a feeling that getting hit in the face with a baseball would make Lackey more attractive.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      It’s eminently possible. Also, perhaps breaking his nose would fix it and make him stop being a mouthbreather.
  - Dave
    
    You really want Lackey NOT pitching for the Sox?
- themgmt
  
  Through* the monstah
http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7

JIMP
Billy Pilgrim

Better late than never. He can’t do any worse than hitting into two DPs with two men on base and 1 out. This is a vast upgrade over both Cervelli and Posada.
- matt
  
  hes probly an upgrade but cervelli is starting to play a lot better
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  This is a vast upgrade over both Cervelli and Posada.
  
  Cervelli, post ASB: .385/.467/.513
  Posada, v. RHP: .272/.348/.465
  
  I love Montero and think he’ll be awesome, but no, he’s probably not an upgrade over either Cervelli or Posada, at least for a month in the roles he’d be replacing them in.
  
  Certainly not a “vast” one. Both Posada and Cervelli have actually played well recently.
  - IRF
    
    It’s worth mentioning that Cervelli’s BABIP is like .900 over that stretch though
  - JobaWockeeZ
    
    I’m sure when Montero steps in in his first PA he’s been more valuable than Jorge Posada’s -0.3 WAR.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      Here’s what I don’t get:
      
      Jorge’s been atrocious from the right side (.141 wOBA, -25 wRC+, -9.1 wRAA) but solid from the left side (.355 wOBA, 121 wRC+, +8.8 wRAA).
      
      But he’s gotten more than four times as many plate appearances from his good side (287) as he has from his bad side (66).
      
      How does the 18% of his -9.1 wRAA plus the 81% of his +8.8 wRAA together equal to a -0.3 fWAR?
      - JobaWockeeZ
        
        Him being a DH penalizes him and his negative baserunning also hurts. But to have a solid line against RHP I don’t think those two factors should make him that bad in WAR especially in a year of sucky offense.
        
        http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
        
        Yeah, that. fWAR really hates Jorge’s baserunning (which is admittedly atrocious). But most of Jorge’s negative fWAR and bWAR is simply positional adjustments; DH’s start with either a -1.0 or a -1.5 dock just for not playing the field.
        
        You basically have to hit exceedingly well (and not just average or solid) as a fulltime DH to get a win above replacement (which makes some sense, since literally anyone off the street can be a replacement player at DH).
        
        So, back to your above scenario, no, Jesus Montero couldn’t take one plate appearance at DH and best Jorge’s -0.3 fWAR, because Jesus’s fWAR at that point would probably be -1.0.
        
        IRF
        
        I think hes primarily hurt because hes just a platoon bat at this point. He’s only been able to rack up 353 PA, so his Runs above Replacement is only at 11.8.
        
        If Jorge had been able to accumulate 150 more PA, he’d be right around replacement level. Of course, that would mean more PAs against lefties, which would sink his batting line, which would drag his WAR below replacement. So -0.3 fWAR is probably an accurate representation of his contribution to the team.
        
        MannyGeee
        
        Yeah, that. fWAR really hates Jorge’s baserunning (which is admittedly atrocious).
        
        Admitted by who? Not by Jorge…
        
        /Swisherisslowerthanme’d
      - Ed
        
        I’m seeing a .312 wOBA and 92 wRC+ overall for the season. That’s below average offense from a position that doesn’t play defense at all. I’m surprised he’s not more negative.
  - David, Jr.
    
    This. And the point would be even stronger if he had said that Montero would be an improvement over Andrew Jones as RHDH, and in response you showed those stats.
    
    For some reason people tend to view all of this as a negative. It is actually a positive, and could be phrased like this: “Imagine that! The Yankee roster is so freaking strong that one of the best hitting prospects in the minors can barely fit into it!”.
    
    It is tempting to say that he should have a big role, because he is a great prospect that they have developed. For example, personally I don’t like Posada. I see a semi over the hill guy, slow and dumb on the bases, no real position, hard to justify a roster spot. My own bias, I guess. However, looking at everything, which one would you rather have on the team in a playoff series? Posada. Not even a tough call. It is a matter of fit for this team.
    
    The confusion is between the present and the projection/future. For the present, he is an extremely young catcher that barely fits, simply because we are a very good team. The future is something else altogether. As I have said, I have seen him a few times and I see a freakishly talented guy. He is playing against older players that are more physically developed, and he can do things like hit a ball 400 feet when he is slightly fooled. You just don’t see this. I also believe that he will catch in the majors.
Bartolo’s Colon

I’ll believe it when i see it, we have speculated this ever since spring training, actually since the cliff lee trade fell through last year. maybe this is the best course of action, i just hope he’ll be in the lineup this friday when i’m at the stadium.
The Ghost of Charlie Hayes

Get ready to see Jesus rise, save, and pummel hanging sliders.
- pat
  
  Jesus pummels sliders on the outside rail too.
pat

Fuck and Yes.
Mickey Scheister

Thank you Jesus!
Mark

Not happening, he joined Liverpool FC instead, cruel ploy by J Hendry to stop him pummeling the BoSox.

/transferdeadlineday’d
Karl Krawfid

Lawd Jesus has cometh!
CountryClub

I’m glad to see he’s coming up. But how many ABs will he get? I dont see him taking ABs away from Jones. Will he play against righties?

Brackman shuld get the call too.
- CountryClub
  
  Kontos too.
  - wold larson
    
    “Kontos too.”
    
    Yup. Could really use him tonite with short pen.
- http://twitter.com/AndrewLeighNYC Andrew
  
  They can give vets full days off by playing Jones, Chavez or even Posada (at 1st) in the field, and DH Montero. They can also give Montero a few starts behind the dish, more likely since Martin is banged up again. I think he will get enough at bats to see how his initial translation to the bigs goes. If it goes well from the get-go, then he could steal time from Chavez and Posada at DH. Neither really lighting things on fire overall.
Pasqua

I can finally move him off the bench in my keeper league. (Yes, I drafted him in March. Yes, the league is intense.)
- #24!!!!
  
  Me too. So happy! Hopefully he’ll do some damage early!
Nick

On September 1st God gave his only son to help the Yankees win their 28th World Championship… Yeah!!!
bonestock94

He’s been better lately, I actually think he’ll contribute at this level. Can’t wait to see him.
Hello Nasty

I believe in Jesus.
Craig

“specifically hit”. So does that mean he starts any games at catcher? But either way- good to see him up, hope he plays unto a postseason roster. DPosada can’t cut it anymore
- bonestock94
  
  I think that means he won’t be taking any time from Martin
- Jimmy
  
  If Posada has a pulse, he’s on the postseason roster. Can you really imagine Girardi leaving him out?
Bartolo’s Colon

With the pace that beckett pitches and red sox/yankees games in general, there is an outside shot this game goes past midnight. they should call up jesus to be a potential late/extra inning pinch hitter.

i am joking here, of course, i’m pretty sure they couldn’t do this, right?
Tom Zig

This move should have come a couple months ago, but whatever.
medale

How long before he gets bored in the big leagues?
- Bartolo’s Colon
  
  i’d say maybe a week or two. then maybe he’ll go play with cc, longo, and rollie fingers in the corn fields
http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh

Very psyched for this Come to Jesus (or vice versa) scenario.
http://www.yankeeanalysts.com Eric

Ok, can everyone stop whining now? Well, I guess you can start whining about him not playing every day.
- CBean
  
  or not instantly being the best hitter in the majors
- pat
  
  Wow. Imagine that. Fans of a team want to see their best prospect in the majors when his main competition has been below the Mendoza line all year.
  - JobaWockeeZ
    
    What horrible Yankee fans those people are.
  - Ted Nelson
    
    Pretty big difference in my opinion between wanting to see a prospect and insulting the intelligence and impugning the competence of individual members of the organization based on their decision without even bothering to list pros and cons to show that it wasn’t a totally one-sided decision.
    - Ted Nelson
      
      Not accusing pat of this, saying that’s what “whining” fans have been doing.
  - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
    
    … his main competition has been below the Mendoza line all year.
    
    Russell Martin: 106 wRC+, great catching defense
    Frankie Cervelli: 101 wRC+, good catching defense
    Jorge Posada: 121 wRC+ v. RHP
    Andruw Jones: 152 wRC+ v. LHP
    
    The assertion that Montero should have been promoted because his big league competition sucked is false. His big league competition performed well. They may have slumped early on, but that doesn’t mean they should have been benched/DFA’d/shot to make room for Montero.
    
    Girardi showed faith and patience in his incumbent catchers and designated hitters, and his faith and patience was rewarded. They’ve all performed well and neither C nor DH is a black hole in desperate need of Montero’s jumpstarting.
    - Ted Nelson
      
      Agreed. There is of course an argument that Montero and the team could have benefited from an earlier call-up. There’s also a counter-argument that “whining fans” seem to ignore willfully or accidentally.
    - Tom Zig
      
      Frankie Cervelli: 101 wRC+~~, good catching defense~~
      - IRF
        
        Yup. 12% CS rate, 5 errors, 3 PB
        
        Tom Zig
        
        -4 rSB (Stolen Base Runs Saved Above Average) and -3 DRS
      - The Raging Platypus
        
        Eh, he certainly had his miscues in the first third of the season, but overall, Frankie’s a solid defensive backstop.
        
        JobaWockeeZ
        
        The metrics have him as bad as last year for what it’s worth.
- well yoiu know
  
  There will be whining from those who want Gardner to start every day. When Montero DH’s against lefties with Jones in LF.
Will

WOOHOO!
Jimmy

Would this mean Romine moves up to Scranton or is it not worth it at this point?
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  Scranton ends in less than a week, so it wouldn’t mean much, but yes, they’ll probably do it just for symbolic purposes.
ADam

3 months late… but hey… better late than never….
Craig

What # will Jesus wear?
- Mickey Scheister
  
  Jesus doesn’t wear our human numbers.
  - Mister Delaware
    
    I heard its going to be an exclamation point.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      It’s going to be a picture of Jesus killing Chuck Norris with his bare hands and eating Norris’s entrails.
- Professor Plum
  
  WNWJW?
- MannyGeee
  
  pi
  - Nickel
    
    That’s just not rational.
    - Evan3457
      
      Well, I would’ve said “i”, but then someone would’ve said “get real”.
- SDM
  
  alpha or omega whichever is open
  - the Other Steve S.
    
    That’s Carl Crawford
http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh

I predict every opposing catcher will genuflect when He approaches the plate.
ADam

What # will Jesus wear?

something in the 60’s..
- MikeD
  
  Jesus will not wear a number. Jesus does not need a number.
  
  He will be the MLB equivalent of the Beatles’ White Album.
PhillyMatt

Does he get to keep the number 21 when he arrives?
- http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh
  
  I’d like to see this. I don’t see them retiring the number.
  - Billy Pilgrim
    
    They will retire it. Paulie was one of the greatest Yankees of our generation. He will get his # retired, Montero will have to choose a different #.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      If they were going to retire it, they would have retired it already instead of issuing it out (which they’ve done twice).
      
      Paulie was a beloved Yankee, but he’s not a Hall of Famer and was only here for 9 years. He’s been retired for longer than he’s been a Yankee.
      - Pat D
        
        This. Time to move on, give Jesus the number.
      - http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh
        
        They retired 44 in ’93 and 49 in ’03. Well after retirement for both.
        
        http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh
        
        doubt they ever gave these numbers out in between, though, i’m not sure.
        
        http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
        
        Two of the more dubious retired numbers in team history. I’m not sure they intend to continue that habit.
        
        Also, FWIW:
        Jackson, bWAR per season: 3.38 (and a HoF player)
        Guidry, bWAR per season: 3.17 (and a lifetime Yankee)
        O’Neill, bWAR per season: 2.75
        
        http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh
        
        “not sure they intend to continue that habit.”
        I hope not. George called those shots.
    - http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh
      
      I agree Paulie was one of the greatest Yankees during his tenure as a Yankee. My opinion is a Yankee retired number should be HOFish in its standards – Greatness, Longevity (as a Yankee), etc. 23,44, and 49 are a few of the existing numbers I’m not aligned with. (And I was the biggest Mattingly fan during his career.)
      - Pat D
        
        Yea, the questionable or, perhaps better said, “overly sentimental” retired Yankees numbers are 1, 9, 10, 15, 23, 32, 44 and 49.
        
        It was fairly obvious why 15 was retired. 9 was retired since Maris hit 61 home runs. 32 was retired because Elston was the first African-American Yankee. 10 became justified once Rizzuto was elected to the HOF. 44 was retired, basically just because of Game 6 of the ’77 Series. Retiring Billy’s 1 was, I think, just because. 23 and 49 are retired essentially to represent an era that would otherwise not be represented, even though Guidry was around in the 70’s.
        
        Did you ever find it odd the Yankees retired those numbers, but they didn’t retire numbers for Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, or especially Joe McCarthy?
        
        http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
        
        Did you ever find it odd the Yankees retired those numbers, but they didn’t retire numbers for Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, or especially Joe McCarthy?
        
        Hells yes.
        
        #11 and #15 should be retired way before #21 is.
        
        Pat D
        
        Well, that would make 15 double retired, but I don’t think that’s a big deal.
        
        I don’t think we’ll ever see the numbers retired for those guys because they’re so long passed at this point.
        
        The next interesting discussion on this subject will be regarding #51. Bernie will be on the HOF ballot for the first time this winter, and he’s probably the best first-time candidate, which basically shows how weak this year’s crop of first-timers is. Bernie is just not HOF caliber.
        
        But will the Yankees retire his number? I’ve always been leaning “yes” on that one…
        
        http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh
        
        Great points and I should have included 1 as dubious.
        
        Pat D
        
        It was for purely sentimental reasons, as were most of the other numbers I mentioned.
        
        The Yankees are hardly the only team to do this. Go look at how many numbers the Astros have retired. There are a few other teams that have retired numbers that had no business being retired. The Padres for Steve Garvey, as one example. Plenty of other ones like that floating around.
        
        Tom
        
        “Did you ever find it odd the Yankees retired those numbers, but they didn’t retire numbers for Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, or especially Joe McCarthy?”
        
        Of course, and it’s what happens when the retiring of numbers turns on sentimentality (as another poster noted) rather than commitment to HoF standards. Well, the damage–such as it is–has been done, and I can’t imagine them unretiring certain of those numbers. But that doesn’t mean they should add to the mess by retiring Paul O’s number.
- Aj
  
  Hopefully he does!
JohnC

Would love to see him in the lineup tommorrow. What better way to get thrown into the fire than at Fenway, against a real good pitcher like Lester. Quite a test right off the bat
william robinson

Jesus is only 21,don’t expect Jesus to be God or the son of God, but he will contribute.
- MannyGeee
  
  ummmmmm
  
  He’s FCKING JESUS. his name is JEEEESUS. Anything less than 45 for 45 with 46 HRs from here throught the rest of the season should be considered a failure….
  
  (yes, one of those HRs will get hit so far that it will go around the world and back over the fence, kinda like that Prince Fielder Commercial, but harder)
  
  /typicalbridgejumpingfan’d
Will

Asa alluded to by others, I’d love to see Montero go something like 0-30 with 22 strikeouts as long as the team still wins most of their games. That way, he can be traded in the offseason and the majority of internet Yankee “fans” might stop acting like 13-year-old girls at a Justin Bieber concert.
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  None of what you just said makes sense.
  - Mister Delaware
    
    Sometimes I wonder if I’m really smart or if other people are really dumb.
  - Adam
    
    That’s not true…where it says “he can” makes perfect sense. It’s the whole rest of it that is convoluted.
  - Will
    
    There was a spelling error in my post, I’ll give you that.
    
    Otherwise, all I’ll say is, we saw what happens as a result of irrational, fan-generated prospect hype when Phil Hughes pitched in both of the last two years’ playoffs. Cost a trip to the WS last year, and if not for Marte, might have in 09 as well.
    
    I can imagine a similar situation this year in which the blog/espn machine convinces the Yanks to sit Martin in favor of Montero.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      You’re digging yourself deeper in the hole.
    - Ted Nelson
      
      You really think that the Yankees base their decisions on the media? I thought you might have a point and TSJC’s comment was a bit harsh at first… but apparently not.
      - JobaWockeeZ
        
        Wanting Montero to go 0-33 is fine but when they bash the almighty Yankee cannot do wrong front office that’s when things get out of hand for you?
        
        boogie down
        
        I don’t think it was the “wanting Montero to go 0-33″ part so much as the “people can/should learn from what happened to Phil Hughes” part when it comes to their expectations.
        
        Ted Nelson
        
        Where did you come up with that?
        
        I didn’t say I agreed with the point, I just thought there might be a somewhat logical point in there… basically that fans have overhyped Montero to a ridiculous point and I thought some of the rest of it was an exaggeration.
      - Adam
        
        How else can we explain that Cody Ransom is our starting third baseman?
      - Will
        
        Not in most cases, but their absurd faith in Hughes and their constant genuflecting re: Joba’s role both seemto have been somewhat media-influenced.
        
        As far as Montero, it seems clear that the manager & GM both have doubts about him, yet they are promoting him anyway, despite (as TJSC pointed out) the lack of a clear need.
        
        Ted Nelson
        
        You’re going way out there.
        
        Who did you want to be starting in the playoffs last season instead of Hughes? Mitre? Gaudin? Javy?
        
        They stopped waffling on Joba before last season. He’s been a reliever since.
        
        “it seems clear that the manager & GM both have doubts about him”
        
        What reasonable person doesn’t have doubts about every prospect before they’ve proven anything in MLB? What reasonable person thinks Montero is a legit Gold Glove C right now? You’re going out on a crazy limb to prove an absurd point.
        
        “yet they are promoting him anyway, despite (as TJSC pointed out) the lack of a clear need.”
        
        Are you seriously unfamiliar with the idea of a September call-up?
        
        MannyGeee
        
        What reasonable person thinks Montero is a legit Gold Glove C right now?
        
        I think he is no worse of a defender than Jeter was the last time he won a gold glove.
        
        Montero certainly has the (potential) offense to be a legitimate gold glove catcher.
        
        Ted Nelson
        
        *Legit* Jeter winning the award does not make it legit. A dictator can win an election without it being legit.
- K
  
  I’m pretty sure 0-30, 22 K would kill his trade value… If anything it’d make us more likely to keep him..
  - Will
    
    True. Replace “be traded” with “languish in AAA”
    - Colombo
      
      You, sir, are a fantastic fan.
- fren1
  
  You’re an idiot.
  - Will
    
    No, I just don’t have my starter panties in a bunch.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      Man, you’re making it impossible for anyone to catch you in today’s “Roseaxlvelli Memorial Batshit Insane Commenter of the Day” award.
      
      You’re on fire!
      - http://twitter.com/JimIsBored JimIsBored (Jim S)
        
        I wonder how many people actually get that reference.
        
        http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
        
        You know who doesn’t get that reference?
        
        Taft, that interloping sonofabitch.
        
        Pat D
        
        TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Addison
  
  Comment of the Year
Rey22

Finally! Going to the game on Saturday. Hope he plays.
Ryan

Ready to accept Jesus in to the heart of our order.
- boogie down
  
  Well done.
- Jimmy
  
  OK, I was getting tired of all the Jesus puns until that one. Good job.
- themgmt
  
  A play on a play on words, clever.
Jorge

How will the Internet copethe next time the Yanks lose 1-0 and it can’t be blamed on Jesus being held back?
- Karl Krawfid
  
  “Jesus just missed that game-tying home run.”
Hardy

http://www.baseball-reference......ma01.shtml
CP

I’m surprised that they won’t call up Betances or Banuelos – particularly Betances. He’s already on the 40-man, so they don’t have to play any games with the roster to get him up and there doesn’t seem to be any downside to having him pitch a few innings this September. Let him get his feet wet in the majors for a few innings before going back to AAA as a starter next year.
Stuckey

It’s become laughable how the internet has created baseball fans who try to equate the Major League draft with the NBA and NFL ones, and use stats like wOBA and wRC+ as numbers you can plug into a formula to generate wins.

This year’s Yankees are on pace for 99 wins. They’re effectively tied for the AL’s best record and are going to coast into the postseason (if not their seed). They’re the major’s best offense, on pace to outscore last year’s best offense in a season when scoring continued to decline.

Cashman and Girardi get all the credit in the world for the 2011 management of the NY Yankees.

Mirco-second guessing them is just ridiculous at this stage, and YES, even if you want to argue that’s what the internet and forums like this one are for.
- http://twitter.com/JimIsBored JimIsBored (Jim S)
  
  Fans who equate the MLB draft with the NBA and NFL drafts: overreacting, short sighted, etc.
  
  Fans who use stats like wOBA and wRC+: Not laughable.
  - Stuckey
    
    You left out my qualifier.
    
    They’re very good indicator of performance, they can’t be added up together to predict team win totals.
    
    Wins are subject to non compiled-stat factors. In fact, as good as the Yankees have been, the stats tell us they’ve in fact played better than their win total.
    
    I don’t know that Jesus Montero would have made a damn bit of difference, any which way.
    
    And there is a good chance that by game 162, any difference he could have made will be irrelevant (meaning the Yanks win the div and home field in the LCS).
    - http://twitter.com/JimIsBored JimIsBored (Jim S)
      
      “They’re very good indicator of performance, they can’t be added up together to predict team win totals. ”
      
      That’s only true insofar as no, you can’t add wRC+ and wOBA to come up with anything meaningful. But both of these stats are much, MUCH better predictors of team win totals(of course when combined with defense/pitching) than batting average, rbi’s, runs, etc.
      
      I agree with everything else you’re saying, I doubt Montero would have made any difference.
  - Addison
    
    “Fans who use stats like wOBA and wRC+: Not laughable”
    
    That’s what you think.
    
    Ron White is trying to work them into his new routine.
art vandelay

anyone want to make guesses on sterlings hr call with jesus ?
http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh

Excellent. My friend Ray just sent me a text and proclaimed he became a Jew For Jesus.
- MannyGeee
  
  oh that is wildly inappropriately hilarious!
Bronx Byte

Why should No. 21 be retired ? Tino contributed just as much to the Yankee success from 1996-2000 as Paulie did and his No. 24 was worn before Robby Cano got it.
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  Tino contributed just as much to the Yankee success from 1996-2000 as Paulie did
  
  Tino Martinez, 1996-2000: .278/.352/.486, .359 wOBA, 113 wRC+, 14.7 fWAR, 11.5 bWAR
  Paul O’Neill, 1996-2000: .302/.374/.476, .368 wOBA, 119 wRC+, 17.2 fWAR, 15.1 bWAR
  
  Paulie >>>>>> Tino (to say nothing of the fact that Paulie was here for two more years than Tino was overall)
  - Bpdelia
    
    Eh tjsc I have very little faith in the uzr component of war for 1bman, and even so the 3 war difference over five years isnt huge.
    
    So idea say oneill>> tino is more accurate than >>>>>>. and oneill loses 1/2 of a > for horrendous analysis and his superfluos “L”.
- Jimmy
  
  They never retired Omar Moreno’s #22 either.
Erica

AYIYIYIYI!! YAY!!!!!
Graig not Craig

“Sherman says he is going to get opportunities to play and specifically hit.”

As Sherman anticipates, I expect to see Montero showing up in the DH and PH role. It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to catch him at this point in the season when it is too late for him to develop any type of rapport with these pitchers.
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  He’s the third catcher, though. Third catchers always get a handful of starts in September to rest the primary catchers a bit in advance of the postseason.
  - Graig not Craig
    
    We will see. I wouldn’t mind it in a throwaway game. I was just interpreting Sherman.
- MikeD
  
  I don’t think Sherman’s right on that one. I can certainly see them breaking Montero in as a DH and have him work on the side on his catching, as the Giants had Posey break in at first for about a month last year, but my guess is they’ll let Montero catch a few games in September.
Cano He Didn’t

Calling up Montero is great, but let’s talk about what didn’t happen: Banuelos getting the call! The Yankees NEED a GOOD lefty out of the pen and down the stretch and could really use him in the playoffs. Let’s be honest, Boone Logan sucks! Great, he got out of a jam last night but it’s a small sample size. Hardly no one has seen Manny and he could have been just another guy in a successful list of pitchers called up for the stretch and playoffs to blow away hitters (please see David Price, K-Rod, and countless others). Kudos on Montero, shame on Cashman for keeping the man (Banuelos) down.
- David, Jr.
  
  Wrong on all counts. Boone Logan does not suck at all. Take a good look at his stats. Also, Banuelos is even less ready than Montero is. Patience is the way with him right now.
  - Cano He Didn’t
    
    I did take a good look at his stats. Manny is ready. Boone Logan has a WAR below 1! Just because his era is 2.60 doesn’t mean he’s good. He’s shaky in my opinion. Their other 2 lefties aren’t even going to face a batter this year. Manny has pitched very well since being called up to AAA. If they don’t think he’s ready then I don’t fully understand why the AAA promotion came. And as for Montero, he should have been up a long time ago. It won’t take long for him to earn his pinstripes.
    - MikeD
      
      Right, because it’s well known that WAR is a great indicator of value with relief pitchers, especially specialists. Oh, wait, it’s not. It would be pretty much impossible for any relief pitcher to have a high WAR pitching to one or two batters per appearance.
      
      Logan has been a net positive for the Yankees the last two years.
      
      It’s great to be a Yankee fan where we have to worry about things such as the fifth man in the bullpen, or the back-up catcher.
- Foghorn Leghorn
  
  were you aware that there was a game last night and that boone logan pitched in it?
  - MannyGeee
    
    and pitched well… but remember the golden rule:
    
    Do not let facts get in the way of a heated narrative.
- Evan3457
  
  Logan’s last 23 appearances, dating back to late June:
  
  3-0, 6 holds, 1 blown save, 16 2/3 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 25 K, 2 BB, 2 HR, .219/.250/.391/.641 against, 8 of 31 inherited runners scoring.
  
  For the season: WPA: +0.37, WAR 0.7, FIP 3.01, xFIP 3.20.
  
  He’s only good, not great, but “sucks” isn’t close to right, in my opinion.
Mike

Careful that we expect too much from Montero in ’11.

Remember when Detroit brought up a young outfielder back in ’04 who batted .240 but went on to have a pretty good career.
Foghorn Leghorn

nice to see that even the son of God has advancement opportunities…

Help me Jesus! Can I get an amen!
- Graig not Craig
  
  Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess…
Monteroisdinero

I predict Jesus will catch better than folks think – I mean he’s been catching Brackman and Betances well so keep him from AJ and all will be fine. He has a strong arm and can certainly move as well as big Saltalamacchia.

I also think he will struggle at the plate but hit a few ropes and bombs to give us all a glimpse of the future when he is a stable and integral part of the lineup.

Five! catcher/coaches in the dugout for him will help too.
- Graig not Craig
  
  Maybe Jesus should catch AJ. He might exorcise his demons.
  - MannyGeee
    
    AJ might spontanously combust…
Graig not Craig

Jesus take the wheel!

Sorry. Somebody had to.
MannyGeee

the $20M question…

What will John Sterling’s HR call be for?

I vote for ‘A shot to the Heavens from Jesus!’
- Monteroisdinero
  
  A long HR by Montero!……..oh baby Monteroisdinero!!!!!!
  
  /Sterling stays away from religion
  - MannyGeee
    
    so help me god, if he goes with ‘Montero is Dinero’ I may jump out a window…
- MikeD
  
  Since his name is pronounced HEY-Sus and not GEE-Sus, I’m pretty sure all religious references will not be used.
Naved

Brackman needs a call up! 2.60 ERA in the last 27.2 innings. (Last 10 appearances from the pen)
MikeD

I’m happy that Montero is being called up, and my guess is his minor league career is now offically 100% over. He’s either on the Yankees next year as DH/back-up catcher, or he’s being traded this offseason.

I’m also glad Montero is up so the myth of what Montero would do for the Yankees is also over. Now fans get to see him, flaws and all.

The Yankees did the right thing by the kid by letting him hit every day, and catch reguarly down in AAA as opposed to catching once a week as Martin’s relief. Montero did nothing to force the Yankees hand during the season, regressing as a hitter for much of the season. I still think he as the .300/30 HR ability many scouts have projected for him, but there’s bumpy days ahead for him before he reaches that level. Hopefully Yankee fans understand that. Judging by many of the comments I’ve read here, I’m not so sure they do.
Alfredo

I think Montero is already in Boston.