Open Thread: 3/11 Camp Notes
By
Al Roker was in camp today. No the Yankee didn’t sign him. (AP/Kathy Willens)
The Yankees shutout the Cardinals this afternoon, with Hiroki Kuroda looking very sharp across four scoreless (and walkless) innings. He struck out six. David Robertson returned to game action with a scoreless inning, and afterwards he told Erik Boland his shoulder “felt great.” That’s pretty much the only real newsworthy item from the game.
Kevin Youkilis started the scoring with the solo homer and then a sacrifice fly, then Zoilo Almonte and Matt Diaz plated runs with a bases loaded walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively. Ichiro Suzuki doubled while Brett Gardner, Corban Joseph (two), and Chris Stewart all singled. Solid game all around. Here’s the box score and here’s the latest from Tampa…
- No surprise here, but the three-man catching competition is officially over: the Yankees announced Austin Romine was sent to minor league camp. It’ll be Stewart and Frankie Cervelli come Opening Day. RHP Dellin Betances, RHP Brett Marshall, LHP Manny Banuelos, LHP Francisco Rondon, LHP Nik Turley, RHP Jose Ramirez, RHP Chase Whitley, OF Ramon Flores, 1B Luke Murton, and C J.R. Murphy were also cut. The Yankees still have 54 players in big league camp by my unofficial count.
- Phil Hughes (bulging disk) threw a 26-pitch bullpen session this morning and said it felt “just like a normal bullpen.” He will throw live batting practice on Thursday, but it is still unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season. [Jayson Stark & Jack Curry]
- David Aardsma (groin) threw another bullpen session today and everything is fine. Have to think he’ll return to game action relatively soon. Boone Logan (elbow) is scheduled to throw in the bullpen tomorrow. [Andy McCullough & Chad Jennings]
- Infielders Gil Velazquez and Walt Ibarra returned to camp now that Mexico has been eliminated from the World Baseball Classic. Robinson Cano won’t be back anytime soon — the Dominican Republic advanced to the second round, which begins tomorrow. [George King]
- The Yankees will travel 100 miles south tomorrow afternoon to play the Rays in Port Charlotte. Ivan Nova gets the start and Cervelli, Travis Hafner, Dan Johnson, Eduardo Nunez, Jayson Nix, and Juan Rivera are the projected big leaguers making the trip. That game will not be broadcast on television.
Here is your open thread for the evening. The Knicks and Nets are both playing tonight, plus MLB Network will air a Spring Training game later tonight. You folks know how these things work by now, so have at it.
158 Comments»
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The Tyler Austin Watch
So, I got to thinking today:
We all know about the Cap’n's propensity for GIDPs. I’m curious whether people would prefer Jeter, Gardner, Cano or Gardner, Jeter, Cano to start the season. I think I’d prefer the former with Ichiro batting 9th.
Not much chance Ichiro bats 9th to start the season. Maybe if/when everybody is back and healthy he will.
My guess is he’d either bat 1,2,6, or 7.
That’d be my guess as well. I was just stating my preference. It was primarily triggered by Chad speculating about Gardner starting so much at the top of the order with Ichiro batting elsewhere.
The question still stands though. Would you prefer Gardner/Ichiro up top with Jeter at 2 or vice-versa?
It would depend if it was Gardner or Ichiro.
I’d go Gardner 1 or Ichiro 2 with Jeter in the other spot.
My preference would probably something like:
Gardner
Jeter
Cano
Youk
Hafner
Musty?Rivera?PTBNL?
Ichiro
Cervelli
Mesa?
That looks about right to me. I can’t decide if I like the whole “capable speedy dude at the bottom of the lineup” thing as much as Girardi does, but that’s the only thing that might get me to put one of Gardner/Ichiro 9th instead of 7th. The AB differential would be negligible at worst that low in the order.
That looks pretty good to me. As I alluded to before, I think I’d actually swap Youk and Hafner against RHP though.
With a full line-up, there should be no problem batting Ichiro 9th (though ne may not agree!)
Assuming you meant to say he may not agree, Ichiro had no issues with batting 9th last year.
As a lot of people know I was veimently against the Ichiro trade and signing, but until he proves that the second half of 2012 wasn’t a fluke, or until Gardner proves he’s back to his ~.360 OBP self I would start the season:
Jeter
Ichiro
Youk
Cano
Hafner
1B/3B (which ever Youk isn’t)
LF
Cevelli
Gardner
You’d give Youkilis AND Ichiro more at-bats than Cano?
Just to start the season, if Gardner continues his hot hitting for the first two weeks of the season, drop Ichiro to sixth.
Also the reason I think Youk should hit third is he still sees an ungodly number of pitches and walks a shit ton. I don’t want Cano to just get as many AB’s as possible I want him to have as many AB’s w/ runners on as possible.
Eeeeck. I’m not sure about that. I mean, against lefties, sure. But I think I want him to do something against righties before we stick him ahead of Robbie.
Yeah, I’d be okay with that against lefties. I might do something like Gardner, Jeter, Cano, Hafner against righties.
Part of this is assuming Cano’s stuggles against LHP last year was a fluke. Age and injury issues aside, Hafner had a 123 wRC+ against RHB last year, and 147 in 2011.
I really don’t think I’d be able to deal with any lineup where Cano doesn’t bat third.
I want to keep the speedy singles hitters directly in front of cano partly so they can score from first on his nearly 50 doubles this year. Youk won’t score from first nearly as much.
This too.
in 2011 Gardner was 10th in the league with 4.19 pitches/PA. Ichiro saw 3.48 last year.
Not like it matters in Girardi’s world, but…
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.c.....-lineup-by
Maybe something like this:
Cano
Granderson
Youkilis
Tex
Jeter
Gardner
Ichiro
Hafner
Cervelli
The most interesting thing about that to me was the link arguing that Robbie was actually the second best player in the league, not Miggie. Interesting argument.
File this under things that will never happen but I’d actually go for:
Gardner
Youk
Jeter
Cano
Hafner
Ichiro
1B/3B
LF
Cervelli
Or that lineup against lefties and this lineup against righties
Ichiro
Gardner
Jeter
Cano
Hafner
Youk
1B/3b
LF
Cervelli
I’m not sure I understand. You’re saying that until Ichiro proves the end of 2012 wasn’t a fluke, you’d have him in the most important spot in the lineup? It seems like you’re already assuming it wasn’t a fluke.
I think he meant “was a fluke” and not “wasn’t.”
In that case I really couldn’t disagree more. There’s nothing to suggest that it wasn’t a fluke. I’d love for Ichiro prove that it wasn’t, but I’m not going to trust him until he does.
Agreed. I’d like to see him at the bottom of the lineup until he proves otherwise.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure that will actually happen.
Yeah I’m expecting it to be Jeter/Ichiro hitting 1-2 in some order unless one of them completely craters.
Yeah, I’m pretty much there. I’d rather trust Gardner than Ichiro. At least until he proves he’s actually still Ichiro (!).
I would bet that the 3/4/5 hitters will be Cano Youk Pronk in that order till Tex is batch, then Cano Tex Pronk Youk thereafter. And with Granderson back he hits 5th with everyone shifting down. Got to split up those lefty rights as much as possible, or so a wise binder once told me.
Sounds reasonable. But would really depend on what it looks like when they come back. There is a foreseeable scenario where both Hafner and Youkilis are both mashing it.
Jeter
Gardy
Cano
Youk
I know Youk is not the same player he used to be, but can you imagine putting him and gardy ( both of whom see a ton of pitchers) in between Cano? That would be more than frustrating to navigate around. Putting two guys that are both selective and see a lot of pitchers per AB around cano would only help Robbie.
I think I’d prefer Jeter batting second, my worry is with Gardner on first Jeter will have the, “I must bunt him over,” mantra playing in his head.
It would be nice if no one had a locked spot in the lineup. Joe needs to get real creative this year and mix things up. A lot of these guys our pretty interchangeable at the moment. Yes.. I am asking for the binder to be creative and think outside the box.
I don’t really see the benefit to moving guys around the lineup all the time. It’s not going to make them hit better.
I don’t want Joe to play musical chairs with the lineup just for the sake of it. I am just saying that if guys are struggling or whatever that I hope he is more open to moving guys around. I understand he is more hesitant to do so when all the big names guys are in the lineup.. but that should not be the case for the first month of this season.
That’s walking an awful thin line though. How long does a guy need to be cold for him to be deemed “struggling?” 20 ABs? 45? Especially if you’re talking the first month of the season. It seems like a way to feel better about Doing Something more than anything else.
I don’t like shifting it based on hot/cold. Play your best players in order. If someone is cold after 150+ PA then adjust, but it often takes awhile before you realize it’s a cold or it’s a hot streak.
Read a recent interview with Swisher and he said being moved around the lineup as much as he was last year threw him off his game – and he says most Major Leaguers feel the same way. They like to know where they’ll be hitting before they get to the park. Makes sense.
I’d like to see Gardner, Jeter, Cano. I know Jeets has the GIDP problem, but if IIRC, that started to happen more when Damon was in front of him. Might happen less if Gardner is on base instead.
Bit overblown on Jeter. Is simply because of his lack of speed at this time. He hit into 24 last year, compared to 22 for Cano, in 43 more PA.
Jeter GIDP in 24% of his possible chances last year.
Cano – 13%.
Only MLB players w/400+ PA’s with a higher GIDP% than Jeter were Michael Young and James Loney.
My out of left field lineup, at least against LHP:
Gardner CF
Youkilis 1B
Jeter SS
Cano 2B
Hafner DH
Nunez 3B
Mustillier/Mesa/Rivera, etc. LF
Cervelli/Stewart C
Ichiro RF
i’d like us all the take it easy on the gidp myth. guys who get a ton of pa’s on teams that have guys who got on base in front of them naturally hit into double plays, yknow, frequently. yes, there was a (pre-DL/denbo) time when the capn was turning his wrists over, but come on. have a look at alltime highest single season gidp. lotta overlap with the hof.
He GIDP in a career worst (and third worst in the league) 24% of his opportunities last season. It’s not a myth.
okay, link?
i see he hit into 24 double plays last season; where do you get percentage of opportunities? i gave it a cursory look, couldn’t find.
http://www.baseball-reference......;t=b#bases
Runner on 1st, less than 2 out. 24 GDP in only 102 PA’s. Wayyy too high
And I get that. Nonetheless, it does happen more than average with him, it is detrimental to the team, and it could be somewhat mitigated by having him lead off again.
i’m all for leading him off. he gets on at a pretty decent rate, and he’s derek jeter, for crisssake. fine way to start a game.
What’s the over/under on the number of runs the Yankees will score and give up this season combined?
something like -273 Celsius
Gardner should bat leadoff and play CF all year. I just don’t understand this notion that we have to keep Granderson and Ichiro happy and put them in positions that are suboptimal. Ichiro should not be hitting in the top 3, he should hit 8th ahead of Stewart/Cervelli. Granderson and Ichiro are veterans and should accept what the manager hands down.
If Granderson is ready to bounce back I would love to have in the top 3. If he can get that obp back up to .340-.350 range he is still someone that can hit 40 HR. I want someone like that to get the most ab possible.
To combat Jeter GIDP’s, Gardner needs to run early and often.
Jeter frequently swinging at the first pitch makes that somewhat difficult.
Or just hit teh homerunz!
We can rely on Gardner to steal whenever it is the least needed. I can’t wait to watch him do what he does best—beautifully take called third strikes down the heart of the plate with his deer in the headlights stare.
M’kay then.
Mark your calendar for May 27-30!
no shit, man. that fucking brett gardner and his 30% k rate.
They taught me that 17 was the same as 30 in high school.
In all seriousness his career K& is 16.7% which falls between average and above average soooo. Not that I took him seriously but just thought I’d give the numbers.
absolutely. i love real data. just thought it was weird that this guy’s impression of brett gardner is watching him strike out. of all things.
So, I just told my Met fan friend, w/o thinking that I would “eat a bag of dicks” if Jon Neise is a top 20 pitcher this season, I know nothing about the kid…what are the odds that I will have to eat a bag of dicks?
I think you’re safe.
The bag of dicks, however, are never safe.
I don’t know about top 20, but he could have a pretty nice year. You should be safe, but strange things happen every year in baseball.
Where do you find a, “bag of dicks”?
…I was actually just thinking that.
OH GOD! DO NOT EVER GOOGLE ‘A BAG OF DICKS,’ EVER! FOR ANY REASON!
Why would you?
That’s my thinking too.
deaddove.jpg
You need a Leonard and Howard to stop you from googling things, Sheldon.
This was just awesome to come home to.
There’s something about that in an episode of Louie.
The one where they’re all sitting around a table shit talking and playing Poker.
Didn’t you bet someone you’d suck their dick the other night? You need to stop making cock bets.
It’s making Barry uncomfortable.
*hands Barry a bag of dicks and runs*
Especially if they’re 15 years older.
I just don’t want this dude to end up losing, unless he doesn’t mind sucking or having them in his mouth, then that’s cool.
hey, i just got here; what were yall talking about?
I got to assume he is not even the best pitcher in his rotation come September. If Johan can get healthy and Marcum can regain some shine, I have him at best third in his own home park. Alas, you can save you bag o dick eating days for another bet.
Should be safe, but a 3.40/3.80/3.64 e/f/x in his 3rd full year in the majors is no joke. There’s at least an outside chance.
The most underrated aspect of our season has to be the fact that we finish with three games against the Astros. Talk about perfect timing.
With 3 rookie starters they call up from AAA. That could get scary.
I noticed that. And our other series with them? End of April.
We need to cash in all over that.
Yep. Actually both series vs the Astros come at very good times. The one in april is going to be very nice with the schedule we have the rest of the month.
Already got my tickets for the final game of the season vs the stros. It could be Mo’s last game, and will for sure be his last regular season game ever.
Yeah, I’m already putting a posse together for a road trip to either Houston or Tampa for exactly that reason. I haven’t seen Mo pitch since I was too young to care what was going on, and that is Not Acceptable. I’d prefer Atlanta but we don’t play them this year.
I’m going to miss him this year, but I saw him close out 2 games in 2011. I wish I could make something happen this year, but finances/new job dictate otherwise. Just gotta hope that I cheered loud enough all those other times
Finances are a problem for me as well. I’m pretty determined though.
The last time I saw Mo pitch live he gave up a walkoff loss.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to the games in LA and San Diego this year though, so I should get to see him at least one more time.
I’ve only been to two Yanks games, and Mo blew the save in both of them.
Stop going to Yankee games.
No way! The Yankees walked off in both of them. The last one I saw was the Gardner walkoff single against the Royals in 2008 and my first game in 2005 was the Bernie walkoff HR against the Rangers.
Go to more Yankee games.
So you’ll be able to finally go to a game again once he retires. That must be exciting.
There was once a stretch in which I couldn’t avoid a Darrell Rasner start to save my life.
I saw one of the Sidney Ponson starts in 2008.
*shudder*
Went to YS3 2 years ago – Sergio Meat-Tray against the KC Royals – 105 degree July Bronx heat – sitting in the sun – Yanks were blown out by the Royals that day. Not a good memory.
so, when would you not want to play the disastros?
they’ve kind of been my nl team for a long time. april, september, no matter.
Giants signed Cullen Jenkins.
Now we need a friggin TE and LBs.
And a safety and a kicker and maybe some offensive linemen.
Those too. Though not much of a fan of Webster even at reduced salary.
So ManBan was optioned today?
I didn’t think that was allowed with injured players. Good for the Yankees if this is allowed, as it would be a shame to lose a year of team control to the DL.
Yeah, that’s how Jennings described it. I meant to ask about that.
Does anyone know if that is, indeed, the result? If so, any reason why it wouldn’t have been done two weeks ago?
fwiw, the Yankee transaction page says he was optioned.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....eam_id=147
Why now? I have no idea, but the timing doesn’t really matter.
That’d be great if it saves them the year of control. Everything I’ve read says they were screwed on that score.
I’ve been trying to figure it out from the CBA.
It’s rather convoluted, but it appears because he had no MLB service time last year, it’s allowed.
Decent chance he ends up on the 60-day DL to free a roster spot later anyways though. Hopefully that isn’t needed until after the season starts, so he doesn’t accrue a full year of service time this year.
So I’m giving wrestling a shot, who is this ziggler guy, I like his classic costume.
http://www.wwe.com/superstars/dolphziggler
Oh, God. They’ve made a convert.
They have converted me again or should I say The Shield has
Love them. Especially Ambrose.
Yea it’s hard not to like Ambrose. I’m a fan of the whole group. Reigns is a little rough on the mic at times but he’s so new to this thing so he should get better over time. Rollins looks like a star in the making to me. This might sound corny but I can’t believe I’m sitting here watching wrestling. I quit it yrs ago and didn’t understand why anyone was still watching it now until I started to see and hear all this stuff about The Shield on the net and youtube. I got caught up in it again lol.
Stop hatin’ cuz you don’t get it.
I meant brian.. These guys need to learn how to use the language better it’s hard to know who in the hell they’re talking about.
Love him. He grew up a total wrestling geek and isn’t just some wannabe make model who thinks he can become a wrestler. Really worked on his craft over the years. He’s going to be champ a thousand times over.
He’s still a dick.
/Harry Doyle’d
Ziggler? Champion?
He’s been getting his ass kicked around the WWE for the last couple of years that I’ve been watching since my son got me back into it.
if he’s the guy they’ve been grooming as champion, the WWE has failed to do a good job developing new interesting talent.
He’ll get the belt since he has the briefcase, but I think he’s overrated by the IWC. I’d rather see guys like Sandow and Cesaro get pushed ahead of him.
Cesaro, yes. Sandow, no. Sandow’s a good mid-card act. Cesaro is the man. Solid background. Great worker. Other wrestlers love him.
Ziggler’s done an amazing job at improving his craft. The problem is the same problem they’ve got with Cesaro, Kofi, etc. They seem to think they can job a guy, then build him up later and people will be fine with it.
Ziggler’s doing jobs because he makes other guys look like a million bucks and they need to keep the top draws strong for WM. I’m sure some angle will come out of it and they’ll push him to the moon. He’s going to be on top for a while.
Ziggler is just so…meh to me. He sells well. Great. His offense is OK at best. He’s nothing special on the mic. He is in perpetual need of someone in his corner. First it was Vickie, now it’s AJ and Big E. I don’t think he’s capable of standing on his own.
They need a lesser circuit for these guys to learn their craft because its hard to take “seriously”a guy like Ziggler or Cesaro who all of a sudden rises to the title and had a long reign after we’ve watched them lose to the same guys their now gonna beat.
Take Ziggler for example. I’ve seen Randy Orton kick his ass plenty of times which was to be expected. I think Ziggler has always been portrayed as a pretty boy joke. Now all,of a sudden, Ziggler is gonna get the belt and will regularly beat guys like Orton? Even though we all know its scripted and fake, there has to be some level of credibility and believability.
Cesaro did all of the lesser circuit stuff already. They put the US belt on him, and have had him job repeatedly to guys like Ryback and Orton. He’s deserving of a lot better.
His stuff with Chris Hero as the “Kings of Wrestling” was just awesome. Can’t believe it’s the same guy.
Hopefully he at least got to bang Oksana.
That’s exactly what’s happening with Swagger right now, and why no one gives a crap about him.
I just think you can’t have a guy play the role of the Washington generals for an extended period of time and then find it interesting and credible when they all of a sudden start beating the globetrotters.
IMO, that’s where we are with Swagger and Ziggler.
Ziggler can talk, though, and has a varied moveset.
Swagger’s the same guy now he was on Day One. The only difference is he has a manager. People are booing the manager more than they’re booing him.
Ziggler has still been a jobber for quite a while now, maybe a “jobber to the stars” and as a result, I and many others have a hard time seeing him as one of the top few stars in the WWE.
Jeez, where are the Hogans, Rocks, Cenas, Triple H’s, Undertakers, Edges, Brett Harts?
The group they have now is really lacking. I’d rather see Randy Orton have another reign rather than Ziggler, Sandow or Cesaro.
You’re right that they don’t have quite the same level of star they once did. But they also need to do a better job of building guys, which they haven’t done since Cena. Punk’s gotten over by himself.
They’re doing the right thing by the Shield so far, but how many times can they job Cesaro, Barrett, and Ziggler? The IC Champ used to be automatic #1 contender. Now?
Yea, the midcard belts have become meaningless.
They really need some new blood.
Who would give a crap about WM if they didn’t have Triple H, The Rock, Lesnar and the undertaker making their yearly cameo.
Had a similar discussion on another board. I argued the same point which they need to develop new talent because how long can you rely on stars of the past. The belief is Vince leans on the older guys because they draw in viewers and crowds while the younger guys don’t. Well if you never develop new talent how the hell are they suppose to bring in crowds and viewers.
Exactly.
Sooner or later when the older guys are finished, who left to feature that anyone gives a shit about.
True.
Undertaker is on his last legs, the Rock doesn’t even wrestle every week, Triple H is in the same boat, and Lesnar won’t be here for the long haul.
jose ramirez, we hardly knew ye.
I know there are a few other gaming geeks here, is anybody else amazed at the response the new Tomb Raider is getting? I mean I expected it to be decent but ign and metacritic have both given it outstanding reviews.
Don’t know how the game plays, but it was written by Rhianna Pratchett, Terry “Discworld” Pratchett’s daughter. That family has a magic touch.
I prefer my Tomb Raider to have big tits, short shorts, and long slender legs.
I always wait for the PCGamer review myself.
The site I watch thought it a fun experience but in spite of the game rather than because of it. It’s a game that doesn’t seem to want to give you much actual control of the character, let alone her movements or decisions. This is both mechanically and narratively frustrating.
There are still 6 slots left in Big Member’s fantasy league.
Join us, you know you want to…
http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/b1/104187
I should probably mention:
League ID: 104187
League Name: RAB VIM MEMBERS
Password:riverave
And for some REAL baseball news:
According to Mets Player, You Can Survive a Justin Verlander Fastball to Groin
(with a surprise ending)
http://bleacherreport.com/arti.....l-to-groin
BUT WILL JON NIESE BE A TOP 20 PITCHER NEXT YEAR!?
I’ll be rooting for him.
#bagofdicks
Hehe. My new favorite hashtag
…oh god, why?!
No cup?
Dumb Ass.
In a related article
http://bleacherreport.com/arti.....f-the-year
I don’t want to read all those words! Where’s the slideshow?!
I have both a fear and a sadistic desire now to google “bag of dicks”, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Damn you, Dalek Jeter.
My work here is done.
I believe that it’s not sadistic, but masochistic.
Then again, if you are so scarred for life that you are unable to function normally as a human being, yes, that’d be torture on your family.
I think both of what you said is correct.
I guess they really are leaving every stone unturned if they are looking at Al Roker. Anyone have his numbers against RHP?
Al Roker is a white man who happens to be black.
It’s mind boggling too me how so many good baseball minds and eyes on this site can’t see the brilliance in Ichiro… The guy is a wizard with the bat, and physically in the best physical shape of any player in camp.. Not to mention he’s on a goal inspired mission juxtaposed to having the sensibilities of a complete team player, these attributes that can only render him a positive force on this team. I believe your following Mr Axisa, your fearless leader, into the abyss by discounting Ichiro’s exceptional baseball intellect
Or…ya know…we just looked at his Fangraphs page.