In our younger and more vulnerable days, we were not too kind to Bobby Abreu. Now, despite our early trangressions, we did apologize to Mr. Abreu in June. Let’s take a look at where things ended up with the presumptive 2008 right fielder this year.

During today’s game, as he hustled down the line early on, Bobby Abreu beat out a potential double play ball to secure his 100th RBI of the season. Abreu would later walk to drive in run number 101 on the season, thus completing a remarkable turnaround. Abreu ended the season with a whopping 123 runs scored, 40 doubles, 16 HR, 101 RBI and a batting line of .283/.369/.445. While those rate stats aren’t in line with his career numbers, those are some impressive counting stats.

Now, let’s jump back in time a bit to see how Abreu got there. The journey makes his final number seem all the better. At the end of May in Toronto, Joe Torre opted to bench Bobby Abreu. The former All Star was hitting .228/.313/.289 and needed to refocus. Whatever happened that day sure did work. Over the next 106 games (not yet counting Sunday’s), Abreu hit at a pace even with his career line. He turned in a .312/.397/.525 line with 34 doubles, 14 home runs and 77 RBIs.

That’s some turn around. Not coincidentally, Abreu’s turnaround came with the Yankees’ turnaround. It’s really that simple. When Abreu hits, pitchers have to face Jeter-Abreu-Rodriguez in the heart of a fearsome order. There’s no letting up, and Abreu, in effect, put up MVP numbers for the reason of the season. Furthermore, had Abreu avoided his early season slump, I bet the Yanks would have won the division.

To bolster that claim, let’s see what Abreu’s final line would have looked yet if we take those stellar 106 games and extend them over 162. He would have hit .312/.397/.525, significantly higher than his final 2007 numbers. He could have ended the year with 21 HR, 117 RBI (!) and 52 doubles. His numbers through 106 games also would have put him on pace to score 137 runs. If that’s not an MVP candidate, I don’t know what is.

With those extra runs and extra hitting, the Yanks would have been able to win two games — any two games really — during their 21-29 stretch. We can blame the Devil Rays all we want, but the truth is that the Yankees did themselves in with a slow start, injuries and poor pitching.

Now, let’s jump ahead to this week. On Thursday, the numbers are all reset to 0 — or is that .000/.000/.000? When Johnny Damon digs in against C.C. Sabathia on Thursday, we’ll have to hope that Bobby Abreu can help lead the Yanks to 11 more victories this year. In May, I wouldn’t have believed it, but after the last 107 games, I think he can.

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To exercise or not to exercise. That is the Yankees’ question. And with regards to Bobby Abreu, it looks like the Yanks are going to exercise.

Bobby Abreu has had one roller coaster ride of a season. One of the main culprits behind the Yankees’ early-season struggles, Abreu really turned it around this season to become a steady number three hitter in the Yanks’ potent lineup.

Through April and May, Abreu was awful. In over 200 plate appearances, he was hitting .228 with a measly .313 OBP and a wimpy .289 slugging percentage. He had 2 HR, 22 RBI and 42 strike outs, and we were writing him off left and right.

Well, one apology and three-and-a-half months later, Abreu has turned in one hell of a season. Since June 1, Abreu has around 400 plate appearances. He’s hit .320/.398/.548 in that span with 14 HR, 27 2B and 72 RBI. When Abreu broke out of his two-month slump, the Yanks started winning. His turnaround was just as responsible for the Yanks’ playoff push as his struggles were for their terrible start.

Now, comes the word on the street via MLB Trade Rumors that the Yanks plan on picking up Abreu’s 2008 option. As Tyler Kepner and Buster Olney both noted yesterday, it’s almost a definite certainty that Abreu will remain with the Yanks in 2008.

I personally like this move. The Yanks have recognized that the 2007-2008 free agent class of outfielders isn’t a particularly deep one. They see that Abreu’s .300/.400/.500 line from June 1 on is more indicative of his perfromance that his .200/.300/.300 line from April and May, and they know they would be hard-pressed to replace Abreu’s production. With Alex Rodriguez’s future in pinstripes fairly uncertain, keeping Abreu’s bat around is a must.

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There’s a reason why Gary Sheffield has been on 7 teams in his borderline Hall of Fame career. This is it.

Just shut the fuck up already Sheff, no one’s listening, and no one gives a shit about what you have to say.

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It’s tough to find past evidence to support my Abreu claim, because he has been so damn consistent over his career. His OPB has always been good, and his batting average doesn’t fluctuate too much — except when he’s hitting like .350 and is coming back to earth. This may be a more recent development. Supporting that are a few instances in the past few years.

April 13, 2005
Pitcher faced: Dontrelle Willis
Went 8 for his next 41 (.195) with 10 walks and 0 extra base hits.

September 17, 2005
Pitcher faced: Dontrelle Willis
Went 6 for the rest of the season (45 at bats, .133 BA) with 9 walks and two doubles.

(more…)

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Dear Mr. Abreu,

I owe you one big apology, and this afternoon, you made me feel even worse. I sat in the Tier Reserve this afternoon as you went 4 for 4 with a triple, double, two singles, a walk, four runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base. While A-Rod hitting behind you may have belted two monstrous home runs, you were my vote for YES Network’s Player of the Game.

You’re also showing me the lesson of sample size. In May, you were terrible. In fact, it was the worst month of your excellent Major League career. You hit .208 with a .267 and a .274 slugging. We thought that maybe you, with your career .300/.400/.500 line, may be on the decline. Your bad fielding in Boston capped things off.

At the end of May, you were hitting .228/.313/.289 at were benched in Toronto because you clearly needed a day off. Well, let me just needed a new slate, a day off, a new calendar month. Because, wow, have you delivered.

In June, Bobby, you’re hitting the cover off of the ball. In 10 games, you have 38 at bats and 19 hits. You have walked in every game but one and have 10 base-on-balls for the month. Eight of your 19 hits are extra bases. So you’re offensive line for the mont is .500/.604/.789.

You’ve raised your total line this season to .272/.364/.370. That’s quite a raise in 10 games.

So I’m sorry, Bobby. I’m sorry I doubted you. Welcome back. This team, once left for dead but now 9.5 games behind Boston and in fourth place in the Wild Card, needs you. Go, Bobby.

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More tomorrow about tonight’s excellent win — and man, did Alex crush that ball in the 9th or what? — but for now, let’s look at the much-maligned Bobby Abreu. When last we saw Señor Abreu, he was struggling mightily. And then the calendar flipped from May to June. This month, Abreu has come to the plate 24 times. He’s been on base 15 times. He’s 9 for 18 which, for the mathematically challenged among us, is .500. His four doubles gives him a slugging percentage of .722.

So about that Jermaine Dye-for-Bobby Abreu rumor? Yeah, let’s not do that, ok?

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Apparently, the Yanks were talking to the White Sox about a Abreu for Jermaine Dye swap. Neither is hitting particularly well. Abreu has the advantage of his usually-high OBP. Jermaine Dye is more of a power hitter.

At this point, 1) it can’t get much worse and 2) we could use another power bat. At worst it’s a wash. If this is a real possibility, I urge Cashman to pursue it. There is nothing to lose at this point.

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That was one uninspiring effort by the Yanks tonight and another unnecessarily quick Darrell Rasner hook by Joe Torre. Furthermore, Joe decided to bench the Yankees’ hottest hitter — Doug Mientkiewicz — in favor of Josh Phelps. Torre wouldn’t play Phelps when Mientkiewicz was struggling, but now that Doug is smokin’ the ball, Torre decides he needs a night off? That’s brilliant.

This team is floundering right now. They’ve dipped back to two games under .500, and Roger Clemens isn’t going to be the answer. As we’ve mentioned over the last few days, we’re less than enamored with Bobby Abreu. While the Yanks sadly won’t be trading or replacing Abreu any time soon, something’s gotta give. The two hole just isn’t the answer for Abreu.

Tonight marked the third game in which Abreu hit second. He is now a whopping 1 for 12 in the two hole and has reached base once batting in front of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Jeter, in the same stretch of games, is 5 for 9 but never gets to bat with anyone on base in front of him.

Bobby Abreu in the two hole is solving nothing, and Oblivious Joe will just keep filling out that lineup card day after day in such a way that makes it impossible for the Yanks to score runs. Nothing new. Nothing to see here. Just another loss.

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Yeah, it’s early. Yeah, guys hit slumps. But ask yourself: does it look like Abreu is proactive in changing what’s wrong? He looks lazy at the plate, and he’s completely out of rhythm (i.e., his leg and bat are out of sync, and they don’t even go to a rhythm individually).

And then there’s his fielding habits, which are atrocious. He’s afraid of the wall, and completely lacks the ability to go back for a ball. Today it looked like Jason Giambi could have done a better job in right.

What do you guys think? Is there any way to turn Bobby around? This certainly transcends most slumps.

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Well, it took only 16 games of Bobby Abreu’s producing at a .179/.273/.224 clip but Joe Torre finally moved him down in the lineup. Some Supreme Being must have threatened to smite Torre to get him to make a change that should have been made, oh, a week ago.

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