Cano

[lal04]

Is there any way to take Cano's extension back? I don't know if anyone else has written "gripe" entries, but I just wanted to express my anger over the offense

Comments

[mightymightyq]

The offense struggled similarly last year but A-Rod would bail them out. This year, however, he's 1-11 with RISP.

[maniakes]

When does Jeter come back?

Very soon, possibly today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/sports/baseball/14yankees.html?em&ex=1208318400&en=1a51bc6de0562d5e&ei=5087%0A Jeter has not played since he strained his left quadriceps muscle running to first base last Monday. But he intensified his pregame work on Sunday, running at perhaps 75 percent of full speed along the left-field warning track.

“I want to play now,” Jeter said. “I’d have no problem being in the lineup today.”

Manager Joe Girardi, who may also summon a fresh pitcher to help an exhausted bullpen, said Jeter could start on Monday.
The bad news is that Posada still can't throw and Molina is now hurt, so we'll be calling up our third-string catcher (whoever that may be) to be in our starting lineup until one of them is healed.

[payoffpitch]

That third-string catcher is Chad Moeller, he of the inside the park home run.

[heyitsrabbit]

Considering we're not even 15 games into the season, I don't agree with your logic. Cano is only in the #2 spot because of Jeter, and when Jeter returns Cano will be dropped back to the middle (where he should be). Once he gets back to his normal spot in the lineup I believe his production will pick up.

Damon is a leadoff hitter. Yes, he sucks with RISP, but that's not his primary job. He's supposed to get on base. Considering his OBP is at .314, he's doing his part there.

By your standards, we should be benching Giambi (batting .107 compared to Damon's .190). However, given the fact he has 2 homers in the last series, I don't think people are going to complain about him... yet. I personally don't think they're sucking THAT much.

[lal04]

You think a 314 OBP is good? A 314 OBP for a leadoff hitter is, even by my so-called high standards, awful. And being the lead off hitter doesn't exempt him from OTHER responsibilities. Just because he bats first in the first inning doesn't mean he can't knock in some runs in 6th, or AT LEAST, move the runners over (and NOT hit into a DP).

I've never liked Giambi, don't even get me started on him.

[heyitsrabbit]

I am by no means exempting him from other responsibilities. I am just saying that his RISP peformance isn't his first priority in that slot. In fact, if you dropped him down in the order then RISP would matter MORE because then he'd be more likely batting with people on base every at-bat. Since he sucks there, wouldn't that only make the situation worse? Again, we're only 13 games in. The stats haven't even started to stop fluctuating yet. Furthermore, I NEVER said that his OBP was "good", just that he was doing his job for the task.

If you think about it, it could be a LOT worse... you could have Travis Buck as your leadoff hitter (.245 OBP).

[payoffpitch]

I agree with everything you said except your OBP analysis. An OBP of .314 is MISERABLE. A leadoff hitter's OBP should be .375+

[payoffpitch]

You're kidding me, right? You want to get rid of a player who has power to all fields, has one of the sweetest lefty swings I've ever seen, and will challenge for a batting title in the very near future over a slump? Are you serious?

And Damon rarely hits in DPs. He hit into 4 or 5 all season last year. Jeter, whom you want back so badly, was hitting .208 and hitting into DPs all over the place. Rodriguez had a miserable series and isn't hitting so wonderfully all season.

The offense is in a collective slump, yes, but it won't continue. Don't start selling the farm because of a short slump.

[lal04]

Woahhhhh, Nelly.

First, I never said that I want to get RID of Cano. He's a promising young hitter, but he's got a case of "I don't want to walk" in him. In the 2 spot, that's murder, especially with Damon and his sparkling 314 OBP. I don't want to get rid of him AT ALL. I'm just saying (and agreeing with you) that he is better served LOWER in the lineup.

As for Damon, as I said before, I don't see why him being the lead off hitter makes him exempt from doing OTHER things to help the club win. Being a table setter means he can hit into DPs when we need him to AT LEAST move the runners over?

I guess I'm focusing my anger on these two guys, but really, the Yankees as a whole with RISP are just disgusting right now, and I'm sure that it won't last. It just aggravates me that we had 809808909 guys on base last night thanks to walks/hits and more of them didn't come home.

PS - my prayers go out to Joba and his father.

[airstretch]

I think Cano is just a slow starter and not much of a cold weather player, given how he's started out the past few seasons. I think he'll start to heat up as we get more into the spring.

[heyitsrabbit]

That and he definitely isn't in his comfortable spot in the order. He's got a .267 average in the #2 hole, but a .295 average at #6 (which is where he's been playing this year before Jeter went down).

I personally wish they would bump him back to #7, since he's got a .355 average there.... but until Posada gets better I don't see that happening soon.

[lal04]

Well, I think he needs to get on this learning curve... I'm hoping he develops as Abreu's replacement in the 3 spot, eventually (RE: next year)