AB4AR 2011 Season Preview: What We Know & What We Don't Know (The Bench)

(Enjoy it, people.  That's the only time your butts will ever sit there.)

DH- Jorge Posada

What We Know: His catching days appear to be over.

Even with the injury to Cervelli, Jorge's name has not come up as a potential backup/emergency catcher candidate.  The team has finally recognized what most of us already knew, that being that Jorge is old as hell and shouldn't be behind the plate anymore.  Technically he's not a bench player, but I included him here just to even things out.

What We Don't Know: Will the lack of catching actually help him?

Logic would dictate that less wear and tear on his old body would leave Jorge in better physical condition, and that better physical condition would lead to better offensive numbers.  But maybe Jorge is just an old guy and his body isn't standing up to aging as well as other players.  There could still be bumps and bruises and 15-day DL stints this year even if he isn't getting beaten up behind the plate.

OF- Andruw Jones

What We Know: He can still play.

Diminished speed and all, Jones can still provide adequate to above-average defense at all 3 outfield spots.  And he can still make you pay if you try to sneak a fastball by him up in the zone.  On paper, he's a rich man's Marcus Thames.

What We Don't Know: How much will he play?

Like Thames, Jones is here to play against lefties when the matchup doesn't favor C-Grand or Gardner.  But both of those guys have shown enough against lefties to warrant them staying in the lineup even when David Price or Jon Lester is on the hill.  If that trend continues this season, how are the Yankees going to get Jones at-bats?  And will that number of at-bats be enough to keep his swing going well?

IF- Eduardo Nunez

What We Know: No backup IF candidate has played better than him in Spring Training.

Looks like that offseason spent working out with Cano has paid off.  Nunez has swung the bat well, run the bases well, and more than held his own in the field.  He is probably the most complete option for a backup infield role out of the pool of candidates.

What We Don't Know: What does Joe think of him?

The organization is high on Nunez, since they have kept him out of a couple potential trades, but does Joe share that sentiment?  He's traditionally a loyalty-type manager, and he's more familiar with Ramiro Pena than Nunez.  Will that loyalty blind him from seeing the fact that Nunez is the better all-around player?

IF- Ramiro Pena

What We Know:  He can't hit.

At all.

What We Don't Know: What will happen to him if he doesn't make the team.

Pena seems like he's reached the ceiling of his career.  He's an all-field, no-hit shortstop whose existence as a liability at the plate almost negates the positive value his defense brings to the table.  And his miserable hitting performance in ST has done nothing to change that assessment.  So if he doesn't make the 25-man, he basically falls back into a life of Triple-A purgatory, always somebody in the 26-30-man range who only gets called up when the injury bug hits bad.

C- Jesus Montero

What We Know: The backup catching job is all but his.

Cervelli is still hurt, Romine clearly isn't ready to make the jump from Double-A to the Majors, and Jorge isn't being considered.  The future is now for Jesus, who has every opportunity to show why he is such a highly-regarded prospect and lay the groundwork for a long and prosperous future as the anchor to the Yankee lineup.

What We Don't Know: How good/bad he actually is behind the plate.

The climate has shifted constantly on this topic since ST started.  We get a few good reports about his work and in-game performance and then a few talking about how slow and uncoordinated he is.  At this point, that shouldn't matter because he is so young and it's always been his bat that has been his calling card.  But once he has to play some games behind the plate in the regular season, the picture will start to become more clear about where his future in the field lies.

C- Francisco Cervelli

What We Know: Dude has terrible luck.

Every year he gets hurt in Spring Training.  You can't help but feel bad for him, even if he is just a marginal backup player. 

What We Don't Know: If he'll ever play another game as a Yankee.

If Russell Martin stays healthy and regains some of his form, and if Montero shows enough skill to warrant staying on the 25-man roster all year, it's going to be next to impossible for Frankie to ever see the field again.  He just isn't as good as those 2, even at his best.  Hopefully he's got his voodoo dolls done and he's contacting the spirits, because an injury to one of those 2 might be the only we he wears the pinstripes again.

AB4AR 2011 Season Preview: What We Know & What We Don't Know (The Bullpen)

(Lotsa options for this situation this season.)

No time for intros here, people.  If you missed any of the series so far, too bad.  Catch up.

Mariano Rivera

What We Know: He's the man.

In typical Mo fashion, he showed up to camp, worked at his own pace to get into game shape, and then proceeded to come out and knock everybody's dick in the dirt.  Ho-hum.  Another year in the life of the greatest single performer at his position in any sport in the history of sports.

What We Don't Know: Will Father Time finally catch up to him?

Mo has managed to dodge wily old FT so far as he's moved into what should be the twilight of his career.  But injuries are always a concern, especially for a 41-year-old.  Surely this factored into the Yankees' decision to throw a bajillion dollars at Rafael Soriano as insurance, but we're all hoping it doesn't come to that contingency plan.

Rafael Soriano

What We Know: He's a grumpy puss.

Dude has literally not smiled since he joined the team.  There's been reports that he hasn't really gotten involved with anybody in the clubhouse, and he stated that he didn't want to pitch against any AL East teams until the regular season.  So in terms of temperament, Mariano he is not.

What We Don't Know: If he can live up to his contract.

When he's on and healthy, he's one of the best relievers in the business.  But there have been plenty of times when he hasn't been either or both of those things, which would make the money he's being paid this year a bad investment on the Yankees part.  Plus, the fact that he's a whiny baby makes me a little concerned that he could become the next in line of players who couldn't handle playing in New York.

Dave Robertson

What We Know: He's the next in line after Soriano.

D-Rob has established himself as the 3rd pitcher in the bullpen pecking order, and with good reason.  He has great swing-and-miss stuff, he's learning to harness it to be more efficient with his pitches, and he has shown that the moment is never too big for him.  He'd be the setup man on most other MLB teams and could even be the closer on some.

What We Don't Know: How much work will he get?

We know that Joe is going to do everything to play the matchups and keep a consistent rotation so that everybody gets work and everybody stays fresh.  But we also know that when the starter gives a good performance, Joe is going to look to shorten the 'pen and go Soriano-Mo as much as he can.  How will D-Rob's stuff and command hold up to only getting a few batters a week here and there if it comes to that?

Joba Chamberlain

What We Know: His stuff looked better this spring.

Whether he was in good shape or not, Joba's velocity and bite looked good on his pitches this spring, which is a good thing for him and the bullpen depth.  Without this recent injury, he could have had his arm strength up to the point where he could reach 96-97 on the gun again.  That would be fun.

What We Don't Know: What the Yankees plan to do with him.

He isn't going to start, he isn't going to setup, and he isn't going to close.  Right now he's the 6th-7th-inning bridge guy along with D-Rob, which means he might have more value to the Yankees as a trade chip for teams looking to use him as a starter again.  So will they run him out there a lot to show his stuff to up his trade value?  Or try to hold onto him and let the market determine his worth by how the season plays out?  Or will they even trade him at all?

The Lefties (Feliciano & Logan)

What We Know: There are 2 of them.

2 lefties is always better than 1.  Especially with the human DL stint, Damaso Marte, still sucking up payroll from the team.  Now the Yanks are covered in cases of injury or ineffectiveness.

What We Don't Know: A lot.

Who is the #1 and #2 option?  How will Joe divide up work between them?  Is one guy going to be used as a LOOGY and the other as a workhorse?  Was Logan's second half in 2010 a flash in the pan?  Can Feliciano stay healthy after his workload over the last 3 years?

The Long Man

What We Know: The 'pen needs one.

You always have to have somebody there to suck up innings when you're on either side of a blowout.  And most, if not all, of the guys mentioned above are only good for 1 inning, 2 tops.

What We Don't Know: Who it will be.

My money is still on Sergio Mitre, even though there are rumors going around that the team might cut him.  Garcia and Colon have each expressed slight interest in staying on as the long man if they don't get a rotation spot, but is that option attractive to the Yankees?  Don't even consider Mark Prior.  More than 1 inning of work and his arm will probably fall off of his body.

Is This Really Happening?

Is that really Bartolo Colon out there on the mound?  Pitching not just decently or effectively, but pitching well?  6 innings of 2-hit, 1-run ball against the Rays?  With his fastball still sitting in the mid-90s in his last inning of work?  How the hell did this happen?  What was Colon doing in winter ball that showed the Yankees he was capable of doing this?  How did they manage to see through all the fat rolls, skin flaps, and man boobs to see that there was still some gas left in the tank?

And is Colon really going to win the 5th starter spot in the 2011 New York Yankee rotation???  With all that's going on in the world, the revolutions, the tsunamis, the global warming, that happening might actually be the final thing that leads me to believe we are heading towards the end of days.  I can't even wrap my mind around that thought.  I keep expecting my TV to cut to a shot of Morgan Freeman sitting in the oval office giving one of his speeches from "Deep Impact."

Seriously, though, I have to have the same tempered expectations for Colon going forward as I did with Freddy Garcia a few weeks ago, but I can't deny that Colon has been impressive this spring.  I would have been excited if he was able to make it out to the mound for first inning warmups without hurting himself or having a heart attack, and he has gone out and been one of the best pitchers in camp.

Obviously you don't put his and Garcia's stats next to each other to make a decision if you're Joe Girardi, but if you're using the patented Jay Bilas eye test, Colon passes that easily when compared to Freduardo.  His stuff has been better than Garcia's, his approach has been better than Garcia's, and his cleavage is better than Garcia's.  I can't believe I'm going to say this, but out of all the starter candidates left in camp, Colon is the best option for 5th starter right now.

Previewing The AB4AR Season Preview

If you haven't figured it out already, we're ankle deep in the official AB4AR season preview, and we're not even close to complete.  Here's a look at what's coming up over the next week plus to prep for Opening Day on March 31st.

- 3/22- Knowns/Unknowns- The Bullpen

- 3/23- Knowns/Unknowns- The Bench

- 3/24- 2011 Season Preview- The Lineup

- 3/25- 2011 Season Preview- The Rotation

- 3/28- 2011 Season Preview- The Bullpen

- 3/29- 2011 Season Preview- The Bench

- 3/30- AB4AR's 10 Fearless Predictions for the 2011 Season

And if you're all really good and eat your vegetables, there might even be a live blog for the Opening Day.  I don't know how I'm going to do it from the office, but I'm sure I can figure out a way.  In any case, that's the plan to get everybody as ready as they can be for the 2011 Yankee Regular Season.  If you miss out on any of this, your loss.

AB4AR 2011 Season Preview: What We Know & What We Don't Know (The Rotation)

(Who else will be in this picture come March 31?)

Next up in the AB4AR "Know/Don't Know" series is the rotation, the group on the roster with the most questions and unknowns surrounding it.  But hey, at least 60% of the rotation is already set.  Right?

/looks around for nods of agreement 

CC Sabathia

What We Know: He came into camp this year in better shape.

Whether it was 25 pounds, 20 pounds, or 5 pounds, there's no doubting that CC put more emphasis on physical fitness this offseason after his knee surgery.  He's the rotation's horse, he knows it, and he's trying to do everything he can to stay whole and stay healthy in 2011. 

What We Don't Know: If the Yankees have a plan for him to limit his work this year.

It might not be a bad idea considering the workload Carsten has accumulated over the last 4 seasons and the fact that he is coming off surgery.  A rough pitch/innings count early in the season or in games where the Yankees are way ahead would be a good idea to keep him fresh and ready for the stretch run and the postseason.  But then again, these are the Yankees and nothing is more important than winning, and CC on the mound always gives them a better chance of winning. 

A.J. Burnett

What We Know: He's the #2 starter.

Joe made it official this weekend.  Misguided or not, he has faith in A.J. after what he's seen so far in ST and he's showing confidence in A.J.'s ability to rebound from his horrific 2010 by coming out early and announcing him as the starter behind CC.  

What We Don't Know: Will his offseason work with Larry Rothschild will fix him?

A.J. has talked and worked with Rothschild almost since he was announced as the new Yankee pitching coach, and the results so far have been positive.  A.J.'s new mechanics and where he's standing on the mound seem to be working, and his changeup is developing into a reliable pitch.  But when the tough times come, how will A.J. handle them?  Can he keep repeating his delivery mechanics after he throws a few bad pitches?  Can he shake it off and re-focus on the next batter?  Because that's what's going to make the difference for him between success and failure in 2011. 

Phil Hughes

What We Know: The kid gloves come off this year.

No innings limitations, no lower spot in the order, no excuses.  After an All-Star 2010, Phil is going to be counted on to be the anchor of the rotation that Andy Pettitte had been the past few seasons.  He will fill an extremely important role as the 3rd starter in the rotation, expected to provide stability and high-quality innings between the sketchy A.J. and potentially shaky back end. 

What We Don't Know: How much will he use the changeup in 2011?

People raved about it in camp last year, and then it disappeared once the regular season started.  By the time we got to the end of the year, when he needed it, he didn't have it.  Hughes has put more time into improving the changeup this spring as well, but the true test is whether or not he can add it to his repertoire and implement it effectively in games. 

4th Starter

What We Know: The team needs one.

Duh.

What We Don't Know: Who it will be.

The early leader in the clubhouse is Ivan Nova after his sterling 6-inning performance last week.  But he still hasn't locked it down and will probably need another solid start to give Joe enough confidence to declare the job his. 

5th Starter

What We Know: See 4th Starter.

What We Know: Ditto.

Favorite- Freddy Garcia, shaky recent outings aside.  Backup- Bartolo Colon, who the team seems pretty happy with.  Darkhorse(s)- Andrew Brackman, Manny Banuelos.  There's almost no chance either one of them will get the job, but they have been impressive and the Yankees could be forced to scramble if either Garcia or Colon gets hurt in the last couple weeks.

AB4AR 2011 Season Preview: What We Know & What We Don't Know (The Outfield)

(Mind the gaps, gentlemen.)

The first of a two-part known/unknown preview to come your way today, this one involving the outfield.  If you missed the first part over the weekend, don't fret.  It's right here.  The things I do for you people.  All caught up?  Good.  Onward and upward.

LF- Brett Gardner

What We Know: He can be an everyday player.

Gardner has almost as many questions surrounding him going into last season as the back end of the rotation does this year, and he more than held his own in the field and in the lineup as the everyday LF.  A .277/.383/.379 tripleslash and a 106 OPS+ to go alone with 47 SB and solid defense is pretty damn respectable.  And those numbers would have been better were it not for the heater he took off the wrist in the summer that sapped what little power he has in his swing. 

What We Don't Know: Can he take the next step?

I'm a firm believer that Gardner can develop into a poor man's Ichiro if he stays healthy, keeps working, and develops a little more pop to his swing, and have said as much on this blog before.  He was hitting at an All-Star level before the HBP on the wrist last summer.  But there are many who think Gardner outperformed his true talent last season and will regress this year.  Gardy's got some work to do to silence the doubters. 

CF- Curtis Granderson

What We Know: Last year was a disappointment.

For him and for all the fans, who were hoping for a version of C-Grand similar to the 2007-2008 model.  Instead, we got treated to a watered-down version of what he was during his last year in Detroit.  It all came to a head when Granderson was taken out of the lineup for 2 days to revamp his swing with Kevin Long.  The results of that work were noticeable, as Grandy finished the year looking much better at the plate, though still not good enough to make up for the early season struggles. 

What We Don't Know: Whether he's truly turned the corner.

His hot finish to the 2010 regular season carried over to the playoffs, where C-Grand was one of the few Yankees who actually swung the bat well.  He has looked good so far in ST this year, but will need to carry that over to the regular season and show some consistency with his new hitting approach to really prove he's worth the trade the Yankees made for him. 

RF- Nick Swisher

What We Know: He has been reborn in New York.

It's obvious by now that Swish was drowning in Chicago and New York was his life preserver.  He's taken to the city and fans like a duck to water, he's added some much needed energy and looseness to the traditionally stuffy Yankee clubhouse, and he's had the 2 best years of his career in the Bronx, including a title in '09 and his first ASG appearance in '10.  Goofy as he is, Swish fits into the fabric of the team and the organization perfectly. 

What We Don't Know: How much longer he'll be a Yankee.

I can't see any reason why the Yankees wouldn't bring him back, but Swish does have a $12 mil team option for 2012 that could become questionable if he regresses a bit this season.  He will turn 30 this year, and the Yankees certainly aren't interested in handing out a Jayson Werth-style contract to him.  But if Swish continues on the production trail he has blazed over the past 2 years, the Yankees will most likely offer him some kind of new deal.

The Horse Keeps On Galloping

Screw the unimportance of Spring Training stats.  Screw conventional wisdom.  Screw basic baseball logic.  Screw everything.  The A-Horse is flat out crushing the holy hell out of the ball this spring, he's been doing it since the day he stepped foot on the team facility in Tampa, and he's well on his way to having a monster rebound season in 2011.  Consider these facts:

- He has 16 hits in 37 ST at-bats.

- 11 of those 16 hits have been for extra bases (6 2B, 5 HR).

- He has at least 1 hit in each of the 13 ST games in which he has played.

- He's scored 8 runs, driven in 11, and played damn good defense on the hot corner.

- His tripleslash for the spring?  .432/.475/1.000

- He's already being talked about as the early odds-on favorite to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

Alright, so maybe I made that last one up.  But that doesn't change the fact that this is the best A-Horse we've seen, both physically and from a baseball standpoint, in a few years.  His hip is healthy, he's in great shape, his swing looks immaculate, and he's set to hit the ground running on March 31, instead of still nursing injuries or trying to find his balance at the plate like he has been the last couple of years.  We can all get excited about the likes of Cano, Jesus Montero, and ManBan, but don't sleep on A-Rod.  The dude still has some serious tread on the tire.

Joe Names A.J. #2 Starter

Well we can all stop speculating about whether Phil Hughes deserves the #2 spot in the rotation.  Joe made it official yesterday, announcing after the game that A.J. will be the #2 starter in the rotation and Phil will take the #3 spot.

“That’s what we brought A.J. here to do,” Girardi said. “He struggled last year, but we believe he’s going to be back.” (via LoHud)

So what's the bigger deal here?  A.J. getting the spot behind CC or Phil getting the spot behind A.J.?  On the surface, this looks like an easy situation to figure out.  A.J. is more experienced than Phil, and when he's on his fastball-curveball combo plays up to the type of stuff you want a top-of-the-rotation starter to have.  Phil is still learning to master his offspeed stuff, especially his changeup, and really needs to lock down that reliable 3rd pitch before he can be considered a true top shelf starter.

But then consider how awful A.J. was last year and how important that 3rd starter spot became behind him.  That spot was taken by Andy Pettitte, and between A.J.'s struggles and Javy Vazquez's equally disappointing results in the 4-spot, that 3rd spot in the rotation became very important.  The Yankees were always confident in CC at the top, but if they lost a game in his start and then A.J came out and bombed the next day, the 3rd starter was the stopper of the rotation, somebody Joe could turn to for a big outing if and when the team needed a win, and before he got injured Andy performed that role for the team incredibly well in 2010.  Now with Andy gone, that role gets passed on to Phil in the 3-spot.

So does Joe giving A.J. the 2-spot and Phil the 3 show that Joe has seen enough good stuff from A.J. this spring to make him feel confident in A.J.?  Or does Joe have more confidence in Phil to be able to step up in a pinch and deliver a 7-8-inning, 1-2-run gem after a rough couple of games than he does in A.J.?  Either way, each guy now knows where he falls in the 2011 rotation and we can focus the rest of our energy on the 4th and 5th starter spots from here on out.

AB4AR 2011 Season Preview: What We Know & What We Don't Know (The Infield)

(It ain't quite ready yet, but soon... )

We're less than 2 weeks away from Opening Day, so it's time for AB4AR to get its season preview on.  Over the next 12 days, we'll take a look at every part of the team from every angle, culminating in the official 2011 season preview the week leading up to Yanks-Tigers on March 31st.  For starters, let's ease into the 2011 season by taking a quick look at what we know and don't know about the guys who will man the inner area of the diamond this year.

C- Russell Martin

What We Know: He can still play.

Martin has certainly shown that he still has the skills to be an elite catcher.  He has hit the ball well this spring, showing some pop in the bat, and he's also flashed some leather behind the plate and ran the bases well.  When he's clicking on all cylinders, Martin is easily one of the 5 best all-around catchers in the game.

What We Don't Know: How long will he stay healthy?

The big issue with Martin over the last few seasons has been how long all his cylinders stay functioning.  The Yanks have eased him into ST to get him to 100% physically, but once the season kicks in and he's catching 5+ days a week, will his body hold up?

1B- Mark Teixeira

What We Know- He put in a lot of offseason hitting work.

So far it seems to be helping, as Teix has swung the bat well in Spring Training.  He's also shown no signs of lingering injury from all the dings he had at the end of 2010.

What We Don't Know- Will that extra work help him get off to a good start?

Teix's offseason swing work was inspired by his historically cold starts to the regular season, a tradition that was incredibly bad in 2010, even by Teix's slow start standards.  Whether the extra work over the winter will help cure this early-spring ailment remains to be seen.

2B- Robinson Cano

What We Know- He has started to become a leader.

Cano has gone from being benched in '08 because of lack of effort and perceived lack of work ethic to becoming one of the example setters for guys in 2011.  He had Frankie Cervelli and Eduardo Nunez work out with him over the offseason and seems to be setting himself up to assume a leadership role when the Jeters and Posadas of the world decide to hang 'em up.

What We Don't Know- Was 2010 a career year for Cano?

Projections for 2011 have Cano's numbers down across the board from his 2010 campaign, mainly because they factor in his down year in '08.  But some baseball "experts" also expect Cano's numbers to dip in 2011.  I am not  one of those people and expect Cano to outperform his 2010 numbers, but only time will tell.

3B- Alex Rodriguez

What We Know- A-Rod came into camp in great shape.

The Horse looked lean and mean when he arrive in Tampa this year for Spring Training, and so far his offseason workout program has paid dividends.  He looks smooth and comfortable in the field, and his power is back in his bat as he has his swing all but locked in.

What We Don't Know- How that shape will hold up over 162 games.

Is the new and improved A-Rod designed to fight off the aches and pains that have hindered him over the last few seasons and allow him to put up MVP-caliber numbers?  Or is it merely masking the fact that he's an older player who is going to break down physically this year at some point?

SS- Derek Jeter

What We Know- Jeter has finally committed to altering his swing.

He worked with Dr. Long at the end of the 2010 season and saw some better results.  Before 2011, Jeter worked even more with Long on eliminating his leg kick and speeding up his swing.  While he's still getting used to the new mechanics, he has shown some more pop in his bat in ST.

What We Don't Know- Will the new mechanics help him bounce back?

The new swing is designed to speed up Jeter's bat and allow him to get back to his trademark inside-out swing to right field, but can it help him win the battle over Father Time over the whole season or will pitchers figure out a new way to exploit Jeter's deteriorating bat speed and get him out consistently?

Post-St. Patty's Day Slacker Post

A bunch of bullpen pitchers are dinged up.  Freddy Garcia sucked his last time out.  Ivan Nova didn't.  A.J. was pretty awful in his outing today.  Now nobody thinks Jesus can catch again.  Joe Torre is participating in Old Timers' Day this year.  Rafael Soriano is a baby and doesn't want to pitch against any AL East opponents until the season starts.  And The Horse is still hitting the cover off the ball.

That pretty much covers everything, right?  Good.  Here's Mastodon's "The Czar."  Surprising as this may be, the song is actually NOT about A-Rod.  I know, I didn't believe it either when I first found out.

Gardy Gets A Leadoff Audition Tonight

Tonight's lineup, via LoHud:

1) Gardner LF
2) Jeter SS
3) Teixeira 1B
4) Rodriguez 3B
5) Cano 2B
6) Swisher RF
7) Posada DH
8) Granderson CF
9) Montero C

SP) Hughes RHP

No need to get too excited as it's a sure thing that Jeter will be manning the top spot once the season starts, even if Gardner goes 3-3 with a walk, 3 runs scored, and 2 SB tonight.  But it's good to see Joe experimenting early and getting himself some firsthand information on what a Gardner-Jeter top of the order looks like should he need to re-examine the situation later in the year.

I still like the idea of using C-Grand in the 2-spot this year.  His combination of speed and power could be a great dual-threat table setting option for Teix, A-Rod, and Cano.  And he's less of a groundball hitter than Jeter, which reduces the risk of hitting into double plays.  But hey, that's just me.

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse For Mets Fans

This sign in NYC comes along and takes it to a whole new level.

I don't care how old this is, I don't care how long it's been around, and I don't care if I'm the last person in the world who knows about it.  This sign is new to me and it is absolutely hilarious.

I mean, Giants and Jets makes sense.  The Knicks are back in a way big way so they obviously go above the Mets.  And the Rangers and Yankees are no-brainers.  But when you're getting dropped below the New York Islanders, that's when you know you're hovering dangerously above rock bottom as a franchise.  The Islanders aren't even the ugly stepchild of New York sports teams.  They're more like the aborted fetus of New York sports teams.  They're a complete joke.  And this sign ranks them above the Mets.  Simply brilliant.

It's like the marketing person at Manhattan Mini Storage designed this sign with me in mind.  I almost feel like I owe it to them to buy a storage cell and pay for it, even if I don't ever put anything in it, to thank them for this work of art.

Tip of the cap to you, Manhattan Mini Storage.  Free AB4AR t-shirt coming your way if I ever get around to designing one.

Dan Shaughnessy Should Probably Stop Talking

 At AB4AR, the "... Should Probably Stop Talking" series is usually reserved for the two silly gentlemen who man the ESPNNY Yankee blog.  But the door is always open to other sports writers willing to join the club and get FJ'd right in their Ms, so who better to welcome to the SPST fraternity than Dan Shaughnessy, noted Fraud Sawx rumor monger and unabashed Boston sports homer.  Shaughnessy is the classic example of a lazy sportswriter who uses generalities and over-dramatized opinions based on nothing to create false controversy amongst the population of the idiotic and ignorant sports fan, and this latest attempt to drag something important out of a meaningless Yanks-Sawx ST game is nothing short of brilliant in its inanity.  Without further ado, I give you, Dan Shaughnessy.

"It felt like Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Except for the fact that there were only 7,859 fans and the starting pitchers were Alfredo Aceves and 20-year-old Manny Banuelos."

So in reality, it felt nothing like Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.  Unless you're an idiot who thinks Spring Training games, even Yanks-Sawx ones, actually matter.

"But this was not your typical spring training game. It was Red Sox-Yankees, the mastodons of the majors, duking it out for Grapefruit League supremacy last night."

"Mastodons of the majors," "duking it out," "supremacy."  I can feel my heartbeat starting to race just reading that graphic battle imagery!  Oh no, wait.  I can't.  Because there were no mastodons, and nobody was duking it out for anything.  The Yankees only had 3 regulars in the lineup.  And nobody gives a crap about Grapefruit League supremacy.

And seriously, "mastodons of the majors"?  At what point does comparing baseball players to extinct prehistoric elephants seem like a good idea for a sports column?

"In the spirit of this hakuna matata spring of 2011, the Sox prevailed, 2-1.  Naturally."

Yes, of course.   Using the life lessons handed down by these two animated Disney characters, the Red Sox managed to squeak out a one-run Spring Training win against a team comprised of roughly 20% of players who will actually be on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, thus setting the tone for what will surely be a 160-2 season for Boston.  What isn't natural about that?

ManBan Passes The Test

(Courtesy of The AP)

I know that Mitre had a sore oblique yesterday so he wasn't going to pitch, and I know Banuelos was scheduled to pitch yesterday regardless, but let's be honest, yesterday was a test for Manny against the Red Sox.  It was a measuring stick for the Yankees to compare his sparkling results so far to his results in a "pressure" situation against some of the best hitters in the American League.  And in my opinion, ManBan passed the test with flying colors.

The final line doesn't look all that impressive: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 0 R, 2 K, 53 pitches, 28 for strikes.  But the true value in Banuelos' outing was shown in his ability to work through the problems he created for himself last night.  He was obviously a little juiced up after finding out he was going to face the Sawx on short notice, and his trademark command wasn't there in his 2+ innings of work.  He got into a lot of deep counts and worked the bases loaded in the 2nd inning.  But after that, Banuelos bore down and made pitches to get himself out of the inning unscathed with back-to-back groundouts.  And then he had the stones to throw a 3-2 changeup to Kevin Youkilis to get the K on his last pitch of the night.  That's pretty damn impressive in its own right, no matter how old a pitcher is.

His stuff wasn't as sharp as we've seen, nor was his command.  He wasn't dominating in any sense of the word.  But for a 20-year-old facing the everyday Boston Red Sox lineup, Banuelos was very impressive.  His ability to stay composed and make pitches when he had to is something rare in someone so young, especially when you consider the fact that the Yankees have a 34-year-old in their rotation who STILL can't do that on a consistent basis.

Nothing about Manny's outing last night will change the Yankees' plan for him this year, and it shouldn't.  But make no mistake, this was more than just a pitcher subbing in for someone because of injury.  This was the Yankees taking the ST arm floaties of a Pirates split-squad team off of Manny and tossing him into the deep end of the talent pool to see how he could handle it.  And he didn't just float, he kicked and paddled and made his way from one side of the pool to the other.  It doesn't mean much for the current rotation, but it certainly made the future look a little brighter.

Mo Makes His Spring Debut Today

Mo took the hill for the first time in a game situation today for the Yanks.  How did his outing go, you ask?

"Rivera threw 12 pitches today. He struck out the side, then he went for a run." (via LoHud)

Oh, ok.  No big deal.  Just the greatest relief pitcher in the history of baseball coming out and being the greatest relief pitcher in the history of baseball.  Ho hum.  Exit light, enter night, blah, blah, blah, off to Never Never Land.

(Photo used courtesy of Leather Penguin)

I Don't Even Know What To Think About This Picture

(Photo courtesy of Barstool Boston)

On the one hand, this guy gets a major +1 for wearing a Yankee jersey into Boston and rocking the crap out of it at a major Boston sporting event (can't believe I'm saying that about a BU basketball game).

On the other hand, he's got the BU face paint going, so that's a negative.  And he's wearing a Florida Marlins hat.  What is that about, dude?  Are you subliminally saying you wish the old school, younger A.J. Burnett was pitching for the Yanks?  Are you secretly a Josh Beckett fan?  WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DEAL?!?!

All in all it balances out to an even 0 on the awesomeness scale.  As much as I'd love to tip my cap to this guy for rocking the pinstripes, the face paint and Marlins hat just don't allow me to do it.  Better luck next time, kid.  Thanks for playing.

(AB4AR is getting into the March Madness spirit.  Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.)

Everybody Loves Them Some ManBan (But Is That A Good Thing?)

(Wook at dat wittle baby face!)

It's no secret to anybody who follows the Yankees regularly that Manny Banuelos has been impressive so far in ST.  The secret has continued to come out more in the mainstream this week, first when Mo, The Godfather of pitching, had this to say about ManBan:

“I like everything about him. The makeup and how he keeps his composure. I notice situations and how you react in situations. Where you make your pitches in tough situations, where you spot your pitches, he has the ability to do that.”

When Mariano Rivera is commenting on your makeup and your composure, you can be pretty sure you've got a bright future ahead of you.

And then there was this bit from Keith Law's ESPN chat yesterday, when he was asked about ManBan's arrival in the Majors by a reader:

"Midyear? I feel like this is Heyward/Atlanta all over again, where you might let the best interests of the club in the current season trump long-term considerations – and it’s not like Banuelos has a ton of things to work on in the minors. If they gave him a rotation spot now I wouldn’t argue."

Another sterling review from one of the best in his particular field, but there is much more to consider in Law's response.  While it's true that Banuelos, even as young and inexperienced as he is, could be the best option for the 5th spot in the rotation this year, the part about trumping long-term considerations is where I think this possibility ends.  The Yankees have gotten burned big time in the past rushing guys up to the Majors to help the team and then watching their career paths derail and crash and burn (see: Chamberlain, Joba).

Ever since the Jobacle, the Yankees have been very good about keeping their young pitching prospects on a strict plan to build up arm strength and experience in the Minors.  That plan has rewarded the organization by giving them an abundance of legit Major League-potential guys on the cusp of making their debuts.  There is no point in abandoning that plan for one guy now, even somebody as potentially great as Banuelos, when it doesn't guarantee a World Series championship, and when we're talking about one player, even a pitcher, that never guarantees a title in baseball.  The Yankees have built up the rest of their roster around their weak bullpen to make up for that and allow them to not abandon the plan for Manny and the rest of the young guys.  The smart move is to keep on that path.

Now Keith Law is a big ManBan fan, and that's fine.  I'm a card-carrying member of that club as well.  But the Heyward-Braves comparison and saying that Banuelos has nothing to learn in the Minors are 2 unfair statements to make.  First off, comparing a young pitcher to a young outfielder is simply ignorant.  Outfielders play every day, using a completely different set of skills than pitchers.  Starting pitchers focus on  one aspect of the game and employ that aspect once every 4 or 5 days.  It could be true that an OF as talented as Heyward could have nothing left to gain by playing in the Minors, but there is always something a pitcher can work on or refine to prepare himself for the next level.

And even it were true that Banuelos had mastered the art of pitching already in Double-A, there's the innings limitation thing to remember.  It would be one thing if ManBan had thrown 140-150 innings last year in the Minors, but the reality is that those numbers are going to be what his ceiling is this year.  If a team can't let a guy lose and be confident that he can handle a full workload in the Majors, then it makes more sense to keep in the Minors, where he can work on his skills, build up his arm strength, and not have that innings limit be a hindrance to his team's success.

Is Manny Banuelos a big-time prospect?  Hell yes he is.  Are people starting to open their eyes to just how good he is?  It certainly appears so.  But that doesn't mean it's time to get crazy about where he should pitch this year, regardless of the situation at the back end of the Yankee rotation.  The Yankees are handling ManBan the right way and should not change their plans at all.

Rough Day For Nova

It was a struggle out there on the hill today for Ivan Nova, who struggled with his fastball and paid for it.

While it's no major cause for concern, as Nova knew that he couldn't get the ball down in the zone when he was interviewed after the game, it does point to what Nova is going to have to do this year to be successful.  His biggest strength is his ability to locate his fastball down in the zone and force a lot of groundballs.  If he can do that, he can be successful.  When he can't, he's going to get hit.

So while this doesn't extradite him from the rotation by any means, it does give us all a window into what is going to drive Nova's success or lack of this season.  And it also gives me an opportunity to bring back Nova the Terrible for the first time in 2011.

So I guess I have to take the bad with the good when Nova doesn't have his fastball command.

Updating The Roster Battles

("We're not letting Jorge catch, right?"  Courtesy of The AP)

Spring Training is in its 3rd week now, and already it looks like there are major changes in terms of front runners for some of the last roster spots based on performance over these first couple weeks.  Nothing is set in stone, of course, and there is still time for guys to get hot, get cold, or get hurt, and change the landscape some more.  Here's a quick look at how the favorites for some of these spots have changed over the last month. 

Back of the Rotation

Prior to ST: 4th Starter- Ivan Nova, 5th Starter- Sergio Mitre

Today: 4th Starter- Freddy Garcia, 5th Starter- Nova

Not a major change for Nova, who still has to be considered a favorite to get a rotation spot after working 2 scoreless outings so far.  But Freddy Garcia has drawn praise from his 5 innings of ST work (deserved or not), mainly due to his improved fastball velocity and demeanor he has displayed on the mound, which has scouts saying he's got more than enough guile to handle pitching in the Bronx.  Garcia can't afford to let off the gas, however, as every other potential rotation candidate has also pitched well, and because he is still in camp on nothing more than a non-guaranteed MiL deal.

Mitre doesn't appear to be a rotation option anymore and has assumed the pole position in the race for long man out of the 'pen. 

Catcher

Prior to ST: Starter- Jesus Montero, Backup- Francisco Cervelli

Today: Starter- Russell Martin, Backup- Jesus Montero

Despite saying over the winter that they had every intention of letting The Jesus come into camp this spring and win the job, the Yankees made the decision to bring in some more veteran experience and signed oft-injured Russell Martin to a team-friendly deal.  So far that seems to have worked out well, as Martin has held up physically behind the plate while still showcasing a solid all-around defensive game in his few outings, shown some pop in his bat, and even tested his knee by stealing a few bases.

Montero hasn't lit the world on fire with his bat yet, but has drawn praise from his coaches and pitchers for his improved receiving skills behind the plate, and has also helped to ease concerns about his ability to slow down the opponents' running game by throwing out a few runners.  Montero will, in all likelihood, end up starting the season on the 25-man because of Frankie' bad luck injury.  What the team decides to do with him once Cervelli is healthy again will be determined by how Montero adjusts to the Major League game. 

3rd & 4th Bench Spots

Prior to ST: Ramiro Pena & Eduardo Nunez

Today: Nunez & Eric Chavez

The PeNunez infield combo was slated into the bench spots prior to ST starting mainly because they were the guys who had been there before.  But after the Yankees brought in Ronnie Belliard and Eric Chavez, the certainty to those spots decreased and Pena and Nunez have both had to earn their keep.  Nunez has shined with the bat so far, hitting .375/.400/.542 in 24 at-bats, while Pena has put up .190s across the board in 21 ABs.  You can't put a lot of weight into ST stats, but the fact that Nunez's bat is far superior to Pena's while his defense is serviceable should give him the leg up in the utility infielder race.

Chavez, who came in with low expectations after being ravaged by injuries the last few seasons, seems to have found the fountain of youth down in Tampa this spring, with 9 hits in 19 ABs and a couple walks.  He is still a huge health risk, but he looks good so far, and the fact that he is a veteran who fits the Yankee mold of patience at the plate and can still back up at third or first if needed gives him a clear cut advantage over the Penas, Brandon Lairds, and Jorge Vazquezs of the world.  As long as he doesn't get hurt, the last bench spot will be Chavez's without a doubt.

The rest of the roster is all but set in stone, so these will continue to be the hottest battles in camp.  Guys have a little less than 3 weeks before the start of the regular season.  It will be interesting to see how everything shakes out.

New Nickname Possibilities For Joe

It should be common knowledge to anyone familiar with the Yankees that Joe Girardi isn't exactly Chris Berman when it comes to nicknames for his guys.  Basically he just takes a shortened version of either the player's first or last name and adds a "y"  or "ie" to it.  Robinson Cano is "Robby," Jorge Posada is "Jorgie," Brett Gardner is "Gardy," you get the picture.

And while not all the new guys in camp this year, old or young, are going to end up sticking with the team, they at least present Joe with some better options that are more fitting to his nickname style than the current crop of returning players.  For instance, Dellin Betances could be "Delly" or "Betty."  Andrew Brackman could become "Bracky."  Eric Chavez becomes "Chavy."

But those aren't even the good ones.  Imagine Joe sitting down for a post game press conference, talking about Ronnie Belliard's key stop at 3rd late in the game to start an inning-ending double play and preserve the lead.  How great would it be to hear him say "Yeah, Belly made a great play for us there."  Or imagine him commenting on Austin Romine's solid work behind the plate by saying "Romey was big for us today."

My personal favorite would be what he SHOULD be calling Jesus Montero instead of "Monty."  Wrong name, Joe.  Use the first name, shorten that up, throw a little street flava into it and call him "Jeezy."  You can't tell me that's not brilliant.  Joe drops that a few times in interviews, suddenly it catches on in The Stadium, and Jesus is walking out for every at-bat to this:



That's hot right there.  That would actually be the first stupid Joe nickname to become cool.  And it gives Montero a stage name if he ever decides to try his hand in the hip hop industry.  2 birds, meet 1 stone.

And I didn't even need to create a sabermetric stat to prove that!

AB4AR Linkapalooza: "Best In The Business" Edition

It was a long day spent in front of customers and sitting in a company car, my foot hurts from playing basketball after work, and my combination of 'Shaggy from "Scooby Doo"'-style hair and mountain man beard is starting to become a hassle, so I'm just not in the mood to be creative, insightful, or clever tonight.  So to fill your need for high-quality Yankee goodness, I'll just hand it over to the best posts from the upper echelon of the Yankosphere.

- EJ Fagan from TYA compares the Yankee farm system from 4 years ago to today's system and shows how much better the 2011 edition is because of the better 2nd and 3rd-tier prospects in the 2011 MiL system.  Not only are they better (and by "better" I mean "waaaaaaaaay better), but there is also greater depth in the system than in 2007.  That's a good thing.

- William of the always entertaining Captain's Blog, playing on the potential for 6'11" Andrew Brackman to make his Yankee debut this season, tells the tale of former Yankee Slim Love, the last Yankee to be the tallest player in baseball, who accomplished that feat in 1916.  He was also the first Yankee to have a name that made him sound like one of the Cash Money Millionaires.

- Brien at IIATMS continues his series of posts destroying baseball curmudgeon Murrary Chass.  Point for Brien for calling out Chass for sucking.  Bonus point for bagging on old people.

- Mike Axisa of RAB, continues his tradition of being a draft guru by looking at some potential signability draft targets for the Yankees.  Ahh to have money to spend on high-end talent that other teams are too scared to pay.

/raises brandy snifter and smokes expensive cigar lit with old $50 bills

- One of my favorite yearly posts is Chad Jennings of LoHud's look inside the Yankee locker room, and this year's ST edition is no exception.  Is it bad that I always finish reading these posts and then think about whose lockers I would go and try to steal stuff from?

Freddy Garcia Is Off To A Good ST Start. Color Me Unimpressed

(Lookin' good, Fred.  Courtesy of The AP)

It was another solid no-run performance for Freduardo Garcia today, this one also of the hitless and walkless variety, as he helped strengthen his case to win one of the 'back of the rotation' spots.  He was so good and so efficient, in fact, that he actually had a bullpen session after he was taken out of the game to reach his pitch count.  But some points in the LoHud wrap-up of his outing seemed like they were hinting at excessive praise, and I think they warrant being put in perspective.  Things such as:

"Garcia has been pitching at 88-89 mph with his fastball. There were times last season when Garcia was working at 85-86.. "

Yeah, and those times were once the season had begun and his arm had more work and more wear and tear on it and fatigue was factoring in.  The guy has thrown 5 innings and a handful of bullpen sessions so far in March after 4+ months off.  He's fresh.  His fastball SHOULD be faster than it usually sits.

"... he said his shoulder feels stronger, and that lively fastball has made his other pitches more effective."

See previous comment.  It's not note- or newsworthy that Garcia's fastball and arm strength are good right now.  He hasn't pitched that much.  Let's let the guy start building up some innings and multiple offspeed pitches on the arm and see where his velocity is then before we start heaping praise on him.  I would also argue that 88-89 MPH hardly qualifies as "lively."

“I feel way better this year than last year in the course of the season,” Garcia said. “I think maybe I felt that way three or four games, like I feel now.”

Duh, Freddy.  Duh.  And the second part of that statement by Garcia solidifies the point I'm trying to make here.  It's great that he feels great right now, but he only felt great for a handful of starts last year.  I would expect that there is a correlation between his past history of losing velocity and arm strength as the number of starts increased, as well as a correlation between his few starts with low pitch counts so far this ST and his increased velocity.  I would also argue that what happens with that velocity and arm strength as his number of starts increases this year is more important than what happens with them after 2 ST outings with limited pitch counts.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm glad Garcia is having this kind of success early in camp, especially given his horrendous track record of stumbling out of the gate.  I came into this season expecting only slightly more from him than I did from Colon, which was still nothing, and to see him pitch well, even in this kind of controlled ST setting, gives me a little more confidence that the Yankees could at least get a few quality innings out of him this season.

But being a realist and being logical, I can't start shredding office documents for a ticker tape parade for him because he's throwing high-80s in 5 ST innings.  Let's keep monitoring Garcia and see how well the velocity and arm strength holds up as he moves forward and starts throwing more pitches before we get too excited.

The Brack Attack Makes His ST Debut Today

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

The back of the rotation could get another solid candidate, depending on how he fares today.

Winning.

In Case You Need More Proof...

... that Mariano Rivera is some kind of mystical, inhuman cyborg that destroys anything in its path and is only addicted to winning, here it is, courtesy of the World Wide Leader's "Sports Science."



Now granted this is coming from somebody who had to guess and cheat his was to Cs in the last science class he ever took, which was senior year in high school, but that's just crazy!  1600 RPM?  8 inches of lateral movement??  All from the same arm angle as his 4-seamer???  That just doesn't seem fair.  And then you factor in the whole 'human eye not being able to see a ball traveling that fast in the last 10 feet before it reaches the plate' thing and I know it's just not fair.  Maybe guys should be allowed to take HGH if they're going to be facing Mo on a regular basis.  With the hand-eye coordination benefits it has, it only seems right to help level the playing field for these poor schlubs.

I would also like to take this opportunity to start the official AB4AR campaign to change the name of the "Magnus Effect" to the "Rivera Effect."  It just seems right.

Is The Offense Already Starting To Heat Up?

(That's a fine looking swing, Mr. Gardner.  Courtesy of The AP)

You've got Brett Gardner following through with 2 hands on his swing now and making line drive contact seemingly every game.  You've got Jeter putting multiple hits on the board and by all accounts looking better at the plate each game.  You've got The Horse looking trim, seeing the ball well, and absolutely mashing the crap out of everything right now.  You've got Cano hitting line drives, Teix looking sharper than he ever has this early, and even Russell Martin and his now 94.5738% healthy knee getting a couple of hits and stealing bases yesterday.  These are all good signs, right?

Before you roll your eyes and give me the "Spring Training doesn't mean anything" speech, notice that I didn't include anybody's stats anywhere in that previous paragraph.  I'm well aware that ST performance and statistics have little to no bearing on how a guy is going to play once the games start to count.  But it's the actions that are happening on the field that are encouraging, especially when it's geared towards the group of guys who are trying to come back from down years and injuries.

I've long held the belief that Brett Gardner could hit for a little more power if he wanted to and said that he should be looking to drive the ball into gaps.  He makes the adjustment to his swing, finishing with both hands on the bat, and suddenly there's more sting in his contact.  A-Rod gets into better shape this year, drops a few pounds to lessen the load on his older body and he's hitting the ball better than I can ever remember in ST since he joined the Yanks.  Teix put in more work in the offseason and he's off to a better spring start.

The point of this is not to try to prove that all these performances are going to lead to monster starts in April or monster years from these guys.  The point is to recognize that many Yankee hitters are having better springs than they have in the past with the bat.  They're ahead of the curve in terms of getting their timing and swing mechanics down, and that has to at least be an encouraging sign for them, their coaches, and us fans.  Think about it the other way; if Teix was still rocking on 0-for right now and popping the ball up all the time, we'd be sitting here saying "Here we go again.  Goddamn Teix is starting off cold."  So since he ISN'T doing that this spring, that should at least give us hope that he's going to carry this over in the regular season and, at the very least, not suck as badly in April as he has before.