Joe Paying Some Serious Lip Service

(How could you not believe a face like that?  Courtesy of The AP)

The 25-man roster is all but complete right now, at least as far as the position players are concerned with this week's signings of Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez.  But that isn't stopping Joe from being PC and saying that guys like Chris Dickerson, Justin Maxwell, Russell Branyan and Bill Hall are going to get their fair shot to make the team during Spring Training.

“They’re going to get a fair shake to try and make this club.  That’s the bottom line. We’ll have to make some decisions, but I don’t see why someone couldn’t play their way on. I don’t. Do you have to make some moves if that’s to happen? Yeah, but I don’t see why they couldn’t.”

Listen, Joe.  I know you've got to do your job, and I respect that.  But don't spit on us and tell us it's raining, and don't feed Dickerson and Branyan chicken shit and tell them it's chicken salad.  You and I both know that there's no way Ibanez and Chavez aren't making the team as long as they're healthy.  That's never a certainty with Chavez, but if he is able to play he's going to be the 13th man on the bench.  Guys like Dickerson and Branyan probably should get a real chance to win a spot on the team, but I've seen how these "open competitions" work with the Yankees in Spring Training and I know that the only thing that's going to give them that chance is a bite from the injury bug.

Quote via Chad at LoHud