OK, our captain is now gone and we have an off season to ponder what to do next in regards to our shortstop situation.
Already some out there have suggested the Yankees
just bring Stephen Drew back and put him into the position he played for
virtually his entire career before the Bombers tried to make him a
second baseman.
I have nothing personally against Stephen Drew.
I’m sure he’s an outstanding person and teammate. There is little doubt
that he gets along with the media given the way many of them have pined
for his tenure in pinstripes. I just don’t
get it.
Last season he hit .176 with a .989 fielding percentage before
joining the Yankees (in a trade for Kelly Johnson). Once in the
Bronx, Drew was promptly put at second base and hit .150 with the
Bombers (didn’t think it would get
WORSE did you?) with a .971 fielding percentage at second and a .969
(again, didn’t imagine it would be WORSE at his NATURAL position)
percentage at shortstop.
Why in their right mind, would anyone suggest bringing Drew back?
Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests that Drew has
suffered from a lack of spring training. That implies that he
thinks with more games Drew will be serviceable at the plate. Here’s
the problem I have with that: Drew played in 85 games in 2014. His
average by month was: June - .143, July - .206, August
- .153, and September - .147. He didn’t get better the more he played,
Joel.
I think the Yankees have an opportunity to fill our
vacant infield spot using resources “in-house”. Jose Pirela, the
infielder called up in September who hit .333 over the seven games he
played in “the show”, has over 300 games at shortstop
under his belt. He was called up to fill an occasional role at second
base and DH because he hit .305 at Scranton. The 24-year-old can flat
out hit.
One player not called up in September (curiously)
is Rob Refsnyder, a second baseman for the RailRiders. He has been on
the fast track through the Yankees farm system and hit .300 over 77
games at Scranton. The 23-year-old is our future
at second base.
I suggest the future is now.
They may be young, and have virtually no experience
at the highest level of baseball, but both Pirela and Refsnyder
represent immediate upgrades over Stephen Drew in spite of what people
like Joel Sherman might think.
Our captain, who recently hung up his spikes, was just 22-years-old when Joe Torre and Gene Michael decided to give him a shot – knowing full well that his best years were ahead of him.
Our captain, who recently hung up his spikes, was just 22-years-old when Joe Torre and Gene Michael decided to give him a shot – knowing full well that his best years were ahead of him.
Rather than continuing to ignore that model of
success and disgrace the very strategy that gave birth to a Yankee icon
by bringing in a player whose ceiling has collapsed upon him, Brian
Cashman needs to trust our own talent. He should
embrace what his predecessor used to create baseball’s most recent
dynasty, and put his faith in successful players within his minor league
organization.
You don’t honor the legacy of Derek Jeter by trying to replace him with a 30-something player unable to hit his weight. Instead, you pay tribute to what Jeter was by giving the next line of youth their chance.
You don’t honor the legacy of Derek Jeter by trying to replace him with a 30-something player unable to hit his weight. Instead, you pay tribute to what Jeter was by giving the next line of youth their chance.
--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1
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