LINEUP CONSISTENCY MATTERS

Source: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

The phone calls and Tweets flooded my inbox like I am the manager of the Yankees.  Honestly, I am flattered and happy to serve. The content of the messages: Brett Gardner's absence from the starting lineup over the last two games.  Hey, if I were in fact the skipper of the Bronx Bombers, I would sit Gardner only sparingly because lineup consistency matters and we don't have any.

Source: Getty Images

According to CBS Sports, "In an effort to counter Twins southpaw starter Adalberto Mejia, the Yankees (will) move lefty hitters Gardner and Ji-Man Choi to the bench for the evening, allowing right-handers Clint Frazier and Garrett Cooper to enter the starting nine. Gardner is batting just .167/.277/.292 across 84 plate appearances against left-handers this season."

Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images North America

Joe Girardi is a numbers's guy.  That's not going to change.  He believes in giving guys days off, he believes in lefties-righties match-ups and he believes in a player's stats against a particular pitcher. He wants to win and I get that but sometimes you have the play the veteran anyway.  And in particular, you have to play Gardner in the field when you have two rookies on either side of center field.

Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images North America

According to Newsday, "While the influence of the Yankees’ elder statesmen is more likely to show up in obvious ways during a game — how Montgomery attacks a hitter’s weaknesses or how Frazier approaches an at-bat — the return for the veterans shows up in more subtle ways."  Leadership, consistency, modeling the type of the ball player that demonstrates the chemistry to win. That's what Gardner brings.

 Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

“They bring a lot of energy. It’s not just in the clubhouse or at BP, but it’s there on the field in games,” Gardner said. “The energy and enthusiasm they play with? It can’t help but rub off on us guys and work to our benefit.”

Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

I know it may sound like it's no big deal that Brett Gardner sat two games in a row (thankfully he was in the lineup last night), but for fans like me, who know that soft skills matter, having Gardner in the outfield, chatting it up with the kids on either side matters.  Subtle moves that change the chemistry of the lineup hurt us.  We need all the help we can get.  Keep Gardner in the lineup, Joe.

Consistency matters.

Drop the mic.

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

BYB Stack Merchandise (2017)

BOUR NOT BORING & COULD BE A YANKEE

(July 9, 2017 - Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America)

The Yankees stumble into the All-Star break like a drunk walking through Central Park. Last night at the Home Run Derby, Judge won the whole thing, even at one point facing off against Miami star Justin Bour.  And it was great to see, but now Bour has been the talk of New York, mostly because of some pretty interesting trade rumors.

Recently I wrote a couple pieces about pitchers the Yankees may be pursuing. While at this point, they seem to be nothing more than rumors, there seems to be some more serious talk going on regarding Justin Bour, a first baseman. The New York Post writes: 

Photo: Getty Images

"The Yankees may be looking to add another home-run masher to join Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez on their squad of Bronx Bombers. The team reportedly is pursuing a trade for Marlins first baseman Justin Bour..."

And BYB wrote:

"The Yankees are desperate to get some production out of first base. The Yankees have DFA'd Chris Carter twice in a two week time span and Tyler Austin and Greg Bird are on the shelf. The Yankees need a consistent face at first base that can give them some offense and rumors suggest Justin Bour may be on the Yankees radar."

(April 4, 2017 - Source: Brian Blanco/Getty Images North America)     

Look, it's true, with Greg Bird out for who knows how long, the Yankees may need more than just a rental player. Justin Bour seems to be a player that could provide what was hoped for from Bird. Also, things could get real fun with Judge, Sanchez, and Bour in the lineup on a daily basis.  Hell, just look at how much fun the Derby was last night with those three.

While Ji-Man Choi has done an admirable job just before the break, is he really the solution? It's a very small sample size by this guy.  Shouldn't the Yankees play it safe rather than being sorry?

(July 9, 2017 - Source: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America)

Now a Bour deal could get alittle costly, and I'm not sure what the Yankees are willing to give up in a trade or even who should be offered. If the Marlins are asking for Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier, I  would hope Brian Cashman walks away.

That being said, with the production or lack thereof the Yankees have received from first base this season, Justin Bour could be the answer.  In the midst of a career year with the Marlins, it looks, at least on paper he could be.

Then again, after the disaster that was, Chris Carter, could anything be worse?

What do you think? Comment. 

        

 
--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @sevn4evr

BYB Posada Original

This is a wonderful image I took of Jorge Posada is available on Laptop cases and Phone cases.

   

THANKS FOR THE HE-MAN, BRIAN...

"Ji-Man is a He-Man! Oh boy, oh Choi!"

Photo: Getty Images

So went John Sterling's home run call for Ji-Man Choi's first hit as a New York Yankee,  a 457-foot two-run mortar round to the right field bleachers that, according to the Daily News, "even astonished slugger Aaron Judge."

"That was awesome. You see how far he hit that ball?” said Judge, who also homered in the Yankees’ 7-6 loss to the Jays. “That was incredible. He had some good at-bats. He was battling. He just kept putting the ball in play, and there’s nothing more you can ask for.”

“I’m happy with the start I had,” Choi said after the game. “I’m looking forward to building on what I did.”

(July 4, 2017 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)     

When informed of MLB's Statcast distance for the return trip he'd sent Jays starter Marco Estrada's  fastball on, Choi simply said: "As long as it goes over the wall, it all counts the same.”

Choi made solid contact in all four of his plate appearances, just missing a likely single on a hard comebacker in the sixth inning off reliever Aaron Loup.

"He did fine. He had good at-bats,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He hit a ball hard off a lefty, as well, up the middle. If it’s not kicked by the pitcher, it’s probably another base hit.”

Photo: Getty Images

Choi, who was brought up from the Triple A RailRiders on Tuesday to replace the now twice-cut Chris Carter, became the seventh different first baseman to start for the Yankees this season, and  joined Clint Frazier as the second Yankee to homer in his pinstripe debut this week.

Whether Choi is just a bridge until the return of the injured Tyler Austin, a placeholder until a deadline deal can be made for someone outside the organization or an unexpected diamond in the rough who  turns out to be the Yankees' first baseman the rest of the way  this season, nobody can say for certain right now.

All I know for sure is I wrote THIS on Monday, the next day the Yankees bounced Carter and brought up Choi, and the day after that Choi stepped right into his new role, didn't make an error and  made a major contribution to a gritty team comeback.

It's really gratifying when your team responds to your fan mail so promptly. It almost makes you feel like they're actually listening to you.

Hmm.

"Dear Brian, Thank you for the Ji-Man call up. So far so good.

(Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America)    

"When you have a minute or two to spare, I've got some thoughts about Michael Pineda..."

--Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

CARTER'S BACK, BUT THE YANKS HAVE A BETTER CHOI

Photo: Jason Farmer/Citizens' Voice Staff Photographer

Tomorrow is America's Independence Day, but Yankee fans should already be celebrating their liberation from a June that was nothing short of a royal pain in the arse.

The month saw seven starters hit the disabled list, a stout bullpen melt like Velveeta, and a four-game division lead evaporate beneath a 13-15 record that included the season's longest home and road losing streaks. It was the team's first month of sub-.500 play since April 2016 and  made all the more painful by nine one-run losses, including three of the walk-off variety.

It ended with the call-up and subsequent horrific injury to outfield prospect Dustin Fowler in the first inning of his major league debut, the re-injury and return to the DL of rookie first baseman Tyler Austin and -- adding insult to  injuries -- the reappearance of the momentarily designated-for-assignment  Chris Carter to replace Austin.

To shoehorn Li'l CC back onto the roster, Joe and Brian saw fit to demote Miguel Andujar, who in his own major league debut the day before had helped the team to victory with four RBI -- the equivalent of 16 percent of Carter's season production over 59 games. In short, if the 30-20 Yankees of April and May were MLB's love bugs, June hit them like a speeding windshield. Splat.

Perhaps nobody has embodied the Yankees' worst expectations for this season or symbolized the organization's old paradigm of overpaying for castoff band-aids better than Carter. As NJ.com's Brendan Kuty noted: "Carter has had a terrible season, hardly making good on the one-year, $3.5-million deal he signed with the Yankees in the offseason."

Photo: New York Post

Which can only makes one's eyes roll at Joe's explanation for heading Carter off at the airport when he cleared waivers (that's right, nobody else in MLB wanted him either) and recalling him to the Bronx before he could even report to the team's Triple A affiliate, the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders.

"He's a guy that's going to strike out," Joe explained. "That's been in his game ever since I remember but he's also a guy who really has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. So maybe the five days off will really help get him going."

Being unemployed for a week because he's been so bad nobody else in baseball will have him at any price -- let alone as an overpay -- will really get him going, Joe? Is that really the story you and Brian are going with?

Just playing along for a moment that Joe's serious about a paid vacation week for an under-performing overpaid free agent as a motivational tool,  I would really like to ask him what kind of motivational message he thinks that sends to the rest of his team -- and specifically to his younger players he's supposedly grooming in this rebuilding year for a future dynasty. How does he suppose sending down Andujar to bring back Carter went over with the kids in the system?

Photo: Newsday

Better yet, how does he think re-hiring Carter off the street and handing him his old job back after sending him packing is going down throughout the organization when Ji-Man Choi, the Scranton first baseman,  is hitting .333 with six dingers, 15 ribbies and eight runs scored over his last 10 games?

And if the 30-year-old Carter had boarded the plane for Scranton, where exactly did Joe and Brian plan to bury Choi; a 6'1 230-pound lefty-swinging 26-year-old  with a .299/.391/.461/.852 line over 209  games and 712  at bats in Triple A; who has averaged a .306/.404/.490/.893 line over all minor league levels in his seven-year pro career; who hit five dingers and had a 12-percent walk rate over 129 major-league plate appearances with the Angels last season and who reportedly turned down offers from 10 other clubs last winter to sign a minor-league deal with the Yankees?

If Joe and Brian are genuinely sincere about wanting to motivate Carter and also sincere about being competitive during this rebuilding year, wouldn't the more constructive strategy be to reward the younger Choi who's performing well with a call-up to try and fill the Yankees' hole at first base  and let Carter try to "get going" with the Railriders in his place?

Performance over excessive payroll. Isn't that what Hal has always said this rebuild is all about?  So it may not actually require a full-blown declaration of independence on the part of a binder-bound manager who prefers to play it safe or a salary-conscious GM too stubborn to concede a bad signing to bump Carter and find a competent stand-in for Austin after all.

Maybe all it takes is a small revolution -- and a pair of tickets on the Scranton Shuttle going in opposite directions.

--Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

WORKING OUT THE KINKS IN FLORIDA

The first game for the Yankees this Spring and it was really fun to watch!

The Yanks played the Phillies today and it was just great to see the kids mingling with the vets and what they can do. Not without the Spring blues of course.  The Yankees won 9-4 with Bryan Mitchell getting the win in this meaningless game. 

Gleyber Torres and Ji-Man Choi both committed errors. Frazier, Judge, Fowler and Sanchez struck out... among others.  No biggie. In fact, none of this is terribly important. This is when you start to work things out anyway.

The pitching by the Yankees was pretty decent.  The offense was wonderful.

Aaron Judge struck out the first time at the plate. The second time he smacked one that hit the scoreboard. It was a monster shot.  Wonderful to see that home run.

Photo: USA Today

Miguel Andujar and Dustin Fowler both tripled.  That was great as well.

Look, I'm not going into some in depth analysis about any of this only to tell you that seeing these kids play was pretty great. The veterans had their moments good and bad as well.  That's the game.

In the end, it was a nice win on a gorgeous day, and great to see everyone.

Final: Yankees 9 - Phillies 4

I can't wait for more...

GEARING UP FOR A FUN, YOUNG YANKEE SPRING!

When the 40 Yankees on this year's active roster report for work at the Boss in Tampa in two weeks, 23 non-roster players will be joining them. Or... to be more precise, 11 pitchers, 4 catchers, 6 infielders and 2 outfielders will be there to shag balls, throw and catch BP and flesh out the lineup cards until the starters are in game shape before moving on to their final destinations.

Basically, you can divvy up the non-roster invitees into three groups.

Photo: Pinstriped Prospects

1) Minor leaguers on their rookie contracts who were invited because the team expects them to be back as major leaguers sooner or later.  Looking at you Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, Justus Sheffield, James Kaprielian,  Dustin Fowler, Chance Adams and Tyler Wade.

Photo of Pete Kozma / Getty Images

2) Minor leaguers signed as farm depth who were invited because the team wants to evaluate if they could be potential lifeboats in the event four guys on the big club in the same position share a cab and plunge into the Harlem River.  That would be you Ji-Man Choi, Pete Kozma, Donovan Solano, Ruben Tejada, Wilkin Castillo, Kellin Deglan, Francisco Diaz, Jason Gurka, Joe Mantiply and Evan Rutckyj.

Photo of Daniel Camarena / MiLB.com

3) The annual Bullpen Cattle Call sponsored by Joe's Binder, where anybody with an arm, warm or stiff, is invited to step up to the mound and throw a few numbers.  These include J.P. Feyereisen, a throw-in from the Andrew Miller trade, along with Daniel Camarena, Brady Lail, Jordan Montgomery and even the TJ-rehabbing Nick Rumbelow.

Photo of: Jorge Saez

Throw in catcher Jorge Saez, a Rule-5 grab from Toronto who's sure to get sent right back before Opening Day, and there you have it, folks.

Throw in the 40 guys on the big roster and there will be 63 jerseys handed out by the equipment manager this spring.

And with 22 retired numbers (including The Captain come May) you can once again expect to see the tired old recycled stories soon complaining about how the Yankees retire too many numbers.

But never fear. The Yankees have been doing very nicely for years duplicating the higher numbers and splitting them up between  pitchers and position players.

And should there come a time when the big club really does run out of double digit numbers, I always say there's no reason in the world they can't just go straight  to triple digits. 

Think that's crazy?

(Yomiuri Giants pitcher Adam Bright is wearing 022)

When the Yankees first made numbers a permanent part of the uniform,  everybody thought that was kind of crazy. Now everybody does it. No biggie. They've already gone to triple digits in Japan and the world didn't end for them. So as long as the Yankees keep making great ballplayers, we'll keep retiring their numbers. 

And every spring we'll keep searching  and hoping for the next young Yankee whose number will be the next to go. 

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore