The Good
There's another game today.
The Bad
Pretty much everything about this game. Sabathia giving up six runs is hardly "keeping us in the game." The offense scoring zero runs is hardly "putting up a fight." A 1-4 record against a division rival is also not good.
The Ugly
This whole Posada situation is ugly. His batting average is way down. Ugly down. Batting him ninth is ugly. Asking to take the day off is ugly. The only thing I can say right now is that I'm glad Bernie Williams got offered a minor league deal once upon a time that he had to refuse. This is how it goes down otherwise. The reality is, considering how Cash is, Posada could be released at some point if he doesn't turn it around. He will not be given the same slack Jeter will, regardless of his legacy on this team. It's ugly. It's unfair. It's professional sports.
Protest Hurts Children
The Yankees line-up has sent a clear message to Joe Girardi in a show of labor solidarity: if Posada bats ninth, none of us will hit. Unfortunately the children are the real victims here.
Mark Teixeira 9hr = $18
Curtis Granderson 12hr = $24
Russell Martin 7hr = $14
Alex Rodriguez 6hr = $12
Jorge Posada 6hr = $12
Robinson Cano 9hr = $18
Andruw Jones 1hr = $2
Brett Gardner 3hr = $6
Nick Swisher 2hr = $4
Derek Jeter 2hr = $4
Francisco Cervelli 1hr = $2
Total = $116
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7 comments:
I also thought of Bernie when I heard last night about Posada. Is he really done or it is just a slump? He was doing well at the beginning of the season, hitting home runs and all. What do you think guys? Shouldn't you call BC and ask him?
I wouldn't say handling Posada is a matter of the GM's personality. No contending team can give a roster spot to a guy who can't hit and can't field a position, let alone make him a starter who won't bat ninth.
Posada has never really done well this season after the first three or four games. He has batted under .200 since April 7. He can still hit a HR, but not often enough to make him worth keeping in the lineup unless he improves significantly. Unlike Jeter, he can't scrape by on infield hits because he's so slow. He has to drive the ball, and he doesn't have the bat speed to do that anymore.
So the team has to decide whether Posada is cooked or going through an extended slump. If he's cooked, he has no business being in the lineup anymore, period. I don't know what the Yankees would do with him, as he'd have no value as a bench player and would not be happy as one. He can't be sent down and releasing him would be a slap in the face. But any of those options would be better than giving the DH slot to an automatic out.
If he's in a long slump, then he gets the opportunity to ride it out. But not if he refuses to play because he's unhappy with his lineup spot. If he won't concede that he's hurting the team right now, then he never will.
Even if he gets released, Posada did not get a bad deal from the Yankees. He got a 3 year/$39 million contract that no other late 30s catcher would have received. He'll make the last $13 million due on his contract no matter what. Jeter got a better deal (more money per year, and a fourth player option year), but he's also a better player.
This is going to be a real test for Girardi, especially considering his relationship with Posada as a former player. Girardi has to make Posada realize that it's in everyone's best interest for Posada to objectively evaluate whether he can hit at the MLB level and, if not, retire gracefully and welcome Montero as the team's new DH. This may be an impossible task.
Is Rich Mahogany actually one Bronny Cash?
The Yanks are definitely in a tough spot, but a release may be the most likely route if Posada doesn't hit. They can't have him on the 25 man, and if a Montero, or, dare I say, Alejandro can contribute then they have to make that move. Trade is unlikely on account of his not hitting. Posada is my favorite Yankee, so I don't want that to happen, but I think that's the reality.
I think we've seen enough pop in his bat to know that he's not done. He needs to play. So long as he can handle batting 9th I think we should allow him to hit his way out of this, and I think he still can. But if its clear that he's not hitting out of it, then yeah, we gotta hope for a graceful exit.
I don't know what Joe was thinking batting him ninth. With Jeter the next batter and his propensity to hit ground balls, it's a rally ending double play waiting to happen
Steve, that's a good point. Maybe that's why Posada has bat in front of Martin for so long, even though Martin is a much better hitter.
No comment as to my true identity, except to say I do not own a satellite video phone.
Steve! Long time. And that is a good point. But maybe, just maybe, Jeter could start lifing pitches in the air.
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