Thursday night's loss to the Red Sox cost the Yankees more than first place and a loss to their hated rival, they also lost ironman slugger Hideki Matsui. After a streak of playing in more than 1700 consecutive games for the Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees, left fielder Hideki Matsui broke his wrist diving for a shallow fly off the bat of Mark Loretta. For the Yankees, this is their second All-Star outfielder to land on the DL in recent weeks. Matsui is expected to miss at least three months. The question now is, what do the Yankees do about their sudden outfield problems? Triple A outfielder Melky Cabrera was recalled from Columbus to fill in for Sheffield, but it is apparent the Yankees will not just use prospects to bandage the Matsui injury. Talks run rampant, so let's break down the possibilities:
Alfonso Soriano, LF, Washington Nationals: My personal favorite to fill the need. Since leaving the Bronx he's had plenty of character issues, but this never happened underneath Joe Torre's management. He was not the ideal lead-off hitter during his last tenure in the Bronx, but that pressure is relieved by the presence of Johnny Damon. He'd be an ideal 5 hitter and it is widely believed that you can hide fielding deficiencies out in Left. He'd cherish the opportunity to be back in the Bronx and the Nationals would love to unload his lucrative deal on a willing taker.
Torii Hunter: A very close second to Soriano in my book, and probably a more ideal fit for the Yankees. His presence in the outfield could cover up the other deficiencies out there. The best defensive centerfield in the American League (probably in MLB) and would fill more than just a short term need. He covers a ton of ground and would be able to take advantage of hitting in a stronger lineup. He possesses decent power and could be a big time run producer in this lineup. Minnesota would covet top prospects which might be tough for the Yankees to manage, but they've shown interest in Hunter and could be willing to meet the Twins asking price.
Shannon Stewart: Hunter's outfield mate has been a consistent performer for many years in this league. Unlike Hunter, he's a left fielder and could directly fill Matsui's void without causing a massive outfield shuffle. Bringing in a Hunter or Soriano could cause real problems once Matsui returns and there are 4 All-Star outfielders. While a platoon could keep them all getting AB's, some people may not be able to handle sharing the spotlight. Bringing in a guy like Stewart would allow for this not to be a problem, yet be a more than serviceable fix. Also, his price tag and asking price will be significantly less than the other two.
These are just three names that are floating around to fill the void. Some people also report that Reds outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. or Austin Kearns could head to the Bronx, but until the Reds fall out of the Central race neither of them should be available. ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggests that Bobby Abreu, Aubrey Huff, and Mike Cameron could be in the mix, and he believes that Abreu might be the most feasible. However, some people believe Abreu's physical skills are deteriorating so eating up his large contract for three months of service seems foolish. The Yankees are yet to pick up Sheffield's option for next year, so acquiring a CF such as Hunter wouldn't be a bad move. Looking in to the future, Damon could slide over to right (a la Bernie this year on ocassion) and Matsui could resume left field duties next season. Although it has not been mentioned, and probably has about as good of a chance to happen as me slipping on a Red Sox jersey, but how about Andruw Jones? The Braves are sliding in the NL East and a continued plunge could spell rebuilding. He's locked in for another couple years, but what Yankee fan could forget how he exploded on to the scene at age 19 in the '96 World Series. He's now established himself as one of the premier players in baseball and brings a winning mentality being part of a division winner in each of his major league seasons. However, he's been a consistent producer in the Braves lineup for many years and I would be shocked if he put on a different uniform. Just wishful thinking for Yankees fans, but with King George, you never know who might come walking in the door.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
A-Rod strikes back
In a sign that I shouldn't be so quick to jump on a superstar, Alex Rodriguez finally came thru in the clutch. With two on and one out in the top of the 10th, the Yankee third basemen delivered the eventual game-winning single. Coming in to the game Alex was batting a meager .233 with runners in scoring position, a number that will be inflated with a base hit this early in the season. A-Rod's clutch single is just one of the important things to come from tonight's game. Bernie dipped in to the fountain of youth for three hits, Mariano looked sharp in the ninth, and Jaret Wright posted his best performance of the season. Aside from a mistake pitch to the Rays number nine hitter which resulted in the two earned runs he allowed, Wright looked solid in six innings. He threw an economical 81 pitches through six and worked through early struggles. After the game he admitted this is the best he's felt all year. While he may head to the bullpen once Carl Pavano gets healthy, the Yankees need him to gain confidence. The Yankees pitching has been very effective recently and will be bolstered by the returns of Carl Pavano and Octavio Dotel. Two struggling stars Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez drove in runs in the tenth for the decisive margin, and Gary Sheffield will return shortly from the hand injury that has kept him out this week. Despite these issues the Yankees remain near the top of the AL East and leave plenty of room for optimism.
A-Rod beat out Ortiz for MVP?
Monday night's game between the Yankees and Red Sox marked Johnny Damon's return to Fenway for the first time in a Yankee uniform. While that story received all the publicity, the game played out like nearly every Boston-New York game of the last several years. The game stayed tight until the bottom of the eighth until some timely hitting broke it open. Not surprisingly, the big blow was dealt by Yankee killer David Ortiz. He continues to show that designated hitters deserve to be considered in the MVP race. There has not been a single player in the recent Boston-New York rivalry to have such an impact as Ortiz. While I certainly still believe that players who play the field, especially athletes who do it as well as A-Rod, deserve extra credit in the MVP voting. However, Alex "I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn in an important at-bat" Rodriguez simply does not have the clutch prowess that Ortiz brings to the table.
Aside from all the normal story-lines behind this intense rivalry, a few other things surfaced. As already mentioned, David Ortiz continues to provide the big blast for Boston and terrorize the Yankees. The notable part of this at-bat is the failure of lefty specialist Mike Myers to get his job done. He left an 81 mph fastball on the inner half of the plate to David Ortiz with two on and already facing a one run deficit. That quickly become a four run hole and it was ball game Red Sox. The Yankees acquire Mike Myers to deal with lefties in the division, most notably Ortiz, and he has been successful until last night. It is not a good sign that his first real test resulted in failure. Even though Aaron Small took the loss, his return is a huge boost to the bullpen. He looked strong in his 2 1/3 innings and will be a valuable long reliever. Tanyon Sturtze continues to struggle, giving up the single that brought in the game winning run. For the winning Sox, the Yankees got their first taste of new closer Jon Papelbon. He looked strong in a perfect ninth and did not seem phased by facing the Yankees.
Aside from all the normal story-lines behind this intense rivalry, a few other things surfaced. As already mentioned, David Ortiz continues to provide the big blast for Boston and terrorize the Yankees. The notable part of this at-bat is the failure of lefty specialist Mike Myers to get his job done. He left an 81 mph fastball on the inner half of the plate to David Ortiz with two on and already facing a one run deficit. That quickly become a four run hole and it was ball game Red Sox. The Yankees acquire Mike Myers to deal with lefties in the division, most notably Ortiz, and he has been successful until last night. It is not a good sign that his first real test resulted in failure. Even though Aaron Small took the loss, his return is a huge boost to the bullpen. He looked strong in his 2 1/3 innings and will be a valuable long reliever. Tanyon Sturtze continues to struggle, giving up the single that brought in the game winning run. For the winning Sox, the Yankees got their first taste of new closer Jon Papelbon. He looked strong in a perfect ninth and did not seem phased by facing the Yankees.
Monday, May 01, 2006
"We Got Bigger and Faster"
After seventeen hours of draft coverage over the last two days, ESPN has left Radio City Music Hall and teams can begin to focus their attention on mini-camps. Despite what many experts perceive as a mediocre draft, Giants GM Ernie Accorsi boasts "we got bigger and faster." While Giants fans across the country were steaming about first round selection DE Matthias Kiwanuka, and rightfully so, you have to take in to account who is making the decisions. Accorsi has always been very forthright about his desire to find pass rushers. In his words, pass rushers are like homerun hitters, you can't have enough of them. Luckily the Giants were in a position to draft "best available" on their draft boards due to their free agency overhaul. Another thing to consider is that the draft is just a portion of a team's offseason, to judge their effectiveness you must evaluate what a team does from March to August. However, for the purposes of this column, I'll just take a look at how the Giants fared over the weekend:
First Round, 32nd Overall Selection: DE, Matthias Kiwanuka, Boston College.
Early in the season Kiwanuka was being projected as a mid-first round talent. However, he was involved in an ugly incident in the middle of the season which left him injured and an opposing offensive tackle suspended. He was a very productive end in college, producing 37 1/2 sacks during his four years in Boston. Scouts project him to make an immediate impact in passing situations. Kiwanuka also has the size and speed to lineup as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme which the Giants do not currently employ, but could given Tim Lewis' past history with that defense and the current roster personnel.
Second Round, 44th Overall Selection: WR, Sinorice Moss, University of Miami
After Ernie failed to land older brother Santana Moss in 2001, whom he held in very high regard, there were no doubts Sinorice was his man in '06. Using one of the extra picks they obtained from Pittsburgh in their first round swap, the Giants landed the game breaking wide receiver they coveted. They may be criticized for passing on Florida WR Chad Jackson, but the Giants did not need a tall, number one receiver. They have that guy in Plaxico Burress who will be in Blue for years to come. Moss is the perfect compliment to the receivers currently on the roster and should have an immediate impact on the passing game.
Third Round, 96th Overall Selection: ILB, Gerris Wilkinson, Georgia Tech
Wilkinson is considered a bit of a "tweener", but the Giants see him as a versatile backup at linebacker who is capable of playing all three positions. In college he spent time starting at all three linebacker positions, as well as Defensive End. He's considered too lean to be a defensive end in the NFL, which is perfectly fine considering the Giants abundance of ends now. Wilkinson will immediately contribute on special teams and will be in the rotation of WIL (weak side) linebackers.
Fourth Round, 124th Overall Selection: DT, Barry Cofield, Northwestern
Coming out of the Big 10, Cofield had his hands full with talented centers like first rounder Nick Mangold. Some experts feel he has a tough time shedding double teams and is not good enough with his hands at the point of attack. However, the Giants see him as a guy who could capably fill the Nose tackle position. He is an effective run stopper and his big frame will allow him to eat up blockers for the talented linebackers behind him. Seems like he will help fill the void created by the departure of Kendrick Clancy and will be expected to compete for a starting position next to William Joseph.
Fourth Round, 129th Overall Selection: OT, Guy Whimper, East Carolina
This selection personifies the concept of "best available athlete"on the board. The Giants used their second fourth round selection on a freakishly athletic, raw offensive tackle. In college he played a variety of positions, giving him the type of versatility the Giants coveted for offensive line depth. He's been clocked under 5.0 seconds in the forty, a very impressive time for an offensive lineman. While he is too much of a project to be expected to start the season, it seems the Giants will look to shape him in to Luke Petitgout's replacement on the left side.
Fifth Round, 158th Overall Selection: S, Charlie Peprah, Alabama
A common theme with the Giants draft was players with versatility. Safety Charlie Peprah fits this mold, having played his first two seasons at Alabama at corner recording seven interceptions. It is believed he's too slow to play corner clocking 40 times in the 4.5-4.6 range. He will immediately provide good depth at the safety position and could see action in late game passing situations with extra defensive backs. The Giants think he will improve their special teams and could develop in to a solid safety.
Seventh Round, 232nd Overall Selection: CB, Gerrick MacPherson, Maryland
Although seventh rounders are always long shots to make the team, this pick excites me nearly as much as acquiring Moss. Going in to the draft I felt the Giants were still a playmaking cornerback short and MacPherson could develop in to that player. MacPherson was a member of the 2005 All-ACC Indoor Track Team and posts impressive forty times in the 4.3 range. He saw limited action at Maryland at corner, but the Giants believe his speed is worth taking a shot on and I couldn't agree more. If the Giants can work on his cover abilities he could be a potential matchup nightmare for division foe WR Santana Moss.
Overall it was a very interesting draft for the Giants. With the impressive work done in free agency the past two offseasons they had very few immediate needs. Many believed, myself included, that Defensive Tackle was a position of serious concern but the men in charge of the draft (GM Ernie Accorsi, Director of Player Personnel Jerry Reese, and Head Coach Tom Coughlin) adamantly denied those claims. There's still a chance the Giants will add a veteran DT such as Green Bay's Grady Jackson or Carolina's Brenston Buckner, but both are aging and battling injuries. However, as I said earlier, the draft can not be viewed on its own. It's just one phase of the offseason and the Giants did a fair job with it. As Mike Wilbon said on PTI today, it's unfair to evaluate a draft the day after. For all we know Vince Young could be the next Ryan Leaf and LenDale White could be the next Jerome Bettis. It's what makes the draft exciting, but the only true indicator will be when the season gets underway.
First Round, 32nd Overall Selection: DE, Matthias Kiwanuka, Boston College.
Early in the season Kiwanuka was being projected as a mid-first round talent. However, he was involved in an ugly incident in the middle of the season which left him injured and an opposing offensive tackle suspended. He was a very productive end in college, producing 37 1/2 sacks during his four years in Boston. Scouts project him to make an immediate impact in passing situations. Kiwanuka also has the size and speed to lineup as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme which the Giants do not currently employ, but could given Tim Lewis' past history with that defense and the current roster personnel.
Second Round, 44th Overall Selection: WR, Sinorice Moss, University of Miami
After Ernie failed to land older brother Santana Moss in 2001, whom he held in very high regard, there were no doubts Sinorice was his man in '06. Using one of the extra picks they obtained from Pittsburgh in their first round swap, the Giants landed the game breaking wide receiver they coveted. They may be criticized for passing on Florida WR Chad Jackson, but the Giants did not need a tall, number one receiver. They have that guy in Plaxico Burress who will be in Blue for years to come. Moss is the perfect compliment to the receivers currently on the roster and should have an immediate impact on the passing game.
Third Round, 96th Overall Selection: ILB, Gerris Wilkinson, Georgia Tech
Wilkinson is considered a bit of a "tweener", but the Giants see him as a versatile backup at linebacker who is capable of playing all three positions. In college he spent time starting at all three linebacker positions, as well as Defensive End. He's considered too lean to be a defensive end in the NFL, which is perfectly fine considering the Giants abundance of ends now. Wilkinson will immediately contribute on special teams and will be in the rotation of WIL (weak side) linebackers.
Fourth Round, 124th Overall Selection: DT, Barry Cofield, Northwestern
Coming out of the Big 10, Cofield had his hands full with talented centers like first rounder Nick Mangold. Some experts feel he has a tough time shedding double teams and is not good enough with his hands at the point of attack. However, the Giants see him as a guy who could capably fill the Nose tackle position. He is an effective run stopper and his big frame will allow him to eat up blockers for the talented linebackers behind him. Seems like he will help fill the void created by the departure of Kendrick Clancy and will be expected to compete for a starting position next to William Joseph.
Fourth Round, 129th Overall Selection: OT, Guy Whimper, East Carolina
This selection personifies the concept of "best available athlete"on the board. The Giants used their second fourth round selection on a freakishly athletic, raw offensive tackle. In college he played a variety of positions, giving him the type of versatility the Giants coveted for offensive line depth. He's been clocked under 5.0 seconds in the forty, a very impressive time for an offensive lineman. While he is too much of a project to be expected to start the season, it seems the Giants will look to shape him in to Luke Petitgout's replacement on the left side.
Fifth Round, 158th Overall Selection: S, Charlie Peprah, Alabama
A common theme with the Giants draft was players with versatility. Safety Charlie Peprah fits this mold, having played his first two seasons at Alabama at corner recording seven interceptions. It is believed he's too slow to play corner clocking 40 times in the 4.5-4.6 range. He will immediately provide good depth at the safety position and could see action in late game passing situations with extra defensive backs. The Giants think he will improve their special teams and could develop in to a solid safety.
Seventh Round, 232nd Overall Selection: CB, Gerrick MacPherson, Maryland
Although seventh rounders are always long shots to make the team, this pick excites me nearly as much as acquiring Moss. Going in to the draft I felt the Giants were still a playmaking cornerback short and MacPherson could develop in to that player. MacPherson was a member of the 2005 All-ACC Indoor Track Team and posts impressive forty times in the 4.3 range. He saw limited action at Maryland at corner, but the Giants believe his speed is worth taking a shot on and I couldn't agree more. If the Giants can work on his cover abilities he could be a potential matchup nightmare for division foe WR Santana Moss.
Overall it was a very interesting draft for the Giants. With the impressive work done in free agency the past two offseasons they had very few immediate needs. Many believed, myself included, that Defensive Tackle was a position of serious concern but the men in charge of the draft (GM Ernie Accorsi, Director of Player Personnel Jerry Reese, and Head Coach Tom Coughlin) adamantly denied those claims. There's still a chance the Giants will add a veteran DT such as Green Bay's Grady Jackson or Carolina's Brenston Buckner, but both are aging and battling injuries. However, as I said earlier, the draft can not be viewed on its own. It's just one phase of the offseason and the Giants did a fair job with it. As Mike Wilbon said on PTI today, it's unfair to evaluate a draft the day after. For all we know Vince Young could be the next Ryan Leaf and LenDale White could be the next Jerome Bettis. It's what makes the draft exciting, but the only true indicator will be when the season gets underway.
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