This posting is not quite timely since it makes reference to an article (Damon in Pinstripes) that was meant as a preview to this past weekend’s Yankee-Red Sox series. Nevertheless, since I just read it, I feel compelled to comment on it. And, as the title of this posting suggests, I think the article falls under the “complete and utter nonsense” category.
First of all, as I’ve blogged before, any suggestion that the Yankees should’ve pursued Carlos Beltran this past winter is complete and utter nonsense. Beltran is a talented player with skills that make scouts drool but he has yet to flash those skills as a member of the Mets. Instead, he’s underachieved and hasn’t earned the faith the Mets placed in him with their big-money contract. Can you imagine how Yankee Haters would be hollering if Beltran were on the Yanks? Can you imagine how they’d be snickering that yet another Yankee free agent signing was underperforming his contract? Whatever the reason might be that the Yanks didn’t pursue Beltran, I’m happy. He’s not the missing piece to this flawed Yankee team.
Enough about Beltran; moving on. This article suggests Randy Johnson as being “no better than a No. 3 starter.” That sounds like complete and utter nonsense to me. This isn’t the Big Unit’s best season but I really wonder if anyone honestly thinks that Randy’s only the third best starter on the team. I wonder if anyone looks at his stats this year and thinks that he’s only worthy of one post-season start per series. No one will make the case that this Yankee staff looks like the 1998 staff but, please, be serious for a moment. Randy Johnson is a No. 1 starter. He’s pitched that way in all but a handful of games this year. Maybe if he had better defense behind him or pitched on nights when the team scored a few more runs for him his starts would seem better. Regardless, the White Sox, Red Sox, A’s, Angels and Indians wish that Big Unit was their No. 3 starter. Shawn Chacon is our No. 3 starter and that makes me very worried. I’m not worried about Randy Johnson.
Another part of the article that smacked of complete and utter nonsense to me was the notion that the Yankees would be wise to pursue Johnny Damon in free agency this winter. Oh god. Look, Bernie’s done for, we all know that and we’ve known it for three years now. As I’ve argued in the past, the Yankees should’ve pursued Mike Cameron in 2003. They would’ve batted him 8th, paid him for his range, his arm and his glove and moved on with Bernie as a part-time DH/1B. They bungled it by signing (and then trading) Kenny Lofton and then moving forward with Tony Womack when it was clear that they weren’t happy with Lofton filling the same role. In the end, the fault here is partly in Cashman’s lap for blowing it in the centerfield market and partly in Torre’s lap for staying so loyal to a guy that’s costing us runs galore. Bernie should have his #51 retired and he should get a plaque in New Yankee Stadium in 2010 but he should be pushed out the door. That said, Damon is not the answer. He’ll be 32 and, frankly, he’s not a great centerfielder either. Sure, he can get to more balls than Bernie can (that’s not saying much) but his arm is crap and, frankly, I don't think he’s a special player. I don’t think he’d fit in on the Yanks and anyway there’s no reason for the Yanks to re-create the entire 2004 Red Sox team in the Bronx (we’ve already got Embree and Bellhorn). I don’t know who will be available to play center besides Damon but I assume we can find a glove-man out there in free agency. We don’t need a leadoff hitter (Jeter’s OBP is .386) and we don’t need a player with pop (ARod, Sheffield, Matsui and Giambi provide all the power we need). Since we’re obviously going to replace Bernie with someone from the free agent market, let’s do it wisely. Let’s not throw the kind of money it would take to bring Damon to NYC. That would be complete and utter nonsense.
One last thing – I expect this kind of reporting from ESPN but not from Bob Klapisch. He’s too good a baseball writer for this kind of crap. I guess Bristol finally got to him.
First of all, as I’ve blogged before, any suggestion that the Yankees should’ve pursued Carlos Beltran this past winter is complete and utter nonsense. Beltran is a talented player with skills that make scouts drool but he has yet to flash those skills as a member of the Mets. Instead, he’s underachieved and hasn’t earned the faith the Mets placed in him with their big-money contract. Can you imagine how Yankee Haters would be hollering if Beltran were on the Yanks? Can you imagine how they’d be snickering that yet another Yankee free agent signing was underperforming his contract? Whatever the reason might be that the Yanks didn’t pursue Beltran, I’m happy. He’s not the missing piece to this flawed Yankee team.
Enough about Beltran; moving on. This article suggests Randy Johnson as being “no better than a No. 3 starter.” That sounds like complete and utter nonsense to me. This isn’t the Big Unit’s best season but I really wonder if anyone honestly thinks that Randy’s only the third best starter on the team. I wonder if anyone looks at his stats this year and thinks that he’s only worthy of one post-season start per series. No one will make the case that this Yankee staff looks like the 1998 staff but, please, be serious for a moment. Randy Johnson is a No. 1 starter. He’s pitched that way in all but a handful of games this year. Maybe if he had better defense behind him or pitched on nights when the team scored a few more runs for him his starts would seem better. Regardless, the White Sox, Red Sox, A’s, Angels and Indians wish that Big Unit was their No. 3 starter. Shawn Chacon is our No. 3 starter and that makes me very worried. I’m not worried about Randy Johnson.
Another part of the article that smacked of complete and utter nonsense to me was the notion that the Yankees would be wise to pursue Johnny Damon in free agency this winter. Oh god. Look, Bernie’s done for, we all know that and we’ve known it for three years now. As I’ve argued in the past, the Yankees should’ve pursued Mike Cameron in 2003. They would’ve batted him 8th, paid him for his range, his arm and his glove and moved on with Bernie as a part-time DH/1B. They bungled it by signing (and then trading) Kenny Lofton and then moving forward with Tony Womack when it was clear that they weren’t happy with Lofton filling the same role. In the end, the fault here is partly in Cashman’s lap for blowing it in the centerfield market and partly in Torre’s lap for staying so loyal to a guy that’s costing us runs galore. Bernie should have his #51 retired and he should get a plaque in New Yankee Stadium in 2010 but he should be pushed out the door. That said, Damon is not the answer. He’ll be 32 and, frankly, he’s not a great centerfielder either. Sure, he can get to more balls than Bernie can (that’s not saying much) but his arm is crap and, frankly, I don't think he’s a special player. I don’t think he’d fit in on the Yanks and anyway there’s no reason for the Yanks to re-create the entire 2004 Red Sox team in the Bronx (we’ve already got Embree and Bellhorn). I don’t know who will be available to play center besides Damon but I assume we can find a glove-man out there in free agency. We don’t need a leadoff hitter (Jeter’s OBP is .386) and we don’t need a player with pop (ARod, Sheffield, Matsui and Giambi provide all the power we need). Since we’re obviously going to replace Bernie with someone from the free agent market, let’s do it wisely. Let’s not throw the kind of money it would take to bring Damon to NYC. That would be complete and utter nonsense.
One last thing – I expect this kind of reporting from ESPN but not from Bob Klapisch. He’s too good a baseball writer for this kind of crap. I guess Bristol finally got to him.
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