Results tagged ‘ Johnny Damon ’
Quick Bits; Crawford, Montero, Burnett
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The Yankees apparently love Carl Crawford and
would not sign Damon to a 2 year deal because they want Crawford next year.
This is all from ESPN’s Jayson Stark so it may be true, it may not be.
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Montero put on a show in spring training,
hitting monster home-runs in the batting cage. Could Montero be ready by next
year, ready to step up and move Posada to the full time DH role?
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Jorge Posada will catch AJ Burnett next year. It
is a surprise to some, not to me. Molina is not here anymore. The Yankees are
not going to lose a bat in the lineup that badly every time Burnett pitches.
Right?
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Chan Ho
Park had a press conference in South Korea…
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Johnny Damon says that Detroit is where he
wanted to be from the beginning. Really? That’s not what I heard.
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Aaron Boone is retiring and joining ESPN. Good
luck Aaron and I thank you for your heroic postseason shot.
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The Yankees might try Kei Igawa as a relief
pitcher. He pitched really well in the Minors last year and raised eyebrows in
last year’s spring training. Will the 46 million dollars finally come to use?
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Jonathan Albaladejo lost 30 pounds. Yes 30. Hope it pays off.
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Who would you rather have? Boone Logan or Kei
Igawa…? Neither one seems to secure.
Thank you, thank you. Any comments, questions, or disagreements? Feel free to comment.
Johnny Damon signs… Finally
Personally, I didn’t think Johnny would ever sign. Ever. He was asking for way too much and was rejecting deals he would never get. He was too old but he was coming off a good season. He excepted 4 years, 52 million and no one would give it to him. He should have known that. But finally the Detroit Tigers sign him. 1 year, 8 million. He will alternate between outfield and DH with Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen. The Tigers now have one of the better outfields in baseball with Austin Jackson, Damon, Ordonez, and Guillen. Congrats to Damon and we hope you do well.
Uniform Number 11-20
Here is part 2 of our best player at each uniform number. Enjoy!
11: The best player that wears number 11 is Ryan Zimmerman.
All Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, I mean why wouldn’t he be the
best? Jimmy Rollins is also a good baseball player that wears number 11 so
let’s compare the two All-Stars. Rollins had more doubles (43-37), triples
(5-3), and more stolen bases (31-2). In fact he crushes in the stolen bases.
But Zimmerman has more hits (178-168), more runs scored (110-100), more RBI’s
(77-106), more homers (33-21), and a better average (.292-.250). They both had
fine defensive seasons and both won the Gold Glove. Both were All-Stars and you
have to give some credit to Jimmy Rollins, he had 21 homers in the leadoff
spot. 21. Ryan Zimmerman was also
more valuable to his team. Yes he is more valuable to the Nats then Rollins is
to the Phils. The Phillies have Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Polanco, Ibanez,
Werth, and Halladay and they would be stacked even without Rollins. The Nats do
have players but without Zimmerman, they would be nothing at all. They have Dunn
and Marquis but Zimmerman is the best. Therefore, he is the better of the two.
12: Alfonso Soriano is the best player that wears number 12.
There aren’t any others that are amazing so I can’t compare him. To anybody;
Jeff Kent is retired; Freddy Sanchez was traded and changed his number. It will
be too easy to compare him to a back-up, and therefore, Alfonso Soriano is the
best baseball player that wears number 12
13: Alex Rodriguez is clearly the best baseball player that
wears number thirteen only challenged by Carl Crawford. This will be very hard
because Crawford is one of the fastest players in baseball, while A-Rod is one
of the best homerun hitters in baseball. I will do it though and it will look
really odd. Crawford had a better average (.305- .286), more triples (8-1),
more doubles (28-17), more hits (185-127), more stolen bases (60-14), and more
runs scored (96-78). This seems pretty overwhelming, but you will see how A-Rod
wins. He has 2 times as many homers (30-15), more RBI’s (100-68), less
strikeouts (97-99), more walks (80-51), better OBP (.402 to .364), and a better
SLG (.532-.452). As you see, A-Rod is
the better player.
14: Paul Konerko is the best player who wears number 14 but
it is close. David Price is the other one. It is nearly impossible to compare a
pitcher and a position player so we will compare them to the league averages to
see who is more over the league average.
David Price has a 4.42 ERA which is above the 4.32 average. Paul Konerko
has a .277 BA which is just above the .274 league average. David Price is well
over the 42 strikeout league average with his 102 K’s. Konerko has 28 homers which is 2 times as
many as the league average (14). Price has a 1.35 WHIP which is just under the
1.39 league average. Konerko has 88 RBI’s well over the league average of 49.
Price has 7 more wins than the league average (10-3). And lastly, Konerko has
one less than the league average in stolen bases (1-2). Konerko is well above
the league average in the important categories and therefore, he is the best
baseball player that wears number 14.
15: Carlos Beltran or Tim Hudson? We will have to compare
them to their league averages. Beltran has a .325 BA to the .266 league
average. He had 2 more homers than the league average of 8 in homers. More RBI
(48-34) and one less stolen base (11-12). Remember Beltran was injured for most
of the year. He only played 81 games. Hudson only started 7 games as well
though. 42 innings. He had a 3.61 ERA compared to 4.32. 30 K’s compared to the
league average of 47. He had 1.46 WHIP to 1.39 league average. Lastly he had one less win then the league
average (3-2). Both used to be very good but Beltran still has the advantage.
16: Brian McCann and Andre Ethier are very good, but who is
better? McCann has a better average (.281-.272), but that is just about it.
Ethier has more homers (31-21), more RBI’s (106-94), and a better SLG
(.508-.486). Ethier and McCann are both All-Stars and Silver Sluggers. But
obviously Ethier is better.
17: Lance Berkman or Todd Helton? They are both good, but
who is better and who has recently been better. According to us, it is Todd
Helton. Last year Helton hit .325 compared to Berkman’s .274 but he was
injured. Now if you step back to 2008 Berkman hit .312. That year he also hit 29
homers which were almost 2 times as much as Helton’s 15. In 09 he hit 25 which are
still 10 more than Helton. Helton has 6 more RBI’s than Berkman had in 09, but
was 20 less than what Lance hit in 08. They are pretty even right now is Helton’s
defense. Personally I thought that Helton should have won the Gold Glove. That
is what wins over Berkman who is starting to become a DH-type hitter.
18: Johnny Damon against Geovany Soto. Seems pretty easy to
choose Johnny Damon. Right? It is easy to say Damon is a better offensive
player, but Soto is a better defensive player especially because Damon has a
horrible arm and cannot play defensive making it easy to say Soto is better
when it comes to playing in the field. But Damon is a way better offensive
player, perhaps by such a margin that he is a better overall player. Let’s see.
Damon is obviously worse defensively. Damon hit a decent .282 which was WAY
higher than Soto’s mere .218. Damon had more than 2 times as many homers as
Soto (24-11) and had nearly 2 times as many doubles than Soto. Clearly, Damon is
better.
19: Josh Beckett or Joey Votto? Both play very well at their
respective positions. Pitcher and 1st Baseman so we will have to go
back to comparing them to their league averages. Votto had a .322 batting
average which was well higher than the league average (.274). Beckett has a
3.86 ERA and the league average is 4.32. Big difference. Votto, with 25 homers,
had 11 more than the league average. Beckett had almost 3 and a half time as
many strikeouts as the league average (199-47). Votto had 84 RBI’s well over
the league average of 49. Beckett had 1.39 WHIP which was better than the
league average of 1.39. Clearly both of them are above average and seem equal.
But what wins it for Beckett is that he has guided his team to the post season
a few times. Joey Votto can’t do that with the Reds. There is where Josh
Beckett wins it.
20: The Red Sox once again. Kevin Youkilis wins it. Even if
it is against Jorge Posada. I am sad, very sad to admit it but yes. Let’s just
get this over with. Youkilis hits more homeruns (27-22), has a better average
(.305-.285), has better defense, had more RBI’s (94-81) and I am just going to
stop there. Don’t want to hear it from my friends that are Red Sox fans…
Thank you, thank you. Any comments, questions or disagreements?
Feel free to comment.
Thames, Damon
Sorry about not being able to blog in a while. We have been
really busy of late and will get back on track.
While we have been gone, a lot has happened. The Yankees
have signed Marcus Thames, who will fight for the only spot remaining on the
bench with Jamie Hoffman. Thames would provide the Yankees power, when needed,
but does only hit .257 against lefties, which the Yankees seem to need even
with all the righties they have in their lineup. Thames has decent speed as
well, and will steal a base when he has too. I, personally, would rather take a
utility guy who can hit against left-handers, like Reed Johnson. Johnson can
only play outfield, but he hits better than most of the Yankee outfielders
against lefties. Thames will be returning to the Bronx, and will be the third
player this off-season that has returned. Javier Vazquez, Nick Johnson, and now
Thames. We will see how this deal plays out.
The Damon sweepstakes have also gone from the Yankees to the
Tigers, Braves, and White Sox. Now the Yankees are out of it of course, because
of the Randy Winn signing and now the Marcus Thames signing. The Tigers have
apparently offered Damon 2 years, which is exactly what he is looking for. 2
years, 14 million. Don’t be surprised to see Damon playing in a Tigers uniform
next year, oddly replacing Marcus Thames. Damon would alternate between left
field and DH with Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen. Along with Austin Jackson
that would be a very good team. The Braves are also interested, but nobody
knows if they are willing to offer him a second year. I don’t think this deal makes any sense,
because you would have to trade Melky Cabrera and you would not have any room
for top prospect Jason Heyward. Even with Cabrera you don’t have much room for Heyward.
Thank you, thank you. Any comments, question, or
disagreements? Feel free to comment.
Johnny Damon, Mets
Why would Johnny Damon be going into retirement? I mean
mulling it over? He wanted a four year contract, which probably means that he
is not going to retire. Damon is old (36) but he did have a productive year
last year and I bet he still could produce 20-25 homers and a .290 BA. Damon
was crucial to the Yankees World Series championship last year and would fit
perfectly in left field next to Granderson. Lots of people think that Johnny Damon
will return including me. He doesn’t seem to have any other suitors, and the
Yankees are waiting for Damon’s price to drop. Well at least that is what
ex-Yankees Jerry Hairston Jr. says. He was talking on Jim Bowden’s radio show
on XM 175 earlier and he said “The Yankees didn’t make me an offer, because he’s
waiting on Damon’s price to come down.” Damon’s price certainly will go down
because nobody is signing him and this might stay the same until February,
where JD will have to settle for 2 million.
The Mets
have not had a good week. And not a 2008 Yankee type postseason overall like
people thought they might have. They have signed Kelvim Escobar and Jason Bay,
two very good players. Bengie Molina resigned with the Giants leaving the Mets
with Omir Santos and Henry Blanco which will not be good. Santos had a good
rookie year but will not be able to produce Bengie Molina style. Joel Pineiro
also signed with Angels today, leaving the Mets with Ben Sheets. Ben Sheets is
a risk to take and if they sign him they might get a year of All-Star talent
behind Johan the great or they might get a former star soaking up on the DL
with injuries all year. Sheets is a big risk, but if he doesn’t get injured
then the Mets will be competition, once again, in the NL East.
When we thought baseball players couldn’t get worse, they do.
When we thought
baseball players couldn’t get worse, they do.
Mark McGwire. One great thing comes to your mind when you
hear that name. He broke the homerun record in 1998. UNDER STEROIDS. Not so
great anymore right? Yes Mark McGwire used steroids. First Jose Canseco said “Me
and teammate Mark McGwire used steroids as far back in 1988″ in his 2005 book, Juiced:
Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball got big. Second, his
brother, Jay McGwire, said “He used to in low dosages so he wouldn’t lift his
way out of baseball” in his book, The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about
Steroids, a Slugger and Ultimate Redemption. And now McGwire finally admits
to using them. He brings a decade of wondering and speculation to an end after
he admitted his steroid use during a 20 minute telephone interview with The Associated
Press. “I used steroids during my playing career, and I apologize” We all would
Mark but would we all take them? No. Taking them is the worst thing. If you
know it is wrong, then why would you take them? To make you better? Probably.
To make more money? Probably. But you can make money without taking steroids.
Take Ken Griffey Jr. as an example. Griffey has made money and has been very successful
without taking steroids. Along with Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols who we are
pretty sure didn’t take steroids. So
back to Big Mac. He took them when he was recovering from an injury in 1993,
tried them in 1989/1990 and as Canseco says 1988. And the biggest year of them
all! 1998. The season he beat Roger Maris’s homerun record with 70 homers. Another player that year who surpassed Maris’s
61 homers was Sammy Sosa who has also been linked to steroids. I am really sad
to say: Baseball isn’t baseball anymore. It isn’t how it used to be. Every big
homerun hitter is linked to steroids; Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Manny
Ramirez, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds just to name a few. The only good thing
about players admitting about taking steroids is that they are being honest
about doing it. But that means nothing. Except that they have courage to do
that.
Other News around the
League
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Mark Teixeira is getting honored with the Legacy
award along with King Albert, Zack Grienke and others.
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Jon Heyman says Johnny Damon has offers from the
Braves and Giants. The Giants probably pulled that back after they signed
Aubrey Huff and David O’Brien says the Braves have not offered Damon a
contract. Executives think that Damon will resign with the Yankees.
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Bleacher Report thinks the Yankees should pull
off a deal for Carl Crawford by sending Brett Gardner, Austin Romine, and a
good pitching prospect. This is not a bad idea, but could be tweaked. I
personally would prefer the Yankees wait till he is a free agent.
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Greg Maddux will return and he will be an
assistant to Cubs GM Jim Hendry.
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Dice-K Matsusaka was hiding a groin injury from
the Red Sox for the whole entire year.
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Tony LaRussa said he might consider bringing
Mark McGwire to pinch hit so the voters will have some more time to think about
if he deserves a Hall of Fame plaque or
not.
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The Cubs will retire Andre Dawson’s number 8 if
he goes into the Hall of Fame as a Cubbie. Dawson played for the Expos twice as
much he did the Cubs so we will see what will happen.
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Lastly, Derek Jeter is finally getting married
to Minka Kelly, just to throw that out there.
The biggest remaining question is will Johnny Damon resign
with the New York Yankees. You will have different opinions and feel free to
comment and tell us what you think about Mark McGwire, Johnny Damon and the
rest.
Chapman, Hairston, Damon
Chapman in Red??
Aroldis Chapman will probably be wearing red next year, just
not in the AL. Not the Red Sox not the Angels. Not the Phillies, but the Reds.
The Reds? The Reds of all teams. 5 years, 30 million. I personally think that
that is way too much to pay for someone who we don’t even know about! He is
supposed to be good but who knows? He could end up being a 2009 Chein-Ming Wang
for all we know. But he could end up being the next Tim Lincecum. But that
seems unlikely. So as I was saying before, 300 million dollars probably too
much to pay for a young Cuban that nobody has seen before. Nobody even knows if
he will be in the Majors his first year. 6 million is definitely too much to pay
for a minor league player as you should know. Aroldis Chapman is said to be
able to throw 100 MPH but otherwise doesn’t throw many breaking balls and
doesn’t mix up his pitches, which you obviously need to do if you are going to
be a good pitcher. In his only bullpen session he was throwing indoors and with
sneakers on because of rain. He didn’t throw to major league batters either so
you couldn’t really tell on how good he was.
Yankees in serious talks with Jerry
Hairston Jr.
The Yanks are in serious talks with J-Hair to come back and be
their utility man and perhaps platoon with Brett Gardner or Jamie Hoffman in
left field. Bringing back Jerry Hairy would spell off and DHing days for A-Rod
and Derek Jeter. Hairston’s ability to
play any position except pitcher, (and I bet he could do that. I mean, Swisher
can so why can’t he) is very helpful for the Yankees. He can make a start in
any outfield position every once in a while and can also do the same for second
base, third base, and shortstop to give DJ, A-Rod and Robby Cano days off.
Can Damon come back?
ESPN’s Buster Olney says that he thinks Johnny Damon will return
to the Yankees next year. I do not think
so, as Johnny Damon originally wanted something along the lines of 4 years, 50
million dollars. Then as everybody started to sign, his asking price dropped to
2 years, 22 millions. Still too much for the Yankees. Then slowly he became
unmentioned and then linked to the Atlanta Braves. Now he is apparently OK with
1 year 10 million, but no less. The Yankees are willing to spend 6 or 7 million
but no more. Some, such as ESPN, think Johnny Damon will come back and Brett
Gardner will be sent to the bench. I am not sure what to think but I am fine
with Damon.
Update 1/11/2010: Aroldis Chapman signs for 6 years, 30.25 million with the Cincinnati Reds
WHO FILLS THE HOLE IN LEFT FIELD?
The Yankees have made of plenty of trades and signed plenty of players this off season, but they still face a problem: they have a gaping hole in left field. Now the Yankeeholics will give you all the info you never wanted to know about candidates for that outfield spot.
MARLON BYRD: This 32 year old outfielder seems a nice fit for the Yanks. He is a solid, dependable hitter (.283 average, 20 homers, 89 RBIs in 2009) with a decent amount of speed (41 career stolen bases). He can bat in the middle of the lineup and can give good support to the big sluggers (Tex and A-Rod). In addition to all this, he won’t be too expensive; the Yanks won’t have to shell out more than $6 million for him. He seems a good fit for New York; and is one of my favorite candidates to fill the left field hole.
JERMAINE DYE: Jermaine Dye seems the polar opposite of Marlon Byrd; he would be an awful match for the Yankees. He is not particularly good (a low .250 average and only 81 RBIs in 2009) and has almost no speed.To make matters worse, he is already 35, and he is likely to demand a large contract (above 12 million) which would be a complete waste of money. It would not be good if the Yanks picked up Jermaine Dye.
THIS JUST IN ON JERMAINE DYE: After talking to two Yankees officials, Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News confirms that the Yankees have NO interest in Jermaine Dye.
XAVIER NADY: Another fine candidate for the Yanks left field spot. True, he is coming off a major injury that limited him to 7 games in 2009, but he is a very good player; he enjoyed a career year in ’08 (with Pittsburgh and the Yanks) smoking .305 with 25 homers and 97 RBIs. Not too shabby; but there is a problem: he is a tad overpriced. Brian Cashman has explicitly stated that he wants to keep the payroll as low as possible, and this sudden budget consciousness might rule Nady out of the considerings.
MATT HOLLIDAY: This is our favorite player on the list, the player we want most to join the Bronx Bombers. You can’t blame us: in 2009, with the A’s and Cardinals, Holliday smoked .313, bombed 24 homers, and drove in 109 runs. He also nabbed 14 bases. Not too shabby. The man is only 29, and he is fantastic in the field. As well as all this, in April of this year he (and his father) explicitly stated that he wants to be a New York Yankee. The problem: he won’t fit Cashman’s strict budget regulations. He is likely to demand at least $14 million, and that will be a major turn off for the Yanks. So though I regret saying this, it is unlikely that the Yanks will sign Holliday.
THIS JUST IN ON MATT HOLLIDAY: The same Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily Post spoke to another Yankees official. He quoted the official as saying, “No chance on Matt Holliday…Zero. None. Underline it.”
JOHNNY DAMON: All the Yankee faithful want this man back, and they have good reason too. He was a strong presence at the top of the lineup in 2009, hitting .282 with 24 homers and 82 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases, but perhaps the most significant aspect of his repertoire is his good effect on the clubhouse. We all want him back for sure; but once again, the issue of price pops up. The Yankees already offered him a reasonable contract (2 years, about 17 million) but he turned it down, wanting 4 years, 52 million bucks. Even we have to admit that he is not worth that kind of money; he is no longer a serious threat on the bases, he has a popgun arm, and he is already 36. If he is sensible and reasonable, he might come back to the Yankees, but until he lowers his ridiculous asking price, Brian Cashman will steer clear of him.
JERRY HAIRSTON JR.: No one really wants Jerry Hairston Jr. to be the starting left fielder. Except his mom. And his dad. And his siblings. But anyways! And maybe his grandparents….Moving on! He could only eke out a .251 average with 10 homers and 39 RBIs in 383 at bats in 2009. Not too impressive, and certainly not what the richest club in baseball should be using as a starter.
REED JOHNSON: We don’t want Reed Johnson either. Please. Brian Cashman. Have mercy. Do not sign this guy just cuz he’s cheap. .255, 4 homers, 22 RBIs in 165 at bats in ’09. NOT IMPRESSIVE. I would rather waltz with a dying platypus than have Reed Johnson as the Yankees left fielder. SERIOUSLY. The richest team in baseball should not have to resort to players like Hairston and Reed Johnson as starters. But hey, Cashman has done crazier things.
These are the various candidates for that spot in the Yankees outfield…only time will tell which player they opt for.
Happy New Year to all!
Questions? Comments? Disagreements? Leave us a comment!
Top Ten Time!
Today’s
top ten today is about the decades top ten homers. From Aaron Boone’s Walk-Off
homer to A-Rod’s walk-off against Junichi Tazawa, all the big ones are here.
10: The miracle in Hollywood.
The game went into the ninth inning with a 9-5 deficit. San Diego had
scored 3 runs in the top of the ninth inning to extend their lead to an almost
unreachable 9-5 lead like I said before. Well this time is was reachable. In
the bottom of the ninth inning Jeff Kent lead off with a solo shot. 9-6. Still
hard to reach. Then JD Drew launches one out. 9-7. Then Russell Martin hits one
out. 9-8. The Dodgers are still one run away against Trevor Hoffman who came in
after JD Drew’s Homer. Well what happened next was Marlon Anderson’s second
blast of the day to tie it up. 4 homers in a row. That had not happened since
1964. But that is not the end of it. In the top of the tenth Josh Bard singled
in Brian Giles. The Dodgers have another deficit. But what do they do? Kenny
Lofton walks and Nomar Garciaparra hits one deep into the stands for a 2 run
walk off shot. Miracle.
9: Burke sends the
Astros to the NLCS:
This 18th inning marathons that stands as the longest playoff
game ever, had much more than the Chris Burke walk-off homerun in the final
inning. The score was 6-1 going into the bottom of the 8th inning,
highlighted by an Adam LaRoche grand slam. So in the bottom of the 8th
inning, Lance Berkman crushes a grand slam of his own to make the score 6-5.
Then we go to the bottom of the ninth. Then with 2 outs, Brad Ausmus launches a
clutch homerun to tie the game. This game goes on and on until the 18th
inning where Chris Burke ends it all with a walk off homerun.
8: Bad to good in
Motown.
3 years after going 43-119, the Tigers are in the World Series. Thanks to
Magglio Ordonez. By the 5th inning it was 3-0 Athletics. Curtis
Granderson doubled in Brandon Inge and then Craig Monroe double Granderson in.
3-2. Then next inning, Magglio Ordonez launched a solo shot to tie the game at
3-3. Time past and the bottom of the ninth came. With 2 outs, Craig Monroe
singled. Then Placido Polanco followed with a best hit of his own. Then Magglio
Ordonez stepped up to the plate. With one swing he could send his team to the
World Series. And he did.
7: Johnny sinks the
Yanks.
In the midst of one of the worst postseason series in Yankees history, the
to-be Yankee crushed a grand slam and a 2 run shot. Big homer that destroyed
the Yankees and they didn’t get back to the ALCS until 09. Though even without
this grand salami it doesn’t seem the Yankees would have won anyway. But this
was still a big blow.
6: Fast and Powerless
always wins the game.
After 0 homers in the whole regular season, Scott Podsednik was the hero.
After Paul Konerko launched a grand slam in the 7th inning to take
the lead 6-4, it seems that the Astros would not come back. But they did. In
the top of the 9th inning, Jose Vizcaino hit a 2 out, 2 run single
to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning Scott Podsednik came up with one
out, and the only way he was excepting to end the game was if he somehow hit an
inside the park homerun. That is how little power he had. But he did end the
game, and it did go over the outfield fence.
5: Roidtiz saves the
Sox.
Why are the Red Sox homers always important? We don’t know but we know that
we hate it. This Red Sux homer also killed the Yankees (always the Yankees!)
After Mo rarely blew a save because of Dave Roberts stealing second base and
then Mo allowing a single to Bill Mueller to tie the game, the game proceeded
to the 12th inning where David Ortiz stepped up to the plate and
delivered the big blow to finish the Yankees off, sadly.
4: King Albert’s moon
shot shocks Astros.
The Astros were one strike away. But they had to face King Albert. One
strike away from their first World Series. And Albert ruined it. The Astros
were down 2-1 in the bottom of the 7th and Lance Berkman crushed a 3
run homer to give the ‘Stros a 4-2 lead. Brad Lidge came in the ninth and
quickly retired the first 2 batters of the inning. Pesky David Eckstein worked
a long AB then hit a single. Jim Edmond worked a walk and with two strikes,
Albert Pujols hit one that hit the windows in left in Minute Maid Park to give
the Cardinals the lead
3: Mr. November.
After Tino tied it in the ninth, Jeter took the spotlight in a city that
had been sad and silent after the very tragic incident on 9/11. The clock had
just struck 12 and baseball’s first game in November ever ended with a bang. Derek
Jeter stepped up, clutch and all, and launched one into the right field stands and
was granted the prestigious nickname, Mr. November. This homerun cheered up the
fans of New York after 9/11.Too bad this is really rare…
2: Tino and Scott.
Miracles happen if you really need them, and that is what the Yankees
needed on the nights of October 31 2001 and November 1 2001. On the 31st
the Yankees entered the ninth inning down by 2. Derek Jeter bunted and was out
by a centimeter. Paul O’Neil then lined an opposite field single to left field.
After Bern, Bern, Bernie Williams struck out, Tino Martinez stepped up to the
plate hoping to cheer up the fateful NY fans. He did. He launched the first
pitch he saw from 22 year old Korean Byung-Hyun Kim over the fence for a game
tying homer, bringing joy to all Yankee fans watching. But this is something
that happens once in a blue moon, maybe three or four times a season if you are
lucky. (A-Rod did it thrice this year). But of course it is IMPOSIBBLE to do it
twice in a row. But nothing is impossible. The next night after a strong start
from Mike Mussina but a stronger start by Miguel Batista, it was 2-0 in the
bottom of the night. Bob Brenly again went to his 22 year old Byung-Hyun Kim.
Jorge Posada led off the inning with a double but Kim got the next 2 outs. Scott
Brosius came up thinking the same thing Tino was the night before. And he did
the same thing Tino did. Except this time he had John Sterling yelling “Do you
belief in miracles!?!?!?!”
1: Aaron Boone goes
down in history.
And our number 1 goes to no other then Aaron Boone. The game started with
the Red Sox knocking Roger Clemens out early and took a 4-0 lead. Mike Mussina
came in for his first appearance in relief and threw 3 shutouts innings backed
by 2 Jason Giambi solo shots. Then in the 8th with the Red Sox up
5-2, Grady Little chose to keep Pedro Martinez in the game. This move backfired
for the Red Sox as Derek Jeter single and a Bernie Williams double. Grady
Little went to the mound again and
chose to keep Pedro Martinez in again.
Hideki Matsui then hit a double and another double to Jorge Posada to tie the
game in the 8th. Mo came in in the ninth and threw a scoreless 9th,
10th, and 11th. Tim Wakefield threw a scoreless tenth and
then in the 11th came in the face Aaron Boone. Boone launched the
first pitch he saw into the left field stands, holding his arms up in joy.
Honorable Mention:
Mike Piazza’s homerun after 9/11, Todd Helton’s homerun to keep the Rockies’s
season alive in 2007, A-Rod’s game tying homerun off Joe Nathan, A-Rod’s walk off
homerun off Junichi Tazawa,
PS: No records
such as Barry Bonds 756th homer were included because they are
record.
These were the top ten homeruns of the decade. Check out next week for next
week’s top ten. Any comments, questions, or disagreements? Please feel free to
comment.
WHO SHOULD THE YANKS SIGN?
The Hot Stove has begun and one question lingers in the
minds of every Yankee supporter…who should we sign? Maybe the dangerous Matt
Holliday? Or the clutch Jason Bay?
Or possibly a contract extension for Hideki Matsui? Well, Vignesh and Mrinal
are going to break it down for you and give you a complete analysis of who the
Yanks should and should not sign.
Rick Ankiel-Though it is unlikely the Yankees will
pick up Rick Ankiel, there is a slim chance they may. He is a brilliant
fielder, known for his breath taking dives and jumps, and he will add a spark
to the Yankee outfield. Other than that though…there really is no other
reason for him to come to New York,
other than the fact that he is a handy utility man. In 2009, he could only
scrap together a .231 average, with 11 homers and 38 RBIs in quite a
dissapointing season. With the money and resources the Yankees have, you would
expect they would go after someone a bit more high-profile than Rick Ankiel.
But hey, you never know.
Jason Bay-The Yankees are likely to go after a big
hitting outfielder. There are 5 candidates for this position: Jermaine Dye,
Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Matt Holliday, and, the ex Red Sock, Jason
Bay. Bay enjoyed a fine 2009,
posting a .267 average with 36 homers and 119 RBIs, enough to earn him his
third All Star Game appearance and his first Silver Slugger. He is the type of
player the Yankees would pursue eagerly in order to fill that gap in the
outfield…the problem is, he was a Red Sock. Would he perform as well while
playing for his arch rivals? Would there be no grudges or ill wishes? These are
questions the Yankees must consider before they sign Jason
Bay.
Erik Bedard- The Yankees could use some starting
pitching. Their rotation consists of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett,and Andy
Pettite…and that’s really where the quality dries up. Joba Chamberlain does
not belong in the rotation, a fact that was proved by his inflated 4.75 ERA in
2009. Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin are options but the Yankees would prefer a
more reliable player, like Bedard. In an injury sticken 2009, Bedard went 5-3
with a 2.82 ERA. Certainly better than Mitre and Gaudin will ever do, but there
is a problem: Bedard is plagued by injury. Over the pasts 2 seasons, Bedard has
managed a miniscule 15 starts apiece, and has only made more than 30 starts
once in his seven year career, back in 2006 with the Orioles. Though he is a
quality pitcher, he is a risky person to sign, and the Yankees will have to
think about his injury issues before giving him a conract.
Adrian Beltre-There is close to zero chance the Yankees will sign
Beltre. They have one of the best third basemen in baseball in Alex Rodriguez,
and Beltre is not really a great player anymore, posting a .265 average with 8
home runs and 44 RBIs in an injury hit 2009. The only way Beltre would come to
the Yankees would be if A-Rod suffers a serious injury over the off
season…but otherwise, Beltre is not headed to New York.
Rafael Betancourt -For most of the year, the Yankees
had a good, solid, reliable bullpen, and Rafael Betancourt would be an unneeded
luxury. The Yankees have Hughes as a good eigth inning specialist, Rivera as
the best closer in baseball, and Bruney, Coke, Aceves, and Marte as solid
pitchers who can keep the game tight. Betancourt is not required and there is a
low chance he will come to New York…but
the Yankees have plenty of money to spare and if Brian Cashman feels like he
needs some experience in the bullpen, Betancourt might be in pinstripes in
2010.
Johnny Damon-Will Johnny Damon wear pinstripes ever again? He had a fine season with the Yankees in 2009, putting up a .282 average with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs from the top of the order. Though his speed is no longer a threat, he remains a highly effective player who provides power at the front end of the lineup. He is the guy who can spark a rally, who can liven up a clubhouse, who can come through in the clutch. But the fact remains that he is aging and with so many other elusive outfielders on the market, Brian Cashman might be tempted to go after a younger, fitter player. But none of the other potential outfield candidates can bat at the top of the order like Damon can…Bay, Holliday, Matsui, and Dye are all middle order hitters, who are not capable of dropping down the odd bunt or beating out an infield single. So though Damon is getting older, there is a good chance he will be a Yankee once again.
Jermaine Dye-Out of the five in the running for a Yankee outfield position, Jaermaine Dye is the least likely to get the job. He is 35, slow as molasses, and his abilities are diminishing every year. In 2009, he only hit .250, with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs, all quite poor numbers for a man in the heart of the lineup. He has a cannon for an arm, but other than that, there really is no reason the Yankees would pick him up. As well as this, he is likely to demand an expensive and long contract, and it is doubtful whether the Yanks will give into that request. Bottom line: chances are close to nil that Jermaine Dye will wear pinstripes.
Chone Figgins-There is no reason in the world why the Yankees would pick up Chone Figgins, unless Alex Rodriguez suffers a serious injury. Figgins had a decent season, hitting .298, but was low on both the home run and RBI counts, with 5 and 54 respectively. He stole an impressive 42 bases, but his speed alone is not going to displace A-Rod from third base. The Yankees infield is simply too full to accomodate Figgins, and it will take a miracle to make him a Bronx Bomber.
Rich Harden-It is difficult to predict whether or not Rich Harden will become a Yankee, but we are leaning towards him not wearing pinstripes in 2009. He is very prone to injury first of all…in only one of his seasons has he passed 30 starts, and that was back in 2004. He was absolutely brilliant in 2008, going 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts, but in 2009, he disappointed, going 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 starts. On the other hand though, he is a young pitcher (only 28) who clearly has talent has potential that needs to be harnessed. He could fill that empty spot in the rotation for the Yankees, and he could prove to be a worthy acquisition. In the end though, he is just to risky to sign. What if he suffers a major injury that puts his career on hold, like Carl Pavano did? Then the Yankees will be stuck paying his medical bill and his high salary without receiving anything. We doubt the Yankees will take that risk and sign Harden, but the possibility of Harden coming to New York can not be entirely ruled out.
Matt Holliday-Of all the free agents on this list, this is the man I think has the best chance of going to New York. He’s only 29 and he had a fantastic season, batting .313 with 24 home runs and 109 RBIs with the Athletics and the Cardinals. He is worth the high contract he is sure to demand, and throughout the season, he has spoken of his interest in going to the Yankees. He has the ability to handle the pressures of New York, and he is a fine outfielder, with a good arm and decent speed (14 stolen bases in 2009). Brian Cashman will do everything in his power to bring Holliday to the Yankees. There is a problem though: Holliday was brilliant in St. Lousi during his brief stint with the Cardinals, and he might want the chance to bat behind Albert Pujols a bit more. But if the Yanks can dissuade him from staying a Cardinal, he is perfect for the Bronx Bombers, as he fills the gaping hole in the outfield, and he does everything well. This guy has a great chance of wearing pinstripes in 2010.
Orlando Hudson-It is extremely unlikely that Hudson will come to New York. The Yankees have found a fine second baseman in Robinson Cano who had a higher batting average than Hudson (.320 to .283), more homeruns (25 to 9), more RBIs (85 to 62), and at age 27, is 5 years younger than Hudson. Though Hudson had a nice season, it was nowhere as good as Cano’s, and unless Cano suffers a serious injury, Hudson won’t be wearing pinstripes anytime soon.
John Lackey-There is a good chance that the Angel’s ace of 2009 might be with the Yankees in 2010. The Yanks are looking for someone to fill a spot in the rotation, and Lackey might just be that person. In 2009, he was sub-par, going 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA, but Brian Cashman might consider him perfect to be the number four starter in the Yankee rotation (after Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettite). Lackey is 31, and still has a few years left in him…and he could give the lower part of the Yankee rotation strength, stability, and experience. At this point, he seems a perfect fit for the Yankees.
Hideki Matsui-Matsui had a successful 2009 with the Yankees, posting a .274 average with 28 homers and 90 RBIs and winning the World Series MVP. But it is quite unlikely that he will return to New York. His poor knees confine him to the DH role, which takes away from the flexibilty of the lineup for New York. He will not be able to participate in any games in National League stadiums and he will often have to be pinch run for. Take into consideration the fact that there are so many other elusive outfielders on the market, and you come to the conclusion that the 35 year old Matsui just finished his last season in New York.
Bengie Molina-We highly doubt the Bengie will be coming to the Yankees. First off, the Yanks have Posada, and Bengie will be forced to be a backup catcher, a position he is too good for and will not be happy playing. Second, Bengie is 35…the Yankees will be on the lookout for a young, talented catcher in order to replace Posada when he retires, and Bengie does not fit that description. Third, Bengie is not an exemplary hitter…he could only manage a .265 average with 20 homers and 80 RBIs during 2009. That’s decent, but probably not enough to convince the Yankees to sign Bengie. The only thing Molina has working for him is that he has a fantastic arm…but that alone will not be good enough to earn him a spot on the Yankee roster.
Placido Polanco-Polanco had a fine 2009, picking up his second Gold Glove while posting a .285 average with 10 homers and 72 RBIs, but it was simply not enough to displace Cano as the Yankee second baseman. We showed you Cano’s numbers earlier, and as well as beating Polanco in every catergory, Cano is seven year
s younger than the Detroit second baseman. So unless Cano suffers a serious injury, Polanco will not be coming to New York in 2010.
And that will wrap up our predictions for who the Yankees will sign this off season! Don’t forget to post your opinions! It is sure to be an exciting off season, and Yankeeholics will provide you with comprehensive coverage of it all.
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