I think, when it comes to coaching, there is still an "it" factor where you've either got it or you don't. Guidry was a phenominal pitcher during his career, and I have a feeling that he brings a fresher approach than Mel can at this point in his coaching career.

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Hell, Cashman shot himself in the foot for getting the aging Johnny Damon for $50 million when just the year before he could've went after Carlos Beltran and gotten youth alongside of talent.

Haha, I'll have to dig them out, they didn't turn out to be big sellers (surprisingly!)

I'm not trying to take anything away from the Gator but sometimes great players don't turn into great coaches. Usually the players who weren't the superstars make the better coaches. Granted that's not in every case and I have no idea how good/what type of coach is or will be. I'm more curious than ever to see how he'll fit in and interact with players.

I don't think Cashman shot himself in the foot. First of all, image how much more the Yankees payroll woud have been had they have signed Beltran last year. Not to mention that Carlos missed quite a few games last year. Finally the Yankees needed a lead-off hitter more than I think they needed another home run hitter. I like Carlos and Johnny and true Carlos is younger but I'm at least glad we got Johnny instead of neither of them. Check out their stats for last year:

Damon
Games : 148
AB: 624
Runs: 117
Hits: 197
2B: 35
3B: 6
HR: 10
RBI: 75
SO: 69
SB: 18
SLG: .439
AVG: .316

Beltran
Games: 151
AB: 582
Runs: 83
Hits: 155
2B: 34
3B: 2
HR: 16
RBI: 78
SO: 96
SB: 17
SLG: .414
AVG: .266

BTW, it's well documented on here how I feel about Clemens but as a Yankee fan how do you feel?

I'm saying the Yankees shot themselves in the foot because they needed a defensive-minded center fielder with a good arm. Damon has neither - he is at best a mediocre fielder (watch the 2003 ALCS) and his arm is wholly suspect. Not only that, but the Yankees should be trying to get younger, look at Cano and Wang. In hindsight, I'm saying that we should've went after Beltran, I think, from a longevity standpoint.

As far as Clemens is concerned, he can eat shit. The way he left the Yankees, I don't even want him back as a rent-a-player. Pettitte I respect because he's a deeply religious man and wanted to be close to his family. But Rocket dicked around the Yankees with "I'm retiring...I'm coming back to NY" and he's doing the same thing with the Ass-tros this year with his WBC participation and his talk of how he'd love to return to NY, and how he has been meeting with the Boston admins.

Fuck Roger Clemens, at least from a Yankee fans perspective. I'd take Pettitte back in a heartbeat, but Clemens can rot, as far as I'm concerned.

BTW - Irishman - you should check out the discussion of 2006 baseball games in the video game section.

I agree.

ds

I'm upset over the fact that Andy left. However, it was probably for the best. In 2004, his first year with the Ass-tros (sorry I had to steal that, I like it too much), he only started 15 games. Last year he did bounce back but he's never been the Yankees Andy Pettitte in Houston luckily. Also, after this year he'll be 34 and he's gonna be coming up on the downside of his career pretty soon I think. As you said, if the Yanks are smart they'll go for youth and pass on Andy come next offseason.

BTW, what's going on in the 2006 baseball games discussion?

The Yanks never really offered Andy a good contract.

ds

True but I think Andy has his mind made up too about going to Houston. I think the Yanks not offering him a contract was a good excuse so as not to leave on bad terms

Could be.

ds

It was no secret that Andy wanted to go, whether or not they gave him the extra money. He needed to be near his family, which I can totally understand and respect.

Irish - the debate revolves around which game to get - MLB 2K6 or MLB 2006: The Show. I've posted screenshots that involve the Yankees so far...

Unfortunately I'm not the gamer I was 10 years ago. I like to consider myself somewhat of a "movie buff" but I know most here will laugh at that notion. Although, I'd love to have the time to play more games but with school, work and movies, I just don't

Damn it, Irish, what has become of you! You're starting to look like a model citizen! :p

No, I still work a Blockbuster

BTW, I assume you watch YES for all the Yankee games? I can only watch the few that are on ESPN or ESPN2 until I go to New York at the end of May/early June However, I already have the first game marked on my calendar (against Oakland)

YES is practically my favorite channel from March to October

Save for, of course, The History Channel.

Mine too. I look forward to watching every game I can whether its a night after work or on the weekend. I can't get enough of YES. Did you hear that Johnny Damon showed up early today at Spring Training?

Stat comparisons are often meaningless, or relatively so, unless evealuated in the context of the offense that the player was in, his positionin the batting order, and the park in which he plays.

Damon batted leadoff (with Ortiz & Ramirez hitting after him) rather than third in a much better offense and in an easier park for hitters.

Switch their teams, put Damon up 3rd for the Mets and Beltran leading off for the Sox, and see what happens stats-wise.

All things being equal, if I were the Yankees, I'd much rather have Beltran. It's not even close.
Problem is, you have to consider a player's experience in the role he's being asked to fill, and his value in that role.

Pavano & Wright have virutally no experience as relievers, so you have to question their effectiveness coming out of the bullpen.

Small, on the other hand, has proven himself in middle relief, an area that the Yanks are weak in.

And, their contracts do factor in to it as well. Let's not get carried away here....

He's proven that he can be a useful pitcher, I think, but to call him "great" is quite a stretch, don't you think?

Plaw - You did take my statement out of context, after all, since I discussed his mental issues with finding the strike zone.

True, but I also think that past years performance should factor in. Pavano and Wright were wholly ineffective overall, while Small went 10-0. If I were Torre, I'd rotate them during Spring Training until I felt comfortable with my starting pitchers.

I didn't say that Pavano and Wright would be middle relief, I simply said that they would be spot starters, at least in the early goings here in March and April. Let them sub in for Small, or Wang, or Chacon here or there depending on what their stats dictate, who would be a better matchup, etc., and I think that would be a good way to find out who deserves the spot in the lineup.

As it is, I don't think that the starting pitching would be set in stone - look at the Yankees last season. It depends on who is healthy (read: who is still breathing :p ), who is hot on the mound, and who is effective at getting batters out.

I don't think that the Yanks can afford two roster spots for "spot starters".

Typically, that role is filled by a guy who can make an ocasional start and pitch reliably in long/middle relief.

And it's important, I think, that players be comfortable with, and accepting of, their roles.

If Pavano and/or Wright have little or no use in long or middle relief, then, barring injuries, you're talking about something like 60-65 starts or so between Johnson & Mussina, and another 100 or so between the other five - Chacon, Wang, Pavano, Wright, and Small.

That leaves a bullpen of Villone, Farnsworth, Myers, Procter, Sturtze, and Rivera. I think they'd prefer a 7-man bullpen, with all 7 being proven, reliable relievers

That's 13 pitchers, with Dotel due back in mid-season, so if he can pitch, at least one, and possibly two, will have to go.

I think if everyone gets thru spring training relatively intact, they will be stuck with Johnson, Mussina, Wang, Chacon, and Pavano (in that order) as starters, with Small, Villone, Farnsworth, Myers, Wright, Sturtze, and Rivera in the pen.

That would leave them with 12 pitchers (and I'm sure they'd even prefer to go with 11 if they thought that they could get away with it), with Proctor as the odd man out for now.

What I predict will happen is that either Pavano or Wright will open the season on the DL while they look to unload one of them, and that if they had their druthers (or, if I were them, I'd want) their PS would look like this:

Johnson
Mussina
Wang
Chacon
Pavano or Wright (dumping one or the other)

Small
Villone
Farnsworth
Myers
Proctor
Sturtze
Rivera

You're welcome SC! I didn't want this thread to be closed down because of childish name calling

Who do the Yanks play there 1st game against??

Monday, April 3rd, at Oakland.

YANKEES SCHEDULE

Why don't you get into the Yahoo fantasy game, Smitty?

We can find out just how good a manager you really would make. :p

Thanks Plaw. And I will check out the fantasy leauge.

DS

I'm gonna be at The Blue Jay/Yankee game at The SkyDome on Apr. 19, The Blue Jay/Met games on Jun. 23, 24 and 25 and The Jays/Yanks game on Sep. 20 this season. Any of the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut gangsterbbers who are planning on making the trip to T.O. for the games can look for me in aisle 212, row 2, seat...well, let's just say I hope I'm sitting next to a really hot chick.

I didn't know that you felt that way about your mother. Hmm. I guess the incest taboo doesn't apply in Canada? :p

I guess I walked into that one...

I heard today that Brian Cashman will more than likely pick up the 2007 option on Gary Sheffield's contract! WOO HOO!

Good. I hate the people that wanted us to trade him. Get real. He's still, imho, one of the top 10 hitters in the league.

I couldn't agree more. I can't believe they even ENTERTAINED the idea of trading him. I hope they sign him to another contract (I realize he's in his late 30s but he doesn't show any signs of slowing down and look at how old Roger Clemens & Randy Johnson are. They're in their early 40s and still competing at that level that they are).

BTW, congrats DJ on your 8,000

Oh, Snap! I didn't even notice. Thanks I12, but I have a long way to go to get to your postcount. Besides, I don't have that much free time on my hands to repeatedly post in the word games section...err...I'm not as active as you.

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The only problem I see with Sheff were his shoulder (which supposedly is fixed). Other than that, he's aging as would be expected, but I would argue there aren't many hitters as dangerous as he is in the game today, with the exception of maybe Bonds, Ortiz, and A-Rod.

Pavano might be starting this year on the DL.

Yet another reason why Aaron Small belongs in the starting rotation.