For years, a chorus of amateur bloggers and pro sportswriters regularly have ginned up the echo chamber about the aging contracts we could wrangle from the likes of Milwaukee or Houston, if only we throw in Gardner, who - after all - will never hit 30 homeruns. Nope, he'll never have that .330, 30 HR, 120 RBI season - the Mendoza line for Yankee outfielders. Trade him, they said. We can get, o, maybe Derek Lowe! or Bobby Jenks!
Early this season, when Gardner seemed to have lost his ability to hit and run the bases, the yelling re-emerged. Jettison him, they said. We can Dopy Dildox, whose having a great year in Pittsburgh or San Diego!
Last night, Gardner again showed why he is our best lead-off hitter. He bewitched a young pitcher, drawing two walks -- (why they cannot throw strikes to him, nobody knows, but they cannot) -- and stole his 27th base, his 14th straight. When a pitcher walks Gardner, twigs snap in his head. He knows his manager is kicking the water cooler. He knows he just disappointed his dad. He knows Gardner will steal. And he knows a rally is coming.
Thus, every time Gardner strides to the plate, the opposing pitcher faces a crisis. Aww, shit, this guy again. And they walk him.
After the Yankees face their next slump, or if they get bombed again by Boston, Joe Girardi will move Gardner to the top of the order. He cannot do this until the situation becomes dire, because it means dropping Derek Jeter 3000 to seventh. Thus, we must wait. That's OK. Jeter has earned it.
But while we wait, let us ponder all the misbegotten trades we might have made, all the bums we might have attained, for the guy who won last night's game.
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3 comments:
"ginned up the echo chamber" :
Great phrase describing how sportswriters work, as in, The fans are disappointed that you choked, Slugger, what do you have to say to the fans."
But these guys never speak to a single fan. They talk among themselves and come up with "fan reactions." Tiresome, isn't it?
I wanted to trade Gardner as part of a package for a good young pitcher. I thought his value was at its peak after last year and that he'd never be that good again. Got to admit he's been much better than I thought he would be. But will he slump in August and September, like he did last year?
Joe De, last year Gardy had a wrist/hand injury in the second half that curtailed his avg. Now healthy and hitting we again see the exciting player he is. And I will be seriously pissed if Cashman trades Montero or a killer B for a stopgap replacement. Just say no.
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