Don't know what to make of this. Could be Cashman simply had more pressing priorities, such as signing Kuroda, signing Andy, signing Mo, and rappelling down a building with Bobby V. Or it could be the Yankees' way of saying sayonara.
Listen: Ichiro saved his career last September. He came to NY looking like the Japanese version of Rocco Baldelli, whatever that is. He was a quintessential Yankee acquisition: Five years beyond prime, two beyond stardom, and on the verge of platoon status. Considering his name and legacy, Seattle didn't ask much in return.
Instantly, we loved him. Eventually, he started hitting. He developed a little home run flick for Mayor Rudy's Bandbox, and he even inspired David Cone one night to describe him as swinging a "chopstick." (I nominate this is as the most bizarre moment of the 2012 YES season.)
But Ichiro never embraced one key Yankee code of conduct: Accepting the free base.
He simply never walks. His batting average and on-base percentage aren't much different. And it's maddening when the previous batter has walked, and the pitcher is losing it - and that another walk will crush his psyche - to see Ichiro stroll to the plate. Because he won't walk. Even with three balls, he'll slap the ball somewhere.
Don't know where to stand on Ichiro. I assumed we'd invite him back. Now, I'm not so sure. It's time to ask ourselves the new golden Yankee question:
WWCDD?
What would Chris Dickerson do?
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On this business of outfielders, a serious question: Why did the Yankees decline to sign DeWayne Wise as a free agent? Jeter pointed out Wise's ability during the regular season, in reaction to the Ichiro trade if I am not mistaken. Thank you. WWND (What Would Nixon Do)
Why not just give Chris Dickerson a shot? He's always been a part-time player, but his lifetime OBP is a respectable .352. All he has to do is get on base and turn the lineup over to the more proven hitters.
I agree. Give Dickerson a shot. I mean if the billionaires pretending to be millionaires (trademarked el duque phrase) refuse to spend their lucre, play Dickerson. Of course, DeWayne Wise was another one of those mystery moves that make you wonder what they are thinking. If they had kept Wise, they never would have needed Itchy-ro, and they would have had a more productive player.
Losing Wise was not..uh..wise. I like the Itch, he actually hit in the playoffs, can you believe it? But I've always liked Dickerson and leaving him off the playoff roster was a total bonehead play. Of course, Girardi HAS a bonehead, God knows there's not much meat on it. He likely spends hours at the gym doing ear and eyebrow exercises to keep his noggin buff and fat-free.
All the people who scoff at Chris D are simply missing the point. When the guy is given a chance, he's so happy and tries so hard that he immediately becomes one of the best hitters on the team (in a streaky way, of course, but that never stopped the Yanks from trotting Swish out there day after day and Chris D is faster and a better fielder, too, and...oh, sorry, Swish got paid a lot more; for a second there I forgot the #1 rule of Yankeedom: you must play the expensive guys even if they suck and never, ever, ever give anyone making bupkus a fair chance to make his mark, especially if he's a young guy that the brilliant 'baseball people' in the organization are not that high on; he paused, and considered the Faulkneresque habit of writing impossibly long paragraphs with parenthetical passages that stretch on and on and on with random thoughts and ramblings that Fitzgerald would have been pilloried for, but this gave him only a moment's disturbance before he picked up his thread of thought and lumbered on, encumbered with the complexity of his thinking like a great bear carrying the worries of the burning forest on his back as he tried desperately to run from the approaching flames; and then, he heard the gunshot, and realized that the bell tolled, indeed, for him, much as it did for Hemingway years later and at his own hand, and he stumbled, and fell, feeling the warm blood ooze from the wound made by the hunter's rifle bullet even as the flames began to engulf them both and he shed a single, rueful tear at the unfathomable futility--nay, stupidity--of the hunter and of mankind in general).
So, I mean, why not give the guy a shot already?
You are all smoking kool-ade.
Ichiro is the one they want because:
1. He meets their "age" criterion.
2. He is a superstar well beyond his prime
3. He is expensive.
John, You took the words out of my mouth.
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