Tuesday, May 23, 2023

With Hicks departed, the new Top 10 Yankee left-field rankings still look rather thin


Hey, Roy White -wherever you are - grab your mitt. Forget that you're 79. If you can still go to your left, you can crack the top eight.  

Current Yankee LF rankings. 

1. Jake Bauers
In a 1-for-19 slump, BA at .175, arrow pointing down 

2. Oswaldo Cabrera
Shows flashes, still struggling. Over last 7 games: .208

3. Greg Allen 
Role player, doesn't hit; hasn't been caught stealing since 2021 

4. Willie Calhoun
Hitting .182 in last 7 games, likely a goner when Giancarlo returns.

5. Estevan Florial
Crushing Scranton, .311 with 9 HRs, but blacklisted by Yank scouts

6. Giancarlo Stanton
ETA around June 9, Boston series? Will he play OF? (Let the big dog run!)

7. Franchie Cordero
Hot at Scranton, 12 for 59 (.357) but did ship leave port?

8. Jasson Dominguez
The Martian still below Mendoza (.197 for season) but .239 in May!

9. Elijah Dunham
Longshot, started hot at Scranton, struggling in May (.170)

10. Cole Calhoun
Hitting .302 at Scranton, age 35, career minors BA: .319. Majors BA: .243.

Honorable Mention: Somebody, somewhere (not the HBO series)
Impending contract bombs: 
Christian Yelich (5 years past peak, hitting .257 at Milwaukee) Jurickson Profar (now 30, hitting .255 at Colorado).

Anybody else notice that Clint Frazier - no longer "Jackson," and with a supposedly revamped swing - has been called up to the White Sox, just in time for Yankees home series June 6-8. Guy was hitting .357 (in 57 ABs) at Triple A. 

Listen: He ran into walls for us, broke bats with his bare hands, exuded confidence. Okay, so it didn't work out. I'll still always root for him. Old number 77! Go Red Thunder.


39 comments:

  1. I saw a video of Jackson's two HRs in one game against Scranton. He stopped doing that weird ballet,twisted front toe foot thing and seems to have a much more stable stance.

    I too hope he does well, just not against us.

    BTW Benentendi isn't exactly lighting it up. So I guess he wasn't the answer either. Roy White is sounding good.

    WAR 0.4
    AB 172
    H 48
    HR 0
    BA .279
    R 24
    RBI 12
    SB 5
    OBP .339
    SLG.355
    OPS.693
    OPS+92

    ReplyDelete
  2. I’m sure he could, CS.

    That is unless he’s trying to reboot the X-Files again.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clint's surge-let notwithstanding, his real entry into baseball history involves footwear. Keen observers will notice the proliferation of repurposed Air Jordan 1.0's on diamonds throughout North America. Bolt so.e cleats onto the sole of this 35 year old sneaker, and you have a fashion trend. Well, Clint Frazier was the first yo do it. Word is a sequel's in the works, "AIR II: Legendary Head Case".

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  4. @ Celerino. Chris Carter is too busy producing TV shows like the X-File to play the outfield.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ AA....You yupe faster than I do. If that Chris isn't available, the former Eagle and Viking wide receiver might be.

      Delete
  5. Carl - we seem to be accessing the same pool of inspiration this morning.

    ReplyDelete
  6. If Chris Carter is busy, I think Jimmy Carter is still alive. If he can't do it, his daughter Amy is available.

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  7. Are we just doing Carters?

    Gotta go with Sargent Carter. In addition to playing left he could be the team enforcer and get into the faces of anyone who fails to hustle or loses focus.

    Carter: GLEYYYYYYYYY-BERRRRRRRR!
    Gleyber: Yes Sargent?
    Carter: Why did you try to steal second when the pitcher still had the ball?
    Gleyber: Well I was remembering this time in Venezuela when the pitcher had the ball but it was stuck in his glove and I stole second... because by the time he got the ball unstuck he...
    Carter: Can it Gleyber.
    Gleyber: Yes sir.

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  8. Just because you light it up at AAA, that is not an indicator of major league performance...

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  9. Continuing with the Carters (sounds like an 80’s sitcom) . . .

    Why not put Ruth Carter on the payroll and have her update the uniforms.

    Add a ‘little bit of fresh flash and flair to the uni’s’ while still sticking’ to tradition.

    It’ll be GREAT!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Re Franchie: you know, 12-59 is NOT .357. It's .203. Duque, these days they have these little calculator things built right into your computer...

    Carl and AA, both of you yupe just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ Doug K., I could've sworn Frazier didn't have the toe tapping stance when he first came up. It developed later, right? And Gleyber Torres also had the toe tapping thing for a while around the same time. Sounds like Yankee coaching poisoned both of them.

    A coach would have to be a world class dumbass to teach that kind of stance to a hitter. It's definitely concentrating on maximizing exit velocity and home run launch angle. But those things only get maximized when the hitter makes the right kind of contact. With that stance, you're not going to make contact enough. The hitter is too tight, wrapped up into a pretzel, and balance is poor, making timing more difficult.

    I've always thought that KISS - keep it simple stupid - is the best instructor.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hoss,

    Totally uncalled for. Us old guys need to stick together.

    Stats were wrong, but BA is .357 . He's 20 for 56. I think duque's using the french keyboard and mistyped the numbers.

    ReplyDelete

  13. Jimmy Carter is the only person I know of who's older than my Mom. There are others I'm sure, Spanish lady, surely a few in Japan. No one I know of for sure though.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sadly, Larry Hovis died a couple of decades ago.

    Lil Wayne qualifies. As does Jay-Z, but no-one wants Joggy Cano's business mentor on the team.

    I heard Pancho Carter is still fast on the basepaths.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Danny Carter Cater...I guess he counts too...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Remember, Hoss:

    You can’t have any pudding if yupe don’t eat your meat.

    How can you have pudding if yupe don’t eat your meat!?!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hell I'll take Rondell White right bout now....and since Swisher is never to far away from the team...tell him suit up too

    ReplyDelete
  18. How about Billy Carter? Finally a Carter you can count on until you can’t count no more.

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  19. The starting lineup for YOUR New York Yankees!!!

    1. Gleyber Torres (R) 2B
    2. Aaron Judge (R) RF
    3. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
    4. DJ LeMahieu (R) 3B
    5. Harrison Bader (R) CF
    6. Willie Calhoun (L) DH
    7. Anthony Volpe (R) SS
    8. K. Higashioka (R) C
    9. O. Cabrera (S) LF

    ReplyDelete
  20. How about June Carter and her guitar?

    I would take El Kabong and his swinging guitar in LF about now.
    Of course us Jellystone fan know his true identity is Quick Draw McGraw.

    Just thinking ,maybe we should introduce him to Hal and Cashman

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  21. All under Genius Cashman at the helm!

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  22. P.S my research shows the El Kabong is a switch hitter.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Florial: "BLACKlisted by Ysnkee scouts." Unintentionally insightful observation. I refuse to believe that a white guy with the same numbers would not get an extended trial. You doubt me? The chronic major league washout but glaringly Nordic Jake Bauers got temporarily hot at Scranton and has gotten a far more extended stint with the big club than Florial ever did in all these years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Willie Calhoun and Greg Allen are on the roster. Give it up.

      Delete
  24. If we're going to consider El Kabong, I think we should get the Great Gazoo. Sure, he's green, but I think the racial angle won't be in play.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Archie -

    When I was in college my bong's name was "Elka."

    ReplyDelete
  26. I apologize, Rufus. Something about seeing Clint Frazier's name in the morning just makes me mean.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Supposedly, Babe Benintendi's medical condition means that he won't be hitting with any power again for at least a year or two to come. So, props to Cashie on not signing him.

    BUT...what was Cashman doing in the first place, when Babe's power disappeared last year—3 homers in 93 games?

    Of course, all he gave up was minor league pitchers Chandler Champlain, T.J. Sikkema, and Beck Way which are, obviously, invented names in the first place.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Publius -- Give what up? Cashman has always had a weakness for culling MLB failures from other teams, but an aversion developing and utilizing talent from his own farm system -- with a few exceptions. Calhoun and Greg Allen fall into the first category. But Florial is doubly handicapped: a dark-skinned black AND a product of the Yankee farm system. Can you think of any other rational explanation for giving a far more extended trial to the chronic MLB failure Bauers as opposed to Florial, who is a more talented player in nearly every way (Aaron Judge called Florial "an very gifted" player.

    Anyone who wants to educate himself in the history of the ingrained racism of the Yankee organization can take the time to read through the following links, all from first-rate sources. I for one choose not to let an irrational "fan" atavism blind me to obvious racial prejudice.

    All of the foregoing is documented in the links I post below:

    1. On Jackie Robinson Day, the Yankees must answer for Jim Crow Baseball. The Yankees held to the color line longer than all but three teams. An organization that wants to be credited with the franchise's positive history must acknowledge the negative as well.

    https://www.pinstripealley.com/2013/4/15/4228172/jackie-robinson-day-new-york-yankees-vic-power-elston-howard

    2. THE SHAMEFUL HISTORY OF THE YANKEES' AND THE RED SOX'S DISMISSAL OF BLACK TALENT

    https://samuelburleigh.medium.com/the-shameful-history-of-the-red-sox-and-yankees-dismissal-of-black-talent-60bf4d56d982

    3. Reggie Jackson: Billy Martin Used Racist and Anti-Semitic Epithets When He Managed the Yankees

    https://www.espn.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7158864/former-new-york-yankees-great-reggie-jackson-says-billy-martin-used-anti-semitic-epithets

    4. Gary Sheffield Claims that the Yankees Treated Black Players Differently

    https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=3376301&page=1

    5. Did the Yankees discourage Aaron Judge from speaking out about racial issues? Yes, according to one report.

    https://yanksgoyard.com/2020/07/10/yankees-aaron-boone-aaron-judge-avoid-racial-issues/

    ReplyDelete
  29. AARON JUDGE: FLORIAL "IS A SPECIAL TALENT"

    Here are Judge's exact words about Florial (I slightly misquoted him above from memory): "He's a special talent. . . . He'll definitely help us out." I would certainly give more weight to this assessment from Judge--who played alongside Florial for several years--than I would the second-rate hacks who make up the Yankee scouting department.

    https://nypost.com/2022/08/16/yankees-expected-to-call-up-estevan-florial-amidst-aaron-hicks-struggles/

    ReplyDelete
  30. Exhausting. So many categories. So many fine distinctions. In the organization, not in the organization, relative melanin levels. Thank goodness we have a commissar...I mean, an expert...like friend of the blog EBD to keep it all straight. Where would we be without he/she/it/they?

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  31. Or, if you prefer, him/her/it/them?

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  32. Meanwhile, Cole is kinda sucking again. Second time in a row.

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  33. Yes he is, as is the offensive offense.

    New game thread.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Gary Sheffield, Mr. Integrity himself. A man who admitted to throwing balls hit to him deliberately into the stands. Why? Because the Brewers were 'messin with his mind because they moved him off of his "natural position" at shortstop'. But his mind was "messed with" for twenty years. So is there an official color swatch to determine race? No wonder this Country has become so cohesive.

    ReplyDelete

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