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Sunday, September 27, 2015

Refsnyder v White Sox: three singles, a double and a walk. All together now: Small Sample Size!

Yesterday, Rob Refsnyder - the lost fairy of Wilkes Barre -went 2 for 3 and lashed a drive to the centerfield wall, to be robbed of a double. His batting average now stands at .273.

Imagine that: Seventy-three points over over .200. As John Sterling would say, "Isn't that amazing?"

Wait, I hear you chanting: SSS! SSS! SSS! Small Sample Size! And you're right. There is nothing to be gleaned from a weekend of at bats against a team that, right now, is to Chicago as the Yankees are to NYC: The town's second tier team.

SSS. That's all it is. In fact, it's the most carefully crafted SSS in baseball. And the reason is simple: The Yankees have two veteran infielders (neither at 2B, though) being paid a coalyard full of money and, thus, have required a BAFSS: (Big Ass Frickin Sample Size). Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan needed the entire 2015 season to prove they cannot move the needle offensively.

Now, with a finger-count of games left, Girardi is looking at Refsnyder and finally weighing the idea of a hitter at the bottom of the order... in an SSS.

Isn't is amazing? All season, they jerk the kid like a yo-yo, and now they plug him in like chewing gum on the bow of a leaking barge. Don't get me wrong: I'm happy to see if Refsnyder can do the job. Like every idiot fan in the Yankiverse, I've watched Scranton box scores all season, waiting for Refsnyder to get a chance. And we've all wondered: How bad can his fielding be? How horribly can he mangle groundballs? I watched him when Scranton came to Syracuse. He handled every grounder. How incredibly wretched can the guy be, when nobody is watching? And who in Scranton was getting on the phone to NYC and saying, "He's a plate of bad clams! Forget that 2 for 3 in the box score! He's an abomination! Stick with Drew! He's going to start hitting, any day!" Or was it Girardi's blind spot for Drew - who surely is a prince of a fellow, when not lashing balls into the defensive overshifts. Was Girardi simply incapable of saying, "Dude, you gotta start bunting, or you'll be out of baseball." Why did we go an entire year and now we're looking at Refsnyder and saying, SSS!

Refsnyder came up around September 1 and sat for three weeks. Did something magical happen to his glove while perched on the Yankee bench? Suddenly, he's the 2B equivalent of Nick Rumbelow, which is to say, "I'll trying anything, just please don't subject me to any more of what's already out there." Why did we wait until the last dreary days of the Wild Card race to give Refsnyder an SSS? And is the guy any good? Could he be our second-baseman in the playoff?

Truth is, we don't know. It's just an SSS.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

LIKE I POSTED BEFORE, IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES! A 2ND BASEMAN WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HIT 7O, 60, 50,40, OR EVEN 30 POINTS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE USED TO! HOW ABOUT THE SAME NUMBERS FOR ON BASE PERCENTAGE TOO?!!...ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS LEAVE HIM AT 2ND AFTER HE HELPED US BEAT BOSTON, IN BOSTON, AFTER THE ALL-STAR BREAK!!! INSTEAD, WE CRUSH HIM, AND SEND HIM AWAY...I WANT TO KNOW WHO.....WHO MADE THAT DECISION? GIRARDI? CASHMAN? BOTH OF THEM? IT'S DECISIONS LIKE THIS THAT ARE COSTING US!!!!! DAMMIT!!!

Anonymous said...

.....AND UNRELATED.... MAY THE METS DIE A QUICK POST SEASON DEATH, (EVEN THOUGH THE DODGERS SUCK-THEY HAVE 2 GREAT STARTING PITCHERS, BUT THAT'S IT)...MET FANS GOING NUTS THINKING THEY'RE SO GREAT, MEANWHILE, NONE OF THEM REALIZE THEY HAVE BEEN PLAYING TEAMS 30 GAMES UNDER .500 FOR A MONTH AND A HALF!!!!! EVERY TIME THEY PLAY A TEAM THAT'S EVEN HALFWAY DECENT, THEY LOSE 2 OUT OF 3.....RECENT RECAPS: TAMPA BEAT THEM 2 OF 3 ...BOSTON BEAT THEM 2 OF 3... SPLIT 1 AND 1 WITH BALTIMORE ...YANKS BEAT THEM 2 OF 3........

Rufus T. Firefly said...

In unrelated news, the scrappy small market LAST PLACE racist townie asshole's team -- er, I mean red sawx, just made Larry Lucchino "CEO emeritus".

After I puked, I realized that this is just like putting the hockey player's 'C' (for comical) on that asshole's jersey a decade or so ago, after they tried to trade the punk. Except with Lucchino, they FIRED him.

Imagine if George had a 'day' for every employee he fired? They'd have to extend the season.

God, I hate the RS. Thankfully, I flew into Albany yesterday, instead of Boston or Manchester. Very nice having a real fan sitting next to me on the flight.

Anonymous said...

I HEAR YA...RED SOX ALSO AT THE TOP OF MY HATE LIST. THEY HAVE TO BE IF YOU'RE A TRUE YANKEE FAN.....BUT THE METS....OHHHH, THE METS AND THEIR "FRONTRUNNER" FANS, I CAN'T STAND!!!

Parson Tom said...

Jeez, I was secretly enjoying the Mets' season, especially Cespedes, Bartolo and those young studs throwing lightning bolts from the mound. I didn't know it was against the rules and will never speak of it again.

As for the Red Sox, they're in last place, but I'm sad they're not going to be relegated to Triple A.

Parson Tom said...

It is clear that Ackley is going to be the 2B for the Playoff and, if we make it, Playoffs. I bet Drew is the backup. Refsnyder, who may not be eligible, would make a good righty-lefty tandem, but then who's the backup SS? Ackley's been contributing, which has been nice. If Refsnyder comes back next spring tuned up and hungry, wouldn't be surprised if he winds up in New York -- but that's next year.

OK, one last thing (because I'm always a little manic and optimistic after winning a series, even if this one comes on the heels of the biggest lost series of the season other than the upcoming and endless head-shaking march back to the dugout in -- pick one - the ALDS, the ALCS or, God forbid, the Playoff): Wouldn't it be great if they just ended the season after one of those feel-good games where everybody's a hero and somebody strikes a mythic blow to win the game after the pitchers have done amazing work holding the line. Like one of the games that A-Rod won, or one of the Bird or McCann games from the past couple of months. Just end the season right there. Announce that we won and the season is over and everybody else can go home.

Even if the Yankees won't participate in my charade, I think I'm going to try it next year. Instead of waiting around for that slow grinding death that seems to be the Yankees' fate in the playoffs, I'm going to enjoy one of those special game, drink in John's "Yankees Win" and Sinatra's "New York, New York," declare victory and end the season a winner. I'm excited about this plan.

Anonymous said...

ACKLEY HAS BEEN A GREAT SURPRISE, AND SHOULD BE THE 2ND BASEMAN INTO THE PLAYOFFS, (HE'S HITTING, AND LORD KNOWS WE NEED THAT)..HE DESERVES IT...I WOULD PLATOON ACKLEY WITH REFSNYDER IN THE PLAYOFFS, BUT WITH GIRARDI'S "DEFENSE FIRST" LINE OF THINKING, REFSNYDER DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE (AS USUAL)....ACKLEY REALLY LOOKS GOOD WITH THE BAT, BUT WHY WAS HE HITTING SO CRAPPY WITH SEATTLE???

jdrny said...

Haven't seen the 5 million Drew all week.
Girardi is resting him for the playoff.

Anonymous said...

They should rest Girardi for the playoffs...
Cashman orders Girardi to only play a certain agent's clients at second base...

ceeja said...

Because they don't have any backup at short, then either Drew or Ryan will have to make the postseason roster. But in a matter of days or weeks, we will soon be done with both of them forever. Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last!

Yes, this is true hate, and we will hate them from afar for the rest of their miserable (and hopefully short) careers. I'm looking forward to the sweet sense of loathing I'll feel when I scan next year's boxscores, looking for another 0-for-4 or, better yet, another nonappearance.

Rest assured, Stephen and Brendan, you are hated, and the hate will grow over the years into a nostalgic sense of loathing that will never die. The kind of hate we feel for Vazquez and Pavano -- or for George Brett for that cheap shot he took at Nettles in the 1977 ALCS.

Anonymous said...

YEAH, BUT NETTLES WOUND UP ON TOP AFTER THE INITIAL PUNCH..LOL....BTW, WEREN'T THOSE THE BEST, MOST UNDERRATED PLAYOFF GAMES IN BASEBALL HISTORY?..THOSE YANKEE/ROYAL SERIES'(FOR THOSE YEARS) WERE UNBELIEVABLE....

ceeja said...

I ordered (from the Miley Baseball Collection) the CD of the radio call of Game 5 of the 1977 ALCS, one of the great Yankee comeback games. Phil Rizzuto's call is outstanding. What a game.

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