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hayesb26 · 04-20-2007, 08:39 AM

Team Preview: Part Four of Four

04/03/2007

Part four of our preseason Yankees preview is the area that most people expect to be carrying the Yanks back into the playoffs and to the World Series. That area of the game, of course, is their hitting. The Bronx Bombers will be expected to live up to their billing, and at times may have to carry this team over some rough patches from the pitching. If the Yankee pitchers can merely keep games within reach, this group will get them to the playoffs, and who knows what will happen from there.

The offense starts with the leadoff hitter and centerfielder, Johnny Damon. Although now 33 years old, Damon remains a fearsome hitter. Last season he hit .285 with 24 homeruns and 25 stolen bases. The combination of speed and power atop the Yankee lineup makes Damon an intriguing leadoff hitter. Look for him to run early and often when on base, to get into scoring position for the big bats behind him in the lineup.

Second in the Yankee’s lineup is shortstop Derek Jeter. Hard to imagine that the golden boy is now 32 years old, but he seems to keep on getting better. Although the World Series Ring hasn’t been there in a handful of years, Jeter is coming off a career season, and is reportedly hungrier than ever. Jeter hit .343 last season with 14 homeruns and 34 stolen bases, and was among the short list of AL MVP candidates before finishing 2nd to Justin Morneau. While Jeter may not put up those numbers again this season, he’ll without a doubt be a force in the AL East as he tries to lead the Yanks to the promised land.

Hitting in the three-hole for the Bombers this season is the trade deadline pickup from a season ago, Bobby Abreu. Abreu is a nice blend of speed and power, and combined with his incredible eye at the plate he is enough to make any opposing pitcher fear him. After coming over from Philadelphia last season, Abreu played in right field and hit .330 with 7 homeruns and 10 stolen bases in just 58 games. He also had a .414 OBP in those games, a tribute to his remarkable eye.

Batting cleanup in New York this season is the always controversial Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod, the third baseman and perennial MVP candidate, has been underappreciated and often turned away by the Yankee faithful. During last season’s campaign, he hit .290 with 35 homeruns and 121 runs batted in. In New York, these numbers were not enough, as Alex was booed heavily during the season, and especially during his 1-14 performance during the Yanks first round playoff loss. The pressure is on for A-Rod, as he has an opt-out clause after the 2007 season that would allow him to enter free agency. However, look for him to step up big in ’07 and prove to the entire Yankee organization that he is indeed a “true” Yankee.

Protecting A-Rod will be Jason Giambi, the designated hitter. Jason hit .253 with 37 long balls last season, including 113 RBIs. Look for him to post about the same numbers this season, as the average just isn’t there anymore. However, with his patience at the plate, he’s still likely to post an OBP over .400. That patience is what keeps him in the lineup on most days, as he still gets on base as much as anybody in the league.

Playing left field, and hitting in the #6 spot in the order is Hideki Matsui. After a nasty broken wrist kept him out for the majority of 2006, Hideki will need to bounce back to prove his consistency and worth to the Yankees. He hit .302 with 8 homeruns in just 50 games for the Bombers, and should translate those numbers quite well into a full season. Although he won’t win any awards out in the outfield, Hideki’s range and arm make up for his lack of technique.

Behind Matsui is the catcher, Jorge Posada. Posada will handle the catching duties again full-time, at least for this season. With his age catching up to him, and Molina in the wings, Posada’s time at catcher could be limited. Jorge hit .277 with 23 homeruns last season, very good production out of a catcher. Don’t expect him to hit either of those numbers again though, but he will still be a decent value.

Doug Mientkiewicz has come over from the Royal’s to chase a World Series title and play first base for the Yanks. His gold glove caliber defense at 1st will finally land Giambi in the permanent DH spot, which can only help this club. Although he hit .283 last season in limited at-bats, the Yankees are really expecting more out of him defensively than offensively at this point. The offense is going to produce plenty of runs with or without him, but the defense needs his leadership out there.

Second baseman Robinson Cano rounds out the order for the Yanks. Cano is young, raw, and talented. Look for him to be challenging for batting titles in his future. Despite being injured for a big portion of 2006, Robbie hit .342 with 15 homeruns. Though not the best fielder at second, Robinson can certainly manage the position and keep it from beating him. Expect Cano to really come into his own this season, and begin to challenge for batting titles and MVPs.

The Yankee bench features several players who are very good backups. First, backup catcher Yadier Molina. Recently acquired by GM Hayes, Molina will be the starter on this team by 2009. He’s got the defensive and offensive skill set to push him towards the top of the game. Bernie Williams returns to the Big Apple for his farewell campaign. At the age of 38, Bernie’s skills are not what they used to be. However, he’ll still contribute the occasional big hit and be a leader to this group. Miguel Cairo is the team’s utility man, playing basically every position but catcher. He’ll be a fill-in for guys who are either injured or need a day off. He fills his role nice, but will never be considered a starting player in this league. Melky Cabrera is the Bomber’s young outfield prospect. Coming up last season because of injuries, Melky proved himself major league worthy, impressing everyone. He remains as the 4th outfielder this season because of the fact that all outfielders are currently healthy. Expect to see quite a bit of playing time for Melky, as the Yankee outfielders are both injury prone and older.

04-20-2007, 08:39 AM	#12
hayesb26 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 267	Team Preview: Part Four of Four 04/03/2007 Part four of our preseason Yankees preview is the area that most people expect to be carrying the Yanks back into the playoffs and to the World Series. That area of the game, of course, is their hitting. The Bronx Bombers will be expected to live up to their billing, and at times may have to carry this team over some rough patches from the pitching. If the Yankee pitchers can merely keep games within reach, this group will get them to the playoffs, and who knows what will happen from there. The offense starts with the leadoff hitter and centerfielder, Johnny Damon. Although now 33 years old, Damon remains a fearsome hitter. Last season he hit .285 with 24 homeruns and 25 stolen bases. The combination of speed and power atop the Yankee lineup makes Damon an intriguing leadoff hitter. Look for him to run early and often when on base, to get into scoring position for the big bats behind him in the lineup. Second in the Yankee’s lineup is shortstop Derek Jeter. Hard to imagine that the golden boy is now 32 years old, but he seems to keep on getting better. Although the World Series Ring hasn’t been there in a handful of years, Jeter is coming off a career season, and is reportedly hungrier than ever. Jeter hit .343 last season with 14 homeruns and 34 stolen bases, and was among the short list of AL MVP candidates before finishing 2nd to Justin Morneau. While Jeter may not put up those numbers again this season, he’ll without a doubt be a force in the AL East as he tries to lead the Yanks to the promised land. Hitting in the three-hole for the Bombers this season is the trade deadline pickup from a season ago, Bobby Abreu. Abreu is a nice blend of speed and power, and combined with his incredible eye at the plate he is enough to make any opposing pitcher fear him. After coming over from Philadelphia last season, Abreu played in right field and hit .330 with 7 homeruns and 10 stolen bases in just 58 games. He also had a .414 OBP in those games, a tribute to his remarkable eye. Batting cleanup in New York this season is the always controversial Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod, the third baseman and perennial MVP candidate, has been underappreciated and often turned away by the Yankee faithful. During last season’s campaign, he hit .290 with 35 homeruns and 121 runs batted in. In New York, these numbers were not enough, as Alex was booed heavily during the season, and especially during his 1-14 performance during the Yanks first round playoff loss. The pressure is on for A-Rod, as he has an opt-out clause after the 2007 season that would allow him to enter free agency. However, look for him to step up big in ’07 and prove to the entire Yankee organization that he is indeed a “true” Yankee. Protecting A-Rod will be Jason Giambi, the designated hitter. Jason hit .253 with 37 long balls last season, including 113 RBIs. Look for him to post about the same numbers this season, as the average just isn’t there anymore. However, with his patience at the plate, he’s still likely to post an OBP over .400. That patience is what keeps him in the lineup on most days, as he still gets on base as much as anybody in the league. Playing left field, and hitting in the #6 spot in the order is Hideki Matsui. After a nasty broken wrist kept him out for the majority of 2006, Hideki will need to bounce back to prove his consistency and worth to the Yankees. He hit .302 with 8 homeruns in just 50 games for the Bombers, and should translate those numbers quite well into a full season. Although he won’t win any awards out in the outfield, Hideki’s range and arm make up for his lack of technique. Behind Matsui is the catcher, Jorge Posada. Posada will handle the catching duties again full-time, at least for this season. With his age catching up to him, and Molina in the wings, Posada’s time at catcher could be limited. Jorge hit .277 with 23 homeruns last season, very good production out of a catcher. Don’t expect him to hit either of those numbers again though, but he will still be a decent value. Doug Mientkiewicz has come over from the Royal’s to chase a World Series title and play first base for the Yanks. His gold glove caliber defense at 1st will finally land Giambi in the permanent DH spot, which can only help this club. Although he hit .283 last season in limited at-bats, the Yankees are really expecting more out of him defensively than offensively at this point. The offense is going to produce plenty of runs with or without him, but the defense needs his leadership out there. Second baseman Robinson Cano rounds out the order for the Yanks. Cano is young, raw, and talented. Look for him to be challenging for batting titles in his future. Despite being injured for a big portion of 2006, Robbie hit .342 with 15 homeruns. Though not the best fielder at second, Robinson can certainly manage the position and keep it from beating him. Expect Cano to really come into his own this season, and begin to challenge for batting titles and MVPs. The Yankee bench features several players who are very good backups. First, backup catcher Yadier Molina. Recently acquired by GM Hayes, Molina will be the starter on this team by 2009. He’s got the defensive and offensive skill set to push him towards the top of the game. Bernie Williams returns to the Big Apple for his farewell campaign. At the age of 38, Bernie’s skills are not what they used to be. However, he’ll still contribute the occasional big hit and be a leader to this group. Miguel Cairo is the team’s utility man, playing basically every position but catcher. He’ll be a fill-in for guys who are either injured or need a day off. He fills his role nice, but will never be considered a starting player in this league. Melky Cabrera is the Bomber’s young outfield prospect. Coming up last season because of injuries, Melky proved himself major league worthy, impressing everyone. He remains as the 4th outfielder this season because of the fact that all outfielders are currently healthy. Expect to see quite a bit of playing time for Melky, as the Yankee outfielders are both injury prone and older.