On the Yankees beat

I think its a good idea. He is young and seems to be getting better. I would lock him up now. Or we might pay more later. I am all for keeping our young talent.

Baseball America is coming out with their 2008 Farm Rankings. I was able to dig up the top 10 list...

BA's Top 10 Organizational Rankings:
1. Tampa Bay
2. Boston
3. Cincinnati
4. Texas
5. New York Yankees
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
7. Colorado
8. Atlanta
9. Washington
10. Los Angeles Angels

Yanks movement from that past couple years =

05 - #24
06 - #17
07 - #8
08 - #5

Not bad at all.

[quote]
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/john_donovan/01/24/donovan.holes/index.html

• The lower half of the Yankees' rotation: I'll give you Chien-Ming Wang. And I'd tend to give you Andy Pettitte, if he hadn't had all that offseason drama. But should Yankees' fans be convinced about Mike Mussina, who lost his rotation spot last year? Plus, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain are unproven in taking on a full big-league season. We'll see.[/quote]

Yes anon, we will see. Nobody knows for sure what will happen, but it cant be as bad as last year when Carl Pavano was the opening day starter. I feel better about the rotation this year than I did last season. We will just have to wait and see who turns into Verlander, who turns into Bonderman and who turns into Nate Robertson.

Nobody predicted the Marlins would win the WS in 03 while starting =

Pavano = 27
Brad Penny = 25
Beckett = 23
Dontrelle = 21

Josh and Willis ended up being their best starters. Anything can and will happen in the game of baseball.

CANT WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START!!!!!!

As I indicated the signing of Cano is a no brainer. It shows confidence from the club's standpoint and offers stability in just keeping another distraction out of his head.

The veterans on this club are a great nucleus to learn from.

As far as our rotation being too young on the middle to back end. Yes, they are young but have shown quite well their ability to perform. It should be very exciting. We'll probably have 10 starters this year with the primary work coming from Wang, Pettitte , Kennedy, Joba, Hughes and Mussina. The last four rotating to keep their innings down and keep frrom burning out. Igawa and a few others will fill in at different times. It will be interesting and productive for sure.

I don't know exactly what to think about this signing.

I keep thinking of Cano throwing the ball off of his shoe vs. the Mets and laughing in the dugout at the low point of the season. It makes you wonder about his killer instinct.

I would prefer ...

A. Brandon Phillips

B. David Eckstein

DE has 2 WS rings in three WS appearances with the Angels and Cardinals. He is a special player.

We need a/the leadoff hitter which we have not had since Chuck Knoblauch of Texas A&M fame ran off with Heather Graham to KC.

Cano is not disciplined at the plate. He doesn't work the count and he swings at all kinds of pitches. Players from the Caribbean have to hit their way out of the slums, no one will sign you for how you look at this or that pitch. No offense to them. They are aggressive and that's what they have had instilled in them from a young age.

But that's the difference also, let's say, using an analogy, between a Vince Young and a Tom Brady. Maybe it's something only a father can teach a son from a young age. I read a story of Wayne Gretzky's father giving him a blank sheet of paper and telling him to watch an NHL game on TV and mark where the puck went from XYZ on and on, so he would learn to anticipate how the puck would flow during the course of a game.

Cano has good stats, but he and Melky are FAR from polished. We need Wade Boggs types who can work the count, hit behind the runner, get runners in from 3B with less than 2 outs and so forth.

Another 30 million on the books ... not smart ...

Ant,
The guy is 25 years old and has improved offensively and defensively every year. His plate discipline has improved from his first season and he appears to have a long, productive career ahead of him. If the Yanks are going to spend $30M on a player, it may as well be him instead of some old, broken down has been.

Anthony is such a bigot.

He always makes the idiotic "five languages" argument as to why the Yanks aren't winning and now he's degrading Robby Cano's ability to take pitches because of his assumption that every player from the Dominican has to "hit out of the slums."

Just put your white hood on and you'll be all set.

Nevermind that Cano is already one of the top Second Basemen in the majors and signing him to an extension is absolutely a no-brainer.

Perhaps they learned their lesson from not signing Mo and Posada at this time last season because they ended up costing them much more money by waiting until after the season to lock them up.

First of all, the people at the Newark Star Ledger Yankee blog are saying that our very own Kat was the reporter to break the story about the Cano extension. So I just wanted to add my congratulations. Well done Kat!

Yes, I absolutely agree about extending Cano. As for Wang, I think the Yanks are going to remain conservative with their pitchers - especially those, such as Wang, with previous arm problems. It's possible we might see a few 2 -3 year deals with the young pitchers a year or two before they hit free agency and after they're proven commodities and obviously durable.

We've discussed this ad nauseam, I know, but I'll repeat what's been said by me and others here many times (I'm thinking especially of DRU, Viper, Peter Lacock, etc.), namely that I fully realize the risk involved going into the season with 2 - 3 relatively inexperienced and unproven' young starters, but I can't recall a season in recent memory where I've been so excited about the team. Sure, the expectations could be dashed by mid-summer, but, as I’ve said to all my friends, we just have to be patient with the kids and look at this as a great opportunity to build a new competing dynasty for years to come from within the organization.

DRU thanks for the BA farm rankings. While I'm really happy about the progress the Yanks have made, the Boston ranking is still pretty scary. I thought I had read that the Sox ML system had actually thinned out quite a bit the last few years (not counting their own recent threesome of Youklis, Bucholtz and Ellsbury?!)

This is my second attempt at commenting on this thread and I have not posted in the last 20 hrs. or so.

Ant, I respectfully disagree with your thoughts on Cano. His upside to DE is off the charts. Give him time and Boges and Carew will be standards replaced by this young man. He's young comes from a small Latin American country. The learning curve will be longer. Sign Cano to an extension, its a brainer.

Baseball is played in one language on the field. All the players understand and know this. Its not a problem for the players just some fans. We're not building a nation but a basball team.

I 'm surprised by your comment for a person who has traveled the world about language. I find languages of different countries quite interesting especially those of the Western Europe.

Yanks, each of those years they were ranked 3 spots ahead of us. I really like baseball America, but sometimes I wonder about their prospect rankings. I think scout.com does a more thorough job. Lets look at the Yanks top 10 from BA.

Joba
Jackson
Tabata
Ian
Horne
Montero
Marquez
Gardner
Ohlendorf
Brackman

This is the only ranking that Ive seen:
Jackons over Tabata
Both over Ian
Ohlendorf in the top 10
Gardner in the top 10
Brackman ( hasnt pitched an inning yet ) in the top 10

In contrast Scout.com doesnt even rank Joba, Phil or Ian which I think is correct. Their top 10

Tabata
Montero
Jackson
Betances
Horne
Sanchez
Melancon
Garcia
Heredia
Cervelli

I think that is more of a minor league ranking.

BA also gave the Sox Bucholtz and Ellsbury, I think that's what put them over the top. I can guarantee that next season the Yanks farm system will be ranked higher as the rest of the Sox top 10 is a little suspect aside from Lars ( 1B ).

Also BA ranked Texas ahead of us after ranking them 27th last year. The reason they jumped so high was the prospects they picked up in the Teixeria and Gagne deals. None of those guys really impress me so I see them dropping. Im just happy that the Yanks are in the top 5 after being one of the worst in the league for so many years. Gotta tip my cap to the Yankees staff for stocking the system.

Ant...please dont tell me you suggested that Eckstein and Phillips are much better than Cano. Brandon just had his breakout year after doing little to nothing the previous 5 seasons.

Eckstein? The leadoff hitter that scored 100 runs once in his career? The same guy that hit over .300 once in his career. The same guy that hasnt stole over 16 bases since 2002? The same leadoff hitter that had walked just 24 times in 07 and 31 times in 06? The same leadoff hitter that had 134 hits in 07 and 146 hits in 06? The same guy that has 30 career HR's?

You would rather have him than Cano who hit .342 as a 23 year old? ( Phillips is a career .262 hitter ) That has two seasons of OPS in the upper .800's? ( Brandon just reached .816 last year, Eckstein never had .800 ) That walked 39 times last year ( more than Eckstein AND Phillips ). That has over 500 hits in his 3 MLB seasons, over 350 the past 2? ( Phillips has 424 in 6 seasons )

Cano vs Phillips.
Cano is younger
Cano hits for a better average
Cano walks more
Cano strikes out less
Cano has a better OPS
Cano has a better OBP
Cano has more RBI's
They are even in the field
Brandon has a dozen more HR's the past two years

Im sure we could have a nice discussion about Cano vs Phillips, you would have a slight argument for Brandon, but Cano is still better. Eckstein though? David Eckstein? You gotta be kidding me. You're gonna tell me that those 2 rings mean anything for a broken down 33 year old 2nd baseman who's best days ( which werent that good ) are way behind him? Many people have rings...that doesnt make them great, other players dont have rings...doesnt make them garbage.

You’re way off base there, Damon is a MUCH better leadoff hitter than Eckstein, what would we need him for? Oh and the racial remarks about latino players are way off base. The best, most patient hitters today are Latin American ( Arod, Pujols, Miggy )

Dru,
You forgot to mention that useless stick hanging from Ecksteins right shoulder....I think he calls it his "arm".

Darn...got shot down, this is the second attempt.

Instead of Abreu we could have had Josh Hamilton for a lot less.

Instead of Cano we could have had David Eckstein to leadoff, or put Cano at 3B and let A-Rod go. We overpaid US$ 100 million for A-Rod. We could have lost to Paul Byrd in the playoffs (pitching with a tumor) without A-Rod or Abreu.

We are now being hit by the first wave of the coming global financial Tsunami. As I have said for 9 months, it's coming. And now it is upon us. Even Ray Charles can see this plainly. Only the worst kind of blind moron will remain ignorant.

The Fed and the government, the EU, whomever, they are powerless to stop it. This is not a cyclical downturn, it is a rather systemic crisis of liquidity and massive fraud. (Consider Wall Street's false labeling of the ratings on subprime mortgage instruments, which have infected the global economy.) Billions are being printed out of thin air and billions immediately disappear.

The Yanks should be tightening their belts, not handing out mega contracts.

Again, James Shields, 4 years at 12 million is a nice deal. 185 K's and 35 Walks in 215 innings, 12 wins.

Why can't be have guys and contracts like that instead of Igawa? Or 16 million for Abreu?

As the financial implosion washes over America and The West in the next 8 to 15 months or so, it will be interesting to see the comments of the idiots who said "no one cares."

It will be more interesting to see the Yanks, their fans, the high ticket prices and the new stadium conduct business with this gross waste in the midst of a financial panic and endgame.

Maybe in the end it will be a good thing. Our team, our culture and our nation will be forced to return to sanity, one person at a time.

MR. OR MISS ANT COLONY: Your attempts at turning this blog into a political one to air your personal demons is failing...actually making matters worse for your cause...but it's a shame you're not smart enough to realize this. These bloggers aren't uncaring and ignorant -- they're here to discuss YANKEES BASEBALL and intelligent enough to take their political, moral, financial, religious concerns elsewhere. Your gripe that the Yankees multi-million-dollar payroll will have a huge impact on American and world finances is beyond insane. That's the only ignorance shown on this forum. You have some weird obsessions. I've seen your name here and in other forums. You're obviously not a Yankee fan but you are obsessed with the Yankees in a strangely frightening way. Seek some help buddy -- before it's too late and you wind up suicide bombing Yankee Stadium. Maybe I shouldn't be putting that thought in your crazy head but I'll take the risk because you're probably just a harmless nutcase.

Anonymous,

I have studied five languages, taught students from all over the world and tried to help people all over the world with my journalisml. Hmong, South Sudan, Burma et cetera.

Your slander doesn't hold water. And makes you look like EVEN more of a retard if that were possible.

You like to talk nonsense cause in person I don't think men would tolerate your nastiness.

Five languages is a problem if you can't communicate.

This is from a tactical standpoint. From an operational standpoint.

Look at Blackhawk Down and Somalia. Our troops could not communicated with all the UN soldiers.

Please try not to come down the lane with your weak stuff.

It's sickening.

Larry my friend ...

Yes it is great to speak many languages.

But if the team does not hang out off the field and does not have esprit de corps it is a problem. That's a problem the Yanks have and I am not the only one to suggest thigs.

Yes, baseball is a language all of its own.

I am not against anyone's language. I speak several languages myself, not all of them well, but I try to learn.

I don't see the Yanks as a team, more a collection of international stars.

I am sure many of the players who don't speak English are very good and moral people. As I have said many times.

But are the Yanks a cohesive team?

The answer is a resounding no.

Players from San Pedro de Maquoris swinging their way off the island is well known.

It is not racism or bigotry.

You have to show you can hit, period.

Elite baseball scouts will tell you the same thing. I have read it many times in various publications.

What's the big deal?

What's wrong with Diversity?