Damon dh
Jeter ss
Abreu rf
Rodriguez 3b
Sexson 1b
Cano 2b
Cabrera cf
Molina c
Christian lf
Mussina p
Notes: Roderick Boone here. Crazy thing happened this morning as I'm pulling into the official parking lot at the Stadium. I could not come in the normal gate we use because it was locked, so I went to the one next to it, which is what the players and coaches use. I had to explain to a security guard why I was going in that gate and not the other one. As I was doing that, someone in a luxury SUV started laying on the horn. I said to myself, 'Man, someone is in a hurry to be here at 9:30." I looked in my mirror and had to laugh.
Turns out it was Joe Girardi.
Ok, on to the real news of the day. Jorge Posada is holding off surgery for now and is going to see if he can still help the team possibly as a first baseman/designated hitter. No decision has been made and probably won't be until his 15 days on the DL are up. But Posada is delaying the inevitable and with a six-month rehab staring him in the face, he could be lost for a part of next season as well if he doesn't get it taken care of immediately.
Also, on a somewhat lighter note, tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the Pine Tar Game at Yankee Stadium involving George Brett. Coincidentally, the same umpire who worked the plate in that game -- Tim McClelland -- is umpiring this series. He took a moment to chat about it with us before the game. He was asked what was going through his mind when he saw Brett charging out of the dugout.
"I knew he wasn't going to hit me or run over me," McClelland said. "If he did, I’d probably own the Kansas City Royals right now."
Comments (10)
I don't see the value in Washburn.
And picking up Vidro does nothing
Just throwing these few points out there-
1) Christian will be more effective that Gardner...assuming he doesnt trip over his own feet again.
2) I'm more along the lines of Washburn and the likes of Casey Blake than Bay / Nady / Fuentes. The Yanks will most certainly not get Holliday and Hallday, or vice versa.
3) I dont believe we will see A Jax - I'm all for seeing him stay in AA, then move to AAA next year. We are paying Damon et al. to play when healthy, therefore run them out there.
4) If Kennedy and Melky can be moved at the right price, move them.
5) I'm starting to think Yanks mistakenly gave Hughes carl pavanos locker this year....haven't they replaced that locker yet? You know...fumagated the clubhouse, removed the locker and burned it?
Sully,
Washburn is a step up over Rasner and Ponson and gives the Yankees insurance for when Mussina leaves after this season if they can't lock up a Sabathia or Ben Sheets.
As for Vidro - if he's the price you pay to not have to give up anything other than Kei Igawa - so be it. He will take Wilson Betemit's at bats and then be gone at the end of the season.
WTF! Why would Sexson be starting? I don't care if it's a lefty pitching today. What a disgrace.
Giambi has reached base 11 of 17 times since the break!
WFAN is reporting Posada will do another rehab
YanksFan:
Yeah I'm getting a little fed up with Jorge. First he complains that he wants to catch, despite knowing he's not physically sound to handle the position and now this. I mean I admire that he wants to do whatever it takes to help the team, but odds are he's just putting off the inevitable. And what's more, by putting it off, even by a couple of weeks - he's putting in danger his ability to be healthy for the start of next season.
If that's the decision Jorge made, I'm a little upset with him. They need the guy for the next three years and he was obviously adversely affected by his shoulder issues, it's time for him to get it fixed and be ready for Spring Training '09.
Handling Posada's injury this way makes absolutely no sense.
Get the surgery now and he might be ready for Spring Training. But postponing the surgery to try to help this team is beyond stupid because this is a lost season for him anyways.
Why would he want to risk next season too is beyond me.
It's not like Posada was hitting like Ted Williams the last month anyways. He doesn't have his power stroke anymore and he said as such a couple of days ago.
Reconsider this decision, Jorge. Get this thing over with so you'll be ready for 2009 like everyone else.
Ailing Posada mulls position change
Veteran catcher could move to first base or DH
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Jorge Posada has been advised that his right labrum is deteriorating and will require surgery, but the switch-hitting Yankees slugger may be able to continue his season as a first baseman or designated hitter.
The 36-year-old Posada has experienced a weakness in his throwing shoulder all season and has ruled out catching for the remainder of the campaign.
The injury does not affect him as much when he is hitting, and with six months of estimated rehabilitation looming, Posada must decide if he is willing to play this season at the possible expense of losing time in 2009.
"It's not about me. It's about the team now," Posada said. "How can I help the team? That's why I'm going to go through the rehab. If I'm able to hit, I'm going to try to do that. If I'm not able to hit, I'm going to have surgery."
Posada was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Sunday, and had his right shoulder examined on Tuesday by Dr. David Altchek in New York. Posada -- hitting .268 with three home runs and 22 RBIs this year -- may still be able to help the Yankees, though he expressed disappointment that it will not be behind the plate.
"Coming into Spring Training, I felt so good with the arm," Posada said. "That was one thing I was really looking forward to. I was throwing and I had no problem. Then I started playing the games and something happened. I don't know when it happened. One day I couldn't even lift my arm to brush my hair."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that his club could benefit from having Posada's bat in the lineup, especially while dealing with the reality that they may be without regular designated hitter Hideki Matsui the rest of the way. He was not surprised that Posada would be reluctant to end his season.
"I think that's what players want to do all the time, they want to play," Girardi said. "Obviously he's eventually going to have surgery, and it's an ongoing process and discussion between everyone involved. Right now, he's talking about trying to DH and play first. We'll just see how things go."
Posada had never spent a day on the disabled list before this season, but his weakened state made it easy for opposing clubs to take advantage of him on the basepaths. The Yankees tried a strengthening program to help his shoulder, but the repeated workload of throwing made the gains negligible. Removing catching from his duties could help.
"If I'm not throwing and I strengthen it, I won't feel it because I'm not messing with the labrum," Posada said.
Girardi said that over the course of the next two weeks, he would meet with Posada and general manager Brian Cashman to decide the proper next step. Girardi said that it is "possible" Posada could not be ready to catch on Opening Day 2009 if he delays the surgery.
"That's something that Jorge has to wrestle with," Girardi said. "This is not like a decision that is up to Brian or myself or the doctors. The player has to be on board. Jorgie has to weigh the risk and reward. You can't make a player do something -- that's the bottom line."
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
I think that Posada may be feeling bad about the big contract that he got and not being able to do his job. He wants to do anything possible to contribute this year when probably the best thing that he can do for the team is to get the shoulder fixed.