Of Mice And Men (Part 2 of 3)

"Derek Jeter continues to feed the team"

Clearly, Grand Puba Torre would never pinch hit Cairo, Cabrera or Nieves for his starters (we’ll get to the Phelps/Mientikie%$&^&^ conundrum later), but its not because the starters are so good (well, some of them are), its because Cairo, Cabrera and Nieves stink. Cairo and Nieves are automatic outs, we’d probably be better of sending Larry Bowa and Don Mattingly in as his pinch hitters. So, yes Michael Kay you are correct this bench cannot pinch hit. But, that’s not really the problem. Bench players do not only pinch-hit, they have other useful purposes like waking up Torre when he falls asleep, pinch running for Jason Giambi when he gets to first in a close game and then depriving the Yanks of one of their most potent bats later in the game, and, oh yeah, giving starters the day off. It is the last point that makes the Yankees neglect of their bench inexcusable. The Yanks are an old team, they were an old team in spring training, and they will be old at the end of the season. It was pure folly to presume that Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui were going to play 162 games. Sure enough, Damon has yet to be truly healthy, Giambi has bone spurs in his heel and Matsui has already been on the DL. Damon and Giambi have courageously avoided the DL, but their injuries are affecting their play (Giambi is 0-18 since developing his problem). Unfortunately, those three at 50% or even 25% optimal health are light years better than whomever would replace them off the bench. While you can’t predict an exact injury, it was not a stretch in the pre-season to figure someone was going to get hurt. A failure to plan for that inevitability is costing the Yankees.

Furthermore, while the Yanks don’t need to pinch-hit for slumping, but non-injured, hitters like Cano and Abreu, it would be nice to give them a day off to get their problems worked out. For instance, last week Boston sat Dustin Pedroia, who had just gotten above the Mendoza line, when they were facing Roy Halladay. Presumably, Boston skipper Terry Francona, did not want his young second baseman to face one of baseball’s best when he was just getting his swing going. Notably, Boston back up Joey Cora went 2-4. Now Cora may not be Honus Wagner, but compared to Cairo he is. See the Yanks have to stick with Abreu and Cano through thick and thin, because they will get hits eventually, we know their back ups may never get a hit again.