Get NOMAH!!!!
http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/012534.php

Signing Nomar is worth signing for depth and protection from injury for our other players. Joe will make it work out as far as playing time. That is what he is best at. But most of all, he is worth signing for the chance that he hits his upside, grinds his ax in Boston and haunts the Fenway faithful all 2006.

I think Bubba will be adequate in CF, but shouldn't the Yankees be looking more for a CF and bullpen help than at Nomar the super-utility player?

I think it would be good to have Nomar being a super utility player for Torre. He would likely get 130 games in if healthy and having a genuine peer of the Yankee superstars doing odd jobs every day would have a strong example to put the team first in the clubhouse. How could anyone bitch with Garciaparra being a utility player - a living object lesson of how your career can turn on a dime thru injury. Play for today, gentlemen. Couple the Nomar story with Giambi overcoming a very rough few years and the subtraction of Kevin Brown and suddenly you have a much grittier ballclub than recent vintage. Plus if Nomar can hit and play outfield then Sheffield becomes a very attractive chip to flip for needs in the summer of '06. I love idea of the Nomar addition.

Sign me up for this NoMaas Nomar Plan. I think he's versatile and athletic enough to pull it off. But would Nomar be comfortable in this role?

The guy is as ritualistic as baseball players get, as evidenced by his Rain Man'esque batting-glove slapping, toe-tapping routine in the batter's box.

Could this creature of habit function as a utility player, or would the Yanks be expecting too much in bouncing him around the ballpark?

All we are saying is give Nomi a chance.
No-Mar Mo-Mar. Wish R Gee were here to handle the chanting on this.
Given the money and time commitment everyone seems to be talking about this would make too much sense. Why wouldn't they sign him?

I still remember the stat from 2003 that Nomah swung at the first pitch 60% of the time.

If given a choice, Jason Michaels in CF or Nomar playing the super utility role. I would vote for getting Michaels. In a ideal world, a perfect utopia where the Yankees always WON, Boston always lost and Bonds would deflate/explode like the Hindenburg, getting both Michaels and Nomah would be awesome. I would love to see Sheffield DH more. We need role players, really good role players. I still have those images of Cairo hitting 9th and getting that double in game 5 of the ALCS and da big guns not able to bring him in. I want players that will be a nightmare on opposing teams. BTW, why haven't the Yanks explored Cairo as another utility player they should get?

Of course in 2003, he batted .301/.367/.500 for an OPS of .867.

I also remember that terrible funk he got in September and October of that year too.

Why don't they sign Mia Hamm and have her play center field instead?

The Yanks have, according to the News and Goldman on his Pinstriped Blog, Cairo is Plan B

Dimelo, I'm with you on this. In the this the "best of all possible worlds", as a Dr. I once knew said, Nomi, Michaels and Cairo will play for the Yankees.

Two things that maybe only interest me but I've been wrestling with the urge to put them out there (feel free to ignore):
1. Anyone care that the U.S. has told a dominant baseball competitor that they can't compete in the WBC? Will the winner play Cuba for the real championship after the WBC tournament? If I had even a passing interest in this thing its gone now. And I'm not interested in hearing about our Federal trade regulations or Dept of the Treasury etc. Congress got so interested in the Steroids mess that they spent lots of the people's time considering baseball issues, for the benefit of the "kids". Don't tell me they couldn't do some quick work on a joint bill to prevent this disgrace. There was no Steroid back scratching that could have been done or quid pro quo that could have been given? Don't tell me this has just occurred to everyone. Used car Bud's protestations ring a little hollow.
2. Speaking of the "kids" anyone check out how much like a Christmas Elf Ms. Benson dressed yesterday? Nice girl, she'll clearly take the shirt off her back for those little ones; and off her front too. A very child focused gesture on a very classy lady's part. Hey not that I'm complaining and I'll bet those little guys weren't either. It's just that I haven't seen an elf dressed that way since I had the pleasure of attending a private screening of "Debbie does Santa".

Given the option of using Cairo or Garciaparra as an utility player, I would take Garciaparra (payroll notwithstanding) in a heartbeat. The year Cairo had with us seems like a fluke. His OPS the two years preceding his Yanks tenure was .660 and .664. Then he came to the Yanks and put up an OPS of .763 -- pretty good for a utility guy. But with the Mets, he regressed with an OPS of .620. That is just as bad as Bubba Crosby but for 3 times Crosby's salary. Cairo, believe it or not, could be over-rated.

In roughly the same number of games, he only drew 7 more walks than Womack, giving Cairo an OBP of .296. Cairo's career OBP is almost exactly the same as Womack's.

At his worst, Garciaparra is better than that.

I agree, Cairo vs. Nomar there is no comparison. Get Nomah. But, let's be frank here...not everyone in baseball will have an OBP north of .350. You need role players that don't necessarily fit the "ideal", "model", baseball player Baseball Prospectus thinks every player should be. Cairo can come in and play 1st, 2nd, SS or 3rd. You need players like that. You need a deep bench, we didn't have that last year. The Yanks couldn't use anyone that shitty bench because they sucked so bad. They could hardly play defense, they couldn't hit, they couldn't run, they couldn't do anything well.

Nomar should be able to play all those positions as well. And frankly if Ruben Sierra can play right field for us last year, so how much worse can Nomar be out there as well?

Let's hope we can get him as a super sub.

You are right: Yanks' bench was horrible last year. By eliminating Flaherty, Sierra and Womack, we have already improved the team. We just need to replace them with players who are at least average baseball players. Bernie fits the mold and so does Nomar.

Wsporter, I hate that everything in America is done to protect the "kids". I'm tired of that shit and the law/govt constantly getting involved in a adults life and their own entertainment because a kid probably might enjoy it too. Where are the responsible parents protecting their kids? I say f- the kids and start putting the burden of responsibility back on the parents who decided to fornicate and make "crazy little Johnny" and think that it was up to the community and government to look out for their little nut-job's best interests. You weren't stating that was your position, but anytime I see the word "kids" and your reference to a "very child focused gesture" got me going - I know that wasn't your intention. Plus, when I was a kid I remembered how much I enjoyed seeing the ladies in scantly clad clothing -- shit I was a normal kid like that from the time could breath I think. Also, have you seen the way some of the girls dress nowadays in school? Anna Benson looks like a nun compared to how girls dress these days, but that's the parents responsibilities to curb their kids enthusiasm to grow up so quick. I know I wouldn't let my daughter dress that way, but if I were a young teenage male today that I wouldn't be complaining either.

On the Cuba thing, it is so f'en political…this administration and the Cuban exiles back in Miami have way too much clout and since they tend to vote primarily Republican than Bush and his cronies have no other choice but to look out for their continuants. Who cares about the greater good when they can keep sticking it to the people of Cuba, those are the one's who ultimately suffer. F- them too. They don't realize how good this makes Castro look, you can already here him saying: I agreed to play in this American sponsored sporting event that was suppose to be the "World" Baseball Classic but the petty little Americans wouldn't let us Cubans enter their country. …say it with me people…long live the Revolution.

I was psyched when the Mets signed Delgado, just so I would have the option of watching him on a regular basis, all GM realities aside. The same goes for Nomar. Seems like he would make some sense, but i don't really care about the rationale. The fact that he might play here has me checking the web every five minutes, did he sign, did he sign???? He's such a firecracker, all crack and slash. It would be fun. I'm not enjoying being patient about this one.

Dimelo, amen!

Dimelo:

Nice Rant. My point on the delicious Ms. Anna is that all we heard for the two weeks before the event was how upset she was because she wouldn't be there for "the Kids" if the Mets traded her husband. As though that would somehow prevent her from doing something for kids. When she does show up she's dressed in a way that "says look at me, its all about me". I'm so sick and tired of pandering to that type of celebrity BS. I couldn't give a rats ass if she wants to pose for Penthouse or Playboy or The Harvard Business Review. Just shut the F up and go do it. Don't work a room full of kids in order to get us to proclaim you and your 38's Mother Theresa incarnate.

As for "the kids" issue I couldn't agree with you more. I'm sick of it. Many parents need their asses kicked. Its their fault not mine, not yours' and not society's that their kids are f'd up. The "F-trophy" concept is alive and well and the sickest thing we do as a society.

I just hope Nomahh knows what he's getting himself into if he takes on a Utility Position.

I'm sure he must still believe he has what it takes to be an everyday shortstop somewhere. So I can't figure his angle on even considering this. To stick it to the Sox? The glamour of a bit part on Broadway, rather than a lead role in Kansas City or Seattle or Pittsburgh?

If the Yanks do sign him, I can just see him sulking on the bench come mid-June.

Color me bearish on Nomar. Don't like his attitude, below average defense or brittle body.

Yeah, this so-called "World Baseball Classic" is becoming a bigger joke every day.

Since, it's niether a "classic" nor open to the "world", makes me wonder if they'll even be playing "baseball".

Dimelo,

Amen X 2. As a high school teacher, all I can say is that I wish more people felt the way you do - on both your issues.

If we let Cuba compete in the WBC, then Castro has won.

JohnnyC,
If Mel had helped Fidel develop a 3rd pitch, rather than letting him groove fastballs on 2-strike counts, he'd have made the bigs, and all this would be a moot point.

Hey Treasury Dept, go fix something that needs fixing. Just because Congress messes around with baseball doesn't mean you have to, too.

"... then Castro has won."

Won What?

Right, Castro is a real threat to our national security these days. With all the revenue garnered from the WBC, folks there might actually be able to upgrade their cars from a '50 Studebaker to a '53 Edsel.

it's the principle, dammit! Play footsie with the russians, no split-finger fastball for you!

JohnnyC wrote: "If we let Cuba compete in the WBC, then Castro has won."

With all due respect, that's a bunch of horseshit!!

And what exactly would Castro have won? The friggin' guy is junior dictator these days. Cuba sits the south of Florida and hasn't burped out a hostile gesture in decades. The chest thumping baboons running our country need an enemy in every corner of the world, be it Saddam in the Mideast, France and Germany in Europe, Chavez in South America, and of course the easiest of them all, Castro in Central America/caribean.

No, Castro wouldn't win...these right-wing idiots would WIN...and the biggets losers of all would be the Cuban people.

Hey guys, I'm going to go out on a limb here and wager that JohnnyC was joking. You know, as in "If the Yankees don't get Jason Michaels for Scott Proctor, the terrorists will have won."

But I'll let JohnnyC speak for himself...

"If we let Cuba compete in the WBC, then Castro has won."

I think that's a joke, people...

marcus beat me to it.

Johnny C didn't finish his sentence maybe we should finish it for him, here's what I think he was trying to say:
If we let Cuba compete in the WBC, then Castro has won...a Sirius satellite radio so he could tune into Howard 100.

getting back to baseball talk, Rotoworld has this little tidbit of interest:

"The Arlington Heights Daily Herald believes Jon Garland is a near lock to be traded before the start of next season.
The White Sox have a better chance of locking up Jose Contreras. Garland has already turned down a three-year deal and seems intent on testing the market a year from now. The White Sox would be looking for young pitching to replace him, maybe a couple of left-handers to replace the prospects they had to trade for Jim Thome. Garland's departure would put Brandon McCarthy in the rotation where he belongs."

Hmmm..Garland won 18 games in '05 and he's a "near lock" to be traded? For lefties?

I know this would be a LOOONG shot, but I'd give up Sean Henn (LHP), Wang (RHP) and any other top lefty AA or single A prospect for Garland, who is only 26 years old.

I agree with ShawnClap, I think Nomar is making a big mistake by selling himself as a utility player. And, much as he might help the Yankees, I think that would be the worst situation from his point of view. Torre has always been devoted to regular players in clearly-defined roles; time-sharing is the least of his skills. I don't think Nomar would see any appreciable time at SS, 3B or LF, and probably not much at 2B either. He'd be lucky to get 300 AB, and he shouldn't settle for that.

He really should do what Andre Dawson did years ago: pick the team that offers him the best situation and go to them. Sign with them for one year for peanuts, then show the world what you've still got left. I'd suggest either Toronto or Minnesota, if he can take the turf; both have a chance to contend, desperately need a bat, and even offer a chance for him to win the SS job outright.

Garland had a career year last year. I don't trust him anymore than I'd trust Javy Vazquez in a critical game, with the bases loaded and Johnny Damon up to bat.

About Nomar swinging on the 1st pitch. He's pretty damn good when he does -

2002: .325/.329/.669/.998
2003: .340/.339/.617/.956
2004: .354/.369/.598/.967
2005: .370/.375/.696/1.071

The real problem is that in 2005, he didn't swing at the first pitch enough - his rate fell to .20 from .26 (2004), .25 (2003), and .27 (2002).

Was it a slowing of the bat, a lack of confidence, or the fact that he wasn't back to health after the injuries of 04/05?

I think he'd be a good risk. His defense at 3B for the Cubs last year was adequate, so he'd be adequate at SS & 2B as a reserve as well. Even if he wasn't league average, he'd still be an upgrade over Bernie of 05 in CF, Sheffield in RF, and Giambi at 1B.

I predicted (to some of my Red Sux loving friends) that the Yankees would sign Nomar someday - mostly just to irk the Fenway faithful.

I'm not sure I could take his Rain Man like routine every at bat though.

I'm fairly sure that no teams with an opening at SS are interested in Nomar. Both Toronto and Minnesota have young prospects that they're committed to playing at SS, while KC doesn't have the money, Pittsburgh has an established young cheap starter in Wilson. Seattle seems to make sense, but they're not interested for some reason.

I think Nomar has to choose between being an RF for the Dodgers, a LF for the Astros, or a sub for either the Indians or Yankees.

The Yankees are probably the best option for him - money, incentives, and a winning team.

I gotta put myself in the anti-Nomah camp. $6mil for what? A bad attitude, declining skills, a propensity for injury and questionable defense. I just don't see how he adds much value to the team.
And where can I get some of those A.Benson "Naughty Elf" shots? It's not for me...it's for the kids.

Has Sheffield expressed any opposition to playing more games at DH? It seems like if anyone on the Yankees would thrive at DH, it would be him. Stick Nomar in as the RF starter, he's got a strong arm (perhaps not that accurate) from what I hear.

Sheffields 3-year average (2002-2004) at DH and at RF:

DH: .331/.432/.617/1.049 (180 PAs)
RF: .301/.394/.544/.938 (1832 PAs)

Ok, so it's a small sample size, but the pattern continued (with limited PAs) in 2005 as well:

DH: .312/.385/.570/.955 (104 PAs)
RF: .288/.379/.502/.881 (565 PAs)

Why would anyone give two shits about the WBC, regardless of what country is or isn't allowed to play? We already have a tournament that pits the best players in the world against each other--it's called major league baseball. Why do we need to conconct a tourney that reconfigures players along national(istic) lines? One of the great advantages of professional sports over international amateur athletics--in my opinion--is that it tends to blur national lines. This is one of the reasons why I don't watch the Olympics, because I am turned off by the often ugly results of the mixture of sports and nationalism.

The whole WBC is yet another gimmick that MLB (Selig) has cooked up that plays to the lowest common denominator (in my opinion). It is not too different from the current All-Star Game gimmick, itself a short-sighted and knee-jerk reaction.

And to top it off, there is the threat of injury in an exibition game (which should, by definition, be essentially meaningless).

I hope the whole WBC folds, and not because the US is "wrong" in preventing Cuba from playing--and frankly, the politics of this decision are a tad more complicated than some here have allowed--but because the entire idea is ill-conceived and rooted in the very chest-thumping nationalistic ideology that other commenters have decried.

My bad on the Johnny C comment. I saw a high horse and couldn't help getting on.

if the option to nomar is Cairo, then this seems like a no brainer. If signing Nomar somehow gums up the works for a CFer, ie Pavano nixes Beltran,... but that doens't seem likely. If that guy can be driven to play in NY, then I think it's a smart, and exciting move. All he has to do is beat out the next best utitlity guy and it's smart money.

I don't think Anna Benson's elf-alicious get-up was intended to shock or delight the kiddies. I think she was simply demonstrating to the baseball community her willingness to play any position for any team, including pitcher or catcher.
I'd certainly give her $6-8 million of Steinbrenner's money to play the field. Heh.

Re: Cuba, I couldn't care less about who participates in this Intergalactic Baseball Extravaganza. I just find it funny that on the same day we hear that commie Cuba is banned from Selig's reindeer games, commie China announces it will air "Desperate Housewives." (seriously)

Hey Standup, you'll spoil those kids.
I had no idea that Sheffield ranked as low as he did defensively among outfielders last year (i.e. 71st in fielding Win Shares). Would a good athlete like Nomar be much worse? Between Right, Left, 1st and some other infield work I bet we could make room for his bat.

B.B.A. did their recap of the Oakland/LA deal. What the hell does Beane do hypnotize people?
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/051214ethier.html

Don't bother to print WBC boxscores in the paper, I'm not reading them. Uncle Bud can go commit fraud on his own. I appologize for bringing it up. I hate to encourage those people.

I am kind of excited about the WBC. By mid-Jan I'm getting the shakes in anticipation anyways, counting down the days until pitchers and catchers report like Russel Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind". I see it as another All Star game, except more meaningful to the players. Did you forget that the US missed the Olympics last time? I love the passion for the game and any player that exhibits that. A lot of these guys have never gotten to play on the US team in the Olympics (good for MLB, I'd hate to do anything like hockey...well, except salary cap). Plus I think it's good for the game in the global perspective.
I do think the whole Cuba thing is misguided. There should be some consolations to make this thing go through. Maybe make sure the $ Cuba makes goes into a mutually agreed upon humanitarian group (that's what this is all about...$ and the US trade embargo).
Oh yeah, I watch AAA, college, whatever good baseball I can set my eyes on. So take my previous comments based on that. And I'll be there in San Diego on St. Paddy's Day. Can you think of a better place that is stuffed with more young tan women, warm weather and that incorporates the best players in the game? To me it's Win Win (Win).

Standup, by "mutually agreed upon humanitarian group" you mean the Republican National Committee. Right?

Sure...or Halliburton. Whichever is easier.

Same thing?

I loved it when this past year they showed Cheney's big fat ugly mug at the Yankee stadium's big screen and everyone started to 'boo'. Now that's class da mutha f'en Bronx style.

Back to baseball. Good stuff on all-baseball about Nomah going to the Yanks.
http://www.all-baseball.com/archives/021340.html

I bet if there was a rule that you could only boo if you voted The House would've been half as quiet.

Count me in as one of the minority who's excited about the WBC. While over-zealous national pride occassionally rears its ugly head in international sporting events, good things happen as well.

I'll never forget the experience of the last World cup. I watched most games I could at my local "English Pub" in Barcelona. The pub was packed with people from every continent glued to the tv rooting on their country's players, without malice or ill-will. And at half-time everyone went for another pint and chatted about the match. It was fun. It was friendly and good-spirited.

I hope for the same with the WBC, albeit down the road. Baseball could only be so fortunate to be followed with such loyalty and passion both here and abroad.

"I bet if there was a rule that you could only boo if you voted The House would've been half as quiet. "

It is one argument for eliminating the electoral college -- in a state as safely blue as New York, there is less incentive to vote whether you are Democrat or Republican.

Of course, if he shows up now, I would guess that even the Republicans might boo.

Yeah, and they've booed DJ as well. My point is, NYers love to boo. God Bless every one of 'em.
Anyhoo, back to baseball. I'm assuming the new Yankee Stadium is moving forward. Hopefully better than the Giants/Jets plan.

I just hope they play the WBC every four years, that would keep it interesting. every year would be a bad idea.

Off-topic question. . . Can anyone explain how "player to be named later" trades worked? We're owed something from the D-Backs for Buddy Groom and we offered a player to the Marlins for Al Leiter.

I've always assumed "player to be named later" was just an excuse to allow teams to trade for cash because there's no leverage after one side has give up its player. . .

What do the Yanks get/give from their TBA trades?

Yankes just signed Myers. According to Newsday:

"Left-hander reliever Mike Myers and the Yankees finalized their $2.4 million, two-year contract on Thursday."

That would be $2.4M total, not per year.

Anyone sipping the Jon Garland kool-aid needs to back away from the straw slowly before someone gets hurt. I went to college in Chicago (graduated last year), so I've had a chance to watch him pretty closely. He benefitted from an extremely low BABIP last year, largely a function of the White Sox's awesome defense. The encouraging thing is that he really started to induce ground balls, but he's basically a one pitch guy (lame fastball, lame changeup, nice sinker). Did he turn a corner? Maybe, but I don't think Henn + Wang + prospects is a good investment.

About Nomar: spending $6 mil to have Garciaparra be your utility guy is the type of thing a team with the Yankees' resources SHOULD be doing.

Guys did you see the ESPN news story.

The rumor is that the YANkess Suck.

Nomar wan't to play for a winner, so I guess he is not going to sign with the yankees.

It's so satisfying when the trolls are illiterate.