One area I definitely disagree with Sheehan is in how the Damon and Matsui contracts look now. At $13mn for the next two seasons, both contracts look fair/pretty good next to: Rowand (5 years/$60M), Hunter (5 years/$90M), Matthews (5 years/$50M) and Pierre (5 years/$44M).

I also don't get why everyone is so down on Matsui. Sure, his health has become an increasing concern, but he did put up an OPS+ of 123 in 547 ABs. I'd sign up for that right now...DH or not!

http://mbtn.net/node/3016

Also, did everyone see the Onion article, "Yankees To Play Exhibition Game Against The Media"? Hysterical. A few excerpts:

Though the Yankees have dominated the media in the past, winning 76 of 107 contests, if they hope to continue their string of success, they must overcome such factors as an aging veteran core, young inexperienced pitchers, and ESPN.com's Buster Olney adding a late-moving cut fastball to his pitching repertoire.

"No doubt about it, the New York media is tough," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "[New York Post columnist Mike] Vaccaro's got a nasty splitter that dives away from right-handed hitters, [WFAN radio host] Chris "Mad Dog" Russo can wreak havoc on the basepaths, and [New York Daily News writer] Mike Lupica is just a gigantic asshole. But we've got a good team, too."

YES broadcaster and sports talk-radio host Michael Kay will be doing the play-by-play. The media refused to let him join their team again, as in previous years, he has openly rooted for the opposing Yankees, and according to Caple, he "throws like a girl."

http://tinyurl.com/2sovkz

1 123 OPS+ for a fulltime DH or 1B is just not that exciting.

0 Heck yeah I'm excited. I think the vet pitchers will do worse than expected, and the kids will do a tad better.

I would play Giambi at 1B until he shatters, and then go from there.

I would LOVE it if they went with only 11 pitchers and a deeper bench, at least for part of the season. I know that the counter-argument is that the kids are on innings/pitch limits, so they need a deeper pen. But it occurs to me that they could try to use the MiL more cleverly this year, by swapping in and out various spare part pitchers and basically playing with a roster larger than 25 players. The danger is that occasionally pitchers would have to be exposed to wavers, but for most middle relievers, who cares?

Carlos Pena 172
David Ortiz 171
Jim Thome 150
Frank Thomas 125
Justin Morneau 121
Gary Sheffield 120
Casey Kotchman 119
Travis Hafner 118
Ryan Garko 117
Kevin Youkilis 117
Paul Konerko 116
Jose Vidro 109

As you can see, Matsui's 123 OPS+ would rank him 5th, just behind Thomas. Sure, it might not be "exciting", but relatively speaking, it is productive, even at 1B or DH.

Really, it's nice, after all the nonsense. Welcome back, Alex!

As for Derek, good for him!

You guys think he's trying to step up his defense?

First step, footwork?

If you include 1B, Matsui falls to 5th, behind Thome, Ortiz, and Pena. He was about a run better than Youkilis.

My guess is, adjusting for the change in position, Matsui probably falls a run or so behind the Thomas-Hafner-Sheff group at DH, and a run or so behind Youk at 1B. Still, not bad at all.

Well you all know I think tying production to position is silly.

But whatever, maybe I'm wrong about that and that a DH has to produce thus and such and no worse.

The question is, is there NO value in reliability?

Fine, Matsui doesn't hit 40 homeruns, but God, the man is a solid producer.

You know what to expect and you can expect 100 RBI, .300, 20-25HR.

How could such production, from any position, be made light of?

It is true that he may not produce so well, due to age and wear-and-tear. Of course.

But man, with his track record, I'll pencil him into my lineup any day.

Winter. Bah.

Hear, hear, friends.

I respond to the piece first (those bits that push my buttons), read the comments second.

Hence the repetition of your points, which you both expressed adequately.

:)

That said, this is the first year in a long time where I feel like there's not a feeling of entitlement with respect to making the playoffs. I'm actually more excited about that. There's something about seeing the possible future nucleus of this team come together that just makes me smile. I can get excited just to watch Hughes or Kennedy pitch a game. Hard to say the same thing about Igawa, Pavano and Rastens.

Yes, I understand that those DH PA's were in the context of 'rest' from the rigors of LF. But still, unless I'm just mis-remembering :) he has proven he can rake as DH, unlike Giambi whose output at the plate is way better when he's also in the field at 1B.

Just sayin.

Gonna be a big baseball year for me. New ballpark opening in my current town (DC), a few Chicago trips, and multiple trips home to see the Yanks a handful of times before they shut down the old ballpark in the Bronx.

"That said, this is the first year in a long time where I feel like there's not a feeling of entitlement with respect to making the playoffs. I'm actually more excited about that. There's something about seeing the possible future nucleus of this team come together that just makes me smile. I can get excited just to watch Hughes or Kennedy pitch a game. Hard to say the same thing about Igawa, Pavano and Rastens. "

Hear, hear.

Ha ha haha ha!

I don't know why, but that phrase tickles me pink.

:)

Having one of Cabrera/ Giambi / Damon / Abreu / Matsui in a game is probably counter productive, but having them on the DL is even more counter productive.

It doesn't take a physisian or Scientist or even baseball fan to realize that a fat 37 year old that hasn't been healthy in ages is the last guy you want to run out there on the field...

I could imagine a league where Matsui hits well at DH, but there are 6 other DHs who out-hit him. In comparison, the last time Posada was outhit by 6 other AL catchers was 1999 (and he only played 50% of the time), and for Jeter, well, is it fair to count 1995, since he only had 51 PAs? No? Ok, he's never been outhit by 6 other AL SS.

BTW, over the last 11 years (1997-2007), by VORP, the best season by a SS was . . .

Derek Jeter in 1999 (108.5).

A-Rod tops it only if you go back to 1996 (112.2). And going back to 1983, A-Rod's '96 season is the only one who tops it at SS. Amazing.

What are the options?

1) Run him out there at 1B everyday for sixty days--or however long he can endure the rigors of firstbase--and then enlist Miguel Cairo to play first.

2) DH-1B him in a way designed to stretch out his usefulness over the long haul. But to do that, you have to screw around with everyone else, which might prevent them (i.e., Matsui and Damon) from finding the rhythm they need to be productive.

I'd suggest #1. Squeeze him dry and move on from there.

Maybe that's why I don't understand the urgency of finding a better DH than he, as if somehow he's holding the team back.

Maybe it's the slippery slope thing: we can't have the number one player at each position nor do we need to scheme and plot to assemble such a team.

Plus, the consistency thing is important to me. I like the fact that Hideki's reliable. I think that's important.

It's a jungle out there.