Spring Training: 2008

[DoubleX]

We're hours away from pitchers and catchers reporting and the beginning of Spring Training. Here are some things to watch this spring:

- How will Girardi and the mostly new coaching staff settle in, and what kind of approach will Girardi take?

- How will the bullpen round out? Right now there are just three spots that seemed guaranteed (four if you count Chamberlain) - Rivera, Farnsworth, and Hawkins, with a lot of promising young arms vying for the last two or three spots.

- Who will win the 1B job? There are a lot of names in the mix - Giambi, Duncan, Ensberg, Betemit, Lane, Woodward, maybe even Miranda with a strong spring.

- Will Pettitte be distracted at all by his HGH admissions and all the Clemens stuff?

- How will the Yankees manage Chamberlain this spring?

- Who will round out the Yankees bench (a lot of this can depend on the 1B situation)?

- Will Damon and Abreu report in better shape this spring?

- Will A-Rod continue where he left off, and how will he be received?

- Which young arms have a chance to really leave a strong impression this spring?

[ChrisLDuncan]

We're hours away from pitchers and catchers reporting and the beginning of Spring Training. Here are some things to watch this spring:

- How will Girardi and the mostly new coaching staff settle in, and what kind of approach will Girardi take?

Likely a more strict one, he'll be more reasonable with the pen.

- How will the bullpen round out? Right now there are just three spots that seemed guaranteed (four if you count Chamberlain) - Rivera, Farnsworth, and Hawkins, with a lot of promising young arms vying for the last two or three spots.

I don't think Hawkins and Farns are guaranteed spots with Giradi, he doesn't seem to have the same veteran fetish that Torre had. I also think that Ohlendorf will be in the pen too.

- Who will win the 1B job? There are a lot of names in the mix - Giambi, Duncan, Ensberg, Betemit, Lane, Woodward, maybe even Miranda with a strong spring.

Jason Lane won't make the team. There may be an interesting platoon somewhere in there. Giambi will likely split time with Matsui DHing.

- Will Pettitte be distracted at all by his HGH admissions and all the Clemens stuff?

Likely not, but if he struggles he will.

- How will the Yankees manage Chamberlain this spring?

Very conservatively. Maybe 30 innings or so in the pen before the ASB, after that he'll be in the rotation.

- Who will round out the Yankees bench (a lot of this can depend on the 1B situation)?

Likely Betemit, Gonzalez, Ensberg, and maybe an OF that we pick up along the way.

- Will Damon and Abreu report in better shape this spring?

If they don't I don't think Giradi will tolerate them being out of shape.

- Will A-Rod continue where he left off, and how will he be received?

Likely no, that was a superhuman season he had last year. However, he should still be good. I dunno, he came back on his own free will, so maybe he'll be well received.

- Which young arms have a chance to really leave a strong impression this spring?

Any reliever. Horne, Veras, and Ohlendorf are my favorites for this.

[DoubleX]

Very conservatively. Maybe 30 innings or so in the pen before the ASB, after that he'll be in the rotation.

You think he'd be ready to go back to starting after pitching just 30 innings in the 1st half? If they use him as a one-inning setup guy for any length of time (which is how he'll likely be used if pitching just 30 innings in the first half), I think it will become increasingly difficult to go back to starting during the season. He won't have the stamina, his arm will be used to a totally different schedule, and he would not have been working on his offspeed pitches. I think we'll see Joba as more of a long-man out of the pen at first, and I imagine we could see him starting sooner than later (like as soon as someone misses a start, which seems to happen every April to the Yankees). Though, if Joba were to dazzle as a starter in Spring Training, and someone gets hurt, or say Mussina or Kennedy struggle badly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Joba start in the rotation (though they might skip him the first few times through as they won't need a 5th starter for a couple of weeks).

[Mattingly]

I think that Girardi's situation will be unique in the Bronx (or at least in Tampa Bay before this), since he's both been a Yankee and a member of the media as a YES broadcaster before this. Will he be more laid back with the team? Will he be seen as more demonstrating by example, whereas the young guys in Florida didn't seem very interested in him.

Not only is Joe Torre gone, but my namesake, the Yankee icon is no longer the bench coach, replaced by Rob Thomson, who wears #59. He's had 19 years with the Yankee organization, but I've never heard of him. Wow, and he even looks a little like Kevin Brown. ( )

We also have a new pitching coach, Dave Eiland, and Rich Monteleone has moved from bullpen coach to Special Pitching Instructor, replaced by Mike Harkey. Will also these new guys be wearing name tags saying, "Hi, I'm __________, your new Yankee ______ coach" or something similar?

If Damon's foot isn't as tender as it was in 2007, I think he'll play a fine LF and hit well to RF. His wet noodle arm may not be great, but he gets to the ball quickly, which may be as important, since you can't throw what you're chasing around too much.

Abreu can be a very good hitter. I think that he should be tried out in the #2 spot, but he insists upon being a #3 hitter. Put him 2nd and Jeter 3rd, then I believe that we'd get lots of production. I wouldn't mind seeing A-Rod batting 3rd also, seeing how well he does in situations like this.

I'm guessing that Wang wasn't given the 4-year deal that Cano was given, merely given arbitration for $4m in 2008 because the Yanks wanted to insure that he could deliver after he'd done poorly against Boston around September, and then he did badly in the ALDS. Anyway, I want to see him turn it around and give us the 7+ innings with only 2-3 runs that he'd given us in the past. If his mental fortitude is with us, then he can give us those quality games that we've known him to give us.

I do hope that Pettitte feels better. While Clemens may not be on the team, Andy surely is, and if he's asked to further testify in the Clemens thing, then that may bother him. He'd gone to Houston near where his family lived (in Deer Park, TX), was followed there by Clemens, where he'd also lived. Clemens kept his #22, but Pettitte abandoned his #46 for Clemens' old #21 when Rocket was in Boston and Toronto. All that has to weigh in on Andy's mind this season. Could Moose be helpful in this regard?

While I don't expect a 2007 season from A-Rod, if he hits well and drives in runners in key situations, I would be very pleased. Great infield defense from our guys, then Posada having another great year would also help.

I also hope for the best from Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy, so let's see our kids do some great work for us!

[Old Sweater]

-Will Mussina come back from the grave where many fans buried him?

[Mattingly]

-Will Mussina come back from the grave where many fans buried him?

If he can get his heater back in the low- to mid-90s, then his changeup being in the mid-80s would work, since there's a difference. If your changeup is in the 85-88 range and your heater is 90, then there's very little difference. Either that or he takes something off his changeup.

Moose may even try tossing everything soft like what Greg Maddux and Jamie Moyer do.

[Mariano_Rivera]

-Will Mussina come back from the grave where many fans buried him?

I personally think this is the biggest question we will face in ST.

Mussina is a huge key to the season. If his fastball is back up to 87-89 mph then he could be an innings eater and pitch solidly. This makes sure we don't stretch the the Big Three past their innings counts and we can see Joba in the bullpen a little longer (I still see him as a starter long term). If by the end of April he`s in the low to mid 80's with his fastball like it was when he struggled last season then we`re relying on Kennedy, Hughes, and Joba a lot more than anyone wants to.

[nyyfan]

How do you know who reports to ST?

[Mariano_Rivera]

How do you know who reports to ST?

I think the Yankees released a list

[TheKingofKings]

List of ST Invitees

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/roster_nri.jsp?c_id=nyy

[nyyfan]

Thanks guys

[Old Sweater]

I hope HR Hawkins has as good of a season for the Yankees as he had for the Rockies. Hawkins wasn't the greatest 'moment' pitcher at the start of the year but overall done a good job for the 2007 season. He still can get up to 95mph on his fastball and he stays in shape to look like a real athlete out on the mound.

[TonyStarks]

Lmao....

Funniest story this Spring Training Yet...from Abraham's Blog:



Carl Pavano is in camp. He has to be because he’s on the 40-man roster. The Yankees asked him to accept a payoff on the final year of his deal then take a minor-league contract and he refused.

Pavano had surgery last June and almost certainly won’t be ready to pitch until 2009. He’ll be somebody else’s problem then.

To say Pavano is a pariah is an understatement. He asked one of the clubhouse kids for a small box today to store some things he had in his locker. The kid went over to a garbage pail, fished out an orange Nike shoebox, dumped a half-eated sandwich out of it and handed it to Pavano.

None the wiser, the “American Idle” (as the Post calls him), put it in his locker.

When the clubbies hand you garbage, that’s a sign your team has had enough of you.

[Old Sweater]

Funniest story this Spring Training Yet...from Abraham's Blog:



Carl Pavano is in camp. He has to be because he’s on the 40-man roster. The Yankees asked him to accept a payoff on the final year of his deal then take a minor-league contract and he refused.

Pavano had surgery last June and almost certainly won’t be ready to pitch until 2009. He’ll be somebody else’s problem then.

To say Pavano is a pariah is an understatement. He asked one of the clubhouse kids for a small box today to store some things he had in his locker. The kid went over to a garbage pail, fished out an orange Nike shoebox, dumped a half-eated sandwich out of it and handed it to Pavano.

None the wiser, the “American Idle” (as the Post calls him), put it in his locker.

When the clubbies hand you garbage, that’s a sign your team has had enough of you.

That is hilarious. I don't blame the kid.

[DoubleX]

Funniest story this Spring Training Yet...from Abraham's Blog:



Carl Pavano is in camp. He has to be because he’s on the 40-man roster. The Yankees asked him to accept a payoff on the final year of his deal then take a minor-league contract and he refused.

Pavano had surgery last June and almost certainly won’t be ready to pitch until 2009. He’ll be somebody else’s problem then.

To say Pavano is a pariah is an understatement. He asked one of the clubhouse kids for a small box today to store some things he had in his locker. The kid went over to a garbage pail, fished out an orange Nike shoebox, dumped a half-eated sandwich out of it and handed it to Pavano.

None the wiser, the “American Idle” (as the Post calls him), put it in his locker.

When the clubbies hand you garbage, that’s a sign your team has had enough of you.

It's quite infuriating that he wouldn't accept the buyout and then a minor league contract. Under that scenario he would have received his contract money anyway plus the still very slim chance he could pitch for the Yankees this year, but the team would be able to use that roster spot on someone else (I'm actually guessing they might not have cut Rasner, who came back on a minor league deal anyway). How selfish can a player get? At the very least they'll be able to put him on the 60 day DL when the season starts and that will open up a 40 man roster spot.

It will be interesting to see what kind of interest Pavano gets from teams next year. I'm guessing he'll likely get a 1-year deal at best and have to prove himself.