For the countless articles that have been written about the Yankees’ LF situation, no one has even mentioned the idea of putting Curtis Granderson there…except for your friends at NoMaas.
And at long last, someone in the media sees the forest beyond the trees:
With plenty of ground to cover at Yankee Stadium, Yankees manager Joe Girardi is open to the idea of moving Curtis Granderson to left field and using Brett Gardner in center field after Spring Training begins.
“I think Curtis Granderson, as skillful as he is, could play anywhere in the outfield,” Girardi said. “That’s something that he could do. But right now, we’re not sure exactly what our club is going to be, so it’s hard to say what everyone is going to be.”
Well how about that.
29 Comments
Philip January 27, 2010 13:07
Which means we would have Brett Gardner who is the poor man’s version of Jacoby Ellsbury in our starting lineup. And Granderson as an upgrade to Damon? Yeah if you like your left fielder to strike out 200 times. Rounding out this murderer’s row of outfielders is Nick Swisher, awesome, simply awesome. Yeah not going for the second year on Damon was brilliant
Business Suit January 27, 2010 13:13
Granderson > 2nd year of Damon
And somehow 29 HR and .380 OBP is now a problem?
Go away.
K.B.D. January 27, 2010 13:13
Totally, Phillip. Vague allusions to Ellsbury (who plays terrible defense in CF as opposed to Gardner), saying Granderson strikes out 200 times a year (141 last year =/= 200, and he plays way better defense than Damon) and calling Nick Swisher weak hitting (he who bashed 29 HRs last year) are completely correct and defensible points.
You’re awesome.
Shelley Duncan January 27, 2010 13:17
GEEZE PHILLIP EVEN I THINK UR A DUMBASS…*SMASH*
Voomo Zanzibar January 27, 2010 13:53
Shelley, that was lame how they called you up and then sent you down the next day without letting you play. (Wasn’t Cody the Barbarian still on the roster?)
Dunno when you are going to play this year behind Sizemore, Choo, and the kid Brantley; but i hope you SMASH 30 homers.
Jeff January 27, 2010 14:13
how about they just sign damon???
Butcher January 27, 2010 14:14
I think Granderson is better than Damon…and have since they got Granderson.
The only thing I am going to say here is Brett Gardner better be at least servicable or people are going to freak out big time on the guy. Lot of pressure on him. You guys seem to be a patient bunch on nomaas. I think it’s a good trait to give a guy a full year, but you and I both know that the average guy that goes to a Yankee game is going to freak out if Brett is hitting .250 and has 2 HR’s in mid July. He’ll be hated..
I am hoping he’s an explosive exciting spark plug kind of guy. But the Yanks fan base is not the Rays…can you imagine BJ Upton having the year he did last year for the Yanks…he would have been run out on a rail.
If Swisher ever learns to hit at Yankees stadium…forget about it…I can’t understand why he can’t hit in a park built for slugging lefties?
Brett Gardner may you hit .300 and steal 60! If not I will be calling out Nomaas on the daily.
KyleLitke January 27, 2010 14:19
Actually I’ve seen it suggested quite a few places. I’ve also seen it pointed out that if Granderson was in left and Gardner was in center, nobody would be complaining about how badly we need to replace Gardner. We’ve had Melky for years in center now without complaints, who is essentially Gardner with a bit more power, much less speed, worse defense, and less of a chance to improve.
Shelley Duncan January 27, 2010 14:30
THANKS VOOMO, ACCORDING TO CHONE IM SLATED FOR 27, BUT I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK! *SMASH*
Jeff January 27, 2010 14:43
Gardner was so good last season in Centerfield that he lost his job in how long????
He’s not good.
Voomo Zanzibar January 27, 2010 14:56
Please excuse my repeating information, but this is for Kyle, who thinks that Melky has little chance of improving:
Bernie, age 20, AA-AAA
.239 ba .399 slg
Melky, age 20, AA-AAA
.269 ba .402 slg
Bernie, through age 24 in the bigs
.262 .339 .388 .726
Melky, through age 24 in the bigs
.269 .331 .385 .716
Really, can we all just admit that we are bunch of lazy nerds who may be adept an analyzing numbers but who certainly arent better than major league GMs and scouts when it comes to predicting a player’s success?
If half the people posting on this site were in charge, after the 1993 season we would have traded Bernie Williams and maybe a ss prospect named Jeter to the Braves for Jeff Blauser.
Voomo Zanzibar January 27, 2010 15:08
…addendum:
time-period adjusted
Bernie 100 ops+
Melky 88 ops+
Kevin S. January 27, 2010 15:25
I can’t understand why he can’t hit in a park built for slugging lefties?
Small. Sample. Size.
Butcher January 27, 2010 15:30
Kevn S. a full year is a small sample size? Really? What’s a large sample then?
Butcher January 27, 2010 15:32
Can we DH for Gardner when CC pitches? I feel more comfortable with CC hitting.
chase January 27, 2010 15:42
Randy Winn is a Yankee. wtf
Kevin S. January 27, 2010 16:04
Kevn S. a full year is a small sample size? Really? What’s a large sample then?
Except it wasn’t a full year. It was half a season. Weird things can happen in 290 PA.
Kevin Davis January 27, 2010 16:16
You’re comparisson of Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury is laughable. It just goes to show you don’t do you’re homework. Brett Gardner didn’t lose his job because he was out performed by Fatty Cabrera. He lost his job because he broke his thumb and was out of the line-up for almost a month. When he returned healthy, Girardi for some reason kept Cabrera in the outfield. Where’s the fat Melkster now? Gardner hit over .300 when he played regularly before he broke his thumb. Brett was also far superior to Cabrera in Centerfield. Do your homework!
Mike K January 27, 2010 16:27
Guys, relax. Randy Winn is here to fix everything.
Philip January 27, 2010 17:09
Yeah awesome, we wont miss Damon, Melky or Matsui and Granderson will strike out more than 141 times this year. But keep throwing stats my way until the Yankees are not in the the playoffs because clearly Gardner, Granderson and Nick Johnson is better than Melky, Damon and Matsui. Thanks I am glad that is clear
K.B.D. January 27, 2010 17:37
You were the one who threw stats out there, Phillip, when you said Granderson would strike out 200 times. Don’t change your story when you’re wrong. You don’t use stats because you can’t make a rational point. If you’re so adamant Melky, Damon and Matsui is better than Gardner, Granderson and NJ, try to find some evidence other than throwing around a sarcastic comment.
AsswipeHero January 27, 2010 17:45
No Winn situation:
’09: Games-149, plate appearances-538, strike outs-93, walks-47, homeruns-2
Freakin 2 homeruns in 538 plate appearances!
Chip January 27, 2010 18:09
Seriously guys, Randy Winn hit .295/.345/.404 last year on the road. Put him in Yankee stadium and he might hit decently.
Melky/Damon/Matsui combined to put up a 7 WAR last season
Granderson/Gardner/Johnson combined to put up a 7.9 WAR last season.
Damon+Matsui+Melky last season cost 27.4 millions while the news guys were only 9.4 million.
Now consider that Gardner didn’t get nearly as many at-bats as Melky, Granderson had the worst season of his young career while Damon had one of his best and Johnson was injured. On top of that, Granderson and Johnson are in their primes whereas Damon and Matsui are clearly out of theirs.
How can anybody seriously be upset about how this offseason has gone?
Kevin S. January 27, 2010 19:37
“How can anybody seriously be upset about how this offseason has gone?”
Because Granderson and Johnson are clearly incapable of stealing two bases ON THE SAME PLAY!!!1!! or getting clutch hits when it matters. D’uh!
/sarcasm
Last Night I Dreamed I Was Playing Centerfield in Yankee Stadium in My Underwear January 27, 2010 19:56
Granderson + Gardner + Johnson + Vasquez – 2009 Wang > Damon + Matsui + Melky + Coke
QED
Voomo Zanzibar January 27, 2010 20:38
Randy Winn.
Ok.
There it is.
…was gonna say, Righthanded Bat… 5th Outfielder… Veteran Presence…
…worth at least an invite to Spring Training….
…just sayin’…
…Rickey
Henley
Henderson…
Butcher January 28, 2010 07:42
LOL AT RANDY WINN! WOW!
Peter Krieger January 28, 2010 22:34
To reiterate some prior points, using defensive statistics and saber-metrics, the Yankees would be foolish to not go with Grandy in LF and Gardner in CF. They are a MUCH better team than vice versa. Check their UZR/150, Grandy is around 6 for CF (need to double check) and Gardner’s UZR/150 is 27.
Phieleblunt January 29, 2010 11:33
Gardner has about as much of a chance of hitting .300 as Bret Pedroia does of getting a job coaching grade school soccer. Gardner is a pinch runner/defensive substitute who somehow is going to be in the Yankees starting lineup.