On Monday, the Fielding Bible awarded Brett Gardner his second-consecutive award as the best defensive LF in baseball — further proof that the Gold Gloves Awards are a joke.
According to UZR, he is the best defender at any position in all of baseball, and it’s not even close. His UZR/150 of +31 was 57% higher than the player with the second-highest mark, Howie Kendrick (+19.4)
Brett Gardner is an absolute weapon defensively and the Yankee can better leverage his incredible run-saving capabilities by….
NoMaas Offseason Idea #2: Move LF Back
Is it an unorthodox idea? Maybe. But it happens more than you might think. The Mets are doing it RIGHT NOW to Citi Field. The right-center field wall at Petco was altered about 6 years ago. The Phillies moved back their left-field wall at around the same time. Before the 2003 season, the Tigers moved in the left-center field wall at Comerica.
Why not make balls hit to left field an even bigger death sentence for opposing hitters? Allow Brett Gardner to crush the hopes & dreams of the enemy.
On most days, the Yankees will put out a lineup with five left-handed bats (Granderson, Cano, Teixeira, Swisher, Gardner), so the change won’t affect them. While the move may cost Arod and Russell Martin a few home runs, it should have very little effect on Jeter. Montero, albeit in a very small sample size, has already shown he can go opposite field at the Stadium.
Let Brett Gardner go get it. Move LF back.
The Secretary of Defense
55 Comments
Bad Idea November 1, 2011 23:39
Don’t do it.
Sensitive RAB Guy November 2, 2011 19:02
CF!
Baby Brett's Priest November 3, 2011 08:16
Just move him to fucking center.
Joe Páwlikowski November 9, 2011 15:56
Just move his taint to my mouth.
Jerome from Manhattan November 1, 2011 23:45
What happens when Brett Gardner is no longer a Yankee? Do they move the fences back in? Why would they change the ballpark because they have a great LF?
MLB rules November 2, 2011 00:47
You can move walls back and forth.
Brandon November 1, 2011 23:49
Don’t fix something that isn’t broken?
Random Fan who Lurks Nomaas and posts in their chat whos nick name rhymes with purse November 1, 2011 23:50
heres a real option , move him back to CF and granderson to LF, now thats a move you make
StatBoy November 2, 2011 00:51
Exactly. If you want more ground for Brett to cover then move him to CF where the change will improve team defense in 100% of games rather than just home games.
Wrecky November 2, 2011 00:20
That is a terrible idea. What happens if Gardner gets hurt? Will Marcus Thames come to the rescue? Wouldn’t that be a treat!
Sato November 2, 2011 00:48
I didn’t realize Marcus Thames was still on the team.
Rey22 November 2, 2011 00:42
Seriously? I understand teams move walls back and forth sometimes, but it’s usually to impact the team as a whole. Moving it back because the Yankees have a good LF in Gardner is just ridiculous. If anything happens to him what do you do? Move them in again? Your offseason recommendations are usually level-headed and defensible, but this one is just fucking stupid.
Sato November 2, 2011 00:48
Jesus Christ…what the hell is wrong with all the commenters? Yankee fans have no balls anymore. You’ve become Red Sox fans who just agree with everything the front office does
K im Last November 9, 2011 15:57
Lumps
Better idea November 2, 2011 01:02
Why don’t we move the right field fences back to where they were in the old stadium and raise it a couple feet? This would stop all the faggy low line drive home runs and give more room for Mark Teixeira to hit singles and doubles in. I think one of the reasons his BABIP is so low is that if he doesn’t hit the ball 330 feet to right field it’s an out.
The Knicks are Back. November 2, 2011 01:04
Can’t say I dig it. The reasons have pretty much already been stated. What happens when he’s not there anymore? What happens if he gets hurt? Granted I don’t really know the rules on this stuff, but I find it hard to imagine teams are allowed to move the fences where ever they want whenever they want.
MLB Rules November 2, 2011 09:54
Teams are allowed to move fences whenever they want, provided it’s within a certain distance. Check out the links included in the article. The Tigers moved in their LF field wall 25 feet.
ummm... November 4, 2011 17:24
I assume “whenever they want” is restricted to periods *between games*.
Andrew Brackman November 2, 2011 01:06
Here’s an idea. How about not releasing prospects, however disappointing they have been, until you know for sure you can’t extract any value out of them. Maybe you should have tried me out as a full time reliever before declining my option and allowing me to potentially get “Aceves’d.” I was in the bullpen the last third of the season in AAA and was actually pitching well.
The Realist November 2, 2011 08:43
On average, your outings feature more balls than the entire Brazzers.com payroll.
The Yankees can take you back… at the major league minimum, not whatever option price Boras got for you.
Kyle November 2, 2011 01:30
This will never happen. I don’t really see the point either, especially when Gardner could move to CF.
Peter Gammons November 2, 2011 02:20
You do realize I’m on the panel for Fielding Bible with Joe Posnanski, right?
Peter Gammons November 2, 2011 03:35
I will only trade Joe Posnanski for a Justin Smoak type bat.
Peter's mom November 4, 2011 15:12
Nobody cares, dear.
Pete C. November 2, 2011 05:17
Left field is plenty big enough.
Why don’t we just concentrate on fixing Tex’s bat and getting some reliable starters.
AJ Burnett November 2, 2011 13:00
You mean like me, right?
Pete C. November 2, 2011 17:28
Maybe two years ago.
Barack Obama November 2, 2011 05:36
This is as goofy as my hope and change bullshit.
2012 – Four More Years!
Foxnews.com November 2, 2011 09:03
Come home wayward poster, you appear to have wandered from the echo chamber.
TSJC November 9, 2011 15:57
MY NIGGGA!
Ronald Reagan November 2, 2011 07:50
Mr. Gorbacev, tear down this wall!!
Brian Cashman November 2, 2011 08:47
The walls will be 461 to left center during the top half of innings. Then during the bottom half we will move them in to 300. We just hope that Gardner doesn’t run into the monuments out there.
763 Homeruns November 2, 2011 09:06
I doubt they would consider anything that would affect A-Rod’s chances of breaking Bonds’ HR mark. The promise of drama and revenue from that chase is about the only redeeming feature of that contract.
That being said, I would trade A-Rod at this point for a fencing contractor.
The Realist November 2, 2011 12:19
Do you think they will raise the mound to help CC’s chances of breaking Cy Young’s win total?
Dallas Braden November 2, 2011 12:53
Of course not!! That would just give Princess A-Rod more ground to walk across! Talk about DISRESPECTFUL.
Babe Ruth November 2, 2011 16:58
Bring back the 295 feet down the right field line! It served me well!
Brian Cashman's Vocabulary November 2, 2011 09:19
err…uhmm…..errrrrr…ah….umm
Max Secksapeel November 2, 2011 09:54
Lane Meyer, you are greatly missed. this site has gone to shit
CJ November 2, 2011 09:58
Oh noes! They post an idea you don’t agree with! The horror!
Pete C. November 2, 2011 17:35
You’re pretty much a regular, what’s the big deal?
Robbie Cano November 2, 2011 10:07
Where da yellow wimmin at?
Aww yeah!
Random Fan who Lurks Nomaas and posts in their chat whos nick name rhymes with purse November 2, 2011 10:51
why not make a movable LF , kinda like a retractable dome, but a LF that moves when you press a button that way you move it back when yankees are on the field and bring it foward when they go to bat, move it foward when a OP player is running a ball and the wall just slams him to the ground and we score 30 runs
DormantUlcer November 2, 2011 13:51
Yeah, just move him to Center and leave the building alone.
Summer Classic November 2, 2011 17:10
I’d love to see them try retro dimensions for one game a year. Get the old cavernous left center field, put some monuments out there center.
(I know this is totally impractical and not going to happe).
Just Johnny November 2, 2011 17:14
The best move the Yankees can do this offseason is hire whoever does the pitcher scouting for the Rays. This new kid Moore scares the shit out of me.
Random Fan who Lurks Nomaas and posts in their chat whos nick name rhymes with purse November 2, 2011 17:54
they need to remake yankee stadium so it best fits Jesus montero and it can be the house that Montero built, not a lot os space behind the catcher so passed balls arent that much of a problem, 2b is pushed back further allowing more time to montero get on his feet and throw a runner out at 2b, and a big monster in CF the big fuck you cause it would totally fuck most hitters that hit there and just have a bunch of singles
Random Fan who Lurks Nomaas and posts in their chat whos nick name rhymes with purse November 2, 2011 17:54
and a STFU ABOMB billboard it pink neon letters
Pee Boner November 2, 2011 20:03
Good idea. It fits with the team’s history. The line-up should be filled with lefty mashers, great lefty pitchers, and strong cf and lf defenders. I like it.
Jim Leyritz's Cellmate November 2, 2011 21:16
What? And sacrifice the revenue that those poor, mute fans could have brought?
Call me Crazy November 4, 2011 12:04
… Gardner and Montero to San Francisco for Lincecum (with an extension clause). Sign Sizemore to play left.
Fitzy November 4, 2011 17:20
Make left field laajeh??? They should get rid of left field completely, just like Fenway.
Curved Slightly November 6, 2011 01:32
Shit NoMaas, while we’re at do you think the Tigers would take Hughes and Romine for Verlander? Doesn’t sound like an unreasonable trade proposal to me…
Joe Páwlikowski November 9, 2011 15:58
I got 8 pie charts, 3 stat oriented pieces and my boyfriends penis that says YES.
While you're at it... November 10, 2011 15:06
Increase the height of the left field wall, paint it green and equip him with a sweet pair of Reebok pumps.
Willow Smith Stadium November 12, 2011 15:43
I move my walls back and forth!
I move my walls back and forth!
I move my walls back and forth!
I move my walls back and forth!