Helping out a good cause

Life has finally settled down and baseball is pretty much back in action, which means I better get myself back in gear updating this thing.

I am heading to Tampa on March 3rd to see the Yankees in action. I have been taking this trip for about 6 years (in addition to when I went in 1996, back when the Yankees were less anal and actually let you get close to the players) and it always is a blast. Hopefully this year is the same.

When you head to games in the beginning of March, the regulars start for about 3 innings and are replaced by the younger, developing players. If you are a fan of the minor leagues, this is definitely the time to head down to Tampa.
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As an aside, Brett Gardner is heading to Albany tomorrow as part of the Center for Disability Services Telethon. It is an annual event to benefit this amazing organization that does so much for individuals in upstate NY and even those well outside of the Capital Region. Here is an article from FOX23 sports that details the event. Included in the article:

Brett Gardner, starting left fielder with the World Champion New York Yankees and Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver with the New York Giants, will be special guests at the 50th Center for Disability Services Telethon on Sunday, January 31, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Albany. Both players will appear in the sports area and will meet fans and sign autographs. The specific times and details of their appearances will be announced soon.

Gardner, who is a native of South Carolina, signed with the Yankees in 2005, and made his major league debut in June 2008. He is considered the fastest base runner in the Yankee organization

....The 50th Center for Disability Services Telethon will feature child representative Kennedi Banks, adult representative Matt Pezzula, and inspirational stories about individuals and families who use the Center’s programs and services.
The Center is known as the place where people get better at life.

If your in the area, stop by and support this cause. It should be a great time all around and this organization really is in need of money, especially given the difficulties nowadays with state aid their current financial situation.

I'm Back!

So Kyle was nice enough to help me out with a blog post as I try to catch up on the homework I am behind in. Heres a brief assessment about the current left field situation for the Yankees

First I want to start off by thanking Christina for letting me guest blog. She does quite the job with this blog.

Well it’s less than 30 days until pitchers and catchers report. It’s been an exciting offseason, but one looming question remains. What will the Yankees do with LF?

Currently, the payroll is right around 200 million and Hal Steinbrenner claims the Yankees have 2 million left to spend. Could this be a tactic to get Damon to lower his demands or is he really serious about staying to a budget?

Damon had a solid year last season, but his value seems to be most when he’s able to play half his games at Yankee Stadium. He’s a liability defensively. He had a poor September and he ended up getting hurt in the WS. I do not see the Yankees giving him more than 1 year. I think Damon’s pride will not allow him to go back to NY at such a discount. Atlanta I suppose can be an option for Damon if they trade Melky. However, it seems like Damon is heading down the road Abreu was last year where he overestimated the market and had no suitors. Abreu had no offers heading into February and was forced to take a low 1 year deal.

This seems to be a situation where having Boras as an agent hurt Damon. Damon being on the market helped another Boras client, Matt Holliday, get more money, but it has not helped Johnny Damon.

Ultimately, I think Damon’s days as a Yankee appear to over unless he really took a hefty pay cut. So where do the Yankees go from there?

One option is Brett Gardner and maybe they look for a left fielder that can hit lefties to platoon in LF. Gardner has speed, plays good enough OF, and hits ok. No power, but he gives us another dimension to our lineup. I do not think he is the solution long term at LF, but for 2010 or at least til like July or August in 2010 the team should be ok with him.

It is possible going into the season with Gardner and then later in the season acquiring someone to play LF. There are usually outfielders available during the season. All they really need is a stop gap guy. Some that gives them depth. The Yankees do not have to have an all star at every position. With that said, if the price was right the Yankees should not intentionally pass up on a player that could fill a need.

Another option could be Xavier Nady. Odds are him and Boras will want a lot, but the reality is he’ll have to take a cheap incentive based deal. Also guys like Ankiel and Dye are still available.

I am looking forward to a return to baseball. Nets and Knicks just aren’t filling in the gap. There are the NFL playoffs, but baseball is what I have been waiting for.

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Thanks Kyle. I hope everyone still reading is doing well! Sorry for being such a slacker. Once baseball returns there will be more as the adventures are just beginning!