Thanksgiving is this week and obviously all the talk is what we are thankful for, well that and turkey, gorging ourselves, and Black Friday deals, and The Greedy Pinstripes is no different. This week we will cover what we are thankful for when it comes to the New York Yankees, and we may throw a personal touch in there as well. Today I wanted to start small and start slow with the little things that don't get enough attention, things like having a capable back up for a 39 year old short stop that is coming off of basically a missed season due to injury. Enter Brendan Ryan.
I fully expect Derek Jeter to come back healthy and ready for the 2014 season, I even expect him to play 140 games or so at short stop, but it never hurts to have depth. Last year we saw the Yankees throw guys out in a baptism of fire like Jayson Nix, Brent Lillibridge, Luis Cruz, Eduardo Nunez, and Alberto Gonzalez to name a few as every day players at short. None of these guys outside of Nunez has any business playing every day or even more than once or twice a week but with Ryan the Yankees finally had a legit backup in 2013 and will once again in 2014. Ryan is widely considered to be the best defensive short stop in the game right now and has range for days, as we all saw in 2013, and made plays last year that no infielder on the Yankees roster would have gotten to.
Ryan is not going to win us a lot of games, he probably wont have a positive WAR, he probably wont hit above .230, he probably wont hit for power or hit at the top of the order either but he will save a lot of games, he will probably save a lot of miles on Derek Jeter's legs, and will save a lot of runs.
To put in a Thanksgiving kind of perspective Brendan Ryan is not the turkey, he's not the stuffing, and he's not the pumpkin pie. Ryan is more like the rolls or the bread that no one keeps coming back for plate after plate for the weeks to come but is always have to wipe up the gravy and all the good stuff on the plate.
Dan-o...thank you for sharing the photos, of your newly expanded family with us. Enjoy them. Hold them.
ReplyDeleteRe: Brendan Ryan :..the stamp of Irish approval.
Re: Dean Anna :...the stamp of Irish approval / twice.
Re: Brian McCann :...the stamp of Irish approval.
Re: Robinson Cano, being represented by a drug pusher ( one earns that name, pusher )..on the use of $300 million to acquire players :...the Irish quad stamp of approval.
I must disagree with you on this one Daniel. Jeter will not play that many games at SS. Cashman is a tough guy, he will ignore the Name Jeter has (like he did last time). If he can't get the job done well enough to be a help...as he has for 19 years...he will be the DH or part-time player. Unless he is superman or a much better defensive SS than Omar Vizquel...not a chance.
ReplyDeleteI liked him as our SS for years but, age and injuries wait for no man, his defence is almost as bad as mine is at the young age of 76. He has had his defense numbers go down for the last few years...before his injury...the same one exactly, I had seven years ago. The last couple years (not 2013), he has had to make normal plays look awesome because he didn't get to the ball as he should have and did years before.
If I were the pitcher, I would want the best defense behind me at all times.
Do I hope he can prove me wrong...yes! Will he, I can't see it happening!
I just really think that he has it in him. Its not like he has to play all 9 innings in all those games, especially with a suitable option in Ryan off the bench.
DeleteI thought of that Daniel but...
ReplyDeleteWould it not be a slap in the ego, for him to come out in the later innings rather than having him sit or DH a lot of those games?
He already said he would be willing to be a part time player if it helped the team win so I think the ego is a non issue with Jeter right now.
DeleteOk, I didn't know that! Good for him.
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