Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Yankees Give Hideki Matsui a Job


Hideki Matsui is back in Major League Baseball and he is back with the New York Yankees but he's not coming back as a player. Matsui has been assigned to the Yankees as a special adviser to General Manager Brian Cashman after spending seven seasons in New York and winning World Series MVP in 2009.

Here is the press release from the team:

In his first full-time role in the New York Yankees front office, Matsui will work closely with General Manager Brian Cashman and Player Development Vice President Gary Denbo. Matsui will spend the majority of the 2015 season traveling throughout the Yankees’ minor league system and focusing on aspects of hitting with managers, batting coaches and players.

31 comments:

  1. FROM YOUR LIPS, TO GOD'S EARS...

    I love when upper management types, add words of encouragement to the team.
    As players are just now starting to assess their chances for this season.
    You read their words everyday, in the sports pages. Thoughts for dreams. We can do it !

    They often seem excited, and they parrot each others phrases.
    On staying healthy, being productive, and how hard each player will play.

    All teams do it. But, so many of them will be circling the drain, by the trading deadline.
    Dreams shattered, and no one caring. Their fans...having now shifted to other warm weather pursuits.
    Maybe their thoughts will be... how can they get their neighbor's wife into their bed ?
    Warm weather pursuits, remember.

    But those are losers, and our Yankees are different. ( Except for those that swapped wives.)

    Today, Brian Cashman, fires a salvo of promise towards this years squad.
    " If the Yankees show promise....I can get them to the World Series."

    ....“Playoffs and then beyond,’’ GM Brian Cashman told The Post. “Be a good enough team to get to the playoffs, allow me to tweak in-season to make it good enough to win a World Series.’’

    Today's New York Post. How great was that ?
    I hope the players got to read those words......they are now promised that help will be added.
    Nice touch, by Mr. Cashman.



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    1. I don't mean to piss on the optimism parade but what is Cashman supposed to say? This is it boys, enjoy?

      I would have felt better if he said he would rely on prospects more if need be because this just sounds like he is finally ready to start trading them away.

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  2. Patty Boy its nice to dream and then we all woke up

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    1. KENNY H...................
      Maybe dream is too an idyllic term....I suppose you are right.
      But, it's what I have been doing re: this team in spring training....since I've been a boy.

      This years team, is pretty good. Luck, and breaks will determine the ending.
      I am awake, and this is how I see things.

      The past two seasons, gave this squad, an over abundance of darkened luck.
      Things change.

      You sir, Mr. Hans, stay well...and stay out of harms way.

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    2. I don't want to be the pessimistic one of the bunch. (I'll leave that one to Mr. Hans!) But for some reason, I'm having a hard time getting excited for the season. It took me awhile, but I think I finally figured it out. Usually, I'm looking forward to watching the Yankees pursue number 28. This year, the best baseball being played is in Spring Training. We will not be sending the best team possible north. And why? Because of money. Something we're not supposed to be burdened by like most others. Drew, Ryan, Young, Teixera, and Beltran should not make this team. Refsnyder, Pirela, Judge, Austin, and Bird should be going north. I'm not even going to go into the pitching. Hal and Cashman need to stop feeding us a bs world series promise if they're going to pick this roster based on economics.

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    3. I shall try being the counterpoint for the pessimism you have (so rightly?) pointed out Jeff!

      Come to think of it, I agree with you and hope we are both wrong. So much for the Optimism! LOL

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    4. It's only going to be worse next season guys. The only money we have coming off the books is Chris Capuano, Chris Young and Stephen Drew.

      We will all watch as Doug Fister and Johnny Cueto and all those pitchers hit the market and close the gap even more between the Yankees and the rest of the league.

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    5. I will try and stay out of Reed and Burch's way St. Patty

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    6. Jeff, I 'm not a pessimistic person, I'm a realist. I live and die with my teams just as you do. I am not an apologist like some people on here are. I keep it real and I am confident in my opinion. An I wrong every once and a while..yes, however I tend to be right more then wrong. I have watched Eovoldi pitch and here he looks pretty good, but my assessment is its spring training and pitching is always ahead of hitters at this point. Do I want to make the playoffs and the WS, hell yes I do. I just don't see it like a few of you. I hope to be wrong

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    7. With two wild cards the playoffs are less difficult to make than ever. Not that this helped out much the past two seasons but still.

      The World Series is not obtainable with this current team. Subtract a Drew or two and add a Refsnyder then maybe we can talk.

      Eovaldi has looked good but he has been leaving pitches up a little too much for my liking. No better pitch than a fastball you can pinpoint wherever you want but a little movement also helps that. I see more movement on his FB in his limited spring to date but it's encouraging anyway.

      I'm always optimistic in march. I'll go back to screaming the sky is falling by August or September

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    8. The best place for a fastball like his is not down but up, and I mean up! He can throw the ball down with movement, but it is easier to drop the bat on a low fastball than to catch up to one near your shoulder, even though most players see it very well and go for it...trust me, with his speed they will not hit it, the saying for many hitters is, "See the ball well, hit the ball hard"! Much, much easier said than done!
      One needs to know where he needs to pitch...not throw...the ball, his speed will work with (maybe) 90% of the hitters, but there are a few high ball hitters, but not if it is high enough.
      Blaaaaaa, blaaaaa, I could go on but it is even boring me! Give him a chance, with that arm he could be well worth it in the long run!

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    9. There is a difference between chest high, aka the wheelhouse, where Eovaldi was throwing them the other day and high enough to be enticing and get swings and misses.

      Eovaldi's was right below the letters, although like I said he did show some movement on it and anywhere from 95-98 MPH.

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  3. Ok guys, nobody expects us to win much of anything this year, well, maybe the wild card! But that is if everything goes right and everyone does what the back of their cards say they have done. History says that ain't gonna happen!
    With all that being said, one needs to walk before one can run, I would suggest we go for the younger guys and use this year to evaluate what we have and what we need for the following years, also giving the guys a year away another year to fine tune their talents.
    I would start with dumping Ryan (he can't stay healthy) and use Refsnyder at 2nd, and have Drew as backup to 2nd and SS. If any position player goes down, replace them with the kids. Let the backups stay in that job because it isn't going to help a kid playing once a week or so. We have Austin/Flores for OF, Bird for 1st, Pirela for utility if Drew has to play SS.
    Yes, Bird, Judge and Refsy are not on the 40 man but that is what Cashman is there for, isn't it?
    In reality, those guys are more or less the front runners but it could be anyone of a few different players!

    What say you guys?

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    1. You know I'm down, I've been saying it all along.

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  4. OPTIMISM / GREEDY ROLL CALL....on this 2015 seasons out come.

    Until it is proved otherwise, I start every season charging out of the gate, heading for the gold ring.
    Last night I put up a post, on just this subject.

    Lets see how the creative minds here responded.

    a ) Ken Hans :..."Patty Boy its nice to dream and then we all woke up"....not so encouraging ?
    next up...
    b ) Jeff Levin :... "I don't want to be the pessimistic one of the bunch. But for some reason, I'm having a hard time getting excited for the season."... I get the feeling, 2015 is on life support.
    next up...
    c ) Daniel Burch :..."I don't mean to piss on the optimism parade but ....."
    ....No support here. And, I'm getting urinated on.
    next up...
    d ) Trapper Reed :... ( The death nail ) "Ok guys, nobody expects us to win much of anything this year, well, maybe the wild card! History says that ain't gonna happen!"
    Maybe not a trapper, perhaps a greeter at a western NY funeral home ?

    Turn off the respirator. You guys are ghouls.
    Why even bother to to this, if you can not at least have optimism ?

    I'm not a idiot. I see what you see. It will be a difficult road this year. So ?..Doors can open ?
    But, without optimism....I'm through here.

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    1. Patrick, you take things out of context, if you are going to quote me do so and be welcome to do so but, quote the full context of what I said.

      This is the quote; "Ok guys, nobody expects us to win much of anything this year, well, maybe the wild card! But that is if everything goes right and everyone does what the back of their cards say they have done. History says that ain't gonna happen!"

      Anyone can be a pessimist, without a solution or idea! I am trying to be an optimist by using this year to build on and still have a chance for a spot in the playoffs. If any of the mentioned things go wrong we could have our future players step up and hopefully show the talent they need to play with the big boys. We shouldn't bring in vets nor have the backup players on the team do anything other than be just what they are...backup players! Use the kids in any everyday spot that opens up.

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    2. Patrick: In no way am I saying I'm not rooting for the Yankees to win the World Series. Through the course of the year, a lot of things can happen. I was merely stating 2 facts.
      1) The Yankees are not taking the best team they can north.
      2) The reason is purely financial.
      Do you really believe the team is better off with Drew, Ryan, Young, and Jones as opposed to Refsnyder, Pirela, Judge, Bird, or Austin?

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    3. I think I have been one of the most optimistic people on the site little p. There is nothing wrong with tempering your expectations but I remember being the first to say this was a playoff team.

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    4. Patty I am the realist and I see some nice things, however I also know we are in spring training. I don;t expect Eovaldi to be the K machine he has been so far. 5 k's in his last outing. I just don't think this team is very good, and I pray you are right and I am wrong. I want to make the playoffs

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  5. TO THE WOODSHED...over the spoken word. The word...optimistic.

    For using my artistic license, or freedom of expression, I'm being hauled off to the
    old woodshed. By writers that say one thing, and then pile on old patrick, as in
    a tag team match.

    I feel like I'm reliving the bridge crossing in Selma. I'm the Irish guy in the photo.

    Human german shepherds, along with wooden oak bats, await me at the wood shed.
    ' Fire Hose Reed '...has shown he wants to silence me the most.. That dagger went deep.

    Blind fold me, for I can not bear to see what awaits me, beyond the wood pile.

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    1. Little p the port star. I have but one problem with you. You drink a sissy beer. I don't want to flog you for calling me out for my pessimism. This isn't 50 Shades of Grey. It's 28 Shades of Pinstripes. That's why I stand by my opinion that we will send better players to AAA the we'll send north. Sorry, but it's true.

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    2. Levin again I agree with you for the most part. It wouldn't be right if I didn't mention that your boy Cashman makes those decisions and please people Girardi is a puppet in the scheme of things so please don't chirp that he has a say.

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    3. " Little p the port star."....that's what Jeff Levin calls me.

      No one here pays attention any longer. Jesus.
      Budweiser Jeff...it's ' Little p, the porn star.'
      I'm fond of that handle, so try not to distort it. It germinated out of Ellijay, Ga.
      Last I heard, you were detained in that police barracks, in Wilmington, Delaware.?
      Too many Buds on the tpke ?

      What a dullsville night. Only Kenneth Hans is working the net.

      OH NO !!...Cashman the lunatic, Girardi the blank minded puppet.
      Hold the presses! Kenneth has put out something new ?
      Nah, same old blather again. Someone as clever as K. Hans, should be capable of
      better efforts.
      Better yet...edwardgeneral & Hansel and Gretel....should form a tag team ?

      Are the blogilates ready for that combo ?

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    4. Does that make you and Reed the tag team champions?

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    5. RED CLAY......tag team champions ?
      Don't take things for granted. A sanctioned match would have to be scheduled first.
      And, if edwardgeneral comes out first, I'm pushing Reed over, and in, before me !
      I'll take my chances with Hans.

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    6. Reed's a fiery guy I think he can take the General.

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    7. Didn't mean to distort it Patrick. Spell check can really piss you off sometimes. Especially when you're not paying attention. And I'm not detained in Delaware. I'm braving the insane heat in Phoenix to visit family and watch baseball.

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    8. Eww, gross. The Cactus League.

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  6. Hey bud! I'll take what baseball I can get. It isn't Yankee baseball, but it is baseball.

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    1. Jeff, make sure you give us an update on any of our guys that may play out there. I have no idea if any of our teams get out there or not but, if they do check them out.

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    2. We play in the Grapefruit League

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)