If you follow us on Twitter you know that I have no love-loss for the Yankees second baseman, Stephen Drew. If you’re not following @GreedyStripes on Twitter then it’s likely that you miss out on four or five “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets a night because I’ve made it my mission to tweet that after every out he makes or error he commits. As a fan of this team and as a fan that spends his money on Yankees jersey’s Yankees tickets, Yankees memorabilia, MLB TV subscriptions and such frankly I’m disgusted and I’m fed up. The Mendoza Line is being moved down from .200 to .175 and being named the Stephen Drew Line for crying out loud. Drew is really one of the best 750 players in Major League Baseball right now?
Jose Pirela is currently the Yankees backup second baseman
and as much as I clamored for the guy last season he hasn’t exactly made me
look good in 2015. Pirela’s defense has been atrocious, I’ll say it, while
Drew’s has been above average and Pirela hasn’t done much to press the issue on
the offensive side of the ball either forcing the Yankees to keep Drew in the
lineup five days a week hitting in the 9th hole. I know the guy is
making a monstrous, and I say this with the utmost sarcasm, $5 million this
season but there are better options simply being wasted away in Triple-A, his
name is Robert Paulson Refsnyder.
I’ve seen so many ridiculous tweets over this calendar year
regarding Refsnyder as a below average defender with a miniscule improvement
offensively but I vehemently disagree. The defense means nothing to me when the
incumbent’s offense resembles that of a blind and crippled senior from the
nursing home taking at bats for the local high school’s JV Baseball team.
Neither does Drew’s 11 home runs on a team that fails to string hits together,
manufacture runs and score many runs outside of the long ball. Waiting on the
three run home run doesn’t work over the course of 162 and beyond. We’ve seen
it far too many times and I thought the team was getting away from that. Drew
brings that home run or die mentality and at this point the Yankees offense is
dying.
Refsnyder not only brings a very much improved defense to
the club, something all those tweeters are not exactly pointing out any more
conveniently, a right handed bat that can even out a very left handed heavy
lineup, average hitting, power hitting and power to the gaps, young legs and
speed. In 77 games in Triple-A last year Refsnyder batted .300/.389/.456 with
an OPS of .845 while hitting eight home runs and driving in 33 RBI. Refsnyder
did strike out 67 times but he walked 41 times which more than made up for it.
In 2015 thus far in 78 games, at the time of this writing, Refsnyder is batting
.290/.388/.414 with an OPS of .802. Ref has hit seven home runs thus far and
has drove in 36 RBI in a very pitching friendly PNC Park while walking 43 times
and striking out just 44 times. Refsnyder has three less doubles, 16 to 19, in
2015 than he did in 2014 and has stolen nine more bases this season.
So to those who keep stating that Refsnyder is struggling or
not putting the pressure on Drew and Brian Cashman this season after a great
2014 campaign, you’re wrong. If you were beating the drum for Refsnyder in the
Bronx in 2014, and lord knows I was leading the marching band in that
deparment, then you should be in 2015 as well. Maybe more so this season. Drew
is a black hole at the bottom of the lineup and a black hole in the Yankees
lineup. Refsnyder continues the youth movement around Major League Baseball and
in the Bronx while being a sight for sore eyes in many Yankees fans eyes. Hal
Steinbrenner wants ratings and attendance? Bring the fans what they want and
something entertaining to watch because this offense goes to sleep after the
first three innings. Brian Cashman wants to keep payroll down? Stop paying
veterans who suck $5 million when you comparable or far superior players in the
minor leagues. Joe Girardi wants victories? Stop playing Drew and start playing
Refsnyder. I hate starting a Friday morning pissed off but this is how I feel
and I can’t keep it bottled in anymore.
Refsnyder – 2016
Finally, the rant I've been waiting for. Two things here. First, the 13 errors. Shut up people. The bulk of those errors were made in the first month and a half of the season. And by bulk, I mean all but 2 or 3. How many of those were throwing errors that could have been saved by a gold glover named Teixera? Second, and I want to be very clear here, I'm not saying he's going to be better than Cano. But he has better offensive numbers than Cano ever did in the minor leagues. That's a fact that you can look up if you want.
ReplyDeleteJeff, why to go, I agree a very fine Rant by Daniel and not so bad yourself!
DeleteThe only ones that put a lot of faith in the errors of the Minors is one that wants to see something that isn't there. Just about every infielder make more errors on the farm than they do when they...as you pointed out...get to The Show. Jeter had something close to 30+ errors one year!
Refy was an outfielder and is on his way to becoming a good 2nd baseman and a good hitter. We need guys that will get hits and not just an HR every once in a while to keep the line moving. HRs are nice but facing the best three pitchers in the playoffs will put a stop to the HRs much quicker than putting to gather hits and move the line. I think that is one of the "We have been there and seen that movie before" Plus being right-handed hitter will help balance the line-up.
Cano HAD one of the sweetest swings I had ever seen since Ted Williams, even though he was from the Yogi school of hitting...see the ball, hit the ball! He came to the Yankees and was doing very well until he discovered the right field fence was close. Then he changed everything to hit HRs, to bad he could have been a Batting Champion a few times. I was one guy that was happy to see him make the team but, he changed...for the worse!
Well, so much for what I was going to post, Refy comes up tomarrow!
ReplyDeleteProbably not a coincidence this rant goes live and ten hours later it's announced he is coming up, is it??
ReplyDeleteDaniel, being so humble are you? We all know without the rants being sent their way day after day from this blog, by many (mostly from our vaunted leader, you) Refy would still be chasing his tail in AAA.
DeleteGood job to you and the others that have been on the Refy bandwagon!
Whatever works Mr. Reed. Who's next? lol
DeleteJudge should be next. He's both an offensive and defensive upgrade in right field. Let the drum beating begin.
DeleteI like that scenario Jeff, but what will they do with Beltran? I can't see them eating his contract even though I would do it in a heartbeat!
DeleteI would like to see them, DFA Ryan and Beltran moving Drew to the backup spot for 2nd, 3rd, and SS.
I agree with Mr. Reed here. Beltran's contract isn't going anywhere, even if it should be. The Yankees won't run the risk of "disrespecting" a veteran player because it may change the opinion of future free agents, trade acquisitions, etc. Plus they are cheap and won't eat the money.
DeleteThe only way Judge should come up is if he's the every day guy. Unless Alex Rodriguez or Beltran get hurt, again in Beltran's case, Judge is finishing the season out in AAA.
That sucks big time, but life ain't fair is it? I do agree he comes up as an everyday guy or stays where he is at until next year.
DeleteBy the way Daniel, we seem to be tied again! Going down to the wire again, perhaps?
It could be done without releasing Beltran. All they would have to do is DFA Ryan and Petit. No loss there. I know that moves Beltran to more of a bench role, but does that really matter in the long run? He's not an everyday player anyways. There's no way his legs hold up for an entire season playing outfield every day. He's a defensive liability. You've all watched him play. They could make it happen if they wanted to.
DeleteJeff,
DeleteThe problem could be solved like that, sure, but that's only realistic in play station. We're not going to carry five outfielders unless one is a DH. We're not going to completely gut the bench for the remainder of the year to sit Beltran.
Scratch that, with Judge it would be six outfielders. If Beltran goes or ARod gets injured I'm 100 percent behind you. It's just not realistic with both Beltran and ARod on the same team.
Realistic only in Playstation? This is a site called "TheGreedyPinstripes" right? It's okay to leave realism at the door. I think it's easier than you may think though. Even if we both know it will never happen. 6 outfielders is unheard of, but here's the thing. Everyday players in Gardner, Ellsbury, and Judge. Young who can back up all 3. Jones as a backup at first and left handed bat off the bench. Beltran as a switch hitter off the bench. Didi and Refsnyder are young and can play nearly everyday. That leaves you with your backup catcher and a utility infielder in Drew. Not to mention that we're only a month and a half away from roster expansions. Will it happen? No. Could and should it happen? Yes.
DeleteThere is a difference between 'greedy" and realistic. This site was basically named when the Yankees had their spending spree before 2009. I wanted to get greedy because even though we had Nick Swisher I thought that Manny Ramirez would put the team over the top. He was right handed, hit for power, hit with RISP, hit in the playoffs and were all things the Yankees lacked at that time.
DeleteAt that time the move didn't create a bench without flexibility and essentially put two DH's on the bench either. That's the difference. I hear you Jeff, it could happen. One injury would be devastating though because you're still stuck with the immovable contracts
Still going to leave realism at the door and pretend this team wants to win at all costs. I'll beat the drum for Judge.
DeleteAnd I commend and respect you for that
DeleteReed,
ReplyDeleteWe are tied again, another photo finish it looks like. I'm not planning on getting cocky this time around and giving it away though. Hoping you get lost in the yard for a weekend and forget to predict, lol.
Well, Daniel, I am a month away from my 78th birthday and I have found that not only am I 2" shorter and over 40 lbs. lighter I make mistakes. This in the old days would be unacceptable, but it is life. So don't lose heart, I have and will make more mistakes.
DeleteYou live down Georga way right? I played many baseball games down that way...when I was states side. There were a few Farm teams down that way, a few years ago.
I'm not worried as long as I lose honorably and doing it my way, same way with running my blog.
DeleteI am in metro ATL yes and I must say I am about tired of the heat and humidity this year already
That's where I belong, with the heat and humidity I sort of worked in that sort of weather and others that were hot and dry in the day time and cold as hell at night.
DeleteIn your country, I first learned that I was a very good baseball player. I also learned that I had made the right choice in careers, the players in the minors were damn good. Fans don't see it because they mostly play with talent as good or a bit better than they are, but take it from one that has faced them...those guys are much better than most college teams by far and much better as one goes up the line.
The thing is, I did very well as a closer and hitter but only because they couldn't catch up to my slower than slow junk! As a 2nd baseman and hitter, they use to yell at me to hit the ball harder so I did ok, nothing to write home about. But those were the days of everything goes...except cheating and the fields were...let's say, not the best! I ended up in left field a few times and still have the scars to show for putting the tag on guys at second.
I have a lot of respect for those guys, even today, talk about a hard profession...that has to be one of the hardest of all times. But some of my best and most memorable days!
Sorry, just got in from the yard work and already bored...someone has to pay for it! LOL