Tuesday, July 21, 2015

The Robert Refsnyder Rant You Knew Was Coming


Everyone saw the roster move that the New York Yankees announced on Sunday, Carlos Beltran was activated and Robert Refsnyder was sent back down to Triple-A Scranton. This Yankees team would rather have a 33-year old backup shortstop who has managed a week's worth of games this season due to injury and ineffectiveness on the bench while the team carries a player who may see the Mendoza Lina moved down and renamed after him in a playoff run. Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan make sense to someone while Refsnyder gets sent back down to Triple-A, what a frustratingly typical dumb-ass move by the Yankees, but we all saw it coming didn't we?

Cashman and Yankees manager Joe Girardi need to get the same guy writing their scripts because there was a, Cool Hand Luke quote inbound, serious failure to communicate here in the Bronx. Joe Girardi said over the weekend basically that Stephen Drew was going to be learning to play third base while taking ground balls at second base and shortstop in preparation for a utility type role with the team. Me, using the common sense I was blessed with, thought that would mean that Refsnyder would stay up as the Yankees second baseman while New York went with a short bullpen or finally designated Brendan Ryan for assignment, how much more wrong could I be?

Now I know many people ranted and raved about this on Sunday and some did yesterday as well but in order for me to keep this blog post, and the blog in general, PG-13 I had to give it a couple of days to cool down inside me. Don't piss on me and tell me it is raining and I feel like that is exactly what the Yankees organization is doing right now. I don't have the numbers in front of me and frankly I don't feel like I need them, look at the attendance numbers both on YES and in Yankee Stadium for the two games that Refsnyder plays and check the attendance for the games before and the Sunday game against Seattle.

Hal Steinbrenner wants to worry about the bottom line but is paying a combined $7 million for extreme mediocrity that in layman's terms pisses off the fans and pushes the fans away from the stadium, their computers and their televisions. Cashman told the team if they kept things close in July he would get the team the pieces they need to get to the playoffs and potentially reach the World Series and unless he has a Ben Zobrist trade that seems imminent he's doing doing a great job of that either. This pisses me off and pisses me off on a personal level. Right a wrong or get the hell out of the Bronx, only a suggestion.




19 comments:

  1. Daniel, I have been so angry that I have only commented about the stupidity of the Yankees a little.
    I am about out of time and these guys are taking us back to parts of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Been there and seen that...do we have to repeat history again?

    We have so much talent down on the farm...more than I can ever remember. The old saying "Use it, or lose it" has to apply here, one must realize talent is not an age thing it is nothing more or less than a salient thing with each player. One player with Talent at age 21 can be more of an asset than another one at 25 years old. Why must we always say, "this or that player is still too young for the Big Time", Talent, baseball instints, hard work and the ability to get the job done, is more important than age.

    Refsy is the best we have at 2nd base for now and into the future, one can only learn so much on the Farm playing against guys that may not push one to the limit of ones abillity. Playing against the best makes one understand what it takes to not only make it but, to stay in the Big Leagues.

    I hope we are all making a big mistake in thinking this move will be for the duration of the season. May it only be for roster consideration at the moment!

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    1. Just hang on a few more years Mr. Reed, Cashman should be gone after this contract and the Yankees will have a ton of money off the books... I'm hopeful lol

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  2. That's way more pg-13 then I'm still feeling today. Especially when I read idiotic statements from Cashman and Girardi. If EVERYBODY in the baseball world is questioning your move, then HELLLO!!! You made the wrong move bonehead!!! Admit it and fix it!!! Hans, I hope your sitting down. You're right. The elf is the dumbest S.O.B. in the game.

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    1. I am sitting down and I'm glad you see what I see with the elf

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    2. Hans,

      I am also man enough to admit when I am wrong and you are right... remain seated.. because you're right. Cashman is an idiot and needs to be shit-canned

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  3. Everyone knew Ref could hit a little but what has kept him down was his defense. He needed to only show some comfort in the batters box (which he did) but needed to prove that his defense was passable.
    IMO when he hit that HR he helped himself but when he made that error he showed why he wasn't ready and erased all that good will. It wasn't so much as the error as it was his feel for the position. The subjective fan probably saw that he made every other play in his short stay but the objective fan noticed that he didn't have much range, looked hesitant, displayed tangled feet and made some very dicey feeds to Didi. I think Michael Kay said it best when he described his overall defense as mechanical.
    If we were 10 games back I would argue that he definitely needs to stay and can learn on the job but we are in first place. Also, if Ref were putting up Kris Bryant type AAA numbers then he would be forcing the issue regardless of his glove.

    I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize that Ref isn't the next Robinson Cano. He is the next prospect in line but he is also ranked as our 7 best prospect in our minor league system going into the season.
    While we are in first place - the offense should be even better and more diversified with the return of Ellsbury (and Beltran hopefully). Offense is far more sexy than defense but let's not forget - The Most Valuable Commodity in Baseball are OUTS. You need to get 27 of them and you need to get them as efficiently as possible.
    The bottom line is that Ref isn't close to polished enough to play one of the most important defensive positions for a team sitting in first place in the second half of the season and his bat (on the sliding scale) doesn't project to make up for his deficiencies with his glove.
    I think we'll likely see Ref again in Sept and he will be given his shot next year with or without us (trade?) in spring training. I believe he will have a career in MLB and comp him to a Ryan Theriot with a little more power....just not this season in NY.

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    1. So the guy makes his major league debut in front of friends and family inside Fenway Park and makes one error and we're ready to damn him for it? That's a tad harsh. And when I say "a tad" I mean pretty damn harsh. Remember when Didi couldn't catch anything hit right at him let alone anywhere else on the field? He got the patience and the pass, why not Refsnyder?

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  4. I respect your opinion, but disagree with you. So far on the season, Drew has been playing below replacement level. As evidenced by his -.4 WAR. I can't imagine that Refsnyder would do worse than that. His "passable" defense and his superior bat make him a better option then both Drew and your boy Ryan.

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    1. His defense is more than passable. He's had like one error in the last month at Scranton. He was drafted as an outfielder, not a second baseman. He's a work in progress and was advertised as one.

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  5. I was being sarcastic. That's why I used the quotation marks.

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    1. Oh I knew you were but there are people that still believe it because that was the spring training scouting report. Just setting the record straight.

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  6. If I may interject an observation...oh hell, I'll do it anyway!

    Refsy is a work in progress for sure, he has good range is quick to the ball has a good enough glove and a strong arm...those are his good points.

    Now what we have is an outfielder learning the footwork for the 2nd base job...believe it or not it is more complicated than SS. (I played 2nd for over 40 years) it all has to be instinct no thinking involved. He isn't at that point yet but, I think it is coming along. Drew had a hell of a time with his footwork also and he is a lifelong infielder.

    This last part is my opinion and some conjecture...
    Refsy has the tools and talent to be a steady 2nd baseman and will be, sooner than one may think. I still think this whole thing is predicated on roster moves and he will be back within 10 days+/-. Thus, he still gets playing time at 2nd every day.

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    1. If it's just a roster move that brings him back at or around the deadline then I'll calm down, I just don't feel that lucky. I can understand having all options but it's Brendan Ryan, is it really that huge of a loss?

      That RBI double probably bought him an extension in the Bronx

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  7. Roster moves such as with Refsy are the norm now days in baseball. What have we had 47+/- moves up and down this year. Teams are using the 40 man as a place to put someone if one has to activate a player or need another fresh arm etc.!

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  8. Also, I still disagree about Cashman, he is doing one heck of a job moving players around the 40 man and the Big Guys. Yes, we have a couple of players we wish were gone but everyone here knows he has to pass everything by the people up the chain when it involves money.
    Which was so duly noted by the Asst. GM the other day in an article. So if there is anyone that thinks he makes all those moves and trades by his lonesome, one might want to take the word of his own Asst. As he said something like this; "Any money outlay has to go up the chain before we make the moves".

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  9. I am Ken Reeds 'carbon paper'.....when he posts of late.
    How this ground soldier from 'Hell's Kitchen' found someone to marry him, is beyond me.
    But he did. Must be some kind of trickery..................She thought he was related to Elvis ?

    carbon paper ?........did I just hear a lot of.....huh ?

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  10. While I am at it, let me pose a question one and all...

    Why is Jorge Mateo projected highly (#3) but yet they are keeping him in the lower minors?

    One can't improve much unless they are being pushed by older and more experienced players. It is a cop-out to say he would be overmatched to much. Many are only as good as it takes to do their job while playing with an older team should show what he has or doesn't before he moves on to better-talented teams. He is 20 years old, not a kid, let him go where the real action is...A, AA, AAA!

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    1. At the lower levels the organization tends to let you have a full season there. Once he gets above Tampa he will start moving fast. No need to rush him yet

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