Its that time of year again. Winter has given way to spring, exhibition and spring training season are winding down, and its time for baseball season again. This little blog here has tried to give an annual season preview for the Yankees since its inception, and this year will be no different. If you are out there and reading, drop a note in the comments to let me know.
1st Base- Mark Teixeira 
One of the biggest additions in an off-season of big additions, Teixeira is the Yankees new first baseman. The Yankees emerged from the back of the pack in the sweepstakes for the free-agent slugger, and swooped in to close the deal in front of rivals like the Red Sox. Since he is new to the team, some quick bullets on Tex (as he will be known moving forward, since his name is long and hard to spell)
- He’s a switch-hitter who mashes. Since breaking into the big leagues, he has averaged 101 runs scored, 36 HR, 121 RBI, and a .919 OPS. While his numbers before arriving in NY mirror Giambi’s before his arrival, we have to hope he won’t experience the same slow decline. We live in an era where PED are always a concern, but they have not been attached to Tex anywhere.
- He’s good with the glove. Tex can really pick-it at first base, which is often something teams are forced to live without from a 1B slugger. He will not resemble Giambi at all in this facet of his game.
- He is, by all accounts, a great guy around the clubhouse. This will play into an overall change for the Yankees, where the stars can also be the teams best guys to be around. For a new mega-bucks star to also be gregarious is a major plus.
- He has thrived in different environments. Though it seems to defy logic for a player of his calibre, the Yankees will be the 4th team in 6 years. After stints in Texas and Atlanta, Tex settled with the LAA last season, before coming to the Bronx. In each ballpark, and against NL and AL pitching, Tex has been a stud. Fans should have little concern about his transition to a new team, ballpark, and city.
Prediction- .295, 30, 118, 98 runs, .922 OPS
Back-up- Nick Swisher is expected to be a super-utility man, and will see time at first on rest/DH days for Tex.
March 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm |
Hope he exceeds your projections as he is a Sherminator again this year (dynasty league, can protect up to seven). Only Yankee, of course. No Mets, unfortunately. I almost drafted Jeter because he fell so low (draft was last night), but just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
He was the anti-Manny last year — .283 with the Braves; .358 with the Angels. Would love to see him finally put it all together and have that monster season a lot of people have been expecting and the Yanks are paying for. He has the skills to put up a .315 with 40 season. But he’ll probably do your projections as that it about what he does every year.
Lets not pretend that Cashman engaged in some great negotiating ploy by swooping in. The bottom line is Cashman offered quite a bit more $ than Boston and paid top dollar for the guy. Tex is a Boros client which means one thing: he was going to go to the team that paid the most $.
March 30, 2009 at 12:24 pm |
I almost pulled the trigger on Joba as well, but I was a little scared by the reports on his decreased velocity this spring following last season’s shoulder woes. Figured that with the innings limits and all the bullpen nonsense surrounding him, he wasn’t worth the risk. I could deal with the injury risk or the innings limit/bullpen talk, but not both.
April 4, 2009 at 5:57 pm |
Dude, he’s gonna hit 40 in the bandbox masquerading as a “cathedral.” I don’t buy those numbers on the wall at all, particularly in right-center. Those measurements must have been made by the same guy who measured down the left-field line at Fenway. And the ball seemed to really jump out of there both games this weekend. Everything was carrying.
Mets are gonna be the opposite — Petco Park East. DW will be lucky to hit 25 in that barn.