On the Yankees beat

I think a premium should be put on defense anyway. Defense wins championships, and all that.

IMO, that's been the problem with the Yankees in the post-dynasty years. Not enough emphasis on defense.

That being the case...I see trouble ahead. We have too many aging, DH-type players. We can't afford a full-time DH, but we have at least two of them now, and with more likely in the near future.

Maybe it is just me, but I happen to think that Jason Giambi is a lot more effective with the bat when he is put at 1B. It seems as if he is more in the flow when he is playing in the field. Andy Phillips handling the field was fine when he was knocking the cover off the ball, but with his recent struggles, I am wondering whether it might be good to put Jason back at first for a stretch and let him try to get back into the groove of things. I'd put Bernie Williams in the DH slot for the time being and Bubba Crosby in RF for defensive purposes.

Defense has never won championships. Outscoring the other team does. If you can't score or pitch, defense means nothing, especially at 1B which is primarily an offensive position.

This would be my lineup:

1B Pena
2B Phillips/Cairo
SS Jeter
3B A-Rod
LF Melky
CF Damon
RF Thompson/Bernie
C Posada
DH Giambi

You are quite wrong, Rich. I have never seen a bad defensive team win a championship.
Every single winner is either great defensively or at the very least, average but never below average.
Need I also point out that pitching, which is the single most important determinant of a championship, is part of the defense?
With that said, this is my line up for the Yanks:

CF Damon
SS Jeter
DH Giambi
3B Rodriguez
RF Sheffield
C Posada
2B Cano
1B Phillips
LF Cabrera

This lineup will win you a championship, provided the Yanks upgrade their pitching staff, starters and bullpen.
Outside of Mussina, Wang, Mariano and Proctor, they don't match up well against the pitchers for the Tigers, White Sox and Red Sox.

Let me just add one more thing to what I just said.
If they just get one more reliable starter (and it doesn't have to be a star but someone who is consistent and give you 6-7 innings with 3-4 runs) and one more reliable reliever, then they are ready to go to war against any of those other teams and I'll like their chances better.

Defense DOES win games, and make pitchers much better! The old Baltimore Orioles had good pitching part due to solid defense at short, second, third and centerfield. Jim Palmer was a HOFer, but how good were the others? Good enough to win, with defense and timely hitting. No, a lousy offense like theirs wouldn't work today, but players like Mark Belanger, Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair helped more than some good-hit, barely-field DH-in-training guy who might hit 40 homers in a season. Defense is very underrated, especially in the AL. Want better pitching? Get better defense!

I agree that defense wins championships and I also agree that we need another reliable starting pitcher.

Having said that I don't think Sheffield will be back this year and who knows how effective matsui will be. Therefore, our offesne does need help and there is no reason why we shouldn't look for someone better than Phillips as an option at 1B (keeping Giambi at DH). A 1B with a .250 average and less than .300 OBP is going to hurt any team trying to win a championship. The way this team is constituted now we are lacking power at three prime power positions - 1B, LF and RF. You might get by with one of those being substandard but certainly not all three.

Yesterday's game showed the Yank's biggest flaw...when a starter can't make it through six innings. The bullpen is pathetically week in those situations. (Goodbye, Kris Wilson.) Proctor and Farnsworth both have no ability to be effective beyond one inning, and Myers one batter. That leaves Buddy Groom as the only reliable innings eater. Dotel, even if he's effective, ain't going more than one. So when a starter doesn't go six, the Yanks are in BIG trouble.
Line-up...
1. Damon CF
2. Jefer SS
3. Giambi DH
4. A-Rob 3B
5. Posada C
6. Melky LF
7. Bernie/Guile RF
8. Philips 1B
9. Cairo 2B

When Cano comes back put him in the six spot and slide everyone down. When Matsui gets back put him in the 6-spot, and put Melky in the 7th in RF.

How about that throw to first Melky made yesterday?

Eric,

Show me a team that won a championship on defense alone, which is the logical extension of what randy posted:

"Defense wins championships..."

Even with the lineup they have now they still are scoring runs.
The Yanks need pitching.
Everyone knows that pitching wins championships.
Brian Cashman needs to go out and get Barry Zito.

This is my choice for a good defensive team with some offensive punch lineup but a starter plus a reliefer is necessary or a starter at the least.

1. Damon CF
2. Jeter SS
3. A-rod 3B
4. Giambi DH
5. Posada C
6. Cano 2b off DL
7. Melky LF
8. Hughes 1B
9. Crosby RF

I would play Williams in DH spot giving Hughes/Giambi/Crosby/Damon days off against tough lefty or righty pitchers. Giambi would play some First base which he desires. I'd place A-rod in the third spot because he has to produce in the third spot for this team to go forward. Glove shortstop should be able to play 3B. Until Cano comes back everyone moves up a spot with Cairo batting 9th. I chose Crosby because he deserves the chance to play based on his abilities which have never been given a chance by Joe Torre. He's a better fielder then Williams/Guiel has better speed and can play small ball. Bernie is the a better hitter but this my reason for him being super DH sub. I would dump Wilson 86mph fastball. Chacon should be dropped for assignment. Ponson be given one more shot. If, he's a no go then bring up the kids not Hughes. Enough of this over protection, the game is baseball not hand to hand combat. Trial and error is the worst way to learn but sometimes you gotta to what you gotta do.

Joe Torre has tunnel vision. There is enough off./def.talent on this team if the rotating players are given starting assigmnets a few times a week. No one from the bench has distiguished themselves (Hughes, Cairo, Williams) for the other players not to be in there more often. Thus, guys who are not playing regularly like Crosby/Guiel/ Green would perform much better if given more opportunity. The six guys that I have mentioned you can't agrue that their not interchangeable.

Well Rich, your question is ridiculous because no team is just good defensively and bad at everything else.
Teams CAN do other things well besides just catching the ball, you know.
And btw, just about every team that has won the World Series are good defensively, never bad.
If you play Giambi at first base, his offense won't be enough to offset his inferior defensive play.
What good will his 3-run homer do for you if he botches a play with the bases loaded and opens the floodgates.
How many games have we seen when a crucial error is the turning point in the game and the momentum shifts?
People only see HR's but fail to realize the importance defense plays.
A good defensive team that catches every ball hit can be demoralizing to the opposition because they feel pressure to hit the ball harder and harder.
Likewise, a team kicking the ball around the field emboldens their opponents and makes them feel more confident.
Confidence can be the difference between winning and losing.
2004 showed us that.
On paper, the 2004 Yankees were a better team than the Red Sox but you can that the Yankees were intimidated by the Red Sox's ability to come back from large deficits.
In the fourth game, you can tell the Yankees were worried about "losing" even when they were up 3-0!!

If you think postseason success is a function of defense, you are the one being ridiculous.

The point is, Eric, that defense is nice to have, but it's hardly critical.

You are aware that Jeter has been a below average defensive SS for most of his career, right?

The Yankees haven't won a WS since 2000 because: 1) their starting pitching hasn't been very good; and 2) they haven't been particularly lucky.

Teams that win in the postseason get hot and go on a roll. Defense is a very small part of that.

Rich, you seem to like to twist words around and then use it to defend your argument.
First, and let me repeat for the final time, post season success is not a function of good defense, but without good defense you will not have post season success.
Show me a team that were at the bottom (or near it, doesn't even have to be the worst team) of the league in fielding that ended up winning the WS.

Teams like that (lousy defense, throwing balls all over the place, fumbling grounders, can't execute double plays, dropping flyballs) are apparent: Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, etc.

The elite teams such as the White Sox, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, etc. play sparkling defense. They don't beat themselves, instead take advantage of your mistakes.

And as for Jeter, are you out of your mind?
He has been above average and at worst, is average fielding-wise but never below average.
Shame on you.

the line-up:
Damon-CF
Jeter-SS
Giambi-DH
Rodriguez-3rd
Posada-C
Cabrera-LF
Phillips-1st
Cairo-2nd
Crosby-RF

the rotation:
Mussina
Johnson
Wang
Wright
Matt Smith

the bullpen:
6th inning
Proctor
7th inning
Farnsworth
8th inning
Villone
9th inning
Rivera

if a starter goes more than 5 innings the reliever for that innings does not pitch that day. on days where no save (blowout) occurs Villone stays on. Myers is available to face lefties only. Give some feedback, tell me what you think.

I see some interesting ideas in several of these posts. Phillips is 29 and very few rookies who take that long to reach the bigs make it. But just maybe he hits enough to play 2B, which was his position in the minors. Pena is hitting with power at Columbus, so give him a shot at 1B. I love Giambi, but he is a butcher in the field. Someone suggested Matt Smith as the fifth starter - let's give him a chance. Zito is probably the one guy who could get us into playoffs, but the price would be sky-high and we'd have to sign him to a long term deal. In recent years we've dealt away several guys who are thriving - Contreras, Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, others (anybody remember the Ken Phelps deal? or trading Fred McGriff?) There can be a big downside to trying to plug a hole for half a season. Just seems like there are too many weaknesses all at once. Much as I hate to admit it, the wisest course may be to struggle thru the next 2 months, knowing we may very well miss the post season, not make any risky/desperate moves to add a mediocre player, and reload during the winter. Next year we'll have Matsui, Cano, Pavano, Dotel and maybe Sheff back. Add Phil Hughes, sign Zito and/or Soriano and go to war in 2007. Let's face it, we're spoiled ! It's not our birthright to make the playoffs every single year.

To Rich: one of the primary reasons Red Sox won in '04 was because they traded for Orlando Cabrera who made sparkling plays for them down the stretch. I agree that defense alone does not win championships, but it's a huge part it. Did you see the White Sox last post-season? Sure, offense is important to get to the playoffs, as is good pitching, and maybe defense gets a little lost in there; once you get there though, good offense goes up against superior pitching and gets shut down (see Yanks '04 ALCS games 4-7). That's when superior defense is crucial, when even one run given up may prove the deciding blow.

I don't think Sheff will come back, unless he takes a big discount. I have a feeling he'll want a 2+ year contract w/lots of money, which may not be worth it. If Matsui is healthy, stick with Melky as the other corner OF and get a better bench (bye bye Bernie). Dotel has a 1 yr deal and may not resign. And Pavano....well....I'll believe it when I see it!

Zander, Andy Phillips is not a rookie. His rookie year was 2004. I should remind you that he does play for the New York Yankees, so it's not like he had many opportunities to play earlier on. It's hard to get a crack at the majors when they signed a big contract free agent in the form of Jason Giambi.

Andy's numbers in the minors are all exceptional. He will hit and hit well. The problem right now is that like many guys new to the Yankees, they feel like they've got to hit every at bat or else. He is swinging at everything. Once he gets more selective, the numbers will be back up.
Expect .280 - .310 BA, 25 - 35 HR's and 80 - 100 RBI's.
With a great glove, you have a very good first baseman for your next five years at least and on the cheap as well!

ym, The White Sox pitching was awesome last season, which is the main reason they won the WS.

As for Boston, they won because they lucked out, and (as much as it pains me to say this) the Yankees choked.

Eric,

I responded to a person's (randy's) post above. They said: "Defense wins championships, and all that."

In my reply to them, I said:

"Defense has never won championships."

Then you said: "You are quite wrong, Rich. I have never seen a bad defensive team win a championship."

Then I said:

"Show me a team that won a championship on defense alone, which is the logical extension of what randy posted:

'Defense wins championships...'"

Then you said:

"Well Rich, your question is ridiculous because no team is just good defensively and bad at everything else."

Dude, the initial post said DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

That's what I responded to.

You took my words and extended them beyond the intended meaning (unlike you, I won't risk offending anyone by using the word twist).

But for that exercise, I don't think there would have been a need for this exchange.

Rich, regardless of how each of us misinterpreted each other's statements, my concern is that you still don't seem to think that defense is all that important.
I'm sorry, but you couldn't be more wrong.

I never said that defense wasn't important. I merely responded to a poster who, based on the words that he typed, was arguing that it was the most critical factor for winning a championship.

If you read my criticisms of Sheff, Bernie, and Matsui on other boards you would see that I value defense.

last year the deciding game of the world series was won by the score of 1-0...if the white sox did not have defense that score never would have held up. what yankee fans should be worried about is the fact that Arod is a defensive liability.