[新聞] Yanks Begin Auditions for Their No. 2 Hitter

[alwaysblue (Ti Amo)]

Yanks Begin Auditions for Their No. 2 Hitter
By BEN SHPIGEL
Published: March 3, 2010

TAMPA, Fla. — In Joe Girardi’s ideal lineup, the No. 2 hitter would have
some speed and a high on-base percentage, and also be able to hit for power.

“And if you had that guy,” Girardi said, “he might hit somewhere else.”

Girardi was alluding to another spot in the batting order, but another
comparison seems more apt. Somewhere else could also mean Lakeland, Fla.,
where Johnny Damon and the Detroit Tigers train. In Damon’s only season
hitting second for the Yankees, there was no better man for that job.

The Yankees have few issues to resolve in spring training, and one of them is
identifying Damon’s replacement. That mission began in earnest Wednesday in
the Yankees’ Grapefruit League opener, a 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh
Pirates. Curtis Granderson, who offers speed and power, was the first to bat
second. The early favorite Nick Johnson, who excels at getting on base, will
have his turn at No. 2 on Thursday, when the Yankees play Philadelphia.

“You want guys hitting in the second hole to get on, to set the table for
the big guys behind them,” Girardi said, adding: “That’s the most
important thing. You want them to be productive, you want them on base.”

Only two players last season reached base more often than Johnson, and both
of them won Most Valuable Player awards: Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols. The
Yankees value players who work the count and extend at-bats, and Johnson took
65.9 percent of his pitches, the second-highest figure in the National
League, according to the “Bill James Handbook 2010.” He has a higher career
on-base percentage than Granderson (.402 to .344) and more experience batting
second, starting 101 games in that spot last season.

In Detroit, Granderson was teammates with an excellent No. 2 hitter, Placido
Polanco, who now plays for Philadelphia. Granderson said Polanco was an
excellent situational hitter who made contact against tough pitchers, rarely
struck out and advanced runners for the hitters behind him.

“I think that would be the goal of a really good 2 hitter,” said
Granderson, who has not started at that spot since the final day of the 2007
season. “I’m not going to be happy or mad because no matter what the
situation happens to be lineup-wise, I’ve got to go ahead and get my job
done at my position.”

A batting order that begins with Derek Jeter and Johnson would seem to create
more run-scoring opportunities for sluggers like Mark Teixeira and Alex
Rodriguez, though it is possible that Girardi will decide to mix and match.

With Paul Maholm starting but pitching only one inning for Pittsburgh,
Girardi wanted to ensure that Granderson, who hit .183 last season against
left-handed pitching, would get an at-bat against a lefty. He did, and
grounded out. That at-bat, as well as every one he gets against lefties in
the coming days, will serve as the foundation during his sessions with the
hitting coach Kevin Long.

“My main thing today was to get some timing,” Granderson said. “It’s
really hard to have a feel right now of what we’ve done and been working on
this spring and see how it’s going to translate. No one up there today felt
good.”

It may make sense to have Johnson hit second against left-handers; his .883
on-base plus slugging percentage against lefties last season was the eighth
highest among qualifying left-handed hitters. But Granderson could emerge as
a catalyst against right-handers. His power is comparable to, if not better
than, Damon’s, and his speed reduces the likelihood of a double play.

“You’d like to have it fairly uniform, but I’m not married to it,”
 Girardi said. “You have to let your team dictate what happens.”

That is what happened last season, when Girardi in late March made the
surprise move of flipping Jeter and Damon in the batting order. The Yankees
went on to lead the majors in runs scored (915) and O.P.S.(.839). Girardi
will experiment with several lineup permutations over the course of the
spring, just as he will shuffle Granderson and Brett Gardner between left and
center field to determine the best fit.

“I always feel comfortable on defense,” said Gardner, who played left
Wednesday and made a superb catch on the warning track in the fifth inning. “
It doesn’t matter where it’s at.”

INSIDE PITCH

Unless Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes falter, one of them will be the fifth
starter. But the three outside candidates — Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and
Alfredo Aceves — all impressed Joe Girardi on Wednesday, combining to allow
one hit and no walks over six scoreless innings. ... The Yankees, who led the
majors with 28 victories in their final at-bat last season, edged the Pirates
on a three-run homer by Colin Curtis in the bottom of the ninth. Curtis
emerged unscathed from the traditional shaving-cream pie in his face because
A. J. Burnett, the team’s head pie crafter, had already left with many of
the regulars. Girardi said Burnett got pied Tuesday by Kevin Long after
winning the IndyCar competition at a local arcade. ... Chamberlain, who had
flulike symptoms Tuesday, threw his scheduled bullpen session Wednesday and
is on track to pitch Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. ... George
Steinbrenner watched the game from his box.

News source：
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/sports/baseball/04yankees.html?ref=baseball

二番爭奪戰開始了!
吉總心中理想的二番人選：有點速度、高上壘率還要有點power.
(編按：哪個總教練心中的理想不是這樣　= =||)

Curtis Granderson在昨天的熱身賽，獲得試打二番的機會，
而原先屬意的Nick Johnson則是在今天的熱身賽中會上場打第二棒。

Nick Johnson生涯的上壘率比Curtis Granderson的來的好，
（Nick Johnson生涯上壘率0.402，Curtis Granderson生涯上壘率0.344）

作者認為，由隊長和Johnson所組成的一、二棒打序，能夠為後面的兩個長打者
鐵爺和阿肉製造較多的得點圈打擊機會。

再加上Johnson上季對上左投的on-base plus slugging percentage高達0.883，
相較於Granderson，面對左投時，把Johnson排在第二棒似乎是比較合理的。

揪竟洋基的二番人選會是誰勒？大家一起拭目以待吧～

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◆ From: 59.115.138.115
推 raygod      :遇到右投先發擺Granderson,左投先擺Johnson不就好了
推 realestate  :1樓說得有道理
推 chancewen   :結論：通殺!!
推 oneindark   :鐵爺：他們在爭什麼?  A-GOD：爭第二阿
推 jdtrue      :不過就算是面對RHP  NJ的上壘率依舊比較優阿
推 charlie01   :那個...第四段是說Grandy是"第一個"試打2棒 而今天對
推 charlie01   :PHI的比賽NJ"也會得到他試打2棒的機會"...事實上昨日
推 charlie01   :比賽結束後老吉就確定今天2棒將輪NJ打...並不是"優先
推 charlie01   :人選"和"退居第二順位"的意思...而昨天Grandy完全沒
推 charlie01   :表現 NJ一上場就1RBI doubkle 結果反而是有表現的
→ charlie01   :退居第二順位 不是怪怪的嗎:)
→ charlie01   :而Joe也有提到在3.4棒是"那兩個人"的情況下 2棒的
推 charlie01   :速度飛快與否重要性就降低了 他不會作為主要考量
→ appshjkli   :查理你乾脆發一篇新文章好了
推 charlie01   :不用啦 也沒什多講的 其他的本文和原PO說得很詳細:)
推 lukehong    :三四棒把球幹出牆外 慢慢走回來就好 速度應該沒差
→ alwaysblue  :哈哈..真是不好意思..那是我搞錯了..來修改一下^^||
※ 編輯: alwaysblue      來自: 59.115.138.115       (03/04 17:47)
→ alwaysblue  :感謝查理大的指正~~~ :)
推 poiuy0918   :結論:我們今年還是要搶三位數的勝場!!!
→ notmuchmoney:爭輸的打5番嗎 還是5番波波已經拿下了....
推 Benitez     :四位數得分
推 prereality  :五棒可以先讓cano試一下阿
推 RckS        :on-base plus slugging percentage 就是OPS的原文阿!
→ sneak       : 而Joe也有提到在3. https://daxiv.com