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Notes: Jeter gets MVP looks
Yankees captain enters Tuesday with a .344 average
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
NEW YORK --
In recent weeks, fans at Yankee Stadium have chanted "MVP! MVP!"
every time Derek Jeter gets a big hit or makes a great play in the
field. Although the Yankees captain doesn't possess the gaudy power
numbers of some of the league's other top candidates, Jeter may
find himself in the mix when it comes to this year's American
League's Most Valuable Player race.
"I think they have to consider him," Joe Torre said, referring to
MVP voters.
"I don't see why he shouldn't be able to win it. I think it's how
valuable someone is to their team and where that team goes."
Among the other candidates in the AL are Boston's David Ortiz,
Chicago's Jim Thome, Minnesota's Justin Morneau and Cleveland's
Travis Hafner, each of whom have at least 30 home runs and 89 RBIs.
Jeter entered Tuesday's game with a .344 average (second to the
Twins' Joe Mauer, who is hitting .361) with 10 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Jeter also ranks among the AL leaders in runs (80), on-base
percentage (.421), hits (152), stolen bases (26), multihit games
(46) and batting average with runners in scoring position (.380).
"How much weight does defense and baserunning carry? I think we
get so blinded sometimes by offense that nothing else really matters,
" Torre said. "You sit here in the dugout and it's the ninth inning,
and you want a double-play ball hit somewhere and you want the thing
turned, then you realize how precious defense is."
Jeter's best MVP finish came in 1998, when he placed third behind
Juan Gonzalez and Nomar Garciaparra. That year, Jeter hit .324 with
19 homers, 84 RBIs, 30 steals and 127 runs scored during New York's
114-win regular season.
"The consistency of what he's been able to do so far has been very,
very impressive," Torre said. "The consistency has always been
important to me, even as a player. When I was a player, I thought
the most important thing I could contribute to a team was consistency
as far as being there every day."
Waiting game: Bernie Williams has seen his playing time diminish
since the Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu and Craig Wilson, but Torre
believes that the veteran is fine with the new arrangement.
"Bernie and I talked about it the other day. He said, 'Just give
me a little time to get a lay of the land,'" Torre said. "That's
the toughest thing for me right now, figuring some kind of regular
work for him."
Torre plans to use Williams as the DH from time to time, also using
him in center field on days that Johnny Damon is the DH. With Abreu
firmly cemented in right field, Wilson playing a lot of first base
and Jason Giambi seeing most of the time at DH, Williams is the odd
man out.
"Bernie is sort of the one who's up in the air right now," Torre
said. "He's come in and asked me and just wanted to get my thinking.
I told him, 'I'm trying to formulate that right now.' He accepts that."
Double duty: With a doubleheader against the Red Sox on Friday, the
Yankees may need to bring up another pitcher to bolster the bullpen.
Sidney Ponson appears to be the likely starter for the second half
of the twinbill, taking an arm out of the bullpen in the process.
"Sidney right now seems like the likely guy who will pitch the second
game of that doubleheader, but we have three games here," Torre said
of the Orioles series. "If we need Sidney to help us win a game here,
we'll not hesitate from using him."
Torre said that he and general manager Brian Cashman have discussed
the idea of bringing up another pitcher for the weekend series, but
no decision has been made.
"We've talked about it and we'll continue to talk about it," Torre
said. "We'll be ready to pull the trigger; Cash is not asleep at the
switch. I can tell you that right now."
Pavano update: Carl Pavano made another rehab start for Class A Tampa,
his second on his current assignment.
Pavano, pitching against Brevard County (Brewers), threw four scoreless
innings, allowing one hit and one walk, striking out five.
Pavano faced 13 batters, throwing 56 pitches, 37 for strikes.
He is scheduled to make his next rehab start Sunday.
All-American boy: J.B. Cox was taken off the active roster of Double-A
Trenton, as the right-hander will play for Team USA in the qualifying
tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Cox, one of four Eastern League players on Team USA's roster, is 6-2
with three saves and a 1.75 ERA in 41 games for the Thunder this
season. Opponents are hitting just .196 against Cox, who did not allow
a run in 15 games between June 4 and July 23.
Coming up: The Yankees and Orioles meet Wednesday in the second game
of the three-game series, as Cory Lidle takes on Adam Loewen. First
pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
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