Yankees Midseason Report Card (NYdailynews)

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Not half bad

Yankees Midseason Report Card

By ANTHONY MCCARRON

For all the angst over the Yankees' uneven first half, they are still
in contention, three games behind the Red Sox. They may not be the
playoff lock they have been in the past, but the Yanks are one of
only five teams with at least 50 wins at the break.

The problem is that, along with Boston, they may not have the wild-card
cushion they've enjoyed in the past few years, With three good teams in
the Central, it seems only the East leader might advance to the postseason.

All that dough, nearly $200 million, for a seat on the couch for the
playoffs? If that happens, some of these final grades will drop all
the way to "F."

MARIANO RIVERA: A
Still the best in baseball, even at an age when other closers are fading.
Already has four losses, but also has four wins and 19 saves in 21 chances.

MIKE MUSSINA: A
His 10 wins and 3.24 ERA scream ace and he has provided stability to a
rotation that needs it. Without him, the Yanks are looking up at the Blue
Jays as well as Boston.

JOHNNY DAMON: A
Tied for fifth in AL in runs scored (63) and proven able to cover spacious
center, he has been everything the Yankees hoped for, all while playing
hurt.

DEREK JETER: A
In a season of inconsistency and say-what? lineups, Jeter has produced
all year. His average has been steady - he was hitting .342 on May 7 and
he's hitting .345 now.

ROBINSON CANO: A-
Good first half marred by hamstring injury, but he showed that last year's
debut was no fluke. Only 27 RBI in first half drops him below honor roll.

MIKE MYERS: B+
This would be an A if not for one moment - Big Papi's homer in Boston.
That's the guy he was brought here to get out. Still, his numbers
 (1.62 ERA, 13 hits in 16.2 innings) are dynamite.

RON VILLONE: B+
The chat-roomers' darling, Villone has been effective (3-1, 2.27). Somehow,
though, the favorite of Yankee fans on the Internet doesn't get to pitch in
many tight situations.

JASON GIAMBI: B+
Some numbers are terrific - he is third in AL with 27 homers and fifth
with 72 RBI and a 1.026 on-base plus slugging. But he has morphed into
a nearly full-time DH and his .260 average is 35 points below career mark.

CHIEN-MING WANG: B
With Randy Johnson unpredictable, Wang is soaring in importance and is
9-4. Leads team in innings (126) and has given up the most hits (133),
but some of those grounders have to get through.

JORGE POSADA: B+
He has quietly improved his throwing - nailed Carl Crawford twice last
weekend - and is third among catchers in on-base plus slugging (.854),
behind Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez.

MELKY CABRERA: B
Overcame disastrous cup-of-coffee stay last season to become a valuable
player. Has made some spectacular catches and is no automatic out at the
plate.

SCOTT PROCTOR: B-
Yanks were going to make him a starter, but now he's overused out of the
pen (tied for AL lead with 43 appearances). His ERA was 1.84 on May 20
when he steadied the bullpen early, but he was scored upon in 13 of his
next 23 outings. It's 4.58 now.

BERNIE WILLIAMS: B-
Bernie has had to play more because of the injuries and is hitting 33
points higher (.282) than he did one year ago. Maybe it's all the ovations.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ: C+
We're with A-Rod, who has harshly assessed his first months. But for all
the booing he gets, his 19 homers are only slightly off last year's mark
of 23. Still, he's made 13 errors at third - one more than all of last
season - and is on pace for career-worst 145 Ks.

RANDY JOHNSON: C+
Sure, he's an ace in some games, but he's a dud in others. The Big Unit is
too inconsistent with a 5.13 ERA, though he deserves credit for logging
10 wins.

JARET WRIGHT: C+
He gives up a lot of hits and doesn't go deep in games, but could be
rounding into shape - three of his last four starts have been solid
outings.

MIGUEL CAIRO: C+
Two years ago, he grabbed the starting second base job. No chance of
anything like that now, but a professional backup.

NICK GREEN: C
Backup infielder had one terrific night, homering against the Mets and
making two terrific plays, but that might be all Yanks get.

ANDY PHILLIPS: C
A solid first baseman, but inconsistent at the plate. He ended first half
in a 5-for-42 (.119) slump and has struck out 37 times in 168 at-bats.

BUBBA CROSBY: C-
Injured just when he might have gotten a chance to sub for Hideki Matsui
or Gary Sheffield. He hasn't come through in sub role the way he has in
past.

KELLY STINNETT: C-
Brought in to add offense, but is only hitting .216 and has whiffed 27
times in 74 at-bats. Yanks hoped he could work with Johnson, his old
teammate, but he's no longer the Unit's personal catcher.

KYLE FARNSWORTH: D
Erratic reliever (4.31 ERA, 39 hits and 21 walks in 39.2 innings) has
not solidified eighth inning and could lose his gig when Octavio Dotel
joins team.

SHAWN CHACON: F
In limbo now that he's lost his rotation spot. Could eventually get that
spot back by default. Still, Yanks have considered dumping him. Started 4-1,
but was drilled in the shin. In four starts (all Yankee losses) since
missing nearly a month of action, he has a 10.34 ERA.

JOE TORRE: A-
Yanks are in contention despite losing two run producers, playing with a
shortened lineup and spotty starters. Some bullpen cogs may be overworked.

BRIAN CASHMAN: B
The real grading period on the GM begins now, but he hasn't found the
magic he did last year with Chacon and Aaron Small. Not yet, anyway. If
the Yanks stay mired in second place, we'll see if he sticks to his pledge
not to trade prospects like Phil Hughes.

Incomplete

CARL PAVANO:
Will we ever get to complete this grade? Pavano has a lot to prove.

AARON GUIEL:
Depending on how injuries heal, could be a second-half platoon factor
with Bernie Williams. Then again, the Royals got rid of him, so what
can Yanks expect?

SHEFFIELD/MATSUI:
Their injuries are the biggest Yankee story so far this season. If they
come back and lead in a pennant race in September, they could be the
most important players of the year.

Originally published on July 12, 2006

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/434456p-366029c.html

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◆ From: 140.109.23.211
推 sheff:覺得Cano給的分數好像太高了點
推 BOY0:Wang B+ 比較中肯 ... Wang 的確表現很好
→ a020497919:大吉才B+...我以為他今年打的很好了
推 Anero:除了Wang以外其他都是照等第順序排耶 why？
推 jqh:王應該有B+才對
推 pathfinder:大吉由於已經幾乎是專職DH，而BA比生涯低了不少而得B+
→ pathfinder:這是該作者的評語 :P ，看看就好
→ pathfinder:不過當下看來，這幾天板上會有一堆記分板... :)
推 moso:每個人都有不同標準!就當做參考吧!
推 mingshau:為什麼兩個B+中間卡個B 不是按照好壞排的嗎 會不會打錯?
推 newbrain:我覺得洋基版自已投票會比較好，a+__10分往下類推
推 welovee:Wang應該是少了一個+,不然就是評分的人真的用ACE的角度去
→ welovee:評.....XDDD
推 agoodjob:用ace角度去評A-Rod應該很慘..