[新聞] In a Quick Fix, the Yankees Put Phillips at First Base

[leddy (耿秋)]

Yankees Notebook
In a Quick Fix, the Yankees Put Phillips at First Base

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: June 20, 2007
DENVER, June 19 — For strategic reasons, the Yankees’ recent surge came at
the right time. They are back in the pennant race, not striving to enter it,
and thus are not desperate for help as the July 31 trading deadline
approaches.

To that end, the Yankees looked within on Tuesday to improve at first base.
They promoted Andy Phillips from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and
designated Josh Phelps for assignment. There is no rush to make a larger
move, like trade for the Texas Rangers’ Mark Teixeira.

“I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that we have to do it,” Manager Joe Torre
said, when asked if the Yankees might trade for an upgrade at first base. “I
don’t think I need that thumper type of guy. We have plenty of action in the
middle” of the lineup.

In the spring, Phelps beat out Phillips for the job as the backup to Doug
Mientkiewicz, who is now injured. Phelps hit .263 in 80 at-bats, but the
Yankees lost faith in his defense. Miguel Cairo recently started seven games
in a row, and while he played well, Torre said he was more comfortable with
Cairo in his intended role, as the backup infielder.

Torre said Phillips would play regularly at first base, beginning on
Wednesday. Phillips, who lined out in his only at-bat last night, was hitting
.301 with 11 homers at Scranton, and learned of his promotion after a game
Monday in Durham, N.C.

Phillips said he was surprised at how emotional the news made him. He has
gone through a lot the last two years; his wife has overcome cancer and his
mother is walking again after being seriously injured in a car accident this
spring.

“This was amazing,” Phillips said after arriving on Tuesday. “You try to
make the phone call to your parents and your wife, and you can’t even talk.
That’s when everything really came together.”

Phillips hit .240 for the Yankees last season, and Torre said he seemed to
tense, constantly trying to make an impression. When he saw Phillips on
Tuesday, Torre said he told him, “Just understand there will be another
at-bat for you.”

When Phillips struggled last July, batting .165, the Yankees were motivated
to trade for a veteran, Craig Wilson, at the deadline. Teixeira would be a
much bigger catch, a proven switch-hitter with power, though he is on the
disabled list with a strained left quadriceps.

The struggling Rangers gave their general manager, Jon Daniels, a contract
extension on Tuesday, possibly giving him the freedom to retool the team by
making major trades. The Rangers could also deal reliever Eric Gagne, a
former Cy Young award winner, and the Yankees reportedly have been scouting
Gagne.

Teixeira can be a free agent after the 2008 season, and the Yankees are wary
of the possibility that he may really want to play for his hometown team, the
Baltimore Orioles. Still, as a year-and-a-half rental, Teixeira has appeal to
the Yankees, depending on the Rangers’ price.

If the Rangers continue to insist on getting pitcher Phil Hughes in return,
the Yankees will not make a deal. But the Yankees have stockpiled young
pitching talent, recently promoting two 2006 draft picks, Ian Kennedy and
Joba Chamberlain, to Class AA Trenton.

As long as the Yankees keep winning, their strategy will probably mirror
their position last summer, when they waited out the Philadelphia Phillies,
whose asking price on Bobby Abreu finally dropped just before the deadline.

As for Colorado’s Todd Helton, who makes $16.6 million this season, he is
the face of the Rockies’ franchise and the team has not made him available
in trades. In any case, Helton’s salary makes him unappealing to the
Yankees.

The Yankees may also seek a starting pitcher before the deadline, and would
be interested if the fading Chicago White Sox make the left-hander Mark
Buehrle available.

CABRERA STARTS FOR DAMON Johnny Damon continues to feel discomfort in his rib
cage, and Joe Torre told him to cut short a batting practice session before
the game. Melky Cabrera started in center field and was 2 for 4.

Damon entered the game as a defensive replacement at first base as part of a
double switch in the seventh inning. He flied out leading off the eighth and
then struck out swinging to end the game.

CLEMENS SEEKS NO. 350 Roger Clemens will try for his 350th career victory
here on Thursday, but he chose not to reflect on the significance on Tuesday.

“There’s just more to it here, right now,” Clemens said, before referring
to the Yankees’ title drought. “It’s been seven long years, and there’s
still guys here that don’t have a ring. They’ve made a lot of money, but
they don’t have a ring. I want them to have that feeling, to understand what
it’s like, when you talk about really being a Yankee, to be part of one of
those teams.”

Clemens has been with the Yankees every day since he joined them on June 9.
Asked if he would stay with the team this weekend in San Francisco, where he
is not scheduled to pitch, Clemens declined to answer. “That’s nobody’s
business but mine,” he said.


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◆ From: 140.130.155.141
→ leddy:除了Teixeira外,連白襪拿了no-no的投手也要搶
→ leddy:看來阿宅的5號都不一定保得住
→ leddy:連剛爺也可能會來
推 clarkman:剛爺要來??(眼睛一亮)
推 parabird:Clemens真酷!  That’s nobody’sbusiness but mine.
推 appshjkli:要拿Ian Kennedy和Joba Chamberlain換Mark Teixeira?
→ appshjkli:這真是個愚蠢的交易,Mark Teixeira在2007年就是FA 怎麼
→ appshjkli:可能不去市場試試身價?拿未來至少是NO.3以上的兩個新秀
→ appshjkli:換一個可能只待一年的球員?這種交易最好不要發生
推 whatisthis:不可能啦 現金人的作風不會那麼腦殘