Any basketball fan or coach is familiar with the phenomenon where you watch a player on your team taking a ridiculously poor shot and exclaim something like, “What the hell are you…. good shot, good shot!” as the bad shot somehow swishes through the net. This was how I felt as I watched Melky Cabrera butcher his way through center field tonight, only to yet again pull heroics out of his prodigious backside in the eighth inning and propel the Yankees to victory.
Watching Melky Cabrera play center field lately is an exercise in frustration. In the past, he has gone through some streaks where he seems locked in, and gets to a decent number of balls, but he has been just plain awful this season, and I think it’s time to close the book on any notion that Melky Cabrera can ever be a full-time center fielder. He doesn’t have great range to begin with, and half the time he acts like a complete space cadet, getting some of the worst jumps I’ve ever seen from a center fielder. Joba started the night well, and looked to be cruising until he allows a couple of sky-high harmless looking popups that hang in the air for about 10 seconds before finally dropping in front of Melky. It’s no wonder Joba feels like he can’t pitch to contact and he has to waste pitches trying for the strikeout.
On the year, Melky and Brett Gardner have an almost identical OPS (.786 to .788), but Gardner is a much, much better fielder and base runner. His UZR is 8.6 runs higher than Melky’s and he has 17 steals to Melky’s 5 (they’ve both been caught twice). Gardner’s speed is such a factor that he changes the delivery of the pitcher on base, creating a disruption no one else on the Yankees can. Add to all these arguments the fact that the two players are going in opposite directions (Melky with OPS of .777 and .679 in May & June to BG’s .955 & .918) and I think it’s clear that Gardner NEEDS to start 5 out of every 6 games in center field.
Mr. Moto in Danger Island movies
This race is too close to be screwing around with Melky in center. Melky is a nice 4th outfielder who can play 3 times a week, spelling each OF position once, and we know he can come up with some late game heroics and be a terrific ph bat off the bench, but it’s time to play your best players. It’s time for Brett Gardner to play every day.
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I’m fine with how they’ve been mixing them up. I think Brett may get exposed playing every day. Also, Melky’s UZR is pretty good at 4.7. If you want to use UZR, you need to acknowledge that it does not agree with your assessment of his fielding. I also disagree with you- I think Melky has been very solid in CF. He had one bad game. Watching Gardner every day, I have to say that he is good, but not great, in CF. He’s better than Melky, but it is close- both are above average, however.
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Tom Gaffney Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 3:20 am
Melky’s UZR in CF this year is -.1 you must have been looking at overall uzr? He’s getting worse, too, both in the field and at bat. He was awful in the field tonight and his big streak is over. The last two months, BG has out OPSed Melky by over .200 points. That’s a large difference. That means that right now Brett is a MUCH better offensive player, a MUCH better defensive player and a MUCH better baserunner. Don’t be blinded by one big hit tonight. He’s been clutch this year – that’s fine, so make him a 4th outfielder and pinch hitter. That way he can still get some late clutch hits. He’s a career -8 UZR/150 in CF vs BG’s career +31, that’s an extra 4 games/ year. 4 games that could make the difference between making the playoffs and watching Tampa and Boston on TV. I think it’s time to play Gardner 5 of every 6, the way Joe played him last week.
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Melky also was a key offensive cog tonight. He got another huge hit and drove in an additional two runs, while scoring once.
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Tom,
Thye have to continue the mix. I watched the Mets series and even in the game that he had five hits Gardner was very lucy with some slap hits. The homerun was one of those magic homers where a shallow fly ball makes it out down the line. Hardly impressive. I live Brett but I would prefer Melky at the plate. Base your assessment of hitting on the whole season, not on a subset when one guys was hurt and returning from injury. I don’t understand why you are stretching so hard to make your point. Gardner is better defensively. Thats true
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Tom Gaffney Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I wouldn’t see 2 months as a small subset. That’s more than 1/4 of a season. We also know from past history that Brett gets better as he adjusts to each level while Melky often hits one hot patch during the season then fades down the stretch. I really don’t see the Melky faction’s perspective other than the clutch hitting.
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Hopefully they will trade Melky if they like what they see out of Hinske in the corner outfield positions. Melky is not a CF for NY and should be moved if they feel Austin Jackson is ready to backup CF.
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Melky stinks as a center fielder!
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Tom Gaffney Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 4:23 pm
It’s not remotely close, Mo. You’re looking at overall UZR, not CF UZR. Gardner’s career UZR/150 is 40 runs better than Melky’s in CF.
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