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Sabathia to start 2010 slightly less fat

Posted by EJ Fagan at 3:00 pm 4 Responses »
Dec 232010

Via River Ave Blues:

CC Sabathia has dropped 15 pounds through a combination of cardio workouts and weight training this offseason and is aiming to drop 15 more before Spring Training begins. “I’m turning 30 this year, getting a little older,” he joked. “Hopefully [the weight loss] will take some pressure off my knee and extend my career.” Sabathia had surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his right knee after the season, but his rehab was complete in less than a month and he’s well into his offseason routine and playing some light catch.

Is this officially the prelude to the first, “He’s in the best shape of his life” spring training stories? Its hard to imagine that a little weight loss can’t hurt Sabathia. There are a lot of big, heavy, muscular players in the majors, but Sabathia definitely has a lot of weight sitting on his 290 lb frame that’s not muscle. Shedding that, as Sabathia says here can help.

It reminds me of one of my more favorite stories about David Wells. Sabathia is a big, fat guy, but he’s not unathletic. We use the term athletic frequently to describe all sorts of things – how fast a person is, how many tools they have, how physically strong they are – but that’s not the only way to approach it.

The question came up on ESPN one day. Who is the most athletic professional athlete out there? Some interesting names came up – Lebron James, Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez. But one commentator immediately said Tiger Woods – Woods has been and will be again the most dominant golfer of his time with few players coming particularly close. The discussion continued – Tiger Woods himself will admit that he’s good at nothing but golf. He played quite a bit of pick up basketball, but got his ass kicked by tons of non-professional athletes.

This is where David Wells came in. David Wells does not have the physique of Tiger Woods. He’s not dominate in his sport like he was, or even like his teammates Roger Clemens or Derek Jeter. He wasn’t as fast as Alfonso Soriano, and probably couldn’t throw as hard as Raul Mondesi. But David Wells one thing David Wells could do was kick everyone’s ass at pick up basketball. The big, fat guy who drank and ate like Homer Simpson was in that way the best athlete on the Yankees dynasty teams.

I bet that C.C. Sabathia is a lot like David Wells in that way. I bet he could smoke Alex Rodriguez in a game of 1 on 1 basketball. He probably has the hand-eye coordination, balance, and instinct that allowed David Wells to pitch very effectively into his late-30s and 40s. Its what fueled his fantastic control throughout his career, even though he didn’t have the physical talent of a lot of other pitchers out there. Sabathia has a lot more physical talent than Wells – he throws harder – but I bet he also has that same innate athleticism that Wells had. It bodes well for his career as he starts to get older.

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When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again?

Posted by William J. at 1:00 pm 3 Responses »
Dec 232010

(The following is being syndicated from The Captain’s Blog.)

The Yankees and Johnny Damon have reportedly discussed a return to the Bronx, but concerns over a lack of playing time have made the possible reunion unlikely.

Although the Yankees are set in the outfield, the team’s bench has been severely depleted this offseason. Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns have already signed elsewhere, and Marcus Thames seems destined to the do the same. As a result, the Yankees have no depth, literally.

Not only do the Yankees lack a viable fourth outfielder, but they also do not have a capable bat to backup Jorge Posada in the DH role. Last season, Posada and the Yankees outfield trio of Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher missed a collective 92 games. If that is repeated in 2011 (or if Posada is forced to go back behind the plate), the team will not only need to acquire another pitcher during the season, but another hitter as well.

Damon isn’t a perfect fit. His defense is below average and he swings from the left side (although he has developed into an above average hitter against southpaws). The ideal acquisition would be a right handed bat capable of playing plus outfield defense, but no such candidate remains on the market. Vladimir Guerrero swings from the right side, but he really shouldn’t even keep a glove in his locker anymore. In other words, Damon, although an imperfect solution, is really the Yankees last chance to add quality depth via free agency.

From Damon’s perspective, the idea of relinquishing an everyday role is probably hard to accept. However, it isn’t hard to figure out a scenario in which he would play 100 games. Still, that may not be enough for a player used to being in the lineup every game. Ultimately, Damon’s decision may be determined by which teams can offer him a starting position. If a competitive team like the Rays is able to promise him extensive playing time, his choice would be easy. If he is only able to find playing time on an uncompetitive team, however, Damon may eventually decide that a more limited role in a place that he enjoys is the better option.

As has been the case all offseason, the Yankees will need to exercise patience as Damon sorts through his options, but if a reunion is in the offing, the signing would be a rare example of moving ahead by looking back.

Damon Do Over?

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am No Responses »
Dec 232010

I had a post similarly titled to this one back in October but it appears that a simple Internet musing has gained some traction.

I said in my prior post that it wouldn’t be a bad idea, but with the Yankees now using Jorge Posada as the full time DH, there seems to be even less room for Damon to get playing time. His non-crippling platoon split is definitely helpful, as he could spell Brett Gardner or Curtis Granderson (as the MLBTR article says), but the fact that he’s a left-handed bat doesn’t help his case. His poor defense of the last two years doesn’t help, either. He’s also limited by the lack of ability to play center field anymore.

Being left handed is Damon’s biggest asset, as it plays best to the park (see: 2009) and he can always get more plate appearances that way. However, with each outfielder batting left handed or being a switch hitter, Damon’s at a bit of a loss. Still, a bench outfielder who can play against right handers is something the Yankees will need.

Damon isn’t entirely helpless against LHP, so signing another bench OF may not be necessary. However, if someone (Scott Hairston, please!) was signed in tandem with Damon, the Yankees would have a formidable outfield bench. I’m not entirely on board with this (possible) plan, but I wouldn’t be horribly opposed to it if, of course, the price was right.

I know some people out there will be screaming that the Yankees shouldn’t worry about the bench right now and should be working harder to sure up the starting rotation. I’m more than willing to bet that they are doing that. While the possible money spent on Damon could go to help the rotation, what is out there that’s worth paying for? Not a lot. In closing, though, I should say that if Johnny Damon wants more than $2MM guaranteed (which I’m sure he’ll want), the Yankees should just move on.

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Dave Eiland lands with Rays

Posted by Steve S. at 7:00 am No Responses »
Dec 232010

One of the original Rays returns home

Former Yankee pitching coach Dave Eiland has found himself employment, but not somewhere Yankee fans will be happy about. Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has the details:

Dave Eiland is back in the AL East. The former Yankee pitching coach was named a special assistant for Tampa Bay Wednesday. He’ll work in scouting and player development for the Rays, the team he pitched for from 1998-2000.

Eiland’s duties will include amateur, minor-league and big-league scouting, although his knowledge of the Yankees may be his biggest asset. “Absolutely, whatever I can give ‘em to help, I can do that,” Eiland told the St. Petersburg Times. “And I’ve got plenty of (secrets to share). They’re the enemy now.”

There’s only one thing left for the Yanks to do. Bring this man back.

In all seriousness, I don’t think this means much. Pro scouting reports have pitcher’s repertoire, tendencies, weaknesses, etc. Everyone in Baseball knows each others players along with what they do well and what they don’t, if anything the job of a pitching coach is to manage that profile and try to help the player overcome what everyone already knows about him. On the professional level in most sports, it really comes down to execution. Dave lives down in Florida, and with the personal issues he had last year that forced him to take a month off mid-season it appears he wanted to be close to home. I always liked Dave Eiland and I wish him well on a personal level, if not the team he now works for.

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