Going into Spring Training the Yankees had, barring some disaster or an unexpected loss of form, 4 of the starting positions firmly fixed. 3 of those were carry-overs from the 2009 World Champs – Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte.
The Yankees have used an amazing 16 outfielders in Spring Training as they have sought to fill the hardest three spots on their roster. In the infield, we have merely been debating the bench spots. In the outfield, nothing is certain – an amazing situation for a team coming off a World Series win to find themselves in. In 2009, Melky Cabrera beat out Brett Gardner to fill the centrefield slot (despite opening the season as second choice). Leftfield went to Johnny Damon primarily because Hideki Matsui’s balky knees prevented him playing the outfield all year. Rightfield went to Nick Swisher who was the lightweight of the three but a good clubhouse presence. Now only Swisher remains.
Jorge Posada has been a tremendous player for the last 15 years. The suspicion is that the Yankees will soon have to find a replacement for their veteran catcher, He is safely ensconced for 2010 but 2011 or 2012 might be another matter and so the young pretenders are making their moves.
Shortstop is a very key position when it comes to estimating the Yankees roster for 2010. Obviously, Derek Jeter is the incumbent and will remain so for a few years yet. But Ramiro Pena is the key figure when it comes to trying to figure how well the Yankees will do well off the bench. Last season, Pena was a refreshing presence who did well at all the infield positions he was used in. During the season he was sent to Triple-A Scranton to learn the outfield. What the Yankees brass saw during that stint was obviously a disappointment because his standing seems to have slipped somewhat in their eyes.
There will be no surprises at 3b from the Yankees beyond Spring training. Alex Rodriguez was always going to be the first choice third baseman and the Yankees have not often carried a bench player who specialises at third.
The Yankees have used 5 players in Spring Training that you might consider second basemen. Of these four are junior members of the farm system – Luis Nunez, David Adams, Kevin Russo and Reegie Corona. Russo has seen a good number of at-bats in the Spring games and produced some decent stats but realistically he will be looking for a September call-up when the roster expands.
So far in Spring Training, the Yankees seem to be looking at 4 first baseman. There is no question going into the season about who will be the everyday player. The puzzle is more whether the Yankees need a dedicated first base backup on the bench or whether they will go with a middle-infield utility man and use Nick Johnson at 1B on those days when Teixeira does not start there.
I haven’t had chance to post anything on here recently but I promise to keep the journal busy over the next few weeks. What’s been happening?
1. I have a new website. The writing side of my work has become busy enough to encourage me to promote it further and one of my publishers were happy to help me do it as they get more work too if I’m busy. If you’re inclined to take a look, it’s here: www.darrenhirst.com
2. One of the bands that I have been working with have attracted interest from Sony/BMG which has meant some high flown meetings which seem to have gone well.
3. You can read all about my work with Sad Cafe on the new version of their website which I believe is going live today. I’m impressed with the design of this one. It was done by a company called project42 who are very talented and very efficient. You can see the site here: www.sadcafe.co.uk
4. The new issue of Natural Progressions which I edit will go to the printers on Monday. That looks good too.
5. The RSC has a new group of productions. The first is King Lear and a review of this excellent performance should be on this site in a few days time.
6. Some of my favourite artists are doing gigs in the next few weeks and I’ll do reviews which will eventually find their way here. I’ll be writing about Panic Room, Timothy B. Schmit, John Foxx and Swarf.
7. I’ve been involved in negotiations with John Foxx’s manager, Steve Malins, with a view to staging an exhibition of John’s art in Stratford-Upon-Avon. This has been frustrating and may come to nothing.
8. Baseball Spring Training has begun and I’m going to be writing an analysis of the Yankees’ Spring squad which will also eventually find it’s way here.
Busy, busy, busy………..
Swindon Town v Leeds United
26th of January 2010
County Ground, Swindon
Leeds United are having a peculiar run of form. What’s wrong with this picture?
Manchester United 0 Leeds United 1
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Leeds United 2
Swindon Town 3 Leeds United 0
Whether it is tiredness, whether it is elation or something more, all the signs are that the Peacocks are having a difficult time adjusting from the big days in the FA Cup to the workaday business of life in League 1. This has resulted in their 8 point lead at the top disappearing. It has led to Norwich overtaking them and Charlton closing the gap for second place and now it has led to their worst defeat of the season. That defeat came against a Swindon team who were competent but never outstanding but who could have scored six against their opponents.
This, in turn, resulted in the away fans who had arrived announcing that the Swindon followers were only in the ground "to see the Leeds" being robbed of what little articulation they originally had and resorting to call their opposite numbers "scum". There was little intellectual debate about the relative merits of the two teams to be heard amongst the fans of either team.
Personally, I prefer to ponder those things rather than shouting abuse but I would have been hard pressed to find any individual players who merited commendation where a few days previously against the Spurs there had been many. Then Ankergren played in a way that was, frankly, beyond his capabilities and Beckford looked like he deserved the inflated fees that his agent had tried to attach to him just a few weeks earlier. At Swindon, Snodgrass was once again bright and purposeful but didn’t achieve much in the second half and substitute Gradel looked overmatched against taller and heavier Swindon defenders despite his obvious enthusiasm and love for the game. And they were the best on offer.
The logical conclusion is that unless something can be done to right the ship, Leeds will again drift out into the post-season playoff games and their ability in those situations has not gone well dating back to the time when Billy Bremner was at the helm as team manager.
The cold night brought home a harsh reality of a defence that looked like it lost its shape too easily and couldn’t pick up players who needed to be marked at set pieces. The midfield looked like it lacked a play maker especially when Kilkenny was withdrawn at half time and that the policy of playing Beckford alone upfront in a League 1 game is foolish indeed. He desperately needed Becchio to play off and to hold the ball up for him but by the time he was brought on the team were already behind and lost heart all together when the second goal went in.
So will Leeds trade automatic performance for the glamour of a cup run which brings bright memories but will not end in silverware? Well, on current evidence it is a real possibility.
I don’t like snow.
The members of Sad Cafe have been working on an album. Their lead vocalist, Paul Young (no, not the other guy of the same name – this one was also in Mike & the Mechanics) passed away. Before he died he had completed vocal tracks for around 30 new songs. A plan was put together to get the surviving musicians together to turn this into the fully fledged album that Paul had envisaged. I had been working on getting re-releases for the band’s back catalogue and so I became a key player in making this happen.
The only question is where we would make the album.
Manchester was mentioned – after all it is the guys’ hometown…….. Various other cities were put on the table and discarded. And then they decided on Gothenburg, Sweden. "Darren, could you come out and do your part of the work in January?" January in Gothenburg.
And I don’t like snow.
There’s a lot of snow in Gothenburg in January and I just got back. I’m glad the snow in London is gone.
The album sounds excellent (if I say so myself) and with about 10 tracks completed, we enter into the tricky business of getting the right record company on board. All this in what is a difficult climate for the music industry. Did someone mention climate……bbbrrrrrrrrrr…………
twilightdawning 