I’m not really freaking out, since pitchers often under perform in Spring Training for a variety of reasons but it’s still fun to say.
The Yankees rotation, bullpen and lineup are pretty set but if I had to guess who else is coming along for the ride I’d say:
Position Players
- Shelley Duncan – 1B/DH/OF (He has been really mashing it, there’s no way he doesn’t make the team.)
- Wilson Betemit – Infielder extraordinaire (This was pretty much set in stone.)
- mysterious other infielder, maybe Chris Woodward?
Pitchers
- Jeff Karstens – Long Relief (It’s needed, even though he is sometimes not very good at all he does have good stuff and has been doing okay.)
Sean Henn – Obligatory Left-Handed Guy (He’s like Karstens, except left-handed.)- Bill Traber – Obligatory Left-Handed Guy (Henn can’t stop sucking, probably will not make the club.)
- Russ Ohlendorf – Right Handed Middle Relief (Ohlendorf has really good stuff, and is who the team is looking to take the place of Joba once he moves back into the rotation after the season starts.)
Shelley could even be in the Opening Day lineup the way he’s been mashing if Matsui starts out on the DL. Honestly, I would rather see this happen and give Matsui the chance to recover completely than to rush him and watch it affect his hitting like it did last year.
In other, much more important news Bobby Murcer is okay. I am looking forward to seeing him at the last Old Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium and cannot wait to see who his hitting coach is this year.
And here is the hilarious Joe Torre quote of the day, courtesy of the LA Times:
There is a team that Dodgers Manager Joe Torre frequently references when talking about what he wants to see from his own: the Angels.
“Very distracting,” Torre called their style.
Torre would know. During his 12-year stint managing the New York Yankees, the Angels were the only American League team to post a winning record against them, beating them in 61 of 116 regular-season games. He remembers the kind of pressure put on Yankees pitchers when Chone Figgins or Howie Kendrick would gallop from first to third on a single.
What Torre hopes is that the Dodgers can torment their opponents the same way.
At least hit-and-runs are more appropriate with the team he’s got now than the one he used to have.
