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New York Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli poses with Marines and the World Series trophy at the U.S. Embassy.
TAMPA - Francisco Cervelli stopped playing winter ball in his native Venezuela after he was struck in the head by a hitter's backswing during a game, he said after a recent workout at the Yankees' minor-league complex.
Cervelli was examined at a hospital in Venezuela and the Yankees also had their doctors look at him.
"Nothing bad," Cervelli said. "No concussion. I came here to check my head and the doctors said no action for a month. The Yankees said no more and you pay attention, that's it."
Cervelli, who likely will be the Yanks' backup catcher behind Jorge Posada, is fully involved in workouts now. He spent last week taking batting practice in a group with Derek Jeter and shortstop prospect Eduardo Nunez and working on his skills. He says he lost eight pounds over the winter and, "I feel good, man.
"I've been working so hard. I'm glad and happy they give me the opportunity to be the backup catcher. I just have to keep playing hard - same game, same game."
Cervelli, who turns 24 next month, was a revelation last season for the Yanks as a fill-in when Posada and former backup Jose Molina got hurt. From May 7-31, he appeared in 15 games. Overall, he hit .298 with a .309 on-base percentage and .372 slugging percentage in 42 games. He hit a noteworthy homer in Atlanta to key an important rally - his first career blast - and knocked in 11 runs. He also appeared briefly in the division series and ALCS.
But what really impressed the Yankees was his catching and handling of pitchers. Joe Girardi said he believed Cervelli could one day be a No. 1 catcher and pitchers such as CC Sabathia raved about him. Not bad for a guy who is generally skipped over when folks talk about Posada's eventual replacement.
"In the offseason, I thought about every moment of last season," he said. "I'm never going to forget last year - '09 was great. It was perfect. I hit very well, the defense was good and I was happy.
"This is a big opportunity now and I just want to play and win, that's it.
Cervelli, who threw out 10 of 23 runners trying to steal (43%), is rated as the best defensive catcher in the organization by Baseball America.
Several pitchers, including Sabathia, praised him publicly, which Cervelli said "makes you feel so special. It's a blessing. The Yankee staff, we've got a good combination and they trust you."
Left field and the No. 5 starter spots figure to garner the most attention during the next seven weeks, but there's plenty to watch in Tampa as Joe Girardi's club gets ready to defend its title. Here are five questions the Yanks must answer as they defend their title:
1. Joba or Phil … or neither?
When a team's biggest concern is who will fill the No. 5 starter job, it is entering spring training in pretty good shape. Then again, not many teams have two young pitchers who have been in the spotlight as much as Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, who will fight it out for that coveted final spot in the rotation.
Chamberlain has finally put the "Joba Rules" to rest, having thrown 1571/3 regular-season innings in 2009. The Yankees seem prepared to let the righthander loose for 200 innings this season, making him the favorite for the No. 5 slot. Then again, there are those inside the organization who fell in love with Chamberlain as a setup man during the postseason, leaving the door open for Hughes to claim the starting spot.
Hughes was lights-out in the relief role last year, though he faltered a bit in the postseason. Most scouts believe he's better equipped to be a starter, but having thrown only 1051/3 innings between the majors and minors in 2009 and 692/3 the year before, Hughes would surely be subjected to some Joba-like rules if he was placed in the rotation.
Most people believed that Johnny Damon would eventually find his way back to the Bronx, but as camp kicks off this week, he remains the biggest name available on the free-agent market. The Yankees have moved on, giving Brett Gardner and recently-signed Randy Winn their chance to claim Damon's old job.
Gardner, who beat out Melky Cabrera for the starting center field job last year, has youth and speed on his side, while Winn, a 12-year veteran, possesses valuable experience.
Jesus Montero shows off his form behind the plate as he works at the art of catcher, trying to becoming Jorge Posada's eventual replacement.
TAMPA - Under a slate-gray sky, the Yankees' best prospect steps in front of home plate, prepared to block it. About 10 yards away, a coach with a thin fungo bat swats a ball at him, simulating the unpredictable nature of throws from the outfield, as rain drops fall. The young catcher's mitt flashes out to snare the ball and he applies a mock tag, then he jogs to the side as another catcher takes a turn in the drill.
Most of Jesus Montero's days are made up of moments like this, working at the craft of catching. He flops side to side in the bullpen, honing his skills at blocking errant pitches. He pores over the rudiments of receiving, learning how to handle different pitches and the myriad ways they can break, and he works to shorten his throwing motion to take better advantage of a powerful arm.
To Montero - and the Yankees - this is all vital work, even though Montero's catching skills are not what most believe will eventually get him to the major leagues. Montero, rated as the fifth-best prospect in the game by Baseball America, might be the best hitter in the minor leagues, a player who swings his way to Yankee Stadium before his defense can catch up.
"His bat may not be too far from the big leagues," says a rival baseball executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was evaluating a player in another organization. "But they'll have to decide his position. Jesus has a chance to be a very, very big hitter. He reminds me of Carlos Delgado at that age.
"When you have a guy who hits that well, you may want to get him out of there even if he can't catch."
Then the executive invokes the name of a player who comes up often when discussing Montero - Minnesota's Joe Mauer, the reigning AL MVP. Mauer is big like Montero - Mauer is 6-5 and 220 pounds, Montero 6-4, 235 - and an amazing hitter. He is also a terrific defensive catcher.
As the executive says, "There are not very many Joe Mauers."
Still, the Yankees use Mauer's success as a response to the argument that Montero is too big to be a catcher.
And they are determined to see if Montero can be the eventual replacement for 38-yea-old Jorge Posada. Montero is likely to be the starting catcher at Triple-A Scranton this season, but Joe Girardi will get a look at him when Montero reports with pitchers and catchers Wednesday for his third big-league camp.
Most teams don't get huge offense from catchers because the position is so physically punishing, defense so vital. So if Montero becomes the hitter the Yanks believe he can be while catching, "that elevates the whole club's offense," says Mark Newman, the Yankees' VP of baseball operations.
You don't survive almost a half century in the Yankees' organization without being tough.
Now legendary trainer Gene Monahan is calling on that toughness in a very important way.
Monahan, a member of the organization for 47 years -- the last 38 as head athletic trainer -- is being treated in New York for what he and the club are calling a "significant illness" that will force him to miss all of spring training and possibly the beginning of the season.
"I miss not being around my professional family already, but I'm battling," Monahan said in a statement released by the team yesterday.
Getty Images
REVVED UP: The Yankees' spring training opens Wednesday in Tampa -- but Joba Chamberlain was in Florida a little early, taking in the Daytona 500 yesterday, 121 miles to the east.
"The New York Yankees have gone above and beyond in this most difficult time. I couldn't do this alone, but with the support and love of my immediate family, my family within our organization and the dedication and expertise of many fine doctors, I look forward to resuming my role with the team this season."
Monahan has taken a medical leave of absence, and his treatments are expected to last for the next couple of weeks. A member of the Yankees' family said he planned on visiting Monahan at Manhattan's Sloan-Kettering hospital.
GM Brian Cashman said Monahan's statement would serve as the voice of the organization. Manager Joe Girardi said he would likely address the situation Wednesday, when camp starts.
Assistant trainer Steve Donohue will assume Monahan's duties. There was no announcement who would assist Donohue, who has been with the Yankees for 31 years and has been Monahan's assistant for 25.
After hearing the news that the Yankees would be without Monahan for spring training, Paul O'Neill immediately recalled how much time a player spends with the medical staff.
"He has been a huge part of the team, and this blows you away," the ex-outfielder and current YES broadcaster said.
According to David Cone, Monahan's value exceeded the remedies to fix body parts, applying mountains of ice, detailing tedious rehab programs and making sure medications were taken and scales tipped.
"He is one of the most sincere people you will ever want to meet," Cone said.
So appreciative was Cone after Monahan nursed him through surgery to repair an aneurysm in 1996 and shoulder surgery in 1997, the pitcher delivered a gift to Monahan.
"After all the rehabs, I think it was 1998, I bought him a car," Cone said. "He is a big NASCAR guy. I bought him a Grand Am. He was stunned. He gave the car to his daughter, and he tells me she still has it."
We now know, thanks to FanGraphs splits, that Derek Jeter posted better power numbers to right than Albert Pujols. In fact, he posted better numbers to right field than almost any right handed hitter I could find. Jeter’s prolificacy stems not only from what happens when he does hit a ball to right field, but also that he does it so frequently. It made me wonder how the other nine regulars fared when hitting the ball to each field. Who were the best Yankee hitters to right, left, and center? In addition to their rate stats, I’ll also factor in overall production, using linear weights based on BaseRuns.
To left field
Best hitter for average: Nick Swisher, .401 Best hitter for power: Nick Swisher, .402 ISO Best overall contribution: Alex Rodriguez, 49.252
Credit: AP Photo/Chris Carlson
The Yankees didn’t hit that well to left field. In The Stadium that makes a degree of sense. Balls fly out of the park to right, and the Yankees built their team with that in mind. They did stock up on switch hitters, though, and two of them, Swisher and Mark Teixeira, did fare well when hitting the ball to left. That .402 ISO on Swisher is just insane. Most of it came from the right side of the plate, of course, where he posted a .493 ISO in 67 AB.
Yet Swisher couldn’t match A-Rod’s overall production while hitting to left. A-Rod hit 22 more balls to left field than Swisher, which accounted for much of the difference in their linear weights numbers. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano also added more than 40 BaseRuns, both because they hit the ball in that direction so often. It might seem odd to see Jeter on the list, but pitchers aren’t going to feed him outside pitches all day. He has to do something with those inside ones if he’s going to succeed, and he did that well in 2009.
Overall the Yankees hit .345 to left field with a .210 ISO and 313.780 BaseRuns.
To center field
Best hitter for average: Brett Gardner, .425 Best hitter for power: Alex Rodriguez, .315 Best overall contribution: Robinson Cano, 52.429
Credit: AP Photo/Winslow Townson
It makes sense that team power isn’t as high to center field. It’s the deepest part of the park, and some fields have ridiculously long fences. Still, the Yankees hit well for average that way, led by Brett Gardner. He was at his best hitting to center. In fact, he didn’t hit over .300 to either of the corners, but was up at .425 to center. A-Rod came close at .405, and Jeter hit .398.
Power-wise it was A-Rod with a decent amount of space between him and the second best slugger to center, Nick Swisher. A-Rod hit a ridiculous nine home runs to center field, which is even more remarkable because, again, he missed the first month of the season. Swisher showed good power to center, though his average dropped off markedly. Still, five homers and 10 doubles on 105 balls in play (plus homers) is damn fine production.
People call Robinson Cano a pure hitter. If being a pure hitter means taking the ball back up the middle, then Cano fit the definition. His .373 AVG ranked fourth on the team, and his .151 ISO ranked fifth. But, as with A-Rod to left, Cano benefitted by putting so many balls in play to center field. Derek Jeter put in play the next most, with 198, but after them it was a long way to No. 3, Mark Teixeira with 168.
Overall the Yankees hit .344 to center field with a .162 ISO and 317.191 BaseRuns.
To right field
Best hitter for average: Jorge Posada, .425 Best hitter for power: Jorge Posada, .473 Best overall contribution: Johnny Damon, 77.029
Credit: AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams
Before assembling the list, I expected to see Johnny Damon’s name atop the average mark and Mark Teixeira with the best power numbers. I didn’t realize that Jorge Posada hits the ball to right like Nick Swisher hits it to left. That .473 ISo is the best mark of any Yankee to any field. Jorge also tied for the top batting average to any field. Best of all, he did it from both sides of the plate, hitting .427 from the left side and .423 from the right, with a .539 ISO from the left side and .231 from the right.
Of Damon’s 24 home runs, 23 sailed over a right field wall, and the majority of those came at Yankee Stadium. Yet he had only the fourth highest ISO on the team, as Hideki Matsui ranked second at .461 and Mark Teixeira ranked third at .459. Damon, at .450, added the most overall because he really tailored his swing to the short porch, putting 220 balls in play to right field. Swisher also finished well here, with a .377 ISO mark. The lowest non-Gardner ISO: Alex Rodriguez, with .233. I think we’ll see that increase a little bit this season.
Overall the Yankees hit .364 to right field with a .368 ISO and 445.068 BaseRuns. It pays, it seems, to build your team around your stadium.
In case you’re interested, here’s the whole spreadsheet. You know. For the nerds among us.
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Posted on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 12:00 am in Offense.
With camp set to open, Yankees set sights on title No. 28
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
02/15/10 12:00 AM EST
NEW YORK -- As the falling confetti over the Canyon of Heroes gave way to snowflakes, Joe Girardi went home and quietly pondered switching his wardrobe to reflect the changing atmosphere of the Yankees' mission statement.
After all, No. 27 was so 2009.
Girardi's decision to upgrade to uniform No. 28 was an easy one after making a quick check with outfielder Curtis Granderson to make sure he didn't want it first. But Granderson showed a quick understanding of the ultimate plan, saying that the manager needs that number a little bit more.
"Worst-case scenario, if we win, I can get No. 28 next year," said Granderson, an All-Star outfielder who will be one of the new faces in camp this year when the Yankees play their first innings since Game 6 of the World Series.
As the Yankees begin their journey, the idea is to get back to the postseason, an October-or-bust stance that might as well be synonymous with the Steinbrenner name.
The Yankees will be attempting to become the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since Joe Torre dripped tears across the Shea Stadium infield and on the shoulders of his players in 2000, and they're well aware that shiny rings don't translate to victories in the here and now.
"You really don't have much time to sit around and focus on last season," Derek Jeter told reporters last week after a workout in Tampa, Fla. "That's when you get in trouble as a team, when you get happy with what you've been able to do.
"Our job is to try to win again. It was great. Last year was a wonderful year, but last year is over with."
New York will hold its first workout for pitchers and catchers on Thursday, with the entire roster gathering for the first time at the George M. Steinbrenner Field complex on Feb. 24. It is a seven-week march through the Grapefruit League that takes the Yankees all the way to Fenway Park on April 4, where the Yankees and Red Sox will have the honors of playing the season's first inning in a nationally-televised ESPN contest.
But there is a long way to go before then, and many decisions for Girardi and his coaching staff to evaluate. Several of the Yankees are not wasting any time getting the clock rolling -- A.J. Burnett, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Jeter and CC Sabathia were among the stars expected to be present and accounted for in camp by the first crack of the bat on Monday morning.
Chamberlain and Hughes will be going head-to-head in one of the most compelling battles of the spring, as they jockey to earn the right to become the Yankees' fifth starter behind Sabathia, Burnett, Andy Pettitte and second-time Yankee Javier Vazquez, acquired in a December trade with the Braves.
"It's something that's going to be a battle," Chamberlain said. "The greatest part about it is it's not only going to make guys fight for that No. 5 spot, but it's going to make our team better. We're going to push each other and continue to try to outwork each other."
Not that the competition is limited to just Chamberlain or Hughes. The Yankees have made sure to remind everyone that candidates like Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre are also going to be involved in the mix, as New York ideally would love to get 200 innings from all five of its starting pitchers.
"I don't think you can ever have too much starting pitching," Girardi said. "Especially with the ages of some of our starters, you don't necessarily want to feel like you have to push them too far. That was one of the things that we wanted to do -- we were able to slow down a little bit in September and get the guys physically rested. I like being able to not pitch guys on short rest if you don't have to."
Once spring games begin, the Yankees will get a first look at their restructured lineup, which adds designated hitter Nick Johnson in the two-hole and features Granderson's left-handed power in the order, as well as offering Randy Winn a chance to fight speedy Brett Gardner for at-bats.
Girardi is open to the idea of considering Granderson in either center field or left field, since if Gardner winds up in the defensive alignment, he may project better as a plus defender in center field. Granderson has said that whatever makes the team better, he will go along with.
"Change is always a good thing," Granderson said. "I'm excited to get a chance to play with the defending world champions and learn from those guys -- great veterans and great players, and a great coaching staff, in a great city."
The entire Yankees starting infield from 2009 remains intact, with Jorge Posada behind the plate and joined around the horn by Alex Rodriguez, Jeter, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira. Nick Swisher returns as the right fielder, and New York will sort out the last spots on its bench this spring.
A relief staff anchored by future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera will have some alterations, with at least one of the fifth-starter candidates likely to wind up there by the end of camp. In addition to the returning squad from 2009, lefty Boone Logan should get a look to replace Phil Coke, who went to the Tigers in the Granderson deal.
Girardi was recently asked if he believed his changed team was better than the roster that clustered at the center of Yankee Stadium on Nov. 4, hoisting the World Series trophy high in the air.
The manager wasn't about to make any sort of Joe Namath championship promises, but clearly he believes that the winter work has set the Yankees up for another season of winning baseball.
"We've gotten younger, we've added rotation depth, and our young relievers have another year of experience," Girardi said. "Are we better? I don't know, but I like our club again."
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
UPDATE (Monday, 1:45am ET) - There has been a slight update to the Brewers and Twins data below. Our source data from 1978 has a "T. Johnson" as a Brewer. This is incorrect. The player is Tommy Johnson who was with the Twins. Therefore, the table has been adjusted below (Brewers move from 5 to 4 hearings, while the Twins move from 27 to 28). We have also updated the source PDF on the Arbitration Scorecard page to reflect this change.
In 2010 (so far), it's been Cory Hart over the Brewers and the Rays over B.J. Upton. What are we talking about? The outcome of salary arbitration hearings in 2010. But, that's just this year (and, we're not done until next week, by the way).
Since the process has been in place since 1974, what about all-time? Who has had the most hearings? (A's) Who has the best record? (Rays, 5-0). There's much more to chew on here.
I will be adding this as a stand alone page here on The Biz of Baseball within the next day and making it a living data source going forward. Until then, here's how it all breaks down from 1974 to the present by club. The data is based on The Biz of Baseball Salary Arbitration Scorecard:
For the Yankees, the last log on the hot stove has turned to ash. The team appears completely set as players begin reporting to the Tampa camp. We’ve reflected on the 2009 season, reflected on the moves the Yankees made in an attempt to repeat, and even reflected on the moves they didn’t make. There doesn’t seem much left to do before spring training begins.
Still, we can find some tidbits about the off-season to fill the gap. For instance, when Brian Cashman spoke at the University of New Haven last Thursday he .revealed something about his pursuit of Curtis Granderson. The conversations that led to the Yankees acquiring the All-Star center fielder actually began before they won the World Series — began, in fact, just before the first pitch of Game 1. It might sound like odd timing to you and me, but not to Brian Cashman.
“I said, ‘Dave, we set our roster, so there’s nothing left for me to do now except for turning the page and talk about next year.’ That’s when he first mentioned Curtis Granderson might become available.”
At that point, 28 general managers had nothing to worry about except rebuilding their teams for 2010. It’s nice to hear that Cashman started working on the 2010 Yankees once his obligations to the 2009 team ceased. In that type of competitive landscape, he can’t really afford to fall behind.
After the jump, as to hide it from everyone who’s sick of the story, a bit about Damon.
Here’s Cashman on the endgame with Damon. He’s talking about the one-year, $6 million contract the Yankees floated in January.
“I told (Damon and Boras), ‘I don’t know if Hal (Steinbrenner, the team’s part owner) would approve it, but I’m not going to fight for it unless we know you will do it,” Cashman said. “Scott Boras said, “Bobby Abreu’s (new) contract is $9 million a year right now on the table so why would we do that? So I expect to see a Bobby Abreu contract.’ … I hope he does not sign for something less than our offer. That means he should have been a Yankee and that’s not our fault.”
Posted on Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at 4:07 pm in Hot Stove League.
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has an excellent article about Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez this morning. Martinez explained that unlike some other players, he doesn't want to test free agency:
"I don't want to be jumping around, I don’t want to go somewhere else, First, I didn’t want to go out of the Indians organization. Then I'm out, and now I'm here. I came to the place where a lot of players dream to come and a lot of players wish to play here in Boston. So I'm here, I do really want to stay here and hopefully end my career in Boston."
Regarding possible extension talks, Martinez says he's "open now until the season starts." The Red Sox have a shot at getting a reasonable deal done, just as the Indians did when they locked Martinez up for five years at $15.5MM back in '05. For more Martinez discussion, check out this MLBTR post from Wednesday.
