From: mike@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Michael Chen)
Subject: Re: Yankees..Whats UP?
Reply-To: mike@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Michael Chen)
Organization: Columbia University
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:25:02 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.220208.2209@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> josh@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (joshua.h.rosenbluth) writes:
>In article <1992Jul27.182812.23655@wam.umd.edu>, ledzep@wam.umd.edu (John Henry Bonham) writes:
>> Well I'm a big Yankee fan down here near D.C. I just wanted to know what was going on. I've following them but can you all give me anything thats not in the box scores, like who is this Stankiewics? He's pretty damn good for someone i have heard of before> !
>
>I've done a little research into the Yankee offense (don't know much about
>their pitching) and can tell you:
>
>Stankiewicz has been one of the highlights of a team awash in mediocrity.
>He's been one of the top hitting shortstops, seems to field the position
>well, and has a great attitude (a "spark-plug").  Definitely a fan favorite.
>
their only legit leadoff hitter who would probably make a better #2
hitter when Bernie comes up (IF he ever comes up).

>Now the bad news:  Stanky is a 6-year minor leaguer who turns 28 in August and
>has never hit like this before.  His 1991 season, in which he hit .272 with
>little power and only a few walks, was very close to his carrer norm.  The
>major-league equivalency was a .245 BA with an OBP of .291 and SLG of .284.
>He has either reached a new level or is primed for a fast drop.  Unfortunately
>the latter is much more likely.  Alvaro Espinosa had a similar story.  In 1989
>at the age of 27, he debuted with a .284 BA after a 5-year minor league carrer
>in which he proved he could not hit.  But the Yankees were sufficiently
>impressed they let him drag the team down for 2 more years.  And he too was
>a fan favorite because of his attitude and desire.
>
Don't look to Stanky to be a savior of the team.  He doesn't run well,
he will hit about .260, has very little power...

>Now the good news:  If the Yankees seize the opportunity and have the courage
>to ignore the (temporary) fan opinion, they have a fine 24 year-old SS
>in Columbus, Dave Silvestri, who is ready for prime time.  They could trade
>Stanky for some much needed help at 2B or 3B (Do they realize Charlie Hayes
>doesn't hit enough to justify his glove) or 1B (Mattingly is getting old and
>is only mediocre) or OF (Hall and Barfield are old).

Dave Silvestri will not be a major league shortstop.  He can't field.
He can hit, but cannot field, and you cannot afford that at the
shortstop level.  Shortstop will be the permanent home of possibly
Eenhorn before it is Silvestri's.  Which team will take Stanky for a
real, legit second baseman or a third baseman who is playing better
than Hayes?  I don't think r.s.b. really needs to get into the
Mattingly thread again...

>As you can see, the big problem with the Yankees is that they have holes
>all over the place:  they lack good *young* ballplayers.  Instead, they have
>collected a bunch of mediocre aging guys who are getting worse.  Notable
>exceptions are R.Kelly (in his prime and just fine) and Tartabull (a little
>old but a great hitter).
>
Yankee fans might disagree with Hayes being left off this list, as he
has provided the kind of defense the Yanks have not seen in a long
time.  



-Mike