You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate what Ibanez did last night. Kudos to the 40 year old pinch hitter! What a night he had.
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I liked him as a Phillie. Always seemed like a nice guy. No Yankees fan here, but good for him.
Ibanez has been clutch down the stretch. Hes a much more valuable player when playing part time and not breaking down as an everyday player. A real pro and somebody you can pull for. The total opposite of Afraud for whom he pinch hit for and did what was expected from Afraud but as usual, folds like a cheap tent. I will resist as hard as that may be from calling Afraud a choker because his 2009 playoff run was clutch but its clear that since the roids have worn off, hes a shell of the player he was and is embarrassing himself now. Especially for 30M a year.
Afraud should never have been in the linup to begin with.The game let alone hit 3rd. Girardi finally put down the binder and actually went with his gut. Something Yankee fans have never seen from Girardi as the manager. About time he finally went wirh a gut move and it worked.
I couldnt believe how the talking heads in the booth kept justifying how Afraud should be hitting 3rd because hes the best player in the game. Nonsense! Afraud is a head case and needs to be pulled from the series
What a great night for Ibanez!
Afraud should never have been in the linup to begin with.The game let alone hit 3rd. Girardi finally put down the binder and actually went with his gut. Something Yankee fans have never seen from Girardi as the manager. About time he finally went wirh a gut move and it worked.
I couldnt believe how the talking heads in the booth kept justifying how Afraud should be hitting 3rd because hes the best player in the game. Nonsense! Afraud is a head case and needs to be pulled from the series
What a great night for Ibanez!
I'm not gonna be that harsh...
As you mentioned, A-Rod did bat .365 during the 2009 Postseason with 6 HR's & 18 RBI's... He was pretty clutch as well especially against the Angels that year...
But I will agree with you that he shouldn't be in the lineup. He's coming off a broken hand, and it's definitely effecting his hitting. Plus, with the way Chavez plays, you're not missing much at all...
As you mentioned, A-Rod did bat .365 during the 2009 Postseason with 6 HR's & 18 RBI's... He was pretty clutch as well especially against the Angels that year...
But I will agree with you that he shouldn't be in the lineup. He's coming off a broken hand, and it's definitely effecting his hitting. Plus, with the way Chavez plays, you're not missing much at all...
zomby,
A-Rod is getting old and having admitted to PED use he probably doesn't have the option of using them now. While I have to agree with his not necessarily belonging in the lineup right now it is hard to compare him with others of a similar age on an even basis. Good point about Ibanez not breaking down due to being a part time player.
So what do you attribute Jeter's amazing regeneration this season to? Did the hard working captain all of a sudden find a miracle workout program? How about Chipper Jones? To be fair as an Angel fan, what about Tori Hunter? One of them has a career year at their age, sure. All three, quite a coincidence.
A-Rod is getting old and having admitted to PED use he probably doesn't have the option of using them now. While I have to agree with his not necessarily belonging in the lineup right now it is hard to compare him with others of a similar age on an even basis. Good point about Ibanez not breaking down due to being a part time player.
So what do you attribute Jeter's amazing regeneration this season to? Did the hard working captain all of a sudden find a miracle workout program? How about Chipper Jones? To be fair as an Angel fan, what about Tori Hunter? One of them has a career year at their age, sure. All three, quite a coincidence.
quote:Originally posted by CADad:
zomby,
A-Rod is getting old and having admitted to PED use he probably doesn't have the option of using them now. While I have to agree with his not necessarily belonging in the lineup right now it is hard to compare him with others of a similar age on an even basis. Good point about Ibanez not breaking down due to being a part time player.
So what do you attribute Jeter's amazing regeneration this season to? Did the hard working captain all of a sudden find a miracle workout program? How about Chipper Jones? To be fair as an Angel fan, what about Tori Hunter? One of them has a career year at their age, sure. All three, quite a coincidence.
I think arods problem is that hes too much a head case despite all the physical tools he possesses and pressure situations get in his head where as Jeter, hunter and C. Jones have solid heads on their shoulders and are never overwhelmed by the moment. Or maybe Arod has broken down to the point whete he physically just cantJeter gets what it takes to be successful in tough spots and being a NY athlete and Im sure if Jones had played in NY , hed have done well. Also, with Jeter his success has been the number of hits and high batting average. His power numbers are never off the charts to begin with. His game has been the same over the years and has been very consistent. I would think talent has a little something to do with it as well
quote:So what do you attribute Jeter's amazing regeneration this season to? Did the hard working captain all of a sudden find a miracle workout program? How about Chipper Jones? To be fair as an Angel fan, what about Tori Hunter? One of them has a career year at their age, sure. All three, quite a coincidence.
HGH.
MLB now tests for HGH in the off season and spring training, the players union wouldn't agree for testing in season.
It's going to be a long five or six years in NY until ARod's current contract runs out! Never could understand why young Steinbrenner gave him more money and a longer contract when he had him over the barrel after he opted out.
Really, Jeter and Chipper's years were nowhere near career years although they were very good years for their ages. Both were sort of comeback years but I don't think they were far out of the parameters of seasons done by other guys at their ages long before there was such a thing as HGH. One could argue that Torii Hunter's year was a career year as his batting average was at a new high if you value such things, but all three guys did not hit for the power of past seasons and I think this does help their case that they just had good solid seasons not necessarily attributable to HGH.
I think Chipper and Jeter have such stellar reputations tnat even if they used during the height of the roid era, they wouldn't be foolish enough to do it now when they are so close to the end with their reputations intact. I would hope Torii has the same motivations, even if he isn't quite as much of a team icon as the other two, he has a good reputation as a professional.
I think Chipper and Jeter have such stellar reputations tnat even if they used during the height of the roid era, they wouldn't be foolish enough to do it now when they are so close to the end with their reputations intact. I would hope Torii has the same motivations, even if he isn't quite as much of a team icon as the other two, he has a good reputation as a professional.
quote:Originally posted by twotex:
You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate what Ibanez did last night. Kudos to the 40 year old pinch hitter! What a night he had.
CLUTCH CARGO!!!!
Remember, it is not unusual for some of the greatest of the greats that stayed in good condition in the offseason to have excellent seasons from 38 to 42 years old long before steroids entered the game. Just look at the records of Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Henry Aaron at those ages. I don't think that we can accuse the players, especially alltime greats of using HGH just because they are still having good seasons at 38 or 39. Now Bonds and Clemens were having extrodinary seasons for any age and some of their very greatest seasons at 40 and 42 and I do find this quite suspicious.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to sit in the Seattle Mariners dugout before the game. Raul engaged in a discussion of his experiences in College.
This is one of my best memories of a ML player engaging in a discussion with a stranger.
Of course, there is another story to this "dugout" opportunity.
Bob
This is one of my best memories of a ML player engaging in a discussion with a stranger.
Of course, there is another story to this "dugout" opportunity.
Bob
Raul Ibanez hit the first grand slam at Safeco Field. Alway was a player.
Three Bagger,
It is easy to make a case for each of them on an individual basis and explain why they are having good years (you're right not really career years) at their ages. If you ask about them one at a time I'd say that the odds for any one of them using were less than 50%. Being an Angel fan I'll show my bias and say that Torii is younger than the others, in a contract/free agency year and batting after Trout and before Pujols. It is when you look at all 3 that I wonder. Now looking at their oWAR values Jones and Hunter are fairly in line with their recent years and only Jeter's doesn't really fit.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that many players don't consider HGH to be a performance enhancer. Given the perspective of age something that allows you to perform closer to how you did in your youth but doesn't actually enhance your physical ability beyond that is not what I consider a performance enhancer. I understand that it does enhance performance beyond what is natural for one's age and that it does increase cancer risk so I also understand why it is banned.
It is easy to make a case for each of them on an individual basis and explain why they are having good years (you're right not really career years) at their ages. If you ask about them one at a time I'd say that the odds for any one of them using were less than 50%. Being an Angel fan I'll show my bias and say that Torii is younger than the others, in a contract/free agency year and batting after Trout and before Pujols. It is when you look at all 3 that I wonder. Now looking at their oWAR values Jones and Hunter are fairly in line with their recent years and only Jeter's doesn't really fit.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that many players don't consider HGH to be a performance enhancer. Given the perspective of age something that allows you to perform closer to how you did in your youth but doesn't actually enhance your physical ability beyond that is not what I consider a performance enhancer. I understand that it does enhance performance beyond what is natural for one's age and that it does increase cancer risk so I also understand why it is banned.