Sometimes You Just Get Lucky

I think BGW was right in suggesting that Widger was the better pick-up than Fasano. But then with the big trade, Fasano's familiarity with Lidle enhanced his own value and that of the newest addition. Like all catchers, Posada needs to rest once every 5 games, and since Johnson no longer needs a personal catcher, since he stinks no matter what, the Fasano acquisition provided a rational and productive formula for spelling Jorge. If he had not been rested yesterday, would he have hit the game winning tonight? Perhaps not. And in a game where the Yankees returned to one of their more maddening habits, the dreaded LOB (more men stranded than hits), they were damn lucky to get that shot out of Jorge.

Speaking of LOB, slow Joe took the opportunity to show why, even in the midst of a winning streak, he is the world's worst field tactician. In the seventh inning, with the game tied, one out, and the bases loaded, he pinch hits Williams, from the left side, for Cairo. A bad move in a number of respects. First, it is a shame to forfeit the possibility of using Bernie as a right handed PH. One tends to think of the antiquated Bernie as a middling hitter. But in fact he is considerably worse than middling left-handed, while remaining one of the better right handed batters in baseball. Second, he is no better lefty than Cairo is, so why sacrifice the defense in the remaining innings by going to Greene at second. Third, the lefty Bernie is a worse clutch hitter than Cairo, who is not bad in situations where contact is at a premium. Certainly Cairo is better at getting you the productive out than the lefty Bernie, and with one down and the bases loaded late in the game, a productive out is what you need. Fourth, Cairo runs better than Bernie and so is not the double play machine that the elderly Williams has become. A double play is of course the thing you most want to avoid in that situation. fifth, just before Joe made the move Jon Sterling was heard to say, "Now, do you pinchhit Bernie in this situation? I would." When the village idiot recommends something, avoid it. Now Bernie didn't go DP, but he did pop out, moving noone along, and for the second time in the game, and the millionth time this season, the Yankees left them loaded. In aggregate these reasons for not pinchhitting in that situation are too compelling to be ignored (leaving Sterling aside), which leads me to believe Joe-braincramp didn't think of them in the first place. Fortunately they won, so Torre can remain, for the nonce, a figure of fun, rather than a figure of frustration and bitterness. Sometimes, once again, you just get lucky.