Nearly every time the Yankees needed to make a big play, they did. In fact, aside from Swisher’s defensive gaffe, and he made up for it with two other great catches and a HR, when the O’s were putting pressure on the Yankees, they responded defensively. Why more emphasis wasn’t put on and credit given to Teixeira’s defense, when looking at how important a piece he is is just beyond me. I know he wasn’t going to sign with the O’s, and that was apparent when Boras never provided a counter offer to the O’s initial contract proposal. But it drives the point home that defense at 1B is a truly critical component in a playoff caliber team, and it has to be addressed in the off-season, somehow. I just don’t get why Luke Scott doesn’t take 250 ground balls at 1B every single day, but I digress! Teixeira’s a gold glover, will be for many years, and despite his brutal start, he’s back up at the top of nearly every offensive category. It kills me, really, but I am almost over it, just a few more years and I will be fully recovered…….
Here’s hoping the O’s get off to a good start tonight in Boston with Bergesen on the mound, and that if Tillman makes his debut next week as anticipated, he pitches better than last night. Go O’s
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
So is 1B defense a valuable skill or is it something any OF/DH can pick up with 250 ground balls every day?
ReplyDeleteAdam LaRoche just hits his first RS HR.
It's possibly both, no? At a minimum, let's figure out whether Scott can play 1B,a nd we won't know that without getting him to watch Tom Emanski's "Defense" video several times and taking lots and lots of ground balls at 1B. I suspect the O's would have tried him there already if they thought he could succeed, and by "succeed" I mean be an average 1B. I just don't think he can be
ReplyDelete