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Monday, July 23, 2012

Holy Crap Ichiro is a Yankee

Oh, the actual sourcing and news and stuff: - it’s via Jack Curry at YES.

The Yankees have acquired Ichiro Suzuki for RHPs DJ Mitchell and Danny Fahrquar, a source said. Yanks also get undisclosed cash in deal.

Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: July 23, 2012 at 06:13 PM | 195 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: ichiro, mariners, trades, yankees

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101. Drew (Primakov, Gungho Iguanas) Posted: July 23, 2012 at 07:47 PM (#4190270)

FWIW, .716 OPS away from Safeco.

102. TVerik Posted: July 23, 2012 at 07:48 PM (#4190271)

It was through the translator, of course, but that's the best I can remember it. He definitely said "useless questions like that".

Also, in response to another one, he told the crowd that he didn't have a response, so he wanted to "cancel the question."

103. tshipman

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 07:50 PM (#4190273)

That's a kabuki question, bro.

Very nicely done.

104. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 07:54 PM (#4190275)

That's a kabuki question, bro.

Better than a bukkake question.

105. PepTech Posted: July 23, 2012 at 07:57 PM (#4190277)

As one of the few who actually knows what that means, shame on you, Shooty. Hee hee.

106. Walt Davis Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:00 PM (#4190279)

I've seen it a few times the last few years, where does the "Girardi doesn't have the guts to move Jeter out of the leadoff spot" stuff come from. Moving Jeter to #9 would be one thing but Jeter has more career PA in the #2 spot than the #1 spot and he had 35 starts in the #2 spot just last year. And there's no way Jeter would gripe about batting behind a legend like Ichiro.

Regarding #87 ... probably a record but kinda fewer than I thought. Ichiro, Jeter and ARod are the only ones over 2000 hits. Jones is at 1920 and both Tex and Ibanez are over 1500. Chavez and Cano are just short of 1400. I know he's a low BA hitter but I would have thought Andruw was over 2000 by now with all that playing time and that maybe Ibanez would be too (although I knew he got a late start).

Still, they could in theory field a lineup where, other than C (Martin with 778 ain't bad), the lowest number of hits would be Chavez with 1360. Granted the high-hit OF of Ibanez/Jones/Ichiro could easily give up 3000 hits in one game.

107. The Long Arm of Rudy Law Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:01 PM (#4190280)

As one of the few who actually knows what that means, shame on you, Shooty. Hee hee.

I'd bet the percentage of Primates who know what bukkake means is only slightly lower than the percentage who know what, say, OPS+ means.

108. Yeaarrgghhhh Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:01 PM (#4190281)

That's a kabuki question, bro.

Excellent.

109. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:02 PM (#4190282)

Ichiro batting 8th tonight:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez DH
Andruw Jones LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Russell Martin C

110. PASTE Thinks This Trout Kid Might Be OK (Zeth) Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:07 PM (#4190286)

Assuming it's accurately reported that Ichiro! requested the trade, it's possible the Yankees told him he'd have to be OK with batting at the bottom of the order (and possibly sitting frequently against lefties or something) before they'd go ahead with it.

111. JoMo the master pitch framer Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:08 PM (#4190288)

1928 A's had by the end of the season:

Cobb 4189
Speaker 3514
Collins 3314

I didn't bother adding up the other guys, but I think they have to give the Yanks a run for their money.

112. Srul Itza Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:16 PM (#4190293)

I do not see an Ichiro renaissance in New York.

I do not see how he is an upgrade any where.

It really smells like a classic Steinbrenner move -- Lose 4 games in a row and then PANIC!

This will not end well.

Has Cashman said anything about this yet?

113. The District Attorney Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:18 PM (#4190297)

Has Cashman said anything about this yet?

Cashman/Ichiro objective-pipe-fueled exchanges could be amazing.

A Hardball Talk commenter says Ichiro will in fact wear #51, which I think many assumed was (probably still is, I dunno) scheduled to be retired.

114. TVerik Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:23 PM (#4190301)

I see the downside of this as the Ivan Rodriguez/Yankee experiment. I don't see why not. And I don't think that a 6.5 game (over the Orioles) lead before the trade deadline qualifies as PANIC.

115. Gamingboy Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:24 PM (#4190304)

This is just the Yankees being the Yankees. On the bright side, Ichiro now will be facing the New York media. Expect awesome quotes to increase greatly.

116. TomH Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:28 PM (#4190307)

I thought to meself, 4-to-1 this is a bogus headline.
Me wrong!

117. The John Wetland Memorial Death (CoB) Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:30 PM (#4190309)

I see the downside of this as the Ivan Rodriguez/Yankee experiment.

He'll make a throw that causes our best pitcher to injure himself in getting out of the way?

118. Kurt Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:30 PM (#4190310)

The 1985 Reds, in addition to Rose, had Tony Perez with about 2600 hits, Cesar Cedeno, Buddy Bell and Dave Concepcion with about 2000 each, and Dave Parker with about 1800.

119. Ephus Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:32 PM (#4190311)

Wally Matthews is reporting that Ichiro will not wear #51:

What number will he wear?: It won't be 51. Without mentioning the name of Bernie Williams, Ichiro said he knew how much the number meant to the Yankees and would ask for something else.

Good move, if he wants to get on the good side of the Bleacher Creatures.

120. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:47 PM (#4190328)

1928 A's had by the end of the season:

Cobb 4189
Speaker 3514
Collins 3314

I didn't bother adding up the other guys, but I think they have to give the Yanks a run for their money.

I'd forgotten the late career Cobb - Speaker overlap, which would be tough to beat, although with the DH, the Yanks might be able to field a line-up with more career hits than one has seen in a while. These totals would, of course, go up as the season goes on:

Jeter 3211
A-Rod 2869
Ichiro 2533
Jones 1920
Ibanez 1850
Teixeira 1553
Cano 1381
Grandy 1060
Martin. 778

121. vortex of dissipation Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:48 PM (#4190329)

What number will he wear?: It won't be 51. Without mentioning the name of Bernie Williams, Ichiro said he knew how much the number meant to the Yankees and would ask for something else.

He should wear #41.

122. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:52 PM (#4190335)

I really hate the ####### Yankees. Of course Ichiro's hitting .330 the rest of the summer. Vegas probably won't even take odds on that.

This is exactly how I reacted when the Tigers sent Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees. Why do the Yankees get to trade absolutely nothing for an admittedly past-his-prime superstar? He probably told them the Yankees were the only team he'd go to in a trade, the traitorous bastard.

Of course he then hit .219/.257/.323 in New York in front of an crowd infuriated that its team was going to miss the playoffs because of a rotation including Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson, and their deadline acquisitions had been Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte, Richie Sexson and this over-the-hill Rodriguez guy who wasn't even an improvement on Chad Moeller.

123. JE (Jason Epstein)

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 08:58 PM (#4190343)

I've seen it a few times the last few years, where does the "Girardi doesn't have the guts to move Jeter out of the leadoff spot" stuff come from. Moving Jeter to #9 would be one thing but Jeter has more career PA in the #2 spot than the #1 spot and he had 35 starts in the #2 spot just last year. And there's no way Jeter would gripe about batting behind a legend like Ichiro.

Just as Ichiro won't wear no. 51, Walt, it is very unlikely that he will bat ahead of Jeter anytime soon. (Hell, even Ron Washington didn't have the balls to bat His Holiness down in the order for the All-Star Game.)

124. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:01 PM (#4190345)

He should wear #41.

The year the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

125. vortex of dissipation Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:04 PM (#4190352)

The year the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

The number Randy Johnson (who also wore #51 with the Mariners) wore with the Yankees.

126. Brian C Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:07 PM (#4190357)

I'm a little confused about the need to move Jeter from the leadoff spot? He seems like a perfectly cromulent leadoff guy, even in the context of the Yankees lineup. He's even one of the team's best basestealers (not saying much).

Certainly he's a better guy for the job than Ichiro. Far from not having the balls to move him, I'd say that Girardi has the good sense not to stir up that hornet's nest in pursuit of extremely nebulous benefits.

127. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:08 PM (#4190358)

The only Yankee regular with a higher OBP than Jeter is Cano. Just who do y'all think should be batting lead-off, especially considering that the only reason we're having this thread is Gardner missing the whole season?

128. Walt Davis Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:22 PM (#4190371)

Just as Ichiro won't wear no. 51, Walt, it is very unlikely that he will bat ahead of Jeter anytime soon.

Why not? Why is Jeter a sainted leadoff hitter? He has spent MOST of his career in the #2 spot and it's not particularly close. He started 35 games last year batting #2 and the world didn't end. In fact in 9 of their first 11 games in 2011, he batted 2nd. He was moved back into the #2 spot for every start he had vs RHP from 21 July to 4 Sept. He batted 2nd on Sept 21 and 25. You can bat Jeter behind Brett Gardner but you can't bat him behind Ichiro?

Note, Girardi might be smart enough not to bat Ichiro at the top of the lineup but that's a far different thing from him being scared to for some stupid reason imagined by some Yankee watchers.

129. Srul Itza Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:25 PM (#4190374)

Why not? Why is Jeter a sainted leadoff hitter? ... You can bat Jeter behind Brett Gardner but you can't bat him behind Ichiro?

You seem to be missing the point. It is that you can't, but that you shouldn't.

As note above, who makes more sense, right now, in the lead off spot than Jeter?

130. JE (Jason Epstein)

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:26 PM (#4190375)

FWIW, Jeter has a pretty meh .330 OBP against RHP, but that still beats Ichiro's .318.

131. Ron J Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:28 PM (#4190379)

What number will he wear?: It won't be 51. Without mentioning the name of Bernie Williams, Ichiro said he knew how much the number meant to the Yankees and would ask for something else.

Nobody has worn #3 for a while and it's mot like handing out Cliff Mapes' number would be controversial.

132. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:34 PM (#4190384)

Ichiro will wear #31.

133. Ephus Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:37 PM (#4190387)

Ichiro will wear #31.

Somewhere (and it is probably really hot) George Steinbrenner is smiling. Take that, Dave Winfield.

134. Lassus Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:38 PM (#4190389)

Sooo..... what are the boos like tonight in Seattle, I wonder? This is a weird situation, there's like no time to kind of accept it and give it a week or three while he's out of town.

135. bond1 Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:39 PM (#4190390)

Wouldn't it be amazing if Ichiro recreated himself into a deadpull homerun hitter at Yankee stadium?

136. Voros McCracken of Pinkus Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:40 PM (#4190392)

Ichiro's number should just be an exclamation point.

137. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:40 PM (#4190393)

According to MLB.com, Scratchiro is wearing #31 tonight.

138. TerpNats Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:47 PM (#4190402)

Ichiro's number should just be an exclamation point.

I don't want to confuse him with Youppi.

139. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:48 PM (#4190406)

I also just realized that I'm not going to be able to watch this game because of MLB's ludicrous blackout rules and my lack of cable. Maybe I'll have to go over to my dad's house.

140. Srul Itza Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:51 PM (#4190414)

So what cap will they put on his Hall of Fame plaque?

141. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 09:54 PM (#4190419)

Expos.

142. zonk Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:11 PM (#4190461)

Ummmm.... what?

I just want to make sure I have a post in this thread... you know, for posterity.

143. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:14 PM (#4190463)

So what cap will they put on his Hall of Fame plaque?

Blue Wave I hope

144. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:19 PM (#4190470)

That team no longer exists. They should go with the Expos instead.

145. Bowling Baseball Fan Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:23 PM (#4190476)

ESPN will be airing his first at bat. So, when they get to the 3rd inning after 11:30.

146. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:24 PM (#4190479)

I find it so weird that the Blue Wave no longer exists. When the M's signed Ichiro, I knew that Japanese MLB was probably the second-best league in the world, but I didn't know much about it, other than Sadaharu Oh's name. The Blue Wave became the only team I knew anything about for a few years, and inasmuch as it was possible to follow JMLB in English back then, I guess you would have called me a fan. Now the team is gone, Scratchiro is a Yankee, and kids these days are listening to Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog and . . . I dunno, suddenly I feel old. Sorry to be a bummer.

147. The District Attorney Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:35 PM (#4190487)

Sooo..... what are the boos like tonight in Seattle, I wonder?

Nah, Ichiro got a standing O when he came out to RF, and I assume he'll get another one in a moment when he comes up. (EDIT: Yup.)

kids these days are listening to Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog

That's Snoop Lion, grandpa.

148. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:36 PM (#4190488)

If he can make it there, he can make it anywhere, if he wanted to

149. AROM Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:40 PM (#4190489)

It's kind of impressive to think how good this Yankee lineup was in 2006:

C Martin 282/355/436
1B Tex 282/371/514
2B Cano 342/365/525
SS Jeter 343/417/483
3B Arod 290/392/523
IF Chavez 241/351/435
RF Ichiro 322/370/416, 45/47 in steals
CF Jones 262/363/531
LF Swisher 254/372/493
OF Granderson 260/335/438
DH Ibanez 289/353/516

150. AROM Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:42 PM (#4190491)

ESPN will be airing his first at bat. So, when they get to the 3rd inning after 11:30.

Next to impossible for it to go down that way. If the third inning comes at 1130, then the #8 hitter is going to bat before that. I suppose it could be the other team with long innings, but come on, these are the Mariners.

151. Ephus Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:43 PM (#4190492)

Primey for #148.

If he can make it there, he can make it anywhere, if he wanted to

152. salajander Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:44 PM (#4190493)

Top third coming up now, and Suzuki's up second.

153. salajander Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:46 PM (#4190495)

Very nice ovation for him as he's announced, and he gave a nice bow to them.

154. vortex of dissipation Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:47 PM (#4190496)

One for one as a Yankee.

155. salajander Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:47 PM (#4190497)

And he's batting 1.000 in his Yankee career.

156. jobu Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:48 PM (#4190498)

Huge standing O for Ichiro in Seattle, big smile from him. Stepped out of the box and tipped his helmet. Laced it up the middle for a single. Perfect.

157. salajander Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:49 PM (#4190499)

And a stolen base, too.

158. KJOK Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:49 PM (#4190500)

With Jeter, A-rod, and now Ichiro, I wonder where the 2012 Yankees might rank on the team career hits list?

With Jeter, A-rod, and now Ichiro, I wonder if Cashman thinks it 2002 not 2012?

159. charityslave is thinking about baseball Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:51 PM (#4190501)

And so it begins...

160. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:52 PM (#4190502)

And so it begins...

or ends..

(or both)

161. Monty Posted: July 23, 2012 at 10:55 PM (#4190505)

Huge standing O for Ichiro in Seattle

Good.

162. Bitter Calculus Instructor Posted: July 23, 2012 at 11:30 PM (#4190514)

With Jeter, A-rod, and now Ichiro, I wonder if Cashman thinks it 2002 not 2012?

Not to mention CC Sabathia, Freddy Garcia, Eric Chavez, and Andruw Jones.

163. I am going to be Frank Posted: July 23, 2012 at 11:31 PM (#4190515)

Nippon Ham Fighters is probably the best team name ever..

164. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: July 23, 2012 at 11:35 PM (#4190517)

But what does that have to do with Ichiro?

165. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: July 24, 2012 at 12:21 AM (#4190532)

Ichiro fights ham with the zeal of a challenger.

166. boteman Posted: July 24, 2012 at 12:29 AM (#4190534)

Nippon Ham Fighters is probably the best team name ever..

If you say that team name with just the right emphasis, you can almost picture a bunch of guys attacking a big Easter ham with electric carving knives. Maybe an animated movie with a giant Godzilla-like ham attacking Kyoto... It's late, I'm drunk, so there it is.

I glanced at the MLB sked on my computer, looked at the clock, switched over to the MLB Extra Innings channel carrying the Mariners game just in time to see Ichiro step back, doff his cap and take a couple deep respectful bows, then bang a hit up the middle. The Seattle crowd cheered. Good for him.

167. willcarrolldoesnotsuk Posted: July 24, 2012 at 12:48 AM (#4190542)

Ichiro is, of course, very cool, but he's also pretty terrible now.

If you believe BBRef(*), an otherwise average team with Ichiro vintage 2012 on it would win 50% of their games. That is, he's average. That's a lot better than "pretty terrible", which would be more like, say, Adam Dunn vintage 2011, who they claim would cause an otherwise average team to win 46% (when Dunn is playing).

And in any case, the important part is that, as you say, Ichiro is, of course, very cool. Who cares if he can't hit - that's totally irrelevant. He's Ichiro!

*: Which I'm not entirely sure that I do anymore, but hey.

168. cardsfanboy

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 02:25 AM (#4190573)

Shooty, I have seen a lot of "done" veterans have a really good few months in pinstripes at the end of their career. I'm excited, and hopeful.

Yep, other than the Cardinals, I would bet a player going to the Yankees has the best chance of having a career resugence.

I thought to meself, 4-to-1 this is a bogus headline.
Me wrong!

I was looking for the link to the onion.

169. RollingWave Posted: July 24, 2012 at 02:26 AM (#4190574)

If Ichiro hits well going foward someone need to give Kevin Long a medal .... or fire the M's hitting coach.

Ichiro's LD rate is actually quite high this year (much higher than career average, so predictablly 2 of his 3 outs made today was a line drive right at someone.) so there's a reasonable chance he does bounce back though. I mean in all honesty I'll still take a 38 year old Ichiro chance of being able to hit over Wise.

It s interesting though, seeing that Ibanez and Jones ' UZR actually hasn't been bad so far this year, though I have a feeling this might have somethign to do wtih Granderson's shading tendencies and thus leading to the CF actually having the worst UZR.

170. Balkroth Posted: July 24, 2012 at 02:33 AM (#4190577)

Nippon Ham Fighters is probably the best team name ever..

I'm rather fond of the Bolton Robots of Doom

171. Walt Davis Posted: July 24, 2012 at 02:39 AM (#4190580)

You seem to be missing the point.

No I wasn't. I was responding to ...

Even with Ichiro on the roster, Joe's not moving Jeter out of the leadoff spot.

and ...

Just as Ichiro won't wear no. 51, Walt, it is very unlikely that he will bat ahead of Jeter anytime soon.

I may have misinterpreted the first one -- although it seems to suggest that "even with a legendary leadoff hitter on the roster, Joe wouldn't do this" not "Ichiro stinks, Girardi will think Jeter is the best option."

The second is clearly "batting Ichiro ahead of Jeter would violate some sort of Yankee-ness."

Another poster questioned whether Girardi would have the guts to bat Ichiro 9th.

172. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 02:57 AM (#4190582)

It s interesting though, seeing that Ibanez and Jones ' UZR actually hasn't been bad so far this year

Random Q: Did something happen to make Jones go from "greatest CF ever" to "barely adequate", or did he just get fat?

173. FancyPantsHandle glistening with foreign substance Posted: July 24, 2012 at 06:27 AM (#4190598)

Random Q: Did something happen to make Jones go from "greatest CF ever" to "barely adequate", or did he just get fat?

Yes.

174. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: July 24, 2012 at 07:30 AM (#4190610)

I didn't hear about the trade until this morning on the radio on the way to work, and my reaction scared the hell out of my wife.

The second-most shocking trade in history, IMO (after Gretzky to the Kings).

175. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 07:35 AM (#4190611)

Yes.

Dammit!

176. bjhanke Posted: July 24, 2012 at 08:01 AM (#4190617)

OK, the Yankees are now the official retirement home of MLB.

Didn't the 1928 As also have Zach Wheat?

The REAL snark question is whether Ichiro is a better defensive shortstop than Jeter. - Brock Hanke

177. Dan Evensen Posted: July 24, 2012 at 08:13 AM (#4190623)

I'm in China now (as usual) and am about a day behind on all the baseball news. I didn't hear about this until a colleague texted me this evening. As shocked as I am, I kind of always had a feeling that Ichiro would wind up a Yankee.

The first time I saw Ichiro play was in Yankee Stadium back in August 2001. My Dad and I went to two Yankees - Mariners games, one on a Friday night and the other on a Saturday morning. During the Friday night game, there was a young Japanese woman sitting in the row behind us, reading a novel. When Ichiro came up to bat, she would put down her book and chant "Ichiro! Ichiro!" until his at-bat ended. She proceeded to ignore the rest of the game, until Ichiro's next at bat.

That, combined with the constant "Ichiro Sucks!" chanting from the right field bleachers, made it a very memorable evening.

The question now is how much longer before Ichiro retires. I feel old.

178. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 08:23 AM (#4190624)

The second-most shocking trade in history, IMO (after Gretzky to the Kings).

For me it remains when the A's traded for Rickey! FROM the Yankees for an assortment of mish-mash. The A's aren't supposed to pick up stars from the Yankees. That's not how it works! And did that trade ever end up as a disaster for the Yanks. That one and the Gretzky trade--and I didn't even care about hockey--remain the most shocking for me.

179. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: July 24, 2012 at 08:36 AM (#4190627)

Pele to the Cosmos, Seaver to the Reds, Durocher to the Giants, Mrs. Peterson to Kekich.

180. bunyon Posted: July 24, 2012 at 08:44 AM (#4190633)

The question now is how much longer before Ichiro retires. I feel old.

I didn't get a chance to see the entire press conference. Any hints there? My first thought was that this was a sign he'd hang up at the end of the year. But if he has a decent finish, I can see him wanting to come back.

181. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: July 24, 2012 at 09:14 AM (#4190650)

Ichiro's last postseason at-bat was on October 22, 2001, one day before the iPod was first released to the public.

182. BDC

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 10:09 AM (#4190683)

the only reason we're having this thread is Gardner missing the whole season

Upon reflection, this would seem to be the Yankees' logic. In terms of what he can do on the ballfield now, Ichiro is the insanely-wealthy-poor-man's Brett Gardner. If they reckon they need a Brett Gardner type in the lineup, they could do worse.

I thought some too about where Ichiro would have fit in if the Rangers instead had traded for him: caddying for Nelson Cruz in RF and for Josh Hamilton in left, forming part of an aging-overpaid-singles-hitters platoon with Michael Young … not useless, for sure, if not much of an upgrade (no upgrade at all on David Murphy, in fact, which is why they didn't get him).

But I still have enough little kid in me to disregard logic and say, what the heck: if Ichiro can hit .350 down the stretch and in October, and make some great plays to help the Yankees win the pennant and/or Series, then this will be a happy event in baseball history.

183. zack Posted: July 24, 2012 at 10:36 AM (#4190706)

Ichiro is the insanely-wealthy-poor-man's Brett Gardner

Wait, I thought Ichiro was a yankee not a reno ace?

184. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 10:43 AM (#4190711)

if Ichiro can hit .350 down the stretch and in October, and make some great plays to help the Yankees win the pennant and/or Series, then this will be a happy event in baseball history.

Have you lost your damn mind?

185. BDC

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 10:54 AM (#4190722)

:-D Sorry, I may be the only person outside of the Bronx who doesn't hate the Yankees … I'll qualify that to hope that he doesn't make those plays against Texas.

186. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: July 24, 2012 at 11:02 AM (#4190734)

:-D Sorry, I may be the only person outside of the Bronx who doesn't hate the Yankees … I'll qualify that to hope that he doesn't make those plays against Texas.

Naw, there are plenty of soulless front-runners outside the Bronx.

187. JoMo the master pitch framer Posted: July 24, 2012 at 11:06 AM (#4190737)

@176 Wheat retired in '27. They did have a 20 year old Jimmie Fox, 25 year old Mickey Cochrane, and 26 year old Al Simmons.

188. thetailor Posted: July 24, 2012 at 01:46 PM (#4190913)

I think the Yankees probably got themselves the most famous right fielder in the league.
I agree. I wonder how many other positions there are in the game where the "most famous" current player (in society at large) is not the best one or close to it.

1B: Pujols (close enough)
2B: ... Kinsler? Cano? (close enough either way)
SS: Reyes/ Jeter?
3B: A-Rod/ Miguel Cabrera?
LF: Braun (yep)
CF: Kemp (yep)
RF: Ichiro (nope)
C: Mauer (nope)

189. Greg (U)K Posted: July 25, 2012 at 02:43 PM (#4192074)

I'm rather fond of the Bolton Robots of Doom

I'm not, they bounced us from the playoffs last year.

190. NJ in NY Posted: July 25, 2012 at 02:53 PM (#4192087)

1B: Pujols (close enough)

I feel like Pujols is the most famous and Votto is clearly better.

2B: ... Kinsler? Cano? (close enough either way)

I feel like Cano is the best and most famous.

As to Walt's earlier point, Ichiro? is leading off today.

191. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: July 25, 2012 at 03:11 PM (#4192107)

C: Mauer (nope)

Nope? Dude has a .422 OBP and is a real asset against the running game. Who's clearly better? Yadier Molina, maybe. Buster Posey's pretty good. Obviously better seems like a stretch for either of them. Carlos Ruiz is having a crazy spike year. Napoli is looking like mostly a one-year wonder.

Mauer's playing more games at 1B and DH this year, so he's not the most valuable this year, but I'd probably rather have Mauer over the next three years than any other catcher in the game.

192. phredbird

Posted: July 25, 2012 at 03:53 PM (#4192148)

Did something happen to make Jones go from "greatest CF ever" to "barely adequate", or did he just get fat?

i thought he was notorious for not working out. i think it caught up with him really fast.

193. with Glavinesque control and Madduxian poise Posted: July 25, 2012 at 07:40 PM (#4192304)

Jones also played an average of over 157 games over the 11 seasons from 1997-2007, every full season he played with the Braves, playing pretty much every inning of those games in CF. Undoubtedly he's not the shape he should be, but he's also undoubtedly accumulated a lot of physical damage.

194. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: July 26, 2012 at 02:55 AM (#4192455)

Who's clearly better? Yadier Molina, maybe.

Molina's in the middle of his second really good year . . . and he's still a million miles behind Mauer. Mauer's off years with the bat are as good as Molina's very, very best -- and that's just going by OPS+, which improperly values Mauer's enormous OBP advantage. Molina's probably the better fielder, but Mauer's a pretty fabulous fielder, as well.

195. Srul Itza Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:48 PM (#4213188)

Through his first 26 games as a Yankee, Ichiro! is hitting .322, with a 125 OPS+.

If you think life just isn't fair -- you're right.

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Holy Crap Ichiro is a Yankee

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