Removing Posada to help Burnett a mistake
NEW YORK – Throughout the season, the big question has been each time AJ Burnett has taken the mound is what exactly the Yankees are going to get from him on that specific night.
There has been “Good AJ”, where he pitches lights out and shows all of the talent he possesses for six or seven innings.
Then there has been “Bad AJ”, where he is unable to find the strike zone, his emotions get the best of him and he turns into a mental case.
Now, there has been a suggestion by those in the (drive by) media and some fans out there that the reason for his failure has depended on who has been catching him.
The statistical breakdown shows that Burnett’s numbers this season have been far better with backup catcher Jose Molina (and even Francisco Cervelli) rather than the Yankee veteran Jorge Posada.
Instances of friction between Burnett and Posada have been on display for ones interpretation at different points during the season, but to my trained eye, it was nothing that could not be worked around.
Apparently, in the mind of Joe Girardi the relationship between the two was not going to be something that he was going to take the chance of being corrected when Burnett takes the mound on Friday in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Minnesota Twins.
Whether the Yankees right-hander made this request to Girardi is unknown, but you have to believe that was the case. If both the pitcher and catcher have never publicly acknowledged any type of problem, perhaps this was something internally that has been building.
Ever since Burnett’s Boston Meltdown in late August when he gave up nine runs to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, a unique set of coincidences have had Molina behind the plate catching Mr. Enigmatic over the last five weeks of the season. There have been games in which Posada was not able to catch him because he was suspended, or Burnett’s starts would come on the day game after a night affair.
Yet, over the last three starts, Molina was catching Burnett and it was becoming obvious what was going on here. On Friday night, Girardi hinted the team was trying to give him at bats because he was going to be used in the postseason. This immediately raised eyebrows because the only inference you could take from it was that he was going to be catching in Game 2.
Here is the problem with all of this: Unless there is some undeniable rift between the two, it is difficult to believe that Posada and Burnett could not settle their differences and get on the same page. This has been an issue between the Yankee catcher and several other veteran pitchers in the past, primarily Orlando Hernandez and Roger Clemens. When the postseason came however, Posada was right behind the plate catching each of them and most times, they were successful and the Yankees won.
The idea that the two cannot work out these problems is ridiculous. There have been starts this season where Burnett has pitched well and Posada has caught him. Go back to late June when the right-hander threw a one-hitter over seven innings with ten strikeouts against the Mets. Six weeks later at home against the Red Sox, he threw 7 2/3 innings of one hit ball in the classic duel between him and Josh Beckett that the Yankees wound up winning 2-0 in 15 innings. It is not as if they did not work well together at points during the year.
Is Burnett this mentally fragile that he needs to have “his guy” behind the plate to massage him into success?
We saw this same thing take place back in 2005 with Randy Johnson who allegedly could not get along with Posada. At around the midpoint of the season, Joe Torre paired Johnson with backup catcher John Flaherty, the two of them had a good rapport, and the left-hander had a strong second half of the season. Prevailing wisdom was the Flaherty should catch him in the postseason as well to ensure optimum success. In Game 3 of the Division Series against the Angels at home with the series tied, Johnson gagged, going three innings, giving up nine hits and five runs in an eventual 11-7 loss. Flaherty only registered one plate appearance because of the quick exit.
In Game 5, coming out of the bullpen, he would proceed to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings with….you guessed it, Posada behind the plate.
The move backfired so badly that Torre made sure before the next season that he would never make that move again. The next year in Game 3 against Detroit, Johnson bombed again, this time with Posada behind the plate. It was proof that the catchers were not the cause for the pitcher’s struggle; it was the made with the ball in his hands.
Surely, most pitchers are psychologically driven, but to remove Posada for Molina has a trickle down effect for the whole team. The fact that Girardi was not able to rectify this situation before it reached this crescendo is a mark on him.
Not having Posada, who hit .285 this season with 22 home runs and 81 RBI and replacing him with a .217 hitter is akin to trading quality production from a hitter to putting a pitcher in your lineup and batting him ninth. Now, if you choose to put him in the game as your DH, then you are removing another productive member of the lineup, Hideki Matsui, who hit .274 with 28 homeruns and 90 RBI. The drop off in production is so stark is crazy. Molina is essentially an automatic out, no threat at the plate, and even worse if men are on base against a good pitcher because it is an instant double play.
One suggestion that has made the rounds is that Molina will only hit until the sixth and then Posada would catch the remainder of the game. This plan does not work because currently the Yankees do not plan to carry three catchers. In the unlikely event the game the game is tied, they are leading by a run or trailing late, you cannot pinch run for him because you do not have an alternative behind the plate, at least for the Division Series.
In addition, if the series ever goes to five games, with the season on the line, his bat would be in the lineup. By any measure, this would be ridiculous.
The only way this works is it Burnett goes out and throws six or seven solid innings and the Yankees win. Anything outside of that, blended in with Molina not getting a hitting and killing rallies, and Girardi will have proverbial egg on his face.
He is trusting that this move will get the best out of his starter.
Girardi had better be right.
NEW YORK – Throughout the season, the big question has been each time AJ Burnett has taken the mound is what exactly the Yankees are going to get from him on that specific night.
There has been “Good AJ”, where he pitches lights out and shows all of the talent he possesses for six or seven innings.
Then there has been “Bad AJ”, where he is unable to find the strike zone, his emotions get the best of him and he turns into a mental case.
Now, there has been a suggestion by those in the (drive by) media and some fans out there that the reason for his failure has depended on who has been catching him.
The statistical breakdown shows that Burnett’s numbers this season have been far better with backup catcher Jose Molina (and even Francisco Cervelli) rather than the Yankee veteran Jorge Posada.
Instances of friction between Burnett and Posada have been on display for ones interpretation at different points during the season, but to my trained eye, it was nothing that could not be worked around.
Apparently, in the mind of Joe Girardi the relationship between the two was not going to be something that he was going to take the chance of being corrected when Burnett takes the mound on Friday in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Minnesota Twins.
Whether the Yankees right-hander made this request to Girardi is unknown, but you have to believe that was the case. If both the pitcher and catcher have never publicly acknowledged any type of problem, perhaps this was something internally that has been building.
Ever since Burnett’s Boston Meltdown in late August when he gave up nine runs to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, a unique set of coincidences have had Molina behind the plate catching Mr. Enigmatic over the last five weeks of the season. There have been games in which Posada was not able to catch him because he was suspended, or Burnett’s starts would come on the day game after a night affair.
Yet, over the last three starts, Molina was catching Burnett and it was becoming obvious what was going on here. On Friday night, Girardi hinted the team was trying to give him at bats because he was going to be used in the postseason. This immediately raised eyebrows because the only inference you could take from it was that he was going to be catching in Game 2.
Here is the problem with all of this: Unless there is some undeniable rift between the two, it is difficult to believe that Posada and Burnett could not settle their differences and get on the same page. This has been an issue between the Yankee catcher and several other veteran pitchers in the past, primarily Orlando Hernandez and Roger Clemens. When the postseason came however, Posada was right behind the plate catching each of them and most times, they were successful and the Yankees won.
The idea that the two cannot work out these problems is ridiculous. There have been starts this season where Burnett has pitched well and Posada has caught him. Go back to late June when the right-hander threw a one-hitter over seven innings with ten strikeouts against the Mets. Six weeks later at home against the Red Sox, he threw 7 2/3 innings of one hit ball in the classic duel between him and Josh Beckett that the Yankees wound up winning 2-0 in 15 innings. It is not as if they did not work well together at points during the year.
Is Burnett this mentally fragile that he needs to have “his guy” behind the plate to massage him into success?
We saw this same thing take place back in 2005 with Randy Johnson who allegedly could not get along with Posada. At around the midpoint of the season, Joe Torre paired Johnson with backup catcher John Flaherty, the two of them had a good rapport, and the left-hander had a strong second half of the season. Prevailing wisdom was the Flaherty should catch him in the postseason as well to ensure optimum success. In Game 3 of the Division Series against the Angels at home with the series tied, Johnson gagged, going three innings, giving up nine hits and five runs in an eventual 11-7 loss. Flaherty only registered one plate appearance because of the quick exit.
In Game 5, coming out of the bullpen, he would proceed to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings with….you guessed it, Posada behind the plate.
The move backfired so badly that Torre made sure before the next season that he would never make that move again. The next year in Game 3 against Detroit, Johnson bombed again, this time with Posada behind the plate. It was proof that the catchers were not the cause for the pitcher’s struggle; it was the made with the ball in his hands.
Surely, most pitchers are psychologically driven, but to remove Posada for Molina has a trickle down effect for the whole team. The fact that Girardi was not able to rectify this situation before it reached this crescendo is a mark on him.
Not having Posada, who hit .285 this season with 22 home runs and 81 RBI and replacing him with a .217 hitter is akin to trading quality production from a hitter to putting a pitcher in your lineup and batting him ninth. Now, if you choose to put him in the game as your DH, then you are removing another productive member of the lineup, Hideki Matsui, who hit .274 with 28 homeruns and 90 RBI. The drop off in production is so stark is crazy. Molina is essentially an automatic out, no threat at the plate, and even worse if men are on base against a good pitcher because it is an instant double play.
One suggestion that has made the rounds is that Molina will only hit until the sixth and then Posada would catch the remainder of the game. This plan does not work because currently the Yankees do not plan to carry three catchers. In the unlikely event the game the game is tied, they are leading by a run or trailing late, you cannot pinch run for him because you do not have an alternative behind the plate, at least for the Division Series.
In addition, if the series ever goes to five games, with the season on the line, his bat would be in the lineup. By any measure, this would be ridiculous.
The only way this works is it Burnett goes out and throws six or seven solid innings and the Yankees win. Anything outside of that, blended in with Molina not getting a hitting and killing rallies, and Girardi will have proverbial egg on his face.
He is trusting that this move will get the best out of his starter.
Girardi had better be right.
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