"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Smile Like You Mean It

Robbie Cano drives me crazy sometimes – you guys know the deal: he rarely walks, sometimes he doesn’t exactly bust it down to first, and once in a while he falls so in love with one of his own home runs, Manny-style, that you can practically see steam coming out of the opposing pitcher’s ears. Today he didn’t cover second base for what should have been the last out of the fifth inning. But he also homered, and doubled, and singled and even walked, and then he’s got that smile. I think it’s bigger than Marco Scutaro’s entire body. How do you stay mad?

His dentist should be proud

Anyway, Andy Pettitte came back to earth a bit this afternoon, and the Yankees didn’t exactly play their tightest game in the field, but it was good enough and they beat the Blue Jays 6-4. “I thought it was a real important game for us to win,” said Girardi after the game. Sure, Joe. It was a slow lazy afternoon game on the last real weekend of summer, and it didn’t really have any effect on anything except maybe Cito Gaston’s indigestion. But winning, as a wise man once said, it’s like, you know, better than losing.

The Yankees scored first, on Melky Cabrera’s RBI single in the second and then Robinson Cano’s fourth-inning homer, but the Jays promptly tied it up in the bottom of that inning. That lasted all of two pitches, as New York got out ahead again in the fifth thanks to Mark Teixeira’s solo shot,  tacked on two more in the sixth with RBI singles from A-Rod and Posada, and added one to grow on in the ninth as Melky plated Cano. Pettitte left after six, having allowed four earned-ish runs on four hits and an unfortunate five walks, but with a slim lead, and the bullpen made it hold up. Phil Hughes continues to be an aburdist work of art in relief and retired all four batters he faced with very little muss and zero fuss.

The Yankees’ division lead is now at eight and a half, and they haven’t lost three games in a row in almost two months (that was against the Angels, of course). Enjoy the long weekend, gang – and don’t forget, Monday night is Hand Sanitizer Keychain Giveaway Day at the Stadium for the first 18,000 fans 21 and older, so be sure to get to the game early! God.

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39 comments

1 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Sep 5, 2009 7:50 pm

Oooh..nice to wake up and see this. Think i'll check out the highlights before heading out, unfortunately this weekend the games on tv here are all Seattle-Oakland...blechhh.....

I think Cano is really putting to bed the whole Dusty vs Robbie debate on best 2nd-bagger...

2 Just Fair   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:18 pm

[0] So is Cano our Manny. I hope not. Gag. But if you swapped clutch hitting for stellar defense I guess it's something.

3 Chyll Will   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:26 pm

Monday night is Hand Sanitizer Keychain Giveaway Day at the Stadium for the first 18,000 fans 21 and older...

Still, it's gotta be less of a gyp than Yankees Jersey Koozie Night...

4 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:29 pm

[3] That wasn't a joke?? It's really called "Hand Sanitizer Keychain Giveaway" Day?? Wow..who'd of thought swineflu would extend it's tentacles into give-away days at the Stadium?

5 Chyll Will   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:40 pm

[4] *Sigh*, no joke... Damn, they should've hired Bill Veeck's ghost to run their promotions this season, not these people...

6 thelarmis   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:41 pm

nice to see Emma back!

i grabbed a loooong nap.

nice to see the shit sox lose. quite disheartening to see kevin dillweed blow a lead and lose. rangers still 2 back in the WC. today was really prime time to gain a game on boston. even if the rays hold out tonight, they're still 5 back. texas really blew it...

7 thelarmis   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:53 pm

Hanley Ramirez just joined the 20-20 club! he's the 5th member so far this season:

Ian Kinsler
Mark Reynolds
Curtis Granderson
Matt Kemp
Hanley Ramirez

hopefully this list will double by the end of the season. up next could be:

Brandon Phillips
Derek Jeter
Jimmy Rollins
Nelson Cruz
Justin Upton
Chase Utley

and possibly others...

8 rbj   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:54 pm

Just checking in, Yanks win, Red Sox lose. Good.

[3] How about Jersey-Floozie night. I think you might need more than just hand sanitizer.

(I'm from Jersey, so I get to say it)

9 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:57 pm

Kay and Cone must be a bit bored, am SURE I heard this conversation about the pitching mound at SkyDome the other day too..

[7] Hanley and Uggla had a bit of fistacuffs the other night..chemistry issues?

10 nemecizer   ~  Sep 5, 2009 8:59 pm

[8] OH SNAP! Jersey got served by rbj.

Not a great game, but a good day. It seems hard to imagine that the Sox can come back from 8.5 games down at this point. It was a fun run, watching the Sox win and win for the most part, but actually fall back 2 games in the standings as the Yanks won and won and won. Feels good to be 38 over .500. It's been awhile.

11 thelarmis   ~  Sep 5, 2009 9:01 pm

[9] i think most of the players in the Marlins clubhouse have issues w/ Hanley...

[10] nothing fun about watching the Scum Sox win and win...ever!!! : )

12 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Sep 5, 2009 9:05 pm

[11] Is he known to be a diva? Can't argue with his stats!

Replay overturned Ruiz's homerun! Hard to tell on the video, really close...

solo-game thread, not too exciting, sorry..

13 thelarmis   ~  Sep 5, 2009 9:11 pm

[12] via mlb trade rumors, ken rosenthal said the same thing - hanley is NOT liked in the clubhouse, but it's hard to argue with his stats.

ah, the game thread was fun! i would've been here with BF at the very beginning, but i had a real estate appointment.

i listened to late period Joe Henderson and Pat Metheny last night & today...

14 monkeypants   ~  Sep 5, 2009 9:11 pm

[12] Hard to tell on the video, really close…

Really? I thought it was pretty obviously foul when they showed it on slo-mo. The Jays announcers today agreed it was foul.

OK, I can't relive this whole game. You're on your own now.

15 thelarmis   ~  Sep 5, 2009 9:11 pm

halos have broken thru against Greinke in the 8th and the Tiggers are coming back on the Rays...

16 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Sep 5, 2009 9:18 pm

[13] Nice, Tokyo Jazz Festival on this weekend but am skipping this year, too expensive..

[14] Yeah, Kay and Cone said they thought it was just foul..

time to head out now, will catch the rest later tonight! good luck with the housing search, thelarmis!

17 thelarmis   ~  Sep 5, 2009 10:25 pm

both the Rays and Royals (not to mention Rangers earlier) coughed up their respective games. so Tigers & Angles both win. possible playoff opponents looking for real.

18 Just Fair   ~  Sep 5, 2009 10:42 pm

Wakefield not only looked like a ball of jelly covering first tonight but he also hurt his back. Again..

19 monkeypants   ~  Sep 5, 2009 10:57 pm

[18] I confess, I kind of like Wakefield. I certainly hold no animus against him. But yeah, he looked sort of like me running to cover 1B tonight.

20 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 5, 2009 11:29 pm

Are we sure that wasn't Jeter's job to cover the bag? On the replay, Cano seemed to be shading toward 1B. Either way, it seems like Cano (and Melky) are targets for criticism they don't deserve.

21 Rich   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:58 am

[20] it seems like Cano (and Melky) are targets for criticism they don’t deserve.

I echo this sentiment.

22 Emma Span   ~  Sep 6, 2009 2:40 am

[20] Well, Cone seemed to think it was Cano's job there, and they showed him getting lectured in the dugout after the commercial break, so I think that was supposed to be him covering (I wouldn't have known otherwise). Not that it's a felony or anything. I like Cano, and certainly he's a good and valuable player overall, but there's been plenty of times over the last few years when he hasn't hustled or has made mental mistakes. He definitely makes up for it but it's still, to me anyway, frustrating sometimes.

23 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Sep 6, 2009 6:00 am

[20][21][22] Well, like Joe Morgan said, Latin players play with a lot of "fire" and "emotion", their "passion" sometimes gets in the way of making routine plays. This is unlike the Asian players who are "methodical" and "machine-like" in their fielding, playing a "collective game".

Joe Morgan..Emmy-winning "Analyst".

No hat tip to FJM, they don't deserve it for stopping their site!

24 Rich   ~  Sep 6, 2009 10:05 am

It may have been Cano's responsiblity yersterday, but people like Michael Kay blame Cano even when Jeter is the one who was supposed to cover, or made a bad throw on a double play ball.

Other writers (Tyler Kepner recently, iirc) have had columns that imply that Cano, unlike Pedroia, for example. is lazy.

There is definitely a pattern of character assassination.

Similarly, Ellsbury gets far more positive publicity than Melky. Francesa, for example, thinks the former is wonderful, and that Melky is a "4th OFer."

2009 OPS+

Melky: 98
Ellsbury: 91

2009 UZR/150

Melky: -5.8
Ellsbury: -14

25 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:14 am

[24] but people like Michael Kay blame Cano even when Jeter is the one who was supposed to cover, or made a bad throw on a double play ball.

Some specific examples?

26 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:19 am

[24] Similarly, Ellsbury gets far more positive publicity than Melky.

Perhaps better to compare their career statistics, which for offense slant in favor of Elisbury. But your main point is well taken: they are both probably destined to be 4th OFs.

27 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:23 am

[26] Con't.

Elisbury's MiL stats were better than Melky's as well, which *could* suggest a higher likelihood of ML success. However, he was also older at every level by a year or two. In the end, the two are pretty much a wash, though Elisbury is much, much faster (it seems).

28 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:37 am

[25] I can't give specific examples (for obvious reasons), but I can also recall situations when Cano was criticized for a mistake that seemed to be Jeter's.

[26] Ellsbury has an OPS+ of 93 and Melky is at 87. When you consider Ellsbury's hot 2007 and Melky's awful 2008, two seasons which seem to be outliers, the difference is that much less. Because of his speed, Ellsbury is still a little better (although defense and arm may actually mitigate against that), but certainly not by enough to explain the difference in how they are perceived.

As for the minors, again, the difference is very small, and as you noted Ellsbury was one-year older at each step in the chain.

I am not sure if [23] was being facetious, but unfortunately, I do think Latin players are subjected to a form of subtle bias (which isn't malicious, but more the product of different cultural interpretations). We see it with Cano versus Pedroia (what would have been said about Cano if he was thrown at 3B with two outs as Dusty was recently) and Melky versus Ellsbury and even Gardner.

29 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:48 am

[28] On the other hand, Melky's own numbers are helped by last year's hot April and this year's hot start. He's been more bad than good most of the time.

==

To play devil's advocate, regarding Cano: many posters on this sight (you included, I think, but I could be wrong) often complain about Cano not playing up to his potential/ability. To what degree is this a form of the subtle bias that you describe.

I tend to think that he plays more or less to his ability, inasmuch as he seems to be a a very streaky player both on offense and defense, a free swinger who, when on, is amazing. I accept that this is the sum total, and consider that which makes him so good when he is locked in may contribute to his badness when he slumps (for example, perhaps he is very aggressive at the plate, which pays off when it is going well).

30 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:55 am

[28] Ellsbury’s hot 2007 and Melky’s awful 2008, two seasons which seem to be outliers, the difference is that much less.

Except that Ellsbury's 2007 amounted to 33 games and 127 PAs, while Melky's awful 2008 was 129 games and 453 PAs. So basically, you are saying they would be closer statistically if you took out 3.5 times the number of plate appearances from Melky's record. That hardly seems like a fair exercise.

We could, instead, take out Ellsbury's 2007 and the first 33 games from Melky 2008, and I suspect that the subsequent comparison would not swing appreciably in Melky's favor.

31 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:56 am

[29] Melky seems to start off well each year, so that might not be an outlier. When you look at seasons in context of their young careers, I think it is safe to safe Ellsbury is not the 2007 version and Melky is not the 2008 version.

I am probably the biggest Melky supporter in the world, and a little bit less so with regard to Cano. My complaints about Cano is that he doesn't always take the best approach at the plate, not that he is too lazy and is wasting his talent. Recognizing pitches isn't an easy task. I don't think he goes up there thinking he will swing at everything, but instead it seems like he doesn't always recognize certain pitches out of the hand. That's something on which he has and can continue to improve.

32 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 6, 2009 11:58 am

[29] Also, I think it is interesting to note that the "subtle bias" is not black/white verus latin. Instead, it seems as if the "lazy" tag gets put on the back of players from the Dominican Republic (and rarely on players from Puerto Rico).

33 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:00 pm

[31] That’s something on which he has and can continue to improve.

Yes, but his failure to improve in that regard--his lapses into poor approach at the plate, as you put it-- could be taken as evidence of laziness, lack of hard work, dedication, etc.

I'm not saying I agree with this assessment, only that I see how the observation easily elides with the conclusion.

I tend not to make any judgments on any player's work ether or laziness, focusing instead on the end result. Thus, for example, I don't care too much if Mantle did not maximize his talent, as is widely believed--I only care that he was one of the ten best or so OFs of all time.

I'll let those closer to game determine if a player needs to work harder, etc.

34 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:02 pm

[30] Again, for purposes of comparing what they have done, I agree that it isn't fair to extract both seasons. But, if you want to consider what they will do, I think it is appropriate. Melky's 2008 was a downward spiral that seemed to coincide with a general malaise that impacted the entire team.

35 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:05 pm

[33] Sure, they could be perceived as that...I just don't think they would if he wasn't Dominican. The issue isn't really whether Cano's "lapses" are because of his work ethic. As you noted, only those who see his preparation can make that judgment. What bothers me is that players like Cano never get the benefit of the doubt. Whether or not Cano does get lazy, it is presumed to be so.

36 Emma Span   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:20 pm

[28] Well, I certainly agree that Latin players (or black players for that matter, though in a different way) are sometimes viewed differently than their white counterparts, and we need to watch out for that. No argument there.

However, that doesn't mean Robinson Cano shouldn't hustle to first base every single time... and he doesn't. He just doesn't run out every single grounder or presumed foul ball, etc. Lots of baseball players are the same way, of course, but not too many of the Yankees do that on a regular basis - at least that's been my impression. Teixeira doesn't, Melky doesn't, god knows Captain Intangibles doesn't. I've never called Cano "lazy" and never would, but I do think it's legit to criticize him for poor baserunning choices.

That said, I suppose it's possible that he gets singled out unfairly. Here's an experiment - let's watch out over the next week or two for every time a Yankee doesn't hustle down to first (whether or not it ends up hurting the team is irrelevant). Does Cano actually do it more often than his teammates? Or is he just the one who gets called on it most often? (Not that a couple of weeks is a scientifically sound sample size, but hey).

37 monkeypants   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:24 pm

[35] I guess. Sometimes I think that such subtle biases are so subtle, in fact, as to be largely unobservable or unprovable. Yes, historically Latin players in general have suffered from certain cultural stereotypes, and yes this still seems to be the case to some degree. So maybe Cano gets unfair criticism. But it's hard to prove what "would" be said about other players. Moreover, accusations of laziness or other character observations are not restricted only to (some subset of) Latin players, or even to non-white players. Joba, for example, has come under intense scrutiny with many questioning his "attitude," and similarly with IPK last year. Aubrey Huff (white) has been accused of being extremely lazy, as has Hideki Irabu (asian) and Garrett Anderson (black).

For all we know, Cano really is lazy.

38 williamnyy23   ~  Sep 6, 2009 12:31 pm

[36] I am not saying Cano shouldn't be criticized because he is Dominican. I just think he is often a target because he is. Nick Swisher breaks it down on his way to 1B quite a bit. I've never heard anyone criticize him for it. That could be because he is slow anyway, but Cano isn't the only guy who turns the hustle off from time to time.

Also, let me make it clear that I am not accusing anyone, especially you, of some malicious attempt to disparage Dominican players. Rather, I think many players who learn the game in DR develop a certain style of play that could be prone to misinterpretation. I am 100% sure that I fall into that trap, and maybe that's why it bothers me a little. What makes things even more acute is the comparative treatment between Cano and Pedroia. After all, Pedroia won an MVP with an OPS+ of 122. Cano is has an OPS+ of 127 and there hasn’t been a whisper.

39 Emma Span   ~  Sep 6, 2009 2:20 pm

[38] Hey, I hear you - I don't disagree. I think it's something worth paying attention to...

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver