Couple few news items worth noting…
Mariano Rivera is banged-up. He has a sore right knee. His left rib cage is aching too, so Rivera will not appear in the All-Star Game next week. Joe Girardi is downplaying the injuries but at 40-years-old, Rivera’s health is of concern.
I’ve daydream occasionally, wondering how Rivera’s career will end. The daydreams are always tidy–the Yanks win another Serious and Rivera walks away on top. Reality usually doesn’t comply with these kinds of fantasies but still, it shouldn’t stop us from dreaming. Anyhow, I could easily see this being Rivera’s swan swong, or I could see him returning for another season or two. One thing I’m hyper-aware of–and have been since, oh, about November, 2001–is that it’s not going to last, that life as a Yankee fan will soon be different, that it is important to appreciate every time Rivera is out on the mound, no matter the result.
* * * *
Robbie Cano is going to participate in the Home Run Derby come Monday. My first thought, without causing undo embarrassment, I hope he goes out in the first round. Then I read this from the Yankees’ hitting coach, Kevin Long:
“I would prefer he’s not involved in it, but that’s not my decision,” Kevin Long said. “History suggests that guys that do the home run hitting contest get fatigued and exhausted from the process. I’m happy for the fact that he’s maybe getting the opportunity, but in the same breath we have to be careful in how he goes about this.”
…”I think it’s a lot of swings for a player; physically, I think it’s somewhat of a grind, but it’s an honor to be involved,” Girardi said. “The biggest thing is that we keep Robinson Cano healthy and strong the whole year. If that in any way would fatigue him, then I would prefer that he didn’t get fatigued.”
(Feinsand, N.Y. Daily News)
Lastly, Alex Rodriguez and Dallas Braden: pals? Good one. Rodriguez is not good with the media and often comes across as a toy, but it’s nice to see him get some credit when he steps up and does something decent.
I think Derby, and then I think "strained oblique" :-(
I'd rather Cano parrticipate in the Kentucky Derby. At least his swing won't get fugged up.
parrrticipate. I like that.
"I’ve daydream occasionally, wondering how Rivera’s career will end. "
Homer Simpson scream, then running to a dark corner to curl up in the fetal position.
4) Tell me about it. But we've got to face facts...
i wonder if he would skip the all star game if he planned on retiring this year. i think he would want to go to his last all star game.
i'm very disappointed he's missing out. i love the all star game, and my favorite part every year is watching mo close it down. he froze brad hawpe last year with a classic backdoor. and the al dugout was just laughing.
[5] You face them...I am not convinced Mo is human, so maybe he will last forever!
NL will win this year.
[8] Forsooth!
[7] Well he does seem to have a direct line to the powers upstairs, at least he thinks so.
[8] Even a broken clock is right twice a day. NL has some big stats, but the AL won interleague again, pummeling Ubaldo and Halladay along the way.
The difference between the leagues does seem to be narrowing, but I think the AL is still better. With all these close all star games lately, it makes sense the NL will take one, especially if they don't have to face mo in the 9th of a tight game.
Why, oh why is Robinson allowed to participate?
For Christ's sake, if the hitting coach expresses his reservations, shouldn't that be enough for Girardi or Cashman or whoever to prohibit him from doing it?
I don't like this one bit.
Hernandez & Co. argued that David Wright's swing was fucked up for months (even into the next season?) after his participation.
Please, somebody, stop him!
Who's in charge, anyway?
[11] All of you in NY need to kidnap Cano until Tuesday -- oh wait, the team will be in Seattle. Alright, who's on the West Coast? Grab Robbie right after the final out on Sunday and hold him until the actual ASG.
There are all these ancedotal stories about the derby messing up guys' swings - Wright and Abreu are the two I thought of - but is there any truth to it? I mean, we already know that most players, especially those having really outstanding first halves, tend to decline in the second half - and that includes home runs. Can we really blame the derby for it?
Hasn't anyone studied this issue? I'd rather decide to be worried, or not, based on hard data, not anecdotes. Because of course the guys you are going to remember are the anomalies who "lost their swing", as opposed to the guys who just kept on keeping on.
Another question - let's say Cano doesn't make it past the first round of the derby. Does that change the equation at all?
[12] hank needs to drive the score truck to safeco and stash robbie in there...
if not, i have full faith in my boy cult of basebaal to snatch slasher up in anaheim and take him out for drinks! ; )
13] hard data would be helpful, but the anecdotal "evidence" is enough for me, and Cano's similar enough to Wright and Abreu for me to be concerned. He's not natural a home run hitter, doesn't have the upper-cut. Same with line drive guys like Wright and Abreu. That type of spray-the-ball-to-all corners of the field hitter shouldn't swing for the fences in a meaningless mid-season power display.
crasnick has an article up at espn about players on contenders who really need to pick it up in the 2nd half.
boBBy, mats & damon are all on it...
Daily News reporting now that Cano has pulled out of Derby due to "minor back injury" ... hmmm.
i understand all the hand wringing but quite honestly i'm excited for him. Being able to participate is fun and I think it's a bit ridiculous to take the fun out of the all-star festivities by throwing cold water on players desire to participate in the derby. To be quite honest, it's all a game, so let him play it.
[17] Did somebody say "$$$$hhhINJURY$$$hh" ? >;)
robbie is batting .186 over the last 15 games. maybe depositing a half dozen balls over the fence before the throbbing masses would do him good.
i played a lot of home run derby in my life. getting physically exhausted, ok, that's obviously possible. but mechanically speaking, it strikes me as silly to suggest you'd hurt your swing by trying to launch a couple of BP pitches into the stands.