Comments on: 2010 Redux

By: Diane Firstman

Diane Firstman — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:30:43 +0000

[6]

Cano had the best year for a Yankee 2B since … Willie Randolph (1980). At least in terms of Wins Above Replacement

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:03:33 +0000

[6] Great call. Cano definitely was the team MVP, and had they won the division in decisive fashion, probably would have gotten more serious looks along with Josh Hamilton. If anything, he validated Cashman’s decision all those years ago to keep him.

[8] Thanks Professor. That makes me feel better.

By: Professor Longnose

Professor Longnose — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:58:13 +0000

Your game of the year made it to No. 12 on MLB TV’s 2010 Fantastic FInishes show. I think it was the highest Yankee game in their countdown.

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:24:50 +0000

[6] Agree with you 100%. The (re)emergence of Cano as a bonafide star capable of carrying the torch was the most enjoyable thing about the 2010 season. I’ve always been a big Cano supporter, so it was, as you stated, extremely gratifying, especially when juxtaposed against the play of Matt Kemp, who was often linked to Cano in trade rumors.

By: Sliced Bread

Sliced Bread — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:10:05 +0000

good stuff, Will.

I’d say the Best Yankees Story of the Year was Robbie Cano. He had arguably one of the best seasons ever by a Yankees second baseman. I was a throw right/bat left 2nd baseman who grew up idolizing & studying Willie Randolph. Willie never carried the team with his bat the way Robbie did in 2010. For those of us who never gave up on Cano, his season was extremely gratifying – and there’s every reason to believe there”s more where that came from.

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:02:32 +0000

[1] It was a great post regardless of the timing!

[3] It’s funny…in the past, I’ve researched that topic and it’s hard to come up with anything conclusive. The only anectodal evidence I had found is that in game 3 of the 1960 WS, Stengel benched Berra in favor of Cerv because he was anticipating a “difficult sun field”. Perhaps that was Casey’s way of saying he was a little worried about Berra’s defense? Houk played him out there for most of 1961, so if it was a concern, the Major didn’t let it keep Yogi’s bat out of the lineup.

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:57:36 +0000

[3] Interesting question, Jon. Having never seen him play left field other than the old films of the 1960 World Series, it’s tough to judge. Putting a catcher out there, though, seems counterintuitive in an area where you need at least average speed.

By: Jon Weisman

Jon Weisman — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:39:27 +0000

The Sunday night Yankee-Dodger game was the Dodgers’ game of the year in the opposite sense.

Forgive a random question: How good a left fielder was Yogi Berra defensively?

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:01:24 +0000

[1] Jon, thanks. I gave serious consideration to the Sunday Nighter at Dodger Stadium. But in looking at the Game of the Year, I have to look at the full game in its context, and the narrative for the whole thing. Like the Memorial Day game in 2000 with Clemens and Pedro (the Trot Nixon home run game, Pedro Ks 17), the July 1, 2004 game against the Red Sox. I thought in terms of a game, the Rays game was better overall, as opposed to two good innings by the Yankees. Taking nothing away from the comeback, they were lucky to win. That same reasoning disqualified Game 1 against the Rangers.

And your piece, please. It was awesome. Timing did have something to do with it, but it’s very rare that I read anything anymore that makes such a profound impression. Yours did that, on a lot of levels.

By: Jon DeRosa

Jon DeRosa — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:52:43 +0000

Will, great recap of 2010.

My game of the year was the comeback at Dodger Stadium – though that’s largely due to a case of good timing.

Bought a tv earlier that day, i figured out how to get it on the wall and hooked it up and everything, and turned it on for the first time for the top of the 9th.

Saw the big comeback, two innings from Mo, and the season MVP hitting an extra inning bomb to win it.

(And also, sincere thanks for mentioning my story in your post, but I think that also has a lot to do with a good case of timing in being a recent entry.)