Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Shut It Down, Jorge

Jorge Posada is going to try to rehab the shoulder and continue playing this year. This despite the fact that:
1. He won't be able to catch regardless;

2. The Yankees have a lot of DH/1B types;

3. He's doing this, he says, so he can help the team with his bat, but on the season that bat is posting a .268/.364/.411, which aren't the numbers of a 1B or DH on a playoff team;

4. Delaying the surgery -- I'm going to assume he will eventually need it -- could stretch his rehab into next spring training, thereby getting 2009 off on the wrong foot;

5. All of this is being done, according to the article, under the care of "New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek." No word on whether or not he was the one who cleared Ryan Church to play.

Look, I admire Jorge Posada's tenacity and desire, but he is no good to the Yankees unless he is healthy and catching, and based on what others are writing, neither of those things are likely to happen absent him shutting it down for the year.

6 comments:

Brian McFadden said...

I agree. It seems like Brian Cashman has no faith in his bat, either.

As far as replacements go... I think the catching market is weak and the Yanks may be better off just using Jose Molina for the second half... his numbers (career-wise) are not that bad in the second half (in limited ABs).

Unknown said...

These guys always invoke the 'help the team' excuse...I don't know, it seems to me that they can really hurt the team a lot more. A perfect example for the Yankees was Gary Sheffield a few years back...the guy could barely even WALK to 1st, yet he was 'helping the team'. He cost them several games, and did further damage to himself that *might* have been avoided had he spent some time on the DL and healed up a bit.

I've never understood the need that my beloved team seems to have that requires that they have a .300+ power hitter at every position. I'd rather have Molina (the best defensive catcher in the AL, currently) behind the plate, regardless of Jorge's health (and I'm starting to wonder about some of those reports that Jorge isn't so good with the pitchers...he definitely isn't as good with the young guys as Chad Moeller is).

Anyway, I don't see how Posada playing at 30% and jeopardizing next spring and early season helps the team in any way at all...and it's not like we don't have good hitters to pick up for his absence offensively (even if some have underperformed at points this year, though some of those are coming on strong now).

Jason @ IIATMS said...

Ditto was Os said. Twice as much

Anonymous said...

A few years back? Heck, look at Sheffield THIS year...

s1c said...

Don't forget, the Mets doctor was also the doctor that broke the tie in the Schilling situation earlier this year. It was because of his recommendation that the Sox forced Schilling into the "try it our way" for your rehab.

Might be time for the Mets to find another doctor.

Unknown said...

Actually, the Mets are probably fine with the guy being their doctor, since he seems to be working for the Mets best interest....other teams need to wake up and stop sending their players to the guy!