You are the manager for the Yankees?

Question

If Joe Torre were to be fired today, and you were put in charge, how would you tweak the line up and create a winning ball club?

You can only work with the current roster and the Yankees minor league affiliates.

Best answer gets placed on my blog.
http://www.bronxbloggers.blogspot.com

Answer 1

If I were put "in charge" and Torre were already gone (with no hope of being re-hired) I presume I would be replacing GM Brian Cashman. I would immediately place Gene Michael "Stick" as the interem manager. I would sit down Bobby Abreu and start Melky Cabrera in right field, next would be to send Phelps and Nieves to triple A and bring up Eric Duncan and Ben Davis to take their places. I would bring in Paul O'neil as hitting coach. Batting Posada 3rd in the lineup with AROD cleanup and Matsui to protect him. My starting rotation would be Clemens, Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Mussina. Send down Proctor, Vizcaino, and Farnsworth, and put Igawa, Bruney and Clippard in the bullpen. Giambi would need to start more games at first while working Abreu into the lineup as DH to get his confidence back. Do I have the option of activating Joe Girardi as backup catcher? He is currently a YES employee. Every day starters would be Jeter at SS, Matsui LF, AROD 3rd, Cabrera RF, Damon CF, Cano 2nd, Posada C, Giambi 1st.
Lineup:
1 Damon
2 Jeter
3 Posada
4 AROD
5 Matsui
6 Giambi
7 Cano
8 Cabrera
9 Abreu

And Mariano Rivera would close in save situations

This was a GREAT question!

Answer 2

There's not much you can do with the everyday lineup. Johnny Damon probably needs a spell on the disabled list to get better, but Melky Cabrera can fill in for a while. Otherwise, you have little choice but to wait for Giambi and Abreu to get going and stop dragging the entire lineup down with them. Jeter may keep hitting, but Posada probably will slow down at some point.

The starting pitching probably will be OK once Clemens and Hughes arrive. Still, the bullpen is a mess. A move or two might help, as there are usually relievers out there -- especially to teams who can take on salary. But as the Red Sox proved last year, sometimes that's not easy. It's the hardest thing in the world to predict who might be good in the bullpen in a given year.

Answer 3

The lineup is fine; they will hit. For example, many people seem to think benching Abreu is a move to make. I disagree. I believe it's shortsighted to bench him after he has proven for many years what a terrific hitter he is. He will shake this lull; he hasn't lost it overnight.

Instead of worrying about the hitting I would stop using so many darn relievers and rely more on my starters like Wang and Mussina (and Clemens and Hughes when they return).

I know it's only late May, but the Yankees hole keeps getting deeper and deeper and unless they turn it around soon the post season will quickly become an unreachable dream.

Answer 4

Trade Bobby Abreu for middle relief. Call up Jose Tabata from Class A+ (I know it's a stretch). Call up Andy Phillips to play first.

Lineup: Damon, A-Rod, Jeter, Matsui, Posada, Cano Giambi, Phillips, Tabata.

Answer 5

I would trade jetter and giambi and find good young pitching.
I would move up soon of the young yanks minor league stars.
And replace cashman

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Answer 6

i would first pray and ask god 4 mercy lol and just try to get my starters to go long and let them get out of toruble just the same