A big round of credit goes to the Yankees’ statistical analysis department, which assembled a dossier that strongly implied that Swisher was a far better hitter than the .219 man that got bench by the White Sox. The number crunchers accentuated the still high number of pitches that Swisher was patiently seeing in each at-bat and also the comparatively bad fortune he endured on balls he put into play. That dossier was heavily influential in GM Brian Cashman packaging three prospects to the White Sox mainly for Swisher.
The reward has been 26 homers, a .378 on-base percentage and 4.31 pitches seen per plate appearance. Also, his personality has been key in bringing a greater looseness and bond to the Yankees’ clubhouse.
2. The best tribute to Mariano Rivera did not occur in the Bronx last night, even though Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for a win; even though he already has 39 saves, tying him with Brian Fuentes for most in the majors. No, the best tribute to Rivera occurred in Washington, D.C. That is where Phillies manager Charlie Manuel finally had to face reality and remove Brad Lidge in the ninth inning after Lidge had loaded the bases with one out. Ryan Madson came in, retired two batters and earned a save.
Lidge was perfect last year. He converted all 41 regular-season saves, and then seven more in the postseason as the Phillies won a championship. But this year he has a major league-high 10 blown saves or one more than Rivera has in the last four seasons combined.
Rivera’s genius is in annual greatness, in avoiding dips. He defines dependable. He brings comfort to the most discomfiting job in the sport, getting the final outs in the ninth inning. At age 39, Rivera is on the verge of his eighth season with an ERA below 2.00. Lidge is 0-7 with a 7.11 ERA. He was perfect last year. It wasn’t too long ago that Eric Gagne was flavor of the month, converting 84 straight save chances. Last I heard, he was a pitcher/coach for the Quebec entry in the Can-Am League.
The short man often has a short period of greatness. But not Rivera. He is a long man.
3. David Robertson was scheduled to go see Dr. James Andrews due to lingering tightness in his right elbow. That is not insignificant for both the Yankees’ short- and long-term futures. Robertson almost certainly was going to be part of the Yankees’ postseason bullpen and if this injury is serious enough to keep him off the playoff roster than a spot could open up for someone such as Chad Gaudin or Sergio Mitre.
More important is if this a real significant injury and keeps Robertson out some portion of next season. Because if the Yankees are really committed to having both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in the rotation next year, then somebody else is going to have to step into the eighth-inning void. The most obvious internal candidates likely are Brian Bruney, Mark Melancon and Robertson with a lefty such as Phil Coke or Damaso Marte perhaps in the discussion, as well.
Robertson was going to be a key piece in the 2010 pen. Will he still be now?
