YES Network reporter/analyst Jack Curry looks forward to the Yankees second half with The Post’s Justin Terranova. The former New York Times columnist talks Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and why the Yankees are likely to stand pat at the trade deadline.
Q: Do you think Jeter getting 3,000 hits the way he did will propel him to a solid second half?
A: The extra-base power he showed leading up to 3,000; if he can carry that into the second half then we are talking about a whole different player. He’s not a .257 hitter. . . . Jeter is a guy we are going to dissect now until the last game he plays. As you get older your skills start to diminish and because of who he is that will be interesting.
Q: Did A-Rod make the right call choosing surgery?
A: Yes, if he didn’t get the surgery then every time he had to dive, slide, you would be worried if he’s going to worsen the injury. They have to figure out a way to tread water until he comes back. Eduardo Nunez is not going to give you the power that A-Rod did, but he can give you some extra-base power, speed and a lively bat. His defense at third will be the issue.
Q: Will the Yankees make a trade to improve the rotation or bullpen?
A: This is where Phil Hughes becomes one of the most important players in the second half. If he shows you he can be the guy he was in the first half last year I think that rotation question gets answered for you as long as they can continue to squeeze quality out of (Bartolo) Colon and (Freddy) Garcia. In the bullpen, they are hoping (Rafael) Soriano comes back and is the guy they thought he was going to be and slides into an important role.
Q: Does Soriano get the eighth-inning job back or does David Robertson deserve to keep it?
A: Robertson has really shown he can be an effective eighth-inning guy, so the Yankees have to decide (whether) they want to mess with that. That will be one of the biggest questions for Joe Girardi because they did sign Soriano to a lucrative contract to be that guy.
Q: What was the biggest adjustment going from newspapers to television?
A: I still call the same people. I still try to be as well- versed and have as much information as possible. I now have to make an 800-word column into a 30- or 60-second sound bite. What it does teach you to do is economize your words. If I am good at this job it’s because I’ve got my newspaper background.
