Stuff like this makes me love Joey G

[VinnyTheMick]

BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic

[rappa]

I love JG

[nykgeneralmanager]

I wonder if Torre even knew there were Dominican Instruct leagues. That's why he never gave young players a shot, he knew nothing about them until the day they were called up.

[PR07]

Girardi is young and active, and it already shows...

[ccvle]

I wonder if Torre even knew there were Dominican Instruct leagues. That's why he never gave young players a shot, he knew nothing about them until the day they were called up.

if "a shot" you meant he never actively looked for young players then I dont know if i can argue with that. But dont tell me Torre never trusted young players even after they proved themselves.

[nykgeneralmanager]

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if "a shot" you meant he never actively looked for young players then I dont know if i can argue with that. But dont tell me Torre never trusted young players even after they proved themselves.

Well AFTER they prove themselves he wouldn't have much of a choice. I'll give you an example. Dustin Pedroia hit .182 in April and Francona stuck with him, while he had a viable option to replace Pedroia with if needed. Would Torre have done so? Sure, you may bring up Cano's first month in the majors, but he at least hit .253 in that month (respectable for a guys first month in the majors) plus the Yankees didn't have anybody else worth giving a shot. Everybody knows Torre favors his vets over his young guys.

[VinnyTheMick]

didnt Torre endorse trading Melky after Melky's miserable debut against Boston in 05?

[ccvle]

no.

[nykgeneralmanager]

didnt Torre endorse trading Melky after Melky's miserable debut against Boston in 05?

I don't remember exactly if that happened, but he certainly didn't give Melky enough of a chance to go through growing pains and adjust to the majors.

[sully00]

Torre would have endorsed trading Melky now if it would improve the team. You can't compare the Sox and Francona to Torre and the Yankees. Until this season Cashman essentially answered to Torre not the other way around. Both of their jobs depended on the teams success on the field.

Their job was to win the World Series and player development was not the focus. It didn't matter how good a young player played because George was still George. Cashman has never had a bigger man crush on anyone than he had on Soriano, he and Torre developed him into perhaps one of the 10 best offensive talents in the game and they still ended up moving him because the right deal came around.

Francona is one of the lowest paid managers in the game, and is to this point has been given little credit for winning two championships, the perception is that he didn't screw it up. He is a cog in the organization not the face of it. He does what he is told.

Myabe that is how it will be in NY. I am not a doctor, maybe George is as sick as they say but it doesn't escape me that he got Cashman and the kids to say goodbye to Torre, not him. They can have their youth movement and George can always come back with the old school if it flounders.

That said no doubt the Girardi wil have more faith in young players than Torre did, the question is whether that faith will be rewarded.

[JohnnyK]

I'll give you an example. Dustin Pedroia hit .182 in April and Francona stuck with him, while he had a viable option to replace Pedroia with if needed.

Who? Alex Cora? The guy with the career 74 OPS+?

Don't get me wrong, I do agree that Tito is certainly very patient (and many people think he is often too patient - see Gagne, Eric), but there was absolutely no viable option to play 2B fulltime for the Sox. Cora had a magic April for his standards, so it was easier to platoon him with Pedroia, but while Tito was often raving about Cora's "baseball IQ", he is what he is - a bench player at best.

[nykgeneralmanager]

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Who? Alex Cora? The guy with the career 74 OPS+?

Don't get me wrong, I do agree that Tito is certainly very patient (and many people think he is often too patient - see Gagne, Eric), but there was absolutely no viable option to play 2B fulltime for the Sox. Cora had a magic April for his standards, so it was easier to platoon him with Pedroia, but while Tito was often raving about Cora's "baseball IQ", he is what he is - a bench player at best.

Um, after April, the Red Sox offense would've been better off with the pitcher hitting rather than Pedrioa. So Yes, Cora was a viable option at that point considering his defense is very good just like Pedroia's.

[JohnnyK]

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Um, after April, the Red Sox offense would've been better off with the pitcher hitting rather than Pedrioa. So Yes, Cora was a viable option at that point considering his defense is very good just like Pedroia's.

Baseball players usually do not suddenly evolve at the age of 32. Cora is a career backup who is pretty bad at the plate. He had a good April this year - in 29 PAs, which is laughable as a sample size, so there is absolutely no basis to assuming he could have kept this up (and he didn't, see May, June).

Pedroia had his best month of the year in May, so after the bad April he immediately became a big contributor.

All I am saying is this - yes, Tito is more patient than Torre, but using Pedroia as an example simple is silly.

[34Celtic]

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Um, after April, the Red Sox offense would've been better off with the pitcher hitting rather than Pedrioa. So Yes, Cora was a viable option at that point considering his defense is very good just like Pedroia's.

You're talking about benching the wrong guy. Julio Lugo might have been one of the top 5 SS in the AL this year.