2006 Bench Discussion (Kevin Thompson appreciation army)

[38Special]

I think everyone's been impressed with the young guys who've gotten playing time this year, and the statistics dont look too bad either

OF/1B Mitch Jones - .324/.324/.618 - 0/3 BB/K in 34 ABs
1B/3B Andy Phillips - .324/.410/.471 - 5/2 BB/K in 34 ABs
1B Eric Duncan - .409/.458/.818 - 2/4 BB/K in 22 ABs

OF Melky Cabrera - .344/.382/.469 - 2/3 BB/K in 32 ABs
OF Kevin Reese - .296/.321/.407 - 1/5 BB/K in 27 ABs
OF Kevin Thompson - .400/.464/.560 - 3/2 BB/K in 25 ABs
OF Bubba Crosby - .182/.250/.545 - 1/1 BB/K in 11 ABs

SS Felix Escalona - .304/.333/.565 - 0/1 BB/K in 23 ABs
3B Russ Johnson - 0/11
2B Kevin Howard - .200/.200/.500 in 10 ABs

C Wil Nieves - .400/.400/.800 in 10 ABs

Because of the surplus of pitching, it's likely that the bench will comprise of 4 bench players (unless Sheff and Giambi are still aching), This would be backup infielder, outfielder, catcher, and first base

C: Stinnett has done little hitting in the spring, and Nieves has, but Stinnett was signed more for his defense, and it's not likely that Nieves will get the spot over him...despite having no options left. It's not as if Nieves lit up the world in the minors either

IF: Cairo hasnt been amazing in the spring like Stinnett, but he's got a guaranteed contract, a decent track record, and no one challenging him. Howard needs another year of AAA, and Escalona is a journeyman

1B: Mitch is making a nice try, but Andy's got this one wrapped up. Mitch has decent actions in the outfield and at first, but hes got holes in his swing that a truck could drive through. Somehow hes made adjustments this spring, but his .260 average and 180 strikeouts in AAA at age 27 are pretty damning. The stuff about Duncan changing his swing back is no joke, as I've posted two clips comparing them in the minors forum, and it seems to have worked. I'm SO excited about this year in AAA.

OF: Melky is definitely going to AAA as he's a prospect who needs regular playing time, but he's been impressive in both S/T and winter ball, just like Cano last year.

OF Kevin Reese - .296/.321/.407 - 1/5 BB/K in 27 ABs
OF Kevin Thompson - .400/.464/.560 - 3/2 BB/K in 25 ABs
OF Bubba Crosby - .182/.250/.545 - 1/1 BB/K in 11 ABs

Pros and Cons of keeping each...

Reese
Pros: Very similar to Crosby but with better base stealing abilities
Cons: Very average all around. Defense and Arm arent great

Crosby
Pros: Proven to be a solid to above-average defender, occasional pop at times
Cons: Bat is pretty much useless, doesnt steal bases particularly well, at the age where losing him to waivers isnt a big deal

Thompson
Pros: Best basestealer, contact, and power bat of the 3. Defense is around Crosby's level
Cons: Despite his age, still raw. If he were a few years younger there'd be enough projection to see him as an above average regular. Defensively he's better than Crosby but there are times where he's lackadaisical like Cano

BA wrote this about him this offseason:

He remains unrefined for a player of his age and experience level. He's slump-prone in part because of his makeup, as Yankees officials use phrases such as "nervous energy", "edgy" and "emotional" to describe him. He has raw power potential and carries his pop into games when he's aggressive yet disciplined at the plate. The Yankees would like him to play that way defensively. While he has CF tools, he’s tentative with his jumps and still lacks savvy, such as proper positioning, throwing to the right cutoff man and knowing when to drive for a ball. He's one of the organization's fastest runners and has improved his base stealing ability"

Looking at his minor league numbers says alot about this:
http://thebaseballcube.com/players/T...thompson.shtml

Every time he's received a promotion, he turns into the most inconsistent hitter in the world, only to slaughter the competition the following year. Somehow though, he's finally clicked this spring training, excelling on the stage where he's competing for the biggest job of his life.

So the dilemna really is, Bubba or Thompson. Does Bubba get the job just because he was on the team last year? Bubba hasnt put up respectable numbers since a flukey 2003 in the best hitters league in the minors. Even if neither of them hits, as a pinch runner off the bench, Thompson is 500x more useful

I hear people say that Bubba should stay because he has no options left, and that Thompson can come up from AAA if hes still doing good and Bubba is bad. But will it ever come to that? As soon as Bubba makes the team, they'll never DFA him, and wont put a guy on unemployment in the middle of the season for a reserve spot on the 25 man. If Bubba Crosby is designated for assignment and claimed on waivers by another team, will we really be losing anything?

(paid for by the people for kevin thompson)

[Rich]

Thompson should be kept over Bubba because he will likely put up a higher OBP, and play better defense at the corner OF positions, which is where depth is a more glaring need because Matsui and especially Sheff need to DH far more often. In fact, if Thompson can put up a .350 OBP , I would to see him get more ABs than Bernie.

That said, every time the composition of the bench is discussed, Torre never even mentions his name.

[Kulish29]

Agreed. Thompson should be on the bench.

Put Kevin Thompson on the 25 man roster!

[nyg02005]

If it base on how they are being played in ST, it seems that KT is not being consider for that option. I am surprise to see that Mitch jones has more at bats than KT while playing the corner OF.

[scooterfan]

Originally Posted by Rich

Thompson should be kept over Bubba because he will likely put up a higher OBP, and play better defense at the corner OF positions, which is where depth is a more glaring need because Matsui and especially Sheff need to DH far more often. In fact, if Thompson can put up a .350 OBP , I would to see him get more ABs than Bernie.

That said, every time the composition of the bench is discussed, Torre never even mentions his name.

If you read Joe's green tea leaves a bit more you see that Jones and Reese have started more games than Thompson has.

Maybe it's my imagination, but Jones has gotten a lot of starts.

It's difficult to compare raw stats - in many cases, you've got to split the ABs into those vs major-league pitchers and those vs minor-league pitchers.

Honestly you also have to look at what kinds of hits and what kinds of outs guys are making - especially in this small a sample

I know Jones has struck out a lot in the minors, but his K's are much lower this spring training. Given the number of games he's started, he's done OK against major-league pitching.

I like KT from what I've seen - but I don't see any sign that Joe has opened up the competition for the 5th outfielder - Bubba will get that spot

The real question is - will Joe carry an additional position player while Pavano is on the DL early in the season?

If so, I think Jones has a really good shot at that spot.

[38Special]

Where has there been any indication from Joe that Bubba is the man for the job? Anything in the last month?

Two Duncan images:

[BronxBaumer]

KT deserves the job. He has a lot more potential then Crosby and he's younger. I woul lik to see him get his chance.

[PoughVirginiaYankee]

I think Crosby is out of options....so if that is true... if they want to take Thompson over Crosby it likely means cutting ties for good with Bubba. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing - just pointing it out.

[ppa79]

All I have to say is:

Free Kevin Thompson !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kulish29]

38, would I be correct in saying that the second pic of Duncan (the one from 2006 ST) is the best stance for Duncan?

[38Special]

Originally Posted by Kulish29

38, would I be correct in saying that the second pic of Duncan (the one from 2006 ST) is the best stance for Duncan?

It's the one he had before 2005 so yeah

[ryanthe13th]

[Kulish29]

Originally Posted by 38Special

It's the one he had before 2005 so yeah

Cool.

[38Special]

Yankees.com read my mind. Posted a few minutes ago...

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASAp...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

The Yankees' outfield currently consists of three players making $13 million each, which doesn't leave much room for a prospect such as Kevin Thompson.

Thompson knows this, so he's taking his experience at Spring Training for what it's worth -- a chance to show Joe Torre and the Major League coaching staff what he can contribute to the team.

"I think about it all the time," Thompson said of his future. "I don't know where I'm going to fit in, though, because there are no spots open. I have to just go out, play hard and do my best. Hopefully someone will see something that will open their eyes and I'll get my break."

Thompson, 26, has impressed several people this spring, with his latest splash coming on Monday. Thompson jacked a two-run home run in the Yankees' loss to the Pirates, showing some pop to go along with his quick feet.

In 12 games this spring, Thompson is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with a homer, four RBIs and five runs scored. He was happy to contribute with a long ball on Monday, but trying to go deep is something he has shied away from over the past year or two.

"I quit trying to hit the ball out of the park all the time; I'm just playing my game," Thompson said. "I play with guys like Mitch Jones and Shelly Duncan, and it's their job to hit the ball out of the park. My job is to get on base for those guys. I'm not trying to do too much."

Torre was speaking with Larry Bowa recently, and the third-base coach compared Thompson to veteran center fielder Marquis Grissom, a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner.

"He runs hard, and he looks like he's a player that is going to be in the big leagues," Torre said. "He's going to make himself necessary. He does a lot of good things and he's aggressive in a lot of ways."

"It's always a vote of confidence when people speak highly of you -- it feels good, but you have to take it with a grain of salt," Thompson said. "You can't let your head get too big. I just go out and play hard every day, and hopefully the situation will happen for me."

In addition to opening the coaching staff's eyes, Thompson has taken advantage of the presence of some of the veteran players in camp, chatting with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Bernie Williams about different aspects of the game.

Thompson said that his talks with Sheffield and Williams were particularly helpful, as he discussed hitting with Sheffield and some of the finer points of playing center field with Williams.

"It's been fun," he said. "I've enjoyed talking to some of the big-name guys in the [clubhouse]. It's an experience you can't get anywhere else. I'm glad to be a part of it."

The best about the article is how the author mentions nothing about the backup outfield spot, despite none of the coaches' quotes saying anything like "Thompson has no spot on this team"

[ryanthe13th]

When I went to Spring Training vs The Indians, I was impressed with the following:

Duncan, Thompson, Cabrera, Chacon, Myers, Sturtze, Matsui's fielding, Reese throwing out Hafner(i believe) at the plate. I am real excited about Thompson, Duncan, and Cabrera in the future. I'm also excited about seeing them again in Kissimmie against the Astros.

[NelsonMuntz]

Originally Posted by 38Special

Yankees.com read my mind. Posted a few minutes ago...

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASAp...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Hmm, maybe I'm reading too much into it or just taking the glass half empty interpretation, but it sounds to me like Torre is talking about Thompson in the future tense:

he looks like he's a player that is going to be in the big leagues

Does he mean in the big leagues someday? It's as if Joe doesn't realize he's already 26. On the plus side, it sounds like Bowa has Thompson's back. That could be huge, given Torre's tendency to show favoritism towards players he already knows (i.e., Bubba).

[27IsNext]

If Crosby makes the roster over Thompson, it will be purely because Crosby was on the team last year. And he likely will.

[hardrain]

There is no doubt that Thompson is showing that he belongs here. If he doesn't make the team out of ST, I still think he will be on the 25-man roster for a good part of the year.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by 38Special

Where has there been any indication from Joe that Bubba is the man for the job? Anything in the last month?

I based that statement on this excerpt of an article which seems typical of Torre's words during this ST:

http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/65057.htm

[...]

With 11 arms, Torre will likely have to choose between infielder Felix Escalona and catcher Wil Nieves. Escalona has an option left. Nieves, who would be a third catcher, doesn't.
Escalona helped his case yesterday when he homered and doubled in a 5-4 loss to the Reds at Ed Smith Stadium.

"If you are looking to make room for somebody and that somebody is a non-roster player, you're stuck," Torre said. "You send him out and he's gone. So there are some decisions to make."
_______

I haven't read anything about Thompson making the team, at least until today's article that you linked from MLB.com.

I so want to be wrong, but it just seems so un-Torre like to chose Thomspson over Bubba.

[ppa79]

Originally Posted by Rich

I so want to be wrong, but it just seems so un-Torre like to chose Thomspson over Bubba.

Hopefully Torre doesn't make that decision.