Saturday, June 20, 2009

Yanks Once Again Mishandle An Injury

We already know the Yankees haven't had the best track record when it comes to dealing with injuries. This year alone we've already heard how A-Rod was hurt last year through the offseason and the Yankees did nothing. They also told Brian Bruney and Chien-Ming Wang not to do their normal offseason leg exercises because they admittedly didn't know how to handle linsfranc injuries.

Now we see that they've once again mishandled A-Rod hip injury. When he came off the DL the plan was to have him play five or six games a week and take at least one day a week. Dr. Mark Lindsay told him that he should miss 5-8 of his first 45 games after returning from the DL. Well, until yesterday he had been back for 38 games and while he did DH a few times he hadn't had a single full game off.

Obviously, it was starting to wear on Rodriguez, who now will sit for his second straight day and is hitting just .212 overall, and for the month of June is hitting just .145/.309/.291. Do the Yankees really believe these two games will makeup for the way they've screwed this up?

According to Peter Abraham's post on his blog this morning, Joe Girardi admitted he should have given A-Rod more time off, and Brian Cashman, who hasn't exactly been great with injuries either, had to basically had to force Girardi to sit him.

Also, A-Rod apparently fought his way into the lineup a few times. Shouldn't a manager have a backbone when it comes to protecting a $300 million asset? If the Yankees needed special 'Joba Rules' to protect him from Joe Torre, it seems like it's about time the Yankees start putting rules in place to protect their players from Joe Girardi.

8 Comments:

SteveB said...

I am a bit confused by this. There is a 'disconnect' someplace along the line when it comes to injuries, or even when to rest certain ballplayers. I have accused Joe Girardi of possibly pandering to the veteran ballplayers, and every time I read something like this I wonder if I'm right, or at least if I'm on to something. The GM shouldn't have to force his manager to rest certain ballplayers from time to time, particularly when it comes to A-Rod, where as you rightly point out, there was a specific schedule of what the Yankees needed to do with him. Not resting A-Rod can lead to much bigger problems. Girardi isn't a dumb guy, but I find that he sometimes does dumb things. Girardi has to act like a manager 100% of the time, not only the convenient times.

Anonymous said...

This organization is run by fools. From top to bottom. They make poor choices all the way around.

SteveB said...

Nah, that's too harsh. But the Yankees organization does have different priorities than most other organizations.

Anonymous said...

Well thats what happens when you force a manager to make the playoffs or he's fired. Girardi is not going to want to sit his best player he has to win.

According to Heyman A-Rod didn't want to sit either. It was Cashman's call.

Anonymous said...

Torre was a fool with the bullpen. He would of Scott Proctored Joba Chamberlain.

Girardi got criticized last year for resting his players too much. A-Rod just had an off day Monday.

SteveB said...

It's a valid point.

Greg Cohen said...

When Torre had a bullpen with people who could actually get outs he did fine. It was when the Yankees gave him one or two solid arms out of the pen that he was forced to overuse them.

daneptizl said...

You gave a few examples but only A-Rod was Girardi's fault.