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by Lenora X
Say Whatever You Like -- The Radio's On But No One's Really Listening.
A WFAN caller today actually took the time to call, sit on hold for 20 minutes, and talk to a screener, just to complain to the host about Melky Cabrera. This caller, presumably sober at such a tender hour of the day, said that Melky's lack of power made him "not the long-term answer" in the outfield for the Yankees.
Now, the host could have done the responsible thing and set the caller straight on Melky, and maybe tossed in the 800 number for AA, just in case.
Instead, the host, Evan Roberts, says, "I think you're right and I"m sure the Yankees aren't thinking of Melky as the answer. Melky's a lot like Endy Chavez -- good in small doses but when he plays every day he gets exposed."
That exchange is wrong on so many levels.
1. If the caller thinks that Melky not hitting home runs is the cause of the Yankees' problems, then I take it back, he wasn't sober after all.
2. Evan Roberts has to concede to the facts and the facts are that last year, when Melky played every day, far from "being exposed," he performed admirably in a difficult situation and was a big part of the reason we won 97 games last year. Torre not using the lineup that won those 97 games in the playoffs is one of his biggest blunders ever. [On a side note, I wonder how Torre feels now about kowtowing to Sheffield last year in the playoffs after Sheffield basically just called him a racist bastard.]
And for Evan, and everyone else who might wonder, here's Melky's numbers from last year:
130 games//Hit .280//50 RBI// 75 runs //12 for 17 in steals// 7 HRs
Perfectly respectable for a rookie, in fact better than respectable. And what doesn't show there is the infusion of youth and energy and speed that Melky provides, which was instrumental in last year's run.
After a slow start this year (when he wasn't playing every day, early on), Melky's got his numbers back in range of last year's.
And perhaps the most important thing -- he isn't even 23 yet. Who says this is as good as Melky gets? I see him filling out as he gets older, developing significant power, and possibly moving to a corner outfield spot.
3. Melky is by far our best defensive outfielder, not only because of his arm but because of his ability to get to balls that Matsui can't reach or that Abreu can't be bothered with because Abreu's brooding over being 1 for his last 48 or whatever it was there for a while. Already this season there have been several games we'd likely have lost had Damon been playing center.
But talk radio hosts basically say whatever they feel like, the facts and common sense be damned.
Silly me . . . I thought the idea was for the host to be smarter than the callers.
