Tagged: Posada

Paging Garza’s Sports Psychologist

Jack Curry of the NY Times has an interesting article today about Garza’s evolution from loose cannon who got into a shoving match with Dioner Navarro to formidable postseason pitcher who plays nice with his teammates. Chalk up his success to his work with a sports psychologist.

My question is: Who is the sports psychologist and how can the Yankees put him on the payroll?
Certainly, he/she could be helpful with…
ARod.jpg
Our most complicated Yankee, A-Rod could have sessions involving his fear of hitting in the clutch.
The shrink could also work with…
cano.jpg
The Yankee most needing a motivational push, Cano could benefit from a few hours on the couch.
And then there’s…
jorge.jpg
JoPo has had anger issues in the past. (Who can forget the dugout fight with El Duque?)
Wang (shyness), Joba (the drinking/driving thing) and others would be great patients too.
Could we get this shrink on the phone before next season?

Congratulations, Joe

Go ahead and bask in the glow of success with the Dodgers. You earned it. No resentment from me. I’m happy for you and your team. Of course, I wish it could be the Yankees that are joining you in the second round (do you even miss us at all, Joe?), but good job sweeping the Cubs. I bet you’ll get a lot of nice phone calls from Jeter, Pettitte, Jorge, and Mo. I wouldn’t count on one from Hankenstein though.

torre.jpeg

Girardi’s Press Conference Today – Let’s Discuss

Just listened to the audio, courtesy of Peter Abraham’s blog, and Joe sounded as if his team hadn’t been bumped from the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Sure, he used the word “disappointed” a couple of times, but the guy is nothing if not upbeat. Either he was born that way or he’s on Prozac.

A few of his answers stood out for me.
* He said he has a better understanding now of what makes individual players tick. (Gee, I would hope so after spending all those months with them.)
* He said there will be a conscious effort to avoid the slow start the Yankees got off to, both this year and last. (He didn’t say what that effort would involve, and I, for one, would have liked specifics.)
* He said the Yankees plan to upgrade the rotation so there will be more experienced pitchers on the staff, either by diving into the free agent market or through trades. One of the writers asked if the Yankees were still the “in” place for free agents. Girardi’s answer? “Sure, it is.” (Again, the man is upbeat.)
* He said he thinks Pettitte will return but doesn’t know about Mussina. (Am I the only one who wonders if the Yankees SHOULD bring Andy back?)
* He said he expects Posada, Matsui, Wang, and Mo to recover fully from their surgeries/injuries and be at full capacity when next season starts. (I think it’s the Prozac. Nobody is that cheerful about the future without at least a little medication.)
There were no juicy tidbits – Girardi didn’t venture a guess about what Cashman will decide and he didn’t commit to whether Joba will start or relieve, etc.
So, it looks like we’ll end the 2008 season the same way we ended 2007 – with plenty of uncertainty. Which means there will be lots of stuff to blog about.