Brian Cashman overlooks the difficulty of playing 1st Base.
When it comes to back-ups for Mark Teixeira, he continues
to believe that playing the position is easy, and anyone can
do it, even if they have no prior major league experience.
I mentioned in my 2016 Preview that Dustin Ackley was
a “liability” defensively at 1st and for that reason I would not play him there.
Last night (5/11/16), he helped dig a 1st inning hole that the Yankees
could not climb out of.
With one out and a man on 1st, Dustin Ackley, who was holding the
runner on, could not field a hard ground ball basically hit right at him.
Mark Teixeira would have fielded the grounder by Hosmer easily and turned it into an
inning ending double play ! Instead the result was 1st & 3rd, one out.
Michael Pineda was on the mound. He has struggled mightily all
season getting out of the 1st inning. In almost every outing,
he was hit hard in the 1st, and then settled down.
Well, last night was no different. He allowed a Sac fly &
3 Run Homer after the misplay by Ackley, resulting in
a high pitch count and 4-0 deficit the Yankees never recovered from.
Most of the attention after the game, was the concern for Michael Pineda,
and rightfully so, but in my opinion the Ackley miss-play was the turning
point of the game.
The official scorer did not issue an E(3), but anyone who saw
the play knows any legit 1st Baseman makes the play.
That’s the key, a LEGIT defensive 1st baseman with major league
experience playing the position.
And that gets to my headline “Pattern of Behavior” by Cashman.
This year it’s Dustin Ackley ..last year he thought ARod could
be the back up 1st Baseman (how’d that work out?).
Remember Kelly Johnson in 2014 ? (yikes)
Cervelli in 2013 etc. etc.
That’s an E (GM) in this score keeper’s book.
