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Wow... Bernie Williams just got officially benched

nj meadowlands

By nj meadowlands
in Baseball

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Maxman

Maxman

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80 Does Not Lie:

Yanks wake & shake

Bernie to sit, Cano enters

BY SAM BORDEN

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

The Yankees announce some big changes to the team, which include moving Bernie Williams out of the outfield.

Hideki Matsui singles as Yankees rack up 13 hits to beat awful D-Rays.

Mike Mussina pitches his strongest outing of the season as the Yankees win.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In the moments after the Yankees beat the Devil Rays, 6-2, last night, there was some question as to whether this victory would be the beginning of the winning streak the Bombers believe is inevitable.

And while that will remain unclear for the time being, this much is sure: Last night will be remembered.

In a flurry of moves that were announced after the game, the Yankees made it clear they are not content to simply sit and wait for their $200 million roster to begin performing the way they had imagined.

The most notable change is that Bernie Williams will vacate center field, tendinitis in his right elbow dampening his already-weak throwing ability. Hideki Matsui, who played center field while starring in Japan, will shift over from left field beginning today. Williams will get some playing time at designated hitter, though there is already a logjam at that spot with Jason Giambi, Tino Martinez, Andy Phillips and Ruben Sierra, when he returns from the disabled list.

But while Williams' departure isn't altogether surprising, the Yanks' newest outfielder is: Tony Womack. The second baseman will start in left field tonight, while Robinson Cano will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to play second. He'll take reliever Steve Karsay's roster spot, since Karsay will be designated for assignment today, effectively ending his tenure with the Bombers.

"We're looking for ways to get it going," GM Brian Cashman said. "We're looking for any way we can to get this thing going in the right direction."

Even Cashman would have to admit this is relatively radical. In the past, the Bombers generally plugged their holes with money, taking on a big-time free agent or trading for a star and the heavy contract that comes with him.

Looking to youth within their own farm system is unusual, but the Yanks hope that Cano, who had the skills to make the club out of spring training, Joe Torre said, will provide the spark they need. Even with last night's victory, the Yanks are wallowing in fourth place in the AL East, their 11-15 record a disaster compared with the pace they were expected to set.

"How long (this plan) goes depends on how well we do," Torre said.

At this point, the Yanks cannot commit to anything; if this scheme falters, they will not hesitate to try something else. But faced with a list of problems topped by age, injury and ineffectiveness, the Bombers believe they have come up with a solution that solves them all.

The decision to move Williams was easy; his elbow was clearly hampering him over the past few days, and he admitted after last night's game that he "just couldn't throw out there."

Womack was approached by Torre on the team plane Sunday night and informed that changes were in the works. The first-year Yankee said he did not expect things to happen so quickly, but appeared determined to succeed in his new assignment.

Torre said the decision was based more on the desire to get Cano (hitting .333 with the Clippers) on the team than any problems with Womack's play at second base. Womack has never played left field, though he has played 144 of his 1,167 career games in right or center field - the last of which was a one-game stint in 2003.

"I'm not going to make a big deal out of it," he said. "I try not to think of it as being hard."

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Maxman

Maxman

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My thoughts...

1. I said this 2 days ago...Williams has to get out of CF. If he proves he can hit then DH him. But the Jays tagged up on a sac fly to short CF the other day. I couldn't believe they ran and the play wasn't even close. Bernie's bad arm is shot making it even worse.

2. Kind of sucks for Womack though. He has never played LF. Hopefully he makes the adjustment.

3. Good for Cano. He was hitting .333 at AAA. He doesn't have to do much other then hit .250 and move the runners along from the bottom of the lineup. Hopefully he can bunt a bit. Would be nice to have someone other than Jeter that can bunt.

4. I am glad the Yankees did this. Rather than throwing money at a problem they are trying to fix it from within. Good call (for once).

5. Steve Karsay...was never the same after his last injury. Oh what could have been.

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shawn306

shawn306

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Cano is tearing it up in Triple-A

AVE G AB R H 2b 3b HR RBI

333 24 108 19 36 8 3 4 24

This is good for several reasons.

1) It gets Bernie out of the outfield where his arm has become a major liabilty,

2) It basically get Giambi out of the lineup.

3) Karsay has been designated for assignment meaning that he is bascially out of here.

Womack has played the outfield before with Arizona while Matsui played Center with the Yomiuri Giants.

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Maxman

Maxman

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Cano is tearing it up in Triple-A

AVE G AB R H 2b 3b HR RBI

333 24 108 19 36 8 3 4 24

This is good for several reasons.

1) It gets Bernie out of the outfield where his arm has become a major liabilty,

2) It basically get Giambi out of the lineup.

3) Karsay has been designated for assignment meaning that he is bascially out of here.

Womack has played the outfield before with Arizona while Matsui played Center with the Yomiuri Giants.

Shawn...Matsui can handle CF and do an average job. Bernie was doing a below average job so this is an improvement. Matsui's arm isn't the best. But at least he gets in position to throw the ball before he catches it, unlike Bernie who refuses to do that.

Hopefully Womack's speed helps him cover the ground in a big LF in Yankee Stadium.

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JonEJet

JonEJet

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THis will once again cause a logjam at DH

Yanks need to move Phillips down to continue to get AB's

Also, Torre needs to get Giambi either at DH everyday, or at least rotate him at 1st

You heard it here

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shawn306

shawn306

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THis will once again cause a logjam at DH

Yanks need to move Phillips down to continue to get AB's

Also, Torre needs to get Giambi either at DH everyday, or at least rotate him at 1st

You heard it here

Jon: I hate to tell you this but Giambi is finished. His numbers are falling off the table the same way they did for guys like Chuck Knoblauch and Carlos Baerga and Juan Gonzalez. It just happens. Did the steroids do it ? Maybe. I don't think there is any doubt that Giambi did steroids and now he and the Yankees are paying the price. They can't move him because someone will take a chance with the Yankees covering his salary.

He has basically become a wasted roster spot.

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shawn306

shawn306

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Jon it is not that it is one month into the season. This has been going on since the day he got here.

When Giambi was in Oakland he was one of the most devestating hitters in the game. He could hit for power BUT he could also find the alley in left and right center. He would go the other way with the ball on not try to jerk everything to right the way he does now. He cannot get around on the high fastball anymore as the Marlins proved in the 2003 World Series. These things happen.

Guys like Baerga, Knoblauch and even Gonzalez were great hitters who for whatever reason just stopped hitting. Giambi has fallen into that category.

Maybe he does turn it around. For the Yankees sake i hope he does but I'm trying to be a little realistic here. The guy has basically done nothing other than game 7 against the Red Sox in 2003 for almost 2 years now.

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Maxman

Maxman

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I see hope where there is none. That is my personality. Giambi is DONE. He is gone. A shell of the player he once was.

The reasons why I don't much care about. Steroids most likely but that is not the point.

He is striking out once every 3 at bats this year. His OBP is decent because he walks a lot. But he refuses to use the entire field. And it will cost him his career.

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PatsFanTX

PatsFanTX

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But the Jays tagged up on a sac fly to short CF the other day. I couldn't believe they ran and the play wasn't even close. Bernie's bad arm is shot making it even worse.

Does Bernie Williams work out with PennyBoy during the off-season?

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Garb

Garb

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No Tx - what Jets fans have to look forward to is the past (according to GJH) You see, Penny was quite the phenom at Marshall - about 6 years ago - going on seven - but heck, who's counting. :P

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PatsFanTX

PatsFanTX

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Can you give leave your football trolling to the football forum?

All I did was make a pertinent analogy.

Bernie Williams was the main subject of said analogy.

Thus, it was posted in the "Baseball Forum".

I think your website/message board is going to your head.

Gee, I wonder if I should make an analogy on that one. :wink:

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