Author Archives: mv138059

The New York Yankees’ stage is particularly very veteran-heavy, or for the least part, very brand-name-heavy. That primarily means that many dollar signs are involved. As a matter of fact, the team’s piggy bank is set to shell out $195,998,004 to the players just for the 2012 season. That’s a little bit more than $20 million more than the second-rank Phillies’ 2012 payroll of $173,458,939. Most of the players in the everyday lineup have a fan-base that extends far more than just their immediate family members. When a new player who’s not recognized as well on a national level, gets to put on the trademark Yankees uniform, most people watching might not notice. But with all of the injuries that have been occurring in the clubhouse, the less-experienced players, who for the most part are the least-known players and the least-paid in the lineup, have to step up their game. Three new players that have shown such roles are Chris Stewart, Jayson Nix, and Casey McGehee. Now, they’re not “new” or “rookie” in the sense that they just got drafted and are making their Major League debuts. They’re “new” and “rookie” to the New York Yankees stage. As a Manager, Joe Girardi expected probably three .200 hitters, at most. But these three Yank rookies have shown otherwise, especially in the month of August.

Christ Stewart, currently the team’s second catcher after Russell Martin, was traded in for pitcher George Kontos in April of this season. He has played 38 games behind the plate so far, with one pinch-hit opportunity. His batting average for the season stands at .268, far beyond .200. More impressive is this month he has been hitting to a .455 batting average in 11 at-bats. At home, he has been hitting .340 throughout the whole season, and in the past seven days he’s been hitting a superb .375. Stewart won’t be getting millions like his more famous teammates when the season ends, but he will receive a very comfortable $482,500.

Jayson Nix, a utility player who’s been seeing more bat-and-glove time lately, is batting .368 this month alone and is at .261 for the season. Fans might recall his name for a different reason though. When Nix was at a batting practice before his debut game in the big leagues in May, he hit a fly ball that Mariano Rivera tried to catch, but the beloved closer ended up tearing his ACL and meniscus instead. Nix has seen all of the field in his time so far as a Yankee; he’s been a DH twice, a pinch-hitter four times, a short stop 12 times, on second base 6 times, at third base 17 times, and in left field 11 times. Girardi is making the most of this Texas-born ball player. Jayson Nix is slated to get $438,100.

The man who came in to replace Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez (who might I add, just between the two of them, they are getting $52,125,000 this season) for the time being, is Casey McGehee. He was mainly acquired to hit lefties, and he’s been succeeding so far. This past Saturday, McGeehee lead the Yankees to a 5-2 victory in a game against the Blue Jays. He went 2-for-4 and hit his first homerun as a Yankee, against none other than lefty Aaron Laffey. Although in August he’s only been hitting to a .235 average, he’s made his four hits in 17 at-bats count, just like he did on Saturday by adding a W to the team’s record. He is set to make $2,537,500 by the end of this season.

In the 11 games the Yankees have played so far this month, they have a 7-4 record, a far better cry so far than the split 13-13 record for the month of July. This month, the team as a whole has posted a .303 batting average, that’s best for any month this season. And this has been without the help of many of the big guns of the team. The Yankees are notorious, infamous even, for their spending habits on players and it can account to one of the reasons why so many baseball fans dislike the money-making machine. Forbes magazine has even named the team the “most valuable brand in sports”. But for a total of $3,458,100, three rookie players to the clubhouse have been having more of an effect than their counterpart teammates, whom they are replacing while they recuperate on the disabled list, in the month of August.

The New York Yankees’ stage is particularly very veteran-heavy, or for the least part, very brand-name-heavy. That primarily means that many dollar signs are involved. As a matter of fact, the team’s piggy bank is set to shell out $195,998,004 to the players just for the 2012 season. That’s a little bit more than $20 million more than the second-rank Phillies’ 2012 payroll of $173,458,939. Most of the players in the everyday lineup have a fan-base that extends far more than just their immediate family members. When a new player who’s not recognized as well on a national level, gets to put on the trademark Yankees uniform, most people watching might not notice. But with all of the injuries that have been occurring in the clubhouse, the less-experienced players, who for the most part are the least-known players and the least-paid in the lineup, have to step up their game. Three new players that have shown such roles are Chris Stewart, Jayson Nix, and Casey McGehee. Now, they’re not “new” or “rookie” in the sense that they just got drafted and are making their Major League debuts. They’re “new” and “rookie” to the New York Yankees stage. As a Manager, Joe Girardi expected probably three .200 hitters, at most. But these three Yank rookies have shown otherwise, especially in the month of August.

Christ Stewart, currently the team’s second catcher after Russell Martin, was traded in for pitcher George Kontos in April of this season. He has played 38 games behind the plate so far, with one pinch-hit opportunity. His batting average for the season stands at .268, far beyond .200. More impressive is this month he has been hitting to a .455 batting average in 11 at-bats. At home, he has been hitting .340 throughout the whole season, and in the past seven days he’s been hitting a superb .375. Stewart won’t be getting millions like his more famous teammates when the season ends, but he will receive a very comfortable $482,500.

Jayson Nix, a utility player who’s been seeing more bat-and-glove time lately, is batting .368 this month alone and is at .261 for the season. Fans might recall his name for a different reason though. When Nix was at a batting practice before his debut game in the big leagues in May, he hit a fly ball that Mariano Rivera tried to catch, but the beloved closer ended up tearing his ACL and meniscus instead. Nix has seen all of the field in his time so far as a Yankee; he’s been a DH twice, a pinch-hitter four times, a short stop 12 times, on second base 6 times, at third base 17 times, and in left field 11 times. Girardi is making the most of this Texas-born ball player. Jayson Nix is slated to get $438,100.

The man who came in to replace Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez (who might I add, just between the two of them, they are getting $52,125,000 this season) for the time being, is Casey McGehee. He was mainly acquired to hit lefties, and he’s been succeeding so far. This past Saturday, McGeehee lead the Yankees to a 5-2 victory in a game against the Blue Jays. He went 2-for-4 and hit his first homerun as a Yankee, against none other than lefty Aaron Laffey. Although in August he’s only been hitting to a .235 average, he’s made his four hits in 17 at-bats count, just like he did on Saturday by adding a W to the team’s record. He is set to make $2,537,500 by the end of this season.

In the 11 games the Yankees have played so far this month, they have a 7-4 record, a far better cry so far than the split 13-13 record for the month of July. This month, the team as a whole has posted a .303 batting average, that’s best for any month this season. And this has been without the help of many of the big guns of the team. The Yankees are notorious, infamous even, for their spending habits on players and it can account to one of the reasons why so many baseball fans dislike the money-making machine. Forbes magazine has even named the team the “most valuable brand in sports”. But for a total of $3,458,100, three rookie players to the clubhouse have been having more of an effect than their counterpart teammates, whom they are replacing while they recuperate on the disabled list, in the month of August.