YANKEES VS METS: SHORTSTOP

MOVING AROUND THE DIAMOND.....LETS GO TO SHORTSTOP

HERE'S WHERE THE DEBATE GETS HEATED....

Here's the Mets side:

Jose Reyes is the everyday SS for his team..last year he only missed 2 games...
his BA is usually around 290- 300 and his speed is 2ND to none in baseball..80Sb...

defensively he is one of the best if not the best SS in the league....

this years numbers look like 300 BA with 93 Sb (this # goes up as he struggled to get on base in august & September in 07) and i believe his hr will be up as well..

PS. he had over 700 Ab's (include walks) last year...WOW!!!

even though you could say he struggled last season...Reyes is one of the most talented players in baseball..and this year sky's the limit for this NY SS...wish you could say the same for that other NY SS..( wow i never thought i could say Jeter's name in that way...).....but it's true.....
I BELIEVE THE METS HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD!! 2 TO 1


now lets here from those overrating Yankee fans.....
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NY YANKEES SHORT STOP

Although Derek Jeter's Range at short stop isn't what it should be, There is no way around the fact that Jeter is a hit machine. Derek averages 208 hits a year with a 317 career Batting average. Jeter is no slouch on the base paths either, due to the fact that hes always on them. Jeter has a career 388 OBP and is good for at least 25 stolen bases a year. A big knock on Jeter is his lack of power, But he does average 34 doubles with 5 triples a year. His post season stats is what separates him from the rest.

G 123 AB 495 R 85 H 153 2B 22 3B 3 HR 17 RBI 49 BB 51 SO 96 BA .309 OBP .377 SLG.469 SB 16


I know its difficult to judge and compare by bringing up post season stats because Derek played in 25 post season series. But still .....

The clutch factor is something that Jeter critics Don't want to hear but again, you cant argue with the numbers.
With runners in scoring position in 2007, he hit .354/.426/.456. With the bases loaded he hit .500/.538/.583 and drove in 12 runs in 13 plate appearances. Who’s complaining now?
When Derek Does hit Home runs he makes them count, last year, although Derek only hit 12 long balls 6 of them were against the Red Sox . 4 of the six was when the game was tied one of the six the Yank's were down one and the other they were down four. 2 of his home runs came against the Mets one of them they were up one the other they were down one.. out of the 4 remaining a pair of them they were down 1 and one of them they were tied.
I think you pretty much get my point. Jeter hits them when they count.
Besides for being Mr Clutch, theirs that special something that Jeter has that you cant seem to explain. He always comes up big in the field at huge times etc...
With all that being said, I do think that Derek is vastly overrated. But that doesn't mean that he isn't good, It just means that he isn't what hes made out to be. But you can say the same about Jose Reyes. All I have been hearing over the past couple of years is that Reyes is one of the best players in the game. I beg to differ. Is he talented? of course hes talented . But so is Willy Mo Pena. I know Reyes Has put together a couple of really nice seasons. But the facts remain, His career avg for on Base is a 330 which is abysmal for a lead off hitter. His career batting avg is a 284 and he barely walks with a career avg of 48 a season. Will these numbers improve? Of course they will .
What Reyes brings to the table is Speed , speed and more speed with very solid glove plus range and a canon for an arm.
I guess what I'm trying to say is the rest of the baseball world has anointed Reyes to be the something that he has potential to be but hes just not there yet and at the same time Derek Jeter suddenly fell off the radar entirely. Which in my eyes is totally unfair and not accurate.

(With the emergence of Fantasy baseball over the past few years I think the value of Reyes has skyrocketed to new limits which makes his value a bit tainted.)

Jeter, who turns 34 this season, is sitting on 2356 hits. I’d say that he has a very good shot to end his career in the top ten all time hits leaders and possibly even in the top five. That’s not too shabby.

Its not such a give in to hand the Mets the award of the better Short Stop In NY.
Both arguements are really good ones.
It will take some time to think about the winner of this one should be.

OUTCOME
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First Base -Mets ? (Delgado's injury may tilt the scales in the Yankee favor)
Second Base- Yankees
Short Stop- TBD ( Jeter will probably have the better year but reyes has the potential to be GREAT. )

YANKEES VS METS: SECOND BASE

LET THE DEBATE RESUME...

AS WE WILL TACKLE 2ND BASE NOW:

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NY METS

Second Base is another position i have confidence in this year...

With the signing of Luis Castillo.. a guy who handles the bat well...and keeps the ball in play....
with a speedy guy like Reyes at #1 you need a guy like Castillo who can take strikes and still get the ball in play with 2 strikes
i look for Castillo to bat .306 with 2 HR and 52 RBI along with 27 Sb..all this coming off knee surgery...as last year he put up 19 SB with 2 bad knees...and don't forget a gold Glover
Castillo isn't a flashy HR guy but he is a guy that every team needs...

the other options at 2ND are:
Damion Easley - very solid...see 1st base stats...
Ruben Gotay - very good left handed hitter...very good defensively...a strike out waiting to happen from the right side...has some speed
Marlon Anderson - Prob the last option...but he has done a good job defensively at 2ND turning DPs...

The argument can be made that Castillo is the 14Th best 2ND baseman in the majors..as pointed out by one yankee fan..but he put aaron hill ahead of him and personally i think Castillo fits this team better
Castillo fits the Mets system perfectly...and is a "Randolph guy"..that is very good defensively and can put the ball in play aside from being the perfect #2 hitter..
so i think the Mets have the guy they wanted..he is no Chase Utley though...
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NY Yankees 2ND Base.
Last year in Cano's first full season , an injury free season. Robinson in over 600 Ab's posted a phenomenal line. 189 hits 41 doubles 7 triples with 19 Hrs and 97 RBIs. Cano for whatever reason has a bad wrap that he doesnt play defense, I don't know who they are watching but Cano Is actually an above avg defender that gets to more balls than probably half the league. The only reason people get on him for his defense is because he takes the Andrew Jones nonchalant approach where he makes it look too easy. Cano has already proved to everybody that he is one of the better pure hitters in the game and aside from the aforementioned Chase Utley, Cano is the next best in the bigs at his position. Cano showed us a couple seasons back that he can bat for a high average where he missed the batting title by a couple of points by batting an astonishing 342. Usually when you see a young player with a high amount of doubles and improving power to all fields it usually translates to more Home Runs in the near future.
I don't think its even a question if Cano is better than Castillo the question is How much better is he than him.
unlike the Mets the Yankees have an everyday guy in Cano Where you expect and will receive a great statistical line. But in Castillo You have no Idea whether or not he will live another day with adding on to his injury riddled career. The Mets have to rely on bench guys to fill that gap..

This ones a No brainier. The Yankees win this one by a landslide.
Which makes the score all even at One.

OUTCOME
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First Base -Mets
Second Base- Yankees