Hatin' on the Melkster . . . A Sad Sad Tale

He's Young, And He Can Play! Quick! Trade Him!

Weird noises emanating from Girardi and Cashman about Melky Cabrera. Cashman talking up Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, Brett Gardner, and I think the beer vendor as center field prospects. Girardi, making the assertion that "the best thing for young players is competition" in response to a question about Melky being the center fielder. (Manager Joe's statement is correct -- about 50% of the time.) Girardi also suggested (and he was sober, as far as anyone knows) that Damon could play center and Matsui could play left.

I don't get the organizational obsession with making Melky prove and re-prove himself.

--In 2006, Melky was a huge reason that the season didn't go down in flames after the Sheffield and Matsui injuries.
--Last year, he singlehandedly fixed the outfield issues, allowing Damon to move to left, where he looked a lot better than he was looking in center, and allowing Matsui (whose defense seems to have deserted him all at once) take over as DH.
--Melky was basically winning Game 2 of the ALDS all by himself until The Attack of the Flies.
--Melky brings an energy that this team badly needs. Torre's inability to see that and thus not play Melky in the 2006 ALDS should have been the final straw and gotten Torre fired after that season.
--Is there some law against the Yankees having a few young players worth rooting for?
--Or some law against having great arms in the outfield?

Hopefully Cashman and Gerardi's comments were just a ham-handed attempt to fire Melky up and not reflective of an organizational desire to get rid of him. But the ferocity with which the Yankees have tried to trade Melky for just about anyone, from basically the moment he showed he could play, tells Me otherwise.

Can't wait to see which 37 year old .500 starter we trade Melky for in July. Enjoy Kansas City or Milwaukee or San Diego or wherever the hell you end up, Melky.