As the Yanks sink deeper into the inner sanctums of their own personal hell, it's worth noting that there are a multitude of reasons for their 17-19 record. There is not just one cause.
As compelling as it is to bash Torre's incompetence on a weekly basis, perhaps it's time to turn our attention to some other deserving culprits: Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano.
The deterioration of Bobby Abreu is perhaps the most remarkable development of the 2007 season. (After all, we know Torre is incompetent, but we thought Abreu was a useful player.)
It's getting very painful to watch Abreu's at bats this year. The once patient on-base machine has lost all sense of the strike zone. He is cutting and slashing his way to a meager .238 batting average and a poor .313 on-base percentage.
Abreu often led the league or was in the top three in walks, but this year he has gone a career high 61 consecutive plate appearances without drawing a free pass.
He's no longer getting on base for A-Rod or Giambi. As long as Abreu sits in the 2 or 3 hole, he is doing untold damage to the team.
Since April 19, Abreu is hitting .170 (16 for 94). With only six extra base hits, his slugging percentage is at a Womackian .291, more than .300 lower than his career average. His OPS+ stands at an adjusted 71 (with 100 being average).
This is an incredible drop off, particularly since he is not claiming to be injured at all.
A quick look at Slugging Percentage places Abreu at the bottom of the team list for regulars:
Yankees' Slugging Percentage
Through 5/13/07
A-Rod: .714
Posada: .548
Jeter: .472
Matsui: .456
Giambi: . 452
Mientkiewicz: .395
Damon: .366
Phelps: .359
Cano: .319
Cabrera: .292
Abreu: .291
I could go on with more paltry numbers for Abreu, but it's all too depressing.
Who is this guy? Why is he killing the team? Why has he lost all sense of the strikezone? Why are those Phillie fans laughing?
Once Abreu started bunting in high-leverage situations, it was clear that he lost his confidence. It's times like these that his passive attitude does not serve him well. (Insert laughter from Philly fans here.)
Smart pitchers realize that they don't even have to throw strikes against Abreu. He will swing in the dirt, over his head, in the dirt again, and walk sheepishly back to the dugout.
And then there is his defense. Clearly, Abreu must have had a bad experience with a wall in a former life. (Perhaps he toiled day and night on the Great Wall of China?) He literally shies away from the wall before he hits the warning track. It's a pitiful site to behold.
After watching Abreu botch a play in the outfield the other night, I went to my bookcase to pick up my copy of The Fielding Bible to see what John Dewan had to say about Abreu. I found the following passage:
...he is a very conservative defender. He has been accused of having lapses in concentration, fear of diving for balls or running into walls on the warning track, and just not giving a maximum effort in the field. He often gets bad jumps on the ball and in the past has let a lot of balls fall in front of him…
Then the next day I saw that Steve Lombardi over at his fine blog www.waswatching.com posted the same quote! Well, Steve, I can't help but agree with you and Dewan. The more I see Abreu in the outfield, the more I pine for Tabata to mature.
Bobby Abreu is not a "take-charge" kind of guy, so his playing style is often considered "lazy." But I think it's unfair to jump to the conclusion that the man doesn't care-after all, it's his walk year.
On the flight out to Seattle, Abreu had a talk with Uncle Joe. He expressed his frustration with not being able to help the team more. He opened his heart up and laid it all on the table for Joe. (I can only surmise that Torre took a sip of green tea and fell asleep.)
There isn't really all that much that Torre can do. Since Cashman has not provided Torre with a major league bench, Abreu continues to play. He can't get time off to clear his head, and inserting Cabrera just replaces one impotent bat with another.
And then there is Robinson Cano. If you are looking to take your mind of Abreu, consider Cano, now mired in a 4 for 41 slump. The .287 on base percentage really says it all. Until he develops some plate discipline, he will remain an albatross in the lineup - just another automatic out who won't draw a walk.
After the 2-1 loss to Seattle on Sunday. Cano told reporters, while laughing, that "I guess I'm swinging at everything now."
What's worse? That he realizes that he is preventing himself from being a good hitter, or that he thinks it's funny?
Let the Kevin Long watch begin.
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