Re: Phillips destined for a limited role


BadgerBC wrote:
Predictable


http://www.nj.com/yankees/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1141192125231260.xml&coll=1



Phillips destined for a limited role


Shocking!!!


Wednesday, March 01, 2006
BY ED PRICE
Star-Ledger Staff
TAMPA, Fla. -- When the Yankees last month briefly considered signing
Mike Piazza, one of the reasons they eventually passed was a consensus
that they were just as well off with Andy Phillips.

But how much will Phillips play? While the front office seems to want
the right-handed hitter to be in the mix at first base and designated
hitter, manager Joe Torre is publicly committed to Jason Giambi at
first as much as possible and Bernie Williams as the primary DH.


Someone tell Joe what the H stands for in DH.


Asked this spring about Phillips -- who was 1-for-5 with an RBI single
in yesterday's intrasquad game at Legends Field -- Torre has called him
a "journeyman," drawn a comparison with Clay Bellinger and said
Phillips is expected to make the team simply because he is out of
minor-league options.


That's an interesting comparison, considering that Clay Bellinger never
really hit at any level, other than two seasons at AAA, repepating AAA
for the 4th and 5th time, and has career minor league numbers at AAA
(including those two peak/fluke seasons) of 261/317/.414. Those are
his actual numbers, not translated major league equivalents. His
numbers at AA and A ball are actually much worse.

Andy Phillips hit 294/360/534 at AAA, very similar numbers at AA and
only slightly worse in the pitcher-friendly FSL (all raw numbers, not
translated).

So what is it the two have in common again? The only thing I can think
of is that neither were good fielders.

"We can get him at-bats this spring," Torre said. "The issue is how
many at-bats can we get him during the season."

If Torre is skeptical, he has reason. In 32 big-league games (27 of
them last year), Phillips has a .167 average and 14 strikeouts in 48
at-bats.


48 whole ABs!!!!!

.

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