Matt Holliday should be the Yankees game five DH

By -
Going into the playoffs, there wasn’t a clear designated hitter for the Yankees. The lineup was set for the most part but the DH spot was up for grabs. So far, Joe Girardi has tried a combination of Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley. However, both haven’t produced to expectations. Headley has gone 0-10 dating back to the beginning of the ALDS and Ellsbury has gone 0-8 dating back to the wild card game. The Cleveland Indians have dominated both hitters this series. There needs to be a change if the Yankees want to keep their postseason alive in 2017. There are a few options on the bench, but the Yankees should turn to the veteran Matt Holliday in game five. 

Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images



It was already mentioned that Ellsbury and Headley have been given shots and haven’t produced so the duration of this article will focus on options that haven't been utilized as of yet. That leaves three position players on the active roster. The first player off the bench is Austin Romine who has been pretty solid for the Yankees this year when he’s filled in behind the dish. However, if he were to play, he'd likely catch due to his superior defensive abilities, with Sanchez getting DH at bats. This scenario is quite unlikely. 

The Yankees also don’t want to have both of their catchers in the lineup just incase one or both get hurt. I’m sure Ronald “Toe” Torreyes would gladly catch if needed, but I am sure the Yankees would rather not have to do so. Talking about Torreyes, he is another guy that the Yankees could possibly DH. A man like this on the Yankees is great for the team. He brings energy that not many players can replicate. Torreyes has been pretty consistent at the plate for the Yankees this year as he is batting .292. A surprise to many that he has continued to hit to such a high average. However, the Yankees need a utility guy off the bench incase someone gets hurt and Torreyes is that guy. 

Photo Credit: J. Conrad Williams/Newsday

That leaves one guy on the bench and he is a seasoned veteran who has seen the postseason before. Matt Holliday has seen his ups and downs this year, but he deserves a shot. The Yankees are set to face Corey Kluber, who Holliday has never faced in his career.  However, because of the other scenarios, I think it is only obvious to give Matt Holliday a shot. He is a .247 career postseason hitter with 13 home runs and 37 RBIs in just 247 at bats in the postseason. The DH spot is meant for a hitter with power and even though Holliday is now 37 years old, he can still provide that necessary power.


It is not often that a team faces a situation where the DH spot is up for grabs. The Yankees haven’t had this problem in a long time because power hitters for the club were often old and being beat out in the field by younger players. Holliday deserves to play and have this shot to make a mark in the postseason. If he doesn’t produce, so be it. He will look like the other two players who have tried to produce in the DH spot this postseason. I strongly believe that if Matt Holliday is the DH for game five, he will produce and prove to everyone that he still has what it takes to play in October.

Article by: Cameron Hauze


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing Bronx Bomber Bets: BBBets 9/23

By -
Image
Welcome to our new gambling column at BBB, Bronx Bomber Bets. Here we will be giving out some of our favorite picks of the day and sharing them with our readers. Today, we are giving out 10 picks for all of you, so please enjoy, and bet responsibly. Now, we know that not all of our readers are big gamblers, if they are gamblers at all, so for the first week or so that we give out picks we will be explaining the odds and gambling terminology for anyone out there who is looking to learn about sports betting. Here are our picks:
Read more

Trade Market the Perfect Storm for Yankees to Acquire Starter

By -
Image
 UPDATE D 11/18/15 We’ve all heard it: The Yankees aren’t likely to be big spenders this offseason. Hearing this makes me chuckle as the Yankees have the dollars to field a $500 million pay roll if they wanted to, but their dedication to winning just hasn’t been there since the passing of good ole’ George. Sure little rumors have serviced here or there about them maybe pursuing Zach Greinke who has recently opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that move reeks of the move CC Sabathia pulled in opting out of his contract with the Yankees a few years back to simply restructure his contract and make a better payday.   However, instances like CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka are why I believe the Yankees aren’t going to shell out big money and a long term contract for a big name starter this year. There are simply too many factors that could explode in the Pinstripes’ face when giving a long contract to a starter as evidenced by Sabathia’s fall from g...
Read more

Pride, Passion and Pinstripes: The greatest Yankees to ever touch the field

By -
Image
No team in baseball history has a story quite like the Yankees. 27 times they’ve found baseball Nirvana which is 16 more than the next closest team (Cardinals). 40 times have the Yankees won the American League, and that is also a major league record. The franchise won four straight championships from 1936-1939 and five straight from 1949-1953, a task no other team has ever accomplished. With all this sustained success, the team has seen some of the greatest players in league history proudly call the Bronx home. Together the Yankees could field multiple All-Star teams with their collective legends, but in this article, I’m going to try and put together a team of legends that I think would be absolutely unbeatable.   Photo Credit: Creative Commons
Read more