Submitted by TotalAccess on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 09:30
The possibility of Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon switching to first and second in the order actually makes sense to me. In earlier posts, people have tried to make the argument for Jeter batting first, but Joe Girardi's argument was able to infiltrate my "Jeter must bat second" barrier.
"We could flip it, yes," Girardi said. "Johnny is a pull guy. Johnny's the type of guy that's good at getting guys over. We're going to play with a little bit here unless there's something that changes our mind."
Even Damon is for it, and makes a good argument too:
"I'm OK with it," Damon said. "We all know Derek's on-base percentage. Hopefully I can continue to feel comfortable in that position. The good thing about it is Derek and I both want to win. I just think this possibly could be better for the team."
He's right. Jeter's career OBP is .387, while Damon's is .354. However, Jeter's AVG./OBP/SLG have all decreased in each of the past three seasons. And, Damon's OBP was actually better than Jeter's last season (.375-.363).
It's a tough call. But for right now, I like the idea of switching things up. My only real memory of Jeter batting leadoff was his home run in game four of the 2000 World Series. My dad was actually at the game, but couldn't barter an extra ticket for me. I'm still mad at him to this day.
A switch like this could act as a spark to the Yankees' lineup. With all of the early struggles the Yankees have had in the past, this could be the move that changes everything. Plus, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have Jeter be the first Yankee to bat at the new Yankee Stadium.
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