Johnny Damon vs. Hideki Matsui
November 10th, 2009 | by Craig Williams |One of the Yankees’ first big decisions this off-season is who to bring back between left-fielder Johnny Damon and designated hitter Hideki Matsui. Each was productive during both the regular and post-season. Each played an integral role in the winning of our 27th World Series title, highlighted, of course, by Damon’s two stolen bases in the 9th inning of Game 4 and Matsui’s six RBI in the Game 6 clincher en route to the World Series MVP. Certainly, both Damon and Matsui made a case to be resigned but unfortunately neither is getting any younger and Brian Cashman needs to make the decision that is best for our future.
Both are good hitters that offer average and run production. Damon for his career is a .288 hitter while Matsui’s career clip is at .292. Each is in his mid-30’s so neither offers an age advantage. Finally, we know about each one’s defense – or lack thereof. Let’s take a closer look at some of the pros and cons that each player offers.
Pros – his hitting ability was already touched on above but the best thing about it is his consistency. For his career, Matsui is a guy who does not have peaks and valleys from half to half and month to month. It goes without saying that consistency throughout the season is a valuable attribute to possess. Furthermore, Matsui fares almost equally as well facing lefties (.824 career OPS) as he does righties (.865 career OPS). This is beneficial because it takes away the advantage other teams have by bringing in a left-handed reliever.
Cons – as we saw this season, Matsui’s poor knees resign him solely to DH duties. There really isn’t a problem with having someone relegated to a full-time DH role but, with the Yankees’ aging roster, flexibility at the DH spot is becoming increasingly important. In addition to his inability to play left field, Matsui will be doing a significant amount of clogging on the base paths.
Pros – like Matsui, Damon is a professional hitter who you can count on to have good at-bats on a consistent basis. Damon does not possess the same power that Matsui does (playing half of his games in Yankee Stadium does help close the gap though) but he makes up for it with the speed that he still utilizes. In addition, Damon – while not an ideal candidate – can still play some left field if necessary.
Cons – Damon’s toughness and his willingness and ability to play through pain cover up the fact that Damon is prone to injury – he had to leave Game 6 due to a calf injury. It’s one thing to be in your prime or even 33-34 playing through injuries. However, at 36, even minor twists and pulls can pose a significant hurdle to overcome and at his advancing age it is likely that Damon’s ability to remain productive, despite his aches and pains, will diminish. Secondly, even though Damon is more physically able to play the field than Matsui is, his overall skills as a left fielder are below average – with his arm grading out at poor.
Each player has had a great tenure playing in Yankee pinstripes and each provide the team with a different set of pros and cons. Personally, I think the best move is to keep Matsui. I realize that the Yankees want to use the DH as somewhat of a revolving door to rest A-Rod, Jeter, Posada and to eventually get Jesus Montero some at-bats if and when he arrives in the Bronx. I understand the importance of DH flexibility but I also believe that we can afford to let Matsui occupy the DH spot full time for another year. If push comes to shove and someone needs a rest, we can just do without one of our bats in the lineup from time to time throughout the season. When the games become critical, I think keeping Matsui as our DH gives us the best chance to win.
Tags: Brian Cashman, Designated Hitter, Hideki Matsui, Jesus Montero, Johnny Damon, Left Field
