In the first 17 games of the season, Jorge Posada had six home runs and 11 RBIs. Forty-seven games later, even after a blazing .469 start to June, Posada hasn’t added any homers and just nine RBIs. Meanwhile, the Yankees have dropped out of first in the AL East.
Yes, he finally broke the Mendoza Line with two hits against Boston last Thursday, but hitting seventh behind a struggling Nick Swisher has limited Posada’s ability to help the Yankees win ballgames. Today, somebody with sense in the organization finally pushed hard enough for the switch.
Swisher has sat between .200 and .230 since April 29, and has lacked the magic — or clutchness — he supplied the Yankees in 2009. Swisher hit a career-high .288 last year, but normally resides in the .240-.250 range. His ability to hit for power and drive in runs make him a valuable asset, but he hasn’t done a whole lot of either this season (t-118 in HR and t-94 in RBI in MLB).
I thought it was time for a switcheroo in the lineup, and I’m fairly certain even Joe Girardi’s binder validated that proposition. Or, the Yankees could have continued to watch their seventh hitter left stranded on base.
