Since the injuries to Johnson, Posada, Granderson and Aceves the Yankees seem hard pressed to get production from key spots on the team. Now some may say that Johnson was not hitting anyway and his presence would not have made a difference, but when we look at it from the perspective of baseball he was bound to turn his struggles around and become the hitter the team hoped for when he was signed. As for the loss of Granderson, there is a significant loss of continuity that has been sorely missed for the last two weeks with him out of the lineup, Gardner has been a breath of fresh air with his surprising hitting, but two is always better than one. The absence of regular players has played a part in a tumultuous week where the Yankees have not been able to get key hits when needed. Every hitter has it in their minds to try and do to much with runners in scoring position and abandoning the true objective, which is to just get a hit and keep the wheels turning. Without runs the pressure is put on the pitching staff to hold off the opponents for as long as they can until the team can manage to score, but that is way too much to put on a starting pitcher who is not likely to throw continuous shutout ball star after start, not to mention how much stress the bullpen is under if the starter does not do just that. The injuries are taking their effect and things may look bleak to fans who are fast to throw the Yankees under the bus, but no one should lose hope as things are bound to turn around for better, it is baseball after all.
For those who are wondering why Jeter is struggling, look no further than the positioning of his hands. in the past when Jeter's hands are up in his batting stance, he hits the ball with more sting and drive, but when his hands come down, he will hit everything weakly and have no ability to turn on anything on the inside part of the plate. I do not know if Kevin Long has noticed this or not but he should do so in a timely manner before this slump becomes far too prolonged.
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