Yanks Begin Auditions for Their No. 2 Hitter By BEN SHPIGEL Published: March 3, 2010 TAMPA, Fla. — In Joe Girardi’s ideal lineup, the No. 2 hitter would have some speed and a high on-base percentage, and also be able to hit for power. “And if you had that guy,” Girardi said, “he might hit somewhere else.” Girardi was alluding to another spot in the batting order, but another comparison seems more apt. Somewhere else could also mean Lakeland, Fla., where Johnny Damon and the Detroit Tigers train. In Damon’s only season hitting second for the Yankees, there was no better man for that job. The Yankees have few issues to resolve in spring training, and one of them is identifying Damon’s replacement. That mission began in earnest Wednesday in the Yankees’ Grapefruit League opener, a 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Curtis Granderson, who offers speed and power, was the first to bat second. The early favorite Nick Johnson, who excels at getting on base, will have his turn at No. 2 on Thursday, when the Yankees play Philadelphia. “You want guys hitting in the second hole to get on, to set the table for the big guys behind them,” Girardi said, adding: “That’s the most important thing. You want them to be productive, you want them on base.” Only two players last season reached base more often than Johnson, and both of them won Most Valuable Player awards: Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols. The Yankees value players who work the count and extend at-bats, and Johnson took 65.9 percent of his pitches, the second-highest figure in the National League, according to the “Bill James Handbook 2010.” He has a higher career on-base percentage than Granderson (.402 to .344) and more experience batting second, starting 101 games in that spot last season. In Detroit, Granderson was teammates with an excellent No. 2 hitter, Placido Polanco, who now plays for Philadelphia. Granderson said Polanco was an excellent situational hitter who made contact against tough pitchers, rarely struck out and advanced runners for the hitters behind him. “I think that would be the goal of a really good 2 hitter,” said Granderson, who has not started at that spot since the final day of the 2007 season. “I’m not going to be happy or mad because no matter what the situation happens to be lineup-wise, I’ve got to go ahead and get my job done at my position.” A batting order that begins with Derek Jeter and Johnson would seem to create more run-scoring opportunities for sluggers like Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, though it is possible that Girardi will decide to mix and match. With Paul Maholm starting but pitching only one inning for Pittsburgh, Girardi wanted to ensure that Granderson, who hit .183 last season against left-handed pitching, would get an at-bat against a lefty. He did, and grounded out. That at-bat, as well as every one he gets against lefties in the coming days, will serve as the foundation during his sessions with the hitting coach Kevin Long. “My main thing today was to get some timing,” Granderson said. “It’s really hard to have a feel right now of what we’ve done and been working on this spring and see how it’s going to translate. No one up there today felt good.” It may make sense to have Johnson hit second against left-handers; his .883 on-base plus slugging percentage against lefties last season was the eighth highest among qualifying left-handed hitters. But Granderson could emerge as a catalyst against right-handers. His power is comparable to, if not better than, Damon’s, and his speed reduces the likelihood of a double play. “You’d like to have it fairly uniform, but I’m not married to it,” Girardi said. “You have to let your team dictate what happens.” That is what happened last season, when Girardi in late March made the surprise move of flipping Jeter and Damon in the batting order. The Yankees went on to lead the majors in runs scored (915) and O.P.S.(.839). Girardi will experiment with several lineup permutations over the course of the spring, just as he will shuffle Granderson and Brett Gardner between left and center field to determine the best fit. “I always feel comfortable on defense,” said Gardner, who played left Wednesday and made a superb catch on the warning track in the fifth inning. “ It doesn’t matter where it’s at.” INSIDE PITCH Unless Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes falter, one of them will be the fifth starter. But the three outside candidates — Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves — all impressed Joe Girardi on Wednesday, combining to allow one hit and no walks over six scoreless innings. ... The Yankees, who led the majors with 28 victories in their final at-bat last season, edged the Pirates on a three-run homer by Colin Curtis in the bottom of the ninth. Curtis emerged unscathed from the traditional shaving-cream pie in his face because A. J. Burnett, the team’s head pie crafter, had already left with many of the regulars. Girardi said Burnett got pied Tuesday by Kevin Long after winning the IndyCar competition at a local arcade. ... Chamberlain, who had flulike symptoms Tuesday, threw his scheduled bullpen session Wednesday and is on track to pitch Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. ... George Steinbrenner watched the game from his box. News source： http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/sports/baseball/04yankees.html?ref=baseball 二番争夺战开始了! 吉总心中理想的二番人选：有点速度、高上垒率还要有点power. (编按：哪个总教练心中的理想不是这样　= =||) Curtis Granderson在昨天的热身赛，获得试打二番的机会， 而原先属意的Nick Johnson则是在今天的热身赛中会上场打第二棒。 Nick Johnson生涯的上垒率比Curtis Granderson的来的好， （Nick Johnson生涯上垒率0.402，Curtis Granderson生涯上垒率0.344） 作者认为，由队长和Johnson所组成的一、二棒打序，能够为後面的两个长打者 铁爷和阿肉制造较多的得点圈打击机会。 再加上Johnson上季对上左投的on-base plus slugging percentage高达0.883， 相较於Granderson，面对左投时，把Johnson排在第二棒似乎是比较合理的。 揪竟洋基的二番人选会是谁勒？大家一起拭目以待吧～ --

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