I was watching the Red Sox-Yankees game tonight on the tube and saw Tony Clark have three of the worst at bats of all time against David Wells. He was helplessly behind Wells’ fastball, woefully overmatched by his curve and unable to adjust to any changes of speed.
I managed to miss Clark’s at bat against Mike Stanton (that’s the AB he dinged on) but I can tell you that his homer was a gift for fantasy players, and more a testament to Stanton’s ineffectiveness than Clark’s skills.
Tony used to be one of my favorite players. He had a long swing when he reached the bigs, but he reined it in and appeared to be headed for a glorious career. I believed, at the time, he represented the best a hitter could accomplish, overcoming all the instincts that got him to the bigs so that he might thrive in the bigs.
I may be making excuses (for myself as an analyst, not Tony) but I think Clark’s problems stem from his bad back. That said, I will be surprised if Clark gets back on track. I’ve watched him work up-close in Lakeland, and seen him hit enough to still believe in his desire and intelligence. But while the spirit may be willing, the body is no longer there.
Other notes: Bernie Williams is still looking clueless in center field, a condition that has persisted since his father took sick and died last year. His recent hot streak at the plate overshadows what appears to be a steady decline.
The Yankees are very bad defensively. They’re slow and not particularly adept with the leather. I think a case can be made that they’re below average at every position, except maybe shortstop and catcher, where they aren’t great. They’ve been hitting the ball lately, but that isn’t going to last, and I suspect that soon they will look as bad as they did early in the season.
Lou Merloni made a couple of wonderful plays at second base, and Derek Lowe was fabulous. He was physically completely out of rhythm, but managed to throw just enough strikes to work his way out of a series of jams (thanks in large part to Merloni). I’m not checking the box score, but I think Lowe walked five and didn’t record a strikeout. Two rain delays didn’t help him, but it was a wonderful performance because of all the trouble he squeaked through.
Final note: I’m still working on the football magazine and really shouldn’t have watched any baseball at all. And I really shouldn’t be trying to write coherent notes, because I don’t have time. But I had a ton of fun sneaking peeks at this game. Perhaps absence makes the heart grow fonder…