Melky Cabrera seguirá con los Yanquis de Nueva York

Impactodeportivo

Aunque se presenta una batalla entre Melky Cabrera y Brett Gardner, da la impresión de que los dos se quedarán en roster con los Yanquis, según reporta este sábado el diario Newsday.

El manager Joe Girardi se ha mostrado cauteloso, y parece que le tiene alta estima a ambos jugadores.

Gardner batea .400.

Melky Batea .313.

Son dos buenos jugadores.

Nota en inglés.

--------------

Looks as if both Gardner and Melky will get spots

BY KAT O'BRIEN

TAMPA, Fla. - The competition between centerfielders Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera is likely to end with both players making the Yankees.

"That's probably my expectation right now," manager Joe Girardi said Friday.

Girardi was not ready to reveal which player he wants as the starting centerfielder, though he did say he has one in mind. He and other Yankees decision-makers, most notably general manager Brian Cashman, plan to sit down and discuss that and other roster decisions in the next couple of days.

Girardi has been careful not to tip his hand as to whether Gardner or Cabrera leads the competition, praising each of them. Most people think Gardner will be the choice, though, especially in light of Derek Jeter's move into the leadoff spot and Johnny Damon into the No. 2 spot in the lineup. A Gardner-Jeter-Damon order would prevent opposing pitchers from using lefthanded specialists to get at Gardner and Damon back-to-back.

"The thing is we have two capable centerfielders," Girardi said. "It's not our plan to be changing them around every day ... I'd like to go with a pretty set lineup every day."

Said Gardner: "I guess I'm fortunate, and Melky's fortunate as well, that they've decided to give us both a shot instead of going with somebody else."

Gardner is hitting .400 in spring training with two doubles, two triples and three home runs in 45 at-bats. He has four steals, six RBIs and nine runs scored.

Cabrera is hitting .313 with three doubles, one triple and one home run in 48 at-bats. He has two steals, nine RBIs and nine runs scored.

Cabrera has the better throwing arm, but what Gardner brings that Cabrera simply can't match is tremendous speed. If he can reach base consistently, that would be a tremendous asset.

When Gardner made his Yankees debut last season, he struggled in his first stint but improved the second time he was up. "I learned that I can't afford to come up and take so many pitches," Gardner said. "I've got to be a little bit more aggressive."

Although Cabrera has much more experience in the majors, Gardner is actually one year older (born August 1983 to Cabrera's August 1984).

The new-look lineup had its second showing Friday night in a 4-1 victory over the Reds. Jeter led off the game with a double. Damon flied out to left, failing to advance Jeter, but Mark Teixeira drove Jeter in with a single.

Before the game, Jeter said he didn't see a big change between batting first or his usual second. Said Jeter: "The only difference is that, your first at-bat, there's no chance of anybody being on base. That's pretty much the only difference."