Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Yankees to start Molina in the Postseason a mistake?

Via numerous sources, it has been established that Jose Molina will catch AJ Burnett in the ALDS.

I have no personal issue with Molina, but I am of the opinion--and I know I'm not alone in this--that this is a mistake.

I'd forgive Girardi, for it being his first postseason and all, but the stakes are too high. In a five game series, a team can't really afford to lose even one game at home, and if Burnett starts game two, as seems likely, then the Yankees will have seriously weakened their offense by starting a back up catcher who did not even hit .250 for the season.

If Girardi doesn't want to start Posada, if Burnett has a problem with Posada, at the very least Girardi could consider starting Cervelli. I know Cervelli is a rookie with limited experience, but as he's shown during the season, he's not as slow as fill-in-the-metaphor like Molina, but a legitimate threat to beat out an infield hit.

Neither Cervelli nor Molina, however, can replace Posada's bat.

If the Yankees lose game one tomorrow night and Burnett is indeed the game two starter, the pressure will be on Burnett to deliver.

Still, the Yankees have an offense that will, even without Posada's bat, be more potent than either that of Detroit or Minnesota, and Girardi was a weak-hitting catcher himself, but that didn't stop him from winning rings in 96, 98 and 99.

Maybe he knows something we don't.

Let's hope this is the case.