Robinson Cano is certainly struggling. He’s currently hitting a robust .154 and is ranked at the bottom of every list that fields an offensive category (OBP, SLG, etc.). I cannot help but to marvel at Cano’s horrid stretch of “production”. His OPS is a miserable .471. That’s really unbelievable when you realize that Cano’s career OPS is a quality .811 (which is actually bogged down by this year’s aberration).
So, what’s wrong with him? I can’t really be sure. Many people argue that it’s luck, although I haven’t seen many hard-hit liners that have been snared by an assortment of difficult plays. Cano just doesn’t look good, and I don’t know if it’s luck or simply a botched batting stance (mechanical). Either way, you have a feeling, based on his history, that he’s going to bust out at some point. It’s a foregone conclusion. However, it’s hard to maintain your confidence when you’re performing this poorly.
My girlfriend, a Sox fan, used to see Cano hit and would say, “He just looks so cocky.” The thing is, she’s right. He typically looks very confident (cocky, some may say) when he’s at the plate or on the field and right now, when he’s in the batter’s box, he looks extremely frustrated. How many times have we seen him swing at a high fastball (on his hands), popping it up or skying it just beyond the lip of the grass, while he throws his head back, sighs, and trudges down the line. This has become the norm as of late, and he’s working hard, according to Kevin Long, to correct the problem.
Long has been instrumental in Cano’s “progress” this year, as they both attempt to snap him out of the worst funk of his young career. Larry Bowa, the primary motivator in Cano’s professional life, is no longer with the team, and so he looks to coaches like Kevin Long, and teammates like Derek Jeter to provide a positive and constructive voice. According to Tyler Kepner, Derek Jeter relates to Cano’s struggles, citing his 2004 slump that had him hitting under .200, well into the month of May. However, even Jeter’s words of wisdom aren’t enough sometimes. When that’s the case, Cano knows he can turn to his best friend, Melky Cabrera, who seems to be having no problems at all with his hitting.
Here’s a bit of text from Mike Puma:
“He’s been talking to me every day like, ‘Come on, keep your head up,’ ” Cano said. “That’s something I appreciate.”
Giambi’s sacrifice fly, following a Bobby Abreu RBI single and Hideki Matsui RBI double, had given the Yankees a 3-2 lead when Cabrera stepped to the plate and hit a 1-2 pitch into the right-field seats. Cano homered four pitches later.
The Yankees are pleased with Cabrera’s power surge, and the fact he has reached base in 29 of 31 games this season is significant. Cabrera is hitting .291 and his 17 RBIs are tied for second on the team.
“He’s not only leading the team in homers, but getting on base and doing the job with men on base,” Cano said.
The Yankees would like to see some of that rub off on Cano, who is hitting .154 with three homers.
“We’re best friends, and I can tell [Cano] anything, and I tell him whatever I feel I need to tell him,” Cabrera said. “Just that he’s a terrific baseball player and keep working hard.”
Now, this entire situation is pretty amazing when you think about it.
Melky Cabrera, thought to be an automatic throw in if the Yanks were to deal for Johan Santana during the winter, is currently leading the club in homers while Robinson Cano, thought to be an untouchable who was granted a substantial contract extension is now struggling tremendously while taking advice from Cabrera. Ironically, during the offseason, Cano actually voiced his support for a Johan Santana trade, stating that, if Melky was traded, which seemed likely at the time, at least he would be on a team where he plays everyday as opposed to just sitting on the bench in NY.
Again, I don’t really have any answers regarding Cano’s slump or Melky Cabrera’s sudden success as they have coincided with one another. It’s just funny to see things work out so unexpectedly in the game of baseball. It really is a wonder.
