Jayson Nix Archives - Jane Heller

Did I Jinxy Nixy?

August 21, 2013

I couldn’t believe that after writing in last night’s post about how valuable Jayson Nix has been to the Yankees this year, Dickey throws a pitch that breaks Nix’s hand. Could. Not. Believe. It. So sorry he’ll be gone now. What a strange, strange season.

On the happy side, I cheered when Ichiro got hit #4,000 in his first at bat and the game came to a halt so everybody could give him a rousing ovation. Nice, nice moment for him, and he seemed genuinely touched by the outpouring.

The rest of the game was a nail biter. Adam Warren pitched well, but David Huff pitched even better. Wow, who knew? He held the Blue Jays scoreless and kept the score at 2-2 – until Soriano’s late blast had me pumping my fist. That homer felt so good because we really do need to win every game and things were getting hairy. Mo’s save was priceless. He struck out the first guy, allowed a single to Davis and picked Davis off at second. He just might be the best infielder we have right now, not to mention the best closer ever. How will we survive without him?

Never mind. No point in thinking about that now. The Yankees pulled off another win and that’s what counts. Some divine intervention wouldn’t hurt as we go down the stretch. The clock is ticking and the schedule is shrinking.

Nixy!

August 20, 2013

Without fanfare or drama, Jayson Nix has quietly made himself essential to the 2013 Yankees. When he was on the DL, there was a noticeable lack of depth on the team, offensively and defensively. He’s never going to be a star, but when he’s in the lineup he always manages to do something to help us win – never more so than today. The Yanks owe much of their doubleheader sweep of the Blue Jays to him. I’d really hate to see him DFA-ed when Jeter comes back.

Also an unlikely hero? Chris Stewart, whose homer in Game 1 saved the day. Well, Mo saved it literally, but Stewart’s homer was big. I’m not a huge fan of his catching ability (too many passed balls), but he’s given us much more than I expected this year.

Cano’s on fire, just as Soriano was during his run (which sadly appears over for now). And the starting pitching in the doubleheader was almost uniformly good: Nova in the opener and Hughes in the nightcap. The Jays were without Bautista after his injury and they’re not exactly tearing up the division the way they were supposed to, but today was all about beating a team we needed to beat.

The Yankees are still a long shot to make the playoffs – the Red Sox would have to start showing signs of a collapse and they haven’t – but at least they’re making the games fun again. I watched on and off throughout the day and I had the sense that they’d find a way to win – something I didn’t have a few weeks ago.

Yankees Nix Sweep

April 7, 2013

jayson_nix--300x300 — Photo: Reuters/NYPost.com

Baseball is such a funny sport. I went into today’s game thinking….Uh-oh. Verlander will be sooo tough and CC takes awhile to get going each year and we have no chance of scoring a lot of runs and might lose all three in Detroit.

Wrong. Instead, the Yankees scored 7 runs and pounded out 13 hits and got a shutout from CC, Robertson and Mo. Sweet.

CC was his excellent self, give or take the velocity, and the offense – particularly from the guys you wouldn’t expect – was fun to see. Cervelli is off to such a great start to the season that he makes me forget he was last year’s castoff. Quite a turnaround for him. And while Nix will never be Babe Ruth, he showed he’s capable of knocking in runs every now and then. Youkilis has been my pick for offense since the Yankees signed him, so I’m not surprised by his production.

Now it’s on to Cleveland. One game at a time, boys.

Great Timing, Boys

August 17, 2012

I had a 7:30 dinner reservation with friends tonight and when I made the date I knew I was cutting it close. The night games start at 4 pm here in CA – plenty of time to get to the restaurant under normal circumstances, but Yankees-Red Sox can take forever. Luckily, the game was over in relatively short order and I was there on the dot.

What’s more, my mood was cheerful since we won the series opener.

I admit I was down on Hughes in the early innings. He looked strong for the first two and then seemed to unravel after his error. I figured he’d be gone by the fifth, but he settled down and ended up pitching well. I just can’t figure him out.

Mostly, this one was about taking the lead, losing it, and then taking it back and keeping it. All credit goes to the homer happy boys in pinstripes: Swisher was on fire, Jeter hit a milestone, Granderson broke out of his slump and Martin showed he has a pulse. And then there was Jayson Nix’s clutch at bat. What a treasure he’s been for us. As soon as the Yanks demoted Nunez and installed Nix as the utility infielder, the team became more stable and sure-handed. I really believe that. He’s kind of the new Brosius. And how about Casey McGehee? Also a good pickup. And then there’s Soriano, Mr. Shirt Untucked. I miss Mo, but he’s done an admirable job.

Between the game and my dinner (grilled striped bass, sugar snap peas, fried onion rings, hot fudge sundae), a good night all around.

Spare Parts

August 5, 2012

What struck me about today’s victory over the Mariners, aside from how sweet it always is to win as opposed to the opposite, is that guys like Ibanez, Nix and Stewart made important contributions.

Ibanez has been a bona fide star over his long career, but at 40 he wasn’t expected to produce the way he has this season. I certainly didn’t expect it, especially after his horrendous spring training. He’s just so impressive, whether it’s clocking a ball into the seats or getting a hit after a tough at bat. A professional hitter, that’s what he is.

Nix has been a journeyman – nothing fancy, just a guy who keeps grinding in almost a Brosius blue collar way. His throws at third really impressed me today, and his offense has been a pleasant surprise.

And Stewart? I didn’t have a clue. I think many of us were wondering why Cervelli didn’t get the backup catcher job instead. But “Stewy,” as I’m sure Girardi calls him, manages to make something good happen whenever he plays. And catching Sweaty Freddy with all his walks and wild pitches can’t be easy.

Of course our regulars – from Tex to the back end of the bullpen – were great too. And the best part? We won a series heading into what will be a tough one against the Tigers. I am not looking forward to facing this guy tomorrow night.

Nix This, Mariners

July 25, 2012

Am I ever happy the Yankees got out of ~~Dodge~~ Seattle alive. The Mariners pitchers were treating our boys like it was target practice with all the brush-backs and plunkings. Watching Jeter get nailed in the upper thigh/lower butt was the last straw for me. Grrrr.

Today’s game was a tough one to sit through for lots of reasons. Nova kept walking people and our hitters kept leaving men on base and everybody looked sort of listless – until the eighth inning. Then the fun began.

With the bases loaded, who played the hero? None other than Jayson Nix, the journeyman. (“Nixy,” as Girardi calls him, actually smiled during the post-game interview – a rarity.) It was thrilling to see the bases clear after innings of nothingness, and Martin’s contribution to bring Nix home provided nice insurance.

Excellent work by the relievers, especially Phelps, who is really proving his worth to this team.

I still think Cashman should get a third baseman because Chavez needs to be wrapped in this.

But in the meantime, the rest of the guys need to start mashing the ball, pure and simple. The off-day will give them a chance to get over their jet lag and with any luck they’ll be up for the games against the Red Sox and the O’s. I mean really up for them.

Yankees jump — Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images

What A Bench!

July 17, 2012

One night it’s Ibanez who’s the hero. Another night it’s Chavez. Tonight it was Jones, Nix and even Stewart (we can count him, can’t we?). All the role players are more than playing their roles; they’re exceeding expectations.

For me, though, it was CC who starred in tonight’s win over the hapless Blue Jays. To come back from the DL and pitch as crisply and efficiently as he did was a thrill. I appreciate that Girardi had him on a pitch count, but I bet he could have thrown a complete game – easily.

I have to say that the Jays looked every bit like the last place team they are. Cecil pitched extremely well, but they have no real offense without Bautista and their defense was lackluster at best. Still, it’s teams like the Jays – division rivals we’ll be facing a zillion more times – that the Yanks have to beat. Over and over.

Welcome, Jayson Nix, Whoever You Are

November 28, 2011

Actually, I do remember him from his stint with the White Sox. He was a good looking second baseman who hit well against us, I think. But mostly, he’s one of those guys who was supposed to be a star and never realized his potential.

According to his very own Wikipedia page, he’s been DFA-ed a lot but continues to provide utility-man options for teams that hope he’ll hit too. Will he make it to the Bronx after landing a minor league deal with the Yanks? Sure. Cashman is always looking for this.