Binder Page: Yankees 2011 Opening Day Nine

When I was a youngster, a mainstay of my collecting was a new binder page depicting that year’s Opening Day lineup. I’ve rekindled that habit with my boys.

Let’s take a look at the 2011 Yankees – the year my eldest was born – binder style:

I don’t put too much thought into card selection for these. I try to mix it up, creating a collage look. I only have a couple of “rules” to abide by: (1) the cards are from the same year I’m representing on the page, (2) if possible, I try not to repeat designs (easy in the modern era; not so much with the older teams), and (3) the card should show the player as a Yankee. This has only proved problematic once thus far: the injury-decimated 2013 Yankees. Things were so dire that Ben Francisco(!) started and batted sixth. To my knowledge, no Ben Francisco Yankees card exists.

The Yankees’ 2011 season opened at home on March 31 against the Detroit Tigers. C.C. Sabathia (not pictured) matched up with Justin Verlander; neither factored in the decision. New York scored three off the Tigers’ bullpen in route to a 6-3 win.

The Starting Lineup:

1.       Brett Gardner

The Card: 2011 Topps Heritage - [Base] #338

Gardner’s Season: Gardner wouldn’t stick in the leadoff spot; he hit just .145 with a .197 OBP over the first 20 games and was dropped to the bottom of the order. He heated up with the weather, however, and for a 104-game stretch through the middle of August he had a .389 OBP. When Jeter went down with a calf injury, Gardner split leadoff duties with Swisher. Although he cooled down the stretch, Gardner finished at .259/.345/.369. He tied Coco Crisp for the A.L. lead in stolen bases with 49 and won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award in left.

2.       Derek Jeter

The Card: 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter's - [Base] #57

Jeter’s Season: After a rough 2010, punctuated by sluggish second half and postseason, the 2011 opened with more of the same. The Captain came to life in the second half though. On July 9, he hit a David Price fastball into the bleachers for hit No. 3000, “History, with an exclamation point!” as Michael Kay put it. Jeter would hit over .327 in the second half and finish at .297/.355/.388.

3.       Mark Teixeria

The Card: 2011 Bowman - [Base - Gold] #30

Teixeria’s Season: When the Yankees added Teixiera before their championship 2009 season, they acquired a prodigious hitter capable of hitting for power and average (he had hit over .300 in his previous two seasons). Beginning in 2010, however, the proliferation of the shift led to a steep drop in batting average. Teixeria matched his Yankees’ high water mark for homers (39) and drove in 111 runs. He hit is 300^th career home run in June. He’d finish with a .248/.341/.494 slash.

4.       Alex Rodriguez

The Card: 2011 Topps Opening Day - Stadium Lights #UL-4

Rodriguez’ Season: A-Rod opened the season productive, with a .295 average, 13 home runs and 52 RBI before the All-Star break, though he did endure the longest single-season home run drought of his career (85 at bats). Rodriguez required arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus and landed on the disabled list. Upon returning in late August, he promptly jammed his thumb. He limped to the finish line and ended with 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 99 games, ending his record streak of 13 straight seasons with 30 homers and 100 RBI.

5.       Robinson Cano

The Card: 2011 Topps - Diamond Stars #DS-18

Cano’s Season: After opening the year with a .320 average and .970 OPS through 25 games, Cano’s production stalled. Over the next 20 games, he hit just .213 with a .579 OPS. What’s more, he carried his troubles to the field. After a Gold Glove 2010, Robbie had eclipsed his previous year’s error total by July (he’d finish with ten). He would recover at the plate and, with Granderson, carry the bombers down the stretch. He’d finish at .302/.349/.533, sixth in MVP voting. (Cano also won the 2011 HR Derby, if such things interest you).

6.       Nick Swisher

The Card: 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen - Wall Climbers #WC3

Swisher’s Season: Yankees GM Brian Cashman fleeced the White Sox when he acquired “Swish” for nothing of importance after the 2008 season. In four years in pinstripes, Swisher was a model of consistency: he’d play about 150 games, post a high on-base percentage, drive twenty-something home runs, and inject some personality into some teams that were frankly more than a little stiff. Swisher’s totals dipped a bit from his 2010 career year, but he would slash .260/.374/.449 with 23 home runs.

7.       Jorge Posada

The Card: 2011 Topps Chrome - [Base] - Retail Orange Refractor #84

Posada’s Season: 2011 would be Posada’s last. Coming off a torn meniscus, the Yankees acquired Russell Martin to serve as their backstop and shifted the 39-year-old Posada to designated hitter. He didn’t appreciate the demotion. In an August game against the Red Sox he was slotted ninth into the lineup. He refused to play. In his post-career book Posada said, "When you take me out from behind the plate, you're taking away my heart and my passion." Look, Yankees fans love Jorge, but I don’t think anyone thought he should still be behind the plate. Posada’s 17-year career in Pinstripes ended with a whimper: .235/.315/.398.

8.       Curtis Granderson

The Card: 2011 Topps Lineage - [Base] - Platinum Diamond Anniversary #15

Granderson’s Season: "The Grandy Man" erupted in 2011 to the tune of a .916 OPS. Granderson, who had never hit more than 30 homers before, slugged 41. One of the biggest knocks against him prior to ’11 was an inability to hit lefties. After working with hitting coach Kevin Long, Gandy transformed into one of the best hitters in the game against southpaws (.347 OBP and .944 OPS over 219 plate appearances). He became the first player in MLB history to record 40 home runs, 10 triples, and 25 stolen bases in one season. He topped the league in both runs (136) and RBI (119). Granderson finished fourth in MVP balloting.

9.       Russell Martin

The Card: 2011 Topps Chrome - [Base] - Refractor #23

Martin’s Season: The Yankees signed Martin to a one-year contract prior to the 2011 season, presumably to serve as a bridge between the Posada and Jesus Montero eras. Martin rewarded the Yankees with a streaky, All-Star deserving campaign. He’d finish at .237/.324/.408 with 17 home runs (his most since 2007).

The Season

The 2011 Yankees finished the regular season on top of the AL East at 97-65. In addition to Jeter’s 3000^th hit and Teixiera’s 300^th home run, Mariano Rivera surpassed 600 saves and passed Trevor Hoffman for the all-time save lead. In an August match up with the A’s the Yankees became the first team to hit three grand slams in one game – Cano, Martin, and Granderson doing the damage.

They would, however, be bounced in the ALDS by the Detroit Tigers. In the decisive Game 5 in the Bronx, the Tigers’ Delmon Young and Don Kelly slugged first inning home runs. The Yankees stranded 11 runners and fell, 3-2.