DETROIT — Yankees batting coach Kevin Long said Curtis Granderson’s feeble postseason might have been because of a lack of confidence.
“We all know Curtis is a swing and miss guy,” Long said of Granderson, who went 3-for-30 (100) and whiffed 16 times in the postseason. “He started to struggle in situations where those swings and misses become more glaring than usual.
“I think Curtis can take something out of this: Where was my head at, was I confident enough? There might have been a little bit of self doubt that I saw. He’s got to go through that and see where he’s at and make adjustments.”
The Yankees hold a $15 million option on the center fielder and are expected to pick it up. Granderson’s 43 homers were second to Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Nevertheless, he whiffed 195 times (second to AL leader Adam Dunn) and batted a career-low .232.
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Granderson, who didn’t start Thursday’s 8-1 loss, struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
* Eric Chavez, Alex Rodriguez’s replacement at third, went 0-for-16 in the postseason. That’s the most hitless at-bats by a Yankee in a postseason and the fourth-highest total of hitless at-bats by one batter in postseason history.
The Cardinals’ Dal Maxvill holds the record with 22 in the 1968 World Series against the Tigers.
Manager Joe Girardi didn’t alter the lineup following Wednesday night’s postponement of Game 3 until yesterday.
“It’s not like anything has changed overnight,’’ said Girardi, who stayed with Chavez at third over Rodriguez, who went 0-for-2 as the designated hitter after pinch hitting for Raul Ibanez. “When I made the decision [Wednesday] I felt I made the best decision.’’
* In the immediate aftermath of getting swept by the Tigers in the ALCS, nothing was in focus.
Nevertheless, in the upcoming days and weeks the Yankees will begin reconstructing a team that before meeting the Tigers had a successful season.
With one year at about $3 million remaining, Girardi is likely safe.
But there could be changes made to the coaching staff. Bench coach Tony Pena is a candidate for the Red Sox manager’s spot. If John Farrel
l leaves the Blue Jays for the Red Sox, Toronto is expected to show an interest in third base coach Rob Thomson.
“We’ll go through all of that. I’ve got to have the meetings,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “Have we had a chance to sit back and have I had a chance to talk to our manager about it and everything? No, I haven’t done that.
But do I anticipate changes right now? I won’t anticipate that. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be.”
Should Pena leave, there is a chance Gary Tuck, who spent two stints as a Yankee coach and was Girardi’s bench coach with the Marlins, could fill that role. He was the Red Sox bullpen coach this year.
* At the end of his postgame press conference, Girardi was asked by the moderator if he wanted to say anything else before he left the room.
Girardi, who almost broke down several times talking about the ALCS sweep, started to sob and said, “I thank you for my privacy with my father.’’
Jerry Girardi, who died Oct. 6 at age 81, was buried Monday near his home in Peoria, Ill.
* Girardi, who spoke to Derek Jeter on Wednesday, was asked if the team captain had anything to say to his club.
“He does it the way he usually does it,’’ Girardi said. “He does it and it’s not noticed he is doing it, but he is doing it.’’
Jeter will have surgery on the fractured left ankle he suffered in Game 1 of the ALCS.
“Hopefully he will come back 100 percent and I know he is going to do everything in his will power to be 100 percent,’’ Girardi said. “Let’s hope he can come back.’’
Dr. Robert Anderson, who will perform the surgery, said it could take four to five months for Jeter to be ready to play again. The Yankees believe that is a conservative forecast.
* The Yankees’ streak of 36 postseasons without getting swept was halted. That was a MLB record. The last time the Yankees were swept was in the 1980 ALCS by the Royals in three games.