Results tagged ‘ Burnett ’
Be Excited Yankee Fans! You Got Exactly What You Wanted!
That’s right! I said it. Be excited Yankee fans. You are the ones who kept emailing me and telling me that I was overreacting the the Yankees’ performance over the last season plus and that Girardi and Cashman would get everything straightened out. It finally dawned on me last night, that this organization is as rotten to core from top to bottom as a 10 year old corpse. Hey wait, the Yankees are a 9 year old dead corpse. Okay, I was close.
Listening to Michael Kay, Ken Singleton and David Cone piss their collective pants over the fact that Joba Chamberlain was so “dominant” last night made me want to throw my remote through the television set. Dominant? I did see Joba get slammed for 4 runs and 5 hits in that first frame didn’t I? Wasn’t that enough to WIN THE BALLGAME after only 1/2 of an inning? Yeah, it was. Granted, Joba bounced back and looked good. Not great, good.
Kay, Singleton and the rest of YES need to stop the ******** now. I know they are the Yankees’ bought and paid for network, but enough already. When are the Yankees going to get it through their collective heads that Joba Chamberlain will NEVER BE a dominant starter. I don’t care that since his and I quote Kay on this “…first start last season, he has the 5th best E.R.A. in baseball, and the rest of those guys ahead of him are pretty darn good.” You know why those guys are good? They’ve done it over and over and over. In the regular season and the postseason. Does the fact that Nationals lefty Joe Beimel having a 1.53 E.R.A. qualify him as an elite closer in the National League? Hell no. Joba is the same way. Again, he is an adrenaline junkie who thrives on being pumped. He is worth far more to the YANKEES as the 8th inning setup guy to Rivera than he is once every 5th day, 30-35 times per season.
Last night, the Yankees’ broadcasters were discussing how Joba and his Dad have it in their hearts that Joba is going to be a starting pitcher because that’s what he’s always done. What is this? The Dalles Little League circa 1989? I remember another guy not so long ago that really, really wanted to be a starting pitcher. The team he played for was a World Series contender, and their rotation was good, not great, and the only hole on the roster was as a closer. This young man kept insisting that he be in the rotation. The manager simply explained that his talents would serve the team better as the closer. The young man reluctantly agreed, and here we sit a couple of years later, and this guy is arguably one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball. The team? The Boston Red Sox. The guy? Jonathan Papelbon. As I said yesterday, the Yankees need to take a page, hell the entire book and remake the Yankees from top to bottom in the likeness of their hated rivals, who are now 5-0 against them this season.
The Yankees knew coming into this season, that the bullpen could be a problem spot. What did they do to correct it? Put Joba in the rotation, and told Bruney that he was the 8th inning setup guy. Ooops, Bruney is hurt, again! I like a bullpen of Veras, Coke, Ramirez, Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, and Rivera. I like a rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Pettitte, and Hughes. It isn’t rocket science here Yankee fans. It’s common sense, and until the powers that be (whoever the hell that might be in Yankeeland now) grow a set of stones and say enough is enough, and clean house from top to bottom, bring in qualified baseball people to remake this once proud franchise, overhaul the minor league and scouting departments, and shed the aging contracts in favor of “baseball players”, the Yankees will continue to sit in limbo, while teams like Boston and Tampa and Toronto, and yes, very soon Baltimore figure things out and continue improving.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
I’m Tired of Watching Mediocrity Already
It seems alot longer than 9 years. 9 long years since the Yankees last hoisted the World Series Trophy high above and claimed it as their own. The Yankees were on top of the baseball world for the 4th time in 6 seasons, and the latest dynasty showed no signs of slowing down. Then a funny thing happened along the way. The transition from Gene Michael to Bob Watson to Brian Cashman began to show the signs of a rotted out core.
The players that the last dynasty were built upon had gotten old for the most part. Paul O’Neill would leave after the ’01 disaster, as would Tino Martinez, the steady Scott Brosius. All gone. Replaced with the latest and greatest high priced talent Cashman could buy. What Stick Michael and Watson understood, was that you didn’t have to have the best player at each position to win a World Series. You only needed to have the best TEAM.
The Yankees showed yet again last night why the Boston Red Sox are the model of consistency and success as the decade comes to a close. Everything from their steady, yet smart manager Terry Francona, to the gritty and never say die attitudes of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. What do the Yankees have? An aging captain who looked his age more than once last night with a little water on the ground…an over the hill can still hit but can’t run or catch catcher who coincidentally, pulled up lame running the bases again last night. A backup catcher that made Bill Buckner look qualified to be fielding ground balls. A manager who did his best to fire up a bunch of overpaid pansies, yet he himself has no business being employed as the manager of this team.
The Red Sox are the model for which the Yankees need to look at, and become. Rather than allowing Johnny Damon to continue to embarrass himself out in left field, simply bench him. Bring up the next young outfielder and get him some experience. Yes, that would be Austin Jackson for those of you not in the know. It’s time for management to make a decision about the future of there once great shortstop, and then have the balls and backbone to tell him HE is no longer capable of manning the position…even if that means simply switching he and A-Rod when he comes back from hip surgery. It means telling Joba Chamberlain this is not about him becoming the next great starter but the next great setup man to get the game to Mo Rivera. The answers are so obvious it’s sickening. Why is recently acquired Eric Fryer not on the fast track to replace an old and brittle Jorge Posada?
This is the issue: The Yankees are more involved in their past than their future. It’s about making sure Jeter gets to 3000 hits, that Posada’s legacy is right there with Munson, Berra and Dickey. Here’s an idea and a clue…it’s not about any of those things! It’s about winning world championships, and I am sick and tired of watching the Steinbrenner’s throw their money at has beens, and then not have the stones to cut them loose when they no longer are productive (Damon, Molina, THE ENTIRE BULLPEN OUTSIDE OF RIVERA, Matsui). The Red Sox win a title, they make changes. They win another title, they incorporate the next up and coming stud from the farm. Don’t believe me? Watch and see how much longer a guy like David Ortiz is wearing a Red Sox uniform if his production contiunes on it’s current pace! Now, let’s review what happened last night in the New Boogie Down…
During the 1st inning of last night’s game, I swore we were back in Fenway Park, and Joba Chamberlain was on the mound again. Why? Hughes throws a pitch that should have been handled by the catcher (Molina yet again), and it gets by him, the pitcher (this time Hughes) forgets to cover the plate, and he looks like a moron trying to recover, only to let the run score. Just like last weekend, same song, this verse same as the first. Fundamentals are seriously lacking with this group of Yankees. How many times last night did Derek Jeter look about 50 years old instead of 34? Too many to count. Too many infield hits that a younger, more agile shortstop would’ve handled. The last time a team won the World Series with a shortstop as old as Jeter was back in 1980 and the guy was named Larry Bowa.
Hughes pitched well enough, giving up single runs in each of the first four innings. The Yankee bats were dead as usual. I was looking at the lineup last night and was simply sickened. Jeter still hitting leadoff? Really? Angel Berroa still playing third? Really? Molina behind the plate? Really? Again? What a joke. The one bright spot in the Yankees bullpen was the re-emergence of Alfredo Aceves, who appears to be the leading candidate to be the long man out of the pen. At least he should be. Red Sox starter Jon Lester looked good, but not great. He could’ve been had. Mark Teixiera finally performed somewhat up to par, hitting two bombs last night, but then again he did strike out when the Yankees had closer Papelbon on the ropes in the 9th inning.
The Yankees looked like who they are…a mediocre team that fails to do the simple things to win ball games. I know, they took 2 of 3 from the Angels this past weekend, which was great. But they are now 0-4 against the only team that really matters. I said before the season started that Tampa was a joke, and they are. Toronto doesn’t have the pitching and hitting to keep going at the rate they are. It will come down to two teams…the Yankees, and the team that is 4-0 against the Yankees in 2009. A-Rod is reportedly close to a Friday return, but he has stuggled in his minor league rehab assignment. The rotation led by C.C. Sabathia is still one of the worst in the league. Burnett all of a sudden looks like C.C., and Pettitte has reverted back to the Pettitte of last year. Combine that along with Wang (injured and ineffective) and Chamberlain (fat and overrated), and the Yankees are in trouble. The bullpen is a mess. There is no bench depth. The lineup is piece meal at best, and there are no signs of things getting better anytime soon.
I said it last year, and I’m saying again for the umteenth time in 2009. Perhaps another missed postseason will be what it takes for the new boss (not nearly as impatient as the old boss) to lose his cool, fire Cashman and Girardi, and bring back the people that made the Yankees the once proud dynasty we have grown accustomed to seeing every decade or so. If the Steinbrenners need a user’s guide on how to build a champion the right way, they need only to look to their rivals to the North in Boston…
As always, take care, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
With Other Teams Opening their Wallets…What Should the Yankees Do?
Since my last entry a handful of days ago…some things have changed and developed on the free agent market as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday:
1. The Angels are trying to convince everyone they are legitimate players in the C.C. Sabathia sweepstakes…
2. The Braves have thrown their hats into the ring for the services of A.J. Burnett…
3. Andy Pettitte could be reunited with Joe Torre in La La land…
4. Everyone seems to have interest in Mark Teixeira…even if it’s only to get his price down…
5. And it appears the Yankees cannot make up their collective minds for which direction they need to address through free agency now…
Let me provide, yet again who should go where, why and how does it play out for our beloved Bombers…
If the Angels do indeed come in at 6 years, $140 mil such as the Yankees have, the Yankees MUST overpay…say 6 years $148.5 mil. Regardless of what the Braves do, the Yankees must ensure that A.J. Burnett joins Sabathia, Wang, and whomever else rounds out the rotation in 2009, and if that means giving him a fifth year, so be it. Hell, they did get a productive second half out of Carl Pavano, and Burnett is better-even hurt.
If the decision comes down to Andy Pettitte versus Derke Lowe…as much as I hate saying this, you have to go with Pettitte. He’s left-handed, and has the grit to pitch for the Bombers…not at $16 mil annually, but perhaps $12-13 mil for one year. The Yankees must get aggresive and sign both Teixeira AND Manny Ramirez. Tex is 28 and in his prime, plus he is a gold glove caliber first baseman. Show him the love and give him his 10 year deal. Get it done! As for Manny, his contract would and should be lined with performance enhancement bonuses, to where if met, will give him the cabbage he longs for, and hey, throw in an option year or so tacked on when he meets those standards…He has cornered himself, let him earn his keep PLUS let him take it out on the Beaneaters up North…
The bullpen is in pretty good shape…I still don’t like the idea of Chamberlain in the rotation…he should strictly be the 8th inning set up guy/future closer of this team…Joba hasn’t proven he can stay healthy over the long term to deserve another shot in the starting 5 just yet…So with C.C., Burnett, Pettitte, and Wang…whom should the Yankees hand that elusive 5th spot to? Mr. Arizona Fall League Phil Hughes…he’s pitched well, getting his innings in and for God’s sake, he was the gem of the system before injuries broke him down…I still believe he will be a stud…and much better long term in the rotation than Joba…
With the addition of Swisher, the must signings of Teixeira and Manny, the upgrades with C.C. and A.J., the Bombers should be setting themselves up for a wonderful run in 2009 as Cathedral 2.0 opens its doors in a few months!
As always, be good, take care of yourself, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
With Free Agency Upon Us…Let the Greed Begin!
The last time I had made an entry…I proclaimed the Yankees were dead…and within a few weeks, they indeed were. I said that the Swiss Family Steinbrenners should fire Brian Cashman and replace him with longtime Yankees’ executive Gene Michael. I also suggested that the Yankees replace Joe Girardi with one time Yankee skipper Buck Showalter. Unfortunately for us in the Yankees Universe, neither of these moves occurred. With the unrestricted free agent period upon us though, some of my August predictiions appear to possibly be coming to fruition over the next few weeks. Let us review…
I said both Moose and Andy “The Clunker” Pettitte had to go. Moose had the best year of his career at the end of it…Mussina has since decided to retire after going 20-9, and finishing 6th in AL Cy Young voting. Pettitte is simply washed up. Let him go back to Houston to his wife and kids, his church and Roger Clemens, and Drayton McClane and the Astros. Not worth another $16 million to have a repeat of 2008. As much as I love the Great Giambino, his time too has come and gone. Never once did Giambi produce anywhere close to his AL MVP season. Sure, he had his fair share of bombs, but a lackluster batting average for the most part. He also battled injuries, played subpar first base, and brought a cloud of controversy into the Bronx with the sterioid/BALCO investigation. Pudge Rorgriquez was not the Pudge of even three seasons ago, so he had to go as well. From this point, we shall take a look at what I said the Yankees should do, what they have done, and what we can look forward to in 2009.
Sabathia was an obvious move. After the youth movement imploded with the failures of Hughes, Kennedy, and Chamberlain, and factor in the Yankees shed just under $90 million in payroll, an immediate upgrade in starting pitching was a must. 5 or 6 years at $140 million will lure C.C. to the Bronx, regardless of what the west coast teams may try to come back with. A.J. Burnett did indeed opt out of his contract in Toronto and has been offered a 5 year deal for $80 million. Nobody will outbid the Bombers for his services. The one move I suggested that the Yankees should’ve make was the pursuit of Ben Sheets, the other big name Brewers free agent. Sheets broke down physcially at the end of the year, and no team in their right mind would offer him more than a 2 or 3 year deal…based completely on his health. Insert former BoSox postseason hero Derek Lowe. Yes, the possibility of the man who helped complete the greatest comeback in baseball history donning pinstripes bothers me too. But what better way to get back into the AL East race in 2009 than keeping him from returning to a depleted and one year older Boston rotation and signing Lowe as a back of the rotation guy? I’m smiling already!
I remember back in August when I wrote my entry, I received a comment from a what I believe is a fellow Yankees’ fan, who stated it all sounds good, but is not very realistic. Well my friend, whomever you may be…reality is upon us, Sabathia and Burnett along with Lowe could very well be Yankees come New Year’s Day…but, and that is a very big but, that wasn’t all I had to say about whom the Yankees need to import to drastically overhaul the 2008 roster. I also suggested the Yankees outbid everyone else and bring in a Gold Glove, switch hitting first baseman by the name of Mark Texeira. The Angels can’t afford Scott Boras’ demands…The Red Sox would have to move Youkilis to 3rd, and platoon Lowell and Ortiz at DH-THAT WON”T HAPPEN…Baltimore and Washington could make a run at him since they are his native area teams…Does Mark really want to play for basement dwellers? Scratch them as well. Leaving the Bombers to overpay for quality, and in this case as well as the Sabathia signing, will and must happen. Now, for the final pieces of the free agent puzzle…who else could help put the Yankees over the top either offensively or pitching-wise? Ready for this Bronx Bomber fans…Manny Ramirez! That’s right…the Washington Heights native has been a Yankee killer his entire career, the Yankees can afford him and he has stated multiple times since his exile from Boston, that he wants to stick it to the heart of Red Sox Nation. DH Manny, re-sign Abreu, and ship Godzilla Matsui to either Seattle or San Francisco-both of whom have inquired about Matsui’s services over the last season plus.
I will give Cashman credit for his buyout and re-signing of Damaso Marte. Most feel Marte did nothing upon his return to the Bronx, but he is young, throws hard, and is lefthanded. Pair him with the rest of the young Bombers bullpen who lived through the growing pains and will be a year better, along with the Sandman to slam the door, and you have yourself a recipe for another run at a World Series title in 2009. I also suggested the Yankees infuse some youth into their lineup, and I love the Gardner kid. Watching the final few weeks of the season, and making the pilgramage to the Cathedral one last time, I got to see firsthand what this young man is capable of. Platoon Gardner and Damon. Keep Chamberlain as the 8th inning setup guy for Rivera, and hand him the closer’s job upon Rivera’s retirement. So, with all of my suggestions, this is what the 2009 Yankees lineup should look like, followed by the starting rotation….
CF Damon/Gardner
SS Jeter
DH Ramirez
3B Rodriguez
1B Texiera
RF Abreu
LF Nady
C Posada
2B Cano
SP Sabathia
SP Burnett
SP Wang
SP Hughes
SP Lowe
One last note…I read yesterday that Yankees Legend Bernie Williams wants to return to the Bronx and play in 2009…he stated that playing in the new Cathedral is a dream come true and that he has been able to enjoy life while out of baseball since 2006. Here’s an idea…instead of giving Bernie the opportunity to embarrass himself, plan and execute a Bernie Williams Day at the new Stadium and retire his beloved #51. He could barely compete in 2006, and at age 40, probably has very little or less to contribute to the Yankees in 2009.
As always, be good, take care of yourself, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
One Game…Does It Really Matter Now?
Okay, so Jason Giambi comes off the bench, and delivers not once, but twice. Good for him. I have always liked Gumbi, but his time in the Bronx is short. He is just as much of the problem with this year’s Yankees as anybody. His numbers look nice, but like A-Rod, he is a compiler. Before today, when was the last time Gumbi had a meaningful, game changing at bat for the Yankees. The whole team simply stinks…so don’t be getting all excited that this could be a turning point. Not enough games remaining, not enough heart or balls.
Yes, the Yankees won the final meeting between themselves and the Red Sox, 3-2 Thursday afternoon in the Bronx. Whoopee, I think I’ll pee my pants now. 29 games remain, they are 5 back of the Sox (Red that is) in the wild card, and in comes Toronto led by A.J. Burnett. The Yankees still have not solved their starting rotation problems, there are no signs of Wang or Chamberlain coming back anytime soon, if at at. Friday night’s matchup will pair former teammates against each other, when Burnett faces convicted armed Yankee robber Carl Pavano. At least in Burnett’s case, he has pitched great this season. Not the others, but this season. Pavano hasn’t had a full season since coming to the Bronx. Perhaps he has motivation (free agency), but it is far too little, far too late. Even if Wang and Chamberlain come back and pitch at 80%, that would necessitate the Yankee lineup scoring runs consistently, which they have not done throughout the 2008 season.
Moose Mussina pitched a great game, but yet fell short of yet another step towards his 20th win of the season. Instead, the bullpen, which I feel is a strong point for the Yankees heading into the 2009 season, held the Sox at bay until the Sandman could close the door for another win. Good for my fantasy stats, but not good for Moose in his search for a career milestone. Defense was solid, Jeter is inching closer to his career .300 average, and the pressure is visibly getting to A-Rod, who after popping out in the 6th inning, returned to the dugout only to crush his bat against he bat rack close to a dozen times. I’m surprised he made solid contact.
It will indeed take a miracle for the Yankees to salvage the 2008 season. I just don’t think this group has it in them. Girardi doesn’t have a magic potion to wake this flatline group from the dead and the abyss, and the best we can all hope for is 82-85 wins to finish the season. I heard a great idea on Jason Smith’s Allnight Show on ESPN Radio last night. He suggested that had Steinbrenner used his head, he would’ve put a winterball clause into each and every one of the Yankees’ player’s contracts. You don’t make the playoffs, you play winterball and figure it out there…at the remedial level.
Unfortunately, A-Rod will be dealing with a divorce and custody battle, Jeter will retreat to Tampa for fun in the Florida winter sun, and who cares what the rest of them do. The work will come during the month of December in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. Why? That is where the coming Winter Meetings are going to be held. Whomever the GM is, he best be carrying an open checkbook. With the added revenue that a new stadium will provide, along with the cash flow that the YES Network consistently provides, it is not beyond normal reason to see the Yankees sign 2-4 top flight free agents. Who? Manny to DH, Sabathia and Sheets to pitch, Tex to play 1st. Perhaps this wishlist is unrealistic as a nice e-mailer pointed out earlier today, but this is not a normal offseason for the Bombers. Holes need to be filled, an arm in the bullpen (Joe Beimel perhaps), a trade here and there (Damon, Cano, Melky), could reface this organization with guys that want to win, rather than players that simply want to show up and collect a check.
Regardless of what the Yankees do, they must do something. Standing pat and throwing the young guys to wolves failed this season, and if the Yankee brass believes it will get better next season, remember a couple of things…Joba and Hughes got hurt, thus eliminating crucial experience that could’ve been gained. Ian Kennedy is not ready. He would be pitching in the AZ Fall League and winter ball-whether he wanted to or not. He must learn to throw a first pitch strike AND work on his breaking stuff. He simply stunk this year. If the Yankees make the same mistakes this offseason that they did last offseason, they can look forward to a dead last place finish in 2009. Why? Look up and down the rosters of the other teams within the division. They are all getting better, younger, and more competitive as each day passes.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
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