Results tagged ‘ Hughes ’
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!
Obituary: New York Yankees’ Playoff Run (1995-2007)
“Smell that, Bill? Smells like somebody died”
~Johnny Ringo from Tombstone
And at 10:53 EST on Wednesday night, at 161st and River Avenue in the Bronx, New York, the New York Yankees were officially pronounced dead from internal injuries. Their run of playoff appreances that started with Don Mattingly’s swan song in 1995, the run that saw 10 AL Eastern Division titles, 2 Wild Card berths, 6 AL Pennants, and 4 World Series titles came crashing down in front of a home capacity crowd, 11-3. Whom better to secure the final kiss of death on these Bombers in their own house than the rival and now class of baseball, the Boston Red Sox. How much more poetic can this be for Red Sox nation? The organization that not only handed the Babe to the Yankees on a silver platter, but helped secure the first Yankees’ dynasty by handing over player after player, until the Yankees of the 1920s and 1930s looked almost like the Boston Red Sox of the 19-teens. Wait a minute…they were. How sweet for Red Sox nation to slam the casket down on their hated rival, having given them a dynasty, in The House that Ruth Built, in its swan song? As they say in the Mastercard commericals…Priceless.
The Yankees now fall 7 full games behind in the AL wild card, and 10 1/2 games back of Tampa in the AL East. As much as I disliked Joe Torre, one had to see this coming. Especially the way they thanked Joe for 12 solid years, 12 years of playoff appearances, 12 years of World Series expectations, by offering him an insult for a contract, and then forced him to take his legend to the west coast and Dodger Stadium. Perhaps if the Steinbrenners had taken that same approach not only to Joe Girardi, but Brian (I too will be out of work soon) Cashman, and this bloated roster of has beens and underachivers, I may not be sitting here writing my version of a eulogy tonight.
As much as I trash this team on a daily basis, it’s only because I care. I have been a Yankees’ fan since 1981. I grew up in an era of Yankees baseball that was doomed with free agent busts, and not quite enough pitching to see the postseason. I always wondered what it would be like to see my Yankees make it to the playoffs. My loyalty was finally rewarded as I personally witnessed former Yankee great and my childhood idol Don Mattingly almost single handedley take the 1995 Yankees to the ALCS. However, they fell short and Donnie Baseball rode off into the sunset. Little did I know that dynasty was on the cusp of dominating baseball for the next half dozen years or so. I sit here tonight with not a sad, but more of an empty feeling. It hasn’t quite dawned on me just yet that the Yankees will not be participating in October for the first time in a very long time.
The difference between my childhood Yankees, the dynasty Yankees, and the current incarnation of what seems to be Yankees is large. My childhood Yankees, however uncompetitive as they were, always played hard, regardless of whether or not they were playing in October. Players like Mattingly, Willie Randolph, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, and the like were always fighting for every run, every hit, every game throughout the season. Then again, for most of the decade, either Billy Martin or Sweet Lou Piniella was manning the dugout. They made their players play hard, or those players wouldn’t be on the field. One knew that with a Martin or Piniella team, they were going to get the most out of their roster, win, lose, or draw.
Then all of a sudden came the dynasty Yankees. Unknown players for the most part, role guys that played the perfect role when the chips were down. Tino, Pauley, Brosius, a young Jeter, Bernie, Jorge and Mo. The cornerstones of a championship squad that refused to accept defeat, no matter the odds. The only thing that mattered was winning rings. Joe Torre knew he had the leaders within the clubhouse to keep house. We were all spoiled as Yankee fans, rewarded for the long decade and a half that had passed since the glory days of the late 1970s and early 1980s. We were back where we belonged…on top of the baseball world…consistently. I remember thinking during this last dynasty run, that it was unthinkable that George Steinbrenner would ever allow the Yankees to revert back to non-competitive status. Unfotunately for me, and the rest of you in Yankeeland, we didn’t realize that success was going to be the undoing of a once proud franchise. The Subway Series victory of 2000 seems a lifetime ago…little did we know.
Little did we know that between 2000 and now, that Brian Cashman would destroy a dynasty by being careless with George’s dollars…be careless about the careful chemistry that helps build winning teams. Guys like O’Neill retired, and they were replaced with the likes of Raul Mondesi and Gary Sheffield. Tino leaves and is replaced by a steroid using shell of his former MVP self in Giambi. Bernie with Damon, and on and on it went, until today. Cashman allowed Rocket and Pettitte to leave, and we had nothing in Game 7 at home against the Red Sox. Nothing! Instead of reloading the rotation, Soriano gets dealt for A-Rod. Matsui is imported, and the bullpen becomes Mariano Rivera and Rivera only. Hard for the Sandman to close games out when the Yankees are always playing from behind.
During this recent string of playoff appearances, I hold many, many great memories from days gone by. Leyritz’s bomb off Mark Wohlers…the perfection that was the ’98 Yankees…Tino’s grand salami when it was supposed to be Trevor Time…Donnie Baseball’s Stadium shot in ’95…the consecutive World Series game winning streak…Bernie catching Mike Piazza’s fly ball to clinch the ’00 series, which at the time I didn’t know would be our last…Boone’s moonshot off of Wakefield to make one more series appearance. All are stored in my mind…enjoyed like an old friend. It has been a great run…more than anyone (myself included) could’ve ever asked or wished for. We as Yankee fans became spoiled…as if the title rightfully belonged to us in Gotham and beyond. That if anyone else were to be holding the World Series trophy, that they simply would be borrowing it until we righted our ship within 12 months. 12 months has come and gone every year since 2000, and nothing has been corrected. It has been a great run…and the Yankees who hold World Series rings in their possession should be proud, and I just want to say thank you for the wonderful memories.
As for the current regime…You ******** have some things to answer for. If I were the GM, the following would be my plan of attack heading into the 2009 season…
1. Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman would be let go. They were hired to win, and they both have done anything but…
2. Trade Damon, Cano, Melky Cabrera, and as much as I love him, Hideki Matsui.
3. Let the expiring contracts of the following current Yankees expire, and bid them adeu: Giambi, Mussina, Abreu, Pavano, Pudge, Pettitte, Ponson, etc. etc. etc.
4. Make big bids on the following free agents…and when I mean big, overpay for quality this time: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Mark Texeira.
5. Hire Buck Showalter as the field manager, and Gene Michael as the GM.
So on Opening Day 2009, the lineup should look like the following, followed by the starting rotation and bullpen:
(CF) Gardner, (SS) Jeter, (1B) Texeira, (3B) A-Rod, (RF) Nady (2B) Betemit, (C) Posada, (DH) Duncan (LF) Christian
(SP) Sabathia, (SP) Sheets, (SP) Wang, (SP) Chamberlain, (SP) Hughes
(RP) Veras, (RP) Robertson, (RP) Ramirez, (RP) Marte, (RP) Bruney, (CL) Rivera
The Yankees must do exactly as the Red Sox have done: build with youth and proven veterans. Mix in speed, with right-handed power, along with the established left-side swingers. Many of your probably don’t realize that over his last 120 games, Wilson Betemit has hit around .290, with 32 HRs, and close to 100 RBI. Not bad when you consider he is a switch hitter, and appears to be much more of a hustler on the field than the disinterested Robinson Cano. I know, my rotation doesn’t have a single lefty. The Cano trade can handle that, then the Yankees can move Chamberlain back to the 8th inning set up role where he truly belongs, and you can insert the lefty into the rotation.
How does one handle their rival? They become them. Check out Jason Smith on ESPN Radio, he did a wonderful eulogy to the Yankees earlier tonight. I will attempt to link it into this entry later on today.
I will as promised, continue to review everything Yankees-all the way until the last day of September, as the wound goes deeper, and the numbness and shock set in.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
It’s Official: Yanks Should Start Looking Towards 2009
I could’ve sworn that I have seen this before. I could’ve sworn I saw this identical ending to a game, less than a week ago. Wait a minute, I did. In fact, this game looked eerily similar to the game my family and I travelled to Anaheim for this past Sunday. Shoddy defense, inattention to detail on the basepaths (A-Rod last weekend, Justin Christian last night), and the Yankees fail to drive in runners when the game is on the line. Last weekend: Angels 4, Yankees 3. Last night: Royals 4, Yankees 3.
I hate to be the one to break the bad news (I know all of you out there in Yankeeland are some of the smartest fans alive), we can officially stick the proverbial fork in the New York Yankees for the 2008 season. A miniature pre-game roster shakeup did nothing to motivate the players that needed to find something within themselves. Cashman can’t simply blame Melky Cabrera and Richie Sexson for this mess. Given, Melky has regressed since making his debut three seasons ago, but so has Robinson Cano. Perhaps sending both of them back to Triple-A would’ve turned some heads, stating that nobody is safe. Hell, at least Wilson Betemit hustles out his hit balls and plays hard on defense. Can anybody, and that includes Robbie’s dad, the former major leaguer, say that Robbie Cano has done that in 2008? And poor Richie Sexson…steals a king’s ransom from the Mariners, underperforms, gets cut, signs for the league minimum, and cries that he can’t change to being a platoon player. Here’s some advice for you Mr. Sexson: don’t strike out 190 times every season, and hit better than .215, and perhaps somebody else will take you seriously. If not, perhaps you should spend your offseason in Henderson, Nevada at the Jason Giambi Hitting Academy. Sure couldn’t hurt.
As for the present…the Bombers now fall 10 1/2 behind the Rays in the AL East, basically ending any chance of winning the division with 39 games left to play, and I believe the count is now at 7 or 8 games behind Boston in the wild card chase. The historic consecutive postseason run of this proud franchise will indeed end in 2008. What should the Yankees do now? Here are some ideas…1. Bring back up Hughes and Kennedy. Why? Let them take their lumps at the major league level against big league hitters. Make this an extended spring training so that by the time next year starts, these two promising arms have some experience to fall back on. 2. Do not, and I cannot overstate this enough, give Carl Pavano a snowball’s chance in hell of taking the mound in 2008. Why? He has already fleeced this team for $40 mil, and is only trying to rush back before he hits the free agent market in 2009. Don’t help him do this to another team for God’s sake. 3. Bring up some of the younger players along with Hughes and Kennedy and get them some big league at bats and innings pitched. The future has to start somewhere, and it might as well be now. Christian and Gardner are already here, give a young catcher like Chris Stewart the opportunity, afterall, Molina and Posada won’t be around forever. Give guys like Alan Horne and Mark Melancon the chance to show their stuff at the Stadium.
The national media always says that the Yankees don’t rebuild, they reload. Okay, given, the Yankees perhaps go a little overboard on their free agent spending. And what has it gotten us as fans since 2000? Two World Series losses, an LCS collapse, and a handful of 1st round ousters. These should be the finals weeks of Yankee careers for the likes of Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, and Carl Pavano. The free agent market shows some promise with Brewer aces C.C. Sabathia, and Ben Sheets, along with a guy out in Anaheim that plays first base…Mark Teixiera. I would also propose attempting to deal Cano for some arms, and a power hitting outfielder (one that is in his prime for once…Matt Holliday anyone?), and insert Betemit as the future second baseman. He plays better defense, hustles, and has much better power numbers over the long haul than does Cano…and he is a switch hitter. I like the makeup of the young bullpen…they are taking their lumps, but they will be a strong point for New York in ’09 led by the aforementioned Mark Melancon assuming the 8th inning role left vacant by Joba Chamberlain. Melancon will be and is the heir apparent to Mariano Rivera in the closer’s role. Throw in a healthy Humberto Sanchez, Jason Jones, and Daniel McCutchen, along with Chamberlain, Hughes, Kennedy and whoever the Yankees sign between Sabathia and Sheets, no to mention a fully recovered Chien Ming Wang, and the Yankees not only have a stable of young horses, but young horses with firepower.
Now, who should the Steinbrenner’s use to harness and nurture all of this youth and inexperience? The same two men that did it the last time the Yankees were in the toilet and needed mouth to mouth an electric shock to the heart to get them back where they belong…Buck Showalter in the dugout, and Gene “Stick” Michael in the GM’s chair. While Big Boss was gone suspended, Michael drafted and kept the likes of Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. I don’t think those guys turned out too bad did they? Hard to argue with 4 World Series titles, 6 American League pennants, and 10 division titles with those cornerstone players. Buck was rushed out the door, and Stick had simply had enough. Perhaps the younger Steinbrenner will look to the past to brighten the Yankees’ future.
Sidney Ponson will be taking the hill for the Bombers in Game 2 of the home set, and I have absolutely no idea who is pitching for the Royals. At this rate, it really doesn’t matter, because the Yankees will play shoddy defense, pitch well enough to win, and find a way to let an inferior team beat them yet again. It truly amazes me how long this Yankees’ squad was able to stay in contention before the wheels came off. I do have one question, and perhaps one of my fellow Yankee fans can answer it for me. This is the third year in a row that injuries have decimated this team. Why isn’t the training team being questioned or held accountable for this annual M*A*S*H unit that is held together from one DL stint to the next? I know the team loves assistant trainer Steve Donahue, but they also loved Mickey Mantle. Mantle knew when it was time to go…perhaps Donahue needs a push from upstairs to find his way out as well.
I will be back on later today or early tomorrow morning to summarize what I am sure will be another agonizing loss for Yankee fans to stomach, and perhaps shed some light on what went wrong yet again.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya!
Pitching Woes…Pitching Answers…& Joba…What Now?
The Yankees and Andy Pettitte laid another egg last night, making the casual baseball observer feel as if the Texas Rangers were actually the Anaheim Angels-meaning the best team in baseball. This is not the way to start a crucial road trip, one in which the Yankees can either gain ground on both Boston and Tampa, or by the time they get back to the Bronx, Toronto could replace them as the team chasing the American League Wild Card. I will get back to their Texas performance thus far later in this entry.
As for the problems, it appears as Joba Chamberlain makes his way down the Carl Pavano Highway to Dr. James Andrews, the Yankees need to quit feeling sorry for themselves, accept the fact that Joba could and probably will be lost for an extended period of time, and look at some possibilities to revamp the starting rotation before their regular season becomes irrelevant in 2008.
According to a New York Post Blog the Mets have the inside track amongst the 12 teams who witnessed free agent starter Freddie Garcia workout yesterday at the University of Miami. Reports state that Garcia topped out around 87 mph on his fastball, and that both his curveball and slider looked sharp. This is the time when Brian Cashman must overpay for what could be a season saving stopgap measure. Garcia is a career 6-2 in 11 postseason starts, and has proven himself in big game, pressure situations. Garcia’s agent stated that Freddie would be ready for a return to the majors around the 1st of September.
We can’t forget about Eric Milton. He too is rehabbing, having thrown a simulated game on July 29th, and reported no pain in his surgically repaired elbow, and like Garcia, could be ready for a September return. Okay, so I bet you are asking, what do the Yankees do between now and September 1st? Ahh, good question grasshoppers. I am not one to throw out problems without having done my research. The following could and should be considered for the remainder of August…afterall, what do the Yankees have to lose other than the rest of this season?
First and foremost, Girardi and Cashman should wholeheartedly forget about using both Dan Giese and Darrell Rasner for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation. They both have pitched poorly in their opportunities, Giese out of the bullpen and Rasner in spot duty. The following prospects in my opinion, have earned their shot with the big club. If management ignores these young arms, then what good is a farm system…I mean really!
1.Kei Igawa. Before you start laughing, consider this much: Igawa has pitched plenty of innings this season throughout the Yankees minor league system. As of this entry, Igawa is 12-5 with a 3.39 ERA. His advantage: he is left-handed, which is custom built for Yankee Stadium. His disadvantage: he has taken plenty of lumps, both from big league hitters and from the white hot spotlight of the New York City media.
2. Jason Jones. Who? The big right hander is 11-5 with a 3.03 ERA at Double A Trenton. Yes, it is a big jump from Trenton to the Bronx, but the Yankees seemed not to have any problem doing the same thing with Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy. Why not give the kid a shot?
3. Chase Wright. A familiar name to most Yankee fans, Wright has served in the spot start big league-back-to-the-minor league role before. Wright knows the pressure of pitching in the Big Apple, won’t be intimidated by a late season, pennant chase call up, and is currently 8-2 with a 2.96 ERA for Trenton.
4. Phil Coke. This guy could be a dream for Madison Avenue advertising firms, as Coke could be it-if given a chance. At Trenton, Coke is 9-4 with a 2.51 ERA.
So Yankee fans, before you jump off the bridge, and call this season a bust, know that the farm has capabale arms, arms and names that might not be as sexy and popular as the Big Three of Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy, but capable nevertheless. Perhaps that has been the problem with this Yankee team all along. Maybe reputation has replaced common sense for a franchise that once prided themselves on performance over public image. Don’t get me wrong, every Yankee fan can appreciate what Reggie brought to the table, and Jeter and A-Rod these days. Unfortunately, injuries and poor performances don’t win World Series titles, but they sure look good in their uniforms and on their respective commercials.
Back to last night’s performance (or lack thereof). When this Yankee team is dependent on a .210 hitter to hit a game-tying grand slam to get their sorry butts back in the game, something is seriously wrong. Andy Pettitte, who has historically been lights out after August 1st, looked old and disinterested at best. 5 earned in 5 innings isn’t going to help keep a bullpen fresh for what is turning into a very long road trip already. With another choked away opportunity last night, the Yankees fell 6 1/2 games back in the AL East, and only have the 6th best record in the American League. The last time I looked, only 1 non-division winner gets to play in October. Over the last couple of days, for the first time in a very long time, I am mentally preparing myself for a postseason without the Bombers. It’s that sick in the stomach, almost ”can’t wait for the season to be over” type nightmare. What it comes down to and what it will come down to over the next 8 road games for this Yankees’ team, is poop or get off the pot. Quit playing games with our collective hearts and minds. If you don’t care, quit making us in Yankeeland believe that we should-at least for the remainder of this season.
As always, take care of yourself, be good, and take care of your buddy next to ya. I will be checking back in later tonight after Game #3 of the series, as Sidney Ponson returns to the team who cut him loose over character issues. If that happened to be the case throughout the Yankee clubhouse, how do you cut 25 guys?
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