Yankees Face Long Winter
The media in New York is in a frenzy, spouting off speculation
after speculation about the future of the Yankees.
Let's filter out the hype and get realistic.
1. Sheffield won't be back. That saves 13 million.
2. Mike Mussina won't be back, at least not for 19 million. Assuming
that the Yankees bring him back or sign a quality pitcher as his
replacement for 10 million, that saves 9 million.
3. Unless they get very lucky, the Yankees won't be able to get
quality young arms for A-Rod. So as unfortunate as it is, the
reality is that all things considered, the best move is to keep
A-Rod and hope that he finds a way to turn things around.
4. If Torre is released, the best bet is not Lou Pinella, but a less
expensive and equally capable coach such as Joe Girardi or Don
Mattingly.
5. The Yankees have to find a way to get strong pitching. Count on
Wang and Phil Hughes to be two reliable starters for next season.
Randy Johnson will be an acceptable fourth or fifth man for the
rotation, only because he is locked in for 16 million and there is
no way that he will do the right thing and retire before he collects
every penny. If Pavano makes it back and proves to be reliable, we
need one more strong arm. If Pavano tanks again, we'll need two
strong arms.
6. If the Yankees do the sensible thing and keep A-Rod, Jeter has
got to get over A-Rod's Esquire interview from 2002 and embrace him.
Yeah, Jeter, we know that he was jealous of you when he spouted off
about you being a 2-man and not hitting for power. But holding a
grudge for as long as you have isn't bringing out the best in A-Rod.
And ultimately, this is hurting the team.
Remember the sense of comraderie on the teams that were led by Tino
Martinez, Paul O'Neill, and Scott Brosius? You just felt that those
guys cared about one another. Jeter has got to get over his grudge
and use his clout and reputation to bring this team together.
7. If possible, I think it makes a lot of sense for Brian Cashman to
get quality pitchers for Bobby Abreu. Many teams would love to have
him. We have Cabrera who needs a spot in the outfield. Cabrera has
potential to be another Bobby Abreu, and he is about 16 and half
million dollars less expensive. No one will take Johnny Damon's
contract off of us, Hideki Matsui is untradeable, that leaves Bobby
Abreu as the best trade bait for good pitchers.
- Joshua
What Is Joe Torre Thinking?
Derek Jeter put it perfectly in his post game interview: "You don't
play the game on paper."
But that's exactly what Joe Torre seems to be doing.
Who cares that A-Rod has amazing career numbers against Kenny
Rogers. A-Rod compiled most of those stats when he wasn't under the
spotlight of the New York media.
Putting A-Rod in the clean-up spot was a terrible omen for the
Yankees. A-Rod belongs in the six spot or lower.
And what in the world is Matsui doing in the bottom of the order?
This man is arguably the most reliable situational hitter that the
Yankees have. He should be somewhere in the 3-5 spots.
If the Yankees lose this series, I think that Yankees top brass have
to take a long, hard look at trading A-Rod AND giving Joe Torre an
early retirement. Joe Torre seems to be decent at managing people,
but he just doesn't have the courage or the instincts to be a great
manager of the game of baseball.
- Joshua
Derek Jeter's Failed Bunt Attempt
(Photo by Newsday.com) - I got a really bad feeling in my stomach
when Derek popped up to Ivan Rodriguez in the first inning of game
two with Johnny Damon on first base.
Why, oh why, Derek, are you thinking about sacrificing yourself with
the hope of a quick one run lead for the Yankees? After getting
seven hits in your last seven at-bats, all of us want to see you
swing away. Chances are that you and Damon won't get doubled up in
that situation since both of you have great wheels, but even if you
do get doubled up, at the beginning of the game, isn't it worth the
risk to swing away?
Some people might think that you were trying to surprise the Tigers
and earn a base hit. I don't think this is a great move, as laying
down a great bunt on a 100 mph fastball is not much easier than
getting a hit. It might even be harder than getting a hit from
swinging away.
Let me say that I am a huge Derek Jeter fan. I love the way that he
plays hard every day, how he runs hard out of the box even if he
knows that he has hit a homerun. Still, I have to say that
sometimes, I think that Derek becomes slightly intoxicated with the
idea of being the ultimate team player.
By laying down a sacrifice bunt, perhaps he was thinking that he
would bolster his image as a guy who only cares about winning. He
got seven hits in his last seven at-bats, but hey, if the situation
calls for a bunt, then he's up for it.
It's almost as though he sometimes takes on the mindset of a
baseball martyr.
Derek, if there is a hint of truth in this thought, you don't need
to do this. You have the respect of almost all Yankees fans out
there. We want you to swing a way in that kind of situation. If you
are in the 8th inning and trailing by one run or tied up with Johnny
on first with no out, it makes a lot of sense to sacrifice yourself
to put Johnny into scoring position.
But please don't waste your talents like that in the first inning.
Because truly, a mistake like that can deflate the entire team and
all Yankees fans. I know that this is how I felt when you popped up.
I felt like I just lost a few thousand dollars in the woods. A
wasted opportunity.
Now go out there and give us another 3-5 night in game 3!
Joshua
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