Yankees Face Long Winter

(Photo by Newsday.com)

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.

More soon...

- Joshua

What Is Joe Torre Thinking?

(Photo by Newsday.com)
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
InsideTheYankees.com

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
InsideTheYankees.com

Joe Torre Sends The Right Message With Game One Lineup

Photo by Newsday.com
Here is Joe Torre's starting lineup for game 1 of the 2006 playoffs:

1. Johnny Damon, CF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Gary Sheffield, 1B
5. Jason Giambi, DH
6. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
7. Hideki Matsui, LF
8. Jorge Posada, C
9. Robinson Cano, 2B

Let's give credit to Joe Torre for finally doing the right thing and getting A-Rod out of the 3, 4, 5 spots. If Joe had a little more courage, he would put Alex ninth and shift Hideki, Jorge Posada, and Cano up one slot each. But this would be pushing things with A-Rod's pride.

Even as it stands, A-Rod has got to be hurt. He has never batted lower than 5th in a regular season or playoff lineup.

The bottom line is this: with the Yankees on the brink of the best chance to win a World Series Championship that they have had in several years, do you think that Yankees fans would forgive Torre for lamely allowing A-Rod to get the most RBI opportunities?

Who would you rather see at the plate in an RBI situation: Gary Sheffield, who has only played a handful of games this season, or A-Rod?

This speaks volumes about Joe Torre's faith in A-Rod.

Who knows? Maybe this will take pressure off A-Rod and allow him to perform closer to his abilities.

Joshua
InsideTheYankees.com

P.S. The photo of Hideki and Zimmer was taken on the day of Hideki's return to the field. It has no real relevance to this post. I just love it and have wanted to use it for a long time now. Two good men with respect and affection for one another. You can feel it.

2006 Post Season

(Photo by Newsday.com) - So we finally made it. 162 grueling regular season games are over and the Yankees have yet another opportunity to win a World Series championship.

Every post season is an exciting journey, but this time feels extra special.

There are so many captivating stories unfolding before our eyes.

Will Derek Jeter continue to add to his post season legend as perhaps the greatest clutch player of all time?

Will A-Rod finally show the world that he can perform well when it really counts?

Will Chien Ming Wang begin a string of reliable playoff performances? Or is he just another above average pitcher in the regular season and nothing special in the playoffs?

How will Gary Sheffield perform at first base?

Will Hideki Matsui make Yankees fans feel good about Cabrera returning to a bench player role?

Will Robinson Cano continue to prove that he is the best natural hitter on the Yankees?

Will Johnny Damon break out of his end-of-season slump and be the same player who killed Javier Vasquez's career as a Yankee?

Will Bobby Abreu continue his steady performance in the October spotlight?

Will assassins-for-hire, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, and Randy Johnson finally contribute to a ring for the Yankees?

So many good stories.

I love this game!

Joshua
InsideTheYankees.com