Yankees come to grips with slump
-
- May
- 19
Derek Jeter is the king of talking to the media and not really saying much.
But when asked whether the Yankees had problems that go beyond A-Rod and Jorge Posada being out, he relied:
“It doesn’t matter if people are out. You can bring back Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio, other guys have to step up. Every team deals with injuries over the course of the year.”
Strong stuff.
Then this from Joe Girardi:
“I’m the leader. I’ve got to find something. It all comes back to the leader. The leader has to take charge. We have to find a way to win games.”
Now 20-24, the last-place Yankees are six games out and have lost eight of their last 11.
They are 1-3 and have been outscored 24-10 since Girardi held his team meeting in Tampa on Wednesday.
There are 118 games left and only a fool would not realize that they were in far deeper trouble last season. But the Yankees had to go 72-39 after June 1 to make the playoffs last season.
The division is tougher this season and you can’t count on career seasons from Rodriguez and Posada or for Robinson Cano to have a monster second half. The Yankees also have a different manager.
Here’s Girardi’s postgame press conference. Pretty strong (and good, I thought) words from the manager:
But the Yankees need wins at this point, not words.
This entry was posted
on Monday, May 19th, 2008 at 1:29 am by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Share and Enjoy: 
| 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
| 
iTunes
This team is so frustrating to watch.
I still have hope and believe in this team, but jeez. They are playing with their heads up their rear ends right now.
It’s a long season.
It might be that this year we are for real a 500 team, I guess a $200M payroll doesn’t guarantee you a playoff spot, as you know cash/money doesn’t play the game, human players play it and the our yankee players this year doesn’t seem like human being who care much for the game.
Thanks, Pete. Girardi’s a leader, but these are grown men, major league players and the onus is on them to do their job, individually and collectively.
Yes, there were mistakes made, but they’ve had breaks that didn’t go their way. Balls hit hard right at the defender. They are in a slump. Simple as that. It can’t and won’t last.
The last thing they need to do is hang their heads.
Pete, so you talked to Jeter afterwards? Please tell me yes, I can’t imagine Jeter not facing the media even after a tough loss like tonight’s.
Tuesday’s a new day. Another chance.
(ps-fix your rotation, Joe, it’s all jumbled)
Its a long year by my god this is a ugly time to be a Yankee fan.
—-Dont worry, good times coming up—-
so let’s sing:
Shawty had them apple bottom jeans.
Boots with the fur.
The whole club was looking at her.
she hit the flo, next thing you know, shawty got low low low low low low low low.
Them baggy sweat pants, and the reeboks with the straps.
She turned around and gave that big booty a smake.
She hit the flo, next thing you know, Shawty got low low low low low low low low.
(Feeling better? I do).
CMW got Andy-its, 4th inning and boom…all over. Joe and Jeter said it all. They have 118 games to turn this beast around, they better get crackin. 27/08.
It’s tough to expect the same group of players to get out of the hole 3 out of the last 4 years, especially with most of these guys are much older and declining with their skills. I think Cashman should give Gardner and Miranda a call to the big leagues to give a spark and warning to these veterans that the organization is willing to go in a different approach. Promoting Gardner and Miranda would give the Yankees some speed in the OF to spell Cabrera and Damon (both are playing terrible in May) and to have a real defensive 1B.
I know we should give these players chances to play better, but we all know Giambi is gone in the off-season, so get it all over with and DFA Giambi. It creates an opportunity for a real 1B. Sometimes addition by subtraction must be done.
I have more faith in Girardi than I do in some of the players.
We’ve seen this lame act from Damon, Cano, Giambi and Abreu before. I don’t count Melky as in a slump since it appears he came back to earth from where he started.
Changes have to be made and some of the above need to be benched.
Even Jeter knows it.
It’s time they find a 1b somewhere who can field the position and hit a little.
It’s time to figure out who the leadoff hitter is on this team since it’s not Damon.
And I think it’s time to give Mr. Cano an extended seat on the bench.
I think if Ensberg goes tomorrow for Arod, then Shelley should go down for Gardner.
Let Gardner come up and play some LF and give the team some speed.
Let Betemit play some 1b, as much as I hate that.
Let Gonzales, who is clearly not a 3b, play some 2b to give Cano some time off to clear his head and figure out his approach with Long.
Girardi sees what we all see. I’m sure he’s trying to not overreact, but at some point, you have to produce and we can’t carry a listless group like this much longer.
I hope Cashman is being creative and looking for a sparkplug kind of player somewhere who might be available. Even someone in another teams AAA team.
Give me a guy with some desire looking for his shot instead of these guys who just look shot.
I’d rather lose trying that, than lose with experience.
I really don’t know whom to blame, but we can’t play like this for too much longer.
Do you still call Wang an Ace????? looks to me the same Wang who can’t pitch in a big game.
Even with the Umps in our back pocket we can’t beat the Muts. I’m starting to believe that we are CURSED !
We should’ve traded Hughes and Cano for Santana not Hughes and Melky, we can replace Cano with Miguel Cairo or so, Cano looks like Chris Shelton of the Tigers if you know what I mean.
The past 10 years Cashman made bad signings and bad trades this year he made a big mistake by not making a move and keeping are ridiculous garbage Hughes and Kennedy to ourselves, even Joba is becoming more and more unreliable, looks like Cashman should have been fired not Torre.
Melky is awful he cannot hit. For all you who said he will be an all-star or the next Bernie, hahahaha
How about we place our whole lineup on the DL and bring up our AAA lineup? (hey, we had a better record in spring training and they had comeback wins for us).
cano iw worthless another mental midget. yeah cano is shelton except he did it for 1300 more AB’s minor detail even a moron like you should know better.
Peter you are a drama queen like your posters. enough about worrying who is lower the games left #, probably not a real important issue.
I am wrong cano is worthless is right shelton had 97 rbis for toledo and was in the all star game in rookie ball.
correcting mental midgets on this site is a full time job..
GLOVe 1b do not grow on treees. yanks have had as much success with 1B the last few yrs as they have with lefty relievers.. They DO NOT HAVE MANY GOOD POSITION OPTIONS IN THE MINORS.. put damon at 1B bring up gardner and dump giambi if you want but that is a huge gamble and is to panicky at this time….
more ace crap from another mutant poster……
wow, some real insight from Peter tonight. grown men making millions of dollars need to act like grown men and produce t work. wow, that is a novel concept.. since I work full time and support a family I have heard that before….
tell Derek to take a pitch once in a while Peter…..miguel is a option for the hanshin tigers MORON….
Hey Pete can you hit? all right you DH’ing on Tuesday. (thats exactly how the Yankee lineup sounds, like picking up people from slow pitch softball parks).
Tonight’s game was depressing not because the Yankees lost, but because there seemed to be absolutley no energy from anyone on the team, and trust me on this; I was there.
The Mets played with more fire, and that tells you something
I had a whole big blog post typed out but then my browser froze and it’s too late to repeat it, so look for something tomorrow afternoon.
TO ANOTHER BRAIN SURGEON TORRE WAS NOT FIRED HE QUIT.
he was insulted they only offered him a new 1 yr deal for $7 mill. he should have been insulted how dare they insult him by offering him a measly $7 mill.. after all it is outrageous to have only a 1 yr deal just ask tommy lasorda and walter alston.. they were each outraged for about 20 + yrs. each for being so insulted on those measly 1 yr deal.
Rebecca I feel sorry that you had to watch that tonight
Does anyone else actually feel better after listening to Girardi? I do.
*****
to the guy “Cano is worthless:”
*****
who on the yankee roster isn’t worthless these days?? I can only think of Mariano, otherwise I would trade Demon, Fansberg, Shelley-Belly, F-Worth, Chad Bowller and LaToy Bawpins for a good iced cappuccino.
Iced cappuccino, Lol.
Yes the Mets actually won but they’re still losers….. losers stay losers no matter what.
Can’t wait to see Hank Steinbrenner doing what he prommised to do and thats using force!
I don’t know if you realized but Damon’s swing looks exactly like right handerd hitter who tries to hit from the left side…
a bad game and is-Wang-an-ace-or-not topic is brought up again? for me he is still the best picther yankees have right now. if he’s not the ace, then who is? he will bounce back in his next start, trust me.
Can we score more than 2 runs per game?
Why do we always have to play behind?
Can Cano stop with his baby diapers and hit at least like his buddy Melky?
Did Jeter forgot how to steal bases?
Can Wang pitch a good game against a team who has a better record than 500?
Can Wang pitch from the stretch without giving up a run?
Can Giambi throw a ball straight without sweating?
Can Farnsworth pitch a 1-2-3 inning when the game in on the line?
Can Girardi stick with the same lineup for 2 days in a row?
Is Kennedy still a young Mussina or even an old Mussina for that matter?
Can Damon take a full swing once in a while?
is Cano actually trying to hit ground balls to second base to see how his opposing position player fields his ball?
all right I’m tired.
WANG IS NOT AN ACE
if you’re asking who is? Beckett, Santana, Sabathia, Halladay, Kazmir. etc.
An ace is by example and not by how many wins you have, I know the crap stat that Wang has won in the last 2+ years more games than any other pitcher in the game, but to be honest do you consider Wang an ace? no way. deep in your heart you dont. perioud.
I guess you didn’t notice that Wang beat both Sabathia and Halliday in head-to-head match ups this season.
This board gets dumber and dumber with each loss.
Can A-rod still opt out of his contract?
Gotta love you guys ripping into Wang. Every time he has a bad start you all start with the “he’s no ace” garbage. Is Sabathia not an ace because he crapped the bed in the playoffs last year also and then started this season off horribly? What about Beckett? His first season with the Sox he gave up a ton of home runs, but had a great year last year so now he’s the ace of the AL. Both of these guys are great pitchers, but the only reason Beckett giving up 4 hr today isn’t getting any attention is becuase his team scored 11 to get him the win.
Everyone needs to STOP overreacting to every game. Yeah the Yankees suck right now, but thats the way baseball is. Sometimes you go through bad periods, and this is particularly bad. I wish all of you ripping into Cano were in my fantasy league. Leave Melky alone!! He is also a streaky hitter, and 15-20 hr with a .280 ba will look good at the end of the season. Also I like Gardner, but we don’t need another LF and for 1B Miranda is battling injuries again. By the way Betemit is on the dl so he can’t play 1B right now nor would I want him to.
Finally to the guy taking about Firing Cashman for not getting Johan…. How many times do you have to hear it to realize that your ripping 21 and 23 yr old pitchers? Kennedy hasn’t even pitched 2 full seasons of pro ball!! He has around 10 major league starts. Hughes is one of if not still the youngest starter in MLB. Joba is human. RELAX and let them grow!!
Theres more of you I would like to laugh at, but this is taking way too long.
Every one of the 4 million who paid to see the Yankees this season ought to sue them and get their money back for the product they are putting on the field. Since the Yanks are winning a game a week, I suggest cutting Giambi, Abreu, and Damon and play people who give a d*****
Wang isn’t an ace. His ERA in the playoffs stinks. He is a pitcher with a 4.50 ERA.
three hits off of Perez. Now they face Cabrera. Could be a no hitter.
I keep reading quotes from Yankee players saying, “we are better than this”…ah…no…your not. It is what it is. Last place, no pitching, no cluth hitting and no middle pen. They are not “better than this”.
These are the earned runs that Wang has allowed in his 10 starts this year, and the opposing pitcher:
2 vs Halladay
0 vs Shields
1 vs Bucholz
8 vs Bucholz
3 vs Contreras
0 vs Sabathia
1 vs Bedard
3 vs Cliff Lee
1 vs Edwin Jackson
7 vs Perez
That’s 8 great starts and 2 dismal ones.
For those haters that keep insisting that Wang isn’t an Ace… are you just jealous that you’re not the Yankees #1 pitcher? Or do you just wish that the Yankees #1 pitcher wasn’t an Asian guy?
I’m getting to the point where I am nervous here for our season. I honestly do not think getting ARod up here is going to help us out all that much because one guy just can not get the job done all by himself. I also have a hard time believing that the Mets are nine runs better than us. Things have to change fast here though because it looks like things could implode around here real soon.
WANG IS NOT AN ACE
if you’re asking who is? Beckett, Santana, Sabathia, Halladay, Kazmir. etc.”
Sabathia? His ERA in the playoffs stinks too.
Kazmir? Lack of playoff experience.
One bad game and you guys treat him like a garbage.
I think everybody should step back from the ledge here. I have a gutty feeling that this is going to be a real frustrating season. I already blew a head-gasket on this team once (Detroit series) and am coming to the conclusion that it is really not worth blowing another one because this may be the team we are stuck with this season.
This team right now does not have that spark it needs to create energy on the field and we need to find somebody who can start something when we are down and need some runs or somebody to start something at the beginning of the game.
As for our pitching staff…what we have is not a Championship caliber pitching staff.
Wang-Has been our best pitcher this season
Pettitte-Has been shaky of late in the middle innings
Moose-Getting old, but has been doing better as opposed to his first few starts of the season
Rasner-Only two games, but two good games so we need to see if that holds up
Hughes/IPK/Igawa-completely dreadful for us this year
Quite frankly the Yankees the way they are composed right now may make the playoffs, but will see another early exit. However making the playoffs this season is not a definite possibility the way this team is playing.
I truly hope the words motivate the men to win, BUT, as the old saying goes, after last night…..HEADS WILL ROLL ! I can’t see Hank standing idly by while the Yankees flail about in last place. Getting swept by the Mutts ( I know only 2 games ) at HOME ? and with that slug of a pitcher that they threw at us ? The pitching has kept us this close ( ONLY(?) 5 games out of 1st place, in the loss column…but STILL in last place )…but on night’s when the pitching needs some help, our offense is still pretty bad. A-Rod coming back is going to be a huge help, but the way this team has played without A-Rod and Posada is showing what kind of “team” Heart we have, and that is a pretty weak one. I am SO ready to see NO MORE IPK, NO MORE IGAWA and Joba in the rotation. If we need to make a move to get a more established 8th inning man to try to take Joba’s place in the ‘pen, the time to do it is NOW. We all know that pitching as a NYY is the highest pressure a player can face,….get the “new guy” some innings under his belt. OK, I’m done. Have a great day, Pete AND all of you fellow Yankee Lovers out there !
People need to relax. Everyone except Matsui is hitting below their career averages, and a lot of guys are having career-worst years. Even Jeter- if he continues at this pace it would be a career worst year for him. Baseball is a game of statistics and averages and things will turn around. When we get ARod back, it’s going to affect the top of the order and bigger numbers will be coming from everyone.
The SP is another issue and a real problem, but we made a choice to not mortgage the future for the present (change in policy from the last 10 years). Any fool who demanded trading all the young guys for Santana should NOT complain about the acquisitions of Kevin Brown, Unit, Clemens round 2, Moose, Vasquez, Contreras and Igawa. How many of these worked out? How do you guarantee that Santana will work out for the Mets? Basically you are saying the days of 2001 - 2005 are the way to go (throwing coin at big name pitchers), and I would expect you to say we should sign Clemens right now.
Not making the playoffs might be the best thing to happen for the Yankees, since we keep getting knocked out in the first round and none of the problems are fixed.
Since 2005 Cashman has added two players to this team. Andy Pettitte and Johnny Damon. Not enough to fix the issues at hand.
Everyone will have to live with team this year. They are not a good team for any number of reasons. There older players are getting older by the minute and their younger players have not stepped up to help out. So we have to live with Giambi and his tiger thong and we can tout Melky as an All Star batting .250. It is the way it is and I will remain a Yankee fan.
Filip Bondy in today’s Daily News: “Despite all of Girardi’s announced plans for more aggressive play on the bases, for building runs, the Yankees have stolen only 14 bases all season, while opponents have swiped 45 against a quartet of catchers. Girardi, it turns out, is no more aggressive than Torre.”
I guess I can’t complain about the posters here who are right for all the wrong reasons. Yeah, Einsteins, a 20-24 record sucks. Yeah, they need to play better. But is it because Girardi is a fraud or a fool for not stealing more bases? Girardi’s no different from Torre?
Attention, Bondy, professional sportswriter: If your offense is on life support and you’re not scoring runs, how do you steal a lot of bases? What would the Bondys of the world be saying if Girardi was running his threadbare offense out of their few productive innings by putting on the steal sign more often? Who steals when they are behind a few runs?
Without a Jose Reyes or Brain Roberts, the steal relies on the hitters as much as the runner. Assuming they have a lead or at least a tie, the hitter has to get into a hitter’s count and should handle the bat well so there’s no strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out DP. So, Bondy, who’s at the plate when somebody’s stealing these bases for the Yankees? Ensberg? Gonzalez? Moeller? Duncan? Molina? And who is stealing these bases? Jeter with a bad quad? A-Rod while on the DL? Damon, who has been hitting poorly so as not to be on the bases regularly?
So, this is another grind it out year. No, they are not going to run away with it as in the late 90s. If they get to the playoffs this year, it will take Girardi’s 2d manager of the year performance. But if not, these chickens have been waiting to come home to roost for years. Picking on Girardi for it is a pretty lame version of Musical Chairs: the bad tune the team has been playing for the last 7 or 8 years is over and Joe G doesn’t have a seat? Wake up.
Cashman is trying to change course. The future is not Damon, Giambi or even Matsui, let alone Ensberg, Duncan or Molina. Cash knows they must get younger, more athletic and the prospects are the key. That’s the problem, has been for years. It’s not about a lack of stolen bases or Joe G.
The future isn’t going to be ARod, Posada, Jeter, or Rivera either. This rotation isn’t 1 or 2 years away, its more like 4-5 years away.
By that time ARod will be in decline, and this offense will have been completely wasted.
Murphydog -
I always look forward to your first post of the day. Unfortunately, logic and reason don’t rule the day, everyone wants quick answers and quicker fixes.
What amuses me most is the crystal ball that some people seem to have in their possession that allows them to be so absolutely certain of how things are going to go for the Yankees, not just this season, but down a longer road. It’s interesting to note that those forecasts come down on both the positive AND negative outlooks. All or nothing outlooks, as it were.
The Yankees are a team with both the money and the will to make changes in order to win. But it would seem to me that no team is infallible. Miscalculations are made; human beings fail to perform as expected; injuries take out your most stalwart players. I just want to point out that Cashman, et al, have information in their possession that we do not. Also, they don’t pull their expectations for this team out of a hat. And just a reminder that in spite of the potential weaknesses of this team, there were many (not only fans) saying they would score close to 1,000 runs and attain a playoff berth once again.
I’m of the mindset that baseball for me is diversion, an entertainment. It does not have a whole lot of impact on my life. I like when the Yankees win; not so much when they lose. But the baseball season is long enough that it allows me to wake up each day and say, “they’ll get’em today.” And for baseball players mired in a team-wide slump, it would seem that would have to be the only approach they can have, that is, to know their own talent and to shake off the bad days and start anew each day.
Ugly, ugly game last night. Not fun to watch. But tomorrow is a new game with new possibilities.
Personnel moves must be made and damned soon. It’s time for 2-3 players to be called up from AAA led by Brett Gardner to change the face of the team. This means Duncan and a pitcher are sent down and Ensberg is DFA’d.
Regardless of salaries, Damon and Giambi should sit as a reality check until their futures are decided sooner rather than later.
Waiting for Alex and Jorge to return as saviors is delusional. They can’t be instant game deciders without help.
Joe Girardi himself has to change the daily routine to prevent players from falling into complacency.
Games strategies need overhauling; the team is very vanilla.
“Cashman is trying to change course. ”
murphydog-
the yankees have been underachieving for years now considering the money they spent each year trying to improve . cashman has done a very good job of scrambling after they get so far behind that the post season looks like a long shot.
however the man is tired,worn, and lacking in creativity and inspiration. he’s been in the job too long. he’s set for life in baseball. he doesn’t need the yankees, and the yankees don’t need him at this point with his same old same,same old way of doing things.
the yankees will never win another championship with cashman running the show. he’s done in new york. he does the same old thing and says the same old things. he’s stale.
the yankees need a dynamic, young, hungry gm who’s not afraid to make changes.
At this point I think we in fact do need to DFA Ensberg and call up Gardner. I agree we need to spark something on the base paths, but I can’t blame Girardi right now for not doing it. Last night we actually stole two bases when we could. But we didn’t have many baserunners at all, and Giambi got on three times and he obviously can’t move.
Is Damon hurt? He’s not even taking any significant leads.
I agree that we need to make some changes on this team.
Why not give Brett a shot. Maybe it will be a wake up call to this team.
Perhaps some minor changes would help stimulate things.
Right now this team plays like they have no sense of themselves. Its really frustrating to watch. Of course we have months to go but this is quite messy at the moment.
This is a horrific way to close out the final year of the most hallowed ground in all of sports with an underachieving collection of players.
I thought I had read somewhere on the site that alluded to the fact tha Damon was playing with a slight groin injury, but it’s never really been made public.
i would really be hesistant to call up Gardner and “change the face of the team.” but he’s had a pretty good week at Scranton, and i do think he’s worth a shot.
I wouldnt be surprised if Ensberg was DFA’d with ARod coming back and a roster move needing to be made, although at this point you could purge an arm from that bullpen just as easily.
I think it’s telling to see Alberto playing 3B regularly as the end of the ARod injury played out… for all the talk that he’s all glove and no bat, i think he handled himself very well at the MLB level… at worst, at least he’s shown that he’s not an offensive liability, and at best, he’s demonstrated his love for the glove while being able to slap some basehits and take some walks.
there really isnt much else that can be espected from the team roster-wise, though. unles you can find a player who can be controlled for the next couple years, I dont see Cashman making moves to push for it here in 2008. you stick with the roster you came out of spring with, and try to improve internally, and hope that this prolific offense can finally give your starting pitcher more than the anemic 2 runs a game it’s producing now.
ha-ha espn called out!
http://www.wcbs880.com//wcbs880.com/ESPN-Picture–Live-Shot-or-Lie-Shot-/2212060
I now have a better understanding of what Chinese water torture must be like.
i don’t follow the cubs that much but they were 66-96 in 2006. 85-77 last year. and 27-17 this year. the second best record in baseball.
from a distance, they seem like they do a lot of extreme things there. they get soriano, they resign zambrano, they hire pinella. and they don’t seem to have a youth plan dominating their development as a team .
the new yankee gm need to do some extreme things.
it can be done. look at the cubs.
If Damon is hurt he needs to be rested. I’m really not one for trading him as he still has value for this team, but he has significantly cooled off from where he was two weeks ago. I don’t know if that has to do with the groin, but if it does he could use a couple of days off.
Certainly it’s too soon to completely panic, but there are fundamental flaws with this team that should have been addressed before spring. Number one on the list is being an AWFUL defensive team. Damon and Matsui can’t throw. Abreu can’t throw straight and is afraid of the wall. Giambi is the Michael Jackson of baseball — he wears a glove on his left hand for no freakin’ reason.
Second, the Yankees were too lefthanded last year and did nothing to rectify the problem. There are just two regulars who hit right handed and switch hitters Cabrera and Benemit are futile from the right side. Abreu should not have been retained. That money ($16m) might have gotten Torii Hunter, allowing a move to RF by Melky and would have improved defense at 2 positions and RH/LH balance.
what to do?
1. Accept the fact that there are no position players in the system that can help this year or next.
2. Pursue a RH bat that hits lefties big time like Xavier Nady. If there is another out there who can play 1B find him and start platooning at 1B and/or RF.
3. Start counting the days until CC Sabathia and Mark Teixiera become free agents. They can be had for roughly the same money being spent on Giambi, Pavano and Farnswurst.
4. Start bracing Jeter for the idea that just like Cal Ripken, Robin Yount and Ernie Banks it’s time to vacate SS for a better gloveman. Jeter at 1B? LF? CF?
We should make moves, like calling up Gardner. Because lets be serious people, at this point it can’t get much worse. At least this way we can say we’re trying to do something other than just sit with our thumbs up our butts waiting for the team to come around, if they ever do.
We were in deep worse last year, but as it’s been said before, that doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed to do it again. That would make it what, the past 4 years this has happened to us? As everyone likes to point out that baseball is a game of averages and statistics. That doesn’t bode well for us considering we’ve been able to pick ourselves up every time so far.
The Yankees look bad right now. Their offense is just not doing anything. But this is a long season and there is still plenty of time. They are fortunate that Boston started slowly. And even the other teams considered wildcard contenders (Cleveland, Detroit, Seattle) have started badly. The Yankees, despite their bad start, have not played themselves out of contention.
But if they are to get going I really think they need to bring some speed to the line-up - maybe Gardner. When Alex comes back tomorrow I think Ensberg becomes expendible. He was supposed to play for Alex, and yet he rarely did.
Baseball is a long season. Every team has loosing streaks during the course of the season, but unfortunataly the Yanks are having theirs now.
I still have faith that the Yanks will get this ship righted. They have the talent and with a few tweaks they can easily get on a roll.
Joe Monte
Miranda is hurt. Don’t expect to see him any time soon.
You can’t steal bases if no one gets on base.
I wonder if they will make some symbolic move at this point - bring up someone from Scranton, etc. - just to shake things up. Any ideas?
Randy,
C’mon, really. I know you don’t like Cashman but, what “extreme things” can he do?
Do you think he wants Jason Giambi on the team? Do you not think he knows he kills them on a nightly basis?
Do you think he doesn’t see the age and lack of athleticism killing this team every night?
What’s he supposed to do? Just release guys? The Steinbrenners aren’t eating that kind of money for in season moves. Its not happening.
Believe me, if they could waive a magic wand, a LOT of guys would be gone right now. But, as you know, its not how it works in the real world.
Look around the game. There isn’t a big market for guys who are making 8 figures and are shells of their former selves.
Cashman DID something extreme this year and you, as well as others, KILLED him for it. He went with two rookies in the rotation. I’d say that’s rather “extreme”.
The Cubs? Really? Did the Cubs have guys clogging up their payroll, making moves impossible to make?
Do you really think the Cubs have had a better few years than the Yankees? They are perennial underachievers.
Nobody in baseball views the Cubs as some type of model of success.
Honestly, what can Cashman do when just about the entire team underperforms?
Raise your hand if you KNEW the entire team wouldn’t hit coming out of spring training? I certainly didn’t.
The fact is, they are stuck with certain players and they aren’t going to just eat the money and get rid of them. At least not on May 19.
Its the whole reason the entire organization has been waiting for this season to end. It gives them the ability to do the “extreme” things you want because it frees up a ton of cash.
There are no magic bullets or magic moves one can make when the entire team underperforms. We saw that last year with Clemens. ADDING payroll didn’t make the team better. The players who were underperforming performed better. That’s what made the team better.
Look at the Yankee roster and tell me who has played at or above expectations this year. Matsui, Jeter, Chamberlain, Moose, Wang, Rivera and that’s about it. Six guys, allowing of course for incomplete grades for Arod and Posada because they are hurt.
Some others have underperformed so dramatically they underscore the guys who have performed up to snuff.
When that happens, there is only so much any GM can do.
At some point, it falls on the 25 guys in the room. THEY can change the course of the season. Nobody else.
Not Cashman, Torre, Girardi, the Ghost of Billy Martin, Bob Sheppard or anybody else.
Ellen, cant do that when you have too much money tied into position players that cant be moved.
several of us were discussing bobby abreu’s value on friday and several posters pointed to his “excellent” or “phenominal” arm. my opinion was that he has as very strong though often inaccurate arm. last night, he could have prevented all 6 of the 8th inning runs with 2 pretty simple throws to the plate. both throws were wildly inaccurate and contributed to the ugliness of the final score. i know that game was out of hand by then but i just wanted to point out that the wall isnt abreu’s only problem on defense.
I think Girardi needs to allow candy back in the clubhouse. This team is in desperate need of a sugar high.
TurnTwo: I know, it’s just my frustration talking. I actually don’t think they’ll be this putrid all summer, but it’s hard to see much improvement beyond the return of Alex this week.
Ian: or greenies in the coffee again.
All things considered, we are poised and ready to go from 20-24 ( worst ) to 100-62 ( first )….all we need to do is go 80-38 (.678 ) over the next 118 games….it is that simple !!!
( Who’s with me ???…OVER ?…it’s not OVER !!!….was it OVER when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor ???? ,,,It wasn’t over THEN ! and it’s not over NOW !…..WHO’s WITH ME ???? ) 
SJ44 -
Thank you for your last post. What I was thinking, but was too exasperated to try and put into words.
When did Girardi pee in your Cheerios Pete? Cashman constructed this team but you never throw him under the bus.
“This is a horrific way to close out the final year of the most hallowed ground in all of sports with an underachieving collection of players.”
you know, i was thinking the same thing the other day. it’s great to open a new stadium with a good team, but how do you close yankee stadium with this team we are seeing now?
why not go for it in the last year of yankee stadium? the new stadium will have lots of chances. for me the old stadium will always remind me of my father who first took me there as a kid and told me to look at that guy and remember him. his name was ted williams. my father hated the red sox. but he told me to remember williams because he knew i wouldn’t be seeing someone like him again.
the old stadium was the place of hundreds of millions of memories like that. those memories deserve a team that drops everything and goes for it this year.
A-Rod back….Huge Improvement…..Posada back…HUGE Improvement….Joba in the rotation in place of IPK….HUGE Improvement….All of our offense responding and hitting back at their career averages….HUGE IMPROVEMENT !….After we see all that, you’ll see the BoSux in our Rear View Window and they’ll be fading fast. Dice-K and his shell game…Exposed !…BeckJerk and his “slop” that he is throwing this year….Mashed !..20-24….Mark it down,,,,remember it…because THIS is the BOTTOM of the Barell and we are headed up and out of the cellar….staring RIGHT FLIPPIN’ NOW ! ( now where is my 4th shot of Expresso hiding ??? )
don, relax, its an off-day!
Randy I have a similar story that you have with my first Yankee game. With me it is with Cal Ripken Jr. as the reason why I went to Yankee Stadium for the first time.
Off day ? ( in Gilda Radner’s voice —-> ) Ok, nevermind…
SJ44,
I don’t understand why people kill you for your posts. You always seem to have the most level headed, well-thought out posts, not to mention an understanding of the game and how it works. It’s so nice to see someone with some perspective than some drone of a Yankee fan that thinks we can come back from an 11-2 deficit in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs when we only have 3 hits all game, are like 15 for 10000 with RISP, and we’ve been averaging a tad more than 1 run a game.
There’s nothing worse than a fan who can’t admit that the team is flat-out playing like poop and this just not might be a winning season. And there’s nothing better than a fan who can admit all the shortcomings and realities of their team, especially with the 2008 Yankees.
randy l -
And when the Yankees sell the farm to win this year, and christen the new stadium with a losing team with no prospects for improvement, what will you say then?
Whatever will be will be.
Abreu is a strange case. Its almost as if he is two seperate players. One when Arod is in the lineup and one when he isn’t.
When Arod is in the lineup, it seems his whole game is better. He takes pitches, drives in runs, and becomes a tough out. He’s not a great OF but he seems to make the plays. His arm? Agreed, he’s like Nuke Laloosh out there at times.
When Arod is not in the lineup, he’s an entirely different hitter/player. Impatient at the plate, seems to try to do too much, and almost wills himself into slumps. His defense also declines (at least it seems that way to me) when Arod is out of the lineup.
Its hard to explain. I can’t remember the last time I have seen a player so dependent on another players presence in the lineup to achieve his own success.
It makes evaluating him for the future a real challenge.
Doreen,
Just calling them as I see them.
Having spent some time watching Scranton and Trenton in recent days, there are no magic bullets down below to fix what’s broken in NY.
Brett Gardner? Like him, think he will be on the roster at some point this year but, he’s not the answer. He solves their legs dilemma right now but, not their problems against lefties, because he is a LH hitter.
He’s also not ready yet, IMO. He still needs more AB’s in AAA.
I love what I saw of Melancon, Cox and Robertson. Those guys will make it easier for Chamberlain to become a starter. They can pitch.
Other than that, not much help is in the immediate offing from the farm system. These guys are gonna have to figure it out and fix it amongst themselves in that Yankee locker room right now.
nemo,
you obviously dont read him in-game panic posts!
Doreen:
“I just want to point out that Cashman, et al, have information in their possession that we do not. Also, they don’t pull their expectations for this team out of a hat.”
You hit the nail on the head. In closed door meetings, they must have acknowledged going in there was a possibility the bottom could drop out during the season. They probably thought it would be the pitching but to date it’s been the offense, despite the IPK/Hughes meltdown. But who predicted the Rays to be in 1st place this late in the year and for Boston to be unable to pull off a burst that distances them from the Yankees? You just never know in this game; that’s part of what makes it great.
At the same time, there must have been an agreement that to fix this team for a period of more self-sustaining high performance, like the late 90s, they could not panic if the bottom dropped out this year, abandon the plan (younger, cheaper, more athletic) and start dealing youth for age. IMO Hank is just trying to squeeze every drop out of this team by running his mouth - I don’t think he is going to upset the organizational applecart.
So, the Yanks will compete in the 2d half if A-Rod and Po return and put up back-of-the-baseball-card numbers and lengthen the lineup. But I’m frankly much more worried about the rotation. Pettitte, with his elbow history, might be trying to gut something out. IMO Hughes and IPK will not be consistent this year. After that it doesn’t matter anymore; Joba as starter isn’t going to save this season. Unless the Indians give up the chase and deal CC to the Yanks, it’s going to be tough to come all the way back like last year. Wang and CC with a re-born Moose might be enough pitching. Wang, a lackluster Pettitte, Moose and “kid of the week” will not, IMO.
This didn’t make me feel any better -
“If there is an off-balance throw that must be made, with little or no warning, Posada will have to make it. With a shoulder he acknowledges could need surgery after this season, he does not know for sure how that will feel.”
Surgery? 1st year of a 4 yr deal.
Not really interested in my cereal anymore.
Cashman DID something extreme this year and you, as well as others, KILLED him for it. He went with two rookies in the rotation. I’d say that’s rather “extreme”.
sj-
i look at “youth movements” as cliched old news that is so ‘moneyball”.
cashman’s plan is not creative and new . it’s so derivative .
i mentioned the cubs on a whim. i noticed they were doing well because i have always liked soriano and notice him from time to time like now when he’s on one of his hot streaks. my point with the cubs is not that they are the model franchise, but that quick improvement is possible. we don’t have to accept going back to charleston to lay a foundation for the team.it can be done right now at the major league level.
the cubs have done it with decisions like choosing lilly over igawa. that’s a low blow, but it did happen. i just think that cashman’s plan is like the old soviet 5 year plans that always needed another 5 year plan after the previous one failed.
and i don’t dislike cashman the man. he seems like a decent guy. he just seems like the epitemy of the peter principle.
personally, im not counting on much if anything from posada this year. bear in mind, that he has already taken 2 rest periods to try to heal it and both times came back and wasnt ready to play. if we didnt already have 4 or 5 DH’s (and a slumping offense), id say just use him as the dh for the rest of the year, but unless the rest of the hitters start doing something, they cant keep molina behind the plate, b/c he just cant hit at all.
Nemo,
Its simple. People who kill me on here are folks who don’t want to read anything negative about the Yankees.
If you aren’t a cheerleader in their eyes, you are a troll. There is no in between. No matter how much you attempt to reason with them, its not going to change. I could care less about those folks. They are no better fans than myself or others who discuss the team on this blog. They are like myself, fans. That’s it. Nothing more. The just do it in a different way. That’s ok. Its why its an interactive forum.
I spend more money following this team around, both at the major league and minor league levels, than some folks earn in a year.
I do it because baseball is a passion of mine. Its no longer my primary source of income and hasn’t been for years. That comes from business in other sports.
I don’t say this to impress anyone or to rank my fandom. I say it because its the truth.
As far as the future of the team, I’ve stated many times, they are going in the right direction for the future.
Unfortunately, the present is rough right now because its a roster of guys of which many don’t fit where the game is going these days. Because of salary commitments, the Yankees are stuck with some of them right now.
You can’t just wave a magic wand and rid yourself of those guys. That will happen soon enough at the end of the season. Or perhaps during the season at or around the trade deadline.
Its not difficult to see what has to be done in the present. These guys simply have to play better. That’s it.
Jim Leyland is what most casual fans love as a manager. He’s right out of Central Casting. Old School, tough, yells, great soundbites, strategist, etc. Fans and media LOVE guys like that.
He tore into his team twice already this year. Folks eat that up. Guess what? It hasn’t done a bit of good.
The Tigers are in worse shape than the Yankees.
They blew up their entire farm system for this year (talk about going “extreme”) and they are a mess.
Buster Olney followed them around last week and called them “joyless”.
Does that make Leyland a bad manager? Nope. He’s a great manager. He just has a bad team. It happens and sometimes no matter what you do, guys don’t respond and can’t get it together.
I think its too early to say that about the Yankees right now. But, something has to change soon.
The most dangerous attitude to take as a player is, “We turned it around last year and we can do it again”, as if its just going to happen. You have to MAKE it happen.
I think some fans have the same attitude. That’s a dangerous road to travel. Belief is one thing. Blind faith is another.
It won’t happen just because it did last year. That’s not how it works.
“i don’t follow the cubs that much but they were 66-96 in 2006. 85-77 last year. and 27-17 this year. the second best record in baseball.
from a distance, they seem like they do a lot of extreme things there. they get soriano, they resign zambrano, they hire pinella. and they don’t seem to have a youth plan dominating their development as a team .
the new yankee gm need to do some extreme things.
it can be done. look at the cubs.”
Do you think there might be a difference? I mean, the Yankees haven’t had a last place 66-96 season…. Neifi Perez was a starting position player on that team. When Derrek Lee got hurt, John Mabry was their starting 1B. Ronny Cedeno, Matt Murton, Juan Pierre, and Jacque Jones? :ROFL: They had Carlos Zambrano (good), Greg Maddux (decent (~4.5 ERA), two stinkers and a rotating stinker in the 5th slot.
It’s not hard to improve a garbage team. A healthy Derrek Lee is a big improvement by itself.
Do you think the Yankees had the payroll room (assuming Hal ain’t lying when he says he wants to lower payroll to manageable levels) to sign Soriano level free agents this past offseason? Who was available? Torii Hunter? That contract is going to be something the Angels regret by the end of it.
“i don’t follow the cubs that much but they were 66-96 in 2006. 85-77 last year. and 27-17 this year. the second best record in baseball.
it can be done. look at the cubs.”
Yep, we should all become Cubs Fans. The franchise that hasn’t won a World Championship in 100 years and hasn’t even SEEN a World Series since 1945!
I can’t even imagine the whining that would go on if some of you were Cubs Fans!
There is still talent on the current Yankee roster. There is a load of potential talent in the yankee MiLB organization. The Yankee Team is slumping right now. Some of these players will hit much better than this current slide. Cano, Damon, Abreu, and even Molina will hit better. With the return of ARod and Posada, the offense will score more runs.
Some moves definitely need to be made if they are to have a chance at Post Season play. (Should have been made in the off-season). A MLB firstbaseman, League-average No. 4 starter, and lefty reliever would be a good start!
I don’t know what’s worse, that loss last night or reading some of the comments on this blog. Everybody’s a genius when they have the results in front of them.
I’ve been reading this blog for about two years now. I’ve seen a lot of wild comments - depending on the day, fire this one or cut that one. Even calls for things which are completely impossible, like trading players with no-trade clauses. (I’m curious why the same people call for this last one every so often, after having what “no trade” means explained time and again.)
I will say that I think that certain things are potentially fixable, like replacing Jason Giambi. I think it’s a mistake to say they can’t because of the money owed him. I disagree. That money was already committed/spent 7 years ago by George. They have to pay that whether he plays for them or not. The only financial question here is how much it would cost for whomever replaces him. Depending on the replacement player, it might not have much impact on the budget at all. The only potential catch is if Jason comes back with another team and haunts the Yanks that way. So the question then becomes, how likely is that. If he continues to play the way that he is, I really think he’ll be gone before long, assuming a palatable alternative is available.
The Yankees were very fortunate that they were able to move Sheffield and Randy Johnson and get some younger pieces for them. Some of the those pieces will (and some have) work out; some won’t. But the direction was there to see - get rid of older players when you can and pick up prospects. I am sure that if there was a real market out there for Giambi, Damon or even Matsui, the Yankees would have made the deal. I can’t see any team at all wanting to take on Giambi at all. The returns on offers of Damon and Matsui must not have had enough up side as compared to what Damon and Matsui could do for the Yankees themselves when productive. Both are good team members (as opposed to the general feeling on Sheffield and Johnson both, that they were not necessarily “team players,” for whatever that’s worth since I’ve never been in the Yankees clubouse) as well.
I don’t know why it’s so difficult for people to understand that just because the Yankees want to do something (trade and/or signing free agent), it’s not always going to happen. Teams do not like to make the Yankees better, so trades are going to be more difficult to do. Free agents may actually prefer NOT to play in New York. I know, I know, who could possibly want to turn down that kind of opportunity, but not everyone is cut out to have his performance parced on an hourly basis.
Even the possibility of signing Sabathia and/or Teixeira - people talk as if it’s a foregone conclusion that if the Yankees will it and toss enough money out there, they will come. It’s not going to happen like that anymore. The trend seems to be for players in free agency to be looking at the whole picture, not just the money, and frankly, it’s not a guarantee that, even with the Yankees, they’ll get that ring at the end of the season. More competitive teams mean the chances are just as likely to get to the post season with any number of a handful of teams. Very unlike earlier in the decade.
We’re very Yankee-centric here, understandably. But there are a lot of teams out there trying to win, and a lot more of them have money to spend.
“And when the Yankees sell the farm to win this year, and christen the new stadium with a losing team with no prospects for improvement, what will you say then?”
doreen-
why do they have to sell the farm? they can sell some cows off the farm. they can buy an expensive tractor. they can hire a better boss to manage the hired hands.
there’s all kinds of moves that can be done without “selling the farm”.
i find myself in an odd position where i like and respect you, murphydog,and sj yet we see the gm role of the yankees in a very different way. i want dynamic.
brian cashman just doesn’t strike me as dynamic. i just don’t think it’s in him.
okay all you smart#$##4’s.
what is the cubs record?
don’t let reality get in the way of your beliefs.
i’m just flat out bored with the team. it’s been the same old thing the last few years, YAWN
don’t expect us to go on a tear this year of 70-36 or anything, different division foes to deal with by far! ugh!
Girardi mentioned the word “Tuesday” 8 times! It felt like he is really trying to not focus on what happened in this game but what the Yanks should do on Tuesday. Tuesday’s game is not Game 1 of 118. It’s Game 45 of 162.
SJ44….thanks again for your posts…I, for one, appreciate both your opinion and your honesty….take care, friend !
” . . . people talk as if it’s a foregone conclusion that if the Yankees will it and toss enough money out there, they will come. It’s not going to happen like that anymore.”
I’d appreciate one example of a player entering FA in his peak earning years that didn’t take the money “thrown” at them.
Cubbies in 1st place
Randy,
You really want to compare the NL Central with the AL East?
Wouldn’t you agree the Cubs and Yankees situations are entirely different?
Who has been more successful that last 5 years, let alone longer, the Yankees or Cubs?
Now, because the Cubs are doing well in May, they are in a better place, both short term and long term, than the Yankees?
You can’t make decisions in a vaccum. Yes, today the Cubs have a better record than the Yankees. So what, its an apples and oranges argument.
The Cubs also haven’t had to deal to the Yankees issues the past few years. Hell, they haven’t performed in nearly 100 years up to their capabilities.
They are also playing in the easiest division in baseball. Does that not factor into your analysis of the two organizations?
There isn’t a baseball executive in the business who would take the Cubs over the Yankees, from an organizational standpoint, right now.
Especially, given their ownership situation, which is a mess.
Its more than just looking at a snapshot in the standings to determine an organizations value.
Two years ago, the Red Sox missed the playoffs. That came off a 2005 season in which they were swept in the ALDS by the White Sox.
They didn’t blow it up or panic. They didn’t fire the entire front office. Why? Because they knew their overall organizational plan was solid.
Even if the immediate results were not.
Its turned out ok for them, hasn’t it?
The Yankees are in the same place the Red Sox were in a couple of years ago. The organizational plan is solid even if the immediate results are not.
You just stay the course and keep retooling. That’s what they are going to do. It just can’t be done overnight.
edwar ramirez hasn’t allowed a run all year long. and that changeup looks better than ever. lets give the guy some credit for what he has done. at least mention it once in a while. he is the only good thing about this year so far.
FOR SALE:
First Baseman: a 1971 classic barrel-chested
model, requires ‘octane booster’ to perform at peak level. current condition: runs (or at least THINKS he can run). WE’LL PAY YOU TO TAKE THIS ONE OFF THE LOT!
Left Fielder: ‘73 ‘idiot’ model speedster. good weekday car, needs alot of recovery time to perform at peak. this model brings fun to any garage!
Third Baseman: ‘75 (almost)MVP model, currently not hitting on all (any?) cylinders. will trade for spare parts.
First Baseman: this 1979 concept car never made it into production despite years and years of development. used very sparingly and rumored to have tons of power .
This will be a dog fight by thge middle of June. The Sox are starting Lester-Masterson-Bartolo Calzone Mon-Wed. Sound like a flawed team as well?
-dennis
“Abreu is a strange case. Its almost as if he is two seperate players. One when Arod is in the lineup and one when he isn’t.”
That was always the issue fans in Philly had with him. He can’t be “the guy”. When he’s asked to, he can’t carry it off. When asked to be the supporting actor, he’s fine. Thing is, the good or bad of a movie is rarely dtermined by the strength of a supporting actor.
There was also the issue of his lack of fortitude as it relates to right field walls.
“The Yankees are in the same place the Red Sox were in a couple of years ago. The organizational plan is solid even if the immediate results are not.”
I think this is an important point. Theo knew he had holes with that team. They didn’t due anything crazy with their farm. Added a quality arm to rotation and pen in off season, let youth contribute and were rewarded with a WS. Also not a coincidence, that year Vartek, Manny, and Ortiz missed a lot of time with injuries.
But randy l -
You said the Yankees should “go for it.” Perhaps you didn’t mean selling the farm, and perhaps I went for the hyperbole, but to get players that would make an immediate impact of the type you want - a guaranteed run for the World Series this season, it will take the Yankees selling off their best cows, those with the most promise for the future. It’s what people have been complaining about for years.
I don’t think Cashman is infallible and I do think he’s made mistakes. I think 2 years of instability at first base, especially when you no longer have a pitching staff that can strike out the world, is ridiculous. I thought it was absurd to let Mientkiewicz go, because inspite of his mediocre offense, he was good with the glove - a lot more stable than Giambi and, in any event, Ensberg and Betemit are not an improvement. Who knows really about Duncan?
I thought he addressed the bullpen in a sane way, because bullpens as a rule are not an exact science, and it truly looks like there may be prospects from within that will be able to do that job and you don’t want to block them by signing mediocre pieces to 2 years or more.
I don’t think that this past season there was a pitcher I would have wanted Cashman to sign, but after the 2006 season, I thought there were a couple of decent options after they lost the bid for Dice-K. Igawa was a mistake, plain and simple. No getting around that one. I don’t, however, think that the huge bid by Boston for Dice-K could have been foreseen. EVERYONE was shocked by that. BUT, they were also out-bid by the Mets (which many people tend to forget), and I think they could have gone a little higher than they did, not that it would ultimately have made a difference.
So, I’m not a blind Cashman devotee. But I see positives and negatives, and I see a team underperforming, and ultimately it’s incredibly disappointing that major league athletes can’t step up - you’d think that this is what all of them strive for — to be THE GUY, the one who wants to be counted on by his teammates when the going gets tough. I starting to not be mollified by the “they’re trying TOO hard” mantra. Maybe the should try hypnosis or something!
i miss soriano….
TKinDC -
It’s not so much that FAs don’t take the money thrown at them, because of course they do. But they will take a little less money from one team over another for, for lack of a better term, “quality of life” reasons.
If the Yankees overpay for Teixeira or Sabathia in terms of either money or length of contract, that will be grist for the criticism mill, too.
oweee! –
That was really, really cute!
I loved Brett Gardner in spring training, but he’s hitting .282 in AAA, and just .207 in his last 10 games. Last year he hit .282 between AA and AAA (though with lots of BBs and SBs). Just don’t want to expect TOO much.
“I’d rather lose trying that (to paraphrase, the youth movement), than lose with experience.”
-G Love
I couldn’t agree with that statement more. Great post from last night/ early this AM.
AND, I thought oweee!’s post was hilarious. Question though… who is the 3B for sale? Ensgberg?
*Ensberg*
Doreen.
Well said. Mike Lowell is a an example of that this past offseason. He took less $ and one less year after his best season in MLB. He likes where he is so he looked at quality of life rather than the biggest deal.
On another FA point, I think one thing that is not always recognized is that some FA players do not want the pressure and or media fish bowl that comes with playing in NY or Boston.
-dennis
Doreen -
I understand what was said - I just can’t think of anyone who has actually taken less money for sentimental reasons when they are entering free agency.
Players treat baseball for what it is, a business. Even Jorge Posada said he was going to seriously look at a Mets offer because they seemed to really want him.
Teixera and CC Sabathia will probably go to the highest bidder, which is what they should do without reservation.
SJ44
“I spend more money following this team around, both at the major league and minor league levels, than some folks earn in a year.
I do it because baseball is a passion of mine. Its no longer my primary source of income and hasn’t been for years. That comes from business in other sports.
I don’t say this to impress anyone or to rank my fandom. I say it because its the truth.”
Geesh…
Another prime example of the only thing wrong with this blog….
Dennis
How are Sox fans feeling about Beckett this year? Do they think last year was a fluke or do they think he’ll still get it together this year?
Dennis -
Lowell is a good example of an exception to the rule - but I think if you look at players getting their first big deal when they enter free agency for the first time is a much different deal.
(plus I think Lowell would be wearing pinstripes today if A-Rod’s contract saga had turned out differently)
did he really refer to his ‘fandom!!!!???
Let’s stop comparing the yankees to the redsox or cubs etc…
bottom line is that our entire linup is not producing with runners in scoring postion, it sounds like they go every night 0-8 w/RISP, when someone gets on base the next guy make an out not alone 2 outs.
They should sit cano for a few days and bring up someone from the minors maybe that will pump him up as it the contract the yankees gave him sounds stupid right now.
Well said TK in DC.
Going after Teixeira and Sabathia would help make the overall dynamic of the team younger.
I will be glad to see Abreu, Giambi, Farnsworth, Mussina, Pettitte all gone next year. If they could somehow trade Damon (who after this year still has one year left), I’m all for it.
As SJ said, there is obviously no ‘magic wand’ to wave. These issues will take time, and most will not be resolved until season’s end.
IF IT WAS MY JOB: I’d hold onto Matsui. I’d make Joba a starter. I’d DFA Ensberg ASAP, bring up a kid, liek Gardner.
At the end of the season, when all the veterans in their walk-year are done, go after CC and Mark for SP and 1B.
Its time to get younger. Jeter to OF?
more like his sycophant-dom!!
Whoever is GM of this team this offseason will ahve a lot of work to do, no doubt.
I follow as much as the rest of the readers here - I only do not post very much. Anyway - I know one move is not going to fix this team and I also wake up similar to others here each day and try to move forward and no matter what am still a fan. I remember the bad times of the late 60’s and early 70’s and realize what we as fans enjoyed in the 90’s was most likely a once in a lifetime experience (depending on your age…).
Now…with that all said - I have a question - besides the money - what is the downside of cutting Giambi? Is it the draft pick the Yanks would lose? Joe Giradi tried to play him at first base every day and still not much of a result.
anybody remember who we got for lowell in the 1st place?
Pat.
I can’t speak for others but I am not overly concerned as his velocity hovered around 95-96 yesterday. He hung some breaking pitches and his fastball was around the midddle of the plate too often.Having said that he has been no where as dominating as last year. I guess I would be far more concerned if the velocity was declining. If I had to predict I would guess that he has a great 2nd half and Dice K comes back to earth in the 2nd half.
TKinDC. I agree 100%. The best example I can think of is Tejada when he came out of FA. He took the Balt(highest deal) and had regrests a month into season as he loved playing in Oak. It is a quandry for a player. A player also feels an obligation to the players union which I think gets overlooked at times.
-dennis
I think Damon is going to get traded then Gardner will get called up, there is alot of rumbles right now of his soon to be Jetison
randy soriano was a FA 2 yrs ago. he is 31 and has 5 more years on his contract a huge money.
again people these 7 yr deals with 29 yr olds become giambi contracts and are huge boat anchors on your franchise…
lilly also got 5 yrs at a lot more cash then the infamous Igawa.
as Sj says the yanks are moving in the right direction and his positive comments about cox. melancon, and robertson(I think) are very encouraging for getting Joba into the rotation.
if cox, melancon, and robertson can pitch that will alow them to move; kyle(end of yr. some one will take him) and others to get picks or some players..
damon has 1.75 yrs left on his deal at $13 mill per) bad but far from terrible in todays insanity. giambi has 3/4 of a season, Matsui should not be moved (he can be a productive player) so there boat anchors are much less then they were a few yrs ago.. Igawa I think makes about $4 mill for a feew more yrs. he stinks and the yanks would have to eat $$ for sure but the amount is minimal in relative insane yankee terms….
abreu is done at the end of the yr.. again they are not remotely as hamstrung as they were yrs ago.. pettite is on a 1 yr deal and so is Moose, they have alot of flexibilty next yr. and could possibly make some moves this yr. if they choose to.
The one point I will agree on and I really like Cashman is he has not made a big trade in forever.. Offf the top of my head I cannot recall any. the last big yankee trades were for O’neill and justice at least 7 yrs ago… Then again there are not many big trades in baseball anymore….
the yanks will not finish under 500, no friggin way…
“WANG IS NOT AN ACE
if you’re asking who is? Beckett, Santana, Sabathia, Halladay, Kazmir. etc.”
Beckett 5-3
Santana 5-2
Sanathia 3-5
Halladay 4-5
Wang 6-2
Whoever said this has not watched another baseball game this whole season. These guys have all had more horrible games than Wang so far, and Wang has a better record than all of them except Kazmir, who is so far blessed with a strong offense. But if you’re ready to crown Kazmir an ace, god help you.
I was distraught from the game last night obviously but I’m now disgusted by people ready to jump ship, calling our season over and dissing on our best pitcher who has given us 8 terrific starts in 6 weeks. PLEASE, our team and fans are going through a hard time right now and this is not the time to bring up the ridiculous ace/not ace non-issue. As Yankee fans this is the last thing we need to worry about right now don’t you think??
The team obviously has major problems they need to address right now. Fans have every right to get mad of course, I’m furious. But to trivialize the issue and keep dragging out the ace/not ace stupidity is ridiculous. Who are you crazies going to turn on next? Mariano Rivera??!
Didn’t Cashman trade for Abreu? That was pretty big at the time.
If the fortunes of this team are to change anytime soon, it has to start with leadership just like any other organizational thing.
Joe Girardi will need to get creative with what he’s given seeing as there will unlikely be any impact changes done in player personnel moves, at least before the 7/31 trading deadline.
If Derek Jeter isn’t a vocal leader, someone else such as Jorge Posada should be. Every team needs one.
It can start by playing good fundamental baseball such as not allowing teams extra outs and the Yankees themselves taking advantage of every team’s mistakes.
In a short space of time, a few come from behind wins and scoring with 2 outs can energize any team into feeling good about themselves.
What’s done is done but it can be quickly forgotten through some grit and determination.
TKinDC -
I’m not saying the Yankees shouldn’t go after Tex and CC. I’m saying I’m not holding my breath that it will unfold the way we as Yankees fans want it to. I’m not even saying that the shouldn’t throw ridiculous amounts of money their way (though I’m not convinced regarding CC, but if the rotation is a shambles, there’s no choice).
About Posada, I don’t think he ever wanted to leave the Yankees. The Mets were used to get the best deal he could from the Yankees. If it was only about the money for Posada, I have no doubt the Mets could have upped the bid and won his services.
Also, I think you have to take into consideration players like Granderson who will not even reach free agency because they wanted to sign long-term contracts with their current teams because they like where they are and they like the direction the team is going. By the time Granderson’s contract is over, he’ll likely be in the range of productivity where you can look forward to diminishing returns. There are several other players like that, but, frankly, I’m too lazy to look ‘em up right now :).
Ironically enough, Carl Pavano actually took less money to play in NY than he would have gotten in Boston or Detroit.
and with 1B needs including, but not limited to, Boston and with the Mets next year, dont think the Yankees will be the only ones to offer Tex a ton of money…
same goes for Sabathia; and Sabathia actually received a phone call from Kevin Millwood warning him of taking the cash and running to an unfamiliar place, so dont be so sure Sabathia is guaranteed to run to whatever money the yankees throw at him next year.
tex is 29 and will wont a long contract that is a recipe for continued yankee insanity…..
7yr contract at 29 = a 36 yr old wreck…..
No to Tex and no to long term deals for pitcher for sure the injury risk is to high…
then again people want to repeat the insanity.. why would CC at 27 or 28 for 7 or 8 yrs be a better deal then the bad santana contract the yanks did not want to do?/ Itwould not be…sign young guys to long deals not 28 and older guys for more then 5 yrs…..
Vernon Wells. Thanks Dennis for jogging my memory. Vernon Wells stayed with the Blue Jays for less money than he could have gotten in free agency and the players’ union was none to happy with him.
Ian i meant a trade of players major league players for players. abreu was a easy deal the yanks basically were the bank..
again I like cashman and like what he is doing but a major league player or players for player deal that is what I am talking about.. arod was a bank trade and so was abreu.
jessie
good point! i like most yankees fans, but there are alot of younger ones who consider themselves HUGE fans who’s loyalty hasnt been tested by a horace clark or stump merril period, and alot of them will fall of the bandwagon the next time one arrives, and it will.
when charlie hayes caught that foul ball that put us back on top, i raised a glass to all those who i sat with in a 4/5ths empty YS through the years watching poor teams try to make something of themselves.
lets hope its not anytime soon, but at some point, the real fans will be separated from the frontrunners. (plus you’ll be able to put your feet up on the chair in front of you once in a while.)
“7yr contract at 29 = a 36 yr old wreck…..”
I don’t think you can say that. Tex is a more complete player than Giambi is when he signed his contract with us. He is switch hitter so that is added value to a lefty heavy team, and his fielding much better than Giambi’s. Also there is no denying that Giambi’s career was enhanced by steroids or HGH. Who knows if that is the case with Tex.
you cant not sign FAs to contracts at all… you just have to take calculated risks on the money you do spend. i would rather take a long term investment on an above average player than sign average players to short term deals because of being afraid of lack of return or performance on the contract.
IMO, Sabathia and Teixeira are both excellent candidates for long term investment. both players perform at well above average levels, and neither player has missed a significant period of time with any type of recurring injury.
they are both worthy of consideration, at the minimum…
Doreen -
I agree on all points - well put. Teams are aggressively keeping their talent at home by locking them up while they are young (Robbie Cano, dontcha know?)
With this in mind - I just noticed this link to baseball america’s mock draft. I am thrilled to see a LHP on the Yanks’ wish list.
28. YANKEES. The obvious move would be for New York to use its financial muscle to pay what it takes to get whatever top talent falls because of signability. Hosmer would be a coup for the Yankees, but Cole could be too raw for their tastes. They’ve been scouting a lot of lefthanded pitchers, making high schoolers Kyle Lobstein (Arizona), Brett DeVall (Florida), Mike Montgomery (California) and Robbie Ross (Kentucky) candidates.
Projected Pick: KYLE LOBSTEIN.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/mock-draft/2008/266117.html
carlos delgado turned down more money from the mets to sign in florida b/c he didnt want to play in nyc.
he also refused to waive his ntc when the jays were out of it and wanted to deal him to a contender the previous summer.
(wonder why he didnt want to play in NYC?)
“the new yankee gm need to do some extreme things.
it can be done. look at the cubs.”
Comparing the Yankees to the cubs, I think I’ve read it all now.
Stuart -
If Santana would have cost the Yankees only free agent money, I’m pretty sure the Yankees would have done it. Heck, they were ready to do it for the right player package and the contract extension.
Giambi is a weird case. His contract proved to be an awful one, but he was a player heavily involved in PEDs and whose performance and health torpedoed after he stopped (we think) using them.
I have never heard of Teixeira being involved with PEDs so the risk of a long term contract for him his not the same, just as it wasn’t the same for ARod - and I’m not saying Teixeira is the same talent as ARod.
Pitchers are a different story altogether. A different risk. Ultimately if you’re desperate, you gotta do what you gotta do. I’m hoping the season shakes out so that the Yankees don’t feel desperate. Although, if Pettitte’s woes continue, it brings a whole different perspective to what they’ll need to do, because it’s conceivaable that neither Pettitte nor Mussina is here next season.
“I think Damon is going to get traded… ”
Where? What’s in it for Damon to agree to a trade? Is there somewhere he wants to go bad enough or is someone going to pay him 13 million dollars a year and buy out his no trade?
Wanting to trade someone and being able to do it are 2 different things.
ill go for tex but not cc. his workload the past few years really raises the injury flag.
TKinDC -
So it would seem the Yankees are aware that they need some left-handed pitching!
Seriously, that’s good information. Thanks.
Doreen, I’m not convinced regarding a Sabathia signing either. As I wrote the other day I think a Sabathia signing will be viewed in 3 years the same way we view the Giambi signing now.
As I said. Sabathia is not exactly having a good season, he’s 3-5 with a 5.47 ERA and he is horribly inconsistent. And this is now when he is still considered young and fit (by his standards even though he’s like 300 pounds!) God knows how much he’ll let himself balloon to when he has the luxury of a long-term contract.
To the people calling for his signing, Sabathia is asking for a 6/7 year contract worth upward of $150mill, imagine him by year 4 do you seriously see an ace based on what you’ve seen so far or do you see a poorly conditioned has-been who can