Comments on: Lane sticks around Scranton

By: Ron Russell

Ron Russell — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:13:11 +0000

Perhaps I’m an old fart, but I remember when the Yank’s really sucked and that was Pre-Steinbrenner! You guys belly-ache about this team, give me a break!!! Yes, I’m talking about when CBS owned them and they were basically a tax write off. We had Kenney at 3rd, Gene Michael at SS, Horace Clarke at 2nd and Joe Pepitone was at the end of his career at first. Our Ace was Mel and the most exciting pitching event of one year was when Mike Kekich and another pitcher decided to trade Wives. Poor Roy White quietly put up with a lot of Loosing teams, as did Bobby Murcer. Yes, I remember the late Thurman Munson as a a rookie. Trade Deals that helped: A kid named Lou Pinella for Lindy McDaniels and the Yankee faithful were furious–who was this kid? Sparky Lyle for Danny Kater caused the Red Sox to swear off trading with us. Yes, I suffered for many loosing seasons and remember the thrill of seeing the Yanks in fist place for the first time in my life. Actually, prior to that thrill was just being at 500! Those years, we were 20 games under and my god–those teams made this one a joy to watch. How spoiled we have all become. We have the foundation for a team that could shock a lot of folks and one never knows. A nobody can get hot in the short term and become a hero overnight and after the dust settles–a zero. Just ask Brian Doyle (1978).

By: Chazz Michael Michaels

Chazz Michael Michaels — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:15:42 +0000

Here is a new idea guys…..package a few prospects for YOUNG pitching in a trade! The Yankees have always wanted to do the Phil Hughes for Randy Johnson TYPE of trade. What they need to do is send say….Ian Kennedy, Jeff Marquez and Chris Brittan to the Royals for Zack Grienke….or to the Giants for Matt Cain for example. A team with one good young starter that would like a chance at 2-3 young pitchers in return. Pitching wins games…and with all of the Yankees money, the fact that they don’t have a solid rotation shows just how horrible upper management is. $200 mil and we couldn’t buy, trade for or draft FIVE friggin guys??

Also, trading a young pitcher for a young position player is not a bad idea either. If you look at the Yanks farm system, they have a fleet of great young arms….except for catchers, they really aren’t stocked at any other positions. Most teams would love to get an arm for a bat! Wouldn’t a guy like Joey Votto been great to have for an Ian Kennedy? That won’t happen NOW, but you get my drift.

By: JeterMack Clutch

JeterMack Clutch — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:06:04 +0000

27, it doesn’t hurt the rays when the key players sign cheap, team-friendly deals either.

pavano, mussina and pettitte were free agent signings, too and the latter two have contributed alot to our winning tradition. So, signing free agents is not bad if we make smart signings. I think CC would be smart, he will take alot of the pressure off of the inexperienced pitchers and will give you 6 innings strong at least; he comes at hitters and trusts his stuff. he hasn’t had a weight relevant injury yet, so there is no reason to suggest that he will.

By: 27 this year

27 this year — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:28:39 +0000

I think building a team takes a combo of draft picks, prospects, and free agents. Look at the Rays, they built themselves using lots of draft picks but then, they sign cheap players to fill out the roster and it is wokring. look at percival, he is pretty good. We can’t get attached to draft picks that we stop looking to free agents but we also have to shy away from big money deals. We screwed up so many times and signed players like pavano and giambi and now we have to wait out their contracts. However, signing Arod or jeter to long term contracts works. We just got to pick our spots.

By: Greg Mandel

Greg Mandel — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:33:41 +0000

Man, you’re still touting sticking with the kids, after the disaster that’s proven this season? Reminder: Santana has always pitched his best in the second half, and even when he’s “not great” he still gives you 6-7 solid innings every time out. How would that look at the top of a rotation with Wang, Pettitte, Mussina now? And Chamberlain still in the pen? Now we have a big, steamin’ cup of Jack Squat in the pen to get to Mo, and a rotation full of holes. Stick with the kids if you have 7 or 8 years to win, and hope that Phil Phlop and Kennedy will turn out to be something other than space-wasters on the dl. Good God, yeah, let’s pass on Sabathia, since passing on Santana was such a great move! Santana/Sabathia does not equal Barry Zito, who was in decline long before the Giants’ ill-advised signing. Where’s the common sense here???

By: Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:52:55 +0000

Even if we sign Sabathia next year, we’re still short one veteran pitcher. I really don’t trust going into next season with Sabathia, Wang, Joba, Hughes, Kennedy.

Kennedy really doesn’t appear to have any major league stuff, and the attitude he carries is also a large problem. When he was sent down to Scranton this year he said “i’m gonna make these guys look stupid for sending me down”. Instead of coming to the realization that the reason he was sent down was that he couldn’t throw strikes and he couldn’t get out of the 3rd inning.

The next real power arm on our horizon is Andrew Brackman, who throws 100, but he’s two years away from even sniffing the major leagues. Betances is an easy 5 years away from even touching the majors in a relief role.

You sign Sabathia, due to his ability to throw 200+ innings. If it doesn’t work out, its not coming out of the Lo Hud budget. The Yankees have more money then they’ll know what to do with between the team, the Yes Network, the new Stadium’s revenue, and revenue sharing kickback for building the new Stadium.

You don’t sacrifice a world class 3B and SS in their primes and the best closer of all time just because you want to retain a draft pick in 2009 that may or may not lead to a successful player.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:40:20 +0000

Barry Zito was an awful signing. Although its surprising just how bad he is this year, it is not surprising that it turned out to be an awful signing. But to say that the lesson is that you can’t sign free agent pitchers to long term contracts is BS. He was a pitcher in serious decline and most people including Cashman knew not to go after him. That’s like saying because Juan Pierre was a bad signing, you shouldn’t sign everyday players to long term free agent contracts or because Ruben Rivera and Brien Taylor didn’t pan out, the yankees should always trade their prospects for major leaguers. Pete you know better than that. Its shoddy reasoning.

By: Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:30:12 +0000

Exactly Bateman the offense is getting old fast they cant wait for the young pitchers to dominate someone needs to dominate now

By: Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:21:50 +0000

If the Yankees don’t sign Sabathia, then there was no reason to sign Rivera, Posada, and ARod.

That was problem with totally avoiding Santana this year and entering the season with Wang, Pettitte and a bunch of question marks in Mussina/Hughes/Kennedy/Joba. You gotta have a mix of veterans and young players. Just having Wang in the rotation next year, who isn’t an ace, (I’m sorry if I offend any Taiwanese readers) makes this rotation a huge joke.

No other team goes from a veteran filled rotation to a rotation filled with all inexperienced pitchers over night unless you’re the Marlins. You gotta start taking advantage of ARod and Jeter’s prime years, because there is no offensive players in the system.

The offense is built for today, not 5 years down the road when Hughes and Kennedy get their act together.

By: Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:20:21 +0000

Cash’s develop the kids mantra is something he only dedicated himself to after he made three of the worst FA signings ever Tony Womack, Kei Igawa, and the American Idle himself Carl Pavano! This youth movement is a smokescreen for this teams recent failures in the free market