Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 26, 2008 
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The Yankees have a “must-win” series starting tonight against the Red Sox. Andy Pettitte will be facing Tim Wakefield.
The standings
AL East
Rays 79-50
Red Sox 75-55 -4.5
Yankees 70-60 -9.5
Wild card
Red Sox 75-55
Twins 74-57 -1.5
Yankees 70-60 -5
now or never… GO YANKS!!!
Ahhh go Yankssssss… big big big series
I like the song…..
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Lift your head
C’mon c’mon
Get up out of bed
Today’s the day you hold the world with your sound
Go now, go now, go now
help escalate
Angels come down now with this parade
To hear the one whose words will ring
please let him sing, let him be heard
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
sing your hymn
This is the new national anthem
we will all stand on guard to let you be heard
Let go let go let go
All the cannons
How beautiful this world has become
Now everyone believes what I believe that these words should be sung
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
And if you fall
And if you fall
And if you believe in it than yes it will come true
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
~~Andy Stochansky – SHINE
One game at a time. That’s all they can do.
They will take two out of three if they can be as lucky as they were against the O’s. Otherwise, I say Boston wins the series.
From Chad Jennings blog, “Pregame Notes: Contreras in Town”:
Make or break!
LETS GO YANKS!!!!!!!!!!
i’m thinking more of the song “Bodies” by Drowning Pool oughta be playing in the Clubhouse from here on out and Joe G should be serving raw meat for the pregame dinner!
This is doable. The Twins have a horrible schedule coming up where they are on the road forever. We can get over them. BOS has issues. If we play hard and win every game that we can, we’ve got a shot. The fat lady has to be silenced.
It’s sad that’s its come to this. Praying for the collapse of every team above you (which is a lot). The “Mets-ification” of the Rays… that Beckett, Wake, Dice, and Lester all fall off a cliff (literally)… and that the Twins (of all teams – sans Santana) implode so that the Yankees, with their 130+ game offensive mediocrity can slink past them all.
Of course as a fan, I hope they can do it as a team hitting and pitching well and make the post season, but this is not how I imagined it. Meakly and half-heartedly. Needed other teams to fail instead of going in on the strengths of your merits. What has this come to?
my first stab at the offseason 40 man roster:
C cervelli/molina/posada
1B malec/miranda
2B cano
SS jeter/pena
3B arodriguez/vechionacci
LF damon
CF cabrera/gardner
RF nady
DH matsui
S aceves/brackman/chamberlain/hacker/horne/hughes/kennedy/kontos/marquez/wang/wright
R albaladejo/arias/britton/bruney/claggett/coke/giese/kroenke/marte/ramirez/rivera/robertson/sanchez/veras
FA abreu/betemit/christian/sduncan/giambi/moeller/ransom/irodriguez/sjackson/milton/mussina/patterson/pavano/pettite/ponson/rasner/traber/zambrano
my understanding is that cox/igawa/ajackson/melancon are ineligible for the rule 5 draft. i have no definitive list of the eligible players, so feel free to swap in any A ball prospects as necessary. i presume eduncan/jones/whelan are certain to be exposed.
finally, i forsee a TON of minor deals being made to bleed off the excess in the system.
I like our chances in this series. This is not the same Boston team that pushed it’s weight around on whoever they wanted for the last 3 years. I think both our teams (with the exception of the standings/records) are in the same position in terms of holding the fort down and have to claw /scrap to get into the playoffs. Both teams have lots of ?
I feel with Minnesota being a young team and having a tough schedule down the strech, Boston with its issues (as well as our own), and Toronto spoiling, this thing does not seem to be over yet. Taking 2 out of 3 from Boston is the MINIMUM to make things tight in the Wild card race. It will make September lots of fun with must see games. Can’t wait to see how this story ends.
well, my posting skills suck
Case in point:
ESPN: Yanks downgraded to spoilers?
just need to throw in a couple of spaces bro.
Tampa Bay’s magic number to clinch AL East is 29. The Rays haven’t lost a series since the All Star break.
They start a 9 games homestand including 3 games with the Yankees.
i agree that it is a must win series, but the problem with winning this series is that you only pick up 1 game in the standings. realistically, thats not good enough.
one game at a time…
“We’ve put ourselves in a tough position,” [Pettitte] said. “Hopefully we get extremely hot and the teams ahead of us don’t play well. That’s what we’re looking for. We need to put together a pretty good run when you look at the numbers, a lot of wins and very few losses.”
To recap the Yankees’ chances:
1. They put themselves in a tough position.
2. They need to get extremely hot.
3. The teams ahead of them have to play poorly.
This is the real problem with an older team of superstars. These old gamblers have to ration their effort to stay strong late into the season, picking and choosing the innings and games in which they can give it their all and in which their aging effort can pay off.
IMO, over the last few years they thought that they had enough offense to keep pushing back the deadline, staying in it late and then giving it whatever they have left to make the playoffs in a big effort in the stretch. But when they got to the playoffs, they were already empty.
Enough of the Traveling Yankee Softball All Stars. I want younger players who can give peak performance all year long, every inning of every game. As Cash has been saying for a couple of years: younger, cheaper, more athletic.
“They start a 9 games homestand including 3 games with the Yankees.”
With 3 more against the Yanks before the season is over not to mention 6 with Boston. We are 7-5 against TB so far, so they don’t own us by any means. Long way to go for that magic number…can TB finish??? Time will tell. Don’t want to say collapse yet, but anything is possible. Ask the ’07 Mets.
By the way, I still think Matsui needs to move up in this lineup to get more offense (don’t know that big-g can get going again). Arod HAS to have better protection. Your move Girardi.
turntwo,
we need to sweep. we have control over these games,because we are in them.when boston leaves thursday we need to be 2 out with 1 month o play.if it happens we might see a minor move for a pitcher,if not chase has to pitch in rasners place.rasner is horrible.
A SWEEP OR BUST!
The Yankees are now in the mode of needing help from other teams to help their own cause. Scoreboard watching is an every game thing.
Well said, murph.
1) The Yankees put themselves in this position by playing poorly all season long. I’m at the point now where I can accept whatever happens. If they don’t make it – so be it – they did it to themselves. I hope they do, but after witnessing a season of underperformance, bad starts, no starts, overwhelmed rookies, injuries up the wazoo, and no offense, I won’t be sad that they don’t. I was in denial for over 3/4 of the season, but I’ve come to accept it now. The Yanks are a mediocre team that needs help to get in.
2) COMPLETELY off topic – I was putzing around and found an old article on Gino Castignoli – the Construction worker (Mason) who buried the Ortiz jersey in the new stadium foundation… did he ever get sued by the Yankees?? I can’t find any info on that. I’m assuming they let him walk.
Man, I don’t know if any one looked at the schedule this weekend but it appears that we are lined up to face Halladay again (est. Sunday). Fortunately it looks like we will oppose him with Pettitte instead of Rasner last time (who held his own in that game). Doc has kicked our tales this year and not the best time to deal with him. It’s not going to be easy.
While the Yankees do have to hope that all the other teams in contention come back down to earth a bit, they also have at least some of their fate in their own hands. Because they do play head-to-head with Boston and Tampa Bay and Chicago, they can take care of at least some of their own business. TCB. Take Care of Business, Yankees.
The games that concern me most are those against Toronto and LA.
I believe there is no reason that the Yankees can’t turn it around. And it’s good to read that at least the players on the team haven’t given up the season.
And, as I’ve always said, for me, as much as I’d love for them to make the playoffs, as long as they’re giving it a fight to the end, it’ll be fine. Especially this season, where so much has gone wrong.
What I would hope, though, is that playoffs or not, is that the Yankees will be taking lots of action in the post season to shore up the team.
I don’t understand why it’s so important HOW the Yankees make the playoffs if they manage to do so. I would think it would be awfully satisfying that despite a very “off” year for the Yankees if they could still manage to put enough together to get there.
It’s certainly more fun to have a 1998-type season, I’ll agree with that. But if the object of the season is to get to the playoffs, if that’s the end game, and if the Yankees manage that, what’s the difference if they did it by having a monster April or a monster September? What’s the difference if the other teams were strong early and weak late, or weak early and strong late? It’s been written here more times than I could count how April games are as important as September games. Well, couldn’t the reverse also be stated?
Potentially the last series for the Sawx at Yankee Stadium – I really hope that we beat the stuffing out of them for old times sake.
Wakefield is coming of some injury issues – but I’m not sure that even matters with a knuckle-baller. I just hope that Robbie Cano stays hot.
As a fan – I don’t get wrapped up in whether or not we ‘deserve’ to be in playoffs or not – right now if we had won 6 more games this year we would be in. Would that make the team more deserving? Sure, I guess.
If they get hot, they could win it all – just look at the Cardinals a couple years back. But EVERYTHING would have to fall into place (offense, Joba, offense, and um offense). Girardi has a one year grace period, let’s hope he doesn’t take Hank up on it. Go Yanks!
the yankees right now controll their own destiny technically.2 out of three is a must against boston and they play minny so they have to beat up on them so the comment about the yankees needing help is not true,not yet because if the yankees win the next 6 games against boston they are 1 game ahead in the loss column.
doreen
1998 season was boring.the run they had last year was fun.10 out of wildcard and win wc by 6 1/2 or so games.
Murph said it best, as usual. Outstanding post.
I know they (the Yankees) will never say it but, this is a sweep or bust series. Winning two of three doesn’t really help with so few games remaining.
We can bury the Red Sox all we want but we also have to hope that the Twins keep on losing as well.
Does anyone else like listening to Chris and Kim over Boomer and Cartoon? I get sicker and sicker of them each day.
OK Alex, it is time to take it up several notches. Yanks must win series after series after series and it won’t happen with dominant pitching so ARod must lead an offensive surge. Pettite can set the tone today, and the Ponson/Byrd match up is anyone’s guess. The season could well come down to how they do in the four game stretch where they face Lester, Burnett and Halladay.
So are you optimistic? hopeful? confident?
Doreen:
I agree that it would be satisfying to see the Yankees pull off a warrior’s final stretch. But as Jetes repeatedly says, the object of the Yankee season is to win it all, not to get to the playoffs
I think that it makes a difference how the team gets to the playoffs because it may reveal the make-up of the team and what they will do once they get there. Variables in any season include the strength of the competition and injuries of course. However, a team that takes longer to get going because of age, or conserves strength in “meaningless” 1st half games (which I believe this team has done for a few years) gets into bad habits and those bad habits will get them in the end.
How many times did Torre warn this team via the media that they can’t just turn it on and turn it off when they wanted to? He was right. Yet the team was so freakishly strong offensively that they masked their flaws and were able to overcome Torre’s warnings and still pull a rabbit out of their hats in a hyper-drive stretch run.
The superstar Yankees went on after-burners to get to the playoffs the last few years when the Rays were not yet ready to be a factor. Still, the Yankees dropped dead once they got to October. The bats went silent and the pitching didn’t hold up. IMO, that outcome make sense only if you look at how they got there.
“because if the yankees win the next 6 games against boston they are 1 game ahead in the loss column.”
thats assuming the yanks never lose on a night the sox win against all the other teams left on the schedules….
“Does anyone else like listening to Chris and Kim over Boomer and Cartoon? I get sicker and sicker of them each day.”
well, Kim isnt bad on the radio, but i cant stand Chris any more than I can stand Carton and Boomer.
and i agree, for the biggest media market in the world, how is it that all we have for sports talk in the morning is Boomer and Carton?
A strong april or strong september would be great. If only they had a strong april or would have a strong september. All signs point to not likely. As it has all season, how it ends rests on the players. They don’t perform, they don’t go. But now, instead of the season resting solely on their shoulders, it now has to rest on the poor performances of the Sox and Twins’ players as well. Not a good position to be in, but it’s one they put themselves in. Now, they’re relying on other as well as themselves.
“We can bury the Red Sox all we want but we also have to hope that the Twins keep on losing as well.”
Due to the upcoming Republican convention, the Twins have a ridiculous amount of road games coming up. Hopefully, they’ll start to swoon.
Hey, not that i quit on this season (cause i havent)
& i dont wanna look ahead, but i keep asking myself, what a package of Cano & Kennedy could get us?
btw i dont think they should trade Cano. Just wondering what (in terms of talent) we could get back.
whattayathink ?
“Does anyone else like listening to Chris and Kim over Boomer and Cartoon? I get sicker and sicker of them each day.â€
Kim Jones and Carlin actually make a very good team. They have great chemistry together. To be fair, I do only listen to them in small dose, though.
“As Cash has been saying for a couple of years: younger, cheaper, more athletic.”
That’s fine. But Cashman has done very little to accomplish that goal. I don’t see how continually drafting and trading for pitchers with pre -existing injuries gets him there. There are precious few athletes in the yankees minor league system. Cashman needs to walk the walk if he’s going to talk the talk.
“btw i dont think they should trade Cano. Just wondering what (in terms of talent) we could get back.”
if he finishes with a nice September, just about anything you want.
Hey, not that i quit on this season (cause i havent)
& i dont wanna look ahead, but i keep asking myself, what a package of Joba & Hughes could get us?
btw i dont think they should trade Joba. Just wondering what (in terms of talent) we could get back.
whattayathink ?
“That’s fine. But Cashman has done very little to accomplish that goal. I don’t see how continually drafting and trading for pitchers with pre -existing injuries gets him there. There are precious few athletes in the yankees minor league system. Cashman needs to walk the walk if he’s going to talk the talk.”
Because teams are just throwing Jay Bruce/Evan Longoria/Ryan Braun/Hanley Ramirez/etc. talents around for, oh, Ian Kennedy+Melky Cabrera+bag of balls.
“Because teams are just throwing Jay Bruce/Evan Longoria/Ryan Braun/Hanley Ramirez/etc. talents around for, oh, Ian Kennedy+Melky Cabrera+bag of balls.”
i believe he was moreso arguing that Cashman needed to focus on talenting high upside position players in the draft as opposed to drafting so many pitchers.
but what that doesnt take into consideration is the latin american FA signings, where the Yankees have thrown a lot of their position player development weight behind, too.
“Due to the upcoming Republican convention, the Twins have a ridiculous amount of road games coming up. Hopefully, they’ll start to swoon.”
hey, yeah. maybe the republicans will be good for something after all.
“Cashman needs to walk the walk if he’s going to talk the talk.”
Fair enough. But, to use another cliche, you have to crawl before you walk.
Cash sounded the alarm two years ago. You cannot re-make a farm system from near death to top of the pops in two years. His strategy for immediate impact seems to have been to concentrate on drafting some high risk/reward pitchers in the hope that one or two could slide into the rotation providing immediate results, along with the payroll flexibility to do other things. That hasn’t really paid off yet, but IMO you need to give it a little more time. At least it’s not a return to FA to restock the team.
“OK Alex, it is time to take it up several notches”
Have you been reading Lupica?
“Does anyone else like listening to Chris and Kim over Boomer and Cartoon?
I like Chris and Kim together. Kim doesn’t take herself too seriously and isn’t afraid to knock Carlin down a few notches but not in a mean way.
” As Cash has been saying for a couple of years: younger, cheaper, more athletic.”
murpheydog-
i just don’t get the blind faith you have in cashman.
the problem with “cash” is that he talks a good game, but doesn’t back it up. as sj said last night. the execution of the plan is just not there.
my belief is that until cashman gives up his fear of having talented people who don’t kiss up to him in key positions, the yankees are doomed to more of what we’re seeing this year. everyone thinks this is a transition year. i think what you see is what you got.
having young athletic players is also a description of a triple a team. a player like damon will be better at 36 better than anyone on the yankees triple a team. the reason is that he’s good. he’s got talent. he can do things that others just can’t do and never will. falling in love with young players that can’t play is the kiss of death.
young and athletic and good is another story, but who would that be for a position player in the yankee system?
if cashman doesn’t get help and keeps organizational talent away from the yankees so he can have his safe little gm job to himself, the yankees won’t be worth watching .
all that said, a sweep would make this season suddenly much more interesting. there’s nothing stopping the yankees from doing it if they go after it. boston has all kinds of problems right now.
“all that said, a sweep would make this season suddenly much more interesting. there’s nothing stopping the yankees from doing it if they go after it. boston has all kinds of problems right now.”
absolutely. timing is everything. not that the yankees dont have their issues still, but Boston is kind of caught up in a little late-summer swoon. the yankees needs to smell the blood in the water and hit hard, and not look back. this it the time, right now.
“if he finishes with a nice September, just about anything you want.”
Which is why we should hold on to him. If other teams are willing to give us anything we want, that’s proof that he’s a keeper.
I don’t care how up and down Cano’s season is, you don’t trade away a 2B with that much talent and power, particularly when we don’t have anyone to replace him with.
That’s why the selection of Cole in the draft, and the subsequent stuff that happened afterward, baffles me.
Did they really need another pitcher in the first round, given what they already have in the system?
Especially one with well known attitude problems and a stage dad to boot.
I thought this would be the year they finally took a position player in the first round, signed him early, and got him into the fold.
If they were that sold on Cole, ok, I’ll give them that.
Bleich in the second round? Do they really need a soft tossing lefty who has to have TJ Surgery instead of a position player?
Its why I’ve been harping so much about the draft.
You can’t turn the organization into a “develop our own” organization (which is the right way to go) and mess up this badly in the top end of the draft.
Its like having a Tampa Mafia flashbacks.
Its why I believe that if Cash is back, more competent hands in baseball operations are needed.
The Red Sox paid 10 million dollars in signing bonuses, signed their first round pick and 3 of their tougher signs. All of whom were available to the Yankees at the time they were selecting.
That can’t happen again if you are interesting in developing your own players.
Just because someone on here says that other teams would give anything the Yankees want for Cano does not necessarily make it true!
He has a history of being up and down and playing without focus. I would have reservations trading for him.
SJ44
August 26th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Murph said it best, as usual. Outstanding post.
I know they (the Yankees) will never say it but, this is a sweep or bust series. Winning two of three doesn’t really help with so few games remaining.
It was a good post, but can we focus on 2008 right now. Everyone’s talking about what we need to do in the offseason, we know what we need to do. We’ve gone over it ad nauseam.
But were still in the stretch run of a season right now and while the Yanks haven’t played to ours or their expectations, they still have a shot at making the playoffs. Anything can happen then. We’ve layed awful in the playoffs the last few years. If we can make it this year, who knows? Maybe the Yanks luck will change. I’m not packing it in yet on 2008.
Also, I don’t agree that we need a sweep either, it would be great, but not necessary. They’d be 4 games back with a month left if they take 2 of 3, not an insurmountable lead by any means. You can pick up games in a hurry if you string some wins and the other teams struggle. It happens all the time.
randy:
IMO, a lot of people are just judging Cashman by unrealistic standards. At the same time, I hope I’m not indulging in blind faith where Cashman is concerned. I think I’m just trying to take in the grand scale of the project Cash is actually engaged in.
Rebuilding a farm system and restocking a team while still trying to contend is a pretty tall order. I also think that a GM goes about rebuilding, restocking and simultaneously contending differently than you do plain old rebuilding.
Yankee expectations are off the chart; so is the budget. Cash has a lot of, well, cash coming off the books this year and will be able to do some interesting things with it. Part of that process is getting rid of the old players, or at least minimizing their roles and salaries. He can also afford to move a young head case with upside (Cano) and buy or trade for a more reliable if less offensive 2d baseman. IMO, if Cash lands CC Sabathia, Wang comes back and Moose and Pettitte have similar 09s to match their 08s, we’ll all be singing a different tune, even without Giambi, Abreu, Damon and Cano. Cash will be up for GM of the Year.
you’re putting all your eggs in one basket tho if you’re counting on other teams to get you in. Not exactly a reliable strategy. Take care of business and win games.
“I don’t care how up and down Cano’s season is, you don’t trade away a 2B with that much talent and power, particularly when we don’t have anyone to replace him with.”
IMO, i really dont think today is the day to rehash this discussion all over again for teh 5237th time. more important things on the agenda tonight.
I’d just be happy with a CC signing.
actually , i don’t even know why we’re talking about cashman . for all practical purposes his job is done. the rest of the season depends on the individual players and coaches having meetings with themselves and deciding to go after it or not.
if there is any yankee pride and fight in them, now is the time to show it.
SJ, is the baseball draft like the NFL draft? Do you not select the BPA and not make a selection on a position of need? If the Yanks had Cole and Bleich as the best players on their board at the time of their pick, regardless of position, then that’s why they were selected. Why pick a lesser prospect in your eyes because he’s not a pitcher?
I hate when my team makes a pick in the NFL draft on a position of need and not BPA. It rarely works out.
“He has a history of being up and down and playing without focus. I would have reservations trading for him.”
But teams also know what we know, & that is when Cano’s pushed, he performs at a level in which few can match.
“That’s why the selection of Cole in the draft, and the subsequent stuff that happened afterward, baffles me.
Did they really need another pitcher in the first round, given what they already have in the system?”
first round, the general rule of thumb to draft the highest available talent, no matter what position they may play.
i dont think anyone can argue that Cole, at that spot, had the highest ceiling and most talent, as raw of a prospect he might have been, right?
and isnt it generally understood, as the stories have come out, that the Cole family really misled the organization?
i still dont get how you can continue to rip the yankees for that pick.
So this is what the Yankees have been downgraded to? Having to wait a few years so we can develop prospects in order to win a World Series four or five years in the future?
Please
murpheydog-
didn’t see your post.
ok, i understand your position, but what abut sj’s idea of cashman getting help to execute his plan because things just don’t seem to get done. the whole minor league pitching prospect plan seems to be falling apart.
“So this is what the Yankees have been downgraded to? Having to wait a few years so we can develop prospects in order to win a World Series four or five years in the future?”
It had to happen someday.
Kenny Rodgers just cleared waivers… He could help… anyone got any extra pine tar?
“a lot of people are just judging Cashman by unrealistic standards”
Yankee fans? Never.
“the whole minor league pitching prospect plan seems to be falling apart.”
but hasnt it always been understood that of all the pitching prospects you acquire, only a few will actually pan out?
i think that was reasoning behind stockpiling the pitching talent, and aiming for high-ceiling ability.
that way, you allow yourself a cushion to swing and miss on most, but connect on a couple… and those couple that connect should project to some solid production at the MLB level.
I don’t believe the prospect plan is falling apart… just too many were rushed to the bigs without the proper time to develop. Hughes, Clippard, Kennedy, Chase Wright… mostly due to the crap that the Yanks had for a pitching staff in 05-07. Tim Redding? Al Lieter? Wayne Franklin??? Darrell May??!?! Colter Bean? Sean Henn?? just crap everywhere.
These prospects are good, just gotta have some patience.
“Bleich in the second round? Do they really need a soft tossing lefty who has to have TJ Surgery instead of a position player?”
In fairness, one of the complaints about the Yankees system is a lack of high end pitching prospects that are lefthanded. I believe the number of those right now is zero. Seems this converted outfielder, Wilkins De La Rosa may be something as he’s done exceptionally well in the low minors, but beyond that nothing truly special stands out.
The MLB Draft is not like the NFL Draft.
NFL players don’t have the option of not signing, as high school seniors and college juniors do in the baseball draft.
You draft a guy in the first round, you sign him. If not, you are Jim Bowden.
Its really simple why I rip the pick. Cole was not an easy sign. He never was going to be and they knew it.
They thought Boras would be able to get it done.
My point is simple. Why go there with your first round pick?
You draft a guy you know is going to sign.
There were plenty of talented kids in that slot in the draft. Kids that had as much upside as Cole who were also less of a headcase.
A kid like Tim Melville for instance. Or, Kasey Kelly and Ryan Westermorland.
All three of those kids are high upside kids who were thought to be tough signs. Yet, all 3 signed.
Its about doing your homework and having a contingency plan.
One last point about this stuff.
If you are going to roll the dice on Cole, you can’t take two injured pitchers with your next two picks. Which is precisely what they did.
In essence, they rolled the dice on their first three picks in the draft and came up snake eyes.
That’s not the way to run a draft and only going well over slot for Marshall and Lassiter allowed them to pick up some high ceiling guys in the later rounds.
Just not the way to do it if you are intent on developing your own players.
“I don’t care how up and down Cano’s season is, you don’t trade away a 2B with that much talent and power, particularly when we don’t have anyone to replace him with.â€
Speaking of Cano. He’s my pick for offensive star of the night this evening. His bat has been very unkind to Wakefield’s floaters.
I love this draft debate since I posted my criticism of the over-drafting of RHP and got ripped for it prior to the most recent draft.
No, you don’t draft for a particular position, but when your system is loaded with RHP prospects and virtually devoid of position players, you should emphasize position players in the draft. Cole was bad luck/gamble, Bleich was an odd risk and Bittle just wasn’t good enough even when healthy.
But you have to look at the draft as a whole and by selecting very talented guys who “slid” because of signability and other issues the Yanks may have done extremely well after all. Adams, Joseph, Sith and Higashioka are all more talented than their draft position add in Garrett Lassiter and that’s a nice group of position players.
I guess it has come down to this, everynight from now on is the PLAY-OFF’s, I guess I will be tired everyday after watching the nail bitter’s at night.
Go Yanks………
“A kid like Tim Melville for instance. Or, Kasey Kelly and Ryan Westermorland.”
I’d guess Casey ends up a right handed pitcher. Melville was a great score by the Royals.
I said back in June (as Casey said, you could look it up), that the Ray’s reminded me of the ’69 Mets. They are winning games with pitching, defense and timely hitting.
Compare them with our team; The Yanks play good defense but they don’t get to a lot of balls because they are generally older and slower. The offense has been terrible with RISP compared to the past. I actually think our pitching has been pretty good and if Wang and Joba had not been hurt the team might actually have made the postseason.
As it stands, I don’t see them catching the Rays, and passing the Red Sox only a slight possibility.
The offseason needs are to trade some excess young pitching for proven MLB ready position players at 1B, CF, and catcher. Nady and Damon can man the corner OF positions. Posada probably needs to shift to 1B but he will fight that. The other positions are locked in so no use even discussing those. Bottom line: be ready for the team to make big changes.
Sunny,
We had Kenny Rogers here before, how’d that work out?
Any chance we go after one of these guys in the next few days?
Padilla
Millwood
Kenny Rogers-Just read that Buster Olney sees the Yanks or Sox possibly obtaining him
I’ll take Rogers if he can stil scuff the ball like he did against us a couple of years back?
honestly, I am the first one to hate to admit this, but seriously, why in the world would anyone want to “limp” into the playoffs like this and then just get embarassed in the ALDS? We have 2, yes 2 reliable pitchers in our rotation; we’ve got Cano that either plays like he just rolled out of bed or is playing like someone (Larry Bowa, where r u?) lit a match under his arse; and then well, you have AROD that can’t hit with RISP, need I go on? we aren’t playoff worthy, plain and simple….
Do I want them to win and make it? Sure I do, just like everyone else, but…….
SJ, Obviously the Yanks thought they could sign Cole, thus the pick. It didn’t happen, nothing you can do but move on. Now they have to do thier homework, use the pick we get next year for not signing Cole and we’ll see what happens. No since harping on it over and over and over.
The Yanks still had a pretty good draft in 2008 and have done well the past couple years, not to mention the International FA haul. We’re still in good shape and getting better and in much better shape than just a few short years ago. To whine about this and that when our farm system was in shambles not that long ago is crazy. Did we swing and miss on a few guys this year? Yes. Is it the end of the world? Nope. Is it going to set us back years and years? Nope.
randy:
SJ’s idea is a good one, insofar as it brings in a fresh perspective that might help speed up the regeneration of the organizational structure, the back office team that builds the on-field team.
I know SJ feels strongly about this and thinks Buck is the brightest available guy. IN Buck’s favor is also the fact that Buck would not be starting from scratch with the organization. If the Steinbrenners agree, Cash may get outvoted on bringing Buck aboard for a review (I cannot see Cash saying OK) and Cash could stay or go depending on how he reacts to the outside help.
On the other hand, it’s way too easy to have a different perspective on what the Yankees should do with their money (see this blog for instance) and I’m not sure the Steinbrenners think Cash is so off the mark that he needs help revising whatever plan he has already sold them on.
Plus, consultants who have former ties to the organization may also have axes to grind, leaving their suggestions open to critique and disregard for that reason. The last thing an organization wants to do is spend a lot of money and open itself up to examination by someone whose opinions are not going to get pretty universal buy-in at the top. Thus, IMO, Buck is not the right guy if they do this. But that’s just me.
I think it is more likely that the owners will give Cash a chance to grade Oppenheimer’s performance as well as that of his minor league staff before ownership brings in an outsider to give a new perspective. (IMO, if Cash sees nothing wrong with 08, then it’s time to get a new GM, not a consultant). Maybe Cash will slam Oppenhiemer, or take the heat himself, for a really bad 08 draft. Or maybe they all got taken in by Cole.
My feeling from what I read is that the owners are sticking with Cash, sans consultant, and that with the money coming off the books they will be seeking a brand new look for 09. Maybe that new look includes a better, more professional-looking GM staff, something that Big Stein probably never thought he needed.
Baby steps.
“Bottom line: be ready for the team to make big changes”
I don’t think the Yanks need big changes. as for the holes defensivley ? i say you plug in Garnder and give it to him to lose. With that being said you move Damon & Matsui to platoon LF & DH spots. If Posada’s healthy enough, you put him to catch. But i say you keep Molina as Moose’s official cather (you dont wanna break there chemistry). If he’s not healthy, you spend the offseason preparing Posada to play 1B, while looking for a back-up 1B just incase. With a healthy Wang, & Joba (& the addition of CC of course)our rotation would be one of the top in AL, if not baseball.
“You don’t understand how the baseball draft works.
You look for “diamonds in the rough†in other rounds.
Not in the first round.
Cole is a guy who, if he didn’t have Boras as an agent, would have been a Top 10 pick.
On pure ability, he has top end stuff.
He will sign with the Yankees and not go to UCLA.
When you are the Yankees, paying over slot for the right players is the way to rebuild your farm system.”
_______________________________________
“Early in a draft, teams go after high ceiling guys. Bittle is a specialist kind of a guy. Basically, a one trick pony even though that “trick†is a very effective pitch.
For a team like the Yankees, its a great pick. They can afford to take a run on a kid like this and see if he fills a particular niche (bullpen help) they currently have.”
______________________________
unfortunately, SJ, hindsight of course is always 20/20.
but even on Day 1, there was no denying, even from you, that Cole and Bittle were solid, if not great, picks for the yankees at the time.
I’m glad you brought up Adams, 86.
Adams is a great example of what I am talking about when I talk about doing your homework.
He was considered by many to be a first round pick coming into the college baseball season. He had a bad year. He didn’t hit because his college coach messed with his stance and a lot of teams backed off him.
The Yankees felt differently and really stole that kid in that spot in the draft. He has a chance to be a very good player once he can get his swing back. He has shown signs of doing so in Staten Island.
That’s what I’m talking about when I talk about developing your own players. You have to do your homework and you can’t use the first 3 rounds of the draft as an experiment. You have to hit in those spots.
If not, you have to get lucky (translation, overpay dramatically) for guys later in the draft. Which they did on a few people. Fortunately, the early returns are positive.
That said, if the goal is to get younger and more athletic among position players, that’s coming from the draft. No team is trading their young players (unless they are problem children) to the Yankees.
If they are going to find these type of guys, they can’t repeat this years mistakes at the top end of the draft next year.
“The offseason needs are to trade some excess young pitching for proven MLB ready position players at 1B, CF, and catcher”
I see this as easier said than done. The top flight starting pitching prospects are not at the AA/AAA level, unless we are considering Hughes as a prospect (and why shouldn’t we, I guess?). Hughes gets you the type of proven young position you’re talking about. Leaving Melancon out of the conversation, no other pitchers at AA/AAA do. I still don’t think the Yankees want to deal Hughes. As for CF, I think you can get a Kotsay or someone like that for a year to keep the seat warm for Jackson, who may well be up as soon as the allstar break next season.
Its kind of absurd to question the Cole pick after the fact. He was the most talented high school pitcher in the draft. At the time of the pick everyone was applauding the Yankees for making such a great pick. The Yankees management believed that Cole intended to sign. Obviously that wasn’t true. If they knew Cole was 100% committed to UCLA theres no way Cashman would have picked him but nobody knew that during the draft. They picked the best guy at their spot who they thought had an intention to sign. Cole burned the Yankees, it sucks but there was nothing they could do.
Jeter’s Future Wife,
Then don’t bother watching the games the rest of the year We’ve rolled into the playoff more than once the last 8 years and have nothing to show for it. Maybe if we struggle all year and sneak in something different will happen.
You say we have two reliable starters right now and we do. Alot can change in the next month. Who knows who steps up or comes back from injury? You have to be in it to win it and I’d rather be in it than watching. That’s just me. I’m not afraid of the Yanks failing in 2008, when they’ve failed every year since 2000. I lived through not making the playoff from 1982-1994 and it wasn’t fun and there’s no way I’m going to say, as a Yanks fan, I don’t want them in the playoffs.
exactly, Patrick.
TurnTwo,
The issue isn’t whether or not they were great picks. The issue is health (in Bittle’s case) and signability (in Cole’s case).
I had no idea Bittle’s shoulder was that bad. However, the Yankees knew of his medicals and still drafted him. Does that seem logical to you.
You have to know you will sign your first round pick. If you don’t do it, its a miss. Its that simple.
The only other team not to sign its first round pick this year are the Nationals. Everybody else signed.
You really think its a good thing the Yankees couldn’t sign their first round pick?
As I said earlier, if you want to gamble on Cole and miss out, fine. In that case, you can’t miss on the next two picks.
Nobody in the draft, not even the Nationals, gambled on their first three picks. The Yankees did and it cost them.
Even if you give them the benefit of the doubt on Cole, they had to play it safer/smarter with the next two picks.
They did not and its not out of bounds to question why.
“As I said earlier, if you want to gamble on Cole and miss out, fine. In that case, you can’t miss on the next two picks.”
If it was my team, I’d wholeheartedly have to agree.
The only lingering doubt I need resolved is whether anybody besides Cash and Oppenheimer signed off on taking this really big gamble. If the Steins backed Cash’s play, with the risks/rewards explained, then they all go down together.
“You have to know you will sign your first round pick. If you don’t do it, its a miss. Its that simple.”
but according to every report baseball officials had, he wasnt a signability problem because he really wanted to go to college. he was a signability issue, it was believed, because of the money.
of course, now we know his family, and specifically his father apparently, really wanted him to go to school.
but when they made that pick, money was the primary factor to his signing.
you can argue all you want about how it was a miss, and an awful job by Cashman and the organization, but he and Oppenheimer did what every other GM and organization in his position would have done if they had the Yankees resources.
you said it yourself.
the Bittle thing does make you wonder what they were thinking, unless Bittle himself was holding records back, or not being honest about his current health status.
but they get a protected supplemental pick next year for him… no harm, no foul. sucks, but its not a total loss, because they can flex their financial muscle with that pick next year as much as they would/could have this year.
Kenny Rogers was just placed on waivers
Jeter’s Future Wife:
The only way the Yanks are “not playoff worthy” is if they miss the playoffs by virtue of their record. This isn’t the NCAA.
Your logic says its better to miss the playoffs than to make them and then lose in the first round. Are you serious?
I don’t think you should follow sports…
I’m with SJ on taking chances with ALL of the top three picks. Cole was known to be a tough sign, but super talent. Bleich missed most of the year with an injury and Bittle, well I’ve seen the guy in person multiple times and he is not as good as JB Cox and was a bad choice even if healthy.
Still, I like the rest of the draft and rounds 4-10 may end up being one of the best groups ever.
Again next year they need to add position players… especially outfielders with power.
Nice post Turn Two. SJ is probably the most knowledgable guy on here and I love his posts. But one month he says one thing and the next something else. He’s a master of the obvious, he lets you know the sky is blue and the Titanic is sinking.
You can’t go on and on about how great the draft was one month and then when things turn a little sour say the Yanks failed and have to go about doing things a different way and at like that was your stance all along.
“Its kind of absurd to question the Cole pick after the fact. He was the most talented high school pitcher in the draft. At the time of the pick everyone was applauding the Yankees for making such a great pick. The Yankees management believed that Cole intended to sign.”
Disagree a little, Patrick. When your platform as an organization is that we are building from within, from the ground up, and eschewing crazy free agent contracts, you can’t “believe” he’s going to sign. You have to know it.
SJ44,
Every pick is a gamble. Because of the nature of the baseball draft, players that are picked have much more flexibility in negotiating and ultimately whether or not they sign. The difference with Cole was he truly had no intention to sign. Prior to the draft the Yankees had information stating otherwise. You can’t blame the Yankees because Cole decided he wanted to go to UCLA when in the past he had expressed a desire to sign.
This is how the Yankees have replenished their farm system; by picking guys with the highest ceiling and paying over slot to get them. One of the reasons why their farm system was so barren to begin with is because they made too many conservative picks. Now you want them to go back to that? I sure hope not. I hope this Cole debacle doesn’t stop Cashman from making high risk/high reward picks. That is the way to keep improving the minor league system.
“Your logic says its better to miss the playoffs than to make them and then lose in the first round. Are you serious?”
The goal of the Yankees, as oft repeated by Jeter, is to win the WS, not make the playoffs. The way this team has tried to pace itself and come on strong just in time to make the playoffs each year, only to fall flat, speaks of an old, out of balance team that could never get to the WS. This year, with the Rays holding onto their wins, the old Yankees are out of luck it seems.
Better to miss the playoffs because you are getting rid of the old team and not giving in to quick, Free Agent, fixes. IMO, better to rebuild and bring back a team that can really contend for the WS, not just slide into the first round of the playoffs and die.
That what Jeter’s Future Wife seems to be telling me and I agree.
what’s the Yanks’ record since the all star break?
“what’s the Yanks’ record since the all star break?”
20-15
I hear you Fredo but no pick is a sure-sign unless they are a senior in college. The Yankees are always at the back of the draft because so they have to settle for the risky, high ceiling picks.
It is NEVER better to miss the playoffs.
Understand Patrick, but there were teams like the Mets (twice) and the Tigers, who have in the past had no problem signing guys over slot, who passed on this kid in favor of guys who are arguably lesser prospects. Did they know something the Yankees didn’t????
thanks Fredo
SJ44
You were just as happy as anyone else when Cole fell to us, I’m sure. There was advance word of his attitude/flakiness but everyone assumed he was going to sign and everyone agreed it was a great pick for the Yankees. To complain about it now after he didn’t sign when you were excited about it before is just lame.
(And don’t say “well I didn’t have the inside information the Yankees had” because guess what…you still don’t. Apparently this kid indicated he was going to sign to them and then backed out)
My point is that everyone knew it was a risk from the day of the draft but none of the people complaining now, saying it was too risky for a first round pick, were complaining back then.
“Understand Patrick, but there were teams like the Mets (twice) and the Tigers, who have in the past had no problem signing guys over slot”
FWIW, the Mets have NEVER been ones to go over slot to sign a high ceiling prospect who’s got signability concerns.
I have no idea why the Tigers passed on Cole.
The Mets on the other hand have in the past signed most of their picks for the suggested slot. Thats one of the reasons the Mets farm system is barren right now, most of their picks are very conservative.
We can speculate all we want but the reports directly after the draft were that Cole intended on signing with the Yankees but that it would cost a lot of money. After the deadline passed we found out that Cole refused to even listen to any offers and said his intention was to go to UCLA all along. Just looking at that evidence it seems like Cole and his family jerked the Yankees around. If a kid implies he wants to sign before the draft, then afterwards won’t listen to offers how is that the Yankees fault?
murphydog:
You can’t win the WS without making the playoffs. I’m positive Jeter knows this. It’s a tournament. Only those that make it can win it and anything can happen if you make it.
It is never better to miss the playoffs. Never. There is no point to the season, the competition, the sport, or this blog for that matter.
Would you have preferred to miss the playoffs since 2000? Did you also enjoy 82 – 94? Do you hope they miss them this year? If so, why do you follow the team?
Wow…
Sox are in town for the biggest series of the year, and yet bloggers are preoccupied with the draft.
Most of these guys never pan out anyway. The last guy to work out for us-Derek Jeter, and that wasn’t exactly a short time ago.
Based on their standing each year, it’s a lot tougher for the Yanks to get known commodity picks. Even the high picks aren’t really known commodities.
Enough with the Cole kid-He’s a pimple faced teenager who thinks he is on top of the world. I guarantee he wont win more than 30 games in the bigs
Flounder:
If your team is only good enough to get to the first round of the playoffs and then dies in embarrassing fashion, and you don’t address the deficiencies but expect different results, what’s the point?
Wow.
jeez. I still can’t understand how that Twins team is better than the Yankees.
Gonna be an interesting series for sure…even if we lose 2 out of 3, we only lose a game on Boston so all hope is not COMPLETELY lost…but if we’re swept, it’s definitely over. I hope they carry the momentum from Baltimore and play their hearts out! And it would be nice to see A-Rod get a frickin clutch hit or two. Then again it is an even numbered year and he only hits well in odd years apparently.
OFF TOPIC –
Sorry, but did I read this correctly? Did the Dodgers strand 32 runners last night? Or, is that an exaggeration??
“FWIW, the Mets have NEVER been ones to go over slot to sign a high ceiling prospect who’s got signability concerns.”
I was thinking specifically of Wright who got a million as the 38th pick in ’01. Joba got $1.1M as the 41st pick in ’06 (the pick prior got $300K less).
Ack! I’m nervous about this series.
murphydog
gotta say I agree with flounder here. i understand what you’re saying about being good enough to get to the first round, but the fact is with the situation the Yankees are in right now, the ONLY way they make the playoffs is to get SCORCHING hot, and streak into the playoffs. Remember the Rockies last year, and the Cards in 06? All you need to do is be the hottest team come October and you’ll go to the World Series. and god knows, if these Yankees make the playoffs, they’ll be HOT.
murphydog,
with the injuries this team has suffered, wouldn’t you consider even making the post season a success?
the main reason the rays have been successful, has been they’ve only had 7 starts from guys outside their rotation.
as for the draft, please, everyone loved the cole pick, it didn’t work out. should they have gone position player? maybe, but ask cj henry or eric duncan or drew henson how that turns out.
mlb draft like no other is a gamble.
murphydog:
Answer one question: Do you hope they miss the playoffs this year?
Anyone else here think its better to just play 162 games and then go fishing?
There is a team in Baltimore that would be a perfect fit if thats what you fancy. Check them out, they’re called the Orioles…
I don’t know guys? Wakefield is well-rested and is a Yankee killer. The Sox are revved up after taking it to AJ in Toronto and Bryd will be throwing junk like he did in the playoffs against us and is looking to pitch for a spot in this Boston rotation next year. Lester I don’t even need to address. He just got his bad outing out of the way in Toronto and will most likely 2 hit us and throw another complete game. Then we have Toronto and Tampa and Cali and Minny!??!?!?!?
If we finish 15 out it will be a good year considering all the bad that has happened.
Boston sweeps us up on their last trip to the ol’ball park!
Mis-hit the send button.
I’m not saying I hope they don’t make the playoffs. My points are:
1. They are in it to win the WS, not get to the first round and lose. (And yes, Flounder, I think both Jeter and I get how the playoffs work).
2) Bringing back the same flawed team year after year that is only good enough to make the first round via offense without taking the time or proper steps to build a WS caliber team is Ground Hog Day, not learning from your mistakes. It also fails to complete the mission, see point 1.
Billy Bean has made a career out of having a “pretty good” team and getting to the playoffs frequently but almost never getting to the WS. Do most people think that is better than 26 World Championships?
3) If you fail to make the playoffs one year because you are committed to a long term strategy designed to get to the playoffs AND beyond (i.e., the WS), and that requires you to change the team, isn’t that smarter than putting together a team only good enough to get to the first round?
I get what you are saying about going on and winning the WS, and I agree. However, I also see making the playoffs as a level of success (much like Joe Torre did).
I also would take great pleasure in this team, having to fight against key injuries, especially in the rotation, making it in.
I mean imagine if they were able to be going Wang, Moose, Joba, Petette.
The Jeter “only winning a WS is a successful season” is news quote BS. If the Rays dont win the WS is this season a failure? Of course not, its a huge success.
One of the things that cuts into my enjoyment of baseball is the Yankees’ assinine mentality that either you win it all or it’s a failure.
That’s crap. Other teams spend millions. They scout, they coach, they play hard and they try to win. Getting one of eight spots in the post-season, still the most exclusive post-season in sports is a damn good year.
If all you care about is the destination you’ll never enjoy the journey. My only goal every year is to have the Yanks MAKE the playoffs. Then I get greedy once post-season gets underway.
Let’s see this team finish strong. If they get the Angels in the first round that’s tough, but not impossible. If they are watching someone else play the Angels, their chances of advancing are much worse.
For a day;
Forget Cashman.
Forget trading Cano.
Forget the draft.
Forget Abreu’s expanding waistline.
Forget Giambi’s impression of a windmill in the 5th spot.
Forget Girardi is a part time moron.
Forget Arod is crazier than a booger eating 3rd grader.
Forget that 2/3 of our rotation are Ponson, Pavano and pray for rain Rasner.
The Red Sox are in town people. Manny is gone. We’re 5 back with 6 to play against them.
If we lose tonight, let’s start picking the bones of this carcass again because that’s pretty much all we’ll have left to do this season.
But if we win…if we win…there’s a chance.
October starts tonight. While it doesn’t have that cold air and charcoal baked hot pretzels smell outside the stadium, this is the playoffs.
I expect the cap to be pulled down low and the stare to be deadly on Mr. Pettitte tonight and I also expect Jeter to do something with the bat to remind us all he’s Jeter again.
Season’s not over yet.
The Yankees have a certain fondness for Louisiana left handers. They seem to prosper fairly well in NY. Guidry, Pettitte, Ray Fontenot. Louisiana seems to turn out pitchers for other teams, too. JR Richard, Don Wilson, Ben Sheets, BJ Ryan, Earl Wilson, Jonathon Papelbon, Howie Pollett. Must be something that grows in the bayous.
“3) If you fail to make the playoffs one year because you are committed to a long term strategy designed to get to the playoffs AND beyond (i.e., the WS), and that requires you to change the team, isn’t that smarter than putting together a team only good enough to get to the first round?”
overall, i agree, but would say that i think most baseball people believe that once you get to the playoffs, its really kind of a crapshoot.
so if you can get to the first round, you’ll take your chances to advance once you get there… so talent wise, you may only have a ‘first-round team’ on paper, but especially in the last handful of years, you’ve seen teams not necessarily win the WS but advance deep into the playoffs with maybe lesser talent who got hot at the right time, or caught breaks along the way.
a-f’n-men, G. Love.
“If you fail to make the playoffs one year because you are committed to a long term strategy designed to get to the playoffs AND beyond (i.e., the WS), and that requires you to change the team, isn’t that smarter than putting together a team only good enough to get to the first round?”
I feel regardless of this seasons results, the strategy is in place and has not been compromised.
If healthy, they will go into next year with a younger rotation with some power arms. The pen should be even stronger next year. The Nady trade starts the process of getting younger, quality position players.
I think that if they can make a run and get into the PS it’s gravy.
That last post was inresponse to SJ’s wondering why NY drafted a soft tossing lefty in Bleiche.
Flounder:
Don’t even try to test me about team loyalty, son. Anybody who has read this blog for more than a week knows me and knows I’m not rooting against the team.
Use your head. It’s all about putting together a better team than the one that keeps dying in the first round. If the Yankees were satisfied with making the first round every year and not going further, Torre would still be manager.
It’s ok to make changes for the long run even if it means pain in the short run. Draft picks take time to mature. Free Agency is not the answer. This team is long overdue for an overhaul and there is a limit to the amount of money the Yankees can spend to do that. It may take a little time to fix a decades’ worth of organizational mistakes.
a sweep is required.
murph says: If you fail to make the playoffs one year because you are committed to a long term strategy designed to get to the playoffs AND beyond (i.e., the WS), and that requires you to change the team, isn’t that smarter than putting together a team only good enough to get to the first round?
It could be argued that that would have been a good strategy, but it’s not the one this team used. This year was not about rebuilding but about doing some renovations while still trying to win.
It didn’t work. Going back and redefining it is about retroactively lowering expectations so you don’t look too foolish. Worth a try, but a lot of people will see through it.
“The Jeter “only winning a WS is a successful season†is news quote BS. If the Rays dont win the WS is this season a failure? Of course not, its a huge success.”
I’m not saying I agree 100% but that’s what he and Big Stein believe. They don’t spend $200 mil/year to make the playoffs.
I think WS success does require a bit of luck. But the Yankees want to minimize that element as much as possible.
Hey all
I am taking the wife and kids to the Wednesday* game, but I’m a ticket short.
How much above face value should I expect to pay a scalper?
Thanks in advance.
* Ponson/Byrd. Ugh. At least the kiddies will see some hits.
Jeez, who freaking died? It’s like a wake in here.
The ONLY positive poster is G. LOVE?!? Talk about Twilight Zone.
Get it together people. Even if we don’t make the post season, enjoy the last 5 weeks in the Old Stadium and get ready for a new era in Yankee history.
Enjoy watching your team scratch and battle even if the desired result isn’t achieved.
You don’t know nothing about these Yankees if you think they’re going to roll over for the Sox in this series.
Wake up expecting to find solidarity and I find solid negativity.
Have a great day, guys.
“It could be argued that that would have been a good strategy, but it’s not the one this team used. This year was not about rebuilding but about doing some renovations while still trying to win.”
Part of this year was also about fiscal restraint and discipline, not spending on a FA or making a panic trade because next year some contracts run out and the re-building continues in the form of addition by subtraction. Plus the finances get more flexible.
But I agree that it was not all-out rebuilding this year, more tweaks than demolition.
I am so glad I am leaving on vacation today, and will not be able to catch up on any of the upcoming games. As much as all of you sound quite optimistic, I am convinced that the Yankees will implode starting tonight, and will be completely and most certainly out of it by Saturday. And I am happy that I will not witness it, because it would make me quite upset despite the fact that it is by now pretty much a done deal.
murphydog:
Son?
Anyways, you can stop beating your chest now. I don’t care enough about your “loyalty” to bother questioning it.
If you can rationalize that its better to miss the playoffs, well, what can I say. I guess I just “use my head” differently than you do. But hey, you may just have a great season after all!
Cheers!
Not signing Cole sucks, but turning it into a critique of the Yankees’ approach to the draft blows things out of proportion.
Cole rejecting $5 million to go to UCLA was a fluke. Flukes happen to every team and are not the same as a flawed approach to drafting talent.
I can remember back to how it appreared in 78, I was 17 and the Yanks started of to a horrible season, there we were late in Aug, 12 games back it looked totally impossible for them to do anything right, I hated turning on WPIX channel 11, but I did faithfully every night. Man it got really exciting the end of Aug, and Sept 78. What I got to watch was a Play-off run that started in Aug.
All I can say is how sweet it was to win the WS that year, it seemed as though the Play-off’s lasted for ever that year.
History tends to repeat itself, so I say…
Here We Go Again……….GO YANKS
Murph, I seldom disagree with you, but, in the case of Jeter’s Wanna-be Wife, she/he has been making remarks like this all season. It seems that she/he is more concerned about being embarrassed as a “Yankee fan” than whether they make the playoffs. I’m of the mind that they make they playoffs and, then worry about winning the games, one at a time. Just like this series…I’m not concerned about tomorrow’s game until tonight’s game is over. I have no concerns about the past…and…especially the future. Today is all that concerns me.
Flounder:
The feeling’s mutual.
My only point in reminiscing is they have done it before, they can do it again.
Just win tonight that has to be our Battle cry…
GB7:
Ah, yes. Carpe diem.
Unfortunately this team has a tendency not to, if you will, carpe diem
I’ve lived through the Yankees not signing a few of their top picks, before. I’ll live through this one. I’m not referring to Mark Prior, but the failure to sign Freddie Lynn back in 1970 in the 3rd round. How many titles might NYY have won with him patrolling center field.
Ah…Tish….errr…Murph…you spoke French…uhhh…Latin…You know how that drives me crazy.
Here are Kenny Rodgers stats for this year. In 27 starts he has a record of:
W L ERA
9 11 5.09
To note is that he has only pitched under 6 innings in a start twice since the end of June.
“I can remember back to how it appreared in 78, I was 17 and the Yanks started of to a horrible season, there we were late in Aug, 12 games back it looked totally impossible for them to do anything right,”
In truth, they were never 12 games back at any point in August (the high was 9 and they were 6 out heading into September), but it was a fascinating last couple months. I remember being comfortable up 3.5 with 2 weeks left only to see Boston cut to 1 with a week to go. What a last week. Both teams won six straight leading up to that final Sunday, when Boston won a 7th in a row while the Yanks lost to the Tribe, setting up the playoff game. Guidry was heroic down the stretch making 4 consecutive starts on 3 days rest to seal the deal.
“I’m of the mind that they make they playoffs and, then worry about winning the games, one at a time. Just like this series…I’m not concerned about tomorrow’s game until tonight’s game is over. I have no concerns about the past…and…especially the future. Today is all that concerns me.”
Ah, moi aussi, mon amor, moi aussi!
GB7:
But we’re still just friends right,
new post
No doubt, Murph. Seeing that name you chose to go by, makes me smile and remember back to my first days in the military. I was assigned to Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri. The unit was F 2-2. and was in the Second Brigade, nicknamed the “Murpheydog Brigade”. I hated that place, then, about 6 months later, found out there were worse places to be.
Fredo Corleone:
Sorry your right, we were 14 games out in mid-July 78. It’s been a long time, my point I’ve seen them in worse situation’s…This is not totally out of the ordinary for them…They can do it, as so elegantly put by others..just win today, we can talk about tomorrow..tomorrow…
They will win…
GB7:
And they ask, “what’s in a name?”
Murph, as Bill Shakespeare, a wise old Texas hill country philospher used to say. “A rose by any other name would still be just a rose, unless it was yellow.”
Names are important. Not many guys wanna be calling their girlfriend, Homer.
GreenBeret7
August 26th, 2008 at 11:30 am
The Yankees have a certain fondness for Louisiana left handers. They seem to prosper fairly well in NY. Guidry, Pettitte, Ray Fontenot. Louisiana seems to turn out pitchers for other teams, too. JR Richard, Don Wilson, Ben Sheets, BJ Ryan, Earl Wilson, Jonathon Papelbon, Howie Pollett. Must be something that grows in the bayous
It’s the hot sauces and spices in the food, not to mention the weird things they eat down there. If you ain’t a man when you go there, and you spend a year there, you will be a man when you leave. Not sure if that translates to football.
sunny615 there is no shame in my game.if that’s what it takes then so be it.what do you wan’t to do when we get to the dance? feel guilty and say as a team i just can’t do this,this is not how i imagined this.it sounds like a few memmorable occasions years ago in the back seat of my oldsmobile.get yourself together and get over it,we can do this.
murphydog when the yankees put any team together i think they believe it is good enough to win it all.they just have to wisen up and build a good young pitching staff 1-5.get sabathia and right off the bat their 1-3 is sabathia,wang,joba,that is as good as it’s gonna get.they neglected the rotation the last several years.