My OperaDon't Call it a Comeback!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007 10:57:14 PM
The 2007 New York Yankees went from worst to...second in just a few short months but all that is moot now. After an offensive assault on the Cleveland Indians pitching staff just a night before, the same offense seemed to forget how their bats worked and once again failed to do anything spectacular against the evidently invincible Tribe staff. Meanwhile, Chien Ming-Wang continued to show why he wasn't such the ace that everyone likes to think he is, giving up three earned in just an innings work. Thank you Wang!
Now, for the third season in a row, the Yankees head home for the rest of the month and get to watch two teams play a boring, likely four game sweep by the Red Sox and head into the World Series against an atrocious National League counterpart. That's right the World Series; the place the Yankees are predicted to wind up each and every year since they won in 1996.
But maybe 1996 should be the key year to look at for the Yankees to look at after this dismal season's end. Maybe even 1995 or 1997, the last two times they won the Wild Card instead of the division. 1996 meant a new manager and a young, average-looking team with terrible, aging pitching. Enter rookie of the year Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez from Seattle (the team that had beaten the 95 Yankees in the ALDS in five games), and some second baseman by the name of Mariano Duncan. Half the players on the team were nobodies outside of the Yankees but much like the teams past who have beaten the Yankees, they were a team and had a manager who actually knew what he was doing. Somewhere along the lines, Joe Torre felt things got easy for him with all of the big names and forgot how to manage; that's when the Yankees fell apart. Somewhere along the lines, Steinbrenner forgot that money doesn't equal success nor do 40-year old National League pitchers (like Kevin Brown whom Torre felt was a perfect fit for Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS; good job Joe!).
But forget about the past and let's look at the future, the 2008 Yankees. Torre is almost certainly gone as may be A-Rod, Posada, Abreu, Mo, Clemens, Pettite, and more. Frankly, A-Rod will be back in my mind as will Mo and Pettite. But what does that mean for the other positions open left by Posada, Abreu, and pitching? Well let's take a look...
C - Michael Barrett
1B - Andy Phillips/Jason Giambi
2B - Robinson Cano
SS - Derek Jeter
3B - Alex Rodriguez
LF - Johnny Damon
CF - Melky Cabrera
RF - Free Agent?/Bronson Sardinha
SP1 - Chien Mieng-Wang
SP2 - Andy Pettite
SP3 - Phillip Hughes
SP4 - Mike Mussina/Joba Chamberlain?
SP5 - Ian Kennedy
LR - Ross Ohlendorf
LR - Jose Veras
MR - Free Agent?
SU - Kyle Farnsworth?/Joba?
CL - Mariano Rivera
Now, for the third season in a row, the Yankees head home for the rest of the month and get to watch two teams play a boring, likely four game sweep by the Red Sox and head into the World Series against an atrocious National League counterpart. That's right the World Series; the place the Yankees are predicted to wind up each and every year since they won in 1996.
But maybe 1996 should be the key year to look at for the Yankees to look at after this dismal season's end. Maybe even 1995 or 1997, the last two times they won the Wild Card instead of the division. 1996 meant a new manager and a young, average-looking team with terrible, aging pitching. Enter rookie of the year Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez from Seattle (the team that had beaten the 95 Yankees in the ALDS in five games), and some second baseman by the name of Mariano Duncan. Half the players on the team were nobodies outside of the Yankees but much like the teams past who have beaten the Yankees, they were a team and had a manager who actually knew what he was doing. Somewhere along the lines, Joe Torre felt things got easy for him with all of the big names and forgot how to manage; that's when the Yankees fell apart. Somewhere along the lines, Steinbrenner forgot that money doesn't equal success nor do 40-year old National League pitchers (like Kevin Brown whom Torre felt was a perfect fit for Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS; good job Joe!).
But forget about the past and let's look at the future, the 2008 Yankees. Torre is almost certainly gone as may be A-Rod, Posada, Abreu, Mo, Clemens, Pettite, and more. Frankly, A-Rod will be back in my mind as will Mo and Pettite. But what does that mean for the other positions open left by Posada, Abreu, and pitching? Well let's take a look...
C - Michael Barrett
1B - Andy Phillips/Jason Giambi
2B - Robinson Cano
SS - Derek Jeter
3B - Alex Rodriguez
LF - Johnny Damon
CF - Melky Cabrera
RF - Free Agent?/Bronson Sardinha
SP1 - Chien Mieng-Wang
SP2 - Andy Pettite
SP3 - Phillip Hughes
SP4 - Mike Mussina/Joba Chamberlain?
SP5 - Ian Kennedy
LR - Ross Ohlendorf
LR - Jose Veras
MR - Free Agent?
SU - Kyle Farnsworth?/Joba?
CL - Mariano Rivera
