30 Games In

What drives me nuts on this team thus far is the lack of timely hitting. We have guys who can supposedly mash, but what about a shot in the gap with two outs and runners on first and second? It really seems like we're just either hitting singles or home runs. Every so often, we'll get a double. (Posada had two games of getting RBI doubles; I remember this distinctly. That speaks to my point.)

Tonight, we've gotten two solo shots, and one two-run HR. We still maintain relative patience at the plate, but choose to swing away too quickly. Tex just grounded out to the second baseman on a 2-0 count. We can see pitchers struggling, but we tend to jump on him to try and deliver the knockout punch. Instead, we calm him down when we just ground / fly out.

What I like is our chemistry. I'm reading all around that the team likes each other; I wonder how Alex will affect that. I agree with Pete Abraham - if this team gets healthy, and finds a groove to where it's playing effectively (offensively, defensively, pitching), it can do damage. But with this suddenly old team, that may seem to be asking for too many stars to align properly.

I'm not sure I quite understand Girardi's moves, but he knows the team better than I. I can appreciate the choice NOT to bring a long reliever out of Spring Training, based on how the team played. Wang threw that out of whack from the onset.

Something else, and this is serious: Boston is in their heads. I don't think that will change until the seniors on the team (Jeter, Posada, Pettite, and definitely Rivera) are gone. Maybe even Alex. 2004 still just resonates with this franchise too much. That - in conjunction with age and attrition - just hurts too much.

We're one game below .500, and losing by six runs to the last place team in the division. Something tells me, already at this point, this is what we're going to be facing for the year. I strongly hope that I am wrong.

okay - let's tease fate a little here.

so - I did this on Monday night, and Teixeria signed the next day.  After thinking about the line-up and rotation a little more - and getting all the more greedy, I will readily and steadily admit - here's what I'm thinking the club could still do, in an ideal and utopian world:

* Trade Matsui to SF for left-hand reliever and general prospects

* Trade Melky and Ian Kennedy to SD for Peavy

* Sign Manny to 1-year, $24 million

Those three items completed, here's the line-up and rotation for Opening Day:

Damon LF

Jeter SS

Rodriguez 3B

Teixeria 1B

Ramirez DH

Posada C

Cano 2B

Nady RF

Gardner CF

Sabathia  LHP

Peavy  RHP

Wang  RHP

Burnett  RHP

Hughes  RHP

Joba goes back into set-up mode for Mo.  Bullpen can be Marte, Bruney, Veras, Ramirez, Coke.  Swisher, Molina, and Ransom are on the bench.

Honestly?  That just flat out scares me.  Can you see that rotation in pinstripes?  That line-up? Manny hitting FIFTH?  Seriously, if you were Manny - wouldn't you call up Boras and say - "You know what, I want to go there just to see what it would be like for one year.  I'll be good for one year - we'll win a title - and I'll play the market again next year.  See if there are any takers."

The trade for Peavy won't happen - but gosh - wouldn't that be fun.  Peavy throwing the day after Sabathia?  I only put Burnett as #4 because I would like to mix it up with Wang throwing ground outs in between.  And why not Hughes?  I read somewhere that any of the other teams would gladly take him off the Yankees hands - an ace in the waiting.  Well, what better way to shelter him here than to put him in at #5... with that everyday row of excellent hitters? Goodness gracious.

Sure - Gardner at CF isn't a run-producer.  But the same type of logic applies as with Hughes - how could he NOT build confidence hitting in this line-up?  And his defense will more than make-up for any oh-fer's.

I just scrolled back up, and looked at that line-up again.  And then the rotation.  And then I grinned.  Big grin.  Like, holy-cow-YES-will-be-my-obsession-next-year grin.

What would that be on the field - chemistry-wise... TEAM-wise?  Don't know.  But I would be MORE than willing to find out, as a fan of this club.

Heh.  I just grinned again.  Merry Christmas, everyone.

uh...

... well, who would've known that they would actually get Teixeira.  We're one step closer.  I don't think we NEED to go get Manny now - but talk about what kind of an icing that would be.

hmmm... what to do now?  Trade Matsui?  I like the youth and the energy that Nady brings.  I like Swisher, too.  Damon will have his moments, but I wonder if he'll consistently provide his offense like he did three, four years ago.  Hmmm... and then there's Posada, but Sherman with the Post is claiming that we picked up Kevin Cash on a minor-league contract.

frankly, I wonder what kind of a TEAM this will bring.  Adding Sabathia will foster the team - adding Burnett or Teixeira appear to be more business-types.  Hmmm...

... questions still abound.  And I like this signing.  But one of the bigger questions: is Teixeira another eight years of Giambi Lite?  Nah - couldn't be, could it?

... questions still abound.  But, today - I'm excited.  I'll let the honeymoon keep for the next couple of days.

the quest for 27 - 2009 Utopian Line-Up

I just wanted to write down this line-up.  I know it can't happen; I'm thinking ideally on this, outside of Tex's soon-to-be nine figure deal and Manny's nine year-old attitude, finding someone to take Matsui and his aging knees.  (Not that I think we should get rid of 55 - I've always highly respected both his work ethic and his loyalty to the team.  And I think it's safe to say the team appreciates that, too.)  

All that said - I cringe with adolescent delight at this Opening Day line-up in the new Stadium.

Damon LF

Jeter SS

Rodriguez 3B

Teixiera 1B

Ramirez DH

Cano 2B

Posada C

Nady RF

Gardner CF

Sabathia

Burnett

Wang

Chamberlain

Pettitte

What a scary line-up, and what an intimidating rotation, all the way around.  I don't know whether they win 100 games, but I like it on paper... knowing how all of them play individually.  Then you factor in how they would gel as a team... whether or not they'd be cohesive... Manny being... I can't serve that cliche one more time... and... well... I come back to reality.

But, man - what a line-up that would be, ideally.

All of that said - I like Swisher.  I even still like Melky.  I think they'll both serve the team well, in service and in character.  We'll see.

NYCC

So the Yankees picked up Sabathia, and look to be going hard after Burnett now.  Lowe, Sheets seem to be in the rearview mirror - but, as always, objects look closer than they appear from that angle.  And Cash is in Texas, schmoozing with Andy to come back for one more year with a paycut.

I would be surprised if Cash didn't leave the state without something done with Andy, so I'm presuming that's done and done.  That said, I think any variation of this rotation looks all right.  And this is my order of how they would go, 1-5:

Sabathia

Wang

Pettitte

Burnett / Sheets / Lowe

Jobamania

Not bad.  L/R/L/R/R would work out well.  I'm not sure if - or how - that translates to wins, but it will mean a stronger sense of stability in the rotation since the last time the Yankees won a championship.

It's said that Teixeira is no longer in play, and that makes sense.  Lots of money is coming off the books for the club (Giambi, Abreu, Pettitte, Mussina), but they're reallocating most of that back into players (Sabathia, Pettitte/Burnett/Sheets/Lowe, players in arbitration, Swisher). 

A couple of things that I tend to (over) think about:

(1) - I wonder if a fringe benefit to having Andy sign for a lesser amount of years and money over Sheets / Lowe / Burnett is to maybe engineer an actual competitive deal towards Teixeria?

(2) - It sounds outrageous, but I think Manny would be the Yankee equivalent to Ortiz.  He would crush pitching within the division (with the exception of maybe Price from the Rays).  I should clarify my statement by saying that particularly the Dodger Manny from the last couple months of last season would serve this role well, as DH.

Nevertheless, nice work in securing CC for the next three years at least.  I will like to see him in the pinstripes at Opening Day in the new Stadium.

random thoughts

I will speak pretty comprehensively about the state of affairs as they stand right now. If needed or desired, I'll expand on these later.

* Don't understand why both Torre has guys take the day off, but then pinch hit/run them in the middle of a close game. C'mon, Joe. I know the object is to win the game, and that you want to do that with the best possiblities available to you. But sitting Posada and Damon for the game... only to put them in under pressure situations... and expect them to contribute... isn't the most plausible outlook. If you're sitting guys that aren't 100%, then let the team you're putting on the field handle the way the game will turn out. Too many times, we've gotten stuck in a situation where we're behind the 8-ball when the really pressure-filled situation comes up. (Like having Kevin Thompson batting in the bottom of the ninth with two out as the tying run.)

* Obviously, the bullpen is taxed. They're spent. We've got a quality bullpen, and they can eat innings up... it just can't come at 4 innings a time. Even when we get our starters back, none of them are eight inning workhorses anymore (Mussina, Pavano). Wang may be, but he hasn't pitched at all this year in a major league game - I don't think it's reasonable to consider him putting in that effort right away.

If we swallow a defeat because one of our starters gets knocked around, well... so be it. It's April. Better for them to learn now that it's unacceptable, rather than bringing up Bean/Henn/Karstens/Rasner/whomever for long relief. Again.

Clemen-tine, O Clemen-tine

Clemens said that he was "horrible at retirement."
I always find it remarkable that celebrities - athletes or otherwise - take any general criticism that grows from the swell of the everyday John Q. Public and evolves into some television and/or radio personalities, and use that to their advantage by "admitting" it then.

yeah, Roger. You're terrible at quitting.
but, on the other hand... you recognize that your gift is still both credible and worthwhile. For your pocket, for your family's well-being, and for a team's chance of winning it all.

Houston won't have the run support. Even if Carlos Lee has a Derrek Lee-in-2005-type performance this season. They just don't have the offensive tools.

Boston doesn't have the spot open. Unless they move Wakefield to a closer... which I suppose isn't the worst move in the world. But I agree with the sentiment of Tom Verducci on SI.com who says they'll find something that will stick. They will. I say it'll be Wakefield... or... maybe even Beckett, or Lester (when he comes back).

the Yankees, however, could use him. Not only for a rotation spot, but also to sit with Sanchez... Ohlendorf... Karstens... and especially Hughes... in his "trip through the minors" come summer and teach them something about effort, and how that's a 12-month imperative in being successful in The Show.

Roger... you may stink at giving up the game, but that's because you still have something to offer.
don't pass up the chance of taking the mound at The Stadium, for one more ring.
go get it.