There are two actions that make no sense to me at this point in my life.
One would be taking a ball-pin hammer and using it to break every toe I have to try and cure my headache. Doesn't seem too smart, does it?
The second thing would be watching a full game played by the New York Yankees.
Seriously, is there any joy to be taken from this team at the moment? The beauty of all professional sports is the thrill of the unknown. I don't know what's going to happen from pitch to pitch and from inning to inning in baseball. I can't predict it and so I watch to see what "magic" is going to happen.
Here's the problem with the Yanks: I know what's coming, and so do you. For instance, at some point today the Yanks are going to get a leadoff double. The next man up is going to draw a hard-fought walk. Of course, the Yanks will be down by anywhere between 3-5 runs at that point, so everyone will be excited and expecting the comeback to begin. Then, someone will pop up (probably Abreu), then someone will strike out (probably A-Rod) and then someone will ground into a fielder's choice (Giambi anyone): inning over, no runs, two men left, Yanks on their way to a loss.
If you've watched this team over the last month, you know the script. It will play out almost exactly like that.
The problem I see is simple: what is the solution?
The answer? I don't see one.
Look, I have been a critic of Brian Cashman now for a while, and I think the complaints are warranted. Eventually, you aren't simply the victim of bad luck and are the product of your own mistakes and miscues. As opposed to the "glory days" when the Yanks were always just ahead of the curve, getting a guy who was just ABOUT to have a career year or just ABOUT to find his groove, Cashman and the Yanks always seem to be a year behind. They have made wrong decision after wrong decision, and Cashman has been somewhat shielded from the criticism by this perception, faulty in my opinion, that every "bad" move was the result of tampering from the Tampa cabal. The truth is, this has been Cashman's team for a while, and in that time there has been mistake after mistake, mostly made in the starting rotation and bullpen.
I have also been crtical of the new team mantra which states that the New York Yankees will NEVER trade for another player if the other teams asks for one decent prospect. How DARE someone expect the Yanks to give up a Phil Hughes or a Ian Kennedy for a CC Sabathia, it is unheard of. Also, Cashman has created this atmosphere where ANY pitcher/free agent is viewed as an old, past their prime, risk that fits neatly in with all the other mistakes he has made over the years. You've heard that from people talking about Santana. You've heard it from people talking about Sabathia. The truth, however, is that THOSE are the players you DO trade or because they are both short and lont term solutions. You don't trade good prospects for old players. You trade good prospects for players that can give you many years of good to great service. Trading for CC Sabathia is NOT the same as trading for Randy Johnson and it is scary that Cashman has convinced so many people the two are absolutely similar.
Having said that, I don't believe much can be done right now by Cashman to improve this team. I don't agree with the philosophy of NOT going after Sabathia under any conditions, but it appears that the lefty may soon be traded to the Brewers for their top position prospect. The Indians seem to be in the market for position players, and since the Yanks don't seem to be well stocked in that area, it would seem smart to try and hang onto the Austin Jacksons and even the Jose Tabatas since their value to the major league squad would seem to be greater down the road than some of the pitchers. Also, I doubt the Indians want the Yanks to grab an important piece to their puzzle out of their clubhouse and it seems the Tribe would very much prefer to keep CC out of the American League, if they could.
Should they make a push for Bedard? I would HOPE Cashman would kick the tires on that, since Bedard is still only 30, is a hard throwing lefty, and his down year is probably more of a product of his environment (Seattle) than a testament to his declining abilities. However, I would not give up a tremendous amount to get him seeing as he is older and less of a definite ace than Sabathia, and if that means the Yanks are out of the hunt for him, so be it.
After that, I would hope the Yanks refrain from going out there and grabbing a Paul Byrd or a Bronson Arroyo, just to say they did something. If this "youth movement" has any real teeth, than it needs to be able to produce pitchers that can equal what the annually average types like Byrd and Arroyo can bring to your team.
And as far as the offense goes, where are the moving pieces? Matsui might be done for the year, who knows how long Damon, who appears headed for the DL, might be out, and you aren't exactly moving Jeter or A-Rod or Cano or Abreu, are you? If the Yanks are hesistant to throw in for a guy like Sabathia, I would doubt they would consider giving up the bounty the Braves would demand for a guy like Texieira, especially with his pending free agency next year.
So where is the light for this team this season?
Alright, I'll bite.
*This, so far, is the worst offensive year in Derek Jeter's career. It is hard to believe that, at age 34, coming off his third consecutive 200 hit season, two years removed from what should have been an MVP season, that Jeter is done. If we assume that the Captain has at least a few big years left in his body, you would also have to assume that he has a few more hits, runs, and stolen bases in him for the rest of the season. I think Jeter has a big second half in him. He is gonna start to hear whispers about him being on the downside of his career for the first time this summer, and I think that will motivate him. Jeter is a very important part of this lineup, and having him hit will make a world of difference.
*Robinson Cano has started to hit the ball much better and has his average up to a "not as horrible" .250. Again, like Jeter, it is hard for me to believe that Cano's previous 3 years were a fluke, and that this is the player he truly is. I see a lot more hits coming for him in the second half, meaning another dangerous bat in the lineup.
*I like what I see from Bret Gardner so far and, with Matsui likely out for the year and no word on Damon as of yet, the kid is gonna get a chance to play. If he gets his sea-legs under him and starts to get on base, his Jose Reye's like speed can really bring something special to this lineup, and element the Yanks haven't had in years.
*Joba Chamberlian is gonna get better and better as the season progresses, mark my words.
*You have to believe that Abreu, like Cano and Jeter, is set for a big second half. Someone should first, remind him that he is in a walk year and, second, show him a print out of some scouting reports about Austin Jackson and how much everyone seems to love this kid. Maybe that lights a fire under Prince Valium.
*You have to assume that, in the coming months, the bullpen is going to beging to see an influx of these young kids that the Yanks are so high on, like Mark Melancon and JB Cox, which will actually give fans a glimpse into this "youth movement" Cashman has been talking about now for three years.
*The Yanks are still in this race, even if they seem to be playing themselves out of it on a daily basis. I am gonna have to see the Rays hang in all year, along with the Twins, and the A's, to believe that they are, beyond a doubt, real contenders. All signs point to yes with them, but there is no track record, no resume to go on. Until they actually beat out the Yanks of the Sox for the wild card, I will not believe it.
*Hopefully, the rib injury was the cause of Phil Hughes' struggles in April and, when the youngster comes back in late August or early September, perhaps he can show the signs of the great pitcher he was promised to be and make a difference down the stretch.
So that is the light.
In all honesty, however, I have to admit I just don't see this team pulling out of this funk in enought time to do something. There seems to be no real starting pitching to be had on the market, and the Yanks are unwilling to even consider parting with their best prospects, no matter the pitcher involved. As far as the offense, they have been too banged up and too inconsistent for me to believe something different is going to happen in the second half, and finally, I just think this league is much better than in years past. The Yanks might play good baseball and still lose too many games cause the competition is just much, much better.
All I know is, I hope this team makes it interesting because this would be a very sad way to close down Yankee Stadium. If there are any whispers left, any spirits still lurking in the shadows of that great, wonderous building, they need to come out of their hiding places as soon as possible. The present definitely needs the help of the past now.
