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Talk baseball all season long with SI.com's Jacob Luft in Baseball Chatter, a journal for hot topic debates, Sabermetric ramblings and reader-driven discussions.10/09/2006 04:43:00 PM Yankees lose!
Schadenfreude
Kenny Rogers and Craig Monroe have a champagne bath at the Yankees' expense.AP
-noun
satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.
I'm guessing this is the appropriate word to describe the mood of most baseball fans across the country right now. Yet another Yankees' $200 million dream team has gone down in flames, and I'm guessing that is playing real well in Peoria as well as a certain harbor town in Massachusetts. We have the rest of the week to discuss the LCS matchups, but for today I want to give all of you Yankees-haters and frustrated Yankees fans a chance to chime in on Bombers' latest collapse.
This marks the sixth straight year the Yankees have fallen short of their stated raison d'etre -- to win world championships -- and the third consecutive year they will have done so in amazingly ignominious fashion. In 2004, they became the first team to blow a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series. In 2005, we got to soak in the delicious irony of center fielder Bubba Crosby -- who was in the game for his defense -- crash into right fielder Gary Sheffield on the deciding play of the decisive game of their first-round series against the Angels; regular Bernie Williams would have been nowhere near that play. And now, this, a beatdown by the wild-card Tigers that ended with Kenny Rogers partying on top of the Detroit dugout for 15 uncomfortable minutes.
And if you enjoyed this incarnation of the Yankees, then the hits may just keep on coming because next year's club isn't going to look much different. Here is a rundown of the contract status of their 25-man postseason roster. As you will see, there isn't much room for flexibility or any kind of significant makeover. Most of these guys either have no-trade clauses (i.e. Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi) or massive contracts that make them practically untradeable (i.e. A-Rod, Giambi).
Lineup
C, Jorge Posada, one year remaining at $12 million
1B, Gary Sheffield, $13 million club option
2B, Robinson Cano (under team control)
3B, Rodriguez, $25 million (Texas pays $9 million), signed through 2010
SS, Derek Jeter, four years remaining on 10-year, $189 million deal
LF, Hideki Matsui, three years remaining on four-year, $52 million deal
CF, Johnny Damon, three years remaining on four-year, $52 million deal
RF, Bobby Abreu, $15 million for 2007 with $2 million buyout for '08
DH, Giambi, two years remaining on seven-year, $120 million deal
Bench
Melky Cabrera (under team control)
Bernie Williams, free agent
Andy Phillips (under team control)
Miguel Cairo, free agent
Sal Fasano, free agent
Pitchers
SP, Chien-Ming Wang (under team control)
SP, Mike Mussina, $17 million club option
SP, Randy Johnson, one year remaining on a two-year, $32 million deal
SP, Jaret Wright, club option for $7.6 million ($4 million buyout)
SP, Cory Lidle, free agent
RP, Mariano Rivera, $10.5 million option vested
RP, Kyle Farnsworth, two years remaining on a three-year, $17 million deal
RP, Scott Proctor (under team control)
RP, Mike Myers, $2.4 million, signed through 2007
RP, Ron Villone, free agent
RP, Brian Bruney (under team control)
And let's not forget ...
SP, Carl Pavano, two years remaining on a four-year, $40 million
The starting lineup that all of us brilliant baseball scribes were drooling over just a week ago (yes, including myself) will return mostly intact, except now we're not so sure that's a good thing. Short of convincing A-Rod to agree to a trade, all of these spots are pretty much locked in. I would advocate making room for the talented Cabrera in the everyday lineup, even if it means keeping Giambi at first base or limiting him to some part-time duty. It would be a shame if Cabrera's development is impaired simply because he lacks the bloated contracts his teammates possess. He needs to play every day and the Yankees need him to play every day. He's that good.
The bench will have to be restocked, ideally with pieces more useful than Cairo and Fasano.
The pitching is where this club has to make some tough decisions. In my opinion, and I'm not alone in this, stud right-hander Philip Hughes is ready for the big leagues and should be given a spot on the rotation. Pair him with Wang and that's a tandem to build around for a few years. Mussina probably will be brought back at a reduced price and they are locked into the Big Mistake, err, Unit, for another season. They should cut bait on Wright. That leaves one spot for your free-agent du jour -- Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt, Daisuke Matsuzaka, etc. Maybe the Yanks can get creative here and open up an extra slot and bring in two of these high-priced arms. If they learned anything from this latest postseason fiasco it's that premium arms are what count in October, not All-Star bats.Comments:
There was an article in one of the NY papers that it would make sense to pick up Wright, and then trade him. The Yanks already owe 4 of the 7 million due to a buy-out clause. Why not pick up the whole thing, and then try and trade him for something, plus see how much of the contract another team would pick up. Wright would be a decent gamble for a different team (N.L. most likely) at 3 million a year, and the Yanks can get some prospects.Not much you can say, as a Yankee fan. This one hurts. All you can do is tip your cap and move on.
People thought I was nuts when I said the best Yankees team on the field was the one with Cabrera in left field and some combo of Matsui/Giambi/Phillips at 1B/DH. Without waiting for the big hit, they strung together a lot of little hits and won games.
Whatever. Now I'll have to root for the Democrats.Torre got to go! From his bone headed decison to remove Wang in Game 1 to replacing Sheffield with Williams in Game 3 and sitting Giambi in Game 4 and batting A-Rod eighth. It's time to fire him, if the Yankees done that a few years ago, they would have Willie Randolph as Coach instead of the Mets.you should post another article about how a-rod is more clutch than his numbers show, supported by a bunch of statistical terms analysis. oh wait, he batting average this post season was once again in the one-hundreds. hitting well when it counts (in the post season) is the definition of clutch, statistical terms or no statistical termsThe idea of Zito joining Benedict Giambi to wear the NY hat is sick, sick, sick. He's staying in California hopefully in the green & gold.Go Tigers, derek jeter is the most overrated player in baseball history.The beauty of this most recent Yankees collapse is the same as the more unheralded 2006 White Sox collapse and 2006 Red Sox collapse - namely, "genius GMs" (e.g., Epstein, Williams, Cashman, soon to be Minaya in NY) with bloated payrolls are bad for baseball and cannot guarantee consistently successful teams. These teams should fire their respective GMs and take a long hard look at what Minnesota, Oakland and Detroit (and to a lesser extent, the LA Angels and the Florida Marlins) have done.Instead of spending most of their time and print on the superb Tigers or on the Mets, sportswriters are focusing on the defeat of the Yankees and their prospects for next year. How ironic. Even in defeat the Yankees dominate.Why the hell would the Yankees pick up the option on Wright, they'd end up paying 1/2 his salary to the team they "unloaded" him on! Sheff is gone. Moose is gone. Johnson should take a long look in the mirror and see himself for the wash up that he is. He's certainly no Clemens. The bad apples on this team make me sick. While we're at it, why is it that Cashman is trying to save Torre's job??? Why isn't he having to defend himself?This most recent collapse will gain more mdeia attention than the 2006 Red Sox and White Sox collapses, but they come from the same breed: so-called genius GMs (Williams, Cashman, Epstein, etc.) and bloated payrolls delivering nothing. These teams should dispatch their current "genius" and take a long hard look at the people guiding teams in Minnesota, Oakland, Detroit (and to a lesser extent, Florida and the LA Angels). Player development is a lot better for baseball than cherry picking aging superstars and demanding championships.Even if A-Rod will waive his no-trade clause, nobody will pick up that contract. Can you imagine: Texas paying him $9 million, NY paying him another $9 million, and some other team picking up the remaining $6 million? I wonder if that's ever been done?Trade Giambi to the West Coast. They are all offense starved. Maybe for Scott Shields? But if Torre is still the manager, Shields will probably be toast by August from overuse (see Quantrill, Sturtze, Villone, etc).Jake Z,
Yes it was done with Mike Hampton. The Rockies, Braves and Marlins ended up splitting his gargantuan contract.
-- JLwright is garbage, Lidle is garbage and pavano is a four-letter word. pitching wins playoff games. torre's mistake was putting sheff at first. defense is part of succcessful pitching. who would've thought?? but that lineup card was too tempting. they said the titanic was indestructable . . .
trade a-rod for peavy and young. padres have too much pitching and no bats. why not?It's probably easiest for the yanks just to wash their hands of Wright; who knows what kind of mess they could end up with if some sort of sign and trade deal is worked out. The Yankees seriously need to focus on pitching this offseason. If one looks back to the years where they did win the World Series, you can see that the teams were carried by wonderful pitchers, starters and relievers. The bombers are set when it comes to offense, and by signing a top notch starter, and some dependible middle relievers, they should be, again, one of the most dominating teams in the game.trade arod, giambi, pavano, small unit, and the moose to the devil rays for b.j upton and scott kazmirMaybe it's just time for the Yanks to start spending a little smarter - you have to start thinking that if $1.2 billion isn't going to cut it, no amount of money will. Take a page from Billy Beane and start paying for talent, not hype (ie - Randy Johnson) Get some quality scouts to dig up your Melky Cabreras and your Chien-Ming Wangs instead of just throwing more money into the pit.I have been a Yankees fan since I was 5, and this team pains me to watch. Their pitching is the major issue. When they were winning in the 90's there offense was good, not great, and their pitching won those championships (same back in the late 70's with Guidry and Hunter).
They need to cut ties with Williams and Sheffield on offense, and ditch Mussina, Pavano and Wright in the staff. Then they need to go out and do whatever it takes to sign Zito and Jason Schmidt.
Of course I think it is also time to move to a slightly more aggressive manager who might be able to get a bit more out of A-Rod, sinc eTorre seems to have lost some of his interest in the job.The Yankees would be way better off trading Jeter (the 2nd best SS on the team) for some quality pitching and playing A-Rod at his best position - SS. A real captain sticks up for all of the players on his team not just the ones who take roids!It's amazing to hear all the whiny Yankee-haters (Jacob and co.)revel at the Yankees falling short (yet again). I just have one question, Mr. Luft... isn't it EVERY TEAM'S "Raison d'etre" to win a World Championship every year? Shouldn't it be? Just because the Yankees spend a lot more to get there, isn't that George Steinbrenner's problem? I wish the Royals, Devil Rays, Nationals, etc.. would spend more money, instead of their owners lining their pockets with $30 million profit every year (in some cases) and knowingly putting out inferior product. True, they are in it to make money, but don't some owners have any shame with how cheaply they run a major league team? It's our national game, for heaven's sakes (that's not what I wanted to say). I can only imagine what THEIR FANS think! P.S - If Steinbrenner fires Joe Torre - he's a fool. No, he's not the best strategist, I'll admit, but do the Yankees really need a "crafty" manager with that lineup? No. They need someone who keeps the peace in a crazy, media-frenzied town. I'll try not to trip as I step off the 'ol soap-box now.Even if the same players take the field, the team will look much smaller - at least in the eyes of the opposition.
who knows what the team will look like next year, for teams more interested in filling seats than winning pennants, ARod is a steal. johnson may retire, sheffield may leave.
ironicly, if the tigers can make it, then any team can win so there is no reason to count out the yankees for next season.Keep Joe Torre...trade A-Rod to the Angels for Ervin Santana and someone like Howie kendrick or trade A-Rod to the Marlins for Dontrelle Willis and someone else while picking up most of the contract...pick up Jaret Wright's option and trade him for a decent 3rd baseman who can handle the New York atmosphereyou said how they could get creagtive and add two arms. you also said they should make room for cabrera.
as a diehard yankee fan i have to ask how to do both.
the rotation first.
wang is our number one.
we know they are going to resign mussina (not for the 17 million option but yankee officials were hinting he would sign a contract for 2 years and about 20-22 million) theres number two.
carl pavano when healthy, is actually a good pitcher. we definitley arent going to move him as we havent even seen what he can do. hes our number three.
randy johnson. nobody will take his salary. hes stuck at number four.
5 is open most likey for zito.
you could make two arguments. we dont pick up moose (not happening) or moving pavano (once again not happening)
so with lidle and wright gone i dont see how you get both schmidt and zito.
and as for melky, keep him on the bench for now.
the yankee officials were syaing hes a natural center fielder. once damon wears down in 2-3 years then we can insert melky.
darren, nji think it is ironic that myself and people like me suffer through an impossibly long year of "yankees this" and "yankees that" only to see our sweet relief last all of one night. we finally get to hear about something OTHER than NY baseball and it still is the centerpiece of media chit chat.
and another thing: it makes me absolutely sick that yankee fans can and will blame everyone (a-rod, giambi, johnson, pavano et. al.) instead of pointing the finger at who is really to blame. cleveland's pride and joy george steinbrenner. its like everyone is afraid of this jerk. he does what he wants and blames everyone else for his mistakes. hes like josef stalin with a summer house in florida.
and once again, my people rejoice at the defeat of the evil empire.Pitching is definately the problem. I think Sheffield & Melky Cabrara should be traded for some starting pitching.(I like them both, but winning is more important). We can all give up on Pavano. Maybee someone else will give him or Wright a chance. The Yankeees have failed to fix their pitching problems over the last 3 years. This is the reason they have failed in the playoffs. How many teams of the yankees' calibur have to think for days to decide who to start in game 4 of the playoffs?30+ HR 130+ RBI....these are the numbers of MR. Alex Rodriguez......what have he donde fot the Yankees in the postseason......nothing, nada, zero, zirch.....I thing there are players that can put maybe not big numbers, but are more clutch than A-rod.....fire Cashman and get better pitchers....and younger...with that and some balls the yankees can win it allIf Steinbrenner ever played little league, he must have had heard the old chestnut "it isn't whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." There is a truth behind that cliche that even $200 million dollars cannot erase. No one can "guarantee" a World Series victory, and not only is it wrong to think otherwise, it betrays the spirit of the game. The fact that a man who understands so little about what baseball really means is running a franchise with the history of the Yankees is truly saddening. He should be ashamed, and so should all the Yankees fans who expect the same thing year after year.Some of these comments are the rediculous nature of Yankees fans. Trade player x for players y and z. No other team even can think about trading all-stars of the caliber the Yankees can because of their inflated contracts. Yankees fans need to realize the problem is the amount of money the team spends. If the Yankees spent some money on quality pitching rather than offense and surrounded the solid core of their home grown talent, Cano, Jeter, and, Cabrera they would be unstoppable. STEINBRENNER STOP TRYING TO BUY AN OFFENSE AND GET YOURSELF SOME PITCHING AND 5-TOOL PLAYERS.The Astros fans paid for a new stadium and 15 millions of tickets since its 2000 opening day, in addition to the $7.50 beers and the $5.00 cotton candies. Only things cheap in the stadium are the Crawford Boxes' home runs. In addition, we also know that the Astros signed a new multi million dollars TV deal.
Notwithstanding the Astros reached the playoffs several times including the World Series in 2005 with low to mid payroll, Uncle Drayton should increase his budget and acquire a Hall of Fame credential hitter like Alex Rodriguez along with Jorge Posada from the NY Yankees upgrading 2 Astros weak positions, SS and catcher. Now with the NY Yankees not reaching the World Series, they should trade Alex and Jorge Posada for Hirsh, Lidge and another Astros player while cutting salary.Mid-relief is not the problem... their problems can mostly be taken care with starting pitching that goes longer than 5 IP. There should be no reason why a starter can't pitch into the 8th with a closer. SPers have turned into wusses since the late 80's. Heck there used to be 3-4 man rotations that pitched win or loose all game and that was up til the 60s.Yankees, Shmankees. I'm tired of the Yankees whining ever year because there's no World Series win, then telling fans of other teams "we need YOUR good players to help us get there next year." The Yankees got exactly what they deserve for being egotistical corporate baseball narcissists.
I'm tired of the Yankees being the lead story, even when they are the team that LOST. Did anyone notice a common element to the four teams that actually advanced this year - Cardinals, last won the World Series in '82; Tigers, last won in '84; Mets in '86, A's in '89. Ten separate teams have managed to win the World Series since 1990, yet not one of those won a playoff series this year. Distributing postseason success will be good for baseball by bringing a new generation of fans into the game, in cities other than New York.It's time for a change in the Bronx. Not just a change in terms of a skipper-- but in terms of attitude. Where is the fire? Where's the motivation... other than a rather decrepit owner launching into another of his patented tirades?
There's none. There's no sense of team. The Yankees have been a bunch of individuals playing for themselves, rather than uniting into a team with one common goal. A-Rod whines. Sheffield whines. Jeter fails to show leadership skills in the clubhouse, despite his captaincy.
While I think that it'd be a good start to bring in a new manager (I'd lean towards Joe Girardi), I think that the change needs to happen in the players who wear the pinstripes.
Forget the "me" mentality. Institute the "we" mentality.
There are obviously also issues with pitching (Randy Johnson is a shell of his former self and Mike Mussina's consistency is beginning to waver), and this must be addressed by Yankee brass this offseason.
Lastly, in terms of 8-Rod, despite being a very talented player, his time in New York needs to be up. His own teammates have obviously refused to accept him. Rodriguez's M.O. each October has been the same: No production, followed by self-pity. There's no issue that pressure to perform in October and beyond is extremely high in the Big Apple, but he should have known that coming in. A fresh start would not only help him, but may also begin the purification process for the Yankees, as well.Oh my god darren, nj, dont make the entire world laugh. Pavano is your number 3 pitcher??! Maybe if he could stop injuring his butt and getting into car accidents. And how do you figure the MARLINS would trade for A-Rod, espcially when they have Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla? Further, do you think A-Rod would actually waive his no-trade clause to go to Florida?
If you're a "die hard fan" as you claim to be, you may want to learn how the game works.something just occured to me while reading this piece: every team tells their fans that they are the best fans in the world, but yankee fans are the only ones that acutally believe it.Sheffield has to go. He's never been a team player (that's why he's bounced around so much) and he's injury-prone. I know Steinbrenner likes him because he's from Tampa, but Sheffield is the model of a player only out for himself. He can't play first, and Abreau is better in rightfield.To say that no one will take AROD at $15 mil/year is pretty ridiculous. You might say they won't get much value for him may be fair; but if they get him to waive his clause (which i really don't think is as much of an if as a when given what he has said since saturday) and the market gets cooking, i could see them getting a decent kid and a mid-level starter for him and not having to pick up any money. I don't have any doubts that he's gone.Unless the Yankees do something drastic, they will have the same fate as this year. Unfortunately people expect Joe Torre to be able to manage a player's psyche and dislikes towards other players on the team. Because of this he is made out to be a failure, he's in a true Catch-22.
One thing that can be learned from this $200 million project is not only the fact that young pitching can win and beat great hitting, it's the entitlement attitude grabbing the players and dictating how they play.
Does Jeter want to win? Of course, but from what we can tell, what is this MVP willing to do to get everyone else to play? If he is the consumate leader, the player willing to do whatever it takes to win, why can't he bury the hatchet and stand up next to A-Rod, set an example and say, "Alex, I need you to help me. I need you to help me, help you."
The problem with an all superstar team is nobody knows their role. Everyone is top dog. How do you approach a top dag and say, "listen, this team is not on your shoulders. It's ok if you have to make a productive out."
The team needs a wake up call, and there will ahve to be some casualties, I just hope someone is smart enough to pull the trigger before it is too late.I can see the headlines now."GEORGE BALMES JOE, GEORGE FIRES JOE", or "SAY IT ISN'T SO, JOE". Joe Torre just needs to leave the Yankees before he gets swallowed up by Steinbrenner's massive ego.
Steinbrenner needs to stop buying talent from the rest of baseball and generate some talent from his minor league teams.
He really needs to cut his payroll by about %25 and hire another Joe. Joe Girardi, if there ever was a manager that did not deserve to be fired, it was Girardi.The Yankees don't need that much of a lineup change.They need better pitching and new life in the clubhouse(i.e. Pinella instead of Torre).Torre did great with what he had in the championship years, but the Yankees need someone to motivate them not just keep peace.They need someone that can motivate A-rod, not coddle him.They also need a manger that uses his bullpen wisely,not bringing a tired bullpen into the playoffs.Sorry, Torre.It was a nice run, but it is time for a change as manager.As far as the current pitching staff, get rid of Wright,Moose,Pavano, and Lidle.Go after Zito and Schmidt.Cashman needs to clean up the mess he made by getting the "household names," and get quality pitchers(Zito,Schmidt).Fire Brian Cashman!!!! Why?
Randy Johnson- Has been
A-Rod - Stat Padder on bad teams
Jaret Wright - Wounded duck
Carl Pavano- Psycho wounded duck
Mike Mussina- Should have traded
3 years ago
Kevin Brown!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Too many egos in the locker room and no stud pitching in minors.Yankees need to get back to what won them those world series. Clutch hitting, timely pitching, and defense. When we were winning world series we did not have a regular hit over 30 home runs. Bring back some small ball and dont rely on the home run. Where is Wade Boggs, Paul Oneil, Tino Martinez Yanks???? Dump Giambi, A-Rod, Sheff, Johnson, Wright, and rebuild the rotation with younger cheaper home grown talent. Even if this means missing the play-off's next year.Nothing like watching the Yankees get hoisted by there own petard. They seem to have forgotten that good pitching beats good hitting every day of the week. All that money they threw at washed up overrated pitchers (the Big Unit, Pavano, Jaret Wright) is what killed them. You don't win the World Championship with a 4.32 postseason ERA (which is what the Yanks have had the past five postseasons), no matter how good your hitting is.I think Sheff is gone..They resign Moose to a 2 yr - 21 mill..and I think they should really try to go after Matzazuka and Zito - Schmidt is either staying in San Fran or going to Seattle. Anyways, if we keep Torre - Cashman should work the phone lines with Anaheim and possibly come up with something like this: A. Rod for Ervin Santana, Chone Figgins, and Scott ShieldsThe Yanks should fire Torre, and lock up Girardi as the new manager. They should then try to trade A-Rod to the Angels for Ervin Santana, and Howie Kendrick. They must grab the rights to Matazaku, and try to sign the over priced Barry Zito. Being "clutch" is a real thing, he is clutch. Mike Mussina is not, so he must be shown the door, together with Wright. They should pick up Sheffield's option, and trade him for prospects. The Rotation should look like this, E.Santana, Matazaku, Wang, Hughes, and Johnson. The bullpen should be decent without Torre overworking them so much. The Yankees should line up like this:
C - Posada
1B - C. Wilson
2B - Cano
3B - Kendrick
SS - Jeter
LF - Matsui
CF - Damon
RF - Abreu
DH - Giambi
With this plan they'll have a good lineup with speed, and power, a very good rotation, and a decent relief corps. Maybe, they'll finally reach the promised land!All anyone wants to talk about is how the Yankees lost and what they are going to do now. Why not talk about any one of the 4 teams actually left in the playoffs? Sportwriters often forget that there are other teams besides the Red Sox and Yankees.As a Blue Jays fan I would welcome Alex Rodriguez as our short stop. How about sending Rodriguez to Toronto for Glaus (a real 3rd Baseman), a young relief pitcher (such as lefty Tallet or McGowan)plus relieving Toronto of Josh Towers and his bloated contract for 2007.The reason that this is such big news to me is that the Yankees have such an unbelievable advantage from both a marketing and payroll standpoint that their 6-year drought is significant and comparable to Team USA basketball losing regularly to teams consisting of poorer individual players. The justice remains poetic, however, when considering that New Yorkers in general do not appreciate that the success of their "beloved Yankees" comes about only from the depth of their wallets.Yankees lose - how sweet it is
for Red Sox NationThe Yanks seem almost CURSED.
-Red Sox Fan (2004 Champions)Ha. Once again all the Yankee fans pile on A-Rod. Bad pitching lost you guys this series, not one guy. One can only hope he gets traded to a team that appreciates the talent.
If you want to understand why the Yanks lose in the playoffs every year, Pavano is the perfect case in point. Throw a ton of money at a guy and he loses motivation. The Yankees have been coasting on their payroll for a long time. Talent can get you far, especially in the regular season, but the intensity goes up come playoff time - if your opponent wants to win more badly than you do, talent isn't going to be enough. The Yankees seem to think that just having big names and big statistics is enough to carry themTime to rebuild rotation with youth and prospects -- and that means perhaps trading (A-Rod) for pitching prospects. Wang is your No. 1. Restructure Moose for 2 years as a bridge -- he's your No. 2. Hughes should be slotted in as the No. 3 TODAY. Sign a free agent pitcher for No. 4. Let Unit and Pavano fight out for the 5th spot. If Pavano wins out, so much the better -- Yanks are stuck with his contract anyway.HA! HA! HA! Too many egos looking to be a superstar and no team play. The most disgusting thing about the Yankess is that the bloated salaries they pay drive up the cost of baseball to the point where going to a ball game becomes a major expenditure. I hope they never win a Series again.
Mr. SchadenfreundeLife isn't fair . . . like constantly having to hear about 1 team in baseball and why they think they are soooooo wonderful. But life also gives us treats too . . . Yankee's LOSING, seeing teams committed to the Farm System and developing player's who love to PLAY the GAME . . . not needing BLOATED contracts so they say to their fan's "Come on Sucker today's special is a Hot Dog and Soda for $10; a-rod need's another Million".
Hey Yanks you want a better team and maybe a few more folks who don't hate the Evil Empire:
1) Get out your checkbook . . . no the other one in the back of your drawer with dust . . . yes the one that says "spend wisely". The first one that says "spend like druken sailor", take it over to the fireplace and throw it in. Now invest into your farm system and stop buying 1-year wonders.
2)This one is easy, just think about it . . . get rid of a-rod, everyone else who did got better the next season.
3) BALANCE . . . NO George get away from the fireplace. Balance your TEAM needs and develope TEAM chemistry.
4) Never talk baseball strategy with the Orioles ownership . . . . Sorry, I just had to say that.
For now let's enjoy the Divisional Playoff's and World Series with the TEAMS that have EARNED the opportunity.Any chance Randy Johnson becomes a middle inning relief man? It would free up a starting spot for a new arm, via free agency, and might address a weak spot for the Yanks.Keep Giambi. He is a clutch hitter and gives the Yankees 35 plus homeruns every year. Sheffield looks like he is on his last legs. Keep A-Rod one more year. If he doesn't produce then try and trade him. Get rid of Johnson. He is washed up. Try and pick up a decent starting pitcher to replace Johnson. Pavano will be back but who knows.Wonderful to see the Yankees lose - I guess $200M doesn't go as far as it use to. The team is a mess and it starts at the top with the Boss. The Yankees are built to win 90+ games a year, but have no pitching, speed, or defense to go very far in the playoffs.The main reason the Yankees can't seem to get it done is they haven't struggled together. Teams like the Tigers have players who played together through their minor league careers.
When you put in that much time together, and go through bad times together, it makes you want to do everything you can for each other.
Just look how the "true" Yankees did. Jeter, Posada, and Wang played alright, while the rest of the team stunk. The three that have always been Yankees have something the others don't know.I am SO tired of reading this nonsense about how GREAT the offense for the Yanks was. As a fan, what I saw was a lineup more suited to Earl Weaver's 3-run homer. If anyone noticed, the Yanks did BETTER with Cabrera, Abreu, etc. You have to MAKE runs, not wait for them. Yankee pitching can certainly be better - but when your team gets blanked by Kenny Rogers? COME ON! Change one - get a manager more interested in the game, and less in scheduling his next "Good pitching beats good hitting" interview, and more interested in WINNING A GAME!They obviously need to trade some of their bats for some better pitching but I have a feeling Cashman is going to screw it up by trading A-Rod or Giambi for a washed-up pitcher that is past his prime. I'm expecting something along the lines of A-Rod to the Angels for Bartolo Colon? Or maybe he will just decide to keep his aging "Murderer's Row" and trade the rest of their young talent away. It's too bad that Brad Radke retired...I know Cashman was itching to pull the trigger on a deal for him involving prospects and Melky Cabrera.Believe it or not, they should consider trading their most tradeable commodity: Jeter.
Seriously. A-Rod is damaged goods, they can't get even close to fair-market value for him.
Consider if Jeter were made available, there'd be a bidding war like no one's ever seen. Detroit might offer Bonderman and Zumaya. Anaheim might offer Santana and Shields.
Then you shift A-Rod to his better position - SS. The money you save on Jeter, you then spend on Barry Zito. Then trade Matsui (they have OF depth) to Seattle for Beltre and Rafael Soriano. Then sign a low dollar FA 1B who can actually field (Eduardo Perez).
Your everyday lineup would be: Damon, Cano, A-Rod, Abreu, Giambi, Beltre, Posada, Perez and Cabrera.
The rotation would be: Wang, Bonderman, Zito, Johnson (1 more year) and the #5 (until Hughes is ready).
The bullpen would be: Rivera, Zumaya, Proctor, Soriano ... after that, it doesn't matter.
Call me crazy ... but every other team that had superstar SS's in the late '90s (Boston, Oakland and Seattle) did fine after they were traded and/or signed elsewhere.
Jeter's been captain since 2003: no championships or team chemistry during that time. He's a Hall of Famer, but loyalty only goes so far.Well, if only assembling a team was so easy, but as much as I like Torre, he has to go, before the Yankees become the Braves of the AL, every year being eliminated in an earlier round. I think as much money they have, they could save more than 30 million $ if they don't pick players options. Sheff (talks too much) and pitcher, Mussina, Johnson and Wright are not gonna win you playoff games, (Johnson is 5-0 against the Yankees in post season, 2-9 against everyone, so he is no lock either) for all the money they've wasted get Zito to the Bronx. Media should stop getting on A-Rods face, and blaming him for not coming through on the clutch, that doesn't help at all, feeling the "love" of Lou will bring back the old A-Rod and Us yankee fans will love for his numbers, he is not a bad player, the problem is Jeter playing in NY, media should stop comparing everyone to him, just let the team be the New York Yankees, no the Jeter's Yankees.From what I can gather the Yankees will pretty much the same next year. All you foolish people out there that think the Yankees can just trade A-Rod for Willis/E.Santana/Peavy/ect. it's not the simple. These teams know how important quality starting pitching is and don't want to give it up, for anyone. Can you blame them?
They need to cut ties with Sheffield and Wright altogether, bring back Moose (at a lower cost after not picking up his option) and Williams in the same role if you choose to come back. He's not what he use to be, but a good, experienced switch-hitting bat off the bench.
Cabrera needs to have the full time job in left field, with Matsui at DH. I know that leaves Giambi at first, but that's the way it has to be. He's another player they wouldn't be able to move because of his salary and no trade clause. All that means is that they need a solid defensive first basemen to spot him and for late in innings.
As several of you have mentioned, and everyone knows pitching is the Yankees weakness (even after not scoring at all in the playoffs). They really need to make a run at free agent to be Zito, he's a guy with proven playoff experience and who's still in his prime. They always seem to pay extra for these free agents, and this is a time they need to do it again. A second free agent starter would be gravy if they got Zito. 1)Wang 2)Zito 3)Moose 4) Johnson 5) Pavano (if healthy) or a mid level free agent. Zito and Wang at the top would be as good as 1-2 punch in baseball.
After that they need to address bullpen issues in middle relief, and add key role-bench players.
Should Torre be fired? I'd say no.....but anyone can pencil those all stars in a lineup. Rigth now the Yankees need someone to get in the face of these high-priced underacheiving guys who have won nothing. (Not including Jeter, Mo, Posada, Williams - None of whom are verbal leader like Paul O'Neill back in the day.) Batting Arod 8th was just stupid and insulting, a reason alone I'd say Torre deserves to be fired. But Arod will be back - cause he's not a wimp and wont go out like a chump.
I tip my cap to the Tigers and wait to see what the off season brings - Zito I hope.
BiggieI don't know what the Yankees best choice is other than doing what they can to get another good arm along with Wang, and maybe that arm will come up from the minors in the form of Hughes. That would be a big plus for the Yanks. On another note, I am not a Yankee fan, and I never will be, but anyone who says that Derek Jeter is at all overrated is absolutely incorrect. Like I said, I will never cheer for the Yankees, but I will never cheer against someone with the integrity and pure skill and desire that Jeter has. He is a true role model for any young baseball player.I am so tired of the midia being all over A-Rod. Im a Red Sox fan and i can even say that he has had great numbers this year. .290 avg//35 hrs//120 rbis// isnt shaky at all, not to mention 15 stolen bases and more than 110 runs..The media is blowing this out of proportion, and i feel really bad for A-Rod. A-Rod isnt perfect, so stop excpecting perfection from him, hes only humanI think the yankees should do Alex Rodriguez a favor and trade him, so he can re-start his career some where else at short stop position, less presure, may be the Atlanta Braves could save him from New York.As a long suffering ATL Braves fan, I finally realized that I was investing too much energy into their playoff results. If they didn't win the World Series, what good was the whole year? Then I learned to enjoy the ride (the season), and my happiness quotient went way up. 29 out of 30 MLB teams wil go home losers, so why stake my happiness on those poor odds?this is an incredibly interesting subject - realistically the yankees have little wiggle room with a lot of these guys. arod's contract restricts him to being traded to about 5 teams (LAA, LAD, NYM, Boston, and CWS). You won't give him to the Red Sox, and the Mets have younger, better, cheaper players there. Teams will line up to get him, but to move him, the Yanks can either get financial freedom OR prospects in return - not both. Posada isn't getting any younger, the rotation is in shambles (you cannot trade any of those guys for anything legit) and the bullpen is far from a sure thing. The yanks have a lot of work to do before next year. YANKEE MAN - i guess by saying they still dominate, their showing in games 3 and 4 was dominant then as well? Murderers row? i think notBaseball is not football. Lots of time the best team loses. In fact great teams will usually lose 40% of their games. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Yankee lineup or manager. The Yankees need young power pitching (not Zito or Schmidt).some of these comments make me embarrassed to be a yankees fan. how could someone who actually knows anything about the game propose dumping about 5-6 players with 10-20 million $ contracts on a small market team like the devil rays for upton and kazmir? i dont undestand it. cashman is smarter than he gets credit for, so he can unload wright and maybe pavano, albeit to different teams. it would also make the most sense to pick up sheff's option and then send him to the nl ro prevent him from going to boston. if we hire pinella then i suggest keeping arod, since arod loves pinella and sweet lou isnt afraid to light a fire under gayrods ass. if we can sign matsuzaka and zito and accomplish at least some of the previous things, than i like the bombers chances in 07.The Angels are looking for an expensive, power-hitting shortstop or thirdbasemen. They have young pitching and some young hitting, which the Yankees desperately need. Oh well...if only Brian Cashman had an expensive, power-hittting shortstop/thirdbasemen that he could trade to improve the team...Could the media please ignore the yankees, and focus on something that people should care about. Namely the Mets, Cardinals, Tigers, and Athletics.As a Met's Fan, I can't remember enjoying a day more than Saturday (I celebrated with center Ice seats in Philly, watching the Rangers beat the Flyers in 13th round Shoot Out).
I would just like to say, Joe Torre is the worst manager in Baseball, it's just finally catching up with him. All of those awful years in Mets, Braves and Cardinals....just horrible. A monkey could have managed those Yankke teams, and it turns out, it has..... GO METS>>>>Sheffield & Matsui DESTROYED the CHEMISTRY when they returned in September.
Keep Torre. Get rid of: A-Rod, Mussina, Sheffield, Johnson & Giambi.I love all the "Zito will be the savior" talk. For one thing, Zito is a SoCal boy and I very much doubt he's interested in the Bronx Zoo when there are several SoCal contenders probably just as interested in making him rich. For another, a free-spirited guy like him would probably be crushed by the weight of expectation in NY. 1/3 of his starts are good, 1/3 are average, and 1/3 are stinkers. When he started getting boos for those 2/3 that aren't Cy Young caliber, watch out.Torre is still living in the 90's. The Yankees began to fall apart by grabbing all the big contracts - Giambi (1 dimensional - walks and HRs); Big Unit - Over the hill; No-Rod No Clutch, no field; - Seattle and Texas got better after he left; Carl My butt hurts Pavano - No Pitch; J. Wright, nice guy, but no innings - barely a #5 pitcher; Sheefield - no field, too old. Then of course the lets bring the bullpen in every game from the 6th inning on ........Good Lord Luft. You didn't even try did you?
I think you're pretty wrong on this article. I believe there will be a fair amount of change on the Yankees roster.
No Giambi isn't tradeable. K. That's kind of it out of the people you'd want to trade.
Sheffield isn't coming back. He hasn't produced in the playoffs since he played for the Marlins. Who cares if he goes to Boston? What's he going to do? Kill the Yankees in the regular season and then bomb in the playoffs? Fine with me.
Moose.. I've been one of his staunchest supporters over the years. Said he was one of the high-priced stars who was part of the solution. And I believe he WAS. But as good as he pitched for us in the regular season, it's two years in a row he couldn't hold sizeable leads in important games. He can still pitch, but not for us.
Wright, just buy him the hell out. Take the 4 million bucks out of the money you're saving from dumping Sheff and Moose. As for Pavano.. I have no clue how to handle this. He has no business wearing that Yankee uniform. He's a chump, a punk, a lazy thief, a liar, and uncompetitive. Do one of those deals where if the other team agrees to take alot of salary, you take low level prospects back, or if they give you a fantastic prospect, you eat that contract. No other options there, cause he CANNOT be back in New York.
Also, please tell your colleagues to stop writing that the Yankees are "locked in" to these players. You guys wrote the same crap about Vasquez, Contreras, Weaver, et all. Cashman is reasonably good at shipping out crummy pitchers, even if George has to write a check.This is what I would do for next season if I were Cashman;
1-Call up the Marlins and offer Cano straight up for Willis. I love Cano, but his .340 something avg meant nothing in October and I think having gaudy offense at 2b isn't a necessity. Dontrelle is a #1 and he's left handed power pitcher. If you have to throw in a few more prospects (not name Hughes or Tabata) to make this deal then you do it. You can replace Cano with a Mark Loretta type and get a gritty role player in there to make this less of an all star team and more of a team.
2-Pick up Sheffields Option and trade him for pitching, a new 2b (te replace Cano) or a quality 1b. Whatever you can get. Call up the White Sox, Astros and whoever else would love a year of Sheff playing for one more contract. I bet you could get Freddy Garcia from the White Sox for Sheff. Maybe even get creative and pry Lidge away from Houston. You can never have enough pitching and a team starved for a power hitter might part with some for a season of Sheff.
3-Let Mussina go. In my opinion, he's been part of the problem. He's had too many big games for this team in the post season where he's decent but not shut down. He's a sour puss in the clubhouse and he's one of the first to come out and blame the fielders for errors. He can go. I think he's part of the finger pointers in the clubhouse that need to go.
4-Attempt to trade Jaret Wright for something. He'll be a good SP in the NL and you should be able to get a decent player or pitcher back for him. Not front line, but someone decent. The Yanks lack gritty role players like Mike Gallego, Mariano Duncan etc were for them...it's time to get some of those types back. In fact if the Yanks can trade Cano, call up the Braves and offer Wright for Marcus Giles.
5-Back up the truck for Zito. If he's willing to pitch in NY, then get him. A quality lefty starter who is durable and can pitch in big games is worth the money and you have to give up no talent to get him. Imagine pairing him and Dontrell up in the same rotation with Wang, Randy Johnson and Phillip Hughes next year. Starting a 5 games series with Zito, Willis and Wang pretty much means World Series championship.
6-Play Melky every day in an OF roatation...to be able to give guys like Damon and Matsui time off will be worthwhile and we won't lose Melky's athleticism.
7-Keep Arod. I know, it seems like it's time to part ways and get some talent back for him, but w/o Sheffield and expecting a decline in people like Giambi, Damon and Posada (who aren't getting younger) Arod is needed. This club needs his Right handed power and unless you're getting Aramis Ramirez, you're not going to come close to replacing his numbers. He makes me cringe more than anyone when he's up at the plate with runners on...but I also think he's too talented to be this way for much longer. Like Kenny Rogers shut down the Yanks, I believe Arod will get past this mental thing and have the redemption of a lifetime. The script is already there since he has hit absolute bottom. He can only go up and with what he does in the regular season, I think you can't dump him for players you don't know will be able to perform in NY either.
8-Fire Torre. I love the man and I think he's meant so much to this franchise it's not funny....but the way he has handled Arod this season was pathetic. Being quoted in the SI article was wrong. Dropping him to 8th was wrong and showed more lack of confidence. Rather than take the pressure off of him, he put more of the spotlight on him and I think he resents the fact that Arod is not Jeter.
Hiring Pinella could work, but I would be even more interested in hiring Joe Giradi. He's no nonsense, he'll develop the young guys and he'll have instant respect in that locker room because he was part of the championships in NY.
A younger, grittier voice who has learned at the feet of Torre will be different enough/yet similar enough to not rock the boats entirely.
I think if you bring in Pinella, you run the risk of losing Jeter completely and seeing his decline begin quicker than it ever should have.
9--If they don't fire Torre and he's retained, get him in a room with Andy Pettite and see if we can get Andy to come back for 2-3 years. His presence in the middle of the rotation and the clubhouse would be huge and I would trust Andy at this stage of his career more than anyone else the Yankees have other than Wang in the post season.As a Yankee fan, people are right, this one hurt, a lot. The Yanks can not continue to throw money at their problems but do a better job scouting and developing young players. The last great pitcher they developed is Mariano Rivera. We have had success in the farm system, i.e. Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Cano, Williams, Cabrera. Cabrera needs to play, Mussina come back for less money, Sheffield needs to go because there is no room for him. Sheff playing 1st base is a joke. Wright needs to go and bring up Hughes. Auditioning 1st base in the post season is a recipe for disaster. The tigers did a great job pitching and the Yanks did not hit. Wang being left in NY instead of pitching Game 4 was a mistake. And if anyone wants A-Rod to leave, his off year yielded .280 BA, 121 RBIs, and 35 HRs. That is not bad at all. HE needs to stay in pinstripes and have Joe Torre who is great with personalities figure out how to coach A-Rod, not move him out of cleanup for someone who has not played since May.I will first and foremost say that the Tigers pitching was one large nail in our coffin. However, it was only one nail.
You don't have a positional tryout during the playoffs. I don't care how good of a hitter you are.
You don't play the whole season playing and preaching small ball, do a litle bit of it in game one, then ABANDON it for the rest of the series. (I know it's I-Rod, but come on, you gotta try. The bunting needed some work too).
Again, I am not discounting what the Tigers did. We could have overcome it if we did what has worked for the whole season. At least a little.
I'm sorry to say, but if we are locked to the team we have +/- a player, then it pains me to say, but Torre needs to step aside. This environment is brutal, but everyone remember, he started it by winning the world series 4 out his first 5 years. He helped feed the frenzy.
It was a beautiful thing, but this is a different team. This is the by-product of The Boss stepping in for a number of years and fiddling with that which did not need fiddling.
Some one like Pinella is a great short term solution. However, this yankee fan believes that its alright to share the wealth sometimes (as far as the WS goes), that Torre deserves to go out with some class and dignity, and makes sure that the players know that there is something beyond just them that possesses me to trek to The Stadium, pay top dollar, and still believe it was all worth every moment.Dear Joe Mauer,
You forgot to mention the Twins' collapse.....or are we not supposed to talk about that? Usually you team has to avoid getting swept to entitle you to talk smack (See: "2004"New York Yankees)
As a Red Sox fan, I accept we are rebuilding in the very way you suggest...Theo FINALLY can wait forthe kids to develop...if only Luchine didn;t trade Hanley and Anabel for Beckett!Guess what? The Yankees aren't going to be able to buy their way out of the hole they bought their way in.
Zito will be pitching in San Diego next year and Schmidt will be in Seattle or San Francisco. After seeing how terrible the Yankee fans are, why bother with the headache for a few more million? 5 Yankee rings (bought by spending twice what any other team does or can) aren't worth one somewhere else.Jeter for Bonderman/Zumaya, come on. Compare Guillen and Jeter. . . no team would give up that much pitching for 18 runs and 8 rbi's.Ok, I being a yankee fan know what will happen. Unfortunatly Torre will go which is a terrible move since he is an amazing coach. This is the starting lineup
C-Posada
1B-Giambi
2B-Cano
3B-A-Rod
SS-Jeter
LF-Matsui
CF-Damon
RF-Melky Cabrera
Pitching rotation
Mussina
Matsuzaka
Wang
Johnson
Dontrele Wills
(Hughes will play if anyone is injured)
The yankees will win the division once again. Can will post MVP type numbers, A-rod will improve, Jeter will do well but no amazing like this year. randy will get injured, wang and matsuzaka and d train will post great numbers.
Yankees will win the poastsason not under Lou Pinella but under the pitchingAll you people who hate the Yankees is because you know they are a good team and wish your team was like the Yankees. So stop hating don't be some sore losers.
P.S. A-Rod should never be traded. He's on a bad slump, so what? his numbers are great for being in a slump... imagine his numbers when he is not in a slump!
The Yankees fell down, but they'll get up again!Redsox nation what a joke. How many games back did you finish? 3rd place, great year. Go cry about your players that hate to play in Boston. Here are your favorite phrases "Wait till next year" & "wild card team" You should change your teams name to the Boston Clowns!TRADE JETER??? Have you lost your mind drw? The Yankees wouldn't BE the Yankees without him! I love the Yanks...in fact I probably won't even watch the rest of the games. But there's always next year...we'll add pitching, give more playing time to Melky and next year it will all be ours!The Yankees need consistency more than anything else. Look at the people who are bug problems. A-Rod:very inconsistent, Johnson: even more inconsistent. They need to trade A-Rod for either an under 25 major league pitcher, or two very good minor league ones. Steinbrenner has to realize that that is what is going to do well, not Randy Johnson. And since Johnson cant be traded the Yankees should "encourage" him to retire. If he doesnt, make him a long reliever. As a Yankee fan i would rather see a pitcher who consistantly goes 6 innings giving up 4 runs than Johnson who either pitches 7 good innings or 3 horrific ones. Melky should be a starter and the yankees should platoon matsui and abreu between dh and rf. To replace A-Rod they Yankees should try to get someone simple, not an all star. They should get someone mediocre that can field. Thats all they needThe Yankee lineup is like Murderer's Row 2.0. The pitching could turn the Royals into Murderer's Row. The Yankees need to find some way to dump the entire back half of their rotation and bring in some good new arms. While this will undoubtedly push the payroll to about 250 million dollars, Steinbrenner won't care.
Where did he get his money anyhoo.I think they should calm down and look foward to a busy off season where they could shore up the bullpen along with the starting pitching and move foward to next year. You can't win them allI find it funny how you all think the angels are so eager to trade with the yanks. A-rod for Kendrick/shields/Santana??? I think its safe to say as bad as Vlad needs protection, Kendrick is untouchable....He is our starting 2nd baseman for years to come! Him and Brandon Wood are going to be the best SS/2B combo in a few years! stars in the making!!! I can honestly see if, and I stress if we made a trade for A-rod, you'd get Santana, Kevin Gregg, and someone like Casey Kotchmon or Dallas McPherson, or if your lucky Maicer Izturis.If were lucky you'll grab Bartlo instead. But not Figgy,Kendrick, or shields. The more likely scenario is the Angels not trading with the yanks and signing a free agent i.e. Vernon Wells, to play center. And then beat the yanks in the playoffs next year!!!!All I want to say is that all players from the Yankees organization should get fired. There is no question that Joe Torre should get fired. Any manager in the league with the roster that the Yankees organization has will easily be the World Series Champion.The Yankees flopped badly. Except when you compare them to the Red Sox. The second biggest payroll in baseball and they not only fail to win the division, for like the hundredth year in a row, they not only fail to make the postseason. they finish third! to the Blue Jays! Why don't you have a column about the Red Sox fiasco Luft? The reason the Yankees losing plays so wel,in a certain Massachusetts harbor town is becausae as usual they have nothing else to cheer about.I find it funny how you all think the angels are so eager to trade with the yanks. A-rod for Kendrick/shields/Santana??? I think its safe to say as bad as Vlad needs protection, Kendrick is untouchable....He is our starting 2nd baseman for years to come! Him and Brandon Wood are going to be the best SS/2B combo in a few years! stars in the making!!! I can honestly see if, and I stress if we made a trade for A-rod, you'd get Santana, Kevin Gregg, and someone like Casey Kotchmon or Dallas McPherson, or if your lucky Maicer Izturis.If were lucky you'll grab Bartlo instead. But not Figgy,Kendrick, or shields. The more likely scenario is the Angels not trading with the yanks and signing a free agent i.e. Vernon Wells, to play center. And then beat the yanks in the playoffs next year!!!!Mr. Steinbrenner,
Maybe if you had a $300 Million payroll you'd win the World Series? You'll never know unless you try.
Best Wishes,
AmericaLet me address some of the things that have been said on this blog. The first, firing Torre. As a Yankee fan BEFORE 1996, it seems insane to think that firing Torre is going to produce the results that Yankee fans want. He came in, and brought a group of guys with completely different personalities together, and made each of them feel welcome in the clubhouse. (This can be backed up if you read Buster Olney's book The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty.) The second thing, trading A-Rod. In my heart, I really want to believe that he can succeed in New York, but it just doesn't seem possible with his mindset. Torre should have coddled A-Rod. You need to build his psyche up, not tare it down. That is Torre's biggest mistake. Next, to the people who said to trade Jeter, are you serious? You want to trade the centerpiece of the franchise to reward a headcase? That's absolute garbage. Sheffield's option should not be picked up, and they should find a way to get Cabera in the starting lineup, because he provides the youthful energy and vigor that they lack, Now to the source of most people's frustrations, starting pitching. Wang is clearly number 1, followed by Mussina at a reduced price. Get rid of Johnson, age has finally gotten to him. Pavano is useless because you can't be sure that after his operations, he will be able to pitch effectively. Wright should be parted with. Get Zito and maybe the Yankees can get by. Unfortunately, it will be tough to win because they are saddled with bloated contracts that are damn near inpossible to move. Just to wrap this up, although I am sure that George is going to pull the trigger, he should remember that a lot of this is on him, because he encourages the kind of free-agent signings that are bad for them. Their best players are the ones from the farm system. George should keep this in mind when he makes this most unfortunate move.Its time to change the how this team is managed. Joe Torre has done a terrific job until the last 2 years. He has become more concerned about stroking egos and maintaining peace. Time to bring in a manager that regardless of who you are he will be in your face. That man is Lou Pinella. As for A-Rod......well so what about him. He had an off year. Lou is the perfect guy for A-Rod......Non of this nonsense about batting 6th, 4th, or 8th. He is the 3 hitter everyday!. And Derek, I love ya but start acting like a captain, show some respect to A-Rod.Sheffield & Matsui DESTROYED the CHEMISTRY when they returned in September. GREAT COMMENT!!
Keep Torre. (DISAGREE - TIME FOR LOU)
Get rid of: A-Rod,(AGREE) Mussina,(ONLY WITH NEW PITCHERS- HE'S GOOD FOR 16ISH GAMES Sheffield,(AGREED) Johnson (COULD BE TOUGH TO UNLOAD) & Giambi. (I'D TAKE ANOTHER YEAR LIKE 06 -- HE WAS CRUCIAL WITH SHEF AND MATSUI OUT)
Cano ashowed he wasn't ready for prime -- should come -- youth is nice to have in this case
It's milk man time!!
Funny -- everyone is trashing Pavano (deservedly so) -- but he does have two years left -- maybe he could be middle reliever
I think otherwise - Damon - Jeter - Matsui - Abreau - Posada is a good nucleus to stay with
Hope hughes is the real deal
like the dialogue -- and I thought I was moving on to football and college basketball -- GO UCONN!!Amazing. Simply amazing.
I find it interesting at how all the Yankee fans start to panic and want to drop every single player under the sun because they lost again, because heaven forbid there are OTHER teams that earned the right to be there. Sheesh. Some of these comments make me sick.
A couple of things:
1. Firing Torre would be a mistake. For all his power, he's only one guy, and certainly he ISN'T the one swinging the bat. Torre isn't a good strategist but works best at handling prima donnas, which is what the Yankee team is when you get down to it. Giraldi would wilt until that mess.
2. Pitching always beats hitting in October. ALWAYS. The Yankees flop because they fail to realize that fact. Trading away their good pitching like Wang and Mussina would also be a mistake. The Yankees need better starters to make it in the postseason. That's how the A's, Tigers, Mets and Cardinals have done it so far.
3. A-Rod...I don't want to blame it all on one guy, but something about playing in New York is doing something to this guy. He melts under pressure like butter under the hot sun. The Yankees would be smart in trying to trade him for some young pitching.
The problem? A-Rod wants to stay in New York, and may be difficult to remove. Maybe A-Rod doesn't notice the effect playing in the city does to him, maybe he does and thinks he can get past it. Regardless, until the $252 million-dollar man actually does something in the big apple, expect more of the same while he's on the roster.
4. Zito is not going to the Yankees if he leaves Oakland. A source close to Zito has made it known that more likely the Dodgers and Padres would be the lefty's choices, as he wants to stay in California. Sorry Yankee faithful, but all the money in the world in useless if it yields you nothing.
Okay, rant complete. Can't speak for everyone here, but I am going to really enjoy watching Tigers vs. A's tomorrow. It should be a great series, and the fact that the Yankees will be home for the winter, trying desperately to figure out what went wrong when it's right in front of them starring them in the eye, makes it all that sweeter.
-Peace out.If Zito is smart, he'll buy himself some years and sign in the NL, NOT in an AL pressure cooker like the Yankees.
That being said, I'd offer up every single player on the Yankees, and see who bites. Even Jeter.It has reached the point where we have to debate the obvious? Please! Joe Torre has to go. Bring in Pinella. Trade Farnsworth. Offer Mussina $8,000,000.00 for 1 year, put Melkey in left, move A-Rod to first, let Bernie go,trade Melkey for Troy Glaus,and..........Tell Jeter to start acting like a captain.A lot of the people blaming Torre for the Yanks dismal playoffs remind me of the goofs who blame Dusty Baker for the Cubs failures. Pitching wins. Bullpens get gassed early when the starting staff is shaky. In addition injuries to said pitching staff will kill anybody's postseason dreams. The Yanks are employing too many over the hill and past their prime pitchers. Until that changes the bullpen will suffer. Changing the personnel falls on the Gm's shoulders. Blame Cashman and Steinbrenner for their greed.some of these trade scenarios are crazy.
can we concentrate on dumping salary and improving the pitching?
the rotation needs to look like this next season:
Wang, Pettite, Matsuzaka, Hughes. As for the fifth spot, I think it should go to Cory Lidle or maybe a youngster like Ian Kennedy or Jeff Karstens.
Wright, Johnson, Pavano, Mussina. They will never win a big game for the Yankees again. They cost too much and don't throw enough innings.
Sheff has to go.. don't pick up his option unless you know you can trade him, because otherwise Gary will make some big fuss about "refusing to report unless he gets an extension" and just kill any deal. He's a selfish player who hasn't gotten it done in New York. He's been just as bad as A-rod when it counts.
As for A-rod.. i mean, he drove in 121 runs this year, but how many did he give up with his AWFUL defense? Remember his first year in New York? He only drove in 106, but he didn't carry that crap into the field. Even last year when he hit 46 homers he had like more than 15 errors, right?
We should have just moved Soriano to the outfield and brought up Cano. And it really sucks and it really hurts that its that simple.There's no need to panic and sign Zito (doens't have NY makeup) or Schmidt (another aging star).
What I may say, may be HERESY, but a step back next year may be two steps forward when some of the big contracts start coming off the books. They need to build up the pitching - their most valuable chip is Arod. The White Sox and Angels would love him. Both have young, cheap arms. Send him to LAA with a package that starts with Santana and Brandon Wood or Eric Aybar. Or a pkg with the Sox might start with McCarthy and Fields.
If they can get a Santana or McCarthy... now by 2008 - you're looking at a top 3 of Wang, Santana/McCarthy, and Hughes - young, cheap power arms that teams covet for the post-season.
The Yankees have the bank, so then you can add a quality free agent at the back end of the rotation. I'd give Moose 2 years as a veteran presence. By 08 - Unit is off the books anyway.
Offensively... Trade Arod yes. I'd gauge to see if there's a market for Sheffield. Maybe pick up the option, eat some money and get YOUNGER HELP in return. Same with Jaret Wright. YOu can buy him out for 4M or pick up 7M... eat 3M and trade him.
The Yanks need to start unloading some stars, restock with some younger players and build a PIPELINE like they did in the mid-90's. However, this time around they need to do a better job of keeping them.sign carlos lee1) Torre is a lousy manager and always was and always will be. He won four WS because Mariano Rivera makes up for a lot of mistakes.
2) No chemistry and bad personalities in the clubhouse. Johnson is a creep and Sheffield is a great player but not a good guy. It's already been said - with Cabrera and Phillips starting, they were winning. What does that tell you?
3) Stop signing 40 year old pitchers.
4) Spend some of your unlimted $$ on creating the best player development system in the majors. You can afford it - how can the Yanks' farm system be so middling?
5) Don't ever dis Jeter. Overrated?? Try watching him every day. He is the definition of intangibles.
Oh, and btw, he hit 340 this year.One simple solution..trade A-rod to the Cubs straight up for Mark Prior. Cubs need a shortstop and Yankees need pitching. Everyone knows that when a Cub leaves Chicago--their careers only go upward (Lou Brock, Dontrelle Willis, Greg Maddux,etc) God knows that the Cubs can't fix Prior--bet Guidry could do it. Get rid injured @ss Pavano also..but don't let him drive out of town--he'll hurt somebody!!Just like the Boston on the Yankees!!!! But the tigers knocked them out hard! Even betterbonderman and zumaya for jeter? Are you mad man? Not when the Tigers already have Carlos Guillen. Jeter is a stud, but come on. Let's pretend that the other GMs in the league actually have brains that allow them to process information logically.Steinbrenner is to blame for many of the problems the Yankees have. He just had to have Giambi, Sheffield and Johnson, and overpaid for all of them. None of whom have panned out quite the way he had hoped. Giambi's body is too busy breaking down for him to be of much use. Sheffield has done nothing but whine since he arrived in the Bronx. And Johnson was past his prime long ago. Other recent Steinbrenner driven errors are letting Andy Pettite go and replacing him with Kevin Brown, signing Tony Womack to play second base (which actually worked out since Womack's failure allowed Robinson Cano to get a chance and thrive.) And the list goes on.
So if you are going to start pointing fingers you might as well start at the top. The teams of the 1990's were not superstar heavy. Most of those players became stars in the Bronx.
And look at the batting averages during the ALDS. Jeter and Posada (both holdovers from the 1990's, both players developed by the Yankees, and both drafted while Steinbrenner was "suspended") each batted .500, the rest of the team combined for .173.
I admire the fact that Steinbrenner is willing to reinvest the money the team makes back into the team - he just needs to do it more wisely, or better yet, stop making decisions based on a player's past glory.Face it Yankee fans. On October 20, 2004 the "curse" was officially lifted off one team and placed directly on a new organization from New York (not the Mets). The Yankees were a great team in the mid-90s when they were a cohesive unit... a team. Now they are nothing more than a group of highly paid merceneries with one goal: TO GET PAID. "Screw winning as long as I get a big pay day" is the motto of these modern day Joe Palooka's. Why did the Tigers beat them this year?? They played as a team. They made the right moves at the right times. They didn't fold under pressure. As a die hard Red Sox fan I actually feel sorry for Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams. They are the only true team players left on this otherwise hollow collection of former All-Stars. The only true way that Steinbrenner will rebuild this organization into a champion is to rethink his entire philosophy on how to build a team and revitalize the farm system, developing talent instead of buying high-priced fomer All-Stars from other teams. But he won't do this, and the humiliation will continue. All of us Yankee haters across the country are absolutely soaking this up right now. LMAO.As a Red Sox fan, I have seen this team before- it's 25 guys and 25 cabs all over again. The players aren't so much the problem, it's the toxic atmosphere that suffocates everyone when the pressure is on. They need some new leadership in the clubhouse, whether that is a new manager or a new captain.Hey Joe Valente, I've got two replies to your comment:(1) When was the last time the Yankees won the World Series??? (2) Four in a Row!!!! HA HA HA thats all we ever have to say to make you and ever other Yankee fan shut your pie holewhy dont they just move matsui over to 1st and let cabrera play left and giambi dh it makes perfect sense. they should resign moose for a lot less money of course, go after schmidt or zito or that japanese pitcher, or do a sign and trade with shefGo Tigers!!!!!! Throw that smoke!!!!I think the "worst" thing, ironically, that happened down the stretch for this Yankee team was getting Matsui and Sheffield back healthy enough for legitimate consideration for inclusion in the postseason starting nine.
As the season wound down, it made me very uncomfortable picturing them without Cabrera in left, after he had brought so much to the table with his energy, joy for the game, his youth, his speed and his fielding skills. I had dearly hoped that Melky would retain his place, which I felt he had earned.
There was the inevitable discussion that left field was Matsui's job. But when he returned, he was incredibly productive at DH, going approximately 11 for 22. Really, the only negative about his return was how it was inevitably going to affect Cabrera's role.
And when Sheffield was available for inclusion, it seemed to throw the whole season out of whack. The chemistry and makeup of the team altered so radically.
Now Cabrera was on the bench and Cano was hitting ninth - which I felt really affected him. Part of what seemed so refreshing this year was seeing Cano and Cabrera always in tandem, driving each other, supporting each other and excelling together. They had become a vital part of the success story that seemed so remote in June.
After Cano returned from the DL, he drove in more runs, I believe, than anyone in the majors. That success warrants the reward of riding that momentum, rather than being marginalized from the lineup. And Melky's success, with most outfield assists in the majors, likewise warranted riding something other than the pine. Aren't the virtues of pitching and defence always being touted - particularly in the postseason?
We all know the Yanks didn't have ideal pitching, but surely there was enough offense that could have left room for defense to be upgraded where logically possible.
Cano had voiced his pride in batting third a couple of times down the stretch, when Abreu was rested. I don't think it's coincidental that his hitting suffered batting ninth in the playoffs.
Now Cano and Cabrera were relegated to what felt like, "You kids did really great, but it's time to make way for the big boys".
That Sheffield healed when he did made for a really tough call. It's a hard bat to leave out of the lineup. But what he brings to the table is altogether too much. If Reggie was the straw that stirred the drink, then maybe with Sheff the Yanks were shaken and not stirred. He doesn't come across as a team player - and the Yanks had been playing as a team and seemed to be having fun.
Aaron Guiel was another player who had contributed significantly down the stretch and Miguel Cairo was nothing short of a hero while Cano was on the DL. Both had also played first base, but there was no way that either was going to be considered for a start there once Matsui and Sheffield were available.
When does a team stop being a team? Or for that matter, begin to be one?
Finally, us Yankee fans - we spoiled and fear ridden Yankee fans - should take a close look at the Tiger fans this past weekend, to see how to go about supporting your team. Yes I'm sure some early runs could have taken them out of the game, but that didn't happen - and in lieu of that, the din and ferocity of their support was like raw meat for Kenny Rogers and all of his teammates.
Look at the TV images of the Yankee fans during the "nervous" innings of game one - between Wang's exit and Mo's entrance. And that was with a lead! If the Yankees were outplayed, then their supporters were equally outfanned by the Tigers supporters.
Maybe, if the Yanks are good enough to take us to another postseason next year, then the fans should figure out how to have their game face on too.
And I for one would rather forego a couple of postseason appearances, in order to constuct a young, bullet-proof team.
Who were the stars on the team from '96-'01? There was not one superstar. Just one great and very successful team.I think that A-rod should be traded and the rumors going around are saying that he will jump to th N.L. and play for the Dodgers.... it is no fair for the game of baseball to say that "i want not to be traded and only play for the yankees" this is an outrageMercenaries win battles not wars and thats what the Yankees front office is forgetting. The team is actually developing a culture of losing....sure only in the playoffs but as we all know, that's all that matters. As for all this talk of trading A-Rod for Ervin Santana and whatever prospects, it will be much harder to get a lot from LAA for A-Rod since the Red Sox will probably be trying to trade Manny again and who knows what Baltimore might do with Tejada. Those teams are all thinking LAA right now thanks to LAA's anemic offense. It will be hard for NY or Boston to get Santana from LAA since LAA is the one with options and those teams are looking to unload baggage. Simple Supply and Demand. I also don't agree that the Yankees should not bring back Mussina...he just needs to come back to them at a cheaper price and as a number 3 pitcher at most.As a life long Yankee fan it was tough but hats off to the Tigers, they should be the story. The fix for the Yanks is simple. Get younger, get better starting pitching. If that means trading A-Rod so be it. Keep Melky, Don't sign Sheffield or Mussina (his second half was not good, its age).
Bullpen is good enough to win if they are not worn down by August.STUPIDITY.Thats all I see at this moment. I'm a Met fan. For all the idiotic Yankee bashers, remember that its the greatest franchise ever. To the guy that said the White Sox, Red Sox, and soon to be Mets should fire their GM's because they will collapse - I did look at Oakland. And Minnesota. And Detroit. They didnt win any titles. Its about rings. Those teams got none. The Yankees were a $1 Billion albatross for 6 years, one that must be resolved by baseball people. But quit the stupidity. I've never seen anything like this.Lets face it. The Yankees need to Let go of Sheffield, Mussina, Johnson and the rest of the senior citizens on the roaster. George (Owner) has the money to move these guys. Torre is gone, if you would have looked into the future you would have know that when Zimmerman left Torre's brain was with him. The Yankees will probably sign Pinnella to Manage in 2007. Not a bad idea, maybe he could put some fire into the new or revamped team. Good luck and this is from a Met Fan.yankee nation has to calm down and take some time to do some soul-searching. the solutions need not be too drastic. hire joe girardi as skipper; elevate joe torre as advisor/counsel to girardi; get quality starting pitchers,ie. zito/matsuzaka; bring up hughes; try to get petitte; re-sign moose to smaller contract; move randy into the relief corps; release wright and pavano; solving the starting and relief pitching would address the bulk of the problems.
as much as i iove sheff, release him; hold on to a-rod, it cannot get any worse for him; use damon, matsui, abreu and melky as a 4-man platoon for the outfield; phillips at first,cano at second; giambi to dh; holding on to guiel may be a good idea also; gradually bring up tabata;
some simple thots from a singaporean yankee fan !!!Who cares about the rest of the playoffs. Yankees lost, that's all that counts.
Nice job Tigers. Wonder who'll beat them next year.
Torre, Torre, same old story.
(Go Sox!!!)The Yankees are this Millenium's Red Sox, White Sox and Cubs.
What a feeling!
Who has more fans, the Red Sox Nation, or the Yankees Suck Nation? I sure love reading all these Yankee basher comments, keep'm coming!As a Yankee fan, the outcome of the playoff was certainly disappointing. Being realistic, however, after the injuries to Matsui and Sheffield and later on to Cano, I didn't expect them to make it to the playoffs. So the season wasn't exactly a total waste.
It hurts to say this, but I think it is time for Torre to move on. I read some place that it is bad if Torre doesn't like you as a relief pitcher, but it is worse if he likes you: he calls on you day after day until your arm falls off. Ask Scott Proctor and Ron Villone. I don't know why Torre didn't even include Karstens in the playoff roster. Same for Craig Wilson who could've helped out at first base and is particularly good at hitting left-handed pitching. May be Torre has been there too long.
Ditto for A-Rod. How such a talented player underperforms in NY with the all the All Stars surrounding him is beyond me. If the Yanks can get a couple of young pitchers for A-Rod, the Yankess should make that move.
The Yankee teams that won did not have All Stars at all positions. As someone said on a radio show, the blue print for drawing 4 million fans is not necessarily a blue print to win the World Series. Amen.You Yankee fans crack me up! Do you realize just how much like the boss you've become? Fire Torre? He's the glue that has made that overprices bunch of has beens get to the playoffs every year. Fire Cashman? He was the brains that got you a bargain for the dollar in David justice a while back, who if i recall was pivital to the teams success. You all should realize that that boss has made you all think like him, that Bobby Abreau will give you the ring. I'm glad to see you were all wrong again. Take a long hard look at you're logic before taking it out on the two most vital parts of your past successes.In a way, this is a tough Yankee team to love. I've been a Yankee fan a long time. Watched them on WPIX in Ct. Watch MLB.com now in New England while watching the RS on NESN........There is a certain mercenary aspect to pro sports now which is a reality of free agency. I think the Yankees carry it to an extreme at times.{Obviously} What has bothered me most the past few years is the "fawning" over guys like Sheffield and Rodriguez when they haven't been paritcularly good post season players historically..........the constant adulation. Gary Sheffield has 2 extra base hits in his last 47 post season at bats.....Same with Randy Johnson. He was mediocre at best this year yet the "expert" announcers etc. still talk about him like he's Sandy Koufax. Gimme a break!............The Yankees are what they are. They need young arms, and they need to stop reading their collective press clippings so much but I still enjoy being a Yankee fan. We'll win again. If not this year----next year. If not next year the year after. Life goes on.....I hear Philip Hughes is a strikeout pitcher with great control........I'm an Angel fan living in Southern Cal. For all you chuckle-heads screaming for the trade of A-Rod for Ervin Santana - please, from your mouths to God's ears! Santana is a good young pitcher, no doubt, but A-Rod is a freakin' lock for the Hall. Yankee fans are usually a pretty astute bunch, but I'm not sure you all appreciate what you have with A-Rod. Get off his back and let the man play ball. However, it you all insist, just the idea of A-Rod and Vlade in the same line-up has me droolin' for all the runs we'll score. If you're done with A-Rod, I sure hope we get him! We'll be happy to throw in an IOU on some 2007 World Series tickets for the games at Edison Field...
BTW, you guys aren't really serious about canning Torre...are you? The guy led the team to the AL East title while holding together a line-up of old and fragile players with tape and string. Torre should be a strong candidate for Manager of the Year, $200 million dollar roster notwithstanding. This year's early exit from the playoffs is more of an indicator of how poorly that $200 million was spent than it was any indictment of Joe Torre.
If the Yanks keep A-Rod & Torre, move Johnson to the pen where he can cut loose without worrying about that bad back, then pick up Zito or Schmidt (and that pick-up pitches up to expectations), they'll be the odds-on favorites to win it all in 2007 - regardless of what the rest of the league does in the offseason. On the other hand, if the Yanks can Torre and send A-Rod to the Angels...we'll be popping champagne corks in Anaheim next fall.As a staunch member of Red Sox Nation I took incredible satisfaction in this years playoffs. I got to hear the last 2 outs of the yankees season through a cell phone while on a bus home from connecticut. This latest 200 million dollar joke proves, as have all the others, that it is not possible to buy a world series. The sooner a team understands that the better. You need big stars, but you also need home- grown talent and smart trades. Some teams (or just not the yankees) have come to understand this. Exhibit A: The ALCS teams and NLCS teams.While I love Torre (been a Yankees fan since 1977) I think it's time. Just like Sparky Anderson of the Tigers when he was let go. He said "It's time to go". I think the Yanks need a new direction and the thought of trading A-Rod is "moronic". True he faltered in postseason, but look at his numbers, and Piniella would be the one to wake A-Rod up and bring much needed new life to the Yankees !!!This isn't a fantasy league where you can trade Cano for Willis. Florida has a pretty good second baseman named Dan Uggla so that trade doesn't make any sense.
If you watched the games it was over in the 7th inning becuase of one man Zumaya. Farnsworth throws just as hard but can't throw a freaking strike (which was all that Zumaya did). While starting pitching is needed, I say axe Farnsworth and bring up JB Cox. Huston Street's succesor at the U of Texas had great numbers in AA last year and lets face it Rivera has maybe 2 good years left. Proctor has shown himself to be trustworthy and getting Cox ready would really help the bullpen.Only one problem with the Yanks - his name is George! No the coach. no the GM. ALL the great Yank teams the blend of home grown players, and the right amount of puchased players. There are teams in sports all over the world that try to buy titles, very few ever work. the best teams were whne G was Gone.
I am a sox fan who respects a good player and a good team, even when it is the Yanks. BUt George just ruis that team, and I am glad he does!AS a Phillies fan, we'll take A-rod. We'll give you back the 4 no chance prospects you gave us for Abreu. But only if you "throw in" Cory Lidle. Enjoy the Golf course, boys.Yawn. Oh...the Yankees aren't playing anymore. Why are we wasting time talking about them?Yes, that high priced lineup will be back, mostly intact- though they have not forgotten how to hit in the span of 3 games (let's not forget the 14 hits outburst in game 1). They ran into hot pitching, plain and simple, similar to an NHL team running into a hot goalie. Good pitching still beats good hitting, and they were outpitched. But, they still have speed, power and high OBP across the board. And last I checked, they were 2nd in the league in defensive efficiency, so it's not a purely offensive lineup. Is the tem built for the regular season? Probably. But just ask Red Sox fans- you can't win a World Series unless you actually GET to the postseason.
The pitching needs to get better. I like Zito, becuase he knows how to pitch to deep AL lineups. I'm afraid Schmidt would simply be another injury-prone, overrated NL-type pitcher (see Vazquez, Pavano, Beckett, Burnett). I'm also hoping they can convince A-Rod to take a trade to the West Coast, possibly the Angels. Ervin Santana and one of their young set-up men would work for me. In this lineup, they don't need the power at 3rd, especially since A-Rod seemingly cannot hit in the postseason, at least while playing for NY. Either way, I still think they need another 2 arms in the rotation and 1 in the pen,for the postseason, of not the regular season.
Finally, as much as I love Joe Torre, maybe it is time to go. Maybe the last few years of having nothing but boppers have left to his being unable to manage in the "little ball" style that worked so well in the late 90's. This team may not have had the heart that those teams did, but they did have the ability to do all of those things, possible better. Also, maybe Pinella can motivate these guys. The Yankee teams that won always had vets like O'Neill, David Cone, Jimmy Key, Clemens, guys who motivated themselves. Maybe it's time for someone to come in with a different attitude, put some of the vets who haven't won here (see A-Rod, Giambi, Sheffield, Johnson) on notice.
Bottom line- barring major changes, you tell me another team that's gonna win the AL East against that lineup, pitching additions or not? Yep, that's what I thought. See you in October.....Every team goes through a cycle. It's just time for the Spankees to dwell at the bottom for a reality check. See how the other half lives. Maybe take away the limos and ride in a bus for a while. Because obviously all the money the idiot boss shells out has no eefect on people who have too much already. I say bring up the farm team. Young low paid players who actually love the game and don't whine when they chip a manicured nail.I LOVE all the suggestions about trades and free-agent signings! This is like that "Seinfeld" episode when George was about to become assistant to the general manager. "Bonds and Griffey in the same outfield!"
Actually, why hasn't anyone brought up Bonds or Griffey? Maybe they're too young and/or healthy for the Yankees to be interested. How about signing Julio Franco to 7 years and $120 million to play second base? When the Yanks brought in Randy Johnson I almost thought Isiah Thomas got Cashman's job.Maybe Yankee fans and their too controlling owner can now finally admit that you cannot buy a championship. $200 payroll does not get you a championship. The Yankees aren't the best team in the American League, or baseball. They certainly won't be the best in their own division next season.For 4 years I have been saying get rid of A_Rod and get 2 16 -17 game pithers
I hope A-Rod realizes this is not his town, please go somewhere else. You will help the Yankees win the whole thing next season if you give them the the OK to let you go.You say you love the Yankees now is thw time to make a tough decision. I hope you make the right one.All of Everyone in N Y C will love you for itAs a long-term (and long-suffering) Tigers fan, I have to admit that I've been enjoying a certain amount of "schadenfreude" in the Yankees' self-destruction and the accompanying wailing and moaning in the New York-dominated media. Jim Leyland played the Yankees and the media like the fools they are with his comments about the "freshmen playing the varsity." The Yankees' offense is not as great as it's made up to be: in the regular season, the team batting average was only .011 higher than that of the mid-pack Tigers, which translates to one extra hit every ninety at-bats, or every third game. Same thing with their slugging percentage.
The turning point for me was when the ESPN talking heads mistakenly referred to the Tigers' Game Two pitcher as "Jason Ver-LAN-der." If this kid were wearing pinstripes last summer he would be on his way to Cooperstown with rose petals and incense flung before him. And on one of the rare occasions when the ESPN truck found itself outside Comerica Park (apparently still located, according to ESPN, "on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull"), the relief pitching of Joel Zumaya led, incredibly, to a prolonged dialogue by Joe Morgan on the inaccuracy of the radar guns used to measure pitching speed.
So you can have your national media coverage of your whiny rich-baby team, its Jabba-the-Hutt 'principal owner,' and the ongoing soap opera about how many and whose heads will roll in the wake of their ignominious defeat at the hands of a classier and better-motivated team from Detroit. Out here in flyover country, we've got some more baseball to watch.you guys are retard. It doesnt matter if the yanks lose in the playoffs. They broke team records with attendence. Well over 4million fans came. At 40 bux per fan, plus 15 in concessions, they're profitable. Thats not even counting tv deals and merchandise.
As long as the yanks stay in contention by losing in the playoffs every year. The yankees will just get bigger and richer and new yorkers will be more hungry than ever to pay more to see their team win.Who cares? Honestly...this is the most exciting month of baseball, and we're talking about an overpaid team that was eliminated in the first round. Got it. Same story as last year...does CNNSI just copy-paste the 2005 stories, regardless of their current relevance?
Thsi isn't about the Yankees, it's about the media forcing us to care about something that frankly most of us considered old news by Sunday morning.
Four teams that either have a history of being lousy, or who have choked dramatically in recent years, are playing for the right to play in the World Series. One of them will rise to the challenge and win it all. That's a story that most of us actually care about."As long as the yanks stay in contention by losing in the playoffs every year. The yankees will just get bigger and richer and new yorkers will be more hungry than ever to pay more to see their team win."
Unfortunately, however, they will still suck.New York, NY (AP): According to sources from within the Yankee organization, star 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez struck out looking during batting practice. When asked for comment, Rodriguez simply replied: "He just beat my brains in. I tip my cap to that guy." That guy, apparently, was bullpen coach Joe Kerrigan, who throws roughly 52 mph.Justice prevails yet again. = D Just goes to show you can't always buy a championship!
Derek Jeter is over-rated and Yankees fans, like that scrub Giambi, are hypocrites for blaming A-Robbed for all their problems. No one in the Yanks clubhouse likes him because they are jealous, hope you trade him and that he moves back to SS and spanks the Yanks on another deal that goes haywire.
The idea that Torre should be blamed for it all is another stoopid way of thinking but not surprising. Yes, he hasn't been very good this year at times but to win the East pennant was surprising what with all the injuries...but firing poor Joe isn't gonna get you to the mountaintop.
Good luck next year...NOT!Had Chien-Ming Wang pitched game 4, we'd be waiting for the result of game 5 on Monday. Torre made a mistake having Wright pitch game 4.
Pitching is not a problem. What are you guys talking about? Next year, Yankees will have Wang, Mussina, and bring up Phil Hughes. Randy Johnson can win you 12-15 games, and you still have a spot for Barry Zito. This is very good starting pitching.
What they really need clutch hitter like Paul O'niel, Scott Brosius, and Tino Martinez type players. Abreau is a step in the right direction. They really need to get rid of Arod.Ah, the power of suggestion
1. What Yankee fan in their right mind would have been begging for Sweet Lou to become the new manager just one short week ago? Don't any of you Yankee fans out there remember the 80s? Or did you all just start following post 96? Even if the Yanks won it all and Torre decided to retire, I don't know that Pinella would have been the name we all would have thrown out.
2. This media frenzy is exactly why we the Yankees need Torre. As others have said, he is the calm within the Yankee Universe storm. Quite frankly, most of what I've read and heard is just an echo chamber of stupid suggestions...of course, there are some nuggets mixed in as well. Trade Jeter?! Are you nuts?! Stop quoting Jim Caple's ESPN Page 2 column...also let me interpret it for you; it was in jest. All of a sudden Torre is a poor strategist?! You would have never heard this a few years ago! Actually, you would have heard just the opposite. Why is he a poor strategist? Because, for the past 3 years, he uses up the only 2 or 3 reliable relievers he has? That's called trying to win.
3. So what to do? It sucks being a NY sports team sometimes. I don't expect to get any sympathy from non-NY supporters, nontheless NY is that expects results 5 minutes ago. They also expect the big spectacle whether it's on the field or in the offseason. That's where Steinbrenner is poison. He's even more impatient than most NYers, and has made/continues to make some real stupid deals. In the 80s it was trading away talent like Doug Drabek, Jose Rijo, and Fred McGriff --you see, it's not that we can't develop our own talent, it's that we trade it all away and populate the rest of the league. And if we're not trading away talent we're signing the aforementioned so so talent to ridiculous contracts. I'll admit that, at the time, I liked the signings of Giambi and Mussina, but that's about it. The best thing that happened to the Yankees was Steinbrenner getting banned from the game a couple of times. In his absence, a good player developemnt/talent focused GM like Gene Michael was able to lay the foundation for the dynasty that came to follow. Of course, revisionist history credits The Boss. Brian Cashman has only just recently gained control of the team without (ha ha) interference from the Tampa folks. From all that I've been able to gather, he's really started to re-invigorate a farm system that's been neglected for the past many years. I could go on and on about the need for stability in the front office and the need for a vision, and that Cashman is providing both and has the team on the right track...but what's the use if George is just going to knock it all down every couple of years like the bad old days.
As for the team at hand...
C Posada--there's need to start grooming somebody else, but the cupboard is bare
1B Phillips--give the kid a real shot or go find a dependable defensive upgrade
2B--Cano--KEEP HIM! Crazy to trade him. I know he wasn't clutch in the playoffs, but he's 22 years old! Give him time!
3B--Trade-Rod--All the talent in the world, but just can't do NY. No shame, he's not the first, won't be the last. I like the Anaheim trade for Santana and Shields, but that may be wishful thinking. I don't know who then plays 3B. What's Scott Brosius doing? It's not like we need monster production there...good defense and timely hitting would be nice though.
SS--Jeter--nuf said. Maybe he would have stuck up for ARod had ARod not stuck a knife in his back in that 2000 GQ article. Jeter is everything ARod isn't and puts up good numbers.
LF--Melky/Matsui--Need to get Melky in there, be it LF or CF. Matsui can platoon at DH with Giambi too
CF--Damon/Melky--Damon's been a good pick up, but that wear and tear is going ot add up fast.
RF--Abreu--Still shocked that he panned out so well
DH--Giambi
Pitchers
1. Wang
2. Hughes
3. Zito
4. Ervin Santana or whatever SP we get for ARod
5.Mussina/Johnson or other stop gap. Come on it's the #5 spot.
Bullpen
the only spots that should be locked up in my mind are Rivera, Proctor, and Bruney. This was the teams achilles heal this year. When we won championships, we were unbeatable after 7 innings. No longer.
OK, I'm done with this rant. It's long but that's ok becuase it's buried and nobody will read this.Jacob:
The Yanks are pretty flexible with Sheffield, they can let him walk or trade him with the option etc... at 1 year and 13M and the Yanks being able to pick up money and he being able to play 1B OF or DH , he should be a pretty interesting commedity. The Yanks could then use Matsui (or even Damon LOL) at 1B with Giambi or just rotate Andy Phillips in there more and make it a 4 man OF platoon.
SP is the problem, at this point unless RJ looks over his 16Million reason and hangs it up the Yanks are stuck with him, Pavano has a no trade claus though i'd imagine he wouldn't mind waiving it to get out of this embarrasement.
The possibility of trading A-rod is obviously there, and with a good enough package it can happen, but i'd say at this point that it's at best 50/50 and Cashman won't be the one actively shopping.
We shall see how it turns out, as a Yanks fan, all you can say is that the Yanks should have won game two, and after that game 3 was really a gamble for both side to see which was worse, RJ's back or Kenny's post season record, obviously we know what happened and by game 4 it was all over anyway.A couple things:
1. Dontrelle Willis walked 83 batters last year. Barry Zito walked 99. Aren't walks the reason Jaret Wriht and Randy Johnson became unpopular is New York? Personalitywise, they are both little kids, which is an attribute in small markets but perilous in New York.
2. Statistically, Mike Mussina had his best year as a Yankee since 2001. His SO:BB ratio was third in the league, and his home run total was fair (21). Those two statistics are the best barometer for predicting pitching success, and they indicate Mussina still has it.
3. Alex Rodriguez, believe it or not, can claim that he is the reigning MVP. He had a season that most players would dream of having. If you doubt his defensive prowess, he was a gold glove and MVP shortstop when he arrived in the Bronx. He has to stay.
4. The Yankees lineup is loaded 1-9. The player who they need to trade is Hideki Matsui, for a few reasons. First of all, Matsui symbolized the Yankees' offensive problem in the playoffs; he is a power hitter who cannot generate runs. Melky Cabrera can do that. He would bring back more in a trade than would Sheffield or Giambi. With that said, the Yankees need to transform their team into a Red Sox team built on getting on base, speed, extra base hits and defense. They can do it with the lineup they have right now, plus a cheap first basemen.
1. Damon
2. Jeter
3. Abreu
4. Rodriguez
5. Giambi
6. Posada
7. Cabrera
8. Phillips/whoever
9. Cano
In conclusion, the lineup is fine. The pitching needs some work. Young starters only available by trade (Not Schmidt or Zito or Willis), and a bullpen innings eater should be prioritiesSteinbrenner needs to be fired for thinking he can buy a title. I cant wait until he sells the team. He's ruined baseball. I remember when he bought his first free agents after Charlie Finley refused to pay his set of golden boys. I was happy he stood up for what was right. But Steinbrenners a bottom feeder and as a Yankee fan I hope he never wins another title until he grows his own talent and shows us he's a real owner.Although Melky was perfect for the Yankees this year, I think that he may be the best trading chip they have. I think that the White Sox would take Melky for Garcia and another player. Sox need a centerfielder, Yanks need pitching. Maybe ship Phillips to Detroit for Tata. The fact of the matter is that if the Yanks want to win NOW (they never seem concerned about down the road), they need to give up their young guys. No GM in his right mind would give up good players for the old ones the Yanks want to ditch.If Zito is going anywhere, my money's on the Mets. Right now they are far more appealing than the Yankees. They have the money, they have a winning environment built around youth, they're in the NL (which will help to inflate Zito's numbers, no DH), and they have Rick Peterson, Zito's former pitching coach. Face it Yankee fans, you're stuck on a $200 million dollar boat that's sinking fast. Boo hoo...Keep Torre for the last year of his contract. Bring in Girardi as his bench coach and heir apparent.
Revamp the pitching staff. Need young arms that can go 7 innings consistently.
Keep A-Rod this offseason. Trading him now is selling low.Yesssssssssss......When will you new yorkers learn. You guys just feed the fire with the support of your boss on taking all these high priced players. Take a look at up and coming players with talent instead of has beens. Most clubs are built around there farm clubs. Start there.I have to agree with many out there that it is time for a major change in the Bronx. We Yankees fans have as much to do with the problem as "The Boss" and Cashman. It is us fans that demand that the Yanks go out and spend their money on the best the market has to offer. What do we suggest as soon as we have problems...dump players by paying them off and signing other overpriced superstars that will provide the immediate answer. History has shown that teams don't win overnight, nor do all star teams (Team USA basketball??). I feel like I am reliving 1983-1995, when George signed every ageing star. Great teams are built around young palyers that were developed through the system. The reliance on youth allows for payroll flexibility and that allows for a few high paid stars to provide leadership and take off the pressure from the young guys. If anything, the Yankees recent struggles prove that having the highest payroll enables you to get to the playoffs ever year and then lose in the early rounds or in the series. Look at the Braves, Cards, and other higher payroll teams that are good every year but rarely ever win the ultimate prize. In my mind the yankees need to purge what they can off their salary, not resigning ANY of the free agents, or picking up any options unless doing so would allow for a trade that would bring young prospects in return. Guys they can't move they should hold on to until their can move them or until they are free agents and not resigned. The Yankees must reap what they have sown. The payroll should be in the $100-125 million range, (highest in baseball, but not in a league of their own) and ticket prices and concessions should be lowered so that regular working class people can go to games again. The Yankees should invest their "newly found" $ into player development, and scouting, and should strive to have a constant supply of young talent. With young, hungry palyers and a nice mix of stars, the Yankees will once again have a formula for success. That worked for the Yankees in the past(1995-2000), and continues to work for the A's, Tigers, Twins, Angels, Dodgers, Astros) Spending more money is not the answer...America, where if we can throw money at an instant solution and never work, you can bet we will!! (see weight loss pills, lyposuction, and on-line degrees)The shock expressed by Yankee Nation over losing to the Tigers really amuses me. A 97- win team losing to a 95-win team who played in a vastly superior division during the year is not an upset. A team with superior starting pitching, superior bullpen, superior defense, and competitive hitting winning a playoff series is not an upset. The better team won, and if they played 10 series, the Yankees would have lost at least 7 of them. Get over your east coast bias, and acknowledge that you got beat by a better team, plain and simple.Another year that ends with a postseason birth. As a yankee fan i see the other fans turning into george steinbrenner. They dont see it as good to make the playoffs or good to have won 90 some odd games, they see it as we didnt win the world series. well, everyteam wants that trophy and everyteam wants that glory but who wants it more that makes all the difference. the yankee players are all superstars they all have the glory they dont want it bad enough to be champions because they think its they are gonna walk over everyone because of who they and they cant do it as individuals they have to work better as a team and better as supporters of each other. Not as superstarsToo many people here are living in fantasyland. You can't just say crap like, "We need to get rid of Johnson, Pavano, A-Rod, and Giambi! They're bums!" No one wants a basket case who's been hurt for more than a year and still has 20 million left on his contract, or a 44 year old with injury issues who's in decline, or a first baseman who can't field and who is owed more than 60 million over the next three years. Even if they could move A-Rod, they wouldn't get anything close to equal value, and there's no one even remotely as good as him on the market. Get real, people. You can bitch and moan all you want, but the reality is that next year's Yankees will look a lot like this year's team, which might not be such a terrible thing.Yankees LOSE! Happy day. Again.Everyone is missing the point. You cannot bring negative energy guys into a clubhouse with so much pride and success.
It all stated with Kevin Brown, add Randy Johnson,A-Rod, should be k-rod, Gary Sheffield, and a few onto a team with Jeter, Posada, Williams. The whole theme of the winning Yankees was blue collar hard working come through in the clutch players.
These negative players cannot be motivated. They care only about theirselves and their stats. Bring in some hungry players, younger players trying to make a name for themselves and get rid of these guys that cant perform.Anonymous, you've been saying for 4 years (since 2002) that the Yankees should trade A-Rod? Do you remember where he played in 2002?
That being said, any Yankee fans who think the Angels are excited about trading Howie Kendrick and/or Brandon Wood...ANYWHERE are deluding themselves. Kendrick is already looking like a ML hitter, and will fit nicely at 2B for them next year. Brandon Wood? Very good potential for 40 HRs a year from SS or 3B.
Likewise for any ideas about Kazmir or Upton from the D-Rays, Dontrelle from the Marlins, etc. At least the ideas about the Angels have the small merit of involving a team that could actually pay some of A-Rod's contract. The Cubs? Ask Ryan Dempster if Cubs fans are kind and patient with underachievement.The success of the 1990s Yankees was due in part to a good group of players coming up together through the farm system and playing very well together as a team. The Yankees of the past 6 years is a collection of mercenaries with nothing that bonds them together other than the arrogance of big money demanding its 'birthright' of continuous NY championships.good job yankee fans!!!!you are doing your best to get rid of the best player in baseball. yes thee best player in baseball. a-rod does everything well no weakness yet your captain is some pretty boy that is overpaid and greatly overrated. you paid this guy 18 count it 18 million dollars. last i checked jeter drove in 1, 1 run in the post season yet its a-rods fault. i always hear about how passinate you yankee fans are. what a bunch of bull crap. are your lives that pitiful you get your rocks off yelling at a-rod. your problem is your collection of aarp members in the starting rotation. yell at the stick man that is rj and old man mussina plus jaret wrong.All you people are nuts. First of all this should not be an issue now, if you want to talk New York baseball talk about the Mets. Nobody is talking about how the Mets just swept the Dodgers, the same team that ripped the hearts of New York fans 50 years ago.
Also for those of you recomending trading arod for ervin santana, and cano for willis, theres a reason your not GMs. No self respecting gm would ever trade a top prospect for them. The mets turned down a deal sending top prospect lastings milledge for zito, and the prospects your talking about giving up are better, and the stars are worse.Look you cant win the world series every year theres what 30 other teams that wont win this year niether its not the end of the world... if the yankees are suppose to win every year why would we watch.. and to all you yankee haters if your not a detroit, oakland, mets, or st louis fans your team did exactly what the yankees did, the goal of every team is to win the championship, not divisions. and if george fires joe torre then mr ted turner should fire bobby "overated" cox who has one championship with all that great pitching what a crock.. and dont even gimmie that billy beane stuff because he hasnt won a championship niether have the minnesota twins so there formula hasnt worked niether, just look at the marlins win a championship and start over but the problem is you cant do that in New york because you people not just new yorkers but the haters are so impatient. this is what the yankees need to do Let sheff go and use that money for zito, keep jaret wright and trade him for middle relief when the trading deadline comes around you still have a sick lineup with melky in the outfield and giambi at first with matsui at DH bring up that young righty, win the east for the tenth straight time and see what happens from there. relax on the yankees we cant win every year what fun would that be.If I was New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, then I'd make the following transactions during the upcoming off-season:
1. Let starting pitcher Cory Lidle, relief pitcher Octavio Dotel, relief pitcher Tanyon Sturtze, relief pitcher Ron Villone, catcher Sal Fasano, second baseman Miguel Cairo, right fielder Craig Wilson, and designated hitter Bernie Williams file for free agency.
2. Designate starting pitcher Matt DeSalvo, catcher Wil Nieves, second baseman Nick Green, shortstop Andy Cannizaro, and right fielder Aaron Guiel for assignment.
3. Tender contracts to starting pitcher Philip Hughes, starting pitcher Jeff Karstens, starting pitcher Darrell Rasner, starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, relief pitcher T.J. Beam, relief pitcher Brian Burney, relief pitcher Sean Henn, relief pitcher Jose Veras, first baseman Andy Phillips, center fielder Kevin Thompson, left fielder Melky Cabrera, and left fielder Kevin Reese.
4. Exercise the one-year, $17,000,000 team option for starting pitcher Mike Mussina.
5. Decline the one-year, $13,000,000 team option for right fielder Gary Sheffield.
6. Re-sign Cairo to a one-year, $1,000,000 contract.
7. Re-sign Williams to a one-year, $1,000,000 contract.
8. Sign first baseman Seung-Yeop Lee to a three-year, $21,000,000 contract (2007: $7,000,000; 2008: $7,000,000; 2009: $7,000,000).
9. Acquire the rights to starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka via a $30,000,000 posting fee; sign Matsuzaka to a six-year, $75,000,000 contract (2007: $10,000,000; 2008: $11,000,000; 2009: $12,000,000; 2010: $13,000,000; 2011: $14,000,000; 2012: $15,000,000).
10. Sign starting pitcher Barry Zito to a six-year, $100,000,000 contract (Signing bonus: $10,000,000; 2007: $12,000,000; 2008: $13,000,000; 2009: $14,000,000; 2010: $15,000,000; 2011: $16,000,000; 2012: $20,000,000 team option w/ $5 million buyout).
11. Sign catcher Henry Blanco to a one-year, $1,000,000 contract.
2007 NEW YORK YANKEES
ROTATION
SP: Mike Mussina ($17,000,000)
SP: Barry Zito ($12,000,000)
SP: Daisuke Matsuzaka ($10,000,000)
SP: Randy Johnson ($16,000,000)
SP: Chien-Ming Wang (Approx. $400,000)
BULLPEN
Lefty Specialist: Mike Myers ($1,250,000)
Long Reliever: Carl Pavano ($10,000,000)
Middle Reliever: Jaret Wright ($7,000,000)
Middle Reliever: Scott Proctor (Approx. $400,000)
Setup Man: Kyle Farnsworth ($5,250,000)
Closer: Mariano Rivera ($10,500,000)
LINEUP
Catcher: Jorge Posada ($12,000,000)
First Baseman: Seung-Yeop Lee ($7,000,000)
Second Baseman: Robinson Cano (Approx. $400,000)
Shortstop: Derek Jeter ($20,000,000)
Third Baseman: Alex Rodriguez ($27,000,000 w/ $11,000,000 of that paid by the Texas Rangers)
Right Fielder: Bobby Abreu ($15,000,000)
Center Fielder: Johnny Damon ($13,000,000)
Left Fielder: Hideki Matsui ($13,000,000)
Designated Hitter: Jason Giambi ($21,000,000)
BENCH
Catcher: Henry Blanco ($1,000,000)
Corner Infielder: Andy Phillips (Approx. $400,000)
Middle Infielder: Miguel Cairo ($1,000,000)
Outfielder: Melky Cabrera (Approx. $400,000)
Designated Hitter: Bernie Williams ($1,000,000)I rarely read blogs or emails of any sort, but I am a wounded Yankees junkie looking for a fix. I've read almost all of the previous comments and can't help but think a few things.
1 is that it seems like a lot of non-yankee fans that have posted have this warped perception that a)all yankee fans are upperclass fakes who are crazy to open their wallets sooooo much b)Derek Jeter is an overrated player and bad captain. In a 57000 seat stadium I doubt that most of us are paying any more than most fans in other stadiums and to those of you who do not watch Derek on a regular basis you will never understand how good he is and how much he wants to win. It is not his job as captain to motivate his team. That's precisely why we pay a manager. Jeter is great role model for not just young Yankee fans, but more importantly in the context of winning, his teammates. He never mails it in, never jogs down the line and never points fingers.
2 is that a lot of us still recovering yankees fans would like some very crazy roster changes. Trading DoublePlayRod would make this fan very happy, but it's not as easy as most people are making it sound. Besides, I think we've seen the worst of A-Rod barring injury. Prior to Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS he actually had some success in the playoffs. Also trading Jeter would be absolutely stupid. Do you guys who are willing to trade him watch him play? Ever? I like Sheff, but he has been no better than A-rod and letting him walk seems like the right thing to do. Trading a young five tool Melky would be silly too. He seems to have the knack for doing what's needed and he plays hard.
3 is that George Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, and Yankee fans are all thought to be greedy. Actually we are, but only because we pay for and hope for a lot of wins. This is wrong because??? Major pro sports are, unfortunately, big business. George though, has always been willing to make winning as important as anything else. SPENDING is not a part of the definition of GREED. Many yankee haters would seem content in making 'The Boss' $50 million dollars richer each year. He's no more greedy though than Drayton, Carl, Jeffrey, or any other owner for that matter. He actually has to pay them(luxury tax) to play them. If any fans want to cry that George has such huge resources, remember he splits the city and entire area with Mets. Almost 8 MILLION people saw a MLB game in NY this year only because we're greedy for wins, not money. Greedy is the wrong word to use to describe any of us.
I begrudgingly wish the remaining teams good luck although I wish somehow I wake up from this bad dream.... it gets harder and harder to read all you CRAZY people blog up these UNBELIEVABLY, UNREALISTIC LOPSIDED TRADES.
Do you people even HEAR YOURSLEVES?!!I'm a Yankee Fan and damn proud of it! Unfortunately, they got beat by the better team, again, but I'm already pumped for 2007! And for all you loud mouths about the $200 MM payroll, please remember that that Yanks pay something like $32 MM luxury tax to help the likes of Detroit and Oakland pay their light bills. The Yanks drew 4.2 MM fans at home and deliver more fans to the ballpark on the road than any other team, by far. Let's see how many fans Detroit delivers on the road next year? Face it, the Yankees are the one of the best things baseball has going for it and I'm proud of 26 Championships! How many has your team won?Derek Jeter overrated? Not a leader in the clubhouse. Hey anonymous, when was the last time you were in the Yankee clubhouse? You dont know jack except for the stuff you regurgitate listening to talk radio. Get a life!How quickly we forget that A-Rod carried a mariners team in 2000 when nobody thought they could win without Griffey and the Big Unit and that he was an almost 400 hitter in the post season before game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. Who the hell can perform under such incredible scrutiny, and why is that? because of his contract? how stupid... And some posts suggesting that no team would pick A-Rod at 15 Mil a year? even more stupidI think it is funny that a number of people think signing Zito and Schmidt are going to be the answer to the Yankees problems. Is that not why they have brought in Mussina, RJ, Pavano, Wright, Kevin Brown, Vazquez, Weaver and so on over the past few years? Lets do the exact same thing again and get different results this time.
Signing the top two starters available does not seem to work for the Yankees for some reason.I find it really amusing that the Yankee fans seem to think that every G.M. in the league is brain-dead. Pick up Sheff and Wright's options and then trade them? C'mon! Who the heck is going to give the Yanks ANYTHING for either of these guys (or, for that matter, any of the aging and increasingly fragile players that have been mentioned)? The best thing other G.M.'s can do is say "No thanks George, you made your bed..." and laugh as the Yanks have to either put an over-priced past their prime line-up on the field or pay those players to work elsewhere. Poetic justice.this is absolutely HILARIOU$!!!!
I hope the boss NEVER pulls his head out and KEEPS spending gargantuan amounts of money on overrated old guys who can't mesh, won't fight, and blow it when it counts. With the sickening system that baseball has, allowing anyone to buy their way into the postseason, THIS is the best entertainment in the game, seeing the yankees gack in October.
JMLet's face it, the reason so many people are busy hating the Yankees is that their own teams give them little or nothing to feel good about most of the time. The biggest complaint seems to be how much money they spend on the team. Why not complain about teams that refuse to spend money on their players? The Royals' owner has more money than Steinbrenner but is comfortable putting a bad team on the field year after year. He also pockets the the money he gets from the Yankees in revenue sharing. This is just one example. There are a lot of teams who dump great players as soon as they ask for more money. These owners are greedy and don't care if they lose year after year. For example, what if the Mariners had kept Johnson,Arod,and Junior etc etc in their prime?
The Yankees have made some mistakes but at least they try to win year after year. Why should they be attacked for that??? Isn't that what an owner is supposed to do? I'm tired of hearing people complain about the Yankees being all about winning. Any owner who doesn't care about winning should be run out of the game!!
I think if they bring up Hughes, move Johnson (to the bullpen?)and Wright,sign Matsuzaka and Zito (who apparently would like to be in NY to push his music career) and bring back Moose for much less money they can lighten the load on the bullpen and win #27.derek jeter is not overrated!
he's the best shortstop in the league today."Acquire the rights to starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka via a $30,000,000 posting fee; sign Matsuzaka to a six-year, $75,000,000 contract (2007: $10,000,000; 2008: $11,000,000; 2009: $12,000,000; 2010: $13,000,000; 2011: $14,000,000; 2012: $15,000,000)."
Hah hah, dude, who said it would take 30 million beans to get over-rated Matsuzaka? The dude has talent but all those pitches he threw as a high schooler (back-to-back-to-back games throwing 150 pitches!!!) is gonna mean he's due for a breakdown....happy spending.
BTW, he didn't have a great season over here in Japan.This is the problem guys:
SP, Mike Mussina, $17 million club option
SP, Randy Johnson, one year remaining on a two-year, $32 million deal
RP, Mariano Rivera, $10.5 million option vested
Rivera is far more important than either of the previous two, both of whom should go.First, pitching is a must. So trade A-Rod (pick up $4 million) to the Pirates for 2 young Major League ready starters, Sean Burnett and Paul Maholm and a lefty reliever, Damaso Marte.
The trade makes both teams better. Give Yanks young arms and a specialist and gives the Bucs a power hitter and an attendance draw.Please stop berating A-Rod. One
person did not cause the Yankees
failure during the Post-Season.
A-Rod is a natural "SS".. Trade him
to another team that needs and can
use a "SS" and all will quickly
see what he can bring to the table.
Move on folks - The yankees simply
need "PITCHING".
BDIt seems like Yankee fan doesn't realize that for most MLB fans a World Series victory isn't the raison d'etre anymore. Certain clubs have skewed the market so that we Jays fans aren't embarrased at all to be celebrating a second place finish!!All of you idiots who think Torre should be fired need a dose of reality. Torre is the only person who can manage this team effectively. Girardi should go back to broadcasting, Mattingly's not ready to be a manager yet, & Pinella should also stick with broadcasting. Rodriguez & Mussina should stay. They should dump "I have a sore ass" Pavanao, Wright, Lidle, Farnsworth, Proctor, & Bruney & get some real pitchers. Cairo blows dog nuts & should be traded. Williams has had a great career, but it's time to cut ties with him & allow him to retire as a Yankee. Sheffield shouldn't even be allowed back in New York. And of all you idiots who want Jeter to be traded & call him overrated should be shot or brutally beaten with sticks. Jeter is one of the best players around today & a future Hall Of Famer. The Yankees will be back in full force next year......Fixing the Yankees is easy as they are not really broken. Trade Cano for Dontrelle Willis; re-sign Mussina; promote Hughes and sign Zito. Starting rotation becomes Zito, Mussina, Wang, Willis and Hughes. Dump Johnson, Wright, Lidle and Pavano. We won't miss Pavano as he did not contribute anything any way unless you count giving the trainers experience in treating exotic injuries. Sign Alfonso Soriano to play second, exercise the option on Sheffield for DH, sign Abreu to an extension and find a slick fielding first baseman. Strengthen middle relief and the bench just a little. Keep an eye out for a good young catcher, but no panic there yet. Lastly you must extend Joe Torre or cut him loose with cut him loose the most obvious answer as he just cannot seem to handle the pitching staff but don't think Pinella is the right man to manage this team though. When Torre goes so does the coaching staff. I love Don Mattingly to death but the Yanks did not hit in the clutch and he could not shake Arod out of his slump so he must definitely go. Pitching did not perform terribly well either so bye bye Gator.The best thing about next year is that the results will be EXACTLY the same. Yeah, they may win the division, but so did the Braves-for far less money, btw-and look where it's gotten them.
Did anyone see Johnny Damon laughing in the dugout during the last innings of game 4? That pretty much sums these Yankee teams for me. With the possible exception of the 'way overrated Captian Intangibles (who was made to look pretty foolish himself at the hands of these Tiger pitchers) no one on that team cares. If they win, great, that's what they're getting paid for. If they don't, oh, well, George will pay them anyway.
Pathetic. What a bunch of souless mercenaries. These guys don't deserve to wear the pinstripes.jeter to third, a rod shortstop, cabrero and cano every day, dump the roids of Giambi and Shefflied, bad karma all round , Matsui to first, bring up Hughes, make Johnson fight for 5th in the rotation, trade for Zito, hes a yankee, but most of all buy those over inflated, (bodies or salaries, take your pick), salaried up, egostistical freeloades some baseBALLS.Fine job Joe. You have for the last several years mailed it in. You panicked when you benched Shefield, inserted Bernie, and batted A-Rod in the 8th slot. What are you thinking when you sent Wang back to NY? You have spent to much time stroking the egos on this time. Of course the players will rise to support you, Lou Pinella would not stand for such mediocrity. Say goodbye Joe !Who cares, yes the Yankees out of the playoffs and instead of everybody focusing on the 4 teams that actually made it; the media has to focus once again on its beloved Yankees.Ah, seems like SI like everyone else has turned into YESI (YankeEs Sports Illustrated). Can't we go a single day without talking about the Yankees? Who cares what their lineup will be next year? They were trashed by the Tigers and yet we keep seeing sob stories about the losers. Stop this nonsense now.This may be stating the obvious but I have not seen it written specifically; the Yankees need to build a team and not "buy" a team. This is why there is such justice with their demise. Sports are supposed to be about team work. It appears that the Yankees lack that critical component. That is why Torre should be held responsible.I am a Yankees fan, and as pissed off as anyone. But, it is strange to me that we have not even seen how this year will play out in baseball, before we judge the Yankees. My opinion is the Tigers won because of two superb pitching performances, and one pretty good one, plus timely hitting against poor Yankee pitching.
If the Tigers keep going and win the whole thing in a similar fashion, perhaps it it their talent and guts that won and not a Yankees failure.
If the Yankees are going to retool, it should be their starting pitching that gets the makeover. We are a long way from the 1998 rotation of Wells, Cone, Pettite and Hernandez.only Yankee fans can say a guy like Arod sucks and needs to go..then say he is a deal at 15 million, and claim the Yankees should trade him for a package that included Ervin Santana, Chone Figgons AND Scot Shields...that is a nice package, but I think it the Angels move that package it will be for Carl Crawford..someone they will have control over and not live by the terms on an outdated contractIf Jeter is such a leader, he should have stood up for Arod this year like he did for Giambi when the going got tough! Not hid in silence, leaders stick up for teammates not hold 5 year old gruges over comments from when they were on diffrent teams. For all baseball fans that think he is a leader, watch a hockey game..there are probably 5 guys on each team with better leadership skillsBuy out Wright and Pavano. Get rid of Johnson. Sign Zito, bring up Hughes. Resign Mussina for a discount. Convince A-Rod to go bye-bye to the Angels or Dodgers for a good arm you can add to the rotation. Get rid of Sheff and start making Cabrera or Matsui a part-time 1st baseman so they can platoon in the field because Cabrera is too good to sit.at least the yankees got there. unlike the white sox and red sox.
the playoffs is a crapshoot. especially a 5 game series. baseball needs to make it 7 games and give the wild card teams less of an advantage. taking away home games would be a good start.Sorry to anger you Yankess fans (OK, I'm not really sorry), but Jeter IS overrated. Classic example: Everyone is praising him (and Posada) for hitting .500, but forget to mention that this is due to the 5 hits from Game 1. In Games 2-4 he has a total of 3 hits for a .273 average, along with 0 HR and 0 RBIs. In other words, A-Rod, Giambi and Sheffied each produced as many runs as Jeter when their team needed it.Convince Giambi to waive his no-trade clause and trade him for a legit defensive 1st baseman. Let Sheffield go. That frees up DH so Cabrera, Damon, Matsui and Abreu can all be in the lineup every day. Sign Zito. Stuck with Johnson - can only hope he retires.Here's what the Yankees need to do:
- Sign Schmidt to a 6 year, $120 million contract. He'll be 34 next year with a history of injuries, so he should have no problem pitching into his 40's.
- Sign Zito to a 7 year, $130 million contract. Laid-back, west-coast guys do great in the NY media circus.
- Sign Matsuzaka to a 6 year, $100 million contract. Avoid referring to "Hideki Irabu", and cross your fingers.
This is a sure fire solution to all the Yankees problems. Throw some money at it.All of you who say you would have dumped the Moose a year or two ago, where would the Yankees have been at mid-season without him?? He pitched one great start after another, was 10 games over 500 when nobody else was, and gave the bullpen several breaks when they were being worn down. He's clearly not as durable as he was at 30 (hey, neither are most of us!), but look where he ended up in the ERA standings even after a tough August. He's a necessary part of this rotation until a couple more young arms can be added to Wang.The problem with the Yankees is their propensity of signing high priced free agents as if they are "purchasing" 20 wins or 45 hrs as a way to translate them into more wins.
215 million dollar payroll guarantees you virtually nothing. You either win the World Series or the investment is a wasted one. Steinbrenner is a Texas Hold it up gambler with a penchant for anting up the bet until he loses and they cries after it is over.
My concerns with the Yankees makeup is the chemistry between high achieving players. How can they work well when they do not work well personally with each other? I thought A-Rod was Jeter's best friend until I read that Jeter virtually ignores him on the team. Whether it is by accident or intent is between them. Perhaps Jeter did not want the other players to realize he was playing a favorite and chose to freeze his pal relationship with A-Rod. I feel this is why A-Rod is not happy being with the Yankees.
My advice to the Yankees is to sign younger players at cheaper salaries and let them play. The younger players may bond better and win better than a team composed of high priced overachieving ball players acquired by a very wealthy owner as if they were chattel. And that is the secret of the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, California Angels in their successful quest to dethrone the Yanks during playoff/World Series time.
No man in his right mind would risk 215 million on building the best team money can buy only to see it fizzle during playoff time.
Firing the manager will only make people happy for a short time until the problems crop again next year when the new manager will be fired again.
The Phillies of 1976-78 were built from the ground by the late Paul Owens who valued the creation of a farm club where young players could be harvested for big league duty.
The Yankees should get rid of many of the high priced free agents on the team during the next few years as contracts expire and focus on signing reliable players willing to play for a lower salary and given the chance to flourish. Signing high priced overachievers proves nothing and guarantees you nothing.The loss was not Just A-Rod's fault the other 2 power hitters did not do much either. Here's My Solution 1. Trade Giambi 2. Pick up Shefield Option 3. Resign Musina 4. Let Johnson & Wright go
5. Resign Bruney 6. Sign ZITO & Matsuzaka. 7. Move Damon to DH
Lineup
1. Damon DH
2. Jeter SS
3. Abreau RF
4. Shefield 1B
5. Matzui LF
6. A-Rod 3B
7. Posada C
8. Cano 2B
9. Cabrera CF
Starting Pitching:
Wang
Zito
Matsuzaka
Mussina
Hughes
Relievers
Pavano -long
Setup
Proctor
Farnsworth
Bruney
Closer
Rivera
Meyers Lefty Specialist
Shef will adjust to 1st Base - he has played SS & 3rd - Springtraining at 1st will greatly improve him. Outfield will have 2 great arms in Right & Center and a Good one in left.I was not surprised that the Yankees lost - and I am a Yankees fan. Great pitching beats great hitting. Period. Why do people always forget this?Someone IM me when you guys are ready for logical and rational discussion on the issue.As a diehard Tigers fan I am loving this. Face it the Yanks ran into a better team. The usually patient Yankee hitters were mesmerized by Tigers pitching. The Tigers played great playoff baseball, exceptional pitching, timely hitting, great defense (did you see Granderson roam the vast CF at Comerica and C Mo's diving catch) and smart baserunning by taking the xtra base. Oh ya and Leyland understands the importance of chemistry and how to keep his ballclub feeling good. That August and September swoon, didn't cloud their minds in the playoffs. They played hard, emotional and focused, all the things the Yanks DIDN'T.Excellent analysis. Question: How has Steinbrenner escaped blame for Yankee shortcomings? Yanks are in crisis because they haven't won a championship in 6 years. But Yanks went 18 years under George (1978-1996) without a championship. Why? Because, with George's urging, Yanks pursued star free agents who, almost by definition, were in decline phase of their career. When George was temporarily banned from the game, Yankee management built the farm system (and made smart, modest acquisitions like O'Neill and Jimmy Key) that produced the championship run.
And George learned nothing from the contrast. Yanks have been pursuing star free agents, and they now have a roster so old that just about every player can be expected to decline next year, except maybe A-Rod, whom everyone wants to trade when his value is at an all-time low.
Yankees are on the same treadmill they were on in the early 1980s. They probably have too many resources to sink to the bottom-of-league status they reached in late 1980s, but until they place more emphasis on developing young talent (and maybe bringing in lower-priced, lower profile free agents to fill modest voids like middle relief), we're likely to be having the same conversation next year -- regardless of who's managing the team.First, I think it's ironic that even in defeat the Yankees dominate, with the news and TV folks focused far more on what's wrong with the Yankees and what will they do next than on the excellent Tigers and A's teams that now deserve to be center stage.
Second, great pitching almost always controls the playoffs and the Yankees have only two consistent pitchers, Wang and Rivera.
The last thing they need to do is overreact and make
drastic decisions.
Fortunately Cashman is a cool calculating guy who
balances out the Boss's gut reactions.
With a few good moves in the pitching department and some mandatory counseling for ARod, they'll be
well positioned for a better showing in next year's playoffs.
A time for cool heads to prevail.I agree with what you say, except for Miguel Cairo. As he can play every infield position, and play it well, and he's not an embarassment at the plate, I think he's a valuable member of the team. Changes I'd like to see made: Shefield at first following a spring training of learning, Melky in center where we need his arm, either Giambi or Damon as DH or traded.I'm a Yankee Fan, but What the Yankees should seriously do is trade A-Rod & Jason by eating up some of their contracts(somehow), let Wright go he sucks, Carl. P they need to sit and talk to him is he going to Pitch or what come on already, let B.Williams go too old, also Sheffield, I would even release The Unit cause he is too old and not getting the job done or convince him to retire and get younger players and pitching good young pitching, Should trade A-rod to the marlins for like Willis and maybe 1B-Mike Jacobs, that way Jacobs who is young and had a pretty good year in Florida play 1st base and maybe sometimes have Andy Phillips play. Send Jason who knows where but get rid of him, Sign Zito, or that other pitcher from Japan and maybe sign Moose to a 1 year deal for less, bring up that young pitcher Phillips and hopefully they can get a rotation like Wang, Phillips Zito ,Moose, Willis that rotation will be GREAT, the only pitcher that will be a lot of money in that rotation will be ZitoThis is very simple and I have been telling my friends so for three years.
The Babe Ruth curse is over, we are now living in the era of the A-Rod curse. No team with A-Rod on the roster has ever played a World Series game.
His post-season lack of performance is evidence enough, but the collapses of 2004, 2005 and 2006 prove how the curse can drag down even an "uber team"Some other ridiculous roster ideas.
Robinson Cano for Dontrelle Willis? Yeah, because the Marlins don't have the first or second runner-up for RoY playing 2B for them right now.
Giambi? Giambi is not a tradeable commodity. How many teams want to acquire a guy that will have Bal-Co chanted at him while he's at the plate? And guys that can't field? And who suffered the batting average drop over the second half that he did? And that are overpaid and 35 years old?
Also Randy Johnson is a bed the Yanks made for themselves, and they've gotta sleep in it now. He's old, he's crotchety, he's prideful, a great candidate to be convinced to retire(extreme sarcasm). And there's no other way to get out of paying him his salary($16M) next year.
Somewhat likewise for Pavano. "Buying him out" would require paying the rest of his entire contract, as the only way to get rid of him is to release him. Jaret Wright's buyout is either 3 or 4M? And is conditional if I remember correctly.
As someone else has said, A-Rod is a commodity, but won't fetch quite the value that I think every Yankee fan is thinking. There are only a few teams where $16M isn't a lot of money to be paying anybody. And the competition won't exactly be fierce (By my count, the LAD already have a SS they're set with, for better or worse, the LAA are in the same boat, and if they replace OC at SS, it'll likely be with Brandon Wood, the CWS are a possible match, I'm not sure how Ozzie would take that, Cubs could work, though I think they'd prefer to just restructure Aramis's contract). It's not going to be as easy as the Yankees think to take their $16M problem and make it someone else's. Also, the no-trade clause. What reason would A-Rod have for going to Pittsburgh? He'd want to be traded to contenders only. This would probably also rule out the Cubs.
On another note, a tip of the hat to the Yankee fans who've given credit to the Tigers that they deserve. Tigers fans have waited a long time for this, and the team is absolutely driven(no, not the cologne) to deliver it. They're firing on almost all cylinders, and Verlander put to rest any notion that he'd be gassed for the playoffs. Had to work out of some early jams, but he did. Nothing more needs to be said about the work of Messrs. Zumaya, Rogers, and Bonderman. Hell, did they even use Rodney? One of the better setup men in the ML IMHO.Why do people assume the trading and dumping of players, and replacing them with different players without the experience of playing in NY and/or post season is automatically better? Where is the logical arguement of how the addition/subtraction of players will improve the team?
Now I know why the divorce rate in the US is so high.Detroit last Saturday night looked like Jacobs Field in the late 90's. Good for them and crocodile tears for the damn yankees.Trade A-Rod to the Cubs
With Kerry Wood's massive contract finally off the books, we have the money to get him, and the Bombers won't have to throw in that much cash (maybe like 2-3 million per, combined with the 9 million per that the Rangers are forking over, means the Cubs would "only" have to pay 13 million per)
As for the Yankees fans who want Aramis Ramirez to play third, sure, his defense has gotten better (out here we used to call him Eramis) but he came up very small when the offense needed his bat after D-Lee went down.
The Yanks can take their pick of our staff, excluding Big Z. I'd be flexible on moving Rich Hill and a plethora of minor leagers.Red Sox fans are so easy to please. Their team flops five in a row in August, winds up out of the playoffs altogether, and their season's a success just because the Yankees didn't win their 27th world championship. It must be nice to set such low standards for your team and be satisfied with them. But then that's what bewing world class losers is all about.In response to the ignorant JoeMauer:
Minaya is a great GM, look at what he has accomplished aside from the big name players the mets have acquired. Endy Chavez, John Maine, Guillermo Mota, Jose Valentin. All players that other teams gave up on and have played an intricate part in the mets sucess this year. Fool!I agree that they should look into other options with pitchers (Schmidt, Zito, etc.) but at the same time two of the three pitchers you listed will want exorbitantly priced contracts for many years, leading them to the same situation they are in now. That being said, unless roster options are extremely limited I don't think you can cut Jaret Wright. With the option he's worth $7.5 million next year, but even if you cut him you're still giving him $4 million. So basically you would be paying $3.5 million for an above-average pitcher...considering the market right now I do not think that that is a poor decision at all. You would be paying half of what Loaiza would make next year for a pitcher that had more win shares than him, essentially.I think what makes me laugh the hardest is the fact that so many of you are proposing these outlandish trades that would never happen.
Jeter to Detroit for Bonderman and Zumaya? Riiight.
Musinna for Beltre or Soriano? Are you kidding me?
These are the kind of statements that make me want to wet myself from laughing so hard.
If I'm a GM, I'm not trading a pair of great young talents for a couple of 30+ players on the downside of their careers just so that the Yankees can rebuild.
Face it Yankee fans...do what the rest of us fans do when our team loses, get over it and wait for next year.The Yankees are insane if they think that moving Rodriguez is going to be so easy. The Angels are not so stupid as to take on a huge contract and give up their best young pitcher. If they want to rif themselves of the contract, they will get no value and have to give up Hughes and possibly Cabrera! Also, because they seem so desperate to unload him it will be a buyers market even if they eat part of the salary. Yankee fans have become delusional because they think that if they want someone, they will magically end up in pinstripes. Every year, they get some big name and think the rest of the league will just fall over in fear (see Mussina, Giambi, Matsui, Brown, Vasquez, Sheffield, Rodriguez, Gordon, Quantrill, Johnson, Damon, Farnsworth, Dotel, Abreu). Wake up! They have a team of old players with huge contracts that nobody wants. Firing Torre is not the answer. If Cashman had final say on most of these deals, why not can him. Let's see if he can make a competitive team with a $50 million payroll? Cashman has the easiest job in sports...open the checkbook! The Yanks plan for a makeover...step one, offer Zito five years and $75 million! In other words..."Same as it ever was!"I saw a defeat but not a collapse. Lets see, nine division titles in a row and we had a collapse? We lost a playoff round, and next year makes ten in a row. Doesn't euqal a collapse to me.While I have to agree that the Yankees need pitching help badly, I would NEVER trade away Melky to get another arm in there. Melky and Cano are the future heart and soul of this squad both on offense and defense. No giant egos, just great work ethic and team play.
You want to trade somebody, dump ARod. After that I would be putting Shef and Bernie on the trading block.
I like the ARod for Dontrelle Willis idea as Arod is from Miami and he can go get adored for hitting 50 hrs and never producing in the playoffs. I can see Dontrelle being a good leader for the squad, the pitching squad needs one badly.since georgie has pissed off torre, let's start at the top. bring in sweet lou, and maybe he'll light a fire under their asses, not cradle them. and we may see alex rodriguez at 3B next season on rather than 'the third baseman' we became use to the past few seasons. sweet lou made A-Rod as a Mariner, now maybe he can bring him back. (trade chatter is not worth it unless we get 2 quality starters, i like the suggestion of peavey and young, but would the padres really?)
Next, see you Shef, i love you and that i'm gonna kill you stare in the box, but bum wrists and a worst attitude (why rush back when they went out and got bobby?) gives you a ticket out of here. anyone remember albert belle?
Bernie, you're as smooth as jazz, but it's time to go to.
new lineup;
1.CF - Damon
2.SS - Jeter
3.3B - the thirdbaseman
(to be replaced by A-Rod, sigh)
4.1B/DH - Giambi
5.DH/RF - Abreu
6.LF - Matsui
7.2B - Cano
8.C - Posada
9.RF - Cabrera(extra lead off man!)
*switch Cabrera and 1BPhillips, pending DH platoon. an Cabrera in any outfield position when our oft injured outfield needs a rest*
now the real issue, the staff;
resign moose for 1-2 years, he's a great stable veteran for the regular season, we need that, badly. he's our closest thign to an ace!
Wang, young talented pitcher, this is where the money should go, lock him up with Cano and Cabrera, Georgie!!!
Unit, you're an old goat, retire, too bad that's one season away, but even worst, we need him to fill the roster spot.
Cory Lidle, resign him. reminds me of ted lilly, an inning eater, which we could use with our overworked bullpen.
insert 1 - 2 free agents here, probably Zito, he's a lefty. and insert hughes, we have held on, let's see what he's got, and alot cheaper than another free agent pitcher we rent for a few years.
jaret wright, gone, he's only worth a start with leo mazzone on his side, maybe sign & trade to the orioles for some prospects.
Pavano, you better go hide with Kevin Brown before we find you!!!!
new staff;
R - Mussina
L - Zito
R - Wang
L - the Unit
R - Lidle and/or R - Hughes
Than Cashman, he has just finally got 'some' control of what a typial GM gets, and look what he's done; kept Wang and Cano last year, future all stars, and now we have a stud farmhand pitcher in Hughes coming up! It takes a while for this approach to work, but we're seeing pretty fast results! And those aging outfielders? we have some talent on the way up too.
what you think my fellow bombers?
- LedgeWhy is everyone saying trade Giambi? Yet another bed the Yankees made tht they have to lay in. In The Boss' star lust this past off season they tried to woo Garciaparra to play first when they could have signed Doug Mientkiewicz for next to nothing! If they do not pick up Mussina's option, it's Hello Atlanta! Sheffield? Are you people high to think you can pick up his option and then TRADE him? The Yankees look like a lottery winner making bad investments!This is backtracking just a bit but...
Why did the Yankees make the A-rod trade in the first place? Yes, Rodriguez was the MVP in Texas, but even then I didn't think he was much of an upgrade offensively over Soriano. Soriano was an exciting homegrown talent that brought an awesome combination of power (40 HRs+) and speed (40 SBs+) to the table that I thought equalled Arod's 50 HR, 130 RBIs. In my opinion, all they really gained from that deal was an empty space in Steinbrenner's wallet and a player that their captain didn't get along with...The Yankees played like dogs - no emotion or desire to win. Torre was comatose - not a single steal attempt, bunt or hit and run despite the fact that the Yanks were struggling to score. He clearly cannot motivate the players and becomes a sphynx when the playoffs start. Joe's gotta go!Do any of you Yankee fans really believe Girardi is going to go from one team with an idiot owner to another?Talking about "clutch" players is annoying. If someone raises their average so much during the postseason, why were they being so lazy during the regular season?
I can understand the pressure getting to someone, but laziness is inexcusable to me.Once again, history has shown us that money does not buy championships. The Yankees should stop spending that much money and start focusing in developing players from within their organization. They will only win, when they start having players on the field that are commited to the team not to their contracts. I think the A´s, Tigers, Twins, Marlins and the Indians, have set up the standart for today´s baseball, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs Dodgers and others, stop crying and start developing players.I love the media...you would think the Yankees played the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Tigers were the best team in the majors for 3/4ths of the season and going into the playoffs, why would anyone doubt that their rotation was far better than the Yankees. Fortunately for me, Vegas also has the same odd$The Yankees put together their championship teams with mostly homegrown talent (Jeter, Williams, Posada, Rivera, etc.) and professional veterans (Tino, Paul O'Neill), not by buying every top name that came through the door. It's been proven time and time again that throwing money at statistics does not buy championships. Teams win championships. Take the money you want to invest in Zito and improve your farm system. You'll reap the benefits long after Barry's retired. Or go give Barry Bonds $25 million for next year and have a ball.Agree with Anonymous re re-signing Wright; and would further advocate doing the same with Sheff. Get prospects for him as well as control where he goes.We cant completely blame Arod for this mess or the last three years. To fix this, the Yankees need to show some patience, some creativity, take a hard approach to some older and loyal players.
First, the blame needs to be shared with what I call the black hole of clutchness ie Arod, Sheffield, Giambi, and yes Matsui. Since Game 3 of the Red sox debacle these 4 have not shown up. Unlike the other three, Arod has show that at least he is durable, puts up numbers even in bad years, is a team player (hell he moved to third), and does not hide from reporters. Instead, Yankee fans need to look at the other 3 muscle guys and see how they can move them. Sheffield is the easiest just dont pick up the option. It is tempting to pick up his option and try to trade him for young prospects, but Sheffield ego is too big to allow for a smooth trade like that.
Second, the Yankees should try to trade Matsui to the Rangers for Mark texeira. I understand that Matsui makes the Yankees tons of money in Japan and that for most part he is a class guy (except for him putting his games streak ahead of the team). But the reality is Melky is a capable offenseive replacement and makes up for the offensive fall off with superior defensive ability. I mean can you ever see Matsui making a catch like Melky did against Manny. Also, the Yankees were playing well when Cano, Melky, and Damon where all feeding off each others energy. With Melky out the chemistry was gone and Damon and Cano slumped. I dont think that was a coincidence. There is something about chemistry. If Texas would take this trade, the Yankees also greatly improve their defense at 1st and get a really good bat. Of course the Yankees would have to throw in prospects, but it might be worth it and finally the Yankees would get the 1st base complete player replacement of Tino and Donnie baseball.
Unfortunaly, there is no way to get rid of Giambi. He should accept he is a full time DH at this point and take the off season to adjust.
As for pitching, dump Jaret Wright dont pick up his option. Try to resign Mussina at a reasonable rate. It wasnt his fault Sheffield was incompetent at 1st (nor was it Sheffield's fault as Joe made his biggest blunder) during game 2. Then the Yankees have to sign Andy Pettitte and right a wrong. Who else would a Yankee have wanted during Saturday's game than Andy. After that try to get Zito or Schmidt or both, but stay away from the Japanese pitcher or else we will have the ghosts of Irabu. Also, throw out one of those Jon Lieber contracts to Mark Mulder and see if he can rebound.
For middle relief, first someone should just teach Joe Torre about how to manage a bullpen so they dont all burn out. The bullpen this year was decent, but they were overused. One or two more arms would not be a bad signing.
Lastly, and most important. Someone ie Streinbrenner or Torre has to pull Derek Jeter into his office and tell him to end his childish feud with Arod. No this will not end the booing with the fans, but Arod nor any player should have to deal with both a hostile home environment and clubhouse. If Jeter is a true leader and wants to be captain then its duty to put his pride aside and try to incorporate Arod into the clubhouse. Having Arod feel accepted by his teamates will be a huge step foward for making him feel comfortable and less anxious of feeling he always has to prove himself. That can only happen if Jeter ends this Cold War and thats what good captains do. Yes, Gehrig and Ruth could coexist not liking each other, but while Arod is as good as Gehrig, Jeter is no way in the same league as Ruth.Changes need to be made no doubt....The team needs to get younger. Give some of the Starting pitching Sept call-ups a chance (the way they did for Pettitte). Mussina has been a tropper but it's time to go (unless they can get rid of Johnson somehow then keep Moose). If Wright goes to the bullpen (he is capable of 3-4 solid innings and a spot start when he is on), then 2 spots open up. Start building up this team from within, the way it was done in the early 90's. Give Phillips a chance at 1B. He could play at AAA, so let's see if he can be Nick Johnson if given time. The team definitely played much more inspired ball when Matsui and Sheff were out. Guys like Kevin Thomspn and Kevin Reese should get a shot as well. Plus, let's get a backup catcher, who can hit above the Mendoza line. The parade of backups over the last couple of years has been ridiculous.
The other option is to bring back Showalter for a year, then fire him and guarantee a WS title in 2008!!You stupid, stupid, stupid Yankee fans! I love it! Watching a team whose payroll itself is on steroids get blanked so sure-handedly by a Tigers team brought tears to my eyes - it was so beautiful! I just can't wait until the Yankees overpay for Soriano and Zito in the off-season, while watching their payroll slowly creep towards $250M and watching yet another great Yankee collapse next year. There is justice in this world!
ps. The second most beautiful thing to see was the whiny Red Sox get 3rd place in the division - I wonder if there were any reported suicides by some of the psychotic Red Sox fans?The Yankees will be just fine next year with most of the present team, just minor tweaking needed. Wang #1, Zito #2, Pavano #3, Moose #4 and Johnson #5 (last year, thank god). After a winter of pratice, Sheffield will learn first, second (Cano), third (A-rod isn't going anywhere) and short (Jeter) are all locks. Left (Matsui), center (Damon) and right (Abreu) are locks also. Giambi at DH and Melky will get plenty of time in the outfield plattoning until Damon leaves. The bridge between the starters and Mo is what needs to be addressed. At times they were good, at others... They just need to find some that are consistent. Phillips needs to learn to play all four infield positions so they can keep a 6th starter in the pen (?) and then have Hughes at Scranton (that would be nice) waiting in the wings for the eventual groin pull or back spasm. Joe can't go. He will stay for his last year and leave on his terms, a champion.It strikes me as unbelievably arrogant or amazing that Mr. Luft knows the mood of most baseball fans across the country as he states in his article. It seems to me that a large percentage of baseball fans across the country either root for the Yankees (see their latest apparell sales $$) or go to watch them play (see visitor ball park attendance spikes when the Yankees are in town).
Baseball & their fans should be thankful to the Yankees for many reasons, some of which includes large tax revenue $$ (see Florida Marlins, etc).
The Yankees main issue is PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING. THey also need some fire in their bellies, ala Paul O'Neill....can we bring him back to drop kick a water cooler???
to describe the mood of most baseball fans across the country right now.The postseason is all about which team gets hot at the right time - especially in a five game series. We've seen this happen time and time again not only to the yankees but to other teams throughout the years (ie best record seattle mariners a few years back).
I think the first round format should change. Maybe have two wild card teams fight it out in the first round. Or expand the series to 7 games.
Sure the yankees have problems to address but lets not forget also they wrapped up the division after annialating the red sox with the 5 game sweep.Just a few comments to some readers who say "the Yankees should start developing their own players"....HELLO?...what are you talking about?...the Yankees have the MOST home grown players of any team...to name a few: Posada, Cano, Jeter, Wong, Mariano Rivera, Cabrera...and this are all quality/top notch players...not to mention a few more on the way....Just when all you Yankee-haters gloat that the Yankee farm system is depleted (including the media) out comes Wong, Cano (who just missed a battle title in his 2nd year) and Cabrera..all within the last 2 years!...what other teams do that?...Not many.JL, can you promise me this is the last Yankees-related piece you'll write until the end of the season? Please? I mean, come on.
Anyway, the majority of the blame rests not with A-Rod, or Torre, or Cashman, but with the Boss. The nucleus of their early championship teams were built when Steinbrenner has away from baseball for the Howard Spira fiasco.I am still waiting for someone to prove how the Yankees improve by trading/dumping a player like Alex Rodriguez or Mike Mussina.
To say they have been disappointing is one thing, but to deny they brought anything to the table and assume that their efforts can be easily duplicated or improved is just naive.
Provide the list of potential replacement players that make this team theoretically better, and provide a fair and feasible means to get these players.I never knew there was such a word to describe my sense of euphoria in seeing the Yankees fall to earth...AGAIN! Yankee haters of the world are celebrating their demise. We can only hope they fail again and again. A-Rod is such a big-game stiff, but beyond that, check his stats and see how many big hits & game-winning RBI he really generated. And why did Torre relegate Cabrera, someone who helped get them to the playoffs in the first place, to the bench for Sheffield, who looked like a little leaguer at first base? No matter. We can all revel in their 2006 misfortunes. NeilAll of the people who talk about trading A-rod are idiots. This guy can put up numbers in the season which gets you to the playoffs. If someone else can get a hit in the postseason and not allow the blame to fall squarely on his shoulders when he doesn't get a big hit. No one else is getting the hit either. Young pitching is overrated, young pitchers are good one season and fall of the map the next. Proven veterans get it done. And also people who play with nothing to lose.Seems to me like the Yankees need a shake-up and they need to do it while spending their money more wisely on players who are hungry for championships instead of dollars. Sign and trade Wright, let Lidle go, stuck with RJ for 1 more year unless he finally wakes up to the fact that he is done. Of course with 17 wins that'll be hard for him to accept.
What about Moose? He has been a very good pitcher. I can recall his matchups against Pedro from a few years ago, but if it has been a few years you gotta wonder if he deserves to come back. My vote is NO.
Trade E-Rod for 1 or 2 younger arms and use Wright as trade for a 3B.
Sheff is a tough call. Do we Yankee fans want to see Ortiz, Manny, and Sheff in the same lineup? I say sign him and put him at 1B. Everyone is gonna gripe at that, but let's look at the facts - is Giambi better? NO WAY. Giambi is the DH.
Keep Melky and go with 4 OFs to keep everyone fresh.
Lastly, Joe - STOP KILLING YOUR BULLPEN and then whining you can't depend on it EVERY SEASON!! Give the starters the ball and tell 'em they get into the 7th or they'll be gone.It's unbelievable that one team that lost generates 10 times more media than the 4 teams that advanced to the League Championship Series. Contrary to popular belief, not all baseball fans are Yankee fans. Enough already. New York, if you need a team concentrate on the Mets and let the rest of us enjoy the rest of the season.A group of Super Stars does not necessarily make a Super Team!!! To be successful, the Yanks should do whatever it takes to get rid of A-Rod, Giambi, Johnson, Wright, Mussina, Sheffield, Pavano, Farnsworth and Villone to start. Then, do not get more big ego so-called superstars. Get some role players and rookies who can rise to the occasion and who have the fire necessary to want to win.Like any good baseball fan - yes, "my" team is the Red Sox - I greatly admire what the Yankees have accomplished over the past decade even though it caused me no small grief. (I wish more citizens of the Nation felt the same sense of respect.) Yet it must be noted that this is not the same team that steamrolled through the late '90s and 2000. There are only five holdovers from that dynasty, and I suspect it will soon be down to four (or even three): Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Williams, and the skipper, Mr. Joseph Paul Torre.
Let's start with the manager. I've heard it said that Game 3 in Detroit was the first time since Torre took over that his team just didn't seem ready to play. I submit that part of the reason for this was that it simply didn't trust Randy Johnson to get the job done - with good reason. Sure, Torre could be blamed for tinkering too much with the lineup in this series (dropping A-Rod to sixth, then eighth; playing Sheffield at first), but one can only play with the hand he's got. Like it or not, Sheffield made the postseason roster and he had to be maximized. Would I have chosen the postseason to start such an experiment? No way. But it wasn't Torre's decision alone. You can be sure that Mr. White-Turtleneck-and-Blue-Blazer had a hand in that.
If it's true that Torre seemed a little less engaged in this series than usual, consider that he's endured 11 seasons of second-guessing from the fat man (not to mention a cancer scare and a revolving clubhouse door). He was the right man for the job in 1996, and still is today. Don't think for a second that a dozen other teams aren't salivating at the possibility of having Torre in their dugout. If Georgie Porgie is stupid enough to let him go, just watch the wheels fall off next year.
Next, the players. Note that the four holdovers listed above did what they could to help the Yankees win: Mo saved Game 1; Posada and Jeter were the team's only consistent hitters (with three of the Yanks' five hits in Game 3); Williams came within an inch of hitting a two-run homer down the left-field line against Rogers, which would've vastly changed the complexion of that game.
The simple fact is that the Yankees, as currently constituted, are not a team in the sense that they were five or ten years ago. Those teams developed together, trusted one another, and worked toward a common goal. Consider that instead of Paul O'Neill in right field, they have Sheffield. Instead of Tino Martinez at first, they have Giambi. Instead of Scott Brosius at third, they have A-Rod. Instead of David Cone and David Wells in their starting rotation, they have Jaret Wright and Randy Johnson. The "new" guys have certainly put up big numbers in the past, but would any true Yankees fan hesitate to take the "old" guys in their prime? Of course not.
Which brings us to another, more salient point: management has to stop throwing money at aging free agents with questionable clubhouse presence. The best "teams" are grown organically, from within, or at least are carefully evaluated for their compatibility. Just look at the 2004 Red Sox, as scruffy a bunch as Boston ever had, but one which won or lost together...or the 2002 Angels, down by five runs in Game 6...or recent Twins and A's editions, getting more with less...or (as painful as this might be) this year's Tigers, with a nucleus that toiled through a 114-loss season in 2003.
There's no easy solution to rebuilding a team, especially when that team won 97 games. But then the Yankees have always stood apart, both weighed down and held aloft by their winning tradition. The winners are there already - it's simply a matter of finding more to join them.Good Pitching beats Good Hitting! Yankees continue to try and BUY a Championship! You can call them a team, but, they don't play as a "TEAM." Better luck next year!!I've given up on Torre ever since that choke 2004 series against the Red Sox. Particularly game 6...Schilling and his bloody sock.
Logic would dictate that you bunt early and often forcing Schilling to field as many balls as possible eventually forcing him out of the game. (He had to cover 1st base once and it took him several minutes to recover. Also the grass was wet that day which made fielding that much more difficult- Varitek of the Sox even managed to get on base with a bunt.) Even in the pregame the announcers were saying bunting should be the Yankees focus at getting at Schilling.
So does Torre do the logical thing and plug Kenny Lofton in the lineup as DH to employ this strategy? Of course not. And to make matters worse he plays him in game 7! Talk about being a day late.
Everyone knows it was Zimmer who was the reason the Yanks won all those titles.I love Red Sux fans. As long as you're all going to live in the past (2004) and try use "4 in a row" to "shut our pie holes," let's really live in the past:
26 World Series Victories vs. 6.
Hm. Losing 4 in a row to the Sux sucked, but I've always wondered what it was like to root for a team that couldn't win for 86 years. Ah, well.
By the way, the single best thing I've ever heard about the Red Sux?
"Turns out, there was no curse. They just sucked for 86 years."Every year the yanks start off fealing great about their off season gains and finish feeling disapointed.
Every year the Patriots start off fealing disapointed about their off season losses and finish feeling great.
Hhhhmmmmm?Derek Jeter is soo over rated!!! How could he be an MVP candidate on a team of All Stars. Even without Sheffield and Matsui the Yankees had an All Star team of their own. Jeter is a good player who has always had some kind of protection in his lineup. The Yankees have to understand that even if the lose 2 allstars from their lineup they still have more than most other teams in baseball.Jeter is a perfect example of being in the the right place at the right time!!It's nice to see that ego maniac Jeter finally getting his due. He says all he cares about is winning, but it's obvious that all he cares about is that Esquire article and his reputation.A-Rod needs to tell the media and anyone who suggests trading him to "shove it".
Then he needs to grab Don Mattingly, a fielding coach, and ....a Buddhist monk.
He then needs to buy himself an isolated area, build a baseball field and get to work.
He already has all the talent necessary, Mattingly and a fielding coach just need to work out some kinks with him.
More important is the monk, everything about A-Rod screams "stressed out". The man is tighter than a piano wire and he needs to learn how to relax which a monk can help him learn.
Monks can meditate and relax even if they are standing on burning coals, shouldn't be too hard to teach A-Rod how to relax in a stressful situation like the Playoffs.
We all know A-Rod has money, he just needs to spend a little and learn how to loosen up and just play.WHAT A THREAD!!!
We have Yankee haters gloating about the Yankees losing, and about their huge payroll, and how they are hurting the integrity of the game, yade, yada, yada...
Why are you on a Yankee discussion thread? Why don't you post your comments in a discussion board that praises what a great job the Tigers have done, or all the potential the Angels have, or what a great future those red sox rookies have, why? because no one cares about your teams!!!
GET LOST!!!
Now that we have gotten rid of the trash:
We have a bunch of Yankee fans out there proposing trades, to fix the problem, bring in Zito, get rid of Shef, etc.. We are focusing on the wrong thing, it's not a specific athletic skill that needs to be added,
NOW LET ME PREFACE THE NEXT LINE, WITH THIS:
I have been a Yankee fan my whole life, I love them as much as any fan can, I love their history, and the wonderful players that have work the pinstripes over the last 30 years,
but
THE YANKEES HAVE BECOME QUITTERS!!
There I have said it!! You don't agree? Have you watched carefully? I saw Yankees sitting on the bench during the middle of game 4, laughing!!! Including DJ!!! What kind of crap is that? Laughing while the other team is kicking your butt? If my old coaches had caught me doing that, I would have been kicked out of the game, and suspended.
Over the last 5 years, they have just laid down in the face of adversity, and sometimes I get the feeling that they are more interested in saying the right thing, than is saying what has to be said.
I think that one of the reasons that balanced teams (mostly young players w/some veterans) do better is because a very small group, 2-3 players, can stand in front of the group and tell them to get their butts moving, the whole rah-rah stuff. It may sound trite, but this actually helps, as anyone who's ever played organized sports will tell you, BUT, and this is the big BUT, only if people listen to the speaker, it has to be genuine, you need to show that you have a desire to win!! You need fire, you need yelling, you need some hate. You need to be afraid to fail, and the Yankees don't have that fear.
You want to change things? Clear house, tell them that failure is not acceptable. How do you do that? Sometimes you need to start with the foundation, and that my fellow fans is the MAN himself.
I will not propose getting rid of him, because I know that's heresy, but his attitude needs an adjustment.
I think that he can be the nice cop, but we need the bad cop. We need a player who will smack people in the head when they pop-up a bunt. Failure is not an option!!!
I would love to see someone who is willing to make some noise, maybe even knock over a water machine. The Yankees have become a bunch of PC pansies.
THERE, THAT IS THE TRUTH, PLAIN AND SIMPLE, from the biggest Yankee fan out there...
Until this team gets hard-nosed leadership, who's not afraid to tell the truth, they're not going anywhere.For those of you who think the Marlins wouldn't entertain Cano for Willis because of Uggla, you're crazy.
Cano is a 22 year old who hit .340, is just beginning to tap into his power stroke, can play defense and can play 2b or probably 3b and is CHEAP.
Cano has had 2 good seasons back to back. Uggla, a rule 5 guy, has had one breakout season and there's no guarantee he won't hit a huge sophomore slump.
At the very least, Cano would give the Marlins a low cost all star and a huge trading chip.
Any team in baseball would trade top prospects or players for Cano since he makes $300K and is under the club's control for several years so his salary will be low.
Low cost high ceiling players what all these teams are looking for and that's why the Marlins are even entertaining trading Willis since he's due to get huge raises in arbitration and they will have nothing to show for him once he hits free agency.
I guarantee you the Marlins would strongly consider Cano for Willis.
The talk (at least to me) that seems out of left field is this Arod for Willis talk. The Marlins don't want to pay that kind of money to anyone and the Yankees would be insane to pay Arod to play for another team. Arod is good enough that the yanks should not have to chip in a dime. If a team trades for him, they have to trade back talent and pay his salary.
That said, with Torre back for another season I think Arod is destined to be traded.
I just hope they can get equal value somehow.As a Yankee fan I want them to win and win ASAP. I disagree with your original premise and believe there are many moves that can be made and would not be surprised to see Cashman, a smart guy, to pull some of these:
1) Keep Torre. There is no one you can bring in that can do it better. Give him a bench coach that can be that after they win it all in 2007 (Donnie or Gator, maybe Bowa)
2) Trade from strength, which might cost you one good player. Package Matsui (or Abreu) with one of the pitchers you need to get rid of (Pavano or Wright). See what you can get. Your glut in the outfield is not there anymore. It kills me to put this forward, but you have to give value to get some return.
3) Trade from strength 2. A package of Wang (or Cano) and ARod (or Sheffield by taking his option, or Giambi if he is agreeable to waive his no trade), no money down. See what you can get. Then you go after Zito, Matsuzaka and the likes (with ARod's money).
4) DO NOT BRING BACK Mussina, Sheffield (unless you want to do #3).
5) See if you can negotiate with Johnson on a retirement package, do not make the Kevin Brown mistake again.
6) Give Rasner, Karstens, Beam and Bruney longer looks an roles as spot starters and long relievers.
7) Get a backup catcher that can hit.
While the ALDS hurt, this was a great year that showed the plan laid out by Cashman can work. The product on the field is still great. My only dislike is the excessive focus on underperforming babies (ARod, Pavano, Mussina, Johnson, Sheffield).
ShiraishiI'd like to know what the person that said Jeter is the most over rated player in baseball is smoking. Why should the Captian baby sit so called grown men. Jeter leads by example, I believe he batted 500 in the play offs.Simply put, baseball needs the Yankees. It doesnt matter if they win or lose, people are talking about baseball because of the Yankees.Wasn't it George Costanza who said "I found a way to get Bonds and Griffey and we wouldn't have to give up that much!" You Yankee fans do not seem to understand baseball at all. Trade A-Rod to the Marlins? The Marlins have Cabrera at third and Hanley at short and do not need A-Rod and his luggage. Cano for Willis? Forget the fact Dan Uggla hit 28 hrs and drove in 90 this year. Tell Costanza they are waiting for him at Tyler Chicken!Here's a fix for the Yanks that take care of everything. Dump Giambi, Johnson & Wright. Resign Mussina and Shefield. Sign Barry Zito & The Japanese Pitcher Matkasuka. Shef was orginially an infielder during the winter & spring training he will adapt to 1st Base - Move Johnny Damon to DH and Melky to CF. Improving the defense by having great arms in Center & Right.
Just Look at the Possible Batting order
1. Damon DH
2. Jeter SS
3. Abreau RF
4. Shefield 1B
5. Matsui LF
6. ARod 3B
7. Cano 2B
8. Posada C
9. Cabrera CF
It's a L/R alternating Lineup with the 2 Swith Hitters at th Bottom.
Starting Pitching
1. Wang
2. Zito
3. Mussina
4. Matasuka
5. Hughes
Long Relief Pavano
Relievers Proctor & Farns Worth
8th Inn Special Bruney
Closer Riviera
Mussina would be the oldest and we woukld have some Flame throwers.simple simple solutions... mr cashman take notes!
a) let sheffield walk - saves $13 million
b) release pavano - saves $20 million
c) buyout jaret right - saves 3.6 million
d) get rid of farnsworth - saves around 10 million
e) trade abreu (and put melky in rf) - get someone to pay 1/2 of the $15 million and cut your losses... save 7.5 million
f) resign mussina at around 10 million a year... save yourself 7 million
ok that totals around 60 million... take that money and go after 2 starters and 2 relievers...the offense wouldnt suffer that much without sheffield and abreu (they did fine for 50% of this yr) and you'd get good arms that you can lock up for awhile.The Yankees will pay for a decade for failing to sign Beltran and Guerrero. But at the end of the day, the Yankees win when they have pitching. They do not have pitching now. They will not win again until they reconstruct the rotation and build a bridge to Rivera. By the time they do so, Mo will be retired. Yankee haters enjoy it, it will be a long while before the Yankees are competitive to win the World Series.Yes, I'm one of those Yankee-haters. It makes me laugh that all of those overpaid underachievers have no-trade clauses or salaries too high to be traded.
That fine human being George Steinbrenner is stuck with a $200 million dollar payroll and no World Series for years to come.economics says invest as long as you are making money. the yankees make money and continue to make more the more they invest. so keep putting cash in.
the lineup is stacked and deserves to be back. sheffield's option money can be saved for a starter, melky in right, bernie as bench. the chance to repeat al east is as good as ever.
i don't remember seeing this much haggling about the braves when they lost series after series even after winning the division 14 years in a row or whatever.You're silly to say that Sheffield is "locked in" at first base. He'll be gone. Other than that...A-Rod MAY be traded...And for the most part, the lineup is what keep the Yankees afloat for most of the season, so I don't see WHY it's such a bad thing that it returns largely unchanged, if something is done about the pitching.Trade A-Rod (K-Rod) to the the Marlins for willis and CabreraThe biggest mistake the Yanks have made in the last 5 years was making Derek Jeter captain. Forget about the "he leads by example" because it isn't working. They need some real leadership in that clubhouse.If I were Joe, things I would do in Spring Training
1) Focus and Concentration
2) Playing Small ball and practice Contact. Runner in Scoring Position . Going The Other way. For Example , Yankees hitters likes to pull the ball instead going the other way with a pitch.
Bonderman - Who Keeps throwing that Slider down away, and Yankees are not trying and going the other way with a pitch
Kenny Rogers, - He keeps throwing at outside corner and expanding the Strikezone..
4) I will call Cashman and ask him about the getting help at Bullpen Depth and Starting pitching. Bullpen Depth and Starting pitching is the key at the short series at the playoffs.A-Rod had a off season, but he should not be traded. I can't see how playing SS will improve his hitting and I can't see why some of you are blaming Jeter for A-Rod's problems. If Jeter hitting 500 in the playoffs this year is not enough, take a look at his total playoff avg.A-Rod had a off season, but he should not be traded. I can't see how playing SS will improve his hitting and I can't see why some of you are blaming Jeter for A-Rod's problems. If Jeter hitting 500 in the playoffs this year is not enough, take a look at his total playoff avg.As a baseball fan (and a bosox fan)I am truly amused by all of this.
Lets put this into prespective.
1. Congratulate the Tigers; they beat ya on the field where it counted.
2. Lets not blame george (other than maybe his spring claim that the yanks would win it all). Who wouldnt want an owner to give the management carte blanche?!?!
3. Good pitching always beats good hitting.
4. A-Rod needs a city where baseball isnt Front page ((San Diego, )?!?!? (maybe they shouldn't make salaries public knowledge.))
And yes to all you Yankee fans; you did finish in front of my beloved Sox and i tip my hat to ya but there is always next year.To the guy who says the Yanks should release Pavano and save $20 million...
HE HAS A GUARENTEED CONTRACT. WE RELEASE HIM, WE PAY HIM.
They should just agree to pick up half his salary and move him back to the NL for a mid-level prospect (maybe a catcher?)
We need a real first baseman. Giambi is a problem in all of this because he isn't tradeable. I love his production, and he has gotten big hits for us, but he completely destroys the flexibility.
So having said that.. maybe guys like Matsui or Abreu, who can actually be traded, might need to be moved to open up spots for the young guys. Someone earlier in the blog suggested Matsui for Texeira. That would be fantastic for the Yanks.. but I don't think Texas will trade Texeira now that Showalter is gone.
All this talk of picking up the options on Moose, Sheff, and Wright needs to STOP RIGHT NOW. JUST STOP.
Sheff and Wright are gone, period. There is no benefit to bringing them back or trying to trade them. Just close the damn book. Bring back Moose if he agrees to a good sized paycut like 8-10 mil a year.
There's so many real problems that just aren't really terribly fixable. Yeah we can find a way to move these expensive pitchers, we always do.. but we're probably going to start the season without a real first baseman, a crowded outfield, and some stiff backing up Posada.
I hope Proctor's arm doesn't fall off next season cause if anybody thinks our bullpen is getting better is crazy. Cashman has had 3 seasons now to fix it and he hasn't done it. Maybe he doesn't know what the hell he's doing with relievers?Pitcing is where it matters and the Yankees stunk. Mussina is out, Jaret Wright needs to go away and Crash Test Dummy will go down as the biggest flop of the post Dynasty era (not an easy feat considering The BlewNit).
The rotation will look something like this: Wang, BlewNit, Hughes and either Zito or the hot new Japanese import. Let's hope he's more Nomo than Fat Toad.
As for the roster: Sheff's out. Giambi at 1B (with Craig Wilson), Matsui as part time LF/DH, with Melky making the most starts out there.
Bernie it's been real, but you're gone.
97 wins, 12 straight postseasons, and none of it matters.I am a Yankee fan, but a realistic one that sees the shortcomings of these Yanks. The lineup of All Stars doesn't allow for "real" baseball, such as moving runners, bunting, hit and run, and the like. Who is Joe gonna have bunt in this lineup when they are getting shutout by real pitching? You can't win every game 11-10!! On to Torre, a good manager, not untouchable, shouldn't be left un-criticized, he is robotic when it comes to the bullpen, no starter--good or bad(mostly bad), ever gets the chance with his automatic changes, Scott Proctor isn't the answer to every situation! Kyle Farnsworth obviously can't blow his fastball by everyone, and Villone, Myers, and co. can't pitch everyday and expect to be sharp at the end of the season. Yes, starters that can't seem to throw strikes consistently(Wright, Lidle in particular)don't help the situation but in a 162 game season, some of these starters have to suck up some innnings. To see a lineup with Giambi in the middle kills me, here's a guy in his heyday was hitting .320, with 30+ Hrs, 120 RBIs, and pulling most everything--now he's hitting .250 and he doesn't even look to left field(wide open from a shift)would rather ground out to short right. Time to make a change--Torre, Mattingly --sit him down, let's talk reality--this isn't the 90's when you beat the shifts! Another question about who should be playing--this is kind of rhetorical but everyone made such a big deal about Matsui and Sheffield coming back and they're "needing" to be in the lineup--this wasn't spring training--this was playoff time, Melky gave them a great season and sat---Abreu gave them 2 months and he wasn't a thought to sit--Melky though a rookie should have played (did you see everyone running on this outfield?)
Lesson to be learned from all those past yrs--offense doesn't win games. Pitching and defense!!
Bill P.I love listening to yankees fans rant because as a group you're all biased and have ridiculous arguments. What i also love is people who hate the yankees so much that they have biased and ridiculous arguments.
In terms of the off season if I were Brian Cashman this is my list.
Keep both A-rod and Jeter because trading either makes no sense. A-rod is a frist ballot hall of famer that still puts up fantastic numbers. TRading Jeter would make yankees fans coup. I have never seen a fan base be more in love with one player.
I agree that Moose, Wright, and Sheff should all go, no questions asked.
Sign Barry Zito and the japanese pitcher.
That gives me:
Wang
Zito
Johnson
Daisuke Matsuzaka
and yes Phillip Hughes
Pavano should be traded or just eat the contract, its not like money is an issue
My lineup
Damon
Jeter
Giambi(best hitter on the team)
A-rod
Abreu
CAno
Posada
Melky Cabrera
and the first basemen i recieve in the Hideki Matsui trade
And in closing,to everyone who gives me the A-rod can't handle pressure crap, If you can evaluate a season on 4 games then a major league team will be calling you soon to be a scout. Call me a baseball nerd but moneyball made fantstic points. One of my favorites. The playoffs are luck. Anything can happen in 4 games so to say someone is bad because of two series is just wrong. The yankees dont win the divison without him anyways.Starting pitching has been the problem for a few seasons and they have yet to solve it. They could start by letting Wright and Pavano go. Then bring back Mussina, promote Hughes and sign Zito. Chances are they won't be able to dump Johnson so let him battle for whatever spot he can get in the rotation. With Zito, Wang, Mussina, Hughes and Johnson the Yankees should be able to turn around their lousy starting pitching. I don't have an answer for relief pitching because I am not sure how good they are, lets see how they do when they are not worn out by the All Star break. They don't have many options as far as the line up is concerned, no matter which option they excercise it will be fine, assuming they get some attitude, they are too damned nice! Jeter needs to lead with his voice along with his actions, these guys need him to get in their faces sometimes. And as far A-Rod is concerned: TOO SOFT! If he doesn't grow a thicker skin he needs to go, that's why he can't hit in the post season, he worries too much about failing and what people think. When he stops caring about those who don't matter he will be great in October, but it may be too late. Torre needs to stay, he is not the problem.The Yankees definetly should have kept Torre and it's a good thing they did. He's arguably THE GREATEST MANAGER OF ALL TIME. It's not his fault A-Rod sucks and so does their starting pitching. He can't make Johnson 26. Steinbrenner needs to stay out of it and let Cashman do his thing. (Cash wanted Ortiz who is younger and offensively better than Giambi.)They need to let go of Wright and Shef and try to resign Moose for less money. He's a good pitcher who performs consistently and gives you a chance to win. But the main reason the Yanks sucked in the ALDS was because they quit. They mailed it and weren't even there for game four. They should be ashamed of themselves, they let down Torre, George, Cashman, us fans, and themselves. That should be the fire that makes them come back and want to win.Melky will get in the lineup because Sheffield is gone. Torre should make Matsui the DH most days, maybe rotate in Damon, because Melky is by far the Yankees' best outfielder. If they didn't have a problem taking Bernie out of the field they shouldnt' have a problem doing it to those guys. Meanwhile, they should get a reliable backup first baseman who can spell Giambi and hit a little better than Andy Phillips. Also, some bullpen decisions have to be made. Do the Yankees resign Villone? Does Tanyon Sturtze have anything left coming back from rehab? It always seems like the Yankees need a couple of more arms in the bullpen.To this Yankee fan, it isn't about being knocked out of the playoffs for 6 straight years. Big deal, that happens. It's HOW.
Expecting the Marlins to roll over in the World Series. Blowing a 3-0 lead in the ALCS. Three listless first-round exits in five years in which they were simply outworked and outplayed.
That's not just losing in the playoffs. That's losing ugly and embarassing, and that calls for a complete reconstruction of the roster. Which of course won't happen.
Congrats to the Tigers. They won because they deserved it.I also thought the better Yanks team was the one with Cabrera and Phillips, not Matsui and Sheffield. We actually won games when Melky and Andy Phillips and were playing. 1st things 1st I want Sheffield off this team. The guy is a cancer!luft your analysis is very good. and how good will the greatest franchise in sports history be with two more big arms???? just plain fabulous baby. how many teams need just two players to be awesome. you make it sound as if the yanks have a problem. they have money, they have nyc, they have the owner, they have 4.5 million people coming to the stadium.i love it.Yeah. Jeter really is overrated. Cripes! He only batted .500 in the ALDS. What's WRONG with this guy? Well, guess we'll have to wring our hands and pull our hair out when he is named a runaway winner of the AL MVP award. Yeah. Overrated. Sort of like sex.I just thought of a novel idea: after injecting some youth into the pitching staff, leave the Yankees alone for a few years and let them become a team. It's so crazy it just might work.I am a Yankees fan and let's give Detroit credit where it is due: They had BETTER starting pitching. Cashman should not waste the dollars on Zito (unless they need a number 5 starter and extra arm for the playoffs) and go after the WBC MVP Matsuzaka (who unlike the rest of the Yankees current starters) can throw a hard and consistently good fastball to strikeout hitters. Yes it will break the bank to get his rights but it will be worth it as he is only 26 (while Zito and Schmidt are in their mid 30s, hello when will us Yankees fans stop clamoring for big names starting to decline e.g. Johnson as pitchers) and he can be teamed with Hughes (who needs to start from the beginning of next season) and Wang (a formidable young and talented 1-2-3 punch for ANY team)and then you can use Mussina at the four and Pavano or Johnson at the five. Whomever is left over (most likely Pavano) can spot start and be a long reliever (which may help Pavano's health and psyche). They also need to start Melky everyday and move Matsui to DH (and keep him as the fourth outfielder). Giambi will have to play first (as horrible as he is defensively)and maybe they can bring up Eric Duncan at first to see if he can handle major league pitching and play in the bigs. Sheff (I do like the stats he put up for us whe he was totally healthy), Bernie, et. al. need to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Sheff will need to be let go as he will ask for too much money. A-Rod needs to become a total pain in the butt and just play the game and FORGET about what the fans and media say about him and everything he does baseball!! He NEEDS to get a HUGE mean streak going and just punish people (namely Yankee opponents) for the way he's been treated the last few years!I have to laugh...all these Yankee fans think they are going to trade their flops for good pitching.
Even the "geniuses" on ESPN think someone will be dumb enough to give up young pitching for ARod right after seeing what young pitching can do to a "dream team".
Enjoy your bloated underacheiver mercenaries NY...you can always look forward to another $200M buy in to another playoffs and another el foldo.Hey....WAKE UP.
Arod has a no trade clause. He doesn't go anywhere unless he wants to. And you idiot yankee fans trying to manufacture stupid deals to the Pirates, Padres for Peavy?, And etc...get real. Just because a player is (in your view) lucky enough to wear pinstripes doesn't mean someone else will automatically want them. I mean, I am surprised you guys dont think Melky should be deal to the Padres for Peavy and Hoffman and have Hoffman set up Mo. MoronsThe "get better pitching" arguement needs to stop. Regardless of what all of you think, pitching is the most unpredictable form of production in sports.
Everyone was picking the Chi-Sox to repeat as WS winners cause of their stellar pitching staff, but look how much they fell off from last year to this year:
Buerhle: 3.12 ERA to 4.99 ERA
Contreras: 3.61 ERA to 4.27 ERA
Garland: 3.50 ERA to 4.51 ERA
Garcia: 3.87 ERA to 4.53 ERA
And their big move was to let Frank Thomas' stick go (who is killing it in Oakland) and they traded for Vazquez who didn't perform as well.
All you genius after the fact claiming pitching, pitching, pitching will probably kill the Yankees next year when they sign/trade for the pitchers you point out and they end up busting.
Trade for Dontrele Willis...Willis is a big reason why Florida was not in the playoff contention.
No doubt pitching is important, but it is not nearly as easy to obtain as many of you make it sound, nor is an investment that can be counted on for consistent production.
They Yankees need better defense, and no I am not talking about Alex Rodriguez. He has proven to play a very high quality of 3B in the past, and while his error count was high he also made a series of nice defensive plays that helped the Yankees win games this year.
NY needs a better first baseman, especially with a pitcher like Wang on staff. Even if it means benching Giambi, but NY has lacked a well rounded 1B production. They could probably get away with Craig Wilson (plays against lefties) and left handed batter with a good glove to fill this whole.
The other thing is Matsui must be a near fulltime DH. He is playing horrible in leftfield, and his miss play of balls lead to hits or extra bases that eventually come back to haunt the Yankees. They already have Cabrera, who is more than sufficient defensively.
Attention to these two defensive position will make the "pitching" on the Yankees better.
They should still go after Matsuzaka, though. My theory doesn't deny that talent is required. But avoid Zito, the man will bust or at least not excel.
Wang, Matsuzaka, and Hughes will make a good young front line of starters. Randy or Moose (if he takes a smaller deal) are better options than most team's tail ends. Take these options and add much needed upgrades to consistent play in two defenisve positions and the Yankees will have improved thier "pitching" more than blow up the team theories being proposed here.I must tell you that as a lifelong Yankee fan, I get a little tired of "Yankee-Haters" whining about "Why do have still keep talking about the Yankees, wah, wah, wah!!!" Well here's some news for you. Many (if not all) of the other American league teams sell out their ball parks when the Yankees come to town, and DON'T otherwise. So much so that Toronto, seeing next years schedule, complained to MLB that they had no home weekend games against the Yankees. Everybody wants to come out and see the Yankees. Also, sports writers like to write about the Yankees, especially when they lose (see non-stop Yankee stories now on ESPN, none where on when the Yanks were winning). This is a blog on a Yankee story. Don't like it? See if there's any space on the Kansas City Royals blogger. Though if there actually is a blog, and people are blogging, it's probably about their chances against the Yankees. Now to business...No sense on signing Wright and trading. Who would trade quality prospects for a borderline #5 pitcher? Save the 3 mil. Pick up Sheffs option and trade. Shef is a good player and actually one of the few yanks that doesn't have a no-trade (Posada doesn't have one either). It's very possible that a team might part with some prospects for a bat and arm like Shef's, especially if they feel they can sign him. It's actually a better deal for most teams because if he goes free agent, he's gonna want at least 3 years (he's 38), this way you can get a healthy Sheff for one year who needs to prove himself to get a contract. That's worth some prospects, if your systems rich and you need a bat (San Diego, LA Angels). Moose is a #5 at best, so I don't care if he goes or stays, but he doesn't stay at 17 mil. They need to sign the Japanese pitcher (it's only money), thus giving Yankee haters more ammunition. Johnson is locked in, so you gotta see what you get. I wouldn't go for Zito, he's also a soft tossing #5, the Yanks don't need that. Hughes should get a shot. Vallone, bye, Fasano, Cairo as well. Jason Schmidt is a slight gamble because of health, but he throws hard and TRUE NUMBER 1'S THROW HARD. As far as A-Rod? A-Rod has a no-trade, so all of these rediculous "A-Rod to the Marlins or Devil Rays suggestions", please. He got out of Texas because he wanted a chance to win, think he'll waive his no-trade to go to the Devil Rays? As far as the comment that the Yanks would have to pick up 9 mil of his contract? Again, please. Because of what Texas pays, the Yankees actually pay A-Rod less than Jeter or Johnson. Teams know that A-Rod IS A-Rod, and THEY are asking Cashman, not the other way around. They know once he leaves NY, he'll be A-Rod (or at least they hope). For a player like him, you're not looking for a "bargain", you're looking for consideration. I mean, they're not going to want to give up their whole farm system, but I don't think that they'll expect Cashman to give him away and pay his salary too. Let's get real. The Yanks would need good prospects from a good team, because A-Rod's not gonna waive his no-trade for a team with no-chance, if he does at all."you said how they could get creagtive and add two arms. you also said they should make room for cabrera.
as a diehard yankee fan i have to ask how to do both.
the rotation first.
wang is our number one.
we know they are going to resign mussina (not for the 17 million option but yankee officials were hinting he would sign a contract for 2 years and about 20-22 million) theres number two.
carl pavano when healthy, is actually a good pitcher. we definitley arent going to move him as we havent even seen what he can do. hes our number three.
randy johnson. nobody will take his salary. hes stuck at number four.
5 is open most likey for zito.
you could make two arguments. we dont pick up moose (not happening) or moving pavano (once again not happening)
so with lidle and wright gone i dont see how you get both schmidt and zito.
and as for melky, keep him on the bench for now.
the yankee officials were syaing hes a natural center fielder. once damon wears down in 2-3 years then we can insert melky.
darren, nj"
Whoever said this is a complete idiot because its crap. First of all there is no way in hell the yankees are going to get barry zito, they are most likely going to go after the japanesse pitcher who is merely 26 years old and has declared he will be a free agent this offseason. Second of all i believe you are deluded, Melky is a better player then damon and it was a mistake in the first place to get him. The Yankees dynasty is over, they are going to go out and spend another 100 million dollars and make another early exit. This is the Mets town as it was in the 80's and this time they wont screw it up with drug use and other issues.I have just 1 very important & compelling reason to pick up sheffield's Optiion & even sign him to an extension. Keep him away from the RED SOX If you don't think they would go after him and sign him you are absolutely dellusional.
1. Payback for Yankees signing Damon
2. Weakens the Yankees and fills their hole in Right field and now you have to face ORTIS - Shefield & Ramirez.Overpriced Pinstripes - it's that simple. Six straight years and nearly a BILLION dollars.
What a Dynasty all right, who will ever forget the greatest loosers in baseball history.Recent Posts
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