Official © Yankees 2014 1st place!!! Topic

That post is up and down on truth.....all is not well in NY

It will take much longer than a few days to sort things out....

If Andy Pettitte's corpse can dominate your team, that team may in fact suck...
4/5/2013 9:35 AM
The truth is this:

The Yanks need to play .450 ball for the first 6 weeks.    If Jeter and Granderson come back in early May at 90%, they have a chance.   If Texiera doesn't take two months, like his normal slow start, after he returns to be useful, I like the Yankees chances.

If one or more of these things don't happen, or if someone starts 20-5. the Yanks might have a chance at a wild card.
4/5/2013 9:43 AM
I wish that I could be as optimistic as MikeT23, though the scenario for making the wildcard just above here is not impossible. 

But there are two different time factors - 1) this season, which could be salvaged yet, though I suspect we are looking at the reckoning I have expected for a few years now finally arriving, and 2) the near future, which given the average age of the team, its financial commitments to people who aren't playing for much longer or at all (A-Rod especially) and the restrictions on spending requires fixes that can't happen even in one season. 

The whole philosophy went haywire somewhere in the early to mid 2000s - the trading of young players for established, but past-their-prime and overpaid stars and superstars led to a number of results: 

1 World Series championship
a nearly guaranteed presence in the postseason every year
a bloated budget that structurally got harder to fix
enormous revenue, since people turn out in part to see an exciting team with big name players that makes the playoffs
an overage team and a neglect of player development that once produced Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada, Alphonso Soriano, Nick Johnson - Cano stands out as an exception today

But all this meant that moving away from this same strategy in any given year would result in less fan interest, a likely need to rebuild without a playoff berth for a season or two, and in any case, with the enormous payroll commitments that this same approach had built up year after year, the need for that higher revenue and fan interest to justify the higher payroll. 

So the thing took on a life of its own after a while. I do think that as late as 2002-3 or 2004 the criticism of the Yankees for having such a high payroll was somewhat unfair in that players that had won the World Series in 1996 and 1998-2000, and then returned to the Series in 2001 and 2003, had a right to expect to be paid more than non-championship teams were. And as I noted above, many of the key players had been home-grown in the farm system. 

But with the trading away of Nick Johnson and Alphonso Soriano, I think the train was off on the wrong track and stayed there till now. 

The mistake, I think, is not realizing that, beyond a basic level of fan loyalty to any team, the two things that pull in fans are winning, which was the Yankees' approach, and the excitement of anticipating and watching develop a core of new players who gradually become world class - I remember the 1993-5 Yankees in that way, and also the way New York focused on the Mets in 1985. There are times when fans will be patient because they have the sense that something is happening that is worth seeing with your own eyes. 

So, if this is the necessary year or two that is needed in order to break an unhealthy and unsustainable pattern then so be it, but if so, it should involve bringing up some younger players, spreading word among fans about prospects in the farm system (I remember that we were hearing about Bernie Williams for years before he was a regular in the Yankees lineup) and so on. 

The difficulty is that players like A-Rod still get paid for years to come, so even shifting gears - and a successful farm system is not grown in one season either - will take time. 
4/5/2013 10:06 AM
Also, regarding the baseball-versus-football debate, it is still worthwhile to remind everyone of this classic:

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/libvf100.shtml
4/5/2013 10:08 AM
While much of what you say is correct, I don't think this year was the expected downfall.   With Texiera, Granderson and Jeter in the line-up, runs can be produced.   Maybe we were a bit overly-optimistic that Jeter would be ready at the beginning of the season.   And I know I dismissed Texiera missing the first 6 weeks with a "Well, he'd have hit .180 with 3 homers anyway".    And, of course, you just can't predict an injury like Granderson.    IMO, an OF of Gardner, Granderson and Ichiro would be just fine.  An IF of Texiera, Cano, Jeter and Youk would have been just fine.   But, if you remove the #2, #4 and #5 hitters from the line-up, it gets ugly quick. 
More discouraging than anything was the NECESSITY of picking up Overbay and Wells.   It amazes me that there was no one in the organization who could fill in for a few weeks at LF/1B.   Of course, when the other three return, the Yanks will have some good depth. 

As for prospects, I've been hearing about Sanchez and Austin for a couple of seasons.   If those two develop, C and an COF spot are filled for years to come.  Unfortunately, Banuelos and Betances say "Maybe they won't be what we think."

All that said, I felt this was the last shot at glory for a couple of seasons.   I think Pettite and Jeter retire with Rivera after the season.    That creates a black hole of leadership.  There's no one on the roster to fill that hole.   And, since George's boys are intent on getting below 189m in payroll, there's going to be a talent hole also.  I expect 2014 and 2015 to be not so fun.   Maybe early 70s not so fun.
4/5/2013 10:26 AM
Posted by MikeT23 on 4/5/2013 10:26:00 AM (view original):
While much of what you say is correct, I don't think this year was the expected downfall.   With Texiera, Granderson and Jeter in the line-up, runs can be produced.   Maybe we were a bit overly-optimistic that Jeter would be ready at the beginning of the season.   And I know I dismissed Texiera missing the first 6 weeks with a "Well, he'd have hit .180 with 3 homers anyway".    And, of course, you just can't predict an injury like Granderson.    IMO, an OF of Gardner, Granderson and Ichiro would be just fine.  An IF of Texiera, Cano, Jeter and Youk would have been just fine.   But, if you remove the #2, #4 and #5 hitters from the line-up, it gets ugly quick. 
More discouraging than anything was the NECESSITY of picking up Overbay and Wells.   It amazes me that there was no one in the organization who could fill in for a few weeks at LF/1B.   Of course, when the other three return, the Yanks will have some good depth. 

As for prospects, I've been hearing about Sanchez and Austin for a couple of seasons.   If those two develop, C and an COF spot are filled for years to come.  Unfortunately, Banuelos and Betances say "Maybe they won't be what we think."

All that said, I felt this was the last shot at glory for a couple of seasons.   I think Pettite and Jeter retire with Rivera after the season.    That creates a black hole of leadership.  There's no one on the roster to fill that hole.   And, since George's boys are intent on getting below 189m in payroll, there's going to be a talent hole also.  I expect 2014 and 2015 to be not so fun.   Maybe early 70s not so fun.
No way Jeter retires this year.  He'll have to make an announcement before the season to make the whole year about him.
4/5/2013 11:50 AM
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Sticks Michael fun.

Nomah, look at it this way.  The "retirement tour" is passe'.     Wouldn't one garner more attention by announcing it before the last home series.   "That's Jeteresque.  How classy that he waited until the end of the year to announce his retirement.  He didn't want to take attention away from the team.   That's classic Jeter.  Always thinking team first.   What a class act until the very end."

4/5/2013 12:08 PM
I don't think Jeter is retiring this year.  I do think Pettitte probably will.
4/5/2013 12:29 PM
I don't think there's any real chance of it happening, but with the high probability that the team will be taking a big step back after this season and rebuilding for a few seasons, if they're not at the top of the division near the trade deadline should they entertain offers for Cano?  They can still always try to bring him back in free agency anyway, obviously it damages their chances to keep him around if they've traded him away, but it's not off the table.  And they could probably use the prospect that even half a season guaranteed of Cano would bring.
4/5/2013 12:31 PM
I don't think they're getting Cano back at a price that will work with their new "no luxury tax" stance.   May as well deal him if they aren't competing.    With ARoid, Tex and CC on the team, they can't add another 18-20m salary and stay under 189m.
4/5/2013 1:44 PM
Of course, if I'm being honest, I'm not a Cano fan.  Like Bernie, he looks like he's not hustling.   At least, with Bernie, you could say "He's just got any easy stride."   Cano just looks nonchalant.   And I know he loafs to first on a lot of ground balls. 
4/5/2013 2:39 PM
Posted by dahsdebater on 4/5/2013 12:29:00 PM (view original):
I don't think Jeter is retiring this year.  I do think Pettitte probably will.
ditto
4/5/2013 3:50 PM
Who was the last star the Yankees traded for a handful of prospects?
4/5/2013 3:51 PM

All is not well again.   Loss to Detroit.

4/5/2013 4:07 PM
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