YankeesRedSox.com

Peter,

I'm having a hard time sharing your optimism. Here's why:

1. With the exception of Hughes/Kennedy/Chamberlain, this is mostly last year's team -- except they're one year older. And they weren't exactly spring chickens last year.

2. They're not hitting. It's easy to attribute this to the A-Rod/Posada injuries. But it's so much more than that. Cano is not hitting at all. I'd hate to think he needs Bowa babysitting him, to keep him focused. We need him to step up. Now. I do think he'll hit better, though. Damon and Giambi are . . . nothing right now. I keep reading and hearing quotes like this: "Jason's hitting it hard -- it's just that he's hitting it at someone". It's a quarter of a season already. That doesn't wash anymore. Hit it where they ain't, Jason. Or Joe's gonna have to sit you. 'Cause you ain't on the field for your stellar defense. Matsui has cooled off a bit and Abreu quite a bit. Duncan is . . . where, exactly? Certainly not starting against Oliver Perez. He's a lefty. If Duncan isn't starting against Perez, why have him on the team at all? What worries me the most, oddly enough, is that it's not just the Yankees who aren't hitting. There's something peculiar going on in the AL, nobody is really quite sure what, but whatever it is, it looks very widespread. I find it hard to believe that its going to change this year. If that's the case, then maybe the Yankees don't hit well enough to overcome their starting pitching deficiencies. That was the strategy (stragedy?) after all -- to out-mash their opponents. Hasn't quite worked out that way, has it?

3. The pressure on Hughes and Kennedy was (is) probably more than any of us can imagine. The Yanks have asked a lot of these kids. Maybe too much. Mussina's 5-inning tight-rope walk always leaves me holding my breath. Sorry, but I'm not going to believe he's going to give us quality for the entire season until he's actually done it. And even then, I'm sure I'll be wondering how on earth he did it. I've been asking myself one word about the Hawkins signing since it happened: Why? If the Yanks want to throw away a few million every year, why can't they ever throw some of it my way? I sure could use it. Farnsworth? I really started believing that maybe -- just maybe -- he'd turned a corner under Girardi. New manager whom he knows, a chance to start over, etc. Then he spits the bit against the Mets. Stupid me. How could I have been so delusional? I think Wang will be great, and Pettite will probably be fine. But man, these two have got to stop giving up the big inning, especially Andy.

4. History. Yeah, it's nice to take solace in recent history, and think that since they've done it before, they can do it again. But there's another historical perspective: over 100 years of hard data that says that what they did in 2005, and again in 2007, was an aberration. That's a much bigger sample space. And although I haven't analyzed it in detail, they're probably the only team in history to have come back from the depths twice in three years. I'm not feeling too good about the odds of making it 3 years out of 4.

The good news (great news, all things considered) is that they're not that far back. But we need a lot of guys to start hitting, quickly. And we need Moose to keep fooling 'em. And we need Andy to get back on track. And we need a whole lot more out of the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation.

Maybe we should make a sacrificial offering to the baseball gods. We could sacrifice Pavano and Igawa. I think we can somehow manage without them . . .

How about Abreu's defense in RF? I honestly believe if he wasn't awful, Kennedy would never have been sent down. I think Greg is probably right but like you said, we'll know more by the end of August. We've got too many DH's [Matsui, Giambi, Abreu, Damon] and too many weak fielders [Posada, Jeter] to compete if we aren't going to hit.

Reminds me of that great passage in Jim Bouton's book when he was asked by a reporer what was wrong with the 1966 Yankees: "Maybe we just stink."

I bought the hype that Hughes, Kennedy, and Chamberlain were enough to solidify the Yankees pitching. Looks like (with the exception of Joba) that Boston has done a far better job of developing their young pitchers.

In a normal year, the Yankees' hitting would overcome some of the inconsistency and turmoil in their pitching. But boy, this team can't hit.

A combination of age, slumps, and injury has produced an order that by and large does not hit. The strength of the Yankees has been the Murders-Row-and-then-Cano lineup that is strong in all 9 spots. Those days are gone.

Not ready to stick a fork in it just yet because nobody is running away with it in the AL the way Arizona is in the NL. Everyone else in the AL has flaws too.

They have another month to get their act together.

****How about Abreu's defense in RF? I honestly believe if he wasn't awful, Kennedy would never have been sent down.****

Bobby is terrified of the wall and he always has been. He's also terrified of getting his uniform dirty so to save the team money on laundry he often will refuse to dive for a ball. I remember long years of watching him on the Phillies where he could easily make it an entire game without a speck of dirt on his uniform. I remember several times where I mentioned this to him politely from my seats in RF at the Vet. He is less than the sum of his statistics and he always has been.

~embittered Phillies fan~

Okay, Rasner is one cause for optimism. The two super-hyped kids (starters) have ERAs hovering dangerously close to 9.00, and meanwhile, the overlooked, underappreciated, late-blossoming wallflower sneaks up with the the best performances in the last three cycles through the rotation! Who'd a thunk it! He's this year's Aaron Small! Or maybe Shawn Chicon? He's one or the other -- I'm just not quite sure which, yet. Still waiting for the other, though. And A-Rod has got two home runs in two games! If he can keep this up for just 116 more games . . . I don't ask for much . . . just a few minor miracles here and there.

Greg-

Amen on Rasner and I am cool with the sacrificing idea.

BTW- check out Cano's May #'s before you write him off.

NE Phillies Phan

Welcome to the site, I have always had a soft spot for the Phillies since I knew one of their owners growing up and got to meet a bunch of them as a kid.

Anyway, you are so right about Abreu. I don't know if "fear of walls" is a legitimate medical condition, but Abreu certainly has it!