YankeesRedSox.com

Good post title.

Talk about your "bad day". First A-Rod is questionable in his ability to play and then Joba can't find the strike zone.

Yikes !!!

can you say Karma?

Karma? Yeah, it's sayable but ... nah, doesn't fit.

Like Mike Lowell's hip labrum issues? Karma? Or Ortiz's wrist injury? Karma? Or Manny's bad hair days or potty breaks in the OF at Fenway?

Karma? Nah. This feels more like fog, as in "fog happens". Or, if you're saddled with toddlers at home, then the "propah" saying is "poop happens".

LOL.

ok, was trying to make funny

anyway, i heard completely different estimates on recovery time yesterday, 10 weeks sounds real optimistic if he has surgery.

A doctor that ESPN interviewed said that theres a good chance the pain A-Rod had was from the pressure the cyst was placing on the tear.

Now that the cyst is aspirated, the doctor said theres a good chance the pain goes with it and he can have a productive season with off-season surgery.

Seems to make sense to me, but who knows.

10 weeks is the cyst recovery while labrum surgery is more in the 4 month range. Just some time tables as an fyi.

That said, what is your take on the Yankees line-up vs the 2008 edition assuming ARod is out.

Upgrade in Teixeira over Giambi at first
Upgrade in Posada over the various back-ups at catcher
Downgrade a 3b (if ARod is out who would play 3b?)
Downgrade in RF with Nady taking over for Abreu.

So at first glance this would be a huge blow for the Yankees, but IF Posada can come back, he might offset the ARod loss and make the squad more like 2008 (7th in runs in the AL). While a Teix and Nady combo will probably make them slightly better. So maybe a slight uptick on 2008 overall?

Add to it a much better rotation and this isn't total disaster in my opinion, it just sucks (for Yankee fans anyway).

Thoughts?

Andy

It's not a total disaster, but it's pretty bad. Assuming the Red Sox and Rays are as good as last year, losing A-Rod could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them.

Andy,

Your offensive analysis missed one huge component: Cano. Do the Yankees get the 2008 Cano (terrible) or the 2005-2007 Cano (much better)? The Yankees' playoff chances might just hinge on what kind of production Cano provides.

Greetings from sunny Las Vegas - nah, it's not what you're thinking ( I think) - it's a business trip.

Odds are now growing that Alex will have surgery to remove the cyst and repair the tear next week then he'll try to get back by end-June. The thinking is that the sooner this gets done, the less damage there is to repair. The less damage to repair, the shorter his recovery period. Seems logical but the prob I see is that he would be returning in less than top shape, especially in his lower body.

That's what I'm hearing from people who like to guess about these things. We shall see ...

Who knows, maybe this is one of those times when removing Alex is, for the team, addition by subtraction.

placing your preseason bet on the Yanks to win Mitchell?

I am going to be in Vegas with my family in early April.

Will place a bet on the Sox.

Yankees still show as the favs at 7:5
Cubs are 3:1
Sox are 15:4

April is a great month for Vegas. Weather is perfect. Hope you have a good time here !

Actually I don't think the Yankees win it all this year. Defense - pitching - has been upgraded big time, but the bats look a bit suspect.

Rays look solid and have 1 more year of experience to carry them. They're still improving. Sox look about the same as last year except one year older across the board - I view them as in decline.

Cubs? If they can be more clutch this year, I like them. This could a weird enuf year that it's Cubs and Rays at the WS.

It's lately just a question of which team gets hottest in September and October.

Mitchell

I would recommend playing #13 at the roulette table, somethings gotta go right for that number sooner or later....

Peter? Great idea !!! (LOL)

How come no one is talking about shifting angel berroa over to third? He can shoulder the load and would be a great player.

Sam-

Do you think he will hit? He also has only played there one game in his career, so I am not sure if he could handle third.