Saturday, June 23, 2007

Joe #2

posted by: Mr. November


It doesn't take a baseball genius to figure out why Joe Girardi turned down the Orioles' managerial job this week. As a Yankees broadcaster, Girardi is tuned into the inner workings of the team, even if it's indirectly. He knows that there is a serious chance that Joe Torre will not make it through the season and that, even if he does, he may not return for 2008.

Joe Torre is a Yankee icon - 4 World Series titles, 11 straight postseason appearances, 2,000 career wins. And this is just on the field. When you consider beating cancer, taking care of his ailing brother, his domestic abuse charity and Subway commercials, Torre's a pretty popular guy to say the least.

But it sure seems like Girardi knows something we don't. Is he sticking around with the hopes of taking over the Yankees managerial icon? It sure looks like a real possibility. And I wouldn't complain.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Can They Still Win 100?

posted by: Mr. November


After 62 games, the 2007 New York Yankees had a record of 31-31. By typical Yankee standards, 31 wins after 62 games is, um, not that great. With 3 and 1/2 months left in the season, the question remains - can the Yankees win 100 games? In the strong American league, and with the Red Sox owning one of the best records in baseball, 100 wins may be necessary if the Yankees want to sniff October baseball.

With 100 games remaining, the Yankees can only lose 31 more contests in order to ensure another 100-win season. My 2nd-grade math skills tell me the Yankees can lose 8.8 games per month, which translates (obviously) to 8 games per month the rest of the way and still end their season with 100 wins. This will not be an easy task.

Even as they play better and as the pitching and hitting begin to gel simultaneously, going 69-31 over a 100-game stretch will be tough; playing basically.700 baseball over a 3+ month portion of a very long season is a lot to ask of any team. When you consider that the latest "savior" is soon to turn 45 years old, one tends to wonder if this year's incarnation of the Bombers can each the century mark.

Time will tell...but do the Yanks have enough of it to get there?

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Lessons Learned?

Posted By: Miss October

The emergence of Chien-Ming Wang as the ace of the Yankee staff over the past couple of years should hopefully serve as a shining example of the great things that can happen if you show patience with minor league prospects, giving them plenty of time to mature, gain experience, and become great pitchers. What's unique is that Wang has done so ever so quietly, just doing his job and staying under the radar. Many may not remember that Wang was a 19 game winner last year and runner up to the Cy Young voting. It proves that sometimes the "quiet, effective" types end up being the best performers.

Wang is a refreshing switch for this Yankee team, which has spent much of the last decade signing older, big-name superstars hoping they would deliver masterful performances as a member of the Yankees. As fans know all too well, it hasn't always worked outl. Do Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano and Randy Johnson ring a bell?

Let's hope the Yankee higher-ups keep the "youth movement" in mind in the years to come. With so many rookie starters this season, they haven't really had a choice. Maybe there will actually come a time when they are all healthy, and gradually work their way into the Yankee starting rotation.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Rocket Re-Launched



Posted by: Miss October


It's been awhile since Mr. November and I have posted to what has become an occassionally-updated blog... I will give ourselves a pass this time, however, because our Yankee team did not provide much reason to write about them during the month of May...


However, it seems as if the team now has a snap in its step, Bobby Abreu has learned how to hit again, and the pitching staff is starting to get filled up with familiar names instead of having the last two starting spots being filled by Rookie A, Rookie B, or Rookie C as they have been for what seems like an eternity.


Roger Clemens' first outing was encouraging -- it was great to see him get through six innings. Yes, I am taking into consideration that he was facing the NL-Pirates, but you have to start somewhere. It was nice to see some emotion on the mound, to mix things up a bit. Pitchers like Wang, Mussina and even Pettitte are more reserved in their 'celebrations' .. if you could call them that....


I will try my best to post a few more items before I go away for a week's vacation.. and I will challenge Mr. November to keep this blog going the week I am gone :)