A disaster of a West Coast trip unleashed a pack of gremlins all over the Yankees organization; causing offensive ineptitude of epic proportions and an irresponsible Tweet from Alex Rodriguez. With a possible 50-game suspension hanging over his head, A-Rod saw it fit to start a Twitter account and then immediately announce he's ready to take the field. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman took the news in good stride; quoting that A-Rod, "Should shut the f*$k up!"
The only snafu is that a ready and willing Alex Rodriguez is the Yankees best hope for making something out of this season which is rapidly headed for a public restroom. Season-ending surgery on Mark Teixeira's fragile wrist that never healed and a three month time frame of getting Kevin "Still Playing for the Boston" Youkilis back from his back operation makes A-Rod's power potential even more crucial. After taking a few swings in Anaheim, Teixeira took himself out of the game with complaints of his wrist being sore, the same wrist which kept him out at the beginning of the year. When pain-killers didn't do the trick, the inevitable occurred and Teixeira had his trip to the surgeon scheduled. Just about the same time, when Youkilis returned from his DL stint, the bulging disc in his back never got better and he too had to go under the knife. Although there is a window for Youkilis to return in 2013, he's basically finished this year and for the $12 million the Yankees paid him - he contributed with two entire homeruns.
Although Rodriguez usually does the wrong thing 99.9% of the time, Cashman's reaction to the Tweet was irresponsible for a GM and a clear indication the organization is fed up with all these injuries, the poor offense, and especially the $114 million they still owe to Rodriguez. If somehow A-Rod couldn't ever play baseball again, the Yanks would be able to collect upon the insurance of most of that $114 million as well as be rid of the media circus A-Rod always brings about. Certainly, A-Rod declaring himself ready to play and going over the Yankees' medical team staff in doing it pressed upon many a nerve which prompted the Cashman cursing. Despite that, desperate times cause people to look the other way and with the Yankees' offense as exciting as watching pain dry, a few days after the Twitter situation settled down the front office said Alex Rodriguez is ready to begin his rehab assignment. So A-Rod was right!!
In less dramatic fashion, Derek Jeter and Eduardo Nunez took the field too on their mission to get back to the club with enough time to make an impact in 2013. Both are about a month away from returning to the majors. Francisco Cervelli is also at the Yankees complex in Tampa working on his swing, but his the broken bone in his hand isn't healed to the point where he can perform his catching duties. Granderson's timetable still isn't drawn, but his return shouldn't take as long as Jeter or A-Rod. These key pieces are needed badly because the feel-good stories of Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, Austin Romine, and David Adams are really wearing thin on the team in the standings. Couple that in with poor hitting from Ichrio and Lyle Overbay and the burdens weighing on Cano and Gardner, and the once powerful and mighty Yankee lineup is worst than what most National League clubs are throwing out there. The only bright spot has been the play of minor league call-up outfielder Zoilo Almonte who has knocked out his first homerun and has been clutch in a several key situations with men on base. This team which was once thirteen games over .500 is barely keeping its head over .500.
The strength of the Yankees this season has been the starting staff and the bullpen, but now the starters are beginning to show some rips at the seams. Kuroda still continues to be brilliant, but David Phelps has struggled lately, along with Sabathia and Pettitte, who look nothing like their usual self, and when Phil Hughes does throw a good game, its a game where the Yankee offense totally takes the night off. If Ivan Nova throws enough quality innings out of the bullpen, he can find himself taking Phelps' or Hughes' spot in the rotation. Michael Pineda (the guy they traded Jesus Montero for last season) has been throwing games in the minor leagues as he rehabs from last year's Tommy John procedure and might be a possible arm for the Yanks in August or September, or hopefully they're in it in October, but there's no official word there. Boston has been staying on top, Toronto has completely turned their season around for the better, and Baltimore and Tampa get better each passing day. The Yankees need the big names to stay in the mix.
Position:
43-39 (4th Place AL East - 6 games behind 1st Place Boston Red Sox)
Homeruns:
- There are finally clear timetables for the returns of Jeter, A-Rod, and Nunez, with Granderson sprinkled in the middle.
- Zoilo Almonte reminds Yankee fans of Melky Cabrera, before he became an HGH-head.
- Mariano Rivera continues to shine in this last go-around with tremendous numbers and a sure trip to the All-Star game.
Foul Tips:
- Just when CC Sabathia looks like he's about to put a good string of starts together, he's been coming up with more clunkers than Yankee fans have been used to seeing. Clearly, his adjustment to being a 91mph pitcher is going to have more bumps.
- Nagging injuries and poor performances lately should be telling Pettitte that this might be the last season.
- Ivan Nova is healthy, but fails to dominate and show everyone the Nova from 2011 and most of 2012.
- Statistically Ichiro is hitting a little better, but has yet to show a hot-streak.
- Cano's batting average was down in the .270's and only now is starting to snap out of his funk.
- Jayson Nix is a good role player at shortstop, but his limited skills at the plate doesn't do much for the offense.
Strikeouts:
- Vernon Wells looks totally clueless at the plate and is nothing more than an automatic out at this point.
- David Adams' two weeks of bliss is a long forgotten memory and is also an automatic out with absolutely no danger to pitchers to hit one out.
- Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in 2007 were two of the most prized blue chips in the Yankee system, in 2013 they are doughy, inconsistent, and likely gone after this season.
- The Yankee bench is as thin as fly paper and there is nobody Girardi can call upon for a pinch-hitting situation.
With empty seats at Yankee Stadium and lower ratings for YES Network, even when the team was doing well, it shows the fans want their stars!! So love him or hate him, the fans want to see A-Rod at the plate again because he always brings that excitement that he might hit one out. Whether he has anything left in the tank remains to be seen. This is the one-time the Yankees have nothing to lose with going all-in with A-Rod.
It can't be any worse than seeing David Adams everyday....
The only snafu is that a ready and willing Alex Rodriguez is the Yankees best hope for making something out of this season which is rapidly headed for a public restroom. Season-ending surgery on Mark Teixeira's fragile wrist that never healed and a three month time frame of getting Kevin "Still Playing for the Boston" Youkilis back from his back operation makes A-Rod's power potential even more crucial. After taking a few swings in Anaheim, Teixeira took himself out of the game with complaints of his wrist being sore, the same wrist which kept him out at the beginning of the year. When pain-killers didn't do the trick, the inevitable occurred and Teixeira had his trip to the surgeon scheduled. Just about the same time, when Youkilis returned from his DL stint, the bulging disc in his back never got better and he too had to go under the knife. Although there is a window for Youkilis to return in 2013, he's basically finished this year and for the $12 million the Yankees paid him - he contributed with two entire homeruns.
Although Rodriguez usually does the wrong thing 99.9% of the time, Cashman's reaction to the Tweet was irresponsible for a GM and a clear indication the organization is fed up with all these injuries, the poor offense, and especially the $114 million they still owe to Rodriguez. If somehow A-Rod couldn't ever play baseball again, the Yanks would be able to collect upon the insurance of most of that $114 million as well as be rid of the media circus A-Rod always brings about. Certainly, A-Rod declaring himself ready to play and going over the Yankees' medical team staff in doing it pressed upon many a nerve which prompted the Cashman cursing. Despite that, desperate times cause people to look the other way and with the Yankees' offense as exciting as watching pain dry, a few days after the Twitter situation settled down the front office said Alex Rodriguez is ready to begin his rehab assignment. So A-Rod was right!!
In less dramatic fashion, Derek Jeter and Eduardo Nunez took the field too on their mission to get back to the club with enough time to make an impact in 2013. Both are about a month away from returning to the majors. Francisco Cervelli is also at the Yankees complex in Tampa working on his swing, but his the broken bone in his hand isn't healed to the point where he can perform his catching duties. Granderson's timetable still isn't drawn, but his return shouldn't take as long as Jeter or A-Rod. These key pieces are needed badly because the feel-good stories of Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, Austin Romine, and David Adams are really wearing thin on the team in the standings. Couple that in with poor hitting from Ichrio and Lyle Overbay and the burdens weighing on Cano and Gardner, and the once powerful and mighty Yankee lineup is worst than what most National League clubs are throwing out there. The only bright spot has been the play of minor league call-up outfielder Zoilo Almonte who has knocked out his first homerun and has been clutch in a several key situations with men on base. This team which was once thirteen games over .500 is barely keeping its head over .500.
The strength of the Yankees this season has been the starting staff and the bullpen, but now the starters are beginning to show some rips at the seams. Kuroda still continues to be brilliant, but David Phelps has struggled lately, along with Sabathia and Pettitte, who look nothing like their usual self, and when Phil Hughes does throw a good game, its a game where the Yankee offense totally takes the night off. If Ivan Nova throws enough quality innings out of the bullpen, he can find himself taking Phelps' or Hughes' spot in the rotation. Michael Pineda (the guy they traded Jesus Montero for last season) has been throwing games in the minor leagues as he rehabs from last year's Tommy John procedure and might be a possible arm for the Yanks in August or September, or hopefully they're in it in October, but there's no official word there. Boston has been staying on top, Toronto has completely turned their season around for the better, and Baltimore and Tampa get better each passing day. The Yankees need the big names to stay in the mix.
Position:
43-39 (4th Place AL East - 6 games behind 1st Place Boston Red Sox)
Homeruns:
- There are finally clear timetables for the returns of Jeter, A-Rod, and Nunez, with Granderson sprinkled in the middle.
- Zoilo Almonte reminds Yankee fans of Melky Cabrera, before he became an HGH-head.
- Mariano Rivera continues to shine in this last go-around with tremendous numbers and a sure trip to the All-Star game.
Foul Tips:
- Just when CC Sabathia looks like he's about to put a good string of starts together, he's been coming up with more clunkers than Yankee fans have been used to seeing. Clearly, his adjustment to being a 91mph pitcher is going to have more bumps.
- Nagging injuries and poor performances lately should be telling Pettitte that this might be the last season.
- Ivan Nova is healthy, but fails to dominate and show everyone the Nova from 2011 and most of 2012.
- Statistically Ichiro is hitting a little better, but has yet to show a hot-streak.
- Cano's batting average was down in the .270's and only now is starting to snap out of his funk.
- Jayson Nix is a good role player at shortstop, but his limited skills at the plate doesn't do much for the offense.
Strikeouts:
- Vernon Wells looks totally clueless at the plate and is nothing more than an automatic out at this point.
- David Adams' two weeks of bliss is a long forgotten memory and is also an automatic out with absolutely no danger to pitchers to hit one out.
- Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in 2007 were two of the most prized blue chips in the Yankee system, in 2013 they are doughy, inconsistent, and likely gone after this season.
- The Yankee bench is as thin as fly paper and there is nobody Girardi can call upon for a pinch-hitting situation.
With empty seats at Yankee Stadium and lower ratings for YES Network, even when the team was doing well, it shows the fans want their stars!! So love him or hate him, the fans want to see A-Rod at the plate again because he always brings that excitement that he might hit one out. Whether he has anything left in the tank remains to be seen. This is the one-time the Yankees have nothing to lose with going all-in with A-Rod.
It can't be any worse than seeing David Adams everyday....
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