Well, if you would have told me that at the end of April the Junkees would be 14-15, I'd say SIGN ME UP.
I know the fans will complain about injuries, but come on. Every team has to deal with injuries, and when you have a payroll of $200 million, you find a way to get the job done anyway.
Starting pitching: Wang has defied all expectations. I know, let's see him do this in October, but you don't get there if he stinks during the season. Other than the Boston drubbing (8 ER in 4 IP) he's been excellent. Mussina is doing better than anyone thought (that's because everyone thought he was shot!), and Pettitte's been okay, if inconsistent. And Hughes and Kennedy - let's just say that Hank Steinbrenner is probably calling Ca$hman everyday asking why he didn't get Johan Santana.
Relief pitching: Russ Ohlendorf has been quite good, and much to my chagrin, it seems that Joba Chamberlain's '07 campain was no fluke. Charlie Brown is still going strong, but otherwise you have no one. That said, if you have two guys who are absolutely dominating, you're better off than (at least) 25 other teams. So when Old York has a lead in the late innings, I'm nervous.
Offense: The good - Shemp (.955 OPS), Melky (5 HR), Damon (.381 OBP).
The bad - Jeter (.303 OBP), Giambi (.171 BA).
The ugly - Cano (.459 OPS).
Defense: Well, you have Damon's girlie-arm out there (sometimes), Jeter with no range, and Shemp playing like a stooge. If you watch the games like I do, you can see occasions when these little things add up to runs for the other teams.
Overall, you can never stick a fork in the Yankees and assume they're done (see 2005 and 2007), but they have two huge holes in their rotation, and a couple of question marks. You know their offense will heat up and they'll start scoring like crazy (although Ringo's absense could hurt some). So it'll be up to the pitching to overcome the 11-9 contests.
But again, this could have been 2003 (18-3 start) all over again, so I ain't complaining.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
2008 Preview
Nice to hear some of the experts predict that Old York will miss the playoffs this year. They've been a lock forever, so their season opener notwithstanding, here's how I see the team this year:
C - Ringo Posada. Old man. Will not duplicate his 2007 numbers. He's 36, and his .338 was a fluke. Isn't moving to DH yet, so Yankee fans, have fun!
1B - Juice-on Giambi. Reports say he's healthier and in better shape than he's been in years, but I don't see how he becomes a better defensive player at 37.
2B - Robinson Cano. Can't argue with his .314 lifetime average, so let's just hope he takes another step back (he did go down 49 points in OPS from '06 to '07, so who knows).
SS - Derek Cheater. Worse defensive SS in baseball. Enough said.
3B - A-Schmuck. Well, he did win the MVP and have a fantastic 2007. Pisses me off that he's back, but then again, how many rings has he won? Exactly.
LF - Johnny Damon. Gotta love a guy with a .396 slugging percentage as your everyday left fielder. Too bad for the Yanks, they're stuck with him and his arm that can get the ball from the gap to second base on seven hops.
CF - Melky Cabrera. For all his hype, he also ended up with a pathetic slugging percentage - .391. His OBP wasn't too hot, either (.327). So we'll see.
RF - Bobby Abreu. Heard all the excuses why he was horrid in the first half of 2007, but still gets on base a ton and is pretty good in the outfield. We'll see if he hits more than 16 home runs in '08.
DH - Shemp. Can't field a lick (too bad they moved him off the field) and isn't the 30-homer guy Old York thought they were getting when they signed him in '02. Still, solid offensive numbers, and now that the ridiculous streak has ended, has a chance to rest and be okay. At the same time, realize that the Junkees almost shipped him off to San Francisco, so that says something.
SP - No sure bet. Pettitte's breaking down, you can't trust Mussina, Wang is up and down (more up than down, but still - not to mention October), and who knows what you'll get from Kennedy and Hughes.
RP - I've been writing off Charlie Brown forever, but until he proves that he's finished, I have to give him his due. Joba had a few good innings in '07, so I'd be cautious if I were a Yankee fan, and the rest of them (Hawkins, Farnworthless, Ohlendorf, and Traber) will be useful in the 10-1 games. Otherwise, cross your fingers.
PREDICTION: The pitching will be the downfall. They'll get enough offense from A-Schmuck and Co., but the bullpen will blow leads, and the starters will struggle. Unless Boston falls apart, we may finally have a Yankee-free October!
C - Ringo Posada. Old man. Will not duplicate his 2007 numbers. He's 36, and his .338 was a fluke. Isn't moving to DH yet, so Yankee fans, have fun!
1B - Juice-on Giambi. Reports say he's healthier and in better shape than he's been in years, but I don't see how he becomes a better defensive player at 37.
2B - Robinson Cano. Can't argue with his .314 lifetime average, so let's just hope he takes another step back (he did go down 49 points in OPS from '06 to '07, so who knows).
SS - Derek Cheater. Worse defensive SS in baseball. Enough said.
3B - A-Schmuck. Well, he did win the MVP and have a fantastic 2007. Pisses me off that he's back, but then again, how many rings has he won? Exactly.
LF - Johnny Damon. Gotta love a guy with a .396 slugging percentage as your everyday left fielder. Too bad for the Yanks, they're stuck with him and his arm that can get the ball from the gap to second base on seven hops.
CF - Melky Cabrera. For all his hype, he also ended up with a pathetic slugging percentage - .391. His OBP wasn't too hot, either (.327). So we'll see.
RF - Bobby Abreu. Heard all the excuses why he was horrid in the first half of 2007, but still gets on base a ton and is pretty good in the outfield. We'll see if he hits more than 16 home runs in '08.
DH - Shemp. Can't field a lick (too bad they moved him off the field) and isn't the 30-homer guy Old York thought they were getting when they signed him in '02. Still, solid offensive numbers, and now that the ridiculous streak has ended, has a chance to rest and be okay. At the same time, realize that the Junkees almost shipped him off to San Francisco, so that says something.
SP - No sure bet. Pettitte's breaking down, you can't trust Mussina, Wang is up and down (more up than down, but still - not to mention October), and who knows what you'll get from Kennedy and Hughes.
RP - I've been writing off Charlie Brown forever, but until he proves that he's finished, I have to give him his due. Joba had a few good innings in '07, so I'd be cautious if I were a Yankee fan, and the rest of them (Hawkins, Farnworthless, Ohlendorf, and Traber) will be useful in the 10-1 games. Otherwise, cross your fingers.
PREDICTION: The pitching will be the downfall. They'll get enough offense from A-Schmuck and Co., but the bullpen will blow leads, and the starters will struggle. Unless Boston falls apart, we may finally have a Yankee-free October!
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