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!