Out of courtesy, I rarely call people before 10:00am. I want to give people time to wake up. In the same spirit, I’ve waited to comment on the Yankees until after at least 40 games. I like to give baseball a chance to get moving before I form any strong opinions.At the present, the most honorable team in sports is at a respectable 28-20 record.
In the long and short of things, the Yankees are doing just fine. The Tampa Bay (Since when do bays warrant baseball? Do lagoons and inlets get Major League Baseball too?) Rays will fade into a post-all-star-break slump and will never be able to recover. The Yankees have proven that they can almost win most games even without a healthy roster. As an organization, I expect nothing short of a great year. Some individuals, though, deserve my commentary.
Joba Chamberlain: The underpaid setup man is, for the most part, doing his job with the third most holds in the AL. Will he be the next closer? He should be, even though there will never be another Mariano.
Javier Vazquez: Interestingly enough, Javier Vasquez has become the next Javier Vasquez. By that I mean, he has been and always will be a great disappointment in pinstripes. His longest appearance this year has been 7.0 innings, and he holds a record of 3-5 (one of those wins being a four-pitch appearance to end a game). This is the kind of performance that will make any Yankee fan, myself included, say “I told you so”.
Andy Pettitte: Following Sabathia and Burnette, Pettitte’s third spot in the rotation is underpraised. This season, the Yankees are 8-1 when Pettitte starts. My guess is that his usual elbow issues will cause him to have a poor August, a limited role in September, and a great October.
Francisco Cervelli: As much as I would like to see a healthy Posada, Cervelli has a great opportunity to get comfortable with the pitchers in light of Jorge’s likely retirement next year. I was fearful that the Yankees would replace their longtime catcher with an overpaid has-been like the Yankees tend to do, but seeing Cervelli play this year makes me confident that the crucial role of the catcher has now been solidified for the coming decade. It quite pleases me to see a product of the Yankee farm replaced by a product of the Yankee farm.
I have a good bit to say about the players outside the battery, but some things must wait for another day.
One thing that I've never understood is why people like certain sports teams. For example, I am a Detroit Tigers fan (do not laugh, I know that they are not a good team), the Rangers, and the Phillies (eh, kinda), but I have no idea why. I know I hate the Yankees (sorry), but for what reason?
ReplyDeleteI can't comment on exactly what you wrote, considering that I do not actively follow the Yankees or baseball in general, really, but that's what came to my mind after reading this. So..yes.