It is exactly the narcissistic nature of announcing your intentions to become a free agent during the middle of a World Series game that makes prospect of the Yankees moving on without Alex Rodriguez not so upsetting.
Yankee success in the 90's was built on selfless team play from stars like Paul O'neill, Tino Martinez, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Scott Brosius and Andy Pettite. Fast forward to the present. A few of those players have been replaced by the likes of Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, A-Rod, Raul Mondesi, and Carl Pavano. You want one difference between the winning Yankee teams of the 90's and the losing Yankee teams of the 2000's? It is the plethora of "me" guys in the Yankee clubhouse as opposed to the "team" guys that used to pervade it. Sure a guy can say all the right things but when he decided to opt out of contract which is already scheduled to pay him about 28 million dollars next year then I would have to use the old saying actions speak louder then words.
At the same time I applaud the Yankee front office (so far) for standing strong on the A-Rod issue. The only way you can win is by bringing in guys who want the team to win and don't have high expectations for themselves. That means raising kids from your farm system. It was how Derek Jeter, Andy Pettite, and Bernie Williams got their start, and it is how the Boston Red Sox have managed to win another World Series. Jobba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Chen Ming Wang, Robinson Cano and hopefully some selective smart free agent signings will lead the Yankees back to the land of prosperity. Losing Joe Torre will hurt, but I think Joe Girardi is a better manager then anyone is giving him credit for, and more has the professionalism to relate in the Yankee clubhouse.
The bottom line is pitching is going to win the World Series. Every year it is the team with the power arms or the guys who step up on the mound who end up piling on it near the end of October. 50 homeruns, 150 RBI's are great, but there is a reason A-Rod has never one anything. No one can be that good, for that long and still not have anything to show for it unless he hasn't played toward the team concept. Call me crazy, but so long A-Rod, I have a feeling you won't be missed.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
THE YANKEES: Red Sox Woes
Ok I give. If I am going to have to continue posting a blog consistently throughout this semester it had better be about the Yankees. They are probably the only subject noteworthy enough (that I know of) to justify writing a post about every week two. So here goes...
Coming into last weekend trailing the Red Sox by 5 1/2 games and staring down the barrel of a three game series in Fenway all I could hear from announcers were the hungry voices ready to bury the Yankees in the American League East.
Nevermind the fact that the Yankees lead the wild card by 3 1/2 coming into the weekend which just happens to be the same spot that 3 of the last 4 world series champions entered the playoffs.
But still, every media market was itching to be the first to declare the Yankees dead in the division. Although most of the media already did it in June when the Yankees were 10+ games back. You see how that worked out. However being just about out of contention in the division would be a newsworthy development in itself since the Yankees have won the division each of the past nine years.
I'm sure columnists were already pecking out there obituaries in the eigth inning on Friday night when the Yankees trailed the Red Sox 7-2. Okajima the Red Sox setup man with a sub 2 ERA was pitching and had been virtually untouchable against the Yankees, and if anything "crazy" happened there was always Papelbon looming in the pullpen just waiting to slam the door. It seemed like the perfect recipe to put the Yankees to bed this season once and for all.
The only problem is...The Yankees werent ready to cooperate.
Homeruns by Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano shrunk the lead to 7-4, and a couple batters later the Red Sox skipper, Terry Francona, was trotting out to the mound to bring in the "stopper," Papelbon, for a 6 out save.
So it was a heavyweight matchup. The captain Derek Jeter against the Red Sox closer Papelbon. Captain clutch vs. the Red Sox second year fireballer with Johnny Damon standing on second base. The captain didn't wait long. On the first pitch Jeter dunked one into right field to score Damon, and after Bobby Abreu lined a fastball off the centerfield wall to tie the game Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate.
Rodriguez, ever the target of the Yankee fan's criticism since his arrival due to his ineptness in situations just as the one that presented itself. Man on second, 2 outs, top of the eigth, against the hated Red Sox. In previous years A-Rod would have folded, flailed at 3 pitches and took a seat. But not this year, Rodriguez took a fastball and hit a skud missile into the left centerfield gap giving the Yankees the 8-7 lead.
From that point on it was the same old story. Rivera mopping up the win with a smooth ninth inning (a formula which has worked for the Yankees each of the past 9 years in their division championship run). Within a matter of 45 minutes columnists had changed their tune, from writing the Yankees obituaries to becoming eerily wary of the danger that looms from the men in pinstripes in October.
Coming into last weekend trailing the Red Sox by 5 1/2 games and staring down the barrel of a three game series in Fenway all I could hear from announcers were the hungry voices ready to bury the Yankees in the American League East.
Nevermind the fact that the Yankees lead the wild card by 3 1/2 coming into the weekend which just happens to be the same spot that 3 of the last 4 world series champions entered the playoffs.
But still, every media market was itching to be the first to declare the Yankees dead in the division. Although most of the media already did it in June when the Yankees were 10+ games back. You see how that worked out. However being just about out of contention in the division would be a newsworthy development in itself since the Yankees have won the division each of the past nine years.
I'm sure columnists were already pecking out there obituaries in the eigth inning on Friday night when the Yankees trailed the Red Sox 7-2. Okajima the Red Sox setup man with a sub 2 ERA was pitching and had been virtually untouchable against the Yankees, and if anything "crazy" happened there was always Papelbon looming in the pullpen just waiting to slam the door. It seemed like the perfect recipe to put the Yankees to bed this season once and for all.
The only problem is...The Yankees werent ready to cooperate.
Homeruns by Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano shrunk the lead to 7-4, and a couple batters later the Red Sox skipper, Terry Francona, was trotting out to the mound to bring in the "stopper," Papelbon, for a 6 out save.
So it was a heavyweight matchup. The captain Derek Jeter against the Red Sox closer Papelbon. Captain clutch vs. the Red Sox second year fireballer with Johnny Damon standing on second base. The captain didn't wait long. On the first pitch Jeter dunked one into right field to score Damon, and after Bobby Abreu lined a fastball off the centerfield wall to tie the game Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate.
Rodriguez, ever the target of the Yankee fan's criticism since his arrival due to his ineptness in situations just as the one that presented itself. Man on second, 2 outs, top of the eigth, against the hated Red Sox. In previous years A-Rod would have folded, flailed at 3 pitches and took a seat. But not this year, Rodriguez took a fastball and hit a skud missile into the left centerfield gap giving the Yankees the 8-7 lead.
From that point on it was the same old story. Rivera mopping up the win with a smooth ninth inning (a formula which has worked for the Yankees each of the past 9 years in their division championship run). Within a matter of 45 minutes columnists had changed their tune, from writing the Yankees obituaries to becoming eerily wary of the danger that looms from the men in pinstripes in October.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
An Ode To Pointless Bloggers: We need more friends in the world
This post is aimed to you who would rather rant about the problems in your life then actually talk to someone. I think we all know the people who run home after a horrible date so that they can detail it in a narrative that is thrown into cyberspace. I think its pretty safe to compare this to throwing a message in a bottle into the ocean. Also pretty safe to say it has the same intrinsic meaning, I need help!
Maybe we as a society have become cut off from true friendships because our love has been stolen away by an electronic device that allows us to rant as much as we want without interrupting us, or maybe we just feel more comforted in the thought that billions of people "could" read about our problems. Sure beats one measily person to talk to does it not? Except for the fact that you are one among thousands of people thinking the same thing, and come to think of it when was the last time you checked out someone's sob story online. Much less read it in full and considered there pain. Yeah I didn't think so.
So take a little advice. Take all that effort you put into your computer and use it to make some friends. They may interrupt you, and heck you may not even be able to make more then two. Furthermore you may actually have to listen to some of there problems. Yikes! But atleast you will get some feedback and in the end, no doubt, more fulfilling experiences.
Maybe we as a society have become cut off from true friendships because our love has been stolen away by an electronic device that allows us to rant as much as we want without interrupting us, or maybe we just feel more comforted in the thought that billions of people "could" read about our problems. Sure beats one measily person to talk to does it not? Except for the fact that you are one among thousands of people thinking the same thing, and come to think of it when was the last time you checked out someone's sob story online. Much less read it in full and considered there pain. Yeah I didn't think so.
So take a little advice. Take all that effort you put into your computer and use it to make some friends. They may interrupt you, and heck you may not even be able to make more then two. Furthermore you may actually have to listen to some of there problems. Yikes! But atleast you will get some feedback and in the end, no doubt, more fulfilling experiences.
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