There have really only been two Yankee teams in my lifetime that could be described as "magical," and those were the 1998 and 2009 squads. Both teams had character guys who knew their roles and played as a team.
From 2002-2008, I was highly critical of how the front office (Brian Cashman in particular) chose to spend their money. Acquisitions such as Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson, Kei Igawa, Jeff Weaver, and of course everyone's favorite punching bag Carl Pavano looked good on paper, but what Cashman and his crew failed to recognize was their inability to adapt to the Yankee way, particularly in the clubhouse. Roger Clemens's second go-around with the team in 2007 (Suzyn Waldman's shriek still haunts me to this day) was the last straw for me, and a lot of Yankee fans. I was far from surprised when the Yanks failed to make the playoffs in 2008, and despite the signings of Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira in the offseason, I really wasn't expecting much more from the 2009 team. I've never been more happy to be wrong in my life. The champagne was spilled, and all was forgiven. Brian Cashman and I were friends again.
Following the World Series, I expected Cashman to make a few tweaks here and there to an already solid lineup and outstanding rotation. I certainly wasn't expecting any sort of roster overhaul, but now in late February I find myself looking at a much different team than the one who captured the tri-state area's heart last year.
Some moves I loved. The trade for Curtis Granderson I saw as a master stroke of general managing. Not only did the Yanks get a solid hitter and outfielder in Granderson (assuming Kevin Long can teach him to hit lefties), but they also managed to get rid of the infuriating arm of Ian Kennedy. In addition, Phil Coke was no big loss, and the jury is still out on Austin Jackson. Granderson is a class act both on and off the field, and should fit in nicely in the clubhouse.
The decision to let Hideki Matsui walk to the LA Angels both broke my heart and baffled me at the same time. I had assumed that Cashman's blase attitude toward re-signing the World Series MVP was due to the fact that Matsui was asking for too many years or perhaps too much money. Imagine my surprise when the man they call Godzilla signed with the Angels for 1 year and 6.5 million dollars, mere pocket change for the Yankees. Matsui had always been one of my favorite Yankees, and his 2003 signing was one of the few smart free agent decisions made by the front office during that period. Letting him walk, especially to a rival team like the Angels, really got under my skin. Nick Johnson is certainly a capable DH, but despite his prior experience in New York, there is no evidence that he will be able to compensate for the loss of Matsui's clutch bat. The trade of Melky Cabrera to Atlanta for Javy Vazquez seemed more unnecessary to me than anything else. I recognized the need for a solid fourth starter, but why at the expense of a clutch player and fan favorite like Cabrera? I was never a member of the Melky fan club, but his teammates seemed to love him, and he certainly came up big in big spots. Looking at it from the other side, I do think this move offically made the Yankee rotation the best in baseball, so I'm fairly split. Only time will tell whether this will turn out to be a brilliant move or yet another Cashman folly.
Lastly, Johnny Damon can go fuck himself. The Yankees made him a more than respectable offer, but in typical greedy Damon/Scott Boras fashion, it wasn't good enough. Have fun not being able to hit anything over the wall in Comerica Park, Johnny. You have truly earned the unenviable title of "journeyman."
The 2010 Yankees are a great team on paper. They'll certainly be the favorites to repeat as AL East and World Series champions. But will they be able to replicate the success of the 2009 team? I'm hoping that Cashman's offseason moves will pay dividends, but part of me fears that he may have tampered a little too much with a roster that didn't need a whole lot of tampering. I may sound cynical, but I'm really just anxious with anticipation. I cannot wait for April.
Viva la Beisbol!
From 2002-2008, I was highly critical of how the front office (Brian Cashman in particular) chose to spend their money. Acquisitions such as Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson, Kei Igawa, Jeff Weaver, and of course everyone's favorite punching bag Carl Pavano looked good on paper, but what Cashman and his crew failed to recognize was their inability to adapt to the Yankee way, particularly in the clubhouse. Roger Clemens's second go-around with the team in 2007 (Suzyn Waldman's shriek still haunts me to this day) was the last straw for me, and a lot of Yankee fans. I was far from surprised when the Yanks failed to make the playoffs in 2008, and despite the signings of Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira in the offseason, I really wasn't expecting much more from the 2009 team. I've never been more happy to be wrong in my life. The champagne was spilled, and all was forgiven. Brian Cashman and I were friends again.
Following the World Series, I expected Cashman to make a few tweaks here and there to an already solid lineup and outstanding rotation. I certainly wasn't expecting any sort of roster overhaul, but now in late February I find myself looking at a much different team than the one who captured the tri-state area's heart last year.
Some moves I loved. The trade for Curtis Granderson I saw as a master stroke of general managing. Not only did the Yanks get a solid hitter and outfielder in Granderson (assuming Kevin Long can teach him to hit lefties), but they also managed to get rid of the infuriating arm of Ian Kennedy. In addition, Phil Coke was no big loss, and the jury is still out on Austin Jackson. Granderson is a class act both on and off the field, and should fit in nicely in the clubhouse.
The decision to let Hideki Matsui walk to the LA Angels both broke my heart and baffled me at the same time. I had assumed that Cashman's blase attitude toward re-signing the World Series MVP was due to the fact that Matsui was asking for too many years or perhaps too much money. Imagine my surprise when the man they call Godzilla signed with the Angels for 1 year and 6.5 million dollars, mere pocket change for the Yankees. Matsui had always been one of my favorite Yankees, and his 2003 signing was one of the few smart free agent decisions made by the front office during that period. Letting him walk, especially to a rival team like the Angels, really got under my skin. Nick Johnson is certainly a capable DH, but despite his prior experience in New York, there is no evidence that he will be able to compensate for the loss of Matsui's clutch bat. The trade of Melky Cabrera to Atlanta for Javy Vazquez seemed more unnecessary to me than anything else. I recognized the need for a solid fourth starter, but why at the expense of a clutch player and fan favorite like Cabrera? I was never a member of the Melky fan club, but his teammates seemed to love him, and he certainly came up big in big spots. Looking at it from the other side, I do think this move offically made the Yankee rotation the best in baseball, so I'm fairly split. Only time will tell whether this will turn out to be a brilliant move or yet another Cashman folly.
Lastly, Johnny Damon can go fuck himself. The Yankees made him a more than respectable offer, but in typical greedy Damon/Scott Boras fashion, it wasn't good enough. Have fun not being able to hit anything over the wall in Comerica Park, Johnny. You have truly earned the unenviable title of "journeyman."
The 2010 Yankees are a great team on paper. They'll certainly be the favorites to repeat as AL East and World Series champions. But will they be able to replicate the success of the 2009 team? I'm hoping that Cashman's offseason moves will pay dividends, but part of me fears that he may have tampered a little too much with a roster that didn't need a whole lot of tampering. I may sound cynical, but I'm really just anxious with anticipation. I cannot wait for April.
Viva la Beisbol!
