Where Have My Yankees Gone?
Yankees Struggles Continue
This past series against the Red Sox was incredibly embarrassing for my Yankees. God, it was unbearable! I thought I would finally be able to sit down and watch a good ballgame, because when they were out West I usually found myself waking up startled on the living room couch at 1am with the game over. Going back East, back HOME, seemed so comforting.
Not this time!
For some odd reason, the Yankees have struggled so far in the Bronx this year, when previously, they had a great homefield advantage at Yankee Stadium. Their record is just 17-16 in New York – definitely not good enough.
I don’t want to do recaps of these three games, because they were miserable. The Red Sox owned the Yankees, but I kind of feel like the Yankees beat themselves. This is not the team I saw in April, and there are many reasons why.
First of all, injuries. Not to make excuses or anything, but the Yankees have been ravaged by the injury bug. Remember that seemingly-unfaltering bullpen they had in April? It’s all gone. Completely destroyed. Rafael Soriano (who was very disappointing anyway, but I didn’t think he would stay bad for long) is out for God knows how long with an inflamed ligament in his throwing elbow. So there goes the 8th inning. Joba Chamberlain was recently diagnosed with a torn ligament in his throwing elbow, and he may undergo Tommy John surgery. He’s pretty much out for at least the rest of this season. So there goes the 7th inning. Now the Yankees have names like Luis Ayala and Lance Pendleton, who looks a lot like Woody Harrelson, finishing up games for them. These are not the type of player who is going to win the team a championship. The Yankees need to so some serious work.
And speaking of Joba: remember those Joba Rules? Like, the rules stating: “Let’s coddle and baby and shelter our prospects from the real world of baseball that involves pitching, because we don’t want them to injure themselves, so we’ll make a ridiculous proposal stating the exact amount of innings they can pitch, keeping in mind that they can’t pitch back to back days – God FORBID – and they can’t throw more than this many pitches in a game, and they have to use this much ice on their elbow after the game, and shower for this long, and” – okay you get it. THOSE absurd rules. Remember them? They were also used for other pitching prospects, like Phil Hughes. Well I have just one question:
WHY ARE PHIL HUGHES AND JOBA CHAMBERLAIN SERIOUSLY INJURED?
I don’t believe we will see either Phil Hughes OR Joba Chamberlain again this season, and I doubt if Joba has Tommy John surgery, that we will ever see him play in a Yankees uniform again.
It seems like the Yankees are clueless when it comes to managing their players. These “Joba”-type rules are insanity. Coincidence that both these guys are damaged now? I don’t know. All I know is that, back in the day, when baseball players were MEN and not BABIES, they played the game. They didn’t have innings limits, pitch counts, or Joba Rules of any sort. And they had perfectly fine careers. I don’t get why they can’t just do that today. I mean what, this way is any better? It seems that players are way too fragile nowadays, hence these injuries.
The Yankees are currently 33-27, but they really have not been playing well of late. They just don’t have that “spark” that they used to have. I don’t know why. Their team needs improvement drastically – in so many aspects. Relief pitching, for one. But also clutch hitting. I think the Yankees owe it to the fans to do something to get them a little excited, because maybe if the fans have a spark, it will translate into the team having some fire again. I say, since they need bullpen help and offensive help right away, just bring up some kids – and DON’T screw them up with “RULES.” Let them play the friggin’ game. Russell Martin is a little hurt, Posada isn’t hitting well? Try bringing up Jesus Montero for a catcher/DH. Maybe bring up Andrew Brackman (who is in Triple-A, just itching to get a taste of the Bigs) or Dellin Betances, and just try them out in the bullpen or in the rotation. Just DO it! Other teams do it all the time. Other teams actually USE their prospects! What a novel idea!
It may sound crazy to some, but I swear by my idea. The kids are obviously good. They’ve been sitting there, wasting away in the Minors. They are good enough and experienced enough down there to come up. And since the Yankees are struggling mightily and don’t even look like the Yankees, maybe now is the right time to make a bold move like this.
Maybe now’s the time to get a team together again.
Live, Eat, and Breathe Yankees 
Yankees fans tend to overreact to slumps. I mean, the Cubs go into an 8 game slide and no one notices, but Yanks do it and the world is coming to an end. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the frustration, but this is one of the best, most successful most financially sound organizaitons in professional sports. They’ll be there come October.
–Jeff
I wouldn’t worry too much, the Yankees will be fine. They play in the American League East, any team that survives that division, is usually well prepared for the playoffs. I personally dislike both teams the Yankees and the Red Sox, but I must say the Yankees always pull rabbits out of hats, and last time I checked they had no shortage of rabbits, they are probably going to execute a blockbuster trade before the trading deadline.
-ICE
http://the-angels-ace.mlblogs.com/
Ugh, Joba, Joba, Joba. I agree with you, that was the last of him in a Yanks uniform. That makes me kinda sad. ’07 was a rough year for me, since I was moving from Long Island, and I remember that Joba-mania definitely took my mind off things.
Catherine
Its funny… everyone says that Joba Chamberlain, undergoing Tommy John surgery, will no longer be a Pinstripe. Didn’t Tommy John play for the ‘Bronx Zoo post surgery?
I agree, your Yanks not only sucked but blew against my Scarlett Hose. Even in the middle game, ahead by two for the majority, it just looked as if they were going through the motions waiting for the Sox to score and take over the game. And after 7 runs in the seventh… their composure didn’t even seem to change. Girardi’s whining about the hit by pitch encounters was just a very weak attempt to try and fire the boys up (since every single year Kevin Youkilis and some other poor teammate are made targets of and vice-versa) … and didn’t work until the suddenly deaf, dumb and blind Indians came in. The Sox were of course making fodder (being kind here) of the Jays.. holding on to that precious lead in the ALEast.
Why don’t the ‘Bombers call up their prospects? Ask the primadonna Diva hitting under .200 and complaining he’s batting ninth. Cause Posada is a name and the fans are still loyal to him.. and thus will pay to see him. The Yanks (with the exception of the Core in recent history) have been known for trading away their prospects for names. And they will again. King George The Only was, as his sons are now, in dire need of instant gratification. Why call up and wait for young kids who may need a learning curve in the bigs when you can trade them for a proven talent who can keep you in the race today. And when they do call up their talents… they rush them, slow them.. try and re-train them on the job and screw ’em up. Obviously the Sox aren’t golden gods in their prospect past.. Jeff Bagwell to Houston… Brady Anderson & Schilling to Baltimore… and so on… but talents like Youk, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Buchholtz, Pap and Bard for a few… all home grown mixed with imported talent of various ages.
Don’t fret.. the Yanks will soon be wheelin’ and dealin’ to revive the pen, the bench and maybe a position or two.