On the Yankees beat

Hey Kitty Kitty,

Someone should slap Robbies daddy for naming that fool at 2nd base after the great Jackie

See what i'm saying this would have been the tying run if stupid had not made the error

The Yankees are showing a little bit of life.

Watch out world, here they come.

cano is batting remember that

As I said BEFORE this latest debacle, this team is dead in the water and there will be NO POST SEASON in 2007. What a shame that the BOSS is no more!

Well this game is really an annoying one ...

But what is wrong with the Yankees was once again made plain to see.

Lenin was right, "Worse if better."

Meyers, two homers to DW. Is this like, T-Ball?

Replace him with Villone and Henn.

Vizcaino ... sorry ...

Farnsworth ... those two runs really hurt in the bottom of the eighth. You can't have that. And the Yanks even scored a run in the 9th. Granted Wagner was out of sorts. Maybe the Cards or Atlanta or Oakland can fix Farnsworth. He throws very hard ... who can say what's wrong with him? We can't say he sucks, because he has a power arm. But that's not enough. Look at poor Jeff Granger.

Cano ... let him get hot then TRADE him ... ASAP. One of the few players we can trade. He is not fundamentally sound. The old Yanks 95 00 found a way to win. This teams finds a way to lose. Even Chuck contributed in LF when exiled from 2B with his arm yips.

The Cash Man needs to make some choices and fast.

Poor Rasner ...

Can this season be salvaged or do we look into a one year retooling like Atlanta last year?

Dead Wood must go. Like the Knicks. Go now. There is no excuse.

Where's George S.? If we lose to Boston three in a row and you know what the Angels of Los Angeles of Anaheim do to us ... what will happen?

Sigh ...

Rick Keyes:
Correct. May 18 was the day the music died.

Inept, bumbling, rudderless, lumbering, wooden, lifeless, maladroit, dull, inadequate, asleep, colorless, lackluster, bloodless, dejected, drab, boring, gloomy, dispirited, tired, dreary, clumsy, aging, lumpish, inanimate, butterfingered, inert, anesthetized, throwing the ball into our own foot, corpselike, devoid of life, dead, extinct, pushing up daisies, gone the way of all flesh.

Did I leave anything out?

Don't be ignorant Zander.

Did you think they had life in them on May 17?

Eric: I did not.

Gave up the ghost about a week ago.

BTW, calling people ignorant says a lot about the speaker.

"throwing the ball into our own foot"

Even after having watched baseball for this many years I have never seen anything like that before.

That one will be a news reel bloopers classic.

Hey Rick how are you son

I am here alive and well I had made an offer to Casual for GM but I hear you are the second coming of Billy? listen here kid I need a real fire plug for this team , I considering Hiring Bowa yes I need complete opposite to mange these uhh.. players . I need you Richard. son I want you to report to Yankee stadium and help clean out BC's office the FOI security team is a lil too hostile .

My needs ..

1b either play doug or trade for one and release some of these fools I;ll eat the money.

Play phelps he prooved his worth.

cano - poor kid but he is not yankee material nope no way no how. we need a endy type player.

jeter - holding his own

Arod - needs some talking too but he is ok.

Jorge , my new warrior,

Bobby - I 'm still irritated that BC made the still trade while i was heavliy medicated. this guy is a idot this abreau is not a warrior he is soft this is disaster , i would have preferred gary and a delucci to play reserve. But i gave BC the power so fans do not say I was not fair but I cannot tolerate losing and let the charactor of my team go down the drain, I pleaded with those two to clean this up TWICE i spared Joe. people told me when I first hired him to always watch him never let him have power. I ignored those people lately and Know I and the team is paying the price.

To New York Yankee Fans.

I apologize

George M. Steinbrenner

Cano was trying to play the "carom", like a pool player.

The quality of this blog isn't has high as it used to be. Shame.

Thankfully Jeff,

You're here.....I'm sure that will all change now.

Jeff, the problem isn't the blog. It's the Yankees.

It is hard to be serious when they are the laughingstock.

In all reality jeff ,

SOme of the crazies is making points more so than the regulars. The poster above you was bogus BOSS but read the post made some points.

Too add on

The truth is we as YANKEE fans is delusional right now , had the tide been turned and we was 12 games in first we would say that Boston is dead, this is what the Rays go through each year and we and baseball write them as done. what is the difference ? in fact what is the difference in mental state in this team and the mets high priced team steve phillips assembled that flopped?

real is real we stink , and good would come out of this in draft choice perhaps we can get another jeter or pettite. remember we had rebuit based on talent that losing seasons gave us, this is why if your going to fire BC do it now. trust me if the yankees are not contending teams will come knocking for some of these players even if they are rent a players

Casual Observer- get a life. Better yet rot in hell, stupid Sox fan.

I have posted before about Cano and his attitude\cockiness. Every player has at least 1 bad game in the course of a season. Cano had a bad game today, yet he hits a homer and struts around the dugout laughing and joking. I would rather see the defensively challenged Todd Walker at 2nd base. He at least will give everything he has physically, and "approach" the game properly mentally. Another player with a "joke around" attitude is Abreu. Unfortunately, his salary makes trading him almost impossible. Damon should be benched till he is 100% and Melky made the centerfielder. DL Giambino. The guy is a shell of his former self. He currently cannot "catch up" to a decent fastball due to the heel. Trade both Melky and Farns. "Set-up" men with "closer" experience, that throw better than 95 MPH are always in demand. At least the hitters are starting to come around.

I am the village idiot!

very well put Roy.

These players outside of Alex , Jeter , Phelps (yes he has that hunger look) posada , the others is not hungry. As for melky he needs better representation cano and abreau is not good for his come up. maybe a bernie might have helped in this matter the kid has talent. I'm sitting here saying if Melky was on the mets how would his play be and is Endy as good?? not bashing melky But like I always said if he had more comp , for him around maybe he'll play more hungry. the mets are stacked with OF's

Management -

Willie played small ball utilize his talent - what the heck Torre DONE?? we had Baserunners and grounded to alot of DP's why in knowing this was runners not sent or bunts placed? you cannot place blame on players for strategy ? where was the play calls. Please if Torre mind is not in the game and rightfully so it is not then LEAVE (family leave) Brian cashman however is doomed

Can a village idiot rot in hell?

Take solace Yank fans....it appears the sox will not sweep the Braves in this DH today...

Of course, it is only the 4th inning.

Why don't you let us know?

Impossible Roy,

You're hopeless.

So what now? Where does the team go from here?

Zander

Right on and great post!

Only one hopeless is you, jerk. Red Sox and their fans suck!!!!!

What a articulate and sinctillating post Roy.

What do you do for an encore?...recite the "26 titles" mantra?

we rebuild !! we play the youth and I don't wanna here chips they are ready yet crap. the mets are playing theirs. if in this rebuild movement that we happen to catch the title then it will be excellent but rebuild is what we do if we lose the season then next season we can lose some FA's and get a draft pick . no I 'm not giving up the season but perhaps some youth will spark some life. who is the cardinals 2nd baseman? if the whitesox is out of it who is their speedy OF? with the long name. see my point i want gritty players

we rebuild !! we play the youth and I don't wanna here chips they are ready yet crap. the mets are playing theirs. if in this rebuild movement that we happen to catch the title then it will be excellent but rebuild is what we do if we lose the season then next season we can lose some FA's and get a draft pick . no I 'm not giving up the season but perhaps some youth will spark some life. who is the cardinals 2nd baseman? if the whitesox is out of it who is their speedy OF? with the long name. see my point i want gritty players

Bronx Bomber is writing some very good posts.

I didn't know Cano was laughing in the dugout ... with 2 errors? Would Chuck K. do that with his errors?

Diane, concerning the cutural aspect of the Yankees, I made the same case for what is wrong with the NHL. Hopefully this can sooth any PC sensibilities. Of course you saw on 9-11 the world is not one big shopping mall though, right?

My students are from Japan, Egypt, Thailand and Venezuela ... and they are so great. I always love to practice my Korean when I am in New York. I love true diversity for diversity's sake with no political agenda. Of course when you see Tribesmen in the Kalahari with a Nike shirt on it kind of ruins things ...

I brought in a guest speaker who survived The Killing Fields ... there are amazing people in all countries. And evil people too. We have many Bosnians here in St. Louis who went through hell. There is good and bad everywhere.

I was thinking after what you wrote about something one of my students told me, "Sayuki" or "our little girl has brought us much happiness." She said "I know how people talk about us here behind our backs. They think we are less." She said this last November, but only tonight I remembered it and it made me feel sad.

Yet what we have in the Yankees is a team of global All Stars with no real identity or focus.

And again, if I am George S. I am asking "Why not sign Josh Hamilton and save the 16 million?"

And I am sorry but the 46 mil for Igawa is a disgrace. Spend that money on players here so we can see them again and again, from Little League to Sandy Koufax to High School to College. Track kids and watch them develop. They do this in the Carribean, yes? I know I have lived there and seen it. Why not here? The scouting is a joke and there are character problems.

Also in effect we have two teams, one is high salary guys, the other are the lower echelon salaries with not much in the middle. Is that sustainable in the long run?

To come back and win this game tonight could have saved the season. After Boston and the Angels are done with us, then maybe changes will come.

The Biggest news of the day, Mayor Bloomberg and Chuck Hagel are launching a Third Party. This will shake up the landscape.

The Yanks need a shakeup too.

Bless you all tonight ... it is still going to be a fun season ... but I can't cheer for the team when the players think it is all a big joke.

Pride of the Yankees ...

ha ha..ur team sux. overpayed and unintrested make for a deadly combo. cano was the next rod carew i thought?..u guys miss chucky?..a-rod hits another MEANINGLESS dinger...clemens?..LMAO!!!...didnt they learn from the randy johnson experiment?...clemens is toast like RJ and mussina..at least u know george will buy and buy and buy and buy till something works. at wat point is it to much money..300 million..400 million?..

..i respect torre and feel bad for him, its undeserving but he will take the hit for this.

Nice try Roy,

We know that was you.

rebuild?...lol, u honestly think george will let them rebuild?...george dosnet even know the meaning of the word

Sox getting spanked 8-0 in the 6th....

oh well.....

I think it is very early to count us out yet. Sure the Soxs are playing hot but a 6 game skid for them and a 6 game winning streak makes the divison a whole lot tighter. I would like to see a shakeup soon but I don't think removing Toore would help. He has to play some of these failures we have because we cannot pay them to sit on the bench. So I don't fault Toore for this. However with that said I would not mind seeing Meyes,Giambi,Fransworth,Pavano and Vizicano go as soon as possible. Cano needs to be sent down to the minors for a bit. He always had a good bat but his defense has not been that good in the past. Now that he is not hitting well it is exposing his weakness even more. I would love to see an outfield with Kevin Thompson in center since Johnny proves he is no longer an outfielder and Melky in left and maybe we can try to trade Abreu in right and replace him since he doesn't run down balls out there. Although the Yanks have been playing weak as of late the starting pitching prospects we seen this year shows we do have a good future ahead with a bunch of good arms..Hughes,DeSalvo,Karstens,Rasner,and hopefully Wright will come back up and be better second time around. Lets not think about rebuilding in mid May.

Zander wrote probably the best Post in a week ... (I am thinking of that movie Zoolander for some reason) ... the adjectives and adverbs to describe the Yankees.

Maladroit was positively brilliant.

Rebuild or retool ...

What did Atlanta do? In one year they retooled. My high school football coach used to steal the best play of each of the other teams we played ... why not?

Where is Josh Hamilton?

Why not sign Todd Walker?

Would Mulder have come here?

Can we make a trade with SFG for an arm?

Why do our pitchers go to the All Star Game when they L E A V E

Westbrook

Lilly

Contreras (was he in the All Star Game? I thought so.)

What's with the Japan debacle, Irabu and Igawa?

Can they find another Wang?

What about Australians? They have produced some good players in Oz.

These are all questions I would ask Kat to explore in her writing ... Tom Verducci and Jon Heyman passed through her spot and she will do great things. She has a great job, possibly the BEST job in all of sports.

What about the Yanks relationship with Manchester United?

What about the new stadium, how is that coming along and how will it effect the team financially and otherwise?

Why didn't they sign Josh Hamilton? Guys like Mo and Posada could have reallly helped him along ... they are good men. We could have had Hamilton for a song, not 16 mil and he probably has the best tools in the game. Arm, bat speed. It's almost frightening. Other drug problems came through, Howe, DF and Straw, why not Josh? Need an answer.

Do they scout US college players? High School, if so (of course they do) which to they refer to sign?

What about the Yanks recruiting in the Carribean and Asia?

I would like to know more about all of these things and it would be good journalism.

I am thinking of writing a book about the Yankees, Cardinals, Baseball, Minor Leagues, foreign or international players, that would be fun I think.

Also, there are many US players in Japan and Taiwan, I wonder how they are viewed. My students from Japan know all the Japanese players and they also like the Cardinals. We have a player from Japan, So Tagachi.

Japanese call Ethno Europeans "guy-sheen" or "barbarian." They have a very interesting culture.

The Yanks must sell a lot of merchandise in Japan.
They are a cash cow, the most valuable franchise in sports, and to play this way with this much of a payroll and have players laughing on the bench is not ... the Pride of the Yankees ...

How will the ship be righted?

And I was thinking, maybe the games are good for Joe T, to take his mind off of his brother ... this must be very, very hard for him.

Where are Lucy and Jim A. and Diane tonight?

Removing Joe Torre is not going to help the situation. I agree that it would be pleasant to see him actually acting as if he cared; but if the Yanks fire him, all they are doing is ensuring this season is lost.

I understand what all of you are saying about Robinson Cano, but take a step back and realize that he is 23 years old and, usually, a very good contact hitter. While there is no defending the fact that he has been awful thus far, I feel he will come back strong from this. Although I feel the same thing for Bobby Abreu, I was never a fan of them trading for him in the first place. I have always viewed Abreu as a soft personality and all he has done this season is fuel that belief. He'll come back, but I don't see him as the great player people made him out to be last year. He is an overrated defensive outfielder with a very good arm. He is paid $17 million dollars basically for an AVG and OBP. He has no home run power whatsoever anymore. I will be so happy at years end when the Yankees decline his option and rid themselves of this absolutely awful contract. As for Johnny Damon, I was not a fan of signing him in the first place but I will not argue the fact that he is a warrior out there. Everybody in the ballpark can see he is playing hurt; in fact, he looks as if he is falling apart out there. But he is playing through it because he realizes there aren't better options at the present moment.

I think the scariest part of this team is the bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth has always been an awful pitcher; why Yankees fans thought at any time that he would be an addition was completely moronic. There is a reason Cubs fans despised him - he isn't a good pitcher. The faster he leaves NY, the better. Luis Vizcaino had his best season last year and he wasn't even that good - so why are we surprised that he has been terrible for this team this year? Even though Mike Myers has been bombed at times this year, he is being used wrong by this club. He is a situational lefty. Plain and simple. He is not a long man, as he has often been used this season. It is fair to say that he should go, but understand that he does not have the same role as a Ron Villone or Sean Henn would have. Completely different style pitcher.

AJ, we need a reality check for a minute. Philip Hughes is going to be a star - nobody is denying that. But you have false hope concerning Matt DeSalvo, Darrell Rasner, Jeff Karstens, and Chase Wright. These are fringe MLB pitchers. They don't have the stuff to make it as successful pitchers in this league. The best they can hope for is to be middle relievers. They are not an integral part of the organization; for instance, why did the Yankees call up Wright from Double-AA ball for the spot starts? Was it because he was ripping up Trenton? Or was it because they didn't want to hurt the development of the future pitchers of the team in Hughes and Tyler Clippard? Those two - along with Humberto Sanchez, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and possibly Dellin Betances down the road - are the future pitchers for the Yankees. Pitchers such as DeSalvo and Wright are a dime a dozen. They may give you innings at times, but the upside is really limited. It's already, maybe, to have one of them as a fifth starter. But avoid them if at all possible.

Bomber-
You are sounding like a front runner lately. All this talk about how much energy and fun the Mets are to watch and how you are having a hard time not rooting for them. As a TRUE Yankee fan I never struggle with that. I don't care if the Mets or Red Sox win all 162 and the Yanks don't win any, I'm rooting for the Yanks all the way. I stick w/ my team through thick and thin, you can't bail out on your team when the bad times hit.

Also, you were busting on Torre earlier for not putting Proctor in the game. Isn't he suspended?

Thick and Thin Bomber, hang in there....don't go over to the dark side because the Yanks are giving you ulcers for the first time in 12 years.

Jim A.,

Your brilliant posts were missed today.

Cano made 3 errors, then the relay on the DP ... and laughing in the dugout? That really upsets me. Yes it is only a game but would Paul O'Neil be laughing? Hell he threw a tantrum every time he made an out.

Bronx B. is right, I want gamers and grinders and we don't have that ... or not enough of them ... I don't like the chemistry ... The Knicks and Rangers for so long operated as the Yankees have ... or are ... and we need to get out of that.

Today was a microcosm of the season ...

I think tomorrow I am going to play catch with Faith Hill II and not think about the Yankees. It's Sunday ... and they are likely to drive one mad ... I used to like the Mets ... they were the underdogs in 2000 and Clemens hitting Piazza really upset me ... but now the Mets are on top of the world ... finding a way to win ... but Atlanta will have something to say, did you see their pride in the second game vs. Boston? Atlanta got their rear handed to them and they responded. Will the Yanks respond? Right now, no.

Correction it is So Taguchi, number 99 ... I think I spelled his name wrong. I am "bakka guy-sheen!" Or "stupid barbarian."

Jeff, the quality of this blog is exactly drawn at a right angle to the path of the ball which Cano threw off of his shoe ...

Does this make sense to you? It makes no sense to me, but it is true nevertheless. Scientists at NASA have already documented this during the past few hours. It is truly maladroit. It is obtuse. Obtuse was the one word Zoolander forgot to use in his brilliant writing today.

Course Name: Yankee Economics 101

Student Name: Brian The Cash Man

Today's exam ...

Josh Hamilton or Bobby A. Major League minimum for the player with the best arm and bat speed on the planet or 16 million for the Anti Paul O'Neil?

Johnny Damon or Bubba Crosby? Or even Bing Crosby, this isn't a rocket launch to Mars.

Should we go to the Marlins for Beckett or Pavano? Hmmm ... think hard this is a very, very tricky question. Stephen Hawking actually missed it last semester. Oh we didn't have the players to get Beckett right ... what's that thing I think they call it a what is it again, a farm system ... yes, that's it! A farm system which actually develops Major League ready talent. Like the Brewers or even Tampa Bay.

How much Saki does a Yankee scout drink during a trip to Japan before signing a pitcher?

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/jericho/

I want everyone to start watching Jericho on line via CBS. It is so good. And in the premier Jake Green says he was away playing minor league baseball. Actually he's a mercenary with Executive Outcomes or Sandline ... but baseball is a part of Jericho for sure, in that one lil' bit of dialogue.

Yanks

3-9 vs. lefties

it is clearly evident the Yanks lack a balanced attack.
Cairo has apparently fallen out of disfavor w/Torre was always a pretty good pinchhitter why he isn't being used against lefties is a mystery to me?
Nieves is a waste of roster space.
Opposing teams will feed the Yanks a steady diet of lefties in late inning pressure situations.When will the Yanks learn ?
Giambi can't hit lefty cheese
Mankanthitz as a pinchhitter ?
Didn't the Yanks know this would be a problem especially during interleague play ?

Scranton updates:

Angel Chavez SS
.318 21-66

Andy Phillips
.324 48-148
7 2B 2 3B 7 HR 23 RBI
.405 OBP .541 Slugging

Omar Santos Catcher
.294 20-68

Chase Wright
2-1 in 4 starts
28 innings 2.93 ERA
opponents are hitting .210

From the AP wire:

The American Red Cross announced this morning that in an emergency relief effort it was donating and sending 5,000,000 humble pies to be delivered throughout the metropolitan New York City area to confused and agitated Yankee fans.

To Yanks:
When something goes wrong, it surely goes wrong. The management should get a pink slip.

Bobby

To Yanks:
When something goes wrong, it surely goes wrong. The management should get a pink slip.

Bobby

ACL,

Perhaps the biggest travesty of this season for Yankee Fans is that they have had a need for a while now to see what young players they had in their system that could be big league players. They were forced by circumstances to put them into the fire and with all the young guys droppoing, now you still dont know which ones are the keepersa and which one are the trade bait.

Karstens, Rasner and Hughes are still at this point question marks. It would have been nice for the team to see them each get a shot to prove their worth but now that gets delayed again to next season. By then the kook in charge may have spent 100 million on a bunch of aging pitchers.

As for what Atlanta did to retool...they really didnt do a lot. 2 years ago they had a great rookie class come through. 6 guys that contributed significantly to the Division Championship. Last year a few of them didnt perform so they were moved(Adam Larouche). They really only upgraded the bullpen. Other than that the starting teams is pretty much the same as last year.

The funniest thing about the Red Sox & Mets fans right now is that they are BOTH celebrating the World Series in May -- just because they're ahead of the Yankees. I didn't know this was the criteria for winning the World Series, nor did I know that BOTH teams could actually win the same year. They are also acting as though Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee don't exist.

If we don't make it to the World Series, we can still relish the fact that ONE, if not BOTH, of these teams will be eating crow, along with that humble pie (there's plenty to go round for all of us, Casual). Staring Yankees fans in the face after losing in the playoffs or the World Series is going to be more devastating for Red Sox & Mets fans after the way they're treating us now.

If one of them wins the World Series, 2008 is right around the corner (and 2007 becomes HISTORY very quickly -- just like our 26 World Series titles that Red Sox & Mets fans HATE to acknowledge, declaring insignificant in value today). Notably, our present World Champion Cardinals are at .400 right now, while the 2005 World Champion White Sox are one game over .500. So remember, fellow Yankees Fans, tomorrow comes sooner than expected and our revenge (by winning again) is going to taste sweeter than ever after suffering so much defeat today.

It would seem to me that the Yank managment team must make a list that spells out who is and who is not to be part of the future of the NYY's.

This list must be committed to by the entire managment team, and adhered to. For example:

Jeter
A-Rod
Cano
Hughes
Wang

May want to be on the "untouchable" side of the list.

Posada
Giambi
Abreau
Damon

may want to be on the "aging and let's move for someone if we can" list.

while others might make the "dump them" list.

It may take a period of 2-3 years to accmplish the objetive...but with the financial resources the Yanks have, it may not.

Lucy,

I can assure you that most Sox fans ARE NOT celebrating anything other than the fact their team is riding high on the wave right now. I mean, please....Sox fans have been through what you Yank fans are going through now many times. I will say we are getting more comfortable each day the season passes as it is becoming clear that it would take two unlikey events to keep the sox from the post season....a total collapse by the Sox...and a remarkable comeback by everyone else in the east. Possible?...sure.....but highly improbable.

Let me just add this.....no matter the final outcome come October, I, like many other fans, will enjoy the ride.

The playing of Phelps while Doug's bat was hot has been a complaint of mine recently, but I'm happy to see that Phelps is producing right now (even though I'm still not thrilled about his prowess at 1B). Doug's bat was bound to cool off probably right about now, and Phelps would naturally see more at-bats as a result. Doug could have helped us more than Phelps in the past couple of weeks, whereas Phelps would take over when Doug faltered (helping us the way he is now). I just wish Phelps were more of a utility player because he could be that shake-up player the team needs right now (giving us the ability to bench the non-producers).

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy...tsk tsk tsk.

"Staring Yankees fans in the face after losing in the playoffs or the World Series is going to be more devastating for Red Sox & Mets fans after the way they're treating us now."

The Yankees have not won a WS this century....I dont think Sox or Mets fans are going to have any problems whatsoever staring the fans of a sub .500 team in the face no matter the outcome of this season.

Casual, you have a wise attitude towards the game, but many Red Sox & Mets fans I've been encountering lately aren't as wise as you. The worst remark I hear from the mouth of any adversary is the wishing of death and injury on our players, while we're already down. I'm finding this sort of disturbing thinking to be very common and I'm trying not to resort to anger. Instead, I realize where it's coming from, so my response is exactly what I posted above. Revenge (by winning in the future) is the best medicine to deal with this abuse and cure this malaise.

Lucy,
I recall apost during the Sox series

"Someone needs to bean Ortiz off his Gorilla head"

More recently,

" Ihate these Red Sox fans, I cant wait tillPapelbon blows out his elbow"

"Come on when are the Red Sox going to have their devastating injury"

And what Mets fans have you seen on this site, much less ones cheering injury.

If you look at the course of events over the past 3-4 seasons, since Theo has been at the helm of the Sox, you will notice that he has a very defined plan.

Luck is of course a factor...no arguing that point, but Theo has done a few thing very well and it is making the difference for the Sox.

First, he seems to have an ability to know when to part with a formerly "star" player for the Sox...ie, Nomar, Damon, Pedro.

Second he has targeted specific young players and has attempted to get them...some he has managed to, others he has not. Some of the targeted players have been bust...ie Renteria...but more often that player has provided what was expected or even more...ie Ortiz.

Thirdly, he has established a very deep and talented minor league system that will feed the parent club for years to come, as well as give the Sox great strength in trade possibilities.

Since Theo has been at the helm the Sox have won one WS title, and have been to the post 3 of 4 years...and of course will return there this season.

The Yanks have alot of the same components....if they choose a simular game-plan it wont be very long before they are back to the top of the pile.

Casual,

Bad example in Renteria. The Sox should have kept him. Boy theu could use a productive 2nd baseman.

Lucy,

I do understnd your frustration. That frustration is magnified because your team is far better talent-wise than they are showing.As I stated above, the problem may be that the Yanks are trying to get more out of "past their prime" players than they should expect. The Yanks really need to become more proactive and stop trying to "patchwork" a squad and being so reactive to what other teams are doing.

Nudge,

You are wrong about Renteria.

He is, evidently, far too delicate to play in the AL East, and even more so, Boston. He made 30 errors and his obp, ba, and power numbers were abysmal. The biggest blunder of Theo's tenure...bar none.

The Sox have a rookie 2Bman by the name of Pedroia...a Eckstein type of player who is starting to come around...he plays a decent 2B..has good range, good arm, and he has a large bat for a little guy. Of course, the Sox also have the luxury of perhaps the best "super sub" in the game in the likes of Alex Cora to fall back on as well.

I love Alex Cora, but Renteria had a single bad season. He has played lights out the past 2 years in Atlanta and last year when the Braves were floundering was one of their bright spots.

Renteria only missed 9 games with Boston, probably less than the average 2B in the league.

Pedroia may be the future but he certainly isnt the present.

Ha-ha, LMAO, that's the new argument, we haven't won yet this numerical CENTURY -- all 6 years of it (with 94 more to go to disprove that theory). Actually, the entire world celebrated the 21st Century in the year 2000, so while the number 2,000 it's not mathematically considered a number within the following millennium, the entire world (other than Red Sox & Mets fans) considers the year 2000 the FIRST 21st Century CALENDAR year. We have been celebrating the SPIRIT of the 21st Century since the year 2000, while the mathematicians of the world are becoming anal over the numerical sequence of digits that comprise 100 years and a millennium.

Nudge, I didn't use this site alone as an example. I do visit other blogs and I live in New York (seeing Mets fans regularly). Those comments are wrong coming from the mouths of any fan. The wishing of death on Steinbrenner and our players is a comment I'm seeing too often. Too cruel and too disturbing.

Casual, again you're making some very wise comments. You've been there before and you know what it's like. You should definitely enjoy the season no matter what the outcome. My remarks aren't directed towards Red Sox & Mets fans that think the same way you do (and there are plenty out there).

AJ, Zander, Mike: Glad to see you guys around -- nice to read some posts that are actually about specifics of what is happening with the Yankees, squeezed in between the tediously repetitious jabs and the longwinded bloviating.

Jim A.: Exactly. My team when they win, my team when they lose, my team when they're brilliant, my team when they're dolts.

Michael: The Questar rig-up can only fix hitting. If Cano insists on giving back more runs with his glove than he picks up with his bat, there's not much hope. That's without even going into the whole giggling around in the dugout performance, which makes me wonder whether the minor leagues would really be the right place for him, or would a middle school playground be more like it?

Well,

It probably isnt fair to compare Pedroia and Renteria in the first place.

Renteria is a SS who is large by SS standards....he has the ability to hit 20+ dingers as well as bat for a higher average.

I believe the current Sox SS, Lugo has simular ability to Renteria's offenvsive numbers (perhaps a lower ba), but is a superior defensive SS in terms of range.

Pedroia will likely never hit more than 12-15 dingers in a season, or bat over 295-305....but he isnt expected to, or needed to.

If he can be a "steady eddy" as he has shown in the farm system, he'll be fine. As far as him playing this year...why not?....time to work in a rookie at 2B who bats 9th in an outstanding lineup. Dustin is doing ok...got his average up to 260...and I believe will finish in the 275 range.

Lucy,

Check the posts on this site about wishes for peoples death from your own. Thats my last comment about ill wishers. I pay no attention to their ranting since they usually come from 16 year olds. Again is not only bad sportsmanship but not good humanity.

I think most of us are ALL on the same page with the idiotic and ridiculous posts regarding the health and welfare of a fellow human being, no matter which uniform he wears.

which...I should add...does not include Phuck's and Diane's hilarious skit they are currently having fun with.

Nothing wrong with a bit of gallows humor.

Nudge, it doesn't matter the age of the blogger, even kids should know better than to wish death (and injury) on an adversary.

by the way,

My "AP wire" crack about the humble pies was meant to elicit a few chuckles....

I thought it was quite clever.

My posts today were an attempt at offering a band aid to Fellow Yankees fans. I find when you're losing, you can always enjoy your inherited history and you can always look to the future. When you are reviled by the "enemy," it feels good to acknowledge that the tables keep turning and we won't be in the same position forever. Another valuable lesson we can learn in trying times: never kick a dog when he's down, because he's bound to get up again and bite you in the a$$ when you're not looking.

Casual, sorry I didn't feel the humble pie humor. It's hard to have a sense of humor when you're down. I keep telling myself to lighten up, it's only a game, but winning does provide a means of uplifting and diversion when other things in life are going wrong. When your team is consistently losing, it just adds to the weight that the rest of the world is placing on your shoulders.

Lucy,

I am a Pats fan too...last season reminded me that I can not take it for granted that the Pats will always win if they get to the post season.

I ate my slice of humble pie, and am ready to see what they can do this coming season.

When they win it all again (assuming they do) I'll appreciate the feeling a little more than the last 2 SB titles.

As far as the Sox go...when they won it in 04' the emotions were indiscribable...the first time I have had tears (of joy) since my son was born (in 1982). If the Sox do win a few more WS titles...I'll enjoy them, and try to appreciate it..but it wont be like 04. That was truly magic.

Wow, I'm beginning to feel like a martyr. My misery (Yankees losing) is bringing other people joy (other teams beating them and winning). Hmmm, maybe martyrdom is something I can live with.