Kuzul

Apparently, to two-time All-Star selection Mark Teixeira, the New York Yankees, with the highest payroll and the best offense in the league, are now underdogs.

“I think we relish the underdog role,” Teixeira said. “I love it. I love the fact that people say Boston’s the best team in the league right now. They had a great offseason, they have a great team. If someone picks us second or third in the division, I think we’re going to relish that role. No one’s going to feel sorry for the Yankees.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Tex.  He’s a great player and was much needed after seeing Jason Giambi’s defense.  But really, underdogs?  Let’s take a quick look at the Yankees and Red Sox from each major section of any baseball team.

Offense

While the Red Sox added a great power guy in Adrian Gonzalez, and a top-three speedster in Carl Crawford, it wasn’t a large of enough push to overcome the Yankees power-wise.  If you look down the lineup, think about who will produce more. Derek Jeter will hit better than Marco Scutaro, Robinson Cano over Dustin Pedroia, Alex Rodriguez over Kevin Youkilis, Russell Martin over Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Curtis Granderson over Jacoby Ellsbury and Nick Swisher over J.D. Drew. 

The only spot where you could say the Red Sox are better offensively is Carl Crawford over Brett Gardner (it’s actually closer than you think) and Adrian Gonzalez over Mark Teixeira.

Bullpen

With the acquisition of Rafael Soriano, who had the most saves in Major League Baseball last season, and the highly underrated Pedro Feliciano, the Yankees now have arguably the best bullpen in baseball, and only San Diego offers competition for that title.  Though the Red Sox added a good piece in Bobby Jenks, he is set to fight Jonathan Papelbon for the closer role, an example as to how the mighty have fallen.

Rotation

Though the Red Sox do in fact have a better starting rotation, it isn’t because they have one filled with superstars and the Yankees don’t. It’s more so because of the quality as well as quantity, whereas the Yankees are depleted in both (unless you count all the minor-league signings to pan out). 

Look at it this way, the Yankees have a better ace in CC Sabathia against Jon Lester, and you could make a case that Phil Hughes is better than Clay Buchholz/Josh Beckett, but after that, it’s all Red Sox. 

A.J. Burnett is a disaster and John Lackey is more consistent.  Ivan Nova, though I think he’s better than people make him out to be, is still just a rookie, and the Yankees don’t even have a fifth starter set in place.

Conclusion

All in all, contrary to some overly optimistic Boston reporters (who say the Red Sox will win the World Series every year), the Yankees are not underdogs.  They just aren’t.  The Athletics? Sure, they’re underdogs. But the New York Yankees?  No.

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As you may, scratch that, ALREADY have heard, the talks between the New York Yankees and Derek Jeter have “gotten heated”.  Insults have been said, and other things each side wishes they hadn’t done has been released in the press. 

Many New York media outlets and reporters are congratulating the Steinbrenners and GM Brian Cashman for not giving Jeter what he wanted (reportedly at first six years for $150 million dollars, now around $23- $24 million annually for four or five years).  Casey Close, Derek Jeter‘s agent, was “baffeled” (sorry I used the quote, but I had to) by the three-year $45 million offer New York put on the table.

Usually, when dealing with greedy owners and faces-of-franchises, the fans will side with the player.  But for some strange case, Yankees fans are going against the man that brought back New York to respectability (baseball wise), and, more importantly, a baseball player that might have been the most influential in winning 4 World Championships in 5 years.

Normally, “the Golden Boy” for baseball and New York, Derek Jeter, is the player managers wish they had 25 of.  A guy that is hard-working, clutch, and never gets in the news for any bad publicity.  Oh, and he’s got 5 World Series rings as well.

However, New York fans are saying that Derek Jeter is now, after 15 years of silence, finally showing his true colors.  He is becoming the egotistical player Alex Rodriguez was and yearns for what most likely is his last big payday.

They say its just another player that wants more money from the team with the most.  Time to show Jeter just who is boss.

Remember that word Yankee fans, because if The Boss were still around, Derek Jeter would be re-signed to a deal already and be chilling out in Tampa, watching some football.  But alas, the “young elephants” are now into the tent and that may just be the undoing of the New York Yankees as a team.

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With the MLB Hot Stove just begining to heat up, its time we look at the possible moves for this off-season.  Since the Yankees didn’t make the World Series and thus labeling the 2010 season as a failure, they will definetely be looking to add pieces to make them better.

Even though the Yankees don’t do every single rumor that is made by a “source close to them”, what if they did?  Imagine it, having 5 starting pitchers that were once the ace for their staff, and having 9 All-Stars in the lineup.  New York fans can only dream.

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The Rangers beat the Yankees four games to two in the 2010 ALCS, and with the loss, the great New York Yankees season is over.  Many players are gong to free agency, and the managerial spot for the Yankees is very much so up in the air. 

Let’s start with Derek Jeter.  The Yankee captain is one of the most likely to sign back with New York, besides maybe Mariano Rivera.  Although, after coming off his worst season ever, no one knows how long the Bombers will re-sign Jeter to. He is on pace to get his 3,000th hit next year, and you can’t see him doing that with another team, can you?

On to Mariano Rivera, a surefire Hall-of-Famer.  Rivera has broken pretty much every relief pitching record aside from most career saves, for which he is second only to Trevor Hoffman.  Mo is the best of the best, and the Yankees absolutely need to make sure that they sign him to a multi-year contract, although he might choose Andy Pettitte’s route and take it one year at a time.

Now let’s talk about Andy Pettitte, another member of the core four. This will be Andy’s third season for which the lefty will seriously contemplate retirement.  Year in and year out, Pettitte provides length, something pitchers don’t do so much of anymore, but if he does come back, the Yankees manager (probably Joe Girardi) will have to make sure not to use him for too long, as he’s getting up there in age.

The Yankees will surely make a hard push for Cliff Lee, as he yet again beat New York in the playoffs and dominated throughout the postseason.  With Lee in the rotation, the Bombers pitching staff will be substantially better. 

Some might say that the Yankees are just “buying” everyone again, but with perhaps Pettitte and definitely Vazquez out of the rotation, New York is likely to fill a spot or two with Ivan Nova and maybe Joba Chamberlain.

Needless to say, the 2011 season for the Yankees will have the same expectations as always; anything but a championship is a failure.

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Throughout the 2010 season, the New York Yankees had many pitching issues.  Like with A.J. Burnett, he was about as frustrating a pitcher you can come across.  What about Andy Pettitte, going down with an injury mid-season and forcing a spot-starter to go in his place.

And then there’s Javier Vasquez.  After starting the season much like Chien Ming-Wang did last year, Vasquez had a stretch when he was as good as anyone pitching on a mound.

However, since the All-Star break, it seems like Vasquez has lost it, whether it be mentally or physically.  He went through a “dead-arm” stage where he couldn’t even break the 90’s.  Now, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland as well as numerous Yankees fans are scratching their heads.  “What happened to him?” they’re asking themselves.  “Where’s the guy that almost won the Cy Young last year?” others say.

I believe that Vasquez hasn’t been as dominant as he was last year, and I know this sounds like a cliche, but I think its because he’s not in the NL anymore.

Think about it, remember that Game seven collapse in ’04 when he gave up that homer to Johnny Damon?  Yeah, so do I.   But then, out of nowhere, here comes Javy last year pitching like a maniac and striking out batters 238 times.  He also had a 2.87 ERA compiled along with a 15-10 record.

So then why has he under-performed this year?  Could it be because he just can’t pitch in New York, or that he is like A.J. Burnett and is as hot an cold as a tea kettle in 5 minutes (but then again, the tea kettle’s more consistent).

Again, what I think the problem is is that Vasquez is meant for the National League.

However, now he is off the roster and Girardi might bring him up in the WS if the Yanks get there.  What makes the scenario even more interesting is that New York will need a fourth starter this year unlike last, and honestly, do you want to go to Burnett done two games to one or even worse, three to none?  I sure as heck know I don’t. 

Also, what if New York’s up two to one of 3 to none, do Joe Girardi and the Yankees use Vasquez in a situation when the other team’s back are against the wall?

Only time will tell, but it will make for a interesting situation if it does indeed occur.

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Well, the 2010 Major League Baseball playoffs are finally upon us, and who on your team is the best out there?  What about battles like Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, and Joey Votto; Jorge Posada and Joe Mauer; and Roy Halladay against CC Sabathia.

To say the least, this should be one heck of a postseason.

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You can say a lot of things about the New York Yankees.  They’ve got the most money, their offense is unbeatable, the list goes on and on.  However, one thing you can’t say is that their starters are a lock every time they take the mound. 

A.J. Burnett has been up and down, Hughes has been shaky but good for the most part, and Javier Vazquez was demoted to the bullpen.

This has arisen many issues like, “Who starts Game 2?  Well they go with three starters like last year, or four?” 

Joe Girardi, who has already received much criticism from New York’s fan base, will undoubtedly receive more once he announces his choice.  They will play game 162 still trying for the division win, and they can do so if the Rays lose and they win, but manager Joe Girardi will most likely be worrying about his playoff roster.

The Yankees will be trying for their 28th title, and this is the how the playoff rotation should look like for New York.

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As I was cruising the Internet last night, I saw Jose Bautista‘s stats, and a thought struck me, “How come nobody has ever said Jose Bautista is a MVP candidate?”

Could it be because of his moderately low batting average?

Or what about the fact that he’s on a fourth-place team with nothing to play for?

On the other hand, these could just as easily be strong points. “Well, if they’ve got nothing to play for, then imagine if he did have something driving him?”

When talking about the AL MVP, we only mention Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, and (even though he’s injured) Josh Hamilton. But how is it that the man with the most home runs in the league (the guy with the second most is 15 under him) and the second most RBI in the league (behind Cabrera by two) hasn’t gotten any serious most valuable player contention?

Well, let’s look at it.

The last time a player won an MVP award in the AL and their team was in fourth place or under was in 2003, when Alex Rodriguez was on the last-place Rangers. So, if he could win being on a last-place team, why can’t Bautista win if he’s on a fourth-place Blue Jays team in the toughest division in all of baseball and nonetheless eight games above .500?

Well, unlike the Cy Young award, voters for the MVP think highly of what place your team is in.

Think about it, this year, Hamilton and Cano are most likely the top two choices for AL MVP because of not only their stats but the fact that both of their teams are going to the playoffs.

However, even though Miguel Cabrera has terrific stats, he is on a third-place Tigers team that has been out of the race since August. Now, he probably will finish third or fourth for MVP voting.

There is also where Bautista plays as a factor. New York and Texas are big media areas, but Toronto? Not so much.

People in Canada probably aren’t as crazed about Baustista wining the MVP as people in Texas and New York are about Hamilton and Cano wining it, respectively.

These are two main factors that, in my opinion, represent the cause of the Jays slugger from being given any serious consideration for the American League Most Valuable Player award.

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In this past off-season, the New York Yankees needed a bat.  Having no Hideki Matsui or Johnny Damon, they need someone to fill an outfield void.  So, they did what they always do: they got who they wanted.

Curtis Granderson came to the Yankees as part of a three-team, six player deal; sending Granderson to New York, Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks, and Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke, and Austin Jackson to the Tigers.

There was much outcry by New York fans because it seemed like Cashman was sending away yet another speedy and young outfielder, just like he had done in 2008 with Jose Tabata. 

They complained how he couldn’t hit righties, and even Brian Cashman was saying stuff about him.  “Is he the perfect player?” No, he’s not the perfect player.” 

Well if he’s not, then why did you let Matsui go, who in the World Series seemingly was.

They also complained about Curtis not being able to hit lefties, among other things like not adjusting to the New York lifestyle.

Once the fans got use to it, though, they thought, the Yankees were getting a 30 home run guy who some predicted would hit 40 and even maybe 50 home runs with the short porch in right field.

He had great speed himself, and who didn’t remember that time when he stole Grady Sizemore’s home run?  Maybe, it’ll turn out Cashman wasn’t as stupid as we thought he was. 

And when he hit that home run on Opening Day, New Yorkers were beginning to get giddy with themselves.

But as the season progressed, Granderson got bad, and Jackson got hot.  A-Jax looked like he was going to hit .310 and maybe 15 home runs with how well he was hitting the ball.  Granderson, on the other hand, was on the DL and indeed couldn’t hit lefties.

In the middle of August, taking a day off facing the Royals, Curtis decided to use his time wisely and work out with arguably the best hitting coach out there, Kevin Long.  At the time, he was hitting .239 with only 10 home runs and 33 RBI. 

Said Long, “Granderson came to me and said, ‘I want to try something different.”  And I said, “What do you suggest?'”  Since then, Granderson has raised his average to .251 and hit 13 home runs with 30 more RBI. 

Also, he is in the midst of a hit streak, and John Sterling, the Yankees radio announcer has said, “It seems like he’s hitting a home run every other day now.”  So true John, so true.

Also, Jackson has considerably gotten back down to Earth; batting .295 with 4 home runs and 37 RBI on the season. 

Basically, since that lesson with K-Long, Granderson has reached everyone’s expectations that he had gotten when he came to New York, and Jackson has been your usual rookie with nothing spectacular.

As on now, this trade has been a definite boom, but there is still time, and no one can fully say it was a success until Jackson retires.

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      The New York Yankees are in a slump.  A bad one at that.  However, they are still very much in the hunt.  With their magic number down to 3, and facing the Red Sox, there’s a good chance that they will have clinched a playoff spot by the end of the weekend.  With many of the Yankees in their 30’s, it’s vital that they clinch by the weekend so that they can rest their starters.

      The Yankees toughest opponent standing in the way of them heading back to the playoffs is themselves.  When the Yankees had their eight-game wining streak from August 28th to September 4th, they were firing on all cylinders; the pitching was continuously throwing well, and there was no shortage of offense.  But now, even the Master™, C.C. Sabathia, has weakened and was blown out by the Rays.  After a promising first start off the D.L., Andy Pettitte was shelled by the Red Sox, giving up 7 runs in less than four innings.

      Many New York fans are scared, afraid that they won’t make the playoffs like 2008.  They’re calling out Girardi and are fuming about not getting another pitcher, like Cliff Lee.

      I, on the other hand, see no reason to panic.  Every team goes through their slumps. The Yankees have just had more than last year which is why people are scared.  Like I said, everyone goes through slumps, so why haven’t the Rays gone through one lately?  The last time  I remember them going through a rough patch was when B.J. Upton wasn’t hustling and Longoria was about to punch him.  So aren’t they due?  I certainly think so.

      Maybe, just maybe, it would be better if the Rays got a playoff spot first.  Think about it.  If they do, then you have to think even Joe Maddon would rest his starters.  Playing 162 games in about 175 days must be tiring, especially with the added pressure of playing in a pennant race.  So, right about now would be the perfect time for the Rays to get their late-season slump, and the Yankees to get their late-season push.  This is why the Yankees will win the AL East, and later-on the World Series.  So don’t worry Yankees fans, the best is yet to come.

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