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Yankees Dilemma: If You Were CC Sabathia What Would You Do?

Posted by on 25 February 2011, 3:06 pm

The New York Yankees are never short of drama, and at the start of spring training, ace CC Sabathia became the latest headline.

After finishing the 2008 season without making the playoffs, the Yankees went on an offseason spending spree. The team’s biggest purchase was ace Sabathia, who inked a monster contract worth $152 million to keep him in pinstripes for seven seasons.

Sabathia, being from the West Coast, was reluctant to call the Bronx home. So, along with the cash came an opt-out clause that allowed for Sabathia to say adios at his discretion after three seasons.

The added reassurance might have been the reason Sabathia finally signed but now could cost the Yankees their ace or dollars, and Yankee fans are concerned.

From the moment Sabathia stepped on the mound at Yankee Stadium, he has been worth every penny.

To say he is the Yankees’ ace is an understatement, as Sabathia has been a CY Young-caliber pitcher, posting a 40-15 record, a 3.27 ERA, with 394 strikeouts. He is an absolute workhorse and innings-eater, throwing for 468 total.

The Yankees won the 2009 World Series and made it to the 2010 ALCS on Sabathia’s shoulders. He was named the 2009 ALCS MVP, made the 2010 All-Star team and came in fourth and second in the CY Young voting respectively.

Not only is this 6’7″ athlete a giant player but an absolutely delightful teammate, who was embraced by Yankee fans like he had been here his whole career.

So, when Sabathia answered the question of why he wouldn’t opt out during a TV interview at a Knicks game on December 8, 2010, fans thought the ace said he was here to stay.

Sabathia’s exact words were:

“I signed up for seven years, and this is a good organization. You get a chance to win a championship every year, so it was an easy decision.”

Well, now this tune has changed, as Sabathia didn’t reiterate the same sentiments the first day of spring training. It is what he didn’t say that is making Yankee fans anxious, as Sabathia didn’t utter the same words and left the door open that anything can happen regarding his contract. Continue reading ‘Yankees Dilemma: If You Were CC Sabathia What Would You Do?’ »

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New York Yankees: How Does Justin Duchscherer Fit In The Bronx, He Doesn’t

Posted by on 12 January 2011, 5:43 am
Zack Greinke

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Another day of no good news out of New York Yankees front office regarding signing a player who can help the team win in 2011.

GM Brian Cashman’s latest rumored pursuant is pitcher Justin Duchscherer.

Once again, Cashman continues confusing Yankee fans, as Duchscherer is a nightmare version of ace Zach Greinke.

Greinke was just on the auction block, but the Yankees didn’t feel Greinke could mentally handle the bright lights in the Bronx.

Greinke had suffered from depression and social anxiety disorder, which sidelined him in 2006 for the season. Returning to the majors in May of 2007, Greinke was demoted to the bullpen but made it back to the rotation in 2008. He won the Cy Young in 2009 and has been an ace with no real injury history to date.

So, for what feels like the billionth time this offseason, the Yankees passed on a player. Instead, the Milwaukee Brewers traded for Greinke and bettered themselves for 2011.

At the time, Cashman’s excuse for not going after Greinke seemed to make sense.

That is why this Duchscherer rumor is so off-putting, here is why:

Now 33 years old, Duchscherer’s first full season in the majors didn’t come until 2004 as a reliever for the Oakland A’s.

This happened the same year 25-year-old Greinke debuted as a starter for the Kansas City Royals.

Unlike Greinke, Duchscherer has had brief periods of major league success, both out of the bullpen and as a starter.

Duchscherer’s career year-by-year is a mess, and he was on the same team each season except for a 2001 stint with the Rangers. To make life easier, below is a timeline from his first full season to present; all with the Oakland A’s:

2004-2006: Pitched in relief all three-seasons, appeared in 171 games for a total of 236.5 innings and 195 strikeouts. Named to the 2005 All-Star Team.

2007: Placed on DL on May 14th with season-ending hip surgery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: How Does Justin Duchscherer Fit In The Bronx, He Doesn’t’ »

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Going from Good To Great: Why the Yankees Need To Sign Rafael Soriano

Posted by on 30 December 2010, 4:48 am

I have mentioned this a few times already, but he is worth the attention again.

Rafael Soriano is still a free agent, available and on the market. Whatever it is shocking considering he was the AL’s dominate closer in 2010 with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Even before Cliff Lee’s decision, Soriano as a player would have been more than enough for the New York Yankees to walk away with heads high.

Soriano was the best closer in the AL in 2010, leading the league with 45 saves, posting a 1.73 ERA, striking out 57 in just shy of 63 innings. Soriano was named to the 2010 All-Star team, won the 2010 AL Rolaids Relief Man Award, finished eighth in CY Young and 12th in MVP voting respectively.

Soriano will cost his new team two-draft picks as he falls into the Type A free agent category.

Yes, he will not come cheap especially considering his agent is Scott Boras, but it would be money well spent.

Boras makes any team pay no matter what, but the greediest agent has some tainted history with the Yankees, which might drive the price up some.

Look it is no secret the Bombers are a tad desperate, whether GM Brian Cashman and the little Steinbrenner’s care to admit it, fans know it, the players know it and Boras knows it.

Soriano’s role would change, as he would set-up to the great Rivera. Soriano was in the bullpen for the majority of his early pro-years. Continue reading ‘Going from Good To Great: Why the Yankees Need To Sign Rafael Soriano’ »

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MLB Hot Stove: New York Yankees Looking At Wrong Royals Pitcher

Posted by on 2 December 2010, 10:31 am
Donald Zackary "Zack" Greinke, an am...

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Rumor has it that the Kansas City Royals have been dangling 2009 CY Young winner Zack Greinke as trade bait to the New York Yankees.

This seems sketchy when you consider that Greinke has a no-trade clause in his contract, with the Yankees being first on the list.

Greinke has also suffered major depression and anxiety issues that have interfered with his playing time.

Even as a Yankee fan, it is completely understandable why playing in the Bronx would not be ideal for a player tormented with Greinke’s problems.

New York’s big lights cause major pressure, and good pitchers have collapsed under them too many times—just look at Javier Vazquez or Carl Pavano.

Looking at that the meek 2010 free agent pitchers market, Cliff Lee is the only certifiable superstar on it.

It is no secret that the Yankees are rolling out the red carpet for Lee. The Royals are well aware that if Lee is not in pinstripes next season, the Yankees could go all out in desperation for an arm like Greinke. Continue reading ‘MLB Hot Stove: New York Yankees Looking At Wrong Royals Pitcher’ »

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ALCS 2010: Will Texas Rangers Cliff Lee Give Or Get A Bronx Bombing?

Posted by on 13 October 2010, 10:57 am

The moment the Texas Rangers‘ Cliff Lee hurled his last strike Tuesday night; he not only killed the Tampa Bay Rays‘ postseason dreams, but also gave the New York Yankees an official ALCS opponent for Game One on Friday night.

The Yankees will fly down to Texas to face the Rangers in the seven-game ALCS series, which for one team will lead to the World Series.

In all honesty, predictions were betting the Rays would beat the Rangers in the ALDS, but in a five-game series, there is no room to stumble.

The Rays didn’t start playing up to their ability until Game Three, and by the time Tampa caught up, it was Cliff Lee time in the deciding game.

Cy Young winner and certified bad-ass Cliff Lee is no stranger to pressure, especially in the postseason. Watching Lee’s postseason career is literally watching baseball history in the making.

In seven starts, Lee posts a 1.44 ERA, allowing nine earned runs, six walks, striking out 54 hitters and giving up just one home run over 56.1 innings.

Three of those seven wins were complete games; the last was this past Tuesday night to beat the Rays and lead the Rangers to the ALCS for the first time.

Except for changing uniforms like it’s Halloween in the Bronx, Lee and his famous left arm are no stranger to the Yankees. Neither are Yankees fans, who will get to see Lee in the Yankees’ first ALCS home game next Monday night, the third of the series.

If recent history can predict any game’s outcome, this would be it. Lee is the dictator when he starts; if he wants to win, he does.

The Yankees have shown signs of getting to Lee in the past with some success, but not in 2010 and certainly not in the postseason, which was witnessed in the 2009 World Series when Lee was a Philadelphia Phillie.

The Yankees are by no means underdogs in this series against the Rangers, except any game Lee pitches because the Bombers are at his mercy, but this time things will be different.

Overall, the Yankees have the better team; way more experience and are beyond determined to repeat.

Not just for the players’ own egos because the team owes someone else another World Series title, to say the least.

Mr. George Steinbrenner, known as the Boss, would not have it any other way and neither would his Yankees.

So, bring on the Rangers and Cliff Lee, because it’s time for the Yankees to show the Rangers how champions play.

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New York Yankees Have To Face Rangers Cliff Lee On Wednesday

Posted by on 10 August 2010, 1:53 pm

I have witnessed Cliff Lee torment my New York Yankees at the Stadium while he was a Cleveland Indian, a Philadelphia Phillie in the 2009 World Series, and recently a Seattle Mariner.

Now Lee is a Texas Ranger, but his uniform is irrelevant because most Yankees fans have no problem identifying Lee on the mound. I still remember our first encounter, like it was yesterday.

It was May 7, 2008 and I was bringing one of my best friends to her first Yankees game at the Old Stadium. Bringing a virgin is always a treat because the Yankees usually impress newbies.

Not that day, as the Yankees went hit-less. More precisely, the bats made contact with the ball about three times, just grazing the wood.

My mouth dropped and the Yankees looked just as shocked.

To make a long story short, my virgin-fan-friend was bored and she hadn’t been back to another game with me until two days ago.

Cliff Lee is a pitcher that teams fear because he can dominate batting lineups and makes it look almost too easy at times.

A perfect example is Game One of the 2009 World Series, when he caught a pop-up by just holding his glove out, not moving more than his wrist. The Yankee hitters’ career numbers against Lee look a lot better because a majority of the players did better while on other teams.

Lee has brutalized the Bombers in his last three seasons, regardless of where Lee was playing. Lee in pinstripes seems like a pipe dream, as Yankee Universe has drooled over this possibility for some time now. Lee seems to just go play on teams that the Yankees could face in October.

The Rangers are no different, as they are almost a lock to win the AL West, with no real competition, and they did get Lee at the trade deadline. Lee won the Cy Young in 2008, when he played with Yankees’ ace C.C. Sabathia in Cleveland and won a whooping 22 games. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Have To Face Rangers Cliff Lee On Wednesday’ »

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Pitching Preview: Champion New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Posted by on 14 June 2010, 2:49 am

It’s the 2009 World Series all over again, as the Yankees host the Phillies for three games in the Bronx.

The last time the Phillies were in town, the Yankees became world champions. A feeling Yankees fans hope to relive by beating the Phillies once again.

Both line-ups are stacked with power, from Utley to Posada. Whether or not they decide to hit is the question both clubs can’t seem to figure out, unlike last season.

Pitching will decide the winner; so let’s break down all three match-ups:

GAME 1:

Can we say pitching match up of the week? Roy Halladay against CC Sabathia is a baseball dream, which Phillies skipper Charlie Manual made sure would work by switching around the rotation. Both Cy Young winners, both staff’s ace, but only one can win.

Roy Halladay is very familiar with the Yankees playing for Toronto Blue Jays up until this season. It was a very happy departure, as Halladay wrecks havoc everywhere he goes. Halladay is different because he is gotten better. Halladay currently has made 15 starts, boosting an 1.96 ERA, with 85 strikeouts, five complete games, one perfect game, and allowing only three home-runs in 101 innings pitched. His ERA against the Yankees is 2.84, but that includes Arod who is DTD. Arod has had the most success by far against Halladay, batting just shy of .300. Look for Robbie Cano to stir up trouble, as he has all season. No doubt, the Yankees bats are hot, but when Halladay is pitching no player is hot. It’s Cliff Lee x2, yikes!

CC Sabathia has to bring his a-game to the mound or he will get eaten alive. Sabathia seems to only be capable of beating the Orioles in 2010, but let’s not forget that CC is a second-half pitcher, considering 14 of his 19 wins last season came after June 15. Continue reading ‘Pitching Preview: Champion New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies’ »

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