tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Reality Check Time, Yankee Fans

In today's game of baseball, going eight innings and allowing 4 runs is usually good enough to win. That's what AJ Burnett did last night but the Yankees lost 4-2 to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Most Yankee fans, myself included, are down on AJ Burnett and rightfully so. But last night's game is on the hitters who weren't able to do anything against Jeremy Guthrie. That doesn't change the fact that Burnett is always a mystery when he takes the mound. With that being said it is apparent to many that if the playoffs started tomorrow (and the Yankees are in it) Bartolo Colon would be the number two. Yankee fans how comfortable do you feel about that??

With the trade deadline being tomorrow at 4pm, I'm not sure what the Yankees will do if anything. Typically, most teams ask for more from the Yanks than they do from other teams. Just think about the Mariners last year with the Cliff Lee dance. Because of that I can understand why Brian Cashman is holding firm against being held up by the Rockies or Dodgers or anyone else for that matter. The problem is Cashman shouldn't be in this position.

We all knew at the end of last season when it was becoming clear that Andy Pettite was not coming back that the Yankees were going to need another starting pitcher. Brian Cashman set his free agent sights on Cliff Lee and got played and once the Phillies signed Lee, he was left to take gambles by signing Colon and Freddy Garcia. Gambles that have paid off so far against the Mariners, A's, Royals, Orioles, Mets and Rockies. But what will happen in October when it could be the Rangers, Tigers, Angels or Red Sox, let alone if they made it to the Series and faced the Phillies or Giants.

The truth of the matter is that Brian Cashman set the stage for where the team is at going back to last year's trade deadline when he couldn't seal the deal on Lee because of Eduardo Nunez and compounded it by striking out in free agency to get Lee. What if Colon and Garcia failed, where would the Yankees be???

A few weeks ago I happened to be watching Mike Francesa and a caller brought up that the Rafael Soriano signing and his subsequent mediocre-at-best performance proved that Cashman was right when he came out against the signing. Francesa went on to defend Cashman further even saying that he was not so sure that Nunez was the reason why the Yankees didn't make the Lee deal. Of course, Mike has a relationship with Cashman so I am not surprised that he would be defending him. However, the fact remains that whether Soriano panned out or not has nothing to do with the starting rotation. The bullpen is not an issue except for the fact that they don't have a reliable lefty. Oh yeah, didn't Cashman acquire Felicano - he who was overworked last year by the Mets and probably won't pitch at all this year for the Yanks??

The reality is that the Yankees knew that with their offense, CC and Rivera they would have enough to compete and probably make the playoffs. The fans will get all jacked up and dream of another championship when the reality is that this team is not good enough. The trade deadline will come and go and the Yankees may make a deal but unless its some kind of blockbuster this team will not win the World Series and I don't see Cashman having the guts to make such a move. Besides, a playoff series or two will be good for business, even though they sell the crap that only a championship is a successful season.

Are You Kidding Me With Wandy Rodriguez???

My good buddy (sarcastically said) Buster Olney is reporting that the Yankees may be willing to take on a last minute salary dump and the name that he mentions is Wandy Rodriguez. Are you kidding me??? Rodriguez is 32 years old and is under contract for a $23 million a year for the next 2 years. Do you think he's worth that??? I doubt it.

It's becoming more evident to me that the Yankees will not make a deal of consequence by Sunday afternoon. There is still talk of Yankee interest in Hiroki Kuroda and I found it interesting that the Dodgers want a young pitcher who is close to pitching in the big leagues. Would the Yankees move Ivan Nova or Phil Hughes to get Kuroda?? It's also being reported that the Tigers are extremely interested in Kuroda but not as a #2 starter but as their #5. Hmmmmm.....what does that tell you?? It tells you what's lying ahead if the Yankees play in October.

And I say if because the Angels and Rangers are starting to play good baseball with the Angels only 5 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the wild card spot. Beginning August 5th, the Yankees have 9 games with the Red Sox out of their remaining 49 games. Throw in games against the Rays over that stretch and you can see that the 5 1/2 game lead could be eaten up in no time.

Wandy Rodriguez isn't the answer and unless the Brian Cashman is willing to go all out, the Yankees will have to rely on what they have and I don't believe it will be enough.
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The NFL was wild yesterday with all kinds of trades. Kevin Kolb, Reggie Bush, Ochocinco, Greg Olsen and Albert Haynesworth being moved. More to come today and it certainly is making it very interesting for fans all across the country.

Kuroda the Answer???

Throughout the day yesterday many so called baseball insiders indicated that the Yankees were the front runners to get Ubaldo Jimenez. However, the New York dailies continue to report that the Yankees are not willing to give up the Killer B's, Jesus Montero and Ivan Nova. In addition, some in the Yankee high command are suspect of Jimenez's ability to compete in the AL East.

This morning the NY Post is reporting that the Yanks are keeping a close eye on Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda is 36 year old and the Yankees feel that he could provide a good #2 behind CC Sabathia. It's certain that they won't have to give up much to get Kuroda in that he is 36 and his current contract runs out at the end of season. So in essence he would be a rental. The question is: does Kuroda allow them to compete with the one-two punch of the Red Sox, Angels and Phillies.

In 4 seasons with the Dodgers, Kuroda is 34-42 with an ERA of 3.52. His post season record is 1-2 with a 5.27 ERA. His last post season start in 2009 against the Phillies blew his ERA up as he went 1 and 1/3 of an inning allowing 6 earned runs. So is Kuroda the answer??

To me interest in Kuroda is typical of what Cashman has been doing since he lost out on Cliff Lee. Its all bargain basement, try to catch lightning in a bottle mentality. One that is more along the lines of the Pirates or the Indians and not one of a team that only measures success by winning the World Series.

What Will Yanks Do At Deadline??

Last night, once again CC Sabathia showed why he is one of the best in baseball. Unfortunately, the Yankees are not going to be able to pitch him 3 times in a playoff series which begs the question: What will the Yankees do at the trade deadline??

There seems to be a growing consensus that the Yankees will not make a major deal. Ubaldo Jimenez is still out there but the Rockies are still looking for 3 out of the 4 top Yankee prospects and Brian Cashman is reluctant to part with any of them. That being said, outside of Jimenez, there really isn't anyone available who you would consider a top of the rotation starter.

With respect to relievers, there are a lot of names out there but once again lefty relievers available aren't necessarily game changers in my opinion. Unfortunately, we may be stuck with what the Yankees have right now. The current roster will be good enough to make the playoffs. The bigger question is how they will do once they get there.

Yanks = Wild Card??

The Yankees dropped a 4-3 decision to the Oakland A's yesterday dropping them 3 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. Unless something changes soon, Boston will be AL East champions. So it's looking like the Yankees entry into the post season will once again be as a wild card. But can they hold on??

As we know there are 2 sides to a baseball team, offense and pitching. Offensively, the Yankees have some problems. The designated hitter is suppose to provide offense. Jorge Posada is not doing that. He needs to be replaced. The problem is that on the current roster there is no one who is going to give the team the offense they need. Mark Texiera is in a horrible slump. The grand slam on Friday notwithstanding, he is not providing the Yanks with what they need particularly with ARod out. You could live with your catcher hitting .220 if your DH and first baseman were carrying their weight.

The pitching staff is not playoff ready. The Yankees do not have a number 2 starter that can match up with the Angels, Red Sox and the Phillies. The bullpen has been ok but who do they have to get out the big lefty bats of the Red Sox. It's not Boone Logan as evidenced by Hideki Matsui's blast yesterday.

So far Cashman's response has been to claim JC Romero and Marcus Thames off waivers. These moves coupled with the bargain basement signings of Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon makes one think that the Yankees are on par with small market teams like the Royals. The difference is though that the Royals are going with youth and buildiing for the future. The Yankees are bringing in oldies to win this year. The problem is that these oldies aren't good enough to win in October.

Some are saying that Cashman is right for not trading away top end prospects for help before July 31st. Normally I would agree with that. But I have 2 problems with this now. First, these are the Yankees who measure success only by winning the World Series. This roster is not built to win the World Series. Secondly, when will we see these kids and how good are they??? How come other teams can bring up young players and have them excel while the Yankees baby them only to have them falter??

The Yankees need to do something now. They either make a trade blowing away a rival GM with a package to get a top of the line starter or they bring up some of these top prospects and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. It's time for bold action. It's time to stop playing it safe. It's time for Brian Cashman to show some guts.

Yanks Win: What Does It Mean For October??

Freddy Garcia answered the bell last night going 6 2/3 innings and allowing no runs or walks while striking out 9 as the Yankees defeated the Rays 4-0. While Garcia joined his late 30-something pitcher Bartolo Colon in bouncing back from a bad start in Toronto, what does this all mean for the Yankees chances to win the World Series. That's right I'm talking about winning the World Series not just simply making the playoffs because isn't that the organization's mission statement??

Since George Steinbrenner took over the Yankees back in the early 70's, the Yankees were never satisfied with just making the playoffs. It took roughly 3 years for the Yankees to make the World Series after Steinbrenner took ownership of the team. After being swept by the Reds in 1976, The Boss went out and brought in Reggie Jackson, Mike Torrez and Bucky Dent as he was determined to win it all. And they did in 1977 and 1978. This is where the definition of a "successful season was only when you won the World Series" became the Yankee mission statement.

With this back drop I bring you to the 2011 edition of the New York Yankees. Will this team have a successful season based on the organization's mission statement? I've followed baseball for nearly 50 years, all of them as a Yankee fan and I'm hear to tell you that the answer is NO!! While Colon and Garcia have pitched well this week in Tampa, are you comfortable with a playoff rotation that includes AJ Burnett, Colon and Garcia?? I'm not. There are recent examples of aging pitchers who didn't have it in the playoffs. Does Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown ring a bell??

With the Red Sox and Tigers looking for pitching help, the Yankees might have a difficult time matching up against a duo of Beckett/Lester or Verlander/Jimenez (the Tigers are interested). If the Angels win the AL West, can the Yanks match up with the duo of Weaver/Haren?? Where I'm sitting its Sabathia and then hold your breathe. But the Yanks are selling to their fans that the current roster can take them to a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

Offensively, the Yankee lineup is not as lethal as one may think. While there has been an incredible amount of focus on what Derek Jeter is doing, there are bigger problems to be concerned about. With ARod out until mid to late August, the Yankee lineup is seriously shortened. While Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner have stepped up, three players have not: Mark Texiera, Jorge Posada and Russell Martin.

While Texiera has hit 25 home runs, his batting average is .242. This is unacceptable particularly since I can't remember the last time he has hit a home run. Kevin Long has worked magic in the past with Robinson Cano, ARod and Curtis Granderson. What's he doing with Texiera?? This is a guy who has consistently hit .300 and for the last 2 seasons hasn't come close to that. Your best hitter bats third. Has Texiera been the Yankees best hitter?? Hardly.

Jorge Posada as the DH is a disaster. Posada is hitting .229 with 9 HRS and 29 RBI's. Flat out terrible. The Yankees cannot afford this type of production. While I sided with Posada in his dust up with Cashman in May, I'm questioning now his commitment to the team. He has to know that he is struggling. He has to know that his production is terrible. Wouldn't it make it easier on Girardi if Posada went to him and said, "I have no problem becoming more of a bench player". Somehow I don't see that happening but in the meantime Posada is almost an automatic out.

Which brings us to Russell Martin. After a hot April, Martin is hitting .217 with 10 HRs and 38 RBIs. While his defense is very good, the Yankees cannot afford such putrid production when Texiera and Posada are also struggling. Which begs the question, why not bring up Jesus Montero?? Bringing up Montero and playing him 2 or 3 games a week would be reminiscent of when Posada was brought up in 1997 and was teamed up with Joe Girardi. Montero would have an excellent tutor in Martin, along with having Posada around.

But the Yankees don't see that as being necessary. My question is Why?? Brian Cashman continues to say that he will not trade away top Yankee prospects to acquire a quality pitcher. Montero is one of those prospects. So if you are not going to trade him and your starting catcher is hitting .217 then why won't you bring up your supposed top offensive prospect??

Which brings me back to the whole notion of the Yankees only considering a season to be a success when you win the World Series. If that is the case, then why won't you trade propsects to acquire a top line pitcher?? You can't say you want to build up the farm system and then say its only a success when you win the World Series unless you believe that the team that you have in the Bronx can win it all. I think you have to be delusional to think that the 2011 Yankees will win it all.

I'm all for building up the farm system. In fact, the Yankees success in the Joe Torre era was built around the core 4 and Bernie Williams. But at some point those kids were given an opportunity. But since Cashman has been given total control, we have yet to see the fruits of the farm system. There are generations of Yankee fans who have bought into the Yankee mission statement. They don't know what its like to see an aging team regress. They don't know what its like seeing Horace Clarke, Jerry Kenney, Steve Whitaker, and Dooley Womack in pinstripes. They don't know what its like to have only one Yankee on the All-Star team. That's why the Yankees continue to sell that they are going all out to win the World Series. But if they are going all out, then use your young prospects to bring in players to win it all now. If you are committed to the farm system then have the courage to tell the fans that we are building for the future. I can accept that living through the mid to late 60's, early 70's and the joyless decade of the 80's. But tell a 20 or 30 something Yankee fan that and they will tell you something different.