SportsFiends
11-05-2003, 04:11 PM
New York Yankees 2003: Season of Failure Part 1
Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - Author: David Dorn
http://www.sportsfiends.com/newsmanager/templates/t_mlb.asp?articleid=297&zoneid=1
Let’s face it; the Yanks are not in an enviable position. If they win the World Series all of their detractors will say they bought the title (as if all of the other teams were playing for free). If they lose, all of their detractors will laugh and say they failed and that they were underachievers. For most teams, winning your league pennant and making it six games into the World Series is not a failure; but for the Bronx Bombers anything less than the World Series title is. The question to ask is who deserves the verbal abuse of the bleacher bums in right?
The Owner:
Let’s start with old George “I meddle too damn much” Steinbrenner. He has already fired hitting coach Rick Down even though the Yanks ranked 3rd in the AL in runs, RBI, and HRs, not to mention 1st in walks. Don Mattingly has been hired in his place and his blue collar work ethic can do nothing but help raise the .140 batting average the Yankees had with runners in scoring position during the World Series. Torre friend and bench coach Don Zimmer has said repeatedly that his is out the door, due to George of the Manhattan Jungle’s shenanigans this season, and is probably headed to join Lou Pinella with the Devil Rays. Even more importantly, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre may not return because the Boss of Micromanagement may not let him. With Joe Torre’s familiar coaching staff being decimated like the Iraqi Republican Guard against the US 3rd Infantry Division, it would be shocking if he even bothered to stay to collect the final $5 million on his contract.
Steinbrenner has also rounded up the wagons and hunkered down in Tampa for the 1st round of this winter’s organizational meetings. One can only assume that the meddling will now commence in true earnest. With rumors of Soriano for Beltran floating among the major news outlets and the lack of starting pitching for the upcoming season, Yankees fans have much to fear. Steinbrenner’s knee-jerk reactions are usually reserved for the trade deadline but the shoe may drop all off-season long.
The Players:
There is one player that really comes to mind that just stunk up the joint all season long…Aaron Boone. OK, he only stunk up the joint for 54 regular season games and all of the playoffs, except for one at-bat against the Red Sox when he looked like the reincarnation of the not so dead Bucky Dent. The Marlins and Red Sox fed Boone a steady diet of inside fastballs and he just swung right through them throughout the playoffs. The only pitch he could catch up to was a Tim Wakefield 60 some mph knuckleball that he put into the cheap seats. The worst part of this deal isn’t the fact that the Yanks have a substandard 3rd baseman, the worst part is that they gave away the only good starting pitching prospect, Brandon Claussen, down on the farm. But as much of a disappointment as Boone is, George is the again one that should be blamed because he had to have a blockbuster deal to counter all of the Red Sox trade deadline deals. Let’s face it, Aaron Boone is not his brother and he doesn’t have the ability that his sibling does. He’s a below average fielder who is typically a better hitter after the break, but continued to cool as the playoffs wore on. He didn’t have the stamina or poise to last throughout the playoffs and that’s when a Yankees team is looking for its players to step it up.
Jeff Weaver…what can be said about this blond haired plague? Some guys have the ability to play in the big apple, and then guys like Jeff don’t. He’s still got the skills, but even Leo Mazzone style magic can’t always work on a pitcher. Jeff needs to go back to a club where everyone knows they are going to lose every night so that there is no pressure on him to perform.
Alfonzo Soriano was only a 3rd year player this season. He had an awful postseason and who knows what kind of mental blocks he placed upon himself. The fact is, this is only one postseason and he is such a young guy that has so much potential it isn’t funny. He’s a bargain, he made only $800,000 last year, who cost $8791 an RBI, and he doesn’t become a free agent until after the 2005 season. There has been some talk of moving him to the outfield next season so that the Yanks can fill the hole in right, but I think that is a mistake. Soriano’s offensive numbers are sure to drop if he has to learn a new position. Admittedly, only one AL 2nd baseman had a worse fielding percentage. But, his fielding was better than 2002, by .008 points, and he should continue to improve as long as the team focuses on that aspect of his game… and maybe laying off the high cheese.
Jason Giambi is probably the only player in baseball who can go from listening to the Bronx Boo Birds in the spring, to possible MVP candidate in the heat of summer, and back to being awful in the fall. You can’t really call a .250 batting average and 107 RBI season a failure, but when you have hit anywhere from .315 to .342 with 120 to 137 RBI the previous four seasons, it doesn’t quite keep up with the trend. Giambi had some eye and knee problems during the year so there is no reason to think that he won’t bounce back. With Nick Johnson taking some more turns at 1st next season, Jason’s knee should be better rested for the long haul.
The Off-season:
Jeter, Mo Rivera, Posada, Bernie, Soriano, Nick Johnson, and Pettitte are all products of the farm system that Steinbrenner so loves to trade away. A lesson should be learned here that the best players don’t always come from the Free Agent pool. All of them continued to produce at a quality level even though injuries limited the time of all but Posada. The Yankees need to continue to promote from within in order to save money and replenish the team with young talent as the older players slow and retire.
Will the Boss resign Pettitte, and if he attempts to, will Pettitte stay? This is a big question for the off-season and hinges on a number of different variables. On the bad side for the Yanks, the Houston Astros want Andy very badly and laid the foundation by trading away Billy Wagner in order to free up the necessary funds. Andy also would love to move closer to his Texas home so that he can spend more quality time with his family. Pettitte’s close friend and training partner Roger Clemens is also retiring and his favorite pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre, has yet to make a decision on his return. On the bright side for the Yanks is that they are the only team that Andy has ever known. He’s never pitched in the National League and has never really enjoyed batting when he has had to in inter-league or World Series games. Lastly, the Yankees have the funds to resign Pettitte and outbid anyone else. But for Andy, the money probably won’t be the most important factor.
Right field is still an issue for the Yankees brass, but shouldn’t be. Ruben Sierra has become a free agent and won’t be resigned. David Dellucci, a 30-year old pinch-hitter at best, hit only .176 with the Yankees and should either be cut or traded. Instead of trying to sign Sheffield or Vladdy Guerrero the Yankees need to stick with the young lefty/righty platoon of Karim Garcia and Juan Rivera. Garcia hit .305 in 52 games with the Yanks and Rivera made the most of his 40 at-bats in September by hitting .375 with five HRs and 12 RBI. Between these two youngsters the club should at least get a .275 hitter with 20+ HRs and 70-80 RBI. Not as good as they would get out of Sheffield or Guerrero but at less than 10% of the price you can’t go wrong.
Starting pitching other than Pettitte and Mike Mussina is suspect at best. Clemens has retired, a David Wells return is doubtful after his World Series game six performance, and Weaver will probably be dealt. Jose Contreras looked strong down the stretch, and during the playoffs, going 3-0 with a 1.51 ERA and 35 SO in his five September starts. If he pitches like that next season he will be the 2nd best number three starter in baseball, with whoever starts in Oakland being better, but if he pitches like he did before being injured then the Yanks are going to be in a world of hurt. Jon Lieber is coming of reconstructive elbow surgery but won 20 games as recently as 2001 and figures to be the 4th or 5th man in the rotation. He also needs to pitch well for the Yankees to have much of a chance next season. That leaves a four-man rotation, and Brandon Claussen would have been a nice fit at number five, that will require either an off-season trade (maybe for Weaver) or free agent acquisition.
More to come in post #2. This one was over the character limit.
Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - Author: David Dorn
http://www.sportsfiends.com/newsmanager/templates/t_mlb.asp?articleid=297&zoneid=1
Let’s face it; the Yanks are not in an enviable position. If they win the World Series all of their detractors will say they bought the title (as if all of the other teams were playing for free). If they lose, all of their detractors will laugh and say they failed and that they were underachievers. For most teams, winning your league pennant and making it six games into the World Series is not a failure; but for the Bronx Bombers anything less than the World Series title is. The question to ask is who deserves the verbal abuse of the bleacher bums in right?
The Owner:
Let’s start with old George “I meddle too damn much” Steinbrenner. He has already fired hitting coach Rick Down even though the Yanks ranked 3rd in the AL in runs, RBI, and HRs, not to mention 1st in walks. Don Mattingly has been hired in his place and his blue collar work ethic can do nothing but help raise the .140 batting average the Yankees had with runners in scoring position during the World Series. Torre friend and bench coach Don Zimmer has said repeatedly that his is out the door, due to George of the Manhattan Jungle’s shenanigans this season, and is probably headed to join Lou Pinella with the Devil Rays. Even more importantly, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre may not return because the Boss of Micromanagement may not let him. With Joe Torre’s familiar coaching staff being decimated like the Iraqi Republican Guard against the US 3rd Infantry Division, it would be shocking if he even bothered to stay to collect the final $5 million on his contract.
Steinbrenner has also rounded up the wagons and hunkered down in Tampa for the 1st round of this winter’s organizational meetings. One can only assume that the meddling will now commence in true earnest. With rumors of Soriano for Beltran floating among the major news outlets and the lack of starting pitching for the upcoming season, Yankees fans have much to fear. Steinbrenner’s knee-jerk reactions are usually reserved for the trade deadline but the shoe may drop all off-season long.
The Players:
There is one player that really comes to mind that just stunk up the joint all season long…Aaron Boone. OK, he only stunk up the joint for 54 regular season games and all of the playoffs, except for one at-bat against the Red Sox when he looked like the reincarnation of the not so dead Bucky Dent. The Marlins and Red Sox fed Boone a steady diet of inside fastballs and he just swung right through them throughout the playoffs. The only pitch he could catch up to was a Tim Wakefield 60 some mph knuckleball that he put into the cheap seats. The worst part of this deal isn’t the fact that the Yanks have a substandard 3rd baseman, the worst part is that they gave away the only good starting pitching prospect, Brandon Claussen, down on the farm. But as much of a disappointment as Boone is, George is the again one that should be blamed because he had to have a blockbuster deal to counter all of the Red Sox trade deadline deals. Let’s face it, Aaron Boone is not his brother and he doesn’t have the ability that his sibling does. He’s a below average fielder who is typically a better hitter after the break, but continued to cool as the playoffs wore on. He didn’t have the stamina or poise to last throughout the playoffs and that’s when a Yankees team is looking for its players to step it up.
Jeff Weaver…what can be said about this blond haired plague? Some guys have the ability to play in the big apple, and then guys like Jeff don’t. He’s still got the skills, but even Leo Mazzone style magic can’t always work on a pitcher. Jeff needs to go back to a club where everyone knows they are going to lose every night so that there is no pressure on him to perform.
Alfonzo Soriano was only a 3rd year player this season. He had an awful postseason and who knows what kind of mental blocks he placed upon himself. The fact is, this is only one postseason and he is such a young guy that has so much potential it isn’t funny. He’s a bargain, he made only $800,000 last year, who cost $8791 an RBI, and he doesn’t become a free agent until after the 2005 season. There has been some talk of moving him to the outfield next season so that the Yanks can fill the hole in right, but I think that is a mistake. Soriano’s offensive numbers are sure to drop if he has to learn a new position. Admittedly, only one AL 2nd baseman had a worse fielding percentage. But, his fielding was better than 2002, by .008 points, and he should continue to improve as long as the team focuses on that aspect of his game… and maybe laying off the high cheese.
Jason Giambi is probably the only player in baseball who can go from listening to the Bronx Boo Birds in the spring, to possible MVP candidate in the heat of summer, and back to being awful in the fall. You can’t really call a .250 batting average and 107 RBI season a failure, but when you have hit anywhere from .315 to .342 with 120 to 137 RBI the previous four seasons, it doesn’t quite keep up with the trend. Giambi had some eye and knee problems during the year so there is no reason to think that he won’t bounce back. With Nick Johnson taking some more turns at 1st next season, Jason’s knee should be better rested for the long haul.
The Off-season:
Jeter, Mo Rivera, Posada, Bernie, Soriano, Nick Johnson, and Pettitte are all products of the farm system that Steinbrenner so loves to trade away. A lesson should be learned here that the best players don’t always come from the Free Agent pool. All of them continued to produce at a quality level even though injuries limited the time of all but Posada. The Yankees need to continue to promote from within in order to save money and replenish the team with young talent as the older players slow and retire.
Will the Boss resign Pettitte, and if he attempts to, will Pettitte stay? This is a big question for the off-season and hinges on a number of different variables. On the bad side for the Yanks, the Houston Astros want Andy very badly and laid the foundation by trading away Billy Wagner in order to free up the necessary funds. Andy also would love to move closer to his Texas home so that he can spend more quality time with his family. Pettitte’s close friend and training partner Roger Clemens is also retiring and his favorite pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre, has yet to make a decision on his return. On the bright side for the Yanks is that they are the only team that Andy has ever known. He’s never pitched in the National League and has never really enjoyed batting when he has had to in inter-league or World Series games. Lastly, the Yankees have the funds to resign Pettitte and outbid anyone else. But for Andy, the money probably won’t be the most important factor.
Right field is still an issue for the Yankees brass, but shouldn’t be. Ruben Sierra has become a free agent and won’t be resigned. David Dellucci, a 30-year old pinch-hitter at best, hit only .176 with the Yankees and should either be cut or traded. Instead of trying to sign Sheffield or Vladdy Guerrero the Yankees need to stick with the young lefty/righty platoon of Karim Garcia and Juan Rivera. Garcia hit .305 in 52 games with the Yanks and Rivera made the most of his 40 at-bats in September by hitting .375 with five HRs and 12 RBI. Between these two youngsters the club should at least get a .275 hitter with 20+ HRs and 70-80 RBI. Not as good as they would get out of Sheffield or Guerrero but at less than 10% of the price you can’t go wrong.
Starting pitching other than Pettitte and Mike Mussina is suspect at best. Clemens has retired, a David Wells return is doubtful after his World Series game six performance, and Weaver will probably be dealt. Jose Contreras looked strong down the stretch, and during the playoffs, going 3-0 with a 1.51 ERA and 35 SO in his five September starts. If he pitches like that next season he will be the 2nd best number three starter in baseball, with whoever starts in Oakland being better, but if he pitches like he did before being injured then the Yanks are going to be in a world of hurt. Jon Lieber is coming of reconstructive elbow surgery but won 20 games as recently as 2001 and figures to be the 4th or 5th man in the rotation. He also needs to pitch well for the Yankees to have much of a chance next season. That leaves a four-man rotation, and Brandon Claussen would have been a nice fit at number five, that will require either an off-season trade (maybe for Weaver) or free agent acquisition.
More to come in post #2. This one was over the character limit.