Over the past few years we have seen the many faces of Alex Rodriguez. We have seen the the money hungry Alex, the innocent Alex, the angry Alex, the guilty Alex, and the playoff hero Alex. Arod deserves everything ounce of criticism he gets because he is notorious for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
In 2010, Alex Rodriguez is going to be a beast. He has a clear mind and a new piece of jewelery to his collection which is the what was missing from the Hall of Fame resume Alex put together.
From what we are hearing, his hip is in good shape and he is ready to go. Partner his health with a hitter friendly ballpark and being in a stacked lineup from soup to nuts and we are going to witness a super year. Alex has played a steady but unspectacular third base and we should not expect any different. At the plate we are going to witness A-bomb after A-bomb many of which will be awe inspiring. Put it in the books; 2010 Alex's numbers will hover around .315 110 runs 50 hrs and 145 rbis.
This will be the year Alex cements his legacy with another MVP and hopefully another ring.
Johnny Damon
It should be amazingly obvious at this point that I am a huge Yankees fan, and nothing makes me happier than seeing a guy on our team get treated fairly when it comes to his contract renewal which is why, and stick with me on this, I am ok with Johnny Damon not being resigned for two years at 22 million dollars. Damon hit .282 with 24 homers last year and was a big part of our latest World Series victory, however, Damon is 36 years old, couldn't throw out Cecil Fielder at the plate, and has a bum leg (don't forget, he wasn't even on the field when the last out was recorded). I admit that I was a little down when I initially heard that the Yanks had shot down his demands, but once I found that he wanted an average of 11 million for the next two years for a guy who would probably be a DH as well as a pinch hitter and spell some corner outfielders I wasn't terribly depressed anymore.
The Yankees have been saying for quite some time that they are hoping to keep their payroll at $200 million or less and with the moves they have made, they have a solid outfield and are right at their desired payroll. I was listening to the Micahel Kay show the day they signed Winn and he made a great point, the Yankees aren't looking to find one guy to replace Damon, and we can't just compare Winn to Damon. What we need to do is take a look at the entire outfield this year and see how it stacks up to last year's outfield.
Center Field -
Last year - Melky and Gardner - Between the two of them the Yanks got a .272 avg, 16 hr's, 91 RBI, and 36 stolen bases. Last year Curtis Granderson hit .249 with 30 hr's , 71 rbi, and 20 stolen bases in Detroit. I am almost certain that batting in this stadium with this lineup that his average jumps up to about .285, his hr total to go up a few to about 35, and his rbi total to be somewhere around 100. Not that Detroit had a horrific lineup but there was no where near the amount of protection for a hitter like him that he will have with A-Rod, Jeter, Tex, Damon, Posada, and Cano batting around him. As far as I am concerned, we have upgraded center field dramatically.
Left Field -
Last year - Johnny Damon - Damon hit .282 with 24 hr's 82 rbi, and 12 stolen bases. Johnny also cost us $13 million, is 36 years old, and like I said before is aging drastically between his throwing arm and what he used to be most known for (other than the beard) his legs. The 12 stolen bases (17 less than 2008) is only the beginning of the signs that he just can't move the way he used to. If you watched the season as closely as I did you started seeing a lot more balls drop in front of him or get over his head than you used to.
This year - My guess is you will see a platoon between Randy Winn and Brett Gardner - Winn batted .262 with 2 hr's, 51 rbi and 16 stolen bases, and oh yeah by the way - Winn signed for $2 million, and understands his role on the team.
Right field -
Mr. Swisher will remain in right field and I couldn't be happier about it. I liked him when he was out in Oakland and love the fact that he came over to the Bronx.
After looking over these stats and comparing the seasons I don't see a down grade in overall talent roaming the alleys in the outfield in The Bronx this year. Another thing to remember is that the Yankees do not need to have a huge offensive out burst from their outfielders like other teams, their infield supplies a huge amount of power between A-Rod and Tex, along with Posada and Cano.
I don't blame Damon for wanting to get paid like a he did when he was younger, as wekk as try and prove that he is still as valuable as he was when he was younger. Try and think of the way your father's are or were once they started getting a little older and wanted your help but sure as hell did not need it. I was at my parent's house Saturday to clear the snow from their sidewalks and driveway because my father is going in for back surgery on Monday morning, and he could not help but grab a shovel and follow me around. I liken Damon's attitude to that of an everyday man, except for the fact that he is only in his mid 30's as opposed to his mid 50's.
Eric Rush
http://whatididntexpectwhileshewasexpecting.blogspot.com/
The Yankees have been saying for quite some time that they are hoping to keep their payroll at $200 million or less and with the moves they have made, they have a solid outfield and are right at their desired payroll. I was listening to the Micahel Kay show the day they signed Winn and he made a great point, the Yankees aren't looking to find one guy to replace Damon, and we can't just compare Winn to Damon. What we need to do is take a look at the entire outfield this year and see how it stacks up to last year's outfield.
Center Field -
Last year - Melky and Gardner - Between the two of them the Yanks got a .272 avg, 16 hr's, 91 RBI, and 36 stolen bases. Last year Curtis Granderson hit .249 with 30 hr's , 71 rbi, and 20 stolen bases in Detroit. I am almost certain that batting in this stadium with this lineup that his average jumps up to about .285, his hr total to go up a few to about 35, and his rbi total to be somewhere around 100. Not that Detroit had a horrific lineup but there was no where near the amount of protection for a hitter like him that he will have with A-Rod, Jeter, Tex, Damon, Posada, and Cano batting around him. As far as I am concerned, we have upgraded center field dramatically.
Left Field -
Last year - Johnny Damon - Damon hit .282 with 24 hr's 82 rbi, and 12 stolen bases. Johnny also cost us $13 million, is 36 years old, and like I said before is aging drastically between his throwing arm and what he used to be most known for (other than the beard) his legs. The 12 stolen bases (17 less than 2008) is only the beginning of the signs that he just can't move the way he used to. If you watched the season as closely as I did you started seeing a lot more balls drop in front of him or get over his head than you used to.
This year - My guess is you will see a platoon between Randy Winn and Brett Gardner - Winn batted .262 with 2 hr's, 51 rbi and 16 stolen bases, and oh yeah by the way - Winn signed for $2 million, and understands his role on the team.
Right field -
Mr. Swisher will remain in right field and I couldn't be happier about it. I liked him when he was out in Oakland and love the fact that he came over to the Bronx.
After looking over these stats and comparing the seasons I don't see a down grade in overall talent roaming the alleys in the outfield in The Bronx this year. Another thing to remember is that the Yankees do not need to have a huge offensive out burst from their outfielders like other teams, their infield supplies a huge amount of power between A-Rod and Tex, along with Posada and Cano.
I don't blame Damon for wanting to get paid like a he did when he was younger, as wekk as try and prove that he is still as valuable as he was when he was younger. Try and think of the way your father's are or were once they started getting a little older and wanted your help but sure as hell did not need it. I was at my parent's house Saturday to clear the snow from their sidewalks and driveway because my father is going in for back surgery on Monday morning, and he could not help but grab a shovel and follow me around. I liken Damon's attitude to that of an everyday man, except for the fact that he is only in his mid 30's as opposed to his mid 50's.
Eric Rush
http://whatididntexpectwhileshewasexpecting.blogspot.com/
Pitchers and Catchers
I am sitting in my living room here in NJ, looking out our sliding glass doors and realizing that while we are in the midst of another snow storm which is sure to dump about a foot of snow on us, there is one thing that is warming me up, well - other than my flannel pj's and the heat pouring out of the vents, and that is... drum roll... February 17th my beloved Yankees open up their Spring Training fields for our pitchers and catchers!
I am a fan of football, don't get me wrong, but baseball is my favorite sport and nothing gets my baseball mind going like those videos on Sportscenter of the pitchers soft tossing off the mound to catchers wearing just a glove and a mask. It reminds me that no matter what is going on in the world, come February, a little piece of my childhood comes back. As a kid who didn't pitch to a buddy when you were the only two around? These millionaire ball players look like kids playing at the local sandlot at this point. Another thing that gets sparked in my baseball shaped heart at this point in the season is the hope of a World Series title. I know its cliche but at this point every team has a chance - except you Kansas City, sorry. Now lets take a look at the starting rotation, a few bull pen guys, and our catchers!
The horse of our rotation, of course, is 6ft 7inch, 290lb, left handed throwing, Mr. Carsten Charles Sabathia. Last year he went 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA in the regular season and despite a little hiccup in game 1 of the World Series closed out the post season with a 3-1 record and an ERA of under 2. I have no doubts that this guy will have a 20 win season this year and lead us back to the playoffs again this year, as long as he stays healthy.
Number two is AJ and man he gives me butterflies when he steps to the mound, for every friggin inning he throws. When he is on, he is on, he is a live fastball and a great breaking ball. However, when is off, forget it. He can be cruising along for the first 3 innings with 7 k's and no baserunners, then walk the first 2 batters, give up a double and then fall apart. Once he works his way out of the inning and gets back on the mound for the next, he goes right back to his early game form. The guy is the equivilent of dealing with a girlfriend that is bi-polar, its scary but you stick around because the good times are amazing! Look for him go 16-7 this year with an ERA of around 4.
Our number 3 starter looks to be the 38 year old, salt and pepper haired, Andrew Pettitte. He is our prodigal son, grew up in pin stripes, left for Houston to follow that roided out "mis-remembering" Clemens, and then came back again to finish out his Hall of Fame career where he belongs, The Bronx. He managed to pull out 14 wins vs 8 losses and an ERA of a little over 4 last season. While pitching in front of one the best defenses and with a prolific offense will get you a win on what can be your worst day sometimes I am not sure how Andy will fair this year. I love this guy, he has been a vital part of our team for a long time now, stopping losing streaks, setting the standard for post season pitching prowess, however he is currently 38 years old and has been bothered by a few injuries to his throwing arm in the last couple of years. I am predicting he will have a season close to last, a couple less wins though, 12-8 is my guess. I am thinking you might see him getting some rest late in the year, as long as the playoffs are locked up, in order to get him ready for the long October and November run.
Number 4 - This is left up for debate, but I will give my opinion on who I think should be running out there. I love Joba Chamberlin, his excitement, his energy, his speed and accuracy (for the most part) are amazing, and should be harnessed - in the bull pen as the next great closer of the New York Yankees. That means, of course, that Phil Hughes should, in my opinion, be the number 4 starter. This is due to a combination of both Hughes' potential to be a number 2 starter one day, and the fact that Joba in last years's post season looked like the Joba from his rookie year.
Number 5 - Javier Vazquez finished 15-10 last year with an ERA of under 3 and makes a solid option as a number 5. If he can return to this form, or even come back and throw the way he did in the first half of 2004 we should be just fine.
Bull pen - the combination of Rivera and Chamberlin will cut our games down to 7 innings while grooming Joba for the closer role, and also saving Rivera from having to be used for those scary 2 inning saves that take him out of commission for a few days. Gaudin, who will serve as one of the options for a long relief man as well as a spot starter in the event of injuries, plus Aceves, Mitre, Robertson, Ramirez, and the rest of the crew out there are just as vital as the starters are. While we have some guys starting that have the potential to chew up some innings, we also have Pettitte and Burnett than might be taxing on the bull pens depending on if their arms hold up or not.
Posada and Cervelli will be the catchers for the team this year. While Posada has been around for almost 15 years and is by far my favorite player on the team, I see this year being a transition year for him. What we saw of Cervelli last year, on top of the fact that Jorge is 39 years old leads me to beleive that this will be number 20's last year as a full time catcher. I can see him sticking around the team for another year aferwards as a DH as well as spelling Big Tex at 1B and Cervelli when he needs a day. I can also see Jorge coming back a few years after retirement in some sort of coaching role, catchers coach, bench coach, something. He knows baseball and knows how to handle a pitching staff and can be a valuable asset to the team even off the field.
I hope you enjoyed my look into our pitchers and catchers for the upcoming season. Please be sure to check back often for the other bloggers as well as myself so you are ready for the 2010!
Eric
Also, please check out my parenting blog - http://www.whatididntexpectwhileshewasexpecting.blogspot.com/
I am a fan of football, don't get me wrong, but baseball is my favorite sport and nothing gets my baseball mind going like those videos on Sportscenter of the pitchers soft tossing off the mound to catchers wearing just a glove and a mask. It reminds me that no matter what is going on in the world, come February, a little piece of my childhood comes back. As a kid who didn't pitch to a buddy when you were the only two around? These millionaire ball players look like kids playing at the local sandlot at this point. Another thing that gets sparked in my baseball shaped heart at this point in the season is the hope of a World Series title. I know its cliche but at this point every team has a chance - except you Kansas City, sorry. Now lets take a look at the starting rotation, a few bull pen guys, and our catchers!
The horse of our rotation, of course, is 6ft 7inch, 290lb, left handed throwing, Mr. Carsten Charles Sabathia. Last year he went 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA in the regular season and despite a little hiccup in game 1 of the World Series closed out the post season with a 3-1 record and an ERA of under 2. I have no doubts that this guy will have a 20 win season this year and lead us back to the playoffs again this year, as long as he stays healthy.
Number two is AJ and man he gives me butterflies when he steps to the mound, for every friggin inning he throws. When he is on, he is on, he is a live fastball and a great breaking ball. However, when is off, forget it. He can be cruising along for the first 3 innings with 7 k's and no baserunners, then walk the first 2 batters, give up a double and then fall apart. Once he works his way out of the inning and gets back on the mound for the next, he goes right back to his early game form. The guy is the equivilent of dealing with a girlfriend that is bi-polar, its scary but you stick around because the good times are amazing! Look for him go 16-7 this year with an ERA of around 4.
Our number 3 starter looks to be the 38 year old, salt and pepper haired, Andrew Pettitte. He is our prodigal son, grew up in pin stripes, left for Houston to follow that roided out "mis-remembering" Clemens, and then came back again to finish out his Hall of Fame career where he belongs, The Bronx. He managed to pull out 14 wins vs 8 losses and an ERA of a little over 4 last season. While pitching in front of one the best defenses and with a prolific offense will get you a win on what can be your worst day sometimes I am not sure how Andy will fair this year. I love this guy, he has been a vital part of our team for a long time now, stopping losing streaks, setting the standard for post season pitching prowess, however he is currently 38 years old and has been bothered by a few injuries to his throwing arm in the last couple of years. I am predicting he will have a season close to last, a couple less wins though, 12-8 is my guess. I am thinking you might see him getting some rest late in the year, as long as the playoffs are locked up, in order to get him ready for the long October and November run.
Number 4 - This is left up for debate, but I will give my opinion on who I think should be running out there. I love Joba Chamberlin, his excitement, his energy, his speed and accuracy (for the most part) are amazing, and should be harnessed - in the bull pen as the next great closer of the New York Yankees. That means, of course, that Phil Hughes should, in my opinion, be the number 4 starter. This is due to a combination of both Hughes' potential to be a number 2 starter one day, and the fact that Joba in last years's post season looked like the Joba from his rookie year.
Number 5 - Javier Vazquez finished 15-10 last year with an ERA of under 3 and makes a solid option as a number 5. If he can return to this form, or even come back and throw the way he did in the first half of 2004 we should be just fine.
Bull pen - the combination of Rivera and Chamberlin will cut our games down to 7 innings while grooming Joba for the closer role, and also saving Rivera from having to be used for those scary 2 inning saves that take him out of commission for a few days. Gaudin, who will serve as one of the options for a long relief man as well as a spot starter in the event of injuries, plus Aceves, Mitre, Robertson, Ramirez, and the rest of the crew out there are just as vital as the starters are. While we have some guys starting that have the potential to chew up some innings, we also have Pettitte and Burnett than might be taxing on the bull pens depending on if their arms hold up or not.
Posada and Cervelli will be the catchers for the team this year. While Posada has been around for almost 15 years and is by far my favorite player on the team, I see this year being a transition year for him. What we saw of Cervelli last year, on top of the fact that Jorge is 39 years old leads me to beleive that this will be number 20's last year as a full time catcher. I can see him sticking around the team for another year aferwards as a DH as well as spelling Big Tex at 1B and Cervelli when he needs a day. I can also see Jorge coming back a few years after retirement in some sort of coaching role, catchers coach, bench coach, something. He knows baseball and knows how to handle a pitching staff and can be a valuable asset to the team even off the field.
I hope you enjoyed my look into our pitchers and catchers for the upcoming season. Please be sure to check back often for the other bloggers as well as myself so you are ready for the 2010!
Eric
Also, please check out my parenting blog - http://www.whatididntexpectwhileshewasexpecting.blogspot.com/
Introduction
Hello fellow Yankee Fanatics! My name is Eric and I have just been invited to post to this site. First I wanted to give you a little bit of a background so you understand where I gained my un-healthy (according to some) love of the Yankees. My grandfather was born in the 20's in Easton PA and as a child was taken to the old, old, Yankee Stadium for weekend double headers and followed all the greats of this era. Throughout the years he became obsessed with the Bronx Bombers - After his retirement he began keeping box scores for the games as well as notebooks full of tally marks for home runs, stolen bases, rbi's, wins, losses, saves - you name it, he recorded it. When my Mother was born he passed this gene onto her and she became obsessed with the Yanks as well, in particular, The Mick. 
When I was born in 1982 I was his first, and only, grandson. I can still remember phone calls bragging about Barfield's monster home run, or the great play Donny Baseball made to save an inning from getting out of control. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away in 1997 and only got to see the beginnings of such hall of fame careers of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and my personal favorite - Jorge Posada. Yeah I know what you are going to say, but come on, he was a great offensive catcher as well as one of the best at handling a pitching staff comprised of rookies and veterans. I still can't believe that these young pitchers had the nerve to shake him off during a game, especially in October - I mean you Phil Hughes!Anyway, I have a feeling I am going to be passing this genetic trait down to my son, who is due in June. The pictures on either side of this post are all going to be a part of Evan's coming home out fit. As you can tell, my wife is an incredibly awesome lady and has bought into the Yankee phenomenon quite nicely. So that is it for my introduction, I will be posting my thoughts as much as possible, hopefully a few times a week, unless something big happens, then of course I will post my thoughts that day. I look forward to reading your comments!
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