If you're a die hard "Yankees can do no wrong" type of guy I'll preface this entry by saying you won't like everything I have to say. However it is my opinion, you're entitled to yours, unless it's wrong than I don't want to hear it.
Remember game 1 when Cliff Lee out dueled CC in Philly? You remember, when sleaze ball Chase Utley hit those homers. Than it was game 2 Pedro Martinez vs. AJ, the tattooed flame thrower threw 6 hit 1 run ball and evened the series up at 1-1. Without that game do the Yankees bring home the title? Maybe, maybe not -- but we don't have to worry about that BECAUSE AJ won. The rest was history.
Since than he was a see-saw of terrible, blah, and good. Last year he was atrocious (15 wild pitches, 31 homers WTF?) but he did have one critical playoff game to stymy off Detroit and force a Game 5 in the ALDS -- than the Yanks lost -- and that was it for AJ. He was all but worthless during the 2011 season, but in the playoffs he showed up, and in baseball we only remember the good you do if it ends in a title, anything short and you're on the hot seat.
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| A World Series champ in 2009 to 15 wild pitches in 2011 |
It's not his fault he accepted a 5 year $82.5 deal, no one blames him, that's just absurd money. It was the Yankees "fault" they created a market in which players don't just want but expect nothing short of the big money if they're going to the Yankees. However I can't entirely blame the Yankees either -- they had no one to lead their rotation in 2008 -- Mussina retired, Pettite wasn't a #1, and we were one season removed from Chien Ming Wang who I believe was going to be great for years to come, but than he had to fucking round third against the fucking Astros and derail his career G-D DARN IT. Their marriage wasn't unexpected, he wasn't the prom queen, he was just like a really pretty girl who you go home with thinking "Meh, not the worst I could have done!"
But when you wake up it becomes "Oh wow, well that was nice...but um...how about I call a cab to take you home now?"
I believe it is best AJ and the Yankees split ways now, but I can't blame Burnett for what happened. The Yankees for the last 4 years have at times seemed close to being special needs patients when it comes to managing their pitchers. Turning promising talent into circus acts. Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, the hopping between rotation and bullpen is unacceptable, Cashman and Girardi have to get on the same page. Those two are no where near finished, it is up to them to figure out where they fit best, but not every year!! Hughes IS a starter Chamberlain is a BULLPEN guy -- they belong where they were in the first place.
Rafael Soriano is back, Hideki Kuroda is new (but very old), can we trust Freddy Garcia again? Ivan Nova needs to keep doing what he's doing and Michael Pineada is a question mark that could soon become an exclamation point if he is coached and managed properly. Time will tell, and I am optimistic -- just skeptical.
I hope the Yankees can get it right this season, because if the heart of the lineup (Tex,Arod,Swish) produces offensively like they did last year our pitching will be the the difference between an October on the golf course or a chance to hear Joe Buck cringing as he says "And the New York Yankees are World Series Champions for the 28th time!"
Sean Youngberg is a life-long baseball geek, with two parents from New York he is proud to admit that he is a Yankees fan -- but excited to see the Washington Nationals win it all one of these years -- and nervous to admit that Cal Ripken Jr and Ted Williams are his all time favorite players. But oh well! Youngberg is really looking forward to ranting about the upcoming 2012 season. If you have something that riles you up and want to hear his take on it, e-mail Sean at SAYoungberg@Gmail.com
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