Anyone associated with the Yankees during the dynasty years of the late '90s -- whether a member of the team or a fan -- can tell you that there are four celebrations to any successful season.
Clinching the playoffs, preferably taking the division, was first. Prevailing in the Division Round would set off another party. Winning the pennant was next on the agenda in the Championship Series. Of course, all this had to be followed up by the final fiesta by winning a World Series.
While the 2009 version has yet to accomplish anything of serious significance thus far, before long there will be a nightly check of "The Magic Number."
The four-game sweep of Boston not only legitimizes everything that's taken place over the past couple of months but knocks the Red Sox so far back that Beantown has to start looking at Wild Card competition.
Sure there are close to fifty games remaining, and a good number of them will be the best rivalry match-up in sports. However, everything is clicking in the Bronx and the Red Sox roster has more holes in it than a fisherman's net in Cape Cod.
Theo Epstein was once being hailed as a genius for his personnel moves. John Smoltz would come in mid-season and add to the starting pitching depth, what could possibly go wrong? Five losses in eight starts with an ERA almost as high as the Green Monster, that's what.
Getting rid of Manny Ramirez and bringing in Jason Bay looked like a fine trade in mid-May, but after a two-month slump the move isn't looking all that terrific. Shortstop has been an issue all season with no relief in sight.
The rotation is fine at the top but the back end is wide open. Smoltz is now gone, Tim Wakefield is on the DL as is Daisuke Matsuzaka. The bullpen has been serviceable but Jonathan Papelbon has had his issues despite what his low ERA will have you believe.
The Fenway faithful have all but given-up on the Yanks and are slowly turning on Theo even if he brought in Victor Martinez.
The Yanks meanwhile have evolved into a team that never quits. In the series against Boston they showed that the magic is returning to the Bronx, albeit across the street. This club is starting to develop a similar personality to those that threw all those parties and parades.
Since A-Rod's return the Yanks have been fairly healthy, except for Chien-Ming Wang. And it's been Brian Cashman who's looked brilliant.
There are still two west-coast trips to deal with including three games in Anaheim in late September which will be followed by three at the stadium vs. the Red Sox.
However, by that time the race for the division will be all but over. After a season in which the only celebration was the closing of The Stadium -- more like a funeral -- it's time to get ready for party number one.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Bring On The Sox
"Bring on the Red Sox." No, that's not the chant of some arrogant Yankees fan who thinks this year's ballclub can go head-to-head with Murders Row and come out victorious. It's what Joe Girardi's boys better be thinking as we head towards a very significant four game set between the Bombers and BoSox.
The greatest rivalry in sports was last showcased on June 11th. The Red Sox completed yet another sweep of the Yanks and were riding high. They were 8 and 0 against the team that had the best chance of knocking them off their perch in the AL East standings. But things have changed a lot since then.
Over the past six weeks -- since June 24th against the Braves -- the Yanks have been playing as good a brand of baseball as they have played in years. Going into that game against Atlanta, the Yanks were five games back of Boston with a record of 38 up and 32 down.
Since that game the club has gone 27 and 10, a five game deficit has turned into a two and-a-half game lead. Boston has played just above .500 -- 19 wins to 17 loses in that time.
The Yankees have won ten series and lost only two in that time, and one of those losses came against the Angels whom it seems the Yanks can't beat so long as their manager's name is Joe.
The Red Sox 19 and 17 record is actually better than it should be. Consider that they played the AL East Punching-Bag-Orioles nine times in that span, winning seven of those match-ups.
Beantown has also suffered some terrible losses since to two clubs last played. There was that embarrassing loss when the Sox led the O's 10-1 only to implode and lose 11-10. Just over a week ago Jonathan Papelbon came into a game against Oakland with a three run lead only to have Nick Green commit two throwing errors with two outs to let the lead slip away, Oakland went on to win in extras.
Early in the season Red Sox Nation had Jason Bay as the shoo-in for MVP, not to mention next mayor of Boston. Well, Bay's stats have started to resemble G.M.'s stock charts from earlier this year, his batting average is down over .70 points in the last two months. Throw in a home run total for July that would make even David Wright cringe -- ONE, that's right just one homer for the month.
J.D. Drew batted to a .217 clip in July. John Smoltz has looked nothing like the pitcher we knew in Atlanta -- and that has nothing to do with his receding hairline. Smoltz is two and four with a seven-plus ERA. Add to all this, the steroid news concerning Manny and Ortiz.
No, it has not been perfect in the Bronx. Alfredo Aceves has been shaky over his last few outings, same for Phil Coke. Losing Chien-Ming Wang for the season is going to hurt, but all that is small potatoes compared to the problems in Beantown.
Boston has lost their last two. The Yankees have won three in-a-row. The Yankees have their pitching staff setup, the top four starters will pitch. Smoltz is the only one Boston would rather not have start in this series.
Taking three out of four in a series against anyone is tough. Pulling it off against a formidable foe like the Red Sox is asking a lot. To prove that things have turned around in the past month and a half the Yankees need to split the series -- minimum.
Anything short of two wins will mean a tie in the loss column atop the AL East standing. A sweep either way would obviously be a huge blow to the loser. The Yanks would have a 6.5 game lead and dispelled of all the demons should they win four.
If the Sox continue their dominance in the match-up they will not only leap-frog into first, they show that while the Yanks can walk over the rest of baseball they still can't beat the playoff contenders.
This series comes at the right time for the Yankees, now they have to take care of business on the field. If they don't, the Red Sox will have successfully called the bluff of the past six weeks.
The greatest rivalry in sports was last showcased on June 11th. The Red Sox completed yet another sweep of the Yanks and were riding high. They were 8 and 0 against the team that had the best chance of knocking them off their perch in the AL East standings. But things have changed a lot since then.
Over the past six weeks -- since June 24th against the Braves -- the Yanks have been playing as good a brand of baseball as they have played in years. Going into that game against Atlanta, the Yanks were five games back of Boston with a record of 38 up and 32 down.
Since that game the club has gone 27 and 10, a five game deficit has turned into a two and-a-half game lead. Boston has played just above .500 -- 19 wins to 17 loses in that time.
The Yankees have won ten series and lost only two in that time, and one of those losses came against the Angels whom it seems the Yanks can't beat so long as their manager's name is Joe.
The Red Sox 19 and 17 record is actually better than it should be. Consider that they played the AL East Punching-Bag-Orioles nine times in that span, winning seven of those match-ups.
Beantown has also suffered some terrible losses since to two clubs last played. There was that embarrassing loss when the Sox led the O's 10-1 only to implode and lose 11-10. Just over a week ago Jonathan Papelbon came into a game against Oakland with a three run lead only to have Nick Green commit two throwing errors with two outs to let the lead slip away, Oakland went on to win in extras.
Early in the season Red Sox Nation had Jason Bay as the shoo-in for MVP, not to mention next mayor of Boston. Well, Bay's stats have started to resemble G.M.'s stock charts from earlier this year, his batting average is down over .70 points in the last two months. Throw in a home run total for July that would make even David Wright cringe -- ONE, that's right just one homer for the month.
J.D. Drew batted to a .217 clip in July. John Smoltz has looked nothing like the pitcher we knew in Atlanta -- and that has nothing to do with his receding hairline. Smoltz is two and four with a seven-plus ERA. Add to all this, the steroid news concerning Manny and Ortiz.
No, it has not been perfect in the Bronx. Alfredo Aceves has been shaky over his last few outings, same for Phil Coke. Losing Chien-Ming Wang for the season is going to hurt, but all that is small potatoes compared to the problems in Beantown.
Boston has lost their last two. The Yankees have won three in-a-row. The Yankees have their pitching staff setup, the top four starters will pitch. Smoltz is the only one Boston would rather not have start in this series.
Taking three out of four in a series against anyone is tough. Pulling it off against a formidable foe like the Red Sox is asking a lot. To prove that things have turned around in the past month and a half the Yankees need to split the series -- minimum.
Anything short of two wins will mean a tie in the loss column atop the AL East standing. A sweep either way would obviously be a huge blow to the loser. The Yanks would have a 6.5 game lead and dispelled of all the demons should they win four.
If the Sox continue their dominance in the match-up they will not only leap-frog into first, they show that while the Yanks can walk over the rest of baseball they still can't beat the playoff contenders.
This series comes at the right time for the Yankees, now they have to take care of business on the field. If they don't, the Red Sox will have successfully called the bluff of the past six weeks.
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