Most people, myself included, felt that the Yankees needed to at least win this series against the Red Sox if not sweep to have a chance at the wild card. Now with the season officially over, and both Hank and Cash having recently made statements about how bad the Yanks have been, it's time to ask what next year's team will look like. I'm guessing the Yanks go hard after Teixera and Sabbathia. Maybe Hughes will turn into a good pitcher, but I frankly don't have much hope for Ian Kennedy. The question is will we be making excuses for Manny being Manny come next season.
As the sox we're pounding us yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine who is a sox fan about Manny. While he doesn't think Bay is an adequate replacement, he feels like it's a good thing that Manny is gone because despite bending over backwards to make him happy he was a perennial malcontent. One thing he pointed out is the Sox should never have started the "Manny being Manny" thing, since all it accomplished was letting him get away with being ridiculous and he still ended up forcing the team to let him go. Now I know that Manny has another side to this story but I always hated the Manny being Manny nonsense and my friend was right to fault the Red Sox for excusing everything Manny did with a stupid line like that.
Recently Manny was asked to get a hair cut by Joe Torre and essentially refused. More accurately, he essentially insulted Joe by only cutting an inch, as if to say "I'm Manny and I do whatever I want." It's the equivalent of holding a finger an inch from someone's face and saying I'm not touching you. The thing is, when a living legend like Joe Torre tells you to get a hair cut, you get a #$%&#@&* hair cut. I wonder if Manny cost himself the sort of contract he was hoping for with that little display.
Regardless, a team like New York, a team expected to make the play offs every year, might be interested in a bat like his. Thing is, in NY he has to cut his hair and their won't be any patience for his ridiculous ego. Which may mean if he did sign, that he'd be looking for a trade come July. So will the Yanks test the waters? Should they test the waters? Is this a guy we should take a risk on?
In answering, please take into account the fact that we probably won't be playing in October and that the Yankees have a moral obligation to spend as much money as possible to ensure that this never ever ever happens again so long as the earth is orbiting the sun and human life is still being supported on this planet, or any other for that matter.
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12 comments:
No, I don't think the Yankees should sign Manny, for the simple reason that he doesn't respect the game itself. The Yankees have a long history of stand-up guys who made the game what it is. It would be an insult to Gehrig, Dimmagio, Munson, and every other Yankee who made our organization great.
yqWith or without Joba on the mound, Youk the Ugly is guaranteed to have a HBP.
I think the Yankees should sign Manny. He is one of the most clutch hitters in baseball. As long as Manny can hit in the clutch, let him be Raspunzel or Samson or whatever he fancies. Don't forget the Angels are rich and ambitious enough to keep Teixeira. There's good chance we won't see him in pinstripes next season.
If the Yankees pass on Manny and fail to obtain Teixeira, it will be "No Santana, No Hughes & IPK" all over again.
Cashman has been killing this team by not signing players they needed. And take at look at our farm system, there's no major league-ready players.
We need clutch hitters, yes, like Manny, and a new GM.
Proud history is not going to win games for us.
i dont think a proud history is going to win raven. i agree. but i think that we have to keep our dignity somewhat. i would rather see them sign cc and burnet than sign manny and one pitcher. but i think that signing guys who know the yankee way which is clutch hitting with respect for the game is fine. people say that joba has no respect thats not true. he keeps the rivalry alive like thurman and fisk, or williams and mantle. i disagree about the gm. i think that cash has done a pretty good job. what we fail to realize is that we are spoiled for the past 13 years we have made the playoffs. lets look at the past my dad has been a fan since he has grown up in the 50's and 60's and was still a fan in the 80's. We dont realize how lucky we have been.
ps its always good beating paplebon
It should be interesting to see how the new management (Hank and Hal) handles this season. I suspect the Yanks will make big splashes, and as much money as the angels have, the Yankees will build Mark Teixeira a mansion out of stacks of $100 bills if they have to and if they decide they really want him. Then again, Hank has said the days of raking the Yankees over the coals are over. We'll see if that holds after this season. For me, the jury is out on Cashman. You can't blame a guy for trying to build from within, we all love DJ and Pos and Bernie b/c they were home grown talent. But if none of these highly touted, untradeable prospects don't pan out, he bears some responsibility for that. The thing is, do you skewer a guy for having the philosophy of building from within? The nature of prospects is that most of them, even the blue chippers, don't pan out. Trying to build that way inevitably leads to some busts. So do we reject that approach and blame Cash? Then again, the Sox seem to be doing a pretty good job. And if its just a matter of the right scouts then that is on Cash b/c he runs the baseball operation.
Manny in pinstripes? Talk about the straw that breaks the camel's back. I would rather root for the Mets (this only happened once in my life, 1986 World Series, because I couldn't root for the Red Sox). If they did sign where would he play? The yankees are overrun with outfielders and Damon seems to be a good DH. We need pitching. I would be weary of CC. The Brewers are using that arm like they only will have him half a year. Ninth inning up by 6 with a pitch count over 120, go pitch the ninth CC, it's your game.
I don't want Manny, but its better than the idea to sign Bonds. I think the Yankees should explore trade options for a bat. Teixeira will cost too much and Manny just isn't a good fit.
I don't want Manny, but it's not so much because of his attitude as it is for age. He's going to decline fast, and this team already has too many DH types next year, even if they let go of Giambi. Posada has to be figured into that mix now, as there's no guarantee he can catch. Manny would look for a 4 year deal with big money. He might give you 1 great year and 3 average or injury-riddled or attitude-riddled years. I'd rather give a 4 year contract to Adam Dunn at this point, given the age difference.
CC is practically a guarantee to pick up an injury down the road, but if you can get him to accept a 5 year deal at big money, you can't pass that up. It's just a risk you've gotta take. They've definitely gotta get somebody, whether it's him or Sheets. Personally, I'd go for both of them and not worry about signing another position player, maybe pick up Casey Blake, maybe Mientkiewicz...I'd take position players on that tier in exchange for top tier pitching.
This lineup, when healthy, should already be formidable enough. I know A-Rod's not getting it done in big spots this year, nobody is. He did do plenty of it last year though. We've got him 9 more years and we've gotta live and die by him. You hope Damon and Matsui can give you big production in their walk year, same with Nady (though they might offer him an extension). You hope Posada can bounce back after essentially missing a year, and you hope Cano can figure it out. I can understand bringing back Giambi, but I wouldn't. I don't think he could repeat this year, where he plays the field most of the season. Abreu still hits well, but his speed is now declining with his power and he can't field a lick. I'd probably let him go as well.
I think Manny would be a terrible idea. He basically stopped playing for Boston. How unprofessional is that? He is like a spoiled child. There is no guarentee he would not do the same thing if he came here and was not happy. And I cannot imagine him being happy in New York. If he didn't like dealing witht he Boston media how is he going to handle the New York media?
What about Andrew Brackman? Wasn't he supposed to be this nasty pitcher once he came back from Tommy John. Wasn't he already rehabbing during spring training? If Pavano is back, this kid has to be throwing a ball somewhere.
Brackman signed with the Yanks last year right at the signing deadline. I'm assuming he got the surgery shortly after that. He's probably begun a throwing program by now, but he's not in game action yet, at least not at the minor league level. He might be throwing simulated games and I'm guessing he'd play some Winter ball. My guess after that is they will start him in Low A ball next year and let him rise up the ladder, assuming he's even capable of doing that.
Brackman still deserves the time to get it together. The Yanks must be high on him to give him everything he got. He's got an impressive frame at 6'11, but with that height they have to make sure his mechanics are sound and consistent along with his command, velocity, and movement.
I don't know if the Yanks would bring him up as a reliever in September of next year like they did with Joba last year, but if none of the Minor League teams make the playoffs, that would be a way to try and get some more innings under him. Otherwise, my guess, assuming all goes well on his rehab, you might see him ready for the starting rotation by 2010, maybe June of 2010 if they still want to control his innings in the minors.
Yeah, he is a big guy. Speaking of big guys, Humberto Sanchez is struggling too. I saw his numbers not too long ago and it looks like he won't be up here any time soon.
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