The Yankees are about to enter a series with the Rays and its time the Yankees start playing strategy instead of baseball. Let's face it, they're not playing much baseball these days as it is so they might as well try their hand at something else. In recent years, the Yankees have done a good job of stifling the rival Red Sox, and in some seasons have ended their post season dreams (2006), or knocked them out of an AL East division title (2005). Since the Yankees are not getting into the post season, the best strategy they can use to maintain this trend is to make sure the Rays win. To that end, the Yankees need to let the Rays win this series. Now, some may point out that with Ponson and Pavano pitching its very likely we were going to lose the series anyway, but the Yankees need to make sure of this. For example, if Ponson decides to pitch one of those gems of his, A-Rod needs to step up his GIDP production. If Pavano is staying competitive into the 6th inning, Cano just needs to let a bunch of grounders through. The only game the Yankees need to win is the Saturday game with Mussina pitching. That game is essential. Now if Mussina comes out of the game and does not have the win, then the Yankees should just let the Rays have it. There's no point in winning that game if Moose doesn't get his win. For those who think the Yankees need to win games for pride's sake, my argument to you is, they haven't been doing it all season, so why start now? Especially when winning games means a division title for the Red Sox, and with that, the rise in global warming, baby elephant poaching, a severe decrease of the US dollar, and a severe increase of nursery school arsons.
In other unrelated matters, it looks like the Yankees have plans in motion to fix Cano's swing. I for one am glad that they're addressing this now and not waiting for a whole season to pass by before doing so.
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4 comments:
don't forget satan's reign on earth!
Speaking of no post season to speak of, what are we going to talk about when the season is over? Jeter's trips to the islands with his lady friends? The progress of ARod's divorce? How ironic Mr. T is in the playoffs and we're not? How the Giants are doomed to not repeat as Superbowl Champs? How fabulous it is that Tom Brady is out for the season? (MY personal favorite - why couldn't Belichek do anything when he coached the Browns, huh???) Again, just wondering. It's depressing when baseball season is over!
tribegirl, there will be plenty of off-season chatter soon enough, and it should still be an exciting postseason...
Now it's time to see what Kevin Long is made of. This season was not just a product of Cano's inability to be patient at the plate. When he nearly won a batting title, he did it by straight hacking. Granted, it could be a case of the league catching up to him, but he needs to make adjustments. I haven't seen footage to compare last year's mechanics to this year's, but it certainly seems there is something wrong there as well, which I'm not just saying because of the numbers. Early on in the season it seemed like every batted ball was a charity grounder to second, nearly to the same spot every time. Then he seemed to purposely try to go the other way, and a lot of the time he gets a pop out, many times to shallow center. Then he got his home run swing together for a bit, including that blast to center in Baltimore. Hopefully Long can identify the problem and fix it. He's got all the video, and while Cano does seem lazy at times, he does seem capable of working hard to improve.
Speaking of Cano, he got pulled from the game, and Pete Abe says he may not be playing tomorrow. I have to agree though, he's waited too long to take this kind of action.
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