Dear Yankees,
I feel the need to write this, because I know how often you frequent this blog, and how important our opinions and insights are to you. In case you haven't picked it up from our game reviews, you haven't been playing well. Perhaps you've lost some confidence after going 0-5 against Boston, perhaps losing Bruney and Posada has effected all your spirits. Whatever the cause, I feel I need to remind you of certain things. You are the New York Yankees. You need to stop playing like the New York Mets. Let me tip you off to some realities about the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays do not have the pitching behind Roy Halladay to continue winning the way they are. The Boston Red Sox, who look like a way better team than you, are actually not as good as they've been playing. Nick Green is not a .300 hitter, Beckett's 6+ ERA is indicative of a league that has caught on to him, Nancy Drew is not now, has never been, and never will be a threat in this league, David Ortiz is not in a slump he's in a decline, Tim Wakefield will not end the season with an ERA under 4, Brad Penny sucks, John Smoltz will suck, and Jason Varitek's .231 average is probably about what he'll finish with this season. I mention this to point out that the Sox's recent hot streak, is just that, a streak. They can be beaten, as was shown with thier series against the Rays, because unlike you, the Rays are a confident bunch who exploited the aforementioned weaknesses. Don't get me wrong, the Red Sox are a good team, great even. Jason Bay is proving that his performance last season was not a fluke. Kevin Youkilis has always been a good hitter, and Dustin Pedroia was not voted MVP without reason. Mike Lowell is a presence in that lineup, and Ellsbury is one of the fastest base stealers they've had in recent history. Their bullpen is easily better than yours, and Papelbon is a reliable and talented closer. Still, they are not a better team, they are a more confident team. At the end of the season I'm willing to bet that Jason Bay, and Nick Swisher will have comparable numbers, Kevin Youkilis and Marky T will have comparable numbers, same with Pedroia and Cano, or even Lowell and Damon. The difference is that the Red Sox win because they believe they can. You Yankees lose, because you step up to the plate with doubt in your minds. End this now. You're the New York Yankees. You drive in runs. Right now you look beaten before you even step up to the plate, and yet, everyone in that lineup is capable of getting a hit. Even Ramiro Pena. You're all big league players. Start acting like you've been there before.
Now for the fans freaking out, I have this to say. Its still just May 7. We have a team full of slow starters including our biggest additions, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia. Even though we've been out played, the Boston Red Sox rotation is not better than ours. Do you really think at the end of the season a rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield, and Penny/Smoltz is going to do better than Sabathia, Beckett, Pettitte, Chamberlain, and Wang? And about Wang, he will be back. He has not forgotten how to pitch. His sinker will return.
Of course I could be wrong about all of this, but I'm not. Come July, you will all see this coming to fruition. For now, you New York Yankees need to start winning games, starting tonight, and keep things close in the standings, because when you start playing for real, you're going to own the AL East.
Remember: You're the New York Yankees. Start acting like it.
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19 comments:
How about the Manny news? Shocking?
I AM DEVASTED ONCE AGAIN!!!! FIRST AROD, THEN MANNY!!! All I need is for Jeter to test positive, and my life will be complete....
2 out of my 3 all time favs in baseball. I'm crushed....
YAY MANNY! atleast it takes the heat off of arod
Remember how many Yankee fans were clamouring for the Yankees to sign Manny this off-season? It looks like they got it right on this one.
Great letter to the Yankees, I hope they heed it.
well, they didnt say what he tested positive for. For all we know, that doctor could have prescribed him some marijuana.
Anyways...
-JD Drew had a .900+ OPS last year. I'm pretty sure thats right around his career average. I'll take that from my corner outfielder anyday.
-Jason Bay has always been this good. Consider the numbers he put up in Pittsburgh, with a 390ft+ right handed hitter power alley.
and tribegirl: you still have Thome, at least.
Nope, not a Jim Thome fan. My big three have always been Manny, Jeter, and ARod since they were rookies, no matter where they played and what they did. Of the three, my least suspected player to use was Manny because he's always been big and strong, even as a kid in high school.
I think Manny has always smoked pot with or without a prescription....
So, here’s what I’ve been able to put together from various sources on this…
Here’s the statement from the MLBPA:
“The Commissioner’s Office announced today that Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. That suspension was issued pursuant to Section 8.G.2 of the Program. Manny, after consultation with the Players Association and his personal representatives, waived his right to challenge that suspension.”
So I looked up the Drug Policy and found the text of 8.G.2 to see exactly what he was suspended for:
“A Player may be subjected to disciplinary action for just cause by the Commissioner for any Player violation of Section 2 above not referenced in Section 8.A through 8.F above.”
Section 2 lists all of the drugs that are banned. Three categories: Drugs of Abuse, PEDs, Stimulants. So a violation of Section 2 means Manny must have tested positive for something in one of those categories.
Sections 8.A through 8.F are (A) failure to comply with the program, (B) positive test for a PED, (C) positive test for a stimulant, (D) conviction for use of a prohibited substance, (E) sale of a prohibited substance, and (F) marijuana use.
So, according to the MLBPA his violation was NOT for any of those reasons. A PED suspension would be under 8.B, which this does not appear to be. This appears to lend credence to his story that a prescription contained something on the banned list.
GO CAVS!!!!
This is surprising. IAs with the JC Romero situation, I'm sure the exact product he tested positive for will come to light. The first headline I saw about this mentioned 'roids, but they may have gotten ahead of themselves.
Trig, I was hoping you would enter this debate with me! JD Drew is good for some power, but he isn't the prolific hitter some seem to think he is. All last year I had to listen to the NESN announcers talk about his Mickey Mantle-like power. The only thing those two have in common is their number. JD Drew is no where near the Mick's level.
Jason Bay is good. I just wondered how he would perform for such a big market team, after seemignly being so willing to stay in Pittsburgh. On the other hand though, Fenway's left field and Bay's right handed stroke are a powerful combination.
. . . two sources told ESPN's T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada that the drug used by Ramirez is hCG -- human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a women's fertility drug typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. It is similar to Clomid, the drug Bonds, Giambi and others used as clients of BALCO.
A source with intimate knowledge of steroids told ESPN that a male athlete usually uses HCG after a cycle of steroids because steroids often shut down the testosterone-making ability of the testicles. HCG restores their capacity to make testosterone. The source said that some males may use HCG in lieu of steroids also. HCG by itself can provide a substantial boost in the bodies own testosterone, and this may provide some performance-enhancement benefits.
Of course these guys are "sources" so who the heck knows.
Anyway, Jason Bay is awesome, no matter where he plays! JD Drew is overrated, if he is rated well at all outside of Boston. Youklis is a troll, but his talent can't be denied, same with Papelbon. Pedroia, ehhh...I don't think he's as great as everyone says. He's a great player, just not AS great. The NEW Axis of Evil is Pedroia, Youklis, and Papelbon. I do agree, what they do have that the Yankees, or many other teams don't have for that matter, is team coherance and team confidence. That starts at the top with Terry Francona, who is an excellent coach and I have much respect for. But I still hate Boston.
Oh man, its on now, buddy!
yeah, the mantle comparisons are definately ridiculous. The only way he could come close to comparing to the mick, is if he downed a 1/5 of jack every night. I've said it before, though. Fenway can be brutal on lefthanded power hitters. I mean, in a neutral ballpark (such as atlanta) the dude can drop some bombs. Plus, that swing is just so dang pretty.
I was about to clobber you over the head with drews homerun statistics, until I found out he only topped 30 once, and 20 twice. While not a slugger, he still draws walks and hits his fair share of doubles. He reminds me of Adam Dunn only he hits for a better average and doesnt drop 500ft bombs on a consistent basis. Now if only he could play more than 140 games.
Agreed on Bay. I was curious to see how he would react to the big city. I noticed him and Youk have very similar swings, in that they are both very powerful and wristy.
I wouldnt be too upset with the yanks so far. I think it was pete abraham that said of the 25 roster spots being filled about 11 of them probably arent ready for the bigs. I dont know. They'll figure it out, hopefully. F$#% this red sox competing against rays noise. I want sox-yanks, baby!
First, Boston is not the big city. It's just a city. Second, Jason Bay looks like any one of the villains on the X-Files. He's creepy as hell. Third, Manny hardly bothers to play baseball, it is a bit hard to believe he would take steroids, but at this point it is hard to trust anybody. People always say he works really hard at hitting. I don't think he does, I think he just loves hitting, so he goes to the cage and hits, he goes to the park and hits, he takes extra bp, hits women and children (I can only assume), and so on.
okay, fine. Its a slightly above average sized city with a rabid fan base.
i agree about manny liking hitting. he basically has the mind of a child. so him going to the cage and hitting or what not is like a kid playing with his or her favorite toy... and as for the steroids, but could this be boras' doing. couldnt you see him going "hey manny take this stuff, you'l play better and thats more money"?
I don't blame Boras for this, I blame the loosey-goosey era. I mean it's not like there are rules and testing in place or anything.
HA HA HA HA. I completely forgot about that quote! That was priceless.
oh im not blaming him im just playing devils advocate.
Scott Boras feeding Manny drugs like baby food....THE LOOSEY GOOSEY ERA!!!! Between that and the new post, I am cracking up!!!! I forgot about that too, OMG.....this is crazy!!!
Great letter, I am trying to take it to heart, but alas I think Yanks are done. But what do I know? I thought they'd never make it to the post season last year or get past Cleveland the year before.
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