Signs of Spring’s Swings

"The Germans wore gray, you wore blue”- Rick Blaine, Casablanca

The doldrums of winter are slowly ending and the blue and gray boys of summer are ready to bring their signature swings. Signs of Spring are around the corner. I can almost hear the crack of the bat and the cheers of the crowds.
Eight days from now pitchers and catchers report for Spring ball. In 20 days, the Yankees will play their first Spring training game against Toronto. 25 men will compete to make the final rosters and be a part of history on Opening Day at the new stadium. Whether they are returning, refined mainstays in pinstripes or novices vying for a spot, players assume the same annual assignment. Shiny baseballs will spin and be tossed with ease. Fresh-cut grass will take on the familiar feel of a fine Spring afternoon. Dugout discussions will involve intimate intonations. The sandlot shadows will situation seductively as silhouettes shag flies in the outfield. Rosin bags will be released and relegated to round mounds, batting gloves broken in, leathers laced and bases placed. Ballplayers will start the daily drudgery of energetic and endless exercise and wind sprints. Jumping jacks, leg lunches, stretches, sit-ups and crunches will become an everyday affair once again.
I love baseball when the games count in the standings and have meaning most of all. But to truly grasp the greatness of the game at its most beautiful, the unreal essence of baseball is unleashed during Spring training.
The Yankees should make it to the 2009 Fall Classic. On paper, they have the best team in the league. Here are five things I think need to occur for the Bombers to be in the World Series:
1. The pitching staff must be healthy. Winning teams do so because they have a strong and enduring starting rotation. The Yankees went out of their way this off-season to spend money on quality arms. The staff is solidified but the names and stats mean nothing if they are not healthy. Injuries are inevitable in baseball and the Yankees are not immune to them. They must keep their pitchers in prime condition throughout the summer. Wang is coming off an injury and Burnett has a reputation for being on the DL annually. Hopefully both can avoid a DL stint in 2009. C.C. Sabathia is the team’s number one but it may take time to get him acclimated and comfortable with pitching in N.Y. He should be able to settle down by the early Spring into a routine and familiar setting. It’s hard to predict the kind of year Andy Pettitte will provide in pinstripes. Joba Chamberlain has no prior seasons to compare to. Both pitchers could very well determine which direction the Bombers are headed early in the year. The number four and five starters, Chamberlain and Pettitte need to give an all out effort and win double digit games if the Yankees expect to be a force in the competitive AL East.
2. Coaching is huge. People say coaching in baseball is overrated. I tend to think it is highly undervalued. Managers do make a difference even if they are not the ones hitting or fielding the ball. The mere presence of a leader in the dugout and a decision maker is just as important as the players’ skills when push comes to shove in the post-season. Baseball players cannot always motivate themselves to perform at their highest levels. They often tire out late in the season and need a manager to pick them up. The role of Joe Girardi will be vital during the final stretch and he has to keep the players focused on their long-term goals.
3. Back to basics should be the team motto. The Yankees of the 90’s could beat you in so many different ways. From bunting to base-stealing, they rediscovered the fundamentals. The tactics and maneuvers used by those championship teams were not rocket science and they did work best when executed correctly. The Yankees need to concentrate on fielding and hitting the cutoffs correctly on defense. They should not rely solely on the long ball when at the plate. Base hits count for production too. There was nothing more splendid than a Paul O’Neill line drive to score the go-ahead run in the 90’s.
4. Robinson Cano has to play better and smarter baseball. Mistakes are expected but Robinson has too much potential being wasted. He could be the team MVP if he stopped slacking off. Cano came around late in 2008 and I think he will bounce back with a more productive season this year. It is time for him to revive himself and emerge as a mature player. The absence of Larry Bowa may have hurt him, but Jeter is a role model he could look to for support. He needs someone to ignite that fire he showed his first year here.
5. Mark Texeira needs to be the player we expect he will. Everyone has high expectations for the new first baseman. I think he will exceed them and be a fine player for a long time in N.Y. I figured out he reminds me a lot of Robin Ventura for some reason. Both seem to embody class and pure talent. Tex has a snappy glove like Robin did at third base. Both are not flashy with the bat but are capable of big hits. Jorge Posada isn’t going to be the same player so I think Tex will make up for some of his production. He will definitely be better than Giambi in the field and at the plate, I am sure pitchers will try to avoid throwing him anything he can drill.

Parting points: “Mad, bad and dangerous to know. That was him and that is me”- Dylan McKay
Song of the day: “Santa Monica” by Everclear