Your Yankees

Baseball season can’t come soon enough. I’m really anticipating an incredible year in New York, especially on the AL side. The Yankees assembled a club this winter with unlimited potential. The Bombers are my preseason AL champion favorites. I do think this year’s version of the pinstripes will excel and return to the playoffs after being absence in 2008. I am going to try to break down each team position-by-position throughout the next month. I begin with my favorite team. The Yankees will tackle the task of downplaying distractions surrounding the steroid saga this summer.
The starting lineup options for manager, Joe Girardi couldn’t be any more enticing really (unless perhaps Manny were manning the outfield instead of Melky). The most puzzling predicament for the second-year skipper will be creating the batting order, especially the first five. A stable lineup is crucial because too many different arrangements could result in inconsistent efforts. I always considered Derek Jeter an ideal leadoff man, but he isn’t really the team’s true table-setter. Derek hits well and is good in getting on base but he works well out of the two slot best because of his knack for run production. He can advance the leadoff man effectively and usually avoids being doubled up. LF, Johnny Damon should bat first because he is an experienced and patient player. Damon struck out more often than he walked in 2008, but still managed a .303 average at the plate. On the field, Damon’s arm is uninspiring and poses problems at times. He is a veteran, however, who can still run down fly balls and get to hard-hit grounders efficiently enough Jeter is a solid, sure-handed and slick shortstop. He does lack range and gets knocked for his defense but still has that signature spin move unmatched in all of baseball. Derek’s bat more than makes up for any defensive lapses he will endure. The captain obviously isn’t going anywhere and boasts a career 1,002 RBIs as a Bomber He is responsible for being the leader on and off the field.
Alex Rodriguez or the newly acquired, Mark Teixeria, will hit third. I think Girardi will go with Teixeria because Mark will be protected and see better pitches with Alex hitting behind him. The addition of Teixeria to the infield will have immeasurable affect on NY’s defense. He makes all the plays at first base and will make other infielders look good by stopping errant throws. Mark can scoop any bad hops heaped his way. A switch hitter, he nailed 33 homeruns last year for two teams and those totals warrant a huge winter contract. I’d love to see #25 hit the first Yankee Stadium long-ball. Arod is going to go yard more than any other slugger on the team, so placing him at cleanup makes perfect sense. It would be nice if he cleaned up off the field too. Alex will be facing a different type of distraction as the takes the field in pinstripes this year. Rodriguez’s skills shouldn’t be questioned no matter how often he used PEDs in the past. His mental game and ability to handle pressure are another story entirely. Unfortunately he will likely face questions about it for the rest of his career and his teammates will suffer and struggle to defend him.
Robinson Cano, the starting 2B, might figure into the number 5 spot, but it would not be a surprise if he hit lower. Cano is playing in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. Rumors about his off-season conditioning are notable. He supposedly dropped some weight and his hitting and seeing the ball better than ever. I expect his .271 average to climb as the pressure is shifted to other players and the new starting pitchers. He scored only 70 runs last year. Cano should cross the plate 100 times in 2009. Jorge Posada’s health concerns me. The catcher’s bat is the reason the Yankees need him in the lineup though. Posada stubbornly wants to remain the NY backstop but isn’t going to be the same catcher he was earlier in his career when Giradi was schooling him. Jose Molina makes a sufficient backup for Posada, but he is too slow and sluggish offensively.
Xavier Nady is not an everyday LF. He will see the majority of the time in left and is a consistent bottom-of -the-order bat for NY. Nady quietly hit 97 RBIs for a .305 average in limited at-bats during the past year. He earned a one year $6.65 million deal to return for the Bombers in 2009. The X-man comes back mostly as an insurance policy if young Brett Gardner doesn’t pan out or if Nick Swisher decides to go in a slump. Swisher was signed this off season as one of the Yankees’ first moves. I am sure he will ride the pine or see most of his appearances as a late-game fill in or pinch hitter. He can makes things happen and is better than average off the bench, so I like his presence. He’s good enough to be considered a starter on any other team but after Teixeria was signed, those plans were squashed. The Yankees committed to Cabrera as their CF. Melky bats ninth in this impressive NY lineup. As far as CF goes historically for the Yankees, Cabrera does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as past players. But the Yankees do not need him to be great and do not want to give up on this very average player.
The Yankee rotation is set and well-rounded. C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte are the starters. Phil Hughes could be a spot starter or compete for a spot, but will pitch from the pen. He joins fellow righty relievers, Alfredo Aceves, Humberto Sanchez, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, David Robertson and Ian Kennedy. Damaso Marte and Phil Coke are the only left-handed specialists. I cite that as the main pitching weakness if all the starters are healthy. The Yankees should sign another lefty and maybe another backup catcher.
Mariano Rivera returns as the shut-down closer and Hideki Matsui completes the Yankees as the DH and occasional outfielder.

Parting points: “Hate Me” by Blue October