Tough To Winn

If you read some of the past entries on this blog, you'll see that I've been calling for some answers from Brian Cashman. After tonight's lifeless loss in Detroit, I'm still looking for answers. John Lackey (the top of this past year's free agent class) won his fourth game for the Red Sox, Sergio Mitre stinks, and Javier Vazquez is pitching tomorrow. This has a three game losing streak written all over it. In addition to Mitre and his garbage outing, the Yankees are trying to win games with the Scranton Yankees rounding out the bottom of their batting order.

After Jorge Posada, who is finally back, Marcus Thames batted sixth this evening. Marcus Thames does nothing other than hit shallow fly outs to left field, botch plays in the outfield, and hit an occasionally infield single to the shortstop hole. Then you have Brett Gardner, who is sometimes fun to watch, but he's not going to continue hitting at a high average. He had chances to come through tonight, and could not. Finally, you have the dumbest acquisition of the off season batting ninth: Randy Winn. Winn could not come through with runners at the corners and one out in the eighth inning, popping up to third base off of Phil Coke, who is faring much better than Boone Logan and Damaso Marte this season.

Brian Cashman still needs to explain why Austin Jackson (.360 batting average), Phil Coke (three wins), and Ian Kennedy were traded for an outfielder who hit .250 last season. Granderson is rotting on the disabled list while Jackson is leading the American League in hitting. It's not like Melky Cabrera is doing well, but Javier Vazquez is garbage, and Boone Logan continues to WALK left-handed batters. Instead of re-signing Johnny Damon, who you knew would hit a home run tonight, Cashman signed the Carl Pavano of this year's free agent class: Nick Johnson. Johnson suffered a wrist injury, likely from ordering too many movies in his hotel room last week.

Three positives tonight: Mark Teixeira is still hitting bombs, David Robertson pitched and didn't give up eight runs, and Joba Chamberlain struck out the side in the eighth inning. Overall, the fact that the Yankees are 21-10 is a complete miracle. They started the season healthy, but now, they are falling apart and playing in the American League with a weak lineup and no bench whatsoever. For some reason, the team decided to say goodbye to Jerry Hairston and Eric Hinske, and tonight's bench consisted of Ramiro Pena, Kevin Russo, and Francisco Cervelli. You'd love to be able to bat for Marcus Thames, Gardner, or Winn late in the game, but who can you send up?

All in all, I'm still looking for answers. Not signing Lackey, trading for Granderson and Vazquez, and signing Glass Nick Johnson is starting to make zero sense. Once again, the Yankees will be forced to make some mid-season moves just to get the bench together.