JOE MUST GO

This is probably going to be my most unpopular blog entry of the year, but Yankees' manager Joe Girardi is ruining the season, and the Yankees' playoff hopes are getting scarier. I know, I know, they still have a large Wild Card lead, but other than CC Sabathia and a miracle Nick Swisher walk off homer last Wednesday, the team has shown no life for over a week. There have been no reports of team meetings, no locker room speeches from their captain, and no momentum heading into the stretch run which includes more games with Tampa Bay, Boston, Toronto, and Baltimore. There is no guarantee of a playoff spot if the team rolls over every single day. The games against the Red Sox coming up will be bigger than anyone thought they would be just a few days ago.

CC Sabathia was lights out, and deserving of his 20th victory. Unfortunately, the Yankees, who have the worst September schedule in all of baseball, had to face Cliff Lee and David Price in back-to-back games. The offense accomplished nothing, and Joe Girardi gave up the game after the ninth inning, using Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre to finish out a devastating loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, which dropped the Yankees to second place. Every hitter on the team not named Lance Berkman is mired in a slump, and things do not get easier with two more games against the Rays. Based on the Yankees' starting pitching, when you don't win with Sabathia on the mound, you risk a losing streak. No one, other than Ivan Nova, has been anywhere near reliable.

At the time of writing this article, the Boston Red Sox lead the Seattle Mariners 3-0, with mostly back-up players driving in runs. The Red Sox are showing heart despite a plethora of injuries, while the Yankees appear to be going through the motions and waiting for something better to come along. In my mind, Joe Girardi's thoughts may already be in Chicago. He allows Brett Gardner, with a sore wrist, to pinch run, but not until the ninth inning. Gardner then idiotically tries to steal third base before a pitch is even thrown. Girardi would have been better off using Brett in the eighth, when Jorge Posada reached on an error to begin the frame. Girardi also chose to give up on the game in the tenth inning, bringing in Chad Gaudin and then Sergio Mitre, who blew it immediately. Chad Gaudin lost Friday's game, and would have lost Saturday's game if not for a big hit by Alex Rodriguez. I think I can speak for Yankees Universe when I say we have seen enough of these guys that Brian Cashman insists on signing.

The Yankees are in free fall. They are still in very good shape for the postseason, but it's tough to think about when the Yankees can possibly get on a run. Their magic number stands at 12 to clinch the Wild Card over Chicago and Boston. Their offense is in shambles, and you have to sit and worry about the next three starting pitchers until CC pitches again on Saturday in Baltimore. The last 18 games of the year will be a real test of this team and its leadership. Instead of resting everyone and getting the playoff roster in order, Joe Girardi has to play with all available hands on deck the rest of the way. The Yankees' schedule simply does not allow for anything else. Monday's night in sports allowed all New Yorkers to play a brand new game show: "Which Offense is Worse?" In case you're looking to play, take a look at the Jets and the Yankees and give it a guess!

Bittersweet Victory

As fun as it is to see a guy like Nick Swisher pick up the team and crack a walk off homer to end a fairly successful homestand, Wednesday's victory over the Orioles was more of a relief than a satisfying win. The Yankees avoided embarrassment at the hands of Buck Showalter and the pathetic Baltimore Orioles' pitching staff. They dodged a potential four game losing streak before heading to Texas with three great arms scheduled to pitch: Vazquez, Moseley, and Burnett. If you're not thankful enough for Nick Swisher's homer, just check out the recent statistics on these guys.

Had Swisher not hit that big blast, we'd be talking about how atrocious the Yankees offense has been for four days. Well on The Inside Corner, we still talk about that stuff. Derek Jeter stinks. I hate to say it, and I hate to pick on the greatest shortstop in the history of the franchise, but maybe it's time. I'm not sure how the Yankees can really justify re-signing this guy with Eduardo Nunez waiting in the wings. Another 0 for 4 performance by "The Captain" has dropped his average to .262, and he also contributed a poor throwing error during Wednesday's game. If Jeter steps it up in the playoffs, he's guaranteed to be back next season. If it's more of the same for Derek, who knows where he ends up?

The 2010 Yankees are one of the streakiest offensive teams I can remember. When they're hot the whole team is hot. And then when one guy gets cold, the rest of the team can't hit. The lineup is just full of guys who have not hit for average this season: Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada (once in a while), Lance Berkman, and Curtis Granderson. When Jorge's not playing, which may start happening more frequently, we have Francisco Cervelli, who probably hasn't driven in a run since the beginning of May.

Ivan Nova seems like the real deal. He's had four starts, and he's done fairly well in all of them. The Yankees have won three of his starts, and his other start was lost by David Robertson after a 2-2 tie score. Why Cashman and Girardi don't consider him for the playoff rotation is beyond me. Who cares about experience? You can have a young kid in the game, or you can deal with the ineffectiveness of Javier Vazquez or AJ Burnett. You make the call.

On a side note, congratulations to Trevor Hoffman on his 600th save. That's an impressive accomplishment, but let's just think about how many saves Mariano Rivera would have accumulated by now if he played on a team that did not win a lot of blow out games, like the Padres or the Brewers. By the way, if you're keeping track at home, Trevor has posted a whopping 4 career saves in the playoffs. It could have been more, but he's pretty famous for blowing Game 3 of the '98 series against the Bombers, and coughing up a 2 run lead in a 2007 one game playoff at Coors Field. So congrats Trevor, but you'll never hold a candle to Mariano.

Tuesday Thoughts- Three in a Row

There were certainly different sentiments surrounding the Yankees after Friday's loss and Monday's win. After Friday's drubbing at the hands of the Chicago White Sox, there were questions of whether AJ Burnett should stay in the rotation or not. Sure, these questions still exist, but after three wins in a row, you tend to feel better about things. Since Burnett was trounced in Chi-town, the Yankees got clutch offensive performances, and key outings on the mound by Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, and even Javier Vazquez in relief.


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Why do the Yankees have such a great record this season without Alex Rodriguez? It has nothing to do with A-Rod being a jinx or a poor player, it just shows that the Yankees have clutch offensive players that can step up when they are needed. We saw this on Monday night against a strong pitcher in Trevor Cahill. Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, and Marcus Thames all had monster nights after Dustin Moseley did not have a strong outing. Cano has filled in beautifully in the cleanup spot, and all of a sudden, Tex has 92 runs batted in before September 1st.
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John Sterling is out of control. We all love his different nicknames and sayings for different players when they hit a home run, but Monday's postgame was completely ridiculous. After Marcus Thames' three run bomb in the fifth inning, Sterling did his usual song of "Happy THAMES are Here Again," but then he went on to shout: "Marcus timed a fastball, no, he THAMESED a fastball!" What does that even mean, John? At least he provides a nightly laugh for anyone listening.
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Speaking of Thames, how great of an acquisition has he turned out to be? He's one of the few Yankees with an average over .300, and he has cracked four homers in the last three games. His two homers on Friday were critical in a 12-9 victory, he hit a solo blast in a 2-1 victory Sunday, and Monday night, he put the game out of reach for the Athletics.
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Here's a good topic for debate: should Ivan Nova be one of the four Yankees' post-season starting pitchers? This year, MLB has ensured that teams will have to work with three pitchers, as there are not as many days off as the 2009 season, which the Yanks obviously used to their advantage. Even if Andy Pettitte does return this year, the Yankees can throw out a rotation of CC Sabathia, Pettitte, Hughes, and Nova. Vazquez seems effective in relief, and at this point, you really cannot take a chance with AJ Burnett. I'd almost rather see Dustin Moseley at this point. Nova has looked strong and fearless over two starts, so the playoff atmosphere shouldn't bother him at all.
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Kudos to the New York Yankees staff. I had a chance to attend the game with my father, uncle, and friend Monday night. My dad, who has had a couple of knee surgeries, needed to stretch his knee in our seats, so an usher allowed him to sit in the unoccupied handicapped seats behind our section, which gave him the chance to stretch his leg and enjoy the ball game. Sometimes, I feel a bit annoyed when ushers are constantly checking my tickets after I run to grab food, but Monday night, they did a nice thing for a nice guy.
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The Yankees need to win 7 of their next 9 home games. I went into this homestand against Oakland, Toronto, and Baltimore thinking that the Yankees needed 8 out of 10, and I stand by that sentiment. Boston is now 7 games back, but there is still time for the Sox to catch up. Tampa Bay keeps on winning, and the Yankees' last three weeks of the schedule are completely brutal. Not only do they have to make another trip to Texas, but they play the Rays 7 times and the Red Sox 6 times. As stressful as it may be, every day the Yankees win is another day off the schedule while remaining on top.

Great Night in Yankeeland

Even before the Bronx Bombers drubbed the Blue Jays north of the border, it was already a perfect day for Yankee fans. Johnny Damon snubbed the Boston Red Sox and rejected his trade from the Detroit Tigers, preferring to remain in Michigan rather than enter in a playoff race with his former team. To me, that just shows you that Damon is tired of the Red Sox fans' antics and playing in Fenway Park. Not only was it a slap in the face of Beantown, but it kept the surging Red Sox from adding a clutch October player.

After the great news about Damon, it was announced that the young Ivan Nova would remain in the rotation, while the atrocious Javy Vazquez would head out to the bullpen. Great move by the Yankees. Who cares about Javy's self-esteem in the midst of a pennant race? Nova looks like he has a great future and a lot of guts, challenging the over-confident Jose Bautista on Monday.

Then, the game started, and the offense showed up to back up Dustin Moseley. Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada, and Marcus Thames had monster nights. Curtis Granderson hit another homer, and Derek Jeter waited until it was an eight run game to contribute, but he did hit a ball over a fence, something he hasn't done in almost two months. Coming off of a difficult 3-2 loss on Monday, the team responded perfectly with an 11-5 drubbing.

Dustin Moseley has been just what the doctor ordered for the Yankees' ailing staff. No, he hasn't been lights out and he hasn't won all of his starts. But he's been solid. The guy throws strikes, and without joking around, he's been better than AJ Burnett and Javier Vazquez. We aren't hearing much about Andy Pettitte, so we really don't know if we can count on him for the stretch run or even the post-season. In my mind, Moseley or Nova will be a fourth starter come October. Ideally, we'd see a rotation of Sabathia, Hughes, Pettitte, and Nova/Moseley. Notice how Mr. Burnett and Mr. Vazquez have not been included.

A lopsided victory, a Beantown embarrassment, and a smart decision removing a horrible pitcher from the starting rotation. Just an ordinary kind of day.

Ace of the Diamond

CC Sabathia is the ace of the New York Yankees. He's the ace they did not have during their postseason struggles between 2002 and 2008. You could even argue that he's the sole ace that they lacked during their Dynasty run of 1996-2000. He is the stopper. He is the guy who gives the Yankees innings. And in my mind, he's the guy that will be the first Yankee since Roger Clemens (2001) to bring home the Cy Young Award.

Tuesday's game was the kind of game the Yankees needed. They got distance from Sabathia, clutch hitting from Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, and even Derek Jeter. When things looked bad after CC surrendered a leadoff homer to Austin Jackson, the Yankees worked the count and got two quick runs against Justin Verlander, the ace of the Tigers. CC took over from there.

The Rays were victorious, and the Red Sox were too. That's the way it's going to be in the American League East for the rest of the season. It must be nice to have a worse record, but close to a ten game lead in your division, like the Texas Rangers, who were trounced by Tampa. Tampa is a great team, and the Red Sox simply do no go away, especially when guys like Buchholz or Lester are on the hill.

The solid victory over Detroit Tuesday doesn't mean much unless the Yankees can go on a run. Their record at home over the last two months has not been impressive, and it has not been anywhere near their 2009 mark in the Bronx. Unfortunately, Andy Pettitte is very far away from a return to the mound, so Dustin Moseley will throw for the Yankees on Wednesday. The offense needs to carry the team sometimes. This would be one of those times.

One MO THAME(S)

No matter what happens to the Yankees this season, Wednesday night's 7-6 victory in Texas can be the next edition of "Yankees Classics." A game that looked lost before and after it started thanks to the unbalanced pitching match-up turned into a dramatic, team win that hopefully leads the Yankees to a winning streak. Javier Vazquez was awful, but Cliff Lee was not his normal brilliant self.

Thanks to clutch hits by Lance Berkman, Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, and Marcus Thames, Kerry Wood picked up his first Yankee win after another solid outing, and Mariano Rivera showed why there is no one in baseball quite like him. The biggest at bat of the game, in my mind, was Lance Berkman leading off the ninth inning. His Nick Johnson-like at bat and leadoff walk set up the Yankees to tie the game and eventually take the lead.

Marcus Thames has filled in the number three hole beautifully as Mark Teixeira is too busy being a daddy to play baseball this week. He seems to be the one Brian Cashman offseason acquisition that is working out. Javier Vazquez is not. Curtis Granderson doesn't deserve to be in the lineup. No one really knows where Nick Johnson is. But Marcus Thames has been clutch, hitting over .300 and delivering some big RBI's. When most other hitters in the Yankee lineup have trouble getting in runners from third with less than two outs, Marcus Thames showed us how it's done in the ninth inning.

A few negatives from tonight. One was just touched on: leaving runners on base. When Austin Kearns hit into an inning ending double play in the eighth inning, I really started having doubts about this team, especially with the red hot Boston Red Sox, who seem to score 9 runs a game despite a shortened lineup. They have heart. They have an outstanding manager, and a good starting rotation. The Yankees do not have a great starting rotation. Javier Vazquez stinks. He and Burnett are enormous head cases who are afraid to put the ball over the plate in big spots.

We can only hope that Wednesday night's victory leads to a winning streak, something the Yankees really haven't had in quite a while. Although they picked up a big win in the two game series finale, the Yankees haven't won a series since they took 3 out of 4 in Cleveland back in late July. They need to win 3 out of 4 in Kansas City this weekend to make the road trip a success. Wednesday night's game was certainly a potential playoff preview. It has gotten a little bit sickening hearing announcers and reporters talk about what a lock the Yankees are to reach the playoffs. Those sentiments had been dwindling a bit over the last week or so. Wednesday's game is a start in restoring some of that early season confidence.

Push the Button

Friday night's Yankees-Red Sox game showed us a lot about the remainder of the 2010 season. If not for a Tampa Bay loss in Toronto, the entire evening would be a total wash. Fortunately, the Yankees remain in first place for another day, but one thing is for certain after the last two series and the opener against Boston: the 2010 Yankees are NOTHING like the 2009 World Champions. Let's take a look based on comparisons between Friday's game and last year's series opener between the Yankees and Red Sox (August 6, 2009).

Back on August 6, 2009, the Yankees got three big home runs to blow the game open against the Red Sox, from Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Jorge Posada. Flash forward to 2010, the Yankees get a big homer from Mark Teixeira, and then the offense completely dies. In 2010, the Yankees do not have Johnny Damon for no apparent reason- they have Brett Gardner, a decent fourth outfielder who reminds me more and more of Bubba Crosby every single day.

They don't have Melky Cabrera either, who was traded for Friday's losing pitcher, Javier Vazquez. And Jorge Posada didn't play Friday. Francisco Cervelli did, and his error on a simple pop up led to three unearned runs, the difference in the game. The 2010 Yankees simply do not have the same look as the 2010 Yankees. They don't work the count, not many come through in the clutch, and you don't get the feeling that the team is ever going to come back and win a game, even at home.

That game back in August of '09 also featured a clutch two run double by Hideki Matsui, who is no longer with the Yankees. Does anyone out there actually think that Lance Berkman is a better DH than Hideki Matsui? Berkman is horrible, and hitting coach Kevin Long has decided that after a 13-year career, it's a good time to change up Lance Berkman's batting stance. Nice job not giving the new guy too much to think about while he's up there putting up 0 for 4 performances every night. He fits right in with the likes of Curtis Granderson, Francisco Cervelli, and Brett Gardner.

Over their last four games, the Yankees have hit a two run homer in the first inning to take a lead, and they have found a way to lose all but one of those games. Why? Pitching, pitching, pitching. They only won the game that Phil Hughes pitched, because AJ Burnett, Dustin Moseley, and Javier Vazquez are simply not very great pitchers. That is why I have chosen to hit the panic button. Right now, out of the three teams fighting for these two playoff spots, the Yankees (without Andy Pettitte) are clearly outmatched by the other teams' rotations.

Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game, in my mind, is the most important game of the season. They have a chance to maintain sole possession of first place, and put the Red Sox back to seven games out in the loss column. Should the Yankees drop another with their ace on the mound, they'll try to salvage a series split with AJ Burnett against Josh Beckett, followed by Dustin Moseley against John Lester. I think that's all you need to know about the importance of Saturday's contest.