New York Yankees – Too Knocked up to Compete?
The New York Yankees have a devastating line up of hitters that most teams in the major leagues would kill for. Damon, Jeter, Giambi, and Rodriquez is not a bad 1-4 and players like Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada continue to produce late into their careers. However, how are the Yankees at the top of the standings without arguably two of the best hitters in baseball in the everyday line up?
Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield are the cornerstones of the Bronx Bombers’ murders’ row, but they have been out for a while and won’t return until playoff time with hand injuries that both required surgery. So how are the Yankees still leading the league in runs scored per game at 5.89 runs? What I’m about to tell you may shock you; the Yankees are playing small ball. That’s right. The Bombers are manufacturing runs at a higher rate than the Ford factories crank out cars.
It all starts with the best one-two punch in baseball, Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter. Damon has an on base percentage of .366 and Jeter’s is .421. That is what you want your table setters to do in front of the big boys in the heart of the order.
In addition to Damon and Jeter doing their jobs very well and providing lots of RBI opportunities, the replacements for the injured stars have filled in quite nicely. Melky Cabrera has become a reliable everyday outfielder and Andy Phillips has contributed offensively and has been a valuable asset at first base.
It might seem like the Yankees are playing with their JV team right now with their two star outfielders out and their captain Jeter day to day with injuries, but they aren’t doing too bad for themselves. They have been trading the AL East lead with Boston for the past few weeks but have managed to keep their heads above water when most people thought that they would come crashing down.
Another reason for the Yankees success of late is great, deep starting pitching. Mike Mussina leads the team with eight wins and has the lowest ERA of the staff at 2.76. He has been huge this season and has helped the Yankees to the top of the standings. With Randy Johnson showing flashes of brilliance at points this season and pitchers like Chien-Ming Wong and Shawn Chacon pitching well the Yankees should be able to stay in the division race until the reinforcements return for the stretch run in September.
However, if the Yanks want to be able to beat Sox and Blue Jays in the division for the ninth straight year they are going to have to find someone that can bridge the gap between the starting pitcher and Mariano Rivera. Kyle Farnsworth just isn’t producing the way that the team thought he would when they brought him in over the off-season. Don’t get me wrong, he has an electric fastball that has hit triple digits on the stadium radar gun, but he needs to learn how to throw another pitch consistently for strikes. Opposing hitters are teeing off on his heater because they know it’s coming.
This problem may be solved if Octavio Dotel can return from the DL and be the outstanding talent that he was in the past. The Yankees have plenty of talent and potential in their pitching staff, but as in the past, it will make the difference in the clutch whether or not the talent can translate into wins.
No matter how bad it might seem for New York fans right now, it’s not time for panic mode yet. This is a veteran team that has a half a dozen proven winners including two of the most clutch performers in baseball history in Jeter and Rivera. This team will be fine as long as the pitching staff can get the lead to the Sandman in the ninth inning and produce runs to back up their pitchers. These are still the New York Yankees. You know, the team that has 26 championships and just plain knows how to win. Look for the Pinstripers to be in the thick of things in September and October and don’t be surprised to see them in the World Series again for the 40th time. They have the talent and are capable of accomplishing anything they want to, it’s just a matter of making it happen when it matters, something they have lacked since 2000.
If Sheffield and Matsui return to a playoff ready Yankee team in September they have a legit shot to win the whole thing. They always have a legit chance - it’s in their tradition and there’s just something about those pinstripes in the month of October that looks natural.