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Nothing's Shocking

I'm not sure I understand why everyone is getting so up in arms about Alex Rodriguez opting out of his contract with the Yankees. Take Hank Steinbrenner's reaction:

"He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field. I don't want anybody on my team that doesn't want to be a Yankee."

Or Selena Roberts in the New York Times:

But apparently salary records are more important than history’s snapshots to Alex. Apparently, Alex’s wife put signing for ego dough on his honey-do list.

And Mike Vaccaro of the Post:

And if this is indeed his final dash out the side door – and if we are to take the Yankees at their word, it is absolutely that – then it comes as part of a perfect A-Rod opera, a me-first symphony that would be appalling if it weren't so predictable.

That's the point, it's totally predictable. It's totally predictable because he's had this clause in his contract for years, because everyone has talked about his opt-out clause ad nauseum and because he's the same guy he always was. So is Scott Boras. This is the same pair that took a deal with a bad Rangers team because it offered the most money not because it gave him a chance to become an iconic player on a winning team. This is the same pair that negotiated opt-out and escalator clauses in a contract because it was more important to be the highest-paid player in baseball at the expense of anything and everything else.

Don't believe Boras' nonsense about the Yankees being in a transition mode, that had nothing to do with why Rodriguez is opting out of his contract. He wants the mega-payday, he wants the bidding war, he wants the spotlight more than he wants anything else. He always has and he always will. The only surprising thing that could have happened would be if A-Rod stayed with the Yankees under his existing deal. Everything else is going right according to plan.

Today On The FanHouse

A quick link to all of my work at the FanHouse today:

Jets Woes Go Well Beyond Pennington

Bears Owe Ed Hochuli a Game Ball

Running Away From McGahee Costs Ravens was quickly followed by McGahee Was Dehydrated Not Ignored by Billick Yesterday

Price Check on Dontrelle Willis

That Kahlua's Gonna Cost You, Mr. Sheffield

Brandon Marshall Arrested for DUI

A Bronx Cheer For Me, Yankees

 

Yeah, I know it's been awhile. I've been wrapped up with the new gig at the FanHouse and shirking my duties to the horse that brung me. For that I'm deeply sorry and will try my best to make up for the long absence. What better place to start making up for lost time than with the Yankees.

There are all kinds of answers to why the Yankees lost in four games to the Cleveland Indians. The starting pitching was abysmal, the lineup went colder than the proverbial witch's tit and the Indians played great baseball, especially in clutch situations. Alex Rodriguez wasn't the reason why, despite what the back pages might tell you, nor was Joe Torre, despite what the owner might tell you, but the loss may well cost the team each of them.

Why in the world would Rodriguez want to come back to this team, outside of money? Why would he want to come back to a place where leading the league in home runs and RBI, carrying the team on his back and winning the MVP award isn't enough to stop the speculation that he was the reason the team flopped in the playoffs. Maybe on the Red Sox or Mets there could be that much put on one player's shoulders but otherwise why not just take your money, play your game and enjoy adulation and respect rather than the cutting remarks of newspapermen and fans. The Yankees should do everything in their power to keep him - those offensive failures aren't going to disappear if A-Rod does - but I wouldn't stay if there was another fair harbor.

As for Torre, I've grown less and less happy with his game-management skills but I don't doubt for a second that he's the best manager for the off-field rigamarole that follows this team around. Plenty of good teams have gone into the tank with less thrown at them than the Yankees faced this season and discounting Torre's role in steering them through rough seas is done with peril. He doesn't "deserve" to be fired but if the team is truly turning a page, an inescaple canard if you read papers or the web, watch TV or listen to the radio then it probably is time for Torre to go.

If you are going to go with Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy in major roles and continue to build from within they why not bring in someone new to build with. I don't know that Don Mattingly's that guy and whoever comes next will be forced to live up to the impossibly high standards Torre set over the past dozen years but they could grow with their players to return to similar heights.

They just need to be prepared for some rocky seas. Young pitchers experience growing pains under the best of circumstances and if the Bombers devote themselves to living through them may not result in a playoff berth. That's hard to swallow after 13 straight Octobers but its true. The one thing they can't do is half-ass their way through the process. Picking up a veteran here and there to fill holes might make things easier in the short term but it doesn't make any sense. Taking a step backward this year will allow two or more steps forward, that's what the team needs otherwise the gap between championships will just keep on growing.

Yankees Gain But What Do Red Sox Lose

Make no doubt about it, cutting Boston's lead from 14 and a half games to a game and a half over four months is an impressive achievement. Many teams have folded the tents after a poor start and Joe Torre deserves a mountain of credit for keeping his team focused on winning and not dwelling on the negatives of the first two months. Having a chance at a tenth straight division title isn't something that anyone could have imagined at that point so Torre, the players and the whole organization deserve a round of applause regardless of how it all turns out.

But if it does turn out that they climb the last patch of the mountain and overtake the Red Sox everyone should spare the hyperbole that compares this to the all-time great comebacks. Whether or not the Sox hold onto the top spot in the East they will be playing meaningful games in October just like they were in 2004 when the Yankees won the division. The Wild Card has changed the face of baseball pennant races too much for a team to be overly ashamed of losing a division lead when they still make the playoffs. Even if the Red Sox hold onto their slim lead they could still wind up with the third best record among division winners, it's a three-way tie this morning, and play as the road team in their first series. That's not so different from where they'd find themselves as the Wild Card, in fact it's exactly the same place.

This "collapse" should mean something to the Sox because they have been playing quite poorly and because their two top hitters are ailing. Manny Ramirez hasn't played since August 28th and David Ortiz has a sore knee that may keep him out of the lineup on Friday. Also worthy of some hand-wringing is the routinely crap Eric Gagne, the tired arm of Hideki Okajima and last night's gopher ball served up by Jonathan Papelbon in the 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays. That's two straight wash-outs for their closer and that's not going to help anyone sleep at night.

It means more to the fans, though, since the Red Sox are virtually assured of that playoff spot and have proven that being the fourth team in doesn't much matter so long as you're in. For the fans it's something to razz each other about and that's good fun. You need no more evidence of that then the reaction of Yankee fans in the ninth inning of last night's 2-1 win. Mariano Rivera was struggling to get through the ninth but the fans were cheering wildly when Russ Adams' grand slam was posted on the board and they realized the Yankees were just one loss behind their eternal rivals. Fans determine, by and large, how important something in sports is and they've spoken their mind about the significance of winning the division.

Putting it into the same conversation as 1978 or the 1995 Angels or the 1964 Phillies, though, is ridiculous. None of those losers remained eligible for a World Series title and at the end of the day that's the only thing that matters.

Two Men, Two And A Half Games

Two Yankees solidified their spots on the postseason roster and the entire team crept closer to an unlikely division title during a 12-0 rout of the Orioles. Mike Mussina, all-but-certain Game Four starter in October, threw seven shutout innings with sharpness that eluded him most of the season. He held his former club, who usually find success against Moose, to three singles and struck out six Orioles and each inning he put in the books was another point in his column in the notebook Joe Torre uses to figure out his postseason roster. There doesn't seem to be anything Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy could do to upset that decision, the only snag could be if the Yankees are in the ALDS with an extra off-day.

The other Yankee to reassert his claim to a spot in the lineup is Doug Mientkiewicz. If there's something Torre loves more than green tea and abusing relievers it's good-glove first basemen. Mientkiewicz qualifies on that front but he's forcing his way past Jason Giambi because he's hitting just as well, if not better, than the sweaty slugger since returning to the team. He's 6-for-13 in September and hit a three-run homer to break open the game last night. He was already holding a spot on the roster but Dougie M. is going to play come October and probably going to play a lot.

Who he and the rest of the Yankees will be playing against remains to be seen because the Indians and Angels are deadlocked with 89 wins apiece. And also because the Yankees are just two and a half games out of first place after Eric Gagne failed to help the Red Sox close out a game yet again. He allowed three Blue Jay runs in the bottom of the eighth inning of the 4-3 loss. That's the fourth blown save for Gagne in a Sox uniform and with Jonathan Papelbon up and ready in the bullpen I'm curious what situation Terry Francona was waiting for before going to his closer. During the Fox game this weekend Josh Lewin pointed out the salary difference between Francona and Torre and it was bigger than I expected but Lewin went too far in comparing the two of them. Francona has managed one of the most talented teams in baseball for four seasons with one World Series title and not much else to show for it. Last night's game made me think that his in-game work, a problem with Torre as well, might have something to do with it.

25 And 6 To 4

Last night's 8-5 win over the Orioles have the Yankees three and a half games behind the Red Sox and ahead of the Tigers by the same amount. Given their schedule edge over the gang from Detroit it's hard not to start looking ahead to October and part of that gazing includes figuring out who is going to be on the roster for the playoffs. Most of that group is easy to prognosticate but there are definitely going to be some hard choices for Joe Torre when it comes to filling out the edges.

Lineup - Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu are all going to be there.

Bench - Jose Molina is the backup catcher, Wilson Betemit and Doug Mientkiewicz are going to be infield reserves. Shelley Duncan played yesterday for the first time in almost 10 days and they could really use his righty bat but he's got a bruised pelvis and a hernia. If he can play, he'll make the team. They could really use another position player but there aren't any available outside of Alberto Gonzalez and Bronson Sardinha, neither of whom has more than a shot of espresso at this level.

Starters - Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are locks. I think Torre will opt for Mike Mussina unless Mussina forces him elsewhere with another awful start. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will be in the mix for bullpen spots, I suppose, and it's probably wise to have at least one of them on hand if a Mussina performance forces a change in rotation strategies.

Bullpen - Mariano Rivera, Luis Vizcaino, Joba Chamberlain and Kyle Farnsworth are definites with Ron Villone likely slipping in thanks to being the only experienced lefty. If you assume eiher Hughes or Kennedy are part of the roster that leaves two spots for Edwar Ramirez, Sean Henn and Brian Bruney. Henn is a lefty and that's the only useful thing about him, Ramirez has pitched well since returning from the minors but how many rookies can you expect Torre to keep and use while Bruney has experience but not great results. I'd bet on Bruney and Ramirez but wouldn't hope to see much of either one.

The toughest choice is in the rotation where six worthy candidates will have to become four starters come the ALDS.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Shelley Duncan Is A True Yankee

They say that when September rolls around rookies have graduated to an in between level of experience. Something like floor 7 1/2 in Being John Malkovich, I guess. You aren't quite a veteran but you are more than just a greenhorn. Shelley Duncan of the Yankees, for example, is in just such a situation. He hasn't been up in the Show for more than a couple of months but he's playing on a team in a pennant race and can't be acting like he's wet behind the ears. If the way he signed an autograph for a young Red Sox fan is any indication there's not much chance of that.

Griffin Whitman, a 10-year-old Red Sox fan from Swampscott, was excited to attend his first Yankees vs. Red Sox game Friday night. The young autograph -collector was even more thrilled to score Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan’s signature before the game. That is, until Griffin read the message from the 27-year-old rookie: “Red Sox suck! Shelley Duncan.”

“It was cool to get his autograph,” Griffin said. “It didn’t make me feel happy when he wrote that.”

Griffin’s mother, Karen, blasted the Yankees slugger’s bad manners.

“This is someone who wears the Yankee uniform and is on the payroll and should be setting an example for 10-year-olds,” she said.

Mrs. Whitman could start setting her own example for young Griffin by buying herself a sense of humor. Duncan could tell her where to go to pick one up. She could also buy a book on the history of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry because when a kid dressed in Red Sox garb asks a Yankee player for his autograph he should be so lucky as to get a player who knows the game and knows how to have fun with the fan of the rival team. My first kid is on the way and if they turn out to be a Yankee fan like their dad and they ask an aging Jacoby Ellsbury for an autograph one day I hope he's cool enough to give an equally entertaining John Hancock.

(Tip of the signed Yankee cap to River Ave. Blues)

A Mixed Weekend

The Yankees certainly ended this weekend's series with the Red Sox on a high note. Derek Jeter's three-run homer over the Green Monster halted Curt Schilling's masterful night and gave the Yankees the series win. Jeter's eighth inning heroics, and the comeback in the same inning on Friday night, overshadowed some problems that reared their head over the three-game set, however. The top two starters, Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte, got thrashed on Friday and Saturday and the bullpen offered little relief in either of those games.

The thundering offense of late Friday night may have created a wrinkle of doubt about Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon but the failure of the pitching staff, outside of Roger Clemens, was just as illustrative of problems going forward. If the Yankees make it to the postseason they will be facing good lineups and their pitching has to be better than it was this weekend if they hope to avoid another first-round ouster.

That said, Friday night's eighth inning rally was a reminder of why the Yankees will be a very tough out come October. Okajima has been death on lefties all season but Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano hit home runs and Johnny Damon doubled to chase him from the game before he could get an out. The homers were the first all season by lefthanders against the Red Sox rookie and the evisceration of Papelbon was equally unexpected. It proved that there are no easy outs in the Yankee lineup and A-Rod's game-winning hit was a sign that he's ready to shed that choker label.

And last night's win was full of grace notes that leave you feeling warm and sunny. Roger Clemens looked as good as he has all season which probably means his ligament issues have as much to do with burnishing his image as they do with causing him actual pain and the Jeter homer was a pretty fair impersonation of another Yankees shortstop in Beantown. Not nearly as dramatic a moment, of course, but anytime a shortstop pops one over the Green Monster it makes you think of Bucky and that's not a bad way to end a Sunday night at all.

Kennedy Makes It Tough For Torre

Ian Kennedy ranks sixth out of six Yankee starters when it comes to starting a postseason game this October.  Short of convincing Joe Torre that he's been in the majors since his Uncle Bobby was running for president there's nothing he can do to change that status. That means starts like last night's seven-inning, one-hit gem will merely set the table for future seasons and future Octobers. It's a good looking table with places set for Kennedy, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain with youngsters like Alan Horne, Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman at the kid's table begging for a shot at a regular seat. It also means that Torre will be opening himself up for another round of questions about his managerial acumen if he tabs Mike Mussina for a start in a big game and gets rewarded with a bomb.

Kennedy's brilliance didn't earn him a victory last night, though. The Yankees had their winning streak halted at seven games because A.J. Burnett was just as good as Kennedy and because Lyle Overbay made a diving stab that saved two runs in the top of the ninth. The score remained tied at one and Chris Britton got touched for a single, a steal of second and a Frank Thomas single that scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees have to hope that last night's offensive indifference is only a one-night happenstance as they jet off to Boston for tonight's series opener. Their Wild Card lead isn't enormous, three and a half games, but unless they get swept by the Sox it should suffice to carry them into a creampuff end of the season. Yes, those creampuffs in Baltimore and Tampa have caused some problems for the Bombers this season but unless last night's lack of hitting becomes an epidemic there's not an overwhelming reason to worry.

Remember Kiddies, Uncle Michael Is Never Wrong