Fixing the Yankees

[Bored 0]

I think the Yankees most realistic trade option at center is Ken Griffey Jr. Like I said in the TWIB thread I don't think the A's will end up trading Kotsay especially if they remain hot and creep their way over .500 by the deadline.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Start by firing Mel Stollemyre.

 

Than let Cashman walk after the season.

[Guest Brian]

I thought Junior hated New York with a vengeance. He said some nasty things when he played with Seattle, and I'm pretty sure he's said the same since going over to Cincy.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Wait, was the person who said Giambi for Vlad serious? You said you did it in a video game so I assumed you were joking.

[cabbageboy 0]

Why Griffey anyway? It'd just be getting another high priced, broken down veteran guy who has seen his best days. Don't the Yankees have their quota filled of those guys?

 

Long term I think the solution would be to focus more on developing some minor league talent for the future. I doubt Steinbrenner wants to hear that sort of thing though, so he'll keep the cupboard bare and keep signing over the hill stars because they have name value. The Yankees are kinda like mid 90s WCW in that regard.

[Vasarian_Brandy 0]

So you want a centre fielder look no further than the hitting machine that is Grady Sizemore

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I'm sure the Indians will give him up!

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Unless the Yanks are willing to sell their season now, there's not a chance in anyone's Hell that Grady is leaving the Indians.

 

Sizemore, along with others, are going to make up a core of young players that should have the Indians in contention for several years. It might not be like the latter years of the 90's, but the Hafners, Martinezes, Sizemores, et al. can and will thrive in a still-weak AL Central.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Start by firing Mel Stollemyre.

 

Than let Cashman walk after the season.

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Why Cashman? I don't think the failure of the team is his fault, quite honestly. I think Steinbbrenner himself is to blame.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

This is kind of a shitty response, but:

 

Sometimes teams just have bad seasons. If you look at the San Jose Sharks of 2002-2004:

 

Won the division in 2002.

Missed the playoffs by 25 points in 2003.

Did nothing to get better in the off season, losing Teemu and not gaining anything.

Won the division and got to the Eastern finals.

 

Also, isn't this a little premature, seeing as how they're only 6 back and it's not even July? A week makes a huge difference.

Granted, I've been saying that since April.

[the max 0]

So you want a centre fielder look no further than the hitting machine that is Grady Sizemore

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I'm sure the Indians will give him up!

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Unless the Yanks are willing to sell their season now, there's not a chance in anyone's Hell that Grady is leaving the Indians.

 

Sizemore, along with others, are going to make up a core of young players that should have the Indians in contention for several years. It might not be like the latter years of the 90's, but the Hafners, Martinezes, Sizemores, et al. can and will thrive in a still-weak AL Central.

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Your sarcasm detector must be broken, since my post reeked of it.

[Gert T 0]

I guess its easy to say stop trading away thr prospects for a quick fix, but I think it would also be wise to set a reasonable budget eachn year. I believe a team should be able to spend as much as they want, but I think if they set a good budget it could pehaps improve their evaluation process. (Weighing how much a man's value is to the team versus the money it will cost to keep him).

[The Czech Republic 0]

Start by firing Mel Stollemyre.

 

Than let Cashman walk after the season.

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Why Cashman? I don't think the failure of the team is his fault, quite honestly. I think Steinbbrenner himself is to blame.

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Yeah. Cashman is barely more active in building the Yankees than I am.

[Rendclaw 0]

But Cashman will be the fall guy, because George is a master at making other people pay the price when his own decisions go into the toilet.

[Jericholic82 0]

The interesting thing is the lineup this year isnt that far off from what it was last year, yet they arent hitting as consistently outside of jeter, arod and sheff. The offense last year allowed them to come from behind more if the started faltered. right now one of two things happens, the starter has a horrible time falls behind, and they score a few more runs but cant cath up, or the starter does well enough, but the offense can't produce. Pavano has hurt them alot this year as well as wright. As I ahve been saying for months, they should have held onto hernandez and lieber.

 

There is no real quick fiz here, they just have to play better. The problem is the constant pressure they are under in NY. I watched the game on ESPN and Joe Morgan discussed that very thing. These guys shouldn't have to be told what to do, they know how to play.But when you lose, it can be contagious, just like winning, which is why they are so hot and cold this year IMO. The hitters are pressing at the plate and the fielders are so nervous that they are making mistakes, like last night. Plus ever changing outfielders who don't belong there are killing the defense. They do need to get a good defensive cf soon, so when matsui gets healthy he can return to left and sheff plays the right and you have an every day outfield trio then.

 

Hey it's still too early to tell. I won't give up on my team, heck if they can salvage a playoff appearance out of this, it will be a big victory IMO regardless of their playoff performance. But it's also very realistic that they wont make it, which will be fine, I can deal with that after dealing with worse losses in year's past (like the 01 ws), because to be a Yankee fan you have to take the good with the bad and the verbal abuse from all those haters out there.

 

The only thing that bothers me is the haters enjoying this. Drives me nuts and makes me want them to break out of the slump in a big way. I mean they haven't even won a championship in 5 years so why all the hate still? Get over it, steinbrenner is a crazy old man millionaire who throws around money, and often it bites him in the ass.

 

Of course the real reason for the hate is evident to me.....

But no matter what NYC will apparantly continue to be the center of America's uinverse so don't worry about it, every town has their good points right? No reason to hate being second best or third best or 500th best.

 

Of course I'm just a disgruntled Cali transplanted new yorker so you probably should just ignore me.

[Guest Fishyswa]

Bring back Don and let him DH. Everything else will just work after that.

[Precious Roy 0]

Don Zimmer? I support this idea.

[Eclipse 0]

I forget when the trade deadline is up, but are there any rumored trades that the Yanks are trying to do?

[the max 0]

On the Dan Patrick show today, he was talking about the si.com available players list. Of the 12 listed names that are expected to be moved, the Yankees are rumored to be interested in 10 of them.

[cabbageboy 0]

The Yankees are the biggest argument for a salary cap when they spend a huge amount and win, and they are a good argument against it when they spend 200 million to be moderately better than the Tigers.

 

I agree with the Sharks comment, though it doesn't seem all that similar on the surface. It isn't like the Yankees haven't sucked before, in fact they were mediocre for most of the 1980s up until the 94 strike year.

 

Does anyone else think that the Yankees might have simply lost their mojo after the ALCS loss to the Red Sox?

[The Czech Republic 0]

It's possible.

 

Logically, the Yankees need to unload at the deadline and concentrate on building for the future, because this season is a wash. However, Steinbrenner will issue a statement that says "a true Yankee never gives up until the very end!" and subsequently acquire Preston Wilson, Aubrey Huff, Mark Kotsay, and Jason Schmidt. And still finish third. Oh well.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Here's something Bill James wrote back in 1978 that I think applies here...

 

When you acquire any player over 28, you are getting about 40% of a career—and that on the downhill slide. You can do that, perhaps, to fill a hole. But what happens when you try to build a whole team that way? Your replacement-rate goes out of sight. If you’ve got eight players on a downhill slide, two of them are going to slip and fall—either that, or you’re defying the law of averages.

 

James was talking about the California Angels, then desperately trying to win a pennant before Gene Autry died. It applies here to the Yankees. You can acquire all the free agents you want. But most players have their best years before they reach free agency. There is actually a limit to how far you can go without a farm system, and sometimes no amount of money in the world can buy you the best players.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Anyone else think it's pathetic that a team with a $200 million payroll is still going to have to be the most active buyer in the next month?

[The Czech Republic 0]

Yes, very pathetic. How high will they go up to by season's end?

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

As long as they keep Robinson Cano, I'll deal with whatever crazy shit they do between now and July 31.

[Brett Favre 0]

Not as pathetic as not getting to a World Series in like a millenium. Just saying.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Not as pathetic as acting like you haven't gotten to a a World Series in like a millennium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just saying!

[Brett Favre 0]

Not as pathetic as blaming the curse on a goat. Just saying.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Wait, was the person who said Giambi for Vlad serious? You said you did it in a video game so I assumed you were joking.

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I was wondering the same thing ... I don't think that Giambi in his prime = Vlad, let alone now that he's a shell of his former self. Plus, the Pedro trade was every bit as ludicrous.

 

The Yankees don't have a quick fix. The best thing that they could do is something that they'd refuse to do: have this season be a wash, and be a seller at the deadline. Trade some of the higher priced, older players for younger players or prospects (even if it means eating some of the salaries of the players that they're moving) and then move the prospects for players in the offseason or go after attractive FA's.

 

Am I the only one that thinks other teams would be less-than-willing to trade with the Yankees, purely out of spite?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Am I the only one that thinks other teams would be less-than-willing to trade with the Yankees, purely out of spite?

 

While a nice thought, I don't think it happens unless there are personal animosities between the executives themselves. I think teams think of what's best for their own business, and don't worry about who the other team is unless they are a division rival or something of that nature.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Steinbrenner has called a "big meeting" for today with the Tampa brass, and I've heard Gene Michael will be there as well.

[Vasarian_Brandy 0]

Your sarcasm detector must be broken, since my post reeked of it.

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And maybe it's working just fine, and I wanted to respond anyway.