Home sweet home

am i the only one who's noticed sheffield's lackadaisical play in the outfield of late? i'm assuming this is contract-related pouting, taken on to the field, as sheffield has been all-too willing to do in his career. it's a shame. this team has enough to overcome right now (say, for instance, the red sox, who look absolutely unstoppable - without crisp and with a struggling manny, no less) without sheffield becoming a liability.

it was good to see them pick up this win, as they seem to bounce back better than last year's club. however, like last year's club, they seem to have trouble sustaining any momentum.

anyone else got the "i know it's early, but this doesn't look good" blues?

As the saying goes, momentum only goes as far as the pitcher the following day. This was a problem early last year because of all of the injuries to the staff. I truly believe if Pavano finally realizes that he needs to step it up and earn his money than this team is headed in the right direction.

One thing to remember about the Red Sox is that their rotation has the same question marks as ours...their's has just panned out at the beginning of the year. Beckett has never pitched more than 180 innings in a season in his career, Schilling is over 40 just like Randy, and Clement and Wakefield are very inconsistent. So in all our rotation can be the same if not better than the Sox once everyone gets healthy.

Being a young college student, the Yankees and women are mostly all that I think of. I am glad the season is finally here and I think all of us should just enjoy the ride of another fantastic Yankees season because there is nothing better than rooting for the best franchise of America's past time.

i'm also a relatively "young" (26) yankees fan, and have been following the team from the west coast since i was a child. and, you're absolutely right, once baseball season comes around, i become - much to my girlfriend's chargrin - consumed by the season. as yankee fans, even as fans who weren't able to see mantle or reggie play, we've been spoiled by the yankees. i don't expect a championship every season, nor should any organization expect that, either. however, it is frustrating to hear sheffield crow about being the "heart of the team" and then loaf in the field that way. he has a history of making sure that EVERYONE is aware of it when he's unhappy, whether it's going to the press or phoning in games. that's just not something guys like jeter, rivera, posada or williams seem capable of. so, to add that to the list of things this team will need to overcome (age, pitching, reliance on the home run, defensive liabilities) in order to compete in october is very frustrating and disappointing to watch.

as for boston, you're right. it's early, and there are holes in that rotation. but, right now, beckett and schilling look absolutely dominant, and the yankees don't have one single guy on the staff, let alone two, who looks that way. johnson has had flashes, but he's also had outings like the other night's. mussina has been great so far, and i hope that continues, but, again beckett and schilling just look too good right now.

bottom line, right now (and yes, it's still early), is this: is the yankees are going to win this division, it's going to be another exhausting dogfight. if any team looks poised to run away with the thing, it's boston. that's a little disconcerting.

As usual, there are the naysayers out there who are drooling for the Yanks to fold. For a pitcher to have a bad day on any other team, it's business as usual, for a Yank to do it, the end of the world. the great one blows a save and it's over. Chicken Little said the world was ending. Bury the yanks. Am I wrong, or have they not been in the playoffs for the last eight years. I was there watching and hoping when the enternal drought of the Ralph H years that practically drove me insane. But you never give up. We just need to get the consistancy going and stop using a microscope on our team. Give them room to breathe and watch them go. Now for my microscope; I just can't figure out one thing. I can't understand why Giambi is batting before Matsui. Strictly because of his running ability. That 1st to third thing is big and I have seen on several occasions that he doesn't do it or the coaches won't let him. Matsui has more potential to get that hit and find the double button. With Giambi's on base percentage, I could see him batting before Matsui if he had any speed at all. So, as great a manager Joe is, why does he have it set they way it is? And this is not being a critic, just wanting to know the strategy behind it.

Jioffredo I 100% agree with you on Giambi batting before Matsui. It just doesn't make sense! Matsui is one of the if not the best clutch hitter on the team and he hits lefties at an explosive rate compared to Giambi. Maybe Mark has the inside track on this?

In response to the skepticism of the Yankees ability to make the playoffs, granted it's not as likely if they keep playing as they are right now with the inconsistency, but has this team not been to the playoffs for the last 11 (not 8) years.

Also, as far as Boston running away with the division, it is possible if they continue to play as they are right now, but just keep in mind of Baltimore last year and the way they started. There were some people (not many) that thought it was the year the Yankees and Sox got dethroned in the East, but what happened with them. Now I'm not saying the Red Sox will fall apart like the Orioles but I'm willing to say that they will cool off and/or have some slumps through the season (maybe a 7-7 run while the Yankees go 11-4, just a thought to ponder).

Now it's all about October and not so much April, with the fairly consistent acceptable pitching from the staff (other than Wright's start but that can be due to a few factors) the pitchers have given the offense a chance to win the games. That's really what you are looking for from the pitchers in the end.

In response to jioffredo's questioning of Matsui hitting behind Giambi my personal thought might have to do with Giambi's ability to get on base. Although he makes a good point about Giambi's lack of speed, but Matsui also has some power, and ability to hit the gaps. So the logic may just be to get Giambi in front of Matsui and hope for that HR or ball in the gaps to move Giambi around, or even if left on base to pass the torch to the next guy, who with this lineup it leaves a lot of confidence in the next guy no matter where in the order we are.

Jiofreddo, you seem to think that everyone who is concerned about their team is a naysayer on not a fan. It is ridiculous posts like this that make ALL YANKEE FANS look stupid!

Rooting from the heart is one thing, as I have spent years of doing it. Recognizing their critical flaws and pointing them out in is just being realistic about, not only their chances this year, but in the future. Look, being a Yankee fan means your future is basically as bright as next years free agent crop. However, this method is becoming increasingly difficult to mainain financially, we are lacking as substantial a farm system as most others, and in the last few years of epic spending, it has gotten us an early trip home. I am not a naysayer, I do not drool for the Yankees to lose. There are certainly some large red flags out there, and that cannot be disputed.

First of all, to Skull. I wasn't including Yankees fans in those who wait for the failure. Obviously there are concerns. They started the minute the last pitch ended the last game the yanks played last season. All I was trying to point out was that there are those who get impatient extremely eary in the season. I have faith and I think this team is solid as their health not their abilities.
Autrey531, you logic is as sound as any but the point you made that hit home most is your right about their not being much difference from a productivity point of view. I guess Big G has to bat somewhere and that's as good as any. Thanks

Skull, I think you're underestimating their farm system. Cano and Wang are here already, Eric Duncan, Phil Hughes and JB Cox are on their way. Do you know how many players on the Red Sox 25-man roster are homegrown products? Three. Yanks are not in as bad shape as people make them out to be when it comes to this.

Going back to the batting order argument, I would like to see Giambi hitting third followed by A-Rod, Matsui, and then Sheff. This way you've got three guys with amazing on-base ability followed by A-Rod and Matsui (who can each take it to a gap or out of the park) and then the big-bopper and heart of the team, Gary Sheffield. HAHA. Seriously though, this lineup also makes better use of the old school Lefty-Righty alternation technique Joe seems to love (though Matsui and Giambi can both hit lefties very well). My concern is that Sheffield's ego keeps Torre from batting him so low, even with his early inconsistencies both at the plate and in the field. I really hope that's not the case. Any opinions on this?

Or just have Shef bat 5th and Matsui 6th. Matsui won't be hampered from getting the doubles he so adores. As it is now, if Giambi walks, and Matsui gets a hit, Matsui is forced to stay at first and Giambi at second, with the forceout at any base, as opposed to driving in the runner or having both runners in scoring position with no force. Sheffield has proven that he can run (most SBs so far), so I think nicholas' lineup, with Sheffield and Matsui swapped, works best. That, and it spreads the lefties in the lineup out. Recall that Ted Lilly had a field day with the Giambi-Matsui combo.

Well, the Yankees finally won a game without having to score nine runs...doing so with a solo shot by A-Rod, some crisp pitching by Mike Mussina and standard relief work by Mariano Rivera.

Is this a trend or an aberration? Only the 10-game home stand will tell!

I've been wrestling with the question about their lineup for a while. Let me know what people think about this setup: Make Matsui your 4 guy, and A-Rod the number six guy behind Giambi. Here's my reasoning. Matsui is a clutch hitter, as is Sheffield (though I admit he's been lacking this year, give him a chance to warm up), so they should remain in the 3 and 4 spot. Giambi gets a lot of walks, but can't run, and A-Rod hits a lot of homeruns, so it seems to make sense to put the slow guy who draws a walk in front of the homerun hitting guy.

Your idea is good, but you don't want A-Rod's speed wasted by his batting so low in the batting order. Plus, having A-Rod and Jorge Posada back-to-back doesn't seem like an effective combination. By batting 4th, A-Rod still has two very reliable people behind him who can bat him in easily. FYI, I'm using the same logic you use when I say the Yankees should put Giambi 3rd in front of A-Rod, with Shef 5th and Matsui 6th.

Well good thoughts but Matsui was unfortunately un-clutch tonight. Gotta at least try to foul that ball off after very similar pitchs were called a strike and a ball right before hand. I don't understand not swinging. Painful loss.