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New Seasons Assisted Living
QUESTION: Yes, the hated, despised, reviled, insufferable and arrogant Yankees are
in town for a three-game weekend series, one of two visits to Arlington
the New Yawkers make this season.
Even though they are a year older and have been humbled by five
consecutive seasons without a World Series banner, expectations
surrounding the Yankees haven't changed. Owner George Steinbrenner has
virtually promised a championship this season.
The Yankees, by the way, are now the first baseball team to be valued at
$1 billion, according to Forbes magazine. That might be only a little
more than they spend on their payroll.
Still, we don't think the Bronx Bombers are quite as imposing as the
Yankees teams from 1996-2000 that broke the Rangers' hearts three times
in the playoffs on their way to four Series championships in five years.
Five reasons why the Yankees are not as scary as they used to be:
The Johnson Five: Despite a 5-2 record, Randy Johnson isn't dominating
hitters like the Big Unit of yesteryear. His ERA is 5.02. Mike Mussina
(4-1, 2.31) has been the staff ace but has a habit of fading. And with
Carl Pavano still on the disabled list, we find it hard to believe that
Chien-Ming Wang, Shawn Chacon and Jaret Wright are reminding anyone of
Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, El Duque, David Cone, or even the rotund
David Wells.
Assisted living in the Bronx: With the exception of second baseman
Robinson Cano, who is 23, every Yankees starter is 30 or older. The
average age of starting position players is 32.2, and it's 33.2 when Cano
is given a day off. Their subs include catcher Kelly Stinnett, 36, and
Miguel Cairo, 32. On off days during road trips, the Yankees usually get
the early bird specials.
Poor pen-manship: The Yankees no longer have the lights-out bullpen that
characterized their World Series champions. Mariano Rivera might still be
the game's best closer and has five saves in six opportunities, but he
also has an 0-2 record and 3.38 ERA in nine games. Of course, those
numbers look great if you're Francisco Cordero.
Small ball going, going, gone? Those four World Series champions were a
versatile bunch with role players, such as Scott Brosius, Chuck
Knoblauch, Joe Girardi and Paul O'Neill, who would hit timely home runs,
but also play hit-and-run, lay down a sacrifice bunt and find different
ways to win. This Yankees team certainly lives up to its Bronx Bombers
heritage, but it's often feast or famine on offense. Kind of like the
Rangers.
Curse of Big Papi: Let's face it, will the pinstripe fear factor ever be
the same after the biggest choke in baseball history, when David Ortiz
and the Boston Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees in the
2004 AL Championship Series? The Florida Marlins were so giddy after
beating the Yankees in the World Series in 2003 that they decided they
couldn't top it and have virtually disbanded.
ANSWER: Another credit to the fine profession of sports journalism.
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