Jan 07 2009
Looking Toward 2009
So as our prideful Yankees take the field officially in April of 2009, there’s much to look forward to. New faces (Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira), new stadium (constructed circa 20’s style), and a new owner calling the shots (Hal Steinbrenner). Let’s face it folks, it’s going on 9 years since the last World Series championship trophy was hoisted by this franchise, so there’s much work to be done this upcoming season.Let’s talk about the major upgrades, and then what still needs to be worked on.
First they made a very good deal in my opinion, grabbing Nick Swisher from Chicago, and didn’t give that much away. He’s very versatile, and a great personality for this city - he’s the “gamer” that we used to have. Then their long-awaited golden egg signing, bringing in heavy-set hurler, C.C. Sabathia - this was a must, since this club has not seen an ace who could miss bats since Mr. Louisiana Lightning himself. The key part to this whole deal, is that they snagged him right as he’s emerging in his career, and should have many good years ahead. There’s some concern about his weight, but the guy is a big-time workhorse, and seems to take care of himself enough. You remember the last portly left-hander to wear pinstripes, and he did pretty well (D. Wells). To me, the big question about C.C. is this: can he win a big playoff game when called upon? He wasn’t too impressive against our Bombers in 07′, and last year against Philly he posted his worst ERA in his career (12.27), with a 0-1 record in the series. However, he did go 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 2001 against Seattle, so not all bad. But just think - if we ever get back to the show, the big boy loves to hit! The next acquistion was injury-prone A.J. Burnett, who came off his best season yet, winning 18 games and striking out 231 batters in 221.3 innings with Toronto. We all know this is a high-risk, high-reward type move, but the risk may outweigh the reward. We will see how this goes, but at the very least, we took away a guy that beats us on a regular basis. Finally, the one that not many expected, Mark (here comes a bigger and better Tino) Teixeira. This one completely made sense for the Yanks, as the hole at first-base has clearly haunted us since Tino left after the 01′ season. Giambi had his moments, but this nearly 29-year-old switch-hitting gold-glover is the grab of the century. He can hit for average, power, and drive in runners itching to get home. He doesn’t seem to be fazed in big moments or when he plays in big cities, so I think he’s gonna love it here. This city appreciates the players that produce and play hard, so you can see him quickly becoming a fan-favorite. He’s also said to be a good clubhouse guy, which is always a key ingredient to championship teams. Mark can certainly provide protection for Mr. Rodriguez, and maybe take some pressure off of him for a change.
I promised you that I’d list some of the areas that needed to be worked on as well, so here they are: centerfield remains a big question (can Gardner hit enough to play everyday, can Swisher hold his own when called upon, is Melky even in the picture, etc.), Joba Chamberlain is next (will he stay healthy enough to remain a starter, or should he go back to his dominant 8th inning role), the 5th starter dilemma (will Pettitte give in and re-sign, can Hughes emerge into the talent that everyone thought he’d be, should they make a trade or another signing), Jorge Posada’s condition (can he withstand the majority of the season catching, could they DH him and bring in someone else), and finally Robinson Cano’s mindset (will he bounce back and become the #3-caliber hitter that he’s capable of, will they deal him mid-season if he’s not producing). So it’s not all peaches n’ cream in the Bronx, but whatever happens, it should be an exciting and entertaining year for us Yankee fans.
Try to grab opening-day tickets as quick as you can, cause it’s gonna be a hot one to get a hold of . Remember, there’s only 99 days until they take the field at the new stadium (April 16th)!
~ pinstripekid
