Re: Official New York Yankees Bleacher Creatures Team Thread
Well, this is the biggest off season in the past five years IMO. Steinbrenner I think finally realized that his and Cashman's decisions over the past several offseasons have been atrocious and a change needs to be made.
All the rumors on the radio today said Cashman is likely gone, which is a good move. It was Gene Michael who built the dynasty of the 90's anyway, not Cashman. Cashman is the one who basically destroyed it, but I'm sure that had alot to do with pressure from Georgie boy.
Finally Kevin Brown's idiotic *** is gone, and word on the street is that Bernie is also gone. Which I think is the best case for both sides, Torre repeatidly stands by Bernie, which is good on one hand because he's showing loyalty, but at the same time Bernie's career is over. He struggles to hit .250 and hit 12 homers. His bat as slowed so much and he can't even put a meatball in play half the time he gets one. They need to part ways. Same with Ruben Sierra. I understand that he's a great mentor for Cano, but he's ancient and couldn't do anything after he came back from the DL, and his production was limited even before that. Cano is well on his way to becoming a very solid player, but he needs to get his head out of the clouds on when he's in the field.
Wang and Chacon SHOULD be our #1 and #2 next year, but of course Moose and Johnson will be. Wright will probably be our 5th starter unfortunately, and Small (if he's even on the team) will start out in the pen.
I'm very nervous about Sheffield because of his aging body, I have a bad feeling that he'll go down the same road is Bernie and just completely fall off one year. He swings so damn hard and with all the knick-knack injuries he has I can see his body totally breaking down in the next year or two.
Obviously the core of Jeter, Matsui, A-Rod, Cano and Posada will return as well.
But besides that, whoever the GM is next year needs to stop going after "superstar sluggers". No more Giambi's, no more A-Rod's or Sheffields. We need the Scott Brosius, the Paul O'Neill's, the Chad Curtis' back again. We need players who can play defense and put the ball in play. I'm not even overly concerned with speed because the Yanks have always hit-and-run so well.
As for 2006, the division will be the weakest it's been in a decade IMO, and we should be able to win it next year because our team is basically built for the regular season and not the post season. It's funny how Boston was at the top last year, then in one single off season they managed to accomplish what the Yankees did over 5 off seasons. They totally abandoned the importance of pitching and defense. How the hell do they not resign Cabrera, Pedro and D-Lowe. Granted none of those three were itching to stay in Boston, but it was a terrible job by Epstein. Renteria, Wells and Clement to replace those three guys? What I'm getting at is that this isn't just a New York problem, any team that fails to recognize the importance of pitching and defense isn't going anywhere. Even more ironic that the book "Mind Game" or whatever it's called about them creating a blueprint for winning came out, just in time to see the Red Sox fall flat on their face.
Sorry for the long post, but there's been alot of frustration building up over the last 4 years.
Well, this is the biggest off season in the past five years IMO. Steinbrenner I think finally realized that his and Cashman's decisions over the past several offseasons have been atrocious and a change needs to be made.
All the rumors on the radio today said Cashman is likely gone, which is a good move. It was Gene Michael who built the dynasty of the 90's anyway, not Cashman. Cashman is the one who basically destroyed it, but I'm sure that had alot to do with pressure from Georgie boy.
Finally Kevin Brown's idiotic *** is gone, and word on the street is that Bernie is also gone. Which I think is the best case for both sides, Torre repeatidly stands by Bernie, which is good on one hand because he's showing loyalty, but at the same time Bernie's career is over. He struggles to hit .250 and hit 12 homers. His bat as slowed so much and he can't even put a meatball in play half the time he gets one. They need to part ways. Same with Ruben Sierra. I understand that he's a great mentor for Cano, but he's ancient and couldn't do anything after he came back from the DL, and his production was limited even before that. Cano is well on his way to becoming a very solid player, but he needs to get his head out of the clouds on when he's in the field.
Wang and Chacon SHOULD be our #1 and #2 next year, but of course Moose and Johnson will be. Wright will probably be our 5th starter unfortunately, and Small (if he's even on the team) will start out in the pen.
I'm very nervous about Sheffield because of his aging body, I have a bad feeling that he'll go down the same road is Bernie and just completely fall off one year. He swings so damn hard and with all the knick-knack injuries he has I can see his body totally breaking down in the next year or two.
Obviously the core of Jeter, Matsui, A-Rod, Cano and Posada will return as well.
But besides that, whoever the GM is next year needs to stop going after "superstar sluggers". No more Giambi's, no more A-Rod's or Sheffields. We need the Scott Brosius, the Paul O'Neill's, the Chad Curtis' back again. We need players who can play defense and put the ball in play. I'm not even overly concerned with speed because the Yanks have always hit-and-run so well.
As for 2006, the division will be the weakest it's been in a decade IMO, and we should be able to win it next year because our team is basically built for the regular season and not the post season. It's funny how Boston was at the top last year, then in one single off season they managed to accomplish what the Yankees did over 5 off seasons. They totally abandoned the importance of pitching and defense. How the hell do they not resign Cabrera, Pedro and D-Lowe. Granted none of those three were itching to stay in Boston, but it was a terrible job by Epstein. Renteria, Wells and Clement to replace those three guys? What I'm getting at is that this isn't just a New York problem, any team that fails to recognize the importance of pitching and defense isn't going anywhere. Even more ironic that the book "Mind Game" or whatever it's called about them creating a blueprint for winning came out, just in time to see the Red Sox fall flat on their face.
Sorry for the long post, but there's been alot of frustration building up over the last 4 years.
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