MLB Regular Season to open on May 20th

Well….maybe that’s what the Yankees were told.  Regardless, they’ve gotten off to the usual rocky start in April and May.  Their 20-24 start is good enough for the cellar in the AL East, six games back of the Boston Red Sox.  And I know folks will say, “It’s still early.”  I don’t buy this whole a game in September means a significant amount more than an April game.  It’s garbage – they all count.  It is vital the New York Yankees get back to .500 baseball by the end of May.

We’ve seen it just about every year now.  This time last year they were off to a dismal 18-23.  We all recall the 11-19 start of 2005.  You can’t rely on the bats to come around every July and August, make these huge runs, and then run out of steam come ALDS time.  And this may be performance wise the worst of any New York start in the past few years.  The hitting, well, it appears as if they are swinging toothpicks up there.  You can guaran-dam-tee when Alex Rodriguez makes his return to the Yankee lineup, he will be cheered louder than ever.  With the ups and downs of his Yankee career, his production is the reason the Yankees have a formidable lineup. 

Melky Cabrera – .255

Johnny Damon – .240

Robinson Cano – .204

Jason Giambi – .191

The only ones who have hit over .300 are the obvious culprits in Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui.  Those two truly are, in my mind at least, Yankees.  I think Johnny Damon is as washed up as they come.  In every post game interview – dry, dry, dry as the Sahara Desert.  He says the same thing after every game – “we played hard, we’re trying to come out of this, we just need some breaks.”  He’s lost his drive to play the game.  He wasn’t the same player when he jumped ship from Boston in 2006.  Not the same guy.  Jason Giambi?  Forget about it (no pun intended New Yorkers).  He had one good year and that was it.  Throw in the steroid fiasco and injuries – he’s been as worthless as they come. 

Robinson Cano has been living off the rookie season since 2005.  God, if I hear he’s “going to win a batting title one of these days” discussions again, I will dig Ty Cobb out of his grave and have them beat all these talking heads into a pulp with his golden bat.  He’s an average to above average player.  You would think he’d learn some plate discipline in his years with the club.  Nope.  Same story – chasing pitches like it’s going out of style.  In his career he has struck out 224 times and has only walked 82 times.  So for every three strikeouts, he’ll only walk once ?  GOOD RIDDANCE !!  That’s all i got for those chuckleheads in the order, now to the pitching.

Ian Kennedy continues to get rocked yet believes he should stay up with the club because he is getting better.  Clearly, allowing one walk an inning is ok in his mind.  He’s got a nice Olympic score for an ERA at 8.38.  I think we now know that Ian Kennedy is really not special at all.  He doesn’t have a great fastball and he’s breaking stuff is OK at best.  I still hold out hopes for Phil Hughes though.  As I do for Ohlendorf.  Kyle Farnsworth is pure garbage.  And folks, Joba Chamberlain has to stay in the bullpen, otherwise every Yankee starter has to pitch 8 innings to get to Mariano Rivera.  Granted, Mussina and Wang have been awesome, Pettitte has been mediocre and the afforementioned kids haven’t impressed.

This team should be fine if the hitting EVER gets going.  But how late is too late?  We’ve seen this team make comebacks to get into the playoffs but after they do, they don’t have much left.  They have to salvage May and it starts right now.

Rant over.