Tagged: Girardi

Take a Seat, Robbie

Is there anyone on the planet who DOESN’T think Girardi should have benched Cano before today for lack of hustle? What good does it do to discipline him with 13 games to go? So he’ll be motivated for next year? So he’ll show other teams he’s trade worthy? So Girardi can prove to Hank, Hal and Cash that he really is about fundamentals and preparedness and isn’t an impostor? Wasn’t the big headline in spring training about how Joe had all his players – even the veterans – running drills until they dropped? What happened to that sense that he would instill new vigor in the team?

I went to see the Yankees in Anaheim during their last series against the Angels, and (I’m cringing as I write this) I was impressed by the Angels’ hustle. Those guys bust it running down the line to first. They bust it in the field. They bust it in everything they do. (Well, except for Garret Anderson who may be busting it but often looks like he’s just out for some fresh air.) If Torre was too much of a father figure, then Girardi is too much of a brother figure. The Yankees don’t need a brother. They need a manager. I’m hoping Girardi will grow into the job.

Taking the Yankees to the Movies

Since there was no game tonight, I decided
not to sit around watching the Red Sox beat up on Toronto. So
I went to see the new Coen brothers movie, “Burn After
Reading.” I thought it was boring – with the exception of
Brad Pitt, who’s hilarious as a dimwitted gym rat. At some
point I zoned out and spontaneously started casting different
Yankees in the parts of the actors. ***Spoiler Alert!*** I
picked Johnny Damon for the Brad Pitt role (well, Johnny’s
kind of goofy). A-Rod got George Clooney’s part as the guy
who cheats on both his wife and his girlfriends (enough
said). Andy Pettitte stepped in as the wholesome,
good-natured manager of the gym. Mussina landed John
Malkovich’s part as the intense CIA agent who’s writing his
memoirs. And Joe Girardi was an easy choice for the CIA boss
who just wants to bury the dead bodies and pretend
everything’s fine. As the credits rolled and it was time to
leave the theater, I had to laugh at my pathetic self. I
mean, it was just one rained out game and yet there I was,
going through withdrawal. I guess I missed Yankees baseball
so much I had to drag the players to the movies with me. I
REALLY need to prepare myself for the end of the season – and
soon.

Party Like It’s 1992!

Never mind what I wrote in my last entry about A-Rod being such a prize. He not only got picked off at first with Jeter on second, but he was 0-for-10 against the Mariners in this series. If I had an A-Rod bobble head doll, I’d knock its bobbling head off.

I’m mad at everybody right now. Cano came up twice with two runners on base and one out, and he struck out both times. Totally lame. And how about Girardi’s decision to bring in Veras? Did it somehow escape our manager that Veras has morphed into the new Farnsworth?
But worst of all, Toronto beat Tampa Bay so the Yankees are in fourth place – fourth place! – where we haven’t been since 1992. 
Does everybody remember the Yankees of ’92? Aside from Mattingly, they were not a pretty sight. Here’s a little trip down memory lane – a trip I sincerely hope the Yankees brain trust in Tampa will take. If looking at this lineup doesn’t scare Hank and Hal into making changes in the off season, I don’t know what will.
(Imagine Bob Sheppard announcing the following and manager Buck Showalter handing the home plate umpire the lineup card….)
Matt Nokes – C
Don Mattingtly – 1B
Pat Kelly – 2B
Charlie Hayes – 3B
Andy Stankiewicz – SS
Mel Hall – LF
Roberto Kelly – CF
Danny Tartabull – RF
Kevin Maas – DH
Oh, and here’s a sample of our pitching staff that year….
Melido Perez….Scott Sanderson….Scott Kamieniecki….Greg Cadaret….Rich Monteleone….and my personal favorite Tim Leary, who got caught reaching for the emory board in his cap (or was it pine tar?) on national TV.
Pathetic! Just pathetic!
OK. I’ll calm down. So we’ll wind up in fourth place. No biggie. There are other things to celebrate than just winning divisions and wild cards. We can still count down to the end of the old Yankee Stadium. Well, we can if we’re lucky enough to have tickets for one of the final games. I live in California, so I won’t be there. I did try to enter the Yankees’ #1 Fan Contest and get free tickets to the last game. But you have to live in the Tri-State area, so I was ineligible. Did this team and its $200 million payroll not want to spring for the airfare? Or was it the thought of the hotel bill that freaked them out? The cab to and from LaGuardia? Come on, people!
Yeah, I’m mad.

Sleepless in Seattle

I realize the Yankees spent last night on a cross-country flight and had to feel jet-lagged and tired for tonight’s game. But that’s what Red Bull is for!!!!! They couldn’t manage a hit over seven innings against a guy who was making his first start in the majors for a last-place team? How sad is that? I wonder what sort of positive spin Girardi will put on this one. Will he say: “Sometimes you just have to tip your cap?” Or go with the usual: “We took good swings?” Or maybe he’ll resort to: “You don’t always get the results you want.” I hope they all have a nice, deep sleep, because when they wake up tomorrow they’ll have to face the same reality I’m facing: it’s over. 

On a positive note: only six months until spring training!

Blame Game

OK. So now everybody on the Yankees is stepping forward to claim responsibility for the crappy season. Hank said it would be all better next year because he would MAKE it all better. Cashman said it’s all his fault. Girardi said the buck stops with him. A-Rod said he deserved to get booed.

Who’s to blame for the injuries? Nobody. Duh.
Who’s to blame for building a rotation around two unproven kids? Cashman. He’s also the genius who signed Igawa and Pavano and didn’t grab Washburn or Byrd when we needed an arm or two. And don’t get me started on Santana. I admit it. I wanted him. I was willing to trade Melky and Hughes/Kennedy. I honestly think having an ace on the staff would have made the hitters relax a little and we would scored more runs.
Who’s to blame for our anemic offense? This is the one that keeps me up at night. Girardi’s constant juggling of the lineup has been a classic case of overmanaging and couldn’t have helped. Lefty. Righty. Who cares? Just play the hot hand. Put the guy in the lineup who’s getting hits and leave him there. Players like stability. Cano has been on my blame list. He’s frustrating because he’s so incredibly talented. But what happened to him? Was it losing Bowa and his tough love that caused him to regress? Was it the big contract that made him lazy? He went down to the Dominican during the All-Star break and came back on fire. Was it something in the water there? And Melky. Well. I miss him in CF. Watching Damon not catch balls and not be able to throw is painful. But Melky was never a spectacular Yankees centerfielder. He was never going to be Bernie.
I could rant about A-Rod, but what’s the point? He’ll probably have another MVP season next year (he has them in odd years, not even). The Yankees need to find him the right shrink or the right Kabbalah Centre or the right best friend (I say bring back Mientkiewicz). He’s a head case but he’s our head case for the next nine years.
Not expecting a happy ending to Pavano vs Burnett tonight, but I’ll be watching anyway. Maybe Pudge will actually get a hit.