FanNation - The Republic of Sport

The 2008 Yankees have been a slow march towards an inevitable conclusion: We'll be seeing a post-season without the hated Yankees. I would suspect that most of my fellow Yankees fans have seen this coming for quite some time now. I had hoped that an infusion of new blood at the helm of the ship would keep it from sinking, but realistically, I think we all knew that after years of handing out ridiculous contracts to the free agent flavor of the day would lead to this sooner or later. The Yankee dynasty ended in November 2001 with the conclusion of one of the greatest World Series ever. Even though the dynasty has been done for quite some time now, the Yankees remained the team to beat in the AL East every year until last year, when the Yankees were finally relegated to the Wild Card. With the exception of 2003 and 2004, every post season since 2001 has seen the Yanks exit with the first round. 2003 was a year they SHOULD have won the World Series, but some questionable moves by Joe Torre coupled with the Marlins hitting their stride and finding that October magic, and the Yanks were done in six. The Yankees have been sliding ever since, if you really think about it, and the first minute you knew these weren't the same old vaunted Yankees was game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. The hallmark of the Yankees teams that were so feared was that they rarely let a team off the ropes once they had them there. You didn't necessarily know it as that game ended, but you were watching the first step in the most historic playoff collapse in history. And parenthetically, it is fitting that the game's most storied franchise also suffered the most notable collapse. This franchise was a joke in the 80's, and they fell so far that when they finally got back to the top of the heap, it was almost a heartwarming story. They put together a team that wasn't quite as easy to hate as their predecessors had been. The teams of '96 through 2001 were great teams and were fun to watch. They were dominant enough that hating the Yankees was in fashion again, but I think deep down, most real baseball fans respected the team in spite of their rooting interests. But with the loss in game 7 of the 2001 World Series, we've seen a steady decline in the quality of the team coupled with an exponential spike in salary. I've always argued the "Yankees buy their titles argument" with examples like the Orioles, Red Sox and Cubs -- all teams who in the past have been among the big spenders and have had very little to show for it. Unfortunately, the 2004-2008 Yankees have become the PERFECT example of why you can't simply buy a title. You can out-spend your rivals, but if you don't spend that money wisely, you'll end up with a $200 million payroll full of players that all show their age. They are either too old to be the "studs" they were were Steinbrenner opened the coffers or too young to have hit their stride (assuming they haven't peaked already). Looking forward, I'm glad the team is planning to keep Girardi. He isn't without blame when you look at the 2008 season, and I still have some concern that the veteran players haven't bought into his style yet. But all signs show that the Yankees will make more of an attempt to have a little homegrown flavor on their roster for 2009, and Girardi can be the guy that shows the kids the right way to play the game. Of course, there are some big name free agents such as CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira out there, and we'd be fools to think that the Yankees won't be involved in the bidding. It is tough at this point to say which directions they will go in as they fill out the roster for 2009. Mussina, Pettitte, Pavano, Giambi and Abreu are all guys that might be playing their last days in pinstripes. Of the players under contract for next year, the only three that I think are a sure bet to be back in the Bronx are Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera. I'm also 99% certain that Joba Chamberlain and Jorge Posada will be back. I don't think the Yanks will spend the dollars to get both Sabathia and Teixeira, but I do think they will land one of them -- my guess is Sabathia, since Teixeira is represented by Scott Boras and he's probably still stinging from last year's debacle with ARod. Of course, he'll use the Yankees to drive up the price, but I am guess Teix will sign somewhere out west -- San Fran or one of the LA teams. I think Cano will be back at 2nd, then you've got Jeter at short and ARod at third. If Teixeira isn't signed, then I think the team will be trading for a first baseman, or possibly making due with an in house solution such as Betemit, Shelley Duncan, or maybe even Posada (although he doesn't like to play first, so that is a longshot). The team has to address its outfield situation. I'd say it's 50/50 on Abreu coming back, and there will be worse players to spend the money on available. Damon could be in left again, perhaps sharing time with Matsui (who I expect to be the main guy at DH). If those two are back, then the team will almost certainly have brought in a new guy to play center field. A name I've read, and would like to see in the Bronx, is Shane Victorino. He'd be a fan favorite for sure. There does seem to be some talent in the outfield in the minors, and while I don't know that there are any potential stars ahead of Austin Jackson, I think there are a few guys that could produce for the Yankees. Pitching will be a wild card again. I think a team that refuses to trade Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy for Johan Santana is probably committed to trying those same two in the rotation again. Early reports say that Joba will start in the pen and shift to the rotation mid year -- which I think is a mistake. If you want him to be the 8th inning guy and possible closer in waiting, that is fine, and not a bad move. He did look like a top of rotation starter when he got his chance, so I'd be fine going into the year with him in the rotation. I think Mussina will be back on a one year deal, so I'm expecting a rotation of Sabathia, Mussina, Joba, Kennedy and Hughes. If Joba starts in the pen, then we'll have some kind of reclamation project stuck in there somewhere -- Kyle Lohse, Randy Wolf -- whatever. I think the bullpen will be set up basically the same as it is now, with maybe one free agent lefty joining the mix. It is a weird feeling to be looking to 2009 before we've made it to October 2008. But it was going to happen sooner or later. Make no mistake -- I get that most of the baseball world hates my team, and for the most part, I do understand why. I won't pretend there there isn't a little bitterness in the back of my mind, but all great teams decline sooner or later. So enjoy the demise of the Yankees while you can -- especially if you're a fan of the teams that I think will make it to October this year: Rays, Red Sox, Angels, White Sox, Cubs, Brewers, Dodgers and Mets/Phillies (still not sure on that one). Yankees fans don't expect -- and certainly don't deserve -- any sympathy. This team has had a great run, although not as great as it should have been given the money they've spent the last 6 or 7 years. Hank says we'll be back, and while he did a pretty good imitation of his dad with that announcement, I think he and Hal are actually going about things the right way. For now, though, Yankee haters can enjoy a Yankee free October.