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Posts Tagged ‘Mariano Rivera’

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The Half-Billion Dollar Yankee Lineup

In Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees on November 25, 2008 at 10:01 pm
New York Yankees second baseman Derek Jeters awaits his turn to bat at Yankee Stadium on August 16, 2008. (Photo courtesty triitalian, flickr.com)

New York Yankees second baseman Derek Jeters awaits his turn to bat at Yankee Stadium on August 16, 2008. (Photo courtesty triitalian, flickr.com)

What the hell, let’s sign ‘em all. This is New York, baby. We need a winner.

You think mom and dad with the 2.3 kids who need to refinance their home mortgage for bleacher seats on family day expect anything less?

And what about all the suits in the luxury suites that work for the mega corporations? They gotta spend their Federal bailout package money and they better be compensated for it with a winning team.

Hank and Hal, as you know the new Yankee Stadium has a hefty $1.3 billion price tag. It’s time to compensate the New York City taxpayers with lots and lots of homers.

We expect no less than spanking new World Series banners to decorate the new digs.

So, c’mon. Let’s do this. Who cares if this is “bad” for baseball or that Kansas City Royals fans are shaking their heads—fuggedaboutit!

The Batting Lineup

A $3,500 top-tier seat with a great view of the right-field foul pole and the Jersey coastline won’t keep me away from seeing this friggin’ batting order:

  1. LF Johnny Damon ($13 million)
  2. SS Derek Jeter ($21.6 million)
  3. 3B Alex Rodriguez ($28 million)
  4. RF Manny Ramirez ($25 million)
  5. 1B Mark Teixeira ($20 million)
  6. DH Hideki Matsui ($13 million)
  7. CF Xavier Nady ($3.35 million)
  8. C Jorge Posada ($13.1 million)
  9. 2B Robinson Cano ($3 million)

Jose Molina ($1.875 million) will be the backup catcher.

The Pitching Staff

Let’s put together the sickest pitching staff this year’s free agent crop can muster.

And if one of them underachieves, we’ll just make a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for David Price and send them in return Kei Igawa, a bag of baseballs, and a near-mint Reggie Jackson baseball card.

Check out this starting rotation:

  • CC Sabathia ($24 million)
  • Chien-Ming Wang ($4 million)
  • Joba Chamberlain ($390,000)
  • AJ Burnett ($13 million)
  • Derek Lowe ($13 million)

Of course, the bullpen will include Damaso Marte ($4 million) with Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez ($14 million) setting-up Mariano Rivera ($15 million).

(Current players with the Yankees include ‘08 salaries. Current free agents are projected ‘09 salaries.)

Summary

Hank and Hal Steinbrenner—the baseball world is counting on you. Madison Avenue is counting on you.

We can’t bear another Tampa-Philadelphia World Series. One more of these and the consequences will make Marshall Applewhite proud.

With the Yankees, we’ve got pinstripes and Kabbalah. The richest team in American sports history meets the Material Girl. What could be more cool?

Without the Yankees, baseball is just a bunch of overpaid dudes swinging a piece of wood at a little ball. What could be more boring?

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Reign Delay: Back to New York Yankees Glory in ‘09

In Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, New York Yankees on November 25, 2008 at 9:16 pm
If the New York Yankees can ink CC Sabathia to a free-agent contract, it'll go a long way towards restoring the Bombers' dominance of the late '90s.

If the New York Yankees can ink CC Sabathia to a free-agent contract, it'll go a long way towards restoring the Bombers' dominance of the late '90s.

The New York Yankees will not be denied. The Yankees will blow away all other suitors for pitcher CC Sabathia. Hank and Hal Steinbrenner will open up the vault and make Fort Knox look like a piggy bank.

Just Go All Out and Get Sabathia

Forget about all the other free-agent pitchers out there. Get Sabathia. Sabathia is the first priority.

Any talk from Sabathia about wanting to stay in the National League is, at worse, true, only to mean the Yankees will change his mind with a bigger number, or at best, a ploy to loosen the Yankees’ purse strings.

Either way, Sabathia knows the Yankees desperately want him and need him, and they’re able and willing to pay.

Sabathia will be the starting pitcher for the New York Yankees come Opening Day ’09. Put this in the bank.

Other Pitching Rotation Possibilities

Perhaps the Yankees can also add Derek Lowe, to round out the pitching staff, if the numbers make baseball sense, as the team has question marks with the possible retirement of Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte, and the worrisome lack of development of Phil Hughes.

Only Chien-Ming Wang is a certified ace on the current Yankees pitching staff.

Should Joba Chamberlain come out of the bullpen or start? With starters Sabathia, Wang, Lowe, and either Mussina or Pettitte, maybe Chamberlain makes more sense coming out of the bullpen.

A pitching-relief duo of Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera will ostensibly shorten games to six or seven innings.

The Yankees have made it clear, however, that they will start Chamberlain.

The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series with one great starting pitcher, a lock-down bullpen, timely hitting, and guts.

With the pitching possibilities outlined above, let’s turn our attention to hitting and guts.

Other Key Positions: First Base and Center Field

Forget about first-baseman Mark Teixeira. The Yankees don’t need a $200 million fixture at first. Jorge Posada can move to first and play some designated hitter. (Jose Molina can take up the bulk of the catching duties and provide solid defense.)

New York needs an everyday player in center field, like they had in Bernie Williams. Perhaps they can workout a trade somewhere, but at what price? Can they wrest Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates or even Rocco Baldelli from the Tampa Bay Rays?

Xavier Nady playing in right field is perfectly fine.

With dumping Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu, the Yankees will have to replace some bats. I’ve made the case for Manny Ramirez on a purely emotional basis, but practically and realistically, I’m not sure it makes sense with the team’s current logjam of aging outfielders.

Batting Lineup

Maybe the answer to replacing these bats is closer than you think and doesn’t require a free-agent acquisition. The Yankees do have Alex Rodriguez, Nady, Johnny Damon (who had an outstanding offensive season last year), Posada, Hideki Matsui, Derek Jeter (who can provide some timely hitting), and Robinson Cano (with the hope of a turnaround season).

Summary

So in short: Get Sabathia, get Lowe at the right price, sign either Mussina or Pettitte, pass on Teixeira, make a trade for a center fielder, and hope that the Yankees’ bats from last year come alive as they should.