Requiem for a Season

            "Son-in-law..."  It was Big Joe calling from Chicago.  He was at a trade show.  "I'm here in Chicago, and everyone keeps coming up to me asking if you're okay.  They all want to know why you fell off the face of the earth.  I told them you're busy changing diapers and all that...."  Big Joe was running cover.  There's some truth to what he was saying, I guess, but I would have to say it's a combination of things.  I admit, it's a lot of work juggling the baby boy's schedule with side cars like the BPS.  Not that I'm doing a lot of heavy lifting where the boy is concerned.  To say that I've been spending the bulk of my time changing diapers and getting bottles ready would be a disservice to the missus.  I am merely an available and sort-of capable assistant most of the time.  But it does get tricky trying to fit everything in.  And to say that this was the only reason for the slide of the BPS would be kidding myself.  I have to admit, as the team slips down in the standings, it's tough to get as amped up.  And not knowing how I would respond to the Yankees missing the playoffs for the first time since I was barely able to drive, I guess I figured I would still be as glued to the proceedings, right up to the last out.  And to an extent, I was.  Many nights Acc and I would exchange texts to the effect of, "I don't know why I'm still watching this, but I am."  But not amped enough that I would be storming into the blue room after a tough loss to pound out all of my thoughts on the BPS.  Besides, I've always warned you guys that I'm the laziest guy in America.

            So how do we analyze the 2008 season?  Was it the injuries?  A lack of clutch-hitting, mismanagement, front-office savvy?  Was this team just not as good?  After spitting and bleeding thorough six months of Yankee baseball, I'm kind of surprised that after all is said and done, I'm still sitting here wondering what just happened...

            First things first.  The Tampa Bay Rays.  Guys, I'll stand and take my flogging now.  I promise I won't squawk.  Yup, I was the guy.  No revisionist history here.  I'm not going to say that I hedged on this one bit.  I came out many times this year breathing fire that they weren't for real.  That they were the fortunate beneficiaries of a soft, home-friendly schedule in the first half.  The end would see the cream rise to the crop.  I could go on and on.  Bottom line; they got it done.  Kudos to them, shame on me for being a non-believer.

            It's not like the Yankees couldn't beat the good teams.  Putting aside the kryptonite-in-their-pocket Angels of Anaheim, who are always a Vincent Price movie for the boys from the Bronx, the Yankees didn't have a losing record against any of the other playoff teams, including both Minnesota and Chicago.  In fact, only Boston was even able to eke out a season series tie in extra innings on the last day of the season.  It was a lot of stumbling around with teams like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City that cost the Yankees this season.  The Red Sox again settled comfortably into their familiar second place cubby, although this year with a new Queen Bee to serve at the top.  Not sure how they'll fare in the post-season, but at least they know who they are.  The Yankees ended up in first place all these years because they were the best team.  The Red Sox snuck into the playoffs all these years because they're never dead until you kill them.  The chips have fallen the last twelve years or so such that the Yankees can't beat the Angels, the Angels can't beat the Red Sox, and the Red Sox can't beat the Yankees.  The Red Sox got their one exception; let's see if the Angels can get theirs.  Funny.

            So let's start at the top.  The last deal on the table for Johan Santana was Hughes, Kennedy, and Melky for Santana.  Just about no one in Yankee-land wanted this to happen.  Way too much, considering the promise shown by those three guys, who by season's end in 2007 were all starters.  Well, you know what they say about hindsight boys.  Melky is not a major league baseball player and Ian Kennedy is not a major league baseball player.  Phil Hughes, it seems, has a long way to go.  You live and learn.  That was a colossal mistake.  Speaking of Kennedy and Hughes; zero, that's zero wins between them for the season.  Wow.  Kennedy was not only awful, he was delusional, thinking he "pitched well" after getting pounded by the Angels.  Dude, when you're wearing the Yankee pinstripes, the only way you pitch well is when you end up with a "w" next to your name.  Hughes, when he finally got healthy, was subject to his old bugaboo.  He can't put people away.  Gets two strikes pretty easily, and then hitters start to battle him.  Even if he gets them, his pitch count goes sky high and he can't be effective.  It's one of the key reasons the guy had no wins.  Even when he pitched well in a game the Yanks would eventually win, like he did in the final two weeks, he didn't get the win because his pitch count was blown long before he was out of the fifth.  Not good.  Not sure what kind of major leaguer he turns out to be.

            So we know about the injuries.  Posada, the Ferocious Lion.  Alex Rodriguez was out and/or hurting for about six weeks early on.  Wang was lost early on.  Definitely a key theme for the collapse, without a doubt.  But I can't say that I'm qualified to say how or why the end came.  If I had to pick one thing, I would probably say the general approach to hitting.  The Yankees just weren't tough outs in 2008.  Cano, Melky, Molina, Alex, and sadly, Derek Jeter swung far too early in the count at far too many pitches.  That's the key thing for me.  It wasn't just the futility; it was the quick outs and the quick innings.  There were too many mediocre pitchers that turned into Preacher Roe facing the Yankees.  It would always drive me nuts to hear guys like John Sterling saying, "Boy, you better go up there swinging against a guy like Roy Halladay, because he's going to throw strikes."  And that's just what the Yankees did.  The problem is that's just what you don't do against a guy like Roy Halladay.  Okay, he throws strikes.  But opponents hit what?  Low two-hundreds against him?  If that?  Bottom line is, you don't swing against Roy Halladay.  Because the odds are great that you're not going to get a hit.  Of course I don't mean you never swing, but you don't want to go out there and try to shell Roy Halladay.  It's not going to happen.  You do what the Yankees of the past few years were legendary for doing.  You wait him out and get to the bullpen.  He's not going to throw three straight strikes to everybody.  Make him work for it.  I know it sounds counterintuitive, but against a guy like Halladay, you'd rather make out after an 8-pitch at-bat than get a base hit on the first pitch with two outs and nobody on.  If the next guy also swings at the first pitch and gets out, you're no closer on the scoreboard but you're six pitches behind in terms of getting into the bullpen.  The current Red Sox, watching the Yankees all those years, are great at this.  I was in section 24 for the last Red Sox/Yanks series at the Stadium, and I distinctly remember at one point (I forget which inning) there was a man on first, one out, and the count was 2-1 on the batter.  And the Red Sox had swung at exactly one pitch in the inning.  One.  Brilliant.  The Yankees need more tough outs in their lineup.    

            Not done yet, boys.  I'll be back with a few more thoughts.  What changes need to be made, what can be done better, the old Stadium, the new Stadium, the Mets (ugh, the Mets), etc...  See you then.