Whew!!!!
Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 08:24AM 
Indulge me for a minute . . .
I knew we were in for one of those years. The Yankees' opening day pitcher was Carl Pavano, whose only claim to fame was leading the league in injuries despite a ten million dollar per-year contract. He hadn't pitched in a major league game in over a year and a half. He lasted less than a month before he was injured yet again and out for the season.
By May 29, the Yankees were 8 games under .500 and some 14 games behind the streaking Boston Red Sox. Pundits and beat-writers blew the Yanks off. No way they'd even make the play-offs.
Injuries mounted. There was an air of desperation. Things got just plain weird. Two starting pitchers were hit by batted balls and suffered broken bones--both in the first inning! Another pitcher was in the seventh inning of a no-hitter when he tore a hamstring. Unbelievable.
The Yankees used some twenty-five pitchers, nine of whom made their major league debut. Unheard of for a mega-bucks payroll team like the Yanks. Unheard of for even a crummy team.
But after the All-Star break something truly remarkable happened. Roger Clemens (who is 45 going on 30) had signed for the year--certainly his last. The veteran pitchers stepped up--especially Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera. The influx of rookies brought new energy (especially Hughes, Joba and Duncan). And the perennial all-stars of the team (Jeter, Damon, Posada, Cano and Matsui) played like it. Even journeyman-type players made big plays, got big hits and won critical games.
And then there was A-Rod (pictured getting doused in champagne by a bunch of rookies) who had an absolute monster of a year. He put up numbers like those of Ruth, Mantle and Dimaggio. He's not going anywhere . . .
After going an amazing 48-24 in the second half (far and away the best record in baseball over that time), the Yankees are in the play-offs for the thirteenth straight year, twelve of those under Joe Torre. I wanted Torre sacked after the Yankees lost to the Tigers last year with an inexcusably lethargic performance. But nobody but Joe Torre could have handled this year's mess and then turn this team around like he did.
How will the Yanks do from here on out? With this team it is impossible to tell. The fact that they'll play Cleveland in the first round is good (the Angels seem to have the Yank's number). My guess is that the Yankees will eventually play the Red Sox in yet another epic battle between the evil empire and the Sox nation for the American league pennant.
Whew . . . There was time there I didn't think they'd make it. Now that was a roller-coaster of a season! Lets go Yankees!!!!
Reader Comments (10)
Go Red Sox.
Yankee killers!!!!!
As far as Arod staying -- I would not be suprised to see him playing short for the Sox next year, although it's harder to see that with the kind of season they've had.
Question for you Reverend -- did you happen to see The Bronx Is Burning? I was probably too young and not enough of a baseball fan to appreciate the late 70's/early 80's Yankees, but I enjoyed this TV series. If you saw it, what did you think?