Long ago, today became Judgement Day in the Yankiverse.The day Johnny Damon comes home.
Last winter, Brian Cashman transmogrified a world championship team with the publicly stated plan of "getting younger" and "cutting payroll." The first was a flat-out lie. The second remains in dispute.
The signing of Nick Johnson became Cashman's second Pavano. A G.M. doesn't get many.
Of course, the Yankees remain in first, best record in baseball. Cashman is no fool.
But on Judgement Day, here's where the bodies have washed ashore.
The Ones That Got Away
Austin Jackson .303, 1 HR, 26 RBI (still young and improving)
Johnny Damon . 278, 7 HR, 29 RBI (getting old, would likely be traded if Detroit fell out of contention.)
Melky Cabrera .269 4HR 31 RBI (disappointment in Atlanta)
Hideki Matsui .251 15HR 51 RBI (showing signs of age)
Phil Coke 12-5, 3 SAV, 2.55 ERA (among league leaders in games, we miss this guy)
Ian Kennedy 7-9 4.38 ERA (might be the One That Got Away)
Arodys Vizcaino (Only 19, despite injury, remains great prospect)
Mike Dunn 1-0 0.00 ERA (6 innings pitched, age 25, blossoming)
The Ones We Got
Marcus Thames .319 4HR, 16 RBI (big hits, solid bat, no glove)
Curtus Granderson .240 11HR, 35 RBI (unless new swing bears fruit, huge disappointment)
Nick Johnson .167 2HR 8 RBI (total waste of money)
Javier Vazquez 9-8 4.90 ERA (team alarmed by recent loss of speed)
Chan Ho Park 2-1 5.50 ERA (horror show)
Boone Logan 0-0 2.83 ERA (pleasant surprise)
You could add intangibles -- Brett Gardner getting a chance, the recent trades for Kearns, Wood and Berkman to shore up weak areas.
Brian Cashman... Judgement Day... guilty or innocent?
Guilty on all charges
ReplyDeleteThe worst season of Cash's tenure by far. We've seen this happen before (Kevin Brown, etc.), but back then it was often at the Boss' directive. Now there's nobody else to blame. Has he lost his Midas touch?
ReplyDeleteWhat Midas touch? Does it really take that much of a genius to throw money at good players like CC and Tex?
ReplyDeleteCome to my web blog!!!http://bronxbombers411.webs.com/
ReplyDeletethe best in the biz
Okay, how could you end with that line and not include this YouTube clip from Transformers the Movie (1986):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juc69G6F-q0
"Guilty or innocent?"
"Innocent."
"Feed him to the sharkticons!"
So disappointed in you all.
Actually, Melky is not a disappointment to the Braves.
ReplyDeleteThey acquired him as a number 4 OF who could play all three positions.
He would up starting due to injuries. And he had a slow start at the plate. But his BA is becoming respectable and he has been hitting better of late.
He'll become number 4 again if one of their starters can return from injury.
So Braves, I think, will pretty much have gotten what they wanted by season's end.
I'm so stupid that when I saw that headline I thought you were going to say they got Damon back in a waiver deal.
ReplyDelete