Kevin Baker's book is here!

Kevin Baker's book is here!
"... an exemplary sports book..." Kirkus Reviews

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

"It can turn it around, it really can.” And other alternative realities of this season.

Said Jorge Posada last night:
"It can turn it around, it really can. It’s a good feeling in here when you win a game like that.”

This is what we know:

1. Jorge's right. It can turn around. It usually doesn't. But sometimes, an electrifying win or devastating loss is pivotal for a season.

2. On paper, we're probably the third best team in the American League East. An injury or two, and we're below Toronto.

3. Whoops, there's the injury! We will apparently lose Rafael Soriano, our winter stud acquisition, making us 1-3 in the off-season. (Russell Martin being the hit.) We haven't felt it yet, because David Robertson and Joba have done well. But if either of them starts to falter, we'll lose a big game or two in the transition to Mariano -- and those losses will hurt just as much as last night's victory.

4.Unless he starts hitting soon, Nick Swisher will become a basket case. Great guy, but he's either wayyy up or wayyy down. (Remember how Ozzie Guillen used to characterize him? An entirely different player.) Swish isn't hitting. At some point, Girardi must bench him. Then, kaboom. He won't be a happy camper on the bench. I fear the Yankees will have to trade him. Iceberg, dead ahead.

5. We still must reshape the team (a la bringing up Chien-Ming Wang and Robbie Cano, as we did once) via trades or promotions. It must happen. Egos will be ruffled. But Jesus Montero cannot play forever at Scranton. And Jorge Vazquez, who homered last night, now leads the minor leagues with 17. Trouble is, right now, they're both DHs for the Yankees. How many DH's can we carry? And will any of them ever hit?

6. Same with the starting rotation. As long as Colon and Garcia keep going, we're fine. But everybody feels the same way: Tick, tick, tick...

7. We still must figure out an exit strategy for Jeter and Jorge. Whatever happened to that experiment with Brett Gardner leading off? But we can't move Gardy down in the order. And Jorge... who knows? Oh well, there's always happy talk. It can turn it around, it really can.

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