Kevin Baker's book is here!

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

Monday, September 3, 2012

Yankeetorial: It's 1984 all over again

Well, here we go. We have squandered the midsummer lead, pissed away Derek Jeter's greatest season, and we now study the Wild Card race knowing that when Baltimore overtakes us -- they will overtake us -- Oakland will lead for home field advantage in that disasterous one-game post-season. If we are lucky enough to get there.

Not even juju can save us. This is the team of stranded opportunities.

It's time to ponder life after the collapse -- the new Yankee reality.

I cannot help but think this will signal the end of Brian Cashman. He doesn't need a life of tabloid headlines. He'll pull a Theo, fly to some foreign locale - San Diego or Kansas City - take operational control of a team and make his disasterous trades for someone else. He'll take a few lieutenants, and the Steinboys will bring in some upper management Bobby V type to crack heads and reduce payroll.

Girardi would survive. I think he's got kids in the Westchester schools, and the boys won't want to overhaul everything. Besides, he didn't strand all those baserunners.

Jeter will get a key to the city and a gold watch, inscribed with the words: "We apologize." This was his greatest season. Of course, there's no place to move him, when SS is no longer an option. If the boys are serious about a $187 million payroll - and they still intend to resign Andy Pettitte and/or Robbie Cano - we will see serious turnover.

Swisher goes. Granderson goes. Russell Martin? So long! (Who catches for us next, year, Chris Stewart?) Kuroda? Thanks for everything. We will be forced to root for Michael Pineda - but remember, folks, shoulder surgery.  This was a horrible year for our upper-minor league prospects. No help is coming.

Nope. We are collapsing... right as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement takes effect, installing a de facto salary cap and closing the loopholes that boosted our international signings (an advantage that the Angels and Rangers exploited far more than we did.)

The new rules were designed to crush the one team that had become famous for outspending all others.

But MLB didn't even need it. We did this to ourselves.

It's 1984. We may be down for a long, long time.

No comments: