The Wisdom of Spring

Before the season began, John and Suzyn were interviewed by MLB.com about the 2014 Yankees team. As we all know by now, you can't predict baseball. Some of the comments they made prove that fact, but others display the accumulated wisdom of these two veteran broadcasters.

MLB.com: Brian Cashman made a lot of other moves this offseason -- Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Brian Roberts at second base, Jacoby Ellsbury in center field. How do you think that whole lineup is going to play? It's certainly a different team than last year.

Sterling: I think they're going to score runs and I really like the starting pitching. One thing: You should never fall in love with these things during the spring. I try not to think of the spring as a harbinger of things to come. I think they might have a very good ballclub. 

MLB.com: What do you think was the most important move Cashman made?

Waldman: Oh, boy. I think obviously Brian McCann, because we saw last year, you cannot go through a season without a real catcher. I'm not saying anything bad about Austin Romine or Chris Stewart. You need a No. 1 catcher and you see already the difference...I think Jacoby Ellsbury is going to be fine with the little calf or whatever. I think people are going to love watching him play. I love Beltran already; you can see what he's going to do. I was saying to Derek Jeter today that he and Brian Roberts look like they have been making the double play for the last 10 years. They know each other so well already...We sat through last year's Spring Training and we knew exactly what was happening. I think this is going to be a good year.

Sterling: The key to all this...is staying healthy. There are going to be injuries, but I think the Yankees had a great camp. You've seen pitchers are going to go down who can pitch up here, and we're going to see players who are going to go down who can help during the year. They're a much deeper organization than they were last year.

Obviously, the concept of the Strategic Injury Methodology™ is not something either would mention or perhaps even dare to think of, since they are paid by the Yankees, not by WFAN – the flagship of the New York Yankees Radio Network – and should not be considered journalists or objective in any way. Which is fine, they have their role.

What is interesting is Suzyn's slip about 2013: "We sat through last year's Spring Training and we knew exactly what was happening." Alas, they did not share that knowledge with their adoring public 12-14 long months ago but kept it to themselves, carrying the burden for us. One gets the distinct feeling that this Spring, they may have seen exactly what was happening, also, but spared us out of their generosity of spirit and the mercy of their enormous hearts.