Upon the Yankees

People can speak about the payroll all they want. I love watching this team, and it has the feeling that Yankee teams haven't had in a few years. This pendulum that had swung too far to the side or "recruited superstar with gaudy power numbers", is on its way back toward the "gritty, plate-disciplined batter who will grind for a key base hit". This may sound odd to say when this off-season the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield, who currently lead the AL in Home-runs. However, the fact that more than half of the Yankees wins this year have been of the come-from-behind variety shows that the offense has become an odd amalgam of big and small ball.

On the one-hand, then Yankees have been out-hit by their opponents this year. The modern-day Murderer's Row has fewer hits than its opponents who are largely inferior hitters (if you believe the stats). This team has barely one everyday player batting over .300. Combine these facts with the shaky starting rotation, and it wouldn't seem to equal a team with an 8.5 game lead in its division, the best record in the AL, and second-best record in all of baseball. How then is this happening? To borrow from Greg Maddux "Chicks dig the longball".

Once again, the Yankees have sprinted out to the ML home run lead. The number is somewhere in the 180's at this point in the season. There are 9 players on the roster with double-digit home runs. Sheffield, Rodriguez and Giambi (when healthy) can take any pitcher, in any park, in any situation, deep for a homer. Posada, Bernie and Matsui(much more on him in a future post) are disciplined hitters who crush mistakes. Jeter can get hot, as he did in May/June, and he has always been clutch. Reuben Sierra is all over the ball as a pinch-hitter, and Tony Clark has huge power on pitches down in the zone. Even Cairo and Lofton will take a junk-ball out. Team always need to worry about making a 1,2, or 3 run lead stand up. The threat of power leads to careful pitching, and careful pitching leads to walks. The pitcher doesn't get a break from the heart of the order, and men on base can always be driven in with a long-ball. However, there are times this season where it seems that the Home-run is the only way the Yankees are able to score runs. Referring back to the batting averages, you wonder how a team like this can win as often as it does. Aren't they just a new version of the late 90's Indians and Rangers?

I believe the difference this year is the return of the grinder. Gone from the top of the line-up is swing-happy Soriano. This kid is a stud no doubt, but his strikeouts at the top of the line-up were BRUTAL in the playoffs last year. With an ailing Giambi, a Bernie Williams who was pressing, Aaron Boone who hit 3 big homers (including one HUGE one) and not much else, the Yankee line-up was shut-down by the Marlins pitchers who came together and dealt masterfully. Anaheim beat ut the year before by doing the small things for runs that the Yankees were incapable of. Even the Diamondbacks bloop singles won-out over some of the greatest homeruns in World Series history. Pitching and defense are huge in all these series, but you have to expect that in the playoffs. So what is it that can inspire confidence in me that this year will be different?

Jorge Posada is having a down offensive year as far as HR and RBI. He is battling several points lower as well. However, he is a switch-hitter who has a keen catcher's eye at the plate. He leads the AL in walks, and his on-base percentage is in the 4's. The Yankees have excellent speed with Cairo, Jeter, Bernie and Lofton. Derek, Matsui, and A-Rod are excellent and instinctual base-runners, and A-Rod is on his way to at least 30-30. Cairo and Lofton will bunt their way on, and Jeter will bunt them across. Sheffield hates to swing and miss, and fights like a madman in every at-bat. Cairo is another guy who will foul off numerous pitches and run the pitch-count up on an ace. This is critical even if he does not reach base. Olerud was picked up as an excellent defensive first baseman, but has some how rediscovered the hole between second and first, and seems to exclusively hit singles to right field. I am reserving my Matsui comments as I said before, but suffice it to say the Yanks are not close to where they are without him.

This team seems to be on its way back to the glory days of post-season offensive efficiency, with an interesting twist. If all the things I just mentioned aren't happening, all they need is to breakout that long-ball, because a team always has a weak pitching link, starter, middle reliever or closer. add a patient walk or two and 2 run deficits become one run leads.