The Yankees did have chemistry this year. Unfortunately it was stripped from the lineup in the last three weeks of the regular season with the return of Hedeiki Matsui and Gary Sheffield. Joe Torre’s hands were tied when it came time to play these two. He had to. This, as it turned out, was the wrong time to screw with team chemistry.
In the beginning of the year the Yankee team that played everyday lacked that chemistry also. Matsui and Sheffield were part of that starting lineup. I remember writing an article on how boring this Yankee team was in the first month to six weeks of the season. No clutch hitting, poor starting pitching and an already over worked bullpen.
There was this familiar feeling surrounding this team that things would eventually work there way to a head to head battle with the Red Sox. Then the injuries unfolded. This perhaps was the highlight of the season for the New York Yankees.
Brian Cashman and Joe Torre had their work cut out for them and the two seemed to be on the same page and that is when the chemistry started to develop. This, in part, was due to the understanding and confidence that Brian Cashman was now the true General Manager of this franchise. Now he and Joe Torre did not have to constantly look over their shoulder for every decision that they collectively agreed upon and eventually made. They would be held totally responsible for their moves and that would be fine as far as Brian and Joe were concerned.
The infusion of younger and hungrier players into the everyday lineup had an immediate impact on the field and the results were equally positive. There was a life to this team that was not present in the past three plus years.
You need a blend of confidence, energy, swagger and yes, even fire. You are not going to win without that mix for the most part. To say that you need a team of Rivera’s, Jetter’s and Williams who just go out there everyday and do their jobs sounds wonderful. It won’t happen because you could never find nine guys with that approach who play everyday. It’s a blend.
The Yankees, in their championship seasons, always had a blend. Knobloch, O’neill, Clemens, Nelson, El Duque, Tino. These guys showed emotion and brought the energy level up to a point where it needed to be, to be a champion. The Yankees had it for a good part of the season but they lost that energy this year in the final three weeks of the season. Too many All Stars and an all too familiar look that lulled them back to a false sense of “We are the best lineup in all of baseball.”
Blame it on pitching, but the pitching was not horrible, the offense was.
Lou Piniella has made a difference every place that he has managed with the exception of Tampa Bay. He can motivate talent. Tampa Bay had a class AA team for the time he managed there and a payroll to match. So it is unfair to judge him on that level. No one could win being dealt with that hand. I am glad he was not hired to manage the Yankees but if he was I’ll bet the ranch he would have been successful.
I like Cashman and I like where he is going with his approach. I’m pretty sure he has learned from his frustrating years as a three-headed GM. I am guessing that this will be the last year of a top to bottom All Star lineup for the Yankees under Cashman’s present day’s watch. He has a lot more rope as far as I’m concerned.
And the Yankees saga continues. The off-season should be just as tumultuous as the regular season was. Hey, get rid of Sheffield before he becomes a cancer.
MeanD....I'm with you on the Sheffield situation. The guy really is only out for himself and I'm sure some team (hopefully an NL team) would love to have his services. It will be interesting to see what trade value Sheffield elicits.
Fox5 ..... The chemistry was left in the test tube back in the lab by none other Professor Cashman. He mixed to many substances together and the balance wasn't right. Needless to say he'll be trying again next year but under the tutelage of Professor Dumbledorf and Harry Potter.
In defense of Cashman, I personally would like to give him a pass and see how he does in the next two years considering this has been his first year in total control of the GM position. He was stuck with players that were forced on him by others in the organization.
His recent moves concerning minor league talent and his trading savvy have appeared to be well thought out and with the future in mind. More of an R2D2 logic.
Fox5 .... He's been at the job long enough. And he's got but two jobs to do .....secure a championship each season and keep George happy ! How hard can that be ? Oh I forgot they haven't won in six years and counting. With all the money and resources he's got at his disposal he should've at least secured a couple of win over the past five years. Instead he's gomne out and spent money like he's got it to burn. He could learn a thing or two from some of the more astute GM's out there. But as in George's eyes he can do no wrong at present, he'll have the pick of the litter and carry on as he pleases.
Sheffield is selfish and he's unreliable in October. At least Matsui is clutch.
But in all fairness, New York has to just go out and play and not worry about the bullcrap that's surrounding them. There's too much of it going on with them. That and the fact their pitching is not where it needs to be to win titles.
tophatal.....Being around the team on a daily basis it is easy for me to see Cashman's frustrations over the last six years. He had to fight the Tampa Bay connection at every turn in the road. Three quarters of the players signed prior to last year were players that were heavily pressured by Steinbrenner and his Tampa cronies. They have The Boss's ear on a daily basis. Because Cashman is parked in his office in New York he is defenseless when it came to making the final decision on player development, players signed and players traded.
This all ended last winter when Cashman forced Steinbbrenners hand when Brian's contract was up. Swindel, who is Steinbrenner's son in law and groomed to take over Steinbrenner's ownership, is a Brian Cashman advocate. He told George that if he wanted to keep Cashman, in his fold, he needed to let Brian have complete control of player development, Free Agent signings and trades.
So Brian has only really been in charge since last winter. All these All Stars were a factor of Steinbrenner and his Tampa Bay Mafia.
You will see a big difference from here on out as far as the general manager is concerned.
Fox5 - you're right on the money. I predicted the meltdown when it was just beginning to happen at the end of the reg. season. Look to my blog, "Melky or Matsui? Team Chemistry Begins to Vaporize." ALSO - I don't believe Torre's hands were tied. He knew better but lacked the guts to do the right thing. Matsui should have been the DH and Melky never should have been benched. I wrote another blog about this stuff shortly after they got trounced by the Tigers ("Dear George"). The answers are obvious to any one who has but a rudimentary knowledge of the game. Case in point on how to win with strategy and positive thinking - Tony LaRussa, David Eckstein & Co. Rest assured, the Yankees will not win again until Torre is gone. Just remember, this is the same man who brought us "The railroading of Bubba Crosby."
p.s. loved the graphic
Last edited by gamescribe on November 6th at 10:18 AM.
gamescribe…Thanks....You are right, Torre’s hands were not tied. He did lack guts and was trying to appease two players who were high profile all stars. The theory that you don’t lose your starting status due to injuries was put in place here. That was Torre’s mindset and it was woefully wrong for several reasons. Putting Sheffield at first base in the playoffs at a position he had only played for three weeks in his entire career was just asinine. Defensively he was a disaster. Plus his bat really never came around, but then again, neither did most of the other players. Matsui, always starts out hot and then he goes into a month long slump. He was hot for three weeks and guess what, he got cold in the playoffs. Plus when pitching and defense is the key to the series you play your best defensive players. Matsui is not your best defensive left fielder.
Spot staring Melky was a huge mistake. Melky was playing a sound left field for three quarters of the season and was a fundamentally sound hitter. He added spark and small ball energy to the lineup. This was missing for the four games of the short-lived playoffs.
Torre’s moves were predictable for all the wrong reasons. They have failed him for three straight years with this lineup.
At the end of the year I wanted a managerial change. It did not happen. So my guess is this will happen again next year adding to the fact that the pitching free agent market is weak and I don’t see them making a substantial deal for Sheffield that will include a good quality pitcher. The only way that will happen is if they trade A-Rod
The only way that will happen is if they trade A-Rod for a number one starter and a prospect. We cannot count on this aged pitching staff to blow anyone away in the post season. Which is what it will take to advance farther than the first round.
