Nine and a half games in back of the A.L. East leader and six and a half games out of the wild card spot is a very un-Yankee like place to be. And it's making the Yankees do some very un-Yankee like things.Consider today's Yankee moves, where they demoted Melky Cabrera and waived Richie Sexson (I assume to give him his release). This comes on the heels of Hank Steinbrenner basically giving up on 2008 to focus on 2009, so getting rid of these two for callups Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom kinda fits that line of thinking.
But this is the New York Yankees we're talking about ... they never do things like this. And certainly they've proven lately that every time the baseball world buries the Yankees, they rise from the beyond and make everybody eat their words. Releasing Sexson and ... more telling ... sending a guy who's been up in the majors for two and a half seasons back down to the minors can be construed as a message to the rest of the roster to say "Hey, nobody's giving up ... and if you don't believe that, you'll be in the minors along with Melky."
But I'm not going to pretend to know what anybody in the Yankees' hierarchy is thinking, least of all Hank. Because at the end of the day with this team being where it is, any message that is being or isn't being sent isn't going to bring Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, or Jorge Posada off the DL. It may pick up some of the performances of the players on the roster, but how much? So while the season certainly is long from over, today's moves is an admission that the reaper grows closer.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-15-2008 @ 5:44PM
Shari Michaels said...
Get rid of melky ?? ya got to be kidding ,, the Yanks made the fatal error of hiring Giardi ,, and letting Torres go ,,, such a shame ,,, they will pay the price this year .
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8-16-2008 @ 10:10AM
STEVE said...
I LIKE THE BOSS COMMENTS, NO TEAM COULD WIN WITH INJURIES. PEDRO DL, MAINE DL, CHURCH DL, ALOU DL THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
8-16-2008 @ 12:55PM
russ said...
They still dont get it. You are right. Melky's defense in the outfield is priceless. I am no baseball expert, but even I know
that "it's the pitching, stupid" that rules the game. If they had
addressed that properly, the Y's would have been in the playoffs last year...and this year after Wang's injury ...deja vu...also letting Torre go was stupid. What a waste of a great year by Mussina.Yanks will lose next year too, unless there are some serious changes in the decision- making group and the
good players they do have are not given a chance by forming a SOLID pitching staff.
8-15-2008 @ 5:59PM
mel said...
melky was way over rated...they treated bernie poorly because they thought melky was their future based on one catch. bernie williams deserved to be treated better than the way he was before he was let go...screw melky.
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8-15-2008 @ 6:14PM
Doug said...
Girardi isn't the problem. It is that bloated, across the board unproductive lineup that is the problem. They remind me of Microsoft or our own government which became so big they rotted from within.
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8-15-2008 @ 7:52PM
LEAJ - Yankee Lover 4 Life said...
The manager is not the problem. The front office is not the problem. Injuries have kicked our butts this year. I am in complete support of upper management. Hell, I've been a Yankee fan too long (since 1975) to give up on them this season or the seasons to come. I've seen everything, but the wind as it pertains to Baseball's best franchise. I am delighted that we don't react with crazy trades like we did in the past. I guess I am the only one around here that loves and appreciates the BOSS and what he has done for the Yankees and MLB. I certainly have not agreed with everything the BOSS has done, but I sure in hell appreciates his desire to put a winner out on the field every day and I see the same in Hank. Hank has a calmer approach that will pay off at the end. Go Brian Cashman and do your thang "baby." I remain a Yankee for LIFE..... GO YANKEES!
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8-16-2008 @ 5:59AM
djt` said...
The way they treated Williams and Torrie, The yankees put it on themselfs. Don't blame injuries every club has them. Quit crying!!!
8-15-2008 @ 8:02PM
Doug said...
You support the BOSS, the tax evader like Pete Rose. It is the only thing either has been convicted of in a court of law, not public opinion.
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8-15-2008 @ 8:26PM
bigflyer said...
The Yankees are a bloated, ageing, overpaid group of ballplayers who just cannot suck it up and get it done without whining about injuries. In a 162 game season every team confronts injuries.
The Yankee squad has coughed up a hairball in post season for the past 8 years and 2008 certainly looks no different.
The only good thing they did this year was to not bring back the lieing Roid rotten Rajah child molester like they did in 2007. Yankees cash their checks fast, do everything else slow.
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8-15-2008 @ 10:11PM
rock said...
Crippled old staff and bullpen. Weak up the middle, yes you DJ. Overpaying at the corners A Rod and J Roid see ya next year when you attempt to by Manny-- are you gonna make him cut his lettuce.
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8-15-2008 @ 11:52PM
sam said...
I HOPE THE YANKEES LIKE A PLAYER WHO DOSE NOT ALWAYS WANT TO PLAY HARD WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH AKA. MANNY BEING MANNY
8-15-2008 @ 11:53PM
sam said...
it only proves you can not always buy yourself a winning team
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8-16-2008 @ 11:46AM
Frank said...
Excuses and blames do not help any team. All the teams have players on DL. But still you have a team on the field. Play balls and do not cry.
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8-16-2008 @ 11:57AM
Joe said...
The Yankees have several problems, yes the injuries have definetly hurt, but the simple fact is the veterans don't have the heart like they had in the 90's. How many times to we see Jeter, A-rod, Giambi get up w/ runners in scoring position and do nothing. Maybe what this team needs is a Paul O'Neil type player, someone that gets the others going everyday and give some of these younger players like Melky and Cano a good kick in the pants to start playing.
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8-16-2008 @ 2:35PM
Bill said...
What they did to Joe Torre at the end of last year pretty well finsihed my relationship with the Yankees after 60 years!!!
They can move who they want, when they want, and spend all the money in the world but they're just not a TEAM!! Not like the Mantle-Maris-Berra era and they never will be a TEAM.. TOO MUCH MONEY FOR TOO LITTLE RESULTS!
At least Joe had them in the running and won pennants; but too many stars, with too much $ does not a team make!
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8-16-2008 @ 10:49PM
mk said...
steve--its the injuries AND playing in the best division in baseball behind tampa and boston. mets would be what, the 5th best team and record in the AL behind the yankees--you cant compare maine being on the dl for a week or losing pedro/church/alou none of whom were counted on to begin with to losing your 1, 2, 3 in your rotation for minimum of two months or jeter, arod, damon for a month, posada for the year--church is like your 5th offensive threat, jeter arod damon and posada gone for a month or more represent 4 of your top 6 threats. and by the way, the mets haven't won anything yet--GO CUBS!!
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8-16-2008 @ 10:50PM
mking69 said...
steve--its the injuries AND playing in the best division in baseball behind tampa and boston. mets would be what, the 5th best team and record in the AL behind the yankees--you cant compare maine being on the dl for a week or losing pedro/church/alou none of whom were counted on to begin with to losing your 1, 2, 3 in your rotation for minimum of two months or jeter, arod, damon for a month, posada for the year--church is like your 5th offensive threat, jeter arod damon and posada gone for a month or more represent 4 of your top 6 threats. and by the way, the mets haven't won anything yet--GO CUBS!!
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8-17-2008 @ 11:01AM
David said...
The Yankees just aren't producing runs. They are not "situational hitting" enough, and too few are hitting well with runners in scoring position.
When you only score 3 runs against the Royals this late in the year, you're not going to be playing in October.
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8-18-2008 @ 3:08PM
Rei said...
Listen everybody. The yankees are desperated at this point. First, Girardi managerial job is one of the most unsucessful I have ever seen. Second, Cano still a little league player, send him to the minor. Now, Jeter's rumors tells you that he is no more a yankee. Rodriguez legal problems keep him away from his duty (remember 30 million), Matsui will not replace Nady, Damon or Abreu, Cabrera is out of the llist. and Posada will not be the same catcher. Don't you get it. The Yankees dinasty came to the end. Plus Mr. Streinbenner(son) on charge, forget about it.
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8-19-2008 @ 5:52PM
Jackyankee said...
Yankee fan leaving after 60 years? Good, beat it, get lost, we don't need ya. The rest of the snivlers "the Yankees bought those pennants." Quit your whining, like your teams haven't "bought" players? Giants fans, you bought Bonds, Red Sox fans, you bought your fair share, start with Manny, throw in Josh, hey, matter of fact, there isn't a major league team out there that hasn't "bought" some talent. Its the way of the world these days, like it or not. The days of the Brett's and Ripken's, great players who played for one team, those are over. If Steinbrenner says the Yanks will be back and he will do what it takes to get them back, I think I will catch a ride on that bus. The man is not B.S.ing. Anyway, take a look at the teams you like, see how many "home grown" players you have (I would bet the Oakland A's have the most, just guessing) and remember its a different game these days.
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