One of these guys is not getting it done.
It's been a while since I've been able to find the time to post a blog, but let's just say 2009 has been filled with all types of crazy shit that I don't wish upon anyone. It's been a year that started off with word of my son's brain tumor which obviously supercedes any of the other stuff that took place this year. My son is doing great, and quite frankly that's all that really matters, but it's been a year of turmoil to say the least. In most instances I found myself turning to athletics and/or exercise and watching the 2009 New York Yankees as my break from the everyday stress. Needless to say when I heard that all too familiar sound of an ACL going "pop", I knew that for the most part, I was headed another long stint on the IR, and headed for that miserable rehab that comes with it. The worst part is that I have to put off surgery for another month due to work obligations that have me traveling in late September and early October. I suppose if there is ever a time for a sports fan to be on the shelf, mid-October is pretty much where you want to be. MLB Playoffs are in full swing, NFL is in it's second month, and NBA and NHL are about to start up (although neither is of great interest to me). So let's move on to the Yankees now.......Specifically AJ Burnett.
So back when the Yankees signed AJ I was very outspoken about how much I hated the idea of having him for the next 6 years to the tune of 82.5 million. There was never a question about his arm. The guy has undeniable velocity, so why did I hate the Burnett signing so much??? There were several things about his track record which made this signing completely illogical in my eyes. It seemed like a desparate move. Along with his huge strikeout potential comes a guy who even in his best years never posted an ERA under 4, and was always been amongst the league leaders in Walks, HRs allowed, Wild Pitches, and Failure to Hold Runners on Base.
I took a good amount of flack from some of my friends who were pro-AJ as he looked great and even spectacular in some of the early parts of the season. I was really close to accepting that I was wrong about him and that maybe he just needed to be on a good team to really standout and shine. Not so fast though!!!! Since August AJ has one ONCE and has an ERA over 6 in that span. I repeat....He's one 1 time on a team that is 40 games over .500 and has been tearing up the AL since the All-Star break.
My point in all of this rambling is that I've come across far too many Yankee fans who think the Yankees are a lock to take it all this year. I've heard way to many people suggesting that the Red Sox aren't even a threat, and that they aren't even remotely concerned about playing Boston. Yankee fans.....You should be very concerned, because let's face it, outside of CC the Yankees don't have a singe starter who you can say without question will give a solid effort. Sure, AJ and Pettitte are capable of throwing gems, but aren't they just as capable of getting lit up at the same time? It's a certainty that Round 1 is going to be against Detroit, and while I think Detroit stinks overall, I can't rule out Verlander or Edwin Jackson doing enough to steal one of the first two games forcing the Yankees to win at least one in Detroit just to force a game 5. Now if Game 4 takes place and the Yanks are down, we are certain to see CC on short rest which certainly makes things interesting if/when the Yanks get to the second round against Anaheim or Boston.
Speaking of those two teams......How foolish can any Yankees fan be to look past either of those teams?!!!! Sure, they both have weaknesses with Anaheim's spotty bullpen, and the Red Sox struggles at times with starting pitching and offensive. Having said that, Anaheim has a lineup where EVERYONE is hitting around .300, Lackey is looking like the real Lackey, and under the radar is the Scott Kazmir acquisiton. Kazmir has shown new life since joining the Angels, and I don't even need to discuss the matchup history of the Yanks and Angels. As far as Boston goes, Lester is locked in at the right time, and while Beckett has been struggling, can anyone name me 2 better Post-season pitchers in the history of MLB that are better than Josh Beckett? In a Best-of 7 series, who are the Yankees throwing out as their 4th starter? Do they just continue to go with a 3 man rotation of CC-Burnett-Pettitte, and hope they can pull through? What other option do they have......Joba??? Gaudin??? Mitre??? They don't have a viable 4th starter.
I don't want to come off as a complete pessimist, because I do feel that the Yankees are the best team in baseball right now. They have are tremendous offensively, have a fantastic bench, and most pleasantly surprising, a rock-solid bullpen. They are definitely the "team to beat" in October.
My point is that one would be a complete fool to write off teams as talented as Boston and Anaheim in October just because the Yankees are putting together a fantastic regular season.
I REALLY hope that I'm worng about Burnett, and he can put it together in October. I just have my doubts.
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