Yankees' Journey Was Rough, but Worth it
By Scott Burks
My New York
Yankees have done what many people didn't think possible: win the American
League East by sweeping the hated Boston Red Sox over the weekend.
I'll tell you this, the way the Yankees' season started I would have been
happy with a wild card berth.
Let's start with
Alex Rodriguez. Yes, that clown who has YET to earn a penny of that
ridiculous original $25 million per year contract that the Yankees assumed
from the Texas Rangers (I'm still pissed that the Yanks re-signed his ass
for $27 million per year last season). Let's count the ways of A-Rod's
foibles:
-
A-Rod's
injury to his hip that sidelined him the first 3 months of the season.
-
A-Rod's name
on the infamous performance enhancer drug list.
-
A-Rod's
pictures of him kissing himself in a magazine shoot.
-
A-Rod's love
for cougars (Madonna).
I can also throw
in the NY Post saying that manager Joe Girardi was on thin ice, and
comparing his situation to former manager Joe Torre's winning in Los
Angeles. And let's not forget the Yankees getting off to that horrid
start, with them being as low as FOURTH in the standings at one point.
One more thing to mention: the Yankees started the season 0-8 against
those damn Red Sox!
All those things
make the Yankees' rise to the top of Major League Baseball more impressive.
They have been on an absolute tear since the All-Star break. And now,
not only do they have the best record and clinched home-field advantage in
the American League, they are the best in MLB.
And remember
those damn Red Sox? Well, I am happy to report that the Yanks have won
9 of the last 10 games against Boston, finishing with the series tied at 9
games apiece. I can honestly say that my Yanks aren't afraid of those
damn Sox.
How did the
Yankees do it? First, the outstanding job Girardi has done in managing
the team during the rough patches. He could have put the
underperforming players on blast early in the year. Instead, he took
ALL the blame, allowing his players to relax and get into a groove that has
carried them to their first division title since 2006.
Second, Mark
Texieira. He has to be not only the front-runner for AL MVP, but the
free-agent acquisition of the year. Texieira has at times carried the
Yankees' offense -- particularly when A-Rod and Hideki Matsui missed time
with injuries earlier in the season. Think the L.A. Angels need his
bat right now?
CC Sabathia is
the last reason as to why the Yankees turned their season around. He
is the American League's only 19-game winner, and he helped stabilized the
front end of the Yankees' pitching rotation. Not bad for living up to
a huge free agent contract in New York.
Does this mean
that the Yankees will be satisfied with winning their division and having
the top-seed in the AL playoffs? Certainly not. Now those this
mean that the Yankees will moonwalk all the way to their 27th World Series
title? Of course not.
However, if
anything we should have learned our lesson: never, EVER count out the New
York Yankees.
Go Back to
Home Page
