Daily Archives: July 10, 2003

SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME?

Doug Pappas, who covers baseball economics with clarity and depth, is also a Mets fan. He sees dark days ahead for the Yanks:

The new issue of Sports Weekly ranks the Mets’ farm system as the majors’ second best — that may be a stretch, but the trend is certainly positive.

The same can’t be said for their crosstown rivals, who have gutted their farm system (ranked 30th by Sports Weekly) for short-term fixes. It’s no coincidence that the foundation of the recent Yankee dynasty was laid while George Steinbrenner was under suspension: had he been running the early-90s Yankees the way he ran the mid-80s club, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter would have been traded for middle relievers or 35-year-old DHes while still in AA. Who can forget Willie McGee for Bob Sykes, Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps, Fred McGriff and cash for Dale Murray, or Doug Drabek for Rick Rhoden?

Now Steinbrenner’s growing impatient again. The Yankees have two 40-year-old starting pitchers, no help coming anytime soon from the farm system, and Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter and Mike Mussina due huge raises. By 2005 they’ll be a third-place club.

Aw man, say it ain’t so. But if history is an indicator, this is a very likely scenerio. Especially with Boston and Toronto already building for the future.

DEM’S FIGHTIN’ WOIDS

Are the Yanks and Sox headed for a brawl? If the press has anything to say about it, you betcha. I’m sure if you polled most Yankee and Red Sox fans, they’d be all for it as well. Imagine? The talk radio shows would have enough material to carry them through the second half.

This story will do nothing but gain momentum over the next couple of weeks. The Yanks and Sox next meet for a three game set in Boston, July 25-27th. According to the Globe, Pedro Martinez may not start in the series. You know the Yankees will hope to avoid starting the volatile Rocket Clemens as well.

Boss George avoided a war of words with Pedro for the time being, but that could always change. Martinez took exception to Steinbrenner’s comments that he intentionally tried to hit Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter on Monday. But George has a long history of crying when a Yankee gets hit.

In the last week of the 1981 season, Reggie Jackson, who suffered through a rough and tumble fianl season with the Yankees principal owner, got into it with pitcher John Denny of the Cleveland Indians. I vividly remember the encounter (I was ten years old). According to Dick Schaap’s book, “Steinbrenner!:”

Knocked down by John Denny…Jackson got up and headed toward the mound, seting off a free-for-all tha emptied the Yankees’ bench. Jackson and Denny both survived the scuffle, and the next time Reggie came up, he drove one of Denny’s pitches into the right field stands. When he finished his home run trot, Jackson and Denny charged each other again, and a fresh battle erupted. Teammates had to pull Reggie away, and as they did, he clapped his hands. He was having great fun, for one of the few times all season. Steinbrenner, from his Tampa base, joined in the fun. He threatened legal action against pichers who knocked down his players. “I will not tolerate our hitters being assaulted with a deadly weapon,” Steinbrenner said. “The Yankees are knee-deep in lawyers, and we will use them to protect our players.”

At the very least, perhaps the Sox want to retain legal counsel, just in case.

BERNIE’S BACK

Man, what a sight for sore eyes. Bernie Williams returned to the Yankee line up last night in Cleveland and went 1-4 with 2 RBI. Soriano and Jeter and Moni were back too, and the Yanks beat the Indians, 6-2. Jeter had four hits. C.C. Sabathia walked six (a career high), but wasn’t terrible. I hadn’t seen him pitch all year, and I’d forgotten just how big he is. I knew he was hefty, but at 6’5, the guy is a mountain. Funny, but he rocks his cap slightly to the side, just to stay cool I guess. Boomer Wells recovered from the beating he took on the 4th, and shut down the Indians in his favorite home-away-from-home.

The Yanks didn’t get any help from the Blue Jays, who blew a lead to the Sox and fell, 8-7. Doh! I caught the end of the game on ESPN2, and got all wrapped up in the game. Boy, it’s great to hate a team. It adds so much tension and excitement to the season. Trailing by a run, Frankie Catalanotto lead off the ninth with a doulbe, his fifth hit of the game. But then, the Sox closer, Mr. Kim struck out the heart of the order to end the game.

ESPN ran a graphic which stated that the Sox have won twelve games in their last at-bat, and lost twelve games in their last at-bat. I was hoping for lucky number thirteen, but it wasn’t to be, and Boston remains three games behind New York. The Jays are now eight games back. The Yanks and Jays square off this weekend, while the Sox play the Tigers. Grrrrr.