Yanks finally get back to winning formula with off-season upgrades
To say watching the Yankees pitching staff over the last five years has been a joy would be offensive. 
While occasionally having its good days, there were too many clunkers and mediocre performances mixed in with the occasional game knowing that the team had no chance to win when Pitcher X was on the mound.
From having to see Kevin Brown in Game 7 in 2004 old, battered and beaten, to Jaret Wright in Detroit in Game 4 of the Division Series in 2006, up to creaky Roger Clemens in Game 3 in 2007 against the Indians.
It always seemed as if the team was fighting its own uphill battle. First with themselves and then the opponent.
You knew that teams realistic chances of winning it all were significantly hampered by the pitchers the Yankees were throwing on the mound in big situations. Just because they are Yankees doesn’t mean they are good enough.
This off-season, an opportunity opened up for the team to fortify their rotation with high-end talent. No longer falling for the magic in a bottle types such as Jon Lieber, Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon and hoping for an old Clemens to find the fountain of youth at his creaky age.
It had become obvious that the team needed pitchers who could miss bats. Over the last six years, the pitching staff’s strikeout numbers had been declining precipitously. Having too many balls in play while having a shaky defense creating more scoring opportunities for the opponent. You would much rather have pitchers who can strike hitters out because that limits the ability of the opponent to allow the sometimes-fluky nature that is baseball to come into play.
With that in mind, and seeing the previous years results, just by coincidence the Yankees targeted the top two pitchers on the free agent market. The team needed a bonafide ace pitcher and another pitcher who is a hard thrower that can miss bats and be able to have success in the American League.
CC Sabathia would cost $160 million, but to the Yankees, no price was too big. Should they have made the trade for Johan Santana last year? Of course. Now, the price had gone up and the team was desperate. They saw that Sabathia had been an incredible workhorse over the past two seasons. He won the Cy Young award in 2007 and single-handedly carried the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs after being traded there from the Cleveland Indians in July.
He was everything the Bombers needed. This was a pitcher who had thrown 513 innings over the last two seasons. No one could question the heart or willingness to sacrifice himself. In many ways, he is a consummate team player. A bulldog that the Yankees haven’t had since David Cone. He was willing to start on three days rest three times at the end of the season despite looming free agency. This is a character individual you want to have with you in battle and now the Yankees have him for that big game down the stretch or during that big playoff game.
With the big fella in pinstripes, a sense of comfort fills the air.
The other pitcher the Yankees had on their list was AJ Burnett. Watching him while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays and you just dreaded when he was the mound opponent on any given night.
You knew that night was going to be a struggle. His stuff is among the filthiest in the league and when he is on, can stifle any lineup in baseball. The Yankees found this out first hand last season when he went 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts.
His familiarity of pitching in the American League East is only going to serve him well as he transitions from Toronto to New York. This is not like bring Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez or Randy Johnson. National League pitchers who could never fully adjust to the AL lineups with the DH and lesser quality 7-8-9 hitters that permeate the NL.
The only thing that has been in question is Burnett’s health, and whether he can make it through a full season. Only twice in his career has Burnett made 30 starts, and those came in free agency years. So it stands to reason specifically what the Yankees will get. Last year, with the help of ace pitcher Roy Halladay, he took a little off his fastball and mixed in his other pitches. The result was an 18-win season with over 220 innings pitched and nearly a strikeout per inning.
It doesn’t matter if it’s on the home at new Yankee Stadium or on the road with Burnett. When you have the type of stuff he has, it will travel. Lining him with Wang and Sabathia in a postseason series gives a greater chance than they have in previous years.
Call it reassurance.
Bring back Wang and Pettitte for another season and then add it Joba Chamberlain as the fifth starter and you have a chance to win every night with any pitcher starting despite the shortcomings that exist on offense.
No longer does the team have to worry about pounding out six to eight runs per game – that talent no longer exists on the roster. The team has to find a new way to win ballgames.
Luckily, now they have the pitching to do so.
This is the foundation of the team. It is what wins games.
Ultimately, it wins championships.
Let’s just hope it does in The Bronx in 2009.
While occasionally having its good days, there were too many clunkers and mediocre performances mixed in with the occasional game knowing that the team had no chance to win when Pitcher X was on the mound.
From having to see Kevin Brown in Game 7 in 2004 old, battered and beaten, to Jaret Wright in Detroit in Game 4 of the Division Series in 2006, up to creaky Roger Clemens in Game 3 in 2007 against the Indians.
It always seemed as if the team was fighting its own uphill battle. First with themselves and then the opponent.
You knew that teams realistic chances of winning it all were significantly hampered by the pitchers the Yankees were throwing on the mound in big situations. Just because they are Yankees doesn’t mean they are good enough.
This off-season, an opportunity opened up for the team to fortify their rotation with high-end talent. No longer falling for the magic in a bottle types such as Jon Lieber, Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon and hoping for an old Clemens to find the fountain of youth at his creaky age.
It had become obvious that the team needed pitchers who could miss bats. Over the last six years, the pitching staff’s strikeout numbers had been declining precipitously. Having too many balls in play while having a shaky defense creating more scoring opportunities for the opponent. You would much rather have pitchers who can strike hitters out because that limits the ability of the opponent to allow the sometimes-fluky nature that is baseball to come into play.
With that in mind, and seeing the previous years results, just by coincidence the Yankees targeted the top two pitchers on the free agent market. The team needed a bonafide ace pitcher and another pitcher who is a hard thrower that can miss bats and be able to have success in the American League.
CC Sabathia would cost $160 million, but to the Yankees, no price was too big. Should they have made the trade for Johan Santana last year? Of course. Now, the price had gone up and the team was desperate. They saw that Sabathia had been an incredible workhorse over the past two seasons. He won the Cy Young award in 2007 and single-handedly carried the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs after being traded there from the Cleveland Indians in July.
He was everything the Bombers needed. This was a pitcher who had thrown 513 innings over the last two seasons. No one could question the heart or willingness to sacrifice himself. In many ways, he is a consummate team player. A bulldog that the Yankees haven’t had since David Cone. He was willing to start on three days rest three times at the end of the season despite looming free agency. This is a character individual you want to have with you in battle and now the Yankees have him for that big game down the stretch or during that big playoff game.
With the big fella in pinstripes, a sense of comfort fills the air.
The other pitcher the Yankees had on their list was AJ Burnett. Watching him while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays and you just dreaded when he was the mound opponent on any given night.
You knew that night was going to be a struggle. His stuff is among the filthiest in the league and when he is on, can stifle any lineup in baseball. The Yankees found this out first hand last season when he went 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts.
His familiarity of pitching in the American League East is only going to serve him well as he transitions from Toronto to New York. This is not like bring Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez or Randy Johnson. National League pitchers who could never fully adjust to the AL lineups with the DH and lesser quality 7-8-9 hitters that permeate the NL.
The only thing that has been in question is Burnett’s health, and whether he can make it through a full season. Only twice in his career has Burnett made 30 starts, and those came in free agency years. So it stands to reason specifically what the Yankees will get. Last year, with the help of ace pitcher Roy Halladay, he took a little off his fastball and mixed in his other pitches. The result was an 18-win season with over 220 innings pitched and nearly a strikeout per inning.
It doesn’t matter if it’s on the home at new Yankee Stadium or on the road with Burnett. When you have the type of stuff he has, it will travel. Lining him with Wang and Sabathia in a postseason series gives a greater chance than they have in previous years.
Call it reassurance.
Bring back Wang and Pettitte for another season and then add it Joba Chamberlain as the fifth starter and you have a chance to win every night with any pitcher starting despite the shortcomings that exist on offense.
No longer does the team have to worry about pounding out six to eight runs per game – that talent no longer exists on the roster. The team has to find a new way to win ballgames.
Luckily, now they have the pitching to do so.
This is the foundation of the team. It is what wins games.
Ultimately, it wins championships.
Let’s just hope it does in The Bronx in 2009.
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