 Yankees' ALCS Hopes Hang On Free Agents
For all of the money spent on the Yankees' lineup between 2002 and 2008, their pitching staff was perpetually problematic. That must continue to be the common difference this season.
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 Burnett's Numbers Better Without Posada
A.J. Burnett has a 3.27 ERA this season when not pitching to Jorge Posada.
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 Yankees Go Streaking Again
It's safe to say that this season's incarnation of the Yankees is far better than the 2008 team that notoriously missed the playoffs.
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 'Striking Out' With The Yankees, Early May
With some clever accounting, the Yankees pitching doesn't look so bad when you get rid of the toxic assets of Chien-Ming Wang's ERA. Also, we examine how the lineup at the bottom has improved from last year, while the middle has suffered in the absence of A-Rod.
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 How The Yankees Landed Teixeira
The idea of signing Mark Teixeira wasn't nearly as last minute as it seemed, but it did take somewhat of a Boston blunder for the first baseman to end up in New York.
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When CC Uses His Height..
When CC Sabathia neutralizes his height by decreasing the vertical break on his fastball, he is a very different pitcher.
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2009 Season Preview: New York Yankees
The Yankees improved dramatically with their free agent trifecta of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett, but will their carryover core produce at a high enough level end their one-season October absence?
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Dissecting 'The Yankee Years'
The hype surrounding Joe Torre and Tom Verducci's collaboration, 'The Yankee Years', wasn't unlike a theatrical trailer, highlighting the funniest and most action-packed scenes from a movie.
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Ranking The Yankees' Roster In 2009 Importance
We don't know exactly which 25 players will be on the opening day roster for the Yankees. However, we do know who the 25 most important will be to their title hopes.
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Grading The Deal: Teixeira Adds To Yanks' Offseason Of Shock And Awe
The Yankees felt as if they had to sign CC Sabathia, they wanted to sign A.J. Burnett, and while we're at it they signed Teixeira.
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The Proper Plan Of Action
Every winter the Yankees are one of the most active teams on the free agent market and after missing the playoffs, GM Brian Cashman has more work to do than ever before.
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Auditing The New York Yankees' 2008 Season
The Yankees' streak of consecutive playoff appearances ended in 2008 at 13 consecutive seasons. It was an impressive run that included four World Series championships and two additional AL Championships.
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A Situation Where Trading Cano Makes Sense For Yankees
The Yankees should only trade Robinson Cano if Derek Jeter is prepared to move to 2B in 2010.
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What Will They Do In October?
The Yankees made an amazing late-season comeback to qualify for the postseason in 2007, but a similar recovery doesn’t appear to be in the works this year.
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Blame Girardi?
It’s not how much Girardi has used Mariano Rivera in 2008, but rather when the skipper has decided to throw Mo out on the mound.
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Grading The Deal: Will Trio Of Moves Be Enough?
The Yankees pulled the trigger on a trio of sizable moves over a two-week span at the end of July in hopes of increasing their chances of making the postseason this fall.
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A Season On The Line
If the offense doesn’t show up over the next seven days, the Yankees will spend All-Star weekend watching their playoff hopes die.
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A Moose Rejuvenated
It’s astonishing to think that Mussina could win twenty games for the first time in his career during what many people figured would be his last season in the Major Leagues.
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The Bronx Bummers
No one would be talking about the struggles of their pitching staff, though, if the Bombers were enjoying the type of production they expect from their hitters.
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Wang Helps Keep Yankees Afloat
As they deal with injuries to their lineup, New York is undefeated (6-0) in Wang’s starts this season.
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Arms Over Bats In New York
The arms of the Yankees have kept them from starting the season like the struggling Tigers (1-7), but with five of their next eight games coming against the defending champion Red Sox, the bats better start catching up to the arms in the Bronx.
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2008 Season Preview: New York Yankees
For a team that won 94 games and is talented as the Yankees and has upgraded their pitching staff via the development of their farm system, expectations are pleasantly low.
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Same Talk, New Walk: Hank’s New Plan
The newest Steinbrenner stealing the headlines isn’t everyone’s favorite grumpy, turtle-necked owner. This proclamation came straight out of the mouth of the new “boss” of the Yankees, and though he may share his father’s sharp tongue and penchant for aviator sunglasses, Hank Steinbrenner is not his father.
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The State Of The Franchise: New York Yankees
With Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy, the Yankees have three of the finest young pitchers in the game, but if Alex Rodriguez is not in pinstripes in 2008, what will their lineup look like?
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The Challenge Really Begins After The Firings
What to do with the Yankees? Well as the expression goes, fish stinks at the head. In this case, albeit two classy fish, Brian Cashman and Joe Torre have to go.
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Grading The Deal: Pettitte Back To The Bronx
In any market, $16 million is a lot of money, but at least with Andy Pettitte you know what you are going to get; a very good pitcher who will have no problem pitching in a big spot, and a chance to win every outing.
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In This Race, Jeter's The Little Guy
Usually, the Yankees and their players are seen as the Goliaths in a league full of Davids, where losing is an anomaly for them. This year, the Yankees have overcome the early season doubts about whether they’re washed up or not. Now, there’s another subplot that pits the poster boy Yankee as the little guy in the MVP race.
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El Caballo Boricua
Many veterans on the tail-end of their careers are given platoon roles and they struggle as a cause of the adjustment of going from starters to a lesser role. Bernie Williams has done just the opposite, excelling in his role, coming off the bench to provide a spark and filling in for devastating injuries to outfielders this season. In just 110 games this season, Bernie is hitting .286 with 11 homeruns and 55 RBI.
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1978 All Over Again
Once the last game was completed, the press in Boston all but buried their hometown team. Their New York counterparts have been lauding their Yankees. What was supposed to be a chess match turned into a beating that evoked memories of the original sports-oriented “Boston Massacre” in September of 1978.
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Yanks' Road To Playoffs Missing Stars
The richest team in sports, the Evil Empire, the team run by the most playoff hungry boss in sports is coming down the stretch run of the season without a big chunk of their payroll on the playing diamond. We’d be hard pressed to hear a collective sob from the rest of the baseball world, who actually hate this team, also known as the Yankees. Detractors will have to admit, though, that its actually is pretty amazing to see a team in first place in mid-August without having two-thirds of their opening day outfield for almost the entire season.
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Wang Quietly Rising To The Top
When you think of the potential Cy Young Award winners in the American League, household names aren’t the only ones that pop into people’s minds anymore. Some candidates this season are Francisco Liriano, Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman. Another surprise candidate this season has been Yankees’ sophomore sensation Chieng-Ming Wang, who in a rotation including Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina, has been the Yanks’ most reliable starter this season.
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Yankees And Mets Compete For New York
The resurgence of the Mets in the National League has been well-noticed in New York. Their substantial lead in their division has impressed some, but hasn’t convinced all. The Mets will never win the hearts of the other half of the city, but they’re vying at least for the respect of the rival fan base.
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Risky Trade Deadline Looms For Yanks
Should the Yankees pull a trade before the deadline to help themselves remain in contention? Should the trade be for a solid bat in the outfield or a reliable arm in the bullpen? These are questions that every team needs to answer before July 31 every year, but the concerns for the Yanks are a little more pressing this year.
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At 400, Rivera Remains Yankee Constant
For all the criticism the Yankees get about buying talent to remain in contention, the heart and soul of their teams over the past decade continues to be their home-grown talent. We can point out specifically the man that they turn to at the end of every game. He’s been there throughout the whole dynasty and allows a breath of fresh air every ninth inning, even well into his 30s.
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Relying On The Unreliable
Relying on the unreliable. Depending on the undependable. This describes the Yankees season, and this is not a promising description. The reason for all this instability and question comes back to one name: Randy Johnson. The 42-year old that can no longer get the job done on a consistent basis. The basket that the Yankees foolishly put all their eggs in. Ladies and gentlemen, the basket is falling fast and the eggs are on the brink of shattering.
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Bronx Bombers’ Tale In ’06: World Series Or Bust
This might be the last year of serious contention for the Yankees, as they aren’t getting any younger. 19 of the 25 Yankees who’ll make the squad by April are over the age of 35. It’s fair to expect a decline in some of these oldies’ stats, but don’t accuse them of being over the hill because they might just realize that their window of opportunity is quickly shrinking and capitalize on this season. Bring a championship to New York, Yankees. It’s past time to get it done.
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The Replacements
Call Randy, Pavano, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, and Jaret Wright the “Original 5”. Everyone else is a “Replacement.” So that group includes Chien-Ming Wang, Chacon, Small, Al Leiter, Scott Proctor, Tanyon Sturtze, and (sadly) Sean Henn. In games started by the Original 5, the Yankees are 47-38, a .553 winning percentage. The Yankees are 19-13 in games started by the Replacements, a .594 winning percentage.
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Good for Nothing
The Yankees were unusually quiet during this year's trade deadline frenzy. The best actual trade the Yankees made at the deadline was for Shawn Chacon. Yes, he was 1-7, but at least it sounded like he wanted to play for a winner after being stuck at a high altitude for much too long.
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Mo-ney In The Bank
Mo (Mariano Rivera) has converted all 26 save opportunities and has allowed only 2 ERs (0 in the month of June). His ERA for the season is a microscopic .83, the lowest of his 10-year career.
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Giambino Strikes Back (Not Out)
Giambi is getting back to his old Oakland form, and right on cue, the Yankee fans are cheering again.
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Yankees’ Pitching Problems Remain
Although he is struggling this year, Randy Johnson is still the Yankees best pitcher, which helps to shed light on the Yankees pitching woes.
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A Chance To Turn Things Around
To have success this season, and possibly win the division, the Yankees need to forget about their atrocious first half and focus on the second half.
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The Madness Of King George
George Steinbrenner can't stand the Mets. He really can't. The man can't bear the thought of that National League team doing ANYTHING to better him and his beloved Yankees. Just a few days ago, he announced a plan to completely rebuild Yankee Stadium, this coming less than three days after the Mets had announced their plan for a new ballpark to coincide with the 2012 Olympic bid by the city of New York.
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Ode To A Stadium And A Father
June is shaping up to be "Stadium Plans Month" in New York. During the past week the Jets had their West Side project derailed, the Mets threw out a proposal to save the Olympics for 2012, and Steinbrenner, never to be outshined, delivered plans for a new Yankee Stadium to be built adjacent to the current stadium.
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ARod Is Back
Alex Rodriguez has returned to the form that baseball fans have been used to over the years. He is hitting the ball again and is providing worthy of the $252 million contract that he signed.
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The Force Is Weak With Giambi
On Tuesday, everyone was praising Giambi for how far he's come during this West Coast Trip. Wednesday with the bases loaded and a chance to really show his improvement he takes three pitches for a strikeout and the end of a winning streak. Maybe the Mariners finally realized the Force is weak with that one.
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Perfect 10
The way the Mariners were swinging on Tuesday, Bo Derek could have pitched for the Yankees. Instead, Carl Pavano threw his first shutout in a Yankee uniform and was backed by a sudden offensive outburst by Jason Giambi as the Yanks stormed to their 10th straight victory.
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Bernie’s Grand Performance
Bernie Williams, forced to sit during the recent Jason Giambi Farewell tour, has been biding his time, keeping quiet like the Yankee veteran has always done. On Monday night Joe Torre penciled him in and sat a red-hot Tony Womack to get Bernie some cuts. It is moves like these that make Torre look like a genius.
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