One Step Forward, One Step Back

One step forward on step back that is what the 2008 Yankees season sounds like after 54 games. The team is at 27 and 27...right at .500. After a slug feast on Friday night in Minny the team has reached the even mark.

To myself and most Yankees fans I talk to everyday we try look at the team in a positive way and hope the Yanks will take off on a big run like they did last year. But just when you think the
bats come alive and can go on a big stretch the team will score 3 runs over the next two games.\

Friday night is a good example...the Bombers had 16 hits and just won by a run. It is a kind of toughto see what this team is going to do. The team is five and a have back of Tampa in the east but with the Central and West not being as strong this year the wild card sould come out of the east.

It Makes You Want To Shout

I know its only a three game winning streak but things are on an upbeat swing this week.

After taking out Seattle on Friday night the Yanks have upped there streak to three straight. The bats looked alive as Andy got his first Stadium win and the team looked focused. Plus some other good news: it looks like Jorge Posada is going on a rehab and could be back by June 5th. With A Rod back the Bombers will be at full force.

Also I am going to my first game of the year today, the first of many trips to the old ball yard. As a Yankee fan it is always more fun to go to a game after a big win and if the Yanks lose the next two at least it will be a great weekend weather wise.

Joba to start and two in a row.

After getting bombed by the Mets and then Baltimore on Tuesday night the Bombers showed some life. The last two games, as the bats woke up, they took 2 out of 3 from the Birds. Maybe this is the start of something big as Seattle comes in for the weekend.

But news about Joba moving to the rotation was the start of something big on Wednesday. Like myself, most Yankee fans want no part of Chamberlain going in the rotation but the call was made. Hank Steinbrener might of said it best: we have him in the big set up roll if the team never has the lead. So Joba will stretch out his appearances and maybe get one or two starts in the minors.

So with Joba to the rotation look for Jose Veras and Edwin Rameriez to step up their rolls in the pen. And lets hope we see the Kyle Farnsworh who showed up the first part of the season not the one who got teed off against by the Mets last Saturday. But with Kyle its always a mystery on what you are going to get.

Subway Series Washout

After watching my team lose 3 out of 4 to Tampa it was kind of depressing.But on Friday night the first game of the Subway series at the Stadium was rained out I was not that bad with it.

What I am trying to say is that maybe like a lot of other fans of both teams I feel the Met/Yankees series has jumped the shark. I think once a year 3 games at one site like they did the first few years is enough. Or maybe like the Giants and Jets do every three years...that would be real special. But with its popularity in terms of ticket sales that would not do.

Back when I was a young star growing up in New York it was the Mayors Trophie Game and it all went for sandlot baseball in the tri sate area. Now it is a big money making event. Play once a year and make it special again.

Bring Back David Wells

There was some headlines about 45 year old and out of baseball lefty David Wells coming back to the Bronx for an encore.

After watching Kei Igawa Friday night getting knocked all over the place maybe its worth a shot. Manager Joe Giradi said "I think all of us would still love to play. We will see what happens"

It will probably take 4 to 6 weeks to get him ready. Kind of the same time Clements took last year. My take: hey you got nothing to lose. He would be cheap. And he is a guy who loves being a Yankee. I say yes, plus if he is on a rehab in Trenton there are a lot of good watering holes in the berg.

The Can't Comeback Kids

After a so so week the Yankees went under .500 after a loss in Motown on Friday night. Trailing 6-2 in the 9th score, the Yanks scored 3 runs but left two on as Shelly Duncan, who was hitting .150 against righties, flyed out to end the game off of Todd Jones. This was the closest time all year the team has come to getting a comeback win.

That is the big problem from this years to last years team. I know there's no A Rod or Posada in the lineup but this team shows no heart. Kei Igawa was hit for six runs and looked like he is heading back to Scranton. It was a tough one to watch and it seems like the two Central teams, who the Yanks will be in the wild card race with look a lot better than the Bombers.

Back To The Future

Kind of like in 1978 when the Yanks were hit with injuries and the team was flat. It was Ron Guidry who came out every 5 days to stop the bleeding.

This year its Chien Ming Wang after in front of 52,000 at the Stadium Wang shut down the Mariners 5-1 in a 6 inning 90 pitch performance on Saturday. Still under .500 this is one of the only bright spots for the club this year. Like many Yankee fans having their doubts about Wang he is trying to make me a beliver.

Two other good things happened on Friday: Bobby Ray Murcer returned to the broadcast booth and looked good. Also, the Yanks found out Jorge Posada does not need surgery and in the best case scenario could return in about 6 weeks...good news all the way round.

Long Season Ahead?

A Rod, Jorge and now Phil Hughes on the DL. After the long road trip the Yanks came home to meet a red hot Tigers team and now look like a team that is heading down.

You can only make so many excuses for the way the team is playing. Even with all the conditioning in spring it is just like last year were three and four guys are down at a time.The Bombers have a better record than they did last year but they don't look like they have the pitching and power as last years team. Remember A Rod had 14 Homers in the month of April last year.

This year someone will have to step up as both Posada and A Rod will be out for at least two weeks or maybe more. To me it looks like the team is going to the 'pen too much every night witch could come back to haunt them. To this Yankee fan it looks like it could be a long year.