WHY JETER WILL LEAD US

A lot of talk about signings the Yankees didn’t do and not enough about the guys we have right now. We tend to forget just how great our Yankees team is. Sure, we lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2011, but you can’t win them all… read THE AGONY OF DEFEAT, there’s a life lesson there. The reality is, losing is part of winning and once you lose once, you never want to do it again. The Yankees loss in the ALDS stung like hell and no one knows that better than Derek Jeter, the Captain and so at the end of the day, Derek Jeter will line up the troops in Tampa in February and make a simple statement, "We need to win with the tools we have"… that means, whether we have another great starter for our rotation or not, we need to move forward with whatever we can to win it all. Yes, it's true, I've given up. I know we should do more, but I am under the assumption that it will in fact be a light off season for the New York Yankees.

CC Sabathia is a true ace and while he has had 3 really outstanding seasons with the Yankees, the only way he can continue is if he has the support he needs behind him, rotation mates to pick him up if he falls, guys to let him know that he doesn’t have to do it all on his own. So far this off season, we havn’t seen that big name signed and sure, I worry that Cashman will go back to the well of Bartolo Colon and see if he can handle another year like he did in 2011, but all we’ll get is Colon starting off strong and getting some cheap wins early. The reality is, this can’t keep happening. Sure, we signed AJ Burnett as our #2 ace but clearly he’s not. Hell, if he was, Cashman wouldn’t be putting him on the trading block. CC Monster needs support...bottom line. Sure, Jeter’s influence being a seasoned veteran can really get a team motivated, but talent is needed and never forget that pitching wins ballgames, not to mention championships. But, not just pitching, good pitching. We can’t go into 2012 like it’s 2011. It’s just not fair, not to the Yankees, or the fans. We want to best team on the field.

Luckily for us, we have Derek Jeter and his strong leadership. His presence alone allows a team to believe in themselves. Yes, that will help, but we need more. So during this holiday season, I plead to Santa Claus,

Dear Santa,

I’ve been pretty good this year, except for the occasional swearing outburst. I’ve managed to work hard, treat people with respect...for the most part...and brush my teeth before bed. All I want for Christmas this year is 1 starter. Not one that doesn’t want to be in the Bronx, but one that will thrive in the spotlight and pitch better here than anyplace else. Gio comes to mind, but if you have another guy up your sleeve who can fit the bill, I trust you. Dan Haren or Felix Hernandez would be delightful, but I’m not going to be overly picky between those guys. In the end though, they have to be a winner and the Yankees have to do what it takes to get him, without giving up Jesus Montero of course.

Your friend, Casey

P.S. Don't use the chimney this year, it needs to get cleaned.

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