A YANKEE RANT I NEED TO GET OFF MY CHEST

I am aggravated this morning.  So often as of late, my New York Yankees have left me deflated and depressed.  What has happened to my mighty Yankees?  I’m not expecting 20 game winning streaks every month, but I am expecting solid play, solid hitting and of course winning…probably the most important thing in the game of baseball.

The Yankees have big problems. I’m not going to get into a debate about panic, there’s too much about that lately on Twitter.  I can tell you, I’m not loving my team right now.  Sure, I love my team, but I’m not “In love” with them….a girlfriend once told me that in high school.  I really didn't understand what that meant until I did... I saw her kissing Joey Castolano at the dance that night. Then I got it.  The point is, you can love your Yankees and the history it has all you want, but the bottom line is if this 2012 team doesn’t play well and losses to the Rays and Orioles in the American League East, let’s just say that’s not the Yankees history that I want to remember. In turn, I’m not “In love” with my Yankees right now.

Joba Chamberlain is disappointing.  I can’t believe I’m saying that, but there has to be serious concern for this guy and my gut says that he was so anxious to come back and help this team, to win and to prove to Yankeeland that trampolines are wrong, that I would speculate...his body just wasn't ready. Joba has no control, he doesn’t seem focused, he’s rusty, he’s not Joba. My friend asked me “What’s up with Joba Chamberlain?” I snapped back, “He’ll be on the Indians next year!” I take it back, but you have to realize, my frustration happened right when the game against the Jays took a turn for the worst.  I mean, what is going on? Is Joba better or not?  Should Joba be sent down to work out his problems?

Runners in scoring position? It's been a thorn in our side all year and now it's coming back to haunt us, just when we don't need the headache.  It's been my philosophy that if the Yankee rely on the long ball too much for too long they adapt to that type of strategy to score runs.  No doubt the long ball works, but runners on base with the long ball is much more exciting and productive than a solo shot.  Now, lately the Yanks have stalled with the home run too, not homering in the last 2 games.  There have been some un-needed strikeouts in big spots too...ask Robinson Cano and Eric Chavez about that. You have to wonder if a different strategy needs to come into play.  Trust me, the Yanks are about to play a series that's a must win...every single game against the Orioles will be a blood bath.  If they play like they're playing, there's no way in hell they win.  

And let's examine yesterday. The errors are killing me.  What the hell is wrong with a professional team, who, in their own ball park can’t field the ball cleanly? Errors in professional baseball should rarely happen...my take is simple...they're professionals!  You know what happens to youngsters who commit a lot of errors, like, Eduardo Nunez?

They get shipped to the minors and eventually disappear.  You know what happens to veterans who commit errors? Nothing. They are considered veterans who made a “bad play”.  Sure, it happens, but 3 in a game is little league crap…get it together. We're the Yankees.

The American League East this year is not your father’s AL East. The Red Sox and Blue Jays are in the basement and the Orioles are in second place.  That’s not only a bad thing, it’s a really bad thing and I’ll tell you why... Buck Showalter scares the crap out of me.

I loved him with the Yankees as manager because he was good and now year's later, he has something to prove to the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family.  You can sit there and tell me I’m full of it, but I’ll tell you you’re wrong.  Buck‘s firing from the Bronx never sat right with Buck and he’s out to take the AL East any way he can.  Sure, I expected fall off, but it never happened this season with the Orioles, they just keep coming.  Buck has them believing in themselves.  And the Rays are another club who “just can’t lose.” I hear that all the time lately, and it’s true.  The Yankees? MY YANKEES? They lose and win and lose and win and lose.  Inconsistency absolutely kills me and it's killing them.  I hate it.

SO... this wasn’t so much a rant to crap on my New York Yankees, it was more of a rant to let you know where I’m coming from lately.  I love my New York Yankees… I root for them hard and want them to win all 162. Sure, that’s a tall order, but it’s the way I was brought up, learning from the Steinbrenner Dynasty.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win the whole damn thing, in baseball or in life. There is something wrong with wanting to be 2^nd though, it doesn’t sit right with me.  We have the tools… we need to use them because we’re running out of time...and that's the bottom line.

Finally, I was reminded by something this morning as I finished writing this, and it made me smile.  It's from our Yankeeland friend Josie, who simply wrote:

She's right, They ARE the damn Yankees.... OK, my rants over... GO YANKEES!

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