THE SHOWDOWN: YANKEE VETERANS VS. ORIOLE YOUTH

You can mold youth, but you can’t remold a veteran who’s been stuck in their ways for years.  The difference in this Yankees/ Orioles series will be whether or not Yankee veterans are open minded to playing situational hitting and whether the white hot Orioles youth will absorb Zen Master Buck Showalter’s words like a sponge to try and squash the Yankees.  For Buck, this isn’t just a series in a season, it’s his own personal World Series. If Buck Showalter’s Orioles sweep the Yankees in their house this weekend, it will not only define that series, it will define the rest of the season for New York. 

That will easily deflate the Yankees, it will deflate the fan base and will, in turn, make a winning season turn bad.  I’m writing this as a true fan that believes, but I’ll tell you something very important;  There is a lot to be said about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  Think about  those words.  Think about what that phrase means. Trust me, a black eye like a sweep against the Orioles will provide instability in the Yankee clubhouse and chaos in the New York Sports media.  That will in turn snowball into uncertainty, an embarrassed Joe Girardi and anger among Yankee fans.  

The reason why is simple…Buck Showalter has molded his youth, 25 guys with unknown names that believe they can run through a brick wall.  The Yankees? We’re a bunch of gritty veterans yes, but we’ve traded away our youth and the heroes we have, have been in the same routine for years.  In other words, Kevin Long won’t dare rework a guy that’s been in the majors for 8 years + doing the same thing he’s always done, because that player's established…he’s going to let him hit in the hopes that a home run or a spark will ignite the team. It's Hope…not necessity.

Again, this is me as a fan believing in my team, but looking for that spark.  With the Yankees, there have always been big moments, but for some reason, when I think about the big plays lately, it’s the kids or the non-all stars… the hungry young player that wants to take everything in like a sponge. 

I always think about Jose Vizcaino and his hit to score the winning run in the 2000 World Series (Read HERE)…it set the tone.   I think about Derek Jeter learning from day 1.  I think about Scott Broisus, a guy with a career in Oakland going absolutely no where and when he came to the Yankees he became a champion. Why? Because he wasn’t set in his ways…he just wanted a job and was willing to work at it. It paid off, he was the 1998 World Series MVP.

No, I have not given up on my Yankees.  I am not angry at Kevin Long or Joe Girardi. I’m not going to sit here blaming everyone, but I want results. My take is simple, I don't care if you're a veteran set in your ways, change your ways to win.  You teach Little League players situational hitting from day one.  Overtime, the player translates that through high school, college and when they hit the pros, IF they make it that far, it’s usually what got them there.  Then suddenly, that player becomes a veteran and they're “allowed” to be set in their ways. Why?  

Look, I’m not saying the Yankees need to transform their blue print at the end of August during a pennant race, but I am saying it’s alittle too late to start... we’re running out of time. Now the Yankees HAVE to grind it out and you damn sure better incorporate situational hitting into your game plan now!  The Orioles are not push overs. Sure, they are a bunch of kids, but so were the Florida Marlins in 2003 and Josh Beckett beat us. 

The point is the Yankees need to wake up because right now it’s not enough that we’re in our house and we have a sold out stadium of Yankee fans.  That’s expected…we’re the Yankees.  No, it’s time to up our game. It’s time to press the reset button and kick the crap out of the Orioles.  Change it up, play some small ball, do the unexpected and that even goes for the fans too.  You want to throw a wrench in the whole thing and open the Yankees’ eyes? DON'T DO A ROLL CALL TONIGHT. Let the Yankees have their routine broken to let them realize just how important this is to enter each game differently. Make them feel like they need to snap out of the funk. I'm tired of hearing that "we did our best and we just got beat" or "we just didn't have it tonight." You always have to have it. You always have to win, that's the goal, in baseball, in life.

My Yankees can do it, they are our heroes.  They do great things off the field, they make great plays on the field, but with the same routine comes a rut and I’ll tell you what, they’re in one.  Sure, I told you all that we’d start playing winning baseball when CC Sabathia pitched against the Indians last Friday night (Read HERE), but guess what, now it MUST start.  No one needs Buck Showalter winning anything at Yankee Stadium… I can picture his sneaky smirk right now and I want to smack it. You know that look right? It's the one where he looks like he's better than everyone else...So help me God, if the O's score a few on a Yankee mistake...we'll see it and you'll say to yourself "Damn...  BYB nailed it!"

Today’s the day Yanks… let’s do this.

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