HERE COME THE "YANKEES STINK" ARTICLES

Phil Rogers isn't a Yankee fan.  Clearly. I've never really had a problem with Rogers stuff, but when I read his piece titled Jeter's ankle could leave Yankees in shackles, I realized that this wasn't a piece to try and bring Yankee fans to reality, but instead it was a piece full of doubt and negativity just days before the start of the Yankees Spring Training. It was a shot at our team.


Rogers writes: "One of two things is going to happen this season: Jeter proves himself to be a medical marvel, recovering from a broken/trashed ankle at 38 to be a reasonable facsimile of the guy who hit .316 last season or the Yankees unravel around the shell of their captain.

While Yankees talk has revolved around Alex Rodriguez and supporting actors such as Rafael Soriano and Nick Swisher this offseason, the story that matters the most is Jeter's recovery. The Yankees are vulnerable even with Jeter at his best, but if the Yankees have to give Eduardo Nunez or someone else a lot of time at shortstop, they could do something they haven't since 1990 — finish in last place."

Wow, so, there are only 2 scenarios according to Rogers.  Well, for the record, Derek Jeter is not a shell of himself, he proved that last season and while a bad ankle is difficult to return from, if anyone can do it, Jeter can. But it's more than that. Rogers sees the whole Yankee season as black and white. He basically says we need to hope he succeeds, OR, if not, the Yankees wind up in last place and the Yankees Empire crumbles forever. Um... not exactly.

Look, you and I both know that this Yankees off season wasn't really what we expected, but to just chalk up the Yankees as a bunch of losers before a pitch is even thrown is absolutely ridiculous. Truth be told, the Yankees have the talent and I understand the upgrades the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Balitmore Orioles made, but the Yankees will be fine with the talent we have on the field and we'll surprise people this year, I think more than people know.  Seriously, let's not forget that the 2012 playoffs are over and all the hitting that didn't happen is months old now.  That's why teams go to Spring Training...to train.  That's why a new season is considered a clean slate.  At the end of the day, the Yankees will be fine. You want to know why?

Because of Jeter's presence alone, but more than that... because we're the Yankees.

Rogers piece rubs me the wrong way.  Sure Derek Jeter is an incredible leader and Captain and presence on the Yankees, but there is 1 thing wrong with Rogers piece, besides the fact that he makes a horrible prediction.  There are 25 guys on the Yankees club.  Jeter is a huge factor, but so are CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano... the others, the hungry group of talent, plus a new group of misfits that have enough talent to get to the majors in the first place and now they have an opportunity to win it all with the Yankees in 2013.

Yankee critics will always be out there... some, like Rogers, think 1 player makes an entire ball club... that's the silliest thing I've ever read. Message to Rogers... you write for the Chicago Tribune... stick with the AL Central. It's way too easy to dismiss the Yankees in February, come on.


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