THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES

None of us expected this.  Well, let me rephrase that… True Yankee fans, believers… you expected this.  Many were skeptical.  I mean, many thought “How could Brian Cashman do this to us?” when it came to doing or "not doing" a thing this off season.  The New York Sports Media was all over this team. "The Yankees are old", "the Yankees are done."  Remember Sean Hartnett's piece on CBS Sports? "2013 Brings Uncertainty For Aging Yankees." Well, of course it brought "uncertainty", it was written before the season started, Silly! Remember ESPN's Jim Bowden's prediction that the Yankees would be in last place this season? That was in his piece, 10 bold predictions for 2013 season, HERE. Come on now.  I mean, after all this talk of "old" Yankees, I'd say we're doing OK.

(In Photo: Brennan Boesch)
Look, I see there is a change in Yankeeland. We don’t spend like we used to, I get that.  But I realize something also... Cashman’s no idiot and if he was, he would have been gone a long time ago.  But being a General Manager has never been easy, nor is being a Manager, or a player.  It all works together to put the best team on the field.  Sometimes there’s hard choices. Sometimes dudes get cut who we would have liked to keep. Sometimes we sign players we don’t want.  Sometimes we sign “old” guys, who, we forget are “experienced" guys.  And that’s what I’m seeing right now… guys, veterans working hard in our lineup. And that's not all, they're forming their best bond and going on and kicking ass.  Brennan Boesch was released by the Tigers because they couldn’t find a place for him and he “wasn’t the 30/30 guy they thought he was.” No matter. The guy hits the ball harder than many guys in the box. 

Vernon Wells was done, remember?  Even I was confused when the Yankees signed him. Read THE VERNON WELLS TRADE IS BIZARRO for context on that.  I am pleasantly surprised with Wells and I like to be wrong when it comes to my Yankees.  They prove me wrong.  Travis Hafner has done a ton of nice hitting.  Lyle Overbay just needed a chance to play and he’s shining right now. Kevin Youkilis? He's a gamer.

Something happens when you put on the pinstripes.  You feel the pride. You feel who had been there before and you don’t want to disappoint.  Not only for yourself, but for the club.  Look at Francisco Cervelli.  No one and I mean NO ONE believed this guy could be a starting catcher in the major leagues.  But the difference is HE believed and, when given the shot, the innings to perform, he’s shut up his critics and good for him.

Brett Gardner hit a monster homer run the other night that hit the right field foul pole.  And I don’t mean it was wimpy and just made it, I mean it crashed high and looked like Cecil Fielder hit it.  My point is things happen when a team gels… winning is just as contagious as losing and I like it.

Look at our top 3.  CC Sabathia almost seems like he’s finding his groove early.  40 year old Andy Pettitte looks like his 30.  Hiroki Kuroda? The dude just pitched a complete game shutout.  I can’t believe I doubted this signing 2 winters ago, but we brought him in and he’s terrific. 

It’s the pride of the Yankees… I believe that.  They read the papers, you know they do. They get angry, they prove the critics wrong.  There ability is clear and there heart and there passion is contagious… and by the way, we don’t even have Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson with us… can you imagine how that changes things when they get back?

No question, the Yankees are in the driver's seat. Old? Nah… just experienced...just skilled… that's what I wrote in NO DOOM & GLOOM WITH OLD AGE...JUST SKILL: "Age don't mean a thing unless you, the player, are thinking about it. Jeter doesn't think about that crap. Neither does Andy Pettitte... if he did, he would have stayed retired. No, the ones who think about it are the haters.  Hey, that's fine, but they don't play the game, so they don't get it."  

Not bad for a fan website... just sayin'.

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