CALL IN THE CAVALRY!

We’ve enjoyed a bunch of ballplayers that probably played alittle over their head this season so far. I think that's a fair assessment.  Nothing wrong with players pushing hard to get to a common goal, a championship, but when the Mets swept us, a harsh reality set in… that party is over.  

Chad MacDonald wrote a brilliant piece (and recap) in THE YANKEES REALITY CHECK. Click it, read it, comment and think about it for a moment.  I too wanted to add my own thoughts, some may be similar, some will be different and that’s what makes Bleeding Yankee Blue unique…our writers have different opinions, but we all love our Yankees.

The Mets came in and they swept us, and the timing couldn’t be more right. Think about it. It’s almost like Brian Cashman was in a back room somewhere with his protractor and telescope trying to work out when exactly the walking injured would join us again.  Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are apparently ready and suddenly, questions are raised about what happens to guys like Lyle Overday and David Adams. Read TEIXEIRA, YOUKILIS & THE YANKEE LOG JAM. Another great piece. This one by Ike Dimitriadis with a whole lot of questions too.  It got a ton of buzz yesterday because many of us are concerned.  Who to trade, who to send down and who to release.  Many questions, but the only ones who have the answers are Brian Cashman and "the Steinbrener gang." Now, we all know that anything they do is wrong, that’s what makes the Yankee fans great. We all have difference opinions on our personnel and we always think our ideas are better for the team than they do.  But back to Ike's piece... it had a simple message, something has to be done, someone has to be moved, especially with Tex and Youk coming back.

This is the best case scenario; Guys like Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and David Adams did good things when we needed them, but now the big money players are back and so, those other guys get a rest.  Now, it would be foolish to play Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkils every single day starting tonight, so in a perfect world, we play them for a few days, ease them in and then bring Overbay back here and there, or, if Adams stays up, bring him back here and there and this way we work everyone in.   Maybe we don’t rush them back because it’s literally May 31^st and not September, but you know what I mean... easing them back is better than making Tex and Youk hit the ground running. Sure,  it's no easy puzzle, but I don’t get paid to solve it. It's just an idea.

One thing we have to put in perspective is the Yankees DO lose games once in a while.  We’ve lost huge ones and insignificant ones, but we have lost them.  We were swept by the Mets, not a division rival, just another team that happens to play in New York.  

I don’t think much of the Subway Series and the last time I truly cared was the 2000 World Series.  The Mets are just another team who had a great 4 games. Tip your cap and move on.  But yes Yankee fans, we’re in a slump.  Slumps happen in baseball but the best thing we can do now is get angry and handle an important team, an important division rival.  The Red Sox need to be beat.  That’s where the standings change and that doesn’t matter if it’s in April or September… these games are important.  

(In Photo: Teixeira with the Thunder)

The most interesting part is guys like Tex and Youk, they know about the rivalry and they’ll be ready.  Guys like Wells, Overbay, Hafner, they’re new to it, so it will be fun for them, but again, the timing is right, they’re cooling off a bit and just in time for the money players to return. 

And while I’m on my rant,  why all the worry about benching Lyle Overbay? Can’t we all just admit we enjoyed it while it lasted? Can't we all admit that he's not going anywhere?  There are so many articles written about “What happens when?” and while it’s a legitimate question, we just need to deal with it.  The Yankees are investing millions in guys like Mark Teixeira.  When Tex his healthy, they’re not just going to bench him. They’re not going to tell him to go out an earn his spot.  They’re going to play him.  You know who gets that? Lyle Overbay.  Overbay will be fine. The Yankees like what he’s done and he’s not going anywhere.  He’ll back up Mark Teixeira as planned, play when Tex needs a day and continue to contribute.

Lyle Overbay has been terrific all season should be applauded. He had an opportunity, he ran with it and has done terrific work for us.  He reminds me in a lot of ways like Raul Ibanez.   

Many found the Ibanez signing ridiculous. Of course that was before he became a superstar in the playoffs last season.  Raul fought the odds and officially became a Yankee last October.  This year, Overbay is proving the doubters wrong, same with Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner by the way.  We really need to give Brian Cashman a lot of credit for seeing potential where us fans just scratched our heads. But there’s more to it. Overbay is handling his role like a champ and most importantly, he knew his role was temporary.  He’ll do what the Yankees need him to do and that goes for Wells and Hafner and Brignac and David Adams and whoever else the Yankees picked up to plug the holes.  In the end, we’re the Yankees, and for some reason everything always works out.   

For right now… for right this second, it’s time to call in the Cavalry though… the Yankees are on a losing streak and need to break it in the biggest test all season, again the evil Red Sox.  The time is now… hopefully they can. You know I’ll be watching every pitch and I know you will be too…

Go Yanks!

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