YANKEE SPRING STORYLINE 5: CHAPMAN'S IMPACT ROUND 2

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We all know Aroldis Chapman's impact on the Yankees' ball club and their fierce competitors could be very powerful this season, but just how much of an impact can he have when we appear to have a lackluster starting rotation?

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Chapman's approach is completely opposite. He believes in the youth of his new team for 2017 and says quite confidently, you just never know how things will play out.  There's no doubt that the bull pen is strong with guys like Dellin Betances and Tyler Clippard at the helm.  The younger pitchers in the starting rotation need to mix it up well with the veterans and be able to deliver possible saves to the very capable bull pen.

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According to the New York Post, "For the Yankees to have any real success in 2017, the players Chapman watched — mostly from afar last season — will have to progress. The Cubs renaissance didn’t happen overnight. “Chicago did the same thing with young kids combined with veterans, and it worked for them,” Chapman said. “It’s a solid team. The Yankees are similar in that way. They’re trying to bring in some youth.”

Source: CBS New York

The transformation may take some time to ferment and as many analysts say, the expectations are very high and the younger fans of today who haven't witnessed the dynasty days of the Yankees are much more patient and excited to see their young team find their way to the top.

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As the New York Post reported at the beginning of last season, "There is a generation-plus of Yankees fans who have known only one thing about the Yankees: They win. A lot. Every year. Let’s say you were born in 1987, which means you were 7 in 1994 — which probably is right around the time you started caring for baseball, which was the summer the Yankees nearly lapped the AL East before the strike hit, which started an era that, even for the Yankees, has been an unprecedented time of uninterrupted success." But the fans that were born just 10 years later, 1997, don't know the successes of the Yankees and much more patient as they approach 2017.

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Chapman's impact may not just be in the pen, but as a patient partner of a growing team who has tons of potential.  So when we look at the value-added of a player and his commitment and potential to influence wins, don't underestimate Chapman's soft skills: his ability to communicate with the young guys, his confidence and charisma in the clubhouse and his patience and grit to stay the course and not rush things along.

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Sure, I want to win, right now.  But, at the same time, if I need to wait a bit longer to allow our new guys to gel with the vets, I am ready to do this.  With guys like Chapman willing to take on a leadership role and remain positive, I am excited about the potential our team has this season.



--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof