Winter Decisions

So here we are on the last off-day of the baseball season. The 2009 baseball season will come to an end either tomorrow or Thursday night. Either the New York Yankees or the Philadelphia Phillies will claim the title of Baseball's Best for 2009.

This has been one of the better Yankee teams in recent memory. Its mix of the Old Guard (Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Mo Rivera), a younger home-grown core (Cano, Hughes, Joba, Cabrera, Gardner) and the right imports (A-Rod, Damon, Teixeira, Sabathia, Swisher, Burnett, Matsui) has made for a very exciting season in this the inaugural season of the New Yankee Stadium. It could all culminate tomorrow night with the long-awaited 27th World Series championship.

But what happens after that?

General Manager Brian Cashman has four key players headed for free agency this winter: Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettitte and Jose Molina. Each man has played an important role in getting the Bombers within one victory of the 27th title. Here's a case for all four with lingering questions:

Johnny Damon: Playing his free-agent season in the New Stadium was the best thing for the leftfielder as he matched a career-high with 24 HRs. His speed remains a major asset in spite of his low SB numbers, and his bat control would be key to whichever team signs him. My major concern with Damon is this: what will he be looking for in the FA market? If he is willing to accept a one- or two-year deal (and possibly an everyday DH role) then no doubt he'll stay in pinstripes. Now, if another team offers a three- or four-year deal similar to the one he got with the Yankees ...

Hideki Matsui: Click here for the earlier post on the Sayonara Kid. Long story short, he has been a godsend as Alex Rodriguez' lineup protection. Matsui showed everyone that despite his deteriorating knees he can still be the same hitter he's always been, and is making the Yankees re-consider rotating the DH spot in 2010. But will it matter? We'll see in the coming weeks and months. (Also keep in mind that it is entirely possible he'll retire if he gets that elusive WS ring.)

Andy Pettitte: AP's case is the most interesting of the four. At 37, he is still one of the most reliable starting pitcher in the game. He also became the winningest pitcher in postseason this October. Having essentially grown up in the Yankees organization, there isn't a doubt in my mind that Pettitte would love to win one more championship. Here's what unique about Andy's situation: If he gets that ring and retires, it leaves the Yankees short-handed in the rotation for at least the first half of 2010 (Chien-Ming Wang, remember, is not scheduled to return until July). Should he retire or not? Stay tuned ...

Jose Molina: Molina's future as a Yankee depends more on the futures of Damon and Matsui. Should the Yankees sign one of those two to be the regular DH, The Panda will likely be gone as Francisco Cervelli figures to be the backup moving forward. If JD returns as the LF and it is decided that Jorge Posada will be the DH, that greatly improves Molina's chances of returning as the Yankees would have to carry an extra catcher. The problem: it leaves you short a solid bat on the bench.

Just something to think about tonight and moving forward, regardless if the Yankees finish off the Fillies.

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I know I'm falling behind on what I wanted to get up on here, but the Top 10 Plays and Season-Ending Report Cards will be up before Thanksgiving. Thanks for bearing with me.

A *TRUE* New York October

On the eve of the 40th World Series appearance for the New York Yankees, it finally feels like a New York October .. rain aside.

Don't get me wrong, it's been a pretty standard October: Fall is giving way to Winter. The school semester is already halfway done. Halloween is right around the corner with Thanksgiving fast approaching. Football is in full tilt and basketball is about to get underway. But something had been missing, something that had not been experienced in New York since 2003.

That something was accomplished -- finally -- on Sunday night, when Mariano Rivera struck out Gary Matthews Jr. to clinch the AL pennant.

For most other baseball fans, six years without a pennant isn't considered too long; just a winning record would leave most fan bases impressed with their respective teams. But as we all know, New York City is a completely different animal. In a city where anything less than a World Series title is considered a failure, the Yankees wilted under the pressure after Aaron Boone broke Boston's heart in that classic seven-game battle in 2003. By no means were Yankees fans the most-suffering fan base throughout this championship "drought" -- it just seemed that way because it's the New York Yankees and they play in the largest market.

No matter how anyone on the outside looks at it, things on either side of 161st St. & River Ave. had not been the same since the last pennant. You know how things went down from 2004-2008: Four playoff appearances. Three division titles. Three disappointing 1st round exits. One historic collapse. Zero American League pennants.

ZERO.

Many of the faces were different from 2003; only Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Hideki Matsui remain from the last pennant-winning Yankee team. Me-first personalities dominated the clubhouse, destroying team chemistry. Pressure from within built aggresively year after year, sometimes resulting in desperate acquisitions.

Thanks to a more relaxed clubhouse and a balanced attack, the anxiety from the players seems to be gone. A-God and CC Sabathia have all but exorcised whatever playoff demons haunted their impressive careers, the bullpen has re-emerged as a strength and the offense has shown that they can give you different looks and beat you in so many different ways. Our Yankees are destined to bring the World Series trophy back to New York. The city is buzzing over a $200 million team on the verge of adding to its rich history and at the same time erase all the horrible memories of recent playoff past.

Yup, it finally feels like a New York October. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

ALCS Game 5 Wrap-Up

I absolutely HATE these kinds of losses -- the ones where my team has a chance to put the opposition away and misses by thismuch. With that in mind I only have two things to say about this game:

1. Joe Girardi is not to blame for this loss. As much as he has been scrutinized for his practicing "Creeping LaRussa-ism" on a daily basis, the pitcher still has to make his pitches. Phil Hughes is lucky that Vladimir Guerrero didn't send that 2-strike fastball to Oakland. While I am not a fan of Girardi's bullpen management (similar to how I grew tired of Joe Torre's bullpen management), the pitcher -- Hughes, in this case -- needs to shoulder some of the blame for wasting a tremendous comeback by an offense that finally clicked as a whole.
   
2. Looking at Twitter and Facebook during the game, I found it rather interesting that a lot of Yankees fans seem to have lost trust in Joba Chamberlain when he enters the game in a close situation. As someone who supports Joba as a starter, I knew this day would come eventually. Here's what I wanna know: weren't these the same people who didn't want him to be a starter because they overreacted to his inconsistency as a starter? Weren't these the same people who booed Joba off the field after his last start of the regular season at the Stadium?

Just keep those two things in mind as the focus now shifts to Game 6 on what should be a rainy Saturday night and the Yankees attempt to close out the Angels with Andy Pettitte on the mound. Hit me up on Twitter if you'll be at the game, and I hope I'll see some of you there.

ALCS Game 3: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Today the Yankees opened the Stadium up for fans to watch Game 3 of the ALCS. The good news for me was that I was not scheduled to work, meaning that I was able to sit in the Field Level seats AS A FAN and enjoy the game like I had done before being employed at the Stadium last season. All things considered, it was quite an experience.

THE GOOD

• I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK!!!!
• The fans around me were terrific and into the game from first pitch to last pitch. About five or six of us went through the seats twice with a huge "GO YANKEES" banner (anyone with pics of that banner please post them on Twitter or Facebook).
  
• It was free admission, and free is always great.

THE BAD

• The Yankees lost -- need I say more?
• I didn't get a chance to run into a few of my friends like I planned to (sorry Evan, Rebecca and Marisol).
• I didn't have nearly enough money to overspend on food, so I went hungry.

THE UGLY

• Apparently, Johnny Damon and Hideki Irabu had an illegitimate child together -- he showed up at the game (click here for clarification -- video courtesy of my friend Rebecca)
• The Yankees apparently flashed back to last season and went hitless with RISP, scoring all their runs on solo HRs by Derek Jeter, A-God, Damon and Jorge Posada. Joe Girardi also made countless questionable decisions, most notably removing David Robertson after he retired the first two Angels in the 11th for Alfredo Aceves, who promptly gave up a Howie Kendrick single and Jeff Mathis double to end the game. No wonder "Creeping LaRussa-ism" is so unpopular with Yankee fans.
  
• Only one concession stand was open, and each line was backed up for at least 20, 25 minutes.

Whatever the case may be, it was a fun experience being able to be at the place where I work and not worry about performing a job but rather kicking back and watching a game ... even if it was played 3,000 miles away. The Yankees scored major points with their fan base, and I can't wait for them to do this again.

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I would also like to take this time to personally thank my followers on Twitter. I have been truly blessed to be associated with some of the best Yankees fans in the world, and I am glad that I have gotten to meet some of you and talk baseball with all of you. There's never a dull moment and I am grateful to y'all for keeping me loose. Hopefully I can meet more of you in November if and when our boys bring the trophy back to NYC.

As for the three readers of Simply Smoov, I know I'm slacking a little bit but I have not forgotten you. I will start writing up my Top 10 Yankees Moments for 2009 and my End-of-Season Report Card. My goal is to have both done before Thanksgiving, if not earlier.

Once again, thanks for bearing with me and my ridiculous schedule. Keep up with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Tough Choices for October (REVISED)

Well, guess my initial analysis of the playoff roster was a little off.

With the playoffs set to begin next week -- and the Yankees still unsure of whether Detroit or Minnesota will play in the Bronx -- let's take another crack at "Guess the Playoff Roster":

LINEUP
SS Derek Jeter
LF Johnny Damon
1B Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
DH Hideki Matsui
C Jorge Posada
2B Robinson Cano
RF Nick Swisher
CF Melky Cabrera

BENCH
C Jose Molina
C Francisco Cervelli
UT Jerry Hairston, Jr.
UT Eric Hinske
OF Brett Gardner
OF Freddy Guzman

PITCHING STAFF
SP CC Sabathia
SP A.J. Burnett
SP Andy Pettitte

CL Mariano Rivera
SU Phil Hughes
RP Alfredo Aceves
RP Phil Coke
RP David Robertson
RP Joba Chamberlain
RP Brian Bruney

Joe Girardi is set on bringing ten pitchers, and even more hellbent on one of them being the surprisingly inconsistent Chamberlain. For those wondering about Chad Gaudin, he'll likely be saved until the ALCS, should the Yankees make it that far. Also worth noting among the pitching: as much as Girardi would love to have a second lefty in the bullpen and as much as Bruney's struggled this season, his recent strong stretch should be enough to get him on the roster -- unlike in 2007, when Joe Torre infamously left him off the playoff roster. I also wouldn't worry about Robertson; he hasn't experienced any trouble with his elbow and should be fine for October baseball.

As far as the lineup and bench, don't expect any surprises here. Hairston looks fine as far as his wrist it concerned and should be ready to go. Guzman adds a second pinch-running threat to go along with GGBG. A lot has been made of Molina being the DH in last night's loss to Tampa. I'm not entirely sure how much tor read into this, but this could mean that The Panda will indeed be A.J. Burnett's personal catcher for the playoffs -- hence, the addition of Cervelli to the roster.

We'll see what develops in the last few days before that first playoff game on Wednesday.

A solemn anniversary

It still feels like yesterday.

I'm sure everyone remembers where they were on September 11, 2001, when terrorists flew those hijacked planes into the World Trade Center. Me? I was in 1st period Religion 9 on the 3rd day of freshman year at Xavier HS. Oddly enough, my friend sitting three seats in front of me would lose his father in the attack. The thoughts running rampant through my mind as we were rushed into the cafeteria, the idea that someone very close to me could have been killed that day with no remorse from the hijackers. New York City's spirit was shaken, and while many of us have "moved on" it still resonates with us every day whenever we take time to remember those who risked their lives to save others'.

One of the biggest factors in returning to normalcy was baseball. The Mets and Yankees did everything they could to provide comfort to those who lost loved ones in 9/11, whether it was donating money to various foundations or simply showing up and talking with the families. We all remember that magical postseason where our Yankees lifted the city's hopes with big HR after big HR. Now eight years later, we could see history at Yankee Stadium.

Derek Jeter, the author of the game-winning HR in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series (set up by Tino Martinez' two-out, 2-run HR in the ninth inning which tied the game), can pass Lou Gehrig (2,721) and become the Yankees' all-time hits leader tonight. Forget that it would be the first truly major moment in the New Stadium; Jeter getting that one hit to pass The Iron Horse would be such a HUGE lift to this city and add a positive memory to go with the negative.

Whenever you get a chance, say a special prayer for those innocent people who lost their lives. Show our Finest and Bravest that you appreciate the hard work they do. Watch the Yankee game tonight and cheer on our Captain as he places himself among the Pinstriped immortals.


September 11, 2001 -- Never Forget, Never Surrender

Tough Choices for October

With the rosters officially expanding to 40 men today, I thought it'd be a good time to start contemplating who would be on the postseason roster. The biggest "concern" would be the bullpen, which could in effect impact who's on the bench. These are the locks:

LINEUP: Jeter, Damon, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Matsui, Posada, Cano, Swisher, Cabrera

BENCH: Molina, Hairston, Gardner

ROTATION: Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Chamberlain

BULLPEN: Rivera, Hughes, Coke, Aceves, Robertson

That leaves four spots up for grabs. Joe Girardi has many options here: Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin, Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte and Eric Hinske. Girardi could decide to carry 13 pitchers, but that would leave the bench short a bat off the bench. Or Hinske could come on and Girardi could have two long relievers and a middle man, or two middle men and one long man. In my personal opinion, I go with Hinske, Mitre, Gaudin and whoever pitches better between Marte and Bruney in September.

This should make for one interesting September in the Bronx.

The Case For Hideki Matsui

I've been waiting all year to make this post. Fitting that this is the 50th post in the history of Simply Smoov.

(The following post piggybacks what the talented writers of River Ave. Blues have been saying over the last couple weeks.)

Hideki Matsui, the pride of Ishikawa, Japan, has gotten the Bobby Abreu treatment this season from management and fans alike. What I mean by that is he's putting up solid numbers in what I consider a "lame-duck contract year". He has almost no chance of coming back in 2010 as the Yankees would like to clear the DH spot for the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada.

But Godzilla isn't going out without a bang.

With four multi-HR games this season, including three this month -- two against Boston, and a key walk-off HR, Matsui has shown the Yankees that he is still the force he was when he first arrived in 2003. Some would say it is the typical "contract year syndrome", others credit his being a full-time DH after surgeries on each knee in the last two winters; whatever the case may be, he's looking like the Godzilla of old. When he's going strong he's the perfect #5 hitter behind A-Rod; he can adapt to most any hitting situation. either drive the ball to the opposite field for a double or pulling the inside pitch to the RF porch. Never mind the fact that he is one of the rare LH hitters who hits southpaws just as well as righty pitchers.

Hideki's a free agent after this season, as is fellow teammate Johnny Damon. Damon has played himself into earning one more three- or four-year contract. Now my thinking is that one of these guys will be re-signed, most likely to be the regular DH; you have to figure that the Yankees would love to have both Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner in the outfield until prized prospect Austin Jackson is ready ... or unless Carl Crawford opts out of his deal with Tampa Bay and test the FA waters (more on this later). If I'm the Yankees a few thoughts are running through my mind: Would Johnny come back in a somewhat decreased role for a hometown discount? Will it be worth it to rotate the DH spot and have Jose Molina/Ramiro Pena hitting 9th every game? How close is Jackson to being MLB-ready?

It's a lot to think about between now and the off-season. But unlike the Abreu situation last year, Matsui shouldn't be cast off to the side so easily.

Why I hate Barry Bonds

Normally when black celebrities are under any type of scrutiny, I try to find a positive that will eventually outweigh the negative. Unless the evidence against someone is blatantly obvious, I give these men the benefit of the doubt.

I can't say the same about Barry Lamar Bonds.

For whatever reason, I can't find it within myself to defend the current all-time HR king when it comes to the steroid allegations surrounding him. It's more than the fact that his stats are inflated, or that his change in body type is as obvious as Wesley Snipes at an all-white party. I've been searching for an answer for a few years and think I've finally found what I was looking for. I came across an old ESPN.com article (which I remember reading when it was first published) that detailed the very moment that Bonds decided to start using performance-enhancing drugs. Here's an excerpt from that piece:

In the winter following the 1998 season, Bonds brought his family on vacation to Orlando, where he could also visit his longtime buddy. After spending a day toting his two kids around Disney World, he headed to Griffey's house for dinner.

On an otherwise ordinary night, over an otherwise ordinary meal, Griffey, Bonds, a rep from an athletic apparel company and two other associates chatted informally about the upcoming season. With Griffey's framed memorabilia as a backdrop, and Mark McGwire's obliteration of the single-season home run record a fresh memory, Bonds spoke up as he never had before. He sounded neither angry nor agitated, simply frustrated. "You know what," he said. "I had a helluva season last year, and nobody gave a crap. Nobody. As much as I've complained about McGwire and Canseco and all of the bull with steroids, I'm tired of fighting it. I turn 35 this year. I've got three or four good seasons left, and I wanna get paid. I'm just gonna start using some hard-core stuff, and hopefully it won't hurt my body. Then I'll get out of the game and be done with it."

Silence.

According to others in the room, Griffey was uncertain how to react. At age 29, he was at the top of his game, fresh off a season in which he compiled 56 home runs and 146 RBIs. As the pressure to indulge in performance-enhancing drugs mounted, the man known as 'The Kid' stayed clean. Sure, he, too, could see the physical differences in many players, including some on his own team. But to him, baseball wasn't important enough to risk his health and reputation. "If I can't do it myself, then I'm not going to do it," Griffey says. "When I'm retired, I want them to at least be able to say, 'There's no question in our minds that he did it the right way.' I have kids. I don't want them to think their dad's a cheater."

Nevertheless, Griffey understood how Bonds felt. For most of the past decade, they had been the sport's two top players. Now, from their point of view, men with significantly less talent were abusing drugs to reach their level. Where was the fairness? The integrity? Griffey didn't agree with Bonds' position, but he certainly empathized.

Translation: Barry Bonds used PEDs because of jealousy and his already oversized ego.

A lot of the reasons given by those who were suspected of or caught using PEDs were definitely sketchy. But you're one of the top players in the game, coming off a season where you set history by becoming the first (and only) player to reach 400 HR and 400 SB in your career and pretty much punched a ticket to the Hall of Fame -- and you STILL felt the need to give yourself an unfair advantage just to soothe your ego.

No wonder people hate his guts.

There you have it, boys and girls -- the root of my deep hatred for Barry Bonds. The most dominant hitter of our generation felt compelled to comprise his integrity ... all just to make himself feel like the King of the World.

Open Letter to Yankees Fans

Dear New York Yankees fans,

I am absolutely PISSED that I am writing this open letter at this point in the season. Normally, something like this is reserved for a Yankees team that has underperformed throughout the season but is still within striking distance of a playoff spot (i.e. last season). However, I feel it prudent to remind our fellow Yankees fans of one very important detail about the 2009 Yankees:

They are in first place in the division with the second-best record in the American League.

I know they lost three of four to the White Sox over the weekend, and managed to look ridiculously horrible in doing so. No big splash was made at the trade deadline. They're still winless against the Red Sox. Chien-Ming Wang suffered his 2nd straight season-ending injury. It's been rough; I get that. Still, that doesn't mean lose your freaking minds and feeling some sense of entitlement just because the Yankees are the Yankees.

At some point, we as Yankees fans need to understand that our beloved baseball team is human, after all. There will be plenty of ups and downs over the course of a baseball season. Just because Brian Cashman didn't mortgage the future for Roy Halladay and Jarrod Washburn doesn't mean that he isn't trying. It apparently hasn't occurred to some people that when the biggest concern for a contending team is finding a NUMBER FIVE STARTER, that isn't really cause for panic since those type of pitchers grow on trees. I am rather sickened to be associated with this type of fan -- the one who will never be happy unless his/her team goes 162-0 with everyone hitting .400 with 40 HR and 145 RBI.

I've had with people bitching and moaning about little crap that is of small concern, if any at all. Like I always say: whoever wants off the Yankee train, feel free to get off. We will move forward without you.

Truly yours,
Christopher J. Johnson

P.S. Congratulations to Melky Cabrera for accomplishing the cycle. It is refreshing to no longer have to say that the last Yankee to hit for the cycle was Tony Fernandez.