Can the Yankees Bring a Championship Back to New York?
Published February 24, 2008
We all know the Giants brought New York its first championship since the Yankees did so in 2000. Wait... New York's first championship since 2000? It seems there are always New York teams in the playoffs. That's because they are.
In 2006, The Yankees and Mets both had the best records in baseball, the Giants and Jets both made it to the playoffs, and even the New York Rangers did (sorry, Knicks). Did New York win ANYTHING that year? No, but the Giants did manage to beat the "perfect" 18-1 Patriots in the Super Bowl this year. I heard recently that the Patriots are clothing all the homeless children in Africa with 19-0 T-shirts. That's very thoughtful of them.
But New York is a city that demands championships every year, even if they just won one. So can the greatest team in baseball history (I know I'm biased), the New York Yankees, can bring one back to NY? The answer is yes — no different from every other year. The Yankees didn't acquire Johan Santana or Erik Bedard this offseason, but they're looking to be in pretty good shape come the 2008 season.
First of all, even though the Mets acquired Santana, that is pretty good news for Yankee fans. The Red Sox were in contention to get him and if they managed that, it would have spelled trouble for the Yankees. Now they won't even have to worry about playing against Santana since he switched over to the National League. And ex-Orioles pitcher Bedard is no longer among the Yankees and Red Sox in the American League East division, having been traded over to Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
So how does the Yankees pitching look? No Roger Clemens, that's for sure. Sorry Roger, but you're getting old and you're taking a lot of heat from the Mitchell Report. The Yankees have their trifecta of young pitchers all ready to pitch this year: fan favorite Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy. (It seems Joba will start the year in the pen, though.) These are the guys Yankees GM Brian Cashman was so unwilling to trade away this offseason. They all show promise, so let's just hope they live up to the hype. Hopefully Phil Hughes hamstring injury doesn't occur again.
- Can the Yankees Bring a Championship Back to New York?
- Published: February 24, 2008
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Sports
- Filed Under: Sports: Baseball
- Writer: Kris Valdez
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They're already selling stuff with Joba Chamberlain's autograph in SkyMall. For what it's worth.
"Can the Yankees Bring a Championship Back to New York?"
What, again?
Haven't they already won the 'World' Series about 23,774 times?
They need to let some other teams have a go for a few seasons.
Can they win it? Not this season, that's for sure. their pitching rotation is even weaker than last season and they have the oldest starting 9 in baseball! Maybe once they move some of those old men they might start to compete with teh Red Sox but since teh Sox new owners took over in 2002 they have made all the right moves and left the Yankee in the dust. So much so now they have the Yankees chasing them in their philosphy of sticking with the young guys and spending wisely.
Look at another brilliant move the SOX just made, they just signed Bartolio Colon to a $1 million dollar non-guranteed contract. The just just won the Cy Young in 05' and the Sox are going to take a minimal chance on him. When was the last time the Yankees did something like this? LaTroy Hawkins? HA! How much will that cost?
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I don't think the Yankees will win the big one again for another 5 or 6 years. There are just to many other good teams out there. Plus, the Yankees have been very lucky. Well, there luck has run out for quite a while. Mark this day and you will remember.