For The 2009 Yankees, Depth (Not Star Power) Is The Key

On the surface, it is easy to call the New York Yankees the obvious front runner for the World Series. Their three colossal offseason acquisitions of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira are testament enough to this evaluation, beyond the usual cast of talented players that populate the Yankees clubhouse. There is, in fact, fallacy in assuming that these moves are the sole indicator that the Yankees will be successful. Many teams have put together strong, expensive offensives lineups with prolific past statistics. As the 2008 Tigers and the Yankees teams of the 1980s and 2000s can testify to, a lineup full of high priced veterans (do Giambi, Sheffield, and Kevin Brown ring any bells?) does not guarantee anything more than high home run totals.

Headline grabbing free agent acquisitions aside, the true key to the Yankees improvement this offseason — the main factor that has put them in a position for a legitimate World Series run — is without a doubt their focus on creating quality and depth throughout their roster. While the Yankees have always possessed a consistent level of star power, especially during the most recent World Series drought, depth is an attribute that the post-dynasty teams have sorely lacked, especially in a high quality manifestation.

The current incarnation of the Bombers has evolved into a hybrid of the original formula that once made them resoundingly successful. Plus, they're infused with the new paradigm of statistical analysis that has elevated teams like the Red Sox (and to a lesser extent the A's) to the status of perennial contenders. Most indicators show that, given the emergence of a focused and statistically sound plan of execution, the balance of power has now shifted away from a Boston team that seems hesitant to spend the money that could secure them dynastic domination, back to New York, where the brass is more logically focused and aggressive with their excessive revenues than ever before.

The most prominent area where the Yankees display this concept of quality depth — following the purging of soul-sucking faux-Yankees like Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield — is in the outfield. Providing the Yankees with flexibility in positioning and approach, manager Joe Girardi has, at his disposal, a varied set of tools to optimize any matchup or situation.

During their championship hiatus from 2002 to present day, the Yankees typically had three very good outfielders in their starting lineup. Sheffield, Damon, Matsui, Abreu and for a short time early in this period Bernie Williams all, at various times, provided quality offensive in certain respects of the game. Unfortunately, all of the aforementioned players, largely because of their age, were injury riddled and prone to bouts of ineffectiveness over the grind of a season. When these injuries inevitably struck, the likes of Bubba Crosby, Terrence Long, Raul Mondesi, and Rondell White proved inefficient replacements when compared to the standard of ultimate excellence that has become the dictum in the Yankees culture.

Article Author: Anthony Tobis

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