Tuesday Musings About the Yankees
Comments off(Syndicated from It’s About the Money)
If you predicted that this ragtag, seems to have been formed by flinging excrement at a wall team of lovable rejects would be 24-14 at this point in the season, you are a lying liar who lies.
With that said, seeing these Yankees atop the American League East standings at this point in the season is still extremely satisfying. I know it’s still early and that anything can happen but for the moment, these Yankees are definitely must see TV.
Take yesterday’s doubleheader for example. Even though they dropped the first game, these guys made me want to keep watching. I got to see Corban Joseph make his MLB debut, David Phelps pitched a great game even though he picked up the loss in the first game and even going into the top of the ninth, I felt like they could possibly make a comeback.
Alas, it was not to be but I wasn’t too disappointed because there was a second game to follow.
And when that game started, I was excited to see Vidal Nuno make his MLB debut as a starter and to see what he could do. He also didn’t disappoint, throwing five innings of scoreless ball. Vernon Wells collected two more RBI, Lyle Overbay had another extra base hit and the aforementioned Joseph picked up his first MLB hit, a double. And he was driven in by Austin Romine who picked up his first MLB RBI. Even Alberto Gonzalez, who was called up just before the doubleheader, got in on the fun and got two hits in that second game.
I also can’t forget about young Adam Warren, who came in to relieve Nuno, got a four-inning save while only allowing two hits and striking out four.
Last year on May 13, the Yankees lineup looked like this:
| Batting |
|---|
| Derek Jeter SS |
| Curtis Granderson CF |
| Alex Rodriguez 3B |
| Robinson Cano 2B |
| Mark Teixeira 1B |
| Nick Swisher RF |
| Raul Ibanez LF |
| Eric Chavez DH |
| Russell Martin C |
There is one guy from that lineup, Robinson Cano, who went 1-9 in yesterday’s doubleheader. Isn’t that amazing?
Yesterday, the YES Network posted this graphic during their telecast:
We all know about the injuries, we’re reminded of them everyday when we read stories about the Yankees and as we watch games, holding our collective breath whenever someone hustles down the first base line or makes a diving catch but when you see all of them listed like that, it really hits you how amazing this season has been thus far.
Joe Posnanski posted a piece on Hardball Talk this morning called Yankees School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and while he focuses mostly on Vernon Wells, even he can’t believe what’s been happening this season.
I’ve been a Yankee fan all my life, even when I was just listening to a crowd cheering on the television while lying in bed as a young child and in recent years, I’ve become accustomed to seeing an All-Star or former All-Star at every single position. Honestly, this season has been more of a treat to watch. Seeing guys like Wells and Overbay contribute to the team when people were laughing at the Yankees for picking them up is extremely gratifying. And watching as the kids, like Joesph, Romine and even Preston Claiborne, seamlessly fill in while guys are making their way back has been a lot of fun.
Of course, this doesn’t mean I’ll be upset when those perennial All-Stars return to the lineup, I’m just not in that big of a hurry to see it happen because right now, I’m liking my first place ragtag team of misfits.
