07/12: Time to Throw in the Towel
Posted by: Seamus
An excerpt from ESPN columnist Eric Neel's recent column:
Ugh, I just hate it when these guys give away the ending! I think if YES wasn't on basic cable here I'd have to cancel my subscription for the remainder of the year.
Shouldn't all those negatives that Neel brought up be reasons why the Yankees SHOULD be in it towards the end? I mean isn't the fact that "Shawn Chacon v1.0" has only gotten us three games behind the Red Sox kind of a positive? Isn't he basically saying that we just saw the worst of the Yankees the first half of this year, and at three are three games out they are basically finished?
Not to mention the Yankees were in much worse shape last year at this point and I do believe at some point in August they were still 5 or 6 games behind Boston. Anyone smell another Dan Shaughnessy?
But, beyond the fact that their familiarity should breed our contempt is the fact that the Yanks just won't be in it come crunch time this fall. Kudos to them for hanging in there through all the injuries so far this year; they've played the underdog so well even Jim Caple kind of likes them now (just kidding, Jim; I know that's sacrilege in your house).
The offense is strong, as always, even without Sheffield and Matsui. But after Mike Mussina, the pitching staff is full of question marks. Shawn Chacon has reverted to Version 1.0. There is no Aaron Small, literally and figuratively speaking. And Randy Johnson just isn't scaring anyone these days. The stuff is still fast, but it's flat, hittable, almost inviting. I was in Yankee Stadium 10 days ago and I saw Eli Marrero, Eli Marrero, take the man deep with two outs in the sixth … I'm not making this up.
The offense is strong, as always, even without Sheffield and Matsui. But after Mike Mussina, the pitching staff is full of question marks. Shawn Chacon has reverted to Version 1.0. There is no Aaron Small, literally and figuratively speaking. And Randy Johnson just isn't scaring anyone these days. The stuff is still fast, but it's flat, hittable, almost inviting. I was in Yankee Stadium 10 days ago and I saw Eli Marrero, Eli Marrero, take the man deep with two outs in the sixth … I'm not making this up.
Ugh, I just hate it when these guys give away the ending! I think if YES wasn't on basic cable here I'd have to cancel my subscription for the remainder of the year.
Shouldn't all those negatives that Neel brought up be reasons why the Yankees SHOULD be in it towards the end? I mean isn't the fact that "Shawn Chacon v1.0" has only gotten us three games behind the Red Sox kind of a positive? Isn't he basically saying that we just saw the worst of the Yankees the first half of this year, and at three are three games out they are basically finished?
Not to mention the Yankees were in much worse shape last year at this point and I do believe at some point in August they were still 5 or 6 games behind Boston. Anyone smell another Dan Shaughnessy?
Paul Barry wrote: