I didn't see a thread, and while it's a short series, I still want to rant. WTF is wrong with this team? Well, I know what a large chunk of the problem is, but no one is going to fix it. Girardi has to go. I know I've been calling for his head for years, but at some point he has to take accountability. Last night AJ was pitching pretty well. Until the 6th. Then we got to sit and watch the wheels fall off in slow motion as AJ2010 stood on the mound. Now don't get me wrong, based on AJ's year so far, I'd have had no problem with a reasonably long leash, but at some point you have to say to yourself, "He just doesn't have anything left tonight." Instead, Girardi lets Burnett keep going as the balls fly over the wall. Of course, what can we expect from Girardi. He still continues to bat Cano behind Teixeira and ARod. I'm actually curious to hear what Jeter said on that conference call. I'm also curious about the news that Posada asked off the team. I wouldn't be at all shocked if Girardi was losing the clubhouse. And really, why shouldn't he? This team looks like it doesn't even care. Except Granderson. I have to admit I've never been so wrong about a player. If this isn't a fluke and he can play at near this level for the next few years, he'll have been one of Cashman's best deals. What I want to know is what Kevin Long is doing. I keep hearing that he said "Oh <insert player name> looks like he's ready to break out" but no one is. ARod and Tex started out on fire and now aren't even reasonable at the plate. He "fixed" Granderson, but now at least 6 other guys couldn't hit a beachball with a paddle.
While Girardi certainly has his flaws, that non-move wasn't really his fault. It was the sixth inning, Burnett had pitched very very well up to that point, and Robertson and Soriano were both unavailable. Between being shorthanded in the pen, and there being no reason to think that Burnett would completely implode like that, it's understandable to try to get one more out from Burnett. Really, though, people just need to be patient and not overreact.
Good Rant I'm not as angry about Burrnett, only because he had been pitching well to that point. Overall Girardi has no feel for the game and makes incredibly calculated decisions (helloooooo binder) Another awful Girardi managing job was the bottom of the ninth. As a football comparison, Rex in the snack speech mentioned that the team will only get so far if he is the only one leading. The same is true about the Yanks, a player has to step up and start doing something.
He detected A-Rod was totally out of whack weeks ago. It wasn't until tonight that A-Rod finally put all the adjustments together. I've never seen a hitting coach so good at locating and correcting mechanical flaws in a hitter, but it's up to the hitter to commit and get used to the changes at the plate. Long could've fixed Granderson the first week of spring training in 2010 if Grandy was more open to making changes. He finally gave in in August and has been mashing ever since.
A-Rod said he had been watching film with K Long and was working on his swing during the slump. Sometimes it doesn't translate immediately, I'm not worried about him barring injury. That being said, it's weird to me that he was destroying everything in April, hurt his oblique, then couldn't hit jackshit. Might not all be mechanics...... I still have playoff expectations for the 2011 NYY. The pitching has actually been better, to this point, than most of us expected. It might not last, but we could do our thing at the deadline and snag an arm for the run if we're in the playoff hunt -and I think we will be.
Yeah, that's something we're not seeing a lot of lately. No one is really taking up the mantle of leadership. That's one thing that made me happy hearing Jeter defend Posada. Right or wrong, publicly he supported his teammate, and I think that was a good thing. Still, Joey Looseleafs is a clown and I can't stand him. Yeah, that's fair. And you're probably right on the money. I admit I've been incredibly impressed with Long over his tenure thus far, but the recent offensive chasm the entire team fell into is a bit much to digest. ARod looked a lot better last night, and not just because he created a couple of souveniers. He finally stopped a lot of that lower-body motion he was doing. Early in the year I liked it because it stopped the bat-wiggling, which I've always disliked, but it seemed to become more of a distraction over the past few weeks. Now I hope he keeps it up. It's starting to look like whoever wants to represent the East might have to win the division. If the offense clicks, I honestly believe they can win with the guys they have (boosted significantly if they can get Hughes fixed by August). Obviously Soriano is more than a disappointment, but maybe he'll come back healthy and contribute.
