Teamwork

Well we're into the final three weeks of my fifty-hood, so, since I'm not having a party for #60, I should at least allow myself a few self-indulgences to celebrate the month. As a result I am going to write a blog solely about the Yankees. They finally deserve some credit.

Since I began this blog in 2005 the Bronx Bombers have been a constant disappointment, showing flashes of championship caliber as they had in the glorious '90s, only to flop in October. As a devoted fan, whose fidelity to these assorted athletes wearing this particular uniform is irrationally strong, I have been hugely frustrated by their ultimate failures.

Perhaps it's me. I always wanted a return to the Yankees of the '50s who were certain to be hosting the World Series every year. I know that is not feasible now, but the Joe Torre championship teams swept through playoff series after playoff series like the Marines in Grenada. That set perhaps an impossible standard. Yet this team has had the best overall record in the last decade, and has bupkes in the twenty-first century to show for it. But perhaps the drought will come to an end after all. Because this team is very, very good, and even evinces some clutch ability that could avail them in the post-season.

What has happened to these perennial underachievers to make them almost as unbeatable as they were in the Annus Mirabilis of 1998? A perfect storm of dove-tailing achievements.

1. Brian Cashman is looking pretty spiffy right now. First there were the signings of the off-season--C.C. Sabathia, who has been as good as expected; A.J. Burnett, who has performed inconsistently but has kept the Yanks' offense in ball games; Mark Teixeira, whose clutch hitting and more importantly, fielding range, have enhanced the Yanks' offense and defense; even Andy Pettitte, who was an afterthought, has returned this year with some of his smartest and most efficient hurling in years. Not to mention the acquisitions of Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston Jr., two reliable second-stringers who have strengthened the bench. (And for the record, if anyone is to take on the Aaron Boone mantle of unlikely post-season hero, I nominate Hairston).

2. Joe Girardi. For a man whose job is clearly on the line after 2008's failure, he has been wonderfully effective in manipulating his pitchers, in bringing in lesser-known qualities like Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin to fill the Chin Mien-Wang gap, allowing Cashman to keep minor league talent that otherwise might have left for Jarrod Washburn or Doug Davis. He has used sluggard sluggers like Matsui and Swisher to their maximum potential (and thanks, Brian, for getting the likable Swisher). Girardi has maintained peace in a difficult dugout full of high-priced and egotistical veterans. He didn't panic when the team stumbled early on, knowing what Arod would bring when he returned from his operation. And how about his conversion of Phil Hughes, from a clumsy starter, into the 8th-inning Bridge to Mariano? Genius. Like an efficient and underappreciated umpire, he has rarely stood out for making egregious or unprofessional mistakes. His next big hurdle, unless some incredibly misfortune happens in the next three weeks, is to navigate through the difficult play-off waters.

3. Every Yankee veteran, with the exception of one, is having a near-career year. This could not have been expected of the aging Derek Jeter, whose numbers were decreasing every season, or Johnny Damon, whose body seemed to be failing him last year. This year they are both terrific. (And thank you, Joe, for putting Jeter at lead-off. He should always have been at lead-off). Jorge Posada, also a gimp in 2008, has rebounded with surprising power, and has been given enough off-time to thrive in late-season play. (Note how the three linchpin players of the 1990 dynasty--Jeter, Posada and Rivera--are performing even better now than they were a decade ago. That's pretty amazing and a tribute to their conditioning program). The soon-to-be ex-Yankee, Hideki Matsui, too lame to play the OF, has continued his professional hitting as a full-time DH, and his production has remained as reliable as ever. Robbie Cano, a very talented hitter, has learned to focus and is now performing in the .310/25 homer range, where he should be. A little more focus with runners on base, though, Robbie.

I must point out the impressive fact that every position in the line-up is producing a 20-homer or more season, except for the centerfielders, who between them have only 15. That's a lot of dingers, and not just at Yankee Stadium.

4. Arod has had only a middling season for his standards, but he has hit proficiently in the clutch with some timely homers, and his presence in the line-up has given Teixeira enough pitches to hit that he could snatch the MVP award away from the super-performing Joe Mauer. Maybe Arod is realizing there is no Rod in Team. I have always maintained, quite cynically, that the Yankees would not win the World Series as long as Arod was in the lineup. I would so love to be proved wrong, Alex, and all you need is one Important Post-Season hit and you're a Yankee hero forever (steroids or no).

I believe I jinked the Mets two years ago by writing an equally laudatory piece on their fine team chemistry. They subsequently collapsed. I am also aware that Sabathia did not pitch well in last year's post-season, that A.J. Burnett has never pitched in October, and Andy Pettitte record is also spotty. So of course the Yankee season could end as disastrously as every year since Bush became president. Oh--that's right, we have a new president. Cool.