Remind me what the strength of this team was supposed to be

by Travis G on Apr 8, 2009 10:10 PM EDT in Game Recap

Starting pitching, if I recall correctly. Yet that has abandoned the Yankees in both games of the early season.

How is that a Cy Young runner up, in the prime of his career, gets hammered, yet a 34-year-old with average stuff dominates one of the better lineups in baseball? I don't know, but its the reason baseball is the most unpredictable game in the world.

The offense has scored five runs each game so far, and that should be enough to win a fair share of games, but our starters' ERA is 14.63. They have zero strikeouts in eight innings. It was the same problem as Monday afternoon: throwing strikes, which Wang did barely half the time (40 of 73).

Now all the pressure falls on Burnett in an afternoon contest tomorrow.

At least Tex got his first hit (and the gorilla off his back).

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Comments

Dont worry!

Who knows if this team can go all the way, but they will get better and compete.

I’m a huge Steeler fan too, and look at how they started last year. The O line was horrible, took some time to develop and they won the Super Bowl.

This Yankee team is revamped, is two games into a 162 game 6 month season. In July no one will be talking about this. Let this guys evolve……hell, at least wait a month or two for the team to put a stamp on itself.

Last year we knew what we had in a few months….nothing changed after that. Same thing this year.

by Ragnar808 on Apr 8, 2009 10:22 PM EDT reply actions

definitely

but the early going is incredibly frustrating.

by Travis G on Apr 8, 2009 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions

This lineup is a disaster

without A-Rod. Scoring runs after the game is already put away does not impress me. The only bright spots so far are Cano and Jorge.

by seanp23 on Apr 8, 2009 10:32 PM EDT reply actions

Don't forget Jeter.

I like to believe my best HITS border on Felonious ASSAULT
-Jack Tatum

by DarksideJU08 on Apr 8, 2009 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I can honestly say

that I’m not surprised that we are starting off on the wrong foot here in April. This month has always been the Achilles heel of the Yankees. I just wish for once that we would start off fast instead of having to work like madmen in August and September to win the division. As for the Starting pitching- although it was to be the strength I think that they are going to get better as the season progresses. The expectation were to high in my book, and they floundered- although this is the Yankees we’re talking about, and the expectations are always high.

I like to believe my best HITS border on Felonious ASSAULT
-Jack Tatum

by DarksideJU08 on Apr 8, 2009 10:39 PM EDT reply actions

It is weird

How the Yankees always seem to start slow and finish really strong the last few years.

by Brendan Scolari on Apr 9, 2009 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Older Players

Seem to struggle in the colder monthes, I think. The fact that a good part of this team are slower starter just magnifies it.

by NYSteelersFan4 on Apr 9, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

What's the strength of the team?

Pitching. If this was the playoffs, Id be asking what the strength was supposed to be. After 2 games in the season, in April, I’ll be asking when the hell is the weather gonna warm up.

Wang is gonna take a little while cuz he hasn’t pitched in a MLB game in a while.

Its a joke how people are so worried about this. Yea, I don’t want the season to start with 2 blowouts than feeble comebacks in the late innings. But Id rather see this now than later.

by FreeBradshaw on Apr 8, 2009 10:46 PM EDT reply actions

Wow TravisG

Bad enough you pick the Red Sox to take the division, now you post picking on the Yankees and insinuating the team is in some sort of trouble after 2 games? So as things stand right now, Baltimore is 2-0, Boston is 1-1, Tampa is 1-1, Yankees are 0-2. A litany of super star starters go roughed up in the past two days. Lester didn’t do so hot today either. So what?

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on Apr 8, 2009 10:49 PM EDT reply actions

the pitching will be fine

The lineup however does nothing for me. Once again they look eerily familiar to last years squad who couldnt figure out how to get on base. Hopefully Swisher replaces Nady sooner rather than later. Brett Gardner continues to pop the ball up with his retarded upper cut swing.

by seanp23 on Apr 8, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions

which part was

‘picking on the Yankees’?

1. i chose Tampa, not Boston, to win the division (and the Yanks to take the wild card, so please dont call me a traitor)

2. i never said anything to the effect of ‘Wang sucks!’, ‘the Yankees suck!’ it’s two games. i know that.

3. there’s no doubt that its frustrating to start off like this, being let down by the strength of the team. that’s my point. are you not at all frustrated/disappointed?

by Travis G on Apr 8, 2009 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions

You title

Do you think “Remind me what the strength of this team was supposed to be” is not a loaded question? Yes I think that is ragging on the Yankees a little. Go to your girlfriend or wife and ask her “Remind me what made me decide to marry you?” and see if she automatically gets irritated.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on Apr 8, 2009 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

"Remind me what made me decide to marry you?"

Funny.

I think what Travis G is playing off of is the fact that all the talk this off-season and leading up to the season was about the improved starting rotation… and the first two games the starter have been glaringly bad. I take the title as frustrated sarcasm- not “oh god the season’s over and these guys suck.”

God knows I am frustrated how the first two games have gone, compounded by the fact the Yanks have started slower than slow the past few years… I still think they will turn it around, and will make the playoffs. The pitching staff is going to be fine. But I don’t think Travis G is jumping off the cliff, and it is okay to be frustrated.

by NumberSeven on Apr 9, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree

Travis was being sarcastic and a bit frustrated. But what I am saying is let the “lesser” fans start mentally unraveling now. I guess the reason I am not that frustrated is that I would much rather see Wang and CC get shelled their first few games of the season rather than the last few of the season. The team can absorb an 0-6 start, but probably cannot survive an 0-6 slide in sept.
A troll fan unravels in a bad inning
A dumb fan unravels in a bad game
A lousy fan unravels in a bad week
A good fan unravels in a bad season
A great fan unravels in a bad decade
the best fan still watches the Cubs

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on Apr 9, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

PLEASE DON'T PANIC

….yet.

Munson15

by Munson15 on Apr 8, 2009 10:52 PM EDT reply actions

Lester got shelled

Im in Mass. So I saw the Sux game, and he got tagged. WOW!!!!! HE sucks!!!!!

This is a joke to consider these 2 games as what is to come of the season.

Id say that CC sucked in his game, Wang sucked in his game, Josh Beckett was lights out in his and Lester sucked in his.

The Yanks are 0-2, but its baseball. You can play the next game and forgett all about what happend the last. 0-2 in April meanst nothing

by FreeBradshaw on Apr 8, 2009 10:53 PM EDT reply actions

watch the same game?

Lester was ok; tired early

big inning started with a walk, hit n run and a flare

happens

by Frank Malzone on Apr 9, 2009 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions

0-2

the 1998 Yankees started 0-3 yet they still went on to be one of the greatest teams in history. Only the second game no need to worry. I’m excited to see A.J. pitch tommorow, although I seem to like him alot more than every1 else does.

The sole area of concern could be how C.C. pitches in big games. He doesnt seem to be the same pitcher in pressure games. Hardly counting the opening day start, he trys to be too perfect and nibbles too much resulting in too many balls. Hopefully he can get that straightened out or else we have 2 playoffs choke artists on the team…

"Hey Derek do you actually drive the Edge?","I don't drive that piece of crap!"

by Da Shiz on Apr 8, 2009 11:03 PM EDT reply actions

AJ is exciting

Because he has learned to pitch, he know when to change his speeds and has a really nice curve. Everyone who is predicting him to hit the DL by June doesn’t seem to get that AJ is not the AJ from a few years ago.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on Apr 8, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Easy Travis

Don’t tell me I have to talk you down off the ledge now, too. Remember, the Phillies started 0-2 last year and won the World Series. The Yankees were 1-4 in ‘98 and won 114 games. It hasn’t been pretty, but it will get better.

by Ed Valentine on Apr 9, 2009 7:40 AM EDT reply actions

Too many runners left on base

The Yankees had 20 men LOB in the first game and 17 men LOB in the second. We’ll need to start slugging our way out if this starting pitching trend continues.

by BigSlim on Apr 9, 2009 7:48 AM EDT reply actions

How about reminding you...

Of the weakness of this team — and it’s the one that really bothers me.

Batting with runners in scoring position.

This nearly similar lineup was horrible at it last season. And they’ve begun this season no differently (until the 9th inning last night, when Jeter and Tex delivered). The Yanks are hitting .158 in that category so far.

That’s the number to watch.

I think it’s silly to worry that much about the starting pitching when the guy who got hit hard last night had not pitched in a meaningful game since June ’08.

And while everyone keeps pointing to the 1998 Yankees; I’ll point you to the 2007 Yankees.

Remember them? 37-41 on July 1…yet they won the division.

Don’t be shocked if this team takes time to get going.

by detroit yankee on Apr 9, 2009 8:42 AM EDT reply actions