Goats and Joes

This season,as a Yankee fan,was very frustrating. Very inconsistent and you have to think what could've been if Javy and AJ pitched at all. I have in my opinion,the 5 biggest bright spots,and five biggest goats of the year. Tell me what you think.

Goats

1.AJ Burnett- He followed up a decent 2009 with a horrible 2010. His salary matches the GDP of a small nation but he pitched his way out of the playoff rotation and stayed very inconsistent. Of course,he could've had a few more wins if given run support but his Jekyll and Hyde routine is getting tiresome. Now Papa Eiland is gone,no security blanket for AJ in 2011.

2.Javy Vasquez/Nick Johnson- If you were one of the few fans who thought this would be a good investment, you must've been smokin the pipe. Nick Johnson is as fragile as a porcelain doll and Javy pitched like a batting practice pitcher. 

3.Joba- poor Joba,he went from gracing the cover of ESPN as the Next big thing,to pitching cleanup in playoff blowouts. I've been a huge Joba fan since he blew people away with heat, but after surgery, he just hasn't been the same. And its a shame, because all of Yankeeland wanted him to succeed.

4.Lineup with RISP-the Yankees couldn't get runners home most of the time this year. It was one of the most frustrating things all year long. First and Third,no outs, and we'd leave them stranded,and end up losing by one. It was highlighted even more in the playoffs as many times against the Rangers we'd leave bases loaded and get nothing.  

5.Joe Girardi- you cannot blame the whole year on him, but his over managing all season left the Yankees on the outside of the World Series. When you play by the numbers, you can die by the numbers. He regressed to 2008 introverted Joe. With a new 3 year extension freshly signed, he better shape up quick.  

Runners up;Chad Gaudin,Derek Jeter,2nd half Cervelli

And the...Bright Spots

1.Brett Gardner- He took his opportunity by the horns this year and became a legit play maker in 2010. He led the Yankees in SB and seemed to work his way on base every time. His headfirst slide into first led the Yankee rally in the only good game of the ALCS.

2.Mariano Rivera- Mo looked sharp almost all year long, but in the playoffs, looked automatic. I wanted so badly to see him pitch in a close World Series game, but after game 1 of the ALCS,he rarely saw action again. Hopefully,he resigns at a good price, so we can resign number 3

3.Kerry Wood-The best deadline acquisition was Kerry Wood. He became the 8th inning guy and became quite a bridge to Mo. The Yanks declined his 11 million option,but hopefully can resign him for 5/6 million.

4.A-Rod-he was hurt early, but came back and raked the rest of the year. And for as much as the Yankees are paying him, he should be that automatic. 

5.And the best for last....Mr MVP Robinson Cano- Absolutely crushed the ball this season. I would have liked to see his average stay around .350 but .319 works too. He is a Gold Glove second baseman and is the premiere second baseman in the league. Here's to better things in 2011.

Runners up;Nick Swisher,2nd half Grandy,Andy Pettite,Phil Hughes,CC

Just my thoughts,feel free to comment on what you thought were the good and bad spots of 2010.