A Small Victory

With that lineup, who's going to need pitching? More seriously, I think the Yankees pitching is in pretty good shape already, so adding ARod should make the Yankees a lock for the AL East title next year. They should win at least 110 games with that lineup.

"With that lineup, who's going to need pitching?"

Ask the Texas Rangers fans about the importance of pitching.
Having likely future Hall Of Famers A-Rod, Pudge and Palmeiro together did them no good.

I read an article once about famous last words. One of the quotes in the article was from a death-row inmate who, upon being strapped into the chair and asked if he'd like to make a statement, said, "I wish I had my hands around the throat of the entire world." That's how I feel right now.

Not only did the Rangers have Palmeiro and ARod, but they also had Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez all in the rotation. But their pitching sucked. No one wanted to play in Texas, and they still don't. I hate to see Rodriguez go, because he was about the only good thing going on the Rangers.

Now, I'll just have to repeat very slowly, over and over, "The Yankees are NOT world champions," "The Yankees are NOT world champions," "the Yankees are NOT world champions," ...

Don't start counting those chickens just yet Michele. The Red Sox and Arod had a deal in principle too. Principles go out the window anytime Scott Boros and the players union is involved. Anyway, If they had both I'd be worried, but adding Arod and subtracting Soriano does not drastically change the balance of power in the AL east, anymore than adding Soriano and subtracting Nomar would have done for the Red Sox.

A-Rod and Jeter will probably play very tight next to each other ... my guess is Jeter will be intimidated and start to make a lot of errors. So Torre will switch them, but that won't work.

Meanwhile, Steinbrenner will freak over each loss with the payroll over $200 million. Even if they only lose 40 or so games, they'll probably be so stressed they'll choke again in the playoffs. I mean, these guys lost to the Marlins last year. At home.

I hate to lose Soriano, who I like but I guess you have to give up something for an A-rod.
Michele is right however, you don't win world series without pitching.
George and company know that and I think they will do their best to fill the void.

I hope his plane crashes on the way to New York.

In fact, I hope it lands right on Fred "Cheapskate" Wilpon and some of the debris magically finds Steve "F'n" Phillips dense skull.

"When do I get to see the god damn sailboat? When?"

Michele, what part of "Presented Without Commentary" got past you? :)

Ahh...baseball keeps holding onto the rocket-sled to disaster...

A Rod will turn out to be a Bonds-type big game choker. The yankees suck. Joe Torre will burn in hell. I love to watch Billy Crystal's quivering sad face and his ill-fitting yankee cap when the the best groups of wannabe champions money can buy go down again. Did I say yankees suck?... they do.

I used to like you, Michele...

(And what Steve said.)

it's odd, because AROD did an interview with a local TV station about how he was goin gto STAY here in Texas. Fickle sports stars ;-)

Mr. Steinbrenner always knows what a girl wants for Valentine's Day. Thank you, George!

No pitching? Javier Vazquez, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown plus the best closer in baseball history. If this deal goes down, this is arguably the greatest lineup in baseball history. Face it Red Sox fans, you've been one-up'd once again.

I concur with Daniel. They have pitching...probably better than last year. They can always pick someone up along the way if they need to.

Boston, you still have the Brady Bunch. It ain't so bad being a Boston fan. Uh..Football fan that is.

I was gonna say about the pitching ... the Yankees don't have a problem with pitching.

They're gonna do OK, but they'll flop in the playoffs, especially with A-Rod. He's no Scott Brosius.

The Yankees? Arent those the guys that lost the World Series last year to the lowly Marlins?

I must confess I came here today exclusively to watch Michelle's celebration and Allah's desperation.

That being said, I do have a comment; Michelle wrote:

"like i stated before, this is more like a "fuck you, boston" kind of sweet. it's not really a good move, considering the yanks still don't have any pitching and february is half over."

Yanks projected Starting Rotation: 1. Kevin Brown, 2. Mike Mussina, 3. Javier Vazquez, 4. John Lieber, 5. Jose Contreras. Kevin Brown, Mike Mussina and Javier Vazquez equals no pitching? Michelle, I say this with the utmost respect, but you are such a Yankees fan.

Sorge; (Lucky Marlins fan.)

So, George Steinbrenner really IS Evil Incarnate??

PS- Yuck the Fankees!! ;0)

Rodriguez, Giambi, and Sheffield - yeah, somebody just try and beat that!

To everyone who thinks the Yanks won't need pitching: I'm a Rangers fan. I know better.

We've still got a whole slew of top hitters - Michael Young and Hank Blaylock were consistently in the top ten last season, and Blaylock made the top five frequently. We also had Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark Teixiera, and various rookies and vets who could lick the Yanks (among other teams) fairly frequently. It was in pitching, where coach Orel Hershiser is not quite living up to his promises and most of our vaunted players are too green to be any good, that we lose ballgames.

So, goodbye to A-Rod. Things won't change much down here, except maybe morale. And the Yanks have added another high-dollar player to their line-up - can't say that's a shock or a real upset, because that's what George Steinbrenner does. Will it win the Yanks (and A-Rod) that recently elusive World Series ring? Time will tell, won't it?

I thought a Yankee was like a quickie but you were all alone.

Don't forget, Yankees are a lot stronger in middle relief--Quantrill and Gordon, and maybe Karsay should provide a bridge to Rivera. If Rivera stays healthy, 6 innings from the Kevin Browns and Liebers should do it. A reminder: if it weren't for the players union, A-Rod would be in Boston.

I'm with Daniel on the Yankees pitching. Plus there's Contreras, who is finally poised to break out. And the bullpen is better. This could be the best Yankee team to take the field in many years. It could be the best team, period, to take the field in many years.

Jeter will be intimidated and start to make a lot of errors.

He has reason to be intimidated. Jeter is, and has always been, one of the worst defensive shortstops in baseball. Terrible range. Lucky for him he's a heck of a hitter. And that's what really matters.

I'm a Mariner fan, and I remember, back in 2000, Rodriguez vehemently saying he'd never be a Yankee. Also that he'd stay with the Mariners if they made it to the postseason that year (which they did, and he didn't) And, later, that he was going to Texas, not for the money, but because Texas had such a brighter future than Seattle. OK, Alex, whatever you say. I hope you do as much good for the Yankees as Giambi has.

Comparing the Yankees pitching to that of the Rangers is actually the stupidist thing I've ever seen. Granted, there are question marks and losing Pettite was a horrendous mistake unless Vaquez proves to be a big game pitcher. Still, I don't think those outside of NY realize how overrated SOriano is. He is a strikeout artist who is incapable of leading off b/c of his lousy eye and is also a terrible 2d baseman. As a leadoff 2d baseman, his ability to hit 35-40 homeruns seems amazing. As a 5th or 6th hitter playing the outfield it is good but not great. A-Rod is a tremendous player who has never had an opportunity to play on a team quite like this (Seatle was overrated the year the Yanks beat them) He knows it too which is why he agreed to switch to third base. What a difference it will be having a guy who doesn't strike out to a guy who couldn't touch the ball in the World Series. It's not fair to the rest of baseball but anyone who criticizes this deal from a baseball perspective is a fool.

Doug, what's wrong with strikeouts, specifically? Rodriguez sure gets a lot of them. Statistically, hitting into double plays and move-the-runner pop ups neutralize each other's effects in the long run.

As for Seattle being overrated, they weren't, they put away Chicago in three straight games in the div. series and went on to win 116 games the next season. They just can't win an ALCS to save their lives.

Who is Sarah E.G. and is she married?

I am a baseball stat geek who has often been accused of taking a graphing calculator to the ballpark. I'm not quite that bad--yet. I'm not married, but I have been known to fantasize about the guys at Baseball Prospectus.