Yeah, I’m at least a day late with this blog entry, but Mother Nature pushed yesterday’s game against Toronto to tonight (Mother Nature permitting). Halladay vs. Wang. Tough match-up for the Yankees because when Halladay is on, he is nasty.
Looking at the 2008 season and Yankees roster as a whole, it is remarkable how little has changed since last October in terms of personnel. It’s pretty much the same team except with Chamberlain, Hughes, and Kennedy for the whole year, hopefully. They chose to bring guys like Posada and Rivera and Abreu back with new contracts, and then obviously ended up getting A-Rod to stay.
*Alex Rodriguez is back and comfortable and happy and relaxed and ready to chase every record in the books as a Yankee for the rest of his career. Enough said, I hope. Hey Alex, just go out and win another MVP for us. One of these year’s you’ll get it done in the postseason.
*Matsui and Giambi and Damon are still around and are still aging guys who can still put up numbers when healthy but could just as easily break down. Apparently everyone came to camp in much better shape because of Joe Girardi’s emphasis on conditioning, including Giambi who is even looking good at first base. Matsui is still recovering from knee surgery, so who knows what kind of start he’ll get off to.
- Bobby Abreu also reported in better condition and the Yankees need him to have a consistently good year at the plate and in right. He can do much better than last year’s .283, 16, 101 season.
- Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano are each a year older but hopefully no less energetic and passionate about the game. Their energy (along with A-Rod’s offense) carried the team for long stretches in 2007. Now we just need each of them to continue improving.
- Jeter and Posada are Jeter and Posada. We probably know what to expect from them. Although I doubt we’ll get another .338, 20, 90 year from Jorge. Let’s hope they both stay healthy.
- Pitching, pitching, pitching! So important yet so unpredictable for the Yankees. Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, Hughes, Kennedy are the starters (with Joba apparently waiting in the wings). Wang and Pettitte, I guess we know what to expect. Mussina, who the heck knows. Hughes and Kennedy have never pitched full season’s in the majors, or really come close.
- Bullpen. Ah, the bullpen. There’s Rivera and Chamberlain and then….LaTroy Hawkins? Brian Bruney?
All in all, I’m really excited for another season of up’s and down’s. Some could argue that 2008 is a transitional year for the Yankees, but who knows? Maybe with lowered expectations and a new energy/ approach from the manager, something great could happen. I know I’ll be watching to see if it does.
