30 Teams in 30 Days is a preseason feature to highlight the significant changes to each of the major league teams. It's meant to get everyone up to speed before our pre-season predictions in mid-March.
Last year the New York Yankees discovered that just cruising into the playoffs was a thing of the past in the AL East. A lack of pitching, streaky hitting, and a rash of injuries left the perennial power house watching the playoffs from home (boy, wasn't it a thing of beauty.) The departures of Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Bobby Abreu, Pudge Rodriguez, and Carl Pavano gave the Yankees plenty of money to spend in the off-season. I wonder if they made any meaningful moves?
C- Jorge Posada
1B- Mark Teixiera
2B- Robinson Cano
SS- Derek Jeter
3B- Alex Rodriguez
OF- Xavier Nady
OF- Johnny Damon
OF- Nick Swisher
DH- Hideki Matsui
SP- C.C. Sabathia
SP- A.J. Burnett
SP- Chien-Ming Wang
SP- Andy Pettitte
SP- Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes/Ian Kennedy
CL- Mariano Rivera
The Yankees have the best team on paper, but are Posada, Matsui, and Wang fully recovered? Can Nicky the Swish and Cano have bounce back years? And is A.J. Burnett the second coming of Carl Pavano? Let's all hope the answers to these questions go something like no, no, and please god yes!
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It will be great if the Yankees don't make the playoffs this year.
ReplyDeletehow about the yanks and sawks both miss out? I would then kill myself because knowing that life could never get any better is too much to bear.
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