The State of the New York Yankees (August 2009)
August 17, 2009 · Christopher Chavez · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
It’s interesting to see how quickly the 2009 Major League Baseball season has passed us. There are only 44 games left in the regular season for the Yankees and it looks like every one of them will be important.
The Yankees have matured and become more and more serious as the season progressed. Their changes have led them to posting an excellent record and propelled them to first place in the AL East.
The Yankees are the best in baseball. When was the last time that was said in August? It feels so good to hear those words. The New York Yankees definitely would have never been in first place without the help of their key additions from the winter.
Mark Teixeira has posted MVP-caliber statistics this season and has made the Yankee lineup a force not to be messed with. Defensively, he could be looking at adding another Gold Glove to his collection. Day in and day out he makes fantastic plays at first that help motivate the team to win.
What about the newest pitchers? Well, they have gone beyond most people’s expectations.
C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett have adjusted well to New York and handled the media in an excellent manner. Sabathia has had excellent outings that have always put the Yankees in a position to win.
He has a record of 13-7 and if all goes well he could have a 20-win season. What a way to cap off your first season with the New York Yankees!
A.J. Burnett has had some very strong outings and some shaky outings, but what he tried to prove this first season was that he can pitch in New York and help the team. He has done exactly that.
Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte are both having good seasons. Joba was roughed up in Seattle but his recent starts before that made him look like a former Cy Young Award winner.
Andy Pettitte once again is the man to turn to in the second half of the season. Throughout his career Pettitte has always been clutch for the Yankees as they make their way down the road to the playoffs. This year is no exception.
The only weak spot for the Yankees this season is the fifth starter spot. At the beginning of the season Chien-Ming Wang was pitching horribly and was put on the disabled list. Coming back off the DL he was just as bad.
The Yankees moved on, but still have not been able to find a starter that can stabilize the fifth spot. There have been failed attempts with Sergio Mitre and it might be time for them to turn to a new option, Chad Gaudin.
The Yankees home-grown talent continues to represent this season. Robinson Cano is almost matching his incredible 2007 season with a strong 2009 season. He has hit 18 home runs and driven in 60 runs. He has become what scouts had expected of him when he was a minor league prospect.
Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano’s partner in crime, fought for his job in spring training and lost but has since then won it back. Defensively, he has always been strong, making plays that will be seen on the highlight reels.
Melky has also been pretty clutch. Melky has been a part of several of the Yankees walk-off wins this season.
Brett Gardner started the year in center-field, before Melky won his job back, and was a Yankee threat. Not so much hitting or defensively, but on the bases. Gardner has stolen 20 bases in 80 games. When he returns off the D.L. expect him to be pinch running a lot and stealing bases for the Yankees as they make that final push into the playoffs.
Another outfielder that unexpectedly stole the hearts of Yankees fans around New York and made himself a fan favorite is Nick Swisher. Swisher got off to a spectacular start and made up for Alex Rodriguez’s absence from the lineup at the beginning of the season.
Swisher has hit 20 home runs and has made Yankee fans forget that they have another right fielder that is on the DL.
Remember Xavier Nady. He suffered an injury early on in the season and is out until next year. Nady might not be a Yankee next year because his contract expires and might not be resigned by the team.
There have been other players that filled in roles as other teammates were gone. Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli both filled in for Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada defensively while they served time on the DL. They did a good job and helped the team win with certain plays.
Cervelli helped win a game in Atlanta with his first major league home run. These two Yankees deserve an honorable mention as two rookies that did not let the team get down with the absence of two veterans.
Other rookies that deserve an honorable mention are Phil Hughes, Mark Melancon, Phil Coke, and Alfredo Aceves. These rookies have helped the Yankees fix a problem that they had for a few years.
The Yankees never really had a strong bridge to Mariano until 2009. Phil Hughes has adjusted well into the bullpen and has brought back memories of the Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland bullpen of the ’90s. That is how strong the Yankee bullpen now is.
The Yankee veterans have led the team to becoming the best team in baseball. Derek Jeter is having another amazing season and has become the all-time hits leader for shortstops. Alex Rodriguez, coming off the DL, has had a good year, not a spectacular year, but an average A-Rod type season.
Jorge Posada missed time because of an injury early on, but has picked up the slack.
Johnny Damon is having a great season and is hoping the Yankees re-sign him in the offseason.
Hideki Matsui might hit 20 home runs again this year, but could it be the last time we see him in pinstripes? Matsui has suffered another “minor” injury to his knee and will be out indefinitely.
Mariano Rivera is adding to his Hall of Fame resume by saving his 500th game this season at Citi Field. The Yankee veterans have definitely shown the rest of the baseball world why they are the best.
The Yankees team chemistry and teamwork has played a big role in making them the best in baseball. With Joe Girardi at the helm, he has been able to integrate the rookies and the veterans in a way so that everyone gets along.
The only way that we know if all of the team’s actions and changes paid off is if they are holding the World Series trophy and getting ready for another parade in New York.
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