Round 1 begins...

It would be nice if the scheduling folks at MLB would wait at least until May before these teams get together...

But here we go. The teams are separated only by a game (shocking) but they have been winning by very different means. The Yanks have been riding the hot bat of A-Rod and winning in late inning fashion. The Sox have been riding their pitching staff. We think it's great that A-Rod is getting all of those HR's and RBI's out of his system in April. Just in time for his arrival at the Fens. We'll stick with pitching thank you very much.

The Sox expected to have a good rotation, but the entire staff has been outstanding yielding a 2.58 Era (second in the majors). The Yanks lineup is also dominating, leading the league in runs. But we all know what wins come Sept.

The Yanks have also been bitten by the injury bug. Injuries to the pitching staff have been overcome (to this point) by their bats. How long do you expect that to continue? Pavano is out again (big surprise there), Mussina has a nagging hammy, and Wang has just started rehab. How long before Pettite goes down? Don't be shocked to be sitting in 3rd or even 4th place if things don't improve...

The Sox have to be very pleased at this point. Pitching is strong and the bats haven't even come around yet. Manny is hitting .200 and finally hit his first HR of the season. It's only a matter of time before he gets into a groove. New acquisition JD Drew is leading the charge offensively and looks to be earning his pay. Our new Gun from the Rising Sun has looked good, only suffering losses while giving up 3 and 2 runs. He's the real deal. The Yanks will find out this weekend.

While you can only take so much away from the first 15 or so games, things are looking good in the Nation. The Yanks are hanging in for now, but they always seem to find a way. While the Yanks may be fortunate to sneak into the playoffs, the Sox are looking at a special season. If the offense gets hot, look out.

The Yanks will be lucky to take 1 of 3 from the Sox this weekend. But it's only round one baby. See you in round 2...

The Yanks drop their Unit...

The Randy Johnson era has apparently ended in NY. While his trade request was never “official” it’s clear that he wanted out of the spotlight of NY and back to the seclusion of Arizona and the weak NL lineups.

It’s a great move for the Unit. At 44 and coming off another surgery, the spirit may be willing but the body isn’t listening. He should have a good year against the NL and the climate in Arizona certainly won’t hurt especially in April and May. His numbers will certainly improve over 2006 if he stays somewhat healthy.

But is this a good move for the Yanks? With no viable replacement it’s a big NO. This is the second starter they’ve dealt in a very thin market. While they may have received some value in minor league prospects, they still traded away 2 proven arms for unproven commodities.

Are the Yanks in a mini rebuilding stage? It appears so because these deals don’t make sense in the short term. Did they not learn anything from the Sox trading Arroyo last season? At least the Sox appeared to have an “abundance” of pitching at the time.

The Yanks have 3 solid starters they can count on barring any injuries. Kei Igawa is still a question mark but should end up as a stable number 4 or 5 guy. They can’t be seriously considering getting much out of Pavano. That leaves Philip Hughes being rushed out of the minors. They don’t have an ace. Not much of a game plan. The Yanks must already have a tentative agreement with Clemens. That would explain some things. However, he probably won’t pitch until mid June. That also puts a ton of pressure on Mussina, Pettitte, and Wang to perform above expectations.


Risky Business:

So what’s the plan? Survive until June and count on their offense to carry them. With a new stockpile of minor league talent, they have leverage at the trade deadline. But who is going to trade a top of the line starter? At best you’ll find a fringe #3 guy and that doesn’t push you over the top.

Questions, questions…

Wang – should be fine, putting up similar numbers to last season
Mussina – he’s older and his numbers certainly won’t be better
Pettitte – don’t expect improvement over NL era of 4.20
Igawa – pray that you didn’t get Irabu revisited
Pavano – how much can you expect from a guy who hasn’t pitched in 2 years?
Clemens – are 20 games better than 30 from the Unit? Will he even pitch?
Hughes – will he be rushed? How effective will he be?

That’s just plain ugly. They’re also counting on no injuries. On paper, the bullpen is much improved but how effective will they be if they are overworked?

The Yanks will certainly be competitive in 2007, but will it be too late? Their offense needs to be prolific once again. Unless something drastic changes, they’ll be good but fall short. Expect to be in the rear view mirror for the season…