Carlos Beltran Joins the Yankees

Carlos Beltran, donning the number 36, was officially unveiled as a New York Yankee yesterday, and he signified his excitement for the coming year. The contract is worth three years and $45 million, a move some have questioned. Was it wise for the club to spend that much when, all things together, Cano would have been a wiser investment? Undoubtedly it seems to some to signal the same old formula that has usually not panned out for the New York Yankees: the signing of a veteran player in the sunset or twilight of his career for an amount of money that would be better used to pursuing younger players.

Nonetheless, Carlos Beltran is coming off of two solid years, with a combined average of .2825, 56 home runs, 181 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .3425. These aren't stellar stats, but they are solid ones, and will certainly help a team which struggled to put runs on the board last year.

That seems to be the main focus of the Yankee office this off-season. The team that's known as the Bronx Bombers, after all, wasn't exactly bombing last year. Perhaps this drove a psychological defense mechanism deep into the heart of the office, creating a reaction originating from a strong need to correct this defect.

Still, with the acquisition of these new bats, and the return of at least Jeter and Teixeira, the offense will be (mostly) fine. What's really needed right now is additional arms to the pitching staff.

We will watch with interest as the off-season continues.

Jacoby Ellsbury is Now a Yankee

Today the newest Yankee was revealed, Jacoby Ellsbury, who is to don the number 22 next season. It was a rapid move for the Yankees and the deal fell through quickly. Ellsbury again and again mentioned how excited he was to be joining the Yankees (he doesn't seem to have a flair for these press conferences, I must say), and that he was committed to being part of the core of the future team.

Some have been rubbing their heads at this quick acquisition by the Yankees, especially when the pitching staff has been so lacking (in an era where pitching is dominant again, no less). These people have generally questioned why Ellsbury was so quick to get a seven-year deal while Robbie Cano was let go so comparatively easily.

Whatever the case, Ellsbury brings a lot to the lineup- speed and a healthy dose of power. If indeed he and Bret Gardner are on the same team next year (Michael Kay and others have remarked that the acquisition of Ellsbury fills Bret Gardner's role, making a trade of him for a decent pitcher a more likely possibility), they will be able to make a lot of things happen to move runners across the field and into scoring position. It will healthily compliment the other new bats that were brought in to plug the gaps in the Yankee offensive line that was so uncharacteristically weak last year.

Only time will tell whether this investment was worth a possible go for more pitching, especially in the bullpen. We will await the next few adventures for the start of a verdict.

"One of the Best Days of My Life"

So said Brian McCann at his press conference yesterday, wherein he was officially revealed as the newest New York Yankee, donning the number 34. Signing a five-year, $85 million contract with the club, it seems to me like a good deal for a catcher approaching thirty.

One of the biggest weaknesses in the Yankees' lineup throughout the 2013 campaign was the absence of a reliable bat behind the plate. While you don't expect a catcher to be a .300+ hitter (this is what makes the Joe Mauers of the world so exceptional), the combined batting stats of the various Yankee catchers last season, led by Chris Stewart due to the omnipresent injury bug, were dismal. A combined average of .242, a total of 8 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a combined on-base percentage of .312. McCann by himself beats all of those.

I take the fact that he's a seven-time All Star with a grain of salt, because as we know, position players in that game are decided by fan voting. Not the most reliable method. Still, it is a nice accolade to have on any player's resumes.

Not least of his line items, McCann has a reputation of working well with pitchers and improving pitching staffs. His presence tends to decrease a pitcher's ERA. This can only be good news, especially with a team that struggled to score runs last year. In that situation, it is imperative to prevent the opposing team from scoring, and this is a role Brian McCann seems to fit.

Overall, I'm please with this move. The Yankees signed a desirable free agent to fill a much-needed gap in the team's line, all without breaking the bank. But these pats on the back are easy, the real test will come next year. Many free agent deals have fell well short of expectations in the past, and this is something to keep in mind.

But for now, congratulations to the Yankees and Brian McCann. Let's play ball!

A Congratulatory Note

To the Red Sox and their fans. I didn't want to have to do this but you gotta give credit where it's due. Congratulations to the Red Sox and their fans on their 2013 World Series win. You all put together a hell of a team and bounced back from an extremely disappointing 2012 season in the best way. Well done.

Now the onus is on the Yankees to do the same.

BEING: Mariano - A Review

Fox Sports recently released a documentary about Mariano Rivera's life and career entitled BEING: Mariano. Heartwarming is really the only word I have to describe it, and it is a must-see for every Yankee fan.

The documentary, aside from spinning the Mariano Rivera narrative- his early life in Panama, how he wound up in pinstripes, and the big league career that will no doubt be familiar to any Yankee fan, also showed him in a much more human light- an angle that wasn't about the game of baseball, but rather the man himself.

Priceless footage is sprinkled throughout the entirety of the show regarding Mariano's life behind the scenes of the game, showcasing his thoughts and interactions throughout his final season, and revealing to the audience that Mariano is indeed, a very mortal man, who while enjoying his final season, was also greatly relieved as it slowly came to an end, and how he made sure to give thanks to the game wherever he went, just as he received its thanks.

The life of Mariano Rivera, the family man is also showcased to us. We catch a glimpse into Mariano's next phase in life: the rebuilding of an old church near his home. Family drives everything that Mariano has done, and the viewer can seemingly put himself in Mariano's shoes and feel his relief to now be able to spend more time with them.

Humorous and intimate moments with his teammates are also presented, including a golden segment of a fishing trip in late August that Mariano and his family went on with a number of teammates, including Andy Pettite. Andy was revealed as having caught the biggest fish.

Overall the documentary is well worth watching and is a more intimate version of Yankeeography. It does its job of humanizing Mariano and baseball in general very well, and plenty of laughs can also be found. The folks at Fox really did a good job with this one, and I'm not one that usually praises that company.

My Mariano Rivera Bobblehead Experience

This is a little late, but I thought I'd share my experience of going to the Mariano Rivera bobblehead game on September 24th. My father bought three tickets explicitly because they were giving away the bobbleheads (and we couldn't get tickets to the final home game at any rate because they were all sold out).

We needed to leave early- even earlier than usual (around 4 P.M.) so we could make sure we were one of the first 18,000 fans in attendance to get the bobblehead. After eating a quick couple of pizzas (because we didn't want to get hungry during the game and we all know food is massively overpriced at the Stadium), we got on the 4 train and met my brother on the platform of the Yankee Stadium stop a bit later.

We were surprised at how many people were already there waiting in line, around two hours before game time. Our tickets suggested that we go to Gate 2, so we walked all the way around the stadium to get there. The line was long as hell there two, and went across the street on the other side. We all moaned because we thought that there was no way in hell we were going to get the Mariano Rivera bobblehead.

We waited in line for around 45 minutes, wondering what the hell was going on. Movement was slow at best. Turns out we later learned through someone on their smartphone with a twitter app (ah, the useful uselessness of modern technology) that the truck carrying the bobbleheads broke down, and when the line finally moved and we got to the gate,we were to our pleasure surprised that we would indeed get our bobbleheads- though we got a voucher for them to pick them up later.

The game was a terrible blow out. When I found out later that some people had missed multiple innings after the bobbleheads arrived, I can remind them that they really didn't miss out on much. I wanted to get the bobbleheads before the game ended. My dad didn't. He was right, as we would find out later.

After the game ended, there was no one really telling us where to go to get the bobbleheads. We needed to walk around the stadium- only to see a huge line, and then walk around the stadium again to get to the back of it. My father and I were really angry. My brother didn't really care, but he isn't much of a baseball fan anyway.

Given how long that line was, and how far we were away from the one area of the stadium where they were giving away the bobbleheads (only at one gate, when it really should have been at all exits), we thought we were going to be there for hours. Some of the Yankee Stadium employees even chided us that we would be there until 1 in the morning. How very professional of them.

My line at the time was that this situation is something that I'd expect from a place like the DMV, not from a supposedly first-class organization like the New York Yankees.

To my utter delight and relief however, the line began to move quickly after about fifteen minutes or so, and we got out relatively alright. Far better it seems, than the people who waited during the game itself. Dad 1, me 0.

A few days later the Yankees showed their professionalism by giving all ticket holders to that game a free game in the 2014 season (just as my dad said they should do while on the line). Faith restored.

And hey, I got the bobblehead.

Is the Era of Yankee Ascendancy Over?

Yesterday was the last game of a disappointing 2013 season. It was a 5-1 victory over the worst team in baseball, the hapless Houston Astros, coming after a long 14 innings.

I say the word disappointing because, in a word, that's what it was. We Yankee fans that have been around since the end of the Yankees' Lost Decade of the 1980's have been pretty spoiled. 16 playoff appearances, 14 division titles, 7 pennants and 5 World Series championships from 1995-2012 will do that to a club's fanbase. The lone year in that time span which the Yankees did not make the playoffs, 2008, was a rather glaring outlier, a freakish fluke that seemed to be the result of a cosmic catastrophe that broke the natural orbit of the MLB solar system. We expect the Yankees to win- if not a World Series every year (because that's too high an expectation for anyone, even The Boss), we at least expect the Yankees to make the playoffs- to give us some baseball in the cool airs of Autumn. It's easy to miss how fortunate we as fans are to have such an expectation. Consider the Kansas City Royals, who have not made the playoffs for 27 years.

The Kansas City Royals have not been to the playoffs since 1985.

Nonetheless, 2013 was not without drama for the Yankees. Our beloved Closer, a living legend, Mariano Rivera, decided to call it quits. He received quite the sendoff by everyone all year. The drama was ratcheted up when Andy Pettite, another beloved cornerstone of the latest era of Yankee dominance, announced toward the end of the season that he'd be retiring for good once 2013 ended. In many ways, this year was more about the legacy of Mariano Rivera (and toward the very end, Andy Pettite), than about the team itself- plagued by injuries and free agency losses as it was. It was a depressing ensemble- an unimpressive assortment of no-name rookies and over-the-hill veterans without legacies of their own- the backups for the backups, as we all waited with baited breath for the mainstays to return.

Mariano Rivera overshadowed the rest of the team, unsurprisingly.

With all the dismal, aging stars pumping out their faint red light, and the rookies that had not quite left their stellar nurseries yet, it was obviously a no-brainer that Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettite would receive the most attention- and both went out in the best possible way, with Rivera being relieved by his fellow remaining Core Four members and Pettite pitching a complete game for the first time since 2006 in his final start against his old team, the Houston Astros. In doing so he is the only pitcher to never have a sub .500 season after 15 years in the big leagues, a big accomplishment that under normal circumstances would at least merit serious Hall of Fame discussion (we all know the reason why Pettite doesn't fall under normal circumstances).

But the season is over now. Pettite and Rivera are officially in the history books. There will be no more gifts on the road and momentous ceremonies. Two of the biggest stars in the Yankee galaxy exploded as supernovae in their final year, and their light outshined the rest of their galaxy. But now that the fleeting glow has passed, what is left of the team?

Andy Pettite pitched a complete game in his final start. (Bleacher Report)

When the mainstays of the team did finally return, they didn't seem to lift our spirits. Curtis Granderson was injured again, and when he did finally come back in the second half, his numbers were not what we would have liked. Mark Teixeira was injured, came back for a week or two, and was then injured again, for the rest of the season. Derek Jeter's year has been an odyssey of DL stints. Alex Rodriguez came back (mostly) fine, but no one cared because of the Biogenesis scandal. He was not the light of hope for this team. Ultimately it was Alfonso Soriano's re-entrance into Yankeeland that was the turning point of the second-half slump, but it was not a big enough turning point to prevent the Fates from keeping the Yankees out of the playoffs for only the second time since 1995.

Upon a survey of Yankeeland at this point, there seems to be a lot of uneven ground. The farm system is not regarded as amongst the best in the Majors. No breathtaking prospects seem to await us. In addition to that, there are plenty of free agents, among them some of the mainstays of the team. Robinson Cano is the biggest albatross of them all. He is perhaps the only reason why the Yankees' lineup managed to claw on as much as it did before the reinforcement of Alfonso Soriano. Rumors have been swirling that he wants a 10-year, $300+ million deal. Personally, I think the Yankees and other teams should have learned the lesson of these massive 10-year deals by now. They have tended to be disasters in the long run. Cano may have had something going for him if he was five years younger. But he isn't. As good as he is, Cano isn't worth that price. The specter of uncertainty will certainly loom large as the off-season progresses.

Granderson is also up for free agency, whose bat has been so productive except for this injury-plagued year. Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are also up for free agency, both of whom have been extremely disappointing (my dad calls Hughes 'Pughs' and my nickname for Joba recently has become 'Jobber'- a wrestling term that means someone that generally loses to make another wrestler look good). It is blissfully unlikely that they will return. Adding to the uncertainty in the rotation, Hiroki Kuroda, who has for the most part been the Yankees' best starting pitcher, is also up for free agency. Nova, who has been the Yankees' best pitcher in the stretch, is a free agent too. Only CC Sabathia, who is coming off the worst season in his career, and thus does not bring much in the way of optimism, is dead set to return to the starting rotation.

 

Mainstays like Granderson and Sabathia were ultimately disappointing.

The skipper himself, Joe Girardi, who truly showed his mettle as a manager in this challenging year, and brought home a world championship in 2009, is also up. Though his decision will more likely be based on family than on money, the specter of uncertainty still looms.

Those are the big ones. Many others are also free agents.

Faint times seem to be written on the wall for the Yankees, which leads back to the original question. Are Rivera and Pettite's exits a sign of the times? Are the Fates turning the pendulum back? Is the era of Yankee ascendancy that began in 1995 over? Or will 2013 become another 2008- a glaring outlier that ultimately becomes erased by further years of continued success?

How the Yankees management handles itself this off-season will go some way to answering those questions. This is the biggest shakeup of the team that I can remember, and it will be up to them to make sure that a winning concoction is brewed. Both the lineup and the pitching needs some serious work, perhaps too serious to be surmounted in a single season.

The next adventures in Yankeeland promise to be at the least suspenseful. Whether they can be as glorious as the Core Four years remains to be seen. It will be a tall order, but such is how champions are made.

We can at this point, only hope for the right decisions. The shadows of playoff-less teams like the Royals however, are always present. Until 1995 (probably '94 if the season hadn't ended early), the Yankees were firmly in it. The right decisions need to be made- and decisively, lest the shadows embrace the Yankees with a warm whisper:

"Welcome back."

Robinson Cano, the off-season albatross. (Image by Keith Allison)