It's the Same Old Song
Asked to explain the Red Sox historic collapse against the Yanks last week, Theo Epstein claimed that they just don't have the resources to compete with the Yankees for players like Bobby Abreu. Oh Really? The Red Sox 146 million dollar payroll is not only the 2nd largest in baseball; it's much larger than the Yankees payroll 2 years agao, which was greated throughout baseball as an example of wretched excess. It is almost as much in excess of the Mets current payroll as the Yankees is in excess of the Sox. And the Mets are not only more than competitive with the Red Sox; they are quite competitive with the Yankees. The Red Sox payroll dwarfs the Tigers payroll and Detroit remains the best team in baseball. The Red Sox problem is not a lack of John Henry's money, it is a lack of acumen in evaluating talent and its relative value. Lucchino and boy-Epstein overvalued Crisp and Pena, undervalued Arroyo, undervalued Damon, and yes undervalued Abreu and Lidle, whom they could have had for the right price. To blame their errors on their poverty, when they fill the stadium every night, have an incredible television deal, merchandise like nobody's business throughout New England, well it's the kind of thing you expect to hear from an organization that had to wait 86 years for a championship--and looks to be waiting quite a while for another one.
It's the same old song for AROD as well. It's not that he doesn't produce; it's not even that he doesn't produce when it matters; it's that he doesn't produce when it matters most. Last night his 2-run bomb in the fifth to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead was important as well as majestic. But once they lost that lead he couldn't make that home run really meaningful by delivering in the late innings. Even after the Yanks lost the lead the game was setting up well for them. They had the top of the order up in the ninth and if they could push through a run, a relatively well-rested Mo could take them home. Jeter did his part (of course) with a single to right and the gritty Mr. Gueil wangled a walk, bringing AROD up with 2 outs and a runner in scoring position. AROd not only fails to drive in the run (okay baseball is a game of failure), he doesn't even make contact--he strikes out without even fouling one off, against a relief pitcher with an ERA near 5.00. And suddenly the homer in the fifth just shrinks before the spectacle of AROD succombing once again to the pressure of a decisive, as opposed to just meaningful, situation.
Karstens looked pretty good though. just one out shy of a quality start. He definitely gave the yanks a chance to win, and with a better rested bullpen, he would have earned one himself.
It's the same old song for AROD as well. It's not that he doesn't produce; it's not even that he doesn't produce when it matters; it's that he doesn't produce when it matters most. Last night his 2-run bomb in the fifth to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead was important as well as majestic. But once they lost that lead he couldn't make that home run really meaningful by delivering in the late innings. Even after the Yanks lost the lead the game was setting up well for them. They had the top of the order up in the ninth and if they could push through a run, a relatively well-rested Mo could take them home. Jeter did his part (of course) with a single to right and the gritty Mr. Gueil wangled a walk, bringing AROD up with 2 outs and a runner in scoring position. AROd not only fails to drive in the run (okay baseball is a game of failure), he doesn't even make contact--he strikes out without even fouling one off, against a relief pitcher with an ERA near 5.00. And suddenly the homer in the fifth just shrinks before the spectacle of AROD succombing once again to the pressure of a decisive, as opposed to just meaningful, situation.
Karstens looked pretty good though. just one out shy of a quality start. He definitely gave the yanks a chance to win, and with a better rested bullpen, he would have earned one himself.
posted by joe valente | 12:29 PM
3 Comments:
Of course AROD has recently claimed to have been playing hurt this year, and it is true that the drop-off from last season, well last regular season, is dramatic. I think AROD's wretched play in the ALDS last year, and of course his embarrassing ALCS against Boston the year before, provided an alternative frame--choker/head case--through which to view his current struggles. But you are right, he';s never had a poor regular season in his career, certainly nothing to compare to this. And since he's already had a fine and an outstanding regular season with the Yankees, that whole can't play in NY reading runs against the grain of past experience. I certainly think injury is a possible factor, one that does not necessarily exclude, but may in fact aggravate, whatever psychological pressures he may be feeling.
And yes my memory of Thurman Munson is also one of non-stop effort. He was the ultimate gamer on ateam that had its fair share--Chambliss, Randolph, Piniella, Nettles, Gossage, and, for all his eccentricities, Micky Rivers.
Oh, one more thing. BGW also suggested that Torre drop AROD to 6th, behind Cano. And in a purely tactical sense, I can't disagree. My question is whether with somewhat like AROD, often pronounced the most talented, and even the best, player of his generation, someone who is historically a no. 3 hitter, who has already been dropped, first to 4 then to 5, whether dropping him out of the prestige slots altogether, to the bottom of the lineup, wouldn't destroy him, and hence destroy his usefulness.
I have had the same experience with Damon, but I'm not sure it's our minds that have changed so much as his performance. His play seemed pretty casual at the beginning of the year. s the pennant race has heated up, he has reverted to the serious battler I remember from his idiot days in Boston.
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