The Yankees’ world has been turned upside down the past two weeks, but if they come out of this upheaval with a new winning team concept, the change will be good for everyone.
Joe Torre already is headed to a better place for himself in Los Angeles and Joe Girardi is going to shake up the Yankees in a way they have not experienced in decades. Girardi’s close friends all come back to the same place, saying Girardi will be tough but fair, will be on top of his game and will use his entire roster.
Alex Rodriguez is history with the Yankees and when I asked Hank Steinbrenner yesterday if there were any regrets, he answered quickly and honestly. “No,” he said. “[Scott] Boras makes it easy not to have any.”
As for Boras’ contention that the Yankees may have lost their way in their “commitment” to winning, Hank said bluntly, “He’s full of [bull].”
Hank went on to say the Yankees have never been more committed to winning and the goal is to get these Yankees to a time and place like 1996, when they had great young talent coming up through the system surrounded by winning veterans.
“We’ll go out and spend the money where we have to,” he promised. “We want players with character on and off the field.”
The Yankees have gotten too star crazy in the years since last winning a world championship. The bottom line with baseball is that it’s a team game – once you have your pitching in place. Since the 2004 AL Championship Series, the Red Sox have won two World Series. The Yankees haven’t won a playoff series. Times have changed.
“The objective,” Hank Steinbrenner said, putting the Yankees Mission Statement into one sentence, “is to win more championships than anybody else.”
That is what it is all about and it’s OK to say that.
Girardi is on board with that. Even his detractors in Florida say Girardi’s on-field leadership was exceptional. He was in tune with every aspect of the game and situations. He is fiercely loyal to his players and treats them like family – and like any good father, he knows the value of tough love.
The Yankees own a young pitching nucleus in Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy – and that is essential to success – but they must find an ace.
The biggest difference between the Red Sox and Yankees right now is Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. The Yankees and Red Sox are even in many ways, but the holes at third base and at the top of the rotation have to be filled.
Lowell is living proof that you don’t need a superstar at every position, but you do need a winner.
Going after Lowell, the leader in the Red Sox clubhouse, would be a great start, but it’s unlikely Boston would allow the free agent to get away. It’s more likely the Yankees will try to trade for someone like Joe Crede, who is coming off back surgery. Crede knows how to win. He is a Boras client as well. Perhaps Miguel Tejada will be made available by the Orioles. A third baseman will be found.
Scott Brosius proved it’s OK not to be a superstar and play third for the Yankees.
“We have a long way to go before the season starts,” GM Brian Cashman said.
The first order of business is to get Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte all back in pinstripes. Shelley Duncan, Wilson Betemit and Jason Giambi are all in the first base mix, but Giambi has to get his act together.
The outfield will be interesting. Johnny Damon figures to be offered around to see if there are takers. Center fielders Aaron Rowand and Torii Hunter are both free agents and either right-handed hitter would fit nicely into the Yankees’ plans. Rowand is the kind of character-player the Yankees are talking about. Melky Cabrera could move to left to make room for a new center fielder, or be used in trade bait for Johan Santana.
The Yankees have options, they just have to make the right winning choices.