SHE SAID: Jeter deserves some respect

At the top of my Christmas list this year – the Yankees re-signing Derek Jeter. No one is denying that Jeter is getting older or that he probably won’t be the Yankees number 1 short stop in three years. And yes, a baseball team’s sole objective is to win games. But that doesn’t change the fact the Yankees need Derek Jeter as much as Derek Jeter needs the Yankees – even if that means giving him an extra year or more money.

Money

Ok friends – lets be serious, the Yankees are not fiscally responsible and they most likely never will be. The Yankees business plan has always involved reckless spending. Clearly, this is one of the reasons people hate the Yankees, but fortunately for the fans, the Yankees have a lot of money to spend. I am not saying it is a good idea to pay players more than they are worth (for the record, I agree this is a really bad idea) – but the Yankees do it all the time. Who could forget Kei Igawa? If the Yankees wanted to err on the side of caution, they should have done it with players like Carl Pavano and Jason Giambi. To decide they want to do it now with their captain is a joke.

And if you are going to talk about money – what about all the money Jeter has made the Yankees over the past 15 years? Derek Jeter has become one of the biggest, if not the biggest, celebrity in major league baseball. He has had endorsements with everyone from Nike to Gatorade, not to mention appeared in movies and TV shows and sold an unimaginable amount of Yankees merchandise. People come to Yankee Stadium for many reasons – but a lot of them come to see Derek Jeter. Another reason fans will come to see Jeter this season – Jeter only needs 74 more hits to become the first Yankee to hit 3,000. They money the Yankees can earn on marketing for this milestone, as well as increased attendance, will go a long way towards making up for the extra money they don’t want to pay Jeter.

Franchise

We all get that the Yankees want to base this contract on performance alone, but like it or not – this deal isn’t just about baseball. There is a reason Jeter was chosen to be the 14th captain of the Yankees. The Yankee franchise is built on professionalism and excellence, something Jeter represents better than any other active Yankee. No player is considered more of a Yankee than Jeter right now – so what message does this send to the rest of the team? If the management proves it can’t be loyal to Jeter – this shows the franchise isn’t really loyal to anyone. Sure it’s a stretch, but this lack of loyalty could impact both current and potential players interested in signing with the team. Sadly, Jeter won’t be a Yankee forever – the time will come for his era to end – but does the Yankee management want to be responsible for ending it now while alienating the fans at the same time? I hope not…

In case you’re wondering, Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte are also included in my Christmas list.

SHE SAID: Twins or Rangers?

Even though the Yankees have yet to win the division (maybe because someone is still letting Javy pitch), they are headed to the playoffs. And so the question remains: would you rather face the Twins or the Rangers? I feel like this is asking me to pick between marrying Derek Jeter and winning the lottery….actually, never mind, clearly I would pick Derek. But you get the point; both teams are going to be tough to beat. That being said….I guess I’ll take my chances with the Twins.

History: The Yankees have a better record against the Twins (4-2) than the Rangers (4-4) and have had an easier time winning on the road against Twins than they have in Texas. After all, the Yankees lost all 4 games they played against the Rangers in Texas and won 2 out of 3 at Target Field. The Yankees have also beaten the Twins more recently in the post season and swept them in last season’s ALDS. I know, I know – the 2010 Twins are not the same as the 2009 Twins, but it seems the Yankees have historically had a psychological edge over the Twins in the post season.

Pitching: I am still trying to forget that it seemed like the right move to pass on Lee until the offseason – I mean, it seemed reasonable to assume that Burnett would not fall apart and Andy wouldn’t get injured. Since the Yankees didn’t sign Cliff Lee, they may have to face him in the postseason. If the Yankees face the Rangers and the series goes 5 games that means facing Lee twice, something which terrifies me. The Yankees faced Lee 3 times this season, and lost 2 of those games. And we all remember who pitched the 2 games the Yankees lost in last year’s World Series….The Rangers will then turn to C.J. Wilson, another lefty. And no one needs to be reminded that the Yankees now have a 9 game losing streak against lefties. I’m not trying to underestimate the Twins rotation, even if it is hard for me to take Carl Pavano seriously – but the Twins first 3 starters all have zero career wins against the Yankees.

Yes, the Yankees would have home field advantage if they played Texas and I would like to win the division, but at this point, I don’t think home field advantage would be better than potentially facing Cliff Lee twice. Twins or Rangers – we should all just focus on what’s really important: winning the ALDS no matter who we face.

SHE SAID: Cliff Lee in Pinstripes?

Many people thought that the Mariners would be a contender this season, especially after they picked up Cliff Lee. It looks like those people were wrong – the Mariners are currently in last place in the AL West and stand 13 games out of first. Since Seattle is doing so poorly, the speculation that they will begin to entertain offers for Lee has begun.

Cliff Lee will end up in pinstripes. The question really isn’t if, but when Lee comes to New York: as part of a trade this summer or as a free agent this winter. If you ask me, do I want Cliff Lee on the Yankees; the answer is absolutely and as soon as possible; I want what I want and I want it now. Unfortunately, what I want and what is the best strategic move for the Yankees is not always the same thing (don’t worry; I have learned to come to terms with this). Based on my strong affinity for lefties and strong dislike for Javy, in my ideal world, the Yankees pick up Lee now and say bye bye to Vazquez. I know this is not going to happen, but we can all have dreams can’t we? It is far more likely that the Yankees wait to make an offer on Lee after he becomes a free agent.......

The Yankees already have 5 starters, all of whom are healthy and (arguably) effective. I say arguably since I am still consider Javy my nemesis, but clearly the Yankee starting rotation is getting the job done, as evidenced by the fact that the Yankees are finally alone in first place. Trading for Lee now would almost undoubtedly mean that the Yankees would have to give up a top prospect, such as Jesus Montero or Austin Romine, something Cashman and the Yankees are highly unlikely to do during the season with the team in first place. However, if the Yankees wait until Lee becomes a free agent, it is less likely they will need to trade away prospects to make a deal. And yes, waiting does mean that another team could snatch up Lee before he becomes a free agent. However, even if a team does get Lee this season, it doesn’t mean he will re-sign with that team for the 2011 season. Therefore, they can just “rent” Lee until he is ready to sign with the Yankees this winter.

The Yankees are also far more likely to need to add a starter after this season is over. While I refuse to even entertain the thought, Andy Pettitte may decide to retire after this season, and if he should decide to do so, the Yankees will need to replace him with a solid starter. Another, much much happier scenario is that Vazquez will not re-sign with the Yankees and will return to National League land where he has proven much more successful. (Andy, please come back.)

Lee also has another reason to want to sign with the Yankees in the winter (aside from wanting to play for a team that has won 27 World Championships): friends. We all like to play with our friends don’t we? Lee is good friends with Sabathia from their days on the Indians and Sabathia has told Lee how great it is to play in New York. Lee is also good friends with Burnett – both are from Arkansas and have the same manager. For the record, I also plan to be Lee’s good friend when he comes to New York – after all, we are both lefties so we already have a lot in common.

Bottom line: when Christmas and Hanukkah roll around, go ahead and buy your favorite Yankee fan a new Cliff Lee jersey.

HE SAID: Booing Javy's Boo-ers

Javy Vasquez got booed at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday for two reasons:

1) He allowed a grand slam in Game 7 of the ill-fated 2004 ALCS
2) Yankee fans have nothing else to boo about

Look, I understand the knee-jerk reaction when it comes to the name Javier Vasquez. I was at that game in 2004, and Johnny Damon's (essentially) game-winning salami for the Red Sox practically landed in my lap. But to make him the face of the Reverse of the Curse is simply unfair, revisionist history. How about Kevin Brown, the $100M man that loaded the bases in the first place, causing Joe Torre to have to take him out before he'd completed 2 innings? How about the legendary Mr. Torre himself, who elected to start the hapless Brown instead of Vasquez, prompting him to summon Javy to make his first relief appearance in 6 years, with the bases loaded, in a pennant elimination game? Not exactly the fairest of circumstances.

Vasquez' Yankee years are certainly an albatross on his otherwise impressive career. I was shocked to read this week that he had the third worst ERA in Yankees history among pitchers with at least 200 innings (5.17). I definitely wasn't shocked to read that Jeff Weaver was the worst of the bunch. His numbers are a bit misleading in a lot of ways. I'm sure many shortsighted Yankees fans forget that Vasquez made the AL All-Star team in his only season as a Yankee, and pitched brilliantly before a second-half injury hampered his effectiveness. Vasquez entered that playoff series with little left in the tank, but took the ball out of sheer competitive spirit. It was Torre's mismanagement that led the Yankees to have to rely on damaged goods in the most important game of the year, but I digress. So despite what the number says, what Vasquez is right now, what he was on Wednesday, and what he will be for the rest of the season, is absolutely unworthy of the boo birds at Yankee Stadium.

This is a pitcher that finished 4th in the National League Cy Young voting last season. While the NL is a joke in many ways (I think Jim Abbott won the batting title one year), Javy put up grown man numbers: 15 wins, 2.87 ERA, 238 K's. That is beastly regardless of the league. While his ERA will certainly rise, and his K's will certainly drop, Vasquez is going to be a key contributor to the 2010 Yankees, and I believe that starts tonight in Oakland.

While Javy committed the mortal sin of informing the media that the booing got to him, he was 100% right in calling the booing "unfair". At the point Yankee fans started booing, Vasquez had allowed 3 runs in 5 or so innings. Check the numbers. This kind of production is about standard over the past decade for beloved Yankee Andy Pettitte. Would he have gotten booed if he was pitching Wednesday? Unequivocally NOT. Which brings me to my original point: Vasquez is being booed for the events of 6 seasons ago. Which, as Javy put it, is unfair.

Where Javy made his mistake was failing to recognize that sports and sports fans are inherently unfair. While I think the booing was stupid and counterproductive (clearly, he is sensitive about it), I think the fan can do whatever they want at the park. And Yankee fans have shown a remarkable proclivity to embarrassing displays of booing. In the past decade we've seen one of the most beloved Yankees of All-Time (Jeter), and one of the best players of all time (Rodriguez) get booed in Yankee Stadium. Any fan with a brain knows that their immense talent, work ethics, and levels of production over a fair sample size suggest that these players should never ever be booed. The mere fact that they were shows that a) no one is immune to booing, b) sometimes Yankee fans leave their brains at home. Hopefully this is a temporary phenomena in the case of Vasquez, but I fear it wont be. With Rodriguez, it got to a point where fans would boo every time he made and out, and reluctantly cheer when he didn't. Rodriguez and Vasquez seem to both take the fans' reactions to heart. I am hopeful and confident that like A-Rod, Javy will prove his mettle with the fans and rise above all the ignorant negativity.

Again people, if you buy a ticket, you have free reign to boo whoever you want. Just please, choose your targets a bit wisely. There are plenty of Kevin Browns in this world that deserve your scorn for being bad people and not doing their job in the right way. Mark my words, Vasquez is not this person, and will prove to be an asset to the 2010 Yankees. And one more thing: If you ever boo Mariano, turn in your pinstripes and go root for the Mets.

SHE SAID: BOOING JAVY

When the Yankees acquired Javier Vazquez in the off-season, the most common reactions were terrible flashbacks to 2004 or optimism that Vazquez could be a good fit in the rotation. Of course I did what I always try to do: I was optimistic and decided why not give him another chance? I even defended him to my fellow fans who thought bringing Javy back was a terrible mistake. I hate to say it, but my optimism on Javy is already fading. True, he has only pitched 2 games this season and I agree it is too soon to jump to any rash conclusions. However, that being said, the Yankees have lost only 3 games this season, 2 of which Javy started. On top of that, among Yankee pitchers who have pitched at least 200 innings, Vazquez has the third-worst ERA in franchise history (5.17). During his second start (which was much, much more promising than his terrible performance against the Rays) he was booed by unhappy fans at the stadium, raising many questions, including: Is it fair to boo Vazquez? Do the fans have the right to boo their own team or is that just low class? Here is what I think….

Was it fair? To me, this question is really just silly. Unfortunately, one of the life lessons we all learn is life is not fair; life is hard. The press hit hard on this word “unfair” and Vazquez did one of the worst things you can do as a Yankee: he followed their lead. After being force-fed the word at least twice, Vazquez was quoted: “I feel like it’s unfair because that’s so long ago...” The reason many, including apparently Vazquez, are calling this unfair is because they feel fans were booing Vazquez based on 2004. All Yankee fans have tried really hard to forget that game in 2004, but the reality is, most never will. Even if some fans were booing Javy based on this game, his first two starts were not pretty, nor were they worth $11.5 million. No one is going to argue that 2004 wasn’t a long time ago and I honestly think most Yankee fans are willing to give Javy a second chance. A-Rod came to bat to the loudest cheers I heard the entire game on Sunday, proving that fans are willing to embrace almost any player as long as they perform and do the job they are paid to do.

Do the fans have the right to boo their own players? This is also sort of a silly question. This isn’t slander or defamation of character – it is simply fans exercising their freedom of speech. It is ridiculous to over generalize that all Yankee fans are “classless” and an “embarrassment.” Sure, it wasn’t nice, but sadly not everyone is nice. Let’s be serious, Yankee fans are certainly not the only group to boo their own players. Vazquez was hired to be a starting pitcher that would help the Yankees win games and defend their World Series title, something he has yet shown fans he can do. If you think about it, fans are sort of like clients, they are paying (sometimes ridiculous amounts) to watch the team play and if they don’t like what they are seeing, they have a right to say so. After all, if you aren’t doing your job, wouldn’t you expect to hear some displeasure from your boss, co-workers, and clients? New York is known for being an extremely tough city to play in and getting booed is simply part of being a Yankee, like it or not. This is something Javy knew before coming back to New York. As history shows, many beloved Yankees, including Mickey Mantle, Don Mattingly, and the captain Derek Jeter, have all been booed by Yankee fans at one time or another. Jeter even admitted that his own parents booed him. What did these great players do about it? They took it as just another part of the job and didn’t complain. They also silenced the boos by playing good baseball and winning games.

Moral of the story: it doesn’t matter if you think it is fair or the right thing to do, some Yankee fans are going to boo players they feel are underperforming. In the words of Donnie Baseball, “It’s their right. If they don’t like what they see, I won’t be the first guy they booed, and I won’t be the last.” So what does Javy need to do? The answer is simple: he needs to start throwing better pitches and winning games. Oh, and he should also be a little more careful what he says to the media. Luckily, we don’t have to wait very long to see what he will do in his next start. Good luck Javy, this fan really wants to be able to like you.