2008 New York Yankees Preview

It isn't all basketball right now. My main man Mark Cherry previews the 2008 Evil Empire...no, not the Red Sox. The New York Yankees - new manager, new Steinbrenner running things, new stadium on the way - same old dominance?

Be sure to check out Dave's Diamondbacks preview and Lerch's Dodgers preview as well.

The New York Yankees

Honestly, what can I say about the New York Yankees
that everyone else hasn’t said? Every year this
century, the story is about the same - All-Star
offense, pitching that looks okay on paper and
adequate defense, highlighted by a weak-armed
centerfielder. How long can Posada and/or Rivera keep
it up considering their grueling positions? How will
Steinbrenner(s) interfere? Pencil them in to win the
division with 95-103 wins, and they’re one of the five
favorite teams to win the AL Pennant. And then some
idiot says that A-Rod can’t produce in the off-season
and Jeter’s a pretty-boy and isn’t every one bored
with all this? The Yankees are this decade’s Atlanta
Braves, and I don’t want to be that pathetic fan
groveling, “John Smoltz is actually a funny guy, and
Andruw Jones counts as a black guy, right?”

I’m only an ostensible Yankees fan because Nashville,
my hometown, was the AA farm club for them in the
early 80’s, and in the concourse of rotting Greer
Stadium a giant photo of Don Mattingly was posted
under the home plate seats. So what - I only went to
Nashville Sounds games because the tickets were free
and we could huff model airplane glue under the left
field bleachers.

I mean, look at the starting rotation - Wang,
Pettitte, Mussina, I’m so sleepy. First two,
dependable enough, but Mussina, he’s just too smart
for the game. He had a stretch of like seven starts
last season where he was pretty good again, but he’s
too bright to concentrate on baseball the whole time.
This’ll be his last season, so he’ll perform better,
right? The first time me, Dave and Carpenter went to
spring training back in 1999, we determined that
Mussina was the cornerstone of the best looking
baseball team you ever seen. Mussina, Ripken, Brady
Anderson. Was Dave Justice on that team? Should’ve
been. I guess I should talk about the 2008 Yankees.

Watch out for youngsters Joba Chamberlain, Phillip
Hughes and Ian Kennedy - they could have a real impact
in the rotation! There’s a scoop you haven’t heard
anywhere else. Oh, and there’s a new skipper in town,
and he won’t coddle the boys like “player’s coach”
Torre! They have to do running drills now! No more
pre-game M&Ms (that’s martinis and manicures, FYI).

Is this what a blog does? What’s the key to success
for the Yankees? Chemistry! What could lead to
failure? If the Red Sox, Rays or Blue Jays also get a
hold of chemistry! Things to watch for? When Girardi
says something to get him fired by the Steinbrenners.

Basically, I don’t know. PECOTA at Baseball Prospectus
has the Yankees winning 97 games and the division and
the World Series. Replacement Level Yankees blog has
the offense winning 95 games. That sounds about right
expect the World Series part. That’s not a rotation
built for the postseason.