Baseball 180!

By Sean Connolly

It’s hard to believe that the last time the Yankees were out of the playoffs was in 1993, but with the horrible season they’ve been having it looks like this year’s Yankees will be sitting at home in October. With speculations on Girardi’s job security, Hank Steinbrenner confirmed that Girardi will be back next year. After last night’s 12-1 loss to the new A.L. powerhouse Angels it looks that the Yankees’ season is done instead of Girardi’s managerial career in the Bronx.

They Did It To The Last Joe, Why Not This One?

After a sub-par season last year which resulted in another missed chance at returning to the World Series, Joe Torre saw his career end with the Yankees. Although they didn’t fire him, they might have well have after the offer they gave him. So, the question is, with Torre having a much better year than Girardi last season, shouldn’t the result be the same?

The answer is yes. Girardi should be gone if you’re going to be fair, but unfortunately the Yankees are never fair. Girardi hasn’t shown much this season that Steinbrenner and crew can look forward to so I don’t see the point of keeping him. He hasn’t made a decision that was looked back on as a great move that helped the season, only moves that should have been second-guessed that hampered the season. I’m just saying, if Torre brings the Yanks to the playoffs last year and after 4 World Series titles and still gets fired, the ringless (as a coach) Girardi should be gone too.

Shave The Mustache, It’s Over

Let’s face it, with the Yanks being 10 games back in the AL East and now behind the Blue Jays the 2008 season has come to an end for them. Riddled by injuries, controversy, and mental errors, the Yankees are a long shot to make the postseason after 13 straight seasons of October baseball. So, who are the Yankee fans supposed to blame?

Well like I said earlier, Girardi should be fired so obviously he should take a hit here, and young talent such as Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy not turning into what they were supposed to. I’m most disappointed in Cano. He’s flailed at pitches all season long and has yet to show any discipline at the plate. His fielding has only gotten worse and it makes me wonder why the Yanks didn’t trade him when they had a chance. Melky isn’t even in the majors any more after having a dreadful season in which all I saw him do was joke around in the dugout with the aforementioned Cano. Hughes and Kennedy are, well, Hughes and Kennedy, playing poorly and getting injured that seems to be their mantra.

Another reason for the horrible season the Yankees have had was the performance of Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. It was expected that Pudge would give a boost to the Yanks season when the surprising trade went through. They dumped Kyle Farnsworth on the Tigers and it seemed as if the loss of Posada wouldn’t hurt the Yanks as much as they thought. Instead, Pudge played like a below average catcher instead of the MVP catcher we were expecting of him. The trade did nothing really, other than getting rid of another useless talent in Farnsworth.

But, mainly you have to blame the injuries. I know you should overcome them but it’s kind of hard when you’re opening day pitcher and catcher are out for the season. After a moderate start to the season Posada was out along with Chien-Ming Wang for the season. Wang’s injury was a result of poor coaching after he was told to round home while running the bases in an interleague game against the Astros. Both injuries were huge but the little injuries throughout the year really hurt. Alex Rodriguez was out for a portion of the year with a hamstring injury and Hideki Matsui missed a huge portion of the season as well. The injuries surmounted and at one point it seemed like every Yankee was in the trainer’s room.

Overall, you have to look at Girardi’s season as a disappointment…duh. With so much invested into every year, it’s hard to believe that the Yankees don’t win the World Series every season and for them to not even make the playoffs…well that’s just unacceptable.

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By Sean Connolly

I swear, if I go to a Yankee game in its final season at Yankee Stadium, the cathedral for baseball, and I see Barry Bonds in a Yankee uniform…I don’t know what I might do. I think that’s when I fully comprehend why people run out onto the field. Whether this is a possibility or not is a little unknown, but just knowing that there is talk in the baseball community that the Yankees and other teams may need Bonds’ bat, is getting me a little upset.

BARRY BONDS ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING A YANKEE?

When I think about it, forget the Yankees. I don’t want to see this guy on any team. Be it the Rays, or Diamondbacks or whatever, I never want to see this juiced-up, egotistical, disrespectful disgrace touch a baseball field again. I love that he has wanted to come back this entire year but no one is giving him the offer. This is the best way to get back at him for single handedly ruining the integrity of baseball. But, with the trade deadline looming and with plenty of teams in the playoff race, teams may consider ruining what could be the greatest burn of all time.

If I’ve got baggage, he’s got a whole set of Louis Vuitton.

Milton Bradley on teams not taking Barry Bonds

This whole situation shows just how much no one believes Barry Bonds. O.K., let’s try as hard as we can to forget the whole steroid and perjury issue. I know it’s hard but try. Ok? Ready. Who wouldn’t want a player who recently broke the game’s most respected, sought after record? Who wouldn’t want a player whose on base percentage is so magnificent that that stat alone can make a team a contender? Who wouldn’t want an extra bat who can knock one out of the park at any time? Now, let’s return to reality. No one wants all those eye-popping attributes because they don’t want a loser, that simple.

STAY OUT OF NEW YORK, BARRY.

Barry Bonds should have been the most attractive free agent over the off-season and up until now, but teams are actually doing the right thing and using a thing called morality. Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, now is telling teams that Bonds will play for the league minimum salary, which would be a measly $150,000 for Bonds (I think he spends more on HGH in a year). That’s hilarious, because teams still aren’t biting, and I really hope the Yankees or any other team don’t. It makes perfect sense for the Yankees to go after Bonds. It looks like Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada may be out for the rest of the season and a power hitting, high on-base percentage, high slugging percentage outfielder who can DH would fit magnificently. All the Yankees have to do is find a power hitting, high on-base percentage, high slugging percentage outfielder who can DH whose last name isn’t Bonds.

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