Hypocrosy in Yankee Land

The Yankees went into the 2005 season with George Steinbrenner's dream pitching staff.

He acquired Randy Johnson, arguably the greatest non-jewish lefty ever, for Javy Vazquez some prospects and $9 million dollars.

He signed the top national league free agent pitcher available, Carl Pavano, for 4 years and a drop under $40 million.

Then he signed 15 game-winner Jaret Wright from the Braves for another 3 years...

Combine that with potential future hall of famers Mike Mussina and Kevin Brown and the Yankee have the perfect pitching staff... ON PAPER.

If you think rationally, as though maybe money/thought did matter, you may notice somethings about this Dream Staff that had the Yankees organization and their fans creaming themselves.

1. Randy Johnson is 42

2. Carl Pavano was 18-8 last year. Before 2004 this guy was ten games under .500 in arguably the most pitcher friendly park in baseball

3. Jaret Wright may have won 15 games in 2004. But, in the 7 years before the 2004 season he won a whopping total of 18 games. Thats right, 18 games. Or on avg a tad above 2.5 wins per season for seven years. What caused this medicority? hmm. arm troubles...I guess thats worth $20 mil

4/5. Mike Mussina and Kevin Brown have both seen their best years far behind them. They are both in their later 30's.

So what happened?

The Yankees dream pitching staff, put together by Steinbrenner and his little red headed step child, Brian Cashman, tanked.

Randy Johnson pitched like a 42 year old for most of the season. Hist fastball would top off at 94mph instead of 98mph. Thats almost $7 mil per/mph dropped

Wright and Brown- pitchers with a history of serious arm troubles- surprise, surprise...had arm troubles.

Pavano got rocked to the tune of 4-6 with a 4.77era before he got hurt.

And Mike Mussina, he was well a decent pitcher...who happened to be making $17 mil.

Every fear that Yankee fans may have had before the season came to fruition.Yet magicly, the Yankees survived. The miracle trio of Wang, Small, and Chacon some how won games to the tune of 25-8.

The dream team on paper, built by the front office, stunk and the misfit fillin's were miracles.

So who is to blame and to praise for the Yankee shortcomings and successes.

Now lets take a moment to think about this. The Gm/owner overpaid, overevaluated, over everything a pitching staff that he put together that turned out to be no better than the Tampa Bay Devi lrays staff. And then three nobody's came in and saved the day.

You know who must be at fault: THE PITCHING COACH.

See, Mel Stottlemyre has to be guilty. Right? Come on? Even a little? I mean he is the one that caused Wright and Brown to hurt themselves again. And Mussina and Johnson to be old...Right?

Well that is who Mr. Steinbrenner had to blame.

Mel Stottlemyre was essentially driven out of town in a very nasty separation after the Yankees lost in the ALDS. This is a pitching coach who worked wonders on three nobody's to save a pitching staff. Yet HE is George's scapegoat.

Sorry George, you are the asshole. Today Don Zimmer, the yankees former bench coach and last year's scapegoat, came to the defense of Stottlemyre. Most Yankee players and coaches are doing the same.

See, if youre going to praise Joe Torre for being a good manager all these years (Note: i could manage the yankees of the late 90's with one hand in my pants and the other scratching my ass) then Mel Stottlemyre's coaching performance this year is one step short of mother Teresa.

Unfortunately, in the hypocrosy that is the Yankees, Mel is to blame and Steinbrenner feels vindicated.

George Steinrenner expects the Yankees to win the world series every year. Every offseason he looks to see who is available, looks at their stats, sees something good and overpays for them. He is not a baseball guy. He is a money guy.

This expectation to win the world series has Yankee fans turning their backs on the AL MVP. Only Yankee fans could call their mvp a bust.

This expectation has the Yankees calling Randy Johnson a total bust. The guy won 17 games with a 3.79 era and was second in the league in strike outs.

These expectations make the fans angry which makes Steinbrenner angry so he needs to find a scapegoat. Since it cant be him and it isnt HIS players that HE overpaid for. It has to be someone. Why not the PITCHING COACH?

Not only are the Yankees hatable as a team, but their owner is an asshole who cant admit that he made a mistake. Bad team, Bad morals.

I hate the yankees,

Sippy Momo