BTW , the team essentially forgot to play NL style play and became more of an AL OBP team after 2001.
—-
Eh???

OBP

1996: .360
1997: .362
1998: .362
1999: .364
2000: .354
2001: .334
2002: .354
2003: .356
2004: .353

So much for that… You may want to check the numbers.

Joel, these “Dummkopfs” who deride Arod are not exactly that because he is a very iffy clutch player. Considering the fact that he is paid 30 mill , people are expecting him to be the Second Coming of Mantle and Ruth. Look, Arod is a great player but a flawed one. He is deficient in the clutch unlike Papi who is making 12 mill! What a bargain compared to Arod,unh?

Raf, no offense what team were you watching during the later Torre era ? BTW , the team essentially forgot to play NL style play and became more of an AL OBP team after 2001. The post Dynasty Torre team was built with people like Giambi not with rabbits like Figgins and Juan Pierre. Torre was not even utilizing strategy, he was waiting for a 5 run home run appraoch. C’mon , the whole train of logic of Damon bunting is a joke. Damon succesfully bunted in the first Toronto series, yet Damon (who is the leadoff hitter) can’t get one down now?All of a sudden Damon can’t do his job properly( witness his weak attempt to bunt last week). Jeter has very little speed now and to add insult to injury is becoming a singles hitter WITHOUT the requisite speed to make up for his loss of power.

Pete, by my logic Cashman is the architect of the team. He is not a complete dolt. He brought Girardi in for a reason. It is imperative that the GM to make changes to make the team more competitive AND to reflect the manager’s strengths.

On A-Rod, YES had a stat last week. I don’t remember the exact numbers and haven’t researched it but here was the general idea. Last year, A-Rod drove in somewhere on the order of 40 runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. I think he had 20+ in the ninth inning alone. This year it was around 5. Again, I may not have the numbers exact but the order of magnitude should be close. He is not hitting when we need him to. Neither is Jeter. Nor Cano. Nor Giambi (for the last couple months.)

A-Rod gets singled out, maybe unfairly in light of the similar failures of his peers. A-Rod has better numbers than his peers – its true. But I have to agree they are not as good as they seem. Unfortunately, nothing is very good for the Yanks offense this year.

If Jeter continues his hot streak and manages to get his average close to .300 for the season, a lot of that offense will be too little too late as well.

Empty is an accurate description of our bats this year

Jeter, Damon, Gardner & Christian don’t know how to lay down a bunt? Jeter, Damon, Gardner, Christian, Cabrera, Cano, Molina, Pudge, etc, are bashers?

Pudge, Nady, Abreu, Betemit, Jeter, etc don’t know how to play NL style ball? Did the team forget how to play NL style ball under Torre?

The guys on the roster don’t know how to run?

News to me. You may want to check the numbers.

So Cashman was supposed to completely restructure the team in *one* offseason simply because a new manager comes in?

So by your logic, Cashman should have traded A-Rod & Jeter for Chone Figgins & David Eckstein, right…?

Raf, Girardi played a NL style of ball when he was with the Marlins. When you pick someone who manages a different , more aggressive type of ball that includes bunting and his leadoff hitter can’t lay down a bunt last week, then that is a personnel problem. Where are the roleplayers to scratch out a run, everyone is a basher. Is that Girardi’s fault.Once again: blame Cashman!

Torre managed many games before coming to New York, Girardi had one previous season.
————
Don’t think that means anything. Why should it? Girardi’s problem isn’t inexperience.

Had the lineup stayed healthy/productive, the Yanks would’ve won around the same number of games that they won last season.

Cashman didn’t mold the team into a team that was tailormade to Girardi’s strengths.
——–
Eh?

What are Girardi’s strengths, and why would he expect a different team this year than last?

I understand what people say about Arod, but you want to see the real Arod(unclutch and homeruns meaning nothing) look at Adam Dunn. Bill James called him an old school player. That is what Yank fans accuse Arod of being and point blank Arod is a much better player than Dunn.

Girardi is doing a good job considering the circumstances. He doesn’t have the same team as Torre and some of these older veterans are one year
older. Cashman didn’t mold the team into a team that was tailormade to Girardi’s strengths. ONce again my motto for this season: Blame Cashman!