The point was that there are a bunch of totally random events in the postseason. I’m not assigning blame to anyone. Much of what I wrote was written glibly, as I don’t see the Yankees punting Rivera, Posada, Chamberlain, Wang, etc, etc. But imagine if the Yanks punted Rivera after the 97 (OMG HE TeH SUKK, WE WANT WETTELAND!!11!!!1), 01 or 04 postseasons. Punting Pettitte after the 01 season. It doesn’t make sense. Any player’s worth comes during the regular season. Anyone can get hot during the postseason, there are years of evidence to that fact. Ricky Ledee (.243 career) is NOT a .600 hitter (1998 WS), Billy Hatcher (.264 career) is NOT a .750 hitter (1990 WS), and anyone who builds a team around what a player can do in the postseason, is setting themselves up for disappointment.

You’re missing the point, contorting yourself to blame Cashman. Wells was doing fine during the 2003 season and postseason, right up until game 5. Wells was a good acquisition the both times he was a Yankee. I’d sign him again. Whether there was a hole in the rotation or not is irrelevant, as the organization has shown that they will sign a pitcher no matter how many arms are on the staff. It happened with Irabu, it happened with Duque, it happened with Contreras, it happened with Weaver, Neagle, etc, etc, etc.

Back to the point about the playoffs, if you tell me in 2001 that the Yanks are up 3-2, going to AZ with Pettitte and Clemens in the hole, if you tell me that in game 7 of the 2001 WS that Rivera’s on the mound, in the 9th with a lead, I’d say there’s a very good chance the Yanks would win.

If you tell me in 2004 that the Yanks are up 3-0 with Duque-Mussina-Lieber-Brown in the pipeline, I’d say there’s a very good chance the Yanks would win. Hell, you tell me Rivera’s on the mound in the 9th 3 outs away from advancing to the WS, I’d say there’s a very good chance the Yanks would win.

Jeff Weaver threw one good inning against tougher hitters than the one he faced in Alex Gonzalez. Even so, the series is tied @ 2 with Wells-Pettitte-Mussina in the pipeline. I like the Yanks’ chances.

Same with any other season. What are the odds that Wang sucks two starts in a row? How many blocked pitches has Posada blocked? It just so happens he failed twice in a crucial situation. Yes, the same Jorge Posada who was on the “Dynasty Yankees;” did he forget how to block a pitch?

It doesn’t make sense.

~~Why would you bump Wells from the rotation?~~

What I was saying…

You blame Wells for losing the 2003 WS. I say that Cashman is the reason why he was on the team – one way or another. Either Cashman brought him back, or, if it was Stein who brought him back, then it’s Cashman’s fault that there was an opening in the rotation where Stein could plug Wells after he signed him.

So, if you want to blame Wells for losing the 2003 WS, then blame Cashman for Wells being on the team…that’s all.

Rivera in 2004? What, no Gordon or Quantrill, or Brown or Vazquez, all Cashman players?
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Rivera was handed leads in gms 4 & 5, and gave them both up. Mo was supposed to do a job, and he didn’t do it. I mean, he’s a champion, he knows what it takes to win, right? So what happened?

Wells in ‘03? Wasn’t it Cashman who brought him back – or, at the least, allowed it to happen by not having other starters where Big Stein would then have no place to put Wells?
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Wells went 15-7 in 2003, tossing 200+ innings. He did the same in 2002, going 19-7, I don’t think anyone had a problem with that. Up to game 5, he had already pitched through the ALDS & ALCS without incident.

Why would you bump Wells from the rotation?

Other starters?
Mussina-Pettitte-Clemens-Wells-Weaver, with Contreras having started a handful of games in 2003.

In the postseason, who gets a start before Moose, Pettitte-Clemens-Wells?

~~Pettitte and Rivera choked away the 2001 WS, Rivera choked away the 2004 ALCS, Big game pitcher Wells was reacquired and got shelled in 2002 and his back gave out in 2003.~~

I’ll give you Pettitte and Mo in 2001. Rivera in 2004? What, no Gordon or Quantrill, or Brown or Vazquez, all Cashman players? If those guys didn’t suck in ‘04, then Mo’s off the hook. Wells in ‘03? Wasn’t it Cashman who brought him back – or, at the least, allowed it to happen by not having other starters where Big Stein would then have no place to put Wells? How about Weaver in the WS? Didn’t Cashman trade for him?

However, when Cashman took over as the head man in charge, the following players were already on the team: Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mike Stanton, David Cone, Ramiro Mendoza, David Wells, Joe Girardi, Jeff Nelson, Chad Curtis and Darryl Strawberry.
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Yep.

Pettitte and Rivera choked away the 2001 WS, Rivera choked away the 2004 ALCS, Big game pitcher Wells was reacquired and got shelled in 2002 and his back gave out in 2003.

I’d have a hard time believing that all these players, along with guys like Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield and co that played on WS winning teams, all of a sudden forgot how to win.

And they need to trade Wang, that f’n bum. Got shelled in the 07 ALDS. Joba too, because he can’t pitch around bugs. Posada too, because he can’t play defense.

One more thing, Abreu is a very consistent and productive player But is he a winning player? A lot of Philly fans chided him when he was in Cheesesteakville, because he was “soft and didn’t like walls”. Well we definitely saw the “I hate walls” part here, no doubt. I wouldn’t mind him on a one year deal, because of his production but nothing beyond that.

Steve, thanks for adding Stick and Watson’s names on the list, you beat me to the punch. Cash Man did get Knoblauch and had a role, but the heart, soul and foundation of that Dynasty team was Stick and Bob W hands down. From what Stick had said on Mike and the Mad Dog a few years back they weren’t really listening to him anymore. Talk about the inmates running the asylum in the Bronx…….

~~Cashman is a big reason why they had the dynasty from ‘96-’00.~~

Brian Cashman became Yankees G.M. on February 28, 1998. And, yes, the Yankees did win rings in 1998, 1999 and 2000. However, when Cashman took over as the head man in charge, the following players were already on the team: Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mike Stanton, David Cone, Ramiro Mendoza, David Wells, Joe Girardi, Jeff Nelson, Chad Curtis and Darryl Strawberry.

This group of Yankees was added to the team by Stick Michael and Bob Watson. It was they, and not Cashman, who built a powerhouse entity (via this cadre of players) who went on to win three rings from 1998 through 2000 – and which benefited Brian Cashman when he took over for Watson in 1998.

ankees fans, in the last eleven years (under Brian Cashman) have seen their team go from a World Series winning crew (1998-2000) to a team that wins 100 games a year and then chokes in the post-season (2001-2004) to a team that cannot win 100 games and who gets bounced from the playoffs in the first round and can barely manage a win in October (2005-2008).
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Are you saying that its Cashman’s fault? If you are then your nuts. Cashman is a big reason why they had the dynasty from ‘96-’00. If you want to blame it someone when it came to who they signed it was Steinbrenner’s fault. He’s the one that told Cash to go after these big name players. Otherwise i completely agree with this blog. New blood will bring New Dynasty. Mark my words.