Eric Chavez: Yankees Should Be Very Concerned
Via Wally Matthews -
The New York Yankees now have lost seven of their past 10 games, 12 of their past 18 and 13 of the 24 they have played since the All-Star break.
They have seen their lead in the American League East shrink from a high of 10 games on July 18 to where it sits right now, a mere 4½ games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles — their narrowest lead since June 29.
After three months of playing without their closer, six weeks without their No. 2 starter and two weeks without their starting third baseman, they are beginning to show signs of fraying at the edges.
While they are in no danger of missing out on the postseason, there is no guarantee anymore that they will win their division and escape the crapshoot of the one-game play-in.
And if it turns out that, once again, their division series opponent is the Detroit Tigers, you would have to call them the underdogs to advance to the AL Championship Series.
After all, any team that has a defending AL MVP in Justin Verlander poised to start twice in five games and a looming AL MVP in Miguel Cabrera sitting in the middle of its lineup has got to be the favorite — especially based on its performance in the first two games here this week.
No wonder Eric Chavez — one of the few productive hitters in the Yankees’ lineup Tuesday night and one of a small handful of honest voices in their clubhouse after their 6-5 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park — had this to say when asked what the level of concern around the team is right now:
“There should be a high level of concern. Anybody who says that there isn’t is lying. You’ve just got to win ballgames, and we’re not finding a way to do that, and it should be a concern. It’s that time of the year when, yeah, it is a concern.”
Good thing Chavez is not some almost-fifty-year old blogger who has been a fan of the Yankees for forty years. If he was, and he said something like that, people would get all over him.
Still not concerned. Every team goes through a rough stretch, can’t be ready to jump off the bridge at every losing streak.
Corey wrote:
What would it take to get you concerned?
A voice of reason is what I would call it Steve..What I fear now and I am sure this was the angle of your thread, Chavez just committed the Cardinal sin and spoke out against the Yankee front office. I am sure their will be repercussions for his actions. But instead, I am hoping this is a wake up call to the rest of the organization that something needs to happen soon or the danger of losing this division is likely.
Wally Matthews bloviated:
No one else in the clubhouse is honest, Wally? Come on, spare us this kind of bullshit.
Steve L. wrote:
Poor, persecuted Steve. Self-pity much?
Steve L. wrote:
Falling out of first place and missing the playoffs. Until those events happen, this is just a patch of poor play that every single team in baseball goes through.
tpe O THEIR -> There..
FakeGeneMichaels wrote:
Huh? Chavez said absolutely nothing of the sort. He simply said the team isn’t playing well.
@ MJ Recanati:
and that represents his honesty IMO and why the writer put it in that context.. Chanvez did say anyone that isnt worried is lying.. Perhaps you missed some of the recent news but the Yankee front office namely Cashman has repeatly said, I am not worried..The words don’t have to speak directly to the executive office but IMO, Chavez is directing his comments to the the powers in charge, I can be wrong but thats how I view it..
FakeGeneMichaels wrote:
IMO, I think you’re overreacting here. I doubt Chavez thought what he said through that much.
Steve L. wrote:
When the team drops out of first place. Let’s not forget that they also have a 2 wild card safety net here.
But aside from all of that, the real reason I’m not concerned is that the lead that they dwindled down is 4.5 games is to the Orioles. The Orioles will resume dropping out of contention once Tillman returns to Earth. To me, the lead is still 6 games.
Sorry MJ, I respectfully disagree with you.. I was under the impression this site permits opinions, which we all have.. Right or Wrong, its an opinion.. I’ll stand with my thank you.
FakeGeneMichaels wrote:
I never said you can’t have an opinion.
@ Corey:
If the Yankees only make the wild card this year, it’s a failure. No one wants part of that one game playoff.
Corey wrote:
Might I ask you in a friendly manner, WHAT IF your interpetation of the lead doesnt come to fruition? I am not worried if your concern or no honestly, just asking since your viewing 4.5 game lead as 6 games which I am having a HARD time understanding your math.
Steve L. wrote:
I agree with you because I said that’s when I’ll be concerned.
FakeGeneMichaels wrote:
The Tampa Bay Rays are 6 games out. They just got Longoria back, so that’s who I’m concerned with. Do you believe the Orioles will be there at the end of September? I don’t.
Corey wrote:
Me neither.
Can we discount the fact that the O’s have hung in there this long and are just 4½ games back on August 8th? And, if you do, is that a mistake?
@ Steve L.:
They hung in with all the Yankees losing?
Corey wrote:
Are the Yankees losing? I thought they were the best team in baseball?
Have you looked at the Rays schedule the rest of the way….Has to be one of the toughest in baseball. They just don’t have enough offense to go on a hot streak…Longoria isn’t that good and is a bad step away from tweaking his weak hammy again anyway. Rays are a team that scored zero runs in 21 straight innings at home last weekend against the O’s. They scored 2 runs in that entire series. They are just not a very good team to go on run with their schedule and all the teams in front of them.
Now Yanks I agree are not playing well and a lot of close games we lost. Blame goes to Girardi in some of these close games and if they fail to win the division or make playoffs after having a 10 game lead I would say he should be fired for sure. How many years are left on his contract?
@ Cory…The Tampa Bay Rays are 6 games out. They just got Longoria back, so that’s who I’m concerned with. Do you believe the Orioles will be there at the end of September? I don’t.
I am sorry did I miss your post?.. I was asking MJ the question, but since you responded directly to me, NO, I am not, I dont think the O’s are fundementaly sound on the field IMO and make way to many errors. They can staff their rotation with Verlanders if they want but if they can’t field, it doesnt amount to many wins.
As far as your next point concerning the Rays.. YES, but I always felt they were the team to beat in the AL east because they have a better pitching staff IMO than any team in the AL east at the start of the season. Although, with Lango being out, no one really stepped up to replace him. Upton and Desomnd are having off years. Pena is simply HORRIBLE. Maybe its because Lango isnt in the lineup that they are not scoring runs, but I fear they will go on a hot streak soon.. And once they do, well, the Yankees IMO, lost a chance to run away with this division and lock it up. I sure hope I am wrong about this..
But wasnt that the point Steve was trying to make?. The concern with the Yankees not playing well and not taking the opportunity to run away with division?..
Corey wrote:
Yeah… There’s a month and a half left in the season, not going to be concerned until the lead is blown. And I may be mildly concerned at that. Will be annoyed if the team misses the playoffs, though.
I’ve watched baseball too many years to worry that the Yankees will blow a lead in August.
FakeGeneMichaels wrote:
Probably the guy who misses Andy Pettitte the most.
Raf wrote:
Total agreement there.
Corey wrote:
LOL.. All along I thought it was CC he sent flowers and bought dinner for after a series with the Yankees!..
Rays Schedule rest of way:
2 TOR, 3 @ Min, 3 @ SEA, 4 @ LA, 3 KC, 3 OAK, 3 @ TEX, 4 @ TOR, 3 NNY, 3 TEX, 3 @ BAL, 3 @ NYY, 4 BOS, 3 TOR, 2 @ BOS, 4 @ CWS
Yanks Schedule rest of way:
2 @ DET, 3 @ TOR, 4 TEX, 3 BOS, 3 @ CWS, 3 @ CLE, 3 TOR, 3 BAL, 3 @ TB, 3 @ BAL, 3 @ BOS, 3 TB, 3 TOR, 3 OAK, 3 @ MIN, 4 @ TOR
Looks like to me if the Yanks can play well against TOR and BAL who they play what 24 times the rest of the way they will be fine. They’ve been playing well against BOS as well this season. They should be fine and it would take a huge collapse for Rays to catch them given their schedule.