| John McMullen. 19th July, 2005 - 8:46 pm
 $200 million dollars could be the GNP of a third world country but it certainly hasn’t helped the New York Yankees secure competent Major League pitching.
Consider what the Yankees threw at Boston last week in a 17-1 debacle at the hands of their fiercest rival. Tim Redding, Darrell May, Jason Anderson, Buddy Groom and Scott Proctor all toed the rubber for New York. Needless to say, batting practice began at about 7:15 for the Sox.
A flurry of problems have created the perfect storm of ineptitude that is the Yankees pitching staff. Poor drafting, poor scouting, trading young talent, injuries and enough head cases to keep Dr. Phil busy through Christmas will catch up to you.
Lost in the excitement of the Yankees taking back what seems to be their birthright, first place in the A.L. East, is the fact that their pitching problems remain ever looming, virtually every night.
The team’s stunning lack of quality arms may be too much to overcome. While, the Yankees offense has been on fire for the past month, every offense, even one that boasts five .300 hitters will slump.
Casual fans may bemoan A-Rod’s clutch hitting or Jason Giambi’s steroid follies but they and their teammates will produce and wear down any team in the 162-game marathon that is a MLB season. This Yankee lineup would produce 105 wins with middle of the pack pitching. They would likely rival the 1998 team with a top-tier staff.
But this is anything but a top-tier staff. They are led by Randy Johnson. Johnson, the best pitcher in baseball for the past decade, has turned into a number three starter in New York. Problem is......The Big Unit is still the Yankees best. His once vaunted fastball has lost five MPH and his slider has looked flatter than the next patient visiting Doctor 90210. Johnson’s peers have not been any better. Mike Mussina, another former ace in a galaxy far, far away, seems to have lost anything that resembles an out pitch.
Another aging former ace (stop me if you see a pattern developing), Kevin Brown, seems to have the same stuff. His fastball hit 93 on the gun in Texas on Monday and his vaunted sinker still has scary movement but Brown has lost all command. The former intimidating presence Brown showed in Florida, San Diego and Los Angles is but a distant memory and his psyche seems more fragile than a carton of eggs.
Carl Pavano, a top-tier pitcher with Florida in 2004, seems destined to join a long list of pitchers headlined by Ed Whitson, Kenny Rogers and Brown that just don’t have the mental makeup to pitch in pinstripes.
Jared Wright was an injury waiting to happen and the fact he was brought to New York is more an indictment of the decision-makers than Wright himself.
The fact that the Yankees were counting on rookie Chen Ming-Wang and are now counting on Al Leiter tells you how badly things have deteriorated.
Wang was a godsend and the lone bright spot of the rotation. An impact rookie, Wang had the stuff and the makeup to inhabit and flourish as a solid number three or four but a possible season ending rotator cuff injury has scuttled that.
The veteran Leiter is a lot like Brown in that he had the same stuff while imploding in Florida but lost his command. That said, unlike Brown, Leiter proved in his days with the Mets that he has the mettle to succeed in New York and relishes big situations.
With the exception of the incomparable Mariano Rivera, Tom Gordan and Tanyon Sturtze, the bullpen hasn‘t been much better. Three veterans have already been jettisoned due to ineffectiveness (Steve Karsay, Mike Stanton and Paul Quantrill) while their replacements are guys Columbus manager Bucky Dent wouldn’t trust.
Help is on the way when Felix Rodriguez is activated this week but if Joe Torre needs a lefthander to get a big out in the late innings, his only options remain Buddy Groom and Wayne Franklin.
$200 million sure doesn’t buy what it used too.
You can reach John McMullen at JMcmullen1@comcast.net |
