SPANISH HARLEM – I have been harping on the end of season interviews from Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner and all I can say is… “Are they delusional?”. Aaron Boone has been retained and that is something I expected but that is not the problem. The problem I have is that they don’t see the problem that is right in front of their faces.
Hal stated that it’s on the players to produce and the reason we didn’t win is because the players didn’t play well. Yes, he can make that point but it’s the players that the front office chose and who fans have known to be very very flawed, that failed them. Cashman continues to put bandages on open wounds instead of stitching them up.
Analytics can change from year to year, and what made analytics so important is finding what the inefficiencies are and how to use them to your advantage. Thinking outside the box and different from what the other teams in the league are doing. Cashman seems to always be a step behind and while that maybe on him or the analytic team he has, change for him doesn’t come easy. While it’s true that teams that tend to win in the playoffs win the home run battle, it’s not logical to think if you have a lineup 1-9 that swing for the fences will win you playoff games.
It’s the home runs that come at the right time, when your lineup battles a great pitcher and wares him down and the mistake happens. It can come from your best hitter or your worst hitter and most times it will come from someone the pitcher doesn’t fear. Sure, great players can determine a series but it’s the big hits from the players you least expect that can make a good team, a great team in the playoffs.
They rely on guys that don’t make enough contact and, in the playoffs, when you are facing the best pitchers on a team’s staff, that is asking a lot. The team construction needs to change. The players they tend to go for needs to change and I’m not sure Cashman is willing to do that. I hope he can at some point because we are stuck with him and this is not a time to be stubborn, don’t try to be the smartest guy in the room. Consider your own inefficiencies and get better.
They need guys in the bottom of the lineup that are pesky and make contact, don’t strike out. I know on-base percentage is key, but you need a balanced lineup, which is something I haven’t seen in forever. We will see what this offseason brings for the Yankees, make or break, lockout notwithstanding.
That’s it for now, please come back tomorrow for more great revelations from Jackson Sternberg.
