Best Price: $49.95New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are simply the class of Major League Baseball, and they have been for most of a century. The Yankees won their record 27th World Series this past October, so there is no immediate sign of their decline. It is the fifth title they have captured since 1996 alone, so they are as relevant now as they were in the days of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the other greats of the game. Indeed, one of the best parts of visiting the old Yankee Stadium was knowing that the greatest players to ever play the game played there. One walk through monument park was like stepping into the game’s history as the retired numbers and plaques were not just Yankee legends, but baseball legends. No team has more titles, more history, and more retired numbers than the Yankees.
Amazingly, the Yankees threw away a part of that history in 2009 when they closed the doors on the old Yankee Stadium and moved into the new $1 billion Yankee Stadium across the street. That meant that the old House that Ruth Built, the first grand cathedral to the game of baseball, was destined for the wrecking ball. As a baseball fan, that made their 2009 season a tad bittersweet. Yes, it was great as they opened a fine new stadium. Winning the World Series was even better, but getting rid of the history and tradition of the old Yankee Stadium somehow felt wrong. The new Stadium also had an odd feeling to it. Though many games were filled to capacity, the premium seats immediately behind home plate were often found empty because it was hard to sell those incredibly expensive tickets in a tough economy.
The Yankees will continue to be competitive and generate revenue, however. Derek Jeter, the well respected captain of the team, is about two seasons away from reaching 3,000 hits for his career. He is one of the few Yankees with five World Series rings, so it is only a matter of time before his number 2 joins the other retired numbers in the new MonumentPark. The same is true with closer Mariano Rivera, who earned his fifth World Series ring and reached 500 career saves this past season. What helped the Yankees the most in 2009, however, was the emergence of Alex Rodriguez as a playoff performer. Regularly known as a player that did well during the regular season but stumbled in the playoffs, Rodriguez finally lived up to his massive expectations and huge contract by slugging his way through October.
The Yankees will once again be one of the World Series favorites in 2010. It is mostly because they spend more than any other team in baseball. They can amass talent like no one else can simply because they can afford it. They also have several key veterans like Rivera, Jeter, and Rodriguez returning to power the lineup. As always, that means it is a very good time to be a Yankee fan. There is no end in sight to the good times either.
2010 Will the New York Yankees Repeat
It is the halfway point in another great season, and the burning question is can the New York Yankees repeat as World Series Champions? This can be answered with a simple no. while the team is a good example of what all to do to win; there are a few points that will give the team trouble later in the season. While these issues are not a problem now, there will be a point that the wheels fall off the bus and the team will crash.
This is due to the fact that the team has overused the few players that are in the position of pitching. There are only a few talented players that are able to fill in the gaps and as a result these players are beginning to become depleted and overused.
A fan can say well simply go to the closers and rely on them. This is where the problem is, there is not enough talent in the closers to get them a victory on the field, add in the fact that the starting pitcher is struggling to get the team to a point that the closer can take over, then comes the issue of depending on them when in a pinch. Many of the closers are not experienced enough to take a close game and win it. They work better in a wide margin of runs separating.
With a bull pen that is showing signs of wear and tear, it is a wonder that they are still standing let alone still in the hunt for the division title. The team has made a lot of adjustments that have given them a little room to improve the situation. There is a desperate effort back behind the scenes to fix the pitching problem as the team has held things together so far, but this will not last for long.
There is the batting order that has been able to hold the whole thing together in order to keep the team from heading down the drain in regards to other teams outpitching them. Players like A-Rod and Jeter have been instrumental in making sure that the team is able to maintain their consistency when it comes to the batting order.
One look at the outfield and you can also see that this area is working to the max in order to make up for the lack of quality pitching. There has been an added sense of hustle for the players in the outfield. They are working harder as a result.
This is why the team needs to sit down and reevaluate the situation. They may be better off bringing up a few of the farm league players to take over for a few games and as a result allow them to rest their starters. Yes they will sacrifice a few games. This will be better to do now then wait and the problem gets a lot worse.
The Yankees are a great team that at the moment has a weakness that needs to be addressed. This can be fixed and as a result save the teams hopes for a repeat World Series win. If these problems are not fixed then they along with their fans will be watching from home.
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