Afternoon Baseball

Well, as the Yanks put the finishing touches on an incredible, but not surprising collapse, it merits mention that the Red Sox were favored going into this series. With good reason. Better pitching top-to-bottom, better clutch hitting, better fielding, and less selfish players--Although Terry Francona still makes some bizarre decisions, like bringing in Pedro tonight. The Red Sox have definitely earned this win--Curt Schilling and David Ortiz clearly being the difference-makers. Ortiz has been the best clutch player in baseball for a year-and-a-half now, and Schilling has been my favorite pitcher since 1993 because of performances like these. Unfortunately now, the last couple have been against the Yanks.

The bigger problem is the Steinbrenner-caused collapse of the Yankees as anything but a hollow facade of a championship team, money be damned. Talking with Mike Memoli almost a year ago after the Pettitte defection, the problems were as follows: unjustified confidence in the health of Kevin Brown, the psyche of Javier Vazquez, the decline of Jason Giambi pre-tumor, the unbelievable expectations for Jon Lieber after Tommy John surgery, the lack of a bullpen, specifically the lack of any lefties.
A year later, none of these things were remedied, and the Yankees have largely strayed away from the good baseball thinking that won the titles. The best acquisitions were Hernandez, Cairo, Clark, the retaining of Sierra, and the scrap heap pickup of Olerud. I doubt they spent $6 million on those five. On the other hand, they had no reason to absolve the Dodgers of their $30 million debt to Brown (Dodgers fans, send Christmas cards to the Yanks; that trade allowed you to get to the playoffs this year), vastly overpaid for the very productive Sheffield, who nonetheless had no other teams interested.
Sure, the A-Rod deal was a coup...at the time. But it might have been worth it to remember that some players bat left-handed, so it might be good to get a guy who also is left-handed to pitch to them. Rivera sucked this series up, but anyone would if they were 34 and were overused (even for him) because no one else can do their job.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, got Foulke and Schilling, and gave away literally nothing (Casey Fossum is so bad you'd rather throw a one-armed man out there). They made the great trades for Cabrera, Roberts, et al, and in the most bold move (maybe only) ever in Sox history, knew when it was time to let go. For once in Boston, a clubhouse cancer was eliminated, and Nomar sits at home just waiting for Mia Hamm to wake up and realize what a loser she married. Bold, bold moves that the Red Sox have never made, or have made in extreme haste and panic. Theo Epstein deserves all the praise possible for a GM.
In addition, Pedro Martinez, the most selfish SOB ever, realized his place, that he was not the man anymore. Schilling is his daddy, but Pedro is that good son who follows faithfully. Contrast that to say, Lofton or Brown or Nomar or Jerry Rice.

But back to why this Yankee team simply didn't deserve to win (although seriously, up 3 games, you HAVE to win):
Take a look at this Yankee team and it's recent acquisitions, as few Yankees fans in the last year or three have been willing to honestly do.
Mike Mussina- Granted, he seemed to shed that fear of being the ace, but he is a player who shies from not just the spotlight, but the responsibility that comes along with his talent. No 20-win seasons, and repeatedly pitches just well enough to lose so that he can complain about lack of run support. But he's alright. He gives his all and has never been publicly asked to be that ace of aces that he doesn't seem to be able to be.

Kenny Lofton? Selfish, whines about playing time; he can't field anymore and is such a great leadoff hitter that Jeter leads off. Has now made the playoffs and failed to win the Series in 8 different years and with 5 teams, and has hit .248 in the postseason prior to this year with a .319 on-base. Compared to .297 and .372 in the regular season.

Alex Rodriguez? The most ordinary and underwhelming superstar ever seen. His season wasn't even so disappointing because it never appeared as if he was playing anything less than what he can play. This is who he is--an unemotional player (who comes off extremely calculating in all he does--he's like Kobe without the crime...yet) who delivers only when the games don't matter (his MVP campaign was constructed entirely after June when the Rangers were comfortably in last) or when no one is on-base. I give him credit for moving to third base, but I can't believe how little awe he inspires, in person and on television.

Javier Vazquez? I love this guy, he single-handedly won me all the pitching categories in fantasy baseball in 2003. But when you play in Montreal, you have to prove that you can play in a excitable Little League town, much less New York. That makes Vladimir Guerrero's season even more incredible this year. Vazquez at least has a couple more years to prove me wrong.

Jason Giambi? He's destroyed his body with steroids and things of that sort. Plus he stopped being a complete hitter and started uppercutting every damn swing when he came to the Yanks. Plus he really can't field, and he's going to be 34 or 35 next year. Yeah, Mo Vaughn comparisions can commence.

Kevin Brown? One healthy year in this century. And it wasn't this year. 3 1/3 innings in 2 starts. Makes David Wells in Game 5 of the 2003 WS look like a Medal of Honor winner by comparision.

Let's get ready for the World Series. But even Yankee fans should know this isn't a team, like last year's arguably, that deserved to win the Series. It was merely the physical manifestion of George's overinflated self-importance, and the Red Sox finally, finally, managed to show some cojones in the big moment. Congrats to them, and hopefully the Yankees can regroup and figure out a way to get back to a less trigger-happy way of building a team.