Greatness is mastery, skillfulness, ability, it’s the art of making something complicated appear natural; greatness is the foundation of success, and vice versa. But when can we as individuals achieve greatness? When we are able to recognize the courage that lies deep within, that courage that we all have inside but few are able to discover, some even go a lifetime without knowing about its existence. So, what is greatness, truly? It’s simply what the New York Yankees lack in 2007.
Okay, so after all the cheesy, heartwarming chat, the time comes when we talk baseball. You see, in 2007, the Yankees have allowed themselves to get beaten, they’ve allowed themselves to become a bust, unnecessarily, too. These New York Yankees have a roster like none other; as I always like to say, they’ve got a lot of guys in that lineup that could hit in the 3rd spot everyday for any team, some even cleanup, and yet they’re 12.5 games behind the Red Sox.
Every year, every darn year, the New York Yankees start off rough. Every year they struggle to get ahead, always at the beginning of the season. But this year, it seems that they’ve wanted to stretch that beginning a bit too far. People aren’t allowing them to get away with things anymore (like they ever have), and they just seem to be stuck in the same place, with no idea of what they’re supposed to do next.
Joe Torre talked about the Yankees and said that where they stand right now, they’ve got a mountain to climb. But, really, the Yanks don’t have a mountain to climb, they’ve got friggin’ Everest waiting for them and they’re still not moving, they’re just standing there, staring up intently with a big drop of drool on their chins, as if the snowy top were to come down for them.
Where the Yankees stand right now, I see it terribly difficult they get into the postseason. Why is this, you ask? Well, they’re sinking lower and lower with each game—with each series, and they’re not showing any signs of improvement.
This little talk brings me back to the first point I’d like to discuss: Mr. Joe Torre. Torre has been with the team for what, 11 years now? And he still was able to, after two or three seasons of very heavy doubt and controversy, remain in his position for 2007. He outlived Stottlemeyre, Zimmer, Strawberry, Boggs, Fielder, I mean, this guy managed Joe Girardi, who as you
must (seriously, must) know, has already managed the Florida Marlins (I refuse to analyze
that situation), as well as some other guys who actually went on to work with him… and he’s still around.
But, in spite of all of these somewhat meaningless details and looking at the core of the problem, is Joe Torre still good enough for the job? That is a question that so many have asked themselves, especially George Steinbrenner and his GM, Brian Cashman, and the most popular answer? Nope, no he is not.
When Torre got the gig with the Bombers, Yankee fans were less than thrilled. This dude had a horrible managerial career and he was now to lead their team into victory? Yeah, right. But all Yankee fans were left with after awhile was to say… well, to quote Jon Lovitz, “Smack my ass and call me Judy”, he did it! Torre got the Yankees through 4 championships in, well, about 5 years and made his roster a lineup of superstars.
Torre’s success cannot be undermined. The guy is the meaning of greatness, but all I can say now is that apparently greatness has an expiration date. In Torre’s case, it’s been done for a few months now.
I’ve always defended good ol’ Joe, I have, but it’s time to be realistic. Torre is my kind of manager and he always has been, he’s quick, aggressive yet incredibly calm, he’s just the kind of guy that works, but lately, it seems, he’s been kind of losing his touch. It’s like, I’m sorry, man, but it’s time to go home and chill with the wife, you know what I mean? How do you think he’d look wearing a sweat suit with an umbrella hat, maxin’ and relaxin’ with a glass of lemonade at Boca? Okay, okay, maybe we shouldn’t stretch it
that far.
But the blame can’t fall on one guy alone. The truth is that the Yankees haven’t won a championship since 2000, when they swept the Mets, and it’s not all their manager’s fault. Since their loss in 2001 (which appeared to be a fleeting streak) they’ve been tumbling down a mountain, rolling and rolling, and when they were actually able to stop, usually in the beginning of each postseason they’ve been in, they seemed to fall again, usually by the middle-end of each postseason they’ve been in. And that snowball that got bigger and bigger as it rolled down is now sitting at the bottom of the Everest, looking up at all the ground to be made up.
The 2007 team doesn’t even compare to the 1996 team, unfortunately. The guys we have now are nothing when put side to side to the guys on the ’96 Yanks, it’s unspeakable. Sure, we still have Jeter, Posada, Rivera, to name a few, but, if you’ve noticed, they’re the cream of the crop right now. It was simply easier to work with the 1996 roster, I mean, those guys made an effort together, they had spark, they played with real heart. Yeah, yeah, I’m once again sinking into all the tacky talk, but think about it, how much passion can you see in the New York Yankees? How much love for the game? All we see today, it seems, is scandal and money.
How much pride are the 2007 Yankees giving to the legacy they’re sitting on? How can the 2007 Yankees compare to those of Lou Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Ruth, hell, even Maris? This is a team with a history of greatness, but apparently not a tendency of greatness.
What’s my point? Well, right now it just seems like the Yankees know that there’s something wrong, but have no intention of fixing it. Right now, it’s not up to the guys on the ball field anymore, it’s up to the Boss to get moving. Sure, there’s always room on the team for a few tweaks here and there (for example, pitching wise), but they can’t fix it all on their own. This team needs a makeover.
In my opinion, what the Boss needs to do is focus on the coaching staff (manager included) and the pitching staff, because that’s where their problems truly lie. There’s no urgency to change up the rest of the team, I think the lineup’s proven itself to be pretty good, they have potential to get things done, but what good does a good offense when you have no defense?
The Yanks need to get moving, fast… really fast, or they’re going to be left with a horrible season by the end of the year with no hopes of a better one in sight. I honestly don’t like to doubt my Yankees too often, but, are they really able to make the comeback they need to make in order to turn this season around? God, I really hope so, if not, I hope there’s some major remodeling during the off-season.
