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Take this to the bank: the Yanks could tank: remember, George: $200 million can buy you just about anything—except a guarantee for success in October

Sporting News, The, Jan 14, 2005 by Stan McNeal

Don't fret, Yankees haters. Read on, and you'll see plenty of potential obstacles that could keep the restocked and heavily favored Bronx Billionaires from winning the World Series--and I didn't have to reach too far to find them. Not all of them, anyway.

1. Pitching without any cartilage in his right knee hinders Randy Johnson more this season than last (when it didn't seem to hinder him at all), especially in the cold of early April and late October, when warming up the old bones is a little tougher than it was back in Arizona.

2. Carl Pavano finds that pitching in front of 50,000 New Yorkers--or a packed house at Fenway--is a tad more intense than working in front of 30,000 empty seats.

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3. There really is something going on with Jaret Wright's right shoulder.

4. Despite offseason surgery on his left shoulder, Gary Sheffield has trouble hitting like Gary Sheffield.

5. Jason Giambi reports to Tampa having lost another "four pounds," and his difficult times continue on and off the field.

6. Tino Martinez, meanwhile, doesn't take long to show the Yankees why they chose Giambi over him three years ago.

7. The decline of Bernie Williams, 36 and expected to play center field more often because Kenny Lofton is gone, changes gears: slow to fast.

8. Tony Womack, a National League lifer, does not adjust to American League pitchers. His numbers become much more as they were in 2003 (.226, .251 on-base percentage) than 2004 (.307, .349).

9. Alex Rodriguez, quietly stewing because he could not get Rudy Jaramillo hired as the team's batting coach, goes into a funk. Batting coach Don Mattingly decides to let A-Rod work out his struggles on his own.

10. Foiled in their attempts to unload Kevin Brown, the Yankees keep him in the rotation and he's knocked around on a regular basis--much the way he was by the Red Sox in late September, when Brown failed to make it out of the first inning with his batting-practice fastball.

11. Joe Girardi isn't quite the bench coach for Joe Torre that Willie Randolph was.

12. Torre trusts Tanyon Sturtze one time too many.

13. George Steinbrenner decides it has been long enough since he fired someone, so Torre gets bounced after he trusts Sturtze one time too many.

14. When Derek Jeter does his next full-bore, headfirst dive into the stands, he emerges with more than a bloody face and sore body. The Yankees then find out that A-Rod can take over at shortstop, but he can't replace Jeter's leadership.

15. Mariano Rivera blows another save at the wrong time. Hey, it has happened--five times in 37 postseason chances, in fact.

16. It is discovered that radio play-by-play man Charley Steiner, who defected to L.A. in the offseason, actually was a good-luck teddy bear.

17. Even after feasting on the Devil Rays, Orioles and Blue Jays on the way to winning 105 regular-season games, the Yankees realize (gulp!) they must win in late October to make their boss happy. Remember, they didn't do that last season. Or the year before. Or in the two years before that.

So there you have 'em: lots of reasons to hold off on ordering the World Series rings. Let's just hope Steinbrenner doesn't see the list quite yet. He may decide he really does want Carlos Beltran.

speed reads

The Giants might have improved more than any contender, but before getting too giddy, take a look at their outfield. It's old. Marquis Grissom is the youngster at 37, and he'll be flanked by Moises Alou, 38, and Barry Bonds, 40. Alou, a left fielder for much of his career, will move to right and will have to deal with SBC Park's roomy right center alley.

INSIDE DISH

The Phillies' decision to offer arbitration to 2B Placido Polanco was questionable--he's due a significant raise over last season's $3.95 million salary even though he isn't expected to start--but it might have hurt the Cardinals even more than Philadelphia. With Tony Womack having bolted for the Yankees and Polanco, a former Cardinal, off the market, St. Louis was left scrambling for a second baseman. One possibility is Roberto Alomar, but his skills have been declining for years. Scouts also question Alomar's commitment. * The trade of CF Dave Roberts, a leadoff man, to his hometown Padres should benefit 3B Sean Burroughs, who was forced to lead off last season because the club lacked options. G.M. Kevin Towers admits Burroughs is not suited to leading off and should be more relaxed hitting sixth or eighth. Burroughs, 24, must show more power--he hit two homers in 523 at-bats last season--to play every day. * Why it's difficult to believe everything you read about clubs losing money: Days after Twins owner Carl Pohlad told the St. Paul Pioneer Press he's losing $15 million a year, team president Dave St. Peter told the newspaper the club was at the break-even point for 2004.

More evidence that makes one wonder about Barry Bonds' nutritional supplements: According to STATS Inc., Bonds did not hit a home run farther than 450 feet in his first 14 seasons. Since 2000, he has hit 21 homers farther than 450 feet.

Take this to the bank: the Yanks could tank: remember, George: $200 million can buy you just about anything—except a guarantee for success in October

Sporting News, The, Jan 14, 2005 by Stan McNeal

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