Is This....The End?

The Core Four (possibly three, now) are at the tail-end of their careers. A-Rod is almost 36. The starting rotation has only two reliable starters. Is this finally the end of Yankee dominance?

I’ve been hearing for a while this winter, how the Yankees are aging, and not like fine wine. How Derek Jeter can no longer produce. How Teixeira can go down the same path as Jason Giambi. And how the Yankees’ long run of postseason success since the mid 90s could be coming to an end. Well, that actually got me thinking. Is it the end?

Let me give you a hint. The answer starts with an N, and ends, with an O. No.

This season, the Yankees are clearly not the favorites to win the World Series. And that’s completely understandable, and true. The Yankees failed to do anything big this offseason, and in the process their rivals improved, acquiring two superstars named Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.  And by the way, that Cliff Lee guy went to this team down in Philadelphia. Filled with veterans, this Yankee team right now looks to be a border-line 90-win team.

But, to reassure you all, this is NOT the end. This is not a year like 1982, where the Yankees come off a World Series appearance, and then just suck for the next 10-12 years. This isn’t the last time we’ll see meaningful baseball in the Bronx for a while. And this isn’t the last time we’ll see the Yankees in the playoffs. If anything, people should consider these next couple years the start of something grand.

Take a look at the names on the Winter 2011 Free Agent Market – Mark Buehrle, Rich Harden, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Jon Garland, Aramis Ramirez – all big impact players (mostly pitchers) that can be a big force in the Yankees’ future teams of 2012, 2013, etc. And I’m certain a couple of those players will be sporting navy blue pinstripes very soon.

And then there is always the magic of trades. There’s always a big player on the block around mid-season and the Yankees of course nearly acquired Cliff Lee last season before all that stuff went down. I don’t know who could be on the market (KING FELIX, HOPEFULLY), but I’m certain if the Yankees need him, this time, Cashman will get the job done.

Also, we have once again a great farm system. Jesus Montero and Dellin Betances are leading the pack, one a power-hitting catcher, and the other a pitcher with just nasty stuff. Other players like Colin Curtis and Slade Heathcott are also getting ready for their respective calls to the Big Show.

Finally, we still have some pretty kick-ass players on the roster today. Robinson Cano has blossomed into an MVP-caliber player. CC is still the man. Mark Teixeira is still slugging 30 every year; why should Yankee fans really be worried? To me, while the old gaurd may be leaving soon, a new core of players has been formed. Young, powerful players that can be the new face of the Yankees for many years to come.

To be honest, this season, there may not be confetti down the Canyon of Heroes, but in the very near future, there’s a chance the Yankees will win #28. And #29. and 30. And so on.

And as Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over!” And this season hasn’t even begun. Go Yankees!

Joe's Top Free Agent Predictions

Well the Hot Stove has begun, ladies and gentlemen, and that means our Yankees get to flex their most hated weapon, the almighty Steinbrenner checkbook. There are many free agents out there, and I just feel like expressing where I believe the cream-of-the-crop will end up.

1. Derek Jeter, SS, 2011 Opening Day age: 36.
Does anyone seriously expect the Captain to go elsewhere? I don't.
Prediction: 3 years, $53 million.

2. Mariano Rivera, Closer, 2011 OD age: 41.
Once again, can anyone picture Mo in any other jersey? He'll be back.
Prediction: 1 year, $15 million, with option for 2nd year at $15 million.

3. Cliff Lee, Starting Pitcher, 2011 ODA: 32.
Three teams have been brought up to be serious contenders for Lee's services, the Yankees, Rangers, and Nationals. Yes that's not a typo, the Nats. But, I still expect Lee to follow the money and go to NY.
Prediction: Yankees, 5 years, $110 million.

4. Adam Dunn, 1B/DH, 2011 ODA: 31.
Dunn is a home run hitting machine, and a lot of teams would love to have his bat. He has expressed his distaste for playing DH, which limits his options to sign.
Prediction: Atlanta Braves, 2 years, $27 million.

5. Jayson Werth, OF, 31.
Werth might be one of the best right handed outfielder bats in the game, and he has a few suitors. The White Sox, Red Sox, Phillies, and A's come to mind. Werth will go where he can get the most money, but expect him to look where he can succeed the most, too.
Prediction: Boston Red Sox, 4 years, $55 million.

6. Carl Crawford, OF, 29.
Crawford is one of the most well-rounded players in the league, and will command top dollar- most expect more than his counterpart Werth. The Yankees could make a run at him, but don't expect it Yankee fans.
Prediction: Los Angeles Angels, 6 years, $108 million.

7. Victor Martinez, C/1B, 31.
V-Mart is a great hitting catcher, but his skills behind the plate are comparable to Jorge Posada's. He'll demand top catching dollars, though, hitting talents that can catch don't come along often like this.
Prediction: Detroit Tigers, 4 years, $60 million.

8. Rafael Soriano, Closer, 30.
Soriano had a great season for the Rays last year, and he proved he could be an elite closer, in the toughest division in the league no less. There are always teams searching for a reliable closer, and few are more reliable than this guy.
Prediction: Chicago White Sox, 2 years, $27 million.

9. Paul Konerko, 1B, 34.
Konerko is one of the most productive players in the league, but rarely gets recognized for it. He'll get paid well, but I think he'll stay put in Chi-town.
Prediciton: Chicago White Sox, 4 years, $51 million.

10. Adrian Beltre, 3B, 31.
Beltre had a great bounceback season after some very mediocre ones in Seattle. He'll get some money for what he did in Beantown last year, but where is tough to decide.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals, 3 years, $32 million.

That's what I think for these top players, feel free to comment on what you guys think.

The Offseason To-Do List

01. Re-sign Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure what the Yankees can really expect out of Jeter. 2008 and 2010 certainly look like something of a decline, but I'm not quite sure that 2009 is a complete outlier. I'm hopeful that the Yankees won't break the bank here, but I do recognize Jeter's off the field value to the franchise, as well as the fact that it'd be damn near impossible to replace him on the field. Even in a down year, Jeter ranked tenth among shortstops in WAR, and eighth in wOBA. Rivera remains the among the very best in the business, and I'd like to see the Yankees go year-to-year - and I'd be comfortable with a two-year deal, as well.

02. Sort out the starting rotation.

Sabathia, Hughes, and, sadly, Burnett are locks for the rotation. Should Pettitte decide he'd like to pitch another year, I'm sure the Yankees would accommodate him, as would I. My main issue here is that I don't think that it's as simple as finding a fifth starter. With Sabathia's knee surgery, Hughes' inexperience, Burnett's ineptitude, and Pettitte's age and injury issues, I'm not quite sure that I'd be comfortable without another battle-tested starter. As fantastic as Cliff Lee is, I'm not sure he's the answer - I don't trust a balky-backed 30-something to live up to a long-term, high-cost deal. I'd like to see the Yankees scour the market for an arbitration-eligible that may be too pricey for their current team - Wandy Rodriguez, Ricky Nolasco, Chad Billingsley, Shaun Marcum, and John Danks have been mentioned here.

03. Don't hesitate to deal Joba Chamberlain or Brett Gardner

Chamberlain appears to be the very definition of a player needing a change of scenery. As it stands, the Yankees appear dead-set on using him as a reliever and, while his stock may not be terribly high right now, it will only get lower as he garners arbitration raises and grows accustomed to relieving. While Gardner was a revelation in 2010, I suspect that he's likely to have peaked. His base-stealing instincts and reads are questionable, he's very inconsistent, and he can be beaten by a pitcher that's willing to throw strikes. I'm not suggesting that the Yankees deal either for table scraps, but I would hope that Cashman would be open to using either (or both) in the right deal.

04. Bring Leo Mazzone on-board

Mazzone's body of work took an apparent hit when the Orioles staff struggled under his watch, but I'm confident that he could work wonders with the talent the Yankees have on-hand. He has a good reputation as a player's coach, a track record of success, and a desire to come to New York ... and the Yankees wouldn't have to hurt their farm system to hire him, as opposed to promoting Nardi Contreras.

05. Solidify the bench and bullpen

I combine the two as both should be done rather cheaply. Bring back Thames, find a competent fourth outfielder for defensive purposes (Golson works, I suppose), and sort out the utility infielder spot (I prefer Nunez to Pena). A lefty off the bench could work, as well, but they seem harder to find, as most teams can offer more time to such a player. With the bullpen, I'd like to see another lefty. From there, I'm comfortable with working from within the organization. Rivera, Chamberlain, Robertson, Logan, pray for health from Aceves, then filler. Wood is likely to be too pricey, but I'd like to see him back for the right price.

Out Of Left Field: Postseason Wrapup Edition

Wow...what a difference a year makes! One year ago today, we were getting ready for the next night's Game 6 of the 2009 ALCS, Greg posted the story of my son Tyler here on the blog, and I posted my first comments on the site that would become a second home to me. Here we are, 365 days later, saddened by the ultimate outcome of our season, and resigned to the fact that we will not be playing in the World Series.

I have seen many headlines over the past few days calling our Yankees a $210 Million Dollar Bust, among other things, and I just can't accept that. While some (players and fans alike) believe that is is always World Series or BUST with our Yankees, I don't tend to feel that way. Would I like it if the Yankees won every single year? Sure I would...but that is just not feasible. The only thing that disappointed me in this last series, was that the Yankees seemed to play without any heart or determination. They were flat out embarrassed. Outplayed in every aspect of the game, they really should have been swept. At least if they had shown some signs of life and made each game somewhat competitive, I could appreciate it more...but this time there was none. That is how our season ended this time. So who's to blame.

If you must...you can start with Joe Girardi. Did he make some boneheaded moves, and rely on his binder too much? Sure he did, but he also didn't ground into DP's with men on base, or throw gopherballs to good hitters. Robbie Cano (.348), and Curtis Granderson (.294) couldn't make up for Tex (0-14), A-Rod (.190), Gardner (.176), Jeter (.231), or Thames (.125). On top of that when you throw in the fact that our ALCS ERA was 6.58, and I think that you get the picture...

Truth is, Texas wasn't that bad of a team this year. They sort of remind me of a younger version of our own Yankees. I don't think that continues next year if they don't lock up Cliff Lee, but with Hamilton, Andrus, Young, Cruz, etc. they have got a great lineup that could serve them well for years to come, and now that they have beaten us, I look forward to the revenge factor next year. These two teams make for an interesting rivalry.

What has amazed me so far, is the outcry of Yankees fans about how horrible this team is. What is all that about? I have been a Yankees fans since I was about 5. That puts us back in 1979. I suffered through the lean years of the 80's...when we didn't even know what the postseason was. I watched on WPIX 11 on July 1, 1990 as Andy Hawkins pitched a no hitter and LOST...I remember rooting for Hensley Bam-Bam Meulens (Congrats on it to the World Series with San Francisco as their hitting coach), and wondering when Stump Merrill and Dallas Green would get fired (Talk about your crappy managers). I remember the sheer agony I felt when the Yankees made it back to the dance in 1995, only to lose a heartbreaker in Seattle in game 5 of the ALDS. I also remember the sheer joy of the title in '96, and the three that followed in '98, '99, and '00. Oh yeah, I seem to remember something about a title last year as well.

The point is folks, we are (and I have said this before), a spoiled lot. We shouldn't be ready to bury a team just because they lost in the playoffs. That just makes us seem like Phillies fans. Be proud of the fact that we made it to game 6 of the ALCS, when 26 other teams were dying to be in our posistion. Be proud that we have the best owners in the sport, who will put as much money and resource behind this team as they can to bring you championship caliber baseball every year. Be proud to be a hated fan of the EVIL EMPIRE! They hate us for a reason...not because we buy up every one in sight...not because we have a certain air of arrogance around us...but because we are WINNERS! Yes folks, even when we lose...we are still winners at heart. We know what it takes to succeed, and when we get knocked down, we always rise again to fight another day!

I have enjoyed writing for SIH this year, and I wanted to thank Greg for giving me the opportunity to do so. He does such a great job with this blog, and he is to be commended. He is a person who never backs down from writing what he believes, and is never afraid to stand up against it when others try to smack him around for it. Congrats Greg on another great year at SIH!

I would also like to thank all the other writers here at SIH for continually trying to make this the best blog in the Yankee Universe. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming months to figure out what we can do next year to make this blog even better! Keep the ideas coming folks (I personally have a couple of things up my sleeve that I will divulge at a later date.

I would also like to thank YOU...the readers of the blog for chiming in on our posts. Whether or not you agree with us, you always keep us on our toes. Keep up the good work.

Finally, please do not forget that there is also a companion forum to this blog at

Sliding Into Home: The Forum

It is a great place to come and discuss whatever you feel like you want to discuss, Yankees related or not. There is even a chat room there that I am going to try to get a couple of events going in this offseason. We didn't have a lot of response this past season for it, but it is such a great tool, so get on over there and register!

Allright boys and girls, I have probably outlasted the attention span of some of you, so good night. I'll be seeing you this offseason. Hot stove is right around the corner, and soon enough it will be spring training (with a little bit of Cliff Lee throwing from the mound in Tampa maybe). And remember...LET'S GO YANKEES! DRIVE FOR #28 in 2011!