New year, new group of Yankees

My opening comments about the baseball season....

Well, the football season is over and what an ending. It was certainly an exciting Super Bowl, which I was privileged to attend. Now, it's time for the baseball fans to get amped up for another exciting and probably surprising season. Lots of free agent signings and teams taking on different looks, especially the Yankees. I am more excited about this season because I am making an attempt to come out of retirement after a two-year absence and get involved again (in a small way, that is). Maybe working some games, hosting a show or two, possibility heading to Europe and China for MLB International and doing more blogs right here on the YESNetwork.com.

I have some thoughts on the Yankees as we look ahead to what their team might be like in 2009. With Mark Texiera at first base, that position should be stable for a long time. Second, short and third are fixtures from the past few years. The outfield is still undecided and unpredictable at this time as to who will play the three positions. A healthy Jorge Posada will help at the catcher, but how many games will he be able to catch? Starters seem to be solid with C.C. Sabathia at the top of the rotation and Andy Pettitte at the back end. Will Wang be healthy and not show too much rust from all the time on the DL? Only time will tell. I still have to see Burnett for a period of time to be convinced he is a New York pitcher. I don't at all doubt his ability, just his durability and adjusting to every game being Armageddon, the pressure of being a Yankee.

Now, the most important part of the team is the bullpen because other than Sabathia, very few of the starters are going to pitch a complete game. Most of you fans remember the teams of the late 90's. Solid lineup and durable, effective starters. But the strength of those teams that enabled them to win was the corps of quality pitchers in the bullpen. Ramiro Mendoza, Mike Stanton, and Jeff Nelson. Mo was a set up guy to start with for John Wetteland. That is one of the big reasons I feel Joba Chamberlain would be a stronger asset pitching the eighth inning. I was fortunate to be on the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. Whitey Herzog built the pitching staff from the ninth inning back. Bruce Sutter was a two-inning closer. Doug Bair was a hard-throwing righty and Jeff Lahti had a wicked slider from the right side. I was a lefty specialist and did fine in that role. We seldom lost if we led after six innings. That's what the Yankees have to get back to doing. Put the thought in the opposing managers mind that if they aren't ahead after six it's going to be difficult to beat them.

Joba, in my opinion, hasn't had enough starts to give him a foundation and a good routine that a starter must possess. I'm not saying he couldn't do it, I just don't think he's been prepped enough to do it over a full season. Starting 50-75 games in the minors is the best preparation. How to work out of jams and use all your pitches and know when to use them. Knowing when to conserve your best breaking ball for the key situations. Find a cruising speed for your fastball and be able to put a 'little extra' on it when necessary as Dizzy Dean used to say. As a reliever, you're more of a thrower than a pitcher. The key to the Yankees success will be Joba and Mo at the end and finding a combination of righties and lefties that can get a few key outs before that.

I'd also like to see managers start to think about saving the game in the seventh or eighth inning if the situation warrants it. Have your relievers pitch the ninth in Spring Training and some blow out wins early in the year. The last three outs are the toughest to get and it takes a different mentality to be able to finish the game without a safety net like Mo behind you all the time.

Well it won't be long now until we hear the leather popping and the crack of the bat. I can't wait.