World Series 2010: 10 Reasons Why The New York Yankees Should Repeat
October 3, 2010 · darcy fournier · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
World Series 2010: 10 reasons why the Yankees will win the 2010 World Series, despite entering the playoffs resembling anything close to a Championship Team.
By Darcy Fournier
The New York Yankees, complete with a questionable starting rotation, an inconsistent bullpen and an aging, beat up lineup are once again set to square off against younger, healthier, and hungrier adversaries in their quest to win yet another World Series title.
This season, as with last and for the same reasons, the odds are against the boys from New York.
However, a funny thing happened on the way to the 2009 World Series: The Yankees dispatched the lackluster Phillies, despite being the underdog and defying the check that Jimmy Rollins mouth wrote that he and his comrades could not cash, and won their 27th World Title.
Why should this year be any different? Well it is, as with any year in life but the results should be the same.
So, with a very real chance of a World Series rematch on the horizon between the defending Champion New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, can the Yankees once again defy the odds, turn back the clock, hold off father time, and let loose the ghosts yet again and obtain their twenty eight title?
The answer is a very simple one—Yes.
However, since that would make a very short column, here’s 10 reasons why the 2010 Yankees are even better than the 2009 Champions Team and should successfully defend their title this season.
10: It ain’t over until it’s over.
Yogi Berra would be proud. The 2010 Yankees are actually have more come from behind wins this season that that of their 2009 championship team. In fact, they led the majors in that department this year earning more than 40 come from behind wins this season.
This team firmly believes that no deficit is too large and thus never gives up. It’s a huge mental advantage in a game that is, well, largely mental.
9: Damon and Hideki Who?
Last season Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui played vital roles in the Yankees regular and post season success. Neither are in pinstripes this season and Yankee fans across the globe were wondering how the Yankees were going to replace the nearly 50 homers and nearly 150 RBI combined from their usual efforts.
The answer was slow to develop this season but develop it did. Regular play proved that the speed and defense of Brett Gardner was not just potential on paper. The power, defense, and production of Curtis Granderson developed slow and replaced that of Damon and Nick Swisher, while not driving in quite the number of runs Matsui matched his offensive production and added the edge over Matsui by playing well defensively in the field.
The 2010 Yankees improved themselves in the outfield, offensively and defensively over their 2009 Championship team.
8: Ah, the power of Pine…
Okay, so the benches in the dugout are not made of pine anymore and haven’t been for the past three decades.
However, the Yankee bench is more productive this year than last. Unexpected contributions from Marcus Thames and the addition of Lance Berkman (who has yet to perform like Berkman can, but most probably will) and Austin Kearns, along with speed, flexibility and defense from Ramiro Pena the Yankees have gotten more production out of their bench in 2010 than from last season’s championship team.
7: Posada or Cervelli? Nice problem to have.
Francisco Cervelli has about as much power as a burnt light bulb but the way he delivers with runners in scoring position as well as his defensive prowess one can overlook his lack of resemblance to Johnny Bench at the plate.
Posada’s bat still delivers and having him DH more and having Cervelli, whose increased playing time this season has allowed him to improve both offensively and defensively, catch more greatly improves the 2010 Yankees over last year’s championship team.
6: Less Joba
Joba Chamberlain, when he first came up, was used in relief and was electric. He was powerful and fun to watch.
Bred as a starter, the Yankees were desperate for starting pitching and switched him to that role the following season; however, the move changed his approach, causing him to think more.
It turns out that a thinking Joba is not good.
Initially, Chamberlain was so successful because when he came into the game he worked fast, did not think, and just threw the ball trusting in his God given talent.
As a starter, his approach slowed and it changed his game. He got rocked like a nightclub in the city and back to the pen he went. When injuries forced him back into the rotation, he once again got rocked and back to the pen he went.
He now comes into the game as a reliever but with a starter’s mentality. He thinks too much, tries to be too fine with his pitches, tries to throw too much off speed junk, and not enough smoke. It’s just not working.
As a result, he lost his 8th inning job as the bridge to Mariano.
Having been burned once too many times by Chamberlain, Girardi uses him less and thus the team has won more.
They need to stick to the same formula during this year’s postseason and then figure out in the offseason how to fix this kid if that is even possible anymore.
They should employ the same approach with Burnett but that’s another story, maybe novel, for another day.
5: Improved Pen
Chamberlain aside, the Yankees have a pretty decent bullpen for the most part.
David Robertson has been a nice surprise and the addition of Boone Logan and Kerry Wood round out a nice arsenal for Girardi to command.
If they can limit Chamberlain to the sixth or seventh inning while enjoying a decent lead, then maybe his contribution can be to provide rest for Robertson, Logan and Wood during the post season.
Prior to this season, Cano was merely an accessory to Jeter, Tex, and A-Rod.
A kid with potential that was inconsistent at the plate and in the field; he complimented the stars on the team while not quite achieving that star status.
He flashed power on occasion and teased of fielding mastery but never quite delivering on a regular basis.
Now this season, Cano has surpassed every Yankee in production at the plate and in the field.
A legitimate MVP candidate, Cano is now the offensive leader, the spark plug in the Yankee engine—he is no longer an accessory.
Cano’s breakout performance this season adds yet another star to the Yankees arsenal. His presence in the lineup causes havoc for the opposing team and takes pressure off Jeter and company.
Last year it was Jeter, A-Rod, and Teixiera; this season it’s Cano, Jeter, A-Rod, and Teixiera.
This team is even more potent than the one they put on the field last season.
3: Jeter, A-Rod, and Teixiera
It’s no secret that Jeter has had an off year statistically.
Solid in defense (leading A.L shortstops in fielding) and another season scoring more than 100 runs, Jeter ends the regular season nearly 40 points below his career average and he has struck out over 100 times this season—which by Jeter’s standards is unheard of and unacceptable.
Teixiera endured the worst start of his career and did not get on track until the mid-way point of the season; in June, if anyone offered anyone a bet that Tex would hit over 30 homers and drive in over 100 runs at season’s end, everyone possibly including Tex himself would have bet against it.
A-Rod endured a lot of injury this season and like Teixiera, had anyone offered a bet that by the end of the Rodriguez would hit 30 homers and drive in over 100 runs…well, you get the idea.
The good news for this team heading into the playoffs is that all three have turned it up a notch and are back on track at the right time.
Jeter’s stroke is back on track heading into the post season, a time of year where his legend was born; Teixiera’s second half were off the charts in average, power, and run production, while A-Rod hit nine home runs in September.
Add the momentum these three are generating to Cano’s consistent play all year long—coupled with Swisher, Granderson, Gardner, and the bench —and the offensive minded Yankees are more potent at the plate and defensively in the field; this year more so than the last.
2: Enter the Sandman
Normally, Mariano Rivera would be the number one reason why the Yankees are primed to win the big show, but not this season.
The reason is not because he struggled in September—it’s because the number one reason is really a major improvement over last year’s team.
Mariano is not an improvement—he is more like a constant, a foundation.
Mariano is Mariano. His struggles in September appeared to be a mechanical and a few sessions with Dave Eiland have appeared to iron out those issues.
No other team in baseball has the mental, imposing edge the Yankees have out of the pen.
Mariano is the best post season pitcher in history. That’s not something to easily dismiss.
A year older and a year better, Mariano has all but one pitch.
The amazing thing about this cat is that the opposition knows what that one pitch is, knows it’s coming, and even knows where he is going to throw it and yet they still cannot do anything with it the majority of the time.
He does it with ease and class—there is no one better in the game at what he does, period. Huge advantage to the Yankees.
1: Improved Starting Rotation
In order to cash in on the advantage that Rivera offers, the starting rotation must be able to get the game into his hands.
Last season, the Yankees rode the arms of Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia on their way to collecting title number twenty seven.
They had no choice because Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes were ineffective and A.J Burnett’s performance was a foreshadowing of the poor performance of things to come in 2010.
In the offseason, Yankee GM Brian Cashman’s main goal was stabilizing the starting rotation by adding Javier Vasquez and letting Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain battle it out for the 5th roster spot.
Hughes won that battle and delivered a solid season for the bombers posting 18 wins. Vasquez was ineffective and Burnett was down right embarrassing, leaving the Yankees with only three reliable starters for much of the season.
Sabathia is unquestionably reliable, Hughes seems prepared to deliver, and if Pettitte can stay healthy, that gives the Yankees one more reliable starter than they had last season as they battle to add yet another title to their storied franchise.
If they need Burnett, they are screwed.
Bottom Line: The Yankees should be able to get past the Twins and Rangers if necessary, but the Rays are a thorn in their side.
The Rays won the AL East over the Yankees and also won the regular season series against them, five games to three.
While the Phillies, with the addition of the anticipated N.L CY Young Winner Roy Halladay, are a more improved team than the one they put on the field last season in losing to the Yankees at the big show, the real test for the Bombers, and the real World Series match up, will be the Yankees vs. the Rays for the AL Championship.
Head to head, these teams are close and match up almost evenly in speed, power, run production, and pitching.
The difference between these two teams comes down to the starting pitching and the bullpen. If Sabathia, Hughes, and Pettitte can deliver as they did during the regular season, the Yankees will be poised to repeat as World Champions.
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