March 31, 2008

Home games: Yankees open final season at Ruth's

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Ross toils in anonymity for a giant online news aggregator. Here's your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

The Yankees 2007 championship drive was grounded by a swarm of midges on a muggy October night in Cleveland. Since then, they’ve done nearly everything right in preparation for their final season at the House That Ruth Built. They re-signed Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada -- albeit for more money than they're worth -- kept all of their young stud prospects and signed Robinson Cano to a six-year, $57 million contract. Sadly for Yankee fans, this may not be enough to get the Bombers to the postseason, much less earn another title.

The Yankees are old. Six of their nine everyday players will be 34 or older in 2008, as well two of their starting pitchers, their set-up man and their closer.

Maybe the most important personnel move the Bombers made was hiring Joe Girardi to replace Joe Torre. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Girardi has already managed to light a fire under Johnny Damon and other vets, who are said to be working harder than they have in years. Here’s hoping they don’t tucker themselves out.

Other than Father Time, the Yankees' biggest concern is the success of their much-ballyhooed troika of young studs: Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. The Yankees got 921 innings out of their starters last year. Starters not named Pettitte, Wang or Mussina pitched 361 innings over 71 starts, going 20-21 with an ERA of 5.09 and WHIP of 1.48. Is it too much to ask for the kids to match that? Neither Hughes nor Kennedy has ever pitched more than 146 innings in a season at any level and Chamberlain threw only 105 innings in his first year as a pro, so obviously the number of innings is ambitious, though the rest is certainly attainable. In an effort to keep his innings down, the Yankees will start him in the bullpen for the start of the season. It remains to be seen if they’ll be able to resist the temptation to leave him in the ‘pen.

Projecting Chamberlain's contribution is made trickier still by the Yankees' bullpen situation. LaTroy Hawkins has been brought in to fill the set-up role vacated by Chamberlain, but how much longer can Hawkins be effective while his strikeout numbers continue to dwindle? Also, his ERA benefited greatly from the Colorado Rockies' excellent defense last year. According to DIPS (Defense Independent Pitching Statistics), the Rockie's D shaved a run off his ERA. The Yankees will not be so kind. All this begs the question, How long will the Yankees be able to resist moving Chamberlain back to the pen, where he was so dominant last season?

For several years now it's been trendy to predict the demise of the Yankees and proclaim they will fail to reach the postseason. Such prognostications have been followed by embarrassed mea cuplas. But not this year. This year the Red Sox, Tigers and Indians are all too strong and the Yankees have too much riding on old legs and young arms. Take heart, as this year’s failure will guarantee that Young Hankenstein lures C.C. Sabathia to the Bronx with a blank check and the chance to throw the first pitch at the House That Jeter Built.

Game of the Week: It goes without saying that Opening Day is the game to catch, as aces Chien-Ming Wang and Roy Halladay square off. Of course, Monday's the only day you'll miss out on the Yankees cavalcade of freebies. If you can wait until Thursday, you’ll get a magnetic schedule and probably see Phil Hughes make his first start of the year.

Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees
Mon. at 1:05 p.m.: Wang (0-0, 0.00) vs. Halladay (0-0, 0.00)
Wed. 7:05 p.m.: Mussina (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBA, Magnetic Schedule Night
Thurs. 7:05 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA, Magnetic Schedule Night

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees
Fri. 7:05 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA, Cap Night
Sat. 1:05 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA, Yankee Stadium Calendar Day
Sun. 1:05 p.m.: TBA vs. TBA, Yankee Stadium Calendar Day

Tickets to Yankees games can be purchased here. See NewYorkology's guide to Yankee Stadium for the rundown on how to get there, where to meet, eat and eventually, sit.

Next Week: The Mets host the Marlins and the Braves as they unveil new ace Johan Santana in the final opening day at Shea Stadium in an attempt to put 2007’s historic collapse behind them.

Image source: National Emblem New York Yankees Yankee Stadium Final Season Logo Patch

Earlier: Ticket-buying tips for final season at Yankee Stadium
Ticket-buying tips for final season at Shea Stadium

March 31, 2008 10:48 AM in Out of Manhattan, Sports

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