The sky is falling

If you would like to fnid out why the Yankees will lose 100 games this season, please read the article here . In short, according to Peter Abraham, the Yankees are too old, too slow, and basically have no business being on a baseball field. This after a whopping 19 games of the 2009 season.

In PeteAbe's piece, he actually quotes one of the most respected baseball on the planet in Jim Leyland, and then proceeds to contradict him. Although Abraham paints a horrific picture of the decrepid Yanks, Leyland had more positive things to say. On to the blockquote...

“He’s a great pitcher,” Leyland said of Sabathia. “It’s just a matter of time
before he starts racking up wins. They’re a tough team to manage against.
They’re about to get a lot tougher in three weeks from what I understand.”

While Abe agrees that the referenced return of Alex Rodriguez will benefit the lineup, he continues by saying that "(b)ut bringing back a 33-year-old former steroids user with a bad hip isn’t going to solve the problem of the Yankees looking like a company softball team at times. When you see Jacoby Ellsbury steal home or Curtis Granderson lay down a perfect bunt to start a rally, it’s a reminder of how old and slow the Yankees can look." First of all, let's not all talk about Alex Rodriguez like he is Jose Canseco coming out of retirement. He is still one of the most well rounded players in all of baseball, and the article makes it seem as though he will be in a walker for the rest of the season. I agree on the Ellsbury stealing of home (as I referenced yesterday) being a clusterfuck, but Granderson's bunt? Correct me if I am wrong, but Curtis Granderson will be safe on that bunt against any team in the league, no matter how "young and athletic" they are.

Look, the newspaper industry is circling the drain; you know it, I know it, and Pete knows it. Taking strong positions is the way to create controversy and , in turn, generate traffic. That doesn't mean that this "doom and gloom" variety of sports writing is accurate. This article actually references the rate of success at which Robinson Cano has stolen bases. Stolen bases are not exactly a tell-all statistic in measuring the athleticism of a player, especially in the case of a 26 year old second baseman that has started the season off with a 1.052 OPS. Do you think that the Phillies are worried about Chase Utley swiping bags?

At the end of the day, I will take Leyland's word over Pete. Call me crazy.