The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

I think that the Yankees are the best team in baseball...and getting better.  I don't think anyone could beat them in a seven game series.  The only hope for the Yankees to not win the World Series is someone catching lightning in a bottle in the five game ALDS match ups.

Take a look at the Yankees top to bottom.  Speed?  Check.  Not overpowering speed, but they do have some.  Average?  All kinds of check.  Power?  Check.  Defense?  Check.  Starting pitching?  Check.  Bullpen?  Check.  Bench?  Check.

I don't see many, if any, holes in the Yankees game.  Taking a look at the teams that are reasonable playoff teams...no one matches up well with New York.  Texas and Tampa Bay don't have the overall offense to keep up with New York.  The pitching is a pretty big drop off as well.  CC versus Millwood?  I'm taking my chances with CC.

Boston?  I think the last two series have shown that Boston's offense just doesn't have enough jump to it against New York's top guns.  The 14-1 game was kind of a fluke.  Boston, talent wise, is not up to par this season with New York.  If the Yankees are an A+ team, Boston is an A-.

Anaheim is riding a lucky pitching wave right now.  They would have the best shot in a five game series, zero in a seven game.

Looking in the NL - the Phillies might have the starting rotation that matches up well with New York.  Huge difference once you get into the bullpen.

I don't think the Yankees can be stopped.  I also think they'll win about 103 games before it's all said and done.

Last night's game was a statement to me. It was also Beckett's first loss in Fenway this year, if I understood correctly. What a great game.

As far as I'm concerned, there's only one problem with the Yanks right now: starting pitching in the playoffs. Sure, CC, AJ, Andy, and Joba are all doing quite well right now, but in the playoffs? CC has a record of implosion. Joba doesn't have any starting postseason experience. Andy's fine, though aging, and AJ? Well... I just don't know. I don't feel he's trustworthy with the ball and the season on the line. Not yet. And beyond the four guys I mentioned? Garbage. Aceves shouldn't be used more than 3 - 4 innings, Hughes is likewise not stretched out. Gaudin? Pfft. Mitre? No thank you.

As long as someone knocks off the pinstriped Evil before they can win it all, then I'll be happy. My money would be on the Phillies taking care of that good deed.

For the record, the Phillies are ALSO pinstriped evil.

Nah, they aren't evil, just kinda weird for playing in a stadium the size of a Starbucks.

I believe they are the best, but until they can beat the Angels who have some mystical hold on them, I can't get too excited. Cashman did a good job in the offseason. He got the team younger and more talented and lowered payroll. It's still $67 Billion, but last year it was $67.2 Billion.

BTW, does Francona ever take Beckett out of a game? Josh threw probably the best "I just gave up 8 runs" game of all-time, but he still gave up 8 runs. The only reason he didn't pitch the 9th was a pitch count.

The Yankees have a knack for tightening up in the playoffs and grinding their bats into sawdust. If they don't score early in the first game of the playoffs I can see them pressing again and ruining their chances.  This is clearly a different team from any of the past few years teams, but the performance in the post-season remains to be seen.

I agree with Maine though. Philly has the best chance in the NL as far as I'm concerned. Their lefties would give the Yankees problems.

Next to the jets my favorite team to hate is the Yankees. That team is what is wrong with MLB.

Yes, because there is something wrong with supporting 3/4ths of the franchises which exist today and raising attendance figures to respectable levels.  If it wasn't for the Yankees teams like the Rays wouldn't even exist. ::)

of course the Yankees can be beat.  The question is will they get beat?  This is a team that hasn't gotten even to the ALCS in a few years.  I think they have a better shot this year than they had before.

At the Payroll this Team makes it should be unquestionable.  Its distgusting. They just keep throwing money at it until some of it finally sticks.

They lowered their payroll this year and it will also be lowered next year. It is the highest in baseball, but they play by the rules and financially support a lot of lower market teams, including their competition in the Rays.

Incompetence has more to do with the failure of teams like the Pirates and Royals, not money.

And why do teams like the Pirates and the Royals fail?  Both are small market teams like the Marlins and A's.  What's the difference here?

Keep this thread on subject.  It's not about the NFL or any NFL teams.  We have forums for those conversations, please take them there.

The Sox released Brad Penny. I am glad that not every move they make works out for them.

Penny worked out in a way.  He was healthy and took the ball every 5 days for 24 starts.  7-8 record.  Not great but not awful.

That said, Boston's FA signings haven't worked out well at all.  Their farm system works like magic.  Dustin.  Youkilis.  Papelbon.  Lester.  Ellsbury.  Trades they seem to do okay.  V-Mart, Beckett.  But FA signings?  Drew.  Lugo.  Renteria. 

It's a good thing that Boston knows how to grow their own because they don't do well with a shopping cart.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that Florida made the deal with Boston to give up Beckett instead of Texas, which was the other primary trade rumor going on for Beckett at the time. None of the players we would have gotten from Texas would have been anywhere close to the type of impact we've gotten from Hanley Ramirez (who's going to win his first battling crown this season). I think the best prospect the Rangers were offering back then was John Danks (now with ChiSox).

Up until his last 5 starts, Penny was a fine #5 starter. He was cheap, worked 5-6 innings almost every time and had an ERA of about 4.70 in the AL East. Just look to the Yankees and see their #5 starter combo of Mitre and Gaudin for comparison.

He was just so awful his last few starts it raised his ERA to almost 6. I think he should do fine in the NL.

Theo's flaw has always been free agent signings, he is just a sucker for big names. I would say it's actually hindering the club as every time a FA signing fails, they just plug in a minor leaguer and do better.

They will blow it in the ALDS, or ALCS.   >:D >:D

A rare trade that worked out 100% for everyone.  Boston got a legit ace and a 3B that has hit over .300 with at least 25/90 since and Florida got the best hitting short stop in the history of the universe.

And Lowell was the throw in that Boston HAD to take if they wanted Beckett. Yeah, nice consolation prize there.

With the team that the Yankees have assembled, they HAVE to win it all.

They don't have to as there really isn't any super teams anymore. IMO, the last World Series winner to just dominate everyone was the 1999 Yankees. There is a lot of parity in baseball now, anyone can win it. The Yankees need Burnett to wake up and their 4th starter Joba Chamberlain has been awful the past 6 starts. So, they have holes.

That being said, I would call them the favorites, but recent history suggest a humiliating ALDS defeat. Especially if they face the Angels, then it's over.