2012 Yankees: Season Reflection

Never came a point in my mind that I imagined m writing about how awful the Yankees ended their season against the Tigers. With a team batting average under .200 in the postseason, the bats explain the New York fiasco. The Yankees managed to rally through a roller coaster ride in September, dealing with Baltimore and Tampa Bay, and the Bombers took care of necessary business during those games. Just as the ALDS between the O's got underway, it seemed as if the Yanks were "off", or not on the same page as the fans expected them to be during the Postseason, a time in October where the Yankees seem to thrive and achieve the ultimate prize. The Yankees now know that playing Detroit in October is never good news. The Tigers are Yankee killers indefinitely. 

I have never been a fan of Alex Rodriguez off the diamond, but he still is a key to this Yanks squad. Of course Girardi benched A-Rod to make an example of him, but Brian Cashman is paying Rodriguez 25 million per year for the next five years. There is no reason to bench a player making $185K per game whether he plays or not. A-Rod is not all responsible for the debacle. Who did Giradi put at 3rd? Chavez? Eric Chavez who ended up 0-17 this postseason? Good call Skip'.

Words cannot express the loss of Robbie Cano, Granderson, Swisher, and A-Rod's bats. The Yankees slumped at the worst possible time, while the Tigers peaked at the greatest time. What can you do? That's baseball. We can only wonder how the ALCS would have been if the Yanks rallied in Game 1 and if Jeter did not get injured. The Captain's absence affected the team greatly. The presence of his desire to win and leadership was missing at crucial moments. The worst possible scenarios occurred, but it's now time to accept the collapse and learn from the mistakes.


The pitching staff performed in clutch innings and situations, so there are no complaints on the table. Andy Pettitte said he will be returning in 2013, along with Mariano recovering from an ACL injury. Can anyone explain what happened to Ivan Nova and how he fell off the edge of the world in less than four weeks? It's time to trash Phil Hughes, who clearly is never prepared to perform under the New York spotlight. What are the Yanks going to with "The Killer B's" in Banuelos and Batances?

Will this Bombers lineup be the same next year? Although the offense looked embarrassing and pathetic, there is no reason to change around this lineup with trades and waiver claims. Nick Swisher should be on his way out as a Yankee. We will all miss his enthusiasm and love of the game in pinstripes, but Swishalicious was never going to be the answer to the problem. Will Granderson move to RF and Gardner to CF? Ichiro should be back next year, and if Ibanez feels he has enough left in the tank for one more year, sign him. Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones, and Chris Stewart should be gone and it's time to search for free agents in Michael Bourn or utility OF's/IF's. It could also be time to call up prospects next year early, instead of waiting in July or for September call ups. 


 This 95-67 New York Yankees team knew how to win. They rallied when trailing in late-inning at bats, and worked together when they needed each other the most. We all tried to keep the faith, but the faith ran out quickly, and the Yankees ended in tragic fashion, running on fumes to end the series getting swept by Detroit. Let's all hope for a successful off-season of recovery and progress to make this team once again capable of winning #28 for the Bronx and Yankees Universe. Like the Bad News Bears once said after defeat, "Just wait 'till next year." Keep the faith Yankee fans and dream of another run for a ring starting next spring.