"They'll be without two-thirds of their regular outfield for at least as long as it takes Gary Sheffield to ease off the DL, meaning the two corner slots will be manned by the three-man wrecking crew of Bubba Crosby, Melky Cabrera and Bernie Williams. Suddenly it isn't so much a question if the Yankees can score 1,000 runs this season, but how many games they can be expected to field 1.000 with that adventurous threesome manning the lawn."
Hideki Matsui can't catch a cold in left field and My Butt is a better fielder than Gary Sheffield.
With an outfield of (left-to-right) Crosby, Damon, and Cabrera/Williams/Kevin Reese, the Yankee outfield is improved defensively. The Yankee offense will absolutely suffer.
So, it's exactly the opposite of what Vaccaro just said.
On the bright side, this is the young, fresh, exciting, speedy team everybody always wanted! Too bad they can't hit, but at least they are from the farm system.
"For kicks, the Yankees were also reminded of just how tenuous their pitching is. For the second time in three games against the Sox, they received a dreadful outing from their starter, Shawn Chacon, and the results in the bullpen were decidedly mixed."
Shawn Chacon was not dreadful.
Cooperstown isn't calling so they can put his jockstrap into the Hall of Fame, but he only allowed 1 run in 4 2/3 innings.
Chacon absolutely was a little lucky due to outstanding defensive plays by Crosby and Damon. You know, the same guys who can't catch the ball and will spend the rest of the season bumping into each other like lost little children, throwing the ball into the bullpen instead of just hitting the cutoff man, aimlessly wandering Death Valley, waiting for Matsui to get off the DL.
"What's worse is, the Red Sox bear the look of every great Yankee team of recent vintage. They get key two-out hits. They not only got a couple of well-placed breaks last night, they took advantage. Tim Wakefield mirrored what Mike Mussina gave the Yankees a night earlier."
Last night, the Red Sox were 1-for-10 with RISP until the go-ahead "hit" that Jeter fielded in his glove and threw into the first baseman's glove. That was a two-rbi "hit" that proves that Boston is gritty and clutch.
Wakefield gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. Which isn't bad by any means. It is a quality start against a tough lineup. But, if Chacon was "dreadful" ...
By the way, all 3 Yankee runs came on two-out hits! Key two-out hits. The kind of key two-out hits that bear the look of every great Yankee team of recent vintage.
I can't explain the Jeter error, though. Maybe he was rushing the play. It looked like he was rushing. First play of the game, pressure of playing the Red Sox. That was not the kind of key defensive play that bore the look of every great Yankee team of recent vintage.
"Maybe most important, Jonathan Papelbon came in and coolly recorded a four-out save, serving notice that if the guard hasn't yet been changed between the teams' two closers, whatever gap that's left is narrowing by the minute."
Duh.
When will you learn not to take on the Great Mariano?
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