- They didn't trade for Johan. In the long run, I think this is the right move. The cost was high both in players and money. Even though the players that were rumored to be involved in the deal had down years, the long term remains to be seen. However, for this year, if they had Johan, they make the playoffs.
- Health. It's not an excuse, especially when you have a payroll in excess of $200m, but Darrell Rasner was third on the team in games started. Sidney Ponson started the same number of games as Chien-Ming Wang. Losing Matsui meant losing one of the few guys on the team that understands situational hitting. Losing Posada meant losing a proven clubhouse leader.
- The manager. Joe Girardi wasn't my choice. However, by choosing Girardi over Don Mattingly, ownership was sending a message that they wanted to change things up. Donnie would have been too similar to Joe Torre. In my opinion, Girardi struggled heavily when it came to dealing with the players. When things were going bad, it seemed that his intensity was causing them to press. His intensity ruled the clubhouse rather than the calm confidence that exuded from Torre's clubhouse. He didn't communicate well with the players, and I don't think his in-game management was aggressive enough.
- No one stepped up. They needed someone to step up and carry the team offensively. They needed big hits. They didn't get them. Aside from Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon, I don't remember anyone having an explosive week where they carried the team. ARod finished with great numbers, but they were pretty empty. Again...they pressed in big spots.
- The kids. This is the last year that I will consider Cano a kid. He missed Larry Bowa kicking him in the ass and keeping him focused. He completely regressed and might have punched his ticket out of town. Melky, Hughes, Kennedy, and Shelley Duncan all disappointed, and that's an understatement.
If Cashman is back, and I think he should be, he has a lot of work to do in the off-season. They get some help in that Wang should be back and healthy. They will have a full year of Xavier Nady, and hopefully by June a healthy Posada. There are lots of questions, and it will be interesting to see how he shapes next year's team.
Some other thoughts on the season:
- The Mets lose to Florida on the last day of the season and it costs them a playoff spot for the second year in a row. They lost a 3.5 game lead with 17 games to go. Johan was amazing on Saturday and Oliver Perez was good, but the bullpen did them in as it had so many times this year.
- CC Sabathia pitches Milwaukie in to the playoffs. He is the jewel of the free agent crop this off-season, and he made himself a lot of money down the stretch. He went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for the Brewers and should get some MVP votes.
- Manny Ramirez also deserves some MVP votes after hitting .396 with 17 HR's and 53 RBIs in 53 games. However, he is still a jerk for the way he left Boston.
- I am rooting for Joe Torre to win the World Series. However, if Lou Pinella leads the Cubs to their first title in 100 years, that would be great too.
- I am really rooting for the White Sox to win their make up game with Detroit tomorrow. That will cause the Twins and White Sox to play a one-game playoff on Tuesday to determine the Central Division winner. Is there anything better than the one-game playoff?
- The Twins traded Johan and lost Torii Hunter to free agency and are still in the hunt. Impressive.
One final note...it was 10 years ago that the baseball world was swept up in the chase to break Roger Maris' single season home run record by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Roger Clemens won the pitching triple crown leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts and capturing yet another Cy Young Award. While that season and those players certainly helped bring baseball back from the disaster of 1994, McGwire and Clemens are now baseball outcasts. It's a shame. It's also hard to believe that it was 10 years ago.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"
JN
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