Hal Steinbrenner Addresses The Yankees Fan Base

Hal Steinbrenner released an official statement to the media and the Yankees fan base after getting swept out of the American League Championship Series by the Detroit Tigers.

“I want to thank our passionate fans for their support this season.

“We fell short of our singular and constant goal, which is a World Series Championship. However, I am proud of the accomplishments of this year’s team. We earned the best record in the American League and were one of the four teams to advance to the League Championship Series, despite having to overcome and fight through a series of long-term injuries to a number of our key players.

“Make no mistake, this was a bitter end to our year, and we fully intend to examine our season in its totality, assess all of our strengths and weaknesses and take the necessary steps needed to maintain our sole focus of winning the World Series in 2013. Great teams — and organizations — use disappointment as a motivation for future improvements and success. In the days, weeks and months ahead, we plan to do what’s necessary to return this franchise to the World Series.

“Nothing has changed. Nothing will change. My family — and our organization — has a long-standing commitment to provide all of our fans a championship-caliber team year after year.

“We may have fallen short yesterday but we never feel sorry for ourselves and never make excuses. We already are beginning the process to find a way to win our 28th World Championship.

“I want to congratulate Mike Ilitch, Dave Dombrowski, Jim Leyland, and the Detroit Tigers. They certainly proved worthy of representing the American League in the World Series, and are well deserving of this honor.”

Yankees Very Likely To Offer Qualifying Offer To Swisher

The new collective bargaining agreement states that a team must offer their potential free agent a qualifying offer in order to be eligible for draft pick compensation if that player leaves. The qualifying offer consists of an average salary of the best 125 players in the league on a one year deal so this year it figures to be in the one year $13-14 million range. The Yankees have already expressed that they have no interest in signing Swisher to a multi year contract and I doubt that Nick Swisher wants to sign for one year so the Yankees may, for once, actually get some draft compensation out of a free agent. This kind of news pretty much cements, in my mind anyway, that Nick Swisher has seen his last day wearing pinstripes. Then again after a less then stellar post season on top of the team having to give up a draft pick in order to sign an above average outfielder sliding out of his prime just may force Swishers hand into accepting the deal. It is definitely going to be an interesting offseason.

CC Sabathia Headed For Tests On Left Elbow

CC Sabathia had a pair of disabled list stints this season due to left throwing elbow stiffness and problems and pitched for a huge stretch of the season like he was not fully healthy. The Yankees will send him to get that elbow checked out yet again now that we are in the offseason to determine if anything needs to be done or if CC just did not have his "A" game in Game 4 of the ALCS. He pitched extremely well down the stretch and even better against the Baltimore Orioles so I am hoping the extra rest due to the rain out is to blame and that CC is healthy. Better safe then sorry.

Expect Andy Pettitte's 2013 Decision To Come Quickly

Andy Pettitte has hinted at and teased Yankees fans all summer long about the possibility of a potential 2013 return for one last final season but the good news is we will not have to wait long for an official answer. Andy is expected to make his decision within the next month or so and let the Yankees know either way whether to expect him back for one more shot. He has never been shy in saying that the fire and the competitor is still alive inside of him but he has also pointed out that his family comes first and his kids are not getting any younger either. Andy finished the season with a 5-4 record, 2.86 ERA, 69 K's, and a 1.124 WHIP all in 12 starts and 75 IP.  The Yankees would jump for joy to have the veteran lefty back for one more reason and would not shy away from him because of money either with it being a one year deal because they could still stick true to their 2014 luxury tax threshold goal.

ARod Says He'll Be A Yankee In 2013

Just like a bull after a trip to Taco Bell, most media members are full of "it".

Contradicting an earlier report that Alex Rodriguez would be open to a trade, meaning he wouldn't use his no trade clause and 10-5 rights to shoot down a deal if one were made, Alex said he plans to "be back" next season.

I don't think ARod is "done" as a player. No, he won't live up to the $28 million he'll make next season, nor will he live up to the salary he'll make in each of the next 5 years, but I believe he'll be a useful player. While his bat has certainly slowed down some, I don't believe he's forgotten how to be a good hitter.

At this point people may pull out the "steroids" thing, but the flaw I see in such thinking is that not anybody can take steroids or any other performance enhancing drug and be an MVP candidate in Major League Baseball. There has to be a certain level of skill involved to hit .300 and make good enough contact with a ball to hit 30+ home runs. So when it comes to not taking a PED to enhance that skill I think it's more a matter of tweaking things, rather than saying he can't be productive with out them.

"We don't need no stinkin' steroids... I mean badges!"

What I liked best about what Rodriguez had to say regarding returning next season was this...

"I have a lot to prove."

That tells me he has the right attitude about things about the future. He's not going to whine and cry about the Bleacher Creatures getting on his case. In fact, Alex said the booes he received throughout the playoffs from Yankee fans was well warranted. 

I'm not going to expect him to bat .300/.400/.600 with 40 home runs next year, but I don't think a season with a line of .280/.360/.470 with 25 home runs is out the question.

In The Immortal Words Of John Sterling...

Game over.... American League Championship over... Season over.....Tiger Win.

Newsflash! The Detroit Tigers Were Not Dominant.

That was my face when I heard a TBS announcer say that Detroit pitching has been "dominant".

The Tigers team batting average in the AL Championship Series is .259. That's good enough for 2nd out of the four teams that were left in the playoffs before today, but it's hardly a stat to get excited about. You want another stat to not get excited about? Here you go... Detroit's team on-base percentage is .317. One more? You got it... a slugging percentage of .371. In the regular season the Tiger's team triple-slash was .268/.335/.422.

I'm not going to go by stats like ERA to show that Tiger pitching hasn't been any better, because those stats are incredibly skewed thanks to Yankee hitters that apparently checked out a couple of weeks ago. The Yankees have hit .182/.244/.291 in the ALCS. .182/.244/.291! New York hit .265/.337/.453 in the regular season. If the Yankees had hit anything near those regular season numbers, then there's a good chance the Yankees would have been in position to sweep the ALCS... not the Tigers.

Lord, I haven't pitched since Little League (played 2B and RF in high school), but I think I could have thrown a quality start against that Yankee offense.

So for TBS announcers, or anybody else for that matter, to be acting as if Detroit has been "dominant" is ridiculous. Simply put, the Yankees suckiness has overshadowed Detroit's "meh" LCS.

Alex Rodriguez Possibly Open To Trade In Offseason

Bob Nightengale reported that Yankees Alex Rodriguez would not stand in the way of a potential trade this offseason to another big market club. He did mention that Alex would not ask for a trade or demand a trade but would be willing to waive his full no trade clause and 10/5 player rights for a move to another big market. The Yankees have expressed interest in eating a significant portion of his contract to make a deal happen or even take back another bad contract in return to make the deal happen. Bob mentioned Vernon Wells as a prime example and I hope it was just that, an example, because A Rod is light years ahead of Vernon Wells at a "premium" position, and still somewhat useful. Vernon Wells is an outfielder that we do not necessarily need and is owed $42 million through the 2014 season. Expect to hear nothing but A Rod trade rumors all winter long. Frankly, I am excited #sarcasm. 

Alex Rodriguez Rant

Ok so I do not like to take my personal feelings and put them on this blog that much because frankly I do not think a lot of you care what I think. I think you come here for the news or the rumors or the scores or whatever. I like to leave my personal side for twitter and facebook and such but I cannot help it anymore. Joe Girardi is ONCE AGAIN benching Alex Rodriguez in the playoffs. This way of thinking has gone from gutsy, to personal, to downright idiotic in a matter of a weeks time. Where the hell does Joe Girardi get off benching Alex Rodriguez due to performance when he has not allowed Robinson Cano or Russell Martin or hell anyone on the roster not named Ibanez. Why is Alex Rodriguez the scape goat when he has had better at bats with better results then a ton of guys that are on the ALCS roster? This is personal and I do not like personal when it comes to baseball because it should be a business on their end. Joe Girardi apparently was paying as much attention to when Joe Torre started messing with ARod in the playoffs as he does to his brain because this is a dumb move in every conceivable way.

Justin Thomas Elects Free Agency

The Yankees designated left handed reliever Justin Thomas for assignment and after clearing waivers Just Thomas has elected to test the free agent market rather then go to the Yankees AAA team. Cannot say that this is a huge loss for us as we only used him a few times in September ourselves after he was designated for assignment by Boston.