Yankees GM Cashman is over-rated

It's a wonder how New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman keeps his job. His most recent quote of “I don’t have anybody who is untouchable, but some guys are more touchable than others. At the end of the day, I am legitimately open to any idea. I’ve had a lot of bad ones, either thrown by me or on the receiving end from somebody else to me. That’s what we’re here for; to throw a lot of crap out there and see what sticks” makes me believe that myself, or anyone really, could work as a general manager of a major league baseball team and have the same results at the end of the season as so-called professionals such as Cashman have.

Trading catcher John Ryan Murphy for Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks wasn't a bad deal, but Cashman and the Yankees would be foolish to deal any of their top prospects, such as shortstop Juan Mateo, outfielder Aaron Judge, and first baseman Doug Bird, among others. Let's keep these guys and see what they can do on the field, starting during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Players signed to big contracts, such as Carlos Beltran, really haven't done much, so why not take a chance on a prospect?

The best Third Basemen in New York Yankee history

The third base position in baseball is called the 'hot corner' because when a right handed batter pulls the ball he's got a lot of power behind it, and the ball gets to the third baseman very fast. A player who is great defensively will stand out at third base, and the Yankees have had several at the position. Here are the top five:

5) Scott Brosius: Appearing in 540 games during four years with the team, his .956 fielding percentage was better than the league average of .950 during his playing career. He was a decent hitter, with a .267 average and driving in about 70 runs a year. Brosius held down third base during the Yankees three consecutive World Series championships from 1998-2000.

4) Clete Boyer: An excellent fielder who led the American League's third basemen in range factor each season from 1961-66, Boyer appeared in 1,068 games during eight years with the Yankees. He was a steady player on championship teams in the early 1960's.

3) Red Rolfe: Playing his entire ten years, 1,175 games, in the majors with the Yankees, Rolfe was a fixture at third during the team's championship seasons in the 1930's. He batted a respectable .289 with an on-base percentage of .360 during his career. Rolfe's fielding average of .956 was higher than the league average of .943.

2) Alex Rodriguez:  Rodriguez has put up big numbers even during what were considered down years for him. Winner of three MVP awards during ten seasons and 1,293 games with the Yankees, he has a .291 batting average, 309 home runs, and 979 RBI’s.  His .965 fielding average is above the .956 league average for the same time period.

1) Graig Nettles: Playing in 1,535 games during his eleven years with the Yankees, Nettles won two Gold Gloves for his defensive excellence, and his fielding average of .961 is higher than the league average of .953. Practically single handedly saving the 1978 World Series for the Yanks with his outstanding play at third base, Nettles also hit for power, belting 37 home runs in 1977 and driving in more than 90 runs for four consecutive seasons. Somewhat of a comedian, known for his funny one-liners, Nettles is the best third baseman in Yankees' history.



 

New baseball book available at Amazon.com

New baseball book available at Amazon.com


THE PERFECT GAME is a novel for middle grade readers. It is about a twelve year old boy’s roller coaster experience while playing one season of organized baseball.

It is available in Kindle at Amazon for 99 cents, as well as at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.

Click here for details: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Game-Christopher-J-ebook/dp/B007R8G6AG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1416258192&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+game+christopher+j

Joey Coltasanti, nicknamed “the professor” by his father, is ambivalent about playing his last year in summer league. A shortstop, he loves baseball and longs to realize his dream of making the town’s all-star team, and then winning enough games to advance to the state’s world series. However to reach this goal he must overcome his own anxiety that blocks his talent from shining through on the field.

Internal concerns are not the only obstacles in Joey’s path. He also has to deal with Mr. K, the coach of his team for the past two years. Mr. K uses sarcasm and intimidation with his players, as well as favoring his own son over Joey and his teammates. Added to the mix is Joey’s new neighbor and friend, twelve year old Mindi. A saxophone-playing member of Mensa, she is also a pitcher in the summer league who mows down opposing hitters with a blazing fastball and pinpoint control.

Joey decides to play, with events during early season contests testing his will to continue. Eventually a tumultuous game involving adults who can’t seem to grow up leads to changes in the league. A benevolent new coach arrives in town, and things begin to turn around for Joey and his underdog teammates. Eventually joining forces with Mindi on the all-star team, Joey moves closer to fulfilling his dream.

Advancing to the state’s world series means finding innovative ways to win pressure packed games, which leads to Joey confronting his fears on the field. Ultimately he learns more about winning, losing, and the exciting game that is baseball.

 

Of the 40 Yankees from their roster in September 2013, only 9 remain

Of the 40 Yankees listed on their roster in September 2013, only 9 remain on the spring 2015 40 man roster.

In less than a year and a half, 78% of the players have disappeared from the team's employ.

The 9 survivors are: catcher John Ryan Murphy, first baseman Mark Teixeira, shortstop Brendan Ryan, thirdbaseman Alex Rodriguez, outfielder Brett Gardner, and pitchers CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Dellin Betances, and Adam Warren.

The high turnover doesn't say much about Brian Cashman's abilities as general manager, in terms of identifying talented prospects or serviceable major leaguers.

If the Yankees end up losing 90 or more games this year, Cashman and his subordinates ought to be the ones fired - not manager Joe Girardi.

Who was the New York Yankees Most Valuable Player in 2014?

The New York  Yankees struggled through a long 2014 season, finishing with a middling 84-78 won-loss record and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

 

Still, every team has players that contribute to its success during the course of the year. Here is a look at who were the Most Valuable Players of the 2014 Yankees.

 

5) Brian McCann, catcher: McCann started slowly at the plate but still finished with 23 home runs and 75 RBI’s, both of which led the team. He also handled the pitching staff well, and threw out 37% of runners attempting to steal, above the league average of 27%.

 

4) Hiroki Kuroda, starting pitcher: Kuroda was steady, providing 32 starts and 199 innings for a starting staff that was decimated by injuries. He finished with an 11-9 record and 3.71 ERA.

 

3) Masahiro Tanaka, starting pitcher:  Tanaka was the closest thing to a sure win in games during the first half, before a partially torn ligament in his elbow shelved him for the second half of the season.  The Yankees would have finished under .500 without him. He posted a 13-5 record and 2.77 ERA in 20 games and 136 innings.

 

2) Jacoby Ellsbury, centerfielder:  Leading all position players with 149 games played, 156 hits, 27 doubles, and 39 stolen bases, Ellsbury batted .271 with 16 home runs and 70 RBI’s. He also was steady defensively.

 

1) Dellin Betances, relief pitcher:  His first year in the bullpen proved to be a huge success. Betances shut down opposing hitters when the Yankees had a close lead in late innings of games.  He finished with a 5-0 record, 22 holds, an unbelievable 1.40 ERA, and set a team record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher, with 135 in 90 innings. He gave up only 46 hits, and batters managed a measly .149 average against him. Dellin Betances is the Yankees’ Most Valuable Player for the 2014 season.

New baseball book: The Perfect Game

THE PERFECT GAME is a novel for middle grade readers. It is about a twelve year old boy’s roller coaster experience while playing one season of organized baseball.

Joey Coltasanti, nicknamed “the professor” by his father, is ambivalent about playing his last year in summer league. A shortstop, he loves baseball and longs to realize his dream of making the town’s all-star team, and then winning enough games to advance to the state’s world series. However to reach this goal he must overcome his own anxiety that blocks his talent from shining through on the field.

Internal concerns are not the only obstacles in Joey’s path. He also has to deal with Mr. K, the coach of his team for the past two years. Mr. K uses sarcasm and intimidation with his players, as well as favoring his own son over Joey and his teammates. Added to the mix is Joey’s new neighbor and friend, twelve year old Mindi. A saxophone-playing member of Mensa, she is also a pitcher in the summer league who mows down opposing hitters with a blazing fastball and pinpoint control.

Joey decides to play, with events during early season contests testing his will to continue. Eventually a tumultuous game involving adults who can’t seem to grow up leads to changes in the league. A benevolent new coach arrives in town, and things begin to turn around for Joey and his underdog teammates. Eventually joining forces with Mindi on the all-star team, Joey moves closer to fulfilling his dream. Advancing to the state’s world series means finding innovative ways to win pressure packed games, which leads to Joey confronting his fears on the field. Ultimately he learns more about winning, losing, and the exciting game that is baseball.

 

THE PERFECT GAME by Christopher J is available in the Kindle Store at Amazon.com for 99 cents.

Who was the Yankees MVP in 2013?

In 2013 the New York Yankees finished tied with the Baltimore Orioles for third place in the American League Eastern Division with a 85-77 record. They managed to accomplish this with a roster of players consisting of a hodgepodge of journeymen, scrubs, and not-ready-for-prime-time minor leaguers, since many key players missed most of the season due to injuries. The extended absences of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson led to gaping holes in the team's lineup.

Manager Joe Girardi deserves some credit for keeping the Yanks in the race for much of the season. He handled the pitching staff well and squeezed enough out of the position players to enable the team to finish over .500 for the season.

General Manager Brian Cashman deserves zero credit, since all he did was throw stuff up against the wall and hope that it would stick. The minor league system, under Cashman's direction for the past seven years, provided practically no help during the season.

Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner contributed offensively during the month of April, helping to keep the Yanks above water early on. Unfortunately neither one provided much for the remainder of the season.

Granderson didn't provide his usual punch when he returned from injuries, batting .229 with seven homers and 15 RBI's in 61 games and 214 at-bats - numbers that don't translate well when projected over a 162 games season.

Eduardo Nunez didn't show much while filling in for Jeter at shortstop, with a .260 average, 3 home runs, 28 RBI's and 10 stolen bases in 90 games and 304 at-bats. His fielding average was .953, well below the league average of .973, and he was projected to cost the team 18 runs as a shortstop, according to zone fielding calculations.

So who were the top ten most valuable players for the Yankees in 2013?

10) Brett Gardner - Gardner was reliable, playing in 145 games, but stole only 24 bases with an average on-base percentage of .344, and wasn't as much of a sparkplug as had been hoped. In centerfield he cost the team 20 runs, according to one zone fielding statistic.

9) Jayson Nix - Nix actually came up with some key hits that led to Yankee victories, even though he played in only 87 games.

8) Lyle Overbay - Overbay also came up with some clutch hits in crucial situations, leading to Yankee wins. He hit 14 homers and drove in 59 runs.

7) Ivan Nova - Finishing 9-6 with a 3.10 ERA, Nova pitched well and kept the Yankees in the race in the summer.

6) Chris Stewart - Stewart handled the pitching staff well, and threw out 32% of runners attempting to steal.

5) Mariano Rivera - Most people would put Rivera higher on the list, but he blew seven saves - 92 wins would have landed the Yanks a playoff spot.

4) Hiroki Kuroda - Kuroda pitched well for most of the season, keeping the team in games.

3) Alfonso Soriano - Providing much needed pop in the lineup during the second half of the season, Soriano hit .256 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI's in only 219 at-bats.

2) David Robertson - Robertson had a great year as a set-up man, with a 2.04 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .213 opponents’ batting average, and 77 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched.

1) Robinson Cano - While I think Cano is an over-rated player, statistically he had an outstanding year both offensively and defensively, accomplishing this with only average players around him. His .314 batting average, .383 on-base percentage, 27 home runs and 107 RBI's along with a .991 fielding percentage make him the Yankees' Most Valuable Player for the 2013 season.

 

 

 

 

source for statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/

Yankees ought to just release Alex Rodriguez

The Alex Rodriguez saga is dreadfully boring. Here's a guy who had tremendous talent, yet still decided to use steroids and whatever else to try and get an edge that he really did not need. Now there's suspensions, arbitration, lawsuits, stupid quotes by lawyers and baseball officials...who cares. This is more boring than a reality show.

The Yankees ought to just release Rodriguez and pay him whatever millions of dollars that he's owed. If another team picks him up, fine. I wouldn't worry about it. He's not a good player anymore, and the Yankees don't need all the nonsense. Just sign Mark Reynolds to play third base. They'd basically end up giving the team the same production on offense and their defense wouldn't be much different.

Giving Rodriguez a 10 year contract was dumb, a move that George Steinbrenner would have made if he had been lucid at the time, although he didn't have to be, since his dumb son Hank made the deal anyway.

Can we please move on from this craziness and get back to just playing baseball?

Yankees should fire Cashman, scouting staff

At an end of the season press conference New York Yankees' general manager Brian Cashman took responsibility for the team missing out on the playoffs for only the second time in twenty years.

Well if that's the case, ownership ought to fire him, as well as the administrators and scouts that handle drafting of high school and college players.

Certainly a major league team that finishes with an 85-77 record can hardly be considered a dismal failure. However what can be considered a failure is the team's drafts for the past ten years, or longer. The Yankees have not produced enough legitimate players from their farm system to be a contender.

While George Steinbrenner's win-now philosophy contributed to the team's chasing after free agents and trading prospects for established players (some of whom were already washed up and over the hill) this has been entirely Cashman's operation for over eight years now. He demanded full control of the farm system operation and got it. So far, he hasn't held up his end of the deal. Cashman also spoke out against one move ownership made without his approval - signing closer Rafael Soriano - and he turned out to be wrong about that one too, as Soriano filled in capably last year when Mariano Rivera was out with a knee injury.

Obviously, no one is going to replace Rivera, but with all the injuries that occurred in 2013 you would think the Yankees could have brought up at least one decent player from the minor leagues to fill a hole in the lineup. Nope. So all Cashman did was claim whatever flim-flam was available on the waiver wire, then throw it up against the wall and hope that it would stick. Anyone can do that. What takes some skill and expertise is knowing which baseball player to draft out of high school and college each year, and also how to develop them in the minor leagues.

In the press conference Cashman admitted that the Yankees have a lot of holes to fill before the 2014 season begins. It's too bad they can't count on any of their own prospects to plug those gaps.

Bud Selig ought to take blame for steroids, performance enhancing drugs in major league baseball

The entire mess of baseball's latest fiasco with players using banned "substances" really lies squarely at the feet of former used car salesman Bud Selig. Bud and his fellow team owners colluded to keep free agent salaries down in the 1980's, which led to players trusting owners even less than usual in the early 1990's. The owners tried everything to force a new basic agreement onto the players, but the union stuck together, and Bud ended up cancelling the 1994 World Series.

Attendance was down when plays resumed in 1995, so when Mark McGwire, the now-vindicated Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa, and others started using steroids and the baseballs started flying out of the parks, Bud Selig and his cronies looked the other way, in the name of money. Fans returned to the stadiums, television ratings went up, and revenue for owners and players increased.

If Bud, his fellow owners, and the players had really cared about the integrity of the game, they would have put an end to the steroids and other "performance enhancers" back in the mid to late 1990's. In 2007 many fans were outraged that Barry Bonds had somehow broken Hank Aaron's home run record - now six years later, baseball is still dealing with some of its players using banned "substances?" Wow.

Players, their agents, team owners, managers, coaches, and trainers are all still looking the other way. This is Selig's fault, as the commissioner of baseball, since fifteen years ago he saw no other way to save his sport than to look the other way.

More so than cancelling a World Series and allowing an All Star Game end in a tie, Bud Selig's legacy is one of letting steroids and other performance enhancing drugs tarnish a great game.

How come most suspended major league baseball players were Hispanic?

With the exception of Milwaukee Brewer outfielder Ryan Braun, all of the 13 players recently suspended by major league baseball for their alleged use of banned substances, or some alleged connection to the wacky Biogenesis clinic, are of Hispanic descent.

Is there some sort of belief in using performance enhancing drugs among Hispanic baseball players? That doesn't seem possible. Is it because the clinic was in Miami, and more Hispanic players hang out in Miami? Doubtful.

Could be just some sort of coincidence. Maybe these players have too many people giving them bad advice. Agents, lawyers, trainers, coaches, publicists, childhood friends, parents...maybe some of these players need to dump their entourages and start thinking for themselves and making their own decisions, especially when it comes to their careers.

In general I often wonder if people think they're really getting that much of an "edge" by using some kind of performance enhancing drug. Is it really true that it can help you that much as an athlete?

The really talented athletes out there do all on their own, by working out and eating right, and taking care of themselves. Plus they have something in their genes that helps. A baseball player who is a great hitter probably also has fantastic eye sight, like Ted Williams did. All the drugs in the world can't change that. It's just a gift that they were born with.

Hank Steinbrenner the only person who deserves blame for A-Rod mess

George Steinbrenner made a lot of dumb trades and completed more than a few stupid free agent signings during his reign, but his son Hank made quite a doozy as well.

There have been very few baseball players in major league history who have maintained a high level of play into their late thirties. Certainly not many once they reach the age of forty.

While Alex Rodriguez was coming off an outstanding year in 2007 (although one perhaps fueled by steroids) he would be turning 32 the following season. To give any 32 year old a ten year guaranteed contract, even someone with solid stats like Rodriguez had, is foolish. How can any player be expected to have a monster season at age 38 or 39? It's rare. The most Hank Steinbrenner should have offered is six years. If Rodriguez was still going strong at that point they could have easily offered him another contract.

Now the Yankees are saddled with a huge contract that they will have to pay off, unless Rodriguez mercifully retires. And they still have no one to play third base. 

Hank Steinbrenner, who spent one month in the late 1980's working for his father in the Yankees' front office before developing a nervous tick in one of his eyes, wasn't exactly the right person to decide on what contract to offer Rodriguez. So the team has no one to blame for this mess besides themselves. I guess that one month working with Dad didn't result in any new learning. The Yanks would have been better off if Hank had kept working at the family horse farm. Unfortunately for Yankee fans Hank and his brother Hal got involved in the Yankees' baseball business after their father developed dementia, and was unable to manage things as he had before - and unable to give anyone nervous ticks again.

These Yankees are boring on and off the field

Ichiro Suzuki's walk-off home run that won Tuesday night's game for the Yankees in the Bronx was a rare moment of excitement for fans. During April and May journeymen like Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells, and Jayson Nix provided clutch hits that kept the team in first place or close to the top. Above average starting pitching and solid effort from the relief corps helped a great deal as well.

However the month of June has seen the Yanks swoon. Timely hitting has dwindled, and the team has struggled to score runs. Mediocre pitching from one time Golden-Boys Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain hasn't helped. Andy Pettitte hasn't been as sharp in the last few starts, so age may finally be catching up to him. And, of course, the continued absence of injured players such as Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson has hurt the offense.

Brett Gardner has played well, but at this point in the season one of the fastest runners in the major leagues ought to have more than 11 stolen bases (and not been nailed 6 times already). Gardner has to get into scoring position; it's still easier to single someone in than it is to hit a home run.

The 2013 Yankees aren't a very exciting team to watch. Yankee Stadium will have even more empty seats by August if things don't turn around.

With the exception of outfielder Zoilo Almonte there isn't going to be much help coming up from the minor leagues, the result of scouting ineptness by general manager Brian Cashman and his baseball cronies in the front office.

Off the field, the headlines featuring Alex Rodriguez are simply uninteresting. At least with the late 1970's Yankees there was some passion involved, and much humor to be found in all the shenanigans. Rodriguez is a dullard. A seemingly compulsive liar, he's a boring person, and was always an over-rated player, even when he played with Seattle back in the 1990's.

The current team will probably stay in the wildcard race until the end of the season since the other American League East teams aren't that good, either. And if Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter can come back sometime during the summer and play at their high levels of the past, maybe some excitement will return to Yankee Stadium.

Yanks' 24-14 record proves you don't need stars to win games

The Yankees have one the best records in the major leagues at the moment, with a 24-14 won/loss record. this with many of their highly paid "stars" on the disabled list - Kevin Youklis, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Texiera, and Curtis Granderson. Yet with all the millions those guys are getting for doing rehabilitation exercises, the current team has been winning games with journeymen and cast-offs from other teams.  How? Clutch hitting. Infielder Jayson Nix has been steady defensively and while he has only 7 RBI's, they have come at important times. Same for first baseman Lyle Overbay, who has been reliable in the field and has driven in 22 runs, most at crucial spots in games. Outfielder Vernon Wells has also provided a number of clutch hits.

The Yankees' pitching has also been steady. Hiroki Kuroda has dominated in his starts, and the young pitchers have showed that it's been worth it to give them a chance. Adam Warren has been lights-out as a reliever, and David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, and Preston Claiborne have also baffled opposing hitters.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the Yankees' high priced beef returns. Nix will be relegated to the bench, and Overbay will probably be designated for assignment, while Wells will see his at-bats shrink. But will the team keep winning?

Yanks will regret signing Hafner

Signing Travis Hafner to a $2 million contract is one of Yankee GM Brian Cashman's sillier moves. Cashman, baseball's most over-rated general manager, is trying to make up for some of the team's lost home run production due to the departure of Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, and Russell Martin, as well as the absence of Alex Rodriguez.

However, Hafner has played in less than 100 games the past two seasons due to injuries, and at age 36 can hardly be expected to play 140 games a year, even if it's only as a DH.

Hafner hasn't played in the field since 2007, and hasn't even bothered to take ground balls at first base during spring training.  He's unable to throw due to a past shoulder injury.

So Cashman has saddled Joe Girardi with what will basically be a 24 man roster - assuming Hafner doesn't land on the disabled list first. Hopefully the Yankee manager won't have to deal with any major injuries during games, or be involved in many extra inning games. If that happens Girardi may end up using one of his pitchers in the field.

Yankees were swinging the bats like slow pitch softball players during the playoffs

Yankee manager Joe Girardi said during the playoffs that his hitters had to make "adjustments." Unfortunately none of them did. All they did do was stand at the plate and hack away like they were playing slow pitch softball.

None of the Yankee batters tried stay back in the box, drive the ball where it was pitched and into the opposite field, or not hit lazy fly balls. It should be obvious that the Yankee hitters had success during the regular season because they were smacking around fastballs from mediocre pitchers.

But when a pitcher would throw a changeup or curveball in a fastball count, the Yankees appeared helpless. They were way too aggressive and chased bad pitches. Even in hitters' counts, the Yankees flailed at pitches out of the strike zone.

Some so-called baseball experts believe that a strikeout is no worse that grounding out, but with men on base it's always better to put the ball in play, since it can move runners around the bases, or maybe a fielder makes an error which can keep an inning going.

Curtis Granderson had a couple of good all-around seasons while playing with the Tigers, so next year  instead of just to hit a home run every time he's up, why not just wait on some pitches and try to make contact. Singles, doubles, and triples are good to hit, too.

Yankees' lazy Cano one of MLB's most over-rated players

There was plenty of blame to go around in the Yankees' losses in the 2012 American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers. No one really hit well so it's unfair to get on any one guy such as Alex Rodriguez. Of course, we must recognize that the Yankees did win 95 games in the regular season and 26 other teams in baseball wish they were in the Yanks' shoes. Plus, the Tigers are hardly slouches.

Still, Robinson Cano is one player who gets a lot of accolades from some members of the media (well maybe just the Yanks' TV and radio announcers) but doesn't really deserve them. Yes he's a good hitter most of the time and provides solid defense in the field.  But he's not the kind of player who can carry a team and doesn't always hit in the clutch during the regular season. He hasn't done much in any of the Yankees' post-seasons, batting .222 with a .267 on-base percentage in 203 at-bats. The 2009 world series was won without any help from Cano, as he went 3 for 22 with one RBI.

He's been defended as appearing lazy when he's really just making plays look easy; that may be true, but it’s also true he doesn't always run out ground balls.

Cano can be included among the fifty greatest Yankees of all time because of his numbers, but let's not get his plaque ready for Cooperstown just yet. He still has a ways to go to be included among the game's greatest second basemen of all time.

The Yankees need to start hitting some singles

The Yankees lead the major leagues in home runs and have remained in first place in the American League's East division for most of the 2012 season, but their inability to deliver singles with runners in scoring position may come back to haunt them for the rest of the season, and in the post season - if they make it..

Derek Jeter is the only Yankee who has been consistent this year. He can hit singles, get on base and drive in runners. The problem is though, there isn't always someone in scoring position when he gets up to bat. Unfortunately the Yankees have a number of regular players with low on base percentages (see Curtis Granderson .322, Ichiro Suzuki .314, Russell Martin .313, Andruw Jones .297, and Raul Ibanez .294) which doesn't help if a team is trying to manufacture some runs.

Robinson Cano is player that can and has hit singles, but he's been somewhat inconsistent this season. Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have delivered clutch singles in their careers, but both have missed time this year because of injuries.

George Steinbrenner never really understood that giving a player a big contract meant that they would always deliver at the plate when it counts, and right about now it appears that Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't get it either, unless he was expecting something different when he put this team together.

The Yankees have a few weeks left to turn things around, so let's see if they can earn that big money they're all getting. The price of a a beer at Yankee Stadium is twelve bucks, but the Yanks have to still be playing in October if the franchise wants to collect some of that dough from their fans.