Opening Day

Opening Day has finally arrived. It began last night with the Braves defeating the Phillies 4-1. Free agent signee Derek Lowe was brilliant for Atlanta. The Yankees hope to get the same kind of performances from their newly acquired aces, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett in their opening series against Baltimore. The action starts today at 4:05pm at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Sabathia gets the call for the Yanks. Baltimore will counter with their ace Jeremy Guthrie. A solid start for Sabathia will be needed to set the right tone for the Yankees, who have been notoriously slow starters the past couple of seasons going 14-15 in April of 2008 and 9-14 in April of 2007. But enough talk already, It's time to play ball!

Projected 2009 Standings

Baseball Prospectus just released the first set of 2009 projected standings (here). Rob Neyer of ESPN wrote about possible headlines about these standings (here). There is a brief description as to how BP came up with the projections, using what seems to be a very well-thought out scientific process. In light of this Jersey Hardball would like to release its first projected standings, which are, completely unscientific. Of course, with so many free agents still available, these are subject to change.

The Promise of a New Season

(I am pumped for 2009!!!)

In the world of Major League Baseball its easy to get lost in the shuffle when you don’t have deep pockets such as the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets do. Now don’t get me wrong money will not buy you a championship. It may make you competitive, it may get you a playoff spot, but in that 7 game series payrolls are thrown out the window and anything’s possible. Just ask Arod. But what will the spending of the large market teams do for them? It will make them money of course; you have to spend money to make money.

Why do people care about seeing the Yanks and the Red Sox square off 19 times a year? Is it the history or the heated rivalry? Too some, but mostly it's to see David Ortiz and Arod slug it out. To see Josh Beckett go K for K against Joba, or to see who’s more dominant in the 9th, The Sandman, Mariano Rivera or the Riverdancing Jonathan Papelbon. These are the stars of the game and people pay to see them. Networks pay big money to nationally televise these games. In the upcoming 2009 season you are guaranteed to see a Yankees/Red Sox Matchup on ESPN’s Sunday game of the week because viewers will tune in. This is the reason you wont be seeing any Nationals/Padres game, no one will care to watch.

This is not to say only the biggest spenders are the only teams worth watching. Over the last 10 years the Oakland A’s have the 4th best record in baseball (815-641, 5 playoff appearances) and the Minnesota Twins have the 8th best record (776-682, 4 playoff appearances) and this is done with only a handful of players the casual fan can identify. Also the Florida Marlins with a team payroll typically under Arod's annual salary have 2 World Series Championships since 1997. You just don’t hear much about teams like this because the solid fundamentals of a winning baseball team doesn’t sell tickets or make Sportscenter highlights.

People don’t get excited about a well executed sacrifice bunt or an effective bullpen. This is the exact reason why baseball is such a great sport and the reason why I fall into a depression every year between November and March. Its unpredictable, every year there will be teams and players that exceed expectations or fail to meet them. We only need to look at the Tampa Bay Rays for the most recent example. We can also look at individual performances. Alex Rodriguez, one of the best players in the game, a 1st Ballot Hall of Famer and dare I say a cultural icon has ZERO World Series Rings and a .279 BA and 17 RBI in 39 postseason games, and 1 RBI in his last 44 postseason at bats. Meanwhile David Eckstein who just signed a $850,000 contract with the Padres, roughly $450,000 more than the leagues minimum salary, has 2 World Series rings and was the 2006 World Series MVP.

With the first pitch of the 2009 season quickly approaching, optimism is in the air. Of course the analysts will favor the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Cubs but the games aren’t played on paper. So come playoff time don’t be shocked if the Royals' Zack Greinke is pitching a gem in game 1 of the ALDS or Jay Bruce comes through in the clutch in the National League Championship Series. These are the kinds of things that happen every year in baseball and no amount of money spent can help it or stop it.

-Robb Lennahan

2009 Full of Expectations and Pressures for Yanks

With each day that passes we get another day closer to the first pitch of the 2009 season being thrown. And I for one could not be more excited. With expectations never higher, the Yankees have loaded up for a run at the ever-elusive championship number 27. But with great expectations come great pressure. It can be argued that the pressure of a successful campaign falls heavier on three Yankees more so than others.

Manager, Joe Girardi
Patience from the powers that be will be wearing thin as Girardi has been given stars such as Sabathia, Teixeira, and Burnett over the offseason with which to work with. If he cannot deliver a title with these additions, you can almost guarantee he will be on the hot seat come season’s end. Unfair? Perhaps, so. But considering it was under Girardi’s watch the Yankees missed the postseason for the first time since 1993, another “failure” could mean Girardi’s job.

Pitcher, CC Sabathia
Since 2001, the Yankees have been on a quest to acquire a stud of an ace that could deliver World Series number 27. We have seen the likes of Mike Mussina, Javier Vasquez, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, and Carl Pavano come and go with no luck. In fact, all but Mike Mussina can be considered complete and utter disasters. Some would argue that these pitchers with the exception of Mussina just could not handle the pressure of being the Yankee ace. With the scrutiny of the media and the fans bearing down on him, it is Sabathia’s turn to face the mob. Whether it is fair or unfair, the pressure of past failures will also be weighing down on the shoulders of the hefty lefty. Will he be up to the challenge? Or, will he wilt under the new stadiums bright lights?

Third Baseman, Alex Rodriguez
If the pressure of the richest contract in sports history, the toughest fans in the world, and the vicious piranha like media weren’t enough. A-Rod will now have to feel the added pressure that has been bestowed on him by his former manager, Joe Torre’s book, “The Yankee Years.” There is no doubt that Alex will hear A-Fraud chants rain down on him from the crowds at Fenway, Arlington, Seattle, and the rest of the league. He may even hear it from the Bronx faithful from time to time. The fact of the matter is that A-Rod will try to prove wrong each and every word in the chapter devoted solely to him; which would be a near impossible task. By season’s end, the numbers will be there. They are always there. But the only thing that can exorcise the pressures that are haunting A-Rod is a championship; nothing more, nothing less.

-Favad Ali