Yanks embarrassed again

The Yankees responded to the subway sweep by losing 12-2 to the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles. The drubbing was earned with a combination of poor pitching, shoddy defense and anemic offense. It was ugly.

The Yankees' pratfall out of the gate and into the cellar brings obligatory heat. The franchise leads the sport in assets, payroll and expectations, last place isn't part of the plan. Let the finger pointing commence. It's a Gotham tradition to focus on the manager--ask Torre and Randolph-- Girardi's short tenure doesn't qualify him as scapegoat. The media has harped on the blustering new Boss. Hank Steinbrenner has upheld a dubious family tradition of making headlines. Brush aside the bombast, his actions have supported team architect Brian Cashman's plan. Johan Santana isn't in pinstripes, youth has been served. Cash has a 200+ million dollar payroll that has produced: 1) "The worst Yankees bench ever."--anonymous scout (are there any other kind?) 2) No long man, on a team trying to develop two young starting pitchers simultaneously. 3) No lefty in the bullpen. Mix these issues with an old, fading roster add injuries and a poor start isn't a shocker.

The buck doesn't stop with Brian Cashman. It's deeper than that. I'm reminded of an interview Bobby Valentine did with ESPN when he managed the Mets. He was asked if there were concerns about a players motivation after signing a long term contract. "It depends on the goals, if he is trying to get to the Hall of Fame you have no problems on the other hand if he is playing to buy the house on the hill, watch out." Paraphrased. (IE. Piazza vs Bonilla.) The Yankees' roster is cluttered with guys who are comfortable with "the house on the hill." "Let's see what the Yankees are made of, if they fight back."--John Flaherty. The 2008 New York Yankees are 0-24 when trailing after seven innings. If the stats don't sink in, watch the bench when the team is behind, joking and laughing aren't appropriate. Last night the Yankees "fought back" with a Hawkins pitch headed in the direction of an opponent's head, it was a reminder how low they've sunk.

There is no short-term answer for the Yanks' quandary. The alleged bountiful farm is full of not ready for prime time suspects. Rushing the future hurts everyone. The market for over-paid faded veterans is null, so forget the miracle trade. The only option is to ride out the storm. The payroll drops as Giambi, Mussina, Farnsworth, Abreu, Hawkins and Ensberg go away. There will always be options for the richest franchise in history. The focus should be on the long term, finding a team architect capable of finding the right pieces would be a big step in the right direction.

Photo/Newsday