Yankees Battle Injuries

Baseball's season is a marathon not a sprint, only the strong survive. Ominous words for the New York Yankees. The one constant in the Yankee Universe is a relentless onslaught of injuries. The beat goes on...

Imported iron-man, CC Sabathia, was yanked from the second inning of Sunday's start against the Florida Marlins. The big man has pitching arm issues three months into a seven-year contract. As John McEnroe once bleated, "You can't be serious."

The MVP returned to the hot corner of Land Shark Stadium Sunday. File A-Rod's hip saga under fiasco (You can find it in the what else is new section.)

Damon pinch hit Sunday, delivered a hit and required a pinch-runner. Brittle Johnny is an accident waiting to happen. Wang misses most of 2008 with a foot problem. A wobbly return prompts the organization to delve deeper. The alleged results are hip weakness which requires more rehab. The venerable captain hobbles at short. Matsui's knees retired two years ago. This years bridge to the Great Rivera, Damaso Marte, inks a mind-blowing $12 million extension and promptly returns to rehab mountain. Posada and Pettitte use guile and guts to stall the inevitable.

How did this happen? Let's count the ways: 1) The championship core--Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Rivera--grew old while rust never slept. The new models are somewhere in the bushes.
2) The former founder of the alleged youth movement, Brian Cashman, paves the road to the future with a risky philosophy: high ceiling talent, regardless of injury history, is recruited. The results: Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain, Brackman, Sanchez (RIP), Melancon and company promise a bright future, featuring a bottomless pit of MRI's and the best surgeons money can buy. 3) Neophyte ownership with deep pockets and not much else, look to buy their way out. Patience isn't part of the plan.

Joe Girardi inherited a toxic mix that has him squirming in a no-win situation. The bloated payroll distorts expectations. Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Matsui and A-Rod show a propensity to play hurt, an admirable quality that can do more harm than good. If the skipper sits the ailing stars, Berroa and company are in the high-expectancy mix. Good luck with that.

There are no miracle cures for what ails the New York Yankees. The antidote requires astute long-term planning and development, tempered with patience and a grasp of reality.The present mix of front-office personnel are part of the problem, not the solution.

Photo/LoHud