How To Lose A Baseball Season Yankee Recipe

Let Damon, Matsui and Molina go. What the hell they only provided spark and professionalism and gave the team character that resulted in some 15 walk-off wins. Molina gave Posada the backup that could throw and defend. Molina made Posada a better Catcher. Damon and Matsui provided needed hits that mattered as well as never letting their professionalism  fail them. All three were replaced by individuals who may have talent, be younger and greater potential but they weren't able to contribute on the level of these three.

Then develop a philosophy that seemed to always plan on the future without taking care of today's business. The professional athlete is somewhat of a head case. You have to convince him he is unstoppable and all that matters is winning. The plan is to come in first in your division. This not only gives you home field advantage but it further builds up confidence in the feeling of infallibility. Playing for the Wild Card position should only occur if there isn't a chance of securing first place. What should be always first and foremost is to come in as the best confirming to the athlete that he is the best with no one better.

Then when the team is in a position to win it should always go with its best. The Yanks had a dramatic comeback in game one against Texas. They should have gone out and stomped on Texas throat in the second game, go with their best, Pettitte was the best available but they went with Hughes thereby blowing the opportunity of going two up and wasting Pettitte's gem that he lost to Lee. All this based on statistics.


Statistics are history, numbers relating to the past but the game is played in the present, the now. You have to go with what the player is like now not how he was then. Two examples of the premise just proffered, Burnett was left in to pitch to Molina based on the numbers and Robertson was brought in to face Guerrero based on the numbers, one hit a home run the other a base clearing double. Clearly Burnett based on this season was in trouble although he had pitched well up to that point and Robertson had trouble just a day or so ago and the season was on the line. Burnett should have been lifted and Wood instead of Robertson should have been brought in and damn the numbers, what counts is now not then.

To conclude, take one very successful team, wreck its chemistry and over plan, over manage mix well put in the hot stove league and leave simmer till spring training.