 The Yankees find themselves back in the playoff picture, new faces in the clubhouse, and the trade deadline looms...
Wild Ride
Thanks to the recent collapse of the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees are well within striking distance of the wild card lead. As of Saturday morning, they were one game behind the Mariners and five games back of the Indians. They have won six straight series, and with Cleveland and Detroit duking it out in the AL Central, the Yankees' chances of snagging a playoff berth are looking up. Be on the lookout for Oakland's traditional second-half surge, and for Minnesota to make a stab. Whatever happens, the final two months of the season ought to be quite a wild ride.
New Faces
If you're still trying to figure out which Catching Molina Brother the Yankees recently acquired, here's some notes for you. Jose went 2-for-4 in his debut in pinstripes, his first multi-hit game of the season. He was backup to his brother Bengie for many years, and then had a shot to become the Angels' starting catcher last season, but ended up splitting his playing time with two rookies. He has led AL catchers in caught runners and pickups several times, and has a reputation for being good with pitchers. And he has a little pop; many Yankee fans will recall him taking Randy Johnson deep in 2005. In other words, what's not to like?
Trade Winds
With the deadline looming, the rumors continue to swirl. My favorite thus far has been Kyle Farnsworth to the Tigers. Farnsworth has been a disappointment all around, and with the emergence of Luis Vizcaino as a reliable set-up man, Farnsworth looks even worse. Why Vizcaino flourished under Mariano Rivera's tutelage (as Tanyon Sturtze did before him), and Farnsworth did not? That will remain a mystery. Any value they can get back for Farnsworth will be worthwhile.
Is This Guy Good Or What?
Alex Rodriguez seems to make history just by breathing. He's still waiting for his 500th homer, but he's already passed last year's season total, and joins a very exclusive club. He and Babe Ruth are now the only two players in major league history to hit 35 homers and drive in 100 RBIs in at least eleven seasons (and A-rod is the first and only to do it in ten consecutive seasons). Vince Gennaro, author of "Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball" (Maple Street Press), has calculated Ruth's economic value to the Yankees using financial data from the Ruppert-ownership-era based on Ruth's marquee value as well as his impact on increasing team revenue through increased wins and postseason appearances. In Ruth's career, he earned close to $800,000 in salary, and earned additional revenue for the Yankees (over a mediocre player) of about $8 million. In today's dollars and ticket prices, that would translate to $350 million for the team over the course of his 15 year career. Gennaro has not calculated the numbers for A-rod yet, but he's starting to look more and more like a bargain... if he can do it in October. Yes, it always seems to come back to that.
Looking Ahead
Here come the White Sox. Ozzie Guillen's team has fallen off greatly this season from their championship form and they limp into the Bronx under .500. They traded away Tadahito Iguchi for a farm prospect and may have shed Jermaine Dye before they arrive. It's unlikely they'll be total pushovers as they still retain some decent pitching (Mark Buehrle hurled a no-hitter earlier this season), but with the Yankees on a good offensive roll, look for the Yankees to win another series.
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