Bombers Banter: Are the New York Yankees Still in the Playoff Hunt?

/users/8319-Jordan-Schwartz">Jordan Schwartz: I hate it. When you have an offense that has been struggling as much as the Yankees, it doesn't make sense to sit Johnny Damon when he's on a five-game multi-hit streak or to insert a mediocre hitter like Wilson Betemit into the lineup. 

Maybe part of the reason these guys aren't hitting is because there's no consistency.  One day they're playing the field, the next day they're the DH, and the third day they're riding the pine. These guys don't need all these days off. It's baseball, not basketball.

 

Question: Do you think Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman will be back with the Yankees next year if the they fail to reach the playoffs?

Matthew Goodman: It would be shortsighted to let them go, given the injuries the Yankees have sustained. Cashman is responsible for the revival of the Yankees' farm system. It has already born fruit (Chamberlain, Hughes, Cano) and is poised to provide even more quality players over the next few years (Melancon, Jackson, Montero).

The depth Cashman created allowed the Yankees to go out and get Nady, Marte, and Pudge without gutting the system. He should be allowed to see his plan through.

As for Girardi, he has done a magnificent job of keeping morale high and riding out the wave of injuries. He lost his two top starters (Wang and Chamberlain), his starting left fielder (Matsui), his starting catcher (Posada), and various other players at some points.

Through it all, he has managed the bullpen effectively and kept workloads reasonable, so both position players and pitchers will be reasonably fresh down the stretch. He should be given at least one more year so he can manage a healthy team.

Colin Linneweber: Both should have the liberty to do as they please. Girardi will unquestionably be back. Cash may decide to run the Phillies. I expect both to be back, though.

Jersey: Yes and yes. The team has suffered through a lot of injuries, and that is the fault of neither the manager nor the GM. While this was not the only problem they had this year, it was a major one, and I don't think the Yanks could justify firing either of them.

Jordan Schwartz: All indications are that they will both return, but I'm still on the fence as to whether or not they deserve to. Cashman did a great job getting a big bat in Xavier Nady at the trade deadline, but he failed to add another arm to the rotation in Washburn and Byrd, something he also couldn't do this past offseason with Johan Santana. 

Girardi has really been a disappointment. I thought he'd bring a lot more National League-style small ball to a Yankees team that for too long had sat back and waited for a three-run homer under Joe Torre. Girardi hasn't done that, but in the end, I guess both guys deserve another chance because of all the injuries the team has suffered this year.

 

Question: Who is the team MVP through three-quarters of the season?

Matthew Goodman: Without a doubt, the team MVP has been Mike Mussina. At the beginning of the season, he was an afterthought, a washed-up veteran on the verge of baseball oblivion. By reinventing himself as a pitcher, he has proven to be resilient and effective by stabilizing a battered rotation.

I know that A-Rod has been good when healthy, and Mariano has been close to perfect. But Moose shored up the team's greatest weakness and has a shot at posting one of the best seasons of his Hall-worthy career. That, to me, is MVP-worthy.

Colin Linneweber: Without question, Mike Mussina.

Jersey: It's got to be Mike Mussina. Rivera has been incredible, but with the rotation as shaky as it's been, Moose has actually been mentioned in Cy Young talks. He's kept the Yanks in the race more so than any other player thus far.

Jordan Schwartz:  It's definitely Mike Mussina. In April, a lot of people, including myself, questioned whether or not he deserved to be in the rotation, but now the question is whether or not he deserves Cy Young votes. His 16-7 record and 3.35 ERA have kept the Yankees afloat during an injury-plagued season.

 

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man" is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com. Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

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