What will fix these guys? What do the Yankees need to do to win?

As I write this on June 10, 2008, The New York Yankees are tied for last in the AL East with a 32-32 record. They are behind the leaders, the Boston Red Sox, by 7 games. Well, what about the Wild Card? The Tampa Bay Rays have that currently, 6 games ahead of the Yanks.

Everyone in Yankee Universe has their own take what will right the ship in the Bronx. Some say that Hank Steinbrenner needs to relax and stop causing a scene every other week. Some think that they need to trade away all young talent to get players who MAY play well now. Others say new manager Joe Girardi needs to be canned. Now.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have my own idea: wait it out.

We cannot blame everything on the Steinbrenners. In case you've been under a rock for the last 30 years, George, and now Hank, have always been vocal. Whether good or bad, it has become part of the Yankee culture. We need to stop using it as an excuse.

The last thing that the Yanks need is to trade away MORE prospects. This seemed to be the Yankees policy for much of the early 2000's. If they had a need on the big team, there were always two guys from the minors who could be traded away for him. Somewhere along the way, the front office decided to let some of those guys develop in the minors, and that has so far turned out well. It started slowly, with Chien-Ming Wang and Melky Cabrera. These two have been stellar, with Wang winning 38 games over the last two years, and Cabrera putting up good numbers and playing excellentin center. It has blossomed into the likes of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain coming up to the Bronx and showing some of the potential that has gotten Yankees fans excited over the last couple years. Might I remind you about some key members of the late 1990's Yankees? Some fellas named Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter, who are all alumni of the New York Yankees farm system.

It is way too early to get rid of the new Joe in town. Have we forgotten that Jorge Posada just returned to the lineup last week for the first time since April? How about All-Galaxy Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez being on the shelf for some time with a lower leg injury? This is not the lineup that Girardi expected to put on the field. Besides injuries, we must also take into account those whose hitting has been lacking. With this, Robinson Cano comes to mind. While he has shown flashes of coming out of his season long slump, he still is only hitting .231. It is expected that any day now, the Robby Cano of the last couple years will show up, and when that happens, the entire AL had better watch out. Johnny Damon started off slow too, however he has caught fire as of late. He recently had a 15 game hitting streak (possibly thanks to his 1970's mustache?), which he followed with a 6 for 6 game that capped off a 12-11 win for the Bombers.

With that being said, we have had some surprises as well. With Posada on the DL, the new starting catcher became Jose Molina, one of the "Amazing Catching Molina Brothers." While his numbers were not Jorge's .338 average, .426 OBP, or .543 slugging percentage, Molina was strong behind the plate. He called many great games with the starters, while showing off his strong arm behind the plate. He even managed to get some key base here and there. While talking about surprises, former MVP Jason Giambi comes to mind. Giambi has been on a mini tear lately, most likely spurred by his now famous golden thong. In the last 30 days, Giambi has hit .342, and has 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in the 8 games so far this month.

Remember last year? The Yanks had a dismal April and May last season, and still won the AL Wild Card, not to mention finishing two games behind the Sawx for the AL East crown. The thing that we know about this team is that they hate losing as much as the fans hate watching them lose.

Over the course of the long, arduous 162 game season, I have faith that the Yankees will come back and contend...if they just wait it out.