How My Dad Ruined the Yankees' Season

Some may blame injuries for the disappointing Yankees' season.  Others may say it was due to a lack of clutch hitting. 

I blame my dad.

Everything was going fine for the Bombers heading into the 2008 campaign.  They had a new manager, a 22-year-old flame thrower ready to enter the rotation, and two young hitters back to solidify the bottom third of the order.

Center fielder Melky Cabrera was coming off a season in which he hit .273 and drove in 73 runs.  His buddy, second baseman Robinson Cano, hit .306 with 19 homers and 97 RBIs in 2007. The future was bright for these budding stars. 

That was, until they took a picture with my dad.

On one ominous day last fall, Cabrera and Cano made an appearance at the Ecko Unlimited headquarters in Manhattan.  My father, who was a payroll manager at the clothing company, convinced the athletes to take a picture with him so he could surprise me with a picture message sent to my cell phone.  What I was more shocked by was that my dad knew how to send a picture message.  Nevertheless, the two Yankees haven't been the same since.

Some cultures believe a piece of your soul is stolen when someone takes a picture of you.  I believe baseball players lose their ability to get hits when they take photos with my dad.

This year, Cabrera hit just .242 and drove in only 36 runs before being sent down to the minors in August.  Cano has struggled to find his stroke all season, entering Wednesday's action with a .262 average and 61 RBIs.  He's also made a number of blunders in the field and many wonder whether he will ever return to his .342 form of 2006.  What it all adds up to is that the Yankees are on their way to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

I'm not sure what my dad said to Robbie and Melky that day, nor am I sure either of them speak English, but one thing is clear - they may never be the same.

Now, if I can somehow set up a photo shoot with my dad and Kevin Youkilis.

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 [e-mail]