Yankee fans rejoice!: The start of a new season is a mere week away. No more sitting around watching the snow melt, waiting for the sound of a bat on a ball. The spring is here and all is good.
Except for the fact that the Opening Day pitcher for the Yankees is a guy named Carl.
That's right, thanks to Chien-Ming Wang's bad hamstring, Andy Pettitte's bad back, and Mike Mussina's precious throwing schedule, day-one duties go to...a guy named Carl.
The season could not start on a blander note.
It feels a little like the other day when I could have sworn I won twenty grand on a scratch-off lottery ticket. I was convinced for a solid thirty seconds or so—but there was that little shred of doubt in the back of my head.
The scratch-off dealer had two pair, and I only had one.
But seriously, Carl: What better way to rectify almost two years of bad luck, disappointment, and inactivity than to go out and show those fastidious Yankee fans that you really can pitch—or better yet, that you really do exist?
You have to feel a little sorry for the guy. It's not his fault he suffered all those injuries. And when he was involved in that car accident, how could he not conceal his broken ribs?
Yankees fans should show their support and root for Pavano—instead of voicing what I expect to be a loud and boisterous Bronx cheer. The truth is that we need him. The season hasn't even started yet, and three pitchers are hurt. Although Pettitte is feeling better, it's still unsettling to know he's suffering from back spasms. (Randy Johnson, anyone?) And backup pitcher Jeff Karstens is down with a sore elbow. It doesn't sound serious, but it's still worrisome.
A healthy Pavano could be the key to the Yankees' success this year. If he can pitch anywhere near the way he did for the Marlins in 2004, the Bombers will be in good shape.
As it stands, the back-end of the rotation is very much a mystery. Who knows what to expect from Kei Igawa. He could become another bust like fat toad Hideki Irabu, or a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer like his buddy "Dice-K" in Boston.
(Speaking of which: Let's see the guy pitch a couple of innings first, shall we? And that's the first and last time you'll ever see me refer to him as "Dice"-anything—from now on it's just Daisuke Matsuzaka. But I digress.)
The bottom line is that the Yankees need Carl Pavano in 2007. It's as simple as that. Fans need to cheer him on and boost his confidence. In turn, Pavano needs to show us that he's up for the challenge. Yes, this does reek of Alex Rodriguez—but I'll coddle whoever I have to solidify the pitching staff.
So buck up Yankee fans—let's band together and root, root, root for the home team...and this guy named Carl.
Hey, if it doesn't work out, there's always a guy named Philip waiting in Scranton.
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