Finally, the Yankees have fallen in an early playoff series, but what really kills me about the Yankees' recent misfortune is the fact that I won't be able to rejoice in this for too long. George Steinbrenner is notoriously impatient when it comes to losing, and he will surely make changes in the coming offseason.
The first thing that Steinbrenner and his general manager Brian Cashman will do is shore up the starting pitching. Yes, they have an abundance of it right now, but why not get more, and more quality? The Yankees will continue to pursue this lavish philosophy as long as their revenue stream stays constant, which is pretty much a given. The Angels really exposed the Yankees' pitching in their series victory, batting close to .380 in the series, which is 40 points higher than the previous record for a team batting average in a postseason series. The most likely candidates to rehabilitate the Yankees' starting pitching will be one of the Braves top two starters-Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine-who are both free agents after this season. It is conceivable that the Yankees could have a starting rotation with both Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux in it, with the two combining for 10 Cy Young Awards. The Yankees will also be the front runners in the bidding for Jose Contreras, the ace for the Cuban national team who defected this week.
The next thing that the Yankees will do is buy an outfielder. The outfield has been the Yankees' weakest point over the last few years, with the always overhyped Bernie Williams in center, and retreads patrolling right and left fields. The Yanks will probably be the highest bidder for whatever outfielders are on the market, because their depleted farm system will not be able to swing a deal for a Brian Giles-type superstar on another team.
In a perfect world, the Yankees would also like to get a third baseman to replace Robin Ventura. Ideally, they would like their AAA prospect Drew Henson, who the Yankees lavished a $17 million major league contract on, to take over at third, but Henson played poorly in the minor leagues this year and is not nearly ready for the majors. If they could sign Ventura to a one-year deal I think that they will do that and hope that Henson can make the bigs after another year of AAA ball under his belt.
The Yankees will always be the favorite in the American League because of their enormous payroll and nearly unlimited revenue stream. Although their farm system is currently void of major talent, Cashman is one of the best executives in all of baseball and he will rebuild it within a few years. The Yankees' loss this year was bound to come eventually, but have no doubt, they will be back next year.
Holmes torches NFL defenses
Right now, the best player in the NFL is a virtual no-name outside of his own hometown. Sure, he led the league in all-purpose yards last year, and yes, he has been a pro for a number of years, but Priest Holmes is now the best player in the game and more people should know who he is.
Holmes went to the University of Texas and even there he was a virtual no-name. Playing behind Ricky Williams, the greatest back in the history of college football, if you believe the stats, Holmes was not a major factor during his college career. In his rookie season in the NFL he rushed for over a thousand yards for the Ravens, yet was released outright two years later. Last year, he rushed for 1,555 yards and added another 614 receiving, while scoring 10 touchdowns. This year, he has stepped up his game even further.
So far, in the first five games of the season, he has matched his touchdown total from a year ago. Only NFL legend Jim Brown had ever scored more touchdowns in the first five games of the year, with 14. So far this season, Holmes has rushed for 590 yards in five games.
Holmes has finally emerged from the shadows of other players and he is showing his true talent. The Kansas City defense is suspect, and their quarterback has a tendency to throw a bunch of interceptions, but Holmes gives the team a chance to win every weekend.
Twin Fatigue
I, for one, am sick of the Minnesota Twins. I am sorry, and this seems to be heretical among mainstream media writers who have anointed the Twins as everything short of the cure for cancer, but I cannot stand the team.
I guess this has more to do with the one-sided media coverage of the team, but I have heard enough about the Twins as the saviors of baseball. If people paid enough attention, they would realize that the Twins' owner is one of the richest men in the world, and that it is only because he is a tightwad that the team is burdened with a small payroll. Also, people should open their eyes to the fact that every year some small market team seems to do well. The A's are really the franchise that deserves commendation, which they have gotten as well, because they have been a great team for a number of years while maintaining a low budget. If the Twins can continue their success in the future, which I find doubtful with the upcoming fire sale that owner Carl Pohlad talks of, then we can laud them. But right now, I am sick of the team and its attention-grubbing stars.