Sox Souvenirs Still Buried at Stadium?

Today, Keith Olbermann reported that the guy who buried the David Ortiz jersey at the new Yankee Stadium also buried a scorecard from the 2004 ALCS somewhere in the stadium (and he’s not telling anyone where he put it, oh no!). This whole thing is pretty ridiculous and by ridiculous, I mean very dumb (yes, I feel extremely eloquent today). Maybe the Yankees should just sue this clown before they spend another weekend at the new stadium, tearing up concrete and embarrassing themselves beyond belief (again).

Sometimes Young Pitching Works

Jon Lester just threw a no-hitter against the Royals. Yankee fans, brace yourselves to be bombarded with phone calls from drunken Red Sox fans that you call your friends.

A-Rod Ready to Return

Alex Rodriguez will join the team tomorrow as the Yanks square off against Baltimore. In his absence, the Yankees have been a terrible team, and while A-Rod wasn’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball before he left (his RISP numbers were weak) with an injury, his presence alone will be enough to breathe some life into a limp and lame lineup.

Dad Figures Out Cano

Jack Curry has a nice read out that details the relationship between Robinson Cano and his father, Jose. Their relationship seems integral to Robbie’s success and, apparently, we can thank his dad for bringing him out of his terrible season-starting slump.

When Canó gets ready to swing, he lifts his right foot, then follows through by whipping his bat through the strike zone. José told his son that he was destroying his timing by keeping his foot in the air too long.

In a perfectly executed at-bat, Robinson said, he lifts his foot and has it on the ground in time to recognize what pitch is being thrown. But if his foot stays in the air an extra millisecond, he said, he does not have sufficient time to know if a pitch is a ball or a strike. Canó has 16 hits in his last 48 at bats, 61 fewer at bats than it took him to record his first 16 hits.

“I was putting my foot down too late,” Canó said. “Before, I was hitting line drives in the left-center-field gap. Now I’m hitting foul balls behind the visitor’s dugout.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees put Jose on the payroll. In April, Cano hit .192 with a .446 OPS. Now, in May, Cano is hitting .314 with an .822 OPS.

What Will It Take?

It’s a frustrating time for Yankee fans. Everything has gone wrong, essentially, and with every loss the pressure mounts. Now here the Yankees sit, at the bottom of the AL East, 6 measly games out of first, but they’re saddled with a 20-24 record that feels like 20-100. Joe Girardi knows the team isn’t playing up to its full potential and believes that things will only get better for his club; however, the Yankees need to right the ship soon, especially with the AL East transforming into an actual division. If the losses continue to mount, going on an extended tear may not be as realistic as it has been in the past.

Tyler Kepner notes that the Yankees have gotten themselves going in recent years, usually after a noticeable addition, or a spark, if you will, is injected into the lineup. Take, for instance, in 2005 when Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon stopped by for a little visit that carried the team and instilled confidence in the players. Or, look at last year when the Yankees recalled Joba Chamberlain and threw in Roger Clemens to boost the team (in retrospect, Clemens’ return seemed like a morale boost). Even the additions of our key players like Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, and Chien-Ming Wang have been the byproducts of Yankee failure, because they were called up to provide that spark necessary to get the team going and back on track.

Brian Cashman must have noticed this by now and an addition (or two?) maybe in order, if only to be the catalyst that the Yankees have needed and thrived on these past few years. But, what will it take for the Yankees to get back on track this year? Darrell Rasner has provided some necessary new life and that’s been showcased in his starts, however, maybe a new bat is needed down the road to get the Yankees in a better position to win? Maybe a prospect like Brett Gardner? Or, maybe moving Joba to the rotation will be that spark that the Yankees desperately need? Could an old and ailing FA or an uncovered journeyman be the answer? How about a big trade acquisition down the road?

In terms of practicality and logistics, the clubhouse is already packed with players, so adding a bat may be a problem for the team. In that sense, a new starter could help things out, but the rotation is also filled to the brim with bodies. Regardless of the realistic nature of an addition, a shakeup of some sort, something that isn’t merely a lineup change (hello Joe Girardi), may be necessary in order to stir this sleeping club (I’m talking more than A-Rod or Jorge Posada). If it’s worked in the past, why wouldn’t the Yankees try it again (an addition could also be a form of subtraction and sometimes that works too)?

I’m not endorsing one of these moves, specifically, nor am I saying these have to happen now. What I am saying is that some sort of roster move might be a good idea in kicking the tires on the 2008 season if the team continues to play poorly.