Fixing The Bombers

Yankee fans tend to become spoiled by the team’s overwhelming level of success. That’s only natural, given the New Yorkers’ run of 10 straight postseason appearances since 1995. Still, this year’s Yankees team is testing the patience of most pinstriped diehards. With so much talent at hand and a $200 million price tag attached, the expectations have been understandably high since the first day of spring training. Those expectations haven’t come close to being met, however, as evidenced by the team’s current four-game losing streak and a recent run of 0-and-5 in games against the American League’s worst: the awful Devil Rays and Royals.

The Yankees’ play in this current series against Kansas City has been near shameful. Two players have been picked off (including Tony Womack in a back-breaking situation in the late innings), catchable balls have been falling in, the hitters have managed four runs in 18 innings, and supposed ace Randy Johnson allowed a cache of hits against a terrible offense.

This current group of Yankees exhibits a deadly combination–they don’t play hard and they don’t play smart. Unfortunately, poor roster decisions aren’t helping matters. Journeyman Russ Johnson is somehow on the 25-man roster while the more talented (and younger) Andy Phillips is not. There isn’t a real center fielder to be found now that Bubba Crosby is in Columbus. And there’s only one player capable of playing right field, which forces the Yankees to play an outfielder out of position on days when Gary Sheffield’s aching wrist flares up. Here’s the bottom line: the Yankees aren’t going to get better until the following things happen:

1) A true center fielder (Preston Wilson? Gary Matthews, Jr.?) is acquired, allowing Hideki Matsui to play left field every day. The Yankees simply have to address what has become the worst defensive alignment in the American League.

2) Bernie Williams becomes the everyday DH and Jason Giambi isn’t allowed to soak up any more wasted at-bats. The Yankees cannot allow contracts to dictate playing time, not when a playoff berth is at stake.

3) Andy Phillips is brought up to platoon with the aging Tino Martinez at first base. A proven minor league player, Phillips deserves a chance to play against left-handed pitching in the major leagues.

4) Tony Womack becomes a utility player, backing up rookie Robinson Cano at second base and Matsui in left, while also being available as a late-inning pinch-runner. Such a move would improve a woeful Yankee bench, simply one of the worst in the American League.

5) Randy Johnson starts pitching like a dominant No. 1 starter and not an OK No. 3 starter. The Yankees need Johnson to be great, not merely very good.

The last stipulation depends on Johnson himself; the other four depend on Brian Cashman and Joe Torre making some smart decisions about the composition of the roster and the starting lineup. If the proper adjustments aren’t made, the Yankees will miss out on the postseason for the first time in a decade.