The End Of The Line

[$500 Million]

Last night was very depressing for a lot of reasons. First there was Alex Rodríguez and the circus that is following him where ever he goes joining the Yankees, second was Andy Pettitte looking like he had completely lost it, which is understandable at his age, and third was Derek Jeter in the dugout looking totally defeated and exhausted.

This is (in my opinion) the beginning of the end of an era for the Yankees. You could argue that the beginning of the end happened long ago, and you might be right, but last night really felt like the end. Like the encore after a 2 hour concert when the band plays its biggest hits. Only the biggest hits for the Yankee happened years ago, and all that’s left now it the ruins of a run of success that we may never see the likes of again in our lifetime.

The Yankees (in all likelihood) will fall below .500 this month and if/when they do it will be the first time a Yankee team has had a record under .500 in the month of August since 1995. Good luck topping that.

Back to reality; it’s obviously the end for Mariano Rivera, it looks like it’s the end of the line for Andy Pettitte…again, it may very well be the end for Derek Jeter too, I can’t imagine his legs holding up at all much longer, he got injured running at 75%, what’s going to happen if he runs at full speed? It’s the end for Alex Rodriguez, who will finish this season on the field but then when his suspension ends I expect him and the Yankees to agree to some sort of buyout of his contract and then him retiring if no one else will sign him.

In any case, you won’t see him in pinstripes next year. You also won’t see Kevin Youkilis, Hiroki Kuroda, Travis Hafner, Lyle Overbay, Phil Hughes, or Joba Chamberlain next year, and who knows what will happen with Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson.

2014 will be the Yankees penance, a long and excruciatingly painful season that will serve one purpose and one purpose only and none of it will have anything to with winning anything. On the other side of the self-imposed salary cap is 2015, an uncertain free agent class, and reset financial capabilities. What they will add up to is anyone’s guess but it won’t amount to much of anything if the Yankees don’t start seriously developing their farm system. Seriously.

How exactly does a Yankee fan sum up the Jeter/Rivera era?

I could write for a week and still not do it justice, I'll just say I'm very very thankful.

 

[purguy12]

I agree, I think this will be a very bad 2nd half for this team and we can say goodnight to the Yankees. We wont be good for awhile now because Cashman has no clue what he is doing. I hope they let him go after this. We need New Faces on this team. We need new players and coaches. Right now we have a team that is made for a 40 and older softball team. If you really look at this team we don't have much talent. Cano is the only player to look forward to. Mo is gone, Jeter is done, Arod well we all know about this, tex injuried 3 years in a row, CC done. We got nothing.

 

[BigDDude]

On todays date back in 1995, it was the end of Mickey Mantle.

At Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, baseball legend Mickey Mantle, 63, succumbs to liver cancer with his estranged wife Merlyn at his side. Ironically, prior to a moving tribute in the Bronx ballpark for the fallen hero, the Yankee Stadium scoreboard displays "At Bat: 7" until the start of the game because the lead off batter for the Indians, Kenny Lofton, wears number 7.

 

[27Titlesto7]

The blame should not lay all on Cashmen.

 

[BigDDude]

Because, sometimes, the beginning is also the end of the line, at the same time.]

It was on this date back in 1991 that The Yankees reluctantly agree to a record $1.55 million contract with 19-year old high school southpaw Brien Taylor, the overall number one pick from the June amateur draft. George Steinbrenner is outraged by the deal, but the suspended owner actually had driven up the price when he publicly makes his wishes known to Newsday two days prior to the signing by saying, "If they (Gene Michael) let him go, they ought to be shot".

And, well, any good and real Yankee fan knows the rest.............

 

[bksballer89]

Just maybe it is not the end of the line

 

[$500 Million]

Trying not to get my hopes up too much but this is really exciting.

 

[BigDDude]

Another end of the line Yankee story. It was on this date back in 2007 that "The voice of God" reached the end of the line.


Unknown at the time, Bob Sheppard works his last game at Yankee Stadium, a task he has performed over 4,500 times since becoming the team's P.A. announcer in 1951. The 96-year old 'Voice of God' is replaced by his longtime sub Jim Hall and Paul Olden, who will fill the position when the team moves to the new ballpark in 2009.

 

[Blitzville]

2014 will be the Yankees penance, a long and excruciatingly painful season that will serve one purpose and one purpose only and none of it will have anything to with winning anything.

Good stuff $500M, but what do you mean by the above statement?

 

[$500 Million]

Good stuff $500M, but what do you mean by the above statement?

Next year the goal is singular, get the payroll under 189MM so they can reset their luxury tax rate from 50% down to 15%.

This means no free agent frenzy this off-season and with Rivera and likely Jeter and Pettitte gone the real pain will set in.

We're looking at 70-75 wins next year. IMO

 

[dougplayer]

the rest of MLB holds out a tissue for your issues.

even though the WC still is up for grabs.
wipe those tears away Yankee fans..
you know that big fat check book will turn those frowns into smiles..