Moves the Yankees need to make in 2012

The 2011 season will be remembered as a season that has left many New York Yankee fans scratching their heads. The Yankees had a very productive regular season, finishing at the top of the crop in an ever competitive American League East. The Yanks went 97-65 and boasted a .599 win percentage, giving them a healthy six game lead over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It wasn’t until October; however, that the Bronx Bombers’ weaknesses were brutally exposed by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Divisional Series.

This off season, the Yankees will look to add much needed depth to their rotation, and possibly acquire a catcher or a versatile utility player that could give senior players like Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter a rest once in a while. As always, money will not be an issue for the Yankees this off season and they should have the financial muscle to outbid any team in the majors. There are three pitchers that the Yankees have been linked to during the course of this offseason that they would be smart to acquire, Mark Buehrle, Yu Darvish and CJ Wilson. Although a catcher and a utility player would certainly prove useful for next season, at this point the main priority should be pitching. The Yankees need an ace that could ease the pressure off of CC Sabathia. The Yanks also have a great number two in Ivan Nova, who will only improve after his extraordinary season. Freddy Garcia will also prove his worth next season, as he is a very calm pitcher and should be able to get at least ten wins under his belt. However, the Yanks need to replace A.J. Burnett if they want to improve on their 97 wins during the regular season, as he has proven that he just can’t cut it in New York. This leaves the Yankees with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. The Yankees have to do their best to acquire one of either CJ Wilson, Mark Buehrle or Yu Darvish

Out of the four listed above, Mark Buehrle seems to be the most likely to sign. He is a free agent, and has been a very consistent and reliable pitcher for the past decade. Buehrle has not been hit by any major injuries and has consistently played over 200 innings a year. Buehrle has a career ERA of 3.83, and although he is 32, he should be able to give the Yankees a solid thee to four seasons of consistency on the mound He is also a lefty which is always a plus.

Another free agent the Yanks have been linked to is CJ Wilson. Wilson is a young pitcher who has been a consistent starter for the Texas Rangers for the past three seasons. The Yankees should stay away from Wilson, as he is very unproven in the post season with a 2-4 record in the Rangers run in the post season, and has not done anything spectacular to earn him the 120 million dollar contract he is looking for. Wilson is a quality pitcher, and may even be worth the gamble, but I think its best if the Yankees stay away from him.

This leaves us with Yu Darvish, the Japanese ace that has MLB teams scrambling for his signature. Darvish has impressed many with his 1.32 ERA in the Japanese league, and also showcasing his talent for Japan at the World Baseball Classic. He has been phenomenal in the Japanese league and the switch to the majors may be a tough one, but I think if the Yankees take the gamble it will pay off big time.

NY Athletes Remebrance of 9/11

The attacks on 9/11 affected everyone in New York. Area professional athletes were unsure how to react and how to get back to work. New York Jets coach Herm Edwards said in an interview to the New York Post, "I got the team together and said, ‘Boys, let me tell you something. If you're not focused today, I get it, because I ain't focused.’ I said, ‘You guys go home. What we need to do right now is pray. We need to pray as Americans.’”

Michael Strahan, who was the Giants defensive end was deeply affected, changed his feelings about going on the road. He said in an ESPN interview, “The feeling of going on the road, playing an NFL game, it definitely changed ... because there was patriotism.”

After 9/11 baseball had a huge impact on the emotions of New Yorkers. The two major baseball teams that had a major effect were the Yankees and the Mets. Before 9/11, the Yankees players were resting at home. The Mets were traveling back from Pittsburgh. As they entered New York they noticed a large puff of black smoke. Feelings of sorrow, grief and fear passed through their minds. Despite their feelings they had to move on.

Ten days after the attack, the Mets had their first game. Although the Mets were very depressed, they had to play. The crowd wasn’t too happy before that game, but Mike Piazza’s home run turned their frowns upside down.

Now ten years after 9/11 the Mets look back and remember the event as if it were a picture. Bobby Parnell, the closer for the Mets, still remembers the exact number of firefighter and paramedic casualties. This year the Mets third baseman David Wright said, "The whole week was special leading up to tonight." Obviously, we remember and honor those heroes, but at the same time, I think it should be done a little more often than once a year."

Mike Piazza was present at the 10th anniversary game. During that day,Piazza had a chance to reflect, “It definitely is painful looking back, thinking about that week and reflecting on it,I thought the ceremony was very moving and just very well done. I'm very proud to be a part of it, very humbled to be a part of it.”

During the aftermath of 9/11, Yankee players came to lower Manhattan to see how the situation was. The level of pain that victims’ families were facing emotionally made visiting it awkward for the players, but they eventually learned that families appreciated them coming. In a previous interview, Derek Jeter said, “I think after that we had a better appreciation of what we represented.”

MLB eventually restarted and the Yankees were back to the World Series. Mariano Rivera and Jeter both sensed a boost in the importance of winning. “That’s when it seemed like most of the city was rallying around us,” said Jeter. The New York Yankees won all three of their next games, two of which where late-inning rallies.

Ten years later, the effects of 9/11 are still in the minds of athletes. Each day goes by in remorse. Now the athletes are more aware of their role on the general public.


By: Shafat Choudhury, Nasif Chowdhury and Velid Mulic

Is pitcher Bartolo Colon worth his weight in gold?

Bartolo Colon / Keith Allison

Bartolo Colon was recently signed by the New York Yankees to a minor league deal on January 26th, 2011 with an invite to major league spring training. The Yankees are taking a huge chance on him, because even though he was a former American League Cy Young award winner with 150 career wins, his track record as of late has been  disappointing. In September 2008, he was suspended by the Red Sox because he went to the Dominican Republic to deal with personal matters. This decision ended his career as a member of the Boston Red Sox, as he was placed on the restricted list and filed for free agency. The following year he had an off-season injury to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. Colon also did not play a single game in the big leagues in the 2010 season.

The Yankees have chosen to sign Colon despite these events because of his impressive performance in the Dominican Winter League. In seven starts with the Cibaenas Aguilas, he was 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA. He has the potential to add to the Yankees the depth and experience needed in their pitching rotation to become serious World Series contenders, if he is able to restore his throwing power to what it once was. Furthermore, what makes him of interest to the Yankees, is his ability to get stronger as the game goes on. Few other power pitchers have the ability to throw harder as the game goes on. Colon is notorious for still throwing four-seam fastballs at above 96 miles per hour as the game approaches the fifth and six innings. His ability to pitch late in games, with seven seasons of at least 200 innings a season, will take the pressure off the bullpen. All of these attributes combined will make him a great grab for the Yankees, granted that Colon gets back on his high horse.

Things with Colon seem to be up and up, as he continues to impress the Yankees in their 2011 spring training camp. In two starts and five innings pitched, he has a 1.80 ERA with four hits, one walk and one earned run.

Colon is the big guy wearing the #40 in the following video. In the first drill, he goes third:

Veteran A.J Burnett must step up after a previous lackluster season

A.J Burnett/ Flickr

A.J Burnett has been the New York Yankees most inconsistent pitcher in their rotation. Some games he can’t be hit and others he can’t throw a strike. His inconsistency cost the Yankees a place in the World Series last season. His playoff game against the Rangers was a complete disaster. He gave up five runs in six innings and gave up one home run. Last season, he had 10 wins and 15 losses with a 5.26 ERA and led the lead in hit batsmen. Statistically this was his worst season yet. The Yankees have paid too much to Burnett to let him off the rotation. Burnett must work on his signature pitch, the curve ball, which was lackluster last season.

His progress so far in the spring camp has been to hard to measure considering he has only pitched six innings. For him to get back to his Florida Marlins days, he must work on his control and maybe even throw in a change-up. This season could easily be a repeat of the last one or a return to previous form, depending on him working on his control. One thing is for sure, you never know with A.J Burnett.