Steinbreinner all but guarantees World Series victory

[BAMAPHIN 22]

George Steinbrenner is predicting the New York Yankees' five-year World Series drought will end this October.
"We're going to win it this year," the Yankees owner said Wednesday. "We're going after it."

The Yankees haven't won the World Series since beating the New York Mets in 2000. They lost to Arizona in 2001 and to Florida in 2003, were eliminated by the Angels in the first round of the playoffs in 2002 and 2005, and wasted a three-game lead against Boston in the 2004 AL Championship Series.

Steinbrenner had kept a lower profile in recent years, but has been present daily at Legends Field since the start of spring training last week.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/specials/spring_training/2006/02/22/bc.bba.yankees.steinbrenner.ap/index.html

 

[nyjunc]

I think it's about time, 6 years is long enough to wait. It's ridiculous to have to wait more than 6 years for another World Championship:D

 

[MikeO]

I think it's about time, 6 years is long enough to wait. It's ridiculous to have to wait more than 6 years for another World Championship:D

:sidelol:

 

[djfresh47]

I don't like the Yankees pitching staff, but they're gonna score a ton of runs. Although pitching wins in the playoffs. Anyone else notice that after Giambi grew his face back he was a much better player?

 

[MikeO]

I don't like the Yankees pitching staff, but they're gonna score a ton of runs. Although pitching wins in the playoffs. Anyone else notice that after Giambi grew his face back he was a much better player?

IF the pitchers stay healthy (big if) it is a good enough staff to win a championship. Besides with except maybe Chicago, no other staff in the AL is all that great.

 

[Ray Finkle]

IF the pitchers stay healthy (big if) it is a good enough staff to win a championship. Besides with except maybe Chicago, no other staff in the AL is all that great.

IF Oakland's staff is healthy you don't think they'd be pretty tough to beat? (I know you say they always choke but the team is different now)

IF the Red Sox staff is healthy you don't think they'd be good? A healthy Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Wells(?), Papelbon/Arroyo/Clement.

I think if healthy IMO Chicago has the best staff followed by Oakland, Boston and the Yankees.

EDIT: I forgot the Blue Jays, they have a pretty good staff too.

 

[MikeO]

IF Oakland's staff is healthy you don't think they'd be pretty tough to beat? (I know you say they always choke but the team is different now)

IF the Red Sox staff is healthy you don't think they'd be good? A healthy Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Wells(?), Papelbon/Arroyo/Clement.

I think if healthy IMO Chicago has the best staff followed by Oakland, Boston and the Yankees.

Chicago has the best staff. Although I'm not sure Garland will have another fairy-tale year like last year though.

The Yanks and Boston are about the same rotation wise. Almost everyone (Mussiana, Randy, Pavano, Wright, Beckett, Schilling, Wells...etc) all are "injury issue" type guys at this point in their career. So, whoever stays healthy will determine a lot. Both starting staffs are good enough to win a championship, but it comes down to who can stay healthy for a season.

Oakland........look, Loiaza in the AL will bomb. Zito will be gone come the trading deadline I would bet. I can't take them seriously on any level. They have great young arms. A great young closer. But since they never win, I can't take them seroiusly.

 

[phunwin]

Oakland has easily been the most overhyped team of the offseason. Ooooh...they signed Frank Thomas for the 20 healthy games he'll give them. Huzzah, huzzah. Loaiza might have been the worst free agent signing of the offseason (it's almost certainly him or Tom Gordon). They've got some good arms, but where's the muscle in the lineup? They might well finish 3rd in the AL West.

 

[MikeO]

Oakland has easily been the most overhyped team of the offseason. Ooooh...they signed Frank Thomas for the 20 healthy games he'll give them. Huzzah, huzzah. Loaiza might have been the worst free agent signing of the offseason (it's almost certainly him or Tom Gordon). They've got some good arms, but where's the muscle in the lineup? They might well finish 3rd in the AL West.

Tom Gordon in the NL will work. He's in a bad pitchers ballpark, but those cupcake NL lineups will make him look great.

 

[phunwin]

BTW, for what it's worth, the AL is a coin flip between NY and Chicago. I don't like Boston this year, I think the Blue Jays are a year away, Oakland is BADLY overhyped, and the Angels are one hitter short.

Incidentally, I also don't get all these writers giving Kenny Williams verbal fellatio for his great offseason. He overpaid for Jim Thome (hey, if you want an injury-prone slugger, why not keep Frank Thomas for about 1/50th the price?) and picked up Javier Vazquez, who hasn't been more than an average pitcher in 2 years. I still think they're the co-favorites because they're the champs and they were a pretty young team last year, but I didn't think they did anything special this offseason.

 

[phunwin]

Tom Gordon in the NL will work. He's in a bad pitchers ballpark, but those cupcake NL lineups will make him look great.

Gordon's declining K rate is a VERY bad sign given his age. And it's not a hiccup, it's been a steady decline of about 1 K/IP per year since 2003. He might look okay for a year, but years 2 and 3 of that deal are going to be disastrous.

 

[Ray Finkle]

BTW, for what it's worth, the AL is a coin flip between NY and Chicago. I don't like Boston this year, I think the Blue Jays are a year away, Oakland is BADLY overhyped, and the Angels are one hitter short.

I respect your opinions phunwin, why don't you like Boston's and Oakland's chances.

I think Oakland's staff is good Zito, Harden (maybe the 2nd or 3rd best pitcher in the AL), Blanton, Haren and Loizia. I don't like Loizia but there are worse #5 pitchers out there. I don't think Oakland is overhyped by their FA signings his winter. I think the biggest key to them last year was Harden going down. IF he's healthy Zito, Harden and Blanton will be a tough team to beat down the strench. I also like Street a lot.

I disagree with you Mike. Zito, if Oakland is in the race, won't be traded. Beane never traded any of his big FA if the team was in the race. Right or wrong he never has.

 

[MikeO]

I respect your opinions phunwin, why don't you like Boston's and Oakland's chances.

I think Oakland's staff is good Zito, Harden (maybe the 2nd or 3rd best pitcher in the AL), Blanton, Haren and Loizia. I don't like Loizia but there are worse #5 pitchers out there. I don't think Oakland is overhyped by their FA signings his winter. I think the biggest key to them last year was Harden going down. IF he's healthy Zito, Harden and Blanton will be a tough team to beat down the strench. I also like Street a lot.

I disagree with you Mike. Zito, if Oakland is in the race, won't be traded. Beane never traded any of his big FA if the team was in the race. Right or wrong he never has.

If Oakland wins something big just once, I might buy them as a threat. I can't take them seriously right now. New faces, new names, same result.

 

[MikeO]

BTW, for what it's worth, the AL is a coin flip between NY and Chicago. I don't like Boston this year, I think the Blue Jays are a year away, Oakland is BADLY overhyped, and the Angels are one hitter short.

Incidentally, I also don't get all these writers giving Kenny Williams verbal fellatio for his great offseason. He overpaid for Jim Thome (hey, if you want an injury-prone slugger, why not keep Frank Thomas for about 1/50th the price?) and picked up Javier Vazquez, who hasn't been more than an average pitcher in 2 years. I still think they're the co-favorites because they're the champs and they were a pretty young team last year, but I didn't think they did anything special this offseason.

Chicago has 3 issues heading into this year......

1)While a bad division, Cleveland will be ready for 162 this year and won't take the first half of the year off like last year.

2) They have a manager who could blow-up and divide that team at any moment. And he is such a "spotlight" hog, it will happen. Not a matter of IF.

3) Garland is a .500 lifetime pitcher who went 18-10 last year. That probably won't happen again. Their starting pitching is still very very good, but they had a fairy-tale season last year. You usually don't get 2 of those in a row. Will Contrases go back to his old ways? Same with Garland.

 

[Ray Finkle]

If Oakland wins something big just once, I might buy them as a threat. I can't take them seriously right now. New faces, new names, same result.

That's fine. However I can't see how you don't like their pitching rotation of Zito, Harden, Blanton and Haren. I honestly think if Harden didn't get hurt last year the A's would have made the playoffs instead of the Angels. I think that the A's have the best rotation in the West.