These are not the Bronx Bombers of the last decade.
A regular lineup that has it's best hitter batting second, followed by a handful of players who have been collected from the scrap heap is far from intimidating. They're an aging team with little money to spend, as it tries to avoid heavy taxation from the league in 2014 if the payroll goes over $189 million, and a number of poorly timed injuries have many fans & folks in the media counting them out as being the legitimate threat in the American League East as they had been for the last 15 years.
With pre-season injuries to center fielder Curtis Granderson (fractured right forearm), first baseman Mark Teixeira (partially torn tendon in right wrist), and setbacks for shortstop Derek Jeter's left ankle, broken in last year's American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, the outlook on the 2013 season has looked bleak, at best. The team was already set to begin the year without baseman Alex Rodriguez, recovering from right hip surgery, though they attempted to fill the void at the hot corner with veteran 3rd baseman and elite defender Kevin Youkilis, making the jump into pinstripes after playing most of his career with the rival Boston Red Sox.
After allowing free agents, right fielder Nick Swisher (Cleveland Indians), outfielder/DH Raul Ibañez (Seattle Mariners), and catcher Russell Martin (Pittsburgh Pirates), to leave and sign elsewhere, the team was expected to experience a dip in power, one that they had ridden throughout the last decade by loading up with power hitters like the aforementioned Rodriguez, Granderson, and Teixeira, along with Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Gary Sheffield, and Hideki Matsui.
While those heavy-hitting teams fared well, making the playoffs in every year except for 2008, one major critique was that they lacked the grit and clutch talent that the World Series Championship teams from '96, '98, '99, and 2000 displayed. Those teams were not a collection of All-Star players. Their success was based on the consistent ability of steady veterans, paired with young talent & a coaching staff that meshed perfectly with the clubhouse.
Paul O'Neill was loved by fans, and particularly by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, for being so passionate on the field, exemplified by his fiery post-at-bat antics in the dugout when he didn't come up with a big hit or missed that one pitch he wished he could have another hack at. Scott Brosius was a solid defender with a good bat, but he was far from the type of power hitter that Alex Rodriguez was when the Yankees acquired him from the Texas Rangers to play third base. Tino Martinez was brought in to bear the weight of having to fill Don Mattingly's shoes at first base, a fan-favorite for many years while playing for Yankee teams in the late 1980's and early '90's that didn't have a shot at winning a championship. Not only did Martinez fill those shoes, he blossomed into a premier power hitter for the Yankees while capturing the hearts of the fans with clutch hits and strong leadership on the field and in the clubhouse.
New York fans fell in love with those teams, as they had a personality to them that was very distinct. The team wasn't loaded with superstars, but they were just the right collection to make beating them impossible, as they set the record for most wins in a single season in 1998, coasting to the first of three consecutive World Series Championships.
This is why the 2013 season shouldn't look so bleak and dreary for Yankee fans. Brian Cashman has shown in the last couple of years that he has a knack for finding the right players to fit the mold, as his acquisition of Raul Ibañez helped the Yankees dig deeper into the postseason last year, and Eric Chavez ended up playing an important role at 3rd base when Alex Rodriguez was hurt. This team doesn't need to rely on a lineup with Travis Hafner (DH) hitting cleanup, followed by Vernon Wells (LF), Ichiro Suzuki (RF), Francisco Cervelli (C), Lyle Overbay (1B), and Jayson Nix (SS) to perform the entire season. They merely have to tread water until they get their more reliable bats back to health.
At 6-5 through their first 11 games, they've done just that so far. Travis Hafner looks revitalized in pinstripes, providing a presence in the lineup behind Robinson Cano and Youkilis, while Vernon Wells, after spending the offseason working on finding his stroke, has also shown flashes of resurgence. They have the pitching, with a good bullpen capped by the return of Mariano Rivera in his final season as the Yankees closer, and with CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Andy Pettitte leading the rotation, they have what it takes to keep games close.
More importantly, the Yankees, despite their perceived loss in power, are currently third in the American league in runs scored with 57, just one run behind the stacked lineup of the Detroit Tigers.
There's no doubt that the Yankees are a better team with their regulars in the lineup, but until they return to health, it looks like Brian Cashman has found a way to keep the Yankees in the race. Hungry veterans with something to prove can go a long way, and Yankee fans should be the first to realize that.
The Atlanta Braves may be running away from the rest of the pack right now (at 11-1 they may never lose again), but don't count this team out. They may not be the favorites anymore, but they're certainly not the underdog just yet. Beyond the numbers and the names, there's something here that suggests the "real" Yankees have finally arrived.
