***BRIAN CASHMAN'S MID-SEASON REPORT CARD***
Clubs will usually fire the manager when their team does not perform as expected and sometimes a hitting coach or pitching coach. The real person responsible for the quality of the team, however, is the General Manager. With that in mind, let's see how Cashman has done.
***THE GOOD***
While they aren't great, you have to say that Bartolo Colon and Freddie Garcia have produced all that could possibly be expected of them. Eric Chavez fit in nicely at first and third and was certainly considered dangerous at the plate.
***THE BAD***
In spite of a couple of home runs and an ever-present smile, Andruw Jones has looked like he has very little left. He was supposed to be an upgrade over Marcus Thames, because he was pretty good in the outfield and would hit just as well. Hasn't even been close. In fact, there is a rumor that the Yanks are considering resigning Thames, who was recently released by the Dodgers. If true, this would be his third tour of duty with NY.
***THE UGLY***
The obvious winner here is Raphael Soriano. Not only has he not shown the overpowering talent he had last year with Tampa, he isn't even impressing anyone down in Scranton. Maybe he'll come around, but it's also possible we have another (gasp!) Kei Igawa on our hands. Cashman should batch those two and trade them to the Diamondbacks for, say, a couple of margaritas and a rosin bag. ...and the rosin bag doesn't even have to be unused.
***BUT...IT'S NOT MY FAULT***
Not much you can do about injuries, they're going to happen, especially with the older players. The loss of Chamberlain and Feliciano along with the above named Soriano has been devastating to Girardi's bullpen. Add in the loss of A-Rod and Damaso Marte and it's the nightmare Cashman was hoping to avoid.
The Yanks need a better bench. They have no offense. When they needed a pinch hitter last night, all Joe had left was a less-than-healthy Curtis Granderson. I hear all the talk about the Yanks going after a starting pitcher and/or a relief pitcher, but perhaps he should look a little more closely at Carlos Beltran and put Andruw Jones (and me) out of their misery.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Gamera, a 12-year-old African tortoise who had to have a front leg amputated, is getting around just fine after veterinarians at Washington State glued a caster-style wheel underneath that corner of its shell. Which prompts the question: Do the Molina brothers qualify for a group rate?" --Dwight Perry
"Today’s vote by the NFL owners was 31 to 0 with Al Davis abstaining. At least, we think he was abstaining. He may have just been taking a nap." --Janice Hough
"The fan who caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit may owe the IRS $14,000 for gifts he received from the team. Which isn’t a bad deal since $14,000 barely covers the cost of tickets and a hot dog at Yankee Stadium." --Jim Barach
CP-
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