Jackson has been unimpressive and names like Melancon, Sanchez and McCutchen have no chance of making the team out of spring, but have a very realistic chance of helping the team at some point this season. Also keep an eye out for JB Cox as the Yankees' minor league relievers all start to make the jump from Double-A and Triple-A to Major League ready. And trust me, with Farnsworth and Hawkins needing to pitch effectively, this influx of high-ceiling relief pitching couldn't be coming at a better time.
What people don't realize is that this bullpen has the potential to be very good, much like the Red Sox last year when they had a relative unknown in Okajima, a solid closer, a decent long reliever, a role of effective, but not lights-out middle relievers and a young phenom in Delcarmen. Pitching coach Dave Eiland claims Farnsworth has been dragging and that has made his location off and his slider flat. We'll see if he can work some magic. Maybe Hawkins transition as a sinkerballer helps him keep the same solid numbers he had last year at Coors. He was in a weaker hitting league, but in an offensive ballpark. You won't get much of an argument about Joba Chamberlain's potential regardless of where he is placed on the pitching staff and today you didn't see an argument when the Yankees renewed his contract.
This leads me to beg the question, at what point do Red Sox fans admit the Yankees have just as much a "team" as they do now? I'm not talking talent, potential or who will win the division, those are all up for debate and ultimately will be decided on the field. I'm talking "team." We've heard repeatedly on this blog and everywhere else that the Yankees are a "collection of players" but making the same comments this season would prove to be ignorant. New York has injected itself with young, hungry talent and the veterans (A-Rod included) have either found a niche in the locker room or are in a walk year where they are eager to prove themselves and stay in shape. That may not sound like great chemistry, but it's amazing how well you can bond when everybody has something to prove and fight together. There is no Yankees player on this team that you can point to based on the media and say he is playing for "himself." That includes Farnsworth and Rodriguez, the last two questionable personalities. Both have been putting in overtime to either work with the team or work on their own mechanics.
Nobody is complaining about their contract, unlike a certain Boston closer. Nobody is lying to their team in New York, like allegedly a certain injured Red Sox starter was. By no means do I think the Red Sox are primadonnas or mercenaries (they don't have 24 players from outside of their farm system like they did in 2004), but the whole "whoa is us" mentality of Boston fans will surely take a hit in the chemistry department this year.
Trivia Question for the day:
There have been three sets of brothers to win a World Series for the same team in the same season. Who are they?
Hint: one tandem was this millenium, another was a duo of pitchers.
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