The brief light of hope that came from Saturday’s victory over Boston was dimmed today when the Yankees lost 7-4 notwithstanding the return of ace starter Chien-Ming Wang.
So, now the question is, what will George do:
The first thing Yankees players see when they open the main door to their spring training clubhouse is a sign that says “Accountability.” The sign is there on orders from George Steinbrenner, the principal owner.
If Steinbrenner had been in the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium yesterday, after another dispiriting loss to the Boston Red Sox, 7-4, he would have seen accountability everywhere.
Players said they should be blamed for the Yankees’ losing 14 of 23 games in April. General Manager Brian Cashman said it was his responsibility. Manager Joe Torre has said the same thing.
The question for Steinbrenner is what to do. Nobody discounts the possibility that Steinbrenner could fire Torre, who is in the last year of his contract and who was nearly fired last October after the Yankees lost to Detroit in the playoffs.
But if Steinbrenner did it, he would anger many of the players and threaten to poison an already sullen locker room. To the players, firing Torre would be foolish.
“It’s common sense,” said Derek Jeter, the captain Steinbrenner selected in 2003. “He’s not playing, that’s the bottom line. That’s pretty much all I’ve got to say. It’s unfair. It should stop. We should never talk about his job. He’s been doing a great job. He’s doing a great job this year.”
Jeter spoke sternly, with cameras rolling, and he said his message was directed at reporters. But if the organization asked him, Jeter said, “I’d say the exact same thing.”
A pretty strong statement, for sure, but Jeter is absolutely right. This isn’t a coaching problem, it’s a pitching problem. Consider this little statistic:
The Yankees have used at least five pitchers in each of their past 10 games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the longest such streak in the majors over the past 50 years.
Torre has been desperate to find the right combination, with little success. In the five losses against Boston, the earned run average of the Yankees? bullpen is 8.66. In those same games, Red Sox relievers have a 1.35 E.R.A.
There’s no way any manager can overcome statistics like that.? So, if it’s a pitching problem, maybe Steinbrenner should be looking at the pitching coach instead if he’s looking for someone to blame.
