Dark Clouds Forming for New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have 40 World Series appearances, 27 wins in the Fall Classic, and a lineage that includes many of baseball’s all-time greats. Having that kind of history makes it is easy to see why they are one of the most popular teams in baseball, and one of the most recognizable sports franchises in the world.

True, the Yankees are playing in the AL Championship Series so how bad can a season really be, right? Well, when your team has played in nearly 40 percent of all the World Series ever played just getting to the ALCS is not always enough. So far the cards are stacked against them making it to World Series No. 41.


In Game One of the ALCS Saturday night the team lost long-time captain Derek Jeter to a fractured ankle when he tried to make a diving play in the 12^th inning (a game the Yankees lost 4-6). The injury is not expected to be a career ending for the 38-year old shortstop, but it definitely ends his postseason.

Not only does the team lose the leadership that Jeter provides on the field, but it loses one of the few bats that has actually been hitting in the line-up. Only Raul Ibanez has a higher batting average during post season play than Jeter (.438 next to Jeter’s .333).

Hitting has certainly been an issue for the usually powerful Yankees. Through seven postseason games the team is hitting just .205. Many of the team’s biggest names are doing even worse than that. Curtis Granderson is hitting just .115 with 14 Ks in 26 at-bats. Robinson Cano, an MVP candidate not too long ago, has set a postseason record after going hit-less (0-26) in the last five games.

No one’s struggles have been more under the spotlight than the most expensive man in baseball, third baseman Alex Rodriguez. During the ALDS there were calls to move him down in the batting order and even to bench him (which manager Joe Girardi did in Game 5 of the ALDS).

So far in postseason play he has gone 3-23 with 12 Ks and no RBIs. After going 1-3 with two strikeouts and getting lifted in Game 2 (which the Yankees lost 0-3) on Sunday it would not be surprising if he didn't start in Game 3 on Monday [UPDATE: A-Rod has been benched for Game 3].

Pitching has carried the Yankees this far into the postseason so far. The staff has combined for an ERA of 2.38 (fourth out of the 10 postseason teams), and have held batters to just .213.

While pitching may win games, it doesn't really put people in the stands. The last game of the ALDS had a decent number of empty seats as did Game 1 of the ALCS. The announced attendance of 47,122 was far short of a sell-out, a rarity for postseason play in New York.

The good thing is that the Yankees are still the Yankees even though they appear down and out, if (and that is a big if) there is one team that can make a comeback after being down 0-2 in a best of seven series it would be the most successful franchise in MLB history.

The dark clouds have formed, but it’s not raining yet.