state of the yankees: 15-16

i told you that there would be yankees updates from time to time. i wanted to write about the yankees today, because this has really been a fascinating - and disappointing - beginning to the baseball season for the bronx bombers.

the standings tell the truth that after 31 games (over a month) they are under .500 at 15-16. they have lost more games than they have won. this is a team with a payroll that surpasses the annual budget of many small countries. if you listen to the media whine and complain about how unfair it is that the yankees can go and get whatever players they want because there is no salary cap, ets., then you know that this is supposed to be the harlem globetrotters of baseball. they should be dominating the other teams. but they are not. they have lost to other teams more than they have won. that's just a fact.

now, part of it, of course, is that the yankees have 9 players on the disabled list, including two huge bats in jorge posada and a guy who is known as a-rod. their starting second baseman is also hitting under .150. one of their pitchers has looked alternately pretty good and way too old, and two of their other pitchers have looked pretty consistently too young.

with more than 80% of the season still remaining, i think the yankees have to be pretty thankful that they are only 3 games off the lead in the american league east. at 15-16, they could be a great deal worse.

so, with cautious optimism, we yankee fans continue to hope that we can get our pitching together, start swinging the bats, and start winning series.

as readers, you should hope this, too. otherwise you will have to read my complaints all summer.

let's go yankees!

greg.