Great Expectations For The 2009 Yankees

Posted by admin on April 3, 2009 under New Yankee Stadium, Ramblings | 5 Comments to Read

Here, I am watching the Yankees play in the new Stadium. All I can think about is what kind of season they’ll have this year.

I went to a Spring Training game this year and watched them dominate the 2008 World Series Champions Philadelphia Phillies. Watching that game, I had a feeling that this was going to be the season. This was going to be the year when the Yankees come back and win it all, the 27th World Series. There will be another parade through the Canyon Of Heroes in lower Manhattan this October.

However, a part of me is very nervous. Ever since George Steinbrenner took over the Yankees, they’ve been expected to not just be good, but to win the World Series. But this year, if it’s possible, the expectations are even higher.

The Yankees have always been the team with the target on their back. They’re the team that all of the other teams want to beat. They’re the team that all of the other fans hate. And this year the target is even bigger.

To start with the Yankees spent an amazing amount of money this off season on pitchers C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and first baseman Mark Teixira. The Yankees spent $423.5 million on these guys alone and for the price, I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one who is expecting those guys to take the team well into October.

I became a Yankee fan in the eighties when the Yankees were pretty much horrible. However, we were all spoiled in the late nineties with all of those championship teams. But the Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2000. For most teams, that isn’t a long time. But for a Yankee fan, that becomes a lifetime. The pressure is on this year to get well past the first round of playoffs.

Last year, the Yankees didn’t even make it to the playoffs, the first time since 1993. You know the Yankees management/owners are just as hungry for a post season run as any die hard Yankee fan.

The season hasn’t even started yet, but there’s already rumors that manager Joe Girardi isn’t going to be around for long unless the Yankees come out the gate charging. Of course, I was disappointed last season, but it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to give Girardi more of a leash. I know that spring training doesn’t really count for much, but the Yankees did have the best record in the Grapefruit League, that has to count for something.

And of course, you can’t miss the brand new stadium. It looks amazing, but who would really care what it looks like if the Yankees have another mediocre season.

My prediction is that the Yankees are either going to win it all or fail big. The Vegas odds are that the Yankees win the World Series and right now I’ll take that bet.