February 25, 2013

Schadenfreude 152 (A Continuing Series)


Bill Madden, Daily News:
Only five batters into the second exhibition game of the spring and suddenly all the fear and trepidation of this forthcoming Yankee season was realized: Bronx Bombers to Bronx Bummers.

As Curtis Granderson trotted down to first base in the first inning of Sunday's Steinbrenner Field opener against the Blue Jays, rubbing his right forearm that had just been hit by a J.A. Happ fastball, the Yankee high command, already holding its breath over a breakdown by any of the many over-38 geezers they're counting on to play critical roles for them this year, braced for the worst.

A short while later the brass got it: The forearm was broken, Granderson will be out a minimum of 10 weeks ...

You're now looking at a team that could be hard-pressed to hit 150 homers and, as an ominous point of reference, the last time the Yankees hit under 150 in an uninterrupted full season was during the doldrums years, 1988-91.

7 comments:

allan said...

Jonah Keri, Grantland:
"Granderson's injury is just the latest setback for a Yankees team that has major collapse potential. ... As good as the starting rotation might be with everyone back, the starting nine could make this the worst Yankees season in more than two decades."

Me likey!

FenFan said...

Interesting that Madden has projected doom when two of three pre-season magazines you cited just two-plus weeks ago predicted that they would finish in first place.

Granderson breaks his forearm and suddenly the MFY season is a lost cause? Someone give this man a tissue.

laura k said...

Doomers abound.

9casey said...

He is a marginal player at best. He has lost his speed , they were moving him to lf anyway. He strikes out way to much. It maybe a blessing for them. What are they missing a .250 hitter who would strike out over a 175 times? Yeah he hits a lot of cheap home runs at yankee stadium, whoppeee.

tim said...

I, for one, am quite enjoying going into this season with lowered expectations. Seems to take a bit of the pressure off (who am I kidding, I don't read Boston sports media anyway!) or maybe its just my internal benchmark that I expect 100 wins or something.

Garbage years behind us, I am definitely looking forward to 2013!

(And a proper Salut! to Allan and Laura (and all y'all Josers*) - need to respond about that Pawsox e-mail)


*Josers - using a typical spanish pronunciation = "hosers" (Cdn slang for drunks!)

dj1480 said...

Damon: Give me a call
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8988896/johnny-damon-makes-pitch-new-york-yankees

allan said...

Damon on back cover of Post: "Bronx Beggar"