Yankee Weather Chart

By Ron Prezzano


With injuries throughout MLB appearing to coincide with the unusual weather patterns this spring, the New York Yankees are on familiar turf. After all, it was a year ago that the same injury plague descended on the Bronx. The difference this year is that, so far, none of these injuries appear to be season or career ending.

The Yankees can probably count on right-handers Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina and Jeff Karstens to return and contribute quality innings.

Carl Pavano, on the other hand, is as fragile as a mobile home in a trailer park during a hurricane. He is also becoming that predictable. (I just had to say that because the thought was lurking there in the frontal part of my brain). The problem really is his reliance and durability. This latest injury, to the area around his elbow, appeared to be minor last week, but this week may be more tenuous. Hopefully it is an injury of fatigue related to not pitching competitively in the last year and a half. Stay tuned.

The Yankees biggest concern going into the season was their starting pitching. On paper it looked formidable to pretty darn good. There were veterans’ and a Cy Young runner up to take the mound every four or five days. The return of Andy Pettitte was a great acquisition. Fill that out with a couple of young semi tested prospects and hope springs eternal. Unfortunately the questions concerning age, injuries and experience, early on, are becoming issues of reality.

This week the Yankees face two very good offences. Cleveland and the Red Sox. To put it into missionary terms, pitching wise, the Yankees could be horizontally violated several times in the next six days. The rotation looks rather adolescent with Chase Wright, Kei Igawa, Darrell Rasner, Andy (Milf) Pettitte and Jeff Karstens to pitch these six games. Meanwhile, the schedule has the Red Sox throwing Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka at the Yankees The onus is on the Yankee offence to act like knights protecting the chastity of their loved ones.

The tide is changing and the future is rapidly descending on the Bronx. What I like is the Yankees will now be forced into giving some of their young arms major league experience. It is early in the season allowing Cashman and Torre to get a feeling for quality moves, if needed, later on. This is how Brian Cashman has set up his system. Not bad in my book, plenty of young resources and flexibility. No hostage situation here.

As far as Philip Hughes coming up to the big club, he is not ready and will be best served pitching in AAA, hopefully the Yankees will not pop his cherry too early.

As Ari Gold says “ we may be whores but we are not pimps.” Please Brian, no pimping allowed.

Now about that Clemens guy…..