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Is it Too Soon for the Yankees to Panic? | The Voice of Yankees Universe

The Yankees have been playing sub-par baseball lately, and while they have plenty of time to bounce back, there are three other teams in the AL East posing some serious threats. First and foremost, the Red Sox are now five games ahead in the standings, and while that’s certainly not an insurmountable lead, the Red Sox have the second best record in MLB merely because they’re playing consistently sound baseball. The only consolation is that we have enough games left against the Red Sox to control our fate, but if the first seven competitions are any indication of futuristic expectations, the Yankees are doomed to remain in 2nd, providing the Blue Jays and the Rays cooperate in this regard.

Both the Blue Jays and the Rays are trailing the Yankees by a hair, (the Blue Jays being in a virtual tie with the Yankees for 2nd). Both of these teams have been winning more consistently than the Yankees of late and both are serious contenders. Neither one of these teams can be ignored, since they also have enough games left against the Yankees to control their own fates.

While it may be a bit too early to consider the Wild Card standings, it’s not too soon to recognize the strength of the teams in competition for that one spot in other divisions as well. Both the Angels and the Rangers are only a half game out of 1st for the Wild Card. While the Yankees presently hold the Wild Card lead, they could easily be relegated to 5th Place in a matter of a couple of days.

Normally I’d say it’s too early to panic. Of course, I know anything is possible in this awesome game of baseball and there are still 92 games left, but I don’t believe we can depend on this credo to carry us through this particular season mainly because the competition in the AL East is too strong, too confident, too determined, and too not afraid of the Yankees any longer. In the past, the Red Sox were our only serious contenders and the Yankees often had some lead to squander during their slumps. This year is different, as was last year when the Yankees failed to make the playoffs.
If the Yankees continue slumping any further, I believe action should be taken soon to rectify their problems before it’s too late. Historically, mid-season acquisitions, trades, and lineup changes have made a tremendous difference in a team’s success. We may need to start with a shake-up in the rotation, e.g. by sending Joba to the pen if he struggles in his next start and by giving Hughes a chance to prove he’s as strong as a starter as he is in the pen. Girardi may need to stand by his decision to rest A-Rod if he doesn’t soon find his stroke (on the field, that is). Keeping struggling superstars in the lineup is okay when the team has a lead to play with, but when they are seriously slumping, benching those superstars could very well shake the team up with the realization no player is immune to watching games from the sidelines. Also, the Yankees could try playing more small-ball by including Brett Gardner in the lineup more often, bunting more often, running more often, and trying not to hit homeruns more often (when consecutive hits will suffice).

New acquisitions and trades might appear to be too drastic at this point, but they should not be overlooked as potential buffers to thwart off a fatal plummet in the standings. While bringing on new players is no guarantee of success, sometimes the threat of replacement is just what’s needed to awaken sleeping giants. If the Yankees need to be stirred, this is one powerful way to do it.

One last consideration about taking definite action sooner than later, Yankee fans should be reminded of how exhausting it becomes playing catch-up, which requires extra energy and creates more stress, which in turn leads to injury and illness. By the time October rolls around, teams that have been scratching and clawing their way to the top often lack the stamina to compete against the best teams in the league that have been coasting all along (sound familiar, Yankee fans?) We can all cry out in unison that anything can happen in this mostly unpredictable game, but this holds true for every other team as well; plus, the Yankees are not immune to the ravages of playing 162 games and have been famous for losing vital players to injury at the most significant points in the season. In fact, this appears to be a Yankee trend in recent years. That’s why I feel it’s important for the Yankees to provide a winning cushion as soon as possible that will protect them from unforeseen tribulations and future slumps.

I hope all this proves to be a moot point and that the Yankees go on a tear from now to season’s end. However, in the alternative, I’m hoping the powers-that-be are watching the Yankees very closely and are prepared to take action if need be, before it’s too late. If this were 10 years ago, I’d be singing a different tune, but for the abovementioned reasons, I feel this season is different and I’m hoping the Yankees are looking at it the same way.