yankees228
09-24-2007, 10:21 AM
I've said this numerous times in other threads, I don't think the Yankees should go all out to try and win the division. I'll start off by asking a simple question. What's more important, winning the division or winning the championship? Now I understand that people are going to respond to that by saying that winning the division will help them win the championship (because of homefield advantage and possibly choosing the extra day off), but I don't think those things are a good enough reason to go all out for the division.
Here is my list of reaons why I think the Yankees shouldn't go all out for the division:
1. It would be nice to rest players who are either slumping a little or are injured (Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu, and Robinson Cano among others).
2. It would be very smart for the Yankees to give their starters the best oppurtunity to pitch well in the postseason. In my opinion, this means giving Roger Clemens and Mike Mussina ample rest before their postseason starts.
3. The Yankees have serious bullpen issues. This would give them the oppurtunity to give Vizcaino more rest. It might also give them a chance to pull Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy (if healthy) from the rotation and see what they can give you out of the bullpen. This would involve giving someone like Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright, or Kei Igawa a start which would hurt your chances of winning that day.
4. Maybe this team just needs a break? They got off to a terrible start this year and they were playing semi "must win" games for a few months now. In 2005 they had to battle through the last week of the season. Come the playoffs the teams was clearly exhausted.
5. This does not mean sacrificing the division. Even if they do all the things I listed they still have a good team. It would still be possible to overtake the Red Sox.
All of those things, in my opinion, give them the best chance at the ultimate goal.
Here is my list of reaons why I think the Yankees shouldn't go all out for the division:
1. It would be nice to rest players who are either slumping a little or are injured (Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu, and Robinson Cano among others).
2. It would be very smart for the Yankees to give their starters the best oppurtunity to pitch well in the postseason. In my opinion, this means giving Roger Clemens and Mike Mussina ample rest before their postseason starts.
3. The Yankees have serious bullpen issues. This would give them the oppurtunity to give Vizcaino more rest. It might also give them a chance to pull Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy (if healthy) from the rotation and see what they can give you out of the bullpen. This would involve giving someone like Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright, or Kei Igawa a start which would hurt your chances of winning that day.
4. Maybe this team just needs a break? They got off to a terrible start this year and they were playing semi "must win" games for a few months now. In 2005 they had to battle through the last week of the season. Come the playoffs the teams was clearly exhausted.
5. This does not mean sacrificing the division. Even if they do all the things I listed they still have a good team. It would still be possible to overtake the Red Sox.
All of those things, in my opinion, give them the best chance at the ultimate goal.