The New York Yankees' season has gone so badly, the wife of team president Randy Levine taped bubble wrap around the TV remotes to keep the furniture from getting damaged.
Hard to believe, given its US$200 million payroll, but MLB's most glamorous team will be missing the playoffs after a run of 13 consecutive postseason appearances. That's just one shy of the record set by the Atlanta Braves from 1991-2005.
The Yankees haven't been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention since 1993. New York's regulars then included Mike Stanley and Pat Kelly along with a young Bernie Williams, Don Mattingly, Paul O'Neill and Wade Boggs.
Derek Jeter was a 19-year-old playing at Greensboro in the Class A South Atlantic League, teammate of a 22-year-old starting pitcher named Mariano Rivera. Andy Pettitte was 21 and spent most of the year at Prince William of the Class A Carolina League, where he pitched to Jorge Posada, a 22-year-old catcher.
Those four went on to form the core of MLB's final dynasty of the 20th century. But this year, New York's fortunes have crumbled like a Wall Street bank, leaving the Yankee Stadium with no October games in its final season.
"Our everyday position players did not perform up to their typical ability," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "Not everyone. But I would say we've struggled from injuries and underperformance."
Ever since winning the 2000 World Series for their third straight title, and fourth in five years, the Yankees have regressed. They lost in the Series in 2001 and 2003, and didn't get past the first round for the last three seasons. In 2007, their streak of nine straight AL East division titles came to an end.
This year's team never jelled, which was not what Joe Girardi expected in his first year as manager. He replaced Joe Torre, who left after 12 seasons, insulted by the team's offer of just a one-year contract. Torre signed on as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and now appears headed to the playoffs again.
The Yankees blame injuries for the collapse. Wang Chien-ming, a 19-game winner in each of the past two years, was off to an 8-2 start when he hurt a foot running the bases in June, ending his season. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, counted on as the fourth and fifth starters behind Wang, Mike Mussina and Pettitte, were sidelined injured for much of the year. Joba Chamberlain missed August because of rotator cuff tendinitis, and Pettitte, perhaps battling an aching shoulder, is 1-7 in 10 starts since July 26.
Last year, the Yankees scored a major league-leading 5.98 runs per game. This year, they've scored 4.80. The last time the Yankees had such a big one-season drop, the year was 1922 and their home was the Polo Grounds, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Posada had just 22 RBIs before season-ending shoulder surgery on June 30. Hideki Matsui has just 45 RBIs in 334 at-bats and will need knee surgery. Melky Cabrera lost his job as the starting center fielder for a month, and second baseman Robinson Cano struggled for much of the season and was benched by Girardi for not playing hard.
Alex Rodriguez's RBIs have dropped from 156 to 101, and even Jeter struggled. The captain was hit on a hand in May and was hurt more significantly than he told the team.
Girardi thinks he'll have far greater knowledge of his team heading into his second season. The Steinbrenner brothers now in charge of the team have indicated Girardi's job is safe.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 19, 2008)