Spring has sprung Bomber buddies and now it is for real. With the lingering sour taste from the early exit in 2010 we enter 2011 on the road to 28.
The slates are clean everyone is tied for first place. The Yankees came up short in the Cliff Lee conquest but 4 out of 5 experts agree that may be a blessing is disquise. Both the Yankees and Mets finshed their exibition season against the same team they are meeting on Opening Day. Who's idea was that?
It will be Justin Verlander vs CC Sabathia for the opener in Da Bronx, Friday is an off day for the teams. The rest of the rotation rounds out to Burnett, Hughes, Nova and Freddy Garcia. Many though that Bartolo Colone should have won the fifth spot but he will be hanging on in the pen in case Freddy or anyone else needs a fill in.
CC Sabathia leads the way but he can't do it alone. He surely needs help from both Phil Hughes and AJ Burnett. Hughes needs to bring more of consistency to the mound. Nova and Garcia just need to be solid.
AJ Burnett’s career is being counted out by most experts since he is now 34. He still throw hard, but his fastball was crushed for a career worst 25 HR’s (back to back years) given up last year. He looks to rebound this year in his "year on".
Anyway it is 162 game season and a lot can happen but come October (actually November) and the dust settles we should be Marching down Broadway.
The New York Yankees are in Tampa, The Maple Street Press Yankee Annual 2011 is on the newsstand and Spring is in the air. That could only mean that Opening Day is upon us.
Cecilia Tan once again has collected some of the best Bomber writers she could find and gathered them together to look into the Yanks 2011 season. Ms Tan is the publisher of the Website Why I Like Baseball. She bats lead off in this great publication giving you the inside look at the potential Bomber squad using a batbag of stats, some you may not ever heard of. Don't ya know that the cover has a picture of Robbie Cano?
Dan Graziano of the Star Ledger follows her up with a 2010 review. In MSP Dan shows just how talented he is talking nothing but baseball. Mark C Healy tells us if he feel Robbie Cano is for real. There is just so much about the 2011 team the book could be called Yankees 101.
What Yankees publication would be complete without delving int their historic past. And who better to lead the way than Dan McCourt who can give you chills with his keyboard. Dan looks back at the Yankees 13 MVP winners. Dan can be found at his site giving you his daily Yankees peek as he Takes Him Downtown. He can also be found quite often on the Behind the Bombers Forum.
This issue has some of the best peeks into our minor league system out there.
A plethora of writers cover the multitude of topics listed below:
Spring Ahead: A Look at the 2011 New York Yankees (Player Profiles)
Near Miss: 2010 in Review
Home Grown: Robinson Cano Comes Into His Own
Hit Or Miss: The 2010 Yankees Rotation By The Numbers
I Don't Feel That I've Arrived: An Interview with Phil Hughes
Headed For The Hall: Who Will be the Next Yankee in Cooperstown?
Secret Weapon: Kevin Long is the Most Dangerous Man in the Yankee Offensive Arsenal
Big Boss Man: A Look Back On the Last Lion of Baseball
Two By Two: The Yankees' Top 10 Prospects
A Good Harvest: 2010 On The Yankees Farm
Switch-Pitcher: Pat Venditte From All Sides
Spreading The Wealth: The 2010 Yankees Draft
The Pride Of Brooklyn: Dellin Betances is Ready To Live Up to the Hype
Bombers' Dozen: A Look Back At All 13 Yankees MVPs
The Greatest Game Ever Played: Seizing The 1921 Pennant
Keller Is King: Remembering 1941
The Tape Measure Shot: The Real Story of Mantle's Griffith Stadium Homer
Yankee Road Trip: Places Every Yankees Fan Should See
Keep the kleenex handy as the article on The Boss digs deep into your memories.
So run out to you nearest bookstore or magazine stand and pick up a couple of copies. You will be glad you did. This is a must buy.
