• Second half

    The Yankees start the second half of the season with the Tigers visiting tonight, which seems like a good time to look back at the first half of the season.

    Overall the Yankees aren’t in bad shape. Only 3 games behind Boston in the AL East, and leading the wild card chase by 2.5 games from the Rangers. With the early season problems in the pitching staff and missing Alex Rodriguez for 28 games, I’ll take that.

    The Yankees offense has been pretty consistent scoring on average a little over 6 runs a game, a trend you would expect to continue over the second half of the season. They where also tied at 132 home runs on the season (with wild card contenders the Rangers), with Alex Rodriguez’s returning to good form, I’d expect that rate to increase over the rest of the reason.

    The Yankees problem has been pitching, very very good, and very very bad. Both the starting pitching and the bullpen have had their issues, some due to injuries to key pitchers others, well who knows why.

    There has been a call to get the suddenly available Roy Halladay, I haven’t been to impressed with this performances since coming off the DL, and although he would be under team control til the end of next year, just what you’d have to give up to get him, may be too high a price. Clearly when a pitcher of his caliber becomes available you have to at at least ask the price.

    The Yankees have a pretty good chance of making the post season with or without Halladay, Wangs return from the DL is going to be very important as is Brian Bruney’s ability to pitch well late in the game.

    The debate over Joba Chamberlain will continue … if the Yankees make the post he’ll undoubtedly be moved to the bullpen, so why not move him there now. With Mariano Rivera, Joba, and Bruney pitching the last 3 inning of the game you’d have great chance to win any game you where leading after 6 innings. Throw Phil Hughes into the mix, what an outstanding job he as done, and the Yankees could see a return to world series for the firs time since 2003.

    Upstate Yankee

    Author
    iisbum