Author Archives: Brian Burkhart

Predictions and Underdogs

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Brian Burkhart

ESPN has posted their annual MLB predictions and this year they polled 45 of their best "experts" (I said this on Twitter as well, but Jim Caple still has a job?) on who would win each playoff spot and eventually the World Series. Only 1 division was unanimous: the AL East. Now, alright I'm a Yankee ...

Posted in Editorial | 6 Comments

Over/Under: How Many Will 2011 Yanks Win?

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Brian Burkhart

Via VegasWatch, here is a list, by division, of the initial over/unders on each team's win total for the 2011 season. The Yankees are predicted to win 91 - certainly not a bad total, but not really up to their standards. I am an optimistic Yankee fan so clearly I would bet on the over ...

Posted in Editorial | 4 Comments

Evaluating Andy Pettitte’s Career

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Brian Burkhart

I have to say: up until yesterday, I was still convinced Andy Pettitte was coming back for 2011. Maybe he would start a little late, but he'd come back. He was very effective last year when healthy, so it didn't seem crazy to cut back on his workload - but retire? Nah. He'd at ...

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | 6 Comments

Yankees 2010/11 Offseason: The Winter of Our Discontent

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Brian Burkhart

Yankee fans are a pretty tough group to please. We all know the narrative by now: the Yankees expect to win, and that feeling starts with the ownership and extends to the players, coaches, and fans. World Series or bust. All or nothing. It's a bit of a tired adage at this point, and carries ...

Posted in Editorial | 4 Comments

Yankees Soriano Deal Puzzling: The Ups and Downs

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Brian Burkhart

Since Brian Cashman took primary control of the Yankees' decision-making, I've agreed with pretty much every move he's made - at least to an extent.  They haven't all worked out obviously, as is the nature of the game, but I always agreed with the logic behind the move.  Sure, Nick Johnson got hurt, but ...

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | 35 Comments

Nothing Wrong With Doing Nothing for Yankees

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Brian Burkhart

The Yankees did not sign Cliff Lee. They never even tried to sign Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford. They did not trade for Zack Greinke. They would not pony up the money for Bobby Jenks and appear to have little interest in doing so for Rafael Soriano. So what gives? There ...

Posted in Editorial | 15 Comments

Cashman Will Not Overspend On Relief Pitchers

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Brian Burkhart

Now that the Yankees missed out on Cliff Lee, clearly they have money to spend and many have assumed that that money would go into shoring up the Yankees' middle relief. Yet yesterday, Kerry Wood signed with the Cubs for 1 year and $1.5 million and Bobby Jenks went to the Red ...

Posted in Editorial | 4 Comments

For The Love of Joba: Move Him Back to the Rotation

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Brian Burkhart

Cliff Lee was obviously the story of last night, and rightly so, since so many Yankee fans assumed the Yankees would sign him. Yet I don't find myself all that upset with the developments; $100+ million contracts are rarely a good idea and the Yankees have already given out plenty of them. And it's ...

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | 5 Comments

Where Does Crawford Fit For Red Sox?

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Brian Burkhart

The Red Sox have been extremely aggressive this offseason, trading for Adrian Gonzalez and signing Carl Crawford. With Adrian Beltre on his way out and Kevin Youkilis ready to move to third, the trade for Gonzalez makes a lot of sense. The Red Sox outfield, however, is already filled with Jacoby ...

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | 11 Comments

Would Jeter Take Less To Play Elsewhere?

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Brian Burkhart

As Rob noted earlier, the posturing between Derek Jeter and The Yankees has already begun, as the Yankees have made an offer of 3 years and $45 million, which Jeter's agent, Casey Close, finds "baffling." Like many fans, Close wants the Yankees to appreciate all the things that Derek Jeter has done for the ...

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | 1 Comment