Optimism Campaign 2008

After hearing about George King's article today, and reading the ESPN capsule preview, I've come to one conclusion:

It's time to launch the 2008 Optimism Campaign: Mission 27/08


What's the Campain?

The Optimism Campaign is a campaign to spread an optimistic outlook on the New York Yankees, to focus on what's right, and not what's wrong, but what can be improved. It is a campaign to spread the belief...nay, the knowledge...that the Yankees are fully capable of their 27th World Championship, and that intangibles, the things you can't get from sabermetrics matter. It is a campaign to appreciate the glorious history of the franchise with an eye on the well being of our future. It is a campaign that recognizes that while the team will make mistakes, it does no good to dwell on them, and, instead, to focus on how we can prevent it from occurring again.

What do we believe?

• There are 27 outs to a baseball game and you must play all of them before the game is officially over.
• Everyone on the Yankees roster has the capacity to be the hero of that game, regardless of past actions.
  
• That intangibles, such as clubhouse chemistry and ability to perform in the clutch, matter.
• That whether or not Joe Girardi is the right choice of manager isn't the big issue (even though he is), but that we will support him throughout the season in one of the toughest jobs in all sports.
• That, whatever comes out of his mouth, Hank Steinbrenner (and his siblings) know what he (and they) are doing.
• That the youngsters, here defined as Melky Cabrera, Robinson Canò, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Shelley Duncan, may go through harsh growing pains, but that their upside is tremendous and that not trading any one of them has been a good idea.
• That Jason Giambi and Mike Mussina will have bounce-back years.
• That Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Chien Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte will continue to perform at a level appropriate for their position.
• That pessimism is a product of tabloids and certain broadcast media that exists to provide entertainment and rile emotions.
• That negative opinions have every right to exist as long as they are expressed in a civilized and reasonable form, even if we do not hold them ourselves.

How can I be a member?

All you have to do is say you're an optimist, and you're in! While you don't have to agree with every single bulleted point above, the first one is absolutely crucial.

What are the perks of membership?

Sharing a bond with Yankee fans just like yourself, and scientific studies have shown a positive outlook increases life expectancy.

What is Mission 27/08?

It is the mission for 27 Championships in 2008.

Are You Not Entertained?

So on Sunday, or tomorrow, I'm driving back up to my one-bedroom apartment, where I'll have a precious few hours to get everything clean and ready for the first day of class on Monday.

I know it sounds really weird, but I like everything to be neat and clean when I'm at the start of the semester because I know it only gets way, way worse from there.

Anyway, the point is, with the Spring Semester starting, it can mean only one thing:

Baseball is on its way!

I will give you that February in Syracuse does not lend oneself to thinking about spending lazy afternoons in the ballpark, but that's why they train down in Florida and Arizona.

So that means that now might be a nice time to take stock of the off-season, if not just for the Yankees, for baseball as a whole as well.

There is still a month to go before pitchers and catchers, but that doesn't mean we can't look at what has happened thus far.


The biggest news this off-season, of course, has nothing to do with any trades or FA signings (I'll get to A-Rod in a moment), but with that thing that some call a report. I won't recount the details of the MR; unless your dwelling involves a subterranean existence, you'll know to what I'm referring.

However, there's no denying the MR has been a major source of gossip, especially now as the McNamee-Clemens saga has ceased to be about 'roids, but instead has turned into "As the Roid Turns" soap opera. (Playing every day on ESPN, et al). It's a he said-he said, the truth somewhere buried on that island in Lost, and kind of like Britney or Paris, no matter how much we want to, we just can't stop paying attention to the anamoly.

Thank heaven, then, that other things have occurred this off-season as well!

Among the things you may have forgotten:

First, there was the A-Rod non story. In short form, A-Rod went from Deity-Rod to Playoff-Goat-Rod to Opt-Out-Fraud and then back to A-Rod. I certainly don't know A-Rod's thought process, but he might just be the most clever guy on the planet, willing to sacrifice his sense of dignity and pride just to get a top contract...wait, no, A-Rod would never do that...but that Agent dude, Boras (Bore Us? ), he might be just the type...

Second, there was that bit where Detroit and Florida did this thing where you send some players from Team A to Team B and vice versa. In baseball we like to call this a trade. Detroit sent Cameron Maybin, et al, to Florida for Dontrelle Willis an Miggy Cabrera. Most people think Detroit came off better in the deal, but I am actually of the belief that Florida will come out better. Consider:

1) Willis is an NL pitcher who struggled last year and now has to pitch in the bat-happy AL.
2) Miggy C has weight issues and defense issues that may be a concern, and will easily command a top dollar contract, like Willis.
3) Florida likes the five year rule, having won their first world series five years after their inception, their second five years after that (1997, 2003) and now, 2008...whaddya know, five years? Okay, so 2003-1997 is actually six years...so maybe the Marlins are more due in 2009 or 2010, but that's besides the point.


Third, Oakland fleeced Arizona, giving 'Zona "ace" Dan Haren for basically the entirety of 'Zona's farm system. 'Zona's got a nice young team as is, but, as Yankees' fans know from the years 2003-2006, it's generally a good idea to have a farm system no matter how good your team is on the top level.


Fourth, Johan Santana is still a Minnesota Twin. First he was supposed to be a Yankee, then a Red Sox, now local articles have him as a Met, but if tomorrow was February Fourteenth, he'd be reporting to Twins' camp. There are all sorts of different ways this can be interpreted, and yes, I admit that it can be fun to play "let's pretend you're Bill Smith and he's Theo Epstein and I'm Brian Cashman and she's Omar Minaya", but that won't actually make the trade happen. Unless you actually are Bill Smith or Theo Epstein or Brian Cashman or Omar Minaya, in which case I say "Hello, and Thank You for reading the blog. Go Yankees!"


Fifth, in case you forgot, the Yankees managed to resign their most "key" free agents besides A-Rod: Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Jose Molina. Mo and Po earned their keep, getting unheard of contracts for closers and 36 year-old catchers. Andy Pettitte came back after, among other things, incredible fan support. If you missed it, Steve Lombardi of Was Watching initiated P46, a letter writing project to get Pettitte to come back, and it looks like it worked.


Sixth, in what seems like ages and ages ago, Joe Torre turned down a contract offer and in something that sort of resembled the dating game, Joe Girardi beat out Don Mattingly and Tony Peña for the manager's job. Torre landed softly on his feet in a job managing the LA Dodgers--Torre grew up a Brooklyn fan--and, whaddya know, his favorite reliever of all time, Scott Proctor is right there waiting for him. Of the Yankee coaches on staff for next year, perhaps none is more welcoming than the appointment of Dave Eiland as pitching coach--Eiland worked with the Trinity (that is, Phil, Joba and Ian) in the minors, and, well, we know what they can do...


There is still a month of the off-season to go, and anything can happen--if I know myself correctly, the second I post this, we'll all see Johan Santana has gone to the Angels and the Cubs have decided to stop playing at Wrigley--but that's the fun of it.


So, all things considered, I have to ask, of the past few baseball game-less months, in my best Russell Crowe voice, ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?



I know I am very, very entertained.

Monday Morning Surprise

Apparently, Christmas has come early to the Bronx (and from what I've been told, it looks like it, as well).

Andy Pettitte will be back in pinstripes for 2008.


How awesome is this news?

Let's do a Top Ten.


10) Pettitte on staff gives us not just a veteran (ie, Mussina), but a veteran who has been on Series-winning teams, and as someone the youngsters on the Yanks can look up to and learn from, the benefit of having him back for one year goes much further than the one year.

09) There is no one you want more pitching after a loss--the later in the season or the postseason, the better. Sure, he's had a few rough spots, but on the whole he will give the Yankees a chance to win. That says a lot.

08) With him on staff we have a left-hander, regardless of whether or not Santana comes to New York.

07) Pick your rotation: Wang--Pettitte--Joba--Phil--Ian or Santana--Wang--Pettitte-Joba--Phil/Ian. With Mussina, a borderline HoF'er in the bullpen

06) This announcement means that the big three Yankee FA--Jorge, Mo, Andy--who we were worried about leaving after Torre's departure are all coming back.

05) Pettitte said he'd retire or go back to the Yankees. Nice to know he's kept his word.

04) Andy has a great name for headlines. Andy is Dandy, etc.

03) I just keep thinking about Andy's pitching performance in Cleveland last October. I get shivers up my spine.

02) Yeah, did I say he's a winner?

01) He's Andy. Freakin'. Pettitte.


So I am elated right now. Nevermind that it could theoretically all come crashing down if i get my geography term paper back today, but I won't think about that. Life is good.