When are the Yankee bats going to wake up?

I focused most of my ire after yesterday’s loss on Joe Girardi. I did mention the Yankee bats a little, but several Subway Squawkers commenters thought the Yankees’ hitters deserved some more blame.

Symphony writes, “One day I’ll get over this sleeping lineup long enough to focus on Girardi. Its more than a side-note.”

And one anonymous commenter says: “…you can’t rely on 3 guys (Alex, Jeter and Posada) to carry the team. Texiera is great with the glove, but if he and Cano and Melky don’t start hitting doesn’t start hitting, the Angels will pitch around Alex and take their chances with Matsui. Then it won’t matter what Joe does with the bullpen.”

Good points. And this is the irony. Ever since 2004, so much of the Yankee postseason focus has been on Alex Rodriguez: Will he ever hit in the playoffs, blah blah blah. Now here we have him with the postseason game for the ages. Superman has nothing on A-Rod this October. But, as our reader notes, it’s unlikely he will ever get anything to hit again in this series if the Yankees don’t wake up. (Well, that, and if Girardi ever pinch-runs for Matsui again!)

So that means people not named A-Rod or Jeter needs to get some hits. Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, and Melky Cabrera, I’m talking to you! Time to start hitting.

At any rate, I’m still peeved over last night’s game, but I did derive enjoyment from one thing today – seeing Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports make the point that I’ve been making – that A-Rod is hitting better without Joe Torre breathing down his neck.

On the other hand, Sports Illustrated reporter Tom Verducci completely eviscerates Girardi today. I don’t have a problem with a writer slamming Joe G – that’s what he gets the big bucks for – but it’s a bit much to see Verducci do it, given that Verducci has been quiet over how his co-author Joe Torre has done in the playoffs. Not a peep from Verducci, then other than to blame Jonathan Braxton for not being tough enough. And he can devote a whole page to Girardi? Sheesh.


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