The 2013 baseball season has been a tough pill to swallow for fans of the New York Yankees. After seeing the Bronx Bombers make the postseason for 17 of the past 18 years, many remain uncertain of this team’s future. Will they make an improbable comeback and win the AL East? Will they sneak into the postseason as a wildcard? No one seems to have a confident answer.
There is no mistake that this year represents a critical transition for the Yankees. Owners Hank and Hal Steinbrenner are intent on getting under baseball’s $189 million payroll cap in 2014, and 2013 is a preview of what the next few years may look like if the Yankees cannot flex their financial muscles. More poignant though is the impending end of arguably one of the best iterations of the New York Yankees – and its key members.
Despite the unease surrounding this team, one can find many things to appreciate about the 2013 New York Yankee season:
- The final year of the greatest relief pitcher ever to grace a baseball diamond. In every stadium he has visited this year, Mariano Rivera has been honored by opposing teams and their fans. The all-times saves leader has been given gifts and ceremonies fitting for the athlete, role model, and inspiration he is. If a New York Yankee is getting standing ovations in Fenway Park, he must be doing something right.
MLB Honors Mariano Rivera at his final All-Star Game
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CoKufdQL2o]
- The month of April. A month that consisted of inexplicable winning despite an onslaught of injuries to many of the Yankees’ regulars. Each day a different has-been or wanna-be (along with stellar pitching) seemed to come up big for the Yankees, lifting them to first place despite the predictions of many.
- The following three months in which the duo of Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner were the only offensive threats on the team. The Yankee fill-ins for April were only thought to be needed for a month, but setbacks had forced them into playing in an everyday role. It began to show when Cano and Gardner became the only above-average players on the team. Despite a huge lack of support, the two kept on producing.
- The Cy-Young caliber season of RHP Hiroki Kuroda. In a season when the Yankees’ nominal ace CC Sabathia has struggled enormously to reinvent himself as a pitcher, Kuroda has stepped up to give the Yankees a fighting chance every fifth day. Despite a recent rough patch, watching him pitch has been an absolute pleasure and his success is even more unprecedented when one considers his hitter-friendly home ballpark, age (38), and the fact that his team plays in the AL East.
- An impressive milestone finally reached. Ichiro Suzuki finally collected his 4000th professional hit between his time in Japan and the US. The Japanese outfielder continues to build upon his baseball resume, as he sets his sights on the Hall of Fame.
- The never-ending drama surrounding the embattled Alex Rodriguez. Everyone knew A-Rod would miss around half the season because of hip surgery last year. But in January news broke of his connections to a shady anti-aging clinic in Miami, and allegations of PEDs began to swirl once again. It may seem counterintuitive to include the Yankees’ third baseman on a list of bright spots. But an unprecedented media assassination coupled with dubious rulings handed down by Major League Baseball have created a climate in which it’s not out of the question to root for A-Rod. Whether you are for him, against him, a Yankees fan or Yankees hater, no one can disagree that he makes the season more interesting.
- A reunion with an old friend. Outfielder Alfonso Soriano made his way back to New York for the first time since 2003 when the Yankees traded for him from the Chicago Cubs in July. Acquired because of the Yankees’ great need for a right-handed power bat, Soriano has had a productive stint with the team thus far. In one four game span for example, he managed to accrue an MLB record-tying 18 RBIs.
- The rise of the kids. As injury after injury piled up at the major league level, the Yankees had no choice but to tap their farm system and call up their minor leaguers. Preston Claiborne, Austin Romine, David Adams, Zoilo Almonte, and Dellin Betances have all helped to fill in the gaps at various times throughout the season. None of these players are superstars, but they have all played within expectations and helped keep the Yankees afloat. With rosters expanding on September 1st, RHP Brett Marshall, LHP Cesar Cabral, and catcher J.R. Murphy will also be given the opportunity to play at the major league level.
There’s a great deal more uncertainty surrounding the Yankees’ chances for postseason play than there’s been in recent memory. If they do make it to October, the team will be hailed for overcoming a slew of injuries. If they don’t, many will blame ownership for putting the financial concerns of the luxury tax over the quality of the team on the field. In reality though, no team, not even the mighty Yankees, can post winning records and play October baseball for almost 20 consecutive years. Regardless of what happens this season, Yankee fans should understand that lean years are ahead, but take comfort in the fact that they will not last long. Because after all, the New York Yankees are the New York Yankees.
