Feanor

The media, as usual, has criticized the Yankees' performance to start the season.  Girardi has already been described as inferior to Torre, the quality of the young arms are being questioned, and the bats' slow start is being described as indicative of a long term trend instead of a short term anomaly.  These are not surprising views given ESPN and the media's consistent support of New England teams and hostility toward their opponents. 

I, for one, am not upset with this start at all though.  The record doesn't really matter this early.  We are not even 1/10th through the season, after all.  What I am very pleased with is the team's approach.  First off, they are learning how to win the "ugly" way.  Girardi's not afraid to play small ball or small ball defense to win out close ones.  I've also liked how he's mixed up the bullpen, ensuring that each reliever gets his work in but is not overused.  The lineup is being kept fresh through handing out varying off nights and putting greater trust in the bench.  I do these trends continue as the season progresses.  Girardi has taken a preventative approach to injury and is understanding the season is a marathon, not a sprint.  With an older lineup and a bullpen that's been shaky in years past, this is a great approach to take.  It keeps the players in shape and on their toes without wearing them out. 

Finally, I am very pleased with the start of the three veteran pitchers on the staff.  Each has filled his respective role as the 1, 2 and 3 pitcher for the Yankees.  There was a lot of concern over the offseason with how the team would perform with Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina as the top 3 starters.  Skeptics pointed to Wang's awful 2007 postseason, Pettitte's offseason issues, and Mussina's 2007 free fall.  It was important for these three guys to anchor the staff amidst all this skepticism and the presence of youth in the 4 and 5 spots.  Well, two weeks into the season, Wang has been a shut down ace, Pettitte has been the rock solid #2, and Mussina has been the unspectacular but serviceable #3.  It's good to see these guys perform right off the bat because they've shown Girardi and the team they can be counted on as rotation staples while the season progresses.  Hopefully, all three of them stay healthy and can serve as mentors for the high-potential youngsters, who, as youngsters, will have their ups and downs. 

The concern with the bats, meanwhile, is not really such a great concern.  Last year's offense was feast or famine, and the feasts caused the Yankees' run total to balloon.  But frankly, winning 2-1 is just as good as winning 20-0 (unless your closer needs a day off).  One of the problems with the Torre Yankees of recent years was that it needed big bats to produce in order to win.  I believe that the Yankees' chances of success will increase if they learn to rely less on these big bats, though.  There are other ways to win games, through pitching and defense and it's important for the Bombers to understand this so they don't fall flat when the bats are not hot.  Girardi is trying to instill this attitude in the team, and I think it's a good one to instill. 

Good two week approach to begin things.