The Boss Needs to Play NL Ball

Whatever happened to the traditional recipe for winning a championship in baseball? As I remember it from folks who can still recall the glory days of 1998, it involved a sprinkling of reliable starting pitchers, including a lefty, seasoned with an old-fashioned bullpen that included someone who could get left-handers out and a serviceable closer.

The offense didn't have to be Kobe beef — good old rump steak would do — then throw in some decent situational hitters and someone who could run the bases. And, of course, the essential ingredient was solid glove work — the salt and pepper of the team. Mix them all in the pot and leave to simmer from April to October and you've got yourself a ring.

After the Yankees' meltdown against Arizona in 2001 the old recipe was tossed in the trash — at least in New York. Nobody cared about defense anymore and moving runners across was way too vanilla. Base running was out — going yard was in. Pitchers had to come with a losing record and an upper-90s fastball. One good season was enough to get yourself a $15 million a year deal. And who needs a bullpen when you have lights-out closer?

The new recipe had one huge failing. By October, it tasted sour. The Kobe beef batting lineup had disintegrated to tasteless shreds and the closer was overcooked. No salt and pepper left a bland taste in the mouth after your $125,000 a pound third baseman has just booted another ball around the infield. Hapless Chef Joe Torre is left to explain to the customers that they might want to call in at Wendy's on the way home.

Not that the owner of George's Bar and Grill down in the Bronx is doing so badly. Over four million customers paid to sit at one of his tables this year. That's a healthy increase on the three million of the championship years. The demographic of the new Yankee fan has changed, though — Japanese tourists paying to see Godzilla leave eight men on base and once a year patrons go there to watch A-Rod go 4-5 against Zach Grienke. The old meat and potato Yankee faithful can't afford a ticket.

I'm on record in previous articles as hating the makeup of the New Yankee Order. I'm aware I'm not alone on that score. Collecting millionaire mercenaries and offering them ludicrous paychecks may grab the headlines and put butts on seats, but it is no guarantee of winning. Of the big paycheck boys on the Yankee roster, only Derek Jeter could hold his head up. Gary Sheffield managed six singles and nothing else. So much for being the Yankee team leader. Jason Giambi hit .421, but only got 2 runs home.

Alex Rodriguez fared even worse. A-Rod has morphed into A-Fraud in the New York tabloids and he can hardly grumble at that after a .133 effort against the Angels, on top of his total collapse in Games 4-7 in last year's ALCS. Rodriguez is symptomatic of how the modern "star" is judged solely on their gaudy statistics. He devours mediocre pitching — and boy is there a whole lot of mediocre pitching these days to feast on. Come October he turns into Jose Offerman.

Rodriguez has a history of bitching about Derek Jeter in a fit of pique that the Yankee captain has collected so many rings without the God-given talent that he himself possesses. Now he has seen first hand why Jeter has rings while he can only rack up meaningless MVP awards. Jeter has heart, determination, and courage. A-Fraud hits into a double play when Jeter's at first in the ninth. Until he shows up in October, A-Rod is just a fantasy baseball stud.

If the Yankee hitting was poor, the pitching was worse. Randy Johnson looks washed up all of a sudden and unsuited to New York. Mike Mussina is at the end of his tether. Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright have been total failures, not unlike Jeff Weaver and Javier Vasquez. Luckily, Shawn Chacon and Chien-Ming Wang emerged from obscurity to bolster next years' rotation. If Brian Cashman is back in '06, starting pitching is the number one priority.

The problem, as always, is Steinbrenner himself. The Boss thinks he's a fantasy GM and runs his personal fiefdom with meddlesome inefficiency. If something goes right, he resents any credit going to Torre. If it goes wrong it's Torre's fault. A whole plethora of pointless officials down at Legend's Field exist purely to annoy Torre and Cashman.

If Steinbrenner wants to recreate the magic of 1998-200 again, he needs a personality makeover. Let his GM and manager do their jobs and sign the checks. Cashman actually did his best job yet this season, rescuing a bad season by taking a shot at Chacon and Aaron Small to shore up the rotation. If he can stomach another year listening to Steinbrenner's' childish ramblings, the Yankees will be lucky.

With a rotation of Johnson, Mussina, Wang, Chacon, and one other, the Yankees are no Astros, but they won't be the D-Rays, either. With Bernie Williams gone, a new CF who can run and throw will be a novelty in town. Hideki Matsui should be resigned, despite a horrible October. Sheffield is a locker room cancer and a postseason choker who should be traded.

Conversely, talk of moving Jorge Posada is ridiculous. His contract makes him unattractive to all, but a few teams and where exactly would Cashman find his replacement? Posada is a solid catcher who calls a good game and shuts down most running games.

Steinbrenner can look to Chicago for help on remaking a long-ball orientated team. Sluggers are box office attractions, but it's feast or famine. Ken Williams shifted Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee out of town and added some speed on the base paths. It may look dull, but it pays dividends. When the White Sox lineup for Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday night, the reality is that there will be two teams playing National League ball.