Wednesday, December 18, 2013

WHEN ROBERTS IS THE ANSWER, WHAT IS THE QUESTION?


Chad’s headline, 2ND BASE IS ALL SET NOW, is one of the most optimistic and, for Yankee fans, one of the most disturbing phrases our hero has penned in many days. There is an important truth in Chad's headline. The Brian Roberts signing does resolve their 2nd base issue now. The operative word, of course, being ‘now’, December 18, 2013, approximately four months before the season opener. Roberts, currently 36 and counting has not appeared in more than 77 games since 2009 and there is no reason to expect that number will improve with age.

If and when Derek Jeter and Roberts can stay healthy enough to play together the combined age of the Yankee infield will be 76, a patriotic but unsustainable number. Worse yet, if and when Roberts sustains another seemingly inevitable injury, his replacement, Kelly Johnson, will team with Jeter forming arguably the worst defensive middle infield in the American League.

The good news for the 2014 Yankees middle infield? The home pinstripes are still the best looking uniform in baseball.

Go Laundry!

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