Yanks: Sleepwalking In Seattle

Memo To George:

CALL BOBBY VALENTINE. NOW.

I dreaded this west coast trip. From NY to Seattle, no off day in-between, and knew that the weakest link would snap like a Lou Pinella temper tantrum.

And snap it did as the first two starters, Mussina and Chacon, threw the ball as if they'd just trotted onto the field after a long winter and were loosening up for spring training. The hitters did surprising well all things considered, and one of the "all things" is of course the lack of advance scouting that can allow a journeyman hurler like Jeff Harris...he started the season pitching in China...to dominate a lineup that should have had him for breakfast. This was also the first time the Mariners were seeing Chacon, but it was obvious from the get-go that they had SOME idea of what to expect, unlike the clueless Yanks who didn't have the foggiest notion of what Harris had to offer.

This is why advance scouting is so important. Hitting is nothing more than timing, pitching is nothing more than ruining that timing, and without a heads-up from scouts, hitters are on their own when facing an unknown. Again, Chacon didn't faze the Mariners at all, but then again neither did Mussina who they knocked around as if someone had fooled them into believing it was still batting practice. That can be somewhat attributed to jet lag and Moose's tender elbow, but neither he nor Chacon looked like they had any preparation whatsoever.

Think Bobby Valentine lets something like this happen? Sure, there are days when a good pitcher dominates your team, you tip your hat to him and prepare for the next game. But a guy who began the year learning to speak Cantonese?

Bench coach, First Base coach, or Manager, the Yankees need for a Bobby Valentine is apparent each and every time they are caught flatfooted like this. For years baseball scribes have been opining that spring training is far too long, that modern ballplayers arrive in shape and ready to go, but not so with the Yanks. They began the year raggedy, played that way for a month until the grogginess wore off, and are now in the fight of their baseball lives for a playoff spot. A fight that is important enough to warrant having the best available baseball minds overseeing the best available talent.

Call him, George.