The Season: 2006

[DoubleX]

Hi everyone! With the MLB season set to kick off tonight with the White Sox and Indians, and the rest of baseball to start tomorrow, seemed like a good time to start-up a new Season thread. For those who are new around here, this thread is meant to be a continuing dialogue throughout the season for any and everything that happens during the season, game by game (or even pitch by pitch if you're so inclined). Like last year, it will be neat to go back in September and October and read about the things we were discussing and concerned about in April.

So feel free to post your thoughts about the Yankees this season as you have them!

[DoubleX]

Thought I'd get things started by discussing the 25-man roster. Right now it looks like the following, but it's subject to change depending on Scott Proctor's situation (I hope everything works out for him; I really think he's ready for a big season).

Catchers: Jorge Posada, Kelly Stinnett, Will Nieves
- Note: Nieves was out of minor league options so it was either put him on the big league roster or put him on waivers. This should give the Yankees some interesting options in that Posada can be used as the DH a lot and whoever is starting catcher can be pitch-run for in the late innings.

First Base: Jason Giambi, Andy Phillips

Second Base: Robinson Cano

Shortstop: Derek Jeter

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez

Infield: Miguel Cairo

Left Field: Hideki Matsui

Center Field: Johnny Damon

Right Field: Gary Sheffield

Outfield: Bernie Williams, Bubba Crosby

Rotation: Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Shawn Chacon, Jaret Wright
- Note: With the way the schedule works out, Wright would only have to start twice in April. So who knows, if Pavano is ever healthy, or if Aaron Small makes it back soon, or if the team continues to show faith in Scott Proctor, Wright could be out of the rotation before he's ever in it.

Bullpen: Scott Proctor, Ron Villone, Mike Myers, Tanyon Sturtze, Kyle Farnsworth, Mariano Rivera
- Note: I would have liked to have seen Ramiro Mendoza in the bullpen. He had a nice spring, better than say Tanyon Sturtze. Nevertheless, I think the Yanks got some nice pieces in the bullpen, better than in the past few years, so they should be ok. If Proctor is unable to join the team, the team might put him on the bereavement list and call up another pitcher. I'd say Scott Erickson or Ramiro Mendoza are the most likely candidates, but they would have to be added to the 40-man roster and someone would have to be waived. I don't think the Yankees will do this just to have another veteran pitcher on a short-term basis. So I'm guessing the team would call up someone like Matt DeSalvo or Colter Bean or Matt Smith or Jeff Karstens to fill the gap. I don't see Sean Henn filling that roll though.

Disabled List: Carl Pavano (Now it's his rear-end that's hurting...ugh!), Aaron Small, Octavio Dotel

[Mariano_Rivera]

I think it's great that they finally have a lefty specialist in Mike Meyers

[Mariano_Rivera]

My biggest fear is the Setup Man role I`m actually very comfortable with everything else including the rotation I think Pavano is going to have a great year Wright is the one problem in it. The bullpen can`t be any worse than last year either.

[DoubleX]

Anyone have any predictions for the AL East standings?

[pacewon]

Anyone have any predictions for the AL East standings?

Originally, I had the Blue Jays ahead of the Sox, but I'm already worried about that pick with Burnett being shelved. I'll go with this:

Yankees
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles
Devil Rays

I think the D-Rays could make a run at the O's for 4th place if some of their younger guys pan out this season. Then again, Mazzone alone might really improve their pitching.

[Mariano_Rivera]

Anyone have any predictions for the AL East standings?

Hah take this Sox
Yankees
Blue Jays
Red Sox
D-Rays
Orioles

[DoubleX]

Originally, I had the Blue Jays ahead of the Sox, but I'm already worried about that pick with Burnett being shelved. I'll go with this:

Yankees
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles
Devil Rays

I think the D-Rays could make a run at the O's for 4th place if some of their younger guys pan out this season. Then again, Mazzone alone might really improve their pitching.

I couldn't agree more with you. I like the Blue Jays and want to pick them for 2nd, but I think the Sox will pull it together and pass them (though I do think there is a good chance that the Sox season could be a disaster). I also agree with you about the Devil Rays. I never though I'd say this, but I'm actually excited to see the Devil Rays this year. The team has a lot of young talent all over the field (Jorge Cantu, BJ Upton, Delmon Young, Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes, Joey Gathright, Carl Crawford, and Scott Kazmir) and finally seems to have an ownership that has a plan and cares about the team. Give these players a couple of more seasons to mature at the ML level, add some more pitching to go with Scott Kazmir, and they might really have something special in a few years (though they'll still have the very onerous task of competing against the Yankees and Red Sox). Cantu, Young, Crawford, and Kazmir especially, all have the potential to be superstars (Crawford is almost there, and this could be the year for him).

[Mattingly]

Great job as always, XX! :gt

[Mariano_Rivera]

I couldn't agree more with you. I like the Blue Jays and want to pick them for 2nd, but I think the Sox will pull it together and pass them (though I do think there is a good chance that the Sox season could be a disaster). I also agree with you about the Devil Rays. I never though I'd say this, but I'm actually excited to see the Devil Rays this year. The team has a lot of young talent all over the field (Jorge Cantu, BJ Upton, Delmon Young, Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes, Joey Gathright, Carl Crawford, and Scott Kazmir) and finally seems to have an ownership that has a plan and cares about the team. Give these players a couple of more seasons to mature at the ML level, add some more pitching to go with Scott Kazmir, and they might really have something special in a few years (though they'll still have the very onerous task of competing against the Yankees and Red Sox). Cantu, Young, Crawford, and Kazmir especially, all have the potential to be superstars (Crawford is almost there, and this could be the year for him).

I really do like the D-Rays and think they`ll overtake the orioles. The Sox season WILL be a disaster their pitching has more holes than the yankees

[pacewon]

I couldn't agree more with you. I like the Blue Jays and want to pick them for 2nd, but I think the Sox will pull it together and pass them (though I do think there is a good chance that the Sox season could be a disaster). I also agree with you about the Devil Rays. I never though I'd say this, but I'm actually excited to see the Devil Rays this year. The team has a lot of young talent all over the field (Jorge Cantu, BJ Upton, Delmon Young, Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes, Joey Gathright, Carl Crawford, and Scott Kazmir) and finally seems to have an ownership that has a plan and cares about the team. Give these players a couple of more seasons to mature at the ML level, add some more pitching to go with Scott Kazmir, and they might really have something special in a few years (though they'll still have the very onerous task of competing against the Yankees and Red Sox). Cantu, Young, Crawford, and Kazmir especially, all have the potential to be superstars (Crawford is almost there, and this could be the year for him).

Good post. Those D-Rays are going to be a very big pain in the neck for us in 1-2 years.

[DoubleX]

So I think I saw somewhere that Proctor will be joining the team in Oakland. So the Opening Day Roster is set. It will be interesting in September/October to go back and see what players are on the roster at the end of the year, or the 25-man roster if the Yankees make the postseason.

Here is the Opening Day Roster:

Positional Players
Jorge Posada
Kelly Stinnett
Will Nieves
Jason Giambi
Andy Phillips
Robinson Cano
Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez
Miguel Cairo
Hideki Matsui
Johnny Damon
Gary Sheffield
Bernie Williams
Bubba Crosby

Pitchers
Randy Johnson
Mike Mussina
Chien-Ming Wang
Shawn Chacon
Jaret Wright
Scott Proctor
Ron Villone
Mike Myers
Tanyon Sturtze
Kyle Farnsworth
Mariano Rivera

Disabled List
Carl Pavano
Aaron Small
Octavio Dotel

Of these 28 players...
- 21 appeared for the Yankees in 2005
- 13 appeared for the Yankees in 2004 (plus Miguel Cairo who played 2005 with the Mets)
- 7 appeared for the Yankees in 2003 (Williams, Rivera, Jeter, Posada, Mussina, Giambi, Matsui)
- 6 appeared for the Yankees in 2002 (Williams, Rivera, Jeter, Posada, Mussina, Giambi)
- 5 appeared for the Yankees in 2001 (Williams, Rivera, Jeter, Posada, Mussina)
- 4 appeared for the Yankees from '95-'00 (Williams, Rivera, Jeter, Posada)
- 1 appeared for the Yankees from '91-'94 (Williams)

[Francoeurstein]

Good post. Those D-Rays are going to be a very big pain in the neck for us in 1-2 years.

As soon as they get some pitching they will be a wild card contender especially in a few years when the youngsters enter their peaks.

[Mariano_Rivera]

As soon as they get some pitching they will be a wild card contender especially in a few years when the youngsters enter their peaks.

I love them to but you have to remember they lost a great manager last year in Lou Pinnelia true he didn`t have his best couple years the Tampa but I think he was a big reason they did so good against the Yankees

[Mariano_Rivera]

Hah I was just thinking this to myself. The Yankees season kicks of in a few hours and here we are discussing the Tamoa Bay Devil Rays.