Joba Chamberlin

Plus, Knoblauch didn't develop the throwing problems until later in his career. Hell, he hit a three-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series to put the game out of reach.
I understand what 93Devil is saying, that making bad trades can cripple anyone including the Yankees, but I don't think that was the case with the Knoblauch trade.

 

Incorrect.
1 starter
1 middle reliever
1 closer
1 infielder
1 outfielder
1 platoon (with Girardi) catcher

Not "largely home-grown talent"

 

Not at all, but a good core of home-grown talent which is what Ragu was saying. I always thought the key to the Yankees dynasty was the key trades they made.
O'Neil, Tino, Cecil Fielder, taking a chance on Strawberry, David Justice, Knoblauch, Cone and others I can't remember.

 

The Yanks also have another tough pitcher in their system: Daniel McCutchen. He's a little long in the tooth for a "prospect" (turns 25 next month), but his stats are pretty incredible.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Daniel%20McCutchen&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=445216

Says here that he also holds the record for most strikeouts in Sooner history, so that has to count for something. The fact is that the Yankees are loaded with pitching prospects, and they don't really know yet what they have in Humberto Sanchez.

 

All I need is a fellow Sooner wearing pinstripes (no jail) to cheer for. Do you know if they're going to bring him up to Triple A anytime soon?

 

Anyone who thought that Brosius, Tino and O'Neill, even Boggs & Charlie Hayes would have played to the level they did and made the contributions they did are lying.

At the time of the O'Neill trade, he was a .260 hitter without significant power and was something of a head case. Tino was brought in to replace Mattingly and no one thought he was up to the challenge, until the season started. Brosius? he was no one's all star, he hit .203 with 102 Ks in his last season in Oakland.

The Yanks were a collection of talented but not star players who fed off each other. Veterans like Chilli Davis, Straw, Cone, Wells, David Justice, Fielder... who fit in and played better because the pressure was collective, not individual. Sheffield would have been this type player, except he is the biggest asshole to play for the Yanks in a long while.

 

No Ragu.
And I never said they didn't have a solid core. But when 25% of your roster is "home-grown" (and, god, I hate the term) it is not "largely"

 

Does it count for more when homegrown talent provides strength 'up the middle' -- Posada, Pettitte, Jeter, Williams? Or is that another hoary baseball axiom that's gone the way of smallball?

 

When it was pitching and defense that won championships, strength up the middle was more important.

Todays game is more balanced, overall. The DH and Cal Ripken killed the pitching and defense theory.

The DH, for obvious reasons. But Cal's ability to hit for power, consistently and in the middle of the order, from the short stop position changed the game. It's not enough to be a superb defensive player, you have to hit as well. Mark Belanger couldn't play today. He'd be a AAA manager, at best.

 

Not sure. The season is practically over and Trenton is going to the playoffs, so it's most likely that they'll have him finish the season in Double-A, send him to the AFL or Hawaii and either start him in '08 at Scranton or spend April in Trenton.

 

The other thing that is interesting, as recently as a year or two ago I heard talking/writing heads say that the Yankee farm system was bare of prospects. Now, they're looking at three of the top young arms in the game? How'd that happen? Or were they just talking about tradeable prospects?