Conspiracy in the Bronx

Looks like the big bad Yankees aren't so big anymore.

Who would've thought that since the 2009 World Series, and the Yankees winning championship number 27, that they would be going straight downwards? now, maybe as a die-hard Yankees fan, i'm reading too much into what's going on, but so far at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, the Bronx Bombers have yet to make any type of moves to bolster up an aging roster. Maybe i feel the way i feel, because growing up, i'm used to the big boss George Steinbrenner calling the shots and getting the biggest players out on the market to fill a needed position, and to give us the biggest chance to win another World Series come next season. Things don't seem to be flying that way now that the Steinbrenner brothers have taken over this team, and the great boss has passed away. These Yankees nowadays, more so the brass that pulls the strings are onto something else. Like they can care less about the product on the field, but more of just the money aspect of things.

So what makes me feel the way that i do about my favorite team? Well, let's look at the signs:

1) Signing Alex Rodriguez to that huge contract back in 2008, and his now building injuries. When this man was a free agent at the end of the 2003 season, he was signed as a Yankee for one thing: his bat. The Yankees came off of a horrible World Series loss to of all teams the Florida Marlins, and it was apparent what was needed. signing him to a huge contract deal was only right at the time, only due to the fact that he was in his prime. Alex would hit anything and everything that came his way. Yankees brass thought that would be great in the postseason, when it counts the most for us. who would've known that all these years and a horrible money-eating contract later, that the Alex Rodriguez experiment would be a disastrous one. Has anyone noticed that if you take away 2009, Rodriguez hasn't done anything for us in the postseason? Exactly what they didn't bring him in for. Thank you Hank.

2) The Roster is definitely getting older. Soon, the league is gonna start calling us AARP. Jeter, Rivera, and possibly Pettitte will return for another season. 3 of the "Core Four" back again in the legendary pinstripes. If you missed the saga of last year, here's a recap: Mo misses the rest of the season from shagging a fly ball in Kansas City with a torn ACL - the most feared letters in all of sports. In June, as the Yankees reach their peak into the season, winning game after game, and building a lead in the AL East, Pettitte misses games with a broken foot. returned just in time for the postseason. Let's not forget about our beloved captain Derek Jeter: breaks his ankle in game 1 of the ALCS against the Tigers and we eventually get swept. If Ichiro comes back, and whenever Alex comes back from another hip surgery, you're looking at one old team altogether. You would think that the men upstairs would take notice of this, and take action to keep this team a threat in the American League.

3) Hal Steinbrenner playing string master over Brian Cashman. Now sure, we all don't like Cashman for tons of reasons. Me personally, the fact that he wants to stay with the "live by the home run, die by the home run" mentality is what irks me. Yes, we play in Yankee Stadium: a home run heaven when the jet stream and weather conditions are right. Look how the Yankees performed in the posteseaon last year: Took the Orioles to a deciding game 5 in the ALDS because nobody knows how to be a "clutch hitter" and everyone wanted to be Babe Ruth. Not to mention how Detroit came into the ALCS struggling, and swept us as if we were the Cleveland Indians. So here we are in the offseason, and when you think Cashman would try to make trades, and make moves to help this team get somewhat younger and more hungrier to win, Hal (the nicer Steinbrenner) puts the strings on Cashman, giving players low-income contracts to play with us. No wonder why nobody has signed with us. Wait: let's not forget that Kevin Youlklis, a long time Red Sox member could possibly be our 3rd basemen until Alex Rodriguez comes back from hip surgery. Possibly trade a speedy, power hitter in Granderson, for who? I'm not digging the fact that when you expect us to make moves, the Yanks have yet to do anything, thanks in part to Hal Steinbrenner.

Entering 2013, the Yankees have tons of question marks, and it's not so much about the product on the field, as upstairs in the boxes, or down in Tampa. You look at the Yankees issues from the posteseason from a season ago, and you can clearly see where we need help at. This should be a Yankees team trying to get younger, and not one to just rely on that short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. If you wanna know how i think this team can definitely be better, peep this out: How About we fix Mark Teixiera's swing? Tell Cano to be more aggressive in the batter's box? Work on Nunez at SS, in case Jeter doesn't make it through the entire season? Finding a catcher for the starting rotation to throw to. Maybe i'm looking too into things because of how deep i am with the Yankees. This to me seems like a conspiracy due to the fact that nobody here is giving a damn about this team to get who they need to get and to be the team everyone's used to. Maybe they're setting us up for a big surprise and we all have no idea who or what that could be. For one thing, it seems like the big bad Yankees has lost their bark and bite.

 One thing's for sure: if the top dog was still alive, we wouldn't have to worry about a possible conspiracy. We'd be worrying about how to make it downtown in October for another championship parade.