The Yanks had started the season 0-3 having been swept by division rivals the Tampa Bay Rays. But right after that, they got to play three against division whipping boys, the Baltimore Orioles. Now, at the point the O's were 3-0, having swept the Twins to start the season. But the Twinkies are proving to be baseball's whipping boys seemingly in a concerted effort to show that last season's 99-loss campaign was no fluke. How bad are the Twins? Jered Weaver hurled a no-hitter against them yesterday and official scorers across the country are scrambling to see if it should even count*.

But it was a decidedly different looking Orioles team that arrived in Yankee Stadium this week. They were in first place a month into the season and while nobody anticipates that will last long, they were seemingly doing it with pitching - not the O's strong suit for quite some time - and it was the pitching that did the Yanks in, losing two of three.

And honestly- the Yanks were lucky to take the opening game. The so-called Bronx Bombers scored a whopping three runs over the three game series, dropping them back 3 1/2 games in the AL-East. Now, we're not worried about that, per se. It is early, reinforcements in the way of Andy Pettitte's big left arm are on their way and Cano is going to hit. A-Rod is going to hit. Now, that April is over, Tex is going to hit too.

But as I am forced to listen to Michael Kay pontificate on the above, the thing that the Yankee announcers have been missing is the combined force of Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher who are missing from the line-up. First off, losing the two corner outfielders have negatively effected the team with the replacements of Jones, Ibanez and middle-infielder Eduardo Nunez filling in. The Yanks have given up some runs -- both earned and unearned -- directly because of the outfield play of the less-than-super subs.

But, seemingly unreported, it's their effect on the entire line-up and the opposing pitcher that the dual loss of Gardy and Swish that may be the big culprit in the team's sudden ability to score runs and win games. Both Gardner and Swisher take a ton of pitches. They drive up starters pitch counts; they get the Yanks to the other team's bullpen. Now, while the O's pen has been a strong-suit this season - they have the best ERA in the league - you still want to get in there and see what kind of trouble you can wreak.

And their replacements - especially Jones and Nunez - are free-swingers further exacerbating the issue. I don't have the numbers, but if you look it up, I would bet you dollars to dust-bunnies that the overall number of pitches the Yanks' line-up has seen since the two have been inactive would be dramatically down. Gardner is on the DL; he could come off today, but it seems like the Yanks, always cautious, will not be too quick to activate him. Swisher, with a groin pull, is not on the DL; the team thinking that fifteen games was more than his healing would require, but it's left Girardi with a very thin bench. Last night after Chavez left mid-atbat with what was reported by  Girardi's lips read on the YES broadcast as "dizziness." This left back-up catcher, Chris Stewart, on the bench.

I wrote about the Yankee bench last week on BBD and if you want to read that, go here: http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/04/riding-the-pine-the-new-york-yankees-bench-2012/


So, it looks like Amazon is discounting my book today by about four dollars per print edition copy. And while it's better for me if people purchase from the PoD main site, here: https://www.createspace.com/3527985 I would totally understand the need to save a few bucks. So, if $4 is what's been keeping you and my book apart, then by all means go here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SABVQC/ref=tag_dpp_yt_edpp_rt and pick yourself up a copy or two; they make great Mother's Day or Graduation gifts.

Thanks,
Brian