The Diary of Third and Long: Tuesday, October 9, 2007

10.09.2007

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS (fill in the blanks)......

Last night may have proved to be an end to a era as the CLEVELAND INDIANS silenced the crowds and the critics by defeating the NY YANKEES, 6-4, and eliminating the Bronx Bombers from the playoffs in the process.

Now, as your resident Indians fan, as I mentioned before, as hardcore as I am about all of my Cleveland teams, I had mixed feelings about the Yankees losing. Granted, it's always a great feeling to beat THE YANKEES if you aren't a Yankee fan. They are the team that all others aspire to be, and to beat. And this year, it was our turn to achieve that feat.

However, as a businessman, the loss of the Yankees (on top of losing the Mets) from playoff contention is a brutal loss for business. Because in reality, once both teams from NY are out, for the most part, baseball as we know it here in the Big Apple is over. Check the national TV ratings from here on out; they will drop significantly. The locals will mourn for a bit, then turn their attention to the NY Jets, Giants, Rangers, Islanders, and even the NJ Devils. And that sucks ass for the bar business. A typical Yankee playoff game can last for hours (literally), and as long as they are playing, folks are drinking. So when they are eliminated (like they were last night), that eliminates the need for the typical Yankee fan to go out and watch (unless they are cheering for the Indians to beat the Red Sox). Talk about being torn....

In the meantime, I must bask in the glow of our win. Yankee fans have been taunting me for days about how they will crush us and how we don't deserve to be in the playoffs, yada, yada, yada. Well.... joke's on you. America's Team is moving on and the Yankees will be booking tee times at Bethpage Black. In the meantime, the best part of all of this is that I get to now sit back and collect on all of my wagers from overconfident Yankee fans. Heh...heh..heh......

So what happens now with the Yankees? There are plenty of rumors swirling about that the manager, JOE TORRE, is going to get the boot. Now TORRE has had a great 12 year run; getting his team to the playoffs every year and winning four World Series titles in the process. Now all of a sudden, you go on a bit of a dry streak (not going to the World Series since 2001) and all of a sudden, you want to get rid of the guy who's gotten you INTO the playoffs for the last 12 years??? Hell, I'd like to have that problem.

If I'm JOE TORRE, you know what I'd do? Simply walk away gracefully. You've served New York with class and as a winner ever since you arrived. Walk away before you get an embarrassing dismissal. Take a year off for an overdue vacation; recharge the batteries. If after a year you find that you still want to manage, then simply re-surface. You will immediately become the hottest ticket in the managerial market. You've done all that could be done with that team; No sense in enduring the pain and torture of a tyrannical owner.

Then there's the GM, BRIAN CASHMAN. He all of a sudden finds himself in a bit of a pickle. Not only does he face the delicate task of dealing with the managerial problem; he also has a long list of players who face free agency: POSADA, RIVERA, A-ROD, just for starters. Do you keep the guys who were the face of the dynasty Yankees for years? Or do you cut bait and start with a whole young nucleus of talent? In a city where the pressure to win is greater than in any other city in the country, you walk a fine line between retooling and rebuilding every year. And when you work for an owner like GEORGE STEINBRENNER, let's just say I'd hate to have his job.

In any case, the next few days should produce some immediate answers regarding the Pinstripes. But that's not for me to worry about. I have to now concentrate on our next victim: RED SOX NATION. Bring them on......