Bob Klapisch did his best in his column HERE to suggest that CC Sabathia and the loss he gave his team last night is the beginning of Armageddon. I say that's pretty dramatic because there are so many ways to look at the Sabathia performance. Plus, let's face it... crying over it and suggesting "failure", well, it's literally about about interpretation and further analysis than just a blanket "concern." Call me in July if CC isn't doing well. Don't do it now.
Look, the way I see it, anyone can throw their hands up and say "it's over." Now Klapsich is good at what he does, but he's also over-critical. Plus, he once tricked me into following one of his pals and said "he'd follow me" and he did... only to unfollow me while I slept. For me, it's person between me and him, but that's another post for another time...
Bob writes: "..Say what you want about the way Sabathia settled down over his last four innings, holding the Astros scoreless – it was all for cosmetic effect. Truth was, the big left-hander put the Bombers in an insurmountable hole, pitched them right out of the game by allowing six runs in the first two innings. The Astros sent 13 men to the plate in the early carnage, en route to a 6-2 victory over the Yankees’ team that gorged itself on a $438 million stimulus package this winter..."
Now, let's break that down; CC DID put the Yankees in a hole. Fact. But, the Yankees with the lineup they have couldn't hit Scott Feldman either. That's a big problem too. To me, the last time I checked, there were 9 guys in the lineup that could actually hit and score runs. Am I right? So, this is CC's fault... because why?
Wait, there's more: "..it was reasonable to believe the Yankees would roll right over the Astros on opening day. Talk about the ultimate therapy session: these were the same Astros who finished last in the American League in OPS in 2013 and concluded the season with a stunning 15-game losing streak. The Astros weren’t just bad, they were hopeless..."
Sure, that's an obvious statement. It WAS reasonable to believe the Yankees would win on Opening day. But it was also reasonable to believe the Yankees wouldn't be swept by the Red Sox in 2004 after winning 3 in a row either. The point is, it's baseball, John Sterling tells us that all the time. Sometimes the underdog wins... get over it.
More from Klpaisch: "...If Sabathia can’t control bat-speed against the Astros, what’s going to happen the first time he runs into the Red Sox, or has to hold the Rays to one or two runs because they have the best pitching in the division, if not the AL?
That’s why Sabathia matters; that’s why the Yankees needed him to nuke the Astros right out of Minute Maid Park on Tuesday. If he couldn’t get them to swing and miss they he used to in his younger, more fearsome days, then Sabathia was supposed to finesses his way to a miniature classic, the way Andy Pettitte used to with virtually the same 89-mph..."
I agree with Klapisch on that point. Sure, it matters that Sabathia is effective against all teams, "If CC can't handle the Astros, how will he handle the Red Sox? Amazing question. The answer is simple: he will, because it's CC.
I know, it seems too simple. But let's explain this clearly... and honestly, I don't want to keep doing this, because I believe in CC, be it at 89 MPH or 94 MPH. In short, CC Sabathia WILL figure it out. I wrote a piece titled "SKINNY" IS LIKE LEARNING TO RIDE A BIKE, a few weeks ago. People didn't take to it like I wanted, because fans want players to be automatic and robots and I find that the be totally unfair.
The truth is, players come to play and they are looked upon almost like they're in a circus or a show or something. They are expected to be perfect all the time. That's not reality ladies and gentlemen. God forbid they don't have their "A" game, they're crucified.
Just for the record, Jacoby Ellsbury was 0-4 last night. Alfonso Soriano was 0-4. But I guess because they were hitting, NOT pitching, it's not as dramatic for Klapisch to grasp and form an opinion on. The truth is, there's a team of 25 out there. CC SABATHIA IS BUT ONE MAN. What's happened with CC was something he did to better himself, better his health. He lost weight. Here's the thing though: Now he has to learn to compete skinny. That's right...LEARN AGAIN. As I wrote: "...I remember quite clearly a piece written by Bob Klapisch last year with the headline being "Yankees can't afford slow start from CC Sabathia." In it, he wrote: "Sabathia was merely the victim of his own history, as he’s always been vulnerable early in the season: he has a 4.13 ERA in 55 March/April starts, but has always been better in September and October (2.86)." Remember, that was in 2013, but I remember thinking "Sure, you can beg the guy to NOT be a slow starter, but that's the way the man is built and that's the way he operates. The numbers reflect it... stop trying to figure it out and live with it."
The funny thing is Klapisch likes to beat up on CC every year around this time. Sure, you can sit on the sideline and figure out how to "fix" CC Sabathia as a reporter, but I don't think that does much good in the big picture. The end result is, CC will give you what he can. Sure, it doesn't help that CC is a slow starter AND skinny right now, but don't give up hope, especially if you're a Yankee fan... Sabathia is a gamer.
CC will be with us for a few more years. After 2014, he'll be with us 2015, 16 and in 2017, there's a $25M Vesting Option, $5M Buyout. No doubt he signed on with Jay-Z for his next contract, where ever and whenever that happens, if it happens at all, but just know that CC is protected. But Klapisch makes it seem like CC will suck for the next 2 decades and he'll suck the life out of the Yankees and destroy the franchise. That's not what's happening and we not worry. It's not doom and gloom. This is not the end of the world.
This is CC reinventing himself. It's CC Sabathia LITERALLY re-adjusting to his new body and outings. CC will crack the code, but sitting around biting our nails and writing criticism only jacks everybody up for no reason. Or... maybe that's what Klapisch wants.
All I say is this; Yankee fans! Stand with your Yankees, be it CC or Kelly Johnson. These are OUR guys. This is our season. Don't forget, we have a championship to win and no one knows that more than CC Sabathia!
Have faith.
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