The Yankees are digging a hole they might not come out of

The Yankees are about to be 20-25 on the season, it’s 10-2 Baltimore in the 8th inning. Mike Mussina came back to normal tonight; not getting out of the first inning. Hank and the now mute George Steinbrenner can’t like their once mighty machine getting it’s ass kicked all over the place on their own turf.

Alex Rodriguez has returned and validated it by hitting a 2-run bomb to account for the Yanks’ only scoring of the night.

In years past the Yankees have gotten off to one of these slow starts only to pull themselves out of it and make the playoffs. It’s become commonplace in the Bronx. When I talk to my best friend who is a Yankee fan, he still gives me that ‘aw who gives a shit’ attitude, thinking the Yankees will just turn it on one day and win ten in a row. Not out of the realm of possibilites, but more than a quarter of the season is gone. The Yankees better get it going, and right now. The story of their division has been once again the Red Sox; and surprising starts to the Orioles and Rays. That’s got to leave a Tanqueray-like taste in the mouths of the Steinbrenner ownership group, LLC.

I don’t see it happening this year. In 2008, baseball will know a postseason without the Yankees; and maybe finally they’ll uproot some things that they must to succeed in 2009. This team is in need of a youthful overhaul at many of their skill positions. You take the Giambi’s, Posada’s, and even Abreu and if those guys aren’t gonna retire you spin them for as many young players as you can. You turn Chamberlain into a frontline starter and let him work out his learning curve on the job, not out of the bullpen. The future is now for guys like Joba and Phil Hughes. The Yanks needed to rebuild a bit after getting ousted by the Indians last season; now they’ve got to do it all the way. It’s fine to keep your pillars Jeter, A-Rod, and Matsui around. But from there you go young and you do it everywhere including the rotation.

Give Girardi a say about what players he wants to acquire; let him mold a team from his own. A team that takes on his personality should be a firey and competitive one. It won’t resemble this group that goes out and seems to go through the motions every night.

They’ll do it if they want their aging owner to live to see a 28th championship. Time is ticking.