The Yankees have champagne wishes and championship dreams. But having them come true will mean taking chances and making tough choices. And that will start with Gleyber Torres.
The New York Yankees have to feel good. They head into the 2018 season with not only a young, dynamic team but also the addition of NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton. And they are likely to add an impact player or two between now and the end of July.
They have the Canyon of Heroes on their minds, and in their sights.
To ride in convertibles in early November, however, will take total commitment. Stanton has already posted videos of his desire borne out physically, while anyone who has seen Gary Sanchez lately can tell at a glance he has become less bulky.
Those are good beginnings.
But once the season starts, the only real commitment that counts is to win every day. Because a season–and a team–is more than just wins and losses –it’s about confidence for the Yankees and fear for the opponents.
And about creating a steamroller attitude in the locker room, and a steamroller performance every night on the field.
What is Past is Prologue
Just ask the 1998 Yankees. By August they were winning games only by stepping on the field. And that means more than easy eighth innings.
It means resting your healthy players in September and sitting the hobbled ones. It’s about setting up the rotation by the middle of that month and being stronger and fresher than any other team in the postseason field.
This from October 2009:
"The big man is starting on three days’ rest, but it’s no big deal, at least that’s the way C.C. Sabathia sees his start in Tuesday’s Game 4 of the AL Championship Series. Joe Girardi is not worried about Sabathia, in part because the Yankees “slowed him down” toward the end of the regular season. He pitched 253 innings in 2008, but only 230 this season. “He’s been able to have extra rest and that’s why we feel good about it,” Girardi said. “We wouldn’t ask him to do something that we didn’t think he was capable of or that he (wouldn’t) have a chance to be successful at.”"
CC went out and put up eight overpowering innings in a game the Yankees won 10-1.
One is the Loneliest Number
But the Yankees are not the only team thinking it will be the last one standing this year. The ones in Houston and Boston, as well as both those in L.A. to name just a few, share a similar scenario. They don’t have 27 titles between them, so you know they are hungry.
And you know they’re all in.
So, the question before Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner is, are you all-in? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to win the 2018 World Series?
We’ll get a good idea by the end of Spring Training. And that is because the first-mile marker on the drive to lower Manhattan is the promotion of 2B Gleyber Torres.