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| AJ Burnett says goodbye to Broadway. photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images. |
The trade of AJ Burnett (98-starts,
34-35 with a 4.79 ERA) from the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates
leaves me with mixed feelings. I know professional sports is not given much to
sentiment and Burnett was clearly a disappointment in his last two years in
pinstripes so the trade had to happen. Yet he was a major part of why the
Yankees won the 2009 World Series. No way would have NY won that without AJ.
However, that was the past and the
last two seasons became a soap opera every time Burnett would pitch. The trade
I feel it’s going to be good for both teams. Joe Girardi doesn’t need to think
if it’s “Good AJ” or “Bad AJ” who is going to show up. And when this also means
that the team can bring in Raul Ibañez who I thought was a terrific player with
Seattle and Philadelphia.
AJ was also instrumental (along with
Nick Swisher) in helping shape the new culture in the boring and business-like
culture in the Yankees’ clubhouse. With Burnett’s departure, I wonder if the
shaving cream pie tradition that began in ’09 will still be continued. At the
end of the day, it all boils down to wins, loses, and ERAs.
With the new pitchers they brought in
Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda they are supposedly better. And all of a
sudden, the pitching staff with CC Sabathia, Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova, and Phil
Hughes – hey, there’s still Joba Chamberlain -- got crowded and the Yankees
needed to move Burnett so they could use the money to purchase some more help.
And this being New York, you know they love their hitters.
Burnett somewhat reminds me of Jeff
Weaver who didn’t do well in New York but did well for himself elsewhere. The pitcher friendly park of PNC Park should help Burnett who really needs to get his confidence going.
On the other hand, I am still sore
about New York not being able to bring Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee they would
have really helped the Yankees in the post-season.
So once more, it is going to be an interesting
season for New York. If they don’t win this then bigger changes will be in
store for this team.
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