Winners Hate to Lose
Jason Giambi is not producing. Is he finding it difficult to adjust to New York? Is he simply trying too hard to produce since he signed a contract for a huge amount of money? Is he not trying hard enough? Is his concentration elsewhere at times? At the major league level, where the competition is so keen and differences between players so little, lack of concentration can make a .331 hitter into a .280 hitter, which is what Giambi has become.
The offense, besides Williams and Giambi, has been inconsistent. The team scores when someone hits a home run, but unlike Seattle, a team with less talent but much more desire, the Yankees' offense does not put hits and bases on balls together to score two or three runs two or three times a game. They will score six runs in one inning and not score again. That is not the way to win a lot games.
The outfield defense has been terrible. Williams has been highly rated in the past, but Spencer in right field and Rondell White in left are merely adequate. Spencer has an average throwing arm, which is light years better than the throwing arms of White or Williams. How can a team expect to win when its outfielders cannot throw?
The game is now in the ninth inning. Seattle is ahead, 10-2. The second Yankees run came on a Bernie Williams home run with the team trailing at the time, 8-1. Wait.
The Yankees have just scored four runs with two outs in the ninth inning. Williams has hit his second home run of the game. It is Seattle 10, the Yankees 6. Wouldn't is be nice if they had played better earlier in the game?
That's it. It's over. Derek Jeter struck out. Don't be fooled by the rally. It came against Paul Abbott, a pitcher who has struggled all season. It came when the game was basically over. It came too late to win, but not to late to look at the six runs and erroneously conclude that the Yankees offense was good enough to score six runs and win most games. Don't be misled by the final score.
Boston has just shut out Tampa Bay, 2-0. The Yankees now trail the Red Sox by seven games in the lost column and by 4 1/2 games overall. It's going to be a long season. The Yankees must start to hate
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