A.J. Burnett, not CC Sabathia to pitch in pivotal Game 4

If Cliff Lee is the current definition of a great pitcher, then A.J. Burnett has to be the opposite. As Lee continues to throw 10+ strikeouts in a game, setting career highs and playoff records along the way, Burnett make his 2010 playoff debut in Game 4 of the ALCS on Tuesday night. Burnett’s start comes at a pivotal time for the Yankees, as a win will even the series at two games apiece, but a loss will put them into a hole where another loss will end their season.

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New York Yankees starters thin beyond CC Sabathia

As the New York Yankees limp into the playoffs, the teams they’ll face are preparing for the postseason by resting their veterans and getting their rotations in order. Playoff baseball is nothing new to New York, but having a questionable pitching staff is. In the last few weeks, only CC Sabathia has been a reliable starter for the Yankees; the rest have been average at best. When the Yankees get through with Game 1, will the rest of their pitchers be able to get them through the next couple?

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The Yankees’ Homegrown Solutions to Expensive Problems

There is a perception that the New York Yankees’ success is the direct result of a $200+ million payroll year after year. It seems that each offseason, the Yankees will just go out and fill their holes with cash, which was highlighted this past offseason with the acquisitions of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira.  However, if you look a little deeper, you’ll see that the Yankees also have a healthy mix of homegrown talent on the field day after day.

There’s the obvious “face of the franchise” in Derek Jeter, whose Hall of Fame bat and classy off-the-field demeanor is famous nationwide; and there’s the scariest closer in baseball in Mariano Rivera, who can make even the most dangerous batters look like A-ball rookies in the box. But the Yankee scouts have been hard at work for the last few years, trying to find cheaper solutions to the on-field problems.  Let’s face it, while the Yankee ownership doesn’t have trouble with the stratospheric payroll, why wouldn’t they want to cut back some costs if there are cheaper options available?

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