CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AL EAST CHAMPS!

Congratulations to the New York Yankees. You guys have done it again. Six-time AL Eastern Division Champions. That is quite a feat. The only thing left to fight for now is home field advantage. Otherwise, you can start resting your players and get them ready to face the Minnesota Twins.

It has been a very up-and-down year for the Yankees. They started off at a blistering pace, going 23-6 before coming back to earth. The starters went 16-0 before losing a game. It seemed that the Yankees were even better than the pre-season hype. But Joe Torre knew better. He told us all not to get too wrapped up in how well the Yankees were doing. Sooner or later his team would play like mortals again. Sure enough the Yankees who were 23-6 on May 2nd got kicked around by the just about every team they played. By June 3rd the Yankees record had fallen to 33-25. There were a lot of reasons for that. During that stretch the Yankees lost Bernie Williams (knee), Nick Johnson (broken thumb) and Derek Jeter (shoulder separation) for considerable times. Jason Giambi had an eye infection that lasted two months and the Bombers had a bullpen that was leakier than the Titantic.

Still, Joe Torre did, what I consider, his best work as the manager of the New York Yankees. He had an owner who questioned his decisions and questioned his coaches abilities to get the best out of the players. For the first time Joe and the Boss feuded in public. Joe said that managing this year "wasn't fun." But through it all he kept this team going and they are on the brink of having the best season record in the American League for the 2nd year in a row. Congratulations Joe. However, the treacherous part of the season is ahead.

Last year, the Yankees came rolling into the playoffs after winning 103 games. They were matched against the Anaheim Angels, who on paper, were no match for the vaunted Yankees and their corps of all-star pitchers. What happened over the next 4 games was something that only a writer of horror stories could imagine. After barely beating the Angels in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, the Angels came back to beat the Yankees 3 straight times to send the most storied franchise in sports home for the winter. The 2002 playoffs were suddenly without the Yankees, who made their earliest exit since 1995 when the Seattle Mariners knocked them out of the ALDS. Many observers considered losing to the AL "wildcard" team a tremendous and humiliating defeat. Those 103 wins now meant nothing. A lot of questions were raised. The biggest question was "how could this happen?"

Over the winter, George Steinbrenner vowed to make all the moves necessary to put the Yankees in a position to make it back to the World Series. Nothing less than a berth in the Series would do. According to the Boss, he gave Torre "everything he's asked for." Now it's up to Joe and those maligned coaches to get the team to the big show. The stage is now set. If the Yankees don't make it to the World Series this could be Joe Torre's swan song. If not Joe, then it will definitely be Don Zimmer's, Rick Down's and Mel Stottlemyre's swan song.

The difference between this year and last is the Yankees look more determined. As a team they are peaking at the right time. The bullpen has even joined in the act. After being the whipping boys for the New York news media all year long the bullpen has started to put in better performances. The lone exception right now is Jeff Weaver who seems to have worn his welcome out in the Bronx. If anyone was watching Monday night's game against the White Sox the look Joe Torre gave Weaver after Weaver gave up a game losing, walk off, 3-run home run to Magglio Ordonez in the bottom of the 10th inning said it all. If looks could kill..... The line up seems to be getting it together also. There again, the only sore thumb standing out is Bernie Williams, who after starting the year white hot, got injured and never got his stroke back. Hopefully, when the Yankees turn on "the switch" Bernie will get electrified and start pounding the ball. There's still a lot of questions and we all hope the Bombers have the answers.

So once again, congratulations champs. Now go out and get it done.

PLAY BALL!

YOUTHFUL EXHUBERANCE OR BAD HABIT?

Alfonso Soriano is a very exciting player to watch. In only his third full season you can just see the oodles of potential this kid has. He came up through the Yankees minor league system as a shortstop, but with Derek Jeter already occupying that position chances were slim to none that Soriano would ever play that position full-time. And as we all know, slim left town.

The kid was the most sought after player in the Yankees' minor league system. It seemed that any potential trade had Soriano's name pop up. Other teams could also see the raw talent Alfonso had. Many teams had shortstop needs and Soriano would have filled those needs admirably. But the Yankees, to their credit, kept Sori. They asked him to try second base. If you know anything about baseball there is a world of difference in how about you go playing shortstop and how you play second base.

Two years ago Soriano played his first full season at second base. It was definitely a learning experience. He made 19 errors in 156 games. He had a FTCP of .973. Not too bad for a guy who had never played the position. Alfonso had incredible rookie numbers. He hit .268 with 18 home runs and 73 RBI. His SLG% was .432. His OBP was a passable .304. His numbers were good enough to earn him 2nd runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Ichiro Suzuki and C.C. Sabathia.

Last year, Alfonso improved in every area accept for his FTCP. He made 23 errors for an FTCP of .968. However, that was totally overshadowed by his offensive numbers. Soriano batted .300 with 39 home runs and 41 stolen bases. He was one home run shy of becoming only the 4th player to become a member of the 40-40 club. Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds are the other exclusive members. Soriano also knocked in 102 RBI. He improved both his SLG% and OBP. ( .547 & .332 respectively) He had over 200 hits and all of a sudden Soriano looked like the second coming of Superman. He made the Yankees' braintrust look like geniuses.

In 2003, Soriano started like a house on fire. In his first month he was batting .370 with 8 home runs and 21 RBI. He sported a lofty 1.066 OPS (.436 OBP and .630 SLG%). The Yankees 2B looked as if no one could stop him. However, in May the bottom fell out of Soriano's boat. He batted .229 with 7 home runs and 14 RBI. His OPS dropped to .756. Still not bad numbers as he had 15 homers and 35 RBI. Since that time Alfonso has gone up and down on the power numbers. Currently he has 32 home runs and 80 RBI. His OPS stands at .844 (.336 OBP & .508 SLG%). On the field Sori has made 18 errors in 702 total chances. His FTCP is currently .974, which is his best number yet. All of these positives would make most managers giggle with delight. If Alfonso keeps these numbers up he could very well end up in the Hall of Fame.

Okay! Here's the rub. I prefaced what I'm about to say, because I wanted to show that Alfonso Soriano is no fluke. He's a bona fide all-star second baseman. He is fast becoming one of the best offensive second basemen ever in the history of major league baseball. I want to show that I love this kid. I want nothing, but the best for him. But I want him to stop showboating at the plate.

Last night, Soriano, did what he always does when he hits a long fly ball. He flips his bat, stares at the trajectory of the shot and then begins his home run trot around the bases. In the fifth inning against Jason Johnson of the Orioles Soriano got hold of one of Johnson's offerings and sent it out over the right centerfield wall to put the Yankees ahead 1-0. He flipped his bat, watched the flight of the ball and then began trotting slowly down toward first base. Fortunately, Johnson didn't see that little display. But someone did. Johnson apparently got a signal from someone on the Orioles that Soriano had shown him up. The next batter for the Yankees, Nick Johnson, almost ended up paying for Soriano's transgression. With Nick at the plate Jason Johnson threw a fastball behind the hitter's back prompting home plate umpire Dan Iassogna to issue warnings to both benches. Had the Orioles pitcher been a little more wild with that pitch Nick Johnson could have been on his way to the hospital.

Manager Joe Torre has spoken many times to Alfonso about his lack of hustle down the first base line when he hits a long ball and most assuredly Soriano got chewed out for his latest little stunt. Many have felt that his flipping of the bat, staring at the flight of his ball and his slow trot down the first baseline are part of his exuberance. Part of his learning curve. Part of his emotion. He will grow out of it. When? After one of his teammates really gets drilled with a fastball? Going back to the dugout and high-fiving with your teammates or coming out of the dugout for a curtain call is showing emotion and exhuberance. Everyone can get into that. But pulling a Barry Bonds like schtick is not exhuberance, it's bad taste.

Everyone likes to do his best and everyone will tip their hat when their bested in a mano y mano situation. Pitcher vs batter. Sometimes the pitcher gets the K and sometimes the hitter gets the home run. There is absolutely no reason to purposely flip your bat, like I showed you, watch the ball leave the yard and then slowly trot down the line. That's showing up your collegue Alfonso. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if everytime a pitcher struck you out he threw his glove on the ground, turned his back to you and watch you striking out all over again on the jumbo-tron. Stop doing it. Go up there, do your business and if you knock one out, drop the bat, put your head down, run the bases, touch home plate and go into the dugout where you can celebrate with your boys. Don't stand there like a freaking marble statue at the plate admiring your handiwork. All that's going to do is get one of your teammates thrown at. Ask Nick Johnson how fun that was. You've got so much talent you don't need to do these sideshow antics. It pisses people off. People know you're good. You don't have to show anyone how good you are. People know it. I want people and players to remember you for class, not for tastelessness. That's all I've got to say on the matter.

PLAY BALL!

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