Misfiring

A parade of strikeouts symbolized the Yankees futility in Sunday's loss to the Rays. Judge (three times) and Frazier and Stanton... fans in the park and on TV witnessed too many whiffs. Overswinging and under-contacting -- did I just coin a term for what looked like futile waves of the wand?

Brian Cashman deserves some credit for meeting the media Monday, although his "stay the course" comments will hardly calm the angry sports talk radio callers. Five wins and 10 losses -- lowlighted by a complete inability to compete with the budget-conscious Tampa Bay Rays will do that.

Is there a quick answer? Maybe, when Luke Voit returns from knee surgery in mid-May. Or if Brett Gardner starts taking at-bats from the out-of-synch Aaron Hicks. Perhaps when the club's new starting pitchers Jamison Taillon and Corey Kluber settle down and make it through six innings.

No, it's not 1966, when the aging, broken down Yankees staggered to a 4-16 start under Johnny Keane. Or 1989, when they came out of the gate 1-7 as Dallas Green locked horns with "The Boss." Not yet.

Yet, it's hard to escape the feeling that, so far, this club appears to be less than the sum of its parts.


 

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