“Carrying” a limp bat

I’m not looking for an all-star at every position, but I believe that, as a fan of the team with more resources than anyone else in baseball, it is fair to critique the areas that could use improvement. I know Melky’s our #9 hitter, etc., but that’s a dangerous line of thinking — just because he’s our number nine hitter we can afford to carry his bat? Maybe in the National League, but given how competitive and cutthroat the AL is, teams should always be looking to get as much offense out of every slot in the lineup as possible.

Look at what happened last night. The guys that are “supposed” to get the job done — the top of the lineup — didn’t plate any runs, and therefore couldn’t carry the weaker part of the lineup. Having a strong 1 through 9 helps ensure against nights like last night where the offense inexplicably gets shut down by the likes of Brett Tomko.

I know we have a healthy lead in the division and all that jazz, but it’s still only mid-August, and nothing is for certain. I’m not saying we should bench Melky or anything like that, because frankly there isn’t an alternative until Gardner comes back (can’t say I ever thought I’d be hoping for Brett Gardner to return from the DL to provide a jolt to the offense), but as Yankee fans, I don’t think we should be content with mediocrity.

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