Some baseball writers and pundits have spoken of the New York Yankees trying to buy themselves a World Series Championship with the signings of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, plus the Yankees are also in the MC (Mark Charles) Teixeira sweepstakes, which would be a great fit as he and Sabathia share the same middle name.  But, these same writers also say that it would be a Yankee bust if the newly formed rotation does not help win the Yankees that title.

Mike Silva’s interview with Matt Loede of Indians Confidential is a case in point. Loede is trying to worry the New York fans of Sabathia’s weight and conditioning. Sabathia did have a terrible April in 2008, but if it was due to conditioning (and likely partying off his 2007 Cy Young campaign), do you think he’ll make that same mistake again? According to all people who know Sabathia, he is terrific guy and great teammate. I believe he would not come into camp out of baseball shape again, especially after signing the big contract.

If Sabathia gets off to a bad start in 2009, it will not be the first time a high priced Yankee free agent pitcher got off to a rough start. Jim “Catfish” Hunter became a free agent after the 1974 season, and, becoming the first big money free agent, signed that HUGE $3.75 million, five-year contract on New Year’s Eve 1974, at that time it was THE landmark contract. After his first four starts, Hunter was 0-3 with a 7.36 ERA, while the Yanks were 0-4 in his four starts, including two losses to the rival Boston Red Sox. In a positive trend for Yankee fans, Hunter went on to pitch into the 8th inning over his next 32 starts, including 27 complete games.  Catfish ended that season at 23-14 with a 2.58 ERA, throwing 328 innings. If Sabathia gets off to a similar start in 2009 as Hunter did in 1975, ignorant Yankee media and fans will pummel him in the papers and on talk radio. But, as Sabathia showed last season, and Hunter showed in 1975, a season is not made over a four start sample.

The next point made in Silva’s interview with Loede was Sabathia’s post season record. Every pitcher can not be Christy Mathewson, Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax or even Allie Reynolds in the post season. Just because a pitcher (or position player) signed a huge contract does not mean they will come through in every situation in every postseason game. But, the New York fans will always pressure all players who don’t perform up to the fans expectations. See my article last year about why NY fans are the worst in sports.

New York fans only categorize a player’s career based upon the post season. That is why Scott Brosius and Jim Leyritz are heroes, and Alex Rodriguez is considered a bum. So, in the minds of most New York fans, if you have a great regular season and lose a post season series, you are basically worthless. In four World Series appearances, Willie Mays hit ZERO home runs, drove in 6 runs with a .239 BA/.308 OBP/.282 SLG for an OPS of .560. In three World Series appearances, Ty Cobb hit .262/.314/.354. Were Mays and Cobb not good players because they did not perform in the post season? Absolutely not. Both players were the primary reasons why their teams were IN the post season.

So, before the New York Yankee fans begin to put pressure on Sabathia, understand that baseball is a game of failure, and all the top players in the game’s history did not come through in every clutch situation. Even the great Babe Ruth failed miserably during some big moments, and his 1922 World Series performance against the New York Giants will never be the strength of his resume.  Ruth did make up for that transgression, but recent New York fans usually think more about a players failures than his successes. Not many fans remember how A-Rod had game winning hit after game winning hit in 2007, but they do remember his 16 double plays hit into in 2008.

The Yankees needed Sabathia to be that top of the rotation starter and a major reason why they needed to pay him $161 million. Yankee fans should support anyone who plays hard for their team, and there is no indication Sabathia ever dogs it for his teams, so the fans should support CC in every game - even the ones he loses.

But, AJ Burnett might be a different story.