Show some love to the unexpected surprises in NY!
Aaron Small, a 33-year old career minor leaguer, gets called up in July and goes 10-0 for the Yanks -- the $200 million, RJ/Mussina/Wright/Pavano Yanks -- saving their season.
Ditto for Shawn Chacon, plucked from the depths of Colorado where he went an atrocious 2-17 or something over two years, turned in a Cy-Young calibre series of starts in less than half a season in the Bronx.
Rounding out the unexpected slew of no-name, no cost rookies, without the stellar efforts of Chien-Mien Wang and Robinson Cano, Yanks are a .500 team at best. Who'd have thunk it before the season...that the stars would be A-Rod, Jeter, Mariano, Small, Chacon, Wang and Cano?
Jason Giambi's midseason resurgence after a horrid start was remarkable. I assume Torre pulled Giambi into his office when the Yanks were 11-19 and trailing the D-Rays and said..."look, Jason, just shove this up your a$$, I won't tell..no one has to know..."
David Wright, after a promising start last year, proves he's legit with 27 HR, 300 avg, and 100+ RBI, and establishes himself as the Next Big Thing.
After losing out on the Delgado sweepstakes (with whose bat, the Mets probably win the wild card), and fretting about pathetic options like Doug Mientcewicz, the Mets call up Mike Jacobs, who promptly hits 10 jacks and bats 300 in a month's time. Is he a fluke, or the next coming of David Wright? If he's for real, Beltran hits above .220, and the Mets pick up some middle relief, they won't even need another bat to seriously contend for the division.
Jae Seo, a perennial pathetic pitcher, is hurt half the year but comes back to go 8-2 with an ERA of 2. If he's a solid option, the Mets sextet of Pedro-Glavine-Benson-Zambrano-Trachsel-Seo will put the fear of Gawd in teams next year.
Aaron Heilman, another enigmatic pitcher who's shown signs of brilliance in the past but has been woefully inconsistent in his career, shifts to the bullpen after the predictable collapse of Braden Looper. He's brilliant there, and may have found his niche.
Promising signs in NY.