Cold Starts

The New York Yankees are off to a decent start this season (12-6 as of today), so instead of panicking about the team itself as they usually do, Yankees fans are panicking about individual players - specifically DH Nick Johnson (who is batting under .150) and much maligned starting pitcher Javier Vazquez.

Johnson, even though his batting average is low, is doing what the Yankees brought him here to do: get on base. He leads the league in walks, and even though he's batting .135, he has an on-base percentage of .375. Johnson's career average is .270, and he certainly will hit close to that this year. Yankee fans simply just need to be patient, like they are being with Mark Teixeira (who is also hitting under .150). It's April - Teixeira will get hot, and to a lesser extent, so will Johnson.

As for Vazquez, he has had four starts thus far this season - four starts. Shouldn't we give him a bit more time than that before we send him packing?

Three of those four starts were against the Rays and Angels, probably the two best teams in the American League (other than the Yankees). Vazquez just doesn't seem to match-up well against the Angels, especially Bobby Abreu, who has hit 10 home runs lifetime off Javy.

Is this cause for concern? Yes. Vazquez was brought in not only to help in the regular season, but to bolster the post-season rotation. If he can't beat the best teams in the A.L., he won't be any help there. But is it time to declare the trade of Melky Cabrera (who's also off to a slow start) for Vazquez a bust? Hardly.

Let's give Javy the benefit of the doubt here, and give him until at least Memorial Day before we start calling him the second coming of Ed Whitson.

Need a reason to cheer Vazquez instead of boo? ESPN's newest loudmouth (and former Boston Red Sox loudmouth) Curt Schilling thinks Javy can't cut it in New York. Let's all get behind Vazquez, and prove "Mr. Bloody Sock" wrong.