Don't laugh, but the best part about the World Baseball Classic was not seeing nation-based teams compete against other nations.
It was seeing the young minor leaguers get an actual shot to play in pseudo-MLB games while the big boys were playing in the WBC. Guys like Kevin Thompson, Kevin Reese, Melky Cabrera, etc., all young kids who are coming up through the Yankee system.
One thing I've stressed throughout the 49 pages of this thread is team chemistry. It is, in my opinion, arguably as valuable as the talent on your team. Case in point - the 2004 Red Sox, who, despite not having the best players at every position, managed to reverse the curse and win because of great team chemistry and will.
The Yankees, who seemed to emanate this quality aduring the mid-to-late 90's with a solid core of pitching and quality players including David Cone, David Wells, Andy Pettite, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, Scott Brosius, Joe Girardi, Tino Martinez, and then-newcomers like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. These guys may not have all been the best at their position, but they were all excellent players and these teams hummed like a machine. With guys like Jeter and Posada, they were newcomers but both have proven to be All-Star caliber players at their respective positions (though you all know how I ride on Posada, since I think we need to get rid of him in the very near future).
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Originally posted by Jimmy Buffer: it's been five and a half years since they last won the World Series and Johnson, Mussina, Rivera, Sheffield, Williams, Posada, Giambi, ARod, Matsui, et al. aren't getting any younger. They're all still very good players, but the last several years seemed to have proven they aren't capable of carrying a team to a title anymore without help from younger talent. When this happens to a lot of other ballclubs, the GM blows the whole operation up, trades for prospects or young talent, and starts building for the next 5 years. With the Yankees payroll, they can avoid taking this route, but if they fall short of the crown this year, would you as a Yankees fan like to see them try this, at least to an extent.
I don't think the Yankees need to totally rebuild, but I do agree that a youth movement ala 1996 with Jeter and Posada is necessary. The Yankees, much to the shock (and chagrin?) of those who constantly ride on the Bronx for buying players, have developed some nice prospects in their farm system, who should be impact players in the years to come (as you've said, 5 years down the road).
Philip Hughes, the Yankees #1 pitching prospect, is touted to be the next Clemens, and his numbers seem to reflect that. Even the major league Yankees who saw him in Spring Training felt that he was probably the *best* pitcher in camp this past spring. Jose Tabata is another great prospect in the outfield, who should replace Bernie Williams (or possibly Johnny Damon) in a few years. J. Brent Cox is said to be the next Yankee closer, with devastating stuff. Jeff Karstens, yet another pitcher, seems to deliver a sinkerball ala Chien-Ming Wang, and is alleged to be just as effective. Others, meanwhile, have forced the Yanks to think outside the farm - Eric Duncan for example, who has struggled mightily in AAA despite clobbering opponents in AA, and it appears more to be a limitation rather than a temporary adjustment period. Someone give Pujols a call when his contract up - because Giambi isn't lasting forever, and I don't know whether Andy Phillips will survive as a Yankee long enough to be the everyday 1st baseman.
Now, I'm not saying all of these will turn out. But I am saying that the Yankees are thinking of the future. Chien-Ming Wang is only 26, and has proven himself as a legitimate starting pitcher (which, I know, makes some in this thread cringe at the thought of him not failing...as they said he would). Similarly, Robinson Cano (who pretty much came out of nowhere last season) is 24, and an All-Star in only his second year. Melky Cabrera is only 21, and should be at the very least a solid outfielder in years to come and with more patience at the plate a great addition to the lineup. Combine that with other Yankees who still have some time left in the tank – A-Rod, Jeter, Matsui (?), Damon (?)…coupled with some standard trades and such, I think the Yankees can and will get younger without having to blow up the franchise ala the Marlins to do so.
As far as a guaranteed World Series title, I don't think that could ever really happen again for any team - the level of competition, as well as the increasing parity (look at the number of teams still legitimately in the hunt for divisions and wild card spots, including the Yankees). Though certainly one could assemble a team that should be able to win a World Series does not mean they will; the Yankees, nor anyone else, probably won't ever again assemble a "Murderer's Row," but with solid drafts, more youth movement, and emphasis on team chemistry rather than spare parts (which may take victims such as Brian Cashman, who, despite his seemingly proficient penchant for digging out gems from other team's wastebaskets, still hasn't gotten the Yanks to a WS since 2000), the Yankees should be competitive in the next 5-10 years to come.
