Is the Yankees starting rotation being disrespected by the main stream media? Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle was on the MLB Network’s Hot Stove Show this past week and proclaimed to Hazel Mae that the Red Sox had the best starting rotation in all of baseball. Justice based his analysis on the fact that Boston added John Lackey to an already formidable rotation.

What Justice, and other members of the 4th Estate, has failed to mention is the fact that Boston, just like New York, has some questions regarding its rotation.

While Boston has a formidable starting three, just like the Yankee, it remains to be seen if John Lackey, who has shown signs of wear and tear the past few seasons, will be able to stay completely healthy for a full season  Likewise with Dice-K and Tim Wakefield, both of whom have health issues.

Health is always an issue, especially when it comes to pitching staffs. No one can predict how things will turn out with a team health wise, during the course of a 162 game schedule. Just ask the Mets. Brian Cashman brought in Javy Vazquez to shore up the 4th spot in a rotation who’s starting three logged an enormous amount of innings last season. Many anti-Yankee bloggers and writers point to Vazquez’s past failures in pinstripes as a happy omen of things to come. One must remember that the setbacks by Vazquez in 2004 were because of a shoulder injury, not due to a lack of talent. One can argue that the acquisition of Vazquez was just as important to the Yankees as the Lackey signing was to Boston. Just don’t expect to hear that statement out of the main stream media anytime soon.

The Yankees and Boston both have formidable starting staffs. It should be interesting to see how they both hold up over the course of the 2010 season.

Passing Thoughts
Curtis Granderson, who came into camp early, has been working hard with hitting Coach Kevin Long. Our main Yankees source down in Tampa told us the following regarding Granderson. “”Grandy” has been working hard with Kevin Long, putting in long hours. I think Yankee fans are going to love this guy.”  Our source also reiterated that Joe Girardi is thinking long and hard about inserting Granderson in the number two hole in the lineup, and putting Posada in the number five spot.

As far as Javy Vazquez goes, our source told us the following, “He’s really focused. He’s a totally different pitcher than he was 6 years ago. He doesn’t have that overwhelmed look that he had when he first came here in ’04. “He really wants to show everyone he can win in the AL East. I think he’s going to do great in the 4th spot.”

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Curtis Granderson, Hazel Mae, Javier Vazquez, John Lackey, Kevin Long, MLB Network, New York Yankees, Richard Justice