"Waste of a year"

That's what Derek Jeter called 2008. "Waste of a year."

From the Examiner:

With the re-signing of Brian Cashman as Yankee GM for three more years, focus can shift from what went wrong in 2008 to what needs to be done for 2009.

The “waste of a year,” as Derek Jeter put it, is over.

A disastrous season that resulted in a perennial contender going home before October 1st can be boiled down to two major failings – injuries and underperformance.

That's just like the Yankees. Never looking at the good side of anything, they whine and complain and bitch and piss and moan about everything. They can win 95+ games, go deep into the playoffs, but not the World Series, and their fans will cuss them out for losing that last game rather than congratulate them for all the games that they did win. (I'm still a bit surprised that Hank has not yet complained about the Yankees winning more games than the White Sox.)

The Yankees and their fans expect them to win 173 games every year and if they don't, they're a failure. Well I've got news for all those of the Empire: It ain't gonna happen. Even if you still win the last 11, it still ain't gonna happen. Get used to that fact. No team can maintain that level of excellence for such extended periods of time. It is just impossible to win the World Series every year, or make it to the Series, or win the Pennant or even your division! It just ain't gonna happen, and you better get used to it. The Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, and Giants all have had, or are still having their extended Title droughts (50+ years) and the Yankees are now at the beginning of their own curse ridden drought. Their curses now include that of King George, A-Rod, and now, Joe.

The peacock swagger of a benchful of overpaid stars is not what wins titles. Instead of bitching about a star pitcher injuring himself while running the bases in an interleague game, (compare with the Sox's reaction to Colon injuring himself in an interleague game), you should have pulled an up and coming AAA'er whom you should have had ready to go. That is, had you not traded them all away for your peacocks. Had the King savored his World Series wins as if he hadn't been there in a generation instead of dismantling the team and preparing for the next season the next day, the Yankees might not be in this mini-drought. Yes, mini-drought. Eight years without a World Series title is nothing. Ask the Pirates and Royals.

I recently finished reading "The No Asshole Rule" by Robert Sutton, PhD, Stanford University. In it, he examines the various costs of having assholes as coworkers, or bosses, as well as ways to avoid hiring assholes, and what to do if you find yourself with an asshole coworker or boss. (You may draw your own conclusions to the addition of this paragraph.)

No, Mr. Jeter, 2008 was not a waste of a year for the Yankees. Not if you learn from your mistakes and do something about them. (Sometimes it can take many years to learn from your mistakes.) The Evil in George Steinbrenner's Evil Empire has even gotten into your essence if you look at it that way.