Yankee Opponents: Hot or Not?

Jeter's explanation for his team's struggles doesn't add up

By Matthew Taylor

It appears that Derek Jeter doesn't read Roar from 34. I know, I'm just as surprised as you are. If Jeter did read RF34 he would know better than to make the following statement after Sunday's loss to the A's.

"It seems like every team that's playing us is playing pretty good. You try to stay positive but, yeah, it gets frustrating."

We already debunked the myth(s) surrounding New York's June winning streak, but now we're going to have to re-visit the topic.

The truth is exactly the opposite of Jeter's claim that "every team that's playing us is playing pretty good."

Consider that the A's had lost six of seven games headed into their series this past weekend against the Yankees. Or what about the Colorado Rockies? After sweeping the Yankees the Rockies went on an eight-game losing streak. San Francisco won two of three against New York and then promptly lost two of three to the Padres. And any O's fan can tell you that times have been, shall we say, a bit tough in Baltimore of late. The list goes on.

It's not just individual anecdotes that undermine Jeter's theory. Consider the combined June record of the Yankees' opponents last month: 105-136, a .435 winning percentage. Only three of the teams New York played in June had a winning record in the month: Arizona (15-13), Colorado (14-13), and Oakland (14-13). Clearly, the Yankees were losing to teams in June that were not playing very good baseball.

It all adds up to more myth making in the Bronx.

June records of Yankee opponents

Arizona: 14 – 13

Baltimore: 8 -17

Boston: 13 – 14

Chicago: 10 – 18

Colorado: 14 – 13

New York: 12 – 15

Oakland: 15-13

Pittsburgh: 10 – 15

San Francisco: 9 – 18

Combined record of Yankee opponents: 105 – 136

Yankees Find Fools Gold

June record is as deceiving as Torre's explanation for it
By Matthew Taylor

Yankee fans will boisterously tell you that the franchise is the best at, well, everything. Modesty does not come in pinstripes.

One thing in particular that the Bronx Bombers are good at is myth making. The organization has more legends - real and imagined - than perhaps any other professional sports team. From announcers to managers to players, myth making in New York is part of the job description.

On Saturday, Joe Torre attempted to add to Roger Clemens' real legend with what, if you're being generous, could be called hype. If you're being realistic, it's called propaganda. Pinstripe propaganda. More myth.

Asked to explain his team's recent run of success during one of Fox baseball's "informative" in-game interviews, Torre used the opportunity to blandish the Rocket. In short, Torre's thinking went, Clemens is the reason the Yankees have turned things around this month. Which, of course, is exactly what Clemens wants people to think. Too bad it's not true.

If Torre were being honest he could've offered a much simpler explanation for the Yankees' 14-6 record in June prior to Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants: weak competition.

Aside from the Red Sox, whom the Yankees took two of three from to start the month, the combined monthly record for Yankee opponents in June is 46-71, good for a .393 winning percentage. Overall, those teams (the White Sox, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Mets, Rockies, and Giants) are a combined 209-225 for the season, good for a .481 winning percentage. In other words, the teams the Yankees have played during their win streak are either (a) not very good (the White Sox, Pirates, and Giants) or (b) they are slumping (the Mets).

Sure, the Mets are battling for first place in the NL East, but they headed into the Yankees series riding a four-game losing streak and having lost 10 of 12. The Yankees beat a slumping team.

Or consider the Rockies, the one hot team the Yankees have played since ripping off nine straight wins. Colorado came into the Yankees series having won 10 of 15 and continued their winning ways by sweeping the Evil Empire, who had previously won 10 of 12.

The truth is that the Yankees aren't as bad as their early-season run of futility would indicate. But they're also not as good as their June record suggests. And the Rocket is just a small part of it all.

Next up for New York: the Orioles. The trend continues.
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Monthly Records of the Yankees' June Opponents (through Friday, June 22)
*Red Sox not included

White Sox: 5-15
29-41 overall, next to last place in the AL Central

Pirates: 8-12
31-42 overall, next to last place in NL Central

Diamondbacks: 10-9
42-32 overall, tied for second in the NL West

Mets (2 of 3): 5-14
39-32 overall, first place in the NL East

Rockies: 13-6
38-36 overall, next to last in the NL West

Giants: 5-15
30-42 overall, last place in the NL West

Combined opponents' records

June: 46-71, .393 winning percentage

Overall: 209-225, .481 winning percentage