Comments on: The 2009 Yanks: A good time or a good ballclub? http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/ A New York Yankees Blog Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:03:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: pete http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638948 pete Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:09:54 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638948 I believe strongly that the effects of being relaxed are, while incalculable, at least palpable in relation to performance. I do not, however, believe that the "getting along with your teammates" factor breeds a higher level of performance, and certainly don't believe that people who aren't all chummy w/ their teammates can't perform at their highest level. For example: my senior year of H.S. I had pretty severe depression, that probably troughed during baseball season. Yet, baseball performance-wise, it was the best year of my life. Like I said, I had no problems with any of my teammates, but I certainly didn't feel any comraderie. And it wasn't like baseball was my "chance to get away from it all" or something like that - I absolutely HATED being there, even though I absolutely love baseball. Maybe this is an outlier, but it just seems unlikely to me that anybody, regardless of how much fun they have off the field, is going to be affected while at the plate or on the mound. I believe strongly that the effects of being relaxed are, while incalculable, at least palpable in relation to performance. I do not, however, believe that the “getting along with your teammates” factor breeds a higher level of performance, and certainly don’t believe that people who aren’t all chummy w/ their teammates can’t perform at their highest level.
For example: my senior year of H.S. I had pretty severe depression, that probably troughed during baseball season. Yet, baseball performance-wise, it was the best year of my life. Like I said, I had no problems with any of my teammates, but I certainly didn’t feel any comraderie. And it wasn’t like baseball was my “chance to get away from it all” or something like that – I absolutely HATED being there, even though I absolutely love baseball.
Maybe this is an outlier, but it just seems unlikely to me that anybody, regardless of how much fun they have off the field, is going to be affected while at the plate or on the mound.

]]> By: Tom Zig http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638935 Tom Zig Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:34:14 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638935 So someone named Andy is inside you? ............ So someone named Andy is inside you?

…………

]]> By: Mike HC http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638929 Mike HC Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:21:54 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638929 TO hated every QB he has ever played with, and the QB's hated him, yet he and his QB usually put up excellent stats, minus this year. TO hated every QB he has ever played with, and the QB’s hated him, yet he and his QB usually put up excellent stats, minus this year.

]]> By: Mike HC http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638926 Mike HC Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:17:49 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638926 On an individual level. Do you think Michael Jordan needed to be friendly with his teammates to perform at his peak level? Does Kobe try less when his teammates don't like him and he openly asks for guys like Andrew Bynum to be traded? Did Hanley Ramirez struggle when Uggla called him out for only caring about his own stats? no Brandon Marshall was almost kicked off the team, but instead of checking out, he came back and worked and is playing great right now. Then it is hugs all around. On an individual level. Do you think Michael Jordan needed to be friendly with his teammates to perform at his peak level? Does Kobe try less when his teammates don’t like him and he openly asks for guys like Andrew Bynum to be traded?

Did Hanley Ramirez struggle when Uggla called him out for only caring about his own stats? no

Brandon Marshall was almost kicked off the team, but instead of checking out, he came back and worked and is playing great right now. Then it is hugs all around.

]]> By: JMK aka The Overshare http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638923 JMK aka The Overshare Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:13:51 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638923 Could have been Melky. Could have been Melky.

]]> By: Mike HC http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638921 Mike HC Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:10:15 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638921 And finally, (sorry about all the different response boxes), basketball is a sport where team chemistry would probably be considered more important than in an individual sport like baseball. And finally, (sorry about all the different response boxes), basketball is a sport where team chemistry would probably be considered more important than in an individual sport like baseball.

]]> By: Mike HC http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638918 Mike HC Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:08:29 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638918 Then you had all the Shaq, Kobe championships when they hated each other and Kobe and Phil Jackson hated each other. So the Cavs are an example of a great chemistry team with maybe the best basketball player ever in LeBron James, but they lost because they just did not have good enough players around LeBron. The Lakers hated each other and won despite that fact because they were the most talented team in the league. Then you had all the Shaq, Kobe championships when they hated each other and Kobe and Phil Jackson hated each other.

So the Cavs are an example of a great chemistry team with maybe the best basketball player ever in LeBron James, but they lost because they just did not have good enough players around LeBron.

The Lakers hated each other and won despite that fact because they were the most talented team in the league.

]]> By: Mike HC http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638915 Mike HC Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:04:18 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638915 Let us take the Cleveland Cavaliers as an example. By all the same measures that the Yanks have been considered a great "chemistry" team, so have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team celebrations, all the media attention they were getting for their chemistry, all the guys saying how much they loved each other, and even youtube shoe commercials together. But at the end of the day, they did not have anyone to guard Dwight Howard one on one, so they lost. And then the Lakers, with the universally reviled Kobe Bryant, won the championship. The Lakers had better team chemistry on the court, but they did not have a good time with each other and mess around like the Cavs. The Cavs have now brought in Shaq. A risky chemistry move considered his outsized personality. But it was a move they had to make because they just needed better players. Let us take the Cleveland Cavaliers as an example. By all the same measures that the Yanks have been considered a great “chemistry” team, so have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team celebrations, all the media attention they were getting for their chemistry, all the guys saying how much they loved each other, and even youtube shoe commercials together. But at the end of the day, they did not have anyone to guard Dwight Howard one on one, so they lost. And then the Lakers, with the universally reviled Kobe Bryant, won the championship. The Lakers had better team chemistry on the court, but they did not have a good time with each other and mess around like the Cavs.

The Cavs have now brought in Shaq. A risky chemistry move considered his outsized personality. But it was a move they had to make because they just needed better players.

]]> By: Tank Foster http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638896 Tank Foster Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:36:12 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638896 Thanks. Sorry if I came off snarky and school teacher-ish. In response to your example, I'd suggest that there are different types of team chemistry that might be motivational. Maybe it depends on the dominant personalities in the clubhouse, the attitudes of the leaders. Chemistry as I'd define it would mean an atmosphere wherein the members of the team feel comfortable, at ease, and capable of playing their best. Maybe sometimes it's quiet, other times noisy. Thanks. Sorry if I came off snarky and school teacher-ish. In response to your example, I’d suggest that there are different types of team chemistry that might be motivational. Maybe it depends on the dominant personalities in the clubhouse, the attitudes of the leaders. Chemistry as I’d define it would mean an atmosphere wherein the members of the team feel comfortable, at ease, and capable of playing their best. Maybe sometimes it’s quiet, other times noisy.

]]> By: Joe D. http://riveraveblues.com/2009/10/the-2009-yanks-a-good-time-or-a-good-ballclub-18712/#comment-638895 Joe D. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:34:41 +0000 http://riveraveblues.com/?p=18712#comment-638895 Mr. Rivera = Mr. God? Once you call acknowledge someone is God, is it possible to show any more respect by throwing the title in front of it? The Honorable Mr. God? His Highness Mr. God? Mr. Rivera = Mr. God? Once you call acknowledge someone is God, is it possible to show any more respect by throwing the title in front of it?

The Honorable Mr. God?
His Highness Mr. God?

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