New York Yankees

Sometimes I wonder if I am but one of a few baseball fans who does not support the repulsive-at-times treatment some have shown New York Yankees veteran hurler Freddy Garcia.

Headlines can be a writer's best friend, and a writer's worst nightmare. Sometimes they can attract attention to a story in a positive way and up the reads and feedback on a story. Sometimes they can instigate widespread anger that is misleading with regards to the actual story.

This column is the latter.

Through the first month of the 2012 Major League Baseball season, there have been many pleasant surprises and great disappointments.

In both leagues there is a player with realistic shots at the triple crown: the Dodgers' Matt Kemp and the Rangers' Josh Hamilton. The biggest off-season signing, Albert Pujols, is having one of his worst hitting months of his career.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was the first day I opened my first pack of baseball cards. The pack was 1989 Topps. The first card I pulled was a Randy Johnson baseball card from when he was with the Seattle Mariners.

I thought, “Sheesh, this man looks scary…I wouldn’t want to face him on a bad day.”

Dante Bichette’s rookie card was also in this pack. It was significant because my dad said rookie cards were a baseball player’s most significant cards.

Yankees' prospect Jose Campos had been nearly perfect prior to Saturday's start against Hickory.

Through four starts (22 innings), Campos owned a 1.23 ERA to go along with 23 strikeouts and a 0.818 WHIP.

He had allowed just four runs on the season, three of which were earned.

Unfortunately for him, he allowed double that number of runs in just 2.2 innings of work in his most recent start.

It's time for the Yankees to make a change on the team.

I know it's only April, but Freddy Garcia needs to go, and needs to go now.

His last outing on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers is just another example of why he can't cut it for the Yankees in 2012.

You would've thought Freddy Garcia of the New York Yankees would be able to at least last until Andy Pettitte comes back, but he simply doesn't deserve to stay in the rotation after another horrible start against the Detroit Tigers.

Garcia went 1.2 innings and allowed six runs on five hits, bumping his ERA to 12.51. The veteran starter looks like a shell of the pitcher Yankee fans saw in 2011.

Freddy Garcia, who is 0-1 with a 9.75 ERA on the young season, is likely pitching for his spot in the Yankees' rotation on Saturday afternoon against the Tigers.

The right-hander, going on an extra day of rest, will be looking to give the Yankees a solid performance after Friday night's 7-6 Yankee victory.

"Batting sixth and playing first base, No. 14, Bill Skowron, No. 14."

Skowron stepped into the batter's box against the ace left-hander on the Yankee Stadium mound in the second inning of a scoreless game. There was a runner on second with one. The fans watched with eager anticipation.

The pitcher peered in to get the signal from his catcher, nodded assent and delivered. The "Moose" lined a base hit  to center field as the crowd let out a groan.

In January of this year, the New York Times ran a story that said the Yankees are saving now for a potential free-agency splash next winter.