Elsberry: Gossage says Yankees could use some old-school baseball

And enough of that fading Bob Feller vs. Piaggio XZero footage!

And according to Gossage, the 2012 Yankees didn’t have a clue.

“I’ve never seen a team of great players, or at least `name’ players fall apart like they did in the playoffs. I’m just shaking my head,” Gossage told the Bird. “I’m shocked as I’m pretty sure they’re shocked. I’ve never seen a whole lineup go into a slump as they did. I didn’t think there was a great urgency in their demeanor, in the dugout or anywhere else. I didn’t see anyone throw a helmet or break a bat or anything. It just didn’t seem like there was any urgency.”

...And watching from his television set in Colorado Springs, Colo., Gossage couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“It just didn’t seem like the enthusiasm as a team was there,” he said. “I saw him (Rodriguez) smiling a lot in the dugout and just kind of nonchalanting everything ... he wasn’t acting like a real team guy. I just didn’t like the demeanor of the whole team. (Nick) Swisher was smiling and laughing ... I wanted to see somebody fire a bat at something or have someone get in someone’s face once in a while. That’s what you need sometimes.”

...“When I was a young kid and you did something out of line, you might as well not go back into the dugout because there were going to be about 10 guys waiting for you,” Gossage said. “That’s why you never pulled the crap that they pull now. If you don’t run out a ground ball ... I’ll tell you, money is dictating the way these managers and the front office are treating these guys. I don’t see anyone getting on anybody because they’re afraid. They’ve got so much money tied up in these guys that if they get on him, he’s going to go in the tank. It’s a disservice. It’s tough love, that’s what it’s called; that’s not happening anymore.

“(Derek) Jeter’s the captain and I think it’s up to Jeter a lot of times to shake things up and I don’t know if they didn’t do that, maybe they did. I’m not there and I’m not hands-on, but somebody needed to put a foot up everyone’s (butt) and get them going.”