Last night's game, that is. Not the season.
I can't say I watched the full seven hours. It's too early in the year, and - frankly - the Yankees are too depressing to experience for seven straight hours. It'd be like sitting through a Shia LaBeouf marathon performance art piece, or binge-watching all 63 episodes of "Six Feet Under." Seven straight hours? Even toll booth operators get 15-minute breaks.
But there are losses, and then there are losses, and some leave a lump inside you that never does show up on an x-ray. Over the years, the Yankees have won their share of epic battles. But this is a new incarnation of a team of old relics, and last night will never make a Yankee Classic.
We should be proud of them. They never quit. Three times they battled back to tie the game in the bottom of an inning. Three times. That's heroic. They've practically equaled last year's entire output of comebacks. Trouble is, when you make dramatic comebacks like that, you're supposed to win the effing game. Today, I am reminded of the last great meaningful loss for the Yankees - in 2012, when Raul Ibanez homered against the Tigers to vault us into extra innings. (Hear The Master's call.) It led to Derek Jeter breaking his ankle and, quite frankly, never being quite the same. Last night was a cruelty that could linger all season, especially if we're battling - as expected - for the Wild Card scraps.
Chase Headley was a hero. Mark Teixeira was a hero. Even Carlos Beltan saved us. But at the end, Boston's wave of youth - Betts and Bogaerts - won the night. The dark truth is that we have nothing like them on our roster, and we may be entering the most dispiriting Yankee era since the Redsocks unveiled Freddy Lynn and Jim Rice - and they also have Moncata in the wings. (Thank you, Hal.)
Hate to be so depressed. But this morning, how can one not be? A few more setbacks, and we may have to call an INTERNATIONAL JUJU INTERVENTION.
It's early. But damn, it feels like it's getting late.
The ironic thing about this game is that the old, the washed-up, the also-ran were the comeback kids. Tex, Beltran, Heddy (that's HEADLEY), even A-Rod had two hits.
ReplyDeleteSchlemiel Rogers couldn't hold the Sox for shit. Hell, it didn't look like the guy could hold a dish towel. There's probably a funnier object to put in there, but I just got up.
But, again, while CC did give up 4 runs in the second, he looked really good in the other innings. So everyone gets a gold star!
Didi looks very very bad. Meanwhile Shane Greene went 8IP, 1R, 4H the other day. Sure it was the twins but... nobody on this team could do that right now except maybe Pineda.
ReplyDeleteHope this trade does not haunt us,