For the Yankees to win 90 games this season - the traditional bar signifying a memorable team - they must go 38-12 the rest of the way. They must win eight out of every ten.
What a joke.
Of course, we're not chasing the divisional title. The Astros last year took the majestic Away Field One Game American League Wild Card Berth with 86 wins. Two years ago, the A's took it with 88. Let's imagine that MLB - run by the socialistic billionaires - is inexorably moving toward pure statistical parity. Thus, thus 85 wins could take the coveted Wild Card nothing sandwich. To get to 85 wins, the Yankees must go 33-17. They need two out of every three. Not impossible, I guess. Do you believe in Bigfoot? Fairies? Mermaids? A-Rod?
To imagine such a streak requires magical thinking that strains the limits of juju. We must believe that A-Rod and Tex will suddenly get molten hot, that Pineda, Eovaldi and Nova will continue - for the first times in their careers - to pitch lights out consistently, and - here's the craziest notion of all - that nobody will get hurt.
What's maddening here are the under-stories of the Yankiverse. Interesting things happening below the surface. Tyler Austin, a 24-year-old former 1B prospect who was pretty much written off by fan blogs - is killing it at Scranton. He hit his 12th HR last night and raised his average to .323. Yes, it's nutty to get an erection from Triple A box scores. But Tex can't even climb above .200. Could Austin do worse?
We look at under-achieving Yankees and wonder: How much worse could the youngsters do? Brett Gardner seems to be stuck at .260 with no power and diminishing stolen base numbers. How much worse would Ben Gamel or Mason Williams be? Brian McCann, who homered last night, can't solve the over-shift. Would Gary Sanchez be that much of a letdown? (I'm not even sure I buy the "McCann as team leader" line; every catcher is a team leader.)
We have a week to trade the bloated contracts and dead weight that has reduced this team to rubble. A few wins have done nothing to change the reality: Do you see this team going 38-and-12?
Funny thing is, there are a lot of rumors running around about the Yankees trading this guy or that guy, releasing A-Roid, beaming Tex up to the Enterprise, etc. Lots of stuff saying we're gonna trade Ivan Nova.
ReplyDeleteFine. DO IT!
There is a saying -- which I believe came from Baseball, but who knows? -- that says you can achieve "Addition By Subtraction."
Use NOVA as an example. I've always liked the guy, as a player. But his career has been remarkably consistent: Suck. Suck. Good. Suck.
So: Maybe he'll do better elsewhere (or not). But it's probably past the time to move away from that broken record, ain't it?
I believe if management made ALL the rumored moves -- no matter what came back in the trades -- the team would be better. In 2016, the Yankees ain't going to make any noise (so having some of the minor leaguers on the team from August 1 to the final game can't hurt).
Would you really rather watch another 2 months of Chase at 3B (followed by.....2017) -- or someone else? This might be a chance to send money and Chase to some aspiring team for a ham sandwich and a coupla diet cokes......
For 2017 and beyond, being shed of all of this dead weight cannot do anything but help. It seems that way when the season began, and it seems even more certain now, I think.
BEYOND THAT: Yankee management seems to think (if they actually do ever think) that fielding a team with A-Roid and Brian and Chase and Tex is going to draw more people (to TV and to the Bronx).
It's time to consider a possibility: More people might come to see Luis and Tyler and god-knows-who-else. In 2016. Hope for the future always outsells an extended run for consistent mediocrity . . . don't it?
Yes! Perfect:
Delete"If they actually do ever think"
If they do, it's not about winning, unless winning helps the bottom line. Too many people still watching, going to games and buying stuff. Until it hurts the Steinspawn pocket book, results on the field don't matter to these A-holes.
I think I'd rather watch A-Rod try to get hot than watch Hicks keep proving night after night that he sucks.
ReplyDeleteGARDY IS KILLING US..... IF WE COULD SOMEHOW MOVE HIM, IT COULD OPEN A SPOT FOR SOME OF OUR SCRANTON SLAVES..... (BUT EVEN IF WE TRADED GARDY, I BET WE WOULD PROBABLY BRING IN SOMEONE LIKE STEVE PEARCE)......NUTS.
ReplyDeleteAMEN, JOE FORMERLY OF BROOKLYN....AMEN.
ReplyDeleteHOw isn't anyone pointing out the obvious math error here? Its 38-22 not 38-12. I agree we need to sell but for the love of god do simple math. And they are 3 games over .500 not two. How can you miss that multiple times
ReplyDelete
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