With no game on tap today, it seemed a good time to clear up some paperwork.
I have, for a long time now, been berating the Yankees for not recognizing Tanaka's "problem." My guess is he has the same Doctor as Greg Bird. Mis-diagnose and then under- report.
Only in Tanka's case, it is further complicated by the language barrier. His translator will only say what is either, neutral, banal and " baseball speak," or he will take orders from his boss ( Tanaka), and say nothing of value about important subjects.
Everyone knows that Tanaka has lost pace on his pitches, has lost depth, and has lost the sharpness of movement required for his breaking balls to be effective. And that is not because he turned 28 years old. If he had just turned 38, I would attribute it to age.
By turning down the obviously needed surgery on his elbow, he has destroyed the Yankees this season. An ace who is, at best, the nine of clubs. He leads the league in home runs given up, for Pete's sake.
Tanka has been pitching with a partially torn UCL since September of '14.
If you want to make the case that such an injury has not created weakness, go ahead and make it. We are all eager to hear your argument "it is all due to mistakes." Of course it is all due to mistakes, dip-shit. Jesus, Joe, can't you at least find a new line of bullshit to fluff it up with?
Also I am compelled to ask, "what causes these mistakes, Dr. Know nothing?"
Why the Fu*k do you think Tanaka has, " a splitter that doesn't do what it was supposed to do? A slider that didn't slide? " ( Joe's words). Sure, he struck out 10 guys. And that is because every batter saw, " meat on the table," and wanted to take a bite. Everyone was swinging for the fences.
At the end of the day, Tanaka gave up 5 runs in four innings. Someone do the math and tell me the ERA. Is that an acceptable number for a start in mlb? That is a, " send him to Scranton," level outing for any pitcher.
The Yankees keep saying, " we've just got to keep working to get him working, or maybe this is just a bad stretch." How about, " we've just got to keep him lying about his arm to get his arm better? "
In effect, that has been the Yankee's approach here.
Wake up, ladies. This isn't a bad stretch. This is a guy who is not what he once was because for almost three years now, he has been over-stressing a partially torn UCL. If you keep stretching a rubber band with a nick in it, what eventually happens?
I have to ask; did any of the Yankee doctors actually go to medical school? I know the surgeons did, but that is the step after diagnosis. The " doctors" assessing the problems; do any really have degrees? All from the Cayman islands?
News flash: Tanaka is not going to wake up and get better. He is feeding his translator the same boatload of lies that Greg Bird fed to his. Tanaka gets respect because he has actually accomplished something in the big leagues, and is believed because no one wants to know the truth. He relies on the language barrier a lot, and his translator won't say anything about this matter or he will be soon be busing tables at a sushi restaurant.
The deterioration of this pitcher is egregious and obvious. How long until someone is willing to see the truth? Why does this blog know the truth, while no one on the Yankees does?
I you take Tanaka to Dr. Andrews now, there is a chance he can be useful again one day. But he will not be any better this year, if nothing is done. And he is ruining his option year. And our season.
End of story.
It's more than likely that Tanaka's future was always up to Boras. He probably has this figured out where opting out is essential even in a down year. Anything short of his arm falling off wasn't going to get them to get that surgery done, despite whatever the Yankee doctors has to say. They may be thinking that some team will give him a backloaded contract for at least 7 years with the first two years at a huge discount for the Tommy John but $27ish million a year for the rest. It's still more than the current Yankee contract. It sounds insane but then again when are Boras demands not insane?
ReplyDeleteSo aside from the arm snapping off completely, I don't see him getting out of the lineup even if he's pitching a 7-8 ERA. At best they may decide to pitch him every 6 days instead of 5 to rest his arm up somewhat.
As for Bird, they knew something was up because they went out and bought Carter. They were probably willing to give him a full month to prove himself, but they were not exactly confident about it working out well either. It was probably a borderline injury that could go either way at that point and they were willing to give the guy a chance. I doubt it's incompetence by the doctors at all.
Quite perceptive of you to bring up Bore-Ass, Vampy!! Anytime he's involved you can expect him to hold out for the impossible...
ReplyDeleteHowever: The last I knew, Tanaka's agent was the same guy who represented Jeter - - the same guy whose wife sued Roger Ailes & Fox Noise for harrassment - - Casey Close.
Am I right that Casey Close is Tanaka's rep, or has something changed??
Whatever the case, Bore-Ass has, imho, made a pact with the devil. LB (No J)
My Mom is 93 years old and loves the Yankees, albeit with a somewhat limited knowledge of the game and almost no interest in what's going on off the field. And even she has known something is wrong with Tanaka.
ReplyDeleteThis magical year has the chance of turning very, very sour after last week. Is Ketel One still the official vodka of the New York Yankees?
I am not a coach, a doctor, a guru, a psychic, a seer, a surgeon or a savant. An idiot savant, maybe, but that's another story. THAT BEING SAID, for two years, I have cried out to all who would listen among my circle of friends - it came to one person - that Tanaka should have the surgery. This was two years ago. Obviously, nobody listened, but it's good to know that others have also felt this way. That's why I love this blog. It's funny, but I guess I never considered that Tanaka, himself, might be refusing. Even worse, that Boras might have his stink-fingered hands involved in it. I had simply thought that the Yankees had the regal authority to command it, but they were not doing so. If that's the case, let him opt out. I have always liked Tanaka (does Joe G. ever think about calling him "Tanny" or "Tanky?" If that's the case, though, let him go. Keep with the youth movement. Even if we lose this year and next, we will be formidable soon enough.
ReplyDeleteRemember how in Major League when the team was winning they kept taking a piece of clothing off the life-size picture on the babe owner as an incentive?
ReplyDeleteI suggest a life-size picture of Kellyanne Conway in the Yankee clubhouse and a piece of clothing comes off each time they lose at least two in a row.
Yes, I am a sexist pig.
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