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Friday, August 4, 2017

How Much Did Castro Hurt US BY Pulling A Greg Bird?

Seriously folks, remember when Castro re-appeared briefly a few weeks ago?
I think he had completed one game of re-hab in the minors, two at the most.

So he returns and immediately looks like his legs are encased in a layer of muck from the lagoon.  His speed has become a slog.  He can barley beat out a single to left field.

The broadcasters simply wrote this off as , " getting his body back."  It would just be a matter of a few games.

Finally, he tried to turn on the old jets and pulled his hammy even worse.  And we haven't seen him since.  In the meantime, Torreyes and Wade take turns playing second base.  It has become the sink hole that Greg Bird left us with at first base, by playing through an injury.

News flash;  that doesn't not happen in baseball.  Aaron Hicks could not play through a pectoral tear;  Gary Sanchez could not play through a disconnected bicep; on it goes.  But no ones listens and no one learns.

Which brings me to Tyler Wade. A player getting lots of reps in Castro's extended absence.  His name is never mentioned when the Yankees' "Citizens United " press corps speaks of how well Brian Cashman protected the Yankee farm system and prospect base.  He is the one guy no one would have bitched about if he had been dealt, say, instead of Mateo or Kaprielian or Fowler.  Or any of the others we threw away for old man .205 Frazier, or any of the nameless old clowns now crowding the roster.

Editorial aside:   Do the Yankees not see, by the way, that "Ichabod" Frazier's ( my nickname ) batting average has declined since he arrived?  Is that because no one thought it possible to worsen? New Yankee nerves?  Why are the White Sox laughing their asses off?  Why do the Yankees think that having a little league world series hero from Toms River, New Jersey, trumps his performance on the field?

Back to lead story....  As soon as Castro draws a healthy breath, Tyler Wade should be jettisoned.

He should be ejected to AA or lower.  I have seen him as a strikeout/double play machine with poor fielding skills.  Is he playing out of position?  He is conducting a friendly rivalry with the ailing Holliday ( I see his body emaciating, and the Yankee doctors have missed something ) for the most destructive Yankee.

Once again, we kept a guy who hurts us more than Jesus Montero.  He should be gone tomorrow.  Bring up anyone, and the team will improve.  Addition by subtraction.

Wade is not ready for this level and we may be destroying his confidence forever.  When a prospect gets a long look and fails, it has to register.  Isn't anyone looking?

Hit that eject button and let's move on.


14 comments:

Ken of Brooklyn said...

When the team isn't unbearably boring, they are unbelievably incompetent>unable to move a runner at 3rd with infinite chances!
GOOD GREIF, I'm invoking a quiet personal mime of lower case juju tonight, in the hopes that anything, and I mean ANYTHING!!!!! fun can return to this dreary team!

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


I think back to what was happening when things WERE fun, interesting, and -- good stuff seemed to happen (a lot).

What has changed?

A. Holiday has gone to seed. Could be residue of his illness, could be he hit the wall. How the heck would we know? He was damn good in the early going, wasn't he?

B. We haven't seen Aaron Hicks in what seems like forever. Do you remember -- ? He was a key component in lots of the good stuff (and the beginning of folks thinking Ellsbury had to be disappeared). Now, he's on a rehab stint. Maybe he comes back strong, maybe not.

C. Aaron Judge has the hiccups. Whether he's hiding an injury, has reverted to the mean, is hesitant to ask Holiday for help (reporters said the two were thick as thieves) -- or maybe it was the HR Derby? The WHY doesn't matter. Without Hicks and with Holiday in Hell, Judge's slump is killing the team.

I won't even attempt to deal with the pitching. The only identifiable thing that's improved is that Tanaka has had a couple of acceptable-to-very good outings in a row. Yes, the bullpen is better -- pending JoeyBinder's management of same.

Anonymous said...

Todd Frazier hits a fence-scraper solo homerun. That makes him two for his last twenty. In the Yankee Bizarro world of baseball evaluation, that ensures regular playing time for his next two for twenty, while Andujar's burning up of AAA makes him eligible for bus rides to nowhere.

Anonymous said...

Clearly Jordan Montgomery is a better pitcher than Jaime Garcia. Cashman is just an idiot, and that will never change.

joe de pastry said...

Yep, we don't want to judge prospects by their first twenty AB but we can judge Garcia based on one game.
Anyway, always look on the bright side of life: If they don't win the division after Cashman went all in at the trade deadline this has to be the end for Girardi.

Anonymous said...

It's not just one game--it's an entire season and his whole career. He had one above-average season, in 2015. Other than that, he's been a league-average pitcher since forever. Get a clue and learn how to Google "Fan Graphs" or "Baseball Reference" to spare yourself some future embarrassment.

JJ in MA said...

Shut off the radio after Sanchez's passed ball, knowing there was no way they'd come back. Problem with the team seems as much attitude as performance. Romine to catcher at least for a few days in a row, bench Holliday, Sanchez DH. DFA Toddfather. New pitchers both unimpressive in first start, but can't really judge by that. Whole team looks flat and boring, even with Didi and Headley hitting. C. Frazier coming down to earth as well. Needs to adjust to ML pitching or will be sent down whenever Hicks gets back with a told-you-so from Cashman.

ranger_lp said...

Looks like we gave up too much for Garcia and Gray...I'll keep saying that until I see otherwise....and I don't think I will...

I'm Bill White said...

I don't have the chance to watch as many games on TV (radio app), but I watched last night, and Sanchez sucks behind the plate. He looks like a 37 year old back there, and he's spending money like a 67 year old. My son watched a TV show about cars the other day, and said, "dad, they're suping up Gary Sanchez's Lamborghini!" That's Black Swan worthy right there.

Ken of Brooklyn said...

@JJ in MA, absolutely concur!
So much for lower case mime juju, that was the worst game yet, and that's REALLY saying' something!

Pocono Steve said...

I don't recall being that angry during a Yankees game in a long time, but then I didn't watch much past the third inning, so at least there's that.

Alphonso said...

There is no point in watching at all. Unless you enjoy Yankees flailing away and not making contact with the ball.

joe de pastry said...

Actually, anonymous, Baseball Reference says Garcia's ERA+ was better than 100 in four of his previous seven seasons, and his career ERA+ is 107. In case you don't know, anything above an ERA+ of 100 is better than average.
I ain't saying he's Sandy Koufax, but he's been better than average.

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