Yesterday, in the fifth, with Showalter lackeys on first and second and no outs, Didi Gregorius turned a potential single into a stunning double play - a running, leaping, acrobatic throw that saved Jordan Montgomery's peach-fuzzed, lily-white, 24-year-old butt. This came shortly after Starlin Castro's 13th HR put the Yankees ahead 5-3 - which followed Didi's 20th. The pair hit third and fourth in the Yankee lineup.Of course, they batted there only because Gary Sanchez is on MLB double-secret probation, and Matt Holliday had blasted two HRs in two games, thereby mandating a day off under the Joe Girardi Optimum Chaos System of Personnel Management, as taught at Trump University.
Here's my best version of reality: Didi and Starlin remain not only the Empire's heart and soul, but its lungs and liver. Though plucky Ronald Torreyes played magnificently in recent weeks, replacing Castro and anybody else with a strained boner, it wasn't the same. Castro can hit fourth. Torreyes bats ninth (unless Austin Romine emerges from cryonic suspension.) With Castro hitting - and, fingers crossed here, Greg Bird carrying his weight at first - the Yankees look like the wet dream we swam through during the season's first half.
They are one of MLB's top slugging keystones. These are HR totals. (I did the math.):
Houston: Altuve-Correa... 41
Cincinnati: Cozart-Gennett... 40
Baltimore: Beckham-Schoop...39
Minnesota: Polanco-Dozer... 38
Cleveland: Lindor-Kipness.. 37
Texas: Andrus-Ordor... 37
Yankees: Gregorius-Castro... 33.
Cubs: Russell-Baez... 31
Seattle: Segura-Cano... 29
Washington: Turner-Murphy... 28
Angels: Phillips-Simmons... 28
Dodgers: Seager-Utley... 26
I know what you're thinking: If we cook the books and note how Didi missed April and Castro lost seven weeks with tweaked gonads - we could add 15 HRs and beat our chests. Truth is, other teams have gonads, too. But the days of Chicken Stanley and Steady Eddie Brinkman up the middle are over: To make MLB's post-season, you need mashers. And with Castro and Didi healthy, I'll take comparisons to the Redsock '17 Hall of Fame Superteam of Destiny (TM), even with Little Lord Pedroia twerking his dwarf butt in short right field.
By Thursday, Gary Sanchez will hit third. As soon as he has suitably cooled off, Holliday will likely hit fourth. That leaves Didi and Castro fifth and sixth, with Judge seventh, Bird - gulp - eighth and Jacoby Ellsbury ninth. Yeah, ninth. (I'm figuring the newly reborn Headley bats second.) Jeez, folks. That's a decent lineup. A little pitching and bullpen and - holy crap! But make no mistake: It's all about the keystone. We can replace almost anybody, but not them.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that no one is discussing on these standings charts being posted every day is Cleveland.
Look at that streak: W12! 12 in a row! Imagine watching a team where the manager actually manages versus placing his right hand on a stack of binders while solemnly swearing to execute the instructions therein. I'm green with envy. When is Francona's contract up?
Over in our dugout, Joe G. will almost certainly take any of the hot hitters we saw this weekend and "spell him some rest" ... lest that hitter goes on a gulp! streak of his own.
I'm quite satisfied with the results of the last 5 days. I just hope our manager allows these horses to run instead of resting them in the paddock.
I like Girardi less with each passing day, and I started out the season already hating him.
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice 'graph in the ESPN story about Greenie, our bullpen ace:
"Green’s development also highlights how foolish it was to bestow five years and $86 million on Chapman. Relievers can be developed -- especially these days, as everyone seemingly throws mid-90s or better -- and so bestowing five years and tens of millions on one is not wise."
Chapman should be kept in the garage and only used when we're ahead by 9 in the 6th. There was no way to really know he wouldn't be the Chapman of old, but the above is a hell of a good point. Is it my imagination, or is there something about Cuban pitchers and prima donna-ism?
LBJ ON THE BUTTON!
ReplyDeleteJOHN M TOO!
Random thought....How about promoting Al Pedrique to YANKEE MANAGER...Afterall half of his youngster should be on the team
ReplyDelete
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