Don't blame it on me.
Oh oh oh it's nobody's fault
But we need somebody to burn.
—Elvis Costello
So, if you're a Newsday reader, it's pretty obvious what happened yesterday: Gleyber Torres screwed up the whole game.
Yep, that's the take from one Owen O'Brien, covering the game for the Long Island paper of record:
https://www.newsday.com/
You see, the Gleyber didn't cover first in time to field a bunt in the second inning, and he didn't get to second in time in the third inning, and there was a play in the ninth inning that O'Brien felt he could have made, all of which combined gave the Orioles one extra run.
At the plate, by contrast, Gleyber hit two home runs and drove in four of the Yankees' five runs.
But it was all Gleyber's fault.
The rest of the team put on yet another clinic of how not to hit in the clutch. They left 10 men on base and ran their streak to 19 consecutive at-bats without getting a hit with the bases loaded, before Andujar finally singled in a run in that situation in the 8th.
Immediately afterwards, of course, they reverted to their winning ways with Romine striking out and Irreplaceable Neil Walker grounding into a double-play with the bases loaded.
But it was all Gleyber's fault.
Sonny Gray, meanwhile, set an all-time record, becoming the only man EVER to start 4 games in a season in Yankee Stadium, in which he left after surrendering 5 or more runs and getting fewer than 12 outs.
Sonny's ERA in the Bronx is now 7.71, and the fateful inning when Gleyber Didn't Cover First also included four ringing singles, a double by a .206 hitter, a walk to a .157 hitter, and an inning ending double play on a hard hit fly to right.
But it was all Gleyber's fault.
Gray also managed to do something never seen before, which was to ruin not only his own start against what amounted to a minor-league team, but also spoil the Yankees' pitching rotation against Boston by forcing Lancelot Lynn to pitch over four innings of wasted relief, instead of getting to throw against a Red Sox team he had just done pretty well against.
But I'm sure that was Gleyber's fault, too.
If Phil Nevin really wants to yell at somebody where it would do the most good, his target should be his idiot boss, Brian Cashman, who has once again managed to screw up a highly promising Yankees team, or his manager, Ma Boone, who obediently keeps penciling in inane lineups and failing to light a fire under anybody on this flat and disinterested team.
But hey, why do that when you can take it out on the 21-year-old rookie who is the best hitter you got?
Re: The Rule 5 Draft
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering what the heck this rule SAYS. Here is a one-paragraph explanation from Pinstripe Alley (I hope it's not evil to quote that site here).
- - -
For a player to be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft, he must have either been 18 years old or younger when he signed and have played five seasons professionally, or 19 years old or older and have played four seasons professionally. Not coincidentally, Josh Rogers, Dillon Tate, and Cody Carroll, the three pitching prospects the Yankees yielded for Britton, all were 19 or older when they signed and were in the midst of their fourth professional season.
- - -
I hope this is correct, because it leads to understanding what the F Cashmoney has been up to.
My #1 question has been -- How does this rule apply to Justus Sheffield?
According to the Scranton team website, he began playing professional baseball in 2014 and is now age 22 (birthday in May). I believe this means he MUST be moved to the 40-man roster when the season ends, or he'll be draftable.
If this is all correct, it means Justus isn't being called up for any number of reasons. But shielding him from the draft does not (if I read this all correctly) appear to be one of them.
That leads me to conclude -- well, bring him up NOW already!!! Send Sonny away.
That sounds like another year of C.O.N.T.R.O.L. to me.
ReplyDeleteblame it on the bossa nova
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I missed this game. do any of you agree that The Gleyber performed poorly in the field last night?
ReplyDeletesad that a professional writer would try to hang a debacle like last night on the rookie. he's probably supporting the company line about how dangerous it is to have rookies in positions of responsibility and influence. I wouldn't doubt that he was fed that story line.
Oh, it's not just the Newsday guy but already the accepted wisdom amongst the Knights of the Press Box. And when you look at the play-by-play, it's purest malarkey.
ReplyDeleteYep, it's bad to make stupid mental errors in the field, and you should get yelled at for them, no matter how well you're hitting.
But here was Sonny Gray's second inning:
Danny Valencia singles to center.
Chris Davis walks. Danny Valencia to second.
Trey Mancini singles to left. Danny Valencia scores. Chris Davis to second.
CALEB JOSEPH SINGLES ON A BUNT TO THIRD. Chris Davis to third. Trey Mancini to second.
Renato Nunez doubles to right. Chris Davis scores. Trey Mancini scores. Caleb Joseph to third.
Breyvic Valera strikes out.
Tim Beckham singles to center. Caleb Joseph scores. Renato Nunez scores.
Jace Peterson singles to left. Tim Beckham to second.
Adam Jones lines into a double play, right to catcher to shortstop. Tim Beckham doubled off at second.
The only guy who scored on the GLEYBER NON-COVERAGE OF DEATH was the capitalized Caleb Joseph. Which really didn't matter so much because Gray kept giving up hits and walks to what was essentially a minor-league lineup.
In fact, if it had not been for Jones' bad luck and Beckham's brain fart, Sonny Gray probably would not have got out of the second inning, never mind the third.
If I watch my pitcher walk a .157 hitter in a key situation, I'm not waiting for Phil Nevins and the dugout. I am going to run out and scream in his face right on the mound, in front of 46,000 people in Yankee Stadium.
Really, to make the guy who hit 2 homers and drove in 4 runs the goat of this game is preposterous. The rest of the team looked as if it were recovering from a two-week bender.
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