So - LA or Milwaukee? Which is Kong, and which is Godzilla? Here are some points of debate.
Chances of beating Boston: Edge Dodgers.
LA has playoff experience, a veteran team and a stopper, in Clayton Kershaw. I cannot escape the notion that Milwaukee is the Colorado Rockies of 2007, leaving their chances against the Redsocks akin to Jamal Kashoggie's in his "fist fight" against the Saudi 15-man professional assassin squad, (and yes, I do foresee a bone saw in Game Four.) Certainly, Milwaukee has enjoyed a magical run. And surely, if they beat LA, they'll be on stilts. But their season will already have been monumental, and I cannot imagine the fire burning for another two weeks. Boston will pulverize them. The Dodgers have a better chance.
Historical revenge: Edge Milwaukee.
Frankly, the Brewers have never really hurt the Yankees. Yeah, there was the mid-eighties when Cecil Fielder and Teddy Higuera took turns with the whip against us, but - you know what? We deserved it. They were the worst Yankee teams of my lifetime, and somebody had to do it As for the Dodgers, I'm still smarting from 1981, the last time we dueled, when they crushed us 4-2, and caused bad sport Goose to nearly kill Ron Cey. You can say it's been thirtysomething years, but I'll never forget that embarrassment. I simply cannot root for LA... unless, that is, they make it to the series.
Potential impact on 2019: Edge Milwaukee.
If the Dodgers win everything, it will heighten their chances of re-signing Manny Ma-jog-o. While I'm not sold on Manny, he still looks like the smartest free agent signing we could make. If the Dodgers lose to Milwaukee, the carping will start, and The Man might flee more quickly to the farthest coast. Other free agents: Ryu Hyun-Jin, the LA pitcher, is 32. And then there is Kershaw, whom I believe the Dodgers would spend whatever it takes to keep. As for the Brewers, their big free agent losses could be Gio Gonzalez and/or Wade Miley, and frankly, who gives a shit?
Unadulterated celebrity hatred: Edge Milwaukee.
Let's not hide our instinctive distaste for LA and the excesses of Hollywood celebrities who - if Boston wins - will line the field on both sides. The Redsocks have a huge cache of trendy, anti-NY celebrities, who swore allegiance during the Redsocks' tortured "chosen people" years before the Curse of the Bambino ended, and before Boston, in essence, became the new Evil Empire. I believe it will be tougher politically for the Boston celebrity machinery to root against cheese-loving middle America Milwaukee. If Boston beats LA, imagine their fun, razzing Kim and Kourtney at Emma Watson's next hookah party fundraiser for Human Rights among the Squirrel People of Bangladesh. If Boston wins, Ben can drink again! All will have a grand time!
Final, gut-level instinctive bile: Edge Milwaukee.
If Boston loses to LA, the Redsock ownership might spend even harder next winter, because big contracts will be how you win. If Milwaukee takes the ring, it would be a de facto victory for youth, and building a team the old-fashioned way: Coming in last for five years in a row. Maybe the Yankees will learn. But I doubt it. I'm still thinking of Emma Watson's party.
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19 comments:
The Brewers have never really hurt the Yankees? Didn't they produce Bud Selig?
(By the bye, where is Bud in the Right Universe?)
Any team that can sodomize the evil socks and send them home as losers is the right team.
Great analysis, Duque. But...
—Mein Kaiser has a great point about Evil Bud. Granted, he and his daughter have been gone for awhile. But still.
—The overriding point, I think: the Dodgers left. Sure, they were our fervent rival while they were still in Brooklyn. But a rival we could usually handle, and overall a credit to the sport, breaking the color line.
If not for the Dodgers, we might have still had both them AND the Giants in town. Years of Willie Mays. The Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field still standing.
I can't forgive them. Ever. In a World Series, I don't think I could even root for them against the Red Sox. The BoSox are simply bloated, self-important, hideously pious evil. The Dodgers are traitorous evil, pretty much the worst evil there is in baseball.
Sure, the Brew Crew in general looks like a bunch of overfed mediocrities who even we could take. But I say, Go Milwaukee!!
You underestimate the Dodgers fan base. Yes, celebs come out of the woodwork when they win. But on a day to day basis, Luis and Hector beat Murphy and Sully every single day. Not sure Vern and Ski do though. Viva los Doyers!
Milwaukee Brewers. They make beer!!
I've previously that if the Dodgers don't win they might be open to adding Stanton. Losing to the Brewers would only strengthen this possibility.
I don't hate the Dodgers. I don't hate LA. I liked living there. I talk to at least one of my friends from there pretty much every day. I didn't hate them in the 60's because of Koufax, I didn't hate them in the 70's because we could beat em. I didn't hate them in the 80's and 90's because LA was home and I don't hate them now. (Even after living for 5 years in SF.) Oh and I don't hate the Giants either. Or the Mets.
There's only ONE professional sports franchise that lives on my permanent shit list and we all know who they are... The Columbus Blue Jackets! Scum of the NHL!
To conclude: I'm OK with whoever wins tonight as long as they beat Boston. I'll leave you with something a buddy of mine sent me this AM.
https://abc.go.com/shows/jimmy-kimmel-live/video/featured/VDKA5881153
Doug K.
UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE IS BEATING BOSTON.
HAVEN'T WE SEEN ENOUGH?
WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL TURN OUR ATTENTION TO, IS ONE, MANNY MACHADO.
HE IS NOW BEING BOOED, AND SEEN AS THE VILLAIN, NOT ONLY IN MILWAUKEE, BUT I BELIEVE ALL AROUND THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY.
NOW, WITH THE PRESSURE CRANKED UP, HE IS STRIKING OUT, AND NOT LOOKING GOOD AT ALL.
I'M WATCHING GAME 7 TONIGHT, MOSTLY WITH MY EYES GLUED ON MACHADO.
COOP SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME.
DOUG K....GREAT THEORY ON THE DODGERS POSSIBLY WANTING TO ADD STANTON IF THEY LOSE.
IF THAT MAY BE THE CASE....GO BREW CREW!
Let Manny go somewhere else. It will be a bunch of LONGTERM money for the wrong wrench.
You guys are both correct and dreaming.
1. The correct part is that the World Series is already over. If I were the mayor of Boston, I would schedule the parade tomorrow, while the weather is good.
2. The dreaming part is : "There is no team, anywhere in this universe, who would trade for Stanton, or take him as a player, under any circumstance whatsoever." I won't get to test this premise, but: I believe no team would take Stanton if we offered him for nothing and paid all his salary.
I would like to see Stanton traded (because I think we could do better for the money in terms of versatility and length of the contract but I wonder if we're not being too hard on the guy.
After all he's an...
Adequate fielder
Good clubhouse guy
Carried the team when Judge went down.
Hit against Oakland in the wild card game.(and against Boston in the regular season)
Then again he ... Stunk up the ALCS.
So I was curious about his numbers . I looked at his Age 27-8 seasons (which were his last two) and then looked at some other Yankee outfielders age 27-8 seasons.
HR RBI Avg. OPS
Stanton 97 232 .273 .930
Ruth 76 226 .359 1.200+ (That's why he's Babe Ruth!)
Jackson 61 210 .290 .909
Mantle 71 169 .280 .931
Murcer 32 183 .289 .765
Just sayin'
Doug K.
All of the above considered, with the game on the line I would rather have any of the above at the plate ahead of Stanton. I'm just saying he's not dog crap.
Doug K.
SORRY DOUG K....
GOTTA GO WITH DOG CRAP WITH RISP.
AWFUL, JUST AWFUL.
LOOKS LIKE HE HAS NO PLAN AT THE PLATE OTHER THAN OBLITERATING THE BALL WITH EVERY SWING.
I'M AFRAID THAT WILL NEVER PLAY IN MOST PLAYOFF SITUATIONS FACING BETTER PITCHING.
MOVE HIM DOWN IN THE ORDER (WHICH WE WONT).
Torino 9.
Thing is, Doug K., nice as those Stanton stats look, the better half of them by far came in the first season, in Miami with absolutely zero pressure.
Meanwhile, Mantle's "27" year was his very worst (1959) in an 11-year run. The one year in that streak when the Yanks were out of it early and never really contended.
In other words:
No pressure on: Mantle's worst year.
No pressure on: Stanton's best year.
Mantle's 27-28 also came in what was more of a pitcher's time—thanks to MLB installing the High strike—than Stanton's.
Reggie's 27-28, included his 1973 MVP. He was the MVP in the World Series the same year, devastating the Mets, and his team won rings in both 1973-74. In the 1974 WS, he had "only" 1 HR and 1 ribbie in 5 games...but a 1.045 OPS. This was also in what was still more of a pitcher's era.
Murcer's 27-28 were those same 1973-74 years—and 1974 was one of Murcer's least productive seasons in the majors, thanks to the Flushing Captivity in 1964, during which Murcer hit only 10 home runs, which led to his trade for Bobby Bonds.
And of course, Murcer was an excellent centerfielder, who won a Gold Glove in 1971.
ALL-CAPS, I mostly dread a Manny Machado era, too. But I frankly don't think that Cashman is capable of identifying, signing and/or nurturing a better player.
And tonight, Manny has responded to an attempt to run him out of Milwaukee by the fans with two hits, including a key bunt single, and a very nice, single-handed double-play.
He has—at least so far—picked it up.
We'll see how he does against the Red Sox who will, as Alphonso predicts, run away with the World Series.
I would say BoSox in four.
ALL CAPS and Hoss,
Yeah... you're both right. BTW I wasn't cherry picking years I just took the last two and them matched them up with the other Yankees.
Stanton is NOT clutch at all. I looked. His avg goes down something like 40 pts when things are on the line. He's still not total crap though. He may have that A-rod stats compiler kind of thing going.
As I said above, of the players on that list he would be my last choice to come up with the game on the line.
As to the Machado fear... I can't shake the feeling that because of all this stuff he's doing (I read that he was crotch grabbing today) his price will go down and he will become an "irresistible bargin" at 275 mil for 10 years WAY below the 350 million he wants. Sort of like how Stanton was an irresistible trade.
Oh well...
Doug K.
Doug K., I would never accuse you of that. The years match up with the ages.
And you're right: Stanton DID carry the team for about a month, after Coops traded our every reserve outfielder. He hit well much of the season, put up with plenty of booing, and was a positive influence in the clubhouse, as you say.
He is, of course, a very limited player in that he's a terrible outfielder, and he's not great in the clutch. On the other hand, all the Yanks gave up for him was a minor-league pitcher who looks as though he's not going to make it, and Castro, who had a mediocre year and whose departure opened up a spot for The Gleyber. (It remains an open question as to whether Castro could have been traded for a much-needed pitcher.)
In general, I suspect that Stanton is yet another victim of a coaching and managerial philosophy that seems to eventually diminish every Yankees player.
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