As Boston marches toward another world championship, we can monitor the Arizona Fall League, where Estevan Florial is striking out and dropping fly balls.
As the Redsocks dominate LA, we get to read NY Times features on how splintered bats are recycled into chopsticks.
As the world revels in Boston's success, we get to watch Yankee ownership (via YES) already whining about the money it would take to sign Bryce Harper.
As Boston plans its celebration, we get stories that suggest Sonny Gray on the trade market might bring us, gulp, Ivan Nova.
Soon, this sorry year will end. The world will "steal" its Taco Bell free taco. The football Giants will start Dopey Dildox at QB. The Knicks will cement themselves into last place. And Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman will start weaving another magical tapestry of analytics, which always seem better on paper than on a field of grassd.
Soon, we will trade for another "power arm," the Cashmanic equivalent of Hollywood's Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
Soon, we will assemble a 2019 lineup capable of hitting 300 home runs and never once beating an over-shift with a calculated bunt.
Soon, we could be looking at the first team to leave 1,000 runners in scoring position.
Wait a minute... Am I being unfairly pessimistic?
After all, we did win 100 games. We took Boston to the mat in Game 4. Ten more feet of carry, and Gary Sanchez's fly ball becomes one of the greatest comebacks in history. If Boston sweeps LA, as looks likely, this becomes the second straight year that the Yankees gave the eventual world champions their toughest post-season tussle. Doesn't that mean something?
(Long pause, signifying contemplation.)
Chopsticks, folks.
All the Yankees did in 2018, and all we did... we made chopsticks.
Boston made rings. We. Made. Chopsticks.
It means nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees success used to be measured on the field in Championships for the multitudinous fans. Now it is measured in the boardroom in corporate profits for the few super rich.
There is much wrong right now. Those that will not see it, chose to remain ignorant.
So endeth the JuJu.
Couldn't agree more WW, so endeth the JuJu INDEED!
ReplyDeleteOur record means nothing. Once we got knocked out, all stats became meaningless - except as an example of how stats can be grossly overvalued. I'm not even talking about analytics here, although I have my opinions.
ReplyDeleteI'm talking about "wins," "homers" and individual player stats, which we use to justify bad trades.
It's like the difference between intelligence and book knowledge. We have morphed into a team that seems to value flashy stats over good baseball skills. Did this begin with the Giambino or even earlier? I'd say it happened much earlier.
Anyway, I have come to accept, as I did with the Jets a long time ago, that the players are not at fault - the Front Office is the problem, along with management. And, as long as the current regime holds on to gerrymandered, rock-solid hold on the organization, nothing will change.
I'm not going anywhere - hopefully - but I feel like whistling "So long, it's been nice to know ya..." all day long...
....."SOON WE COULD BE THE FIRST TEAM TO LEAVE 1,000 MEN ON BASE".
ReplyDeleteTHAT SAYS IT ALL IN A NUTSHELL.
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTACT.
WATCH BOSTON.
THEIR BIG THUMPERS, (BETTS AND JD), NOT ONLY MAKE CONTACT WITH RISP, BUT SEEMINGLY SHORTEN THEIR SWINGS TO A DEGREE. ACTUALLY, THE WHOLE LINEUP DOES THIS.
AS OPPOSED TO OUR LINEUP THAT KEEPS WAILING AWAY NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION.
WHAT IS OUR HITTING COACH PREACHING?
....OR DOES HE HAVE ANY SAY AT ALL?
THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
There are no moral victories in baseball.
ReplyDeleteOur team is a bunch of losers.
The more money paid, the bigger the losers are.
Strike out.
Look at the Jumbotron board.
See that the pitch you swung at was two feet off the plate and in the dirt.
Ot the one called strike three cut the plate in half at your waist.
Note the guys on base with hands on hips and heads hanging low.
Furrow your brow.
Slink into the dugout and place your useless bat back into the rack.
Chalk up another big loss.
Open another bag of pumpkin seeds.
Go away.
I posted this yesterday but I think it understandably got lost in the shuffle.
ReplyDelete" I had not watched the Dodgers this year and so last night was my first time both seeing them and hearing how the announcers present their relative strengths and weaknesses.
They rely on the long ball. They don't hit situationally (more on that below) and their manager pulled a dominant reliever out of the game to "get a better match up" and the new reliever promptly gave up a three run HR and put the game out of reach.
In other words they are the Yankees.
I really hope that Boston's display of offensive balance and approach to hitting comes back into vogue. They are A LOT better than the Dodgers. They were A LOT better than us.
Amazingly the only player who did hit situationally was Machado. He drove in three runs all by shortening his swing and making contact with guys in scoring position. Also he has a gun for an arm and when he cares (like he did yesterday) he can really bring it.
He probably earned 20 million dollars last night. (Because I've got him in the 8 year 230M range)
Last: At one point Dozier had to cover first and the announcer said, "Machado to Dozier" and I thought crap there it is. Your 2019 Yankee infield. I really hope Dozier keeps stinking it up. He has Neal Walker and Steven Drew written all over him."
Doug K.
I read it yesterday, DK. It was not lost on me. Your analyses are cogent and appreciated.
ReplyDeletethe more I see how Machado is handling himself, the more I want to see him as a Yankee. I am in the process of doing a 180 on Manny. 90 degrees to go and I'll be totally on board with his acquisition. I am absolutely in sync with your analysis, Doug.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Doug K., and I agree, ALL-CAPS.
ReplyDeleteThe Sox started their winning rally when, with two outs, the great Christian Vazquez hit a single. After that, one hitter after another just kept the line moving, as the 1996-2001 Yankees used to say, staying within themselves, getting clutch hits and walks, never trying to do too much.
And I am quickly coming around to your point of view again, KD: just so long as they don't trade Andujar—a big so long, I know—I'd just as soon see them sign up every big name they can.
At least that way we'll be entertained.
The utter and complete meltdown of the farm system—which seems to be continuing in Arizona—is something that really should be investigated, and would be in a more competent organization.
ReplyDeleteI have never in my life seen so many teams and players at every level, go from dominant, winning prospects to complete dreck in the space of just a year.
Obviously, something happened. Somebody left—Oppenheimer?—or somebody came in and issued more idiotic dictates along the type of the "don't hesitate to take a called third strike variety."
Whatever. It has now made picking up talent on the market—the worst and least reliable way to rebuild—a necessity.
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