You gotta be in it to win it

It's not like me to repeat the slogans of state lotteries, which I believe are generally an ill-conceived, immoral attempt to evade the true cost of running a decent society.

What was it that Richard Russo character called it?  "A tax on stupidity"?

But I gotta say, whoever came up with that slogan for the New York lottery was spouting something very relevant to our current discussions.

Time and again, I hear our more statistically inclined brethren and sistren talk about how I am underrating the wondritude of the all-or-nothing, home-run-or-strikeout kings, such as Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.

What can I say?  Judge, in particular, seems like a real mensch, a great teammate and an outstanding all-around player.  I even like those pathetic ads with the fake moustache.

And I admit that I am too hard on Stanton, who took the usual bear-baiting from the Knights of the Press Box in his first year without a whimper, and gave us a couple good months.

But who would win?

If you had, say, a season played out by Strat-o-matic or some such between a team of all Stantons or all Judges, versus one of all LeMahieus or all Urshelas, or even the wonderful mix we've had for the last few weeks?

Why, the LeMahieus, of course.  They would be at least 46-3 versus the Stantons, and 29-20 against the Judges.

Why?

BECAUSE THOSE PUMPED-UP SLUGGERS CAN'T STAY ON THE FIELD.  They would simply forfeit game after game, because an intrinsic part of their slugging technique is chronic injuries.

I came to the same revelation tonight with the news that James Paxton is still feeling pain and will, after having lost almost an entire month...miss still more time.

Was it Cone who called Paxton "Pettitte times five"?

No, he's not.

James Paxton is 30 years old, and has never thrown more than 160 1/3 innings in a major-league season—and he won't do it this season.  When Andy Pettitte was 30, he had already thrown more  innings than that 7 times in a season.  He would do it seven more times before he retired at 41, with 256 wins...and five rings.

Paxton has 44 lifetime wins.  If he gets to 100, it will be a major accomplishment.

Spare me your analysis of the two pitchers' FIP or WHIP or PIPP or QUIP.  If you're not out there, it don't mean a thing.

It's like saying Usain Bolt would win every marathon if he could run 26 miles and 385 yards at the speed with which he runs 100 meters.  Yeah, that's true.  But he can't.

The number two guy in Yankees history in games played, just behind Derek Jeter?

It's Mickey Mantle, who played 2,401 despite having osteomyelitis, a torn ACL in his rookie year that was never fully repaired, whatever crazy shit his body absorbed in what is, today, literally a fenced off Superfund site, and a major problem with alcohol.

I love Aaron Judge with the white-hot passion of a thousand suns.  But to reach Mantle's 2,401, he's going to have to play almost every game of every season for the next 13 years, until he is 40.

I have genuine admiration for Giancarlo Stanton.  But to get to that Mantle level, he will have to play almost 162 games a year for 8 years, until he is almost 38.

Which speaks to a real issue:  if you can't stay on the field, what does it say?  It doesn't matter how good you are if you're not in it.

If these guys cannot play anywhere near as often as the most constantly injured superstar in baseball history, what  are they doing?  How can you say their approach to the game is superior?