Neutral ground, Tanaka and Tauchman... the London experiment is finally here

1. Something I never expected in my lifetime: A game between the Yankees and Redsocks on neutral ground. No Bronx berserkers. No Fenway fanatics. An equal playing field. Amazing.

Or will it be equal? My guess is the crowd will slightly favor us, reflecting the historical and magnetic ties between NY and London. Also, Boston can no longer claim status as adorable underdogs, as it did through the turn of the century. Boston is the dominant franchise in Major League Baseball, the closest to a dynasty that there is. 

I'm not sure the locals will give a shit about the differences between the two. They might associate the "Yanks" with WWII, and the recent anniversary of Normandy, and cheer the team. They might associate them Donald Trump, and boo lustily. Who knows? Most interesting to me will be whether the crowds show basic knowledge of the game. If a batter moves a runner to third with a ground ball to right, will he receive an ovation? (Not sure he gets one in Toronto, by the way.) Will fans shout "Luuuuuuuk?" For that matter, will anyone get booed?  

Much has been said about the crazy park dimensions and fake grass. They'll affect both teams equally. The intangible is the crowd. Will we hear a soccer-style craziness?  

2. Finally, the Death Star is giving Masahiro Tanaka a game on the world stage. When Tanaka signed in 2014, he surely expected to pitch in the World Series by now. He's started five post-season games, gone 3-2 with an ERA of 1.50. But no World Series. (Of course, today's game isn't one, either.) 

When he takes the mound, the whole world will be watching. At last.

We can debate whether Tanaka should have had that elbow surgery back in 2015, and what kind of pitcher he'd now be. Who the fuck gives a shit? What's done is done. Unless you find that porthole to an alternative galaxy, save your breath. The truth is, Tanaka has been a great teammate, a great Yankee, and we should wonder why Hal Steinbrenner hasn't signed another Asian free agent, especially considering their success in America. As the Yankees sit out auctions for Japanese talent, it's as if they're saying, "We have our Asian player, so we don't need another." Tanaka will be a free agent in 2021. Will that be when we finally look westward again? If so, is there a better definition of institutional racism?

3. Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman has gone public with an explanation of why Clint Frazier didn't make the London trip, even though he seems like the natural person to replace Giancarlo the Breakable. (Be honest: When Stanton went down, didn't you immediately think: Good! Frazier hits better anyway!) Cashman says veteran lug nut Mike Tauchman was always going to jump the puddle because of the wide foul lines and the extra OF to cover in London, and they wanted a fielder. Okay, makes sense. Let's give them that.

Also, Cashman denies setting a new Guinness World Record for Pettiness by punishing young Frazier for taking his allotted three days before arriving in Scranton this month. He says Frazier's three days of travel - he must have gone by camel - made no difference in the Yankee decision. Okay, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. 

But it's not as if the Yankee front office has had a winning month. Dallas Keuchel pitched into the sixth inning this week, giving up 3 runs to the Cubs. He's improving with every start. Meanwhile, the Yankees are touting their success with the Bullpen Gang of Seven going every fifth day, a plan designed to meltdown by October. We desperately needed a starter, and Hal let himself be outbid by a measly $1 mill. That leaves Frazier in the outbox, no matter what our owner says about his love and respect for young talent. 

Two games in London. I've hated this idea since they announced it. But today, it should be fun.