Just to continue here the discussion that 13bit and ranger started on my last post, I heard Ms. Mendoza on ESPN last night saying that, out of the 3, supposed "elite" teams headed for October—Yanks, Dodgers, and Astros—she thought the Yanks had the edge.
Why? Because of all the expected returnees. The Yankees, she said, were already this good—and about to get back Severino, Betances, Stanton, Hicks, et al.
Hey, I respect Ms. Mendoza as a broadcaster, and I think she does a pretty good job in what would be a pretty tough world for any woman.
But she's dead wrong on this. It's the sort of argument that looks great on paper, but doesn't hold up in real life.
Mendoza might have a point if she were talking about a pennant race between the three teams, with two months to go. But as we all know:
—First, there's no saying all those guys will actually be there. Personally, I will be very, very surprised if we see hide or hair of Mr. Stanton until next February. And who knows if Sevvy's and Toonces' comebacks will hold up?
—Second, as we've all seen, over and over, it takes the average Yankee about a month to recover their game when returning from the EL. Much as I'd love to see Hicks back, for instance, we all know he will regain his swing about mid-November.
—Third, how much will they really add? Sure, a Sevvy suddenly returned to last year's midseason form—we can only hope he's learned to stop tipping his pitches—would be a game-changer. But what are the odds of that?
Toonces? Well, I suppose—if he's in 2016 trim again, about the last time we could count on him for consistently good performances.
Stanton? Let's face it, folks: his return would be a net negative, even if he's back to peak form.
Again, all these guys—even Giancarlo The Flailer—would help if it were a question of resting people and winning over the long term. In a short series? Save for a miraculously resurrected Sevvy, they won't make a bit of difference.
Don't forget Jordan Montgomery. He should be back within 10 days.
ReplyDeletehttps://elitesportsny.com/2019/09/01/jordan-montgomery-is-the-key-to-the-new-york-yankees-bullpen.
Monty and the General can talk over Allied strategy. When are we drafting a guy named Patton or Ike?
ReplyDeleteBtw, quite the great play by our left fielder. You know, the guy who plays lousy defense.
Well, that's the ball game. 6-0 in the eighth. Minor kicking their ass.
ReplyDeleteTurn our attention to the one game, winner take all game tomorrow in Scranton. RailRiders host the Syracuse Sky Mets for the International League North championship. Start time 1pm. General admission tickets $2. Unconfirmed rumor that Scranton native and Syracuse hero Gerry McNamara will throw out ceremonial first pitch.
ReplyDeleteTurns out, WE were the ones dragging ass. Minor had been slumping, too—not anymore.
ReplyDeleteAnd what...is a Sky Met?
Also, that ends the streak of not being shutout, right? At 220 games?
ReplyDeletePretty impressive. Though the 1931-33 Yankees still have the record, at 308 games.
Well, at least today was a day to pitch Tyler Lyons and Nestor Cortes, conqueror of Mexico. Onward and upward.
From 1934 until 2018, Syracuse's professional baseball team went by the nickname "Chiefs". For a decade or so around the turn of the century, the team adopted the unfortunate variation "Sky Chiefs". Nobody knows, or knew, why. The venerable "Chiefs" returned in time, until this year when the Fighting Madoffs bought the team and changed the nickname to the "Mets". What good's a pyramid scheme, after all, without very tight vertical integration? Anyway, "Sky Mets" they shall be to me, until the "Chiefs" return.
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ReplyDeleteSky Chiefs could have been derived from the old Texaco brand name for their high octane, premium gasoline Sky Chief which they heavily marketed from the late 1930's through the early 1960's. Unless you meant the turn of the twentieth century.
ReplyDelete@HC66 Tyler Lyons and Nestor Cortes Jr. Fine job by both of them. You go there Larry...you go there....
ReplyDelete#FYL #LarryManBoobs
Yeah, I have to agree, ranger: This is now 3 straight close games where Ma has tried to get by with last-minute roster pick-ups, or guys Coops picked up hitching by the side of the road on his way to the Stadium, take your pick.
ReplyDeleteThe first two times, miraculously, he got away with it. This time, he did not.
And sure, maybe they wouldn't have scored a damned thing anyway.
But are we really supposed to believe that it made no difference if the Yanks were down 2-0 as opposed to 6-0 in the bottom of the 8th, or 7-0 in the bottom of the 9th?
That's bloop-and-a-blast territory, as opposed to being completely out of it.
We have 8-9 relievers in the pen, but here it is September and we're still having to sign them up off the shape-up down on the docks. Something's wrong. I suspect that a lot of arms are hanging by a thread.
And that hanging thread means that they are hoping that Monty or Sevy or Fellin (Dellin if the real one is pitching) can help down the stretch. This is what Cash was hoping for. Years ago, Mike Lupica described the Yankee Brain Trust (what he called the Crack Baseball Committee) and their lack of good decisions. Now it's Cash and a Pentium 2 that's deciding.
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