COVID. Masks. Distancing. Washing hands. The awfulness of everything...
It's ruined the season. It just ain't right. Jesus never wore a mask. It's wrecked our freedoms. It's wrecked our bars. The Founding Fathers wouldn't allow this. George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. Paul Revere and the Raiders. Before you find out it's too late, girl you better get straight!
Yesterday, Boston held a team meeting. Later, OF Kevin Pillar told the Herald.
“You ground out to first base or third base, you come off the field and moments after you catch your breath, you’re required to put a mask on. It’s not what we’re accustomed to doing, and if you allow that sort of stuff to frustrate you even more, you’re kind of already behind the eight ball.”
I get Pillar's frustration. I hate wearing a mask. It scratches. I have to enunciate my words carefully. It must ruin quality infield chatter. With such a weird, short season, you must feel like phoning it in. When Boston lost Eduardo Rodriguez to the heart ailment, I think it freaked everyone out. In a normal season, this slow start would be a hiccup. This year, it may already be too late. And the Redsocks look awful.
Rafael Devers is hitting below .200; worse, his throws to first are sailing. JD Martinez looks lost; he'll soon be traded. The staff is all-Pawtucket after Nathan Eovaldi; the other night, he gave up eight. I can't remember in the last 20 years when Boston looked so poised to lose. Last night, in the ninth, they mounted a mini-threat against Zack Britton. In the old days, smelling a rally, they'd grind out a 12-pitch walk and drive us crazy. Last night, they went down swinging at balls in the dirt.
Were this a John Wayne movie, you'd listen to the crickets and say, "Things are quiet, too quiet." Tonight, expect Boston to storm the barricades. This may be their last stand. Eleven in a row would sure feel sweet. A Yankee win could effectively kill them in 2020.
Quickies:
1. Last night, John Sterling summoned-up a serviceable, four-second WinWarble, easing concerns about his state of mind. Saturday night, he didn't bother, leaving panicked fans to WTF? across the Yankiverse. Some suggest it's the lack of fans in the seats. Some worry that The Master is calling in pain. We are monitoring the situation.
2. Miguel Andujar is back, at least for the time being. I still believe he and Clint Frazier are the two most important batters in the lineup. Each needs 100 plate appearances in this quickie season. Each could replace Giancarlo Stanton, whom the Yankees must trade over the winter. Hal Steinbrenner must throw a shitload of cash toward any team that will take Stanton. The worst thing we can do is let him stand in the way of Andujar or Frazier.
3. Certainly, a lot will change between now and Oct. 15. But does anybody else feel that this season is fated to boil down to the Yanks v Dodgers?
Posts
12 comments:
I seem to remember that Sterling did not bother doing the win warble in the past if it was a total blowout laugher. There was no drama at the end. Perhaps I just didn't pay enough attention but I just don't remember him doing it at the end of every Yankee win.
Stanton should've been traded after his first year here. That would've been the intelligent decision. It may be too late now. We may have to buy out his contract; in effect, pay him to go away.
Yankees-Dodgers World Series should've happened in 2017 and 2018. We were robbed by the cheaters using technology. I think we would have beaten the Dodgers both years. That's two WS championships stolen away.
The Hammer of God
So sayeth the Lord. And I have to agree.
The wife informs me that the most effective masks are the blue surgical type. We've worn them a number of times and they do not in any way effect your breathing. So Pillar is full of shit. Plus, I've yet to see a shot of their dugout where everyone is wearing a mask. Double full.
By the way, the wife also informs me that those neck cowl masks are the absolute worst. They're only one layer and actually split the virus into multi molecules when you exhale. Or something. She's smarter than me, so I never remember absolutely everything.
You might notice that the neck cowl is what Frazier wears. All the time. Not that he's trying to infect anyone. Certainly wouldn't want to put another Yankee on the IL with a positive test. Now would he?
Bwahahahahahaha.
Yes, the warble was back in the repertoire again last night. Makes me wonder all the more what happened on Saturday? After so many years of doing it, I would think it would be as natural as breathing for him, to include. And a real conscious consideration to NOT include it.
Seeing as he is very circumspect about himself (NEVER even seems to address his absences over the past year), I don’t think we’ll ever definitively know.
There is little chance the Yankees win some sham best of 3 play off series. None of this matters with that as the looming bottleneck. We will dissect and equivocate and blame Boone and cash and Sanchez or whoever, but really it will be that damn 3 game format
A few thoughts:
1) Frazier looks like Bazooka Joe's friend. But he hits like Bazooka Joe.
2) I was watching some playoff hockey the other day. The Carolina Hurricane. I always find it weird when thy name a team after a natural disaster that tends to hit the area. It's like naming a soccer team the "Pompei Lava".
3) anon - yes the two out of three is going to be a big issue because every team has a couple of good/great starters. Or a hot pitcher. It's very lame that the top seed doesn't get a bye.
4) An ESPN announcer yesterday, I forget which one, was advocating that MLB change the rules to force two infielders to start on each side and have to start in the dirt. I like that a LOT. It would restore the game to some form of normalcy. If I see Ford hit to a guy in shallow right one more time...
5)They are still playing!
Doug K.
I know, Doug K. It's as if we had a team named the New York Freezing Drizzling Gray Days.
But I'm against any forced, mechanical changes in the game. Teach players to bunt and hit to the opposite field. The shifts will end. The game will get better. How hard is this?
And no, the Yankees will not win a playoff series unless it is against the Minnesota Twins. Not enough starting pitching.
Were you another team, what, precisely, would you trade for GStanton?
Other than, maybe, a bag of celery.
Top Ten Things to Be Said for Masks:
10. Shave? Shave what?
9. Cold Sore Mania!
8. Do-overs on every stupid thing you say.
7. Two words: garlic fries.
6. Ready for "Old Town Road" karaoke at a moment's notice.
5. No one asks, "Hey, what're you grinnin' at?"
4. Makes it easy to do Brando-as-Col. Kurtz imitation: "The horror! The horror!"
3. Leftovers!
2. Ability to strike fear in the heart of stagecoach drivers everywhere.
1. Everyone's a ventriloquist!
Hoss,
I agree that a return to fundamentals would restore the game but other sports have player placement rules.
Off sides in soccer and hockey.
Zone defense in basketball (I don't know if this is legal now or not. I know it was then it wasn't.)
Football has illegal formations.
Plus, score cards will make sense again. A 6-3 ground out will mean that the ball was hit to the left side. As opposed to the shortstop standing in right and getting Mike Ford out again!
Doug K.
Hoss,
Especially liked the stagecoach one.
More advantages in wearing masks.
1) My daughter no longer needs braces!
2) Makes it easier to identify assholes.
3) They serve as a constant reminder that we live in an alternate universe.
Doug K.
A coworker came in wearing a red bandana mask. I told him he looked like was dressed like a golden retriever. I wasn’t fired. All in all a good day.
I really want the world to know about this great man who brought back happiness into my life again after my husband left me and the kids 3 years ago for another women online when i contacted Dr Believe he cast a love spell for me within 48 hours my ex husband start calling me and begging for forgiveness for everything that have happened between us. I was so happy to have my family back together with love again here is the email of Dr Believe via believelovespelltemple@gmail.com a man with the great powers you can also call him or add him on Whats-app: +2348156148821
God bless you
I am very grateful for your help in my marriage.
Post a Comment