One measly night.
Thus, the Dolan and Steinbrenner clans have at long last achieved the equality of malfeasance, their family businesses winning just enough to turn a profit, while remaining safely below the Peter Angelos Line of Ownership Mediocrity.
As the Yanks came within three straight from Tampa, and as the Knicks came home to face Atlanta, the rug was pulled, the chips were called, the cattle was culled, the bit was spit - insert trope here - because the Rays don't fool around, mince their words, put on their pants one leg at a time.
So, with Boston finally visiting, here is our 2021 Wild Card race:
We can yowl to the hills how the Yankees flop against Tampa, but that's not our style. As thinking fans, we should contemplate the first-ever...
10-POINT IT-IS-HIGH LIST OF FUNDAMENTAL JUNE 4TH REALITIES:
1. The Yankees are legitimate Wild Card contenders. I believe this reflects Hal's baseline: If this motley team can make the post-season, anything can happen. So... for now, anyway... mission accomplished, Brian!
2. The Yankees have a potential game one ace in Domingo German. (Ha! Fooled ya.)
3. We will face at least two more waves of injuries. Look at tonight's lineup and imagine at three starters with gonads inflamed to the size of Einstein bagels. Between now and October, the casualty count will remake this team.
4. Know how they say champs are solid up the middle? The Yankees right now - Sanchez, Odor, Gleyber & Gardy - don't look fated for the Canyon of Heroes. Can they improve? Sure, each could. Also, consider LeMahieu at 2B and Judge in CF. Better, right?
5. Boston may be playing above themselves. This weekend, we'll get a better picture of what we're up against. How good is Alex Verdago, or Verdigo, Verdingo... whatever.
6. Frankly, we should fear Toronto. They've now survived two months playing in Florida, outdoors, sweltering, with the pythons, the sinkholes, the shootings and the incest. Now, they're in Buffalo, a veritable upstate paradise during June. By August, they could be home in beery Toronto. Don't underestimate how much that will spur them.
7. We can only lose six more times to Tampa this season, including three on the last weekend, after the Rays have clinched and are playing scrubbinies.
8. By September, some prospects might be ready. One currently tagging my elbow: 25-year-old LH SS Hoy Jun Park, who is raking (.362) in his first - albeit brief, small sample size - shot at Triple A. We signed Park in the 2014 international free agent roundup, when the Yankees gathered a bunch of young specimens worthy of Mrs. Falwell. He's bumped around for seven years, so long he became part of the landscape. If Park - who plays around the infield - keeps hitting at Scranton, he could change the dynamic of this team.
9. Luis Severino. We can talk about Britton, Voit, Kluber, et al. But Sevy is the wild card of the Wild Card race. Can he return? Will he be any good? Will he relieve? Will he start? What do we have here?
10. Damn. I shouldn't have made this a 10-point list. I got nothing. Calgon Bath Oil Beads, help me out...
And we're only 4 games behind in the all-important loss column.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, let's get the kid SS up here.
The whole season, more than most, is a total crapshoot. It depends on whether our better hitters--like DJ--can find their way to "normal" performance. Not in HRs, but just in solid hitting. It depends on how the injured pitchers pitch when they're not injured. (How much wood could a...ah, you know.) It depends on who gets injured, when, and for how long.
We have a shot at 7 and 11. Unfortunately, there are 10 other numbers, and 2, 3, and 12 are among them. That's when we don't even make the playoffs.
Place yer bets, ladies and gents.
By the way, as Pete Rose sits barred from baseball and from making the HOF, does anyone else wince every time the Yankees Official Online Betting Site pops up on the screen? How the worm has turned on that one.
ReplyDeleteNY Yankees total payroll = $202,186,885
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay Rays total payroll = $67,628,607
Tampa Bay
36-22 .621
NY Yankees
31-26 .544
Well, at least Harold "Food Stamps" Steinbrenner can say we are under the MLB luxury limit.
So, we've got that going for us.
One editorial aside;
ReplyDeleteAs to point #7 - the " Scrubeenies" Tampa will be playing after they have clinched their playoff spot will be better than any Yankee starter ( or " regular" in the vernacular ).
Hoy Jun Park is an interesting situation. I was trying to figure out who on the 40-man would have to be removed to put Park on the roster. We have a bunch of retread pitchers who are there because of the many pitchers we have on EL right now.
ReplyDeleteJM, I wince along with you. There going to be a beautiful betting scandal some day. Maybe some Hal or other will be tempted to triple his profits by betting against his team.
ReplyDeletePoint No. 10: The guy we thought was a #1 starter is nothing but a fancy cocksucking pansy.
ReplyDeleteHe's better than Sonny Gray, yes, but that's not saying much. So yesterday Mr. Cockstud gets outpitched by lefty Joe Schmo. A complete game by a soft throwing junk ball artist. To Gerrit Cole: How about learning how to pitch? Start by watching that performance by a nameless, dart-thrower, who can't even break a pane of glass with his fastball, who gets paid less than 1% of your salary. This ain't the first time this has happened. It's not an anomaly. It's not Gary Sanchez. I'm tired of hearing that this jackass is the "second best pitcher in baseball". He's not. Not by a long shot. Try maybe the 90th best pitcher in baseball. A truly disgusting performance in a game that we really needed.
The Hammer of God
Watching Wed. game I don't believe I've ever seen such a sorry clinic of baserunning such as Torres put on. Could his family be held hostage by gamblers (Seriously hope not), was he stoned? Worried about the markets? I dunno, one out on the worst dive to first base I've ever seen (how do you get picked off with that short of a lead?), one lost base when he FIGURED that his soft liner would be caught (had he run he would have easily been on second), and of course his homerun which almost wasn't. Stuff like this can't be good for team morale, and coupled with our catcher's normal follies becomes a cancer. Boone needs to publicly embarrass these guys, maybe pull them in the middle of an inning (I'm thinking Billy Martin). I was watching the game out of the Tampa studio, even their announcers were disgusted... Well, I have to backtrack and say that you don't give away "talent" in a pique of anger, that's for the off-season. But Boone should be fired, and soon. Cashman should be fired in August.
ReplyDeletePete Rose was a degenerate gambler who just HAD to bet not only on baseball, but his own team. The owners are a pretty nasty lot of degenerates, but they make the rules, Rose knew the score, and he got burned. Sometimes the dice just don't roll you way.
ReplyDeleteI fell like it's 35 years old ago again today.!!
ReplyDeleteI had "marital relations" with my sweet wife while the kids are gone [Full disclosure -they are all married and moved away.]
and today's line-up reminds me of the 1990 Yankees.
What no Kevin Maas?
The Born Again Archangel
[Hey, I know that this is an "edgy" post, but I at least I did not call anyone a "pansy."]
LMAO!
ReplyDeleteThank God I didn't say what I really thought of Cole and his performance. I didn't realize "fancy cocksucking pansy" was such a low blow. In the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice: I apologize to all the little tots who might be reading this here blog, but I still think Cole is a tick turd.
ReplyDeleteThe Hammer of God
Hammer,
ReplyDeleteI guess George the maniacal wouldn't be OK here discussing Hideki Irabu.
And Cole is a little bit better than that. Even though he wasn't good yesterday.
Even Guidry lost a game or two occasionally.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteLOTTO, lottery,jackpot.
Hello all my viewers, I am very happy for sharing this great testimonies,The best thing that has ever happened in my life is how I win the lottery euro million mega jackpot. I am a Woman who believe that one day I will win the lottery. finally my dreams came through when I email believelovespelltemple@gmail.com and tell him I need the lottery numbers. I have spend so much money on ticket just to make sure I win. But I never know that winning was so easy until the day I meant the spell caster online which so many people has talked about that he is very great in casting lottery spell, . so I decide to give it a try.I contacted this great Dr Believe and he did a spell and he gave me the winning lottery numbers. But believe me when the draws were out I was among winners. I win 30,000 million Dollar. Dr Believe truly you are the best, all thanks to you forever