The Cash Men beat Detroit yesterday - third time they've played the Tigers this spring - scoring 11 runs against Rodriguez, Foley, Castillo, Garcia & Barnes. (No Celino?)
1. Gleyber. After yesterday's leadoff HR, Torres notched his annual "big year ahead for Gleyber?" story in the courtier media. Actually, it's a bit late. (Twice bitten, you know.) Apparently, Boone sees him as the everyday 2B, plus the "break-glass" option at SS, if/when everything goes sideways. This is his crossroads season. At 25, he's still young enough for Demi Moore. Still, last year, he hit only 9 HRs (Kyle Higashioka hit 10) and batted .259 (following a 2020 season of 3 HRs and .246.) He's three years removed from his 38 HR season, and the great Yankee rebuild of 2017 is losing its historical luster. Another meh season, and Gleyber becomes the new Gary Sanchez - the guy we should have traded... (looks at watch)... right about now.
2. Deivi. Speaking of hope - (wait, were we speaking of hope?) - Deivi Garcia! Yesterday, he threw three innings, gave up a solo HR and a hit. We've discussed last year's meltdown, how the brain trust practically had him throwing sidearm, and the REDUCED PRICE FOR CLEARANCE sign he's worn this spring. Still, there used to be something here. Deivi turns 23 in May, probably celebrating in Scranton, (unless Setback Severino has a setback; what are the odds?) Hey, there is still hope for this guy. We do remember hope, right?
3. Kepner's Comet. Yesterday, Tyler Kepner of The Times suggested the 2022 AL East might be the toughest division in baseball history.
Overreach? Yeah, maybe... but get this: Last year, the AL East became the first division ever with four teams, each winning 90 games or more. That's not nothin'.
Kepner keyed on Toronto as team to beat. Then Tampa, then the Yankees and Redsocks, chasing the Bronze Medal. I know you'll think I'm daft, but allow me to yell once again at the mountainside: Don't sleep on Baltimore.
One of these days, the O's - with CF Mullins, SS Mateo and 1B Mountcastle - will rise up and clean our hubris-laden clocks. They've successfully tanked now for six years - six! (It took Houston seven, by the way, and they're still a power.) With the new draft pick lottery going into effect next year, The O's could become the last great Tank Team in history. They have the game's most ballyhooed prospect, catcher Adley Rutschman and a farm system deeper than Jessica Chastain. One of these days...
Look, I'm not saying Baltimore is an Astro-level, once-in-a-generation, gold-standard Tanker. But in terms of the Tank, the O's have proven to be relentless. Trust the Tank. The Tank always wins. Tanking takes time, and Baltimore's time is coming. Ours, on the other hand, may have come and gone.
Deivi Crockett is only 23. He's not toast yet.
ReplyDeleteSevvy, though...I don't know, man...
Why even bother searching for meaning anymore? There is no meaning. The search is just performance. Let's all just sit back in the Barcaloungers and wait for the Yank-pocalypse to finish burning out all around us.
ReplyDeleteGo Mets...
There's a rule in MLB that you can't play the Tigers 162 games a year...you can look that up...
ReplyDeleteDonaldson is expected to resume baseball activities any day now.
ReplyDeleteWhat's worse than a Yank-pocalypse> what we've been living, the Almost Tank-A-YankPocalypse,,,, I'm preying for 80 games or less so maybe Cashman gets kicked to the curb,,, I know I know
ReplyDeleteI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This is not the collapse season, they might actually get past the play in before bouncing out in the second round.
ReplyDeleteThe full collapse, the Baltimore passed us by year, will be 2025. Donaldson will be gone, Rizzo will be gone, Judge may be gone, and Cole has an opt out after the 2024 season. Does anyone think, barring injury, he’s not opting out?
Aren't the Ukrainians kind of proving that the era of the tank is over? I kid, I kid. (What, too soon?)
ReplyDeleteBut Kepner's also wrong—watch this space!