Friday, April 29, 2022

So, are the Yankees this good, or is Baltimore that bad?

Six in a row. Eight out of 10. Tied for 2nd best record in baseball. (And in NYC.) Is it real, or is it Memorex? Or, more likely, Balto/Cleve?

Clearly, the O's and Guards played Will Smithian roles in this week's visits by Mister Ryan McBroom. Especially the O's, whom I - obviously, naively - assumed would improve this season (dismissing the John/Suzyn Scale of Baseball/Life Predictability.) 

Listen, no team sucks forever, right? Stopped clock, right? Yet there they were yesterday, with Jorge Mateo at SS, where the Yanks punted on him four years ago, waving his glove at grounders like a matador at a charging bull. Same old O's. Fourth worst record in baseball. Wasting Cedric Mullins in CF. Still waiting on Trey Mancini, when Henry Mancini might be a better bet. How do they do it?

Okay, everybody, keep repeating, "TO BEAT THE RAYS, YOU BASH BALT BIGGER... TO BEAT THE RAYS, YOU BASH BALT BIGGER..." And we did. So there's that. 

And I'm not dismissing the fact that during my bout of Covid - (no lie, I had it) - we won six straight. Scientists know little about the mysterious phenomenon called "Sick Juju," but it's real. You get a toothache or a swollen thingy, and your team goes on a tear. Nobody knows why. But I believe it's because the juju gods are pleasuring themselves with you. (They have no discipline.) They want to see how much pain you will accept, in return for a few wins. This week, it worked - though Baltimore also had something to do with it. 

Okay, as they say in the Canadian comedy, LETTERKENNY, "Pitter patter, let's get at'er:" What hath this streak shown?

1. Our bullpen has started to wince. Four arms per game will do that. It remains our strongest strength. It might be best in baseball. But both Jonathan Loaisiga and Mean Chad Green have endured rough outings, and El Chapo remains a box of Forrest Gump chocolates. 

As long as Clay Holmes and Michael King remain impeccable, I suppose we're okay. But yesterday, despite a huge lead, the game ended with Aroldis warming in the pen. Yeesh. There was absolutely no reason why Chapman should have needed to pick up a ball, much less start throwing. If you believe in the Finite Number of Bullets Theory for pitchers - (and if you believe in sick juju, you're already there) - then Chapman just fired off a round he'll need later this season. 

2. Thanks to Baltimore, the Yankees became opportunists. They made the O's pay for nearly every mistake. That's not nuthin.' And somehow, Tim Locastro played Malcolm in the Middle of every rally. (He went 1-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs.) Locastro is the Reverse Joey Gallo, a small-ball bat on a long-ball team. 

I realize that, at this point, there is no point in arguing for Gallo to be benched or replaced. The Yankees will go with him at least through May. (And they probably should.) But if you look at all the HR firepower in the lineup, I'd submit they need a pest more than another basher. It doesn't necessarily need to be Locastro. But they cannot win a championship with a LF who hits below .200. And, increasingly, that looks like Gallo's fate.

3. Sad story. Miguel Andujar came up for three games - Aaron Hicks' paternity break (yeah, like it's really a break?) - and never touched a glove or a bat. He was crushing it at Scranton. Now, watch him return and go into a deep, disillusioned slump. It's not fair.

I don't know what to do about Miggy, whose defensive liabilities at 3B and LF don't offer easy answers. Still, what a waste. 

Okay, who's willing to get food poisoning for the weekend in KC? Give me an address, and I'll ship the clams.

16 comments:

  1. Well, we won't be able to watch them tonight unless we have a particular pay-streaming service.
    So now I can watch the NFL Draft uncluttered by Gallo induced hurricanes.

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  2. I'll take the clams. I could then feel like Cashman picking through the scrap heap. There are bound to be some good ones amid all the salmonella.

    On another note, I like to watch Odour play. Not because he's any good anymore, but it always reminds me of his finest moment on the field. Punching the most punchable face in the history of baseball. You know who.

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  3. As Ric Flair said..."To be the man, you have to beat the man....WOO!"

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  4. Wait, what? Archangel...did I get this right? The game is only on Apple+?

    What a dumb fucking world.

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  5. The short answers are "No" and "Yes."

    The Yankees were dreadful versus the tomato cans of the AL last year and it cost them dearly. The only way this team has any chance at success is to keep beating down on teams like the Spaghetti-Os.

    And BTW, I would gladly give left field to Andujar and DFA that &*^%$^&* bum Gallo any day, defensive liabilities or not. But do you think The Intern is going to cut bait and admit he fished the wrong hole?

    He will not.

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  6. You are feeling better, right, O Peerless One? Off the DL?

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  7. Yeah, tested negative two days in a row.

    Then again, negativity is my thing.

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  8. Dick Allen, I completely agree. And if they're not going to do that, make Miggy the DH.

    Stanton does better in the field, and Hicks will be injured soon. They will need Andujar.


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  9. LdOOK-Hey - that's always been my covid era motto - Stay positive until you test negative.

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  10. April was a good month. And it can be even better with three against KC.

    BUT...

    May ought to be more interesting and will certainly tell who this team really is:

    Aside from six more games against the Spaghetti-Os, the Yankees will play 16 games against more formidable opposition. Five against the Jays (3 will be in Toronto and you know what that means), and seven games against the ChiSox (who have not started well), then four against the Tampons. Then there is the usual, albeit brief, painful sojourn out west to Anaheim (the city that doesn't actually exist).



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  11. I'm wrong again. It happens so often it's hardly worth mentioning: the Angels will be visiting New York, not the other way around!

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  12. Just saw a stat on Twitter. Gallo and Donaldson are a combined 2 for 74 going into tonight's game.

    Gio is batting .321.

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  13. Apple TV…rotten to the core…gonna go old school tonight with John + Suzyn as the soundtrack to Day (actually night) 2 of the NFL Draft. A lot of buzz that the Giants will grab Malik Willis as the QB OF THE FUTURE. (I think this is an over reaction to the team declining Jones 5th year option. But hey, what do I know? I must be stupid since my wife tells me that every chance she gets.)

    Hope we can keep winning against the have-nots, even in a land as strange as KC…

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  14. Miggy still on team...

    04/29/22 New York Yankees activated CF Aaron Hicks from the paternity list.
    04/29/22 New York Yankees optioned RHP Ron Marinaccio to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

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  15. Maraschino Cherry had two bad outings recently so this makes sense...

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  16. Good to see.

    And yes, the Angels, with "the new Babe Ruth."

    Ohtani is batting .238 with a 4.19 ERA so far this year. And, at 27, still has yet to have a fielding chance anywhere but on the mound.

    But hey, he might match last year's feats in leading the AL in times caught stealing, and in striking out 189 times.

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