Yesterday, as we surrendered lead after lead, you felt the cosmic juju burden continually shift: It's damn hard to take four of four. And as Meat Loaf might have sang, "Eight out of ten ain't baaaad..."
Soon, we will be done with the O's and Chisox. Soon, we'll face our real world nemeses - the Rays of Tampa - with a new crop of interchangeable names.
Who the hell is Manual Margot, anyway? He's a short, stout, bearded RF who is hitting - gulp - .348. Where did they get him? Well, they had him. He's 27. This might be his year.
Ever hear of Harold Ramirez? Of course not. They got him from Cleveland, by way of Miami. He's a DH, hitting .321. He's also 27.
Yandy Diaz? Don't ask me. He's a 3B, hitting .287.
And don't get me going about their pitchers. Two starters - Drew Rasmussen and Shane McLanahan - have ERAs of 2.33. How the fuck? Year after year, they just replenish. Wander Franco? Shit. I just thank God that Randy Arozarena didn't turn out to be the Second Coming of Hank Aaron, as he seemed to be two Octobers ago. Otherwise, we're done. If fact, until we beat Tampa, all those wins against Baltimore - well, they count, but they do not matter.
You know how Aaron Judge seems so locked-in on this contract year, potentially his last in NYC? Well, every Ray is in his contract year - always. They're always on the verge of being traded. Tampa never lets a player walk. They always convert him into a younger version. If they ever go into Bitcoin, the U.S. dollar is toast.
Soon, it's Tampa. Meanwhile, a tough loss late yesterday. As a throw bounced past Marwin Gonzalez, putting the leadoff man on base - we once again realized how critical Anthony Rizzo is to the Yankees. (He'd been tossed out of the game for arguing a strike.)
Surely, right now, Aaron Judge is the team MVP. But after Judge, you'd have to ponder all the errant throws that Rizzo has scooped from the dirt or turned into lunging tags - only then could you realize the difference Rizzo has made.
Which brings me to someone who might yet be salvageable in the Rizzo reality. Down in Scranton, Miguel Andujar now plays almost exclusively at 3B - (as he should have for the last three years.) For nearly all his time at 3B, Miggy was throwing to Luke Voit, a bona fide NFL linebacker, but not a 1B. You have to wonder what might have been?
Last year, Gleyber Torres flopped spectacularly at SS. For the most part, he was throwing to Voit.
Tyler Wade, Thairo Estrada, Andrew Velazquez... always troubled, always throwing to Voit.
Look, I can't hang all our infield woes on Luke - who always battled hard. (Right now, with San Diego, he's hitting a sub-Gallo .174 with 2 HRs.) But the difference between a lug nut and a gold glove at 1B - it's the Marvel multiverse where, instead of Peter Parker, Spider-man is Peter Falk. (Hey, there, Goblin, ya'know, I got one more question...)
Soon, Tampa. But this time, we have the right guy at 1B.
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11 comments:
And, Andujar is 27, batting .307. with only 15Ks in 95 PAs.
Just saying.
Yeah, but Hicks is signed to a long-term contract, so he HAS to be in the lineup. And Gallo is a homer hitter and a Gold Glove left fielder, so he HAS to be in the lineup. And the Genius' new catcher, Mr. Pumped Up, will probably never play a game this year. And it's only May and we're starting to get those familiar bullpen meltdowns and offensive disappearing acts (and boy, are they offensive).
But bring up Miggy and use him anywhere at all? No way. He doesn't have a big contract or proper launch angle or something.
What a dumb bunch. It never ends.
With the lead they have right now I’d have Gallo playing left every day and as soon as he hits one of his hot streaks trade him. Stick zombie Hicks in left, Judge in center, Stanton in right and Andujar as the regular dh.
It wasn't Miggy's arm or his throws to first that were as much problem as was his glove. If I remember correctly.
Don't be surprised that by next year, Judge is a Red Sox and Juan Soto is a Yankee...
Several ugly slumps here in May, but Aaron Hicks has entered another dimension of terrible.
Joey Gallo .171/.320/.390
Anthony Rizzo .183/.269/.317
Aaron Hicks .083/.228/.104
Now, of all times, Hicks will become the Yankee Iron Man.
Hicks needs a few days off..... to golf 36 a day and hurt something in his hands, wrists or trunk.
Then at least he will be hurt, out of sight and not a daily irritation.
Get Maybin out of the tv booth and back on the field. He can't be any worse playing than he is announcing.
I know I know, diversity is paramount.
Maybe they can move that female manager who is in the process of making The Martian a superstar, up to the broadcast booth and then we can really bend the curve.
Kay, Beltran and her... must see TV.
I've been saying that for a while, Dantes. If they don't trust Miggy in the field, make him the DH. You can even alternate Gallo and Hicks then, though talk about choose your poison!
They keep going with these guys, though, acting as if they have great track records, and just need to get back in a groove.
No, they don't have great records. Gallo is a lifetime, .206 hitter. Hicks is a marginal player, at best. They aren't "coming around." There's no "around" to come to.
Very true about TB. And of course, a man who truly wanted to succeed in business and crush the competition would have done something like looked at the people running teams that regularly out-perform us on much smaller payrolls, and hired those people.
Over the past 20 years, the Yanks' front office should have been overrun by the folks formerly in charges of the Rays, Red Sox, Cardinals, Astros, etc.
But given HAL's financial resources, guys like that might have turned the Yankees into an old-school powerhouse, winning ring after ring. And leading, in the end, to both they (the front office geniuses) and the players they acquired making irresistible demands for big salaries.
HAL doesn't see that as the future. HAL sees the future as Soccer City, and the Yanks as TB North.
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