They reminded us - the team, front office and fan base - how meaningless the first half of the MLB season has become, and how quickly the Yin Yang can reverse itself, especially with rivals. Today, we sit and think, Damn, we shoulda won...
Doan gemme wrong: A 15-game lead ain't dogmeat. It will require an epic choke, second worst in Yank history (you know the worst), for this team to miss the 2022 postseason. We will almost certainly win the AL East and receive the incredible reward: A first-round bye (along with Houston.)
That means we (along with Houston) get to sit around for a week and watch the wild card teams claw each other apart. Then, we play the winning - and, of course, hotter - team.
In other words, these mid-season series represent glorified spring exhibitions, played to craft the industry narratives that will boost revenues in October.
And if Boston wins tonight, no matter how far ahead we are in the standings, they get to live in our heads through the all star break, (along with Houston.) Last night, Boston reminded us that 2022 was never going to be over, even if we swept them at home. It was just going to be a false ending in the horror movie. We're better off being stung. But damn, we shoulda won...
Some thoughts...
1. I don't buy the Jeter Downs crapola, but Jeet getting his first MLB hit and scoring the winning run should spook us. He was hitting only .217 at Triple A, and he's 23, not 21 (like Anthony Volpe is.) Ever since the Redsocks got him for Mookie Betts and David Price, Boston has drooled over him like Jeffrey Epstein. Last night he gave flight to a legend, but living up to such things is no easy feat. It's a nice piece of newsprint, sort of like Slade Heathcott's HR to beat Tampa a few years back, the birth of a king! Fox Sports would have you believe the story ended happily last night. But expectations can be cruel, especially in Boston. Good luck, Jeet.
2. Part of me wants to blame Josh Donaldson for last night's loss. He let a game-ending DP grounder bounce out of his glove, the kind of botch that the 2022 Yankees have mostly avoided. Damn. We shoulda won. But everybody gets a mulligan. Besides, Donaldson has played surprisingly good defense at 3B this year, and just a few innings earlier, he made a spectacular play. He still represents a Yankee veteran who should have a better second-half.
3. It speaks volumes that Aroldis Chapman wasn't even mentioned in the 10th inning mix, after Clay Holmes was spent. Obviously, Aaron Boone still has little or no confidence in El Chapo. Are we only going to see him in blowouts? Not saying he's earned anybody's trust... but I get the feeling that tonight's game will be Chapman's to save - (and that's the recipe for a crushing loss.)
4. Soon - like, imminently - the Yanks must do something with Jonathan Loaisiga and Domingo German. For Loaisiga, it's easy: He rejoins the team as a bullpen lugnut, an alt-Michael King. For German, though, I dunno. Unless Boone moves into a six-man rotation - not the worst idea - where does German pitch? Keep in mind, we've already stashed the worthy Clarke Schmidt in Scranton.
One of these days - like, imminently - the Pirates will pull the trigger on Bryan Reynolds. German and/or Loaisiga - or Schmidt - could be part of a massive Yankee package, which would probably include Volpe and/or Jasson Dominguez. An asteroid is about to hit the farm system. Reynold won't come cheaply, but he's a formidable CF and, arguably, the answer to our needs.
5. Have you noticed Baltimore? No, I'm not tripping. They have won seven in a row are closing on Toronto, and they loom as an ascending second-half team.
I'm delighted to note that the Yankees played them 13 times thus far, with only six to go. Meanwhile, the rest of the AL East must face their revived lineup far more often. Baltimore has 15 games with Toronto, 10 with Tampa, and 11 with Boston. We played them at the right time.
6. Giancarlo Stanton as an all star is a joke. He should claim a tight gonad and stay home rather than subject America to his paltry jumbotron stats.
7. Getting back to last night... everything went south when Anthony Rizzo was thrown out trying to steal third. Until then, the Yankees were running with abandon. Wiping out Rizzo killed our chances. Damn. We shoulda won that game.
Fuck fuck fuck.
ReplyDeleteSo endeth the JuJu.
I just read that Wander Franco is expected to be out at least 6-8 weeks, likely facing hamate bone surgery. He's had a miserable rookie season with injuries, now this. I never hope for opponents' injuries', I'd never want to crawl in because of it, but man he's been the pundit's second coming of Rodgers Hornsby, even Rays management broke out the coin. Really is a shame, young, gifted, with some pundits talking the HOF. Even the Greatest of Young can faulter. Double trouble for the Rays, Kevin Kiermeier re-injured his hip leaving the Rays thin in the outfield. What brilliant moves do they pull off at the deadline? Will they outduel The Brain this year, or do we grind our teeth for the next five?
ReplyDeleteWell, as Billy Idol sang it,
There is nothin' fair in this world, baby
There is nothin' safe in this world And there is nothin' sure in this world
And there's nothin' pure in this world
Look for something left in this world
Start again
Agree on everything, Peerless Leader. Awful game to lose...but we're still in the driver's seat. UNTIL October...
ReplyDeleteIS Reynolds all that? I dunno. But yes, they do have to do SOMETHING...
ReplyDeleteHate to call this a must win today, but if we do take 3 out of 4, then I'll feel a hell of a lot better. It's a long loooooooong season ahead of us!
ReplyDelete...And I reiterate, from the other day: Giancarlo is killing us.
ReplyDeleteIn just his last 7 games, he is 3-29, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 9 Ks, his BA dropping from .249 to .232, OPS from .840 to .817.
At a time when we really needed him to step up, with other veterans slumping or ailing...Stanton stepped down.
Worse, it's part of a much longer, overall slump. On May 20th, he was at a peak, batting .309, with a .925 OPS.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised by any of this. Stanton is 32, and his stats have generally eroded with us over time, as they should. It's just that they never even approached what they were in Miami—something Alphonso saw coming (and I didn't).
Right now, though, he's on a pace for about 50 extra-base hits in all, which is pathetic. Should we be hoping for another of his long-term injuries???...
Oh, and JM, from yesterday? Regarding Mickey Mantle's last two seasons?
ReplyDeleteFirst, he did not retire until the spring of 1969. And second, below are baseballreference's rankings of Mantle in the AL in 1967.
Now, many of these are "new stats," that I can't pretend to know the meaning of...though baseballreference provides pretty understandable explanations on site. And you'll note that even in some of the big ones: HRs, BB, OPS, etc., The Mick was in the Top 10, even as high as 2nd. Hell, he was even up there in some 1B fielding categories!
Because Mantle was a shell of his physical self—and because it was an extreme pitcher's era—we tend to think of him as doing much worse than he actually did. Also, he was on a wretched hitting team—the 1968 Yankees set the all-time, post-1900, low BA mark, at just .214—going nowhere, in a big park, Mantle rarely saw a good pitch to hit.
But still, in the face of all that, he was impressive:
1967 1968
OPS 10th
OBP 5th 3rd
OWAR 9th
HR 8th
BB 2nd 2nd
Adjusted OPS+ 7th 8th
Adjusted Batting Runs 6th 7th
Adjusted Batting Wins 6th 7th
Offensive Win % 6th 9th
AB per HR 7th 9th
Base-Out Runs Added 5th 8th
Win Probability Added 5th 4th
Situational Wins Added 5th 8th
Base-Out Wins Added 5th 7th
Putouts 3rd
Putouts as 1B 3rd
Assists as 1B 4th 4th
DPs Turned as 1B 3rd
What the hell is Rizzo doing trying to steal third when he has just been out 4 days with a " barking back?"
ReplyDeleteAnd that didn't come off looking nearly as it did when I copied it in. But you get the idea. The first ranking is usually 1967, the second, 1968—though the fielding marks are all from 1968.
ReplyDeleteBear in mind, too, that this was in a 10-team league at the time.
We didn’t win yesterday, but what a great game otherwise. July in New Hampshire is like September anywhere else. I had the barn doors wide open, a cool breeze was coming through. It was a low of 47 last night. My job for the night was figuring out a fiendishly complex combined turn signal brake switch for a half Italian half British car for which there is no wiring diagram. It was a tedious confusing long process, since all the wires are black. I couldn’T have done it without John, Suzyn, and the New York Yankees. When I was feeling down, some poor pitcher had it worse. When I figuring things out fast and getting things done, the Yanks were actually running on the bases. At the end of the night, we both had put in a valiant effort, and neither of us had actually finished our task at hand. But we’re back, today, and it’s getting done this time.
ReplyDeleteThere is zero chance Deminguez goes in any deal. Besides the fact that they payed him a king's ransom in a signing bonus, The Martian being moved would produce more egg on Cashman's face than if he was a production line worker during an omelet factory explosion.
ReplyDeleteThe Pirates want the sun, moon and the rocket to get there for Reynolds. Don't think that's happening...
ReplyDelete....somewhere in Summerville, South Carolina in a second floor room of a big house a heavyhearted fella stares at a computer screen noticing that no one mentions his name in connection with any potential Yankees trades or acquisitions for an outfielder. And so he will wait until he can wait no more . . .
ReplyDeleteIf you need to find him, he’s here:
ReplyDeletehttps://seniorlivinginstyle.com/summerville-estates/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google-my-business&utm_term=1543
BJPB ----> :)
ReplyDeleteVery true, Carl J. Weitz. And hey, he's up to 9 HRs and .262 on the season!
ReplyDeleteHoss, I stand corrected. And I'm surprised. I loved the Mick and didn't suspect he was that good at the end. Two memories...I was at the Stadium, you know, the real one, and he hit a grounder through the right side of the infield. Then was thrown out at first by the right fielder. He could barely run. It was shattering.
ReplyDeleteThe other memory is nicer. Everyone was already in bed, sleeping, but I was sitting in my room listening to a West Coast game on my transistor radio. It was late in the game, might've been top of the ninth, and Mickey came up as the go-ahead run. I knew he wasn't what he used to be, so I hoped against hope that he could do something. And he did. He parked one. Yankees won. I slept well that night.
Beau, good luck with that wiring. English and Italian... electronics nightmare.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who was thinking last night, as Wandy was giving up the game and clearly didn't have it, that Boone should have yanked him and brought in Chapman?
ReplyDeleteI know, heresy. But his last couple outings have been pretty good. And frankly, with a run in, two outs, and men on second and third, it was clear Peralta was not going to get the job done. Nobody else in the bullpen but Chapman could come in and shut the Sox down. If he gave up a homer or ended up walking the winning run in, so what? In that situation, Wandy looked lost, afraid, and helpless. Why not see if Sweatband could pull it off?
From today's mlb.com
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-win-first-home-run-derby-x
Nick Swisher gets it done in this WTF style tournament.
also on today, 3 on 3 basketball and a celebrity golf tournament.
Slow time of year.
7:08 PM start.
ReplyDeleteCone in da Booth tonight.
ReplyDeleteI like Mr Cone.
I have a friend that hated the Fox coverage so
much last night that he turned off the broadcast.
See JM - that's HATRED
That is. I hated the announcers, too.
ReplyDeleteOn the Otani front, I had FAN on yesterday and they were debating anyone versus Otani for MVP. The point was well made that Otani and Trout together can't get the Angels the division, so neither one should be an MVP. But one announcer said that was true even though Otani was "a dominant pitcher" and "a dominant hitter." What? He's not a dominant pitcher, and doesn't usually face good opponents, and he's far from a dominant hitter. .257 with better than average power is not dominating.
ReplyDeleteEven when someone has the sense to say he is not MVP material, he still proclaims total bullshit and continues the hype. I'm still seriously pissed off.
And nobody thought "bring in Chapman" last night during the Peralta meltdown? I'm shocked. Shocked, I say.
ReplyDeleteNow, Verlander. There's a dominant pitcher.
ReplyDeleteAm I wrong and please correct me but was Sears the only RH pitcher remaining in the bullpen last night? Probably the reason we didn't see him...
ReplyDeleteThanks, JM! I felt the same way—and was shocked to see him up there in all the categories. Had it been a time of inflated hitter averages, instead of pitcher stats, we'd probably remembering how incredible he still was.
ReplyDeleteI got to see him once in each of those years, too: 1967 at the Original Stadium, and 1968 in Fenway. Got a sharp single each time, and I was very pleased.
Did they just say that Cone is getting his hip replaced tomorrow? That's young.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, the Ohtani thing is pure bullshit, that gets worse the more his "legend" grows.
ReplyDeleteSportswriters have really fucked up the whole idea of the MVP. Basically, it's supposed to go to a guy with a winning team—unless somebody else is really, really great. How great? Who knows?
The MVP should always go to a day-to-day player over a pitcher—see Jim Rice over Ron Guidry—unless it's the other way around—Roger Clemens over Don Mattingly.
It's about more than statistics...unless it's statistics inflated by huge amounts of PEDs. See Giambi, A-Rod, Tejada, etc.
Thanks for that description of your evening, Beauregard. It's memories like that that keep us fans.
ReplyDeleteGlass!!!
ReplyDelete6. Giancarlo Stanton as an all star is a joke. He should claim a tight gonad and stay home rather than subject America to his paltry jumbotron stats.
ReplyDeleteLa la la la la la la la
ReplyDeleteCarpe diem!!!
ReplyDeleteNo lead of any kind is safe.
ReplyDeleteTaillon needs to stop giving up HRs or the Yankees need to score another 3-4 runs soon because it's past 2:30 am here and the youngins are gonna wake up bright and early demanding eggs and bacon and shit.
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck is a Kaleb fucking Ort?
ReplyDeleteThe All Star Game is late this year.
ReplyDeletePlatoni, I'm in for the eggs and bacon and shit.
ReplyDeleteFor all the shenanigans, Jamison hasn't thrown that many pitches.
ReplyDeleteJM, would you still be in if we had it the Albanian way? Saddled with a "single" (a bit over two shots worth) of the local grape moonshine I need a friend to do it with me so I can tell myself I don't have a drinking problem.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah. Even better!
ReplyDeleteTaillon is back to his mediocre self. Tie game.
ReplyDeleteShould have yanked him before that home run.
Taillon has had flashes of brilliance, but he is sacrificial. They need a better starter in that slot.
ReplyDeleteTake this motherfucker out already.
ReplyDeleteHOW IS HE STILL ON THE MOUND?
ReplyDeleteWhy can't he have his shitty starts when the Yankees ain't scoring? At least then they can both share the blame.
ReplyDeleteRavitch said it out loud. They need at least another starter. Maybe two. I don't trust Nestor at this point either.
ReplyDeleteOr Monty, but more borderline.
ReplyDeleteI'd be a ruthless GM.
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for Chapman. I'd love to see him back on form before the meltdown era.
ReplyDeleteNo confidence in the fastball. Terrible.
ReplyDeleteHard to watch.
ReplyDeletePopping the Rolaids….
ReplyDeleteWe're in the alt-universe. No garage is safe right now.
ReplyDeleteMr. Magoo is the home plate ump.
ReplyDeleteYankees 2022...Before Fenway / After Fenway.
ReplyDeleteSome ominous signs.
Yankees are a disaster in every way right now. Hitters can't hit, pitchers can't pitch, fielders can't field. And the umpire is a bozo.
ReplyDeleteCastro sucks.
ReplyDeleteIt's over. I'm watching Masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the Yankees record in nationally televised games this year?
ReplyDeleteESPN sucks
ReplyDeleteDoug, I believe it is 0 for painful
ReplyDeleteEnrico Palazzo behind the plate
ReplyDeleteJM - we need you back here for moral support and Carpenter just got another hit - for you
ReplyDeleteOk more support time -
ReplyDeleteWE will shake this off
Fenway Sucks (although I've enjoyed my sausages and beer there)
Red Sox still Suck
WE are the 2022 YunkeeZ!!!!
Come on now.
We lose. Again.
ReplyDeleteThese two games revealed our weaknesses. Some weak starters and weaker bullpen. I don't think Loaiziga makes the difference.
Exactly, JM. The Sox are really kind of a crappy team. And they hit us hard, even without Devers in there.
ReplyDeleteAnd we did okay with hitting them, but couldn't really bat around a mediocre pitching staff.
Still...TB lost to Cincinnati. Toronto has lost 8 of 9. The lead is still 14.
But to expect this Yankees team to win a playoff series? No can do.
Here is the bitter truth:
ReplyDeleteThe Yanks would have lost 5 in a row to the Astros, if Houston's bullpen had held up.
The Yanks would have lost at least 3 and maybe 4 in Boston, if the Red Sox could catch a pop-up at night. In their own park.
Here's the other truth - when the lights are on and the games seem important they are not as good.
ReplyDeleteDo they ever play well on ESPN?
And yes this bodes very poorly for the playoffs.
Doug - what if the Disney channel carries the playoffs?
ReplyDeleteHoss, the lead is still 14 over the Carmines, but down to 4 1/2 over the ASStros and Trolley Dodgers. That is too close for comfort.
ReplyDelete