No. The Lords of MLB—i.e., TV—have decided that the Yankees-Red Sox game will be the ESPN Sunday Night game.
The only problem: a 67 percent chance of thunderstorms in the area, after 5 PM.
Do I need to remind you in how many forms the juju can go bad on this? Oh, let me count the ways:
—Judge hits his 61st early—and it's wiped out by a massive rainstorm.
—Judge his his 61st AND his 62nd early—and they're BOTH wiped out by a massive rainstorm.
—The game is rained out from the beginning. Which, at least, will spare Yankees pitchers from having to tangle with Triston Casas, The .130 Hitter Who Would Not Be Denied. But while the Yanks have one more off-day this season, the Carmine Hose do not.
What do you want to bet that rained-out game costs Judge the chance to go for number 62?
In general, MLB likes to run and hide from that big bully, the NFL. But it's run out of hiding places now. This Sunday night came has been scheduled for the indifferent eyes of an American public that no doubt will be tuned in to Sunday Night football—or even Big Brother—instead.
We can, though, look forward to more fan torture. Unless the rains reach diluvial proportions well before the first pitch, count on the faithful who do show up at Yankee Stadium being forced to sit out in the wet and cold for at least a couple of hours.
And afterwards...the hunt for 61 (and 62) will likely start to drag down Judge, too. These quests for personal records tend to diminish even the most iron-willed of competitors; just look at Jeter's chase of 3,000 hits. Tonight's washout will officially make this home run business neurotic, and we'll be very lucky if The Big Guy does anything at all afterwards, through the rest of the season and even the playoffs.
MLB makes its own bad juju, for us all.
Well, I have a silver lining for that...
ReplyDeletehttps://empiresportsmedia.com/new-york-yankees/yankees-potentially-looking-to-cut-hall-of-fame-closer-aroldis-chapman/
Michael Kay said last week that the rule is changed re: washed out stats. If Judge hit one before the rain, the stats would count. Not sure if that’s only if the game is finished later.
ReplyDeleteOne error in that Empire Sports article: Chapman would NOT be eligible for the post season if signed by another team. Not sure how these guys are professional MLB writers but don’t know the rules. I Don’t believe the story anyway.
ReplyDeleteBTR, he's an "aspiring writer". As in amateur. DFA has been reported by many outlets though, which *is* good news if you're a Yankee fan.
ReplyDeleteRuf, they never should have extended him. You gotta know when to fold them. Just the thought of him pitching in the playoffs is enough to freeze the heart of the stoutest Yankee fan. Nor sure that Crashman + Boonita agree.
ReplyDeleteWeather should hold for a while per the radar. And what’s with that effiin’ lineup? No doubt the team feels they have it all wrapped up.