1. Aroldis Chapman... because how can the Yankees be eliminated by a walk-off without him on the mound? ERA: 4.70.
2. Zack Britton... recapping: He's 34. Last year, he appeared in 22 games - ERA: 5.89.
3. Miguel Castro... expected back late Sept. ERA: 4.12.
4. Harrison Bader... long awaited. Days away from Scranton. He could debut in four-game home series v Boston on Sept. 22. Then comes three at Toronto - currently the hottest team in AL East - perhaps the most crucial series of the year.
Anthony Rizzo should reappear soon. Jose Trevino will return from diaper duty. DJ LeMahieu - maybe in a week? Dunno.
Andrew Benintendi and Matt Carpenter? Gotta think they are fantasies. With Aaron Hicks in mushroom therapy, LF could belong to - gasp - dare we believe... Miguel Andujar?
Nah. They'll ditch him, of course. They'll go with Locastro, or Oswaldo, or Tyler Wade - somebody, anybody - is Ryan LaMarre still playing? - rather than Miggy. In fact, I hereby nominate Andujar to replace Rob Refsnyer as the official new Yankee "Brigadoon," named for that ancient village that appears for one day every 100 years - with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse! - and then vanishes into Broadway's fossil record. (FYI: Refsnyder has hit .304 this year for Boston, an OPS of .854; also, he's killed us when he gets the chance.) Over the last week, Miggy has been whacking line drives - like old times! - but we know the reality: He'll soon vanish into the Scottish hillside, not to be seen until 2023. If you want to see him, take his picture.
You can't predict Show Biz, Suzyn. But you can sing along.
This is for The Master...
Brigadoon Refsnyder reported that the Yankees tried to change his swing to get him to hit more home runs. Plus they tried to change his position from outfield to 2B. He admitted that he totally sucked it up at 2B. Only this year has Refsnyder managed to get his swing back on track.
ReplyDeleteWe know for a certainty that the Yankees try to get everyone to play every single position. They've got guys moving around like musical chairs. Not just game by game, but in almost every inning of every game they've got people moving around.
It's also highly probable that the Yankees give the Refsnyder home run swing treatment to every player in the minors. I did not hear any specifics of what they did to his swing, but I imagine they tried to put an uppercut in it to get a higher launch angle.
When Andujar came back from his shoulder injury, you have to wonder what new swing treatment he got from the coaching staff. And we all know that they moved him from infield to outfield.
In the immortal words of The Kinks:
Infielders will be outfielders
And outfielders will be infielders
It's a mixed up muddled up
Shook up world
For the Yan-kees
Ya, Ya, Ya, Ya, Yan-kees
Wasn't Mig a type of Soviet fighter jet?
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with anything, it just occurred to me after all this time.
An ounce of sodium pentothal added at the start of the day to the AA and AAA five gallon water coolers is all you need to get your players ready for the following team chant at the start of every practice:
ReplyDeleteHit strikes hard
Watch me hit strikes hard
We hit strikes hard
Watch us hit strikes hard
We watch them leave the yard
You watch them leave the yard
HIT!
(hit)
STRIKES!
(strikes)
HARD!
HARD!!
HARD!!!
AA,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, they are adding the brown acid to the coaching staff coffee pot in the minors, resulting in a Dali-esque transformation of once-promising prospects. I believe that the last one they didn't screw up was named Posada.
It's a hell of a chant though Rufus - one that could help each and everyone of us achieve our goals everyday.
ReplyDeleteFootball today, my Giants begin the long climb uphill to respectability
ReplyDeleteBless the memory of all those who lost their lives on this solemn day 21 years ago.
ReplyDeleteAmen,BTR
ReplyDeleteAA,
ReplyDeleteIt's got a catchy beat and you can dance to it. But they keep forgetting the *hit* part.
Regarding todays game…. As a listener, when do you give up? Maybe when down by 2 in the third? What about down 2 in the first?
ReplyDeleteBeauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside,
ReplyDeleteMy advise would be to quickly switch off prior to hearing the outcome of the first pitch of the game.
Finger on the switch or knob or mouse and bail the instant the ball leaves the pitcher's hand.
Amen, indeed, 999!
ReplyDeleteLove the "Lola" reference, Hammer.
ReplyDeleteAnd...as the man who named Refsnyder, "Brigadoon"—and the man who first called Miggy "El Matador"—I gladly confirm that he should be the next Brigadoon.