The media gaggle, the marked balls, the Maris family, The Master & Suzyn - everything now moves to Toronto, where some lucky BJ pitcher can inscribe his name into history - quite lucratively, if he enjoys airport Ramada card shows. Also, some Canadian will catch the million dollar ball.
Tonight, the Yankees can clinch a first-round bye. But Toronto can send a message: A three-game sweep would a) keep our champagne on ice, b) set them on a path to face us in the second round, and 3) jangle our continually frazzled nerves. Also, if they can handle Judge, they can handle the Yankees.
What if, in that fateful plate appearance, Judge leads slightly in the batting crown but remains tied with Roger at 61 HRs? Would Judge come to bat, knowing that a pop-up would cost him the Triple Crown, but it also would scuttle his last chance to beat Maris? (Spoiler: Of course he would! He's Aaron Fucking Judge, you ninny!)
The problems with a first-round playoffs bye: a) Your team sits around for a week, drinking Mad Dog 20-20 and watching porn, and b) Then you face the hotter of the two wild card candidates, which has already tasted the blood of its first-round opponent. But in this case, a week off should do Judge some good. Between now and mid-October, he'll need a break.
Other matters:
1. The Death Barge is said to be pondering whether to DFA Aroldis Chapman before the season ends. Is that wise? Not sure I see the advantage in publicly pissing on one of your players. Yeah, El Chapo has been awful since June, but why offend him?
What if Tampa picks him up? Considering their hatred of the Yankees, they would do such a thing. Do we want Chapman deliriously throwing at our heads in the postseason?
Look, there's no way he returns next year, unless he pitches for free. I can't imagine him making the playoffs roster, and that tattoo infection was an embarrassment, but still... ditching him? Is Cashman that mad at him?
2. Miggy is a Pirate. Let's wish him well. I hereby predict he will be the comeback player of 2023.
I should add that I predicted the same for Greg Bird, Clint Frazier and Gary Sanchez.
3. Once we clinch, I'm all for giving El Chapo, Zack Britton, Andrew Benintendi, Matt Carpenter and DJ LeMahieu multiple chances to show they belong on the playoff roster. But once the season ends, I'm sorry. Taking batting practice or throwing in the bullpen is not the equivalent of game action - especially postseason competition.
4. I watched the KayRod alternative broadcast last night, and I can never erase from my mind the PTSD-launching video images of Roger Clemens performing as DJ for weddings and special occasions.
Did Clemens play ROCKETMAN?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of PTSD, here's a quote from nj.com:
ReplyDelete"Ironically, the Pirates picked up Andujar for nothing after they attempted to acquire him in 2018 trade when they were shopping ace Gerrit Cole. Andujar reportedly was off limits and Cole ended up being traded to the Houston Astros. The Yankees signed Cole to a record contact [sic] before the 2020 season."
“ Not sure I see the advantage in publicly pissing on one of your players.”
ReplyDeleteThe Intern is a weasel.
He would do anything to prove how much of a man he really is. Which he is not.
A bald man with insomniac eyes, always trying to be Mr. Macho.
ReplyDeleteFare thee well, Miggy.
I'm thinking Judge hits at least #61 in Canada. Which, by the way, has removed its vaccination requirement for visitors. So Ding Dong O'Neill can go there now. And the timing, with Judge about to arrive, and the MLB playoffs to start soon...I'm sure that had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.
ReplyDeleteJon Heyman
@JonHeyman
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1m
MLB made the right decision to call game. It stopped raining by around 11:30 but conditions would have been treacherous if they tried to resume after midnight. Judge lost an at-bat, but Maris lost a HR when a game was cancelled after it started in Baltimore, Babe’s hometown.
If they DFA Chappy I hope he lands with a playoff opponent. It would be great to see him come in at a crucial point in a game against us and proceed to blow the save.
ReplyDeleteJudge lost that AB because the home plate umpire was possibly the worst one I've seen this year. (and that's saying something) He called strikes on pitches off the plate by several inches on BOTH sides of the plate, as well as above the strike zone.
ReplyDeleteMy attitude toward the computerized strike zone has changed. They need to institute it ASAP because the umping this year has been insanely bad.
And Shana Tova!
5783 for those who were wondering what year it is.
The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 5770.
Shana Tova indeed! And many more!
ReplyDeleteI remember that Series in 5770. My wife and I flew to the stadium with our jetpacks and watched the Yankee Androids beat the Philadelphia Robots. I'll never forget that clanking sound when we beaned Robo-Utley. Ha ha ha!! That was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteRemember that a player must be in an organization by September 1 to be eligible for a playoff roster.
ReplyDeleteIf the Yankees DFA Chapman, he won't be able to play in the postseason for any other team this year.
So it would be no detriment to the Yankees to release him now if he's not going to make their October roster. He's a free agent in a month anyway.
The Pirates sure love our former prospects and castoffs. How many once-promising Yankees have made their way to Pittsburgh over the last decade?
Just looking at their current roster, I see: Manny Banuelos, Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, Greg Allen, Diego Castillo, Ben Gamel, Miguel Andujar, and Hoy Park. Good luck with that.
Shana Tova all,
ReplyDeleteYankees won't face Chapo this postseason. per mlb:
"In a typical season, any player who is on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason.
Those on the restricted list at that point are also eligible if they haven't been suspended for performance-enhancing drugs during that season. (All players who have served a suspension for PEDs in a given season are ineligible for postseason play that year.)
A player who doesn't meet said criteria for postseason eligibility can still be added to a team's roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner's Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. (For example, a player on the 10-day injured list who has been on it for at least 10 days, or a player who has been on the 60-day injured list for at least 60 days.) Players who are acquired in September or after are ineligible."
I'm with you, Doug, on the computerized strike zone. I have done a complete 180 on that and now hate all home plate umpiring.
ReplyDeleteCan we turn Joe West into a banner that a single-prop airplane tows around the stadium in lazy circles all night?
Jet Packing JM and his wife made me smile.
ReplyDeleteNice one, you evil X-File avatar you….
OK, time for Canada jokes:
ReplyDeleteQ: How many seasons does Toronto have?
A: Two. Eleven months of winter and one month of bad hockey weather.
Don't forget to tip your servers, ladies and germs.