Thursday, September 22, 2022

Seven games up in the loss column, magic number at eight, and Boston for a tryst with history

Barring a Chapmanic-level meltdown - (there is always that chance) - the Yankees will hit Toronto next week needing one (1) win to clinch the AL East and, more importantly, the first-round, wild card bye. 

By then, hopefully, Aaron Judge will be padding his single-season HR record - having passed the Babe and Rajah - maybe even chasing Bud Selig's steroidal monstrosities, who clogged the TV networks 21 years ago and nearly left the game without records worth keeping. 

I wonder: If Judge closes in on No. 73, will Barry Bonds start attending games like the Maris family? Something tells me, no. (Would there be a racial tinge in that? Perhaps.) But the MLB oligarchs have spent the last two decades trying to disappear Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Clemens, Palmeiro, et al - and Judge would be the homer hero they need for the next 50 years. It wouldn't hurt that he's in New York. (Which makes me wonder if the owners won't collude against him this winter, keeping him in the big market.) 

Okay, let's not put the (wild) card before the horse: The Yankees must beat Boston this weekend. Not only are the Redsocks legitimate tomato cans - below .500, 10th worst record in the AL - but they're reeling. Their troika - Bogaertes, Devers and Martinez - all could be Mookied this winter, and the only question could be deciding which Boston grunt should go down in infamy as the stooge who served up Judge's 62nd. 

My choice: Nathan Eovaldi, the ex-Yank, who owes us for flopping in NY. If not him, Matt Barnes, if only because it might mean a save situation, and nothing would beat a walk-off HR No. 62. NOTHING. Are you listening, juju gods? A WALK-OFF, GAME-WINNING, NUMBER 62. A JFK moment. A Twin Towers moment. A Joe Theisman leg-snap moment. I can see the Yankees leaping the dugout railing, running joyously onto the field. Then the crowd rushes the field. Then the police rush onto the field. In the booth, John and Suzyn are kissing. Michael Kay, sensing his moment in history, shuts the fuck up. A walkoff number 62 - juju gods, if you have any guts or style, or class - whatsoever - make it happen. 

Okay, back to reality: I'd be satisfied with three wins and an 0-for-20 weekend by Bogaerts, which would help Judge's quest for the triple crown.

Otherwise, this we know...

1. The Yankees are still claiming Zack Britton is a postseason candidate. Sigh. Look, guy's a seasoned vet, great star, firm handshake, flushes the toilet, never uses the last bar of soap - yeah, okay, give him a shot. But - seriously - can you imagine trusting him against Toronto or Houston? Frankly, I don't know who closes for this team, but Britton returning to all-star form is a fairy tale. He would take the place of a Marinaccio - someone with a future, not a past. And that's exactly what has gotten us nothing  over the last 13 years.  

2. With two HRs last night - both meaningless, it must be noted - Gleyber Torres now has 23 on the year - third among AL 2Bs (after Jose Altuve and Marcus Semien.) He ranks second in RBIs, fifth in BA - in other words, despite looking hapless for lengthy periods, Gleyber is having a decent year - maybe even "pretty good." 

I've spent the last month wondering what the Yanks would get for him this winter - thinking Anthony Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza will topple the existing keystone structure and Gleyber will go. Now, I'm not so sure. Truth be told, I have come to really like the guy - viewing him a lifelong Yankee, even though he technically came from the Cubs. Next year, he'll be... drum roll, please... 26. That's not a typo. Twenty six. (Oswaldo is 23.) He's got two weeks - and then, October - to define himself - maybe cement himself - as a Yankee. Could he fill the 2B linchpin position that Robinson Cano spurned for a few extra thin dimes? 

2. Not sure what to make of Luis Severino last night: Five innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 6 Ks. Overall, we should be pleased. Still, early on, didn't you get the feeling he was on the verge of getting hammered? 

I know, I know... we can't expect perfection. And it's normal for a guy to be shaky in his first start after an injury. But with Gerrit Cole failing in big games, and Nasty Nestor looking tired, I wonder how much we can legitimately expect from Sevy? It seems like Boone is penciling him in as the third starter. That scares me. 

43 comments:

  1. To be honest, practically everything Boone does scares me.

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  2. "Michael Kay, sensing his moment in history, shuts the fuck up"

    Now there's a fantasy for you.

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  3. KAY does after all rhythm with SAY - and he smells history……

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  4. So do my dogs on their dog walks. And every time they squat down to poop I excited call out:

    THERE IT GOES……..

    SEE YAH!

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  5. I'd pencil in Sevy as the number 1 starter at this point.

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  6. AboveAverage: The fact that you call that out "excitedly" is the icing on the comedy cake.

    Thanks for a good morning laugh.

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  7. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT #2

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    This will allow you to not only follow Judge's games for week and a half regardless of who is broadcasting the game but also indulge in just about anything else in visual entertainment. If you decide to continue after the 10 days, a 3-month subscription is just $ 49.00.

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  8. AA...you are sick in the head! But I like that.

    By the way, a little known fact about dog pooping: They will situate their butts in alignment with the north/south pole axis. No need for a compass when you have doggies. You'll never get lost.

    https://www.livescience.com/42317-dogs-poop-along-north-south-magnetic-lines.html#:~:text=Dog%20owners%20have%20observed%20some,of%20the%20Earth's%20magnetic%20field.

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  9. It's been so fun hearing The Master this excited!!!!!! I'm not letting myself think about the playoffs,,,, just hoping Judge continues his magic, John REALLY deserves a season this special if this is indeed to be his send off.

    ALL RISE!!!!
    LONG LIVE IIHIIFIIC!
    FU Cashman and Hal!!!!

    And BLESS YOU Duque for the chyron, very much appreciated!

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  10. I'm going to have to rewatch pink flamingos now.

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  11. John and Suzyn spontaneously start kissing as Judge circles the bases with the winning run. Oh, boy!!

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  12. Sometimes a smile and a chuckle can jumpstart any Thursday morning.

    No need to rewatch Pink Flamingos unless its the version with the alternate ending where Divine whips
    out and uses a pink sequined poop bag, picks up the turd, ties it off and winks at the camera.

    (That was the “GP” rated version)


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  13. @Parson Tom: Twinsies!!!

    Have we come up with a Sterling HR Call for Bader? Something like "Bader Blasts One!!"
    and not like "Bader is a Master!!!"?



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  14. Not a big fan of Kay’s , but he is paid to talk, and the more you talk, the more likely you are to say something stupid ( er, present company excluded). I took some broadcasting classes way back in college and had to record anf listen to myself do play-by-play. I didn’t realize it but I kept mentioning the weather. My prof told me I should try to be a Weatherman. Ouch!

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  15. BTR999 - what's your three day forecast?

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  16. I was on my college station too. Fun times. BTR, I think you'd like this Jack & Rod fake show with author. LOL!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8sG15Sb8vo

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  17. Bader to the bone!

    "Luke I've hit the ball farther" (Darth Bader)

    and the one he'll use

    "A tater by Bader!"

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  18. AA, win 2/3 with 2 Judge HR’a!

    Beyond that, I see rough weather coming in October…VERY rough weather.

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  19. "A Bronxville tater hit by Bader"

    " Ball to Bader, 'see you later'"

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  20. No, Sevvy did not look overwhelming. But—nice recovery after that idiotic Donaldson play. A certain other pitcher i know would have had a major meltdown.

    I'm not saying who, but his initials are "G.C.".

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  21. And Duque...what are you doing? Tweaking the juju gods is one thing. But imagining a wonderful, happy ending that includes the pitcher Judge gets his homer off? AND a reference to what happened to you-know-who, the QB?

    We'll be lucky if the Stadium does not collapse this weekend.

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  22. I guess Donaldson thought IKF would run 20 ft to the bag, then have to stop, pivot, and throw to First instead of simply throwing to him, who would have been in a perfect position to relay to First and complete the DP.

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  23. I know. Instead, Donaldson seemed to panic and think the runner might beat him to second. And then...dash on to third, like Damon in the World Series? I dunno—but it's crazily overthinking it.

    With the shift on, Donaldson and everybody else should have known exactly what they would do in such a situation. Severino should have been rushing over to cover third (have no idea if he was, or was not). And even if the runner had been safe at second—he wasn't going to be—it would have taken a miracle for him to pop up and run on to third before Donaldson could tag him.

    It was a bizarre play, unlike any I've ever seen. He was just lucky IKF didn't hurl the ball past him, to who-knows-where.

    And when you're an over-the-hill guy who can't keep his mouth shut and can't really hit anymore, the least you can do is know where you're supposed to be and what you're doing on the field.

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  24. Hell, I might even want to have Byung Hyun-Kim instead of Chapman

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  25. From Mighty Max Goodman on Twitter

    Here are Aaron Judge's numbers against those four Red Sox starters:

    vs. Wacha: 0-for-14 with 9 K
    vs. Hill: 2-for-4 with a 2B
    vs. Pivetta: 5-for-11 with 2 HR, 4 BB
    vs. Bello: 1-for-2

    Yikes! Not too promising tonight. Overall, we’ve had problems hitting Wacha.

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  26. "Harrison garrisons one in the ______-field seats!"

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  27. Trade Torres while the stock is some-what up..

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  28. Good idea, C. Maybe we can find an injured outfielder somewhere in an iron lung.

    "Shake your booty! Bader blasts one!"

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  29. Britton activated; Weissert sent done

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  30. Effross activated; Peralta on the IL

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  31. I was wandying when that would happen

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  32. I have a feeling that we'll be signing Beck, Bogart, and Apisce if Hal spends the money on Judge.

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  33. Maybe Paice, Ashton, and Lord would round out that line-up!

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  34. Pocono and BTR, are we old, or just have great memories? LOL!

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