"This is New York City. Fans want the stars."
So pronounced our Maximum Leader, HAL, the other day.
This isn't true, of course. Mostly, it's just another salvo in Yankees management's endless propaganda barrage, designed to establish that we the fans are the real problem, never allowing the crack Bronx braintrust to scrape this sinking ship to the gunwales, and embark on the stem-to-stern rebuilding program they have just been dying to get started on.
Bologna.
One of the most delightful seasons in my memory was 1976, when the Yanks swept to a pennant with a minimum of actual stars (Munson, Hunter, and maybe Nettles or Randolph? Sparky?) and our mercurial manager sucking up most of the oxygen. This would later prove to be a problem but oh, it was fun while it lasted!
Another great year was 1996—again, with a team mostly devoid of guys who were considered stars yet—and one in which we went all the way, with what was also one of the most likable Yankees teams ever assembled.
Everyone else on the roster is a wannabe-star or a supernova, exploded long, long ago, in a galaxy far away—though only now does our management pick up traces of their demise on their franchise Hubbell telescope (named, of course, for King Carl Hubbell).
My friend James, who is far and away the most fervent Yankees fan on the West Coast, sends these statistics for our "stars" since the one real star has been occluded:
Anthony Rizzo: .038/.167/.038
"Big G" Stanton: .091/.231/.227
Donaldson: .091/.222/.364
The Gleyber: .200/.310/.440
DJ: .217/.250.391
Various excuses can be offered for this. LeMahieu and Rizzo are obviously injured (Somehow, our cracking training staff, which cannot figure out how to get a player back on the field with a sprained toe ligament, has yet to figure out that Rizzo was obviously concussed, or is suffering from some even worse neck/head problem.).
But Donaldson and "Big G," as noted here yesterday, are likely washed-up. The Estimable Keefe pointed out that—even before his 1 (single)-for-12, 1 walk, 6 strikeout performance in Boston, that Stanton is at .213/.295/.468 for his last 132 games.
These guys are not stars. They are more like red dwarves—sorry, red little stars. Which are dead—than anything else, and it's time to sweep them into the Black Hole of baseball oblivion. New York fans, who are not idiots, recognize this.
The trouble is, as Keefe also points out—Maureen Dowd-style, I have decided to let others do most of the work on this post—our Five Caballeros are being paid $95.7 million between them this season, or more than the payrolls of the TB Rays, Orioles, Reds, Guardians, Royals, Nationals, and Athletics (a depressing number of which have better records than our slugabeds.).
This is not going to change anytime soon. If ever. But remember: it's all your fault. HAL has told us so.
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Painful truths
https://keefetothecity.com/
The Yankees' batting average (.195) and OPS (.599) since June 4 are now both the worst in MLB.
Compadres, let us sail this ship of Misery together, singing the songs of our ancestors as we look to a far away horizon.
Is Hal describing some woman's boobs in that photo? The pig.
As Keefe--who is very good--points out, we've lost eight out of 11. We have no offense to speak of. We have no hitters to speak of. Maybe Bader, when he's back. And, amazingly, Bauers.
It's tough to watch a kid like Ozwaldo get sent down when all of the "stars" you mentioned should be sent down, in a just world. Rizzo and DJ to the IL until docs can figure out what's wrong with them and how to fix it.
Jackie and Giancarlo, waivers? Whatever. They both look washed up.
As Keefe said, "you have to be a moron to still be watching this team."
Bader apparently asked out of the Boston series because he didn't feel he was ready, defensively.
Perhaps another Yankee whose desire is, shall we say, less than overwhelming?
All problems solved, Master Bader returns tonight!
SNY.TV Updates
The Yankees announced that outfielder Harrison Bader (hamstring) has officially been activated off of the IL. Earlier in the day, Aaron Boone told the Talkin' Yanks podcast that Bader would be back in the lineup, hitting sixth and playing center field.
Additionally, the team announced that lefty Carlos Rodon will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday night.
Rodon still has yet to make his Yankees debut, as the prized free agent pickup has dealt with forearm and back injuries since the spring.
Meanwhile, Boone said that Giancarlo Stanton will DH on Tuesday night, despite there previously being some talk about Stanton potentially playing in the outfield at some point this series.
There's a whole article on the nypost about DJ LeMahieu's struggles. Boone and Dillon Lawson talking about preloading and loading. More talk about "load" than at a super sized laundromat. I'm inclined to side with some of the comments therein. They did something to DJL's swing. He hasn't been hitting to the opposite field for a long time now. He's become pull happy too. So although his vision or something physical or age may partially explain it, I think the coaching has something to do with it as well. His swing looks different from a couple of years ago.
Look at it this way: has the coaching here fixed anyone who was struggling? Answer is "no", right? What makes you think they'll fix DJL?
I was going to watch the game tonight, but my left thumb was injured on Father's Day playing tiddlywinks and I want to test it on my Nespresso machine before I attempt to to maneuver around my remote.
I should be okay to handle it before the ASB. I'm rehabbing by using my right thumb as well.
I' ll keep Boonie posted.
Here's who did something to LeMahieu's swing: the biological imperative of aging, coupled with the reality that he was never a consistently great hitter, even when he was younger. I keep imploring people to look at his lifetime numbers. He had some good years at Colorado, but also a number of mediocre years in a hitters' park. He has always been nothing more than this: a decent-fielding, slow, nonathletic singles hitter. He never merited the absurd contract contract bestowed upon him by the Yankees' Airhead-in-Chief, especially with a raft of young infielders in the minor-leagues, several of whom Cashman has idiotically traded away for nothing.
Who would have thought that we would have reached a point this season that so much anticipation and need would be attached to Master Bader’s return.
Sheesh Us
Bader is another of Cashman's stupidities. A good fielder who can't hit and who is pushing thirty, when his speed will start to decline--the speed that is essential to a a good centerfielder.
Bader has also proven himself to be very fragile/susceptible to injuries.
(At least his teeth will be in great shape)
Gift double for Rizzo, a gift we will gratefully accept.
The Sunshine 🌞Boys, Stanton and Donaldson both struck out in embarrassing AB’s…🛌
Stanton is done as a productive ball player, I'm afraid. DJ who is beloved is clearly aging as well. Jackie is a monstrous prick who doesn't deserve to wear pinstripes.
Taking Stanton like we did could have been a good move if it was the last piece to a team built to win WS(s). Alas and alack, it was all big splash and money wasting bullshittery to distract from the lack of a plan in building a winning team. We would be forgiving Stanton everything and giving him a rounding send off if he had helped win even a single WS. It's not his fault he's overpaid and aging.
Hal and Cashnuts throw just enough money around to make it seem like they care, but never enough or wisely enough to actually win. Hal will never go over the salary cap; that would cut into his obscene profits. Winning might cut into the profits is they're main concern. Think of all the contracts they would be forced to renew.
No one with a plan to win or with a desire to win would ever hire IFK or Willie Calhoun.
C'mon. Get off my dick. They really do think we are very stupid.
Unwavering positivity is the Ted Lasso way. I will keep trying, but we're headed for 79 wins.
I think I'm going to buy a Porsche. They believe is striving to win, always. Yeah, they built tanks for Hitler but his body was burned in an anonymous slit trench, so I'm gonna let them slide on that one.
Oh. Oh, I missed it. The uh uh Yanks won. And Cole went 7 and a third.
Rizzo 3 for 4. Bottom of the order all had hits.
THE TEAM OF THE CENTURY - UNSINKABLE, LIKE THE TITANIC
Archie, I think you should get two or three plasma injections for that. It could be a sprained whatzit.
Also, Yanks brought in the likely first draft pick to throw out the first ball. The likely first pick in the NBA draft.
Saw that Hoss. That first pitch he threw, LOL…Cashman wanted to know the spin rste
I was hoping to see a pic of him and judge together
HC66,
Thank you for the sage medical advice.
I went to urgent care at 4:00AM, and the PA told me after an MRI and a sonogram, that I actually distended 2 ligaments from excess tiddyling and the cure is plasma, sex and chocolate covered mini-donuts.
I start my rehab after my meds wear off.
My wife wants a second opinion.
I book marked Keefe.
https://keefetothecity.com/
Happy to help, Archie.
And yes, those wives always want a second opinion! Did you also tell her that your dire thumb condition prevented you from taking out the trash or making any repairs around the home? I'm sure she'd be glad to listen.
Clueless aka cheapskate aka fartstain Hal, will be on ESPN on the Michael Kay shos today. He can once again tell us that the Yankees have a Championship caliber roster. Sure Hal! With the team batting under .200, as of late. Absolutely Hal. Hal, you are making an absolute ass of yourself.
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