The Bronx Bombers? Or the Bronx Big toes?
Nowhere in this lineup lurks a saboteur, an agent of chaos, someone who the other team dreads. Our leadoff hitters - Rizzo and Gleyber Torres - are hardly threats to steal. Then comes the March of the Penguins - a foursome of career freefallers - each one perpetually on the verge of "breaking out," if you accept the infield chatter of the YES courtiers.
The worst, of course, is Giancarlo Stanton - who was supposed to lead this team if Judge tweaked something. After global warming, micro plastics and artificial intelligence, Stanton's collapse is the most looming existential threat to our future. The Yankees must pay him $118 million over the next four years, and the guy is currently hitting .201, and he stinks in the OF. For the last three years, Stanton was overpriced. Now, he is on the verge of being a total write-off. The Mets still celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day. Maybe the Yankees will have one devoted to Giancarlo.
The shadow of Stanton's collapse will darken the Yankees for years. But they need him right now. This lineup is exceptionally weak.
Last year - July 6, 2022 - this was the order. Five hitters above .248.
Why am I doing this, aside from self-torture? Well, this year's team is particularly toothless. The occasional solo HR is not cutting it. At some point, you need a single up the middle, and the Yankees don't seem to have any.
Other matters:
1. The elephant in the room, Jimmy Cordero. In the past, I've suggested that the media glare of NYC puts the Yankees onto a higher plane of scrutiny, and I do believe there is something to that argument. New York teams have one advantage in pro sports - wealth from their huge market size - but it doesn't matter if the owner chooses austerity. That said, I'm not blaming NY for Cordero. I blame Cordero.
I don't know what happened with the guy, but I'd hate to think that the jubilation surrounding Domingo German's perfect game may have suggested that it doesn't matter how much of an asshole you are to your spouse, as long as you throw hard. Cordero let his family and his team down. Sad.
2. Tonight, it's apparently Luis Severino (though Carlos Rodon has been promoted, so not sure.) He damn well better hold them down, because a) the Yankees need this game, b) the bullpen needs this game and c) Sevy needs this game. Seriously. He's been intermittently awful. We can't go on this way.
Two days ago, we were on the verge of catching Baltimore and striding confidently into the all-star break. Now, the O's sit on the verge of eating our lunches in a home series. And all they have to do is feast on the middle of our lineup.
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40 comments:
At least they've got exit velocity and launch angle.
That and missing strikes hard.
Since Everyone here had wrist surgery early this morning, they're dead or they are suffering from Yankee fatigue (not to be confused with Super Hero Movie fatigue), here a fun quiz:
Which of the following IS NOT a Beatles song with the word LOVE in its title?
All you need is Love
Can't Buy me Love
She Loves You
Who Loves You Baby
Can't Buy Me Love
All My Loving
Rufus - I thought you were still feeling the affects/effects/defects of the anesthesia . . . .
What I want to know is: who's the Johan who put the hex on the Yankees yesterday by suggesting,
"If tonight and tomorrow, the Death Barge can take just one - (won't suggest a sweep, due to the obvious juju implications) - we'd move within pissing distance of the first wild card slot."
It was bad enough to throw the evil eye all over the field, but then to casually awaken the baseball gods by even suggesting there could be juju "implications" (and thus invoking the wrath of said juju), that individual should be brought before a tribunal and fined an undisclosed amount. Or, at very least, be forced to buy more than one round at the annual gathering of the tribe. I'm only sorry I won't be there to insist.
It might be time for a kangaroo court. Poke the sleeping bear why dontcha!
Punchless and toothless. Batting Rizzo first is the same old nonsense.
We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.
Who Loves You Baby is not a Beatles song.
Yeah, we have to find a way to make sure the juju gods don't hear the occasional bursts of enthusiasm from our Peerless Leader. I know, it's not to go there. This Yankees team has a way of making you think, 'Wait, if only—'
Don't fall for it. There's no only. Only mediocrity.
We’ll then remember Mr Firefly that if you’re going to do hallucinogens in Arizona the Grand Canyon is not a giant wishing well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMOYhApOa7c
UNWAVERING MEDIOCRITY!
I send over a complimentary case of Clearasil.
That should take care of THAT
Indeed!
Incidentally, ANY explanation at all as to why—in a big game against a division/wild card rival, Harrison "Hot Hand" Bader was sat, in favor of a utility infielder? Both are right-handers, as was the Baltimore starter.
Any explanation at all?
Oh, I know, I know. It was more of the Yankees' time-tested method of resting guys so they won't get injured.
Time tested—and time failed.
“Who Loves You Baby” is not a Beatles’ song, or a dedication to Yankees management.
Never heard of that one, Who Loves You Baby.
All they have to do now is figure out how to flush this last game of the series down the toilet and then flush two out of three against the Cubbies and their work will be done. We have Sevvy going tonight? It's practically guaranteed that he'll flush this one.
I don't know why they keep moving these young pitchers, Jonny Brito and Randy Vasquez, up and down. Just keep these guys here and USE them as long relievers, spot starters. Of course, I realize that would violate the unwritten rule that a reliever can only pitch one inning per game.
The stupidity of moving everyone around to every position is bound to result in sloppy defense and mistakes. I think we've been lucky so far that there haven't been a lot more mistakes.
It ain't just the middle of the order that doesn't hit. The top of the order went 0 for 16 yesterday. How do you win that way? I always thought it was hilarious that everyone was harping on Volpe not hitting, when the whole damned lineup pretty much never hits.
Yankees are so injury prone even their cameramen are vulnerable
It seems like the Panty Bois In Analytics have declared that Bader must have every 5th game off.
When I tried to explain Load Management to my boss, she gave me another project to work on.
I read that his wrist was sore from being hit by a pitch so MammaB gave MasterBader a game off to rest his sore wrist.
"Who loves ya, baby" is by that noted songwriter Telly Savalas. His character in the Dirty Dozen is almost as likeable as the Yankees' GM.
Kojak
Yanks have recalled Deivi Garcia, probably just until they activate Rodon, expected to be tomorrow. We may see him tonight if Severino gets knocked out early enough
You know, I saw the game being lost last night when a diving Jake Bauers came up a foot or two short on a catch that I think most major league left fielders make. And while I appreciate the stop Jackie made on that ball down the line, he would have had the runner going into third if he didn't start to juggle the ball once he lurched towards third base. That's picky I know, but for all the gold glove acclaim the Yankee announcers give Donaldson, I expect a gold glove play when it counts.
What is it that the Yankees see in Bauers? Why halfway through the season does the myth persist that anyone can play left or right field at Yankee Stadium.
@ BTR...Perhaps your boss can help you with your load management :)
They are the Bronx Embalmers! © and ™
Bauers is a 1b, not an OF. He was released by 4 teams before The Genius picked him off the scrap heap. LF has been a dumping ground since Gardner left. If they truly cared about winning they’d have constructed a better roster with adequate coverage
Most teams are hitting like crap this year, even after the shift was abolished, the bases were made bigger, and the pitch clock was implemented. All things that were going to make offenses explode with fan-delighting mayhem.
Being the New York Yankees, of course, we can hit more like crap than other teams because we're special. We have 27 World (read: US) Championships, although just one in the past 22 years and the great majority between 1920 and 1965. In fact, we had--what--20 in that span, and 20 out of 45 years is incredible. 7 out of 57 years doesn't seem so hot.
Maybe that's our new team slogan, to be spoken over that mopey music they play under team promotional spots: "7 out of 57, which is better than we hit!"
DJL has become an instant out that pitchers no longer fear or even choose to walk with a runner in scoring position. I believe he's about.130 with RISP. If he isn't hurt, then he has hit the wall quicker than Mickey Mantle did in '68. Something is definitely going on because his at-bats look totally unlike before this season. An unbelievably high number of strike-outs and weak contact. He looks totally out of sync and his approach is not what it was previously.
We are in the "Curse of Wanting to cut Brett Gardner" era. How many of you are sure that Gardner wouldn't have out-produced the mob who have patrolled leftfield the past two years. He'd STILL be faster than any of our corner outfielders, and he'd be on base. Contrary to what most people assume speed players age more gracefully than power players.
Brian's Song:
"I'm Only Sleeping"
When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Running everywhere at such a speed
Till they find there's no need (There's no need)
Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping
Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time
Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling...
Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping
Ooh yeah
Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time
When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
@ Yankee Daddy Roger, I think Bauers should've played that ball on one hop and held it to a single. He is playing out of position, so he's got to play more conservatively. That play was a killer, but the blame falls squarely on Ba-Boone. For some asinine reason, DJL plays 2B, which forces Torres to DH, which forces Arch Stanton to play RF. DJL, who has fallen off a cliff with his offense, plays and McKinney sits. And Bader sits too. All this, on a team that is starved for offense. Unbelievable, Ba-Boone deserves most of the credit for that flush job.
@ Carl J. Weitz, I have a theory about DJL. I think his toe injury caused a change in his hitting approach, aided and abetted by the bumbling Yankee rocket science hitting coaches. Before his toe problem, he was the best hitter on the team. After the injury, he hasn't been the same. He looks like one of the regular Yankee crazies now, swinging at almost everything and trying to hit 'em out. He needs a swing doctor. Maybe an eye doctor too.
AA: "I read that his wrist was sore from being hit by a pitch so MammaB gave MasterBader a game off to rest his sore wrist."
And we all know he needs his wrist at full strength so he can do more MasterBading.
Sorry, couldn't resist!
Shameless, Hammer! Shameless.
Kevin, you think that's true about speed players? I dunno. Look at Ellsbury. Of course, sometimes speed players can make a transition to being a power player.
Gardner did some of that. In 2011, he led the AL with 49 stolen bases, and hit 7 HR. His last 3 seasons, 2019-2021, he had 53 homers and 17 stolen bases.
Hammer - that was my softball pitch to you for the day.
Glad you were able to hit it out of the park
The Boone Carnival Side show lineup wheel stops on Volpe leading off.
Interesting
Carl is Correct
Anyone amongst us hear a Doctor?
Eye/Ear/Nose/Hit/Pitch/Podiatrist/Proctologist/Psychiatrist/Pediatrician/Pathologist/Pulmonologist?
Perhaps we can help
Hear . . . . Here
(Whatever)
Horace, speed declines at a slower rate than power. I remember being shocked when Bill James wrote about it in his early books. Whitey Herzog also commented on it. Again, everything is predicated on lack of serious leg injuries. Ricky lasted forever, Ty Cobb, more recently ("recently" has become a more relevant term as I've gotten older) Brett Butler and Otis Nixon were still playing centerfield into their late thirties. Let's add Ichiro, Brock, Willie Wilson, Joe Morgan, Honus Wagner, Ozzie Smith, Davey Lopes.... Very truncated list. I did a quick glance at the all-time leaders for SBs and tried to limit my picks to guys who could still be considered above-average/elite base-stealers into their mid-thirties and beyond. Even without doing heavy research I would bet that far more players would fit into the stolen-base criteria than power hitters. And guys who had high on-base numbers also age better than their peers. To clarify, I should add that I'm talking about guys who drew a lot of walks. Guys who hit for high average without the walks lose that skillset before the "great eye" players do. Getting back to our boy Gardner, he was still in roughly the top 20-25% range in speed metrics in his final years.
The above points out (yes EBD, there are exceptions) that guys like Stanton can lose their value very quickly, although he has had a very good walk percentage during his career. Unless he is hiding an injury, or needs contacts we will be paying a lot of money for a pinch-hitter for a long time. Such a shame that he turned into an injury magnet. He was on a HOF trajectory when we traded for him. But thems the breaks.
A Salty Dog / Procol Harum
All hands on deck, we've run afloat
I heard the captain cry
"Explore the ship, replace the cook"
"Let no one leave alive!"
Across the straits, around the horn
How far can sailors fly?
A twisted path, our tortured course
And no one left alive
We sailed for parts unknown to man
Where ships come home to die
No lofty peak, nor fortress bold
Could match our captain's eye
Upon the seventh seasick day
We made our port of call
A sand so white, and sea so blue
No mortal place at all
We fired the guns, and burned the mast
And rowed from ship to shore
The captain cried, we sailors wept
Our tears were tears of joy
Now many moons and many Junes
Have passed since we made land
A salty dog, the seaman's log
Your witness, my own hand
Oh, keep-, oh, come on, it's still good
It's got to come in a bit sooner than that
Bill James never stated anywhere that speed declines at a slower rate than power. Note the usual lack of a specific reference to shore up this serving of bullshit.
The punchlees entire Yankees order with a few exceptions. The Genius Cashman way of puting a team together. The Hal way of gtting the cheaper player, i.e. Rizzo when Freddie Freeman was available, now batting .315, while Rizzo is in a black hole.
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