The Yankees held a "media availability" with Soto, their status symbol acquisition of 2024. (Here's a tidbit for Ripley's: They even invited IT IS HIGH, via Zoom -first time ever. Surely, someone will be fired.)
(Note: Didn't attend, life being too short.)
Soto sat before a canvas festooned with the corporate logos of the Yankees and Toyota. He wore a T-shirt that said, "The Generational Juan Soto," apparently, his new catchphrase. He spaketh for about 30 minutes, thanking everyone like an Oscar acceptance, praising in particular his childhood mentor Robby Cano. (Note: That sends shudders on several levels, from jogging out grounders to walking away from NYC.) Overall, he fielded creampuff questions, which is okay. There will be times to channel Tom Cruise's cross-examination from "A Few Good Men." On the first day of camp, a YES love-in is fine.
I say this because Soto is the most transformative Yankee addition since Mark Teixeira in 2009. Certainly, the Hellbents will ride the shoulders of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, but that's the normalcy of 2023 - (and it wasn't enough last year.) The Yankees want Soto - perhaps the purest natural hitter since Manny Ramirez - to elevate their entire batting order.
If he succeeds - that is, if the Yankees win - I believe Hal Steinbrenner next winter will fight to keep Soto in the way that Volodymyr Zelenskyy does a northern province. We can rightfully question Hal's refusal to spend on free agents this winter - our big acquisition was Marcus Stroman, probably the fifth best pitcher on the market - but if Soto is truly "Generational," I believe Hal will have no choice but to bury him with money.
I know what you're thinking: What a toady! Guy gets invited to a Zoom, and now he's gone soft on the Beastmaster. Look, I don't wanna to get lost in the weeds, but if Soto hits in 2024, it will mean fucking everything to the Yankee lineup. And if he doesn't, well, we're left hoping for Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton to magically be revived and carry the team. If Soto fails, for whatever reasons, we're cooked.
Last season, in the media cacoon of San Diego, Soto hit .275 with 35 HRs and 109 RBIs - for him, an average season. He played 162 games, led the NL in walks - creating a .410 on base percentage. But here's the real thing: He'll basically be replacing the LH comedy team of Willie Calhoun, Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney, which drove in an accumulated 60 runs. This is a massive upgrade.
"Generational?" I dunno. But 2024 starts Saturday, and make no mistake: It's all about Soto. For better or worse, he is meeting his Destiny.
E.D.
ReplyDeleteAfter receiving the zoom invitation did you have the urge to aimlessly scooter shop around the local Wegmans randomly asking fellow shoppers, “What should I do? WHAT SHOULD I DO!”
After all - that invitation could be the most significant moment of the 2024 season.
ReplyDeleteAllow me once again to remind you Sir that with great power comes great responsibility.
Ultimately, deciding not to participate will only make them try harder next time.
Sooner than later that doorbell is gunna ring and Cashman will be waiting in his rusty Musk-Truck inviting you to take a ride with him.
(an analytics flunky would handle the actual door bell ringing)
The future has found you.
Better rewatch that vhs copy of La Jette’
La Jette was an interesting concept. I'd like to see it developed into a real movie, with moving images, so it doesn't look like an animatic test commercial from the 70s.
ReplyDeleteDuque, how could you not attend that Zoom call? Now they're thinking, "Well, we invited the bastard and he didn't show. So screw him. No more invites."
Hey, has anyone heard anything about Sterling and Suzyn? Are they working the games this year? Is he retiring? Calling even fewer games than last year? Suzyn, wonderful as she is, isn't a spring chicken, either. We'll soon only hear vanilla voices calling games in vanilla fashion, without the unfettered brilliance of The Master. I just hope it's not very soon.
P.S. I see AHOY comics is resurrecting The Toxic Avenger in a new mag. Something to keep your eyes out for. Or for which to keep your eyes out, depending on the grammatical structure that makes you happy.
Sorry if I left out a Hungerdunger. Question mark???
La jetée
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ayEeGYW_oc
notre destin
Thanks for the link. Rewatching it, I have to say it is pretty amazing. Very well done.
ReplyDeleteGuess I had to get older to appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteChris Marker did a brilliant job with that film, JM.
ReplyDeleteIt was remade (gulp - sorta) into a feature film by Terry Gilliam entitled Twelve Monkeys. No comment.
I encourage you to watch Chis Marker’s Sans Soleil (aka Sunless)
AA, I will watch it.
ReplyDeleteGreat BTR.
ReplyDeleteKeep your eyes peeled for the Verdugo reference
I was thinking that the plot was very similar to 12 Monkeys. Which I did like at the time. Very different from La Jetee, of course. It's an interesting concept.
ReplyDeleteJM - exactly.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to see Sans Soleil projected big at its premiere in a small town some call Los Angeles a few thousand years ago.
Isn't aging fun?
Always a good time, deteriorating discs be damned.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Yanks best hope is for a 2024 of glory. Soto spark the team to an amazing season, capped by a fantastic playoffs. Hits a grand slam home run off YY to beat LA in the 13th inning of the 7th game.
ReplyDeleteInsane Yankees fans fight their way past the NYPD—no, the NYPD joins in!—hoisting Soto on his shoulders, shouting, "Il a gagne ses epaulettes!"
Sorry, that's what happened to Jackie Robinson at the end of his season in Montreal. Chances are, Yankees fans won't be shouting in French. But they'll be, y'know, so excited Hal is FORCED to re-sign the lad.
Oh, who am I fooling? Even then, he would probably let Juan walk, telling us that his place will be taken by the much, much cheaper replacements, Spencer and The Martian (as somebody said, now every Thursday at 8 on NBC).
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ReplyDeleteHAL probably thinks it's Jim Spencer.
ReplyDeleteAA, aging beats the alternative. Always has
BUT BUT BUT...
ReplyDeleteHal promised us the moon! He's NEVER going to let Soto go. He said so in today's Daily Murdoch:
“There’s still things we’re looking at, whether it’s trades or signings,” Steinbrenner said. “I’m not saying anything is going to happen, I’m not saying something’s not going to happen. But I’m still willing to improve this team however we can.”
When he says he's not saying anything isn't going to happen, what he's actually saying is that nothing is going to happen. Or something like that.
As for 2024, I'm not getting my hopes up. This is all fool's gold, and I won't get fooled again. Same old .500 championship-caliber team. Soto was in a stacked lineup last year and that team couldn't get it out of first gear. And, uh, Snell was also part of that mess too.
Rufus….de-aging?
ReplyDeleteDe-ath
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOH --- de-ath.
ReplyDeleteDidn't think of that.
Soto will walk a lot. Then he'll walk.
ReplyDelete