Let the record show that Rodon's greatest outing as a jersey-wearing, card-carrying trustee of the New York effing Yankees came in an exhibition game, one week before anything matters.
It's a fool's errand to assign meaning to a ball game played the 18th of March - the birthday of Grover Cleveland - but in a Bizarro Superman sort of way, Rodon just pitched the game of his Yankee life.
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| Rodon's 2023 game log shows no scoreless outings |
Let me repeat: Instead of being booed, catcalled or condemned for crimes against the Yankees, Rodon doffed his cap to a rousing sunblock-scented ovation.
As Rodon was pitching, Blake Snell was signing with the SF Giants, ensuring that the NL West will be the baseball's best division. The Yankees can breathe easier: Snell won't pitch for Toronto or Boston - or our greatest nemesis, the hated Astros.
A solid six innings in March means nothing, unless it brings a tweak or strain. But the Yankees need Rodon like never before. If he recaptures the stuff of 2022, he could anchor the rotation until Gerrit Cole returns, probably in June. (Fingers crossed.)
Yesterday, with DJ LeMahieu resting a bum toe - he'll likely miss opening day - the Yankees reverted to a harbinger of recent rancid seasons: The lifeless bottom third of the batting order. Their final three: Trent Grisham, Kevin Smith and Oswaldo Cabrera, none of which might hit his weight. Add Jose Trevino, have Anthony Volpe repeat 2023, and rest Aaron Judge's mystery ailments, and the Yankees look perilously like the woeful banjo lineups of recent seasons. Suddenly, the addition of Juan Soto looks more like a stopgap than a transformative piece.
Yesterday, Carlos Rodon gave us a ray of hope.
Finally.
When are they retiring his number?
ReplyDeleteTake away a couple of guys and this team has no offense. Just like last year. And the year before that. And now, unless Rodon has made a pilgrimage to Lourdes, we have no pitching, either.
ReplyDeleteShaping up to be a hell of a year.
And hey, it's a good thing we didn't sign Gio when he was available. We would've had someone to play third now that DJ is out with his foot again.
ReplyDeleteWhat a dumb front office.
Hi-Q! Tuesday - Tell me, Tell me, Tell me Edition:
ReplyDeleteDarkness burns so bright
Have we given up the fight
I miss pull tab cans
ReplyDeleteAnd, no, we couldn't have used Snell for 2 years @ $62MM. That wouldn't have helped at all.
Criminy.
No worries, we have LeMahieu locked up for another 3 years.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sight this team will be in 2025-2026.
Happy Spring everyone.
ReplyDeleteHappy days are here again! Another "championship caliber*" team!
*summer co-ed beer league championship. (Your results may vary)
The only question is who will win the coveted golden crutch? The suspense is killing me.
Did anyone die while I was away today?
ReplyDeleteOh, and just in case anyone is worried about the Yankees awful ST record, here’s a list of the Winning teams so far, carefully edited to prove my point:
ReplyDeleteTigers
Red Sux
Rockies
Cubs
Nationals
Virtually everyone but the Orioles are treading mediocre waters.
Come June, when our savior allegedly returns, we’ll be right down there with these punching bags.
Time to call Trevor.
ReplyDeleteTrevor's going to pitch against our heroes on March 24 for a Mexican League team. Short term contract. That'll be...fun?
ReplyDeleteMight be fun if he could help bring a ringW
ReplyDelete