Nope. By now, we figured multiple hamstrings would pop, the bullpen would gush smoke, and our legendary Core Four would once again become a Sore Four: (Cole, LeMahieu, Kahnle & Stanton?) Who thought this loveable bunch of rascals, scallywags and rapscallions, nearly a full two weeks into the regular season, would be sitting so prettily, withstanding the test of time?
For the sake of Scott Proctor, enjoy this moment. It won't last. I'm not spitting bile, merely noting that 6-1 is not sustainable, and on a team where tweaked gonads lurk behind every routine grounder, it's best to savor first-place while we can. Friday, we launch a six-game homestand that could tack on some real space between us and the hateful Blue Jays. We'll throw Stroman, Schmidt and Gil; they'll offer Kikuchi (6.36 ERA) and two TBAs. Monday afternoon, it's the Marlins and The Eclipse. It's not crazy to imagine winning four out of six, or - gasp - even five.
This is a chance to sew seeds of dissention in the Toronto clubhouse, where a three-year talent surge has come and gone, with nothing to show for it aside from Vlad Jr.'s vow to never play for the Yankees. I'm old as dirt, but I'll go on a ventilator, if necessary, to see the day when Junior is 37, hitting .103 and pleading for a final chance - only to remind him of his promise, which the Yankees hopefully will refuse to let him break. Let's kick Toronto in the nuts. It will still be mid-April, a long season ahead, but they are the kind of employees who say things that cannot be forgotten, such as, "I'll never play for the Yankees."
While I have you, let's call a moratorium on speculating what Juan Soto will do next November. It's like these weekly presidential polls: Whichever side you're on, so much will happen between now and Election Day, it's not worth freaking out. If Soto leads the Yankees to a world championship, he gets an unforgettable Big Apple celebration. Can a player ride down the Canyon of Heroes without wanting to become a Yankee for life? And if things go south, if instead of being the World Series G.O.A.T., he's just a goat, no amount of money will keep him in pinstripes.
Of the four pitchers the Yankees traded (with Kyle Higashioka) to San Diego for Soto, here's what the Padres have gotten thus far. (Note: SD traded Drew Thorpe to the White Sox for Dylan Cease, and Randy Vasquez is at Triple A.) Michael King and Jhonny Brito are not exactly world beaters. (Or even world Clayton Beeters.)
What does this mean? Nothing. There are no conclusions to be drawn from these numbers - not, at least, on April 4. Still, who thought we'd make it this far?
Kyle threw out two runners and also hit a home run, all in the same inning.
ReplyDeleteAnd I say again, Holmes is not a closer. King could have been, maybe a great one. But Holmes isn't. Why did the Yankees jump so quickly onto the idea that he is?
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ReplyDeleteJM, I think the team felt Holmes “stuff” would translate well into the closer role. For a team that puts so much resource into analytics, their approach can be woefully simple sometimes. Holmes is a FA after this year, you would think they would like to see someone else grow into the role. I suppose Ian Hamilton is the likely successor. King will also be available during the off-season, should they be so inclined.
ReplyDeleteThe Athletic says out bullpen has been great, singling out Hamilton. They also singled out the "exception" to our great bullpen performance so far: the HR Cousins allowed in our only loss.
ReplyDeleteObviously, they haven't been watching when Holmes takes the mound. He has been pretty bad, as closers go. Or, for that matter, as anyone goes.
But the article did offer this oh-so-familiar observation about our favorite, slimmed-down, laser-focused DH:
"It was a familiar sight in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game. Giancarlo Stanton badly waved and missed at a slider low and out of the zone for a strikeout. In 20 at-bats this year, Stanton has struck out 11 times. It’s the same problem that plagued him last season.
"Stanton has seen 23 total pitches low and out of the strike zone. Of his 10 swings on those 23 pitches, he’s whiffed on eight of them. The potential long-term problem for Stanton is opposing pitchers know if they attack there, he has trouble laying off those pitches. In 2023, 26 percent of all the pitches Stanton saw at the plate were in that location, by far his most-attacked spot. He carried a 70 percent whiff percentage on those pitches and didn’t barrel any.
"More than any point in Stanton’s career, opposing pitchers pounded that location last season. It resulted in the slugger’s worst year of his career. That strategy looks foolproof so far in 2024, which could spell more of the same for Stanton."
WTF is wrong with that guy? Still swinging at the same bad pitches, still whiffing, stiff sucking. Take him out, already.
Sorry..."still" sucking. Though he is a stiff, too.
ReplyDeleteWe're not just 6-1. We're a very lucky 6-1. Pythagoras says we should really be 4-3.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I missed yesterday….. I didn’t know Pythagoras was in the booth.
ReplyDelete@ Pocono Steve, You know, I was thinking exactly the same thing as Pythagoras. In fact, I was talking about this yesterday with Archimedes. Boone got massively lucky in a couple of wins. Yesterday was one of them.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's with the lineup yesterday? Volpe in the 5 slot? He's got off to a great start but why stick a singles hitter in the 5 slot? Why does Boone have to re-invent the fucking wheel every game? Sure enough, Volpe goes 0 for 5 with a strikeout and a big error in the field. He's not ready to hit in a power slot yet, Mr. Ba-Boone.
ReplyDeleteHey, Boss -- don't you want to spell dissension again? Delete this comment if/when you fix.
For the sake of Scott Proctor [snort], it's wonderful to scoreboard watch, but - as wise individuals have said - the season is long.
ReplyDeleteFuck Cashbrain.
And in extras, Boone really trying to flex his puny brain muscles. What's he got in there, maybe a 1/2 horsepower motor cannibalized from a lawn mower? Other managers have got 350 hp. Five outfielders, with only 1 out. Not sure what the hell that was about, but it worked out. Pitching Holmes in a second straight inning. Walking their best hitter Gabriel Moreno to load the bases, probably the right move, but man, I thought the ceiling was going to fall down right there. They got lucky to escape with the win.
ReplyDelete@ JM, Stanton belongs on the bench. Actually, he belongs in the pasture, but since they won't release him, Ba-Boone has to have the backbone to sit the dude's ass on the pine. I didn't dub Stanton "the blind man" for nothing.
ReplyDeleteDuque, I think this early good fortune has got to your head a bit. You know they struggle against Toronto. They don't hit Kikuchi. He could burst out of a coffin and still shut 'em out. The only thing wrong with Toronto (as with the Tampons) is that they haven't played us yet.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Rodon only used the pitcher's mound yesterday in the traditional, acceptable way, his sweaty upper body is featured in the lead photo in today's NY Times/The Athletic cross over article about the ongoing problems with the new uniforms:
ReplyDelete(As MLB’s uniform issues persist, Nike searches for solutions to sweat stains and mismatched greys)
Looks like Mr Rodon is carrying around much less weight this year.
I'm wondering now - just how many of our beloved Yankee players are getting weekly injections of Ozempic?
Hmmmmmmmmm
Hey guys, can't thank you enough for all the kind words. (And the sales. Especially the sales.) Rufus, Warbler, those were very nice tribute—and having a quote from my book on the chiron is the ultimate tribute! (Funny how fast and wild everyone considered baseball to be back in the 19th century.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am truly, deeply grateful and very honored and humbled by it all.
Now, back to spewing bile at assorted individuals on the Yankees who don't do exactly what I want.
Speaking of which...thanks for bringing up that analysis, JM. It makes it all the more insane that Cashie is actually plotting to let Soto goto Flushing. (See what I did there?)
ReplyDeleteStanton is done. He has been done for years now. And Verdugo is a free agent, and Rizzo is probably over the hill. Spencer & The Martian will be needed to fill plenty of gaps—IF they are what we hope they are.
Soto should get a big, fat offer NOW. See if he can resist that—and if he does, then we should pursue him like the hounds of hell the moment the season is over.
"When somethin' goes right
ReplyDeleteOh, it's likely to lose me
You know it's apt to confuse me
It's such an unusual sight
I can't get used to something so right..."
The venerable Mr. Simon aside, the last time I was willing to suspend my disbelief about the Yankees was in 2022, when they were so good in that incredible first half. I NEVER thought that team was anything close to what its record showed but hey, whadda I know?
By August, I was ready to drink the Kool-Aid. And then it all fell apart. Cashman, of course, made sure the wheels came off with some of the worst trades in Yankees history—but that team was already going to fall short, barring several miracles.
Used to be, it seemed, that there were years when the Yanks or some other team would get off to a great start and you just KNEW it was their year, the reasons for it coming afterwards.
But no more. And not with this team. It will soon be mired in injuries and pitching breakdowns, as always. But to quote another 1970s idol, still I look to find a reason to believe...
Oh, and by the way?
ReplyDeleteLittle known fact: Pythagoras and Archimedes were both on the Greeks' analytics team when the Romans invaded. Things did not go well. True story!
Pythagoras, by the way, was under the booth fluffing John
ReplyDeleteComplete Control
The Clash
They said release 'Remote Control'
But we didn't want it on the label
They said, "Fly to Amsterdam"
The people laughed, but the press went mad
Ohh, oh, ohh, someone's really smart
Ohh, oh, ohh, complete control, that's a laugh
I love The Clash...
ReplyDeleteThis is an extremely small sample size. The Master would say that he doesn't look at the standings until around 20 games..I learned a lot from Mr. Sterling...
I'm fairly sure John went to high school with Archimedes.
ReplyDeleteMike King has great stuff. He also has a long history of arm trouble which is why the Yankees were reluctant to use him as a starter. Let's wait and see if The Brain gave away magic beans or dust. My money, not my hope is that he's done his best pitching already... Jus sayin
ReplyDelete