Consider these imaginary numbers:
--- In December of 2022, Judge signed a 9-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees. Three hundred sixty million dollars. To count to 360,000,000, adding one digit per second, it will take you 13 months. To travel 360 million inches, you must drive from NY to LA, then turn around and shuttle back to Indianapolis, a trip that raises the existential question: What's the point?
--- That month, the Padres offered Judge $400 million, and the Giants were said to have conjured even more. But what are these numbers? They're like infinity-plus-one. They can only be fathomed by supercomputers and toad-lickers. After a certain point, who cares?
--- On April 27, Judge was batting a woeful .190 - below Mendoza, in the province of Zolio Almonte - and Yank fans were openly wondering if he were hiding an injury, and whether he'd hit a lick this season. He looked terrible, and he was costing us games. It was time to think about dropping him in the batting order.
--- In the month of May, Judge compiled an OPS of 1.472. What does this mean? Nobody knows. It's just a bizarre number. But it was the largest OPS in MLB, and more than 200 points ahead of the OPS runner-up, Jose Ramirez. It's double the OPS's of both Mookie Betts and Randy Arozarena. It's - oh, fukkit - it's a goddam big OPS.
--- Over the last 30 days, in all of baseball, Judge leads in HRs (14), is 2nd in RBIs (27), and 2nd in batting average (.387). This is a supernatural output, in the mystical realms of Ruth, DiMaggio and Mantle. Not long ago, the baseball world was extolling the greatness of Shohei Ohtani - and I do not mean to disrespect Ohtani - but there is no one in the game like Aaron Judge, and I thank God, or the algorithms of Destiny, that he is a Yankee.
But there is something missing here, and unlike Judge's numbers, it is quite easily understood. What's missing is a world series ring. And it better happen this year, because come October 30, if the Yankees aren't preparing for the Canyon of Heroes, all these fancy numbers will be in the distant past.
So Judge hits this 3-run HR yesterday and I see the three guys that score head to the dugout...
ReplyDeleteVolpe 11
Soto 22
Judge 99
The single digits are gone but the double digits are feeling reminiscent, to me, of past greatness.
It made me smile.
I don’t know what computer algorithm the Yanks used to put this team together, but damn it, the thing needs to be used to also fix some pressing problems for the world. Not many human minds saw this result coming. This is the most confounding and surprising Yankees team.
ReplyDeleteShock the World
ReplyDeleteSign Soto
Sign him Soon
Do Not Wait
Do Not
Hesitate
Do it Now
Before it is
Too Late
Thank You
As usual, everything is about Giancarlo Stanton. When the team doesn't win, his failings can't help but be mentioned in top-10 lists of reasons why. When the team wins, his failings are brought into higher relief. The permanent DH who can't DH. The quasi-outfielder who can't outfield. All is Giancarlo. Giancarlo is all.
ReplyDeleteJudge is basically averaging 10 home runs a month. Over a six-month season, that's 60. Will he get there? Will he go farther? Will he stub his toe on some hideously designed outfield wall in some weird NL venue?
ReplyDeleteAnd this is how you keep 'em tuning in. Haven't had burning questions like this in a continuing story since Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Judge could buy a shitload of Condos for Christ, and he's earned them.
Amen, Duque!
ReplyDeleteTo give us a further idea, the great Josh Gibson is now recognized by MLB as having the highest ever, season OPS, at 1.474. That "season" consisted of 39 games with the Homestead Grays. I won't quibble with anyone who calls Josh Gibson the greatest catcher of all time. But sorry—39 games doth not a season make.
Next up, at 1.422, is...Barry Bonds. Sorry. Anyone taking something that makes his head expand is cheating—and probably cheating himself out of some years of life. Pass.
The highest ever for a (full) season by a non-cheater? Babe Ruth, at 1.3791.
For active players? Here's something interesting: Juan Soto, at 1.1846—but again, in a shortened season, 2020.
After that, you have to get all the way to...Judge himself, at 1.1108, no. 122 on the list, for his fabulous, 2022 season...
I like numbers .
ReplyDeleteHere’s some more, courtesy Pinstripe Alley
CF-RF Spencer Jones 3-4, HR, BB, RBI, SB — first homer since mid-April, also got to pull off a double steal with Jasson, neat!)
DH-CF Jasson DomÃnguez 3-5, HR, 3 RBI, SB — dingered and moved to outfield in the seventh to play alongside Jones
1B Ben Rice 3-4, 2B, BB, RBI, K — part of 17-hit attack for Somerset
C Agustin Ramirez 2-4, 2B, BB, RBI — threw out a runner on a tough pitch
Your 2026 New York Yankees?
I was asleep for the last innings, else I would have warbled.
ReplyDeleteIt only took 25 years, but Brian finally learned the importance of a balanced lineup. And look at the results!
ReplyDeleteCashman is a beacon of hope to slow learners everywhere.
Here's hoping Spreadsheet Hal learns that too, before he blows up the team in his quest to become the next cellar-dwelling, Oakland A's.