Their numbers are insane. They're Ruth & Gehrig, Mantle & Maris, Hepburn & Tracy. Top two in the upcoming all-star vote. Top two for the MVP? Nobody in the Now - not Ohtani & Freeman, not Tucker & Alvarez, not Putin & Kim - breeds fear as they do.
In Yankee terms, they are bigger than Reggie & Thurman, stronger than Jeter & Bernie, and basically what Judge & Stanton were supposed to be, before the injuries. I mean, look at these numbers for all of MLB, look...
But here's the rub: The Yanks still cannot protect them. They have no third monster, someone to keep opposing pitchers from walking Judge? Giancarlo cannot run, Verdugo can't seem to sustain a hot streak, and with the rest, the drop-off in quality is - well - like Saturday Night Live after Weekend Update.
They say rising waters lift all boats. That might be happening with Anthony Volpe, who enjoys the most envied batting order spot in baseball. But it's not helping the beer gut of the lineup, especially Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo.
Each night, the YES team dutifully points out reassuring signs: Last night, though he went 0-for-5, Rizzo hit the ball hard! But it's mid-June, and nobody has stepped forward. If Judge or Soto gets hurt, the impact will be devastating.
So, should we look forward to big deals at the trade deadline? Please. For starters, Brian Cashman wrecked the 2023 team with trades so disastrous that Congress should have investigated. Lately, the bloggery bullshit machine blathers about of trading for Pete Alonso, who has only 14 HRs and a OPS barely above Giancarlo's. Not gonna happen. Then there's Vladimir Guerrero Jr., having a genuinely rotten season - 7 HRs - but he's vowed never to suit up for Sodom. Everybody else carries the scent of a Joey Gallo - long HRs, but not enough to matter.
Nope. The world is not going to help us. There is but one possible solution, and you all know of whom I am speaking: Jasson Dominguez, age 21, now rehabbing in Scranton. Long prophesied to be the Second Coming of Mickey or Trout, "The Martian" is the most intriguing hitter in the Yankee system, if not the entire minor leagues.
Last night, in a 10-0 rout of Rochester, Dominguez went 1-for-5. He is now batting .440 - a tiny sample size of 25 ABs - with 2 HRs. At Double A two weeks ago, he hit 3 HRs, hit .313 in 38 ABs.
Last year, at Scranton, he hit .411 in 31 ABs. He came up to NYC and did .258 with 4 HRs in 31 at bats. (As you know, he tore his elbow and underwent surgery; it's a miracle of medicine - and youth - that he's back playing.)
We have yet to see Dominguez get 100 ABs at any high level. That should happen between now and the all-star break. If he keeps hitting, the Yankees must find a spot. (Injuries would grease that path.)
To win the world series, and to break the Cashman Curse, the Yankees need a third Babadook. Nobody will trade it to us. All eyes on Scranton, people. For better or worse, that's the future.
Happy Birthday! 🎂🎈🎊🎉🎁
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday 🎉
ReplyDeleteAhem! I was part of that "bullshit bloggers" about trading for Alonso. But you're right, you're right: it's not a solution.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is, even if/when we nudge Rizzo off first, who plays the position? DJ, just for the defense? Maybe. Ben Rice? Big burden for a rookie.
If it were spring training, we could give a first baseman's glove to Spencer maybe. But now...
And Urban Farmer, thanks for the shout-out—again! You guys are the best. This blog is worth it for the company alone.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the drinking age 21 now? No matter. Happy Birthday!!! And drink away!!
ReplyDeleteHoss, the Martian and Rice seem ready.
ReplyDeleteBonus question: Will Peraza ever be ready?
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ReplyDeleteNice one, Doug.
ReplyDeleteJanis Ian?
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ReplyDeletePeraza, still hitting only .176 but coming off a big night.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe, but this is his 4th season @ SWB. He coulb be subject to the Rule 5 draft after this season if left off the 40 man, but does anyone even want him? Or will Florialization be his fate?
i started reading the blog when my child was 17.
ReplyDeletedoes that count?
happy birthday
and remember. . . . don't eat the candles off the cake
https://youtu.be/P8ti1hnLiLw?si=y4FozMtMV_vlvOMc
JM - Thanks. I moved it over to the birthday wishes post where I should have but it in the first place.
ReplyDelete"Florialization"
ReplyDeleteWe need Florialization. It helps prevent cavities.
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ReplyDeleteMr. A,
ReplyDeleteI'll point out that while today is Prince Spaghetti day, it is *not* Prince Macaroni day.
A north end restaurant made a commercial back in the 80's, that said this is where does Anthony eats every other day of the week. I regret that I'm old and can't remember the restaurant. The tag line at the end was "Anthony, where were you on Wednesday?"
Back in the day, you could leave your car running when you went to pick up food in the north end. Because if you stole someones car, you ended up in the harbor and your family was harassed out of town. Different world. Now it's multi-million dollar yuppie condos. Anthony himself called it a theme park before he died.
Rufus... they regularly aired those commercials on CT stations. I think NYC as well.
Deletehttps://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2019/10/23/prince-ad-50th-boston-north-end-italian-food
Oh, and send Glassman to the Ellsbury Hotel California Rehab Hospital, where you can check out, but never leave. Bring up the Martian. Insert where Glassman was. Problem solved.
ReplyDeleteRufus - Of all the years for Stanton's yoga to have kicked in. That said, we were worried about who Cole would replace and then Schmidt got hurt.
ReplyDeleteSo he's just one hustle for a double because he stood there and thought it was going out but instead it hit the wall (A four!) away from the EL.
Adding Jasson is exactly what this team needs. Well that and a 1B who can hit. And a closer. Oh, and a manager, and a new owner. I think that's it. Perhaps, a second baseman who pays attention for all nine innings. But aside from those things, were pretty good.
Keep in mind that, in early September 2023's callup, The Martian played a few games with a barking elbow before getting surgery. His MLB batting average of .258, besides being a small sample size, was lowered by injury.
ReplyDeleteI've been a Yankee fan since 1981, and The Martian is the best looking young hitter this club has produced during that time. His skill set appears to my eye to be much higher than Mattingly, Jeter, Bernie, even Judge when Judge first came up. Judge is right now a Hall of Fame monster home run hitter, probably the best player in baseball, but it took him 'til 2022 to become this. Judge wasn't so great when he first came up. In fact, he sucked. His second year was pretty good, with a lot of power, but he still wasn't a Hall of Fame type monster. He was not one of the best players in baseball back then.
The Martian looks to be an all around good hitter, with excellent power. He makes adjustments during at-bats, which is something that players with ten years of experience in the majors can hardly do. But he makes it look effortless.
So when The Martian first came up and had those games, I understood why they anointed him as being from another planet. During my time as a Yankee fan, I've never seen anything like this. Not on our club anyway. On other ball clubs, yes, there have been plenty of big time players. (Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Ohtani come to mind.)
It seems that a lot of guys here have been down on Austin Wells. If it were up to me, Wells would be playing at least two of every three games. He makes a lot of mistakes in his at bats. But he doesn't look "overmatched", as The Master used to say. This is a guy who's learning and developing. In a year or two, with more experience, he'll be a lot better.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why it's a mistake to give Trevino most of the playing time. That's why this club doesn't develop players. They give a known quantity, who is not a star and never will be a star, the majority of the playing time over a guy who could be developing into a big time player.
You could say that Trevino has outplayed Wells and that the Yankees have benefitted in the standings as a result of playing Trevino over Wells. But developing players always comes with a cost. Most guys don't blossom right away. You have to endure growing pains. It's well worth it in the long run to develop young players with star potential. If they don't pan out, you trade 'em. But if they do pan out ... now you're talkin'.
Sad to say, but the Yankees need to Wallypipp the shit out of Rizzo, a good player in his day who has fallen off a cliff.
ReplyDeletePutting a rookie at 1B? I can't imagine The Intern taking such creative measures. But the Martian? It's time. Let's go already. Ditch The Glassman and move on.
And while I'm going on, if The Martian is going to be the CF of the future, will someone please give Spencer Jones a 1B mitt? At 6'6", he's a massive target and he throws left to boot. At his height, even Gleyber couldn't miss him. Could he?
DickA -
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of giving Jones a 1B mitt for NEXT year. Which means that Gleyber will miss him. He will miss his whole Yankee career because he'd better be somewhere else next year.
Oh and I like Wells. I notice he starts 0-1 on ball calls a lot. He also has had a number of "hits" taken away by great fielding. I think he will come around just fine.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Ben Rice at 1B this year?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO IIHIIF...IIC!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen you're seventeen
Reaching for your dreams
Don't let nobody reach 'em for you
You're rock candy bay-bay
You're hard sweet and stickay
Hard sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
and stickayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Oh yeah!!!
I'd love it if they developed and carried another catcher. You can carry three catchers, if one of them also plays 1B. You can do a three catcher shuffle at C,1B,DH. Great position to be overloaded with young talent.
ReplyDeleteHammer, sounds like you are describing Ben Rice
ReplyDeleteI shudder and hide the family jewels every time gives Cashman a trade suggestion, the trade deadline approaches and all winter long. But Cheapskate Hal already laid down the law about the payroll and there's nothing cheaper than a good rookie on the MLB roster. That means The Martian and Spencer won't be buried forever in the minors and may be invited to the show before too long.
ReplyDeleteBut where to put them? Trading Grisham seems obvious and might be the best thing for everyone. Might even get a few prospects in return. I do like the hustle and game that Verdugo brings to the line up. He battles through at-bats. His D is excellent and he's a massive upgrade over the past few years. He's an FA this winter, so trading him will get a limited return. But if Spencer and the Martian are tearing the skin off the ball and their D is comparable, I'd be tempted, if someone offered a good reliever or 1B in return.
Barring injury, I don't think we'll see them until August or September. So there's still time to fit Spencer with a 1st baseman's glove and see what he does with it.
Rice? He needs more seasoning (sorry, I couldn't help it). But's been killing it in the minors. By July or August, he may force the issue. At which point, the Yankees can wake up their sleepy medical team and order them to find something wrong with Rizzo that sends him to the IL and out of harm's way.
Then Cheapskate Hal can shave 24M off the payroll - Verdugo, Grisham & Rizzo ($7M buyout)- and put that toward Soto's massive payday. If Spencer and the Martian grow into superstars, Soto will still be young, HoF bound and still very tradeable, despite his salary. So, Cheapskate Hal will still have something to look forward to.
RIP Jerry West
ReplyDeleteI meant "someone gives Cashman a trade suggestion."
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you think so, Hammer. I admit, I was hugely skeptical about The Martian, but you were right. He really opened my eyes when he came up last year.
ReplyDeleteAs for Judge, well, I think he was pretty much a monster by 2017. I mean, he hit 52 home runs. But he fell off for weeks after the All-Star Game because, of course, he had a UI—Undisclosed Injury, the Yankees' favorite way of keeping a player out there, while ensuring that his value drops and the fans revile him.
That's the biggest thing we have to fear for all these guys. We need management that actually looks out for their welfare, instead of perpetrating all the bullshit we've seen in the last seven years on them.
I also think every Yankee should make an excuse to miss the All-Star Game. Sick wives and children, sudden hammy strains, mental health days—you name it. I want them home and resting for the break.
Judge strikeouts were troublesome when he first arrived. Greatly aided by shitty, asshole umps unable and unwilling to comprehend his real strike zone.
ReplyDeleteFun fact: neither red sauce nor spaghetti are from Italy originally. When I was there last month, I was reminded that red sauce is primarily for pizza. Very different from US italian food.
ReplyDeleteI have to say the Lil' Tony is pulling his weight for The Duo. How many times has The Duo driven him in this year? Lil' Tony is a bona fide Big Leaguer this year.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY SUPERSTARS!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Rufus, there's a HUGE difference between sauce and gravy...
ReplyDeleteI had a team of eager workers from a local CARVEL rushing around town going door to door trying to locate and deliver an ICE CREAM cake to El Duque.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was an extraordinary effort on their part, given their willingness to take on the job even though I didn't have his address - unfortunately they didn't succeed and regrettably, the cake melted.
As I understand it - each time they stopped and went to another house they took the cake with them to the front door. After about three hours in - the cake just didn't make it.
Good news is the manager promptly called and refunded my money and is sending me a $10 gift card.
Maybe next year . . . .
Hammer appears overexcited: "Judge wasn't so great when he first came up. In fact, he sucked."
ReplyDeleteI know Hammer's not referring to 2017 when Judge won Rookie of the Year and was robbed of the MVP by the cheating shrimp. Was it the cup of coffee Judge had in 2016? Because I don't ever remembering Judge as ever sucking.
Ranger,
ReplyDeleteRed sauce = tomatoes and nothing else
Gravy = tomatoes and else
Take it from this pasty faced irish guy. Or not.
Hey A,
Was it cooki-pus or fudgy the whale?
Ranger, I wouldn't take his word for it: cooking and pasty-faced Irish guy don't really go well together.
ReplyDeleteDick,
ReplyDelete100% agree.
I was fortunate enough to marry into good food - Italian and Lebanese.
Roophuss,
ReplyDeleteIt "was" a large Perfect Picture Birthday Cake, featuring one of my Aaron Boone photos on the top.
Also, there are two A's in my name, not one.
Boy howdy I sincerely hope that your smartphone or computer isn't malfunctioning.
You could be dictating as well.
Certain foods mess with some applications abilities to get the words right so . . . my pro-tip to you on this FINE PRINCE SPAGHETTI day is to aways rinse before you dictate.
Thank you
Two A's, Like A-A-Ron? I'll try to remember, especially coming from the butcher of onomatology.
ReplyDeleteMy commodore 64 is as good as the day I purchased it. Oil change every 3,000 miles and it still purrs like a kitten. My US robotics 14.4 modem has seen better days, though.
All this talk of pasta has made me...
Thirsty.
AA, you are just the sort of mental patient we love and deserve.
ReplyDeleteFuck Hal.
Hey I'm half-Italian so I should know something abt it...
ReplyDeleteAnd don't ask which half...
ReplyDeleteGravy: In some Italian-American communities, particularly in the New York area, the term "gravy" is used to refer specifically to a tomato-based sauce that has been simmered with meat. This sauce is often made with ingredients like tomatoes, meat (such as pork, beef, or sausage), and sometimes wine. The meat is cooked in the sauce, and the flavors meld together during the slow cooking process. This type of sauce is typically served over pasta.
ReplyDeleteSauce: In a more general sense, "sauce" can refer to any type of pasta sauce, whether it includes meat or not. It can be a simple tomato sauce made with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and herbs, or it can be a more complex sauce with additional ingredients like vegetables, seafood, or cheese. In Italy, "sauce" is often used as a more all-encompassing term for any kind of pasta sauce.
Ranger, we're coming to your house on Sunday. Hope you have enough to feed us all.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the masthead. Particularly the "almost old enough to drink" part. I believe that I am not alone here in that my first encounter with the elixir of ethanol was well before my 17th year. In addition to some medicinal brandy administered by my more than negligent parents when I was sick (which was pretty much all of my childhood), I distinctly recall purchasing my first six pack -- schlitz, a great lager before they ruined it -- at age 14 (barely). I remember the guy that sold it to me said: "if you get caught, tell them you found it ice cold in a ditch." Those were the days.
Maybe the masthead should read: "Almost old enough to drink... legally"
Thank you all and don't forget to tip your servers.
Ranger, seriously: "sometimes wine"?
ReplyDeleteMy first drink was a bottle of Blueberry Ripple at age 14. It produced a beautiful stream of vomit once the entire quart was consumed. I couldn't wait to do it again.
But seriously: "sometimes wine"?
What happened to the Royals starter? Or did he just suck?
ReplyDeleteCrinimy. Things are well out of hand in KC. Go go Trevie!!
ReplyDelete