On July 14, they boasted the game's best young catcher (Rutschman), the game's best young RF (Santander), the game's best prospect (Holliday) and the game's second-best SS (Henderson.) Add Mountcastle & Mullins, with Corbin Burnes as the ace, and everybody with an internet connection knew they were destined to run away with the AL East.
Nope. Doesn't add up. On that sunny afternoon before the all-star break, they were gifted the Yankee Perfect Storm - our absolute worst single game meltdown of 2024, if not for the last decade.
On the verge of mounting a 9th inning, three-run comeback, which would sweep the O's at home, break their spirits and send them to the HR derby in second place, the Yankees conjured up:
1) A total collapse by closer Clay Holmes.
2) A botched game-ending grounder by Anthony Volpe.
3) The infamous, perhaps immortal, Alex Verdugo faceplant.
Yeahp. Everybody knew what was coming: Another Yankee collapse - the order of business since 2009. We'd watch Baltimore dominate the AL, as Houston and Tampa had done in recent years. The O's were the new AL superpower, and the Yankees? Well, they were high-priced, underachieving roadkill.
Another one of those years.
Then something happened. Baltimore spent July and August floundering at a .500 pace, flopping against cupcakes and tomato cans, waiting for a hot streak that has never come. Now, here they are, on the verge of a wild card birth that will force them to face the Royals, Twins or Tigers - three dangerous young teams poised to bypass them, to replace them, as Texas did last October.
Of course, the O's can still catch us. Since the horror of 2004, no Yank fan shall ever again know comfort. But Baltimore remains inexplicably bad. Their shell-shocked fans blame injuries, but show me a MLB staff that hasn't been decimated by barking elbows and burnt out shoulders.
Last weekend, we knocked out Boston. Tonight, we could do Seattle. Longtime nemeses. Then comes the riddle of Baltimore. Can we exorcize the ghosts of July 14?
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21 comments:
What got into Gleyber yesterday? Three stellar plays in the field, multiple hits, not thrown out... I know he's not what I saw yesterday, but I was the first time I've ever seen him play and excel at bat AND in the field.
I hope they still know not to sign him.
I don't know what's what with Baltimore but Volpe stinks.
https://youtu.be/hKw9AYPeCz8?si=huXb4YzCbXP2AAcA
Love the DC5. John Lennon was worried about the Beatles slot as kings of pop/rock, saying of the 5, "They've got a saxophone!" It all worked out.
Dave Clark never sold or gave away his publishing rights. Smart man.
Doug, this late-season surge by Gleyber will definitely lead to him getting a new contract offer. It's quintessential Cashman. Then he'll suck for the next five years. And also provide the partial excuse for not signing Soto.
Four games, baby! Whoo.
Keefe's current post is great, as usual. He shreds Volpe's season, presents copious evidence of how bad Boone is as a communicator and a manager, piles on with criticism of the Cole/Boone intentional walk fiasco, and how dead spots in the lineup somehow continue being in the lineup. Correct on every count.
Getting worse and worse as the season progresses. Many strikeouts, zero power. Batting .163 in Sept and hasn’t homered since Aug 3rd. As others have suggested there should be an open competition at SS next Spring, but of course there won’t be.
It may be too early to say that a new order is coming, but Boooooone has fit JD into the lineup and at the same time, keeps putting Verdugo out there, while rotating Judge and Glassman at the DH spot. I will be curious to see how this little drama plays out going forward.
@JM...I have most of the DC5 in my vinyl collection. Bobby Graham played drums for most of the catalog. DC is a real prick btw...I exchanged messages w/Ron Ryan on a DC5 group so I know things..
As Dylan wrote: “…every one of them words rang true; And glowed like burnin’ coal”
I still have hope for volpe but it's about time that Boone finally used Cabrera as lefty platoon. He treats volpe like he's derek Jeter.
I can believe that about Clark. No real reason why, but somehow it fits. Using a session drummer surprises me a little, since Clark was a drummer and played on live dates. But common practice in those days.
You're scaring me because I know you're right.
It's a long story about Dave. Bobby was a great drummer (he played for everybody (http://mikedolbear.com/interviews/drummer-bobby-graham/).
Dave Clark didn’t age well. Some do - some don’t.
DC looks like a Kligon now...lol
The Yankees cannot exorcize the ghosts of July 14 any more than the DC5 can exorcize the ghosts of the Beatles. And they aren't really ghost, are they? It's stupidity. Gross ineptitude by CashBrain and Ma Boone. They let Aroldis Homes keep pitching in high leverage situations until he had 12 blown saves.
Actually, that seems more like enemy action than ineptitude. Hal doesn't want the Yanks to win so they keep letting Holmes and Verdugo and Volpe play. When there are better options in the organization.
Fuck Hal.
Woke up in Maine and driving slowly home. We stopped in Nelson, VT to see the grave of May Sarton on a whim. A magical cemetery, I must say. Since we had done that, we thought, why not stop by Robert Frost's grave in Bennington? I'm glad we went, but it was full of gnats and flies and there were others there who traveled, seemingly, just to take shots of his grave, but didn't even know who he was. Anyway, I was inspired to write a haiku, but have too big a mouth, so I'm posting the following, inspired by Mr. Frost.
Two seasons diverged inside my head,
And knowing that Brian built this team
And be one fan, I ran and fled.
And thought about when I was screwed
By Brian, who put me on this path;
Then took the dark road, my only choice
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because we had no pitching and Boone’s a fool;
I gave up hope, since stats don’t lie
But in truth, we could live or die,
And yes, we started with a bang
And tore up April into May.
I was reluctant to change my way!
And stuck with my prognosis dark,
I doubted we should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
For now I’m wrong and we will win.
You can’t predict baseball
I always say, Suzyn.
And the wind cries, Verdugooooooooooooooooo
mr bit.,
Your poetry is moving. I can picture you on a horse on a snowy evening in the woods.
Anytime you are passing through NH or VT, there is a chance I will be close. Please let me know and I will treat for lunch if we're near.
(I attended hi skool in the town that has Frost's grave. He wrote most of his good stuff while living in NH, but got the inspiration for it when he was poor in VT.)
Rufus, I promise...
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