Wasn't it yesterday that Verdugo flopped in LF, opening the dykes against Baltimore, and assuring the entire Yankiverse that 2024 would end in horror? (A feeling, I must add, that has never dissipated.) Yet here we are. Best record in the league. Third best in baseball (behind Philly and the Dodgers.)
And it's all heading to - well, fuck if I know? - a massive convergence of social, cultural and political forces that will peak in early November, with or without the Yankees. Of course, it's all just crapola. No matter who you root for, in sports or politics, on The Morning After, your car will still need new brakes, and that pain in your big toe will still be gout, not an ingrown. And the words of the Prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls...
"I have a concept of a plan."
Story of my life.
So, here we are...
1. Somehow, with spit glue and rubber bands, the Yankee bullpen is holding. But it's like a tin roof in a raging hurricane. The next gust might take it. Every game, every inning, every at bat, every pitch, you wonder if this will be the moment when everything flies away.
There is no way for a Yankee fan to feel secure with a slight lead. It doesn't matter who is pitching. Someday, when we remember 2024, we will cringe from the trauma that was inflicted upon us by this bullpen. They didn't blow last night. But tonight... who knows?
2. Two walk-off wins in a row? Seriously, I wanna believe. But who dares to think this team has a destiny beyond killing our hearts and hopes in the 9th inning of some postseason soul-crusher? That's what a faulty bullpen does to you.
3. Jazz Chisholm nearly blew last night's game, getting picked off first in what should have been a big inning. We all want Chisholm to be a star, but he has made some glaring base running blunders - (the other day, he stopped at third, despite the coach waving him home) - the kind we generally associate with Gleyber.
I think of Chisholm as an agent of chaos on the bases: He clearly psyches out the pitchers and catchers. But that chaos seems to extend in both directions.
4. Aaron Judge's HR drought continues - weirdly, as he seems to be hitting the ball hard. No more talk about chasing Ruth, Maris, or himself. Still, I'm done worrying about Judge. One of these days, he'll heat up. The only question is whether he can carry us us through a couple 11-10 games?
5. Tonight, the Yankees will squeeze more money from their base, with the game broadcast on Apple TV. Many fans - most? - will not be able to watch without a paid subscription, raising an existential question:
Just how greedy do they have to be?
Last winter, when they were drawing up schedules, they had to know this would be a wild weekend in the Bronx, potentially the biggest series of the season. So what did they do? They sold away the rights, to pocket a little more cash.
I remember a time when Old George, for all his flaws, would waive the viewing restrictions for big games, often against Boston. That won't happen again in our lifetimes. And MLB wonders why young people won't sign on? I'm the biggest Yankee fan you'll ever know, but none of my kids, now adults, follow the team. And I am proud of their decisions.
Very sad.
We’re going to win it all. Every dumb thing I have ever said here has been wrong. This is the team of the century. I am so sorry to the gods that I predicted they would only win something like 76 games. It’s in the bag. I’ll see you all at the post World Series party.
ReplyDeleteMy wife wanted to watch Bad Monkey, so we happen to have Apple TV+ for the time being. Then Slow Horses started season two, so we have two things to watch. Don't see anything else on there that I wouldn't mind missing. Just like Hulu and The Old Man. Only Murders in the Building looks insufferable this season, which is too bad. Wasn't bad for a season or two.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, the Yankees. Hamilton is looking good. That's a big deal for the bullpen. Kahnle still shaky, Cousins seems surprising good, and Weaver keeps on keeping on.
Now if only Judge would hit. His September does look a lot like his April. That's not good.
Did you read Keefe's takedown of Boone? Nothing we aren't aware of, it's just nice to see someone else filet the idiot in print. Between him and Holmes (and him using Holmes), it's amazing we're in first place. Does he ever make a good decision?
I had Apple TV for a while because it came with my phone. I thought "Hello Tomorrow" was sufficiently quirky. Not great but good enough. Plus who doesn't like Hank Azaria and Billy Crudup.
DeleteRemember seeing something about that show. I should watch it. I like those guys, too.
DeleteDuque....my daughter is a big Cowboys fan and leans mostly Republican. I frequently feel as though the Dept. of Children & Families should charge me with being a bad father.
ReplyDeleteThe play with Jazz the other night where he stopped at third….the third base coach initially stopped him - so he hit the brakes and stopped and started to look around for magazine to read and maybe something to eat. Then the third base coach waved for him to run again because the ball was bobbled or something. But Jazz didn’t notice because he was too busy enjoying a pulled pork slider and reading a copy of Gleyber’s Highlights magazine. Much less worrisome than the pickoff…..
ReplyDeleteRojas has done that a few times his year. We have a new tradition of crappy 3rd base coaches, who basically have one job to do. The old Cro looks down from wherever he is and sadly shakes his head.
DeleteHe was watching those old 5 second clips of Babe Ruth winking while in the middle of downing 6 hot dogs the batboy bought for him as a midle-of-the-inning snack.
DeleteIf only Cleveland had gone for the best new team name. The Spiders were not from Mars, but they played like aliens:
ReplyDeleteHarry Colliflower’s 1899 Spiders — There’s a reason the Spiders are the poster boys for single-season futility, you know. They plummeted to 81 under on Aug. 31 (at 19-100). They still had 35 games to play … and they lost 34 of them! (Final record: 20-134.)
To quote D.B. ~ "The moment you know, you know you know
Delete"
DeleteYeah, JM, that was because the NL then allowed ownership of more than one team. Gee, what could possibly go wrong? Well, Stanley Robison, the owner in this case, moved all his best players from the Spiders to St. Louis.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, "Spiders" should definitely be revived as a team name. Or the "Guardians" should be the "Rockers."
Fully agree. And I remember the history of owners having more than one team from your book. Very educational.
DeleteI just don't get the whole diversified broadcasting thing. Wasn't the entire reason for having a YES network to monopolize revenues on the team? Keeping some games on free channels made sense—from the Yankees' POV—because it might lure in people who had not yet gone to YES.
ReplyDeleteBut pay (twice)-for-TV channels? I don't get it. The odds are excellent that Apple+ and Peacock won't even exist in a couple years. But never forget: Hal & Pal are geniuses!
How ‘bout this tidbit (titbid?) from The Athletic:
ReplyDelete“ This postseason is bringing yet another new wrinkle to Major League Baseball that may rankle some purists — advertisements on players’ batting helmets….as part of a multiyear deal announced Friday, the name and logo of German workwear company Strauss will appear on helmets during the postseason and regular season games in Europe.”
Where does it end?
I would hope at least on the back of the helmets.
DeleteMLB just sucks.
As a sports fan, it only ends when you're dead, LOL.
DeleteSoon the unis will go, too. Which, if they continue with this "City Connect" crap, won't really matter.
ReplyDeleteOne day, perhaps not out of sight from your lifetimes ( yours not mine ), fans will pay for game tickets to watch individual games on some televised something or other. Instead of paying $45 for a ticket to the game ( bleacher seat?) you'll charge $45 to Apple Pay to watch the game..with commercials I might add. The will end it.
ReplyDeleteBrockmire. The TV show that predicted the fucked up future of MLB in its final season. And along with it, the first couple of seasons are still damned funny.
ReplyDeleteI still want to see the Pizza Rat for the NY City Connects
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Soon fans will be required to obtain team sanctioned implants to be able to have access to their favorite teams. From buying tickets and getting into ballparks to subscribing to how ever many broadcasting entities there will be, these implants will be their entry into the exciting new world of major league baseball entertainment.
ReplyDeleteThe "Perfecto" microchip will be implanted subcutaneously under the skin on the back of the fan's dominant hand, just between the base of the thumb and index finger.
With a planned roll out expected in early 2028, fans will be able to purchase and have their Perfectos implanted at their favorite Walgreens, CVS, or Target stores."
Will I EVER pay for Apple "anything"? NFW!!! And MLB has huge yarbles to sell THEIR televised subscription then allow other entities to broadcast selected games for an additional charge. Getting a bit tired of the ol' corporate "in-out, in-out".
ReplyDeleteFuzzy huge Yarbles
DeleteAA, that reminds me of Luis Sojo's fake name for checking into road hotels -- Harry Pelotas.
DeleteAs I've mentioned many times, get an IPTV subscription for a few bucks a month or buy a device for a one- time charge, about $350- 400, and watch every team in every sport ( and just about every type of programming/media)for free into perpetuity.
ReplyDelete"YARBLES?" From whence does this linguistic bauble come? Is this some Brooklyn-based neologism? As an aside, I'm reading a great book on the history of New York English. It's called something like, "Hear Me Talking to Ya" and it's really good. AND YOU KNOW WHAT???? We could use a good book thread every once in a while here. AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE? Maybe we should do a night out for pizza - the NYC contingent and anybody else who wants to come. Just some thoughts on a slow Friday here in that theme park known as "Greenwich VillageLand"
ReplyDeleteCarl - "perpetuity" is a scary word. I know you didn't want to scare me, but now my penis has shrunk into my belly and my yarbles have disappeared. I'm under the table, cowering. Perpetuity....
ReplyDeleteThe nuns scared the shit out of me in gradeschool. Then I decided to not care what they said.
DeleteTherefor, I will probably rot in heck, as Dilbert would say.