In 2007, age 11, he led his team to the Little League World Series.
In 2012, in Chandler, Arizona - home town of Mean Joe Greene and Waylon Jennings - he starred for his high school team. (The Yankees - who had employed his father, Clay - considered him too skinny. to draft.)
In 2017, with the Dodgers, he won NL Rookie of the Year.
In 2018, he won NL MVP.
In 2020, he won a World Series ring.
In 2021, beset with injuries, he suffered a complete collapse, hitting .165.
In 2022, the lowest OBP of any qualifying MLB batter.
That winter, the Dodgers cut him loose.
In 2023, with the Cubs, NL Comeback Player of the Year.
Listen: That's not a roller coaster ride. That's Prometheus, having his liver pecked out Monday through Sunday. That's being a dinner guest of Hannibal Lecter. The calendar says he's 29. In life/stress years, he's 75.
Seriously, this guy has experienced ups and downs that few human beings can know. His trophy case holds Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, and numerous x-rays. He once dislocated his shoulder at home plate, celebrating his walk-off HR in the NLCS. Later, he broke a fibula colliding with an A's pitcher named Reymin Guduan. He ran into a Dodger outfielder and broke a rib. He's never been the same.
Until the last three weeks.
Okay, I'm donning the aluminum foil. All aboard the Cody Train. I've booked my seat. I'm saying that in 2025, we will watch with disbelieving eyes as Bellinger outhits, out hustles and outlives that ungrateful smirking money-grubber on the other side of town, the one who batted in front of Aaron Judge for an entire season and - as far as I can see - has never said thank you.
I'm saying it, right here, right now: Bellinger is going to have a season.
Right now, on the spring, he's hitting 20-for-43. That's .465, for those scoring at home. He's hit five doubles, three HRs, with four walks and only six Ks. For those of you who are missing David Cone, he has hit 10 balls with exit velocities of over 100-mph. He's locked and loaded.
He's going to play CF for the Yankees. Remember when that was a thing? The greatest players in baseball - Joe, Mickey, Aaron Judge - patrolled centerfield in the Bronx. Since the days when his dad was the 25th man on their world championship teams, Cody Bellinger's destiny was always to play for the Yankees. Gerrit Cole made a great feel-good story: The little boy who pronounced his love for the Yankees and then returned 25 years later. Imagine Bellinger's joy, running in his father's footsteps. He's not going to blow this. He's gone through too much, already.
He's a lefty slugger. If he bats second, he's about to enjoy the greatest batting order protection in the game. (One year with the Dodgers, he was intentionally walked 19 times, the most in baseball.)
So... you think he'll have "Welcome to NY" stress issues? Guy's played his career in LA and with the Cubs. He's heard the cheers, the boos, the comparisons, the expectations. You think Bleacher Roll Call will phase him? Guy supposedly begged Scott Boras to get him to the Bronx.
One last thought: Bellinger does not need to win the MVP. That's Judge's job. Bellinger simply needs to stay healthy and fit in - to hit 25 HRs, to bat .270, to steal 20 bases and to patrol CF. He'll be wearing his father's jersey number - 35. You think he'll disgrace it? I don't.
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34 comments:
I have no idea where you are going with all that ...
I don’t have any worries about Bellinger. 20 hrs, .270 sure. Just stay healthy. SB’s another matter. Analytics HATE SB’s, almost as much as a sac bunt. That’s
why Volpe steals so few. Well, that and the fact he doesn’t get on base enough. We’re going to need more from Volpe thsn he’s provided the last 2 years.
Little Tony has a little BA and OBP. But I guess Cashman will never give up on him because that would show Cashman made a mistake. Hopefully, they keep Peraza on the ML roster, let him play third, maybe even short sometimes, with Cabrera filling in at third.
Vertigo signed with the Braves, and good for him. But $1.5 million for one year is not exactly a huge vote of confidence. Good luck to him.
Meanwhile, whither Rizzo?
Hey, Win, sorry about the email mixup.
As long as he's hitting .400, I'm ringing the Bell. And we're all going to Cooperstown.
Rizzo will be hanging out nearby at MSG cheering on those two teams. Just a few injuries away from Cashman's eyes.
Little Tony is not long for this world. Well, not in the Yankees world. He will disappear within 2 years at the most, either via trade or demotion. Lombard, Jr. and Rod Arias will soon be the starting SS. It will probably be Arias with Jr. moving to third. Both are more talented than Volpe, each having a much greater upside, especially with the bat.
....We may not always have Volpe - but there will always be Chicken (and VEAL) Parm
I don't know Carl. Cashman almost always retains everyone 'til their value is gone or they're free agents and just walk away. I would've traded Volpe this past winter. Wishful thinking, of course.
AA, will we always have chicken and veal parm? At restaurants, I've ordered veal parm, only to get chicken parm, probably hoping I won't notice. (Veal is usually more expensive.) And then there's the great egg meltdown. How can they make chickens if they don't have any eggs? Sounds like a new Pink Floyd song. How can you get chicken parm if you don't have any chicks? How can you have any chicks if you don't have any eggs?
I think Bellinger will have a very good year. Who was it here that advocated getting Bellinger for a while now? I think it was Hoss. Way to go, Hoss, you nailed one!
Anyways, Bellinger only needs to outplay Vertigo to be a huge upgrade. But he might end up outplaying Soto. Chances are, Soto will pull a hamstring chasing down balls in the outfield for the Mutts. Soto was a hair away from missing half the year for the Yanks in 2024. Think he'll be that lucky again this year? I think not.
Even bigger than Bellinger is what happens with The Martian. If Dominguez really hits like I think he can, then this is a hell of lot better offense than last year. I would lead off Dominguez or put him in the #2 slot. Judge hits 3, and Bellinger hits cleanup. Or Dominguez leads off, Bellinger hits #2, Judge hits 3.
Of course, that won't be the way the Yankee management and Jackass Boone will do it. They'll have Wells lead off, Judge hits #2. What can you do, except laugh?
I started quite young and haven't eaten meat in almost 50 years. If I did consume that flesh, veal would still be the one I'd abstain from. Google the utter cruelty that goes into the production. Small calves, tied to a 1-foot rope, kept in a crowded "shelter," mostly in the dark for their short 16-20 week lifespan, and force-fed antibiotics. It's way beyond cruel. The angst, despair, and bad juju are passed directly to the people who consume veal.
Hammer - with all due respect, I never said we will always have Chicken and (VEAL) Parm. I said there will always be Chicken and (VEAL) Parm......
(AA points to his temple, taps gently and says)
"They may not live on in our bellies, Hammer. BUT THEY WILL IN OUR MINDS !!!"
I'd love to see the data that goes into the analytic team's belief that batting a slow catcher leadoff is the optimum strategy. As the old saying goes, "Garbage in, garbage out."
DJ LeMahieu went to see his doctor last week, yet again. This time it's because he’s got a dot on his forehead. The doctor told him him, "In six weeks you’re going to have a penis growing out of your forehead." DJ says, ‘Doc, cut it off!’ The Doc says, ‘I can’t cut it off. It’s attached to your brain. You’d die.’ So DJ says, "What you’re telling me is that in six weeks when I wake up every morning and look in the mirror, I’m going to see a penis growing out of my forehead?!’ The Doc says, ‘No, no. The balls will cover your eyes.’”
True story? Or modified Buddy Hackett Joke? You tell me.
I hear eggs are so expensive that having them is a chick magnet.
All true, and a shame. You can't make a real schnitzel without veal.
A true modified Buddy Hackett joke.
Carl, good for you (that you're not eating meat)! I don't know if I can totally give up meat. Too much of a carnivore. Actually, I haven't had veal in quite a long time. No point ordering it if they bring you chicken instead. But you bring up a great point about the suffering of domestic animals. They're giving their lives for us, so it's most important to treat them with respect. Native Americans used to have that take on the bison.
AA, you should be a CPA. You know how to find the loopholes, haha.
Keefe reported this:
'...Cashman said it’s “less likely” the Yankees will add more payroll at the moment. This comes a day after it was reported the Yankees made a franchise record $411.7 million off of ticket and suite revenue last season, including $101.9 million from the postseason alone. The $411.7 million was a 40 percent increase from 2023."
That is no joke.
Steinscammer said last month he was done adding payroll. Yet all these pundits and sportswriters are writing about trade proposals that all involve adding payroll. That’s where the joke is. Other than a “minimum wage” signing, what we see is what we’re gonna get.
I wouldn’t have a problem batting JD high up in the lineup. I don’t think he can handle it, but let him prove me wrong. The idea of Wells batting leadoff is absurd. This is why I still think Boone is handed the lineup for every game. He’s just here to glad hand and gaslight.
Dominic Smith opted out of his Yankees contract. Good. He looked terrible at first base. That means Ben Rice is the DH / back up 1B/ third catcher. Plus gives Jasson more DH ops.
Thanks, Hammer! Yes, I wanted Bellinger signed (when he was very cheap) before 2023. Then last year. Either one might have made a big difference. I could easily see him going the 20-25 homer, .270 route, and that would be great for us. (And to think Cashman didn't draft him in 2012. What a yutz.)
Last night on SNY, Anthony McCarron (actually a great guy) was all in on Jazz. I'd like to believe—but the past says it's much more likely Chisholm will miss one-third to two-thirds of the season with injuries...
...The trouble with this sort of conjuring is that it slips quickly into Cashthink: "If everybody just has their best season ever, we'll be great."
What you want is a GM who thinks: "If everybody gets hurt or slumps...we'll STILL have enough depth to be great."
With the Yankees this year, of course, "If everybody is great...we still won't have enough pitching."
And DickAllen, yeah, those figures are obscene. Especially considering the immense, public subsidies the Yankees have received for the past half-century now.
Ominous music plays: dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum duuuummmmm.............
On board HAL's yacht, The Yankee Apocalypse 2025, as an enormous shadow passes underneath the ship:
HAL to Cashman: We're gonna need a bigger tax shelter.
Did Hal make Duque an offer he couldn't refuse?
Wanna ride in my new superyacht?
Can I sit next to the wet bar?
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