To: Fenway Nation
From: Yankiverse
Re: Mookie
Last night, - in a game I suspect you didn't watch, in a world series I suspect you haven't followed - a 5'10" fellow named Markus Betts - aka "Mookie" - went 1-for-8 with a walk and strikeout. Not a great night, as nights go. On the postseason, he's hitting .250, batting behind Shohei Ohtani and anchoring the Dodgers infield, playing shortstop. He sorta serves as the Dodgers' manic pixie dream girl, except, of course, that he is a guy.
Why am I telling you this? Honestly, I dunno. Remember that creepy villain in the 1979 movie, THE WARRIORS, where a handful of NYC street-bangers must fight their way home to Coney Island? And when they finally catch the bad guy, and they ask why he killed Cyrus, the respected gang leader, his response is, "REASON? NO-O REASON."
Yeahp, that sums it up. No-o reason. I just woke up this morning and thought, "Maybe the fine people of The Hub are wondering whatever happened to that guy, Mookie Somethingorother, and I should let them know." Aside from that, no reason.
Anyway... when the world series concludes - two games from now, I suspect - Mookie Betts will likely receive his third world series ring, including one that came with you folks, back in Boston, back in 2018. A lifetime ago.
Mookie has played 12 years in the Majors - six with Boston and six with LA. He has one MVP award, six Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and a batting title. He's 33 and nearing the middle of a 12-year contract, which he signed with the Dodgers in 2020. That year, Boston traded him to LA (with pitcher David Price) for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor "What Can Go" Wong.
So, what's my point? No reason. I just wanted you to know that, now and then, we Yank fans think of you and - yes, this is crazy, but it's true - we smile.
Yeahp. Back in 2020, if your owner had simply coughed up some dough, done the right thing - the smart thing - and kept Mookie Betts, you would not be - like us - sitting at home, watching Tracker. Your shortstop would not be Trevor Story. And from there, who knows? Maybe no Mickey Gasper, no Franchy Cordero, not even a Bobby Dalbec. Who knows? You might have kept Kiki Hernandez and Kyle Schwarber. Anything is possible, in your dreams.
And on that note, let me lead the chorus:
(Clang-clang, clang-clang)
REDSOCK FANNNS, COME OUT AND PLAY-YAYYYYY!
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16 comments:
We are Devo, Red Sox Nation, but so are you and so's your mother.
Also, I am giving up on the idea that Judge is as good as or better than Ohtani. He's not. During any given year, he might be the better hitter in the regular season, but that's about it.
Mookie wasn't staying in Boston. He's talented, smart and had leverage. He didn't have to listen to Murph and Sully drunkenly screaming boring but vile insults at his colleagues...and him eventually... every night for the next ten years. So why would he?
Yes, JM, Ohtani is a generational gambler, uh...player.
Both. He could probably buy the entire Japanese major league at this point, too.
Oh Tawny, Boy . . .
Last night's game was an indictment of mlb.
Last WS afternoon game was 1987. Would have been nice if this were one. Didn't matter to me-- I didn't watch it.
Plus, yet another horribly blown call by an incompetent ump that wanted to be the main attraction.
Yankees could have pursued Mookie, but they already had future (golf) hall of famer A-A Ron. Fcking autocorrect
1) I watched yesterday's game intermittently. I would watch a half inning, turn it off, read a book, watch a couple of batters... all I could think is, "How is this still on?"
2) Othani is extraordinary. Not just the home runs, and I would walk him from now on until he retires, but the savvy. He goes from 1st to second on someone's base hit and comes up a little lame. But he basically waives off help.
So, I start to wonder if he's bullshitting. Then I see him anchor himself during his lead off second and I think, yeah it was bull shit . He's setting them up to steal. The pitcher ignored him but the batter swung at the first pitch and he didn't get the chance. It's the little things.
3) The double play off the strike out/walk was yet another thing in sports that I have never seen before.
4) In reading Duque's post yesterday as well as all the comments about how much money Hal is actually making it only magnifies how much it sucks that they didn't sign Freddie Freeman because he cost too much.
Instead we get the Rizzos and the Holidays and the Goldschmidts of the world while Freeman keeps showing us what a clutch playoff performer looks like. Worst decision by Cashman/Hal possibly ever and that's saying something.
I give them a pass on the trifecta of Othani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki. They were not coming here.no matter what the offer.
If I was pissed before I'm royally pissed now.
5) There will be books written about last night's game. It will deserve them.
"Heyman reported Sunday that the Yankees ended their pursuit of Yamamoto after offering a $300 million deal, which the Los Angeles Dodgers topped with a 12-year, $325 million contract before the 2024 season."
"Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees have made him their priority. “They want Bellinger,” Heyman said. “If that can work out, they’ll bring him back. He fit in nicely. Left-handed bat.”"
Pretty sure Yamamoto used the Yankees to bump his price. He was always going to play with his buddy in LA.
https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eae83eb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5943x3964+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https:%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2d%2Ffa%2F5529ef3e4774ac75f62c7577afb1%2Fhttps-delivery-gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1249047036
As to Bellinger... it goes again to yesterday's blog post.
They are making it a choice between Belli and Tucker but the Yankees could sign both and have an outfield of Judge in RF Belli in CF and Tucker in LF but only if they wanted to spend the bucks and win.
This would free up Spenser Jones and the Martian as trade bait to fix SS or Third Base or make a run at Skubal as a rental.
It's called going for it.
As we know the last time they actually went for it was 2009. We all know how that worked out. They won the World Series.
I would be perfectly OK with this. Which means it will never happen.
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