Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Yankee resurgence is due to Greg Bird

We've heard the media gushing over Todd Frazier's impact on the Yankees this fall. As a critic of the deal that begot him, I must admit that the Toddfather seems a positive clubhouse presence. (Then again, I would be a beloved clubhouse presence, charming teammates with my disarming grin, witty effervescence and Sorkinesque banter.) Frazier's double down the line Sunday opened the floodgates, but he's 4-18 in the post-season, with one RBI. Sorry, Toddites. He's not why we're here. One hitter transformed the Yankee lineup this fall, and the name is Greg Bird. If Brian Cashman deserves credit for anything, it is for waiting on Bird, while the toe-tappers were demanding Lucas Duda.

Who knows what Bird's long term legacy will be? Next spring, he might tweak a buttery gonad and disappear once again, leaving Cashman nervous as a nun in a penguin shoot. But as the chart shows, Bird has been our October surprise. If we win tonight, he could be Divisional Series MVP. 

(Note: The other critical Yankee, Sir Didi, has walked seven times. Is that respect, or what?)

Tonight, we face the best pitcher in the American League and a home plate ump who will draw cheers each time he thumbs out a Yankee batter. It's human nature to favor the crowd. Meanwhile, we're lugging out a beaten-up suitcase of a man - ten years from youth, eight from peak foliage, and three from the drunk tank - who can't field bunts, and who, last time out, was pulled because his manager displayed a clear lack of faith in him. Only in bad Disney movies - think Emilio Estevez and hockey - do the cosmic scriptwriters favor the Yankees. With CC Sabathia pitching, there's so much water under the bridge that it resembles a scene from Hurricane Harvey. And if Terry Francona blows another, only Harvey Weinstein will have had a worse month. Bue we are.

You can't predict baseball, Suzyn. That's China Town, Jake. The nine-inning season. Our fourth in the last week. Howl, howl, howl...

8 comments:

13bit said...

I will take a win or a loss with CC on the mound. This is the way it should be going down. Let the big man pitch and we’ll take our hits. Everything from June onward in this season has been gravy. I never expected them to be this good, but the real gift of this season is that we have a future now, provided they don’t trade the farm away. We have a team in place going forward.

KD said...

13bit, you are correct. we hoped but we never truly expected this level of success. There was an article in the WSJ last week written by a geezer Yankees fan who argued this team is so much fun and so pure that we can no longer (justifiably) call ourselves The Evil Empire. He was happy and I could see his point but I always rooted for the villains instead of Batman. They were just more interesting.

Anonymous said...

Agree about Bird.

I realized this AM that we haven't seen the guys who came over in the big three deadline trades from last year (except Frazier the younger - in more or less a cameo and he's not on the playoff roster.)

That means that this team is mostly the result of what was already in place (Bird, Didi, Judge, Sanchez, Hicks, and the veterans) plus this years deadline deals.

We haven't seen Gleybar, We haven't really seen Frazier the Younger (and wouldn't have seen him at all if it weren't for the devastating injury to Fowler.) We haven't seen any of the other pieces including the ones we got for Beltran. (Maybe Heller) and we got back El Chapo (for better or worse.)

That is so cool. The next time I'm at RAB doing the weekly "future" poll I'm going to take it from my usual 6 to a 7.

Doug K.

Anonymous said...

THIS IS FUN.

BEING HERE, RIGHT NOW, WITH THIS TEAM.

IT SEEMS LIKE EONS SINCE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT.

WE HAVE A GREAT CORE GROWING IN PLACE.

I BELIEVE WE NEED A NEW MANAGER.

TOO MANY PEOPLE SAYING, "WHO ARE YOU GOING TO GET? THERE IS NO ONE OUT THERE ANY BETTER."

BULLSHIT.....

LOOK AT OUR TEAM.

YOU CAN'T TELL ME GIRARDI IS THE ONLY GUY WHO CAN TAKE THIS TEAM TO THE FINISH LINE.

LETS NOT FEEL SORRY FOR HIM.

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


Two alternative comments:

1 -- in April, I would have bet a kidney that my team, the NYYs, would not be where we are today. I thought we were that bad. Apparently, I am an idiot.

2 -- how much would you give to NOT be a Red Sox fan right about now? Esp. if the Yanks win tonight!!???!!!

Local Bargain Jerk said...


I would give your left kidney.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

HoraceClarke66 said...

Says a lot about the Beardless Youth that he is in the pen tonight. What a trade.

Girardi seems to be having some kind of mental breakdown, his eyes brimming with tears. Talking about his family. He's reminding me of Nixon in his last days.

How about just saying, 'Hey, I messed up and they booed me. That's New York. It's good they care, it's a fun series, and we're going to go out there and win.'

End of story. No need for the death scene from Camille.

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