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Friday, April 20, 2018

Here Is The Question Of The Day.....

Can we win two in a row?

Teams that are playing .500 ball always have that dilemma.

We are on a hot streak, right now, close to being Booney's best run of the season.  I think we once won two in a row ( early ), but haven't repeated that in a while.

I hoped that we might sweep two games against the Marlins, but they proved far too tough.

So where are we, exactly?

1.  As Duque aptly pointed out, we got 4 innings out of our starter ( just off the DL.... he is on a pitch count).

2.  We used the best of our bullpen, and they did hang on.  Chad Green dominated, as did the guys at the end.  Only Robertson gave us his famous, "bases loaded with no outs" trick.  But those guys are not primed for any work today.  If they have to pitch, we need another rain day tomorrow.

3.  We climbed to the top of the league in errors committed.  A new low for Yankee teams.  As I always say, this malaise begins with the annual Greg Bird injury.  He can actually play first base.  On defense as well as offense.  The Neal Walkers of the world are only " good over there" in the eyes of manager Aaron Boone.  Austin is better, but he is sitting out a league-imposed penalty.  Bird makes Torreye's poor throw an out.

4.  Sonny Grey is reminding me more and more of Dorian Grey.  He looks in the mirror and sees panic, terror, incompetence.  He sees a small man in a huge world.  And he can't throw strikes.

5.  Romine better catch today because, when Sonny is good , most of his pitches bounce.  Some of those passed balls yesterday reminded me of the new kid from down the street who showed up with a glove, ready to play, and when I soft-tossed him the hardball, he put his hands together like Brer Rabbit, ducked, and the ball hit him in the face.  I was grounded for a week.

6.  And let me just offer an old bromide:  "good defense makes good offense."  And the opposite is true, also.  Which makes me worry about whether Gary is going to be MVP.

7.  Back to the infield for a moment:  it is terrible.  Didi is a genius, so we can put his work off to the side.  But Walker is awful at first.  Everyone can catch the easy throws, and field the charity hops.  Good gloves do a lot more.  Tyler is our best fielding second baseman, but cannot hit a lick.  He grounds out to first or second, 35 times out of 37.  Andjuhar needs work, as has been stated. But he also shows signs.   It was Girard-like  of Boone to sit him down right after he doubled and homered.    Torreyes is a really tough out and a good player.  But that flat footed throw was revealing.

8.  Our outfield is good, when Stanton is not part of it.

So where does that leave us?  I believe we need to score prolifically in order to win.  Ten runs should be our game target.  With that, even Adam Warren can pitch an inning, and give up three runs, without killing us.

Following that;  Bird must return ; Drury must return and Torres must arrive.  Until then, we are defending the Alamo and running short of ammunition.




8 comments:

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


I'm pretty sure you are right on most of this, but you left one thing out: The team will improve dramatically when Drury and Walker are placed on irrevocable waivers. Go with Miguel at first base, if you gotta. Bring up Glyber.

Or: Teach Stanton how to play first base. He's tall, ain't he? We don't want him in the outfield, do we? Just don't let him play first on the same day that CC pitches, or the other teams will home 11 runs.

My bet: We're gonna be happier (even with their errors) with Tejada, Torres, and Torreyes playing 2B and 3B -- and someone or other filling in at first until Bird's return -- then with ever, ever again seeing Drury or Walker on the field wearing Yankees uniforms.

YES, I know I'm picking on Drury here, who may have something seriously wrong inside his cranium. I wish him well. But: We sent Kaprielian away to heal somewhere else -- so why not do the same here?

HoraceClarke66 said...

I can certainly see the exasperation with Drury—but we have to get our pound of flesh.

If Arizona really did trade us a pig in a poke, then we need compensation. Or if Cashman knew all about it—a high possibility, considering his weird, career-long weakness for buying "bargain" damaged goods—then we need to at least try to fix the man. We can't just have those prospects—again—go for nothing.

Walker, we need to trade for lottery-ticket pitchers, and be done with.

13bit said...

1, In answer to your question of the day: of COURSE, we *can* win two in a row. All things are possible and, as I like to hear myself say once in a while "to everything, turn turn turn, there is a season." WILL we, though? That is an interesting question and one that even the Juju gods may not know the answer to. I know that's blasphemy, but let me posit one thing: perhaps this is a situation where the Juju gods have set something in motion - deliberately or now - that has some randomness built in. Maybe they needed a laugh. Maybe it was a half-formed thing and they needed to go grab a bite, but perhaps there is no grand scheme. Maybe this year's team was just a bargello bed sham that they dropped next to the couch when the Juju delivery guy rang the bell with pizza. MAYBE NOBODY KNOWS. The rudderless Yankees may remain rudderless UNLESS we make absolutely the correct series of moves in unison.

2. Much as am a pacifistic soul with compassion for all creatures, I'd favor withholding Drury's migraine meds, shining a bright light in his face for a while, strapping an air horn to his batting helmet, taping the horn so that it starts to blare, then release him on the Strip in Vegas while the traffic is moving fast. I'm done with him. Get him out. I don't care what we lose. I especially don't care if Cashman loses face, which may be all he cares about anymore. Get. Drury. Out. Of. There.

3. Who loves you, baby?

JM said...

I cannot morally support the above suggestions concerning Drury, but I can laugh my ass off about them.

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