Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Giovanni Giancarlo Mike Stanton's Role

We won a huge game tonight.

The bullpen stood up and said to Jordan Montgomery," we've got your back."  They delivered eight innings of shut-out ball against the reigning world champions.

Gary Sanchez, who seems to be single-handidly winning all of our close games lately, did it again with a ninth inning three run blast off Houston's excitable closer.

But during that ninth inning, I figured out how Stanton is contributing to this offense.

It is not through clutch hitting, tough at-bats or home runs.  In fact, in a close game, I never expect him to deliver an RBI.

Here is what he brings to the Yankees for the players we traded and for the $165 million Hal pays him:

Pay close attention now  -

When Stanton strikes out hopelessly, and loses his balance, on a " hanging curve ball" that catches the inside third of the plate, he is giving the Houston pitcher a false level of confidence.

The Houston pitcher tells himself, " if I can make last year 's NL MVP and home run leader look that bad on a hanging curve over the inside third of the plate,  I can make anybody look that bad with that pitch."

So, when Gary Sanchez comes to the plate, the Houston pitcher starts him off with the exact same pitch; a hanging curve ball over the inside third of the plate.  Which, contrary to the pitcher's expectation, Gary launches 440 feet over the centerfield wall for the Yankee win.

So don't think Giancarlo or Giovanni or even Mike Stanton seems to be hopelessly lost, and of little value to our offense.  His job is to give false confidence to opposing pitchers, so that they will use the same ineffective pitches, on which Giancarlo strikes out and falls down,  on our real hitters so that they can hit them out of the ballpark.

We learn something every game.

Giancarlo is not striking out for nothing.

6 comments:

Urban Farmer formerly known as DutchFan said...

Scary moments in Dutch baseball. Episode 1. (Subtitled)

Even though I claim to be an insomniac, there are times that I actually fall asleep. The pleasant, soothing voice of the Master regularly has this calming effect on me that makes me doze off in the middle of a game - only to wake up to the endless commercials that make up the Agera Energy postgame show. I like to think John Sterling straightens out my Alpha rhythm.

Listening to tonight's game, there were instances of phasing out, but not off course in the ninth inning.
Actually Judge’s single to right was a wake up call if I needed one and Sir Didi’s double made me wonder if Verlander was to be presented with a giant pineapple, courtesy Mr. Ken Giles.
Stanton comes to bat.

I vividly remember him being on a 2-2 count and then, well there is no other way of describing this, my mind took that pee break.
Call it a TIA, call it temporary rigor mortis. I prefer pee break.

What brought me back to my senses was the exited voice of the Master joyfully exclaiming: “A three run shot in left center field”.
And that is when I got scared.
I actually feared that Stanton was the guy who inserted the pineapple in the communal Astros cloaca by delivering this homerun. I realized in a instant that I do not want him to succeed obviously.

The next 2 words punched out all Angst.
“The Santino…………”.

Probably Alphonso can de-Freud this existential “Es” that is making me experience this horror.
But actually I’d like to know if there is a way we will ever get rid of Stanton again.
And then I dream on.

Parson Tom said...

What happened to Alphonso this winter? New rose-colored glasses?

I keep expecting the bile to rise up and crush all this happy talk, but even Stanton's overpaid suckitude can't shake him loose. Impressive!

13bit said...

That’s sound reasoning, Alphonso.

JM said...

I didn't like the trade for Stanton and I still think it sucked. The one good thing that came of it is Torres at second. I liked Castro, but like many people in every endeavor, he was expendable.

Stanton is the new A-Rod. And not the one who appeared suddenly in 2009 to help us win a ring. That other one.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

John M,

You speak the truth with the first point.

I fear you are right with the second, but still hope you are wrong.

Anonymous said...


It's his face. That bewildered "Where did the ball go? How did it get in the catcher's glove?" face. Sanchez get's mad. Aaron Judge gives the ump a look. Didi stops smiling. But Stanton just looks confused.

He needs to watch more tape. Not of his swing. Of his face. It's a loser face. No pitcher fears a person with that expression. Get some attitude!!!! He doesn't need a hitting coach. He needs an acting coach. He's from Miami - let's see some Scarface. "Say hello... to my bat"

Doug K.