Last night belonged to Giancarlo Stanton. Sorta.
His homer won the game, the Gatorade shower, the Ted Talk with Meredith, the keys to Randy Levine's antique K-Car, the authentic Derek Jeter overnight gift basket, Alphonso's lucky nickel and the NY Post back page. (WTF with the Daily News? How does Stanton NOT get the back page? The Knicks? Are you kidding me? Trump is right: "Faaaaaaaaaake news! Animals!")
But this is not the first time the Loyal Order of the Gammonites (NYC Post) has bestowed Eternal Yankeehood upon Stanton. On opening day in Toronto, his two home runs were supposed to usher in the new era. Then, over the next 11 games, we went 5-6, and he contributed the phrase "Platinum Sombrero" to the lexicon.
On May 2, his two homers drove in all the runs in a 4-0 victory over mighty Houston, which was also quickly christened as his "Giambi grand slam moment." His average steadily climbed to .260, rousing stories that he was on par with last year's MVP season. Then he exhaled, dropping to .240 and again hearing hometown boos.
So was last night - at last - his long awaited Hulk Smash rampage? Is this the point where he clobbers opposing staffs, wins a Player of the Month award and establishes himself permanently in the Number 3 slot of the order?
Why are you looking at me? I sure dunno.
But I do know this: Stanton's problem is expectations. The guy hit 59 homers last year. Anything less than 40, he's a bum. And frankly, the reason last night became such a party was that nobody felt expectations anymore: Fans are so conditioned to watch strikeouts and popups that, with two outs and two strikes, who expected a walk-off blast? Not me. That I can tell you.
Listen: Stanton is quietly having a half-way decent year for anybody who never won an MVP award. Was night night his Yankee awakening? Let's remain skeptical. We won a big game - Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez had big hits too - and we've taken the series from Seattle. As for Giancarlo, it's time to string some big games together, not have one per month. The Boston series is just a few weeks away. Maybe that's when we'll see what we've got.
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24 comments:
True Yankee™.
BenedÃcat vos omnÃpotens Ruthus, et Scooter, et Mantleus, et SpÃritus Jeterus.
So endeth the JuJu.
Thank you for not mentioning What's-His-Name....
About this True Yankee stuff. Giambi had that big moment in the rain and so many said that was it. He's now a True Yankee!
No. Giambi was never a True Yankee in my book. True Yankees don't blame their lack of performance on an unknow and bizarre parasite.
KD,
I'm with you regarding Giambi. He may be a great guy (supposedly he was a good teammate), but he's an Oakland A to me.
...and Stanton needs to carry the team for a while (preferably in the playoffs) before he's a made man in my book.
Last night was a nice win regardless.
It may take a while. It may not. It was clear to me that Matsui was a "True Yankee" from early on.
Tanaka, on the other hand, didn't start glowing with blue pinstripes until after he stayed with the team last year after he could have cashed out.
Miguel Cairo, on the other hand...
I have mixed feeling about The Giambino.
Yeah, he had a great 2002, but it was generally downhill from there.
Plus, the guy LED the "Let's ostracize A-Rod" movement, and went on and on, in 2006 at least, about how A-Rod was not being a true Yankee, doing this or that wrong.
Giambi misses about half his Yankee career due to what was almost undoubtedly various side effects of his juicing, and A-Rod was the big disappointment? Oh, Mr. Kettle, Mr. Pot is on the line...
True Yankees bring home championship trophies and/or carry the team through lean years a la Mattingly.
Everything you guys have said. It takes more than one game to be a Yankee when you're an import.
Miguel Cairo...wasn't he the character played by Peter Lorre in "The Maltese Falcon?" Yeah, he was really good. Best moment was Bogart holding Cairo's pocket handkerchief under his nose and smirking, "Mmm. Lavender."
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Peter Lorre was a great actor.
I don't care for lavender.
Re: Matsui. He torched the Phillies is the WS. On bad legs at the end of his career. He kept working on hitting, always stayed prepared. 8-13, 3 HR and 8 RBI. Absolutely bombed the Phillies in Game 6. True Yankee.
Stanton is not a True Yankee yet. I believe you attain True Yankeehood when you...
a) Achieve consistent greatness as a Yankee (Note the words Consistent and Greatness)
plus
b) When we think of you it is as a Yankee? Picture the player in another uniform. Does it make sense? Like Babe Ruth as a Boston Brave. Or Bobby Murcer as a Cub.
Clemens could never be a True Yankee because he's a Red Sock. Same with Damon, Boggs etc. They can do great things as a Yankee but they are not True Yankees. Same with Giambi as Rufus pointed out. He's an A.
True Yankeehood should be bestowed by fans the way Monument Park works for the team. BTW you don't have to have the plaque. Matsui is a True Yankee. Didn't he finish with Tampa? Doesn't matter.
Which takes me to the current team. Judge has true Yankee written all over him. Stanton could be one day. He has enough years left and the Marlins might as well play on another planet. So given his talent the possibility is there. But right now it's not even close.
Gritty gutty Bret Gardner is a true Yankee. But in the Roy White way. (As opposed to the Great White Way) So let me further qualify: Like Monument Park there are the guys with plaques and the guys with retired numbers. But they are True Yankees non the less.
Doug K.
True story.
after Matsui demolished the Phillies, I was so impressed that I bought a Matsui away jersey. Wore it to the Stadium the following season and a couple of fans accosted me for wearing it. Matsui, you see, wasn't a Yankee anymore!! He was playing for another team! How could I wear his jersey?!
Morons.
Matsui played every game until he broke his wrist.
He apologized for breaking it.
I was at his first game back. Major ovation.
I think it was my last game at the old stadium.
KD,
I have a Matsui tee-shirt. It's the last one I bought. (Unless you count my Jesus Montero jersey that I purchased for $2 at the Modell's outlet store in White Plains and now wear "ironically".
I'm a big Yankee fan, obviously, but it's more of a team thing. Matsui is really the last player that I truly liked. Munson, Mattingly, Matsui are really the only three in my personal Yankee Mt. Rushmore.
The guy really knew how to play the game. Throw to the right base, get the runner in from third. You know... baseball. I forgot about the apologizing about the wrist thing. Class.
Doug K.
Don't look now but the Yanks are up 4-0 and we're not out of the bottom of the first.
Hasn't been the blowout I was hoping for ...
"In the Roy White way"
To me, that's about the biggest complement I've ever heard anyone give Gardy.
White was underrated, underappreciated and a helluva ballplayer.
Roy White. The constant through the bad years of late CBS and early George.
Classy guy straight out of Compton.
Agree with all of you—especially the part about Roy White, who was my favorite Yankee for years.
Had the chance to speak to him a few years ago, and he proved to be just as much of a gentleman and a mensch as you might think.
Loved Roy. Wanted to be him. Then I wanted to hit like Reggie but still be Roy.
Horace, I also got a chance to meet and talk with White several years ago. Great to talk with and a gracious guy. I was so happy that he got to be a part of those 70s title teams after going through the 60s-early 70s years.
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