Saturday, August 31, 2019

On CC and the need to persist

CC has plenty of money for his family. So what's the deal with him?

Yes, I assume he loves the game, loves to play, loves to win. But especially loves to play. Overall, trying to maintain a rotation spot when you're this old, this heavy, with a knee this unable to consistently hold up underneath you, is simply a selfish exercise in prolonging your obviously finished career.

We saw the same thing with Jeter. The egos these guys have are enormous. They say it's all about the team and wanting to contribute, to help, but their ability to do so is, aside from a brief flash or two, gone. So it's not really about that at all.

I like the big guy, and I like him a lot more than I ever liked Robojete, with his morning-after baskets and bland corporatism. But when you get past the humble proclamations and self-rationalizations, CC is not helping the team at this point. I realize he wants to pitch in another World Series and get one more ring, and I can't say he doesn't deserve that shot. But at the least, he should keep himself on the IL as long as possible without losing his postseason qualification.

See that? I'm doing it now, that's how likable this guy is. We all know he should just quit, today. Seriously, do we need another potential David Wells walking off the field in a big game?

The question does remain: who takes his place? That's a tough one. But we must have someone else who's just as inconsistent yet still ambulatory. I know that basically describes our entire rotation, though. That's what makes the situation so hard to deal with.

Hey, big guy. Sit down, already.

13 comments:

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


I find it very depressing to think YOU received a day-after basket from Jeet.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Right on, JM—except that I disagree regarding Jeter.

In 2014, the Yanks were going nowhere. They played well above their heads to finish second in the division. At second base was the immortal Brian Roberts/Stephen Drew combo, there was a dying Teixeira at first (.216), and Solarte and Steady State Headley split third. McCan't was behind the plate; Ichiro, Ellsbury, and Gardy in the outfield.

Not exactly a team of champions.

In his last full year, 2012, Jetes had had another incredible season, led the AL with 216 hits, hit .316, nearly scored 100 runs again. What's more, he stayed on the field until his ankle literally broke in the playoffs, leading to a 2013 in which he could play only 17 games.

Can we really blame him for not wanting to go out like that? Was that really such a selfish move?

What's more, Cashman had of course not used the previous 10 years or so to prepare anything like a shortstop to replace him.

Sure, in some alternate universe somewhere, C.J. Henry jumped in in 2013 and hit .325. But in this one, the replacements were Nunez, Brendan Ryan, and Reid Brignac.

Jetes in 2014 was keeping us from exactly nothing—and what's more, by playing that extra season, he gave Coops the added year to acquire Sir Didi.

CC, by contrast, in playing another year to fill out his HOF credentials, probably kept HAL from being forced to sign Corbin, or certainly, Coops from grabbing up Keuchel, and either man would've given us a much better shot in the playoffs.

JM said...

Jeter could've gone out on top and didn't. Cash didn't look for a shortstop because Jeter said he was coming back. But that was a brutal injury, at at his age, minus the giant ego, he should've quit. It was all about him and not about the team. Even playing, he could've told Binders that he wouldn't bat second because it hurt the team, but he didn't do that, either. So feh.

But Joe, the basket wasn't bad. I sold that shit on eBay and made a bundle.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Oh, bugger the team, as Monty Python would say. Derek Jeter owed the New York Yankees nothing.

Seriously, though, if he wanted to do something for the team, he should've volunteered to move to third base when A-Rod came on. That would've been truly sacrificial.

Playing one more year when the team had nothing? Not a big deal. And I'm sure Jetes didn't consider his 17-game ankle-testing in 2013 "going out on top."

Yes, Coops might've got Didi a year early...or he might've brought in the next Stephen Drew. Even money.

I do agree that Jeter has a giant ego. If I were him, I would have one, too.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Gary being Gary today.

Two solo home runs, our only production for 5 innings? Yay!

Sixth inning, key at-bat of the game, two on, two out, and Oakland replaces their starter with a struggling Blake Treinen, guy who's been off all year.

Gary—who has not faced him all year—comes up and swings at the first pitch. Ground out. Boo.

First pitch! He couldn't take ONE from this guy? Just to see if he can find the strike zone? Oy.

JM said...

All hail the General!

Hoss, if Jeter owed the Yankees nothing, they also owed him nothing. But he took it anyway.

Nyah nyah.

Ken of Brooklyn said...

OK WOW< I'll take it, all hail the General indeed!

HoraceClarke66 said...

Pretty true, JM—you've run rings around me logically!

These guys all get paid enough that it makes up for any pink slip.

That said, I'm still glad Jetes got to go out the way he wanted, in a year when he wasn't going anywhere, anyway.

13bit said...

Jeter, who is this "Jeter" you humans speak of? Back on Hal's yacht, where I am but a speck, a mote, a particle that serves dinner in dining room #3, the "players" on the team in the Bronx are just called "the help." Nobody calls them by name.

[SOUNDS OF A SCUFFLE, ELECTRIC SHOCK NOISES, SCREAMING...]

Hello Slaves...this is @RealHalSteinbrenner here and I have one message to send to you all, aside from a friendly and hearty "Fuck you" to all who speak well of my father.

My message to you all is this: shut the fuck up. Today, I delivered you four home runs. We won the game. Learn to be grateful, dweebs. Between the new balls and the new tactics, we will eliminate the need for these "pitchers" that you pine for. Soon, the only person left who even THINKS of a "pitcher" will be Kate Upton. Take my word (wink wink nod nod) that we are working on replacing the person on the mound with a randomized machine. This will not only make the game MORE FAIR and JUST, but also faster. These new balls, which I have not been authorized to leak, but which I'm revealing to you, anyway, are just the first step. The ninth "man" on the field, instead of a pitcher, will be a live-game social media blogger. Access to this service will be relatively inexpensive to those of you who sign up before the 2021 season. Okay slaves, I'm out of here. Oh, and one more thing, I know about the sign you tried to exhibit at the recent Baltimore game. Luckily, all of your faces have been programmed into our stadium's facial recognition database. Good luck getting cheap seats next time, chumps.

I hereby remain,

@RealHalSteinbrenner

TheWinWarblist said...

Fuck you FuckyouHal.



Fuck you FuckyouHal.

Anonymous said...

I BELIEVE THERE IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE WITH JETER.

SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM OR FEEL RIGHT SINCE HE RETIRED.- (NOT SHOWING UP AT ANY OLD TIMERS GAMES)?

I FEEL A COLDNESS THAT IN NO WAY SHOULD BE THERE.

....BUT I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT, AND IT ALL COMES BACK TO........

COOP.

FUCKING COOP.

THAT LAST CONTRACT NEGOTIATION WAS A LOT WORSE THAN WE ALL KNOW, (AND WE ALL KNOW IT WAS ROUGH)!

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT FUCKING COOP THAT PEOPLE HATE DEALING WITH.

WHICH MAY EXPLAIN HIS INABILITY TO DEAL FOR THE QUALITY PITCHER WE NEED.

THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE SEEM TO FIT.

13bit said...

I tend to agree with you on all of this, ALL-CAPS.

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