Sunday, February 23, 2020

Searching for meaning in a meaningless universe

Like the hopeful restoration of an endangered predator, the resurrection of the New York Yankees has begun. (Fingers crossed.)

The Yankee talent curve should crest in 2020. That means the revival either happens this year, or probably not at all.

So, what do we glean from yesterday's nine- inning YES infomercial? (Aside from that Ken Singleton is a Baltimore Ravens fan.) A few tidbits...

A: Last year, Chris Gittens won the Eastern League MVP, in part because he didn't get promoted. He homered yesterday, also botched a rundown, leading to a Toronto run. Big Texas guy (6'4", 250). Could be next Luke? He's 26. Ticket to Scranton. Too bad he bats RH.

B: Kyle Holder, the 2015 first-round pick that mystified fans, is supposedly best ping-pong player in camp. (That, and a dime...) Said to be defensive wiz. Been hurt a lot. A LH bat, looked bad against a LOOGY. Also drew a walk. Could we need a defensive wiz? He's 25.

C: Clint "Red Thunder" Frazier, played LF with red glove. No errors, but looked shaky chasing first fly. No longer precocious with writers. Reason: Unless somebody gets hurt, he's destined for his fifth stint in Scranton. Yeah, five times. That's torture porn. He's 25. Nobody will recall the first game of spring, but to make this team, Frazier needs to hit .350, and he's now 0-2.

D: Staten Island boy, by way of Seton Hall, Zack Granite is said to be best fielding CF in camp. He's 27, spent all of 2019 lost at Triple A. Fast, stole 34 bases. To make it until Hick returns, Gardy might need a CF caddie. Twenty-sixth man? 

E: A year younger than Mayor Pete, J.A. Happ now sits No. 3 in rotation. Looked great yesterday, probably because he came to camp early. That's what a cagey vet does. Last year was disaster, but Happ has redefined himself before. Comeback? Or is he just prolonging the end?

F: Touted by Michael Kay from the minute he came in, Michael King did not look good. Hard-hit balls, trouble with command - a walk, two hits - bummer, all around. Reminded me of Chance Adams getting lit up in camp two years ago. Oh, well, he's just 24, and this a meaningless universe. Otherwise we would worry.

7 comments:

TheWinWarblist said...

It was good to hear baseball again from the Master and Suzyn. Even they commented on how angry the players are at The Scandal.


Fuck you Hal.

13bit said...

It's all gravy. The ONLY metric that counts in the Grapefruit League season is the one that says "Not Injured." All else is meaningless.

ranger_lp said...

@Winnie...wondering if they have been reading the blog...

Anonymous said...

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS WERE...

KING WAS PRETTY LOUSY. (SPOT ON MR. DUQUE)...

...BUT HAPP WAS BEAUTIFUL AT 93 MPH ON THE GUN CONSISTENTLY.

FIRST DAY IN SPRING AND HAPP IS AT 93 MPH?

THAT IS THE WAY TO START THE SPRING.

GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE.

JM said...

Remember when I said we paid for Cole but were going to weaken the team in other ways that would nullify his positive impact?

You know how I and most sentient beings in the New York metropolitan area (including any dolphins and porpoises held in captivity) said all of our big guns were going to be injured more often than not, and that we'd win on the backs of our kids and pick-ups off the scrap heap, only to blow it at the end by bringing back the big guns from the IL?

Do you recall? I don't, but booze will do that to your brain after a while. So you better remember for me and say "I told ya so!" as the season plays out.

I cannot keep drinking at this pace and be expected to bear the responsibility of remembering things.

You really think Happ will be our rotation savior? What mound mediocrity will we trade Frazier (and others) for by midseason?

It's gonna be a nailbiter.

HoraceClarke66 said...

It's not yet March, and we've already lost 40 percent of our starting staff and one-third of our outfield.

It will be a nail biter. Taking third place over those Blue Jays will be tough.

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