Wednesday, October 7, 2020

To a national audience, Yankees showcase "Night of 1,000 Flaws"

When it ended, when it was finally over, I was ready. I'd moved on, accepted my fate, and was moving into the Darkness. It hadn't phased me when Tampa tacked on another run, or when yet another Yankee fanned on three pitches. I just wanted it over... 

Depending on tonight - Masahiro Tanaka v Charlie Morton - a swift death might be our best hope. 

Jeeze, you wonder, what happened to steal your confidence? Well, last night happened. One single game epitomized the Yankee failures of 2020. Nine little innings showed why the Death Star finished a distant second. We can talk about the Yankee injuries this year. It's called "excuse-making." All season, the Yankees failed to get things done, and last night offered a supreme package of their hubris and futility. The flaws...

1. Once again, as he has done all season, Aaron Boone tried to get cute, and it backfired. I thought Boone might use Deivi Garcia as a bullpen opener, a Trojan Horse. On paper, it looked like a plan. The problem was the human gopher-ball factory named J.A. Happ. 

Supposedly, after the game, Happ had to gall to suggest that he didn't like being brought in during the second inning, as if he's such a finely honed artiste that the change threw him off. Wow. That's the dumbest statement from a veteran since the epic Luis Tiant Yankee Franks commercial, when he said, "It's great to be a wiener!

I wanted Garcia to get a second inning, to see if he could settle down and give us a quality start. It was worth a shot. Instead, Happ basically killed our chances with two rotten innings. Instead of going with youth, we turned to the old guy. Typical Yankee move. 

2. Last night's announcers heralded Tampa pitchers for setting an MLB playoff record with 18 (eighteen) strikeouts. A staff of Nolan Ryans! History in the making!

I would have put it another way: the Yankee lineup etched its name into the  annals of mediocrity. 

Leading the team, with three Ks apiece, was Aaron Judge, Luke Voit, Clint Frazier and - of course - Gary Sanchez. Many came with runners in scoring position, an added bonus.  

3. No wrap-up of Yankee malfeasance is complete without an extra hat-tip to Sanchez, who has become certifiably sad and awful. Regardless of how the clubhouse feels, Boone should start Kyle Higashioka throughout the remaining post-season. Last night, not only did Gary fan thrice, but his lone batted ball was a grounder to third - a surefire DP for such a plodding runner - reminding us of what a rally-killing machine Sanchez has become. As he walks to the plate, you can feel hope draining through the TV.

He added a passed ball and a flubbed throw to second, as the Rays suddenly became base-stealers. All season, they've not been known for running. But last night was different. Gary Sanchez was catching.

4. Two games into a bullpen draining abyss, Boone still has yet to use his stopper, Aroldis Chapman. The Water Cannon last pitched on Sept. 30, a week ago, and throughout his career, he has been notoriously wild after long layoffs. Tampa has used its pitching guns as needed, while Boone clings to his late-inning rule book: El Chapo only in the ninth.

Well, the longer he sits, the more likely he is to walk the bases full when his name is finally called. Right now, I'd hate to rely on him in a nail-biter. Moreover, the Yankees could lose the next two and finish without even using their supposed best closer. (It's actually Zack Britton, but that's another thing.) 

5. This hurts to say, because my fave is Clint Frazier, but in the ninth last night, after the Rays pitcher had walked two batters and was displaying the body language of Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, the Yankees needed a grinder. And we had one: LH Brett Gardner, waiting on the bench. It was a perfect moment for a base hit or a walk. But the Yankees were shooting for a three-run homer.

And that, right there, sums up the 2020 Yankees.

Frazier fanned on a 3-2 pitch that was six inches above the strike zone (though, to be fair, the ump was terrible last night.) Then came Gary and - well - we all knew where that was going. Strikeout. DJ LeMahieu singled - a meaningless run - and Judge quickly fanned. 

Oh, well, like I said, by then, I was ready. They were doing me a favor.

Oh, one last thing. I'm stunned at how much the death of Eddie Van Halen hurts. For that one, I was not ready.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Breaking News -- Cashman is still a dick.

Anonymous said...

And in the Latest News: Aaron Boone moves ever so closer to dick status.

Anonymous said...

The strikeouts caught up to us last night. Walk and hit a home run doesn't work if you get crappy pitching by your own side. They'll use their best relievers and this team doesn't hit good pitching. Championship teams get to the top of the mountain by wearing down even good pitching, fouling off tough pitches until they get something they can handle. Not by striking out on 3 or 4 pitches.

Why Deivi Garcia was used for only one inning is beyond me. He should have been allowed to stay in the game until he got into trouble. Happ shouldn't be used in a close game.

The Hammer of God

ranger_lp said...

This has Cashman's fingerprints all over it. I feel strongly that Boone had nothing to do with it. Looks like it came as a surprise to Happless...

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30057724/new-york-yankees-switch-deivi-garcia-ja-happ-1-inning

From a conspiracy theory standpoint, I hope MLB wants a 5 game series...I think Manfred wants the Yanks in there to make up for the Rastros cheating scandal...It would be great for ratings...Yanks/Rastros...

JM said...

How can the team that looked so good suddenly be so bad?

And can we please get rid of Sanchez? Just looking at him annoys me.

Anonymous said...

A few things...

1) JM -

They've been like this all year, win ten then lose eight, then win eight. They were at .500 very late in the season. For all the reasons stated by Duque above. I know you know this and were just lamenting but this is them. Sucks.

2) The Ninth

Frazier swing for the fences, Sanchez being Sanchez and then DJ strokes a single that drives in a run because BASE HITS can drive in runs too. Every time the Yankees forget this they lose.


3) I miss off days.

As much as I hate to admit it I'd rather not watch them tonight. They need the reset and so do I because last nights game truly , truly sucked across the board with one exception...

4) Stanton

I'm not getting off the "I don't like him" bandwagon but, that 118 MPH almost 500 foot HR was one of the greatest HRs that I have ever seen.

BTW I don't mean...

Most Important - Chambliss in 76 holds that one for me.
Or Coolest - That would be Reggie's third against LA
Or even the THANK YOU! - Bucky - 2nd place Aaron Boone
Or the enormously satisfying, any time Hidecki took Pedro deep

but, as straight up bat hitting ball goes... WOW!

Maybe it will give him the courage to opt out!


5) Tanaka

Please start Higashioka. Please please please please.


And last

6) Runners on first and second no body out

Means you should score. You can look it up. Figure it the fuck out.

Doug K.

HoraceClarke66 said...

With you all the way, Doug K.! Maybe we should start a fake letter-writing campaign to Stanton, urging him, "Yes, opt out, you CAN get more money elsewhere!"

HoraceClarke66 said...

But still, with all the hitting foibles, 5 runs off an excellent starter (I know, the last one scored off the relief, but you know what I mean) SHOULD be enough to win a playoff game. IF you have any pitching.

Amazing that Happ would bitch about having to go in in the second inning. The man has been in 15 playoff games in his life, and only started 4 of them. His record after last night is 1-4, with a 5.86 ERA.

Also, this is more ballplayer cluelessness.

The Yanks pay Happ $17 million a year, and lifetime, he has made over $89 million in his baseball career. I shudder to think what I would do for $17 mill, never mind $89 mill. Also, I'm assuming all of this was explained to him beforehand.

This is typical of the lack of mental toughness—toughness, hell, simply mental equilibrium—that has afflicted Yankees teams for sometime.

Retired Stratman said...

Doug - agree with your tater hall of fame - but my all-time fave was Tino’s salami in game one of ‘98. I was there.

I felt the stadium
Move
Under my feet

Anonymous said...

Sanchez is just so bad that it hurts my teeth to watch him. Trade him or cut him and save the 2-3 million that they will pay him next year. He should never catch another pitch as a Yankee. Higgy and Whomever next year. And GET STARTING PITCHING FOR GOD'S SAKE.
The Archangel

Anonymous said...

Strat,

Yeah that was another one that could have made the list easily. Very cool that you were there.

Doug K.

ranger_lp said...

@Archangel...German was added to the 40 man roster recently. So he'll be around next year hopefully...

Local Bargain Jerk said...


Strat and Doug that's a fine list.

I'd add Brosius' HR in the 9th to tie Game 5 of the 2001 WS ... one night after Tino did the same thing.

Pure joy.

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