Kevin Baker's book is here!

Kevin Baker's book is here!
"... an exemplary sports book..." Kirkus Reviews

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Bad teams find a way to lose, as proven once again by the 2021 Yankees

I feel like Dr. Rick, the guy in the TV ads who schools young people on how not to become their parents. Last night, when Aaron Judge was out at third, it was like when the kid passes with blue hair, and Dr. Rick says, "We all see it. We alllll see it."

So, let me blurt it out:

The Yankees are a bad team. 

We all see it. We allllll see it. 

We are weak at the following positions:

1. Catcher. I appreciate that Gary Sanchez is running out grounders, but has anybody detected an adjustment in his swing? It still starts in the Roman Empire and concludes around 2525, if man is still alive... He's hitting .182 with 15 strikeouts in 55 at bats. As for Higgy? He's a far better backup than starter.

2. Second base. The Irishman, Roogie O'Doar, has homered a few times lately, but I cannot shake the fatalism of a guy recently cut by one of baseball's worst teams, all to avoid giving an opportunity to Tyler Wade. Odor - hitting .159 - has a well defined ceiling: Last year, he batted .167 with a strikeout in every third plate appearance. Even if he gets hot - which, by the way, he hasn't - we all know his numbers will inevitably shrink. Especially galling is to see him batting fourth - dear God - due to the lack of LH hitters.

3. Centerfield. Aaron Hicks is beginning to look like one of the worst contracts on a roster full of them. He's ours, at about $10 million per season, until 2026. Today, if you look at the comparisons of Hicks' career to those of similar batters, Roger Repoz pops up. Roger Repoz. I swear I'm not making this up: Fifty five years after he last patrolled the Yankee outfield, Roger Repoz has returned to the Yankees, and his name is Aaron Hicks. 

4. Clint Frazier is starting to look like a guy with endless talent and a ridiculous swing. I watch him twirling the bat above his head, pretzeled into the batters' box, and I wonder how he's made it this far. I don't claim to know the mechanics of hitting, but there are many gurus out there, and I wonder what they think of Frazier? Maybe he'll pull out of this. But unless he starts hitting soon, he'll be back in Scranton, and I  wonder if he'll ever escape?

5. First base. Mike Ford? The over-shift's best friend. Soon, this will change. But if Luke Voit starts slowly, shaking off rust, we could be floundering into June. 

6. The rotation, numbers 3-5. I'm tempted to say everyone but Gerrit Cole, but one of the Floor Four manages to pitch into the fifth - the new Yankee bar of success! Imagine that: Anybody who lasts into the fifth is greeted like a hero.

7. The middle innings bullpen. I almost ignored this, because what team in baseball doesn't have firebombers in the fifth and sixth innings. Trouble is, our bullpen is starting to crack. It cannot continue at the current pace. 

These are not small problems. These are fault lines. And for now, the Yankees have no remedy but to keep playing the same lousy cards. Last night, we lost to Baltimore, the team we've tortured for a decade. People... this is bad.

We all see it. We allllll see it...

14 comments:

New York Times Sports Editor said...

Do you think it is the Yankees recent poor performance that is keeping them out of the European Super League? Or is it John Henry who's blocking it?

Anonymous said...

What do, the late Jay Bruce, Aaron Hicks, Mike Ford, Clint Frazier and "Roughy" Odor all have in common?
They all have batting averages below Whitey Ford's. You can look it up!! Sanchez and Stanton still have a chance cuz they are hovering around the .173 mark needed.

That IS NOT the way to honor him this season.

For the Yanks this year, we should change it from the "Mendoza Line" to the "Whitey Line."
The Archangel

JM said...

I'm so old I remember when "whitey" had an altogether different meaning.

ranger_lp said...

This reminds me of the scene in Animal House when Dean Wormer is reviewing the Delta house pledges' grades. Except these players are not going on Double Secret Probation...

Carl J. Weitz said...

LOL JM.

I saw Whitey at the Mohegan Sun about a dozen years ago at an "MLB All-Star " weekend event. His job was to be an "ambassador" and meet and greet and mingle with the high rollers on the 33rd floor. My friend was the habitual gambler, not I, and so rode on his coattails as a guest.

For the first hour, Whitney was very nice (and apparently sober). He kindly talked and reminisced with the crowd, shook hands and posed for photos while the guests ate gourmet food and drank top-shelf liquors non-stop.

After about 60-90- minutes, many of the guests became more demanding of his time and Whitey obviously became liquored up. I was about two feet to Whitey's side when some guy says " "Hey Whitey, come over here and take a picture with me and my wife". Well, the smile on Ford's face instantly disappeared, his face became red and he said "Fuck you pal, I aint no fucking monkey. Go fuck yourself" and stormed out of the room. I left a few minutes later and don't know if he came back. But I will never forget that moment.

I can't blame Whitey. He was one of the best lefty pitchers ever. Hell, he was one of the greatest pitchers ever. Period. And yet he made peanuts in salary even compared to mediocre pitchers currently. And the pension for players in that era were not so lucrative. I guess the indignity of having to work at a casino at his age (probably early 80's at the time) cavorting with drunken assholes was just too humiliating for him.

Carl J. Weitz said...

Ranger....best moment in the movie is when the Deltas are called in Dean Wormer's office:

“Mr. Dorfman – 0.2. Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son. Mr. Hoover, president of Delta House – 1.6. Four Cs and an F. A fine example you set. Daniel Simpson Day has no grade point average. All courses incomplete. Mr. Blutarsky – zero. zero. Now, I want you to tell Mr. Stratton and Mr. Schoenstein exactly what I’m about to tell you right now. You’re out! Finished at Faber! Expelled! I want you off this campus at 9:00 Monday morning! And I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that I have notified your local draft boards and told them that you are now all, all eligible for military service.”


HoraceClarke66 said...

What a sad story, Carl J. Weitz. But interesting. Whitey did make good money for his time; no doubt, he invested it in a restaurant, or some other great ballplayer investment.

The Yankees really should have given him some sinecure.

HoraceClarke66 said...

And Duque, I LOVE those ads:

"Who else reads books about submarines?"
(Sigh) "My dad."

"Do we really need a sign telling us to 'Live, Laugh, and Love'?"

Celerino Sanchez said...

This lineup racks right up there with the late 60s Yankees: Ron Woods, Jim Lyttle, Jerry Kenny, Jake Gibbs, Frank Tepedino, Horace Clarke, etc. Except those guys hard some heart at least.

Anonymous said...

@Carl J.W. Yeah, that is a helluva sad story. One I'm going to remember for sure. People can be so obnoxious and selfish. I totally get why Whitey blew up. How much bull shit can a man take? Thanks for sharing that!

The Hammer of God

Anonymous said...

Carl - Great story. I guess the man should have said, "please" I'm not being facetious BTW. A little courtesy goes a long way.

As to the Yankees sucking...

It's all of the above and more. So much more.

It's horrible base running.

It's shoddy fielding.

It's a lack of intensity

and a lack of having a plan at the plate.

It's stupid line up construction

Boone is a TERRIBLE manager.

Last,

Two telling paraphrases...

On the not getting a replay Michael Kay "I don't know why he waited to check at all. I mean Boone should have done it automatically. There's not going to be a more important moment."

And on their inability to hit and score runs. Sterling said you have to credit the pitcher he's throwing a great game and Susan said something along the lines of... "But we say this every day now. Sooner or later you have to stop giving hat tips to the pitcher and get some hits. I mean the guys ERA is 5.85 so somebody is hitting him!"

Doug K.

Carl J. Weitz said...

Yes, Doug, I heard that dialogue between Susan and The Master as well. She also said " Yes, but I don't know what the Yankees are doing" when Sterling asked if Garcia deserved another pitching assignment in the rotation.
So along with Kay's comment about Boone not automatically challenging the play, it seems as if the announcers are also fed up with the team and are not as obsequious and servile to the NY Yankees, Inc. It's refreshing.

Isiyku Abdulahi said...


I really want the world to know about this great man who brought back happiness into my life again after my husband left me and the kids 3 years ago for another women online when i contacted Dr Believe he cast a love spell for me within 48 hours my ex husband start calling me and begging for forgiveness for everything that have happened between us. I was so happy to have my family back together with love again here is the email of Dr Believe via believelovespelltemple@gmail.com a man with the great powers you can also call him or add him on Whats-app: +2348156148821
God bless you
I am very grateful for your help in my marriage.

Nitish Kumar said...


LOTTO, lottery,jackpot.
Hello all my viewers, I am very happy for sharing this great testimonies,The best thing that has ever happened in my life is how I win the lottery euro million mega jackpot. I am a Woman who believe that one day I will win the lottery. finally my dreams came through when I email believelovespelltemple@gmail.com and tell him I need the lottery numbers. I have spend so much money on ticket just to make sure I win. But I never know that winning was so easy until the day I meant the spell caster online which so many people has talked about that he is very great in casting lottery spell, . so I decide to give it a try.I contacted this great Dr Believe and he did a spell and he gave me the winning lottery numbers. But believe me when the draws were out I was among winners. I win 30,000 million Dollar. Dr Believe truly you are the best, all thanks to you forever