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Saturday, April 10, 2021

Ten days into the season, Yankee off-season self-congratulations may have come too early

Throughout spring training, several upbeat Yankee narratives emerged.

1. Our wily front office had outsmarted the world by signing potential aces in Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon. 

2. The team faced a massive glut of outfield talent.

3. The bullpen, loaded with Olympian gods, remained one of baseball's best.

4. Advanced training techniques - including yoga! - would keep our big hitters healthy.

5. The Rays had weakened themselves in trades, bequeathing the AL East to the Yankees.

6. Gary Sanchez showed a renewed commit-

WE INTERRUPT THIS POST WITH A MESSAGE FROM MY INNER-EARTH BRAIN:

Okay, look... it's too early to start carping. Far too early. You know it. I know it. We all know it. It's too early. Too. Early. I should not get upset. I should not boo or make crude remarks. Sure, posting hurtful comments may feel good, but you'll regret them later. Nothing good comes from grousing on this blog. I will hold my fire. So should everybody. It's... too... early... 

There. I feel better already. In fact, yesterday brought innumerable positives... which, um, I will list. Yes! That's it! Instead of dwelling upon the Big Lie - that the Yankees are the AL team to beat - I will list positives from yesterday. And , OMG, it's a long list. It's an endless list. In fact, before I undertake the task of listing the positives, let me just restate the importance - and the refreshment - of thinking positively about this plucky and talented Yankee squad, especially after a tough loss. 

Not that yesterday was a tough loss. A tough loss is when the bullpen blows a lead or  we lose in 10 because of that phony baserunner rule. The loss to Baltimore, for example. Now, THAT was a tough loss. Yesterday? Nah. That was an easy loss. Down 9-4 in the fifth? Ha-ha! I just turned off the TV and worked on the butter-churner. If the juju gods thought they were bothering me - well, I say, "Ha-ha!" 

See? Thinking upbeat! And listing the positives...  

1. Aaron Hicks, a HR! 

2. Tyler Wade, a hit! 

3. Luis Cessa, scoreless inning! 

4. No errors by Gleyber! 

See? I can do this. WE can do this. It's not the Yankee Big Lie. We are still the team to beat. Soon, we will release the Kraken! Any day now... RETURNING YOU TO REGULAR CONSCIOUSNESS...

... ment to both hitting and behind the plate. He could be comeback player of the year! Ah, the March narratives.  



Calgon Bath Oil Beads... take me away...

8 comments:

Carl J. Weitz said...

Same as it ever was.

Anonymous said...

What's the over/under on over or underreacting?

Doug K.

Anonymous said...



Today both Bill Madden and Joel Sherman planted their pennant hope flag on "Trade Gleyber".

Hoss in his post today criticizes Brain for not trading Judge (one could add Sanchez) when the writing was on the wall.

When the Yankees signed DJ they basically took away the position that Gleyber plays best. Did any one here have an issue with him as a second baseman? I didn't. So he's a bad fit at a key position. I guess he has to go. But when?

Next year several top SS become free agents but the Yankees ain't the Yankees any more so their probably not going to pony up. Although, I don't think they will have the "But...but... we have to pay Judge and Gary (and Gleyber)" excuse for why they wont. I'm sure they'll find another reason.


Doug K.







Anonymous said...

No sweat, the Calvary is coming. Odor on the roster.
We should swing a deal and get Greg Bird back or maybe cajole Chris Davis from the Birds. Better than Jay Bruce batting 9th.
The Archangel

el duque said...

They won't buy another big-time free agent until the Mets have won a world series. (Or maybe Boston takes another one.)

HoraceClarke66 said...

Sanchez was an even bigger missed opportunity, Doug. Supposedly they had the offer: Sanchez for Realmuto, even up. I suspect Derek and Denbo felt they could save the Marlins money AND turn Sanchez around.

Could they? No idea. And who knows for sure if that really was the offer? For that matter, it's quite understandable that a better GM than Brain would risk keeping on a player like Judge, hoping he would get over the injury bug.

But he didn't. And when the same thing happens, again and again—when one budding star after another turns out to be perennially injured, or out of positions, or simply bad—and nothing can be done about it, there is a systemic problem. To never address that...is only to ensure that the problem continues.

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