1. Last time the Yankees beat Tampa, it so pissed off the Rays that the very next night, they walloped us, 9-1.
2. Even with last night's win - (did a loss ever seem so certain, considering all our squandered opportunities?) - we are a measly 4-and-7 against Tampa this year.
3. When we host Boston this weekend, it's second place that will be on the line.
Still... dammit... holy crap! We won! For one stinking night, we wiped the smirks off those corn-fed, Florida Man, millennial-robot, rat-beard jowls... we sent their pitcher packing... we celebrated, not them.
If the gristly last 12 months taught us anything, it should be to appreciate a jolly good fellow, which nobody can deny, and last night might have been one of the best we'll see all year. Here! here!
Today, Mike Ford is gone, exiled to Scranton. No eyebrows raised here. Ford delivered next to nothing. On another day, his fate would signal a slumping canary in Clint Frazier's mineshaft, because it would prove the existence of a finite number of failures that a Yankee can achieve before his destiny becomes Central Pennsylvania. That is, of course, unless his name is Giancarlo.
(By the way, I always liked Ford, viewing him an overachiever, a smart guy - you know, the Princeton thing. But lately, he had devolved into a beer leaguer who couldn't outwit an over-shift. Even when Ford slammed a ball, it just went to a fielder. If he ever learns to punch opposite field grounders, he might still save his career. But adjustment is a lost art, and even if Ford hits .400 in Moosic, the memory of all those Ks will linger. The guy hit fucking .133 - barely upgrade over Jay Bruce, who hit .118 and retired. In his cameo, Luke Voit hit .182. Seriously... how can 1B be so dead?)
But let's get to it: Last night, Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier finally came through- critical HRs in a big Yankee win. (Note: Every Yankee win is a big Yankee win.) Andujar whacked his second in two nights - both to the opposite field, a good sign. (See: Ford, Mike.) Frazier delivered his just three innings after a full-out Ron Swoboda-esque catch in RF that saved the game. Bravo.
(Can't say I'm happy with Frazier voguing at home plate, watching the ball, which barely reached the fifth row. Tony LaRussa would swallow his chaw, screaming at the guy. I'll let it slide - for now. It's been a hellish year for Frazier and, realistically, he wasn't going to leg out a double. Let's just hope it doesn't become a thing. When you're hitting .185 - and yes, Clint is hitting one-eighty-five - you'd best not piss off the opposing staff.)
The next five games could define the 2021 Yankees. If we win big, the front office would be emboldened to chase the pennant. If we lose big, Brian Cashman could be pondering a sell-off. Nobody will be more affected than Andujar and Frazier. If either continues to hit, he has an open path to an everyday role. And if last night proves a fluke, there is the shining example of Mr. Mike Ford: Their futures could be a ticket out of town.
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Saw this tidbit under roster transactions...
06/01/21 San Francisco Giants traded 1B Connor Cannon to New York Yankees.
Connor Cannon...we also got him in the Tauchman trade...
Cannon was drafted in the 17th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of California. The 23-year-old hit .326/.399/.689 in rookie ball during his first taste of pro action after being drafted, but he has yet to appear this season. Probably a first baseman, Connor pitched some at college, but his power at the plate is by far the greater talent.
The 6’5″, 240 pounder will be on the older side for a prospect wherever he ultimately reports this season, but he does have some promise at the plate, particularly for an American League club that might envision him as a designated hitter. Fangraphs named his as the Giants’ 40th-ranked prospect with an 80/80 raw power grade.
So he's a beer softball league hitter then....
Quick thoughts...
1) Based on Connor's size I wonder if he's the son of Frank Cannon.
2) We should try to trade Ford. I wonder what his Blue Book value is.
3) Wouldn't it be something if Frazier and AnDUjar came into their own? That said, while I appreciated the attitude, Frazier should have run or at least trotted to first while the ball was in the air. I get that the runner would have scored and he had plenty of time to get there but I don't think he was thinking that. He was showboating. So he's still on my "lose him" list.
4) Off topic - Marv Albert is calling the play by play of the Knicks game tonight. He is retiring and I LOVE the gesture. A perfect bookend to a great career.
As a fan of a certain age his "Bradley to the forecourt, over to Frazier, into Reed, turnaround jumper YES!" is one of the sweetest sounds of my childhood.
Doug K.
YES as in the affirmative, not the Yankee TV Network, for those few youngsters that read this blog.
The Archangel
Why am I the only old fogey who isn't bothered in the least by Frazier's grandstanding after he nailed that ball?
I think he deserved to do it. And that ball was nowhere near being a "close call" as a home run. You knew by the sound, the angle (I know, I know), and the unleapable high wall that it was going into the seats. Frazier knew. Kittredge knew as soon as the ball was hit. As far as I'm concerned, Clint could've watched it go and then moonwalked around the bases. He's had a rough season so far. Besides, it's Tampa. Rub their sunburned noses in it.
We can agree to disagree on this one. I smiled, I laughed, my wife smiled. We went home happy. Even if we were already home.
I second that, JM. I LOVED it
I third that JM, he's been jerked around so much by this team, let him take a moment to soak in his walk off ThunderBurger!
I third that, guys. Rub it in the Tampons' faces. It could be the last time we win a game against them this year. After the game, Frazier said he finally hit one the way he thought he should hit it. I think all the Yankee hitters are kind of in shell shock over how poorly they're hitting. For one moment last night, they did what they're supposed to do.
Sterling was talking about Andujar and it came up that the Yankees told Andujar to get the ball in the air, to lift the ball. Sterling wasn't happy about it. He just wants Andujar to hit, that's all. I don't know, I think I agree with Sterling. It sounds like they're telling Andujar to hit under the ball, i.e. increase his launch angle. Maybe they should leave him the hell alone and he'll do what he does best, which is to simply hit.
The Hammer of God
I should say I fourth that! Ken of Brooklyn got my third!
The Hammer of God
I'm not sure about this, but I think many on this blog have a fear/conviction: If we trade Miggy, he'll become a monster somewhere else. If we trade The Red Menace, he'll become a superstar elsewhere.
Might not happen. They might not trade either or both. Or: They might go in trades, and NOT become horrible regrets (for us) over time.
One thing is certain: No one would fear anything if GStanton were to be shed via the DFA route. He'd get a lucrative retirement. No one would pick up his contract. And the next manager of the team would acquire some wiggle room in making out lineups, etc.
It's also possible no one has similar fears should the NYYs shed ICS.
The only way we get rid of Stanton would be to bundle him with Aroldis Chapman (they'd both have to sign off, as they have no-trade clauses) and probably pay their full salaries for 2021. If a team like, say, the Angels thought they could win it all, they might bite. Also, maybe San Diego? Or even the Dodgers? A little bidding war would be sweet. Hey, let's hold our breaths.
The DFA
"A team that wants to hire a DFA'd player has to offer him at least the "minimum wage" for major league baseball (now a bit over $500,000). The team that originally DFA'd him will receive salary relief to the extent picked up by the new team (they owe the original contract amount minus his current salary."
So, some team would pick him up at $500,000 a year and the Yankees would owe the rest.
Doug K.
Put me on the Clint bandwagon with JM et al. He knew it was gone and yes indeed, the monkey on the mound knew it too. Slammed his glove on the ground and didn't bother to turn around.
It's about time someone on this team showed a little swaggertude. I've seen nothing but a group of dull, lifeless avatars posing as Yankees this year and it's hardly worth watching. So let Clint go full on Tatis Jr! Teams no longer fear the Yankees because they've lost their testicles. Having a pussy like Booooone in the dugout makes for a team that should be called The Rockford Peaches instead of the Bronx Bombers. Man up guys! Get down to GNC and buy some testosterone.
It would not surprise me one bit to see Clint benched for tonight's game. Booooooone has this habit of "resting" him and Du instead of just sticking them in the game and letting them get their footing. Clint has shown, just by his gold glove that he belongs as an everyday player. If not here, then somewhere. You can't expect either player to get comfortable unless they get consistent at-bats.
And this launch angle stuff has got to stop. The only reason strikeouts have increased so dramatically this year is that pitchers are taking advantage of the big swings to throw heat and junk past lunging batters. Hitters no longer choke up with two strikes. And if you're still swinging for the fences with two strikes, it's impossible, once you start your home run swing, to hold up when a pitch is two feet outside. And as long as I'm ranting, who in the world is swinging for the fences with two strikes? When did that become acceptable?
Put Clint and Du in the lineup every day. I don't care where, just as long as they are in there. And stop teaching anybody to "get the ball in the air." Please. Just. Stop.
OK you've all convinced me. If he wants to showboat fine. I'm all for getting their swagger back. My only issue is that the ball better be out because if a ball hits the top of the wall and whoever hits it poses and ends up on first instead of second or even worse get's thrown out at second when they could have cruised in... I will be righteously pissed.
Because it's not the exhibition of personality that bothers me it's the potential for bad baseball.
Doug K.
I don't care so much about Clint " showboating," although I am a traditionalist, and would never have done that. I still see it as disrespectful for the game..
But does concern me is the great " swoboda-esque " catch he made to save the game. Specifically, and I think one of the commentators mentioned it as well, Frazier took a poor route to the ball.
A great outfielder doesn't have to do what Frazier did. I remain thrilled ( and surprised ) that he made the catch. But it tells me he has a ways to go as an outfielder.
I would love to see him in CF, flanked by Andujar and Judge.
But Andujar isn't looking exactly natural out there either.
And " train wrecks" are almost a sure thing. Gardener was nearly blind-sided twice yesterday alone.
Possibly, the coaches might step in and provide some counsel.
Except the Yankees don't have any.
Hard to not root for Mike Ford with his story, but it became quite easy to hate is 0 for X nights at the plate.
I will say this and most Yank fans experience this. I live in California (moved from NYC in 2016) and prior to the pandemic would go to Angels games quite a bit, always when the Yanks came into town. One of the great things about seeing your team on the road (and it is glorious getting a win on the road and feeling the part of the villain to the home crowd) is you get to watch your team hit batting practice! I remember Judge and Matt Holliday in '16 hitting bombs, quite a show. And then in 2018 is was Stanton going further than I have ever seen. But then in '19 EVERYONE was hurt, and the Yankees were fielding what we didn't know then but perhaps was the emergence of perhaps my favorite regular season in recent memory. You now, when the Yanks played baseball with the emergence of Gleybor, Urshella, Tauchman and Voit while Stanton, Judge and Hicks and Stanton were on the IL? Anyway, I went to batting practice again despite no player of note being healthy. And low and behold there was one player, lefty fat man little stick, that I had never seen before hitting bomb after BOMB more than halfway up the right field grand stands and I couldn't for the life of me figure it out but I knew the guy had POP and I was super excited. Well, I guess that's all Ford has in his game unfortunately. Perhaps why he has gotten more chances than he should. If only he could make contact more to let those balls fly...but I am sure he got more in MLB than he had ever dreamed.
...Sorry "*wouldn't* experience this"...
First, in the great showboating controversy, I'm not a fan of it, either. Respect the game, act like you've done that before, etc .
It's one thing if you're Reggie Jackson hitting your third homer in a decisive World Series game—or after a pitcher (looking at you, JohnDenny!) has just gone hunting for your head.
For Clint, it just shows more how self-involved he is. Yes, it looked gone but it barely bounced to the second row. There's still a game going on, son—pay attention.
But sure, I guess it shows he still has confidence. And will until he messes up his head again, which should be about the 3rd inning tonight.
Make Yanks better by playing Gio at short, Gleyber at second,DJ at third and Gittens at first til Voit gets back and maybe even better your offense with Gittens..... just saying...
Meanwhile, I am appalled to hear that they are giving the same old, career-killing advice to El Matador. Andujar was one of those guys of whom we used to say, "He could fall out of bed and get a hit."
And I also thought Ford was a sleeper. He had such a good call-up in 2019. I guess the Yanks' "coaches" did for him.
Should he be traded? Should Frazier? I dunno. With any trade you get the Cashman Conundrum: Sure, this guy has to go—but will a trade bring in someone even worse?
And forget DFAing or doing anything else to get rid of Stanton. The Yanks consider it better to pay someone to make your team worse, than to pay him to go away.
Yankees have openings in the analytical department:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/job-posting-new-york-yankees-baseball-systems-and-operations-engineering-positions/
Better apply quickly, there are lots of eager young applicants.
I understand the criticism of Clint. And I usually hate that kind of thing. So I don't understand why this time was OK with me. Maybe because the guy has been through the mill ever since he got here. It was more appropriate than thumbing his nose, I guess. (Does anyone under 50 even know what that means?)
Bayron, you make sense, imo.
About Frazier's catch...it wasn't so much that he took a bad route to the ball, but he looked like he was trying not to run into the Odorific one. Frazier was hesitating a bit during most of his run, worrying about a collision. Which he should rightly fear, given his history.
The launch angle shit has probably ruined more hitters than anything I can think of. Especially now that the ball doesn't seem to carry as far, it's certain death. In fact, coaches should be helping infected players UNlearn that swing fuckery, not keep pushing it.
Morons.
Analytics.
@Matt P...Ya don't get breaking balls in BP...nuff said :-)
That word doesn't show up in the job posting. No wonder you won't get it.
Analytical does though:
"Primary Responsibilities:
Prepare, clean, format analytical datasets for processing by data scientists"
Too easy.
Matt P,
I moved to LA in 1981 and always went to see the Yankees at the Big A. Unfortunately, that stadium was a chamber of horrors for them during those years. I can't remember them ever winning. I'm pretty sure that that can't be true but it sure felt that way.
Doug K.
Yankee lineup just announced..
Judge playing CF...AnDUjar in LF...Frazier in RF...
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees recalled RHP Brooks Kriske (#82) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Ranger,
Amazing that Frazier was *not* given a rest day. Boner must not be feeling quite himself today.
--Corrected from previous post--
@Hoss I also thought Ford was a good one when he came up. Apparently, so did Paul O'Neill. I heard him talking about Ford a few days ago. O'Neill said he can't believe this is the same player from a couple of years ago. He said Ford used to be able to hit the other way. It sure seems to me that everyone gets worse when they get here. It's got to be the coaching here. They put stupid ideas in hitters' heads about launch angles and exit velocities. That's just the stuff that we've heard about. Who knows what other stupid crap they are feeding the hitters.
The Hammer of God
No Gittens call-up.
Babbling Brooke was called up so that he can either pitch in a blowout or pitch to create a blowout.
I try to fall back in love with this franchise, but I just can't
The Archangel
Judge in CF? There's an accident waiting to happen.
So the entire outfield is playing out of position. Interesting...
Doug K.
I fear you're right, Hammer. I mean, it's got to be something. Aside from the 1986 Mets, I've never seen so many great young players fall apart so quickly.
I'm here. I'm exhausted but I'm here.
Walked the leadoff man. This is why I'm exhausted.
Oh wait! Picked him off!
Who are these people?
Why isn't Le Grand Rouge id CF? Judges legs won't hold up to CF, and it's clear at this point that Frazier has made himself into a Major League fielder.
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By the way, as for the Crisis of the Red Showboat: Cut it out. I know we are all old and varying degrees of cantankerous, but just cut it out. It was a pretty minimal flip, and it was a flip down to the ground. Wasn't a flip up in the air. He knew it was out or an out. Baseball's a game. It's supposed to be fun. Let's have some fun out there! Don't be the wizened curmudgeonly turd in the punch bowl.
Cut it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-guv9Pd_RA
Crap. I'm monologuing.
Winnie, new game thread.
https://johnsterling.blogspot.com/2021/06/holy-crap-judge-is-in-centerfield.html
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