Saturday, July 16, 2022

At last, the veils of this false world are ripped away, and we come face-to-face with the true, Cthulhulian horror the juju gods have in store for us.

 

After the first game of a doubleheader on August 11, 1951, the Brooklyn Dodgers found themselves 13 1/2 games ahead of their great rival, the second-place New York Giants.

This is, as best I can determine—and ZachA might be able to confirm this—the largest, regular season lead that any major-league team has ever squandered.

Ever

Single league, division, wild-card, you name it.

Until now.

Those of us who did not watch it, live, learned at their daddy's knee of our miraculous, 1978 comeback against the good old, choke-meister Red Sox, a year in which we overcame a 14-game deficit on July 19th.

But our boys were in 4th, not 2nd. The biggest, latest lead the Carmine Hose had that year was 10 up on the Brewers, on July 8th.

The greatest, season comeback of all time was actually that made by the 1914 Boston Braves, who found themselves 15 games behind the Giants after dropping a July 4th doubleheader to the Brooklyn Robins.

But the Braves were in last place, in an eight-team league. The Giants' lead at the time over the second-place Cubbies was only 4 1/2 games.

So, where do we stand in all this?

Well, just a week ago—seems like an epoch, now!—after watching the BoSox stagger around under their home field, Friday night lights like a bad Texas varsity team...the Bombers were 15 1/2 up on the Tampa Bay Rays.

Take a good look at these standings, because you will be seeing them for the rest of your life:

AL East Division, 7/8/22

Tm

W

L

W-L%

GB

RS

RA

pythW-L%

NYY

61

23

.726

--

439

256

.728

TBR

45

38

.542

15.5

341

317

.533

BOS

45

39

.536

16.0

393

348

.555

TOR

45

40

.529

16.5

391

380

.513

BAL

41

44

.482

20.5

350

369

.476

 

             

Yep, that was the set-up. And now comes the reveal.


Brian "Thane of Cthulhu" Cashman—the man whose leadership brought us the worst ever, only ever, up 3-0 meltdown in a major-league, championship series back in 2004—will now proceed to kick away the biggest ever, regular-season lead, as the horrors of the 21st century continue. 


In many ways, this will be a much more monstrous feat than the October collapse he presided over. 


The 2004 ALCS turned in good part on a few, amazing pieces of luck—a wild pitch bouncing right back to the catcher so he could throw Bernie out at third; Matsui's hard line drive with the bases loaded not quite falling in, etc.—not to mention how Joe Torre suffered a petite mal stroke on the bench, leaving him frozen and unable to call for pitchouts, steals, or all of those baseball-y things.


Hey, anyone can lose 4 straight games. Right? Even if no one else ever has?


But a collapse of the magnitude we are about to see? Only a general manager—and only a general manager named Brian Cashman—could bring it off.


Ever wonder what his Hall of Fame plaque will look like? On those days when they've wiped off enough of the spittle for us to make it out, I suspect we will see that it is not in his image, but that of his master:



On your knees!  All hail the terrible power of the juju gods!  Beg for mercy before we are tossed into the fire pit for a thousand generations!








73 comments:

DickAllen said...

The gods have hit Judge with a boomerang. Performing like Hercules, he has suddenly turned into a bald Samson and for the last month he has been hitting below the Gallo line. Millions of dollars disappearing into the ozone.

As Judge goes, so go the Yankees.

Without him, we are doomed.

Publius said...

True enough re Judge. But the bullpen is the real concern. A complete mess.

JM said...

I think the Hall of Fame plaque will involve photos of teeth, poorly cared for.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Oh, Publius, you can examine pretty much any aspect of this team, and find a part that's malfunctioning.

For instance, here is the left side of the infield we have:

IKF: 0 HR .272/.319/.327/.646 11 Errors
Donaldson: 9 HR .224/.312/.394/.705 4 Errors

Compared to the one we COULD have:

Correa: 10 HR .279/.355/.443/.797 5 Errors
Gio: 8 HR .261/.306/.407.713 5 Errors

Great deal, that.


HoraceClarke66 said...

Oh, and here is your stat of the day:

Gallo's Offensive WAR? 0.1

That's right. It's actually positive. According to the Sabremetricious, there are actually people you could bring up from the minors who would hit worse than Joey Gallo.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Or rather, the AVERAGE guy you would bring up, would hit worse than him. Oy.

The Hammer of God said...

So about a month ago, we were all wondering whether this team had the right stuff. Wow, have they ever answered that question!

Like I've said before, this team played .730 ball for the first half, and there is no reason why they can't play .230 ball for the second half. Our blog compadres have mentioned that this is the worst "best record in baseball" team that they've ever seen. I agree, and there is no telling how low this group will go. A truly historic collapse is a real possibility.

DickAllen said...


Hey! Stop ragging on Gallo!

At least he's consistent.

All of these guys IKF, Donaldduck, Gallo, they are all consistently mediocre. No surprises anywhere.

The real shock to me is Judge - he has gone south - even worse than Gallo.

In his last 15 games, he has all but disappeared, hitting a measly 179 and rapidly heading south - last night 0-5 with 2Ks. He's making Gallo look good.

Something has got to be wrong with him physically. He carried the team in the first half and if he doesn't get right, the Yankees are sunk.

The Hammer of God said...

Judge is a very streaky hitter. And he doesn't seem to be able to play through injuries well. You need your legs to hit. If your legs feel terrible, you've got no sturdy base, and you start to use your arms and upper body to try to muscle the ball. That results in bad swings, poor timing.

Every at-bat is predictable for Judge right now. High fastball up and in for a strike, either swinging or taking; slider down and away, swinging strike; low pitch under the knees called for steeee-rike three!

JM said...

Soto rejected the Nationals' offer and they want to trade him. Empty the fucking farm system and get this guy. Throw in our castoffs and anyone else it takes.

JM said...

Hey, we brought up Locastro and put Castro on the IL.

JM said...

More good news. We might get rained out tonight.

Doug K. said...

Hoss - You're leaving out the most important part of the Gio trade.

Sanchez GONE! The first half success of the pitchers in in no small part due to Gary's departure.

HoraceClarke66 said...

You may be right, Doug K.! But subtraction only becomes addition for so long.

HoraceClarke66 said...

That's too bad about Castro. And Florial must be ready to shoot himself about now. At least Locastro can run.

HoraceClarke66 said...

I should have said, "Subtraction only STAYS addition for so long."

HoraceClarke66 said...

Great points, Hammer and DickAllen. And I suspect that the main cause here IS injury.

But then, Judge is ALWAYS injured, isn't he?

This again speaks to the incompetence of Coops and HAL. If the decision was to NOT sign Judge, then they had to trade him for the best deal they could get.

Instead, they will lose him to free agency AND have to give up players to sign his replacement, Soto. IF that comes about at all.

HoraceClarke66 said...

The Yankees must be the first, first-place team in history trying to figure out how to tank.

Publius said...

I hope it's a rain out tonight. Wandy deserves a rest.

AboveAverage said...

Doug, let hope Cashman doesn't get Sanchez back at the trade deadline

Doug K. said...

Soto is available and is controlled until the end of 2024. Why don't we get him and NOT extend him

That's three post seasons. That's worth the Martian plus 4 other top guys.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

In honor of 1978:

https://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy/2001/06/24

My friends and I got a brick put in the entrance to the pahk in his honor. Russ O'Dey (Mr. Dent's name on his birth certificate, before being adopted by the aunt and uncle). https://www.dropbox.com/s/xb1c2fddhac9ika/IMG_6082_crop.JPG?dl=0

Right by the ticket takers next to the bleachers.

That can't possibly happen backwards, can it? Can it?

JM said...

That's great, Rufus.

Oh, I haven't mentioned...my sister had to put one of her dogs to sleep. He was old and had cancer.

His name was......... Rufus. Spooky.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Your sister has excellent taste in names.

Her name isn't Mrs. Teasdale, is it?

JM said...

Why, yes. Yes, it is.

Think of it. Just you and me and the moon....wear a tie so I'll know who's you.

JM said...

Not supposed to rain until 10 or so. They might play this one.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Donaldson batting fifth. Gleyber out and at least Joey is out.

JM said...

Is Soto playing?

HoraceClarke66 said...

Pretty funny, JM!

So Gleyber is getting the rest today. One more game until the All-Star contest—which he is not playing in. Incredible.

ZachA, maybe you have a list of:

"Games in which Derek Jeter was given the day off when the team was slumping miserably and he would have three days of rest one game later. Especially after he had finally started to hit well following an extended slump."

I kid, I kid. Obviously, no such games exist.

This is inane—and it is part and parcel of how badly Coops failed by deciding that the keystone of the next Yankees dynasty would be Torres, an amiable mediocrity who will never be anything resembling another Jeter.

The NY Post sports section—which may as well be written by Cashman these days—includes a piece about how "Gleyber Torres may never hit 38 home runs again" but he's back.

Um, no. When you're 25 years old and already not the player you were 3 years ago, you are not back. And you are not the key to anything.


HoraceClarke66 said...

Mets won again today. If they get Soto...

BTR999 said...

Devers again?..when someone is killing your team, could you not, mmmm, give them something to hit? JFC, is that so hard to digest?

But Carpenter is putting on a show!

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I think the Yankees should look for more prospects in the "washed up porn star" section of Morgies.

The down side is, the intern will claim vindication.

Can't get a good video feed from my mountaintop lair. No fox -- or any other kind of TV -- here. Bouncing around the interwebs with feeds from Turkey, Vietnam, Switzerland, Norway, Dubai, Australia, Costa Rica, Canada, Mars, and still fuzzy picture.

At least the Master and Suzyn are coming in 5 for 5.

AboveAverage said...

hello

this game is looking good

I believe - deep down that we will win tonight

no one will take this away from us

even when Gallo pitch hits in the 7th to give Hicks a rest (thanks Mr Boone for that text message - YOU CAN DO THIS!)

happy Saturday night to everyone

enjoy a blissful, rainy sleep tonight

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Where the f--- Heck did everyone go?

Was the NYC atomic strike warning legit?

Rufus T. Firefly said...

JOhn: Magic Matt!

AboveAverage said...

NAILED IT

ranger_lp said...

Carpenter has tuned into Ibañez…

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Suzyn:

He needs to work on his curtain call.

Me:

We can only hope.

AboveAverage said...

Rufus


DUCK and COVER!!!!!

JM said...

Okay, I've been catching up, recorded the game. Holy crapola.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

AA,

My mountaintop lair is well protected, Mr. Blofeld!

Off topic -- I prefer my martinis with gin, not vodka. Shaken is correct.

JM said...

Ordered delivery from a patisserie, six large slices of various cake. Just had the seriously chocolate one... scrape me off the ceiling if you're in the neighborhood.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

JM,

When you have a party, you have to remember to invite us.

JM said...

I want to hear asshole Smoltz talk about how this is a small ballpark again. He hates the Yankees so much.

JM said...

Judge and Carp playing home run derby.

Doug K. said...

Donaldson should talk to whoever fixed Carpenter.

Doug K. said...

Carpenter looks like a Western sheriff circa 1870. He's got those flinty gunslinger eyes.

JM said...

See ya, Rufus.

ranger_lp said...

Yanks aren’t blowing this lead…

JM said...

Donaldson sucks. Another lame Cashman idea.

JM said...

Ranger, we might win this one.

ranger_lp said...

Maybe…

AboveAverage said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AboveAverage said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BernBabyBern said...

Hey, time for tonight's trivia question. Which is higher: The number of RBIs Matt Carpenter has tonight, or the number of hits Joey Gallo has had since June 13?



(Trick question: It's a tie at 6)

AboveAverage said...

bye bye posts - mine are disappearing again

Doug K. said...

bern,

not anymore

JM said...

Mercy rule here?

ranger_lp said...

Getting embarrassing now…

ranger_lp said...

Yankees Win!!!

Rufus T. Firefly said...

When did Locastro get called up?

I need to start paying attention. Maybe...

JM said...

Rosenthal looks absurd next to Judge and Carp. Plus, he's a major asshole. Little twerp.

DickAllen said...


No mercy for them. None.

DickAllen said...


No prisoners JM.

But I thought sure Boooooone would bring in Chapman.

HoraceClarke66 said...

The key is Taillon pitching well. Maybe, some day, he can even get to 6 innings.

AboveAverage said...

You east coast people sure go o sleep early . ...

HoraceClarke66 said...

Not me, man!

Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside said...

Rufus…. I too heard him say Magic Matt. Are you mentioning it for the same reason I am? The porn stache/Magic Mike angle… except it’s more like Burt Reynolds anywhere other than in Boogie Nights. There’s no way that’s what old man John is thinking… its still funny though.

AboveAverage said...

Rufus has retired for the evening - too many martinis is my guess

DickAllen said...


Does the follow through by Dominguez on this dinger remind you of anyone:

https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/ar_16:9,g_auto,q_auto:good,w_1024,c_fill,f_jpg,dpr_3.0/mlb/ewj2k9oa0pixninyoz2x

DickAllen said...


https://www.mlb.com/news/jasson-dominguez-2022-all-star-futures-game?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

BTR999 said...

Hell, I just got home…
Somebody must be effin with my internet.
Saw some crazy hack saying we won 14-1?
Nah, can’t be

AboveAverage said...

it gets better