Monday, February 5, 2024

Is this the year that the Yankees finally lose New York?

Since 2017 - the year we lost to those #$@% cheating Astros - this website has faithfully tallied the number of tabloid front and back pages to be lavished each year upon that wretched cabal of miscreants and underachievers known as New York City sports teams. 

And every year, the mighty Yankees have finished at the top.

Generally, it's not even close, though last year, the Death Barge - banished from the wild card race by September - only managed to outdraw the Aaron Rodgers-fueled Jets by 14 measly covers. 

This year, something has happened. A sea change seems to be taking place in that utterly barren, billionaire-owned landscape of Big Apple sports. 

Specifically, that upheaval is from the Knicks, currently second in the NBA Eastern Conference, who have already accrued 31 tabloid covers - more than that of all other NY teams combined. They Knicks will probably go several rounds into the 2024 playoffs - into late May or even June - stealing covers from spring training and baseball's opening weeks of the season. 

Meanwhile - and this should terrify the Yankee front office -  the Mets seem to be assembling an actual plan. Last year, new owner Stevie Cohen flung himself like a sex-starved groupie at aging stars such as Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, only to flatline by mid-August. This year, they are building a team. It should not be overlooked that the Mets outbid the Yankees by $25 million for Yoshi Yamamoto, only to be then outgunned by the Dodgers' voodoo economics. They have money to burn, and at some point, Cohen will light the fire. 

Of course, the Yankees can still generate ink. If the 2024 team collapses, the event itself will launch rivers. But they now face the ascending team of this decade, the #@$% Orioles, and apparently, they will head into spring training with a pitching staff full of uncertainties. If the Yankees make it to the postseason, they could still pull in a pile of back pages. But for now, they appear to be chasing a wild card.

Their run atop New York City's sports skyline may be coming to an end. And if they lose it, the Yankees might find it very hard to regain.

16 comments:

edb said...

Cheapskate Hal and Genius Cashman are doing their best to lose New York. However, The Mets are presently a mess. Since the teams in the A.L. East have not done a whole lot, The Yankees will compete for the division. However, they are not going anywhere.

ranger_lp said...

Yankees To Acquire Caleb Ferguson From Dodgers

The Yankees are acquiring left-hander Caleb Ferguson from the Dodgers, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The Dodgers will be receiving two prospects in exchange, per Joel Sherman of The New York Post.

ranger_lp said...

For those who are keeping score...that's the second lefty pitcher from the Dodgers...Victor Gonzalez was the first...

BTR999 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BTR999 said...

At least Ferguson has some actual MLB cred.

Matt Gage going in addition to the unnamed prospects.

JM said...

"Gage, 30, was recently claimed by the Yankees off waivers from the Astros, and he spent most of the 2023 season with Triple-A Sugar Land."

Where exactly is Sugar Land? Somewhere near Flavortown? A suburb of Carb City?

Well, there's one bolster for the bullpen. Too bad we still need a really good starter. Which, by the way, counts out Snell.

JM said...

"And so, this post is about doing what's right for Trevor Bauer, a guy that didn't blow his first chance in the first place, but in today's society is characterized as perhaps getting "a second chance". The MLB reacted horribly, way too heavy handed, and society followed. But the MLB did was wrong."

https://bleedingyankeeblue.blogspot.com/2024/02/sound-alarm-get-trevor-bauer.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ovJMxQsCw

Jesus Christ, the guy didn't even do anything. Sign him. He'll love us for it.

AboveAverage said...

Aaron Boone is rumored to be the unnamed prospect in the Ferguson deal - pending an undisclosed "evaluation".

Plus, this is for JM:

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, and play their home games at Constellation Field.

So given that it involves the Astros, Sugar Land must be located in Loose Stool County . . .





JM said...

Lindsey Hill should be in jail.

Bauer should be a Yankee.

DickAllen said...

Wow. The Yankees make front page news for acquiring more damage goods from the Dodgers.

The New York M.A.S.H unit.

Compete for the division? Ha! Between the birds with broken wings and the Goodwill bin, this team will be lucky not to get relegated to the PCL.

ranger_lp said...

Yes the Yanks should sign Bauer...and give him #18...

acrilly said...

The Royals big new deal for Witt Jr, their stud shortstop got me thinking about our “star” shortstop. I had no actual idea Volpe struck out 30% of his ABs last year.

BTR999 said...

If you liked Josh Donaldson, you’ll love Trevor Bauer.

Der Kaiser said...

Sugar Land is on the Pacific Coast of Texas??

Carl J. Weitz said...

Caleb Ferguson....from LIRR shooting perp to the Yankees bullpen.For him, I guess, it's better than the state pen.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Sugarland is home of Chuck Norris, so you better be careful badmouthing it.

Caleb Ferguson is the dumpster diver version of Jordan Montgomery.

But they both are biblical references.