Traitor Tracker: .255

Traitor Tracker: .255
Last year, this date: .305

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

The Athletic throws a juju bomb at Aaron Judge

Last night, Aaron Judge went 1-3 with a HR and a walk, and it was - statistically - a MEH. 

His BA fell by two - to .412 - while The Athletic web site was spinning up a buffet of fancy numbers, arranged to argue that Judge is the greatest RH hitter in history. 

People, this is blaspheme. It is felony juju overreach. It's why people hate literacy. Most of all, it is how those who suffer from Yankee Derangement Syndrome do whatever they can to destroy a hitter. 

Listen: Jinxing an athlete is the easiest move in juju. You note that the pitcher is throwing a no-hitter, that the shooter hasn't missed a free throw this season, that the Spanish Armada is infallible, that hurricanes never hit here, that all dogs love you, that the gout is a hoax. From the orchestra pit, just as Ethel Merman starts to belt out, "There's NO business like SHOW business...!" you scream, "GOAT!" It's as effective as throwing a battery. And Judge doesn't need it.

Let the big dog run...

It's amazing to think that, in the quest for clicks, pundits today - (it's the 7th of May, for kricesake) - are seeking to anoint Judge as the greatest RH hitter of all-time. Better than Hank. Better than Willie. Better than Atilla, Napoleon, Alexander and Rocky (who, if you remember correctly, switched to LH to befuddle Mr. T.) Why not? Nothing can be proven. You just ignore the 2nd Rule of Juju: Nothing is gained by ever speaking well of your team. (The 1st Rule of Juju: Never speak about juju.) 

Ironically, Judge plays in the same outfield as 22-year-old Jasson Dominguez, who has battled juju assassination attempts since age 16, when he was ridiculously compared to Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle. Last night, The Martian delivered two key hits in a miraculous comeback - shadowed only by the fact that it came against Wandy Peralta, one of the more beloved ex-Yankees. (I'm sure it was talk of the Conclave.) 

But but BUT... Judge does not need another boulder to carry. The way Michael Kay and Paulie O'Neill spread their juju last night, you'd think the YES Network has a wager board going to predict when he'll dip below .400. 

Look: I'm fine with them reciting his numbers, extoling his leadership, admiring his butt - (nothing wrong with that) - but must they punch his ticket to Cooperstown every time he steps from the dugout? If he goes 1-3 with a HR and a walk, it's a nothing night. 

Wanna know how to ruin greatness? Make it a sideshow, and become the barker. Right now, the YESsirs are gathering all their juju, distilling it into concentrate and sprinkling onto the the numbers blazing from the Trinitron. It's only May 7th. Give the man a break. Let the big dog run. 

51 comments:

JM said...

Judge? Eh. He ain't so hot. He's no Mantle (may he never suffer the way Mantle suffered). He's no Joe D. No Babe. No Lou.

Them YES guys are just goofballs. O'Neill is a moron. Kay is an overwrought shill.

Boone is an idiot. Cashman is a dolt. Hal is an overprivileged nepo ass who hates the Yankees because daddy loved them more than his son.

Wells, however, may be okay in the long run. Also the Martian.

Of course, as Keynes said, in the long run, we're all dead.

AboveAverage said...

Dead….?
DEAD?
D E A D !
As in no longer living?
No longer loving?
No longer thirsting?
No longer lungering?
No?
Longer?
Longer?

Doug K. said...

" as Keynes said, in the long run, we're all dead."

I read that as "as a Kenyan said, in the long run, we're all dead.'
and thought, maybe that's why they're good at distance running.

It's still early.

AboveAverage said...

Coffee just started to brew and
I read that meaning we were all
through. But wouldn’t it be grand
to be a Kenyan runner for a day.

BTR999 said...

Well said, Duque…why not just sit back and enjoy it, for as long as it lasts?
History will make its own judgements, and may god have mercy when it gets around to America in the 2020’s.

Joe of AZ said...

On Judge: "He's aite" -True fans

JM said...

Beautiful takedown of Boone by Keefe. Great to see someone call out the idiot for being such an idiot.

JM said...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

NJ.com | Max Goodman: After reassigning DJ LeMahieu’s rehab to Triple-A Scranton yesterday, the Yankees revealed that their former leadoff hitter may be activated as soon as this weekend’s West Coast trip, which begins this Friday in Oakland Sacramento. While nobody is expecting LeMahieu to return to the All-Star form he showed back in his early days in pinstripes, the team is hoping that he can provide some depth at the bottom of the lineup during the absence of second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is currently on the shelf with an oblique strain.

Also included in this article is news that Giancarlo Stanton took some swings against Jake Cousins in live batting practice, as both rehab from injuries that have sidelined them since the start of spring.

AboveAverage said...

It was bound to happen.

I give ‘em both a couple of weeks.

Last night when the announced that DJ would likely join the team in Sacramento, Paulie laughed heartily at the photo of DJ in the graphic- commenting that he looked really angry.

I suppose that DJ was simply channeling how all’z us fans feel about both he and Can’t Run coming back tooze tha team.

AboveAverage said...

(When the was supposed to read as when they - my deepest and most sincere apologies)

The Hammer of God said...

Well, they finally showed some signs of life in Yankiverse last night. I thought they'd never win a game this year when trailing in the 6th inning and later. It was good to see somebody else's bullpen implode for once. But yes, the guy who did most of the imploding used to be a Yankee. Maybe Peralta got infected when he came back here.

The Hammer of God said...

On the NY Post, there is an article about Volpe dodging injury: https://nypost.com/2025/05/06/sports/yankees-dodged-anthony-volpe-shoulder-worries-in-lineup-return/

The article isn't what caught my interest, though. It's the photo in the article of Volpe swinging the bat like Paul Bunyan. The picture caught him at the end of his swing, at the end of his follow through, but still, that's horrendous technique there. A clear indication of bad coaching, bad managing. His head is almost coming off, he swung so hard. There's no way, no way that he's making contact with a swing like that.

Not everyone is an Aaron Judge. A little guy like Volpe can't be taking swings like that. It's just a waste of his talent. Hell, not even Judge takes swings like that.

If an ASS-stro had taken a swing like that in the 9th inning of a game they were losing by a run, Dusty Baker, back when he was managing, would've benched that son of a gun. Baker used to say that if you put it in play, there are three chances for something to happen. Somebody has to catch the ball, then he has to throw the ball, and then somebody has to make the put out. If you strike out, nothing else needs to happen, that's it. Too bad Boone never says anything like that to his players.

BTR999 said...

Spencer Jones put on the IL at Somerset. No reason given.

AboveAverage said...

Apparently he strained his Philtrum and should be as right as rain in just under a fortnight.

AboveAverage said...

E-9 on 99 - kinda a glove tumbler

AboveAverage said...

It sure is a silent night here in the fox hole

AboveAverage said...

Ring the 🛎️

Pocono Steve said...

Yanks going to ruin the Knicks vibe again?

AboveAverage said...

Grizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzly!

Rufus T. Firefly said...

WTF just happened?

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Impressive bat flip also 👏

Carl J. Weitz said...

Have the Yankees ever come back from a deficit this late in the game this season? They're toast!

Rufus T. Firefly said...

The incinerator is warming in the bullpen 🤢

Carl J. Weitz said...

The above comment was strictly for reverse-juju purposes.

Carl J. Weitz said...

And it worked!

AboveAverage said...

The Yankees lose

ranger_lp said...

Here we go again…

ranger_lp said...

Wow the ERA is finally going down…

ranger_lp said...

9.24 now…

Hinkey Haines said...

That was a pleasant, if nerve-wracking, surprise.

AboveAverage said...

Nice to see him so pumped! Glad he feels it. Good for the brain-right Ranger?

ranger_lp said...

Ha

ranger_lp said...

Yankees Win!!!

AboveAverage said...

THE YUNKEEZ WIN!!!!

ranger_lp said...

That was a big win …

Pocono Steve said...

Woo hoo!

ranger_lp said...

Borderline Yankee Classic…

Hinkey Haines said...

Love the Escarra story. Happy for him.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I'm starting to like Grisham. Great legal novels.

Hinkey Haines said...

And kudos to Cabrera for a good bunt.

AboveAverage said...

Yes

AboveAverage said...

Exactly (any of those wine cases left, Roofuzz?)

ranger_lp said...

Great nite… Yankees win…Knicks win…

AboveAverage said...

Indeed - excellent bunt - maybe someone scraped the mold outta the inside of Boone’s skull)

AboveAverage said...

We win

Carl J. Weitz said...

Who has the wine? What kind?
Coincidentally, my friend is likely buying a successful CT vineyard in the next few weeks. I wish I had his money.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

What a below average question 🙄

Pre 2011 wine still in the bottle in the Firefly household?

Bwahhaaaaahahaha!

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Almost

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Can we get a friend's and family discount? Askin' fer a fren.

AboveAverage said...

I was asking for a friend, roof

AboveAverage said...

Ok …. I’ll ask - where could BITTY BE?