Traitor Tracker: .259

Traitor Tracker: .259
Last year, this date: .295

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Have the Astros found a new way to cheat? (Bribe the umps) And does it matter?

 

In life, few experiences turdify a punch bowl like a full-scale, felony-grade, Yankee bullpen meltdown. Some comparisons... 
The GameDay graphic didn't
hide Jazz Chishom's final called
third strike

A pulsating toothache on a five-hour bus ride to Plattsburgh... 

Losing your wallet in a foreign country in a crowd that dislikes America... 

Checking your watch to find you've got at least 90 minutes before Disney on Ice will end. 

That was last night: A root canal in Hamilton with the Ice-Capades. We watched a bullpen collapse worthy of Game 5. (The only thing missing was Gerrit Cole pointing to first base.) 

Suddenly, the Gauntlet looks a bit more frightening. Suddenly, it's the morning after D-Day (D for Devin and Doval.) Suddenly, we wonder if we've pissed away six months of life-juice on an obsession destined to crush us. 

Today, every Yank fan in captivity must secretly ask: 

Will I be happier if the wheels just fall off now?

Damn. In the sixth, Will Warren gave a 4-2 lead to Cooperstown Cashman's increasingly porous bullpen: Fernando Cruz. Luke. Devin Williams. The evolving headcase, Camilo Doval. All night, the home plate ump screwed us, ending the game - fittingly - with a ridiculous called-third strike - (see above, even the GameDay graphic didn't hide the pitch) - which was off the plate the length of a Giancarlo erection.  

Bad call. Demoralizing loss. Spoiler alert. Don't drink the punch...

We showcased our demons. Anthony Volpe, fanning thrice, killing three rallies. Doval, inexplicably, balking home one runner and wild pitching another. (In a game where both runs were pivotal.) 

We're now three losses behind Toronto. This weekend, if we sweep the Blue Jays - (which we won't) - they'll still hold first. Boston lost not only their star rookie, Anthony Roman, Roman Anthony (he strained his blinky), but a game. They're one behind us. But seriously, should we care? 

How many miles to Plattsburgh? Are we there yet? 

6 comments:

Carl J. Weitz said...

The failing, shoddy, head-case bullpen. Another work of art by Cashman.

BTR999 said...

It’s hard to rake this team seriously.. a clean game followed by another terrible loss. Apparently, the thinking is that the team will automatically switch into championship mode once the playoffs begin. Meanwhile, we have the awful Volpe, an emerging head case in Doval, TWO DH’s and a shaved ape for a manager. And let’s not forget McMahon’s gaffe in not throwing the runner out at home. In the postgame, Todd Frazier was spewing some nonsense about how his left foot was positioned. I can’t…and the umpiring. JFC! This is a professional game?

So - will the team should some resilience and bounce back tonight?

Carl J. Weitz said...

Speaking of the Yankees' bust at SS, VolpE-6, here's an interesting take on this year's first draft pick, Dax Kilby. The author thinks he should be the Yankees' third-rated prospect, given his only half-year at A ball. With two highly rated SS prospects, shouldn't this be the end of Anthony Chicken Parm?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/yankees-first-round-pick-continues-to-crush-pro-pitching/ar-AA1LPjKw?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=611abf5a79e9489481741f7435ee3438&ei=12

JM said...

I can't add anything. Everyone here knows what happened and who's to blame. It's pathetic.

Doug K. said...

FWIW https://yanksgoyard.com/umpire-who-screwed-yankees-in-astros-loss-revealed-to-have-controversial-red-sox-past

JM said...

Gee. A Red Sox fan.