No, I'm not referring to the breakdown of society, leading to civil war and the collapse of democracy. I'm talking about the imminent crack up of the NY Yankees, despite the pathetic AL East, a division of cupcakes and cans of tomato. The Death Star is fluctuating wildly. They bungle eight of 10, then win four straight - (thank you, Washington.) They look warped, like a particle board table that's gone through a carwash.
The Yankees can still make the playoffs. Hell, everybody can, except KC and the Angels. That's our new reality. But to win this sad division, here's what needs to happen.
1. Aaron Judge must return in full form. Folks, this aint complicated. Without him, they win doodily-squat. And here's the rub: He might not make it. We should know more this weekend, after he goes through the primordial ooze atomizer. He's probably out through August. Without him, the Yankees are the Savannah Bananas, without the soundtrack. If Judge cannot return, forget the Canyon of Heroes. The Jets have as much a chance.
2. Austin Wells needs to start hitting. Forget the idea that they'll trade for a RH-hitting catcher. Even if Cooperstown Cashman finds a guy, and the trade chips to cut a deal, we still need Wells to hit, say, .230 the rest of the way. (Ten HRs in the second half would give him 15 on the season.) All this trade talk belies the fact that Wells would still start against RH pitchers. The Yankees are stuck with him. He simply has to start hitting. Good luck with that.
3. Max Fried must return and be a dominant Number Two. He's only 32. He should have some years left. Forget Rodon and Cole: They will win through guile and grease, but neither will ever be the pitcher he once was. Warren and Weathers are cardboard cutouts. We've seen what they've got, and it belongs in the bullpen. Fried could still be a solid starter. He simply must return.
4. They need one solid addition to the bullpen. He doesn't need to be Mason Miller. He doesn't need to be a closer. He just needs to NOT have already pitched in 50 games, and NOT be on the verge of throwing the most innings of his career. He must NOT be the next Camilo Doval or Jake Bird. That's a lotta NOTs.
5. Jazz Chisholm must hit 10 HRs in the second half (which would give him 23 on the season.) If he steals 20 bases, he finishes in the mid-40s. It won't be the 50-50 contractual pot of gold he envisioned last winter. But if he hits, say, .260 over the second half, he can save the bottom of the order and salvage a bidding war next winter, though it will coincide with the labor stoppage.
The Martian? Spencer Jones? Elmer Rodriguez? George Lombard Jr.? Yeah, they'd all be nice. But unless something huge breaks - I'm talking about a catastrophic, roster-clearing deal - we're still stuck in Anthony Volpe's cosmic infundibulum. The infield doesn't hit, and it throws a lot of short-hop bouncers to first. If Cashman tries to remake the team - well - Tarik Skubal could be the end of time. It can happen here.
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What are the odds that any of these happen?
If they would just ignore the anachronistic lefty-righty idea, we don't need Wells, Volpe and who-have-you.
Bring back Luke Weaver. Not that he'd want to come back.
Maybe one might happen ( my vote’s on Fried)) at most two (Fried + Chisolm).
Note the complete absence of Stanton.
I'd be very, very surprised if Judge makes it back this year. He's got to be completely cleared through medical imaging tests before he can start his second "spring training" this year. After at least three weeks of that, then he can start DH duties. Unless there's a miracle, he's gonna run of time.
Trying to play through this injury if the tests are not clean is NOT a good idea. When he ramps it up, the pain will start again, and then you've definitely compromised the remaining season and maybe even his remaining career. For this injury, there's nothing that can be done except rest and hoping it heals.
I have to say I didn’t miss baseball at all the last 4 days (I don’t watch the all-star game of HR derby) When I was a kid, the 3 day break seemed endless. Soccer helped fill the gap, but still…I guess the thrill is gone.. or I’m just getting older with less and less tolerance for all the bullshit…
Pursuant to that, I just want to mention how much I enjoyed the posts yesterday and especially the comments highlighting steinscammer’s real interest in operating the team, and man, it has nothing to do with baseball.
Also appreciated the discussion about AI, a burgeoning issue not just for baseball, but society as a whole. Is it life imitating art, or art imitating life?
Good assessment, Duque. And pretty gloomy.
The local wags keep speculating about things like the Mets trading, say, Alvarez and Weaver to the Yanks for prospects. But we don't have those sorts of prospects.
Yes, we need Judge back, I'd bet on The Martian being the miracle breakthrough (if there is one), we need Bellinger to get into gear again, and we need the starting pitchers up and humming once more. If that all works out, we might—MIGHT—be able to survive the dumbledorfs (Jazz, Wells, Volpe) the rest of the way.
But I doubt if that will happen.
See, this is why Judge was colossally stupid this past winter. He was coming back from the right elbow issue in the second half of 2025. So the smart move was to rest this winter and have a very, very slow ramp up in spring training. Then maybe he'd be healthy enough to make it through 2026 without any issues.
Instead, he works out all winter trying to strengthen the elbow ligament and preparing for the fucking World Baseball Classic. He doesn't have a slow Spring Training, not even a "normal" Spring Training. He ramps it up immediately to go into this stupid tournament, which ends up another failure anyway. I could tell right from the WBC games and then the early season that he wasn't 100%. Then we get the confession that he played for at least a month until the pain became "unbearable". For a pro athlete with a lot of experience at this point, he sure played it astronomically stupid.
This repetitive stress injury likely started during the winter when he was (no doubt) taking a ton of batting practice. And also doing a bunch of other things to strengthen the elbow ligament and work on his throwing. That top rib just couldn't take it. Stress from two or more directions pulling on it. Not enough recovery time. Eventually, it gave out during the regular season, but it most likely was a ticking time bomb for months before.
Nobody's gettin' any younger and we now have zero tolerance for MLB & FOX bullshit!
Can someone here provide me with this weeks Mega Millions or some other huge jackpot winning numbers? That is ALSO what is needed.
Here goes, and if you (or anyone else) wins, then please remember poor old me: 2 18 33 37 40 Megaball 17
I was just wondering . . .
From the movie "Judge & the World Baseball Classic", starring Aaron Judge as Sheriff Buford T. Justice; Aaron Boone as the Sheriff's son, Bonehead; and The Hammer of God as State Trooper Hammer.
(Trooper Hammer pulls over Judge and Bonehead, who are driving in a car with a disintegrated right front tire, dragging the steel wheel on the asphalt:)
Trp Hammer: (Walking to driver's side window of Shrf Judge's vehicle.) What the fuck is this shee-it? Don't ya know you can't drive this piece of shee-it on mah highway? Get the fuck off of mah highway!
Shrf Judge: I'll thank you for not cussin' and swearin' in front of mah young sonny boy Bonehead here. (Gets out of vehicle and starts to roar.) Do you know who I am? I am Sheriff Buford T. Justice and I have been in hot pursuit of the World Baseball Classic for the last six hunnerd mile. I have had a toothache, a headache, a die o ria, a fractured first rib for the past three hunnerd mile, all to apprehend a world championship in somethin', anythin'. (Repeatedly poking Trp Hammer's chest for emphasis.) What in hell do you know about sacrificin' car and body for law and order, servin' and pro tectin'? The only thing you ever serviced is a red headed cunt, ain't it? You wanna say that shee-it to mah face again, Trooper?
Trp Hammer: (Suddenly looking like a mouse confronted by a tom cat and shaking his head.) Sir, I didn't know, sir. You go right on ahead with your blown out tire and maimed wheel. I'm sorry I de-layed you and your Bonehead son. Please accept mah appo low gees.
Shrf Judge: (Getting back in driver's seat of his vehicle.) Thank you, Trooper. Now ... FUCK OFF!!! (Puts pedal to the metal!)
Word is that pitching prospect Ben Grable should get the call up next. He tops out in the mid 90s but his calling card is a rising fastball with incredible movement. Makes batters miss. We might not need any outside help for the bullpen. This kid might be the answer. Bring him up now. Get rid of Doval.
The 2027 schedule is out. As we all know, there will be a lockout, so this is an exercise in futility.
But if you enjoy fiction:
https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2027-03
Any relation to Betty Grable?
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