Friday, May 23, 2025

Right now, everything is clicking for the Yankees. Unfortunately, it's May.

Pinch me.

Yanks score once - a HR by a guy who's never hit one at the MLB level - and beat, gulp, their Babadook... Frank Lary, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez Nathan Eovaldi. 

Now it's Colorado, the Wretched Rockies, a team chasing historical mediocrity - as we feature the game's best hitter (Aaron Judge) and pitcher (Max Fried.) 

What could go wrong?

Welp... 

Considering that we remain a juju god-fearing site, here are 10 reasons to fear the Rockies' table-scraps lineup.

1. This is exactly the kind of trap series that annually kills us: On a winning streak, we visit the worst team in baseball, and they eat our lunches. 

This especially happens when - as the Rockies apparently are planning - said-opposing team use starters with ERA's over 6.00. We've seen this movie countless times. You can see the zeros piling up. 

2. A media-fed mini-crisis is being sold on who will play 3B when Chaz Chisholm returns, probably two weeks from now. Should DJ LeMahieu move? Or Chisholm?

For once in his miserable life, I believe Aaron Boone has the right solution: Fukkit. Let's cross that bridge later. Seriously... by the time Chisholm is ready, DJ will have tweaked something and no longer be an option. 

3. Am I hallucinating, or does Jorbit Vivas look like a tough out? Okay, I know, I know - he hits a HR so I'm measuring his plaque - but yesterday's big blast follows a game in which Vivas begot one of the best - and longest - plate appearances of the year - his prolonged at-bat that ended with the Mets' Pete Alonso botching a throw. At 5'9," Vivas looks like a fire hydrant. Look: He's not Altuve. He's not Caleb Durbin, either. He was hitting over .300 at Scranton. Let's hope the brain trust doesn't Boone him. 

4. Every year, it seems the Yankees go through a hot period - like, around now - when they look like baseball's best team. (This year, because of the Dodgers and their Japan pipeline and cooking of the books, that cannot happen.) Last year, between May 12 and May 25, they went 11-2. They absolutely killed the month, then collapsed in June. 

Just sayin...

5. While I have you... A few words on Paul Goldschmidt. Guy's a rock. Lately, there's talk about the need to find a position for Ben Rice - (and, yes, we all want to clear the way for a homegrown Yankee) but a platoon with Goldschmidt? Fuck, no. This guy is a gamer - seven time all-star, four Gold Gloves, .290 career average - numbers worthy of The Hall. When he steps to the plate, you know we're getting a quality at-bat. 

And this season, he is doing the impossible: 

He is protecting Aaron Judge in the lineup.

6. As the Yankiverse waits on Anthony Volpe, I find myself checking frequently on the progress of George Lombard Jr., now at Double A Somerset. He's hitting .290 on the year, most of it at High A, and supposedly showing a fine glove at SS. He's 19, and his stock is soaring in the prospect rankings. In simple terms, he's where Volpe was about five years ago. 

I believe the Yankees are committed to Volpe for the rest of 2025. They seem to love him, and the guy does exhibit team spirit. But I wonder... some players are not meant to go home. To stay the Yankee SS, Volpe doesn't need to hit .300. But .235, with little power? That won't cut it.

Lombard will play the entire year on the farm. But I'm watching. Wednesday, his most recent game, he went 1-4 with a K.

7. I'm fine with the Yankees using Luke Weaver as their closer until he cannot handle the job. 

Devin Williams had his shot. He blew it. He might be straightening himself out. Fine. But Weaver is our best pitcher out of the pen. By far. Until he fucks up, he's The Man.

8. Speaking of The Man... The Martian couldn't quite lift-off yesterday, following his walk-off HR the day before. He went 0-3 (though against Eovaldi, a great pitcher.) Still waiting for that streak - that moment when he starts raking, and never stops. Remember: He's only 22, and he missed two entire seasons of development - (one for Covid, one for elbow surgery.) 

9. The biggest threat to the balance of this team remains Giancarlo Stanton. Nothing against the guy - he seems a great teammate - but when he returns, it's going to be a big round peg being smashed into a small square hole.  

10. Again: See Number One. Beware Colorado! BEWARE! I don't trust air that doesn't taste like tailpipe. 

And now, a word from Keefe.

 "Boone is a professional idiot."

 

 
Have a nice day.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

uhm, uh, like - you know - a GAME THREAD


As Jasson Dominguez slugs from the left and struggles to the right, we must wonder: Is the art of switch-hitting doomed?

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Jasson Dominguez endured the worst thing that can happen to a 16-year-old.

Wicked bad acne. Girlfriend outed on OnlyFans. His pet hog's death. He was compared to Mickey Mantle. 

Few players ever survive such a fate. The list of disappointments runs from Roger Repoz to Slade Heathcott, from Jackson Melian to Bobby Murcer, from Mick the Quick to Bern Baby Bern. Often, the same horrible situation plays out: A phenom catches the eye of the fevered NY press, and the hype takes on a planet sized reality.  

In this case, the planet was Mars. Along with the then-biggest signing bonus in history - Dominguez received a nickname that could propel a man to Cooperstown or drag him to hell, which - from here, anyway - looks a bit like Scranton. He is, of course, The Martian, named for his otherworldly talent. No other player in history has been named for a planet, though I suspect some were called "Your Anus." 

Last night, Dominguez enjoyed his second, all-time, history-making, career breakout night this month. He hit a walkoff HR to beat Texas. Three weeks ago, he belted 3 HRs in one game. He seemed to be on his way. But no explosion happened. Since then, he's hit at a .272 pace - 9 for 33. 

As The Martian rounded the bases, jubilantly stomping both feet onto home plate, you couldn't help but hope that this was the event for which we've waited 65 years. The next great Yankee switch-hitting CF. 

Alas, there is a problem here - and it's pretty much the same one that has bedeviled other Mickey hopefuls since 1951, when Mantle burst onto the scene. But there is a legitimate question as to whether Dominguez will get the chance to prove himself. 

Right now, The Martian hits well from only one side of the plate. 

It's an issue that has plagued rising Yankee prospects for decades. It stems from the mathematical wonk idiots that have ruined us since 1970 when some coaching dolt decided that Ron Bloomberg should only face right-handed pitchers. So they made him a platoon hitter. 

This season, in a still meager sample size, Dominguez is hitting .307 from the left, and a sickly .107 from the right. (Raw numbers: 5 for 46.) We've seen this problem before with switch-hitters. Consider: 

Oswaldo Cabrera. Far superior from the left side. In the last two years, the Yankees stopped batting him RH. Last year, as a lefty, he hit .268. From the right side: .190. Career-wise, he's .238 (left) vs .220 (right.) When he returns next year from the gruesome injury, will he be a switch-hitter? 

Aaron Hicks. He fared better from the right - .252 vs .222, though more HRs from the left, (a factor of Yankee Stadium.) Often, opposing teams brought in RH pitchers to make him hit lefty.

Chase Headley. His career BA was staggeringly similar from both sides - .263 from the left, .261 from the right. But he was twice as likely to hit HRs from the left. 

Mark Teixeira. He hit .287 from the right, .260 from the left - but with far more power from the left. You can argue that Tex was the last balanced switch-hitter to play for the Yankees. And that was 16 years ago.  

None never came close to The Mick. Over his career, Mantle hit .329 from the right side, .282 from the left. But his power - 373 HRs (left) vs 163 HRS right - balanced everything out. 

Still, we must wonder: If Mantle arrived today, as a raw-boned rookie, would the idiots decide to tweak him? In his rookie season, 1951, age 19, Mantle (overall .267.) batted .295 from the left and .226 from the right. He also hit more HRs from the left (11) than the right (2.) Would the modern Yankees - looking to win a world series - platoon him? 

There, I've done it. I've committed blaspheme. 

I've compared The Martian to The Mick. God, forgive me. 

Stanton haters, rejoice

A blurb from Pinstripes Nation:

"Boone confirmed no clear timetable exists for Stanton’s return. The 34-year-old isn’t ready for even a brief rehab assignment. This development effectively eliminates any possibility of a May comeback and raises questions about June availability. 

"These delays have fueled trade speculation, with sources mentioning Seattle as a potential destination. His ongoing health concerns complicate any potential deal."

I know I'm in a very small, tiny, miniscule minority, but I would miss the big lug. After last year's postseason performance, especially, I think the hobbled giant deserves some respect. 

Sue me.


 

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Game thread for those that have 40 thousand subscriptions,

....or Carl's magic box.

 

(I highly recommend it!)

 Walker, texas ranger 1993 hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy

The Stanton Dilemma


 The Yankees did all they could to make up for the loss of Soto.  They brought in Cody and Paul.

Now we have to make up for the return of STANTON.

The problem is, Stanton makes the big bucks. Which means;  he will play even if he should sit.   He is a "good guy" so it is hard to hate him.  He had a huge WS last year.  

But he is mediocre and even harmful during the regular season.  The strike outs, the sharp grounders into double plays, and the meaningless solo tape measure jobs when we are already up 8-1 in the 7th inning. 

He cannot play a down in the outfield.  And he is a liability if he gets on base.   Worse, he now threatens to remove an emerging Ben Rice from the line-up.  A guy who hits and hustles,  A player who injects enthusiasm. 

I would think opposing teams would issue walks to STANTON , knowing he can only hurt the Yankees while on base. 

In turn, the Yankees should pinch run for him any time he does get on base.  Maybe that way he gets fewer at bats and Ben Rice can stay hot. 

Maybe Steve Cohen will buy him to hit behind Soto.

Personally, I am hoping for a hammy pull on a sprint to first after hitting a ball into the LF gap. 

I like the man. 

But he can't help us except as a PH.

Dominguez is not Jackson

El Duque brings up some important points in todays post but he doesn’t have to worry about Dominguez becoming Clint “Call me Jackson” Frazier.  The Martian is 100% about baseball. He wants to be great and will do whatever it takes. This is his whole existence. Pretty much his every waking moment from the time he was twelve.  He just needs to trust himself more.

Fraizer was the guy who keeps accidentally kicking over the bong in your dorm room. Not a lot going on in general. Too many questions. Too few answers. And what was with that toe thing? 

Dominguez should be fine. Look, He's never going to be a great or even good outfielder because he doesn't seem to have natural ability or even good instincts in that area.

That said, there are no small number of really good to great outfielders with the same trait. Manny Ramirez comes to mind, and this year aside, Juan Soto seemed to be a player a lot of teams wanted to sign, albeit for about half of what he was paid. Then there's the other Jackson. Reggie. 

Paul O'Neil was once asked how you become a great outfielder and he replied, "Hit." 

The Martian from the  left side of the plate is already very, very, good. He’s batting .310 has a .402 on base pct. .506 slugging a 160 wRC+ and a .908 OPS.

Maybe he figures it out from the right side. Maybe he gives up on switch hitting and becomes a full time left handed hitter with lesser stats against left-handed pitching as opposed to poor ones.

So, at a minimum he could be one half of a really good platoon.

Dominguez also has elite speed. Like top ten in baseball speed.

He just needs to learn to trust his initial read on batted balls when he’s on base and not wait for them to land. That way he can score more from first on a ball hit into the gap.

Several times this year he’s hesitated and the Yankees ended up with runners on second and third with less than two outs with Volpe and Wells due up, and we all know how that ended up.  

--

As to the roster issue…

So far the Yankees have been very lucky in that Brian Cashman’s inability to build a balanced team is paying off. Jazz goes. LeMahieu arrives. Rice is ready to assume the DH just as Stanton Stantonizes. 

Some of it will work out naturally…

As El Duque pointed out Trent Grisham (The Observer) is already starting to, in the words of David Cone, “Revert to the mean.” He was supposed to be a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement but his hot start made it seem like he was way more than that. He’s not. 

The best lineup has Bellinger in Center and cheating over to Left to help Dominguez and Judge in Right cheating over to Center to help Bellinger cover.

If the Yankees get a big enough lead Bellinger slides to Left and Grisham takes over in Center.

The real log jam is at DH.  Stanton, despite being right handed, doesn’t hit lefties well. Probably because he can’t lay off the low and away pitch.  Ben Rice hits righties to the tune of a .946 OPS.

Too bad because, if Stanton could hit lefties better they would have been a perfect platoon. That said,  Rice should get the at bats even if their stats are similar because Rice can…

What do they call it when a person goes from base to base quickly? I forget. Oh yeah… run.

--

The last issue is what happens when Jazz returns? Is it just me or are we kind of done with his potential?  If DJ can stay on the field… ah, who am I kidding? He can’t. This one will work out as well.

We must not lose faith in The Martian, but history is not always kind

Essay question: 
In 50 words or less, 
imagine what The Martian saw 
last weekend in the Bronx. 

From his perch in LF, he watched Juan Soto - the Elon Musk of baseball - go from a place of absolute adoration to one where he was relentlessly booed and middle-fingered. It nudged Soto to the point where - appearing disillusioned - he jogged out a grounder, costing his team a key opportunity. 

Since then, Charlie No-Hustle was caught bald-facedly dogging it against Boston, leading Mets management to have "a talk" with their star Tesla. In NYC, when you're worth $755 million, "a talk" can generate paint-peeling criticism beyond anything Jack Curry, or Howard Stern, or the Barstool guy, will ever conjure. 

So here's Jasson Dominguez - just turned 22, still flying under the media radar. He's hitting a rather lame .241, though - thanks to a 3-HR-in-one-game anomaly - still puts him in the upper tier of AL Rookies. (Note: He's competing with two former Yankee farm hands dealt by Cashman. Trey Sweeney got us Jorbit Vivas; Carlos Narveaz brought us Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Yikes.)   

So, let's ponder the ultimate question... 

Where will The Martian be in August, considering the market corrections that loom ahead like icebergs in the Northern Atlantic. 

Look at the stats. 

It's hard to imagine Aaron Judge still hitting .400 in August. Already, teams are getting the memo: Don't pitch to him, and take your chances. One of these weeks, Judge will turn cool. He will remain the game's greatest hitter. He just won't bat .400. Deal with it.

Likewise, we have reason to believe Trent Grisham's output will diminish. He'll remain a valuable cog, a defensive CF. But over the last two weeks, he's hitting .225. That's probably where he'll be in September. 

At some point, Ben Rice must survive the existential crisis of Giancarlo Stanton, who - for better or worse - will be shoehorned into the Yankee lineup. Stanton brings a dump truck full of baggage, but the glories of last October will guarantee him a 30-day trial, and Rice will either be traded or turned into an afterthought. I'm not saying I want this. But let's face it: Stanton will return, and - barring injuries - Rice will disappear.

But The Martian is here to stay. It's a long season - peaks and valleys - but we have every reason to expect improvements, not only in the field, but at bat. If he can hit - say - 20 HRs and bat .260, we can call the year a building block, with a future all-star in LF.

Trouble is - and I'm not trying to rouse ugly shit here - we've been here before. 

His name was Clint Frazier. In 2017, we believed that all the Yankees needed to do was let him play LF. Eventually, he would become a star. That season, he hit .231 over 39 games. We thought it would lead to something great. 

Well, Frazier is now 30. He's out of baseball. He last played in 2023, for the White Sox, and batted .197. Back in 2017, that would have been hard to imagine. 

Listen: There are no guarantees. But if you don't give young players a chance, you have no chance.

What did The Martian make of Soto's Subway Series? Let's hope he drew one conclusion: There is no greater blessing in sports than to be a New York Yankee. But you better be smart enough to appreciate it. And when it's time to run... fucking run.  

Warren is suddenly really good

This article helps explain it. Even if you don't read it, scroll down to the video of him throwing two pitches very far apart that magically end up crossing when they get near the plate. It's really fucking incredible.

OK, don't trade him. We might have a baby-ace-in-development on our hands.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6371767/2025/05/21/yankees-gerrit-cole-helps-will-warren-surge/ 



Tuesday, May 20, 2025

An Above Average Haiku Tuesday - BAD EATS Edition !



NO MORE CHICKEN PARM
VOLPE IS LOST AT THE PLATE
ROWSON CAN'T FIX IT
    

The return of Jonathan Loaisiga could inspire the Yankees to trade Devin Williams. That's a bad idea.

Thus far in 2025, Devin Williams has been a certifiable Igawa. 

That's right: On the Kei Igawa Scale of Yankee Disappointments, Williams ranks somewhere between Jared Wright and Kenny Rogers (the player, not The Gambler), with an ERA that just can't seem to land south of 7.00. 

This stems from occasional horror movie outings - two in his last 10 appearances - when Williams has been lit like a police flare on a roadside pileup. He then pitches a few solid innings, raising hopes, only to get mugged again.

Due to the creativity of YES, and its army of propagandists, Yank fans enjoy numerous Yankee bullpen rankings and memes.   

Along with the Igawa Scale, Williams dangles just outside the Aaron Boone Circle of Trust, though he hasn't yet slotted in as a character on the Yankee Bullpen Episode of Taxi chart, which goes...  

Luke Weaver as Judd Hersh, the thoughtful and sober voice of reason. 

Mark Leiter as Danny Devito, the vengeful - anything can go wrong - mentor. 

Fernando Cruz as Elaine, and there's nothing wrong with that.  

Tim Hill as Christopher Lloyd, the nutcase visionary. 

And Ian Hamilton as Andy Kaufman, the crazy-eyed project that nobody can quite figure out.  

Into this hilarity lands not only Williams but Jonathan Loaisiga and the population of Scranton, from which - to hear the YES team - is a Lucy chocolates assembly line of young arms heading for NY. 

Lately - ever since the Phillies last week lost their closer to drug tests - there's been a buzz around the idea of trading Williams for 3B Alec Bohm (3 HR, .260). This would follow the Brian Cashman Theory of Cutting Yourself Thin. Still... I dunno. We've gone through the worst of Williams. Would it be wise to trade him, when his value is low?

As for 3B? I think I speak for the Yankiverse in stating that Oswald Peraza is not the answer. Maybe somewhere out there, some Triple A vet is nearing an escape clause in his contract. Or does DJ LeMahieu have a month in him? Against the Mets, he looked like the old D.J. - (key word being "old.") If he can plug the hole from Jazz Chisholm's injury, one of the two can play 3B. 

I saw Williams strike out the side in game one of the Subway Series. If he's suffering from Welcome to NY Syndrome, so be it. The thing about bullpens is that they're always in a Call FEMA state of disaster. At any moment, somebody can tweak something. 

It's interesting that Boone used Loaisiga twice in a high-leverage moments. This means a) they have great confidence in him or b) they want to get what they can before he gets hurt again. (Or, c, all of the above.)

The only thing worse than Williams is the output of the two players we traded to get him. Nestor Cortes hasn't pitched since game two of 2025. (He hopes to return in June.) In 86 at bats, mighty mite Caleb Durbin has 1 HR and is hitting .171, The bar is low for rating that trade. And Taxi, as a cultural reference, is ancient history.  Maybe we should let it rest?  

Monday, May 19, 2025

In his first return home, Wanderin' Juan Soto jogs his way into Subway Series lore

Tough weekend for Walkin' Juan Soto... 

One for 10 with three strikeouts. 

One run. No RBIs. 

"Fifty-thousand against one,"  in terms of critics. 

And a dark revelation about humanity: 

What toads these mortals be.  

Last year, all those bleacher creatures, all those so-called fans - they cheered him, adored him, lavished praise upon him. They knew him. They loved him. Every night. Every game. When times were hard, they picked him up. They never quit. They cared about him as a player, as a person, as a human being.  

Or was it just a lie? Were they his enemies, all along?  

He never claimed he would stay a Yankee for life. He never vowed to accept less money. He thought they accepted this. He thought they understood. Hey, a guy's gotta feed his family, right? Have you seen the cost of eggs? If you're going to put two kids through college - yikes! He was just a dad, a hubby, a laborer - doing the right thing. There would be no hard feelings. No anger. No resentment. 

And yet they booed. 

He doffed his cap. He waved to them. He said all the right things. And yet they turned their backs. 

Were they not true friends, after all?  

The emotional baggage takes a toll. And last night, late in the game, on a hot smash to second, the frustrations reached a boil. Soto didn't feel like running hard. He sorta jogged. Hey, all the top stars do it. At least, some do. Channeling Joggy Cano! You save yourself from the wear and tear. Run hard, and you know what happens? The infielder simply throws harder. You're out 95 percent of the time. And then, if you tweak something, you miss two months, and they'll be angrier than ever. It's not fair.

So, today, Soto will probably catch some hell. Those pundits, those talk show hosts, those hypocrites - they'll scream from the rafters. Have they never phoned in a rant? While they bluster, while they bloviate, have they never thought privately... I wonder what's the lunch special at Manny's today; it was French onion soup yesterday, and - damn,  where am I? Shit, I still got 40 seconds to kill, "AND THE HELL WITH THIS SLACKER, I'M REALLY MAD!" Of course, they have. Everybody does it. But he can't? Why? Because he's paid all that money? Sorry, fools, it doesn't work that way. Tough weekend. But at least Soto has learned his one true friend. 

The paycheck.    

Yep, tough weekend or not. Soto knows that did the right thing, choosing the highest bidder. Seven hundred and fifty-five million dollars, plus the luxury box and cufflinks.  The paycheck proves it. All the boos, the catcalls, the signage - all their ungrateful ways - the paycheck stayed true. It's his friend now. It will never boo him. He's learned his lesson.

A question for anyone who watched the game

All I have are replays. But I was wondering...was Cody's salami catchable? It looked like it just barely crept over the wall, and if Soto could've jumped a tiny bit higher, or be a tiny bit taller, or timed his attempt better, the ball could have been caught.

I really couldn't tell, watching it on my phone. Nobody said anything in the comments last night, so I'm thinking, nahhh.

Catchable or no?

Thanks.

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Where's the game thread?

 

I'll offer this uplifting photo to start:

 

 mets suck by stalker-sensei on DeviantArt

edit:  better photo.



O Captain, our Captain... it's the opening confrontation in a lifetime duel

Yesterday, when Aaron Judge struck out lunging at a pitch above his 6’7” coatrack, punctuating an rudderless, 0-for-5 afternoon, a grim reality hit...

For the rest of my life, whenever the Yankees play the Mets - like it or not - we will also behold a mini-duel between Judge and Juan Soto, the titans of NYC. 

Won’t matter who's hitting .409 or leading MLB in bombs. Their personal battle will transcend everything, even the current standings. All that will matter is who delivers in the Subway Series.

Yesterday - hawk, spit - Judge came up empty.

Okay, let's reign this in. I'm not demeaning the Captain. No way. He’s the Dude, the Man, the Pope - the Humungous - and I wouldn’t trade him for two Sotos and a Polar Bear (the man, not the ice cream bar.) 

But there will always be two comparisons...

1. Their stats on the Jumbotron.

2. Their production, head-to-head.

Thus far, this weekend... 

Judge is 2-for-10 with a walk and four Ks. 

Soto is 2-10 with 4 walks and one strikeout. 

With his extroverted flourish and grin, and scoring a huge run in a tight game, Soto won yesterday. But tonight...  

Listen: By this time next month, (barring an injury or historical event), what happens in this opening series will be ancient history. The teams will have moved on. But the battle between Soto and Judge is here to stay. There can only be one king of New York. And tonight, we shall see...  

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Game Thread - 05-17-25 WHAT A DEAL !



 


To boo or not to boo? That is not the question. (The question is... boo who?)

Last night's big Yankee win - (Note: Every Yankee win is a big Yankee win) - roused several key narratives about a prodigal son, returning home. 

1. Newly bearded Jonathan Loaisiga - back after throwing only four innings in all of 2024 - pitched a scoreless sixth.

Bleacher Creatures, turning backs upon somebody's arrival.

2. Routinely bearded Devin Williams - the closer from Milwaukee, who's been a bust - pitched a dominant 1-2-3 inning, fanning the side. 

3. Um... wait... damn... There was somebody else...  back from a falling out? Jorbit Vivas? From Scranton? Cody Bellinger? He's now at .242. There was somebody... did I dream it? Cannot recall...  

Oh, well...

Check out that lineup. Nine blocks of granite, I tell ya! Still, I can't shake the feeling that somebody's missing... 

Not Trent Grisham? He's having a moment. Aaron Judge? Simply the greatest player in the game. Every time I see Bellinger's numbers, they improve. Paul Goldschmidt is the AL Comeback Player of the Year. And let's hold faith in Jasson Dominguez, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells. They've lived multiple lifetimes since the season started. Still... somebody from last year is missing from that lineup...

Wait? I got it? Ben Rice! Where was he last night? Will we see him today? (Game time: 1:05 Eastern.) Last I looked, Rice has never pissed on the Yankee fan base. I'm thinking of somebody else, but cannot summon the name.

Sorry, but there are several cool story lines bouncing around the Yankee clubhouse, and none involve a player who once wore the jersey and took it off. The Yankees won last night, and the bleacher creatures turned their backs. 

Someday, maybe they won't have to bother. There's nothing to see, nobody to boo, nada to bother with. Wait... I GOT IT! D.J. LEMAHIEU! Where was he?