Game #33. Misplay in LF costs Yanks. 5-4 loss drops them 10 back.

After keeping Aaron Judge, owner Hal Steinbrenner promised him that there was enough money to make more moves.

But the Yanks only made one move after that—signing Carlos Rodon, who hasn’t pitched at all yet for the Yanks this year. More on that later.

One move the Yanks didn’t make, and it is costing them now, is that they didn’t address left field. They wanted to retain Andrew Benintendi but lost him in free agency to the White Sox (the White Sox have a terrible record right now at 10-22 before last night, and although Benintendi is hitting .275, it is without any power. His OPS+ is just 83, 100 being average).

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Yanks do something to address LF. There has been misplaced trust that Aaron Hicks should have a bounce back season. Hicks before last night’s game was hitting .146 with no extra base hits and is below a converted infielder (IKF) on the totem pole. IKF is a converted infielder hitting .196 with no extra base hits before last night’s game. Oswaldo Cabrera has not built on the success he had in his MLB beginnings last year. He is struggling at .196. Franchy Cordero had a hot week but has been sent back to the minors after hitting just .151. Willie Calhoun has been DH-ing because his defense is subpar. The Yanks’ LF production may be the worst in the majors at that position this year.

With the struggles of those players, and injuries, the Yanks have brought up Jake Bauers. The journeyman OF hit a HR the other day, but in just his third game with the Yanks, he misplayed a fly ball last night into a run-scoring double, and that proved to be the deciding run in a 5-4 Yanks loss last night. The loss to Tampa Bay dropped the 17-16 Yanks ten games behind those first-place Rays in the AL East.

So yes, injuries have hurt, but LF is a place where no one has gotten injured. The Yanks just haven’t received any production there and I would expect and hope that something is done to fix that soon.

Speaking of Rodon, the lefty pitcher will have a cortisone shot in his back next week. His condition is chronic. Sigh. He was just signed to a 6-year deal for $162MM. When right, he is lights out, but now you wonder if he can manage that back issue or if he turns out to be another Pavano.

I wanted and applauded the Rodon signing. Of course, I, and probably the Yanks, not to mention Rodon, didn’t know there was going to be a chronic back issue to come with it.

Last night’s game started poorly. Starter Jhony Brito gave up a HR to Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the first. Arozarena was HBP twice later in the game, causing Arozarena and the Rays to become infuriated and causing Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash to be ejected.

Tampa Bay, who are 18-2 at home this season, scored in the bottom of the second to make it 2-0. Yandy Diaz touched Brito for a HR in the bottom of the third, and the Rays tacked on another run after that. 4-0 Rays after three.

The Yanks tied it up in the top of the sixth. With one out, Anthony Rizzo singled. Gleyber Torres doubled home Rizzo. D.J. LeMahieu walked and after Willie Calhoun struck out, Harrison Bader hit his first regular-season HR as a Yankee (he had five in last year’s postseason) to tie the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and a man on first, Wander Franco hit a fly ball to left. Stats said there was a 95% chance of it being caught for an out. Instead, Bauers misplayed the ball into a double. The Yanks almost got the runner at home. He was originally called out, but the play was overturned upon review. The run turned out to be the deciding run.

In the postgame show, Jack Curry on YES mentioned what I believe. That instead of Jimmy Cordero pitching in that seventh inning, that it should have been Michael King. Manager Aaron Boone needs to realize that too, that King is his best reliever right now and to use him as such. Forget roles. You go by what you see and adjust to that.

Yes, injuries have hurt. But the Yanks have to make adjustments. In the bullpen, with King taking on the go-to role, and also in LF, where the Yanks’ LF production so far this season has been weak.

GM Brian Cashman said they tried to make more moves in the off-season but no move made sense. We will see if one makes sense soon. Someone in LF needs to step up or a move has to happen.

And with Rodon’s back being chronic, and with no pitching depth in the minors, a move for a starting pitcher may have to happen as well.

Volpe 2 hits, SB (11).
LeMahieu 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
Bader 3 RBI. 3-run HR (1).

Brito 4 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1 HBP. 2 HR given up. 6.08
Abreu 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 4.60
Hamilton 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.50
J. Cordero (L, 1-1) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 3.09
King 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K 1.42

Observations 10% of the way in.

It is early, just 10% into the season, but with an off day tomorrow, some thoughts and observations.

Remember Spahn and Sain and pray for rain? That was a slogan of the 1948 NL pennant winning Boston Braves.

With Rodon, Severino and Montas on the IL, the Yanks can go with Cortes and Cole then dig out of a hole.

Cortes and Cole are 6-0, the rest of the team 4-6. Until Rodon and Sevy come back, others have to pick up the slack. Brito did so for two starts, German for one. Schmidt hasn’t carried his weight yet, and like Michael King, I wonder if Schmidt is far better in relief than as a starter. Just like with King, the ERA differences are huge between starting and relieving.

I am not sold on Holmes closing. He has been shaky so far this season. 4 saves but ERA 5.40 and he blew one game already and came close to blowing another.

I don’t mind having Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the team, and he was OK as a one-year stopgap last year until Volpe and/or Peraza were ready. They are now ready. IKF is still ok as a bench player who can play 2B, 3B, SS and even CF, LF, RF? and third-string catcher. Heck, he even had to pitch in a blowout and pitched a scoreless inning. But he has gotten into 9 of the 16 games so far. That is way too much for a player with no power (4 HR last year) whose OPS+ for his career is 80 (20% below league average). He is 2 for 22. IKF should be used more like the Yankees used Fred “The Chicken” Stanley. Stanley platooned at SS in 1975 and 1976, playing in 117 and 110 games, which was far too much for a guy who like IKF had no power (10 HR in his whole career and an OPS+ even worse at 62). From 1977-1980, after the Yankees got Bucky Dent (and Bucky didn’t have much power either) Stanley played in 48, 81, 57 and 49 games. Dent missed about a month in 1978 which is why Stanley’s 1978 numbers are higher. But IKF should be a 48-60 games a year player for the Yankees right now. Now 9 out of 16 which would be some 90 games. That is too many. And as mentioned, he is just 2 for 22 right now.

LF is another concern. Once Harrison Bader comes back and plays CF and moves Judge back to RF, the Yanks need to decide between Hicks, Cabrera, Cordero and Calhoun for LF. They are concerned about Calhoun’s defense, and it appears he may be sent down when Bader returns. What I really wish would happen is that the Yankees finally dump Hicks.

Hicks is 3 for 22 this season and the boos are just getting louder. he is this year’s Joey Gallo. A target for the boo birds who (and I hate to say it, but justifiably) hate the player. There is no fire in him anymore, just as there wasn’t with Gallo. Hicks, like Gallo, wants nothing more than to be out of there. You can see it in the body language. They are defeated.

Hal Steinbrenner needs to come to his senses and bite the bullet with Hicks. Eating the contract—the money and the years left on it—will not be appetizing, but it NEEDS to be done.

The problem with Hal and Cashman is that they are keeping bad players too long, and (like spoiled milk) way past their expiration dates. Think Sanchez, Frazier, Andujar, Gallo, Sonny Gray …. and now Hicks. Donaldson we will see about. I’m not too sold on that either. But Hicks?

I was really ticked off today when Suzyn Waldman during today’s game mentioned that Stanton’s injury could see more playing time for Hicks. Another reporter asked manager Aaron Boone the same in a postgame interview. What the hell are they watching?

Hicks’ time has passed. I’d rather see Cabrera (12 for 49, just under .250, no HR, but whose main problem this year is his walk to strikeout ratio. 1 walk to 16 whiffs.) Cordero (low batting average but the 4 HR and 11 RBI) or Calhoun. Heck, Jake Bauers at SWB had a 3 HR game today. If none of the above can step up (and I discount IKF in LF) from Calhoun, Cordero, Cabrera, even Bauers, Florial (if he is brought back) … etc. then a deal has to be made somewhere.

But no Hicks. Enough already.

Game #7. Reading the tea leaves after Yanks lose 7-6.

Estevan Florial cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA SWB.

There are a lot of things to question regarding the Yankees (4-3) loss to Baltimore, 7-6, on Friday afternoon.

First off, is Clarke Schmidt a starter? For now, yes, but that is because Frankie Montas, Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino are all on the injured list. But there is more to it than that. Schmidt was ineffective today against Baltimore. He is 5-3, 3.32 in relief in his career, but in seven MLB starts, he is 0-3 with an ERA over 6. Eventually, just like with Michael King, the numbers don’t lie and you realize someone is better in relief than as a starter.

Jhony Brito was called back in order to start tomorrow. But whose spot on the roster is he taking? Is Schmidt going down?

It does look like Josh Donaldson is headed to the injured list, and Oswald Peraza is not in tonight’s lineup for SWB, so there is another source of conjecture.

And with Anthony Volpe starting the season 3 for 20, maybe a day off will do him good and let him clear his mind a bit.

Now for the game and another huge question.

The Yanks fell behind 4-0 after three innings. Granted an error by Gleyber Torres didn’t help matters, but Schmidt got rocked pretty good.

Franchy Cordero hit a 3-run HR in the top of the fourth—his first HR as a Yankee—to get the Yanks back into the game.

In the top of the sixth, Oswaldo Cabrera doubled in two runs to give the Yanks a 5-4 lead. A couple of batters later, manager Aaron Boone made a decision you have to think about. With a pitching change, Boone had Isiah Kiner-Falefa PH for Cordero. He didn’t want the lefty vs, lefty matchup and also wanted better defense what with the 5-4 lead.

But here is the thing. Kiner-Falefa is now (after today’s game) 0 for 12 for the season. He also has little power and is a converted infielder with not much OF playing time. Granted Aaron Hicks hasn’t had a hit this season so far either, but Hicks has more power than IKF and is an established outfielder. Yet here Boone went with IKF. Later in the game, down a run with a runner on base, IKF still hit, and Hicks didn’t PH for IKF. What does THAT tell you?

When a player appears to be on the team not because he is the best player for the role, but because it appears that management doesn’t want to eat a lousy contract, that makes fans mad.

The Yanks have a problem. Hicks already has questioned (rightfully) his role on the team. His attitude could poison a clubhouse. But what is his role? If Boone is starting IKF over Hicks, and when going to the bench, chooses low-power, converted infielder IKF over Hicks, then really, why is Hicks here? (You also could say, if IKF is considered better than Florial, then …)

Ok. There may be no takers for Hicks. He has years and a lot of money left on his deal. But if IKF is your outfield option over Hicks, then really… it would be better to have kept Ortega, or have Jake Bauers (raking at AAA) or Willie Calhoun on the team instead.

When Bader is ready to come off the injured list, the easiest way to make room for him is just to release Hicks.

Wise up Hal. Eat the contract.

Anyway, back to the game. More questions. With the Yanks having the lead, and with yesterday being an off day, Boone didn’t go to King, Peralta or Holmes. Instead his choice of relievers raised eyebrows. They couldn’t keep the lead. The next thing you knew, the Yanks were down 7-5.

Cabrera singled in a run in the eighth to cut it to 7-6, but after trying to bunt two runners over on the first pitch, Boone took off the bunt sign and let Jose Trevino swing away. Bad move as Trevino GIDP. Then, as mentioned earlier, he didn’t go for possible power with Hicks PH for IKF, but let IKF (who as I mentioned, is 0 for 12 this year and who usually makes weak contact) hit. As mentioned, what exactly IS Hicks’ role?

IKF made out.

The Yanks did get the tying run to third in the top of the ninth with two out, but Anthony Rizzo flied out to end the game.

A lot of questions for Game 7 of the season.

Stanton 2 hits.
Cabrera 3 hits, 3 RBI, SB
Cordero 3-run HR (1)
Volpe 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts. Now 3 for 20 after great spring training.

Schmidt 3 1/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 3 W, 3 K. 9.45
Hamilton 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 4 K. 2.45
Marinaccio (BS, 1; L, 0-1) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 2.08
Cordero 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2 WP 3.38
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 0.00

JUDGE RETURNS! But more needs to be done and a LF option is off the market. What about Rodon for rotation?

He is back! Aaron Judge will be a lifetime Yankee. 9 yrs. $360 MM. No trade clause. Expect him to be named captain as well.

Until a few days ago, the Yanks were still at 8/300 then 8/320 but with the Giants offering a 9th year, Judge and Hal Steinbrenner had a conversation. Judge really wanted to stay a Yankee, Hal really needed him back and so he got the extra year and $$.

The Padres tried to sweep in and offer a bigger deal at the last minute. Some say 10 yrs/and $400-410MM. But Judge wanted to stay a Yankee and needed to see fair market value and then give the Yanks a chance to match which he thought was fair, which they did.

I think of things on a couple of ends. For Judge, it is a chance to cement his legacy. An iconic player like a DiMaggio, Mantle or Jeter who is great for only one team, and that team is the most iconic in baseball. To go into the HOF as a lifetime Yankee. To have #99 forever on the wall in Monument Park. To be mentioned in the same breath as those Yankees whose numbers are retired.

Not only that but think of the endorsements Judge gets in NY. No offense to San Francisco, but Madison Avenue is in NY. Commercials, magazine covers, advertisements. That is just to name a few outside ventures that could bring Judge more money.

For Hal, marketing as well. How do you sell your team without its franchise player? Not only the face of the Yankees, but one of the top 10 if not the #1 face in the game itself? The Yankees had about 3.14 million fans come to Yankee Stadium last year. Without Judge, what would 2023 be? Would they lose 600,000 in attendance? 1 Million? Parking money? What about the YES network’s rating? The price of commercials on the YES network? Souvenirs? EVERYTHING would go down. Far less revenue.

MLB network surmised that in the last few weeks of the season, in which the Yankees had the division wrapped up and were playing Pittsburgh and Baltimore, that the Yanks still got $40MM more than usual because the fans came out and filled the Stadium because of Judge’s HR chase.

They needed each other. The deal had to be done. Imagine if free agency were around in the old days. Imagine the Yankees losing Joe DiMaggio right after WWII or Mickey Mantle after his triple crown season of 1956.

Yes, the last few years could bite the Yankees in the ass. But they couldn’t let Judge go. Judge wanted to stay. The Yankees NEEDED him to.

I am happiest for the little kids who wear Judge’s number. Remember the little boy in Toronto gifted a Judge HR ball and who met Judge? Remember his reaction? Now think how heartbroken he would have been if Judge departed. We are so happy when we get a great free agent. We forget how heartbreaking it can be on the other end, especially for a youngster. I still remember how I felt in 1974 when Bobby Murcer was traded to SF for Bobby Bonds.

But there is still a lot of work to be done and I am eagerly awaiting the Yankees next move. They are heavily involved in trying to get Carlos Rodon. I have advocated getting Rodon (27 wins and ERAs of 2.37 and 2.88 in the last two years) to make the rotation top notch. Cole/Rodon/Severino/Cortes/Montas. And you still have Schmidt and German in long relief if not traded to fill another need.

Speaking of that other need, the Yanks still need a LF. If you sign Rodon (looking for six years at $30mm per) and are then able to trade Schmidt or German, then they could be included in a deal with Pittsburgh for Bryan Reynolds. Benintendi, Conforto and Nimmo are still out there.

One guy that could have filled LF is Masataka Yoshida. He was posted this morning by Japan but went quickly even though there was a window for him up to January 20. Boston got him for $90MM over 5 years with a $15.4MM posting fee.

What would my offer to Judge be?

Like most fans, I was surprised that Texas went to a five year/$185MM deal with Jacob deGrom. I wasn’t surprised that deGrom, the victim of no run support with the Mets for so long, departed. He won back-to-back CYA with a total record of 21-17 despite unreal ERAs. He doesn’t even have 100 wins in his CAREER due to lack of run support. Most predictions had him leaving. But 5 years for a 34-year-old who has been hurt the last couple of seasons seemed and seems too much. Most predictions were in the 3-year range. When healthy, deGrom is one of, if not the best, pitcher in baseball. But he hasn’t been healthy lately.

Which brings me to Aaron Judge. What is he looking for? I don’t like to deal in rumors, but rumors are the Yanks’ initial updated offer is 8 years and $300MM. That is $37.5 MM a year, which would made Judge, by AAV (average annual value) the highest paid position player by $2MM more than Mike Trout. That seems like a fair deal.

But does Judge want a ninth year? Judge turns 31 next spring. It is fair to assume that after 4 or 5 years that his production would decrease. Heck, it may decrease immediately. How does he replicate 2022? So how much $$ and how many years is he looking for?

If someone (looking at YOU, San Francisco) wants to give Judge 10 years, $400MM, the Yankees probably wish Judge well. They can’t go there, especially when you have the contracts of Cole and Stanton to deal with. (I won’t even get into trying to dump Donaldson’s deal).

So, what kind of compromise could be had to keep Judge in the Bronx? Something that would be fair to both sides but take declining ability into account?

Here is what I would propose.

He becomes Yankees’ captain. I don’t know how important that would be to Judge, but to his teammates, it is like he is captain already, so no biggie there.

With the captaincy, comes a no-trade clause. Simple enough, you don’t want to trade your captain, the face of the franchise.

Ok, to the money.

First 3 years. Ages 31-33. $45MM a year. My offer is front-loaded. This enormous amount makes Judge the highest paid player in the game, at least for now, anyway.

Next 3 years. Ages 34-36. $38MM a year. As of now, that would still have his AAV higher than any position player in the game. Things could change in the future, but still…

Last 3 years. Ages 37-39. $30 MM a year. This gives the Yankees some financial flexibility to get pieces around Judge, whose numbers are sure to be significantly lower as he nears the end of his career.

This adds up to 9 years and $339MM, beating out the 8 yr/$300MM offer supposedly on the table. It still has an AAV of $37.66MM over the nine years, still higher than Trout’s, still making Judge the highest paid position player by AAV and front-loaded to a) made Judge the highest paid player in the game as of now and b) give the Yanks some breathing room at the end of the contract.

If Judge doesn’t like that deal, then as much as I want Judge to stay in NY, I would have to move on. I don’t know what Judge wants in terms of ego, years or money. I sincerely hope he stays. Him leaving would be not only a baseball but a marketing blow for the Yankees. It would be like Joe DiMaggio leaving right after WWII or Mickey Mantle leaving around 1960. Devastating.

But how much is too much? There has to be a limit. If I were Hal Steinbrenner, the proposal above is what I would come up with. I think it would be more than fair.

What do you think?

After hopefully signing Judge for that amount, I offer Carlos Rodon a 5 yr deal at $140MM. $28MM a year. I don’t know if Rodon wants $30MM a year. You may need to go 5/$160MM? But a front four of Cole, Rodon, Severino and Cortes (and hope Montas comes around) is a very strong rotation. By the way, of that front four, guess which one of the four had the highest ERA last year? It was Cole.

I also am intrigued by Bryan Reynolds of Pittsburgh asking for a trade. The Yanks do have a CF in Harrison Bader, but I would look into this. Bader or Reynolds could be moved to LF. Although better in CF, I would move Reynolds to LF. Bader is just too good defensively in CF to move him. Reynolds is a switch-hitter. Turns 28 in January. Signed through 2023, arbitration eligible in 2024, free agent 2026. So, he’s locked in for a while. The Yanks have been interested in him in the past. His contract for 2023 is only $6.75MM, which is far less than the Yanks would have to pay to bring back Andrew Benintendi, or go out and get Matasaka Yoshida, Michael Conforto or Brandon Nimmo. What would it take to get Reynolds? I offer #5 prospect Everson Pereira (who would be without a future in NY if you have a Judge/Bader/Reynolds outfield), #6 prospect Trey Sweeney (the SS would be superfluous in NY since you have Oswald Peraza, Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera) and because you are giving up your #5 and #6 prospects, and because by losing Reynolds, Pittsburgh needs an OF (besides the prospect in Pereira), I throw Hicks into the deal and eat some of Hicks’ contract. Reynolds, by the way, has a 162-game average of .281-24-79 with an OPS+ of 127. 28, switch-hitter, my only concern is how he’d handle moving to LF in order to keep Bader in CF. But cost-wise? Cheaper than Benintendi, Yoshida, Nimmo or Conforto.

Notes from Boone/Cashman press conference

Since I’ve been out on disability for a while, I was able to watch the Boone/Cashman press conference yesterday. Here are a few takes from it.

Since everything revolves around Aaron Judge, they would like a deal sooner rather than later. Nothing would be as bad as being scorned and then having no backups to fall back on. Cashman denied any friction with Judge from this spring’s negotiations.

Neither thinks a drastic retool is necessary. They think the Yankees would have been far more competitive in the ALCS vs. Houston if LeMahieu, Benintendi and Carpenter were healthy. I can agree there. Judging by their comments about Benintendi’s and Carpenter’s injuries, it appears that they will be reaching out to both of them to see if they can get both back.

One thing that concerned me was their defense of Josh Donaldson. Now if anyone were on the trading block, neither Boone nor Cashman would be tipping their hand on that. But to state that Donaldson, 37 next month, underachieved offensively but still has something in the tank goes against everything we saw this year. He looked cooked. But with Donaldson’s contract being horrible, I guess they have to hope. They did think Donaldson deserved to be among the three Gold Glove finalists at 3B, though.

SS appears to be a competition next spring training. IKF could still be there but will be pushed by Peraza and possibly Volpe. Oswaldo Cabrera figures in here too. Peraza was described as impressive in his short 18 game stint at the end of the season. Other terms used for him was that he needed to improve and develop last year (done) hence not an earlier callup. Jack Curry, on the YES network, mentioned that IKF was a polarizing figure to the Yankees fanbase much as Sanchez was. Boone and Cashman were defending IKF at the presser, stating that IKF (as a bridge) did everything that was expected from him.

They would like Anthony Rizzo back. Rizzo will opt out of his $16MM deal, but the question is will he accept a qualifying offer of $19.65MM or go for more? Or accept more years at less than the qualifying offer? (2 yr/$18MM per). But the Yanks hope to work something out with him.

To no surprise, the Yanks WILL pick up Severino’s $15MM team option. One more rotation piece could be in play. It could be retaining Taillon (a free agent) or going elsewhere. After the front three of Cole, Cortes and Severino, there still is Schmidt, Montas and German even if Taillon goes, but you know what they say…. you NEVER have enough pitching.

The feeling is that Stanton was playing through something at the end of the year. I feel the same way. His batting average after June 1 was Gallo-like.

Cashman’s contract actually expired October 1. He wants to return, and Hal wants him back, so it is like Cashman is working pro bono as of now. But you figure something will be worked out soon there.

I wrote down notes haphazardly while the conferences were going on, but there is a quick synopsis for you.

UPDATE: One thing I didn’t like: From the NY Post: In other bits of info from Cashman’s press conference, he said he wouldn’t discuss trading players but noted that outfielder Aaron Hicks would be back and that the team felt he still had something to offer. Really? Ugh. But then, if he is on the market, they don’t want to say anything hurting Hicks’ trade value (which is probably low enough already).

Other things I came across:

A sad state of affairs. Graig Nettles states that the Yanks stopped inviting him to Old-Timer’s games and events some five years ago and he doesn’t know why. It’s a shame. Nettles should have a plaque in Monument Park (#9 is already retired for Roger Maris and I don’t think Nettles deserves that honor, but a plaque? Definitely). Apparently, someone in the front office has it in for Nettles, but who?

One tweet on Twitter accuses the Yanks of being more of a corporation than anything else, including a baseball organization. Looking at how they have the YES network, are involved with an Italian soccer team, have the Pinstripe Bowl, were in negotiations to play regular season games in France (and remember they played in England recently, also Japan) I have to wonder if that person is correct, and if so, that could be a scary thing. After all, I remember the CBS years, where the Yanks were not the priority of a corporation, but just part of it. You would like it to be 100% baseball. Does this explain the fan base’s exasperation with the owner and the front office? Or some of the postseason failures of recent times? After all, Hal is more corporate than the old man was as far as divesting his interests (or so it appears). And the last time the Yanks won, or even went to the WS, the old man was still alive (although much diminished in capacity). Hal’s track record does seem more corporate and bottom line than baseball oriented, and is that a problem and a cause of the postseason disappointments?

Finally, another Japanese player few have heard of to keep an eye on. Yesterday I mentioned RHP Koudai Senga.

Now, Masataka Yoshida. If the Yanks are not able to bring back Benintendi, Yoshida has many of the same skill sets as Benintendi. He is a lefty hitter. He turns 30 next July. He hit .336 with 21 HR and 89 RBI in Japan this season. His power would probably drop in the USA but then again, Benintendi only had five HR this season. Like Benintendi, a contact hitter. Benintendi had 52 walks and 77 strikeouts while hitting .304. Yoshida had 82 walks and only 42 strikeouts. Yoshida has hit .326 in Japan and has 427 walks to 307 strikeouts. He has had four seasons of 20 or more HR (which would be what here? 12-15?). If you take Yoshida’s career stats in Japan and divide by five, his average season in Japan comes out to something like .326-27-95 over 156 games. Taking into account the tougher MLB competition, could he hit .280-15-70 here? Be Benintendi-like for a cheaper price? Be a backup consideration if the Yanks can’t sign Benintendi? Just throwing his name out here because until recently, I hadn’t heard of Yoshida (or Senga) either. But most of us haven’t heard of these Japanese stars who could be MLB-bound. So just passing his name out there and informing you (and me).

ALCS Game 3. Offensively challenged Yanks on the brink after 5-0 loss.

The fat lady isn’t singing, but she is warming up after a 5-0 loss to Houston yesterday put the Yanks down 3 games to none in the ALCS.

In all of MLB history, only one team has come back from an 0-3 deficit. As Yankees fans are too painfully aware, that was Boston against the Yanks in 2004.

I am one of many criticizing some of Aaron Boone’s moves. Twitter is full of them, and when Yankees’ broadcaster Michael Kay is LIVID at Boone’s moves …. well, Houston, we have a problem.

Yet ANOTHER lineup change for the Yankees before the game. Doesn’t it always seem, after five years, that Aaron Boone never can find the right formula and STICK WITH IT? It’s obvious that Matt Carpenter isn’t right (although he finally got a hit in the ninth inning), but Boone batted him FIFTH? (And remember last year in Boston, Boone batted Gallo cleanup!) Instead of sticking with Peraza’s glove at SS, he went back to Stanton in LF (LF in Yankee Stadium is no picnic) and put Cabrera at SS. The constant lineup changes appear to be clueless panic moves now, making it seem like Boone is grasping at straws.

Fans are now demanding a change. I hear it talking to them, feel it myself, and read it online. And some of it is from the broadcasters on your OWN NETWORK. The same old, same old. And just changing what seems to be a push-button manager taking orders from the front office, GM, analytics people won’t work if all you are going to do is to hire another push-button manager to take and make the wrong decisions from an inept front office. There needs to be a change from the top down. That would not only include Boone, but Cashman (been there some 25 years), Levine and maybe even Hal himself (that won’t happen, but Hal, can you show a little fire? Are you still alive?).

Otherwise, next year will be like all the others. The same old, same old. The Yanks are hitting .156 this postseason. They survived hitting .182 vs Cleveland. They are hitting .128 vs. Houston. The Yankees have had six or less hits in a game now for TEN STRAIGHT POSTSEASON GAMES. Think about that. They have hit .159 in that span. Their modus operandi for hitting isn’t working in the postseason.

The Yanks got 3 hits last night, two in the bottom of the ninth. Feeble. Some things you can’t control, like injuries to LeMahieu and Benintendi. But you don’t see any adjustments in batter’s approaches.

Meanwhile, and getting back to front office decisions, in the NLCS, the Phillies are up 3 games to one on the Padres. The Phils are pounding the baseball. Have you noticed something there? Kevin Long is the Phillies’ hitting coach. Does that name sound familiar? He was the Yankees’ hitting coach from 2007 to 2014. The last time the Yanks won a WS, in 2009, Long was the hitting coach. The Phils’ manager is Rob Thomson, who took over for Joe Girardi and who has done a masterful job. When the Yanks let Girardi go, they got rid of his coaches too. Hmmm. Maybe they are getting rid of the wrong people. Maybe they should start AT THE TOP.

Looking at the postseason here, and my grades from a few weeks ago, I had mentioned that the final grade for the front office and manager was still to be determined, based on a few things. I originally gave a C, with it being an F if they didn’t re-sign Judge. Forget that now. It’s an F, no matter what.

In the second inning, with two out, a flyball was called for by Harrison Bader and Aaron Judge. Replays showed Bader clearly calling for it, and the CF has the right of way. But neither heard the other and Bader dropped it after shying away from the 6’7″ Judge at the last moment. Who wants Judge running into you? Starter Gerrit Cole then gave up a 2-run HR that hit the top of the RF wall and bounced over. The way the Yanks have been hitting, 2-0 felt like 20-0.

In the sixth, Cole loaded the bases with no one out. Boone went to Lou Trivino. All three inherited runners scored. 5-0. Game over. For all intents and purposes, season over.

Boone has managed five seasons, one of which was the 60-game Covid season of 2020. He’s had years of 103, 100 and 99 wins. But it still seems like he is overwhelmed by the postseason, getting outmanaged by Kevin Cash, Alex Cora, and now Dusty Baker.

3 hits. 11 strikeouts (making it 41 for the 3 games so far in the ALCS). If there are more lineup changes, I don’t think I want to know. One thing I do see. Without D.J. or Benintendi, the Yanks don’t have a true leadoff hitter. You wonder if even those two are true leadoff hitters.

Cole (LOSS) 5+ IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR. 1 HBP
Trivino 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.
German 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K.

Einstein’s theory of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Meanwhile, losses to Houston (I hate the Astros) in 2015, 2017, 2019 and it appears, 2022. If things don’t change, the same or worse will occur in 2023.

CHANGE. Not cosmetic change, but MAJOR CHANGE.

Game 132. Lead down to 5 after 9-0 loss.

You don’t know what to write anymore. A 15 1/2 game lead is now down to 5. Tom Petty’s song “Free Fallin'” keeps playing in your head. From 61-23 to 79-53. 18-30 in their last 48 games, and as much as you want it to stop, it isn’t.

Anthony Rizzo had an epidural for his back. He’s out for this whole Tampa Bay series. During the game, an embarrassing 9-0 loss, Andrew Benintendi hurt his wrist, saying he “felt something pop.” X-rays were negative, but an MRI is forthcoming. Don’t be surprised if he is out a while, maybe for the season.

Meanwhile you can’t win if you can’t score, and the Yankees’ offense right now looks like I’ve been transported back to the Horace Clarke/Gene Michael/Jake Gibbs days. Ugly. The Yankees got just five hits last night.

It’s hard to pitch when you have no margin for error.

For six innings, Domingo German was really good. The Rays got a run in the fourth because Josh Donaldson made two errors on back-to-back plays. The Rays would have had another run except that Oswaldo Cabrera (who replaced the injured Benintendi) threw out a runner at the plate.

It stayed 1-0 into the seventh. In the seventh, German made his only mistake, giving up a 2-run HR. 3-0, and you knew it was over then. The way this offense has collapsed, you knew they were not coming back.

Then the Rays got six runs in the eighth off of Greg Weissert and Anthony Banda (you are forgiven for saying “Who?”). Who’d have thought, on September 2, in the middle of a pennant race, that Weissert and Banda would be on the mound for you. That says a lot of where the Yanks are right now.

Then the ultimate ignominy last night. Marwin Gonzalez on the mound to get the last out in the eighth.

Embarrassing. And I’m trying to be nice about it.

Let’s face it. No matter what happens from here on in, heads should roll. Hal Steinbrenner has been far too quiet. Show a little anger at what is happening Hal! Instead, he’s been too busy buying an Italian soccer team.

Yankees’ fans on the Internet made themselves known yesterday. If you went on websites, blogs, Twitter, etc. they were all wondering why rookies Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza were not in the lineup. Bring them up only to sit? Keep guys like Hicks in the lineup? Yankees Universe was NOT happy when that lineup came out.

For the sake of integrity for this blog, some numbers that Michael Kay alluded to on last night’s broadcast. You can’t ignore this. We have been seeing this every day.

LeMahieu (toe problem) 10 for 69 since Aug. 8. .145. NO extra base hits.
Stanton by month: April .269; May .301; June .176, July .156, August .130. 0 for 3 last night, 3 strikeouts.
Since June 1, Stanton is hitting .159. That is Gallo-like bad. Achilles problem.
Torres .186 since July 13. 6 walks. 50 strikeouts.
Hicks starting with 2nd game of a DH on July 21. .155, NO extra base hits.
Donaldson has pretty much been in the .220s all year.
Higashioka is at .191.
Even Rizzo, despite 30 HR, is only at .225.
Marwin Gonzalez doesn’t play much. But he’s 0 for his last 29.

If a team hits, you can carry someone like Isiah Kiner-Falefa. This team is hitting .239. That makes IKF’s lack of power stand out more despite his .261 batting average.

Those numbers are one reason the fans were upset at the lineup last night. Granted Cabrera went 0 for 3, and Peraza, in his MLB debut, struck out, but give the kids a chance. They can’t do much worse than what has been going on.

I don’t know. Whatever the hitting coaches are telling these guys, it isn’t working, or some guys are stubborn and aren’t listening. Maybe some guys are hurt more than what is being let on.

One last thing before the recap. The MVP thing. When was the last time Ohtani played a meaningful game? One that had pennant race implications for his team? The Angels were out of the race by the end of June. Take Ohtani off the Angels and they are still a crappy fourth place team.

Since the All-Star Game, Aaron Judge is hitting .321 with 18 HR. Of course, other teams are and have been pitching around him based on what the rest of the lineup has NOT been doing. While the ship is sinking, the one lifeboat in the Yankees lineup has been Judge. The award is for the most VALUABLE player. Not Player of the Year, Decade or Century. Ohtani is great. Granted. But look at the numbers. Who right now is more VALUABLE?

Ok, enough.

Recap. The Yanks were shut out on five hits. They struck out 13x.

German (L, 2-3) 6 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 W, 1 K. 3.12
Weissert 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. 10.13
Banda 0 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 3 W, 0 K. 1 HBP. 6.75
Marwin Gonzalez 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00 POSITION PLAYER.

Game 90. Yanks miss chances, fall in 11, 5-4. Fifth loss in last six games.

Last night was frustrating. The Yanks (62-28) lost for the fifth time in their last six games, falling to Boston 5-4 in 11 innings. It was the third straight game, and fourth in the last six games, that went into extra innings. The Yanks AL East lead is now 12 games.

Before the game, Miguel Castro left the clubhouse for an MRI on his pitching shoulder. The Yanks’ bullpen has taken a few hits lately, and the replacements just back from the IL haven’t picked up the slack so far.

Meanwhile, check out my other post on last night’s minor league games. It appears that with Luis Severino going on the IL, that Domingo German will be coming off the IL to take Severino’s rotation spot for a while.

Before I get into the game recap, a bit of a rant. Sorry. But in the real world, if you don’t do your job well, you get fired. Apparently not so with MLB umpires (right, Angel Hernandez?). Manager Aaron Boone got ejected last night for arguing balls and strikes. The reason was the same. Granted he was tossed after arguing a bad call on Matt Carpenter, but the frustration was built up by umpires once again refusing or being too lazy to adjust their strike zone to Aaron Judge’s height. Judge’s strike zone, at 6’7″ is obviously different than that of say, Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s. But no player gets more strikes called on him that are clearly way below his knees than Judge does. Pick one. Is it laziness, stubbornness, incompetence or some combination of the three that makes these umps miss these pitches? And as for the punchout of Aaron Hicks on a check swing to end the game, I don’t believe he went, but think that the umps got tired after an 11-inning game and just wanted to eat their dinner.

One more thing before the recap, and it also deals with someone keeping their job even though he is doing it poorly. Joey Gallo is now 4 for his last 55. .161. Two of those hits were flukes (remember the triple lost in the lights at Fenway?). It’s like everyone else is playing with a DH but the Yanks are still letting the pitcher hit. Enough said. Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone, please listen to Yankees’ Universe regarding Gallo. It’s way past time. I don’t want to be negative, but it must be said. You can’t keep acting like the emperor has clothes when it’s clear he is naked.

Now to the game. Yankees’ killer Rafael Devers put Boston on the board right away with a 2-run HR in the first inning, and two batters into the game, Boston was already up 2-0. Boston had second and third, with no one out and could have tacked on more, but Yankees’ starter Jordan Montgomery got out of it.

With one out in the bottom of the third, D.J. LeMahieu singled, and one out after that, Anthony Rizzo walked. Giancarlo Stanton then hit a 3-run HR (24) to put the Yanks up 3-2.

The lead didn’t last long. Christian Vazquez homered for Boston in the top of the fourth to tie the game. In the top of the seventh, Bobby Dalbec homered for Boston off of Aroldis Chapman, and Boston went up 4-3.

The Yanks tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, but here is where things got very frustrating, and the Yanks blew their chances to win. Gleyber Torres led off the bottom of the ninth with a single. Matt Carpenter was HBP. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (IKF) laid down a bunt and Boston’s pitcher tried for a force at third and threw the ball away. Torres scored to tie the game and the Yanks had men on second and third with no one out. Aaron Hicks was intentionally walked to set up a force out. All the Yanks needed was a flyball. I kill for sac flies. But Jose Trevino GIDP, 5-2-3, and D.J. LeMahieu grounded out, and they left that winning run on base.

In the bottom of the tenth, more frustration. Clay Holmes left the bases loaded for Boston in the top of the tenth, and now the Yanks started the bottom of the tenth with the ghost runner at second (for the thousandth time, I hate that rule!). After Judge grounded out, not advancing the runner, and Rizzo was walked to set up a force at any base, Stanton singled to load the bases. Once again, the Yanks couldn’t get the hit or sac fly to win the game, as Torres GIDP.

In the top of the eleventh, Boston had the ghost runner in Xander Bogaerts. A flyout moved Bogaerts to third. A groundout kept him there. But then Yankees’ pitcher Michael King threw a WP, enabling Bogaerts to score what was the winning run.

Frustrating. The Yanks are in a bit of a rut which they need to snap out of.

They were 2 for 15 w/RISP last night.

LeMahieu 3 hits
Stanton 2 hits, 3-run HR (24)
Carpenter 2 hits

Montgomery 6 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 1 W, 4 K. Gave up 2 HR. 3.26
Chapman 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.74
Peralta 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.27
Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.31
King (L, 6-2) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 WP 2.19

What could have been. Elston Howard, manager?

One recent occurrence, and one we are in now, have me thinking.

What could have been?

The recent hiring of a female to manage the Yankees’ Low-A Tampa team is groundbreaking. The Yankees could have been the first to break some other ground many years ago.

With this being Black History Month, MLB.com has a feature up on Elston Howard, who became the first black Yankees player in 1955. In 1963, Howard became the first black player to win the AL MVP award—an award that had already been won several times by blacks in the NL.

The YES network, I am sure, will also run their biography on Howard this month. I have seen that bio before and it does raise an interesting what if?

In 1973, the Yankees played their final season in the original (pre-renovation) Yankee Stadium. After the last game of the season, Ralph Houk resigned. As the Yankees were going to play in Shea Stadium in 1974 and 1975 while Yankee Stadium was being renovated, the question now arose as to who would be the Yankees manager in 1974.

At first the Yankees hired Dick Williams, who had just managed the Oakland A’s to two straight WS titles but then who resigned immediately after the 1973 WS (in which the A’s beat the Mets). But the hiring was nullified by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn after A’s owner Charlie Finley protested that Williams owed Finley the final year of his deal (Finley had no qualms of releasing Williams from the obligation in mid-1974 so that Williams could manage the Angels). The Yankees turned to Bill Virdon instead.

But what if they had chosen Howard? In the YES bio, Bobby Murcer talks about how Ellie had the respect of the whole team and no one would have argued against the hiring of Howard to be the Yankees’ manager.

Howard, upon his retirement from playing after the 1968 season, had become a coach for the Yankees. In so doing, he became the first black coach in the AL.

If the Yankees WOULD have promoted Howard to manager for the 1974 season, he would have become the first black manager in MLB history—-an honor that went to Frank Robinson (Cleveland) in 1975.

But from 1974-1991, as you know, the Yankees had an endless parade of managers, led by Billy Martin’s five separate terms. Others had repeats, too.

Virdon 1974-1975
Billy Martin I 1975-1978
Bob Lemon I 1978-1979
Billy II 1979
Dick Howser 1980
Gene Michael I 1981
Lemon II 1981-1982
Michael II 1982
Clyde King 1982
Billy III 1983
Yogi Berra II 1984-1985 (Yogi I was in 1964)
Billy IV 1985
Lou Piniella I 1986-1987
Billy V 1988
Lou II 1988
Dallas Green 1989
Bucky Dent 1989-1990
Stump Merrill 1990-1991

Since 1991, there have been just four managers.

Buck Showalter 1992-1995
Joe Torre 1996-2007
Joe Girardi 2008-2017
Aaron Boone 2018-present.

So some stability since 1992. But you wonder. If the Yankees had hired Ellie, and if Ellie’s health had held out (he died of a heart condition Dec. 14, 1980 at the age of 51, on the same day that thousands of people in Central Park, along with millions around the world, gathered to mourn the loss of John Lennon, who was assassinated six days before) would the Yankees have had stability in the 1970s/1980s? Granted, stability in managers wasn’t a trait of the Boss, George Steinbrenner, but you wonder. If Ellie were manager, how well would he have done, and would it have stopped the merry-go-round of managers, especially with Billy Martin?

We’ll never know what could have been.