by Tim Kabel
May 27, 2023
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The Yankees began a three-game series against the Padres last night in this season in which they play everyone. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, “You can play all of the teams some of the time, and you can play some of the teams all of the time but, you can’t play all of the teams all of the time- until this year.”
Last weekend, the Yankees swept the Reds. They followed that up by losing a series to the Orioles and three out of four games. It is two steps forward, one step back all over again. We have seen this movie before. We have seen it more than we have seen The Godfather. The difference is that The Godfather is a great film “Boone Struck” is not.
Because this game was on Apple TV, I had to listen to the game on the radio. It was my first time hearing Justin Shackil do play by play instead of John Sterling. It took me a little while to get used to hearing a broadcaster who focused more on the game than on himself and actually seemed to be watching the game, but once I cleared that hurdle, it was quite enjoyable. I couldn't miss John too much because every three seconds, he was doing a commercial for something, so he was always present, like a weighted blanket pinning down the listeners.
Aaron Boone was not managing the game due to his one game suspension. I consider Boone’s suspensions to be like potato chips, one is not enough. Although he wasn't there, the moves that acting manager Carlos Mendoza made were actually quite Boone-like.
Quick Stats -
The Yankees scored two runs in their last two games and have now lost three games in a row.
The Yankees struck out 11 times and left 9 men on base last night.
This was Fernando Tatis Jr.’s first career game against the Yankees.
After their little hot streak, the Yankees are back to being just seven games over .500 and trailing the Rays by eight games. Walking in circles may be good exercise but it doesn't get you very far.
When you listen to a Yankees game on the radio, how can you tell the difference between the game and the breaks between the innings? That's easy, there are more commercials during the game than there are during the breaks between the innings. Every single thing is sponsored. If Suzyn sneezes, she announces that it was sponsored by Kleenex.
On May 26, 2018, Aaron Judge became the fastest hitter to reach 70 home runs, needing only 231 games.
The Big Story -
Randy Vasquez did a fine job in his Major League debut, only giving up a two-run home run to Juan Soto. There is no shame in that. The Yankees offense was once again practically invisible. It comes and goes without warning. Last night, it was nonexistent. It will be hard to put together a substantial winning streak when the team itself is so streaky and inconsistent in almost every aspect of the game.
This week, the Yankees lost a series to the Orioles, a team on the rise. They allowed the Orioles to leave the stadium believing that they are on the same level as the Yankees. Last night, they played a floundering team in the San Diego Padres. The Padres beat the Yankees rather easily. This is not the recipe for a championship season.
The Yankees officially released Aaron Hicks before the game. As virtually everyone predicted, they were unable to find a trade partner. Hicks is now a free agent. I'm sure the line in front of his door is already forming.
Players of the Game -
Anthony Rizzo had two hits and drove in the only run for the Yankees.
Notable Performances -
Nobody else really stood out.
Better to Forget-
Essentially, the entire game was forgettable in every aspect.
My Take -
Although I haven't been to one in several years, I do like amusement parks. They are nice places to go, especially in the summer. However, I don't like roller coasters. I never did. You sit in a rickety little cart, and you climb to an amazing height and then plunge forward at a reckless speed. You have no control, and the only consistent thing is that you will go up and down repeatedly until you are dizzy and nauseated. On top of that, in most cases, the fellow operating the roller coaster is generally not someone who inspires a great deal of confidence. Very few class valedictorians operate roller coasters for a living, I would imagine. I learned early on that I didn't like roller coasters, so I avoided them.
As a Yankees fan, I am at the mercy of the team and the manager. Thanks to Aaron Boone, I have been riding a roller coaster with this team for the last six years. They go on tremendous winning streaks, followed by even longer losing streaks. The only thing that is guaranteed is that they will not win the championship. I know there are a lot of folks who will disagree with me. They will produce shiny statistics and fancy numbers that prove that Boone is a winner. Well, where is his World Series ring? Unless he swipes his father's when he isn't looking, he doesn't have one.
I know that Boone was not technically managing the team last night, but we all know those were his moves. In the 7th inning, Jake Bauers was sent up to pinch hit for Ben Rortvedt. Rortvedt only had five at bats with the Yankees before last night's game. In that incredibly small sample size, he had two hits. Bauers, not to be mistaken with Ty Cobb, was batting .178 for the season. In addition, they are both left-handed batters. There was no advantage to sending Bauers up to pinch hit for Rortvedt. Bauers popped out. As if that wasn't enough, it also cost the Yankees another player, as Kyle Higashioka had to come in to catch.
The other night, Boone did the same thing by pinch-hitting Bauers for Rortvedt. After the game, he was asked if Rortvedt was injured. Boone said he thought Bauers had a better chance to get on base. Interestingly, Rortvedt had already walked twice in the game. Bauers struck out.
Over his tenure as Yankees manager, Boone has shown a tremendous knack for smugly making wrong decisions. It isn't always the same decision. It's not as if you can say he always leaves pitchers in too long or he is too quick to put in a pinch hitter. That is not accurate. It is simply that when he has a decision to make, whatever it may be, he usually makes the wrong one. That is his one consistent thing. Most of the time, he chooses poorly.
I realize the Yankees are extremely unlikely to replace Aaron Boone as the manager. We are stuck on this roller coaster ride that never ends. We will always wind up exactly where we started: dizzy, uncomfortable and almost physically ill. Boone will stand there, like the operator of the roller coaster, snapping his gum and looking at us with a cocky, condescending expression, being surprised at us for expecting anything else. Yet, we will all purchase our tickets to go on the ride, hoping each time that it will be different. It won't. I say this as if I am somehow immune to it all. I'm not. I will be the first in line to buy the ticket and then I will spend the next several hours after it's over, kicking myself. Welcome to the summer of fun.
Next Up -
This afternoon, the Yankees play the second game of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Luis Severino (0-0 1.93 ERA) will face San Diego's Michael Wacha (5-1 3.58 ERA).
