By: Tim Kabel
September 30th, 2023
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The Yankees opened their final series of the season last night in Kansas City. Apparently, they felt the season was already over, as they were down 9-0 in the first inning. Carlos Rodon did his best to leave the Yankees fans with a lasting impression for the off-season as he gave up eight runs on six hits without recording a single out. I think just about everyone reading this article could give up eight runs without recording an out. The Yankees took two out of three from the Blue Jays but were embarrassed and humiliated last night in Kansas City. Although the Yankees are guaranteed to not have a losing record this season, it is most certainly a lost season.
Quick Stats -
Jordan Lyles entered the game last night with a 5-17 record and a 6.24 ERA. The Royals lost his first 15 starts of the season, which is a major league record. Yet, he retired the first nine batters he faced, with four strikeouts. I guess this was his last-ditch effort to win the Cy Young Award.
Austin Wells has 4 home runs and 9 RBI in his last 7 games. He has 13 RBI for the season. Ben Rortvedt has 4 RBI for the season. Jose Trevino had 4 home runs and 15 RBI in about 100 more at bats than Wells.
Mathematicians from MIT are working on figuring out Carlos Rodon's ERA after the first inning.
70-year-old George Brett is contemplating a comeback after watching last night's game.
Good news. Frankie Montas is expected to pitch for the Yankees this weekend. Look at it this way, he can't be any worse than Carlos Rodon was last night.
The Yankees are 79-81 with two games to play. They need to win at least one of those two games in order to have a winning season.
Reportedly, Suzyn Waldman was walking around Kansas City yesterday wearing a t-shirt depicting the incident in which John Sterling was hit by the foul ball, with him saying "ow". I guess if John wasn't going to be there, that would have been the next best thing.
On September 29th, 1987, Don Mattingly broke a major league record by hitting his sixth grand slam of the season. Ironically, those were the only six grand slams he hit in his entire career. Perhaps the YES Network will show that home run repeatedly next year after Mattingly replaces Aaron Boone as manager.
Big Story -
The Yankees were looking to end this season on a high note. So was Carlos Rodon. They had the perfect opportunity because they were playing the Royals. The Royals have lost 105 games this season. The 2023 Royals rank with William Jennings Bryan, Adlai Stevenson, and Ralph Nader as the biggest losers in American History. Unfortunately, as Robert Burns wrote, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Last night, things went about as well for Carlos Rodon as they did for Lenny in Steinbeck's novel. Rodon tied the Major League record for the most runs given up without recording an out. The Yankees were 3-11 in games started by Rodon this season. Hopefully, he will be better next year. He can't be much worse.
Player of the Day -
Austin Wells hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs.
Notable Performance -
Randy Vasquez had a solid relief outing and put himself in position to be considered for a major role on the team next year.
Better to Forget-
That I spent two and a half hours watching this mess.
My Take -
This was my last game recap of the season. I finished up about a month earlier than I anticipated. At this point, all we can hope for is that the games today and tomorrow end as quickly as possible and that no one gets hurt. Sure, it would be nice for the Yankees to have a winning record but, does it really matter?
After the game, Aaron Boone was talking about conversations that he will have with Carlos Rodon during the off-season. Considering the season the Yankees have had, and the job Boone has done not just this year but, as manager of the team since 2018, that is pretty bold of him. If he assumes that he will be back as manager, he could certainly be in for a rude awakening. There are rumors about the Yankees making major changes in multiple areas during this off season. That could include players, coaches, front office personnel, and most certainly, the manager.
There have been a few bright spots as the team staggers toward the end of this season. Some of the young players showed a great deal of promise. Austin Wells has done much better defensively than was predicted. He is starting to come around offensively as well, which everyone expected. Considering there is not a lot of competition on the team in the catcher department, I think he is beginning to stake a claim on the role of starting catcher next year. Obviously, he needs to work a lot during the off season, which I'm sure he will.
As I wrap up this article, I would like to thank all the readers for their time and thoughtful comments. I look forward to writing articles during the off-season as the Yankees hopefully rebuild the team and put things in place for a winning year in 2024.
Next Up -
Tonight, the Yankees will play their penultimate game of the season against the Royals in Kansas City at 7:10 p.m. Clarke Scmidt (9-9 4.65 ERA) will face an as-yet unnamed pitcher for Kansas City.
