About the Off-Day: Meanderings of My Mind

About the Off-Day: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

August 19, 2025

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Yesterday, the Yankees had a day off after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals. Tonight, they will open a two-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. (Gee, that sounds familiar.) The Yankees are 67-57 and in third place in the American League East.  They currently hold the third and final wild card spot with a 3 1/2 game lead over the Cleveland Guardians. Since there is no game to recap today, I will now dash from topic to topic like Benny Hill being chased by an angry mob at the end of his show. 

·      The Yankees just swept the Cardinals. Before that, they won two of three games against the Minnesota Twins. They have won five of their last six games and two series in a row for the first time since May. Many people are suggesting that the Boone-Swoon is over and that happy days are here again. Not so fast, Fonzie. The Yankees did what they had to do against Minnesota and Saint Louis. That is a good thing. Neither of those teams is very good right now and they have been depleted by trades and injuries. For the Yankees to have any hopes of making the playoffs, they needed to dominate those series. However, it doesn't stop there. They now have two games against the Rays and then four against the Red Sox. Tampa usually plays well against the Yankees, and it is important that the Yankees do not get tripped up in Tampa. They can't look ahead to the series against the Red Sox. Tampa is a fading team. The Yankees should take both games but at the very least, they must split the series. If the Yankees are swept, it would negate any momentum they had as they head into a crucial four-game series against the Red Sox beginning on Thursday.

·      August is birthday month in my family. Both of my sons were born in August, as was I. Both of my sisters, a few nieces and nephews, and my late father also have birthdays in this month. Due to my fancy weight loss journey, I now have a situation where birthday cakes overlap. So, I may have to go with cupcakes or have a combination cake. Later this month, I will be having a family dinner where I will make something special to celebrate everyone's birthday. I'm thinking about making a combination chicken and eggplant parmesan. Naturally, the sauce would be homemade. The best thing about something like that is that I can cut servings specific for each person.  That way, my wife and I can have miniscule portions and not waste food. Of course, we will probably have leftovers until November. We ordered out the other day and the entree I had lasted for three meals.

·      It is very nice and a positive sign that the Yankees beat up on the Twins and the Cardinals. However, Yankee fans and the team have to be concerned about Max Fried. I don't think it's simply that he's fading down the stretch. This all seems to coincide with his blister issue. Since Aaron Boone and the rest of the Yankees’ brain trust never seem to be honest and forthcoming regarding injuries, I am suspicious that there may be something going on with Fried. Perhaps it's not simply that they are not honest and forthcoming, they may also be clueless regarding the issue. Whenever Aaron Boone discusses an injury, he minimizes it or ignores it. He stated that Aaron Judge’s issue with throwing was nothing to worry about and then put him in a game in the outfield when he clearly could not throw. Judge was subsequently placed on the IL and still has not played in the outfield since his return. I don't know if it's the blister or something else, but there is something going on with Max Fried and unless it is resolved quickly, the Yankees will not go far in the postseason, if they even make it there.

·      It is funny how your tastes change as you get older. I never liked blue cheese when I was young, but I love it now. I used to like fish when I was younger but now, I only like swordfish and tuna steaks. I will eat salmon on occasion, but it is never my first choice. I do like shellfish and prefer it to fish. I don't believe changing tastes is isolated to me. I think it's fairly common. What is interesting is that at one point in our history, lobster was not considered a delicacy. It was actually called “poor man's chicken.” In the history of this country,  for quite a long time lobster was fed to pigs and goats and only eaten by prisoners, paupers, and indentured servants. Once lobster meat began to be canned, its reputation improved. However, it really took off when it was served on trains and was prepared fresh. After that, it became a delicacy.

·       So back to the injury front, Giancarlo Stanton is listed as day-to-day and did not play a full game against the Cardinals. Reportedly, he had trouble recovering after consecutive days in the outfield. It would be impossible and foolish to say that this was a surprise. The man could get a paid endorsement for peanut brittle. Of course, the Yankees are being tight lipped regarding the situation. Would anybody be shocked if Stanton is unable to play the outfield in Tampa? With Stanton’s history and the way the Yankees handle injuries and information about them, I would not be surprised if he required yet another trip to the IL.

·      I would like to take a moment to wish a happy anniversary to my wonderful wife, Stacey. Although it took us a while to find each other, I am certainly happy that we did. My two years with her as my wife have been among the best years of my life. One of the things I am happiest about in our new home is that she can walk to the beach anytime she wants to. She loves wading in the surf almost as much as General MacArthur did. The only difference is, she does not have a corn cob pipe. I don't mind the beach but since I have some difficulty walking, doing so on the sand is not a good idea. Also, I prefer pools to the ocean since I don't recall any recorded shark attacks in a pool.

·      Several weeks ago, I mentioned that Ben Rice might usurp Austin Wells as the starting catcher. While that hasn't quite happened, Rice is playing much more frequently than he used to. I believe that Rice will play a very prominent role down the stretch and certainly next season for the Yankees. The best thing about Rice is that he gives the Yankees some flexibility. Next year, he could be the starting catcher, first baseman, or designated hitter if Giancarlo Stanton is injured again. Rice could also shuttle back and forth between positions, as could Cody Bellinger, if he returns to the Yankees.

·      The fact that the Yankees won five of six games is very impressive. It is tempered somewhat by the teams that they played, but all they can do is beat the opponents in front of them. Before we get too excited, remember they are still five games below .500 since May 30th. They had losing records in both June and July, and despite their recent wins, the Yankees are still below .500 in August. The next six games, beginning tonight, will be crucial for the Yankees. If they suffer a major setback, that could send them on another spiral that could knock them out of the playoffs. Don't forget, the Yankees only have 38 games left this season. They can't afford to burn any more daylight.