About The Off Day: Meanderings of My Mind

About The Off Day: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

March 30, 2026

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The Yankees opened their season last Wednesday. They have played three games and have already had two days off. I have a tougher schedule than they do, and I'm retired.

Oh well, they will begin playing games more frequently once we get deeper into the season. The Yankees opened the season with a three-game sweep of the Giants. No, it wasn't the New York Giants. It was the San Francisco Giants. I don't imagine that the Giants will come up small all season but the only way the Yankees will see them again, is if they meet in the World Series. Since I don't have a game to recap, I will now move from topic to topic with unbridled enthusiasm like a hummingbird flitting around a spring garden full of flowers.

·      It Is very encouraging that the Yankees opened the season with a three-game sweep. However, they will now go to Seattle which usually is tougher competition for them. Luis Castillo will be opening the series for the Mariners against Ryan Weathers. Castillo has always pitched well against the Yankees and Weathers was absolutely awful in Spring Training. However, things could be very different tonight. Weathers has a lot to prove to the Yankees and their fans. Remember, he was the only major trade acquisition the Yankees made in the off-season and the only major upgrade who was not previously on the roster. (Forgive me for not including Randal Grichuk as a major acquisition.) Tonight's game will be important if only because it will give us our first regular season look at Weathers. 

·      As we hit spring, it is time for a fancy weight loss journey update. I'm holding steady at about 80 or so pounds lost. It is interesting that what the doctors overseeing the program have said is true. There are times where you don't lose that many pounds, but you lose inches. No, I am not shorter. It's simply that my clothes are much looser on me than they were previously. I think that is also because I have stepped up my exercise regimen. In addition to the arm and leg exercises that I do every day, I participate in virtual physical therapy five times a week. I have completed 113 straight sessions. Even on the day I went to the hospital, I only postponed the exercises by one day. I must say that I feel much better, and my range of motion has improved greatly. I also started lifting weights a few weeks ago. Although I coached weightlifting when I coached the track team 100 years ago, I asked my younger son, who is an exercise science major, to develop a weightlifting program for me. It's almost embarrassing to call it weightlifting, since I am only using a 5 pound dumbbell. However, it's a start. I have noticed improvement in the areas of strength and range of motion particularly in my shoulders.  My left shoulder has severe damage to the rotator cuff and crackles and pops as it shifts in and out of the socket. I could not lift my hand much higher than my shoulder about a year ago.  Now, I can get it over my head.  My theory has been to build up the muscles around the shoulder joint to improve flexibility and motion. It seems to be working. I am also walking much better now, and I use the cane in my left hand which allows me to take a more natural stride. I'm not quite ready for the Olympics but I'm in much better shape in all areas than I was a year or so ago.

·      Although the season has barely begun, there are some encouraging signs. I'm not going to include Max Fried and Cam Schlittler in that because I think most of us expected them to be dominant this season. If they're not, the Yankees are going to have a lot of problems. I am referring to the performances of some of the relief pitchers, particularly Jake Bird, Camilo Doval, and Brent Headrick. Bird and Doval struggled when they came over to the Yankees last year, especially Bird. If they can be solid, contributing members of the bullpen that would be a tremendous help for the Yankees. Doval, who was a closer with the Giants, could theoretically fill the role as the primary setup man for David Bednar. So far, things look good. Let's see what happens.

·      I found a couple of local grocery stores that carry bison and elk meat. I have had both previously but had to get it from an online company that was fairly pricey. It is still not cheap, but it is an affordable option for the menu. They're both very lean meats with excellent flavor. I've been eating bison for years on occasion, but I find elk to be absolutely delicious. I picked up some packages of elk medallions, which are essentially very lean small steaks. Since neither my wife nor I eat as much as we used to, the four-ounce medallions are the perfect size. I'm going to sear them with some mashed potatoes and vegetables one night this week. If you ever have a chance to try either bison or elk, you should.

·      The roster for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders is loaded. They could probably have a better record than the White Sox and Rockies this season if they played in the Major Leagues. Let's have a little fun. Which member of the RailRiders will be the first one called up to the Major Leagues this season? The most realistic options would be Brandon Beck, Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez, Spencer Jones, Oswaldo Cabrera, or Jasson Dominguez. I'm not counting Luis Gil who is essentially in Scranton only because of the off-days and the fact that the Yankees won't need a fifth starter for another week or two. Now,  neither Beck nor Lagrange are on the 40-man roster. That would make recalling them a bit more problematic for the Yankees. For some reason, Rodriguez Is on the temporarily inactive list. I have not read any further details on that. However, that would put a crimp in the idea of calling him up to the Major Leagues quickly. Logically, if Randal Grichuk struggles and Jasson Dominguez excels, one might think Dominguez would get the call. However, I don't think the Yankees will bring Dominguez up unless it will be as a starter. It would take a tremendous flop by Trent Grisham for the Yankees to remove him as a regular, making room for Dominguez. Therefore, I think the most logical of all the possibilities to be recalled from Scranton would be Oswaldo Cabrera, who can play almost every position accept catcher. My question was who would be the most likely to be called up, not who would be the most deserving to be called up.