The Yankees lost their penultimate home game of the season yesterday 7-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The only thing sloppier than the weather was the Yankees' play in every facet of the game. The offense was non-existent. The defense was slipshod, and the pitching was inconsistent. Carlos Rodon fell into a hole quickly but then pitched reasonably well until the 7th inning. The Yankees were officially eliminated from postseason play for the first time since 2016 yesterday. Honestly, it seemed like it happened months ago. Later today, they will play their final home game of the season before heading on the road for six games.
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Quick Stats -
The Yankees' team batting average is ,226 this season, which is 29th in the Major Leagues.
The Yankees had a total of six hits yesterday. No one had more than one hit and they left eleven runners on base.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa dropped a ball in leftfield. He was later pinch hit for by Jake Bauers, who subsequently dropped a ball in rightfield. This was another example of Aaron Boone's outstanding managerial skills.
The Yankees are 78-77 with 7 games left in the season. To avoid their first losing season in 30 years, they need to win at least three games the rest of the way.
Frankie Montas pitched two scoreless endings for Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. He may actually make an appearance for the Major League team on the final road trip.
On September 24th, 1934, Babe Ruth appeared in his final home game for the New York Yankees.
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Big Story -
For the first time since 2016, the Yankees will not have any scheduled games after the regular season ends next Sunday. Under Aaron Boone, they usually had at least one round of the playoffs before they were eliminated, leaving him to shrug and offer confusing excuses. Now, he can begin that process much earlier.
Hopefully, we are down to Boone's final seven games as the Yankees' manager. This is his worst season in that role and it should be his last. I realize this season's failure is not entirely his fault. It would make sense to get a new general manager as well but, Hal Steinbrenner will not do that. At the very least, the team needs a new manager because whatever Boone is telling the team is not working.
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Players of the Day -
Danny Cunningham and the rest of the grounds crew for getting the field in playable condition during today's inclement weather.
Notable Performance -
Estevan Florial had a triple and has looked pretty good since being given more of an opportunity than he ever had been before.
Better to Forget-
That we sat through six months of this. It's better to turn the page and look forward to next year.
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My Take -
As Yankees' fans, we have been spoiled. This is the first season in which they will not make the playoffs since 2016. True, they have not won the World Series since 2009. However, just take a gander across town at the Mets. The Mets have only won 2 World Series in their history, as opposed to the 27 the Yankees have won. The last time the Mets won the World Series was 1986. The Yankees have won five times since then.
Yankees' fans are used to making the playoffs. Anything short of a World Series victory is viewed as a disappointment. Well, there have been a lot of disappointments since 2009. At this point, the team needs to turn its entire focus toward the future. Winning in 2024 and beyond should be the goal.
It is unclear if all the young players on the Yankees' roster will pan out. However, at least there is potential and there is hope. We have seen promise from Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, Austin Wells, Clarke Schmidt, Jasson Dominguez, Everson Pereira, and even Estevan Florial. The potential of these young players varies from one to the next but, it is a good place to start.
In addition to the players we have seen on the Major League level this year, the Yankees have several young pitchers who could arrive in the Bronx fairly soon. Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, Drew Thorpe, and Richard Fitts are all very impressive prospects.
One of the few good pieces of news about this season is that the Yankees did not trade a bushel of their young prospects for someone like Frankie Montas. They held on to their young players and can now see if they develop into solid Major Leaguers.
There is a lot of work to be done headed into next season. We have a lot of time over the next few months to discuss potential moves and then actual moves. The Yankees need to use all the avenues that are available to them. That includes developing their own talent, signing free agents judiciously, and making smart trades. The Yankees have started the process of getting younger and more athletic. They need to continue in that direction. They do not need to make any more trades for fading veterans who are hoping for one last hurrah. They need to weed their roster of older players with limited potential. They do not need to have Jake Bauers, Billy McKinney, Franchy Cordero, Zach McAllister, Nick Ramirez, Giancarlo Stanton, and IKF on the roster next year.
We can all make signs, wear t-shirts, and grumble that Brian Cashman needs to go. It's not going to happen. Hal Steinbrenner is not going to replace both the manager and general manager of this team. He needs someone to provide him with comfort and guidance. It is possible that he will replace Aaron Boone. If he does that, he will rely even more heavily on Cashman. However, he may let Cashman know that unless things change, his days could be numbered as well.
One way or another, change will be coming to this team. It has already started. There has been an influx of young players over the past month. That, and other moves will continue to be made. Hopefully, they will be the correct moves and this team will return to a championship level.
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Next Up -
Today, the Yankees will play the final game of their last three-game home series of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 p.m. Clarke Schmidt (9-9 4.65 ERA) will face Arizona's Merrill Kelly (12-7 3.37 ERA).
