By Tim Kabel
April 8, 2023
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After a 4-2 season-opening homestand, the Yankees began their first road trip in Baltimore. In the past, that would have meant a chance for easy victories. Unfortunately, the Orioles are not pushovers anymore. Clarke Schmidt was ineffective again, the bullpen was shaky, and Aaron Boone made some dubious decisions. The Yankees fought back and had the tying run on third base in the ninth inning but, they couldn't get it done. The Yankees had nine hits and scored six runs but still lost the game due to ineffective pitching and some questionable managerial choices. Problems with pitching can happen in any game. The inferior managing skills of Aaron Boone have been a pattern since he was hired. The situation has not improved and there is no reason to believe that it will.
Quick Stats -
Aaron Judge's on-base streak has now reached 40 games.
Anthony Volpe was 0-4 yesterday and is 1 for his last 15. There is no need to panic. The Yankees need to stay the course with him. Maybe he needs a day off, but he does not need to be replaced.
Gleyber Torres already has five stolen bases this season. He had a total of 10 last year.
Prior to the game, Estevan Florial was outrighted to Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He remains in the Yankees' organization.
The Big Story -
The Yankees hope to win the World Series this year. Well, every team hopes to win the World Series. The Yankees actually believe, as an organization, that they have the ability to do so. At this point, it is easy to see why they think that way. They do have a lot of talent and they will be getting some key pieces back fairly soon. However, there are a few things that need to be corrected. The roster needs to be improved. When Isiah Kiner-Falefa is used as a pinch hitter and it's not a bunt situation, that's a problem. I like Clarke Schmidt, but I have said all along that he is better suited to being a relief pitcher. Once Carlos Rodon comes back, Schmidt can go to the bullpen.
The Yankees are not perfect right now. They are settling into the season and need to make some adjustments. However, they need to win all the games that they theoretically should win. The Orioles are now a tough opponent and need to be taken seriously. They can be beaten but, they can also beat anyone, including the Yankees. The Orioles are a young team and if they start to believe that they can win the division, they could be dangerous.
Player of the Game -
Oswaldo Cabrera showed why he is, or at least should be, the starting leftfielder. He was 3-4 with a double and three RBI. Other than the first game of the season, when he struck out four times, he has looked very good.
Notable Performance -
Franchy Cordero had a three-run home run and a walk in his two at bats. In his limited appearances with the Yankees, he has shown flashes of the tremendous potential that has been talked about for years.
Better to Forget -
Clarke Schmidt had another shaky outing and couldn't make it through the 4th inning for the second straight start. Jimmy Cordero was wild in relief and had trouble finding home plate, which led to a run.
My Take -
Rio Bravo, the 1959 John Wayne western directed by Howard Hawks, is one of my favorite movies. Unfortunately, Hawks remade the movie twice as El Dorado, and Rio Lobo. They were fine but I had already seen the movie, as had everybody else. As I am watching the 2023 New York Yankees, I feel as if I'm watching Rio Lobo. It's the same story all over again except, John Wayne is not the star, Aaron Boone is. My friends, Aaron Boone is no John Wayne. Aaron Boone is not even Wayne Newton.
I realize we are only seven games into the season but, here we go again. After the first game of the year, Boone essentially announced that Oswaldo Cabrera was the starting leftfielder and that he had earned it. He said that he would find a role for Aaron Hicks. Well, after Hicks did not play in the first series against the Giants, he complained to a reporter that he didn't know what his role was and stated that he wanted to be a starter. He said that he felt he should be in the lineup every day. On top of that, he posted a picture of himself standing in the corridor at Yankee Stadium next to the retired numbers of Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Derrek Jeter on social media. Apparently, Hicks believes he belongs in their company.
The appropriate response from Aaron Boone and Yankees' management to such behavior should have been to either remove Hicks from the team or to have him escorted to a hospital for observation because he's clearly delusional if he believes that he belongs with the core four. Instead, Boone played Hicks for the next two games against the Phillies. Hicks was booed mercilessly and did not get a hit. That is not surprising. Even Hicks' selfish and narcissistic attitude is not shocking. The concern is the flip flop committed by the manager. Aaron Boone does more waffling than IHOP on a busy day. The message Boone sent is that if a player is disgruntled and complains publicly, he will get what he wants. That is not a good thing.
Yesterday, In the 8th inning, after Oswaldo Cabrera singled in Giancarlo Stanton, The Yankees had runners on first and second with nobody out. Jose Trevino came up and was given the bunt sign twice. Both times, he took the pitches for balls. On the third pitch, he hit a vicious grounder to third base, which was turned into a double play. Let's consider the bunt for a moment. Trevino, who has been hitting well this season, was followed in the lineup by IKF, who is hitless this season, and Anthony Volpe, who is struggling right now. Why would you sacrifice with a better hitter than either of the batters who would be following him. In the long term, and probably later this season, Volpe might well be the best hitter of the three but right now, it wasn't a very good move.
I have long advocated "Boone-proofing" this team. Until that happens or until Boone is replaced as the manager, we will see these things over and over. However, there are some things that can be done. It is clear that Oswaldo Cabrera and even Franchy Cordero are better than Aaron Hicks at this point. Hicks serves absolutely no purpose on this team, and they do not need a disgruntled and bitter presence on the bench. Hicks needs to go right now.
Josh Donaldson is off to another slow start and right now is injured. He will probably go on the IL before tonight's game. The Yankees need to recall Oswald Peraza and work him into the lineup, either at third base or second base. They can use either DJ LeMahieu or Gleyber Torres as the designated hitter and rotate people around. Part of the problem with Boone is that he can't resist putting Hicks and Donaldson into the lineup. The only way to handle that is to remove the temptation from him by removing the players from the team.
I realize that this season will be another version of the other seasons with Boone as the manager. It will be like watching Rio Lobo all over again but, at least we can have different actors in some of the roles. In El Dorado, James Caan and Arthur Hunnicutt replaced Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan. The Yankees can do the same thing with Franchy Cordero and Oswald Peraza.
Next Up -
The Yankees continue the series against the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 PM tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Jhony Brito (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will face the Orioles' Cole Irvin (0-1, 13.50 ERA).
