The Everyperson’s Game Summary (Thoughts on Another Loss)

by Paul Semendinger September 4, 2020

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If you are reading this, you are, most likely, a Yankees fan. You are also, most likely, one of our many loyal readers. If so, we thank you for that. If not, if you’re new to the site, welcome. Thanks for stopping by. We are glad to have you here.

I call this post the “everyperson’s game summary” because I think almost everyone can relate to what I’ll share.

There are times in our lives when life and work and responsibilities just prevent us from enjoying our favorite activities, our favorite sports, the things we love to do. I love to watch and root for the Yankees.

Workers of almost every occupation encounter this:

“We need you to work overtime…”

“Tomorrow is a double shift…”

“The Miller report is due…”

“You’re the covering doctor…”

“I need you to go out on patrol…”

“It’s tax season…”

“It’s rabbit season…”

(“Duck season!”)

“This project must get done by Friday at noon…”

“There is no tomorrow…”

“We’re going to the mattresses…”

(I hope some readers caught some old television or movie references above. Nonetheless, you all get the idea.)

I am living through one of those periods right now. The requirements of my work have me putting in 14+ hour days. There is just a lot to do. And I take it all very seriously and strive to be the best I can be – in every way. It’s all good. It’s what I do and who I am, but in times like these, other things get put on the back burner.

Like watching the Yankees…

(We have an outstanding team of writers at SSTN who bring you the Yankees every single day in so many ways. In many ways, they have been my only connection to the team these last few weeks. I am so impressed with all they have done and continue to do.)

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I caught yesterday’s game by hearing Sweeny Murti’s post game show on WFAN.

And, let’s be honest… this is how some people follow the game. They follow through articles and highlights on mlb.com, ESPN, or the evening news. Most people don’t have the luxury of actually watching every game. That’s also why they come to us here and why we take our responsibility to bring the game to so many so seriously.

So, let share my thoughts on another Yankees loss.

The Yankees scored 7 runs. That’s a game they have to win. They Yankees have not been scoring. When they do, the runs have to propel them to victory.

The Yankees blew 4-0 and 7-4 leads. That’s just not good. It’s terrible.

The game was against the Mets. The Mets are not good. The Yankees have to win games like this.

They didn’t.

UGGGG!

The Yankees are putting out a lineup of replacement players. These might be nice guys whose careers tell great stories, but many are simply just replacement players. The Yankees aren’t going to win by putting out lineups like this. They just won’t.

The Yankees starting lineup had not just one player hitting under .200. Not two. And not even three. They had four guys batting under .200 – Tyler Wade (.167), Mike Ford (.169), Kyle Higashioka (.176), and Brett Gardner (.177).

Oh, and Aaron Hicks is batting a robust .216.

This is not a team that looks anything close to a contender, let alone a team that is going to complete for a championship. At all.

In extra innings, Tyler Wade was the guy put on second base with no outs. He got doubled up – on a fly out to right field. There is no excuse for that. None. Zero. That’s just bad baseball. The Yankees have been playing a lot of bad baseball.

The Yankees organization will soon have to make a big decision on this team. They don’t look good enough to win the division. They are falling in the standings.

This is a WIN NOW team.

But they ain’t winning now.

The team is built around core players who cannot stay healthy. This is a problem.

A big problem.

Maybe there is a reason that the Yankees did nothing at the trade deadline. Brian Cashman might have realized that 2020 isn’t the year. But if 2020 isn’t the year – what real hope is there that 2021 will be better?

It just might be time to start to consider starting over.

I’ll ask the unthinkable… What kind of prospects and big leaguers could Aaron Judge bring in a mega-trade? But, before people consider this idea crazy, let me ask – if you were a rival GM, would you invest a lot in Judge right now? If the answer is no, then you have to admit that the Yankees just might be in big trouble. The Yankees are built around him. I love the guy. He’s great. But he can’t stay healthy.

Would the Indians trade Francisco Lindor straight up for Aaron Judge? I don’t think they would.

Let me ask the question a different way… If you were building a brand new team designed to win immediately and you could choose your roster from every single Major League player , which current Yankees would make your 25-man squad? How about the 40-man roster?

This Yankees team is supposed to be elite, but is this a core to build on or around for success in the short or long term? It just might not be.

If you were D.J. LeMahieu, would you resign with the Yankees for the next 2-3 years? From the perspective of a free agent, who looks at the team as an investor in his own future, is this a team that you’d invest your last prime years with if you are looking to play for a winner? I don’t think I would.

Where would the 2019 and 2020 Yankees be (or have been) without D.J. LeMahieu?

That might be the 2021 Yankees.

J.A. Happ wasn’t good again.

Quick – name the starting rotation for 2021.

It’s Gerrit Cole and…???

The Yankees used their four best relief pitchers yesterday afternoon – and still lost.

The Yankees are tied with the Blue Jays for the LAST playoff spot in an expanded playoff format.

The Yankees are closer to 4th place (otherwise known as the second to last place) than 1st place.

The Yankees are 4-10 over their last 14 games. 4 and 10?! (Maybe it’s better than I haven’t seen many games!)

This is a team in trouble in the short-term, but it also looks to be a team in trouble for the long-term. It may have all come crashing down – all too quickly.

“Next guy up” was fun, but we honestly knew it couldn’t and wouldn’t last.

It didn’t.

We watch (and follow) the games because we want the Yankees to win. And maybe they will. Maybe they’ll turn it around.

But it doesn’t seem likely.