He really doesn't see it?

If one combines revisionist history with a total lack of self-criticism, then one can create a world where they are never wrong.

In a way, it must be fun to be Mike Lupica:

"Somehow there is still the quaint notion, a leftover from the 1990s, that it is still World Series or bust for the Yankees, even as they have been staggering to the finish line in the American League East for two full months, from the time the rest of the division was told by the media to go home when the Yankees were 10 games ahead in July."

In July, Lupica told his readers to focus on the exciting Mets rather than the ho-hum Yankees.

Sir, you are "the media."

"The media" is you.


"We still hear that about anything less than Series title No. 28 means the season is a failure the way we hear, constantly, about how the Yankee 'brand' must be preserved and maintained at all costs, and I do mean at all costs, because of the way they keep spending money to make money."

The World-Series-or-Bust idea is another Lupica Special. I thought he copyrighted it 15 years ago.

As for the branding, the Yankees are a money-making machine. The branding is working.


Which got me to thinking: What is Mike Lupica's brand? A Jimmy Breslin ripoff who counterbalances his children's books with occasional forays into politics?

A man who can't be bothered with viewing sports on daily basis.

Instead, Lupica is a gatekeeper to the sports conversation.

He doesn't want you to focus on silly things like wins, losses, balls, strikes, batting averages, and other events that occur on the field of play. He wants you to talk about the people who play the sports.

It's a gossip column about pro athletes, written by an author of children's books.


The branding is working, to be fair.  Lupica seems to be quite successful in his various ventures.  Similar to the 2012 Yankees, his branding does not correlate with reality. Similar to the 2012 Yankees, he's a fraud.  The 2012 Yankees, in contrast, still have an opportunity to redeem themselves.


"But then you look at the standings. Then you see they don’t even have as good a won-loss record as the 'Moneyball 2' Oakland A’s. Then you remember that the Yankees have played in one World Series in the last nine seasons at a time in baseball when the Red Sox have won two, the Cardinals have won two, and the Texas Rangers have played in the last two."

At least he gives some dap to the A's. I guess the Boston Valentines fell too far out of the race.


There's nothing here, folks.  Lupica looked at the standings for the first time in two months and noticed the Yankees are struggling.  The rest is him explaining what the Yankees are "supposed" to do.  Which is win the World Series.  Which is the exact branding message that he mocked.


"Even if Mark Teixeira hadn’t gotten hurt, the Yankees might have ended this season without a single 100-RBI guy."

Curtis Granderson has 90 RBIs.

Lupica has decreed that Granderson won't get 10 RBIs in the next 2 weeks.  

I don't know how Lupica knows this, but it doesn't really matter.  If Granderson finished the season with 120 RBIs, Lupica can just say that the media doubted Granderson's ability to get 100 RBIs.

"I love Mike Trout, but Miguel Cabrera is the MVP of the American League."

Mike Trout can sleep well at night.  He has Mike Lupica's seal of approval.  Mike Lupica loves him.


Mike Trout is also leading the league in batting average, stolen bases, and runs scored while winning a gold glove in CF.  So he's also got that going for him.

If you're going to spend time analyzing the arguments in the Trout-vs.-Cabrera MVP battle, I wouldn't rely on the opinion of the gossip columnist who writes children's books.  You may as well rely on the opinions of Dr. Seuss or Cindy Adams.