Michael King and Brooks Kriske?

In a seven-inning game?

In a sixty-game season?

I know the fecund IL creates some difficulties in filling out a roster ... but you're still the New York Yankees.

I also know that quite a few of the regulars not named Judge, LeMahieu, or Voit are under-performing ... some are under-performing at a level that makes them a candidate for the Worst Starting Player in MLB.

But if you're going to ask for your fan base to pay attention while experiencing the trauma of a pandemic, unemployment, and social unrest ... you should return the favor and give us something worth watching.

Pretend you're trying to win.

Act like you are embarrassed and distraught when you're 5 games out of first place and in danger of missing the expanded playoffs.

The nonchalance really shows.

Probably the biggest compliments a fan can pay a player is to describe the player as "tough" and "clutch."

It isn't just "finishing games off" and it isn't just injuries.

• If Chapman isn't ready to pitch in the major leagues, then find someone who can.
• Mike Tauchman is a cute underdog story until he grounds into a double play with the bases loaded against a rookie pitcher.
• The season is now halfway over and it's time to bench or demote Sanchez. Boone batted Sanchez fourth. Sanchez left six runners on base by my last count. He did manage a walk with the bases loaded ... so there's that.
  

The Yankees are soft and stupid and bad fielders. They are 1-5 in one-run games. The Yankees struck out 13 against the Mets ... in a 7-inning game ... and deGrom wasn't pitching. The Mets' first run scored on the Yankee Patented Unearned Run: HBP, error, wild pitch.

So, yeah, the injuries are part of the sad story.

But Boone didn't prepare his team for a sprint, and he still hasn't.

Each games counts like 2.6 games. A 7-game losing streak is really an 18-game losing streak.

This is going to keep happening, isn't it?

• 2.5 games behind Tampa.
• Can't beat Tampa.
• Can't beat good teams.
• Can't win close games.
• Can't stay healthy.
• Keep getting injured performing common baseball maneuvers, such as jogging to a base or sliding into a base or standing in a batter's box.
• Bad fielding.
• Bad situational hitting.
• Boring.
  

The Rays back up their big words.

I'm sure it's not just the Yankees, but ever since the 2001 World Series, I've been traumatized by the inability of the Yankee pitchers to field their position.

The playoffs are a long way off, but the Rays have guts and can win close games.

The Yankees? A lot to prove.

ESPN's Marly Rivera in 280-character hell.

"ESPN Stats & Info: Gary Sánchez has 92 HR in games in which he appeared as a catcher, tying Hall of Famer Mike Piazza for most such HR in MLB history by a player in his first 400 career games, at any position."

Huh?

"Such HR" is in games you appear as a catcher ... at any position?

 

"Sánchez, through 1 HR Tuesday, has 110 total HR in 391 career games."

As a catcher?

I read it multiple times and I can't figure out what Gary Sanchez tied Mike Piazza for.

My best guess is this:

First 400 games of a career (who cares?). 

You divvy up the games by position played, and both Sanchez and Piazza hit 92 HRs in their first 400 career games in which they played catcher, which is also the most anyone every hit in their first 400 career games at any position.

Which I'm pretty sure isn't accurate (Mark McGwire?), but maybe it is.

Bottom line: Gary Sanchez hits a lot of HRs ... and so did Mike Piazza.

You already knew that, didn't you?

 

God Bless Fernando Tatis Jr.

Because he's fat.

Put Alex Rodriguez in front of a mic, and you get what you ask for.

34-for-68.

Maybe I've seen a higher batting average over an extended period of time ... check with Elias ... but I sure don't recall anything like this.

So much for the idea that each game counts more in a 60-game season.

After a victory in the first game of a double header, with a fresh bullpen and a close score in game #2, so far the Yankees have pitched the following nobodies through the first five innings:

• Michael King
• Luis Avilan
• Albert Abreu

Again, I feel the need to bring up Chien-Ming Wang.

I mean, what is there to say anymore?

We're talking about "starting pitching" as if it's 20 years ago. 

Then we start talking about all the pitchers from 20 years ago:

"The Yankees haven’t had enough starting pitching for years and years. You can go all the way back to 2004, and remember that when it was all on the line for them against the Red Sox in Game 7, they had to start Kevin Brown, who had become a bust-out case by then, and then follow him with Javy Vazquez (whom they even brought back to the team in 2010)."

You could go all the way back to 2004 ... or you could stop living in the past. 

I mean, a Javy Vazquez career retrospective sheds little light on the first 13 games of 2020, wouldn't you say?

 

"You know how that worked out."

The 2004 ALCS?

Not sure how that worked out.

Can you please explain it for the 10,000th time? Since it was the highlight of your life?

Even David Ortiz is over it by now.

"When Randy Johnson became a Yankee, he absolutely did win 17 games twice. The second time he did, his earned run average was a smooth 5.00. It is always worth remembering that the last great starting pitcher the Yankees signed and developed was Andy Pettitte."

Pettitte was a PED cheat and you always forget the greatness of Chien-Ming Wang. I understand why you forgot ... why everyone forgets ... but it was only a stupid injury which derailed his career after 2 1/2 years of 46-15 flat-out greatness.

It's too early to crown Severino, but same thing. They might have a flash in the pan, but they might have a champ.

 

 As for 2020, I totally trust Cole, Tanaka, Paxton, and Montgomery.

Montgomery had one bad game, Paxton has to get his velocity back up. If Paxton can't get his velocity back up, then it's a problem.

Happ is garbage, the Yankees should banish him and start Green or Loaisiga instead.

 

More importantly, the 2020 Yankees don't have to outpitch the 1998 Yankees or the 1970 Orioles or the 2004 Yankees. They just have to beat the other 2020 teams.

With the steroid ball and no DH, good luck finding a team with a reliable starting staff.

If the Yankees play sharp defense and their stellar bullpen holds, they are going to cruise, and Lupica knows it.

 

"Starting pitching."

Chapman goes on the DL and Britton steps right in with 5 saves in 5 save opportunities.

Half the relief staff has an ERA of 0.00, the other half under 2.00.

Sorry, that's the way baseball is played in 2020.

If Happ can get through a mere 4 innings, I'll take it, and the Yankees are going to win a lot of games.

Walk, walk, wild pitch, sac fly.

Ottavino gave the game away. 

Not sure if Ottavino can survive the new world of 3-batter minimums.

Tauchman made a bad baserunning play and Lemahieu had an ineffective at-bat.

Does anyone think Judge would have avoided the strike out and gotten Tauchman home?

Sanchez with bases loaded and two outs strikes out on three pitches.

When you lose 1-0, every play was pivotal.

 

"Almost."

 A YES Network highlight of a warning track fly ball. The last out of the game in a Yankee loss. Very nice highlight.

I relent.

Baseball games take too long and move too slowly and the season is too long. I wouldn't expect this rule to continue into the playoffs, but I will no longer complain if MLB tries desperately to get young people to pay attention.

Just like that, out of nowhere, Ron Davis is out of the MLB record books.

Suzyn Waldman is a shockingly good singer.

"Waldman, a former Broadway actress renowned for her singing voice, has sung the national anthem many times before, including many times before Yankees home games. But this one was special. Not only was it keeping a long-held promise to the Yankees’ new ace, but it turns out that Waldman had never sung the national anthem in the new Yankee Stadium"

Cool story, too.

What virus?

I'm enjoying the return of MLB, but it's very noticeable how often the players violate social distancing protocols, despite the fact that the virus has hit very close to home.