Protesting too much.

"I love building a team,” Suzyn said. “They’re not done. I was told by three different people that they’re not done.

“I love this. This is my favorite thing, which is building a team and not just spending money on a couple people and going that way. They are not done, I am told. We will see what happens.”

This is known as "buying" a team.

“They better get a third baseman here,” Suzyn said. “If you’re gonna spend this money on Max Fried, then you better have a real third baseman standing there, because that’s what he does. That’s where the balls go.

“They gotta do something at third base. Someone has to be standing over there who knows what they’re doing.”

No offense to Chisolm.

I know everyone likes to play accountant, but nothing was stopping the Yankees from signing both Soto and Fried and then trading for Williams and Bellinger.

The limitations of the luxury tax are made up.

There is also no reason to throw shade at the Mets (along with Jazz Chisolm?) for, you know, spending a lot of money on a great player.

Because I guess that means the Mets aren't building a team. They're just taking shortcuts and buying a team.

The Yankees, by contrast, surely aren't top heavy. Not with Bellinger, Stanton, Judge, Cole, Fried, Rodon, and Stroman. 

Even washed-up LeMahieu will be making $15 million in 2025.

Which isn't a lot compared to Soto, but it's not exactly budget-conscious/spread-the-wealth/bottom-up/team-building behavior.

 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I can't say for certain that Sal Licata was hassling Clay Holmes last season. I'd have to look it up.

Since I was the sole defender of Holmes in the entire Milky Way, I think this is an example of a man who believes, as did Emerson, that consistency is the hobgoglin of little minds:

“[Clay] Holmes was an All-Star last year,” Sal said. “Bullpens are fickle. How did Williams do in the postseason? I’ve seen this before with these relievers. They can be untouchable for one or two years, and then all of a sudden they get touched up.

“Holmes was a two-time All-Star with the Yankees…to me, that’s still a wash. Luke Weaver all of a sudden can’t get hit?”

...

“I don’t think that they did [get better],” Sal said. “I think it’s pretty much even.”

I actually agree with his conclusion.

The Yankees lost a good bullpen pitcher and added a slightly better bullpen pitcher.

Williams might pay off in the clutch. Or he might not. I wouldn't dare predict future playoff meltdowns because of one big-time meltdown vs. the Mets.

In the regular season, I expect Williams to be elite, and I expect one or two more wins due to an elite closer instead of a pretty good closer.

For the millionth time, it also depends of the defense, starting rotation, and offense.

If the defense improves around him ... and I have high hopes that it will ... then he won't have nearly as many blown saves where he doesn't allow an earned run. 

So if I agree with Sal, then what's the gripe?

The gripe is that Public Enemy #1 Clay Holmes is quickly being re-imagined as a reliable All Star as soon as he puts on the Met uniform instead of the Yankee uniform.

It's the intellect of a toddler blaming its sibling for breaking the lamp.

Everything the Mets do is good and everything the Yankees do is bad.

"People keep saying, well, yeah, but Soto will be a DH in a few years.

David Ortiz was a DH.

How’d that work out for the Red Sox?"

Right.

Lots of people in baseball history have been DHs and many of them have won World Series.

Got it.

But that doesn't explain something peculiar about this paragraph. 

According to Lupica, "people keep saying" something that no one is saying.

I searched for "Juan Soto" + "designated hitter" in an AI search engine and I could not find any recent articles.

Other than Bill Madden.

In the Daily News.

On the same page.

Many people have pointed out the obvious fact that a 15-year contract is risky at the back end. Some observers have focused on the obvious fact that Soto is not a true five-tool player.

I am unaware of any group of "people" that have criticized the signing, diminished Soto's "generational" talent as an offensive player, or given one damn that he may or may not DH. 

Make room for Soto.

Lupica is once again inventing a non-existent counter argument so he can land a very mediocre zinger.

"David Ortiz."

Ouch!

"You know what we call the pitch that Devin Williams, the new Yankee closer, threw to Pete Alonso in the playoffs?

An Aroldis Chapman."

Hilarious.

No one calls it that, but I understand the reference.

How does Lupica reconcile this Chapman dig with Chapman's signing with the Red Sox? It must be a devastating war inside of Lupica's head.

It's also, like ... Devin Williams is a low-cost/low-risk pretty good closer. 

A one-year contract for a closer who has been dominant in the regular season and, in the playoffs, blew a save, just like every other closer in the 2024 playoffs.

Lupica is mocking people who are claiming Williams is going to jettison the Yankees to a championship. But no one is saying this.

A win for Scott Boras.

The luxury suite, huh?

Either the Yankees charge a heckuva lot for luxury suites or $760 million doesn't go as far as it used to. After taxes, who knows how much is left? Maybe a few thousand bucks. Soto's family would have had to sit in the bleachers.

Is this really that complicated?

Soto is a grown man who decided he preferred to play for the Mets. He would have been paid plenty by the Mets, the Yankees, or any team that signed him.

That is what free agency is.

As for the luxury suites, I'm reminded of the time the Mets supposedly refused to capitulate to ARod's demands because the Mets were insistent on avoiding a "24 and 1" situation.

So silly.

So many people straining their necks to focus on the pebbles and acting like there is more to the story than the $765 million asteroid.

While Lupica et al like to rip ARod for winning "only" one championship, it's one more than the Cohesive Clubhouse in Queens has won in the same time period.

My only objection to the Yankees signing Alonso is that it will embolden the lunatics who have been predicting this exact thing for the past year.

Ralph from Jersey called WFAN in April and said the Yankees will sign Alonso and the Mets will sign Soto. Ralph from Jersey will tell everyone he knows about this for the rest of his life.

What Ralph from Jersey leaves out is that he also thought the Yankees should skip Gerrit Cole and sign Madison Bumgarner and Matt Harvey.

Ralph from Jersey also said that the Yankees were going to fire Boone and hire Wally Backman as their manager.

Ralph from Jersey also said Greg Bird was a future AL MVP. Bird reminded Ralph from Jersey of John Olerud and Shawn Green.

We're talking about Michael King.

"This wasn't just the Mets beating the Yankees for a cornerstone player for the first time ever (the Yanks' half-hearted pursuit of Carlos Beltran before the 2005 season was not like this)."

If you're going to hype Michael King, might I remind you of Dellin Betances?  

 

"It was the Mets doing so with the Yanks fresh off their first World Series appearance in 15 years, which was only possible because of the presence of Soto, who had formed one of the most dynamic 1-2 lineup punches in baseball history with the otherworldly Aaron Judge.

And it was the Mets doing so just over a year after the Yankees traded an absolute haul to the San Diego Padres -- including potential future ace Michael King -- in order to get one year of Soto and what they likely hoped would be an inside track to signing him long-term."

I know Mets fans are giddy right now, but why be dumb about it?

I like King, I really do. I like Clay Holmes, too, for that matter.

The Yankees did not trade an "absolute haul" for Soto. The Yankees took a risk, but it wasn't an unkown risk.

 

"To put it more succinctly, there was a very easy argument to be made that the Mets had the better future than the Yanks.

...

Soto saw the money, yes. But he also saw what the Mets are building. Soto chose the Mets' future over the Yankees' past. And in the process, baseball in New York has been forever changed."

Maybe so, maybe not. I see no down side for the Mets. I also think the Yankee brand is quite enduring and strong, so let's not put Yankee Stadium in mothballs just yet.

 

"Worth."

Of course Soto is worth it.

It's partially his value on the field, which is immense, but also it's his hype factor. The Ruth & Gehrig/Mantle & Maris evocation.

No one is marketing Judge & Bregman to the out-of-town tourists.

Boomer knows this to be true. No need to bring up silly three-players-for-one combined WAR analyses.

Everything that happens is an example of a thing happening.

The Mets can change the "other team in town" narrative ... hadn't you heard about this by now? ... if they sign Soto, thereby beating the Yankees in a bidding war and also removing Soto from the Yankees' roster, and also by winning the World Series sooner than the Yankees.

"Change the narrative" is Lupica's three-word summary of a very simple and obvious idea.

So how does Lupica get there?

1. The Yankees need Soto more than the Mets need Soto because it's a "well-established baseball fact" that the Mets are better than the Yankees.

1a. Soto had a lot to do with Judge's 58-HR MVP season.

1b. Soto is younger than Judge.

1c. Soto is younger than Ohtani.

1d. Soto is older than Witt, but not much older.

2. Mike Piazza and Kevin Durant.

3. Soto does not guarantee either team a Championship.

3a. The aforementioned Piazza never won a Championship with the Mets (I added that).

3b. Alex Rodriguez only won one Championship with the Yankees.

3c. The Padres won more games in 2024 without Soto than they won in 2023 with Soto. (This is a Lupica favorite, but it seems like very ordinary professional baseball behavior to me.) 

3d. Jason Giambi, for some reason.

3e. Kevin Durant once again.

4. Soto is really good and young.

4a. Alex Rodriguez signed a big contract.

4b. Ohtani signed a big contract.

5. Good players would likely help the Mets win, but maybe not, and it is even better if the player used to be a Yankee.

 

Juan Soto will make his decision soon!

"Before this year's winter meetings, Boras already has locked in deals for Snell and fellow starting pitchers Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd. 

Soto, who at 26 is already one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, could follow shortly."

Baseball history, huh?

I think he's on track for the HOF, and I have thought that for a while.

But a person still has to do a thing before they are credited with doing that thing.

What? No painting of the Ford Edge commercial?

 "Are you sure you're not a shortstop?"

There is no backup plan.

If Soto signs elsewhere, the Yankees are selling the franchise to Mike Lupica.

As with all of these analyses, I don't think the Yankees should say "or." It should always be "and."

Sign Soto AND Alonso for starters. Also, sign Adames AND that Japanese pitcher.

Also, the soft salary cap is stupid and it isn't working.

Also, did the threshold increase to account for inflation?

The Dodgers crushed the Mets in the NLCS.

Outscored the Mets 46-26. 

Won four games to two.

The Mets (and Lupica, by extension) take a silly amount of pride in winning a Game Five bullpen game so the Dodgers couldn't celebrate at Citi Field.

This particular phenomenon might be the silliest thing in the ultra silly world of professional sports.

"It's our house" and such.

Who cares where you lose or even how you lose?

Even though Lupica is bizarrely giving the Mets A LOT of credit for NOT making the World Series, it's simply asinine to act like the Mets played better in the NLCS than the Yankees did in the World Series.

The Yankees evenly matched the Dodgers and the games were close.

No, it doesn't actually matter. "Almost winning" is the same thing as losing.

But if you're going to evaluate the quality of the performances, and you conclude that the Mets outplayed the Yankees, then you're just being ignorant.

 

I'm also not sure why anyone would bother. 

Do the Mets get a parade down the Canyon of Heroes for winning two games in a seven-game series?

Knock yourselves out.

Get Mookie and Buck and Dwight and Darryl on Opening Day to raise the banner. Lupica could go through his rolodex and relive the good ol' days.

 

For what it's worth? At no moment after losing Game Two did I think the Yankees could come back and win the World Series.

If Judge had caught the easy fly ball and if Cole had covered first base, the Dodgers had their best pitchers set up for Games Six and Seven. Winning is always preferable to losing, but the ending was pretty much already written before the fifth inning of Game Five.

So when I say the games in the World Series were close, I'm simply stating a fact. I'm only comparing their respective efforts to the Mets because Lupica is petty enough to do that.

It's not a useful way to evaluate anything.

I mean, the Padres took a 2-1 lead against the Dodgers in the ALDS, didn't they?

So in Lupica Land, the Padres must be the World Champions right now.

So much more. So very much more. The most more that any team has ever needed in the off season, and that's if they sign Soto.

The Yankees haven't even won the World Series since 2009.

Mookie Wilson; Jonathan Papelbon; Buck Showalter; and Alex Rodriguez took PEDs.

No, he didn't say all that.

I'm reminded when Lupica said the Mets needed deGrom. Then, when deGrom signed with the Rangers, Lupica switched and said that the Mets needed the payroll flexibility.

None of this is ever an actual baseball discussion. It's just the Yankees are always stupid and the Mets are always smart ... and, of course, the Mets are about to take over the attention of baseball fans in the New York metropolitan area.

Like in 1986.

I don't even know who Michael Kopech is, but he indirectly declared war on Suzyn Waldman.

The entire idea that Rizzo is a clubhouse leader and a particular genius at the timing and messaging of something as pointless as mound visits.

What is Rizzo talking about?

I often find myself wondering the same thing, Mr. Kopech.

That's not what key means.

Dominguez is not an afterthought. He is supposedly a star of the future with potential. At this stage of his career, his is easily replaceable.

The other three players listed are afterthoughts.

Winning is fun.

Soto is a grown man who will make his decision for himself. The psychoanlysis is tedious:

“There is a rigid, robotic-like, buttoned-up feel to the Yankees...there’s something to that type of environment versus the looser, maybe more fun type of environment that the Mets have. Maybe Juan Soto likes that as well.”

The Mets may be more fun than the Yankees.

I've heard his excuse many times when the Yankees are playing poorly.

The Mets are certainly in the running for Soto. They can afford him while many teams can't.

I wouldn't expect Soto to sign for a discount just because the Mets play super-competitive canasta games in the locker room and his teammates are allowed to grow lengthy sideburns.

I can imagine Cashman at the negotiating table, offering the perks that have infiltrated corporate America: "Final offer: Fifteen years, $750 million ... and a free Galaga machine in the locker room."

It's also an ironic observation, because which is it, Sal?

The Yankees are uptight? Or the Yankees lost the World Series because they lack fundamentals and need to tighten up?

Sports talk radio is mostly a grift.

A MLB team just won 94 games and made the World Series. The negative reaction wouldn't change even if the Yankees had won the World Series.

Because the answer is always to trade everyone or break down the team and start from scratch.

I mean ... is it even fun to concoct these scenarios and put them out on the air just to get a reaction?

Even after Stanton's performance in the playoffs, he isn't worth much. He's a fragile one-trick pony. I wouldn't even be hesitant to trade him to an AL East rival.

So trade Giancarlo Stanton.

Trade Giancarlo Stanton to the Padres.

The Yankees will still have to pay 80% of his salary and, in return, the Yankees will get ... let's see ... ummm ... two minor league bullpen pitchers.

"Rebuilding the team" is a surefire key to success.

It's a bitter pill to swallow, but no one is arguing with him.

This is all true, but the regular season counts, too.

"The Braves got unlucky because they had to play a double header" is weak.

The Braves had to play a double header because they didn't win enough games in the regular season.

Then, they didn't get a first-round bye.

Like it or not, the teams aren't power-ranked when the playoffs start. Like it or not, the Yankees almost won the World Series. The bullpen pitched well, they hit a lot of home runs, they got their walks, and most of the games were very close.

Four games to one isn't close, but the crowing is because it's fun to beat the Yankees' brand. The brand has outperformed the team for decades.

It is accurate to say that talent lost out to fundamentals, but as is the case with the 2024 Yankees, their talent almost compensated for their lack of fundamentals. The World Series was not a Dodger blowout.

 

As for as Kelly's crowing, it's totally embarrassing and no one can dispute what he's saying.

It's Gary Sanchez being the only catcher in MLB history who jumps out of the way of the tag.

It's supposed future superstar Jasson Dominguez proudly proclaiming that he's going to practice his fielding. Because he wows the scouts with home runs, he apparently hasn't taken care of the fundamentals that he should have handled when he was fifteen years old.

Why doesn't Cole sprint to first base? I have no idea. You struck out two batters in a row with the bases loaded after your teammates committed back-to-back errors. That's the hard part. The sprint to first base is the celebratory easy part. Sprint to first base and get to Game Six and cross your fingers that Rodon pitches well.

Judge took his eye off the ball. It was a rare, poorly-timed goof up by a fundamentally sound player.

That was a shocker. It adds to his choker credentials for sure.

The rest of the Yankee garbage in the field and on the basepaths was entirely predictable and par for the course.

The headline and tag suggest this article is about the Jets.

It's gloating about the Yankee defeat.

Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, and the final coup de grace is a zinger lacking in self-awareness: "The Yankees are the other baseball team in town."

Then stop talking about them so much, huh?

The 3-6 Jets saved their season and are going to the Super Bowl.

The AL Champs Yankees are garbage.

Mookie Wilson, Mookie Wilson, Mookie Wilson.

Also, can we please discuss this bogus "transitive property" idea that the Mets outperformed the Yankees in 2024?

The Yankees made the World Series.

The Mets did not make the World Series.

The pride that the Mets take in losing to the eventual Champions? The same team that beat the Yankees?

Who even cares?

I don't remember any parades for the Yankees in 2017 ... or 2018 ... or 2022. Just Mission Not Accomplished: You Lost in the Playoffs.

Just like the Mets in 2024.

The Mets might be on the verge of a true dynasty, but Lupica has said the same thing for decades.

Alex Rodriguez is such a Yankee legend, Jazz Chisolm Jr. wears his uniform number.

I was listening and chuckling when ARod described the fifth inning as the worst meltdown he had seen in forty years. (Technically, he said "one of the worst.")

For one thing, have I got some 2024 Yankee clips to show you!

Most perplexing of all is the obvious observation that this dude was front and center in the Yankee collapse in the 2024 ALCS.

While I totally agree with all the postmortems ... WHY IS THIS THE FIRST I'M READING ABOUT IT? ABOUT THE YANKEE LACK OF FUNDAMENTALS? ANYWHERE BESIDES MY OWN BLOG?

This is why I thought the Yankees wouldn't get past the Royals.

Indulge in a Lupica gloat session.

Same template.

The current Yankees aren't as good as the Torre-era Yankees. 

What was your first clue over the past 20 years?

"Sure, they had the best record in the American League and won against garbage teams in the AL playoffs," that kind of thing.

It doesn't matter.

The Dodgers are better and the NL is better. The best teams don't always win the World Series, however, and I thought it was exciting and fun to make it.

Sorry if I had fun being a fan of a baseball team.

If winning the World Series is the only way to define success, then only the Dodgers were successful in 2024.

The oddball hypocrisy is his dismissal of the Dodgers payroll compared to, well ... I don't need to prove the case. 

I mean, he is kind of re-imagining the Torre-era Yankees after years of dismissing them as MLB-ruining Steinbrenner Stormtroopers.

But the really oddball thing is his insistence of rebuking an argument that no one is actually having.

No one is saying the Yankees are better than the Dodgers. No one is patting themselves on the back for almost winning.  No one is elevating this era to the dynasties of the past.

Where are you hearing these things, kind Sir? The voices in your head?

It's the World Series and the defensive ineptitude is making headlines.

Soto is a Gold Glove finalist, but I don't see it. 

Volpe already has one Gold Glove and is a finalist for another. I don't really agree. Maybe there's a defensive drought at shortstop in the AL?

Verdugo is a finalist and probably deserves it.

The best defensive starting OFer on the Yankees, in my opinion, is the one who isn't a finalist. Go figure. Or draw your own conclusions about the veracity of the Gold Glove award.

As for Gleyber, what else can be said about the man who consistently refuses to do the easy things?

It's a tad convenient to "blame" one play or another. The Dodgers had lots of scoring opportunities, only hit a couple of sac flies, and didn't cash in until the final at-bat.

But as a mind exercise, imagine the following: "If Gleyber Torres can catch a relay throw from the outfield, the Yankees will win Game One of the World Series."

So you sign up for that bargain, and you still lose.

 

Unearned runs and ineptitude with RISP.

I totally missed the deal with the ninth-inning intentional walk. I somehow missed the consequence of Verdugo throwing the ball from the stands. I thought runners were still on first and second.

It's still a risky move because, with the bases loaded, you can't afford a walk or a HBP.

Which means Cortes is under more pressure to throw a first-pitch strike.

Which means ... well, it happened.

I agree with Klapisch that Cole should have stayed in longer.

 I can't say for sure that Hill would have gotten Freeman out, but that is also a fair criticism of Boone.

 I'm still traumatized by the ridiculous walk to Muncy. Cousins has to challenge Muncy instead of just giving away an at-bat. But this is the high-reward/high-risk Yankee bullpen.

We all saw what happened. The sloppy play in the field is very standard operating procedure for this team, especially in big spots, and it comes back to haunt them quite often.

Jazz manufactured a run in the tenth, which was a long-awaited pleasant surprise.

But the Yankees are precisely who they are. They hit one home run and almost won the game. They needed two home runs.

Giancarlo earned the MVP of the ALCS. My observation is not a criticism of his performance or of his MVP credentials.

It's just a really good microcosm of modern baseball.

A DH who batted .222. in the series end up being the obvious choice for MVP.

Of course, since all four hits were home runs, his slugging percentage for the series was .889.

The Mets have a "better future" than the Yankees, for sure!

The Mets didn't give up in Game Five of the ALCS.

Even after having a bad record in 2023, the Mets didn't give up in 2024. 

Gee.

The Yankees, on the other hand, one game away from the World Series, have no pitching and their superstar, Aaron Judge, is a bum.

This is why the Mets are better.

But we already knew that based on the Mets beating the Yankees 4-0 in the regular season and Lupica explaining this to us the past thirty years or so.

Lupica has always told us the Mets are better, and he is right.

Also, the Mets have a better future than the Yankees. Obviously.

Not sure how this conclusion reached ... details are for FanGraphs dorks ... but it's obvious to anyone who believes in Truth and Justice and Grittiness.

So if the Mets are better than the Yankees; and if the Yankees get further than the Mets in the playoffs; then the only conclusion is that the Yankees overachieved or the Mets underachieved.

This hasn't happened yet.

Next week is difficult to predict, much less the nebulous "future."

But if that happens, then that's the only conclusion one can logically reach.

I have zero confidence in Stroman.

If he's described as a secret weapon, then I suspect the Yankees will be hoist by their own petard.

That's from Shakespeare.

Because I'm super smart.

An 80% save percentage isn't very good.

I'm not being serious.

One out to go is tough to take, but the Yankee bullpen wasn't going to have an ERA of 0.00 forever.

A real Joe Namath over here.

A modern-day Mark Messier, don't you know?

Messier famously got a hat trick after he guaranteed a playoff victory. Symbolic and inspiring.

Jazz is batting .138 in the 2024 playoffs.

I know it's just his preferred way of communicating and psyching himself up. It's just clownish to me if you don't deliver.

"Not ... crisp."

"Rizzo did not start Game 3, as manager Aaron Boone went with utility infielder Jon Berti against the left-handed Matt Boyd.

While it was an adventure at time [sic] for Berti, he got through most of the game without a crucial mistake. Boone would later use Rizzo as a defensive replacement in the later innings and the veteran first baseman was not as crisp."

The Yankees are heavy favorites, evidently.

12-1?

OK, fine.

I hope 12 out of 13 experts are correct.

So the Guardians are not a third-round bye?

“They’re way better than anything the Yankees will have faced this year,” Sal said of Cleveland. “The bullpen, the defense, even the lineup, while it’s not as deep as the Yankees, it’s far better than what the Yankees saw with the Royals. So they’re gonna face their toughest challenge.”

He is correct in the sense that the perception is incorrect. The perception is that the AL Central are a bunch of farm teams for the coasts and that the Yankees have an easy path to the World Series.

As for the Yankees' lineup, it's lots of things.

It's effective, as explained many times before, mostly due to walks and home runs. They hit into too many double plays, have trouble hitting situationally, and have a slumpy way of forgetting how to hit with RISP.

One thing it is not is deep.

Even with Gleyber doing the job from the leadoff spot and, in my opinion. a competent catcher who is due for some productivity from the cleanup spot ... the Yankee lineup is basically two great hitters and that's about it.

“They don’t have the starters that Kansas City had...but the Yankees don’t hit in the postseason! That’s been the given. I wish I could say I was encouraged with the first four games of the Yankees postseason...but the Guardians can pitch and play excellent defense, and I don’t think they’re gonna be intimidated at all by the Yankees. This is gonna be a very difficult series...I think the Guardians can win this series very easily.”

The Yankees also have a tendency to beat themselves.

They mostly played "clean" in the first round of the playoffs.

I foresee an infuriating situation where the Guardians score a few tide-turning runs that the Yankees give away. A walk on a pitch clock violation; a catcher's interference; a wild pitch; and an error on a tailor-made GIDP.

 

 

There's a word for fly balls that are almost home runs but caught by the outfielder.

They are known as outs.

Almost fair balls are foul, almost strikes are balls, almost wins are losses.

Besides, I'll take my chances in an extra-innings battle of the bullpens.

When Erik Kratz talks, people listen.

He is certainly entitled to his opinion. The proof is in the pudding and I don't think he's correct in this instance. In any case, the "ex-Yankee" angle is just click bait. When you think of ex-Yankees, Kratz falls somewhere between Mike Jerzembeck and Henry Rodriguez.

It's both. Why can't it be both? It's obviously both.

"You can blame the enigma that is Carlos Rodon, he of three lights-out innings before imploding in the fourth, all you want for the Yankees’ Game 2 loss, but the fact is, he had one bad inning and the bullpen was aces for five behind him."

I mean, he sort of kept his team in the game, if that counts for anything. I suppose it does.

It wasn't a complete disaster. I've seen worse.

But "one bad inning" always means it's a bad start. You don't get credit for almost getting out of an inning.

"To Boomer & Gio, it was the other side, where the Yanks had just five hits entering the ninth and squandered multiple opportunities, that bears the brunt of the loss."

Sure.

Two runs isn't enough.

So in yesterday's game, the offense was bad and the starting pitcher was bad.

The bullpen was excellent. Both games. Zero runs combined.

" '... he pitched much better this year than he did in previous years, and you would think that he’s gonna be a guy that's gonna at least get us through six innings – but they used eight pitchers last night.' ”

Did he pitch much better this year?

He got a lot of wins.

He surged at the end of the year to get his ERA down to around 4.00.

I certainly did not think he would get through six innings.

He pitched 175 innings in 32 starts. A lot of those starts against non-playoff teams. Do the math, kind sir.

The other aspect which unfortunately played out is that the guy seems to be a head case, which is bad news in the playoffs.

Et tu, Clase?

Most Yankee fans envision a disastrous blown save in the playoffs by a second-rate "closer" and they blame Cashman for his unwillingness to spend extravagantly on ... who?

"We don't want another Aroldis Chapman nightmare."

So who's the reliable closer?

There aren't any left.

Score some runs, play good defense, and don't rely on one player to be infallible.

This is a convoluted way of saying it ...

 ... but look around what is happening in the playoffs.

Mariano Rivera isn't walking through that door.

The Yankees already have a good bullpen. It's a strength of the team, not a weakness. That includes Holmes, even though he deserved his demotion.

 

Diaz just blew a save for the Mets in the eighth inning. I'm not surprised at all. We shouldn't forget that he also blew a save in the first game of the Braves doubleheader, setting the stage for Lindor's memorable home run. I don't think Diaz was expected to get a seven-out save today, but he couldn't even get through the eighth.

Now we'll see if the Phillies "closer" can close it out in the ninth.

Hader was "hittable" in the first round, even though most of the runs allowed weren't charged to him.

 

Devin Williams: 1.25 ERA in the regular season, 21.60 ERA in the postseason.

 

I believe in Clase. I also think he's one of a kind of all the current players in MLB. 

So unless you can imagine a scenario where the Guardians are going to trade Clase to the Yankees, the Yankees should feel quite comfortable going with what they've got.

It's just ten innings.

Nine and two-thirds, to be precise.

But the postseason ERA for Clay Holmes is 0.00.

The distrust and anger directed towards this player is overwrought and misguided.

Also, I will predict right now that, at some point in his career, he will allow at least one run in the postseason.

When it happens, the Yankee fans will pounce with a collective, "Told ya so."

Kudos to Peter Sblendorio at the Daily News for noticing that Clay Holmes pitched well in yesterday's game.

Stroman out.

My blog post from September 17:

"So that's five. If you want to put Stroman on the playoff roster, that's six, though I'm not sure why you would do that.

In what possible scenario is Stroman going to be more reliable out of the bullpen than Holmes? In which pitching statistic is Stroman better than Holmes?"

Opinions!

One big surprise over at MLB.com:

"Although the Dodgers won the NL West by five games with MLB's best record (98-64) and have a high-powered lineup featuring Shohei Ohtani (making his postseason debut after the first 50-50 season in MLB history), Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, our experts think the Padres are headed for their second NLDS triumph over Los Angeles in three years."

Oh, I see what he's saying. OK.

“Something magical happened. That moment is as significant in met history as any. You cannot hit a bigger home run. In fact, no one ever has. He is the first player in baseball history to hit a lead-changing home run in the ninth inning or later in a winner-take-all game in the history of the sport. That is a moment that no other fanbase has.”

So while I instantly thought of Gibson and Carter in the World Series, those weren't winner-take-all games.

OK, Mr. McGonigle.

We're good.

 

For the past few months, I have been thinking that the Mets had a better chance than the Yankees to win the World Series. If the Mets make the playoffs. If the Mets get past the first round.

The Mets barely cleared those hurdles, but they cleared those hurdles.

I'm not emotionally hedging, it's just my analysis of the teams.

I don't think the Yankees are getting past the Royals.

A typical take is Andy Martino's, where he acknowledges some of the team's glaring and persistent shortcomings, but minimizes them.

I, on the other hand, predict these shortcomings be amplified in the postseason, and it will be exceedingly frustrating to see a team lose because of unforced errors:

"The Yanks must also squash some of the mistakes that popped up a little too frequently during the season. They’ve blundered on the bases – can’t run into dopey outs with this much firepower in the lineup – and they made 93 errors, the seventh-most in MLB. Of the six teams with more, only one made the playoffs – the Mets, who had 94."

I also specifically predict, while rooting desperately for the opposite, is that the crucible of the playoffs will crush deer-in-the-headlights Volpe. I expect horrible performances at the bat, on the basepaths (assuming he gets on base), and in the field.

The Yankees will not play small ball. I don't even know what Suzyn is talking about. It's whether or not they can homer their way out of sloppy play. It's how many people are on base when they hit their home runs.

Pete Alonso does nothing in big spots.

 

Diaz is the closer.

We know Maton wasn't going to pitch the ninth.

Therefore, Maton wasn't going to get a save.

Therefore, Maton didn't blow a non-existent save.

I know I'm the only person on the planet consistently bugged by the misunderstanding of this particular stat, but it's easy to solve. Anything before the ninth inning is a blown hold.

It really is OK for the official scorer to make a judgment call.

A journeyman middle reliever in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and a one-run lead is not expected to close out the next four innings. If he keeps the game close and merely allows a sac fly, he gets a blown save.

The save stat is silly and arbitrary in its own right.

The blown save stat is not accurate in any way.

Maybe 1/4th of blown saves are actually blown saves -- a game you legitimately expected to win, where your lead in runs exceeded the number of innings remaining, and your closer was pitching.

Also, if people are going to assume that your team lost a game in which you blew the save, then just adjust the stat likewise. Nobody gets a blown save if your team wins the game. Or maybe have a team stat that accounts for this.

Byes in the first round are advantageous.

"Sal says the Mets have the manager in Carlos Mendoza, the star power with Francisco Lindor, and the collection of hitters who know their roles and get it done in big spots, from Jose Iglesias to Tyrone Taylor and Jesse Winker."

I'm not saying the Mets can't win the World Series. I'm not saying the Mets won't win the World Series

I will say that, if the Mets don't win tomorrow, Mendoza's stock plummeted based on one play.

Why wasn't Diaz pitching in the eighth inning, Grady Little? I mean, Carlos Mendoza?

"As everything seems to be coming together, Sal says these Mets have a good shot to be one of the more improbable World Series champions in recent memory."

Errr ... the Texas Rangers from 2023 don't qualify as recent? 

 

“'At this point, I don’t think we can put any ceiling on this team,' Sal said. 'Anything is possible. They continue to show us how good they’ve been. I think they have as good a chance as anybody else to win the World Series.'”

Not true.

Because four teams have already advanced past the first round.

Because: Math.

At the time this article was written, the Mets were a two-game losing streak away from being eliminated from the playoffs.

Now, it's a one-game losing streak.

 

Brian Cashman is smarter than you.

By "you," I don't mean the Diamondbacks owner, though Cashman is smarter than the Diamondbacks owner.

I mean "you," all the people who zeroed in on Montgomery one year ago just because they thought Montgomery's limited success for a World Series champion makes Brian Cashman look ridiculous.

So stupid.

Baseball players move all over the league all the time.

The Mets have ex-Yankees Severino and Bader, who the Yankees just released or didn't pursue. 

Did I forget to mention Adam Ottavino? "How could the Yankees get rid of bullpen help? I'm so much smarter than Brian Cashman! I'm going to call up WFAN and let them know."

Imagine my surprise to see Gio Urshela on the Braves.

In 2024, he went from one playoff team, the Tigers, to another playoff team! Everywhere that Gio Urshela goes, the team wins. Not really, but in 2024 only.

Giancarlo Stanton looks ready for the playoffs.

On Thursday, Stanton had a home run and four RBIs and is ready for the playoffs. He is the "X-Factor."

Which is really good news.

Because on Tuesday, he was 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts. On Tuesday, he was the "K-Factor."

Verdugo is no Roy White. Verdugo is not even Rondell White. But he's going to start in LF for the Yankees in the playoffs.

Pay attention, people.

The Yankees are not going to put this guy in the outfield in the playoffs.

It's not as if Dominguez is tearing the cover off the ball. A .200 batting average and a couple of home runs.

I find all of this baffling, but I shouldn't be surprised anymore. The fielding is the easy part. Go shag some fly balls in the summer afternoon. Hit the cutoff man once in a while.

Learn the basics and fundamentals of playing baseball. 

Sure, the Yankee prospects are "young" by professional baseball standards, but I knew how to do this stuff when I was ten years old.

Heck, Gleyber plays baseball as if he doesn't understand the fundamentals of physics and how physical objects interact in the world. "If I slide when I'm fifteen feet away from third base, will I reach the base? If I throw the baseball to a spot that is ten feet away from second base, won't gravity pull it back to Volpe? Like, the Coriolis Effect?"

Nice slide.

He is hitting well lately, but he still plays like Larry from Accounting at the company's softball game.

Weak take.

I have relatively high hopes for the future of Jasson Dominguez, but his recent hot streak brought his batting average up to .195.

We know why the Yankees prefer Verdugo.

He isn't a horrible situational hitter, but most of all ... HE CAN FIELD.

As for Holmes, this is a silly narrative that has taken on a life of its own. 

He is in a slump, but he's a good pitcher, and the only reason anyone notices his slump is because he was designated as the closer. The non-Holmes bullpen is quite good, but its collective ERA is not 0.00. Too many BBs, HBPs, wild pitches, wild pickoff throws, and other self-defeating nonsense.

Is Tim Mayza going to be on the postseason roster? He allowed a home run yesterday vs. Baltimore! Also, a walk!

Is Ian Hamilton going to be on the postseason roster? He allowed a home run yesterday, too! He doesn't have what it takes. He chokes in the big games.

The anti-Holmes Society is out of control and has been for a while. He can induce a double play, he doesn't give up a lot of home runs, he has 29 saves this season. As is the fashion, he tries to be too perfect, resulting in high Ks and high BBs. It wouldn't shock me if he is used during a playoff game and bails out a starter who has left runners on base.

As for the closer, it's fine. Try Weaver or Kahnle or maybe one of the lefties if the situation demands. I hope it works out in the playoffs. Each game is "must win" or "pivotal," isn't it?

I'll worry about 2025 when it gets here. Holmes will never close again, and that's fine. The thing is, if you give Weaver 100 "save opportunities," and you surround him with a garbage infield, he's going to get a lot of blown saves as well.

Keep it up, Gleyber.

Tearing it up in the leadoff spot and in September. Can he keep it up in October? Did a flip switch and maybe he stopped trying to hit home runs every time?

Opinions are like armpits.

I have no particular predictive ability or inside information regarding who will be named to the Yankees' starting rotation the playoffs.

I seem to be the only person who is insistent that Clarke Schmidt should be in the starting rotation.

This isn't a difficult decision, in my opinion.

Schmidt is a better choice than Rodon or Cortes. Schmidt will not go deep into games, so maybe that's why the Yankees will pass him over.

Rodon has been good lately, but I'm more concerned about a Rodon first-inning meltdown than I am about Schmidt's inability to get through the lineup three times.

We need to talk about Jordan.

No one mentions Jordan Montgomery's 6.23 ERA. His $25 million contract isn't worth a 6.23 ERA. Cashman must be a genius? No?

Not reality.

I believe 12 pitchers are typical for a playoff roster. 

Top three starters in my mind are Cole, Gil, and Schmidt. I don't think it's debatable.

The fourth starter I suppose is Rodon, though I'd be just as comfortable (read: uncomfortable) with Stroman. 

Cortes goes to the bullpen, undermined by his own versatility and, gee, a 3.90 ERA doesn't distinguish him from the others.

So that's five. If you want to put Stroman on the playoff roster, that's six, though I'm not sure why you would do that.

In what possible scenario is Stroman going to be more reliable out of the bullpen than Holmes? In which pitching statistic is Stroman better than Holmes?

OK, but let's just say for the purpose of discussion that Stroman makes the roster. That's six and there are six more to go.

In order to eliminate Holmes from the roster ... why are we doing this? ... you'd need to find six players in the Yankees bullpen who are better than Holmes.

1. Kahnle

2. Weaver

3. Cousins

4. and 5. Hill and Mayza because you want lefties?

6. Ian Hamilton? Rob Marinaccio?

OK, I suppose this is possible, but I think Holmes is the fourth-best pitcher in the bullpen ... and I wouldn't even include Stroman on the roster in the first place.

So while I think it's obvious that Holmes is on the roster due to the simple math involved, Keith McPherson has other ideas:

"Keith would give the spot to nearly anybody else at this point, including youngster Clayton Beeter, an exicting pitching prospect brought over in the Joey Gallo trade who is finally fully healthy this season."

Clay Holmes is a two-time all star with 29 saves this season, but McPherson is ready to put Clayton Beeter on the playoff roster to save the Yankees' season.

Fine.

Let's hope the offense and defense show up and we don't have to pin our hopes on either Holmes or Beeter. Maybe we can agree on that.

 

Volpe in the clutch.

2024 RISP: .205.

2024 two outs RISP: .217.

Technically speaking, these are improvements over last season.

So if he keeps it up, maybe he will bat .300 with RISP by the year 2120.

The same article for 25 years at least.

The Mets are playing better than the Yankees.

No one anywhere is saying otherwise.

You know how I know the Mets are playing better than the Yankees? I looked at the standings. The "last ten games" and such. This fact isn't officially verified because Mike Lupica says so.

So why does anyone even care if the Yankees are "overshadowing" the Mets? What does that even mean? Where does Mike Lupica think sports fans are going to consume sports information?

If you're a Mets fan, you pay attention to the Mets. If you're a Yankee fan, you pay attention to the Yankees.

If you want to read about the Mets, you have plenty of places devoted specifically to the Mets. Most of the WFAN hosts are Mets fans. The only time WFAN talks about the first-place Yankees is to complain about them.

The boring Yankees have a three-game lead on the Orioles. The mediocre Yankees have the best record in the AL. The tedious Yankees just won a game on an Aaron Judge grand slam. The meh Yankees sell out every game.

The Mets will probably make the playoffs, but they might not. If they miss the playoffs, that would take the wind out of Lupica's sails, wouldn't it?

The Mets don't have nearly as much room for error as the Yankees, that's for sure.

One blown save or a ball lost in the sun and they lose a game they should have won. The Braves go on a winning streak of their own and suddenly the Mets are on the outside looking in. Lupica's next article is about how the Mets would have won the World Series if Bader had just hit the cutoff man that one time.

It's why you play 162.

It's why games in April and May count.

I know "making the playoffs" is a low bar for the Yankees, but they didn't make the playoffs last year.

There's not much to talk about as the Yankees slog through September. First place in the AL East should be a carrot that gives every game a sense of urgency, but it isn't.

Seth Lugo is the big concern keeping the Yankees from #28? Sure. Why not?

The Yankees might not face the Royals in the playoffs.

The Yankees might face the Royals and score six runs off Lugo in the first inning.

If WFAN hosts have a hunch that the Yankee offense will stall out again in the playoffs, I'm certainly on board with that concern. 

I'm also concerned about the horrible defense, the goofy stuff like balks and wild pitches and HBPs, the inability to hit situationally if your name isn't Wells, GIDPs, and ineptitude with RISP.

The Yankees might HR their way out of their sloppy play and win a World Series.

The Yankees also have a good chance when the game is a battle of the bullpens.

Or they just might get lucky.

Or they just might get surprisingly good performances from mediocre players.

I'd be shocked beyond belief if the Yankees suddenly started playing crisp, smart "playoff" baseball in October.

Arguing with no one.

Verducci is undoubtedly thorough.

But everyone is recognizing the unique accomplishments of the soon-to-be three-time MVP.

The question and answer format just isn't effective or useful in this instance.

I'm flabbergasted that Ohtani has proven himself to be an excellent pitcher and elite power hitter ... and then, this year, out of nowhere, he just seemingly decides to go out and steal fifty bases.

This is not even counted as an unearned run.

Yankee pitchers have allowed five runs over the past 3 1/3 games. One home run. Three unearned run plus this garbage "earned" run.

Gleyber doesn't even look like a professional athlete.

I might be able to play second base better than Gleyber.

Sure, the Yankees are not going to win 100 games.

The Dodgers are the best team. The Phillies have slumped a bit, but they're good. I think the Brewers and Guardians are underrated, but that's just my personal opinion. If the Yankees are mediocre, then there is simply no room for many teams to be good.

Bill Madden can stop living in the past any day now.

The Yankees have one championship in the past 23 years. This isn't news.

To single out Verdugo and Holmes is downright weird and petty.

The other faces of the mediocre Yankees are: Rodon, Cortes, Stroman, Gleyber, Rizzo, Volpe, LeMahieu, Chisolm, Stanton, Wells, Trevino, Grisham, and pretty much the entire bullpen ... though, to be honest, the bullpen has been quite good, and that includes Holmes. Holmes is just under scrutiny because he was assigned the role of "closer" and he isn't Mariano Rivera.

Who did I miss?

Oswaldo Cabrera, Ben Rice, Jon Berti, Jahmai Jones, Taylor Trammell ... do any of these names ring a bell?

I take it back on Wells. I'll elevate Wells to "good."

Stanton has been better than I expected, but get serious. He's a one-trick pony who will strike out every time if the pitcher executes three good pitches.

So, in summary:

Three great players (Judge, Soto, and Cole elevated on account of he's the reigning CYA winner).

Three good players (Wells, Gil, and Schmidt).

Everyone else on the team is mediocre at best.

If you're looking for the "faces of mediocrity" on the 2024 Yankees, you're going to need a camera with a wide lens. One of those panoramic views.

And away we go ...

I am not getting into this bad math again, but it's simply incorrect and based on a misunderstanding of what actually happened in the games and what a blown save is:

“I understand that there's other situations which we've hit a lot, like DJ LeMahieu, but there’s nothing to decipher anymore: what you do with Clay Holmes is you tell him you're not a closer anymore, that's it. He has blown eight of his last 18 games, and I know that there seems like there's a lot wrong with the Yankees, but think about this: if you only blew two or three, which most quality closers do if that many, the Yankees are up four games and their entire world seems very different.”

"If that many."

There are no closers whose save percentage is 94%, ever.

Mariano's career save% was 90%.

Holmes is going through a tough stretch. I'm not making excuses. He never was an elite closer, but for a while he was an all star closer. He isn't playing like an all star anymore.

Whether or not the fans "trust" him is based mostly on reputation. He is having, more or less, the same season as Edwin Diaz. Diaz became a fan favorite in his roller coaster Mets career and is therefore cut slack.

 

As for the alternatives?:

"BT has another idea:

'Holmes is out, Luis Gil is in, that’s it,' BT said. 'Clarke Schmidt, you're in the rotation, Luis Gil, you’re the closer, Clay Holmes, you're done.' "

The pitcher with the most walks in the major leagues is your closer in the playoffs. A pitcher with a staggering 4.8 walks per nine innings. A rookie who walks 4.8 batters per nine innings. A rookie with no closer experience who walks 4.8 batters per nine innings. He is the solution. He is the guy you're bringing into the ninth inning of a can't-lose playoff game with a one-run lead.

The batters on the Twins are just going to stand at home plate, pinky swear not to swing the bat, and put the champagne on ice.

If you walk a batter, the run will score. Yankee relievers should live by that motto.

I'm not defending Holmes. When the closer is bad, the losses are bad.

I don't understand the walks. I think it's more than just a lack of focus or a lack of ability. I think it's a strategic shortcoming throughout the entire Yankee team, and maybe throughout MLB.

I also don't think anyone else on this team would be better-suited as a closer. If the struggles continue, we might see Rodon try to close out a game in the playoffs. Maybe it works, who knows? I know for sure that the drama will build with a lot of full counts and fifteen-pitch at-bats.

As for last night's game:

• I also think Boone made a mistake by pitching Holmes the previous night. A lot of pitches over two nights.
• The LeMahieu error is typical of this team and, if he isn't a reliable fielder, then he has no place on the roster.
• The mental baserunning blunder by Chisolm. What is up with this stuff?

A walkoff grand slam obliterates a lot of good things in a baseball game. It also masks a lot of the other problems that just gave runs to the other team or took runs off the board for your team.

Shaking up the AL East, Rizzo returns to the lineup.

Batting seventh may limit his ability to do what he does best: Ground into double plays.

I disagree with the notion that Rodon will be in the Yankees' playoff rotation.

So far tonight, Rodon has allowed one home run, one walk, one wild pitch, one balk, five stolen bases, and four earned runs.

 In two innings. 

He has allowed nine home runs in 27 "first innings."

If one thing goes wrong in the first inning of a playoff start, he will melt down. If he melts down, the Yankees will not win the game. If they don't win the game, they probably don't win the series.

Joey Gallo and Jordan Montgomery

Anthony Volpe is not clutch.

RISP

2024: 19-for-97, .196.

Career: 42-for-210, .200.

Two outs, RISP

 2024: 13-for-62, .210.

Career: 21-for-117, .179.

Way.

I remember being a detractor of this guy for the first three seasons. Rightfully so, if you look at his first three seasons.

The sky's the limit for a team that demonstrates professionialism and poise.

Rockies' third inning:

• Ezequiel Tovar doubled to left
• Ezequiel Tovar to third on balk
• Brenton Doyle singled to center, Ezequiel Tovar scored
• Brenton Doyle to second on balk
• Ryan McMahon struck out swinging
• Brendan Rodgers flied out
• Michael Toglia reached on catcher's interference
• Jake Cave singled to left center, Michael Toglia to second, Brenton Doyle scored
• Nolan Jones doubled to deep center, Jake Cave scored, Michael Toglia scored
• Drew Romo struck out swinging

 

 

 

But seriously ...

... why does Volpe strike out so much?

Sal has a problem with the Yankees. The Yankees are not good enough to satisfy Sal.

They might win the World Series, and that would be fine, but they should be dominant.

"Confidence was high after 2017, and even after 2019, but since after the Wild Card clunker in ’21, the Houston sweep in ’22, and last year’s October off, it seems like falling short is all the Yankees ever do."

Yeah, it's all they do.

 

" 'Their record says the Yankees have the most wins in baseball, but I don't care what their record says – no team in baseball is on pace for 100 wins, so all the Yankees are is one of a bunch of teams that can win the World Series just because the odds are you're in the postseason, so you have a chance to win a World Series…not because they're built to be a World Series team. Big difference.' "

I'm not sure what planet you've been living on the past 25 years.

The Yankees are a successful marketing campaign, basically, living off past glory. 

In that sense, they remind me of New York City in general and WFAN as well, come to think of it. 

Sal:Mad Dog::Rizzo:Gehrig.

Enjoy the magic of Soto and Judge and that's it. They will probably lose in the playoffs, but from a fan's perspective, I'm enjoying this duo performing at tip top level on the same team in the same season.

Saves are a stupid stat. Blown saves are even stupider.

“Man, he’s blown 10 saves,” Boomer said. “Think about where they would be if he just did his job half the time.”

I think Mr. Genius means "done his job" half the time in the games with blown saves. Which would mean five blown saves instead of ten. "Doing his job half the time" ignores the 26 successful saves.

I'm not delusional enough to think Holmes is an elite closer. There aren't many elite closers. If there were, then the word would lose its meaning. But he's been good all season, with a small number of horrible outings.

I mean, it takes two minutes to look this up on the Internet.

The Yankees have won three of the games in which Holmes has blown the save.

In four of Holmes's ten blown saves, he has allowed zero earned runs. That's one of my favorite stats, actually.

Bad defense; grounding into double plays; never throwing out opposing base stealers; pitchers all over the place who walk too many batters at inopportune times and also hit them with a lot of pitches at inopportune times; inability to hit situationally or hit with RISP.

Do any of these problems sound familiar?

Doesn't anyone watch the games?

Doesn't anyone remember this gem where lizard-brained commenters put the blame on Holmes because he didn't just strike out all the batters?

The general consensus is that Holmes will blow a save in the playoffs and this will cost the Yankees a trip to the World Series. 

I say the Yankees get swept in a three-game series in which they score a grand total of five runs, allow seven unearned runs, and bat 1-for-24 with RISP. Holmes has an ERA of 0.00 while pitching one inning in a Game Three loss. Boone decides to use Holmes in a non-save situation because, when your team is shutout, there ain't no save situation.

I can even describe in great detail the first inning of any playoff game started by Stroman, Rodon, or Cortes. The first two outs will come easily. Then an 0-2 count on the third batter becomes a 12-pitch full count foul-ball-fest until the batter walks. Then a stolen base with a throw into centerfield. Followed by a wild pitch. So it's 1-0. But now pitcher is flustered. A HBP, an error on a pickoff throw, an error by Gleyber or Volpe scores run #2. Then a walk, walk, walk, walk, grand slam. It is 8-0 and Suzyn is explaining how it is frustrating because he was one pitch away from getting out of the inning. Also, there is some action in the Yankee bullpen by this point.

What Boomer is imagining is five more wins for the Yankees. I guess. I am applying logic to illogical and ignorant observations.

So where would the Yankees be if Holmes had done his job half the time? Five more wins. That was easy math. Ten divided by two is five last time I checked. Then the Yankees are in first place by five games instead of tied for first place. That's how things work!

But that silly analysis requires imagining a closer with a 100% save percentage and a shortstop who can field ground balls in the ninth inning.

Who?

I can shut down this entire conversation with one observation.

If this rule is implemented, then the pitcher just has to walk the batter on four pitches and claim it was not intentional.

The sample size is large enough now that I can safely conclude that Volpe is a choker.

200+ career at-bats with RISP and a batting average of .200.

110+ at-bats with two outs and RISP and a batting average of .180.

Also, what's with all the strike outs? With RISP, can you please focus on putting the ball in play? Do you think you're going to hit a grand slam?

Having good players is actually bad.

 Alternate title: "It's a nice problem to have":

“Every home run this guy hits…the price goes up. Honestly, he’s pricing himself out of the Yankees,” Sal said. “They know this is gonna be a ridiculous price. I’m not sure they would go to those extents.”

I just read that two times to be sure, and I must conclude that Sal Licata doesn't know what the word "honestly" means.

The Yankees are playing the Rangers, who are the current World Series champions.

The Rangers are a mediocre team that won the World Series. They're right in front of you and they strongly support the argument that the baseball postseason is a crapshoot:

"I love it when I still hear about what a 'crapshoot' the postseason is in baseball."

It is.

"What, it wasn't a crapshoot when Mr. Torre's Yankees were winning four World Series in five years and nearly making it five out of six?"

It was a crapshoot. Ask the superior Braves in 1996. Or the inferior Diamondbacks in 2001. Or the inferior Marlins in 2003.

Not sure why he stopped at five out of six when it was "nearly" six out of eight.

The "nearly" part kind of contradicts his entire argument, if you think about it.

It's excruciating, isn't it? 

"Nearly" winning is the same thing as "losing," and it's cut and dried, it's all or nothing, it's binary.

It's a bloop single into centerfield, it's non-HOFer Graeme Lloyd getting HOFer Fred McGriff to ground into a double play. You put your best team out there and hopefully they'll play with poise and skill. But you just never know what is going to happen.

Kind of like every time a roll of the dice craps out it was "nearly" a winner. Which is why it's a good analogy.

"That is still the biggest and best reason why Torre is the greatest Yankee manager of them all, even if others won more World Series than he did."

To the victors go the spoils. Only a fool would ignore the fact that luck plays a part in it.

The earlier Yankee dynasties didn't have to deal with multiple playoff rounds, did they?

The Torre era didn't have to deal with three wild card teams in each league.

Each round of the playoffs is just Bayesian Logic writ large in the sporting world.

Conclusion? Yeah ... it's a crapshoot.

The White Sox are bad. How bad are they?

They have lost seventeen in a row and it barely even makes the news.

Gleyber Torres turns a double play in the ninth inning.

Chisolm is not a big name.

I mean, when I heard the first name with the last name, I was able to identify who he was. "That guy." 

But when I first heard the Yankees got "Chisolm," I wasn't sure who they were talking about.

 

It's kind of the inevitable result of the trade deadline deals every year.

"Once again" going after a big name, he says. Because the Yankees are constantly landing superstars at the trade deadline. Because Benintendi is also a big name, or something?

I mean, it's been a while. Cone in 1995, Justice in 2000 ... anybody else in the past 24 years who is worth mentioning?

Glenallen Hill? That's like a Chisolm-level "big name." A guy whose jersey is ranked in the top 200 at MLB.com.

I'm probably missing somebody. I know a lot of relievers come and go. Armando Benitez that one time and maybe a few others I don't remember.

But the trade deadline overall is a bunch of hype with minimal impact.

Some people lack self-awareness.

Thirteen errors and a defensive WAR of -0.1 ... which seems like a generous defensive WAR to my eyes.

Sure. Why not? He is probably better than Holmes.

I'll admit this guy was under my radar. 

Just be wary of a player who has a dominating half a season; A guy who walks five players per nine innings.

I know Yankee fans are envisioning a five-K bailout performance in Fenway last night, but you might get a walk, walk, HBP, wild pitch Dellin Betances Special. Throw in a Volpe error and a Gleyber botched double play you've got my vision of a Yankee playoff game.

Also, it's quite a hilarious situation when an average old bullpen guy finds a dominant stretch for 40 innings and millions of sports radio callers around the nation assume he's going to join their team and save their team:

"According to Jon Heyman, several teams are in pursuit of Scott: The New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Mariners." 

You know what?

I'm not even being cynical.

Go ahead and get this guy and make him the new closer.

If Holmes is really a horrible pitcher, then the Yankees will still be vulnerable in the 7th and 8th innings.

There simply is no formula for success in the playoffs. If the Marlins want our entire starting infield for a reliever rental, I'd make that trade today.

But why would the Marlins want to buy anything the Yankees are selling?

It's noticeable at the plate and in the field.

Volpe is cut a lot of slack because he's young and likable.

His career stats:

• RISP: .198.
• Two outs RISP: .153.

If he's not a choker, he'll do until the choker gets here.

Because he's young, there is a lot of room for improvement and it's likely he will improve.

But if you look around this touted infield, it's total garbage. The Yankees would probably be better off with some of their castoffs. IKF, Refsnyder, Voit, and Urshela come to mind.

It's only shocking if you don't know how baseball works.

The wild card kind of ruins everything, if you ask me.

If you made me choose right now, I'd pick the Guardians and the Dodgers in the World Series.

These analyses don't even mean anything: "Can the Mets beat the Phillies in a short series?"

Of course they can. The Rockies beat the Red Sox by 13 runs last night. The A's could beat the Phillies in a short series.

The Mets will probably make the playoffs. That's all you need. The Padres might knock off the Phillies and the Mets won't need to.

Put it this way, and this should be obvious: It's easier to win the World Series than it is to catch the Phillies. 

I'd be impressed if they caught the Phillies.

MLB should get rid of the wild card and force the Mets to get serious and make some aggressive moves.

It has gone on long enough, that is true.

I would never say anything has hit "rock bottom," because you probably haven't seen it yet.

It was the two-out, two-strike game-tying home run by Masataka Yoshida.

Then it was the back-to-back errors with two outs in the ninth in Baltimore with first place on the line. Ridiculous. I've watched a lot of baseball, and I'm not sure if I've ever seen a more embarrassing display.

Now it's the embarrassing finale vs. the Mets.

Crosstown rivals? I really don't care about that part. Neither team is going anywhere in the playoffs in my opinion. Either could prove me wrong in October. Both could prove me wrong in October. Next thing you know, it's Cole vs. Manaea in Game One of the World Series with Benny Agbayani leading off for the Mets.

The whole thing about outlooks and "on pace to win" and "if they go .500 from this point forward" is that you just don't know when a team is going to go on a streak or a slump.

One of the most overlooked aspects of the Yankees' slump is that the Big Bad Orioles haven't been much better.

I guess the narrative isn't really "Big Bad Orioles."

It's more "Up and Coming Orioles."

"Fresh Faced Orioles."

A cool drink of water in a division dominated by the Yankees for decades (though the division has not actually been dominated by the Yankees for decades).

I'm also not dismissing 30 bad games. A .700 team has fallen to .600. If they really keep up the .333 winning percentage, they'll fall completely out of the playoff picture. 

This probably won't happen.

They're the 90-win team we always thought they were. They just have a roller coaster way of getting to 90 wins.

So what are we really talking about? 

What are we really concerned about? 

It's the attitude. The entertainment value. The team that rests on its laurels and reputation and sleepwalks its way through the regular season.

It's not even the final score of last night's game. It's the fact that when the Yankees fell behind by three runs in the fifth inning, you knew the game was over. You knew that Volpe was not going to come through with bases loaded. You knew that Gleyber was going to strike out with runners on base. Watching the Yankees is just changing the channel and checking in every forty minutes to see if it's time for Soto and Judge to get up again.

The Yankees have a better overall record. That's how you know.

The first seventy games count as much as the next seventy.

 

Are you saying which team is better tonight? The Mets for sure.

Are you saying which team is going to be better in the remaining sixty games? Probably the Mets. It's not easy to say.

Players and teams go through streaks and slumps. We see it every year and yet we always act oh-so surprised.

 

The argument for the Yankees being a better team is simple enough:

1. They have a better overall record.
2. They did it with Cole on the DL most of the season.
3. They expect to get Stanton and Schmidt back.

So then the way you decide is that each team plays 162 and you add up the wins. 

 

Also: Who really cares?

The Subway Series has no juice, both teams are mediocre, and mediocre may be less entertaining than truly awful.

 

Odds are both teams will make the playoffs as a wild card. 

I don't expect the Yankees to get far in the playoffs, but you never know. Maybe they'll get hot again at just the right time. Same goes for the Mets, I suppose. So if that's your criteria, then wait until then to decide who's "better."

I will say for sure that, similar to most Yankee teams of the past decade or so, this team seems to have no guts, no ability to perform in the clutch, and no ability to win big games.