The starting lineup for the biggest game of the year.

 Gleyber benched, Hicks in left field.

Judge has 51 HR and is batting .363 with RISP.

I actually don't care one bit if he isn't a vocal leader.

In a game in which he made two fielding errors and struck out twice, Donaldson was jawing with the opposing team's pitcher. One thing I know about leadership in MLB: .220 hitters can't be leaders.

LeMahieu is batting .189 with RISP this season.

Hicks has a .303 slugging percentage for the year.

The long-awaited return of Stanton has resulted in 3-for-31 and about 100 runners left on base.

Everyone already knows what the rest of the weekend will look like. 

The Yankees won't get shut out three times in the Tampa sweep ... three shutouts in a row isn't likely ... they'll manage five or six runs over the next couple of games.

Torres will hit an opposite field home run and we will once again be reminded that he is at his best when he gets behind the ball and goes to the opposite field.

Stanton will hit a home run and it will mean he's getting his timing back.

Donaldson will get an RBI single and it will be the hit that finally gets him going. It will also be the only hit the Yankees have with RISP this weekend. One-for-the-weekend with RISP.

Boone will say that he was encouraged by the "traffic" and good at-bats because the Yankees hit a few balls that died at the warning track. The sweep is disappointing but they're trying hard and will have to pick it up.

Showdown with the Rays

Like most Yankee fans, I think the Boone-era Yankees have a tendency to back down.

So the once-inconceivable descent into the wild card round seems like a strong possibility at this point.

That felt like a playoff preview as the Rays close in.

Five games on the loss side.

The same old weird story with Cole. A delayed start to the inning; an error by the shortstop; followed by an ill-timed "one bad pitch," which somehow wasn't his fault.

In a 3-2 loss, the offense deserves most of the blame, and that blame is spread around.

But Cole gets derailed by the littlest things all the time.

Also, I'd like to point out that nothing magical happens when the calendar flips to September. The Yankees haven't put August "behind them" just because the calendar says so. 

It's September and Mantle and Maris are walking through the door.

Joey Gallo hits an occasional home run.

His so-called big resurgence with LA is a .196 batting average, three home runs, and 22 strikeouts in 46 at-bats.

Six extra-base hits gives him a nice slugging percentage ... for now.

But if LA really wants this, they can have it.

Only ten players in MLB history with multiple 50-HR seasons.

Does not include Barry Bonds or Hank Aaron.

I kind of figured he had "peaked" in his rookie year. Lots of players peak early and lots of Baby Bombers certainly peaked early.

Yankees are only up six games on the loss side. When Judge downplays the personal accomplishment because his team lost, he sounds sincere.

"He should know better" is the mantra for Gleyber Torres.

"Torres didn’t come close to touching second base because his footwork was so poor. The so-called neighborhood play on double-play grounders usually resulted in outs until 2016 when those plays could be challenged for the first time.

Torres didn’t get to the majors until 2017, so he should know better.

...

Torres has had a much better season this year, hitting .242 with 18 homers and 50 RBI in 115 games, but he’s hit .168 with two homers and four RBI over his last 25 games since July 31. He was 0-for-4 in Monday’s loss."

Is it a "much better season," though?

Eighteen home runs is a lot for a second baseman, but that's it.

Horrible with RISP. 

Way too many strikeouts, double plays, and pop ups.

Everyone knows the problem. His swing is too big. The result is 18 home runs. Not enough. He should know better.

A baseball article from 1997.

Nothing excites the MLB community more than the short-lived success of ex-Yankees.

Gallo and Montgomery getting a ton of coverage for good starts with their new teams.

It reminds me of when Gary Sanchez hit a grand slam in his first week with the Twins. They can keep him. What a slob.

Phil Hughes made one all star game, and only one.

I'm selling all my Gallo and Montgomery stock right now. Come see me in two years when Gallo is DFAd because he struck out 120 times in 200 at-bats.

"Left-handed pitching!" 

Montgomery is not the second coming of Andy Pettitte. He's the second coming of Eric Milton.

OF COURSE Montas has to play better. I'm not convinced he will.

But I also think Bader will be the starting CFer in the playoffs, while Montgomery had no role on this team in the playoffs.

Speaking too soon.

For the guy who has 10 strikeouts in 19 at-bats and happened to connect on a couple of home runs early on. 

I can't say for sure what the future will hold, but I'm confident that Gallo stinks.

In any case, I'm baffled by the local infatuation with Gallo. Not a good player, never really was. The NY Post in particular. Devotes a lot of ink to Gallo, but never catches up with Andrew Velazquez batting .179, pontificating about Velazquez's mental well-being or his ability to handle pressure.

Red Sox pitchers almost combine for a "Maddux."

Nine inning shutout on 117 pitches.

Time of game: 2 hours and 15 minutes.

At Fenway, Sunday night prime time, Yankees vs. Red Sox. History would suggest they'd get through five innings in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

I conclude the Yankees didn't show up to play.

Gleyber 0-for-Fenway.

Yankees can't get the ghost runner home.

It wasn't your imagination.

I like Andujar well enough. I'm not anti-Andujar.

But it's time to put up or shut up.

Prime time, 27 years old, pennant stretch, complained about getting sent down, shoulda won the rookie of the year four years ago.

Time to let your bat do the talking.

"Step up" and make the Yankees keep you on the postseason roster.

The best way to beat the Yankees is to stand in the batter's box with the bat on your shoulder.

Eight walks and one HBP in eight innings, and I'm hearing about bad umpiring and trouble with the release point.

This isn't Little League.

Make the other team earn it.

Loser's Lament

Gleyber steps it up on Giancarlo's absence.

Three strikeouts and a rally-killing GIDP from the cleanup spot 

I didn't find it perplexing.

"If they missed that, they will get a very up close and personal look at Montgomery on Saturday night when he pitches against his former teammates. In a trade that is still perplexing for how it weakened the Bombers’ pitching depth, they sent Montgomery to St. Louis for Harrison Bader, a tremendous defense center fielder who is on the injured list and in a walking boot for at least another week."

Montgomery just isn't very good.

Benintendi in LF, Bader in CF, Judge in RF, Stanton DH, Hicks on the bench, Gallo in another city.

The team is better now.

 

"The fact is, however, despite running into a rough stretch his last few outings, Montgomery had been a fairly solid starter for the Yankees. The 29-year-old homegrown lefty pitched to a 3.94 ERA over 502.2 innings in his five-plus seasons in the big leagues. This season, Montgomery had a 3-3 record because of poor run support and a 3.69 ERA. The lefty’s numbers were a little deceptive, as his xERA 4.11 indicates some very positive luck."

Easily replaceable, as thest statistics attest.

Besides, those 502.2 innings are over about 100 starts, and I'm not even making that up. The exact number is 97 starts. A 22-20 career record, playing for teams with 100+ wins ... it's not just poor run support.

If you want to be a coach, be a coach.

 Coaches don't make $10 million, but it sounds like a good time to transition.

Benintendi is paying homage to Gallo.

0-for-4 with 3 Ks.

Since joining the Yankees, Benintendi is 1-for-17 with 6 Ks.

Stagnation

Montgomery has a 22-20 career record in 97 career starts. He simply hasn't figured out a way to consistently get past the fifth inning.

Donaldson will receive more scrutiny.

A different triple crown for Judge.

 HR, RBIs, and Runs.

Anyone is better than Gallo.

Benintendi is a good fit for this team.

My gripe is with the prevailing sigh of relief. The notion that the Yankees acquired a "professional hitter" and "professional hitters" will steamroll through the Astros in the playoffs while dunderheaded sluggers will strike out on three pitches every time.

Great pitchers are great pitchers.

So I'm rooting for the Playoff Moment where Benintendi slaps a game-winner to left field. In a spot where Hicks would have swung for the fences and come up with a patented big whiff. Maybe Benintendi will even yank one into the bleachers for a walk off. There are many examples of this.

It's just as likely Benintendi goes 0-for-4 in a small sample size playoff game vs. a top notch pitcher.

In terms of winning the World Series? I just don't think this really moves the needle.

Predictable result, sure.

I am not sure why Boone is getting criticized for this decision. Yes, his explanation is convoluted and contradictory. He's an MLB manager, after all.

But this is the only thing Gallo is good for. A pinch hit hail mary home run when you need a home run. The guy he was batting for has zero home runs this year. There were already two outs in the eighth inning.

I suppose the shocking revelation in this article is that Gallo has the second-highest strikeout rate in the majors.

Who the heck is first?

This gets tedious for sure, but viruses are contagious.

You want the vaccine so you don't spread the virus to other people who aren't world-class professional athletes:

" 'I’ve tried to talk to as many doctors, medical professionals as I could and figure out as much as I could, and for me just decided that the potential risks outweigh the potential benefits of doing it,' Goldschmidt said after Sunday's loss in Cincinnati. 'It stinks that I can’t play in Toronto and can’t play these next couple games. I hate that part of it, but that’s unfortunately a consequence.' "

Doctors and medical professionals did not tell you that the risks outweigh the benefits.

" 'I just feel healthy. I don’t feel like I needed to get it,' Arenado said. 'I’m not trying to do a political stand here like I’m a spokesperson for this stuff. I’m not. I’m just choosing to do what’s best for me and my family. And I mean no harm, but it’s unfortunate I’ve got to miss two games.' " 

No harm, dude.

As long as you feel healthy.

She deserves this.

Quite a few of her vocal tics and "mother hen" tendencies drive me nuts. But those kinds of complaints are unavoidable if you listen to too many Yankee games on the radio. She is definitely a trailblazer and her genuine love of baseball crackles through the radio.

Humble pie sounds about right.

Long-forgotten if these teams meet in October, but there is no doubt the Astros deserve the benefit of the doubt.

I don't think home field advantage is a big deal, but you might as well try to get it. What more can you accomplish in the regular season?

My observation is this.

Let's say the Yankees can't hit Cristian Javier. This is a real thing. It's a legit problem.

He's the guy who is going to beat the Yankees in the ALCS and keep them from getting a ring. This assumes quite a bit, but let's just say for the sake of argument.

Then the remedy is to trade multiple prospects for the guy who will pound Javier in the playoffs, thus avoiding catastrophe, and leading the way for Giancarlo Stanton to hit a triumphant eight home runs in the World Series vs. Los Angeles.

So my question is: Who's the guy?

Because a lot of people are foolishly convinced it's Benintendi.

Now this scenario requires so many assumptions, it enters the realm of imagination.

But my point is that there's no reason to think Benintendi or Happ or even Soto are going to get three hits and two home runs in this Most Important Game vs. the Astros.

Of course anyone is better than Gallo.

Of course any of the players mentioned would improve the team and therefore improve the chances of winning.

But there is simply no specific player that is likely to solve this particular problem.

Because Javier is good.

Sorry, but that's how it works. The Yankees will have to beat good teams if they are going to win the World Series.

Jeter with all the cuss words.

 I always knew he had an edge, baby.

Viruses are contagious.

I know most kids and healthy people are not going to die from Covid. You don't want it, but you probably won't die.

The point of the vaccine is to stop the spread so you don't kill grandpa.

From a pure baseball standpoint ... if the Orioles can win ten in a row ... if the Reds can play .500 since a 3-23 start ... why can't the Royals get back in the wild card race?

It's not likely, I'd agree with that, but you're truly supposed to try. It's the basis of professional sports.

Don't look now ...

The Orioles are two games out of a wild card spot.

Also, one of the few teams to beat the Yankees in a series this year.

The logic collapses.

A baseball team absolutely regulates what a baseball player can do with their body, just in case you hadn't paid attention to the collective bargaining agreement.

Realmuto is probably prohibited from skydiving and karate, amongst many other physical activities.

Not against the law, but against his contract.

Countries also put many restrictions and requirements on visitors. In fact, I'll bet my bottom dollar Realmuto already has his Tdap vaccine. Canada can't tell him what to do with his body!

So you think it's not worth it for you personally? Do what you want. I wouldn't expect an entire country to change its rules just for you.

You'll survive without a three-game road trip to Canada; and the country of Canada will continue to get along quite nicely without a visit from J.T. Realmuto.

 

Funny how the lineup rules have changed.

 " 'He’s reserved, quiet. Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him. So he’s never had to lead,' Rodriguez said in the interview. 'He doesn’t have to, he can just go and play and have fun, and hit second. I mean, you know, hitting second is totally different than hitting third or fourth in a lineup because you go into New York trying to stop Bernie [Williams] and [Paul] O’Neill and everybody. You never say, "Don’t let Derek beat you." That’s never your concern.' "

Obviously, these comments didn't age well. 

Also, it's not breaking news that this interview strained the relationship.

Why does ARod have a reputation for being well-spoken and intelligent?

Flavor of the Month.

Not a bad player by any means. It's just interesting how the pendulum has swung back a bit to favor players with high batting averages and no power.

Yeah, .279 is a high batting average nowadays ... and 16 home runs per year is not a lot nowadays.

LeMahieu's good stats.

Because of his ability to hit with RISP, I wanted LeMahieu to bat fifth. I think I was wrong about this.

LeMahieu's slugging percentage is very low (.398), but his on-base percentage is high (.355).

He has 34 walks and 35 strikeouts.

I still definitely trust him with RISP, but it was the right decision have him bat leadoff.

When he was a prospect, I thought Refsnyder was a sure thing.

I was thinking of all the players who would be better than Gallo.

In fact, I'm willing to bet Ryan McBroom would be better than Gallo.

Gallo splits.

• RISP: .152/.264/.283.
• Two outs RISP: .105/.320/.316.
• Late & close: .035/.222/.138.
• Vs. LHP: .118/.224/.196 with an impossibly bad 30 Ks in 51 at-bats. You can just send up a bullpen pitcher and get these results. An athletic player from the minors who can play the outfield.
  

The Field

Such a typical con game by Lupica.

Pretending the Yankees as so invincible that only six teams could possibly beat them in the playoffs.

Twelve teams make the playoffs. Eleven of these teams can beat the Yankees. We don't yet know who these teams will be (though I'm quite confident at this point that the Yankees will make the playoffs).

Now fast forward to October and consider the various scenarios:

1. Yankees win the World Series. "I told you the Yankees were invincible."
2. Yankees are beaten by one of the six challengers. "I told you [insert team name] could beat the Yankees."
3. Yankees are beaten by a different team. My favorite. "NO ONE THOUGHT the Yankees could be beaten by [insert team name]."

I find it consistently irritating and cowardly to tell me who will not win the Championship if you're unwilling to take as stand and tell me who will.

In response, I will now list six teams who I predict will not beat the Yankees in the playoffs:

1. The A's.
2. The Reds.
3. The Pirates.
4. The Rockies.
5. The Cubs.
6. The Nationals.

The current state of the AL East

•  If the playoffs started today, four AL East teams would make the playoffs.
• The Orioles have a better record than the Angels.

Yankee Stadium is Rockin'.

Four three-run home runs between both teams.

The Earl Weaver Game.

Trying too hard.

"There is always the same, mythical, two-team division in baseball. Call it the 'New York Division,' one that only includes the Yankees and the Mets. It means, especially in a year like this one when the two teams have the two best records in baseball, that they are always fighting for the mythical city championship."

It's a weary, mythical two-team division of my own creation. I'm so tired of talking about it for the past forty years, that I'm going to have to talk about it again.

 

"For now, the Yankees look to be running away with it. But it is fair to wonder, even at this point in the season, what the respective records of the two teams would be if, say, Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes, the Yankees’ two best starters, had combined for just eight starts the way Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer have. And how things might look between the two teams, and not just when they get around to playing each other, when deGrom and Scherzer are back at the top of Buck Showalter’s rotation."

Yeah. It's a fair point. The Mets might be better than the Yankees if deGrom and Scherzer return to form.

But it's fair to wonder, even at this point in the season, if the Yankees had kept Dellin Betances and he had regained his dominance; and if Clint Frazier was their everyday left fielder and hitting 45 home runs per year; and if Greg Bird had stayed healthy and won a couple of batting titles; and if Rob Refsnyder had a slash line of .300/.400/.500 and was their everyday second baseman. That team would be even better than the current team. 

"Which New York slugger is going to end up being the MVP of New York this season, Aaron Judge or Pete Alonso?

And, by the way, I ask the question knowing that come September, as we’re coming down the stretch, Francisco Lindor (who came out of the weekend with more RBIs than Judge) might want a word.

All Rise or the Polar Bear?"

I don't know what the future will bring, either.

Right now, Judge is by far the most valuable of these three.

 

Weak shtick.

The Yankees could win 162 games and Mike Lupica wouldn't find anything good to say:

"Everybody realizes it wasn’t some kind of insult to suggest a few weeks ago that we needed to see what the Yankees were going to do once they moved out of the JV part of their schedule, right?

Somehow, though, that notion seemed to offend people in Yankee Universe."

Just admit you were wrong. It will be a relief.

I don't even understand how he spends his time. 

Does he write a column and then scour Twitter for responses? How is "people in Yankee Universe" even a thing?

 

"So now we see how they’ve come out gangbusters against the Rays and Jays.

It is the real beginning of the 100-game season between now and the finish, and the Yankees have started it in high style, as they continue one of the remarkable first three months in their history."

They're playing .750 ball.

There is no need for an inevitable "but."

Just enjoy watching baseball and enjoy writing about baseball.

  

"But it’s always interesting the way the Yankees are still covered like the company in a company town, and when they look great again, as they sure do this season, it’s as if order has been restored to the baseball universe.

But what kind of order are we talking about with a franchise that has played in one World Series in the past 20 years, and hasn’t won once since 2009?"

Lupica really believes his role is to play cynic to all the "fanboy" reporters in "Yankee Universe."

The Yankees are playing .750 ball this year. 

When you search for holes in the dyke, you don't reveal flaws in the Coverage in a Company Town. You reveal your own hackneyed flaws.

"And here’s one more interesting question about the records of our two big-city baseball teams:

What would the Yankees’ record be if they’d gotten a total of eight starts from Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes the way the Mets have gotten just eight starts, total, from Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer?"

This is a very odd appraisal. Embarrassing, actually. Also, quite uninteresting, despite his insistence that his own question is interesting.

Cole is the Yankees' worst starting pitcher. They'd probably be fine if they plugged in an uninjured Green or an uninjured German, since we're playing 2022 MLB in an imaginary place where injuries don't exist.

Cortes makes league minimum, more or less, and you have the gall to compare him to deGrom and Scherzer simply because he has outperformed all expectations? Weak.

A more interesting question: Why are the Mets risking free agent money on elderly pitchers in the first place?

 

Lupica is neurotic.

Lupica is not happy that that Mets are 20 games over .500 and cruising to the playoffs.

He just needs the Mets to be better than the Yankees in the "company town," in the pretend Battle for New York, which is largely his own creation.

 Next up is a column about Mike Baxter from Archbiship Molloy and how he would have been better than Aaron Judge.

The underlying Forever problem with Lupica goes something like this: If you're seriously this slanted against one of the teams you supposedly cover ... seething anger; endless insistence that they're overrated or ruinous to MLB's competitive balance; animated solely by the idea that the Mets are going to TAKE OVER THIS TOWN ... if you spend a decade+ relentlessly crushing ARod for steroid use and shrug off Cano's steroid use ... you're simply not a reliable source of baseball information. Which would be fine if you were a tire salesman in Duluth, Minnesota, but you're a baseball columnist for the New York Daily News.

 

At some point, a player has to produce.

Cliff Who?

A guy with one RBI is talking trash.

Really, though, congratulations on the nose ring. It must be very liberating.

Totally not judgmental.

He never even met Jesus Christ, but he speaks for Jesus Christ:

" 'So it's a hard decision,' Adam told the Tampa Bay Times. 'Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it's just a lifestyle that maybe -- not that they look down on anybody or think differently -- it's just that maybe we don't want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who's encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior."

What behavior?

What lifestyle?

What about gay people who abstain from sex? Who go to Church every Sunday? Or who have intimate relations only with their spouse?

Just like you're a full human being who is multi-faceted and engages in multiple activities ... maybe even attending public professional sporting events! ... it's childish to reduce people to their decisions about what they do with their genitals, and how often, and with whom.

 

'... It's not judgmental. It's not looking down. It's just what we believe the lifestyle he's encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.' "

It's very noble indeed to want homosexuals to feel safe and welcome at Tropicana Field.

 

Gallo can barely hit a foul ball.

Gallo's batting average is .173.

He has struck out 59 times in 133 at-bats.

.100 BA with RISP.

.000 BA with RISP and two outs (14 at-bats).

A smattering of home runs. Five home runs which account for six runs batted in.

That means ... are you ready for this one? ... one total RBI in his other 133 at-bats. 

You could send a player up there blindfolded and he could probably drive in more runs than that.

I don't think anyone likes you. Generally, people don't tell you when they don't like you.

First step is learning when to shut up. Take your mere one-game suspension and move on.

Between Cole and Donaldson, it seems like the Yankee so-called leaders are crybabies.

We can all relate.

Joe Girardi does not worry about his job

"I don't worry about my job," Girardi said. "I've never worried about my job. I don't worry about my job. I've got to do my job. It's the business of being a manager. I don't worry about it."

The apology seems sincere enough.

Tim Anderson is batting .355 and, on the baseball field, he can be referred to as Mr. Anderson, even by a player who was once MVP of the AL.

That's really all I was looking for.

A self-serving statement, sure. But just publicly acknowledge your admiration for both Jackie Robinson and Tim Anderson.

High praise for a guy with a .000 batting average this season.

 Twelve at-bats is a small sample size, of course.

Also, Anderson hit a walkoff HR vs. the Yankees in the Field of Dreams game.

 In Game One, Josh Donaldson almost had a hit:

"Donaldson sat out the finale after going 0-for-4 but coming within a few feet of a much bigger day in the opener. With two on and two outs in the first, Donaldson lined out to third base, where Yoan Moncada -- inserted into the lineup in place of Anderson -- saved a run by snaring the ball at his shoe tops. In the fourth, Donaldson flied out to the wall in left field.

With two on and one out in the eighth, he flied out to the track in right-center."

Eating Cheerios every day might lower cholesterol.

 We have no idea, really, but it might.

On the one hand, they're being honest.

 On the other hand, they lack self-awareness when they complain about unusual ballpark dimensions.

The man bet on himself and it's paying off so far.

This guy called it the day BEFORE.

With the Yankees, Girardi was highly regarded for his bullpen management.

 Still, a jockey needs a good horse.

Easy decision ... give it to a kid.

The Mets DH.

My ear may not be to the ground, but I don't think NL fans are complaining about the DH.

 No rule change could save a PED-less Robinson Cano.

The Ivan Nova update you didn't know you wanted.

Checking in with Clint Frazier.

It's possible the unfortunate concussion injuries derailed an otherwise stellar carerr.

But facts are facts.

Frazier is now 27 years old and has a career WAR of 0.1.

This year, in 21 at-bats, away from the supposed pressure of New York, he has 3 hits, 0 HRs, and 0 RBIs.

He's nothing more than a batting practice all star.

This guy with his excuses.

If Cole seriously has another personal catcher this year ... and if he's seriously rejecting the guy who was his personal catcher for the past two years ... then he's just a Spider Tack fraud.

IKF scored a lot of points with Yankee fans in one at-bat.

Funny how it works.

The other oddity alluded to in this article is that the Yankees have been playing small ball. Eight out of eleven stolen bases. They even successfully executed a hit-and-run the other day. 

Of course, the next batter was unable to get the runner home ... but it was a nice try.

The Ellsbury update you have been waiting for.

 Still: If he was in LF right now, he'd probably be better than Gallo.

Steroids work.

We need to talk about Kyle.

Many Yankee fans had tired of Sanchez behind the plate, this is true. Including yours truly. 

I hadn't really pondered the idea that they were serious about promoting the backup. 

It didn't work with Chris Stewart or John Flaherty, did it?

This whole time, I thought Nick Johnson was the greatest hitting prodigy since Ted Williams.

But I suppose that would make Juan Soto the greatest hitting prodigy since Nick Johnson.

Gallo is joking, so I'll give him a pass

" 'When I first got traded here I think they thought I was Babe Ruth, or something, I don’t know,' Gallo told The Post and smiled.

Well, the Bambino did strike out a lot …"

But it does remind me of the time Ottavino said he would have struck out Babe Ruth every time.

" 'I’m not necessarily a loveable player ’cause of the way my skill set is,' Gallo said, 'but I always respect the game, I always play hard, I always give everything I have every time I’m out in the field no matter what the score is, no matter where we’re at in the standings, who we’re playing. I always take pride in that ’cause I love the game of baseball.

“I think fans will start to see that over time.'

He’s not Babe Ruth. And he shouldn’t have to be."

He strikes out too much. Way too much. Also, his defense has surely not lived up to its hype.

Opening Day Lineup.

I'm happy with DJ starting and batting fifth.

Torres will of course get his at-bats, but he simply hasn't earned the everydat starting role.

The baby bombers!

I wish I could find the clip of ARod explaining how Bird was going to win a batting title.

I always thought LeMahieu should drop in the lineup. Try to maximinze the number of at-bats with men on base.

" 'We’d had DJ in the leadoff spot for a few years and it’s got nothing to do with speed,' Boone said. 'You always want the unicorn. I want Rickey Henderson leading off, a guy that gets on and can really run. But if you really sit down and think about that, it’s kind of a little ridiculous. You want a good player hitting in that spot. You want to go with a guy that gets on base hitting in that spot.

'Yeah, it’s great if anyone can run. It’s great if the three hitter can run, the four hitter. The biggest thing is I want a good hitter that gets on base a lot. Donaldson and a lot of our guys fit that mold.' "

Unanswered question ... where is DJ playing?

DH?

So Gleyber can play a subpar 2B instead?

The minor leagues are goofy.

I think the batter is lucky the pitcher played along ... or perhaps the pitcher was in on it. 

Because if the pitcher wanted to plunk the batter, I don't know how the batter would get out of the way.

Improper use of a bullpen phone.

If there is something sinister to this, then I wouldn't mind the Yankee players and fans getting knocked off their high horse.

The Astros went too far too often ... but it was Chapman who predictably hung the gopher ball slider, and I honestly think the Astros beat the Yankees fair and square in the 2017 playoffs.

As for the potential "difference" between what Commissioner Manfred said in public and what the document says ... is this a serious discussion?

Manfred may be awkward and horrible at PR ... but there is nothing that comes out of his mouth that can be taken seriously.

OF COURSE he didn't openly discuss the potentially damaging contents of a CONFIDENTIAL Court filing. Besides, it's not as if he is under oath when he's releasing leaks to Buster Olney.

Ben Rortvedt becomes a True Yankee.

It would seem Toronto has the best lineup in MLB.

It feels like a bargain.

Maybe Gleyber will turn it around offensively, but I don't see why he would be given the starting second base job over LeMahieu.

Yes, LeMahieu is more versatile than Gleyber.

Yes, Gleyber is better at second base than he is at shortstop.

These are the wrong questions.

Unless Gleyber really turns it around, he's a #8 hitter who botches a lot of double plays in the field.

The default lineup should be LeMahieu at second base with Gleyber as a backup infielder and occasional DH.

MLB players want posters in their locker rooms that say, "You don't have to be crazy to work here ... but it sure helps!"

Blockbuster trade for Rortvedt.

"Sánchez’s departure raises a question about the Yankees’ starting catcher situation, hinting at another move potentially to follow. Kyle Higashioka is the incumbent backup behind the plate, and Rob Brantly is also on the 40-man roster. The 24-year-old Rortvedt made his big league debut last year, picking up 15 hits in 89 at-bats (.169). He was regarded as the best defensive catcher in the Twins' organization, according to Baseball America, and has previously worked with Bombers catching coach Tanner Swanson."

I have a question: Can Rortvedt tag out a base runner when the throw beats him the runner by six steps?

As long as it isn't me.

 At least he is exhibiting some self-awareness:

"'So I’m just trying to figure out a way to be the same Gleyber I was in (2018 and ‘19) and prepare really well for this season,' Torres said. 'I’m back to second and I am happy to be there and I feel like I can help my team at second base. So I just prepare myself, get stronger and try to get really good for my team.'"

It's not great.

The owners don't want to play in April, anyway.

Sure, there are some nuances and each team is different ...

 ... but every team's offense will benefit from the DH.

Because pitcher's can't hit.

I also think that everyone in the NL will echo the sentiment of the Mets' manager and hitting coach.

DJ LeMahieu hopes the players' next proposal will end the MLB lockout.

I never understand the rush to get rid of Voit.

Voit's 162-game average stats:

.267/.357/.510

34 HR

94 RBI

83 R

159 K

61 BB

I was thinking deGrom is their best hitter.

"Five months ago, when the Mets were heading toward their fifth-straight playoff miss, the futures of J.D. Davis and Robinson Cano were murky at best. Davis was expected to be involved in an upcoming offseason trade package — and he very well might still be — while Cano was a distant entity, already erased from Mets’ fans collective consciousness.

Now, their outlooks are quite different. With the universal DH expected to arrive next season, whenever the MLB lockout is lifted and a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is in place, the opportunities for the Mets lineup are especially advantageous."

I mean, in general, I'm bearish on the Mets. It's grading on a curve compared to expectations which I think are a bit outlandish and optimistic.

But if a steroid-less, 39-year-old Robinson Cano is an impactful offensive player for the Mets, then I will truly be shocked.

Universal DH

 That was anti-climactic after decades of screaming about it.

Some ink for Hiroki Kuroda.

Not the first guy I think of when I think of ex-Yankee sluggers ...

When Canseco confessed in his book, admittedly for self-serving purposes, just about everyone dismissed him and ganged up on him.

But, over time, he was proven right.

I find the most cowardly HOF arguments are fixated on the particulars of drug test results, official suspensions, official MLB rules vs., I dunno, the laws of the USA.

With every other dimension, a voter is supposed to review the facts and use their judgment.

Ortiz used PEDs. I feel very comfortable saying that, and I don't have to prove it 100%. I am using my judgment and common sense.

Several players already in the HOF used PEDs.

So the hypocrisy is that the writers use the character clause when it suits them. It seems to the rest of us, that they're making their decisions based on popularity or a quid pro quo payback.

Manny Ramirez crossed a threshold that Ortiz didn't cross? OK, if that fiction gets you through the night.

I mean, if you really want to reject a player due to his character, I'll gladly reject Omar Vizquel ... yet he still got 24% of the votes.

Hinske with your best shot.

 Mike Aldrete was unavailable for comment.

Yes doubting.

"There's no doubting that Rodriguez is very intelligent and is one of the most accomplished players in MLB history, but there are quite a few people not fond of him personally. Details on how 'a Manningcast-type broadcast' with Rodriguez would work appear to be slim right now, but ESPN would seemingly have to pair the 14-time All-Star with one of their most universally liked personalities for such an arrangement to be successful."

I have never really seen evidence that he is intelligent. 

He's ...  magnetic? Charismatic?

But not intelligent.

It's quantum journalism.

It's never true, it's always true.

It is not an exaggeration to state that Mike Lupica anticipates the Mets taking over the headlines from the Yankees every single season:

"Nobody would ever call the Yankees bums, lovable or otherwise. They have one winning season after another, back to the middle of the 1990s, an historic and remarkable run. But their fans know that winning seasons aren’t supposed to be the coin of the realm on the north side of 161st St. any more than they were on the other side of 161st St., where the Yankees won 26 of the 27 World Series.

Yankee fans liked it better over there, the home for most of the good ghosts that Derek Jeter liked to talk about.

Now it’s as if the Yankees have ghosted the Series."

Huh? Coin of the realm? Ghosted the Series? Is he saying Yankee fans dislike the new Stadium? I like the new Stadium.

"And it’s even worse than that right now, especially in light of the way the Yankees started doing business, on and off the field, once George Steinbrenner got to town, and became the first real modern sports owner, throwing money around and making more noise than a brass band.

It is the other team in New York, the Mets, who now have become the biggest baseball spender around, even bigger in the moment than the Dodgers. It is the Mets who made the biggest offseason noise before the sport shut down because of the current labor dispute, signing free agent Max Scherzer to a record-setting contract, and then hiring the best free agent manager out there, Buck Showalter, one of the most popular managers that the Yankees ever had."

I know Lupica's the lead Showalter Guy. Lupica can gloat about this one. Like I said before, it's almost as if Lupica willed the Showalter hire into existence.

But I honestly had no idea Buck Showalter was one of the most popular managers the Yankees ever had.

With the fans? Or do you mean, like, with inside baseball personnel?

Because Showalter made his bones after his four seasons with the Yankees ... which ended 27 years ago.

"(If you don’t believe that, go see if you can find the video of the ovation Showalter got at the old Stadium before Game 1 of the Yankees’ division series against Junior Griffey and the Mariners in 1995)"

Ummm ... still don't believe it ... and, no, I am not going to look up a video.

I know for damned sure the Yankees fans were excited to be back in the playoffs. 

It was a good time.

The bullpen catcher got a standing ovation.

Go find the video of the fans going crazy when Ruben Sierra hit a home run ... and then tell me you've concluded that Ruben Sierra is one of the most popular Yankee outfielders ever. They were chanting "Ru-Ben, Ru-Ben, Ru-Ben."

Off the top of my head: Casey Stengel, Joe Torre, Billy Martin ... and then a few old-timers like McCarthy and Huggins.

So "three decades ago, Showalter's short tenure with the Yankees has probably made him one of the Top Six or Top Seven most popular Yankee managers, based mostly on a re-evaluation of his talents after the 1995 season."

"But from the end of the ‘21 season until now, something quite, well, amazin’ has happened:

It is the Yankees who have felt like the Other Team in town."

Maybe this is even true. 

But you say this every single year.

Even if you are eventually correct, you don't get credit.

Scherzer and Showalter can't be the reason the Mets take over New York. The Mets have already taken over New York many tames, according to Lupica: Lindor, Betances, Granderson, Afonso, etc.

 

At least he explained himself.

"I’ve voted for Bonds and Clemens every year since 2013. My support for them has been unwavering.

Yes, I realize using steroids gave hitters (and a good number of pitchers) an unfair advantage. I don’t condone cheating. Anyone who tests positive or confesses to juicing is automatically stricken from my ballot.

But…

If there’s no substantive proof of PED use, I’m willing to give a candidate a closer look. Neither Bonds nor Clemens was ever disciplined by Major League Baseball during their respective careers.

If the commissioner’s office (and in Clemens’ case, the federal government) couldn’t deliver evidence against the two, that’s good enough for me. I’m not a prosecutor. I’m not a pharmacist. I work with data, not suspicion."

That's fine, I suppose, but a lot of these people are going to make a chump out of you. If you want to keep PED users out of the Hall of Fame, you know it's already too late, and you're smart enough to realize this. As for "substantive proof," it just depends on your definition of "substantive."

 

"I voted for Schilling because his political beliefs (decidedly right-wing) don’t constitute a violation of the Hall’s morals clause. I don’t care what politicians he supports or what causes he advocates for. Schilling hasn’t broken any laws.

Granted, his views are extreme and offensive to many. He’s also a grouch, especially towards the media. I don’t take that personally. I’ve met worse individuals in a major league clubhouse. A Hall of Fame ballot shouldn’t be used to exact revenge on the politically incorrect."

Sure.

But this is what drive me nuts about the way Schilling has shifted the argument into the "cancel culture" argument.

Schilling has 216 wins; not 316.

His "most similar" pitchers at baseball-reference.com are Zack Greinke (likely future HOFer), Kevin Brown, and Bob Welch.

Sure, Schilling's postseason probably pushes him over the top ... but then Orel Hershiser is wondering why he fell off the ballot after two years.

"Schilling’s work on the mound (career 4.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the best in 100 years, and the only hurler to win a World Series game in his 20s, 30s and 40s) count more than what he posts on social media."

Strikeout-to-walk ratio?

Where's Jon Lieber's plaque if that stat is now a thing?

Schilling also allowed 347 home runs, if we're cherry-picking stats.

No worries. I think Schilling will get in and he deserves it. But he's a borderline candidate posing as a victim ... and Klapisch seems to have fallen for the con. 

 

"In Pettitte’s case, the 10-vote limit killed his chances as I had to make room for Helton and Jones. Still, my respect for Pettitte’s work in October is undiminished: the most wins (19), innings pitched (276.2) and games started (44) in post-season history

As for Vizquel, his stats are deserving of one final mention, including his 11 Gold Gloves. He was the game’s best defensive shortstop after Ozzie Smith.

But I have a hard time lining up with a player who was accused by his wife of multiple instances of domestic violence. Vizquel was also accused of sexual harassment by an autistic man.

Sorry, I’m out."

Yeah, I'm sure most are in agreement that Vizquel crossed the line. I don't think he deserved it either way, but that debate is now moot.

Pettitte, on the other hand, has absolute and undeniable "substantive proof" of PED use. So what's the deal, Klapisch?

This guy is bad news.

 I mean, I don't wish poor health on anyone, but it's ridiculous and childish and self-defeating to not tell the Yankees:

"Frazier did admit that he didn’t tell the Yankees when his symptoms returned before the 2021 season, when it was announced that he would be the starting left fielder on Opening Day. But a brutal 5-for-55 start to the season quickly ended his time as a starter, and by June, his season was over with what the Yankees labeled as 'vertigo.'

'They weren’t aware, that was on me,' Frazier said. 'I was fighting for my life…I was trying to continue to play. So I didn’t tell them. And then I showed up to spring training and started to feel better, and then it kind of, like, came back, because I had an instance where I bumped the wall again. I went into the whole season feeling that exact way.'"

It looks like Buck Showalter will be the manager of the Mets.

An idea I (probably) scoffed a year or two ago.

While I understand that most sportswriters are not legit journalists, this degree of rooting makes one wonder how they will react if Showalter fails. 

If Showalter fails, will any of them admit they were wrong about Showalter?

It feels like Mike Lupica willed this into existence.

So hire Buck Showalter already.

Do it for Mike Lupica.

I don't think Showalter is a good choice for the Mets. A year ago, I'd have scoffed at the idea. 

But if he is seen as a counterpoint to the Rojas Experiment ... and if all the inside baseball people think it's going to happen ... then I suppose it's going to happen. 

A moratorium on fluff pieces.

I can't deny there's an illogical emotional reaction the Scherzer signing.

The Yankees weren't on the radar for Scherzer.

If Scherzer had signed with the Blue Jays, that would be bad news for the Yankees.

I am not bullish on the Yankees for 2022, but this is a kooky over-reaction to the signing of a 37-year-old whose career will be over soon.

Not in this article per se, but the idea is floating around that the Yankees are about to lose a generation of young fans to the Mets. 

In the near future, Yankee Stadium converted to a server farm for Amazon as ex-Yankee fans flock to CitiField:

"So the grand question becomes: Is it time for Yankee fans to panic as players continue to sign elsewhere?

The short answer right now is, well, I wouldn’t blame you. It’s bizarre to see the Bombers not doing a single thing before the expected lockout after Cashman’s lengthy comments about what must be done this offseason to get his team back to a World Series contender." 

The time to panic was when the realization began to set in that both Sanchez and Torres are slobs.

"And then there’s the shortstop market, with many believing Seager was the right man for the job. Some even thought Semien, after his pummeling of the Yanks last season in a Blue Jays uniform, would be a great fit.

But now those two and Baez are off the table, leaving Carlos Correa and Trevor Story as the ones left of the 'Power Five.' All hope isn’t lost but the Yanks aren’t helping themselves when you see SNY’s Andy Martino reporting that they're looking into stop-gap option Andrelton Simmons, as well as exploring Rangers SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s market.

These two shortstops are certainly defensive studs, but frankly, that’s not what fans expected when Cashman said this team needs a shortstop. Correa is more like it – an All-Star who can field and hit at an above average level."

Two words that will solve all these problems: Troy Tulowitzki.

The Mariners are playoff-hungry.

At this point, even Buck Showalter is wondering why this guy is so obsessed.

"First a conga line of executives didn’t want to come work for Steve Cohen.

Now an ex-Met, and a local kid, named Stephen Matz doesn’t want to take Mr. Cohen’s money.

It is why it is more incumbent than ever for Cohen, and for Billy Eppler, to get it right with the manager.

Buck Showalter isn’t the only candidate out there.

Just the best one."

 

"More incumbent than ever," he says.

Because two months ago, the manager didn't really matter.

I'm almost wishing for it to happen. Buck gets hired and the Mets win 77 games. Joins an immense list of Lupica misfires that he never mentions again.