August Tidings

It goes to show you the length that a diehard Yankees fan like myself must go to try to convince my mind not to be negative about a team which is exceeding expectations and breaking home run records in the process. Why is that? Because I am having trouble believing that the players we have never heard of or who have gone somewhat under the radar can maintain this maddening pace. Nor can I believe that the pitching can withstand the rigors of the full season then continue to shine in the post-season. 

No, this is not a typical Yankees team, even if some of the earmarks of such a squad are present in the 2019 edition. At the start of Spring Training, this team was destined to be blessed with a corps of super stars and reliable players, a runner-up in the Rookie of the Year balloting, a starting staff featuring a stud at the head of the rotation bolstered by a couple of good left handers and a reliable old pro. The bullpen was supposed to be the best in baseball, with relievers who could take a game from the sixth inning and shut down the opposition to end the contest. 

Obviously, injuries to key players who the Yankees counted on has derailed that kind of team. Seemingly every player has suffered some kind of injury, many of them landing on the IL for long stints, if not for most of the season. The starting pitching has been inconsistent—the best decision has been to use the opener move started by the Rays last season, which has worked thus far like a charm. Is this something the Yankees will be forced to implement in the post-season? 

New York lost on Friday night because the bats were unable to produce and partly by a journeyman umpire who had a random strike zone and rabbit ears while tossing the wrong party from the game. The fact that J.A. Happ pitched another bad game didn’t help. 

Every loss worries me. Is this the start of that fatal losing streak which is bound to happen? Will it lead to an extended period of .500 or less play? Will more injuries occur—is Luke Voit shelved for the season with his sports hernia? Is Gleyber Torres core problem going to hinder him the remainder of the year?

Gary Sanchez is back to assume the bulk of the catching duties. Will he withstand the rigors of the job? Will his batting be as good as that of the catchers who replaced him while on the IL, or will he be swinging at pitches that are outside of the strike zone?

There appears to be good news about starter Luis Severino, who threw a bullpen session without discomfort. Can he step into the rotation down the stretch and become the dominant pitcher he was last season?

Is C.C. Sabathia going to create one last gasp pitching miracle in his last, injury-riddled season of a possible Hall of Fame career? And what, if anything will his role be when the post-season comes—will C.C. even be on the roster?

Can the bullpen receive reinforcements to lessen the load? Dellin Betances looms out there, but his timetable to pitch is uncertain.

What about the return of Giancarlo Stanton? Problematic at best. Besides, the replacements in the outfield—Cameron Maybin and Mike Tauchman have played way above what anybody expected from them. 

Unlike Aaron Judge, who is lost at the plate. He takes good pitches, is guessing, and his swing is off, as evidenced by how many fly balls he is hitting—when he is right, those balls are laser shots over any outfield fence. For this last portion of the slate, will the real Aaron Judge return to form and carry the team?

Will the batting leaders—D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela remain on their torrid paces? While LeMahieu had the pedigree as a NL batting champ, Urshela was nowhere near the hitter he has become and with the power he has evidenced. I hope that no one is using banned substances. 

Not every game is against the woeful Baltimore Orioles, who the Yankees have absolutely dominated, especially at Camden Yards, where New York set an MLB record for homers away from home in one ballpark, as well as the most homers ever against one opponent in a season. 

Moreover, the reigning World Champion Boston Red Sox seemingly have disintegrated  before our eyes, to the great fortune of the Yankees. While Tampa Bay has played well, they are trailing New York by nearly double digits for supremacy in the AL East. 

Is this Yankees’ team that good—good enough to win the World Series? Do they match up with behemoths Houston and the LA Dodgers, who have great front end pitching? Same with Cleveland and Minnesota, who are vying for the AL Central title and a Wild Card berth. Can the Yankees play well against the resurgent Oakland A’s?

Many questions could be answered when the team goes on a Western swing. They meet the Dodgers and A’s, along with a stop in Seattle. If they have a decent road trip, then the AL East is theirs. But if the Yankees swoon out West, then their ability to win and even survive the rest of the season comes into play. 

As the team left Spring Training, New York, with its pitching intact and the feared sluggers in place, was considered to be one of the favorites to reach the World Series and possibly dethrone Boston. They are still considered to be one of the three best teams in MLB, along with the Astros and Dodgers, who they are presently battling for home field in the AL as well as over all for the World Series.

But this is a far different team than the one the experts anointed as a contender after leaving Florida. A far different cast of characters has made this team go. Are these players for real or will they fall back into more likely roles as we finish August and head into September? 

Will all of the slugging records they set be for naught? Will LeMahieu become the first batter to win the batting titles in both leagues and possibly outshine the Angels’ Mike Trout for AL M.V.P.? Could Aaron Boone become AL Manager of the Year by leading this unlikely group to the playoffs? 

Such is the life of a serious Yankees fan, dissecting the mistakes and worrying that the good times are a mirage, leading to another playoff disappointment for the franchise which has the most World Series titles and is synonymous with winning? 

Speaking of winning, those New York Mets still are on a roll, having forced their way into the Wild Card race. Trailing the Washington Nationals by 3 on Friday night, the Mets came back with 4 in the bottom of the ninth to win once more. Their play has been surreal. But the Mets still haven’t convinced Fan X that they aren’t pretenders.

Anybody who thinks they aren’t legit better think this through. The starting pitching—all 5 pitchers—is the best rotation in the majors. Better than the vaunted 4 in Houston or the Dodgers cadre of starters. 

Yes, the bullpen is weaker than is warranted. But the timely hitting by their sluggers is carrying the day, placing less pressure on the relievers. Full houses at Citi Field are going to become the norm if this continues, which will give the team an even greater jolt, as the players love their fan base. 

Everything embattled Manager Mickey Callaway does seems to go right. A far cry from a few weeks ago, when fans and the media were counting the days until Callaway was fired and replaced. 

Maybe the most audacious thing that GM and possible mystic Brodie Van Wagenen did was to fire his pitching coach and bring in 82 year old Phil Regan to retrain his pitchers. Whatever “The Vulture” did in imparting his wisdom from the Dodgers teams of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, has worked. Perhaps this was the biggest move that the Mets made besides not trading any of their starting pitches and actually adding a youngster with a lot of promise to their staff. 

The Mets are accumulating talent let go by other teams to bolster their depth in the bullpen and on the field. Local kids, too, who get the opportunity to play meaningful games before family and friends. 

I know the Mets fans are holding their breath, pinching themselves to believe what is happening is real. For the franchise, this is normal—to come from nowhere and be relevant.

It is rare when both New York baseball teams are successful and making concerted playoff pushes. Unlike 2001, the likelihood of another Subway Series seems remote. 

The on the field heroics of the teams has made New York once more into a baseball town. Even if the pundits want to make hay of Daniel Jones’ effort against a lackluster Jets secondary and call for the Giants’ management to bench the aging incumbent, Eli Manning. 

The Giants and Jets can wait until the start of their seasons in September to share the spotlight with baseball. This is the right way to have it happen—having local baseball play into October if warranted. There will be plenty of NFL season left to bemoan or cheer the teams as they push into December. 

Unless, of course, the Yankees and Mets make a deep run into October. We’ll see.

I hardly followed the career of Antonio Brown in terms of his on the field exploits, which I knew were good. But I also knew that his antics in Pittsburgh detracted from his greatness and made his departure to Oakland inevitable. 

What I have seen is this guy is self-serving, almost clownish, making mistakes in judgment regularly. His frostbitten feet after going to France for cryotherapy is so stupid because he chose to wear the wrong footwear during the procedure, is an example of his inane judgment. Brown’s demand to wear a dangerous and outdated helmet defies logic and is something neither the Raiders nor the NFL can support.

Antonio Brown is a one man circus. A high wire act every second, but also providing silliness that is ridiculous. The 24/7 coverage of the NFL plus social media makes Brown into a rock star. One with enough rocks in his head already. I am tired of his foolishness, and this is just the beginning of pre-season.  Good luck, Raider nation. He’s yours.

I am glad that we Jets fans only have to worry about the health of another disgruntled Pittsburgh Steeler—Le’Veon Brown. He may not see much, if any pre-season action. Not good for a running back who missed an entire season and has to be rusty.

What do I know? After all, Jets head man Adam Gase went to the smelling salts to start Thursday night’s contest with the Giants to get those crazy eyes he has working in his signature madman gaze. He is perfect for the Jets—a psychotic-looking individual who happens to be their head coach, and whose track record in Miami was not very distinguishable. Hey, Raider Nation—we have our problems, too.

Let us not be distracted by the distractions. Right now it is baseball season in New York, until otherwise noted. Which, for both Yankees and Mets fans, is a good thing as we enter mid-August. Where baseball fans will be in a week, two weeks, or a month remains to be seen. Hopefully not all in on football.

Enjoy the euphoria now. And hope it lasts. As we know, success in baseball can be so fleeting, especially when it comes from unexpected places.