All season long I’ve played a game with myself as I watch Derek Jeter. He gets a base hit and I wonder how many he has left? Gets a double and wonder, hey, I bet he’s only got 8 more of those left. That kind of thing. That feeling–that there is a finite amount of hits and runs–is also how I’ve been thinking about the team. They win or lose close games as if they were rationing runs.
Yesterday, thanks to a solid start by Hiroki Kuroda, who retired 17 Rays in a row at one point, a big strike out by Shawn Kelley, and the usual strong work from Betances and Robertson, the Yanks won. They were no-hit by Jeremy Hellickson until the 5th inning. Then, after a walk (Drew) and a double (Prado), Brett Gardner slapped Hellickson’s 90th pitch into center for a base hit. Jeter and Ellsbury followed with singles, too, and later Mark Teixeira hit a solo home run.
You’ve got to appreciate the runs, the wins when they come because it’s as if there is just so many to go around. This has been an unspectacular season–some find it outright boring–but there is also something satisfying about each win because they feel so hard-earned.
[Picture by Bags]
I like Prado, I think he has the kind of energy they had been lacking. However, it would be nice to know who the starters are. Does this make sense? I like Ichiro in the line-up because he always has the potential to do something special, but I know I am in the minority. But Prado looks damn good in the infield and Beltran seems to be the best option at DH.
Gardner LF
Jeter SS
Ellsbury CF
Tex 1B
Beltran DH
Headley 3B
McCann C
Prado 2B
Ichiro RF???
Bench: Ryan, Drew, Cervelli
Put anyone at 2B at your own peril. I think it's going to be the Spinal Tap Drummer position on the Yanks for years to come.
Cano just having another top-10 MVP candidate season. He's a 5 WAR player thus far according to Fangraphs. Between Roberts and Drew, the Yanks have received less than 0 WAR. Who knows how many actual wins that would translate to, but thank goodness the Yanks don't need anything extra this year!
2) So you're saying if the Yankees had only ponied up the additional three years/$75m for the 38,39, and 40 year old versions of Cano, the Yanks could have had the second wildcard,or possibly the primary wildcard locked up by now? That's still not a deal I would make, as much as I miss Cano.
[2] Fair enough. Maybe Refsnyder can hit .320 and play a slick 2B starting next year and it will only end up costing the Yanks one year. I'd rather have Cano.
3) not "locked up" but in their possession right now.
My point is: as great as it would be to have Robbie on the team, I don't think he'd make that much of a difference. Maybe enough to make the playoffs, maybe not. He wasn't enough to carry the Yankees into the playoffs last year, but he could be enough to get the Mariners in this year. Either way, those 8th, 9th, and 10th years of his deal are so unappealing I don't think about what could have been anymore with respect to Cano.
4) yeah,it could be decades before we see another slick-fielding/.320-hitting 2B on the Yanks, let alone one that plays 160 games per year throughout his prime. Robbie is a very special player.
[5] Who cares about years 8, 9, and 10? I might have dementia by then. Hell, we could all be dead.
I want the Yankees to WIN NOW and maybe next year. And I wanted Cano to retire a Yankee. Instead we have the crappiest 2nd base platoon since Horace Clarke. And next year we will have no short stop either.
The future is just a illusion, as far as I'm concerned. You work for it. You save for it, but you don't give away your best known, highest quality assets for garbage.