A good week for Los Bombers hit a snag the past few days up in Toronto. But the Yanks can still leave down with a split should they win today. They’ve got 4 against the lowly O’s this week back in the Bronx followed by 4 against the Tribe and then a west coast trip with stops in Oakland and Los Angeles.
Yanks have to win games against the lousy teams, of course, but watching them play the O’s is boring. Bring on the good squads.
Never mind prosperity:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Yanks in Boston for four games. A split would be good, anything less, a bummer, anything more, gravy.
Never mind the boos:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
Has there been a backlash to Boone’s “Savages” routine yet? Maybe, but I’m not there.
I still think it was beyond Boss no mater how people co-opt the phrase to make a meme or a buck. I liked it because it was a reminder to a young professional, in this case the home plate umpire Brennan Miller, that the big leagues are grown up business—the mics caught Boone dressing the ump down after Boone had been kicked out of the game.
You gotta love Boone defending his players and referring to his hitters as “fucking savages in the fucking box” and you gotta love Boone sympathizing with the kid for having a tough start to the game and you gotta love Boone trying to shake him into shape. It is humiliating for the ump I suppose because this went viral. But Boone wasn’t abusive, he didn’t tear into the Miller personally, he was just firm with him.
Also, the look on Miller’s face was priceless. He was guilty but still in a position of authority. He had to take it but he couldn’t back down. Umps sometimes have the whiff prison security guards about them and Miller looks like a state trooper right out of the academy. He is young and going to screw up. You feel badly for him that a routine rite of passage was preserved for all eternity but the public will not remember him—if this is remembered at all it will be for Boone.
Because of the audio work of Jomboy the world caught an inside glimpse into something that is usually not for public consumption. Boone was surprised initially that his words were heard by everyone. And immediately the storyline shifts to “Boone Changes Rep is Secretly a Badass.” Well, that’s all good and fine for the Yanks and we’ll take it.
To me it isn’t anything new from Boone. Major League Baseball is his family business. Say what you want about him as a tactician—I don’t pay close attention to these things no matter how many games I watch but I understand from those that know that Boone isn’t a genius right out of the box (of course, who is?)—I absolutely love the guy as Yankee manager. I think he’s funny, tough, and seems to fit all the requirements of a modern manager.
Just so unbelievably hot here in the Bronx.
Yanks look to sweep the Rockies today. They will be scorching down on the field, fans roasting in the seats that are unprotected from the sun.
Hope everyone is safe and keeps hydrated.
Never mind prosperity:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
…currently interrupted by great rain. After swapping late inning comebacks with the Rays (and uh, why, Mr. Chapman do you triple up on sliders?), yesterday’s game was rained out. More thunderstorms in the Bronx this morning but they are scheduled to play two today.
Here’s hoping they split at least.
Never mind the wailing and moaning and complaining—it’s hotter ’n’ July folks.
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
Well, that was weird and strange and annoying. If it were any other two teams I might have enjoyed the spectacle of it, the novelty. As it was, even with a healthy lead in the division race, I was so irritated by the London series that I didn’t watch either game live, instead choosing the coward/sane person way out by following on Gameday, DVRing the game and then half-heartedly watching later.
Yanks won both—they resembled beer league softball at its finest—and we’ll take it. Luke Voit going on the injured list is a drag for sure but not a catastrophe. Bombers come home to play a pair against Los Mets out in Queens and then they’ve got four against the Rays. Be nice to end this first half with another solid week but hiccups happen.
Never mind the jet lag:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
…The Yanks were the team that would come unglued? Of course, the Yanks have been an airtight ship for a longtime now. Sure, there was a little thing with Clint Frazier this year and Alex Rodriguez’s entire Yankee career was a sideshow but otherwise we are a long way from the unpleasantness—the colorfulness!—of the Bronx Zoo years. That is a distant memory now.
The Mets take care of all the drama soup to nuts these days. Jeez, what a mess.
Meanwhile, our boys had a fabulous week going 6-1 against the Rays and Astros, about as good as can be expected (save the unfortunate loss of fan fav, Cameron Maybin to the IL).
Three easy-to-overlook games against the Blue Jays before the Yanks fly over to London to play a pair against the Sox this weekend in a “Let’s Play Baseball Where They Don’t Care About It” series.
Long as they keep winning series, man.
Never mind the gimmicks:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
So the past week or so hasn’t been inspired for our boys. Yanks lost a couple of series, then split a double-header with the Mets yesterday.
Funny how time passes in baseball. Doesn’t it seem as if Stanton and Judge aren’t even on the team it’s been so long since they played?
Anyhow, they got four on the south side of Chicago this weekend and then back home to face the Rays and Astros.
Meanwhile, man, what a horrible turn of events for Cookie Monster David Ortiz. Much as I loved rooting against him as a player, I hope he feels better soon. Just awful, huh?
The Mariners in town for 4 games.
Keep up the gritty, gutty goodness, fellas.
Never mind the band aids:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags.
The Yanks and Sox play again tonight, the second of a weird, 2-game series.
Our old pal Nate Eovaldi is on the hill tonight as the Yankees’ M*A*S*H unit looks to hang tough.
Never mind the April chill:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
Yanks have been a little of this, little of that so far. Gary Sanchez looks like a bum on the bases two straight games then hits three home runs. Guys are hurt, young guys are stepping in—lots of new faces.
They are down in Houston for three games starting tonight, so let’s see what they’ve got against Verlander and the Fromage Factory. The first real test of the year if you don’t count all these damn injuries.
Should be fun.
Never mind the bumps and bruises:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
After a successful opening day the Yanks got beat twice by the Orioles and ended the first series with a thud. That hollow sound reverberated even more when it was announced that the Big Guy, Mr. Stanton is headed to the injury list.
We having fun yet?
More tonight as the Bombers host the Tigers.
No better time than now, fellas:
Never mind the cobwebs:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
Opening Day at the Stadium.
Now, that there is a beautiful sentence.
Never mind the glare—it is sunny out there:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Opening Day just a day away?
On a Thursday? Go figure that. But there we have it.
Baseball is upon us.
You guys getting excited or what?
[Picture by Bags]
Man, bunch of bumps and bruises for Los Yankees this spring, eh?
And Mike Trout—This Is Your Life!
Picture by Bags
If you are a Yankee fan who thinks the team blew it not going for broke by signing either Manny Machado or Bryce Harper let me just say, I understand. Doesn’t matter if I agree or not, I understand. You root for the Yankees. You expect your team to spend on star power. Traditionally, that’s what they do, why stop now?
And for those Yankee fans who think the Yanks were smart not to sign Machado or Paper, I understand that too, though I’m not necessarily more sympathetic to that point of view.
Sure would have liked to see Harper’s sweet lefty swing in the Bronx. And the good folks at MLB would have drooled over the it too. Imagine the first time Harper got tossed from a game at Fenway arguing with an ump—social media would combust. But Harp will bring his fire to Philly and he’ll continue to be more of a problem for Mets fans than anyone rooting for the Yanks.
I talked to a kid last week, a Yankee fan in his twenties, who dreaded Harper going to Philly because half of his friends as jerky Philadelphia fans. And I told him, yeah, but it’s the Phillies—I mean, sure they won a title in 2008, and also one in ’80, but otherwise they’ve so hapless they wouldn’t even register to me—but for him, the Phillies have won as as many titles in his rooting years as the Yanks so I guess for his peers that makes the Phillies fan something to contend with. Go figure that. Kids.
Anyhow, what’s going on with the Yanks, I’m only half paying attention so far. Anything fun?
And so do the Yanks, who just signed him to a 7-year extension.
Or: “Wake Us Up Before You Go-Go”
It’s a hearty time to be a Yankee fan. The team is young and one of the better teams in the game. But holy cow, has this ever been a depressing off-season for the sport. Baseball and the people that run it will never cease to get in their own way—can you imagine marquee stars like Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving languishing like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado have this winter? Hell, in the NBA teams are getting slapped with fines for tampering guys six months before they hit the open market.
Man, it just makes you shake your head.
Spoke to a guy who runs one of the big sports media companies recently and asked him what the most popular American sports are now in terms of their coverage and he said, “NFL, NBA, college football, soccer, baseball.” Said soccer and baseball are pretty close—and not American soccer but worldwide soccer. I’ve been working with Esquire for the past 3 years and I can tell you from a general magazine like that baseball is squaresville these days. I couldn’t imagine one ballplayer who they would profile.
And that’s fine, I suppose, I’ll still watch the games this year, I’m still excited about this Yankee team, but there is a gloom hanging over the sport that just won’t go away.
Picture by Bags
Man, you gotta hope ol’ David Robertson somehow finds his way back to the Bronx before he hangs ’em up. He’s been a terrific Yankee. But now he’s a Philadelphia Phillie and the Yanks just paid up to secure the services of Zach Britton, he of the hard, money-earnin’ sinker.
Course River Ave Blues has the lowdown.
There’s more to do, of course, but the days are starting to get longer and you can almost smell the first hints of the season to come.
Picture by Bags
A little personal news here. Most of you who know me might have seen this posted on one of my various social media accounts but thought it would be worth mentioning in this space as well. In the December issue of Men’s Health, I have an essay about how I help my wife, Emily, navigate chronic illness. Take a look—I’m proud of this one. Then dig these little DIY videos we made (Emily just started an Instagram account—Living Beyond Wellness—you should check out too):
and:
If you like the essay please pass along to anyone you think might get something out of it.
Much obliged and Happy Holidays to you all.
What’s on your Christmas list, Yankee fans?
