Ugh.  I’ve purposely avoided Yankee ball (or at least bantering about it) for the last couple of months as I’ve found myself doing a lot more griping and complaining than enjoying, and I can’t imagine anyone around here would care to read what they’ve already written in comments during that same time period, so I will not add more dung to the pile…

Oh, whom am I kidding? Regardless of how the Yanks do the rest of the way, changes are needed and likely imminent.  The starting rotation needs an overhaul, the infield needs mending and reconfiguring and the outfield needs to be refurbished.  Cashman gambled away his outfield depth and the remains of the day immediately went kablooey, so now he has to figure out what to do with whom not only in the post-season, but beyond. Here are a list of possible bullet-points for him to hash out…

• Does Gardner stay a little longer than expected? (like to 2050 perhaps?)
• Will Clint Frazier ever get a full season to show his worth without having to deal with his bully, the outfield wall?
• Is Aaron Judge rushing back to save the lineup really a good thing?
• Is Stanton really a backup outfielder forced to play everyday at this point?
• Does McCutchen actually exist? Or is he just a story made up to scare impending free agents?
• Is it a sin to not hit a homer in every at-bat? Do you get sent to baseball purgatory for bunting against the shift or hitting for the cycle?
• Would it help if we put an extra row of seats between shortstop and third base?
• Would Ritalin improve the infield defense?
• Is Gary Sanchez really just Jesus Montero trying to sneak back into major league baseball?
• Do you think CC would look good as a pitching coach next season? Yeah? Huh?
• Would it have helped some if Tanaka had gotten that surgery he’s needed for the last two or three seasons right after the slight tear in his UCL was first noticed?
• Does saying “We don’t necessarily need Chapman” three times automatically wipe away his 5 yr/$86 mil (17+Mil per) salary?
• Did Pedro really cover all bases while he was mentoring Severino over the winter, or was that a sample since he wasn’t paid (as far as we all know)?
• Do you think Lance Lynn would do well to appear for a couple of seasons on Westworld rather than on the mound?
• Could he take Sonny Gray with him?
• What’s the over/under for J. Happ bolting the Yanks within minutes of the end of the Whirled Serious? And will that be him saying he “can’t get with Da Bronx” or Cashman and Co. low-balling him?
• What is the purpose of the Yankee coaches, really?
• Is Aaron Boone @#$%ing crazy? Or is he just @#$%ing right for this job?

I know, a lot to take in. You don’t have to think about it now, just enjoy the game(ssssss…).  These things always have a way of working themselves out. If I’m lucky, I’ll come back with more by the end of the, er… month.  >;)

Jeez, I know I’ve been remiss but dag, go away for a week and see what happens. Yanks drop 2 of 3 to the White Sox and then a ball-buster last night to the lowly Tigers. Poor Greg Bird can’t get himself right, though at least Mr. Voight, who looks like an extra from Eight Men Out, is making up for it. The news on Aaron Judge seems to be worse than originally expected as the Yanks went out and traded for none other than Andrew McCutchen. I know he may be past his prime but I have always liked him and am pleased to see him around these parts even as a short-term rental.

Lots going on. Including three more games against these lousy Tigers. Yanks need to run the table this weekend. Starts tonight with Luis Severino.

Never mind the aches and pains:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

And by dumb ass I am thinking mostly of Kendrys Morales, who couldn’t get out of the baseline the other day when Didi Gregorius crashed into him. Didi shot the big oaf a quick look when he first hit the ground, the same look you shoot at the dumb ass in the middle of Costco who cuts you off blindly. There was no bad blood between them but Didi is now on the DL and he might be there awhile.

Dumb asses.

Otherwise a good weekend as the ’98 team was feted at the Stadium. Oh but don’t it make you feel old. Ha.

But the Yanks won all three games. They are down in dumb Jeterville, Miami for a pair and then up to Baltimore for the weekend. The games they are expected to win.

We’ll be watchin’—and rootin’!

Never mind the beach:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

After the Yanks took that beatin’ in Boston they’ve gone 6-1, thank you very much. That guy Stanton has been on fire, and what style! He’s like Dave Winfield and Karl Malone had a kid.

They got the make-up game with Los Mets tonight—deGrom vs. Severino. Could be a long night.

But we’ll be there rooting.

Never mind the rain drops:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Damn, that smart. Not only did the Yanks get swept in Boston but the way it unfolded, especially last night, was just painful. Up 4-1 in the 9th, they blow a lead—an error by Miguel Andujar extended the game—and lose in extra innings. It was long and brutal, a mid-summernight’s dream for the home team and nothing but misery for the visitors and their faithful. Which is us. Who are presently irked. Or pissed off, whatever you want to call it.

But there is more baseball to play tonight.

In Chicago.

We’ll be there rooting for our fellas, hoping they put an end to this losing business.

Never mind the Division:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Holy crap, did the Sox—who are having a ridiculously good year—ever lay it on the Yanks last night. Just leveled them. Which prompted ESPN to run a headline today calling this the greatest Sox team of them all. Which then prompted a Red Sox pal o mine to leave me a message trying to make me feel better by complaining about ESPN putting a hex on his team … after they beat the shit out of the Yanks last night … during a virtually flawless season so far….

Ever thus to deadbeats, as the saying goes.

Anyhow, the Yanks have played like doo doo lately. No better place than Fenway Park to break out of a slump and show some fight.

Never mind the standings:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Even minus Chris Sale and E. Rodriguez this weekend, the Sox are in the driver’s seat in the AL East division race. Yanks need to win 3 of 4, a tall order, in order to feel good about themselves, particularly given how uneven they’ve been recently.

We’ll be there, root-root-rootin’ them on:

Never mind the nonsense:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Can I just say something? Even though I still watch or listen to every Yankee game I have lost connection with how things work—why players can be lost to the rule 5 draft, things like that. I just don’t care that much. Which sometimes lets me just react to trades from an emotional point-of-view without really being too tied into whether or not the trades are solid or terrible.

All of which to say, I really liked Adam Warren and Tyler Austin. Especially after reading that Warren is one of the all-time good guys in the sport. I spent a couple of days in the Yankee clubhouse last summer on an assignment for Esquire and let me tell you, Tyler Austin is built like a fullback—his thighs were enormous, he was all trunk. He had a few nice hits for the Yanks, was right in the mix against the Sox earlier in the season. Now, the Yanks are headed up to Boston for four huge games this weekend and Austin isn’t even a Yankee anymore. That must be hard to wrap your head around if you’re Austin. Yes, he is a professional, and perhaps now he’ll even get more playing time, but he won’t be a Yankee, even though he’s been part of these Yankees, and that will take some getting used to.

We wish him well. And Adam Warren too, who was a very solid Yankee. And also Chasen Shreve, the pointy-faced lefty out of the pen who looks like a bad guy with a gun from an old movie, but always seemed like a good enough sort. I never trusted him and each time he came into a game I worried that he’d shit the bed, but he’s battled and hung around a competitive Yankee bullpen for a few years. Certainly hope he keeps pitching long as he can.

Yanks get some pieces back, including Lance Lynn, who will likely now be minus the beardski.

Couple of few against the lousy Birds as a warm-up for the weekend. But the games still need to played and won. So never mind looking ahead:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Oh, man, our dude Aaron Judge got hurt last night. Hit in the hand, fractured, can’t swing a bat for at least 3 weeks: totally blows.

Great reaction from the crowd—sure to be the start of a new trend.

But the game goes on and we’ll be here root-root-rootin’.

Never mind the blues:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

I suppose “What’s the Haps?” has already been taken. Anyhow, the Yanks picked up J.A. Happ in exchange for a minor league outfielder and Brandon Drury, a guy who was just expendable. I feel for Drury, he never really got a chance to show his stuff for the Yanks.

Yanks lost again yesterday. They host the Royals at home tonight.

Never mind the slump:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Gary Sanchez got everyone good and mad at him last night by jaking it not once but twice, both costly, both painful to remember, as the Yanks lost by a run in Tampa. To make matters worse, turns out Sanchez is headed back to the DL. Now, it didn’t seem like an injury kept him from just giving up on the play in the 9th inning, but man, talk about some bum luck. Now he’s got the growing perception that he is some kind of a chump. Is he a great young talent or the next Joba? Just another over-hyped young New York Yankee?

Stay tuned. In the meantime, Yanks have to get out of their own way and start winning again.

Tonight gives our pal Masahiro.

Never mind the chatter:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

The Yanks lost one, won one and then had the final game postponed on the count of rain, a theme of sorts this year. Out on the road now, starting in Tampa.

Never mind the bloomin’ Onions:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Yanks host Los Mets for the back-end of the Subway Serious. Always a booby-trap series against the Metsies. Hopefully, the Yanks are rested and ready to roll:

Never mind the Queens birds:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Welp, the Yanks had a good first half, with room for improvement, in a league where the top teams are all lethal.

Tonight gives the All-Stud game. All these years watching and I rarely make it through the whole game, no matter what’s at stake. Maybe this year will be different—after all, it’s a long week with no baseball.

Never mind the raindrops:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Bags

The Yanks end this long first half of the season with four against the Indians in Cleveland. No easy task. And they both get right to it tonight with a nice duel—Kluber vs. Sevi.

Never mind the upcoming holiday:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

As the trade deadline gossip heats up, the Yanks are in the mix. They split the double header yesterday dropping the the first game (ugh). Tonight, gives the return of Masahiro Tanaka, our guy!

Never mind the frontrunners:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Yanks are playing a pair this evening in Baltimore after taking 2 of 3 from the Jays in Toronto over the weekend.

Long push here before the All-Star break (with congrats to the Bombers who made the squad). Since the Red Sox have decided, you know, not to lose anymore, it behooves our boys to have a strong showing this week—first in Baltimore then, four in Cleveland.

Never mind the the vacation plans:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

The Yanks coughed one up last night—couldn’t cash in on all those men they put on base—and well, sometimes, that’s just gonna happen. Doesn’t mean we have to like it. And hey, at least Belgium won, and seeing how my Ma is Belgian, that made up for it.

Here’s hoping the Yanks can snap back to it and still take this series.

Never mind the rain drops:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Welp, that was a fine way to end the weekend series. After Sonny Gray got banged around on Saturday it was gratifying to see the Yanks return the favor to David Price last night. Good enough for a lot of loud, beautiful sounding hits, and a series win.

It is still hotter n July hot here at the start of July with the Braves in town for three. These guys have been good. No time for the Yanks to get complacent.

Never mind the thermometer:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Whaddayou know, the Yanks are half-a-game in front for the lead in the AL East (also by virtue of having played three games less than the Red Hots), and depending on how you look at it either are the best team in MLB by winning percentage or third best by total wins. This without being at full strength too; Tanaka and Montgomery are missing from the starting rotation, Gary Sanchez is taking a ten-day trip to the DL after a really unlucky/startlingly poor start offensively and the New Monster On The Block being relatively average to sub-optimal.  That’s not to mention Greg Bird finally getting healthy enough to contribute Heinz horseshit at the plate.  But we know what the deal is. Judge is seeming to make some adjustments and settling into a productive streak, whether or not that means more tank jobs is relative at this point.  Sir Didi is also slowly getting back on track, while Hicks and Gardner have both continued to contribute when you least expect it.  Severino is the unquestioned Lord of the Rotation and there’s promise with German and the Thunder from AA Under, Jonathan “Johnny Lasagna”  Loaisiga. Austine Romine is the new Francisco Cervelli (hopefully without the juice) and of course, our true MVPs are the kids the team didn’t think were ready to even start the season with the big team; Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres.  How bad do you think the Yanks would have fallen off without these two?

So with all that, maybe we can discuss what the Yanks can do to sustain their current level of productivity and perhaps build on it.  There’s an obvious need for another top flight starter to share the burden of being consistently good with Sevi.  Sonny Gray is not the guy; if he’s inconsistent with Romine as his caddy, what will it come to when he has no choice but to pitch consistently with Sanchez? It’s a problem many wink at, but few really want to get into depth about. C.C. is older now, and old for a starter of his stature and accumulated mileage.  He’s had a few bad luck starts, but mainly he hasn’t been able to stretch the game enough to give the bullpen a break (back to that soon). German is not the guy… yet.  He and Johnny are both tasked with difficult missions; hold down the rotation until reinforcements arrive.  The latter has been brilliant in two starts, but the sample is still insignificant.  German has been alternately brilliant and lousy, but again you can’t blame him so much because he was supposed to be getting innings on the farm like Justus Sheffield (which makes you wonder what’s going on with Chance Adams, who is ostensibly the next starter on the call-up list were it not for Johnny skipping the line).  Tanaka had also been on/off from the start, which seems to have become his M.O. the last couple of years. So what can all this inconsistency be attributed to? Could the difference be as simple as age, or when Sevi sought advice/training with fellow D.R. compatriot and the Yanks’ nemesis Pedro Martinez? Hmmm… if he ends up winning the Cy Young or dominating in the playoffs, I would certainly advocate for the Yanks putting aside their differences (or pride) and hiring Pedro as their minor league pitching guru before anyone else gets the idea (that is, if Pedro is capable of doing the same).

As for the bench, they have to figure out a way to get Fraizer and Drury back up; those guys are wasting away in Scranton and can contribute right away. Neil Walker, thanks for holding the fort down. Tyler Austin, I’d miss you, but we could get a good lefty relief pitcher for you and Shreve…. well, maybe not put a damper on things with a deal like that.

All in all, the Yanks are either in a good place or really fortunate, all things considered.  They can deal from a position of strength if they want to, but I have a better feeling they will hold with what they have and replenish their pitching/catching stock in the minors.  Still holding out hope that the few under-performers will get really hot soon (Stanton seems to thrive in the heat, and that hasn’t been a key feature in the Northeast of late) and they can keep two steps ahead of the Sox for the east.  As has been the last few years, pitching will determine whether they pass or fail, and hopefully the rotation will not be out of gas when September and October become a thing.

Enjoy the game!