Yanks having some fun in Orange County this weekend. They look for the sweep this afternoon.

Never mind the palm trees:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Ah, remember the days when the Angels were a thorny pain in the ass? Not so much these past few years. The young Yanks beat up on J. Weaver last night and look for more tonight.

Never mind the sunset:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

The New Jack Yanks are doing a little West Coast swing tonight starting at 10pm EST with Los Angeles as the first stop and Seattle the last.  If you’re up late at night, need something to preoccupy your mind and if you can stand them, maybe you should consider the new A-Team…

Series preview courtesy of River Avenue Blues

The good news: Gary Shanchez hit two home runs last night—the second one was a real blast and came just as the rain did.

There was a rain delay and when the game resumed came the bad news as a 6-0 Yankee lead was wiped out by a swift, merciless comeback from the Jays who scored 8 in the 8th and won, 12-6.

Growing Pains indeed.

More rain today? We shall see. Yanks and Jays play a matinee.

Never mind the slickers:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Bags]

Pardon me for fallin’ asleep at the wheel—it is mid-August after all, the sleepiest time of year. Still, the Yanks won a nail-biter last night, a big double play getting Betances out of trouble in the ninth.

Let’s see if the ball flies tonight.

Never mind heat index:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Alex Rodriguez’s pregame ceremony was cut short by rain. But the storm was a passing one and it left the most gorgeous sunset in its wake—the sky was orange and red and fantastic. Rodriguez got an RBI double in his first at bat—his last hit and run batted in for the Yanks. The Old Man even trotted out to third base in the 9th inning before being pulled and given an ovation. It was modest by Yankee standards by seemingly heartfelt (manager Joe Girard’s tearful postgame press conference perhaps being the most genuine televised moment of the night).

And, oh yeah—the Yanks won.

This morning gives a tribute to the 1996 team.

Never mind the humidity:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

The Yanks honored Alex Rodriguez tonight and before they could get through the proceedings the sky opened up and everyone ran for cover. Just about sums it up for Rodriguez, doesn’t it?

Yanks look to make life annoying for the Sox. Hope Alex gets a base hit, maybe drive in a run.

Never mind the selfies:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Hey, Alex Rodriguez got an at bat last night, and just got under a pitch and flew out to right field. Man, you could see how frustrated he was having just missed it. And that might be as close to getting a hit as he comes—just missing a pitch, feeling that frustration. You never know. He is supposed to start tonight and then again tomorrow but something tells me that we are definitely going to see him again in the spring somewhere else.

Anyhow, the  Yanks lost on Tuesday but they pounded the Sox last night and hell, anytime the Yanks can irritate the Sox it feels like a good thing, am I right?

The bobbleheads ain’t coming. But the Yanks are in Boston for a three-game set against the Red Sox, who need these wins more than the New Yorkers. Be interesting to see if Alex gets any swings this week. I expect he might, just to give him some burn in a big league game.

Never mind the boo-birds:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

The Yanks lost today and this evening announced that Alex Rodriguez is holding an 11 a.m. press conference tomorrow morning. Which means he is either going to follow Tex and hang ‘em up, or the team is going to release him. Rodriguez had a terrific comeback season in 2015 but this year he has been what you’d expect from a 40-year old.

Going out with a whimper is not rare—it is how most players leave and reminds me of the lede of a story Pat Jordan once wrote about Bobby Hurley:

“For most of us, death will not announce itself with a blare of trumpets or a roar of cannons.  It will come silently, on the soft paws of a cat.  It will insinuate itself, rubbing against our ankle in the midst of an ordinary moment.  An uneventful dinner.  A drive home from work.  A sofa pushed across a floor.  A slight bend to retrieve a morning newspaper tossed into a bush.  And then, a faint cry, an exhale of breath, a muffled slump.”

If this is it for Alex, well, I have thoroughly enjoyed rooting for him. Not since Reggie Jackson have I pulled for a star player that is so disliked by Yankee fans. And he didn’t make it easy to root for him always, that is for sure. He was such a social klutz—never mind his tremendous talent—that I felt for him, even when he was being a putz. He’ll retire as the greatest third baseman in Yankee history, like him or not.

He achieved some grace before the curtain fell on his playing days and considering where he was a few years ago that is no small feat.

Man, the Yanks should sell more often. All this winning, what gives?

They’re at it again this afternoon.

Never mind the Men at Work:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Whoa, Tex is hanging ‘em up at the end of the year.

And tonight gives the Clevelanders.

Never mind the March of Time:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

That what the Mets want to do tonight. More than that, they just need a win.

The Yanks. Well, we’re still root, root, rootin’ for our boys.

Never mind the ruckus:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

I’ve got a friend who cannot stand Mark Teixeira—who seems like a benign guy to hate but the more I think of it, I can see it. Sort of like hating a guy like Raffey Palmerio. Not really hatable but irritating enough to turn into something disagreeable. Especially if he is not on your team. Well, Tex got under the Mets’s skin last night, particularly reliever Hansel Robles, who appeared to psyche himself out believing Tex was psyching him out.

Oh, well. Yanks won, 9-4 in a game that certainly more painful for the Mets to lose than it was for the Yanks to win.

We’ll take it.

Our Raise-the-White-Flag Yanks host the Mets for a pair starting tonightski.

Never mind those cheerin’ Mets fans:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Is this the end of the line for Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees? M’eh, could be…

Yeah, and the Mets thumped the Yanks last night, 7-1.

Seriously, that was a fun win last night. Pretty funny when the Yanks are in the tank and can play the spoiler.

Never mind the future:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

graphic credit: mashthebuttons.com

So it appears that the Cleveland Indians believe they have what it takes to knock the hustle on the reigning World Series champion Kansas City Royals by fulfilling the wish of most Yankee fans (around here, at least) and trading for their All Star closer Andrew Miller. Yep, Cleveland beat out all comers to go for the gold, as it were.  Cashman, to his credit this season, had managed to acquire the top relieving talent in the AL and has been seemingly wise in what has to be a real first for Yankeedom; bartering good MLB players for good prospects.  Seriously, how often has this even happened, never mind worked out well for the Yankees in their history? The closest I could come up with (or at least the most recent example) was when the Yanks traded starting pitcher Doc Medich for, among others, up-and-coming rookie Willie Randolph in December 1975. That seemed to work out pretty well, if I recall. However, the Yanks have had a strong tendency as well know to be on the opposite side of the spectrum when dealing with prospects; usually giving away prospects (whom a lot of times turn into All Star talent) in exchange for OPP or middling MLB players who either break few waves or write regrettable footnotes in Yankee history.  Is it not fair to think of Jose Rijo, Fred McGriff, Jay Buhner  and other Yankee prospects from the early 80s (well into G. Steinbrenner’s reign of terror as Yankees overlord owner)  ending up as perennial All-Stars and borderline HoFers on other teams because of an incessant need for overvalued or ill-suited veterans led by shell-shocked or bi-polar managers who entered and departed like the steamy vapors of Old Faithful. HOw many of us felt the burn in those times, good times…

But this: unprecedented in nature and in scale.  Instead of discarding a useful veteran or cashing in a bunch of great prospects for a two-month playoff push in the hopes that they can catch the same lightning that David Justice brought with him many moons ago, instead of shuttling off a headache or embarrassment for the tender mercies of their trade partner’s leftovers, the Yanks have practically admitted something obvious to the entirety of the Yankee universe: rebuilding is a viable option.

Rebuild.  What a strange, funny little word that has for so long struck terror in the hearts of fans and administration alike, but somehow has managed to bring us a sense of relief in that now this team has a definitive plan, a course of action that says to all who observe that yes, the team does recognize the signs and has decided to focus on what lies ahead.  There are too many holes to patch, too much money in the pit and much more time on our hands than we know what to do with. But Cashman, the de facto Leader of the New School, somehow got the okay to look forward and trade a couple of his cash cows for some magic beans. And let’s be real, this is what they really are for now… so who are these magic beans exactly?

Clint Frazier; No. 2 prospect in the Cleveland Indians organization, an outfielder and No. 5 pick overall in 2013 (nj.com)

Justus Sheffield: No. 3 prospect of the organization, LH Starter in A-Ball, but no, he is NOT related to Gary Sheffield (contrary to this and other reports, it has been asserted as a myth) (nj.com)

And for gits and shiggles, they threw in a couple more minor league cheeseheads, Triple-A reliever Ben Heller and Double-A reliever J.P. Feyereisen. (yeah you guessed it, nj.com)

What does it all mean? Well, Cleveland’s obviously going for it, and they think highly enough of Miller that they can afford to give up at least two prized prospects to get him.  Good for Miller, he’s a very stand-up guy who deserves a shot at a ring during his prime, but while deserve’s got nothing to do with it, pundits are now seeing Cleveland as a true contender (the Royals seemingly spit the bit early on with injuries to key players and sub-par replacements) who will likely be waiting at the gate while Toronto, Baltimore, Texas and Houston figure out their respective positions. Provided that Miller stays healthy the rest of the way and Terry Francona doesn’t suddenly lose his mojo in the clubhouse, the playoff push promises to be pretty interesting.  For the Yanks: The future is now for one Dellin Betances (provided he doesn’t get traded himself, which doesn’t seem likely at this point, but we are treading unfamiliar waters here). If he stays, he will now get the chance to lock down the closer position for years to come; a position that was inherently his from the moment he came up, but required (and may still require) some seasoning before he could fully embrace it.  He’s got about two months. For the rest of the team, it’s put up or shut up.  The White Flag has been raised, the retooling begins.  Time to analyze who has an actual future with this team in 2017 or even within the next couple of months.  Do they sit down a couple of under-performing players and bring up kids to test them out? Does the hype of these major trades invigorate provoke the rest into Super Saiyin mode and they go on a .750 tear the rest of the way and burst into the playoffs as the most dynamic team this side of hydrogen and oxygen? Or do they play with their shoelaces the rest of the way? Perhaps a little from column A, B and C?

At any rate, this has been likely the most interesting part of the season to date.  So long, A. Chapman, so long A. Miller; you’ve both been great here and we thank you for keeping most of us at least peripherally interested in what’s happening at that mall we call Yankee Stadium nowadays, but it’s time to go forth and make history for your new teams (both Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs having a good chance to make big history by winning it all). while Betances holds down the fort and waits for the new arrivals to mature along with him and bring forth an interesting and perhaps exciting new era of baseball in New York; the likes of which we haven’t seen since the mid 90s perhaps? If so, it will likely change the narrative we’ve had on one Brian Cashman and cement his place in baseball not only as a visionary executive, but a legendary survivor.  Too much, too soon? It’s okay, we just made a couple of big trades that we don’t ordinarily do, as if they finally listened to us and said, “Eh, why not?”

We can afford a little bit of euphoria for a minute. We shall see.