When the month began — the darkest of all months for Yankee fans — we got the worst news imaginable: Aaron Judge would be out for a while. Given the team’s recent struggles in June, it seemed like we were due for more of the same or even worse. We’ve conveniently forgotten that the Yankees were historically good in June of 2022, going 22-6, but the last three years have seen early season success evaporate into mediocrity as they posted marks of 11-12, 14-13, and 13-14. June Swoon, indeed.
There were lots of theories floated ranging from complacency to an organization-wide lack of fundamentals, but it’s probably more coincidence than anything else. If the June Swoons had been caused by Aaron Boone or by something lacking in the organization, surely a team missing its best player would be knee deep in it right now, right? But they’re not. They’re thriving.
The Yankees are 9-4 during this month, a surge that’s seen them move back into first place with the best record in the American League, and somehow the offense doesn’t seem to miss the best non-Barry Bonds hitter you and I have ever seen. They’ve scored 6.3 runs per game and compiled a +38 run differential in just thirteen games. They’re getting essentially nothing from the catcher spot (zero home runs, two RBIs) and Anthony Volpe is Anthony Volpe (.222/.282/.306), but three batters have been hitting at MVP levels. Take a look:
| Player | AVG | OPS | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Rice | .235 | 0.792 | 3 | 5 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | .382 | 1.088 | 5 | 17 |
| Cody Bellinger | .314 | .880 | 3 | 11 |
I think people around baseball have accepted that Rice is one of the best hitters in the game, so his dip during this month is more of a lull than a correction. Bellinger is exactly what the Yankees hoped they’d get when they resigned him during this past off-season. He’s been invaluable on both sides of the ball. But Goldschmidt? He was supposed to play a couple games a week and maybe pinch hit against a lefty from time to time, but mainly his role was going to be clubhouse leadership and defensive tutoring for young Master Rice. No one was expecting this level of production from an aging star on what was assumed to be his final contract. Given this recent spate of injuries, it’s difficult to imagine where the team would be without Goldy.
But even with all this success, I miss Aaron Judge. The team is winning, but there’s something missing. I don’t have the anchor of Judge’s five at bats to mark time through nine innings. I’m not tracking the league leaders to see where he stacks up. I’m not looking at the career home run list to find out which legend he’ll be passing next. I miss all that.
And it seems like Aaron’s feeling it, too. Each time one of his teammates returns to the dugout after hitting a big home run, the camera always finds Judge. He’s happy enough, but his smile is different. He’s there, but he’s one step removed. I could just be projecting, but there seems to be a wistfulness in his gaze as he watches his team push on without him. He’s fallen behind. Does he want them to wait, or is he desperate to catch up?
One pitch and the game is over. Nice.
It seemed like they should have stuck with Hill, him being a ground ball pitcher and all. It still might have not worked out but I didn't like the move at the time.
I’m the one person to not tell him to put his back into it. I’m hoping for surgery.
Man, what a rocket from Bennie Barrels. And three more two-out runs!
What a night for Schlittler! HBP first pitch of the game, then six shutout innings with 13 Ks. Can’t wait to see him starting the all-star game.
Yeah, Cam is the Schlitt, for sure. He's as good as we hoped he *might* be when ht pitched against the Red Sox in the little WC series last year.
I like this series of posts, Hank, unified by their titles. Maybe "Meeting Across the River" for a subway series?
Glad someone’s paying attention!
And Happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate!
Cole isn’t looking good, probably as bad as he’s ever looked, honestly. And he looks pretty pissed about it.
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cole get hit like this.
A very cool picture:
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-1019fdd7de3d9d7e66b0fe4554a90849
[10] Definitely cool. Can you imagine the pressure Bobby Murcer must've felt? All he had to do was take over for Mickey Mantle and continue the greatest dynasty the sport had ever or will ever see.
I just took a look at Murcer's stats, and I see he was a lot better as a younger player than I realized. I first knew him as a Chicago Cub, and by the time he got back to the Yankees he was really just an average player. I wish I had seen the young Murcer. Take a look at the 1971 MVP balloting. There's an easy argument to make that Murcer should've won it.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1971.shtml#all_AL_MVP_voting
Lollipop kid. I love it, lots of possibilities. Plus it makes following baseball. . . Fun again.
Which I can use. Pain meds plus no booze (dr. orders) make a dull evening.
I was a fan when Bobby first came up. I cried when he left for the military. Bobby was no Mantle, but he was the best we had. Indeed, '71 he was great, and damn good in '72. In '74 he played at Shea, as the Stadium was being renovated, and Shea 'robbed' Bobby of his power. I think that's part of the reason the Yanks considered trading him. I hated when he was traded in '75... but we got Bobby Bonds (the next Willie Mays!) for him, which should have been a win. By the time he hit Chicago, he was done as an elite player, but I was thrilled when the Yankees got him back '79.
Tell me... is this Goldschmidt's last year? He is certainly playing relaxed. 13 HRs in 188 ABs. Not too shabby.
So I fell asleep yesterday, waiting on the laundry to finish. That was ten hours ago.
Wow... make that 14 HRs in 190 ABs.
I’m so tired of watching Doval. His variance is go great. He might come in and be completely dominant, he might come in and forget how to throw strikes, he might come in and put the ball on a few. It’s maddening.
1938:
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-32412d061835271178db043ff74bbbcb
And Fernando Crúz is just the opposite. Even though he’s had some bad outings and sometimes loses the strike zone, I always feel good when he comes in the game.
And just to complete the thought, I have zero confidence in Bednar. I know he’s had ten straight scoreless outings, but that would have stretch to 20 or 25 before I’d feel better about him.
Two-out run!
Another two-out run!
Watching the Yankees defense blow a good start for Cam. Of course the worst team in the A.L. is going to beat the Yankees tonight. Ya can't predict baseball, Suzyn.
Well, that’s a shame. Schlittler’s stuff was as good as ever, but his control wasn’t quite as sharp. A whiffed ground ball that could’ve been a 5-4-3 double play, then a horrible throw from short left field, otherwise he finishes five innings with a 2-0 lead. Oh, well.
I’d love to know what teams’ records are when they make four errors. At least I don’t have to worry about the overlap with the USMNT game.
And that should be a fifth error. I’ll never understand why “you can’t assume a double play.” Really? I can’t assume the shortstop can throw to first base? Seems like that’s the basis for all error decisions. Sigh.
[27] It is one of the dumber rules. I've been saying a for a long time, the greatest myths of childhood is thinking adults know what they are doing.
[25] All 6 runs were unearned.
I just came across this Mickey Mantle quote:
"I hated to bat against Drysdale. After he hit you he'd come around, look at the bruise on your arm and say, 'Do you want me to sign it?'"
[28] Drysdale used to do play-by-play for Dodgers games when I was a kid. (Instead of a simulcast, he and Vin Scully would split the radio and TV duties when the games were televised, with Scully doing the first and last three innings for TV and the middle three on the radio, and Drysdale the reverse.)
Anyway, I was listening one afternoon as Drysdale spun this story. "We were playing the Cardinals one day in St. Louis, and when Musial came to bat, Walter Alston put up four fingers and told me to walk him. Well, it was August and hotter than anything, and I didn't want to waste four pitches, so I just plunked him with the first one."
[28] Yeah, I saw that. SIX unearned runs. I guess someone has probably done worse than that, but it's still pretty amazing.
Man, this series has been a rough watch so far. Wouldn’t it be great to get some runs and look competitive?
Yuck. Nine hits in three games. Six unearned runs allowed, five runs scored. Not what you want.
These NBC announcers — Rizzo included — are awful. Blaming Jazz for being immature for getting thrown out, but no mention that the umpire was blatantly wrong. That was obviously a check swing, and the home plate umpire decided to call it himself without appealing to third. Just awful. But somehow Jazz is to blame.
Wow, That changed in a hurry. Hope they can close it out.
Two more unearned runs tonight. Unbelievable.
Also this — before tonight the Red Sox were 2-42 in games when they trailed by two or more runs at any point.
To be fair, the Red Sox defense kept the Yankees in the game. It would have been nice to steal the game though. I wasn't overly confident especially when the first guy got a hit.
When we got to Boston, the Sox were 32 and 46. We were 48 and 31.
HOW THE FUCK COULD THEY SWEEP US?!?!?!?!?
"Stanton has been out since straining his left calf April 24 and experienced a setback running the bases earlier this month."
Man... things are pretty bad when you hurt yourself running the bases in practice. Stanton, Judge and some others should be banned from the weight room. See how many 500 HR guys never lifted a single weight.
These guys should be doing Yoga. Casey sent Moose Skowron for ballet lessons.
The quote “You can’t pull fat” is often attributed to former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who used it in April 2024 to explain why players in his era could play through injuries without the same modern-day fitness demands. Guillen said it in the context of discussing injuries to White Sox players, recalling that past players ate heavily and played all year long without the same injury risks as today’s athletes.
Schlittler looks quite bad. He is getting rocked. Tigers seem to have figured out something.
What in the wide wide world of June Gloom is going on with this team???
And now it’s even worse.
I don’t even know what to say about this team. They’ve suddenly become one of the worst teams in baseball. Can’t hit, can’t pitch, can’t throw, can’t catch. It’s not just the consecutive sweeps, it’s the absolute embarrassment of the way they’ve lost these games. Today’s eleventh inning is the icing on the cake. Three straight walks (one intentional) to push in the winning run, then a base hit and an error to plate three more. Beyond awful.