Monthly Archives: August 2026

And then the Yankees arrived in Fenway for a four-game series that could’ve ended Boston’s season. Instead the Red Sox earned a four-game sweep and haven’t looked back, amassing the best record in baseball since that series.

So does this weekend’s four-game set in the Bronx matter? You bet it does. Boston holds the edge in the season series at 5-4, so all they need to do is salvage a split to clinch the tie-breaker should these two teams end up tied in the standings after 162 games. With Tampa Bay refusing come back to the back, it’s entirely possible that Boston and New York could end up facing off in the wild card series again, and it would certainly be nice for those games to be in the Bronx. Also, it would just be nice if the Yankees could beat the Red Sox. Wouldn’t it?

[Photo courtesy of the author.]

Let’s get one thing straight. I’m old enough to remember not only Derek Jeter, but also guys like Wayne Tolleson, Bobby Meacham, and Randy Velarde. I’ve seen a lot of Yankee shortstops is what I’m saying, so I’ve got enough perspective to know that Anthony Volpe and George Lombard, Jr., have one thing in common — neither one is the next Derek Jeter. But…

Let me tell you why I believe Lombard, Jr., will be playing shortstop in the Bronx for the next ten to fifteen years while Volpe will likely have a decent career bouncing around in places like Anaheim, Miami, or Colorado. Volpe looked like Charlie with the Golden Ticket, always waiting to wake up from the dream. And while I actually liked that about him, I like Lombard’s demeanor better. He already knows he belongs, but the moment I knew wasn’t his home run during his major league debut or any of the sparkling plays he’s made in the field (more on that later). No, his “welcome to the Yankees” moment came in just his fourth game while facing Chris Sale. On consecutive pitches the future Hall of Famer appeared to have struck out the young rookie, but each time Lombard casually tapped his helmet, and each time the strike was flipped to a ball.

That walk triggered more than just a rally, it triggered some dreaming in Yankee land. Lombard’s eyes have never been wide, and he’s never blinked. He already looks like he’s been in the Bronx for a few years, not a few days, and while his hitting has been impressive, it’s his defense that does it for me. His range, glove, and arm are already elite; if he can hit just .240 (and he’ll hit much better than that) he’ll hold on the job without any question. I can’t wait to see what happens.

[Photo courtesy of the author.]

Once upon a time, when the Yankees routinely flexed their financial advantage by outbidding foes for free agents. When Cuban defector José Contreras chose the Yankees instead of the Red Sox, Boston president and CEO Larry Lucchino threw a fit and famously declared that the Yankees were the Evil Empire.

In light of what the Dodgers are doing now, that seems rather quaint, doesn’t it? After signing Shohei Ohtani prior to the 2024 season, surprising no one, they signed the best pitcher on the market, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, also surprising no one. After winning the World Series that year, they signed Roki Sasaki, the best available pitcher during that off-season, again surprising no one. This past off-season — after winning another World Series — they picked up the best available hitter, Kyle Tucker, and the best available reliever, Edwin Díaz. Again, everyone knew these deals were coming. Everyone. (There were also a slew of other minor signings that would been headline deals for most other teams: Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and others.)

Given that track record, I’m certain that no one in baseball (executive, manager, coach, player, or fan) was even the tiniest bit surprised when the Dodgers unloaded three prospects yesterday to acquire Tarik Skubal, assuring that no matter what happens in the next 24 hours, the Dodgers have won the trading deadline the way they win everything else.

Yankee fans will howl (have been howling) that George Steinbrenner wouldn’t allow this to happen, or that Brian Cashman needs to get off his hands and Hall Steinbrenner needs to open his wallet. But here’s the thing. Those Yankee fans need only look across town to see how inept an open wallet can be when decisions go wrong.

And things could’ve gone wrong for the Dodgers. They looked ready to lose to the Padres in the divisional series in 2024, and they should’ve lost last year’s World Series to the Blue Jays. But they didn’t, did they?

The Dodgers have an ATM machine that never stops, the best farm system in baseball, and decision makers that don’t miss. This isn’t an evil empire, it’s so much more than that. Like it or not, the Dodgers are untouchable. They may or may not win the World Series this year, and we may or may not have baseball next season, but this is where we are.

[Photo courtesy of the author.]