Monday, May 31, 2021

Lest We Forget

Memorial Day Weekend is over. May is over. And the Yankees...

As a New York legend in another sport, Bill Parcells, would say, "You are what your record says you are."

Jameson Taillon started this holday matinee opener of a 4-game home series against the streaking Tampa Bay Rays. As all teams are doing today, they wore red poppy patches for Memorial Day, the way British soccer teams do on their closest home game to Remembrance Day (November 11, which is Veterans Day here). Lest we forget.

Taillon's 1st 3 innings were good. His last 3 were not, and he was removed in the 6th before getting anyone out. The bullpen was all right: Lucas Luetge pitched a perfect 6th and 7th, Wandy Peralta a scoreless 8th, and Luis Cessa a perfect 9th.

All the Yankees needed to make a winning pitcher out of Taillon -- or Luetge, or Peralta, or Cessa -- was to score 4 runs.

This bunch of gutless wonders? Ha. They stranded a runner on 1st in the 2nd, on 1st and 2nd in the 2nd, and on 1st in the 4th. A Brett Gardner walk with 1 out in the 5th was wasted when DJ LeMahieu grounded into a double play.

There was a glimmer of hope in the 7th, when Miguel Andujar hit an opposite-field home run with 2 out in the 7th. And Gary Sanchez, not exactly known for a good batting eye, drew a walk. But Gardner struck out. Rougned Odor doubled with 2 out in the 9th, but Andujar struck out.

Ballgame over. Rays 3, Yankees 1. WP: Rich Hill (4-2). SV: J.P. Feyereisen (3). LP: Taillon (1-4).

Memorial Day Weekend is over. May is over. The season is 27 percent over. "You are what your record says you are." The Yankees are 29-25, and 5 1/2 games out. In their last 7 games, they have been outscored 29-13, an average loss of 4-2. They are 1-6 over that stretch.

Look at these OPS's:

Aaron Judge .951
Giancarlo Stanton .819
Kyle Higashioka .751
Gary Sanchez .709
Gio Urshela .705

That's not so bad. But it gets worse:

DJ LeMahieu .684
Rougned Odor .680
Gleyber Torres .674
Aaron Hicks .627 (Now injured and out for the season)
Clint Frazier .600
Tyler Wade .595
Mike Ford .588
Mike Tauchman .552 (Since traded)
Miguel Andujar .545
Luke Voit .530 (Currently injured)
Brett Gardner .523
Jay Bruce .466 (Shamed into retirement)

This is the team that Brian Cashman built. It is time for him to go. #CashmanOut

Because the job of the general manager of the New York Yankees is to build a team capable of winning the World Series. Lest we forget.

2 comments:

Paul said...

I think you meant “OPS” not “on-base percentage”

Uncle Mike said...

Yes, I did. Fixed. Thanks.