Maybe Hal Is Adopted

So you may have noticed that I haven't posted about the Yankees' horrible performances against the Los Angeles Angels. I also haven't been doing video recaps, and posting them on Facebook and Instagram.

I figure, they don't care enough to give it their best, so why should I?

On Monday night, in Anaheim, the Yankees got a great start from Luis Severino, and Aaron Boone blew it by bringing in Michael King, who had nothing. In the top of the 9th, tied 3-3, the Yankees had 1st & 2nd with nobody out, and got nothing, because Giancarlo Stanton just got under a pitch and couldn't quite hit it out, and Gleyber Torres, big shock, grounded into a double play. And the Angels won it in the 10th, 4-3.

On Tuesday night, Domingo Germán was shaky, and it wouldn't have mattered if he'd pitched well, because the Yankees couldn't hit Patrick Sandoval. This time, Torres provided all the scoring with a home run in the 3rd inning, and also drew a walk in the 1st. Other than that, these were all the Yankee baserunners: Harrison Bader and Isiah Kiner-Falefa drew walks in the 2nd, Stanton reached on an error in the 6th, and Anthony Volpe singled in the 8th. That's it: A homer, a single, 3 walks and an error. The Angels won, 5-1.

And on Wednesday night, Carlos Rodón fell to 0-3, getting knocked out of the box in the 5th inning, getting booed by visiting Yankee Fans as he walked off the mound, and he sarcastically blew them a kiss. Stanton and Franchy Cordero hit home runs, but it was useless, as the Angels won, 7-3.

For the series, Ohtani went 4-for-8 with a home run, 6 walks -- a batting average of .500 and an on-base percentage of .714 -- and 3 RBIs. He's putting on a show, and Yankee management is still putting us on.

The Yankees are 4 games out of the 6th and last AL Playoff spot. By that standard, things don't look so bad. But look at the numbers. I know, there are old sayings:

* Figures don't lie, but liars can figure.

* Statistics are like lampposts: Use them for illumination, not for support.

* Statistics are like bikinis: What they reveal can be good, but what they cover up is more important.

Still:

* The Yankees are now 50-47, in last place in the American League Eastern Division.

* This is the 1st time that this has been the case this late in the season since 1990: 33 years. A third of a century.

* They are 9 1/2 games behind the Division-leading Baltimore Orioles. (Yeah, don't look now, but they are on a tear, and the Tampa Bay Rays, who started off the season on fire, have cooled off, and are a game behind the O's.)

* OPS+'s, with the higher, the better, and 100 being exactly average: Aaron Judge, 193 but still injured; Jake Bauers, 114 but injured; Gleyber Torres, 110; Billy McKinney, 102; Anthony Rizzo, 101, and suffering more than any other player in the absence of Aaron Judge; Giancarlo Stanton, 98 and also suffering without Judge in the lineup; Willie Calhoun, 97 and also injured; Harrison Bader, 91, and he may now be hurt long-term; Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 88; Franchy Cordero, 84; DJ LeMahieu, 82; Anthony Volpe, 80; Kyle Higashioka, 79; Josh Donaldson, 78, injured, probably out for the season, and may have played his last game for the Yankees; Oswald Peraza, 66; Oswaldo Cabrera, 62; and Jose Trevino, 58.

* ERA+'s for our pitchers with at least 10 starts, with the higher, the better, and 100 being exactly average: Gerrit Cole, 152; Clarke Schmidt, 98; Domingo Germán, 93; Jhony Brito, 90, and currently at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; Nestor Cortés, 82, and currently injured; and Luis Severino, 64. With 3 starts each, Randy Vásquez, now in AAA, is at 367; and Carlos Rodón is at 59.

* ERA+'s for our pitchers with at least 19 relief appearances, keeping in mind that a good reliever's ERA+ should be much higher than 100: Ian Hamilton, 239; Clay Holmes, 178; Wandy Peralta, 173; Tommy Kahnle, 172; Nick Ramirez, 128; Michael King, 127; Ron Marinaccio, 117; Jimmy Cordero, 110; Albert Abreu, 103. So the bullpen isn't as big a problem, but Boone has still handled it very badly -- whether of his own accord or on Brian Cashman's orders, only Boone knows for sure.

And yet, aside from the recent firing of hitting instructor Dillon Lawson, and his replacement with Boone's former Cincinnati Reds teammate, Sean Casey, there has been no reaction from Hal Steinbrenner. He is not acting like his father.

Maybe he was adopted.

Now, ordinarily, I am against sports teams making a change just for the sake of making a change. Or "just to shake things up." That's a really stupid reason to do something, whether you're trying to improve a sports team or trying to elect a President.

But if ever a Yankee team needed "shaking up," it's this one.