You Can't Win If You Don't Score

(Yes, I know, the picture is from earlier in the season, at home, not from this past weekend at Camden Yards. It's still the Orioles beating the Yankees, and it seems to sum up this season. I'm leaving it up.)

Since last I posted, the Yankees have played the finale of a road series against the Baltimore Orioles, and begun a road series against the Tampa Bay Rays, and dropped both games.

It now looks as though the last 3 games of the season, away to the Boston Red Sox, will have no meaning beyond each side wanting to beat their archest rival, just for the sake of beating that one team.

Making it increasingly likely that Derek Jeter's last game will be the home finale, against the Orioles, on September 25, a week from this Thursday night. (UPDATE: Jeter ended up playing the Fenway series anywa.)

*

On Sunday night in Baltimore, Hiroki Kuroda sure didn't pitch like a 39-year-old man. He went 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and no walks. Dellin Betances pitched a perfect 8th.

And yet, despite Martin Prado's 12th home run of the season (his 7th as a Yankee since coming over from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 31), the game was 1-1 going into the 9th.

Brian McCann, still batting only .238, hit his 20th homer of the season. It was 2-1, and it looked like Betances would get the win.

But David Robertson, who so often bends but doesn't break, broke. He allowed a leadoff double to Nelson Cruz, another double to Steve Pearce to tie the game, got J.J. Hardy to fly out, and then allowed a game-losing double.

A game-losing double to Kelly Johnson, whom the Yankees got rid of, because he was batting just .219, on-base percentage a mere .304, with 6 homers and 22 RBIs in 227 at-bats. We were actually willing to trade him to the hated Red Sox. He continued to be bad for them: In 25 plate appearances, he reached base only 4 times (all singles), for Ivan DeJesus. No, the BoSox were not willing to trade him for the 61-year-old former Cubs and Phillies shortstop from Puerto Rico, who played 7 games for the Yankees in 1986. This is his 27-year-old son, a middle infielder who had all of 72 big-league plate appearances before that trade (and only 8 since coming to Boston 2 weeks ago).

Kelly Johnson isn't the first, or even the least likely, former Yankee to come back and haunt us. But he is the latest, and thus, for the moment, the most annoying.

Orioles 3, Yankees 2. WP: Darren O'Day (5-1). No save. LP: Robertson (2-5).

In 37 innings in Camden Yards, one of the best hitter's parks in the game, the Yankees scored 6 runs. They won 1 game, and lost another in the 9th inning and another in the 11th.

*

Then, last night in St. Petersburg, against the Rays, the Yankees continued their pathetic hitting, getting nothing over 9 innings. The Yankees got only 6 hits (all singles, except for a double by Ichiro Suzuki) and 2 walks, and were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position (Yankee RISPfail).

This time, for 8 innings, it didn't matter, since Chris Capuano and Adam Warren, both seriously struggling lately, combined for 8 scoreless innings of their own, allowing the Rays only 2 hits (but also 4 walks).

This time, it was Shawn Kelley's turn to futz it up. He got Yunel Escobar to ground out, but allowed singles to Logan Forsythe (he of the oh-so-soap-opera-sounding name) and James Loney (also a bit of a soapish name). He struck out David DeJesus (no relation to the Ivans), but walked Matt Joyce to load the bases with only 1 out.

Could the Yankee infield get a double play and get out of the jam? Not if the next batter hit a line drive over them. Ben Zobrist, as usual a pain in the ass, did just that, singling to right to end it.

Rays 1, Yankees 0. WP: Joel Peralta (3-4). No save. LP: Kelley (3-6).

*

With that loss, just as the Yankees had done to the Rays 4 days earlier, the Rays had officially, mathematically, eliminated the Yankees from the chance at the American League Eastern Division title.

The Yankees are 6 games out of the AL Wild Card race with 13 to play. Their elimination number is 8. To put it another way: If the Kansas City Royals, currently holding the 2nd AL Wild Card slot, go 1 game over .500 the rest of the way, 7-6, in order to at least tie them for that berth, the Yankees would have to win all of their last 13. So it looks like the Royals and the Oakland Athletics will get the wild card berths. The Seattle Mariners are still close enough to have a chance.

The Orioles can clinch the AL East tonight, with either a win or a Toronto Blue Jays loss. The Washington Nationals can clinch the National League East tonight with a win and an Atlanta Braves loss. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have a magic number of 3 to clinch the AL West. The Royals and the Detroit Tigers are still in a dogfight for the AL Central, with the Tigers leading by only a game and a half. The San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates look like they'll take the NL Wild Cards. The St. Louis Cardinals lead the Pirates in the NL Central, and the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Giants in the NL West, although neither is a sure thing yet.

What is as close to a sure thing as you can get in baseball, without already being mathematically clinched, is that the Yankees won't make the Playoffs.

Now, to make matters worse for the Yankees, Prado, whose acquisition is one of the few good transactions that general manager Brian Cashman has made since the final out of the 2009 World Series, is out for the last 13 games of the season (and, with a miracle qualification, the postseason) due to an emergency appendectomy.

The human appendix is like Yankee hitting coach Kevin Long: Completely useless, and we'll all be better off if he is removed from the body.

Because Long is not getting the job done, more so than Cashman, more so than manager Joe Girardi, more so than pitching coach Larry Rothschild. They all need to go, but if we can only get rid of one, it has to be Long.

You can't win if you can't score. Whoever said, "Defense wins games" or, "Defense wins championships" was a liar. Defense doesn't win you a damned thing. It gives your offense a chance to win. Offense wins.

Of course, as the Giants, the Jets, and Rutgers all proved this weekend on the gridiron, even if you do score, you won't win, even if you have a late lead, unless you can stop the other team.

My alma mater, East Brunswick High School, proved both points on Friday night, losing its football opener 48-0 to Piscataway. That's a team that finished 1-9 last year, and winning that 1 by beating another 1-9 team only 14-12, losing to the Number 1-ranked team in Middlesex County. Who made that schedule?

The Yanks-Rays series continues in St. Petersburg tonight. Michael Pineda starts against Jake Odorizzi. Hopefully, the Rays' starter will live up to his name, ODOR-izzi, and stink, and the Yankees can get some runs off of him.

Yankees Embarrass Themselves On Derek Jeter Day

On Saturday, the Yankees bounced back, getting some runs against the Kansas City Royals. Martin Prado went 3-for-4, including 2 doubles. Ichiro Suzuki had 2 hits. So did John Ryan Murphy, returning to the team as a September callup. Five different Yankees had RBIs: Ichiro, Mark Teixeira, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Derek Jeter.

Brandon McCarthy took the hint, and pitched well into the 7th inning. He's now 6-4 as a Yankee. The bullpen of Shawn Kelley, Dellin Betances and David Robertson pitched 2 2/3 perfect innings (no save).

Danny Duffy started for the Royals, but had to leave the game after throwing only 1 pitch, due to pain in his shoulder. Last year, he had surgery on his throwing elbow, so the Royals have reason to be concerned for his future as a pitcher. He was relieved by Liam Hendriks, and he only went 4 innings on virtually no notice (1-1).

Yankees 6, Royals 2.

*

Yesterday was Derek Jeter Day. On hand were his parents, his grandmother, his sister, his nephew, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Joe Torre, best friend Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, David Cone, Tino Martinez, Tim Raines, Hideki Matsui, Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred (I guess Bud Selig had to attend a luncheon in Cleveland, a la Bowie Kuhn blowing off Hank Aaron for his 715th home run), former trainer Gene Monahan, Gerald Williams and Harold Reynolds (the last 2 as friends of Derek's, since Gerald didn't win anything as a Yankee and Reynolds never played for us) -- but, strangely, not Andy Pettitte. Only 3 of the Core Four were there.

Also on hand was Cal Ripken, the only man besides Jeter who could, legitimately, be called the greatest shortstop in American League history. And Michael Jordan was a guest. Presumably, he wanted to remind Jeter that, even if he's no longer working for the Yankees come November 1 -- or, more likely, come September 29 -- he still works for Nike and Gatorade.

Let the record show that the NBA made things easier for Jordan, and he won 6 titles; MLB made things harder for Jeter's team (by enabling their opponents to headhunt and use steroids, but not letting the Yankees do the same thing), and he still won 5 titles.

Obviously, since Derek's career statistics are not yet finalized, they couldn't give him his Monument Park Plaque. But neither did they officially retire his Number 2. Just as they didn't retire O'Neill's 21, even though no one (with a very brief, dubious exception) has worn it since he retired. They did retire Mariano's 42 while he was still active (albeit for 1 more week). It's clear that no future Yankee will ever have the guts to ask for Number 2; if any does, he might get released on the spot. So why not retire it now?

Derek's speech was short. He thanked his family, and his teammates collectively, mentioning only Torre and the Steinbrenner family by name. He added:

Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank you, the fans. Anyone who is here today, anyone who is at home watching, anyone who has ever been over the course, over the last 20 seasons, thank you very much. You guys have watched me grow up over the last 20 years. I've watched you, too. Some of you guys are getting older, too. I want to thank you for helping me feel like a kid the last 20 years.

In my opinion, I’ve had the greatest job in the world: I’ve had the chance to be the shortstop for the New York Yankees, and there’s only one of those.

I always felt as though my job was to try to provide joy and entertainment for you guys. But it can’t compare to what you’ve brought me, so for that, thank you very much.

He began to walk off, and hand off the microphone, then stepped back, and said, "And, hey, we've got a game to play!"

Always focused on the task at hand. That is Derek Jeter.

Unfortunately, his teammates didn't seem to get the message. As they so often do on celebration days, such as Old-Timers' Day and Monument Park dedications, they embarrassed their assembled greats.

Jeter got a hit -- Number 3,450 -- and so did Ellsbury, Beltran and Teixeira. But that was it. Yankee starter Shane Greene made a throwing error to allow a run in the 2nd, and he allowed another run on a single in the 3rd. The Yankees should have been able to overcome that, but they didn't. As on Friday night, they went out meekly.

Royals 2, Yankees 0.  WP: Yordano Ventura (12-9). SV: Wade Davis (2 -- both in this series). LP: Greene (4-3).

*

So, with 3 weeks left, just 21 games, the Yankees are 9 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Eastern Division, 9 in the loss column. Forget it: The O's have it wrapped up.

The Yankees are 4 1/2 games, 4 in the loss column, behind the Seattle Mariners for the 2nd AL Wild Card berth.

It looks bad. How bad? ESPN says that the Yankees currently have a 1.7 percent chance of making the Playoffs.

Missing the Playoffs in his last 2 seasons is bad by Derek Jeter's standards, but at least he's not as far out of it as Mickey Mantle was in his last 4.

If the current standings turn out to be the final ones, here's the Playoff picture:

AL: Seattle at Oakland, winner to face Anaheim; Kansas City vs. Baltimore.

NL: Pittsburgh at San Francisco, winner to face Washington; Los Angeles vs. St. Louis.

Yankees "Frustrated" In Bad Loss to Bad Sox

Last night, the Yankees opened a home series against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have had a difficult season. The Red Sox? If they had only the Yankees' problems, and no more, it would be an improvement.

Shane Greene started for the Yankees, and had his first truly bad game in Pinstripes (or road grays). He got shelled, and didn't get out of the 3rd inning. This game was over pretty quickly.

In the bottom of the 5th, with the Sox leading 7-3, but with the bases loaded (with 2 out), meaning a home run would have tied it and a hit of any kind would at least have gotten the Yankees back in the game, Brett Gardner struck out for the 3rd time in as many at-bats. This was a called 3rd strike, with the instant replay showing it was well out of the strike zone. Home plate umpire Tim Timmons got it wrong. Gardner got frustrated, and threw his bat down. Before he even said a word, Timmons tossed him.

"I saw the replay of it," Gardner said after the game. "Obviously, it was outside, right where I thought it was. Obviously, I got frustrated, after my first two at-bats, and then I felt like I got the bat taken out of my hands in a big situation, pitcher’s on the ropes, and I just let my emotions get the best of me.”

If it wasn't against the Sox, it would probably be forgotten quickly. But the Sox get so much help from the umpires and the MLB officials. I probably would have stayed on the field long enough to tell that umpire what I thought of him and his colleagues. (And likely gotten suspended. But it would have been worth it.)

Anyway, the Yankees did hit 2 home runs: One by Martin Prado, his 5th (but he got hurt later, and is now day-to-day); and one by Brian McCann, his 16th (but he's still batting .237 with a .289 on-base percentage, so you tell me if the balance is in the Yankees' favor). But it was hardly enough: The game ended 9-4 to The Scum.

WP: Joe Kelly (1-1). No save. LP: Greene (4-2).

The series continues tonight. Hiroki Kuroda starts against Anthony Ranaudo.

Yanks Make It 5 Straight Before Last Night's Loss

On Monday night, the Yankees flew to Kansas City to play a rainout-makeup against the Royals. Michael Pineda continued his return from injury. Starting for KC was James Shields, the former Tampa Bay Rays ace who is the biggest reason the Royals are leading the AL Central and threatening for their 1st postseason berth in 29 years.

The teams traded single runs in the 4th inning -- the New York run coming on Stephen Drew's 6th home run of the season -- and the Yankees got another in the 5th. But the 7th inning was the decisive one. Martin Prado homered for the 2nd straight game, his 9th of the year, part of a 4-run outburst. Jacoby Ellsbury added a homer in the 9th, his 11th -- and some of you were afraid he wouldn't reach double figures all season.

The big lead meant that Joe Girardi could, more or less, rest the bullpen in spite of Pineda still working his way back up to full fitness. Pineda pitched into the 7th, and David Huff held the Royals scoreless the rest of the way.

Yankees 8, Royals 1. WP: Pineda (3-2). No save. LP: Shields (12-7).

*

And then the Yankees began the regularly-scheduled part of their roadtrip: 3 games in Detroit against the Playoff-contending Tigers, followed by 3 games in Toronto against the hopeless, but probably still pesky, Blue Jays.

Brandon McCarthy started for the Yankees. He was okay for 5 innings, but fell apart in the 6th. Rick Porcello was really on his game for the Tigers, allowing only 2 runs, both solo homers by Ellsbury (giving him 13 round-trippers on the season).

Tigers 5, Yankees 2. WP: Porcello (15-8). SV: Joe Nathan (28). LP: McCarthy (8-13).

*

With 32 games to go, the Yankees are 7 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, and 3 1/2 games (3 in the loss column) behind the Seattle Mariners for the 2nd AL Wild Card spot.

It's still possible that the Yankees can make the Playoffs.

The series with the Tigers continues tonight at Comerica Park. Shane Greene starts for us, David Price for them.

Come on you Bombers!

Yanks Sweep ChiSox, Including On Joe Torre Day

My apologies for the delay in posting again. The computers at my residence are running on a modem that isn't working right, making using them an incredibly annoying experience.

I'll cover the Yankees' weekend home series with the Chicago White Sox in this post, and the subsequent games in the next one.

On Friday night, the opposing starters were Shane Greene for the Pinstripes, and John Danks for the Pale House. Neither pitched especially well, neither got an out in the 6th inning, and neither figured in the decision.

Martin Prado hit a home run for the Yankees, his 8th of the season. But, going to the bottom of the 9th, this game was all tied up.

Ichiro Suzuki led off with a hit. Brett Gardner bunted him over to 2nd base. Up to bat, Captain Clutch, Derek Jeter.

Except he hit a very unclutch soft liner to the center fielder, the starter's brother, Jordan Danks. And Jacoby Ellsbury was intentionally walked to set up the double play.

But Mark Teixeira drew a most unintentional walk, loading the bases. And Prado came up again, and singled Ichiro home.

Yankees 4, White Sox 3. WP: David Robertson (2-4). No save. LP: Daniel Webb (5-4).

Yankee broadcaster John Sterling called the night's hero "The Prado the Yankees," a play on one of Lou Gehrig's nickname, the one that became the title of the movie about him, The Pride of the Yankees.

As his broadcast partner, Suzyn Waldman, would say, "Oh my goodness, goodness gracious."

*

Saturday afternoon was Joe Torre Day. The former manager got his Number 6 retired, and his Plaque for Monument Park. It reads as follows:

JOSEPH PAUL TORRE

NEW YORK YANKEES MANAGER, 1996-2007

WORLD CHAMPIONS, 1996, 1998-2000

A.L. PENNANTS, 1996, 1998-2000, 2001, 2003

HIS CALM APPROACH AND DIGNIFIED MANNER

PROVIDED THE FOUNDATION OF ONE OF THE

MOST SUCCESSFUL ERAS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY.

MANAGED THE YANKEES TO A

1,173-767-2 REGULAR SEASON RECORD

AND 76-47 POSTSEASON MARK,

LEADING THE CLUB TO THE PLAYOFFS

IN EACH OF HIS 12 SEASONS AT THE HELM.

IN 1998, GUIDED THE TEAM TO 125 TOTAL

VICTORIES, THE MOST SINGLE-SEASON WINS

BY ANY TEAM ALL TIME.

DEDICATED BY THE

NEW YORK YANKEES

AUGUST 23, 2014

On hand were Yogi Berra, Gene Michael, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, and many of Torre's players: Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, David Cone, Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, and, of course, current manager Joe Girardi and Derek Jeter. Oddly, Mariano Rivera was not there; without him, as Yogi would say, Joe couldn't have thanked everyone for making this day necessary.

Also on hand were Joe's wife Allie, his children (most from his first marriage, but a daughter from his second), his grandchildren, and Soot Zimmer, Don's widow. Mel Stottlemyre sent a video message. (I'm a little concerned that he wasn't there: He didn't look ill, but he has battled cancer before.)

Joe's speech was long, but thoughtful, and hit all the right notes. Among the things he said was gratitude to George Steinbrenner for hiring him. Among the things he didn't say was that George need him as much as he needed George: Without each other, each man's legacy would be very different. George might still be the guy who built a Dynasty and let it fall apart, and the Yankees might still be without a title since 1978. Joe might still be a really good, but not quite Hall of Fame level, player, and a good but not great manager whose uniformed career ended a while ago, without ever winning a Pennant. Instead, together, along with Stick Michael, they built a new Dynasty.

Oh yes, there was a game. Hiroki Kuroda started for the Yankees, and he had good stuff. Carlos Beltran hit his 15th homer of the season in the 6th inning. No late heroics necessary this time.

Yankees 5, White Sox 3. WP: Kuroda (9-8). SV: Robertson (34). LP: Scott Carroll (5-8).

*

On Sunday afternoon, late heroics would be necessary. Chris Capuano started against ChiSox ace Chris Sale, so I was convinced a defeat was coming.

Instead, Capuano pitched decently, and Sale didn't have his best stuff. It was 4-3 Yanks going into the 9th, and it looked like we had the sweep. But Robertson decided he wanted a Tony Award, and gave us some drama. He blew the save.

So the game went to extra innings. David Huff pitched a scoreless 10th. The Yankees got 2 men on, and Girardi sent Brian McCann up to pinch-hit for Francisco Cervelli. (Had the game continued, McCann would also have taken Cervelli's place behind the plate.) Replacing a .278 hitter with a .235 hitter, albeit one with power. McCann had 14 home runs on the season.

Make it 15. McCann did, sending a screaming liner to the right-field corner. A true short-porcher. Sterling didn't even have time to go into, "It is high! It is far!" before realizing it was gone. Game-winning home run.

Yankees 7, White Sox 4. WP: Huff (4-1). No save. LP: Jake Petricka (0-3).

So the Yankees had now won 4 straight, and headed off on a roadtrip. I'll discuss that in my next post.

Strangest Yankee Season I've Ever Seen

This is the strangest season the Yankees have had in my lifetime. Winning games they shouldn't, losing games they should've had in the bag. Big-money guys getting hurt, who's-he guys coming through. And the Red Sox not being a factor at all (except when they rear their ugly heads across the dugout from us).

On Monday night, it was Brandon McCarthy vs. Max Scherzer in the opening game of a 4-games home series against the Detroit Tigers. That matchup seriously favored the Tigers -- but the Yankees won.

On Tuesday night, it was Hiroki Kuroda vs. David Price, until last week the ace of the Tampa Bay Rays, in his 1st Tiger start. I had a good feeling about it.

That good feeling lasted into the top of the 6th inning. The Yankees had a 3-1 lead, thanks to home runs by Brian McCann (his 12th of the season) and Martin Prado (his 1st as a Yankee).

But then former Yankee catching prospect Austin Romine homered, and the Tigers tied it in the 7th. And then Yankee RISPfail took over. The Yankees wasted a Prado double with 1 out in the 7th, went down 1-2-3 in the 8th, wasted a leadoff single and stolen base by Carlos Beltran in the 9th, stranded Derek Jeter on 1st in the 10th, and went down 1-2-3 in the 11th.

And how did Jeter get to 1st base in the 10th, you might ask? This big hulking Tiger reliever with an enormous beard, looking like an enormous twat, hit him with a pitch. His name? Joba Chamberlain. Yes, that Joba Chamberlain.

Here's how little Tiger manager Brad Ausmus (who succeeded Jim Leyland upon his retirement) trusts his bullpen: He let Price throw 112 pitches before bringing in Joba. Not a worrisome total in the days when pitchers, pitching coaches, managers and general managers weren't pussies. But today? It's considered a very high total. Oh, for the days when men were men.

Incredibly, this game went 12 innings with neither pitching staff walking a batter. Kuroda, Dellin Betances, Shawn Kelley, David Huff, Esmil Rogers, Rich Hill and Matt Daley went 11 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and no walks.

Joe Girardi kept Daley out there for the top of the 12th. At the time, it didn't seem like a bad move. And, if the Yankees had scored in the bottom of the 12th, it wouldn't have been a bad move. If the Yankees had scored 1 more run in innings 1 through 11, there wouldn't have been a 12th.

But Alex Avila, batting .220 and slugging .372, hit a home run off Daley. The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

Tigers 4, Yankees 3. WP: Joakim Soria (2-4). SV: Joe Nathan (23). LP: Daley (0-1).

*

So, naturally, about last night's game, with the starters being Chris Capuano vs. former MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, as they say in the Star Wars films, "I've got a bad feeling about this!"

Sure enough, the Tigers scored in the 1st inning. But it was only 1 run, and Capuano settled down after that. He didn't allow another run, only 5 hits and no walks into the 7th.

Chase Headley, who's turning out to be a nice pickup, hit a home run (his 2nd as a Yankee) in the 5th, and McCann hit one (his 13th) in the 7th -- both off Verlander, who's actually not having a very good season. Then the Yankees added insurance runs in the 8th, thanks to a Mark Teixeira single and a McCann groundout.

Adam Warren pitched the 7th and pitched the 8th, scoreless. Huff pitched a scoreless 9th to end it. Yankees 5, Tigers 1. WP: Warren (2-5). No save. LP: Verlander (10-10).

The series concludes this afternoon. Shane Greene starts for the Yankees, Rick Porcello for the Tigers.

Come on you Pinstripes!

Trading Deadline Alters Landscape As Yanks Head to Boston Showdown

Let me get the most recent Yankee game, from Wednesday night, out of the way. Hiroki Kuroda pitched well enough to win, but didn't (7-7). Against Colby Lewis (7-8), Neal Cotts and Neftali Feliz (3rd save), the Yankees just didn't hit enough. Brett Gardner led off the game with another home run (his 14th homer of the season), but, after that, we only got 1 run on 3 hits, including a homer by Jacoby Ellsbury (his 9th).

Rangers 3, Yankees 2. We lose 2 out of 3 in Texas.

*

Yesterday was the trading deadline. The Yankees actually made a trade with the Red Sox, something they hadn't done since 1997, due to the bad blood between the 2 old rivals. We sent them Kevin Johnson, they sent us Stephen Drew. In other words, it was a classic "my crap for your crap" trade.

The Yankees also got Venezuelan infielder Martin Prado from the Arizona Diamondbacks, in exchange for minor-leaguer Pete O'Brien and either cash considerations or a player to be named later. Prado will mainly be played in right field the rest of the way, as Ichiro Suzuki is clearly nearing the end of the line. But Prado is also infield insurance.

The Yankees also designated Brian Roberts for assignment. He was supposed to replace Robinson Cano, and failed.

So now, the Yankees' starting 2nd baseman will be... Drew? Prado? Chase Headley? Brendan Ryan? (Please, no, on that last one.)

This would be my lineup, assuming everybody is healthy:

LF Gardner
CF Ellsbury
DH Beltran
1B Teixeira
C McCann
SS Jeter
3B Headley
RF Ichiro
2B Drew

Ah, but I'm not the manager. Joe Girardi will probably have something more like this:

LF Gardner
SS Jeter
CF Ellsbury
1B Teixeira
DH Beltran
C McCann
RF Ichiro
3B Headley
2B Drew

Derek Jeter may still wear Number 2, but he is not a Number 2 hitter anymore.

*

Now, we go to Boston to play the Red Sox. The Scum essentially surrendered, trading away 2 starting pitchers. They won't miss John Lackey, who they sent to the St. Louis Cardinals. In return, they got outfielder-1st baseman Allen Craig and starting pitcher Joe Kelly.

They will, however, miss Jon Lester, their best starter. They sent him, and Jonny Gomes, to the Oakland Athletics -- false genius Billy Beane is really going for that elusive 1st Pennant under his "leadership" -- for slugging Cuban left fielder Yoenis Cespedes.

A powerful righthanded hitter, to take shots at the Green Monster? That's the kind of acquisition the Red Sox always made under the long (1933-2002) of the Yawkeys and their Trust: Never mind pitching, speed & defense, the way the Cardinals, A's (even in their Philadelphia days) and Detroit Tigers have always done it, let's do it the way the Yankees do it, with big boomers hitting home runs to the closest fence! (This, of course, ignored the fact that the Yankees also did it with pitching & defense... not so much speed, but then, in their 1921-1964 Dynasty, the Yankees didn't need speed.)

So the 2013 World Championship * is the anamoly, as the 2014 Red Sox are about as bad as the 2012 version. I guess, ever since 2004 (with a brief blip in October 2008), the steroids don't work in even-numbered years.

Nevertheless, assuming he's not injured, I guarantee that Cespedes will hit at least 1 home run in this series against the Yankees, maybe more than 1. Because that's the way the Yankees' luck has gone since that awful day, a little over 2 years ago, when Mariano Rivera got hurt, a night which seems more and more like a turning point in Yankee history.

Here are the projected starting pitchers for this weekend's Yanks-Sox series at the little green pinball machine in Kenmore Square:

* Tonight, 7:05 PM: Chris Capuano vs. Anthony Ranaudo. That matchup? In that ballpark? This could be one of those Yanks-Sox slugfests that would have threatened the old American League curfew that said that no inning could start after 1:00 AM.
* Tomorrow, 4:05 PM: Shane Greene vs. Allen Webster.
* Sunday, 8:00 PM: David Phelps vs. Clay Buchholz. Phelps, Buchholz, and an ESPN broadcast? I find it unlikely that the Yankees will win this one.

*

MLB.com's post-deadline headline was, "Whirlwind day of dealing alters landscape." The biggest deal, bigger than any of these, was a 3-way deal that saw the Detroit Tigers get Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price. The Tigers sent centerfielder (and former Yankee prospect) Austin Jackson to the Seattle Mariners. The Tigers sent pitcher Drew Smyly and minor-league outfielder Willy Adames, and the Mariners sent infielder Nick Franklin, to the Rays.

As MLB.com put it, By trading for Price, the Tigers now have the past 3 AL Cy Young winners: Max Scherzer, Price and Justin Verlander; and the last 3 AL Most Valuable Players: Miguel Cabrera has won the last 2, and before that Verlander.

The Tigers have reached the last 3 postseasons, and won the Pennant in 2012, but have won a grand total of 1 World Series game since their last title in 1984 -- 30 years ago. They are going all in this time. And it may have to be this time, as Scherzer becomes a free agent after this season. (And don't think Yankee GM Brian Cashman isn't very, very aware of that fact!)

The trade will probably be a wash for the Mariners, who have to be distressed that the A's, though they had to give up Cespedes, got Lester.

But the Rays gave up their last good starting pitcher, and are now left with Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and 23 guys named Logan Forsythe. They are 2 games under .500 (despite a nice hot streak that recently ended), and are averaging 17,389 fans per game -- and that's with Price. Without him... ?

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2018 Montreal Expos.

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The Cardinals also got Justin Masterson, who will probably help their rotation more than Lackey does, from the Cleveland Indians, for a minor-league outfielder named James Ramsey.

The Indians also dumped shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, to the Washington Nationals, for reserve infielder Zach Walters. Obviously, the Tribe have read both the standings and the attendance figures, and are convinced (correctly, I would agree) that the season is lost, and are building for the future.