Anyone else watching the Yankees....

[Caporegime]

Is it too early to nominate Michael King for the Sam Militello Flash-In-The-Pan Memorial Award yet?

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Caporegime

Is it too early to nominate Michael King for the Sam Militello Flash-In-The-Pan Memorial Award yet?

Heh, I had to look up Sam Militello, it's been that long. But sure enough, he has his own Wikipedia page!

King looked good yesterday after German bombed. Let's hope he is the real deal. Even though we need him in the bullpen, he wants to start. Maybe he will get his chance.

[Caporegime]

Originally Posted by DéjÃ* Bru

Heh, I had to look up Sam Militello, it's been that long. But sure enough, he has his own Wikipedia page!

King looked good yesterday after German bombed. Let's hope he is the real deal. Even though we need him in the bullpen, he wants to start. Maybe he will get his chance.

Yeah, old Sam kinda fell down the memory hole (Actually, he was sucked in at MACH 3) after he developed an incurable case of Steve Blass disease during ST in '93. Prior to that, he was actually ranked as the #2 pitching prospect in what was considered a pretty pitching rich Yankee farm system (#'s 1 & 3, Brien Taylor and Domingo Jean, also joined Militello down the memory hole just as quickly).

As far as Michael King's SP aspirations are concerned, one more injury and / or a few more subpar outings by German and he'll undoubtedly get his chance. But as you noted, they need him more in the pen. Overall, their pitching depth is a little thin right now.

[Déjà Bru]

I would be in favor of an unbalanced schedule ... at least 80 games against the Orioles!

[Déjà Bru]

Bruce.

He gets one "U" for every 10 homers.

So, for example, if he hits 50 this year, I will yell "Bruuuuuce"! and add an exclamation point.

Sanchez is snubbed again by Cole's preference for Higashioka. It's documented that Cole has pitched his best games with Higgy behind the plate.

I've got to stop dumping on Sanchez. I will if he keeps his BA above .200. Not much to ask.

[Boomcoach]

I enjoyed Bruce with the Reds, but his trademark was a great April then 5 months of waiting for him to get hot like that again.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

I enjoyed Bruce with the Reds, but his trademark was a great April then 5 months of waiting for him to get hot like that again.

Yeah, I have a feeling that it will be one "U" for 0-10 homers and that's it. But let's step back a bit.

Clarifying/altering what I said above: If it were one "U" for every 10 homers, then until he hit 10, there would be no "U." How would you pronounce "Brce"? Would it be "Brrs"? That's tough to say, let alone yell!

No, he gets the first "U" for hitting homers one through nine. Then two "U's" for 10 through 19, etc.

So if he does hit 50 home runs, it would be six "U's"! As in "BRUUUUUUCE!"

But I have a feeling you are right. I will not be wearing out my "U" key much.

[Westheim]

I like Bruce.

Springsteen.

That's all I have today, folks.

[Déjà Bru]

In other news, we now have a bad Odor in the dugout. Rougned Odor (one of his nicknames is "Stinky"), described as a power hitter but low batting average and high strikeout totals. Swings with power, but swings at everything. Figures to stink up the bench, because he's not starting ahead of LeMahieu, Torres, or Urshela. Feel a little bad for Tyler Wade, though, who keeps hanging on by his fingernails.

[Déjà Bru]

Bruce just lost a ballgame with his glove, one of at least two bad plays he's made at first that I have seen. Torres skip-hopped a throw but it came up high and clean off the bounce and a good 1B would have picked it. Not Bruce.

For cryin' out loud, give me guys who can play first base!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Bruce just lost a ballgame with his glove ...

Well, no. A big hit by Higashioka in the bottom of the inning baled out his butt. We can still lose, but Bruce is no longer the goat. There will be other times, I'm sure.

[Caporegime]

All I'll say about tonight's farce is that I'm happy with Taillon's debut performance with the Yanks.....and that I hope Commissioner Dumbfred, or whomever the mouth-breathing weasel was who came up with the decidedly un-baseball-like extra inning rule, contracts an incurable, burning itch in the worst place.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Caporegime

All I'll say about tonight's farce is that I'm happy with Taillon's debut performance with the Yanks.....and that I hope Commissioner Dumbfred, or whomever the mouth-breathing weasel was who came up with the decidedly un-baseball-like extra inning rule, contracts an incurable, burning itch in the worst place.

Relief pitchers have to hate this rule. Imagine, you walk out to the mound in an extra inning, and there is a great big "L" already standing on 2B.

[Caporegime]

Originally Posted by DéjÃ* Bru

Relief pitchers have to hate this rule. Imagine, you walk out to the mound in an extra inning, and there is a great big "L" already standing on 2B.

This must be especially true for relief pitchers, like our old pal (and accused pedophile, BTW) John Wetteland, who are "cardiac kids"...i.e. great relievers who usually allow a base runner or two before kicking it into high gear.

I'll tell you this much: If the late Billy Martin were alive today he'd game the living crap out of this ridiculous and exploitable rule. He'd never lose an extra inning game. He would play for tie every game and purposely carry one or two otherwise light-hitting sacrifice bunting maestros on the now 26-man roster. As you may recall, everyone, including middle of the lineup hitters who would be seldomly called upon to bunt, were required to take daily bunting practice on Billy's teams. This rule would be a gift to him.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Caporegime

This must be especially true for relief pitchers, like our old pal (and accused pedophile, BTW) John Wetteland, who are "cardiac kids"...i.e. great relievers who usually allow a base runner or two before kicking it into high gear.

I'll tell you this much: If the late Billy Martin were alive today he'd game the living crap out of this ridiculous and exploitable rule. He'd never lose an extra inning game. He would play for tie every game and purposely carry one or two otherwise light-hitting sacrifice bunting maestros on the now 26-man roster. As you may recall, everyone, including middle of the lineup hitters who would be seldomly called upon to bunt, were required to take daily bunting practice on Billy's teams. This rule would be a gift to him.

You touched on a fallacy of this rule which has been mentioned facetiously before. First batter up, bunt. Second batter up, fly ball. Game over (if it's the bottom of the inning). Ho-hum.

[Déjà Bru]

It really is a shame sometimes.

This was a few days ago and Aaron Judge was sitting in the Yankees dugout using a hand-held massage device on his side.

The YES Network camera next to the dugout caught it. Judge looked over to the cameraperson and pointed two fingers at his eyes and then pointed at the field.

Judge’s message: Don’t point that thing at me. Point it at the action on the diamond.

My message after Judge was held out of Wednesday’s lineup because of a sore side: Keep it up, you intrepid cameraperson.

Once again, the real action with Judge is taking place in the trainer’s room, with a TimTam or some such device, and not on the field.

And Yankees fans’ joy over Judge’s hot start has to be muted.

Is this just who the Big Fella is and is going to be? A great talent who just can’t stay healthy enough? The Yankees already have one of those in $325 million DH Giancarlo Stanton, whose history unfortunately suggests will be next to pull or strain something.

But Judge hasn’t played a full season since his AL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2017, when he also finished second in the MVP voting. His sides appear to be particularly vulnerable, although manager Aaron Boone said he didn’t think this injury is related to the oblique issues that have shelved Judge in the last few seasons.

Boone characterized the latest Judge injury as "just the general wear and tear of the first several days."

The season is one week old.

The shame is not that Judge (and Stanton) injure themselves so much. It's that their greatness is muted.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I would be in favor of an unbalanced schedule ... at least 80 games against the Orioles!

And maybe only one or two games versus Tampa Bay ... in New York. Let me know if this can be arranged.

[Déjà Bru]

Managed to salvage the last game of the series. [Late game] hitting stars: Odor and Sanchez. They respond to my criticism?

Watching Odor in the dugout, in the field, and on the basepaths today, he may be a fun guy to have around as long as he hits a bit.

[AirmenSmith]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Managed to salvage the last game of the series. [Late game] hitting stars: Odor and Sanchez. They respond to my criticism?

Watching Odor in the dugout, in the field, and on the basepaths today, he may be a fun guy to have around as long as he hits a bit.

I'm really hoping they let Higgy catch for Cole from now on. This has nothing to do with Sanchez and more to do with the trust those two have with each other. Cole is the only one on the staff that I have faith in and I wouldn't want to disrupt that chemistry.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by AirmenSmith

I'm really hoping they let Higgy catch for Cole from now on. This has nothing to do with Sanchez and more to do with the trust those two have with each other. Cole is the only one on the staff that I have faith in and I wouldn't want to disrupt that chemistry.

UBET. I don't think it's even a question anymore. Plus, Higgy in 4 games is tied with Sanchez in 8 games for homers and RBI's. Always helps and is greatly appreciated by a pitcher when his excellent battery mate also supports you personally with his offense!

Plus Higashioka is CHEAP! He will be 31 years old next week, earns only $562,900, will not be eligible for arbitration until next year, and will not be a free agent until 2025. (This must be based on ML service time; although he debuted in 2017, he has spent a lot of time in the minors.)