Anyone else watching the Yankees....

[Déjà Bru]

I will revive this thread and resume treating it like a personal AAR diary on my favorite team. I tried to walk away in the interest of expanded baseball horizons but the old pull of many decades will not allow such altruism.

Therefore, I curse the stupid fence gate with the concrete step in L.A. One of the greatest catches you will ever see in right field (although the bit about "crashing through a wall" is overdone) only to lose your best player to a nasty case of stubbed toe.

[Déjà Bru]

Goofball Yankee fans like to dump on Brian Cashman because the Yankees are currently not in contention and haven't won a championship since 2009. As if it were that easy.

Lost in that "reasoning" is the fact that the club usually is in contention and have not had a losing season during the time that Cashman has been in charge. During Cashman's tenure as general manager, the Yankees have won six American League pennants and four World Series championships.

For one thing, he has a knack for making quietly productive deals such as this:

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

During Cashman's tenure as general manager, the Yankees have won six American League pennants and four World Series championships.

An argument could probably be made that the first three of those rings came with a team he mostly(?) inherited. I'm not versed enough in Yankees history to definitely claim that without major research that I am currently not willing to undertake, though.

[Marinersfan51]

Originally Posted by Westheim

An argument could probably be made that the first three of those rings came with a team he mostly(?) inherited. I'm not versed enough in Yankees history to definitely claim that without major research that I am currently not willing to undertake, though.

He was in the org since '86 and became an AGM in '92, so he was very involved in building that dynasty even though he didn't become the GM until '98. The most impressive thing to me is he's had more than twice as many seasons with more than 90 wins than under 90 wins without ever having a losing record. Of course working with the Yankees resources helps, but every other big budget team has at least the occasional down year.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Marinersfan51

He was in the org since '86 and became an AGM in '92, so he was very involved in building that dynasty even though he didn't become the GM until '98. The most impressive thing to me is he's had more than twice as many seasons with more than 90 wins than under 90 wins without ever having a losing record. Of course working with the Yankees resources helps, but every other big budget team has at least the occasional down year.

(cough) 2023 Mets (cough)

(cough)

[Déjà Bru]

Donaldson looked finished last year. He is worse this year! And not to pick on appearances, but he appears middle-aged, I'm sorry. Look for the Yankees to do an Aaron Hicks on him, cutting him loose. Between the two of them, the organization will absorb a nearly $50 million loss.

[Déjà Bru]

NYT article today: This season, "The Yankees could be shut out of the All-Star Game box score for only the third time in the event’s history." Meh, so what? The playoffs are the thing and the Yankees, despite everything, are still in contention.

EDIT: I should clarify. The Yankees have two players who are shoo-ins for A-S status, Judge and Cole. But Judge will not be able to play and, depending on Cole's pitching schedule leading up to the A-S game, he may not appear. "There is precedent for that. Cole has been selected to an All-Star team five times — once with the Pirates, twice with the Astros and twice with the Yankees — but he has appeared in the game only once, throwing a scoreless inning in 2015."

EDIT 2: The other two times were 1991, when Scott Sanderson was the sole A-S Yankee from a truly crappy team (he won 16 games for the 91-game losers) but he was not used in the game, and 1943.

Joe DiMaggio was away for military service, and the team, which went on to win the World Series that year, was represented at the game by catcher Bill Dickey; second baseman Joe Gordon; the outfielders Charlie Keller and Johnny Lindell; and the pitchers Tiny Bonham and Spud Chandler.

None of the six Yankees representatives got into the game, which was held at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Their exclusion was especially notable since the roster decisions were made by Joe McCarthy — the manager of the Yankees.

“We didn’t need them,” McCarthy said boastfully after the game. “We got out there in front early enough. Besides, these other boys deserved a chance to shine. The Yankees have had enough of the limelight.”

Talk about "in your face."

[zappa1]

No, I didn't watch it but congrats to Domingo German on his perfect game last night.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by zappa1

No, I didn't watch it but congrats to Domingo German on his perfect game last night.

It figures. Here's the story, quickly:

Two nights ago, I stayed up until 4AM (I am retired) playing OOTPB. After all the years I have played that game, this time I had made the commitment to approach it with fresh eyes and flexibility, discovering all sorts of ways to change what I have been doing. It's like a new game!

So, naturally, the next night I was tired and went to bed early. So, I missed the perfect game! For cryin' out loud.

Fortunately, I was rested enough to arise early and catch the replay on YES this morning. As is my wont, though, I checked the score to see if I really wanted to watch it. Nothing like losing a game in Oakland, as I witnessed on Tuesday (during my OOTPB marathon) to make one take precautions in that manner.

So, knowing the outcome, the thrill is gone. Still quite an achievement. Only the 24th perfect game in MLB history.

[Déjà Bru]

Some notes from The Athletic's article on the game (I don't link to it because it's subscription-based):

For the Yankees, Don Larsen threw a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. David Wells’ perfect game came in 1998. David Cone threw the most recent Yankees’ perfect game in 1999. Germán has added his name into Yankees lore, becoming the fourth pitcher in team history to throw a perfect game.

Those "back-to-back" games of '98 and '99 look even more remarkable considering the amount of time elapsed before and after for Yankee perfect games.

Germán received an ovation from the Coliseum crowd when he walked from the dugout to start the ninth inning. Sensing the moment, the stadium staff played Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” over the speakers as Germán warmed up.

Now, despite there were only 12,479 paying customers there, and probably many of them were traveling Yankee fans, that was classy.

Rizzo also saved Germán’s perfecto bid earlier in the night with a diving stop along the line, which came with a solid throw to Germán covering first base.

I saw that play in the replay telecast as I was typing this. There seems to often be a key defensive play to remember in historic games like this and for me, Rizzo's is the one. There was also this:

Jonah Bride took Germán to a full count with two outs in the eighth inning but grounded out to Donaldson. Donaldson’s throw was a little wide of first base, but Rizzo stepped across to make the catch.

One of the things that I changed about my OOTPB play is to stop settling for a 1B who is a liability in the field. Those lunkheads are ubiquitous in the game and it can be tough to locate a player like Rizzo but I make it a priority now.

Throughout the game, the Yankees seemed to skip the tradition of isolating the pitcher in the midst of a bid for a perfect game, frequently interacting with him inside the cramped A’s visiting dugout.

I never understood that nonsense anyway. For one thing, I would think isolating the guy may make for even more pressure on him. Better to keep it loose by acting normally.

Germán’s mastery occurred at a peculiar time. The 30-year-old had been torched in his two previous starts, lasting just two innings and giving up seven runs on June 16 at the Red Sox before coughing up eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings versus the Mariners.

He looked terrible in those games. But remember, his masterpiece was against the Oakland A's.

It also came in a season in which Germán was suspended 10 games for violating the league’s sticky stuff policy for using too much rosin on his pitching hand. Germán wasn’t expected to start the season in the Yankees’ rotation, but injuries to Frankie Montas, Carlos Rodón and others gave him a chance to stick in the role.

And this:

It’s been a long trip toward this indelible moment for Germán. Prior to Wednesday night, Germán may have been most known across baseball for getting suspended a total of 81 games for violating the league’s domestic violence policy. He was put on administrative leave in September 2019 and served the remaining 63 games of his suspension in 2020. At the time, it was the harshest ban levied on a player who had been investigated following domestic violence allegations but never criminally charged.

Germán has certainly had his ups and downs but nobody can take this away from him now. It's yet another example of the following, which OOTPB does a good job of replicating (I checked my own perfect games just now, and it's true; several were by momentarily great journeymen):

Cone and Wells were enjoying dominant seasons when they threw their perfect games against the Expos and Twins, respectively. Both were top-of-the-rotation starters who were Cy Young contenders for the Yankees. Germán and Larsen share similarities in that both were not necessarily considered the best pitchers of their time, but found a way to etch their names into MLB history.

[Amazin69]

Congrats to German.

Naturally, the first thing I did is check to see how many pitches he threw. 99? Well, thank goodness he didn't run into the Magical 100 Barrier, or Aaron Boone would be in the **** right now for abusing the poor baby so!

(Old gripe, I know.)

And that should teach you not to spoil yourself.

If it's any consolation, Keith Olbermann (who has attended a large amount of games) has been known to lament that he skipped Dirtbag Dave's perfecto in '98 because it was too damn hot (and who wanted to see the Twins, anyway?) and then turned right around and skipped The Masturbating Fool's perfecto the next year because it was cold and rainy (and who wanted to see the Expos, anyway?). So, it happens.

(I may have the weather the wrong way around; you'd know better than I.)

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Naturally, the first thing I did is check to see how many pitches he threw. 99? Well, thank goodness he didn't run into the Magical 100 Barrier, or Aaron Boone would be in the **** right now for abusing the poor baby so!

(Old gripe, I know.)

That occurred to me too. Imagine if this was Cole instead of Germán; heavily invested number one starter versus the guy who had not even figured in the rotation when the season started and who had stunk up the place in his previous couple of starts. Imagine Boone nervously fingering his stat/cheat sheet while he goes up against the protocol: "One more pitch and I yank Cole, perfecto or no."

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

So, naturally, the next night I was tired and went to bed early. So, I missed the perfect game! For cryin' out loud.

June 21, 1964 Myself and several HS buddies took a long bike ride because "I met some girls last week and they want to meet us. I think"

Got home later, turned on the Mets and saw John Stephenson strike out.

Then the Phillies rushed the field and Bob Murphy announce "Perfect Game."

[zappa1]

My brother who is a Yankees fan told me that German was throwing his curve most of the time as he had total control of it. He said when the catcher was calling for the fastball, German shook him off many times to stay with the curve it was that good.

[Déjà Bru]

The kid has his batting average up to .225, beginning to justify the club's faith in him.

[GeoWar]

The Yankees with an with a lineup like they put on the field Wednesday July 5th .....
Outfield finishing the game = Bauers, IKF , McKinney
Rizzo batting leadoff
Donaldson batting 149 and 5th in the lineup

Not the Yankees of yesterday ?

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by GeoWar

The Yankees with an with a lineup like they put on the field Wednesday July 5th .....
Outfield finishing the game = Bauers, IKF , McKinney
Rizzo batting leadoff
Donaldson batting 149 and 5th in the lineup

Not the Yankees of yesterday ?

If by yesterday, you mean the lineups of Bobby Cox, Bill Robinson and Frank Fernandez, et al., then yes.

[Westheim]

Giancarlo Stanton legs out a triple and is not immediately stretchered off. Success!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Giancarlo Stanton legs out a triple and is not immediately stretchered off. Success!

Wait a few hours, though.

EDIT: Although, um, were you dreaming? When did he hit a triple recently? He hit two homers today, his only two hits, but he may yet have strained himself with those. Going 2 for 3 raised his batting average to a towering .208!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Wait a few hours, though.

EDIT: Although, um, were you dreaming? When did he hit a triple recently? He hit two homers today, his only two hits, but he may yet have strained himself with those. Going 2 for 3 raised his batting average to a towering .208!

Now you have me dreaming. Did he hit a triple and steal home whereupon a generous scorekeeper decided to award him a home run? You're talking CEI for that guy!