Aaron Boone is a rookie manager. He is not always going to get things right. Clearly, he is a player’s manager. He lets everyone swing on 3-0 in the count, he doesn’t call anyone out publicly or even privately it seems, and he respects the veterans. That’s all good. You can’t argue with his record to date – right up there with the best teams in 2018.
But SU says the problem is this. Lately, he has been rolling out the Clay Bellinger line-ups for certain games. Joe Torre loved to do this. If Torre won the first two games of a series, he would start Clay Bellinger and every other scrub to try and lose that third game. The logic was that he had to rest his veterans. Most times, he lost that 3rd game. But hey, he’s in the Hall of Fame and he had a great run in NY.
Boone had largely avoided that strategy until lately. SU says the difference with this year’s team is that he has a very young roster – there are no 35-year old players other than Gardner who need so much rest. Yesterday was a case in point. OK, it’s a doubleheader against the Orioles, who while they stink, they play the Yankees tough. In the first game, he started Wade, Higashioka, Clint Frazier, Neil Walker and Drury. SU has no problem playing the bench players in these games but why not try and balance the line-ups? You don’t have to go all in with the bench guys in the same game. Predictably, they lose. He also left CC in one batter too long and while SU was not watching live, I was following on the internet and my sense was OK, he’s at 99 pitches, two men on, no one out, get him out.
And if anyone needs a day off, it’s Didi. He plays every day. He could legitimately use a blow.
The issue this year is that Boston is beating up on the bad teams and there are so many bad teams out there. You don’t want to be the wild card as it’s one game and then you never have home field advantage in any series in the playoffs. This season may come down to the last series up in Fenway but it’s the games that you lose now that are really important and will ultimately determine playoff positioning.
OK, time for a few predictions:
- Clint Frazier has pretty much gotten himself traded now. Just not taking advantage of his opportunities. Not his fault necessarily as it’s hard to have that pressure and produce.
- Brandon Drury is also going to be traded. The Yankees have to hold on to Andujar -he’s the better player with more upside. Be smart here and resist, Cashman.
- They are going to keep Neil Walker as painful as that is. He is too versatile and fills the spots that they need to fill at 3rd, 2nd and first.
- I think Bird is going to get demoted. SU says he is either injured and not telling anyone or else he forgot how to hit. The Yankees’ productivity at 1st base is truly awful and I think they will give Tyler Austin another shot even though they have no left-handed bats in there. If Bird is sent down, he earned it. Boone gave him every chance.
- And….. Sonny Gray is going to turn it around starting tomorrow night. You heard it here first. SU just has a feeling. The time has come.
- While the Yankees are rumored to be in mix now for Manny Machado, I think that is just to drive up the price for whichever team acquires him.
SU knows Met fans feel Yankee fans are spoiled this year but right now, as currently constituted and even if they are fully healthy, the Yankees are not as good as Boston or Houston. Offensively, too much reliance on the home run and they will not be able to manufacture runs in close playoff games against the elite pitchers. Cashman will earn his salary in the next 21 days.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
In Aaron Boone’s defense, he has managed this team to a .653 winning percentage which would put them in first place in any other division in baseball. But they do need to do things differently because the Red Sox aren’t going anywhere and every game counts. I agree. The Yankees have a deep roster. Boone can rest his guys without fully depleting the lineup in a given game.
Will SU cast a vote for Stanton to earn the last spot on the allstar team?
https://www.mlb.com/all-star/final-vote
After going 4-9 in the double header with a homer, he’s now climbed up to .272 (a tick above his career average) with 22 hrs and 52 rbi’s. If you told us at the beginning of the season that’s what we’d get by mid July, we might not have been wow-ed but certainly pleased. However, you’ll also probably notice with 122 strikeouts so far, he’s on pace to shatter his worst season in this category.
I vote yes, but I am curious about SU’s take on this…
Josh, a legitimate question. So, you are correct: he has been on a very good roll now for some time. I did look up his season stats: he is hitting .221 with RISP. To me, the issue is still coming through in the clutch and I must admit that I am surprised every time he gets a hit. I just never feel like he is going to actually get a hit. He has been much better of late. Will he sustain that now in the 2nd half? Could very well be. I still feel that many of his hits are in blowout games. I will not vote for him for the All-Star game but I am trying (very hard) to like him more. Let’s monitor that .221 number in the 2nd half.
While patience is still required by the Yankees to give Frazier a chance to play in the next 15 games in a row before the trading deadline in order to really see what they have in him unfortunately it is probably too late. You have to keep Neil Walker because of his versatility. Grey is who he is. Has always been recognized as a 4th Starter and that’s what you are getting with him. Never pitches well against the good teams and looks great against the bad teams.
OK… so right now the Yankees look worse than both Houston and Boston. How many times have these 2 teams traded places as the weakest team, best team and in between team? I am not about to declare any of these 3 teams as a clear cut favorite to win their division. Seattle has moved up to be about dead even with Houston again. Talk to me in early September on whether the yanks or red sox are in the driver’s seat. Until then just enjoy the good times and go crazy over stupid losses like yesterday’s first game against Baltimore. The Red sox still have to play Houston 6 times and Philly a few times. We have Cleveland and Seattle on our radar. Anything can happen.
Tanaka returns soon. Sanchez and Torrez right after the All Star break. I’m sure hicks soon too. Get the lineup back in order and watch us ROOOOOOLLLLLLLLL !!!!!! OH YEAH… TOSS IN A BIG TIME PITCHER COMING TO US FROM SOMEWHERE…. maybe even a better lefty bullpen pitcher too.
I don’t know enough about this to give an educated comment, but are you actually saying (in the second paragraph) that when Torre started these scrubs, he was “trying to lose” the game? That’s a lot different than feeling like he needed to give his starters a day off and was playing with “house money” after taking two or three in a row to start a series.
Not deliberately trying to lose but not terribly concerned if they won as they had already won the series. Torre was all about winning series. That was his formula for getting to 100 wins. He didn’t sweat the losses or the short losing streaks. Steady as she goes and he was fine losing those last games of a series if they were still winning the overall series. So, not trying to lose of course but his priority was resting his veterans.
I think you are right on all counts. I would have been pulling my hair out if I still had any when I saw the first game line-up. You want to win that one, especially when you have CC on the mound— bad call. I see a complete replay of last year—settle for wildcard, beat Seattle at home, play Red Sox tough in next series and squeak by to get Astros again and fall short because of pitching. Not a terrible result considering how good the AL top teams are. Yanks would be endanger of going a full decade (2010-2019) without a WS ring. Only happened in 1980-1989 with one WS appearance in 1981 (poor Don Mattingly)—as Simon and Garfunkel so eloquently put it “where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you…”
Funny. Just got an email from yankees.com telling me to vote for Stanton for the All Star Game. Fine. Team encouragement of ballot stuffing has being going on for a long time. But this email went on to say “Don’t forget that while you’re voting #ASGiancarlo for the final roster spot in the American League, you should also #VoteMuncy to help the Dodgers’ Max Muncy secure the final spot for the National League.” What? Why do the Yankees want their fans voting for Muncy? Is there some reciprocal ballot stuffing relationship between the Yankees and Dodgers? Am I missing something?