The Yankees continue to hit new lows in offensive efficiency and effectiveness this season. The reality is that it’s been this way all season with a lineup of under-achieving hitters, utility infielders playing the outfield (see IKF), outfielders who cannot run at full speed or anything close to it (see Stanton) and veterans not playing up to the numbers on the back of their baseball cards. For SU, it has gotten to the point where you almost root for the ineptitude as it is entertaining in a sad way.

Yankee games are no longer fun to watch. Of late, SU has been binging on The Diplomat on Netflix (very good), and only switching to the Yankees when they are up. I do keep tabs on mlb.com. Btw, it’s easier toggling between Netflix and YES than it is if the game is on Apple TV or Amazon.

The Yankees had successive games with Angel Hernandez and Laz Diaz behind the plate. Those two plus CB Buckner really should not be allowed to do home plate umpiring anymore. There should be some type of penalty for being that bad. The silver lining is that they will accelerate the move to electronic umpiring. SU says bring it on asap. Look how good tennis is, and even FIFA uses it on goal reviews. It’s just not enjoyable to watch the bad calls. For the Yankees, it wasn’t aimed against them – these guys are equal opportunity bad umpires. But it hurts the quality of the game and in a time where hits are at a premium in baseball, it makes it that much harder to get one.

Did you see the Orioles suspended their announcer (or at least pulled him from the air for a week now) for displaying stats on the Orioles’ historic ineptitude vs. the Rays in Tampa? Apparently, ownership did not like seeing that. How dumb is that? On Yankee broadcasts, there would be minutes of silence in between pitches as what else can you talk about? MLB has to fix this and fast. Embarrassing.

The US Women’s team crashed out in the World Cup. They just were not that good this year – plain and simple. No offense. SU even got up 5:30 am on Sunday to watch. So ends my World Cup viewing for this year. Of course, certain politicians felt the need to pile on after they were eliminated. Really?

College sports needs to go fully professional and announce themselves as the 6th major pro sports League. First, we had NILs and now, the major conferences are becoming really major conferences. The Big Ten is going to be the Big Twenty, and the PAC-12 is the PAC-2 and soon to be the PAC-0. That leaves us with the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and the ACC as the major conferences. Not ideal for the “student – athletes” driving their NIL-fueled SUVs who have to travel cross-country a lot for games. It is just not about education anymore (even a little) but making money. SU is not loving this.

I have to say men’s tennis is quite good these days. So many high quality match-ups on the Tennis Channel. SU has been watching (along with 12 other people worldwide) Tiafoe who is a great entertainer and the next US hope for a major championship. He keeps improving but needs to figure out how to play against the guys that slice it low to him like Dimitrov. He’s been exposed of late. An easy guy to root for and he has quite the following. SU is not sure he can maintain the focus on tennis as he will be in demand more and more.

Last night, SU heard the first “Fire Cashman” chants start at Yankee Stadium. Michael Kay ignored them but even Kay was mildly critical of the absence of Yankee moves at the deadline.

SU was glad that the Yankees basically stayed in place. Almost feels like the trades for the relievers were done to appease the fan base and not leave the Yankees as the only team that didn’t do a trade deadline move. SU’s thinking:

1. While the Yankee prospects are always over-hyped, you need to build with the youngsters and at least give them a chance. They depleted the minor league pitchers last summer in the Frankie Montas trade and they should not trade others now. Montas doesn’t have the right attitude to be successful here and he can go.
2. The Yankee hitters are just bad with the exception of Judge. SU has never been a fan of Stanton (surprise!), and now that he is getting older, he just gets worse. Stanton is a stand-up guy and I admire him for that. But his contract has hamstrung the team for several years now and will continue to do that for a few more. Even Rizzo has regressed. Remember, the Cubs were willing to let him go. SU believes he is dealing with a neck issue that happened right before Judge was injured in early June. It happened on a pick-off play at first base. He’s a good guy and he hits left-handed which is rare for the Yankees (and of course, has been a major problem for years now).
3. Donaldson will leave after this year (horrible trade although they did move Sanchez in that deal) but included Urshela who was a good player and teammate.
4. The Yankees will be in on the Ohtani sweepstakes but they will be out-bid by the Mets. SU says no shot. I think if the team wants to compete in 2024, they trade Gleyber and clear room for the youngsters. He is a good player but certainly not what he once was. SU says he bulked up a few years ago to hit more home runs and never regained his flexiblity.
5. Shut Judge down immediately. He can hardly run the bases. Great guy, has a 10-year contract. He needs to stay healthy. This year’s team has no shot. Let him have his toe operation and be ready in 2024.

Bottom line: Hal needs to eat some salaries this winter and trade players like LeMahieu. Someone will take a shot on him if the Yankees pay most of his salary. As a lifelong Yankee fan, I want to be entertained and inspired by the players. I want to see energy, guys trying. Did you see the 9th inning last night? Bader hits a short fly into shallow left field. Jogs out of the box, it drops in and he has to sprint to 2nd base because he failed to run. Gleyber never runs hard. Stanton can’t run hard. At least the young guys run and hustle. And yet attendance is great this year. Not sure what the fans are expecting to see unless they bought their tickets months ago.

Many want to fire Boone and Cashman. SU will not go there. Both were just extended and if the goal is to save money, no point in eating these salaries. Hal is comfortable with Cashman. Will not happen.

SU agrees with long-time subscriber, J. Rosen, who wrote the following about the Mets:

“Have no fear Mets fans, this is not a rebuild. We have turned an old investment that did not work this year into a portfolio of good potential futures. We will reload with a FA or two and perhaps a trade or two.”

SU agrees as Steve Cohen is not afraid to spend – clearly. If he wants Ohtani, he will not be outbid. It may take a year or two but they will quickly retool. Cohen ate some big dollars now but he is committed to winning. SU says good times ahead for the Mets.

There was talk of a Subway Series this year. Hard to believe.

Justin Verlander is heading back to Houston. Luckily for the Yankees, they can face him this weekend. SU has to give Steve Cohen credit for doing the right thing with this year’s team. He went all in on the expensive veterans and the team under-performed in 2023. He is cutting his losses and moving on with a re-build on the fly. SU is sure he won’t do it on the cheap but the Mets need to get younger and less expensive with the payroll. Right move to make.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are stuck. There is not much out there to trade for at this point. And it’s hard to move veteran players with huge contracts like Stanton (will never happen), LeMahieu. SU says Gleyber Torres has value out there and if you can bring back a youngster or two, that is a great move today. He is one of the few players that would be attractive.

Many Harrison Bader rumors as well because he will be a free agent after this season. Figure someone might take a flyer on Severino whose value has hit rock bottom. The Yankees also have some relievers who would get something in return from the contenders. It’s time to raise the white flag in the Bronx for the fans’ sake. The offense is not fixable, and team is really unwatchable.

Major controversy with the US women’s World Cup team. Recently retired star, Carli Lloyd who is now a Fox Sports analyst for the World Cup had some not nice things to say about the team’s passion. The coach immediately reacted. Good stuff! They were lucky to tie and advance as Portugal hit the post on a shot in the last couple of minutes.

Full disclosure: SU is hoping that the Yankees are swept by the Orioles so that they become sellers at the deadline. Some stats for you:

1. Their record for the past 200 games is 103 – 97. Mediocre and reflects who they are.
2. Anthony Rizzo has been the 2nd worst hitter in MLB the past 2 months, and DJ LeMahieu ranks 7th worst. All since Judge went down. They did not step up and actually headed in the other direction. At this point in their careers, that may be who they are. Guys get old and skills deteriorate.
3. The Yankees are struggling against right-handed hitters. They field an all right-handed lineup. Who would have thought that? See SU posts for the past 3 years. Anyone home?
4. The bullpen is running on fumes. They have to fill so many innings every game as the starters are limited other than Cole. It’s not sustainable for a whole season.
5. Judge may be back this weekend but SU predicts he will be hampered by that toe and will opt for season-ending surgery soon enough.
6. The Yankees have a 33% chance of making the playoffs apparently.

Bottom line: the team is unwatchable. The other night SU turned on the US women’s World Cup game over Yankees – Mets. I am the barometer for Yankee fans. Lifelong fan. I have no favorite player this year and feel no passion for this outfit. Five years of Stanton has worn me down. Ready to rebuild. Count me in.

The Mets traded David Robertson to Miami and that has to signal the start of their selling at the deadline. He has had a great season for the Mets. It’s the right move and rumor has it that Verlander and Tommy Pham will be on the move next. The Mets are a long shot at best to make the playoffs and their batting averages are right there with the Yankees in the low .200s.

The dilemma for the Yankees is that in the American League, there is no dominant team that is unbeatable. Soooo, if you can sneak into the Wild Card and have some pitching, you still have a shot. I don’t think they will be sellers for that reason. In the NL, the Braves are really good and that is probably enough for Steve Cohen to lower his payroll and look to the future.

SU saw an interesting stat that batting averages this year are only slightly higher than last season. Something like .247 this year vs. .242 last year. How can that be with the elimination of the shifts? It’s because the hitters are still trying for home runs. Baseball is much better this year with the shortened games but the focus on launch angle and all that is hurting the game.

There was a great article in the Washington Post last month on Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert and their lifelong friendship by Sally Jenkins. There is probably a pay wall but here is the link. It is a great read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2023/chris-evert-martina-navratilova-cancer/

Djokovic and Alcaraz slugged it out today for nearly 5 hours over 5 sets at Wimbledon. It was truly a heavyweight battle with haymakers all over the place. While the 5th set was close (6-4 for Alcaraz), the stat sheet showed that Alcaraz led in winners 18 – 3. Djokovic fought until the end, total points were 168 – 167 for Alcaraz, but the Spaniard was the better player today.

Djokovic admitted in the post-match media conference that he has never played a player as complete as Alcaraz, and that he saw aspects of Federer, Nadal and himself in his game. Alcaraz is clearly a “generational talent” and at 20 years old, he already has won Grand Slams at the US Open on hardcourts and now Wimbledon on grass. And clay is his best surface! What is inspiring for tennis is that Alcaraz has all of the shots – he can play the net extremely well, has a crazy good drop shot and is super fast around the court. Younger players coming up through the ranks should take notice that you need more than strong ground strokes. If you can play the net, you can separate yourself from the pack.

Will Alcaraz now go out and win every major tournament? It’s not that easy and he has had some health issues. Time will tell. We can only hope to see the top players (Sinner, Djokovic, Rune, Nadal, Medvedev) all be in the mix for the next couple of years. Alcaraz may indeed end up on top in many of these but SU says it’s not a given.

Now, one team starting to separate themselves from the pack is the Yankees – and not in a good way. They fire the hitting coach because you can’t fire the players. It’s the same reason that managers get fired. Brutal loss today as the bullpen imploded. The offense is terrible and that is their problem. However, some signs of hope:

Josh Donaldson went on the IL. SU wishes him well. But they finally brought up Peraza and he should be in there every day. That is the problem with the Yankees. They stick with the veterans too long. Let’s play the youngsters and see what you have. They are in last place – tied with Boston – and currently out of the playoffs. Losing 2 out of 3 to the awful Rockies is unacceptable. Next up are the Angels where the Yankees always play poorly no matter how bad they are. The team is borderline unwatchable at the moment.

And so are the Mets. Will both teams be sellers at the trade deadline in a couple of weeks?

This week has been an eye opener for Yankee fans. It started with 2 rousing wins over the Orioles which prompted thoughts of a big 2nd half of the season run towards the playoffs. It was followed by a rare bullpen implosion on Wednesday and then the latest Severino disaster last night. IKF will soon have the lowest ERA on the team as he seems to be pressed into service to pitch the 8th inning fairly regularly now in blowout losses.

For the Yankee fans, it’s really just numbing and reaffirming. This is a slightly better than .500 team now – SU can accept that. Great bullpen, a few good starting pitchers and an uneven offense that is frankly unenjoyable to watch day in and day out. Great stat on Josh Donaldson: they are 1 – 7 in games that he hits a home run. Sums it up: he hits meaningless home runs in losing games. Judge is showing no signs of a possible return and SU believes he will need to opt for surgery some time in July. He covered up for the non-performance of his teammates in 2022 and the first half of 2023 but now they are exposed. This team plays sloppily, runs infielders out there in the outfield and has so many overpaid veterans who are in the downsides of their careers now. SU does not see any trading deadline solutions as no one wants any of these guys and their long-term, expensive contracts.

SU says time to blow it up. Sell at the deadline or just DFA players and eat their contracts. It’s not a championship caliber roster – not even close.

Now, the Mets on the other hand have won 5 in a row including 3 over a good Arizona team. They may have finally turned the corner and can start feeling better about themselves. Atlanta is a far superior team but the goal is to get into the playoffs and rely on your stud starting pitchers. SU says they will be the NY team of interest for the next 3 months.

I have to say the bar for making an All-Star team is a lot lower than other years. Batting .250 puts you right in there now. How did that happen? And how is a projected 70 RBI total now a reasonably good outcome? SU has been reading Jack Curry’s book on the 1998 Yankees team. Only 25 years ago but feels like a different era of baseball when players hit .300, 100 RBIs was not that unusual and lineups valued on base percentages. Today? Mediocrity rules.

SU is enjoying the Wimbledon action this week. The rain really throws the scheduling off but the men’s draw should have some great match ups next week. While Djokovic is still the betting favorite, SU says that will be a big lift for him. Sinner and Alcaraz are ready now, and even a match with Wawrinka later today will not be easy. Nice to see Andy Murray competing and he is a factor on grass given his experience and home court advantage.

SU likes the Knicks’ signing of Donte DiVincenzo. I watched a lot of him on Golden State last year. He is a first rate defender and can shoot. A fun guy to root for. It’s not clear how the minutes get spread around next year but the Villanova pedigree on this roster is a definite plus. Keep an eye on Jordan Poole in Washington – he will have a huge year in a high paced offense. I will not be rooting for the Warriors anymore out West – that ship has sailed for me.

College football is less than 2 months away! Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald just got suspended for 2 weeks over a hazing incident. Whoa – that is the last school where you would think that is happening.

Domingo German has had an up and down career with the Yankees. He was a key member of the pitching staff a few years ago but then abused his significant other – at a team event I believe – and was suspended for a long time. Really hurt the team that year. More recently, he was suspended for having the stickiest hands known to mankind.

But today, all is forgiven! He is Mr. Perfect. Now, SU stayed up late Tuesday night to watch almost to the conclusion the first game of this series. After losing to the A’s 2 – 1, I vowed that was it for these West Coast games this year. Full transparency: I don’t like this year’s team. It’s unlikeable on so many levels:

1. The players: Josh Donaldson – such a bad fit, poorly thought out by Cashman. Stanton: nice guy but so tired of watching him struggle for weeks and weeks every season and then get hurt.
2. Style of play: they embrace the .215 hitter. At least, it seems that way as the team is built totally around guys who hit .215. How is this remotely interesting or exciting to watch?
3. Reliance on Judge: again, a total miss. Judge covers up for so many of the other players.

SU checked the phone in the middle of the night and I was pleased for German to get the perfect game. Very cool. I know it’s Oakland and yes, life can be worse if you are an A’s fan. I mean last night, Stanton hit a home run (amazing) and I saw Donaldson had 2 meaningless RBIs in the 9th inning after striking out 3 times which I saw. Oh, but he has to play every day. LeMahieu even knocked in a run – he is a shell of what he was. I guess he is just aging after a long and successful career.

Steve Cohen finally decided to meet the media and have his say on the Mets. It is hard to believe that they are 8 games out of the Wild Card. SU has watched the Mets of late and their offense is right up there with the Yankees. Lifeless.

Other Thursday morning observations:

1. SU does not understand the Chris Paul move by the Warriors. At this age, he cannot stay healthy through the playoffs. The Warriors need more size up front – that is where they are exposed. Paul is a Hall of Fame guard but unclear how this is a game changing move for them. I will follow Jordan Poole to the Wizards and look forward to Eastern time zone games. He is fun to watch. Golden State will miss him.
2. This guy Arraez on the Marlins is hitting .396. That is remarkable by itself but in a year when so few players are even above .300, it’s even more remarkable. I mean, that is baseball. It’s not just trying to hit home runs all the time. Have you watched the Yankees in extra inning games? Almost comical. Situational hitting? Say what? Have to hope teams look at this and start moving back towards contact hitting, running and building rallies.
3. Finally, the Cincinnati Reds are in 1st place. Great story for baseball. Now, they have sucked for probably 10 years so you pay the price to get there. The Marlins are also good this year. Both are built around the young players. NY teams please take notice.

SU finds it amazing how Isiah Thomas has at least 9 lives when it comes to sports team management and advice. He destroyed the Knicks for a good 10 years, shows up on the NBA Network all the time giving his opinion, and now the new owner of the Phoenix Suns is apparently reaching out to him for advice. Apparently, Thomas was behind the trade of Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in the Bradley Beal transaction.

Now, I am not saying that they should not have traded Chris Paul. He is a great player but he is always hurt, and especially in the playoffs. He’s not getting any younger and if you have the chance to move him, makes sense. But Isiah does not have the track record that you look back on and say, “Whoa, that dude knows his basketball!” SU says proceed with caution on any of his advice.

The Yankees are fresh off their sweep up in Boston, and should be in last place in the AL East by next weekend. The lineups are just not good. Rizzo has stopped hitting – has some type of neck injury and is playing through it – and Stanton, of course, needs about 100 at bats to regain his form. He will then get hot for a week and reinjure something. The Yankees will keep waiting on Josh Donaldson to re-emerge, and DJ LeMahieu is a shell of his former self. He is under a big contract for another couple of years (isn’t everyone?). If Rodon ever comes back, that will be a boost for the pitching staff but Severino is really struggling.

The Yankees don’t have a lot of options come the trade deadline. They have some top prospects that they could deal but SU says don’t do that to the fans. Last year’s moves were all pretty bad (Joey Gallo, Frankie Montas) and at this point, I would be happy turning over the whole roster somehow and play the youngsters. Will never happen of course. If and when Judge returns (and Bader), that helps but it sure feels like this team can’t compete in the AL this year.

The NBA Draft is Thursday night and this off-season is going to see some big names on the move. SU is not sold on the “3 stars” strategy like the Suns are following. Everyone is saying that they are the favorites to win it all in the 2023-24 season but didn’t Brooklyn just go this route with Harden, Irving and Durant? The right strategy is to build a true “team” with pieces that fit. But no owner is asking for SU’s advice just yet!

SU, as the official representative of Yankee fans globally, is bored with the team this year. Full disclosure: losses no longer bother me. I mean baseball is much better with all of the rules changes – games are shorter, play actually moves along, more stolen bases, etc. But… unless I am missing something, why are batting averages still so low?

SU was thinking back to the Yankee teams of the 2000s, and especially 2009 where players hit over .300 and had over 100 rbis. Was that all PEDs? Slower rotating pitches? Today? It feels like hitting .300 is what hitting .350 was in the past, and 100 rbis is a huge achievement. As of this morning, there are 10 batters above .300 – in all of MLB!

What you get, therefore, is more strikeouts (but faster!), players continuing to try and hit home runs and fewer runs. You follow players and wait, wait, wait for them to finally “get comfortable.” Giancarlo Stanton is that guy every season and of course, just as he finally gets there, he gets hurt and it’s rinse/repeat. Josh Donaldson? He is hitting home runs (of course, with no one on base) and will probably get to 55 rbis this year for $25 million. And people will say he had a solid year.

SU has come to the conclusion that Aaron Judge is likely underpaid at $40 million a year. For the Yankees, he allows all of the overpaid and underperforming players (read: entire roster) to not stress too much about their underwhelming numbers. But when he is hurt, well, they are so exposed.

I still care and will watch out of habit but it’s a struggle to stay awake. SU says play the youngsters and eat some more salaries please. At least they are really trying.

Am I an outlier?

Props to Novak Djokovic for winning the French Open and finally getting his due from the media. Winning at least 3 of each of the Grand Slams is a major achievement in this era of great players. While he is still on pace for a calendar year Grand Slam, you have to figure the motivation will take a dip now. But who knows?

SU was happy to see the Nuggets win it all this year. Any time a true team that passes the ball crisply and with purpose wins an NBA championship, that is a good thing as you know other teams will look to follow suit. The NBA is trending in the right direction and the days of the stand around offense are likely behind us now. We next need to see this style of play at the college level. It is painful to watch teams walk the ball up the court and have the coach call out the play each possession. Please. Push the ball and just have a pass first mentality. I mean is there anything more stupid than rolling the ball up the court to save time and then once you pick it up, you slow walk the offense anyway?

Enough ranting for today. The floor is open for your thoughts.

Some interesting MLB stats for you this morning:

Gary Sanchez, San Diego Padres: .294, 5 home runs and 11 rbis in 34 at bats.

Aaron Hicks, Baltimore Orioles: .364, .481 on base percentage

Gio Urshela, LA Angels: .304; 24 rbis

Mike Tauchman, Chicago Cubs: .260; .397 on base percentage

SU is not saying that Brian Cashman should not have made these moves and deals. Clearly, any Yankee fan wanted Gary Sanchez out of NY. I wish all of these guys well this season. Urshela was an inexpensive 3rd baseman who was a gold glove quality fielder. Maybe you keep him and save a few dollars on Donaldson? Hicks needed a new home and SU is happy to see him get to play (and batting 5th for the 2nd place Orioles!).

If you are a Yankee fan, the 2023 version, aside from Aaron Judge, is unwatchable. No other way to say it. Offensively, their games are a snoozefest. They are lucky that they have the best bullpen in the MLB plus Judge when he is healthy. The problem is that when he is out (2nd time on the IL now), the players who get paid the big bucks like LeMahieu and Stanton, really come up short. As in really, really short. Volpe is struggling but he hits 9th and anything you get from him is a plus. Oswald Peraza is batting .311 with 10 home runs and 21 rbis in 119 at bats in the minors this year. The thinking is that there is nowhere to play him in the infield with Donaldson back and Volpe playing everyday but SU says give him a shot and plug him in at 3rd, 2nd and shortstop. The team is desperate for offense, speed, some level of excitement. The Yankees are really in need of outfielders as Bader can’t stay healthy, Stanton can never stay healthy and they are afraid to play him in the outfield, and Judge is hurt.

Right now, a wild card is all the team can hope for in 2023 and there is a lot of competition there.

Over in Flushing, the Mets with baseball’s highest payroll are really floundering. Yes, they have had their share of injuries, and now Alonso is out for a month. Might they be sellers in July?? Actually, might the Yankees be sellers? (Nah). The next month is key for both teams.

For tennis fans, the first 2 sets of the Alcaraz – Djokovic match yesterday were some of the best tennis you will ever see. Interesting contrast between 36-year old Djokovic and 20-year old Alcaraz. You have to give Djokovic credit for still competing at such a high level at 36. Interesting stat for him: 45 Grand Slam semi-final appearances in his career, and 34 finals – including winning 20 of his last 21 semi-finals, and 14 of his last 17 finals in these events. He’s not for everyone, and some of his views are off but you have to acknowledge the sustained greatness in his career during the era of Federer and Nadal.

SU is still trying to fully understand the new arrangement in golf between the PGA TOUR and LIV. It’s not a great look for the sport and maybe you can look the other way when it comes to the Saudis (SU cannot). It will be interesting to see if the players approve the new deal.

The Denver Nuggets are the real deal. Jokic is so refreshing to watch. It was amusing to read some of the experts criticizing his flopping for foul calls as if literally every other NBA player does not do that. How do you not give credit to a big man who is a triple-double threat every game? He’s not the most athletic person on the court but is a joy to watch given his team orientation. He makes everyone around him better – a lot better. SU says appreciate that and recognize how few players do that in the NBA right now.