2025 WORLD SERIES LOSS
 
In reviewing our 4^th loss from Game 5 of this year’s World Series, let me first start off with the few positives:
 
I always appreciate progress, and this past season the Yankees certainly demonstrated progress.  They made it to the final round, the World Series, meaning they qualified as the best team in the American League (winning the American League Pennant/ trophy) which qualified them at the highest position for the playoffs in the American League.  That’s a lot better than the prior season in which they failed to even make the playoffs!
 
In the ALCS, they defeated the Cleveland Guardians in 5 games (in a potential 7-games’ series).  Some of the main highlights included a 3-run homer by Juan Soto in the 5^th game’s 10^th inning with 2 outs!  We saw some key homeruns from Judge and Wells, while also seeing superb performances from the aforementioned Soto (3 homeruns/6 RBIs) and Stanton (4 homeruns/11 RBIs/the ALCS MVP).
 
As for any positives from the World Series, Soto hit another homerun and Stanton hit 2.  Joining the homerun contributions were Jazz Chisholm, Jr. (1), Judge (1), Gleyber (1), Verdugo (1), and Volpe (1).  From a pitching standpoint, Gerrit Cole started 2 games with a collective 0.947 WHIP which was great from our ace. We also had some positive pitching efforts from relievers Clay Holmes (0.692 WHIP), Luke Weaver (0.400 WHIP), and Tim Hill( 0.750) WHIP.  Oh, and we won “a” game (Game 4) with a score of 11-4!
 
Now for the negatives which certainly outweighed the positives for all of the Yankees’ fans, including me:
 
Let’s start with some very disappointing batting averages from Anthony Rizzo (.125), Gleyber Torres (.143), Austin Wells (.176), and Aaron Judge (.222).  {Luckily Juan Soto hit .313 and Anthony Volpe hit a decent .250.}  Against us, was the "Main Man" of the series who happened to wear a Dodgers’ uniform, Freddie Freeman (who has always been a great player).  He batted .300, hit 4 homeruns, and drove in 12 runs!  “Our” first baseman hit a whopping .125 (as noted above) with only 2 hits in 16 at-bats and 0 homeruns, 0 RBIs, 0 extra base hits, and 7 strikeouts.  He was also part of the awful 5^th inning of Game 5 in which most of the team looked like the “Bad News Bears”.  Gerrit Cole was pitching a no-hitter into the 5^th inning when he gave up his first hit (to Kiké Hernández) then…
 
Judge was too busy looking at Kiké running the bases during a routine fly ball to him and he totally missed the simple catch.  Following that, Will Smith grounded “out” to Volpe who threw the ball short of third base making it difficult for Jazz to attain an actual out.  That created a bases-loaded situation with zero outs.  Cole seemed to still stay overly focused on the batters (like Andy Pettitte, but without the cap over the eyebrows).  He proceeded to strike out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani.  That created brief relief to us fans until Mookie Betts weakly grounded “out” towards the left side of first base.  It was then that Rizzo fielded the ball about 8 feet from the bag and chose to wait for Cole (who at that time did not run enough and who was parallel to Betts, a speedy runner).  I’ve been watching Rizzo for a long time over the years and he typically avoids taking on those plays alone.  He, instead, tries to get a 3-1 play (first baseman to the pitcher) at first base.  Almost all of the other first basemen are better at solely making those plays themselves.  While Cole could have been better positioned, I realize Betts has a lot of speed to outrun and I also give credit to Cole for his pitching performance and total concentration (as mentioned) on the batters.  On the other hand, Rizzo was right there in the vicinity already and made his typical yet uncommon and illogical choice as Betts was pouring on more speed towards the base right in front of his eyes.  He could have even taken a few steps towards first base and lunged to touch the base with the ball in his hand or glove.  Eventually, during that inning, the Dodgers tied the game at 5-5!  The Yankees would ultimately lose the game 7-6 and the World Series 4 games to 1.
 
I anticipate my next article to be about the Yankees’ players who will be reaching free agency.  In that article, I will certainly offer my opinions of who I want to leave.  Obviously, Rizzo will be on that list from my perspective as I’ve had enough of his diminished all-around abilities!!  Oh, and as usual, I’ve also had enough of Boone and Cashman (the latter has been expressed so many times by me already, but I’m obviously not done griping)!

REST IN PEACE - PETE ROSE
Pete Rose was one of the greatest baseball hitters of all time.  In fact, he collected the most hits EVER with a total of 4,256.  No other player even achieved exceeding 4,000 hits except Ty Cobb who collected 4,189.  Pete also currently holds the record for most at-bats (14,053), plate appearances (15,890), and games played (3,562) during his 24 years in the majors.  That says a lot but still not enough about Pete.  Before I get into why he was one of the greatest of all time, here are just some of his other accolades:

Rookie of the Year (1963)
World Series Championships (1975 & 1976 with the Reds/1980 with the Phillies)
World Series MVP (1975)
National Legue MVP (1973)
Named to the All-Star Century team (1999)
Silver Bat Award (1968)
Sporting News Player of the Year (1968)
Gold Glove Award - Outfielder (1969 & 1970)
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1969)
17-Time All Star (at 5 different positions!)
 
In 1989 an investigation found Pete guilty of utilizing illegal bookies to bet on MLB games during Pete’s professional years.  Two Commissioners of Baseball (Bart Giamatti and then Fay Vincent) were involved with two key bans of Pete:  one in a formal agreement signed by Pete banning him from baseball for life in an agreement that was worded to avoid any personal wrongdoing admission by Pete and the other banning him from being enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Pete finally admitted 25 years later that he bet on MLB games as a manager, and 10 years after that, he admitted he also bet on MLB games as a player.
 
I totally respect Pete Rose, “The Player” but I disrespect Pete Rose “The Person”:
 
The Player
The aforementioned stats above tell a lot about Pete’s achievements as a player.  (By the way, he was also successful as a manager with 426 wins against 388 loses with many so-so teams to manage.)  I remember watching him a long time ago and hearing a remark from my Father proudly pointing out (after Pete got one of his usual singles) how disruptive Pete was at first base, causing the pitcher to constantly throw over to first base (there were no restricted throws back then).  The pitchers hated having Pete on base because of his masterful distractions.  All top base-stealers (Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, etc.) did that, but Pete didn’t have their natural and superb speed to help him.  He was simply brilliant as a player.  Those base-stealing moments along with his uncanny knowledge to know when to extend a single into an added base, or two, was why he was rightfully nicknamed “Charlie Hustle”.  It’s unfortunate that most MLB players today don’t come close to that kind of unrelenting hustle.  A lot of them are either avoiding injury too often or they just don’t have the great instincts Pete had (and used).
 
 
The Person
Pete as "The Player" had many challenges but so did Pete as "The Person" inside and outside of baseball.  I’ve listened to numerous remarks from Pete, and it was clear that he had no filter.  His focal point was always with a winning/competitive drive, even if he purposely or inadvertently ridiculed others harshly.  He was very obnoxious and arrogant even with his comments in his final year of life, including some of the commentary he offered on networked broadcasts.
 
I have no doubt that his egotistical character hurt him from being forgiven by the commissioners and ultimately from being considered for an election into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Overall, in my opinion, the Baseball Hall of Fame should include the greatest players who produced numbers in which only a few can.  Pete clearly did that.  Some folks either support or deny any induction of the players who used steroids to cheat.  I agree with the latter; however, none of Pete’s stats are from any physical enhancement drug.  He produced every single one of them solely.  Each hit or base-running achievement was accomplished by Pete through his own physical or mental abilities.
 
As a player, he will always be a Hall of Famer to me.  I will remember him fully being Charlie Hustle and I’ll typically envision his superman slides whereby his hands and arms were stretched out with his eyes focused on the base for the most strategic and competitive slide.
 
Rest in Peace, Pete Rose and thanks so much for your “Player” years!

WILL THE YANKEES’ “BYE” LEAD TO A “GOODBYE” OR “HELLO” TO THEIR 28th WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP?

Well, unlike last season when the NYY only won 82 games, this year’s team won 94 games and have made their way into the playoffs!  Not only that, but they won the most games in the American League this season, making them the number one seed.  That successful result earned them a “bye” whereby they can simply sit back and watch the #3 through #6 teams play their first rounds with the hopes of even making it to their next playoff level (the level where the Yankees are already).  Those first-round games in the American League consist of the Detroit Tigers (#6 seed) playing against the Houston Astros (#3 seed) and the Kansas City Royals (#5 seed) playing against the Baltimore Orioles (#4 seed).  Because the Yankees have the best record in the American League, they also earned a homefield advantage against whomever their American League opponent becomes – which would be either the Royals or the Orioles for the ALDS (American League Division Series).  The Cleveland Guardians (#2 seed), likewise, would await their opponent of either the Tigers or the Astros (you might want to spell their first syllable with an extra “s”).

As usual, teams always lose some valuable players to injury prior to the playoffs.  In the case of the Yankees, those players include Anthony Rizzo (broken pair of fingers from a hit-by-pitch/he had just regained his decent hitting and great defensive forms), Nestor Cortes (elbow pain/he was pitching to a very good 1.153 WHIP), and Jake Cousins (right pectoral strain/with an impressive 1.053 WHIP).  Cousins may return in time for the first round while Rizzo is iffy for the first round.  Cortes is not expected back at all, but you never know.

Like all of the teams in MLB this season, there was a lack of consistent dominance.  In fact, there wasn’t even a team that won 100 games this season!  That inconsistency and lack of overwhelming dominance makes this season’s playoff predictions overly unpredictable.  Of course, some stats can be weighed, but none overly convincing.  Can the Yankees win it all?  Of course, but that answer could support any of the playoff teams.

2024 SEASON THUS FAR 

This year’s Yankees have ranged from awesome to awful.  We began the season with a lot of teamwork including a non-forgiving lineup to opposing pitchers.  We have since ended our games played this past weekend (before the All-Star Game break) by playing like we have only about a third of our players who have played hard and had success thus far.  They include these 8 players:
 
Aaron Judge - His offensive numbers thus far equate to his MVP year in 2022 as he’s currently batting with a .306 Average, 1.112 OPS, 34 Homeruns, 72 Walks, and 85 RBIs.
 
Juan Soto - His at-bats are relentless including his .295 Average, .984 OPS, 23 Homeruns, 79 Walks, and 66 RBIs.
 
Ben Rice – He’s this year’s rookie phenom thus far – he just joined the Yankees on June 18.  His early offensive numbers include:  6 Homeruns and an OPS of .809 in just 79 at-bats.
 
Marcus Stroman – Although his numbers look “okay”, his efforts and focus are always clear towards his continuous strive to give the best he’s got for each of his starts.  He keeps the team in the game with a chance to win often, which is very valuable.
 
Luis Gil – Except for a couple of hiccups, he’s been one of the best starters in all of baseball!  He currently holds impressive numbers including a WHIP of 1.08, an ERA of 3.17, 10 Wins/5 Losses, and 118 Strikeouts in 102.1 innings.
 
Jake Cousins – Although he’s only just begun pitching for the Yankees, he’s preliminarily become one of my favorite relievers in quite a while and has demonstrated impressive number including a 1.05 WHIP and 18 Strikeouts in 12.1 innings.
 
Luke Weaver – Similar to Jake, Luke has demonstrated excellent preliminary numbers thus far.  Those numbers include a WHIP of 0.80 and he’s achieved 58 strikeouts in 54.2 innings.
 
Michael Tonkin – He was designated For Assignment by the Mets twice and the Twins once.  Once he put on the pinstripes and received a few tips from our pitching coach, Matt Blake, he’s turned around his numbers IMMENSELY!  His WHIP is 1.03 and he’s achieved 48 Strikeouts in 45.2 innings.
 
Both Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo have epitomized our "awesome to awful" season with their on-off contributions!  Because of their good periods and "mostly" good defensive efforts, I’ll give each a pass.  I’ll also give a pass to our former ace/Cy Young winner, Gerrit Cole.  He's done pretty well since his return from the IL just recently, after not pitching at all until then.
 
The rest of the team has underperformed and haven't shown any consistent efforts.  Our closer, Clay Holmes, has a 1.31 WHIP and is not the worst closer in baseball, but certainly not the best either, especially with the most blown saves.  Almost every time he enters the game, we Yankees’ fans have to hold on tight!  The one player that has frustrated me the most is DJ LeMahieu.  His value to the team has dropped faster than the Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoon has dropped from a cliff!  His offense is downright awful.  It's so bad that I can’t even type his stats in this article!  His defense, especially at third base is very lackadaisical!  Someone needs to wake him up.  He’s reached the Aaron-Hicks-grade at this point and the Yankees really need to either throw him into a trade along with someone of value or bite the bullet and let this detrimental player go already!
 
With the trade deadline slightly over 10 days from now, the Yankees really need to make moves.  We need another starter to ensure we have enough arsenal from that standpoint, we could add another bullpen guy (perhaps a closer if we don’t have to trade away the farm system in that deal), and (in my  strong opinion) we primarily need a very good third baseman - preferably a righthand hitter with decent power, an above .265 Batting Average, and above average defense.  We do not have anybody in our farm system ready with those qualifications.  That type of third baseman would be very complementary to the lineup if he batted behind Soto and Judge.  In essence, the whole lineup would then be stronger because the teams would pitch to them more directly.

FINALLY (LEFTIES, THE GENE MICHAEL WAY)

Gene Michael Way

When Yankee Stadium was originally built in 1923, the layout was purposely structured towards the advantage of lefty pitchers and lefty hitters - mainly with a short-distanced right field wall.  Thus, it was common for the Yankees' decisionmakers to offer some extra focus on developing and acquiring a decent amount of lefty hitters and pitchers.  Of course, there are more righties in this world, so true lefty talent is limited to find and acquire.

Gene Michael played for the Yankees and was a switch-hitter.  That lefty-hitting option helped him learn the advantages of the stadium's dimensions.  He also served within the Yankees' organization as a coach, scout, manager, and executive.  During his tenure and through his multiple roles, he ultimately helped  the Yankees win championships in 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000.  For the 1977 championship he was the Yankees' Chief Scout, and Reggie Jackson credited Gene for guidance that led to his 3 consecutive homeruns in one game during the 1977 World Series.  For the 1978 championship team, he was their bench coach for both managers Billy Martin and Bob Lemon helping to offer some form of stability and guidance for the players.  For the 4 championships in the 1990s, he was the VP of their scouting department, ensuring to help attain and keep some key lefty hitters including:  Paul O'Neill, Wade Boggs, Tino Martinez, David Justice, Darryl Strawberry, and switch-hitters Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, and Tim Raines.  He also had the same involvement with the likes of key lefty pitchers including: Andy Pettitte, David Wells, and Jimmy Key.  In our last championship (2009) he continued his influence with the likes of lefty hitters:  Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon, and switch-hitters Mark Teixeira and (once again) Jorge Posada.

Brian Cashman worked in the Yankees front office since 1986.  There, he experienced (and typically reported to Gene Michael).  He, Buck Showalter, Lou Piniella and so many others have commonly credited Gene with teaching them so much about his proven strategies.  For unknown and very frustrating reasons, Cashman stopped focusing on acquiring  a slight overage of quality lefty pitchers and, especially, of quality lefty hitters.  Cashman basically erased his learned knowledge from Gene Michael in planning the need for a decent amount of quality lefties for the team's roster.

FINALLY, for our 2024 season, Brian Cashman refreshed his memory of what he was taught to do in order to construct the best team who played 50% of their games in Yankee Stadium.  Of course, Yankee Stadium is a different stadium than it was prior to 2009 but its dimensions are similarly laid out (on purpose).  So, the same World Championship strategies would still suffice!  I am sure that, over the past winter, Cashman was scrutinized by Hal Steinbrenner after so much public fallout from the fans and felt his job was soon to be on the line.  I believe it, indeed, was!

Now, with the new signings of lefty hitting outfielders Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham joining our current lefty infielders Anthony Rizzo and Austin Wells, our lineup not only provides the advantages of Yankee Stadium's dimensions, but also provides a lot more challenges in general to the opposing pitchers and managers. Additionally, both Soto and Verdugo offer a lot of spunk and energy for the Yankees' teammates and their worldwide fans, traits that have been missing for a while. Furthermore, Soto batting directly before Judge will, alone, drive our opposing pitchers out of their minds and will certainly produce a lot of runs!  As for our relievers, Cashman added Victor González and a few unknown lefty hopefuls who I'm sure Matt Blake (perhaps the best pitching coach in baseball today) will enhance as he usually does for our pitching acquisitions.  

Our starting pitching should be a solid mix with the likes of our incumbent group of lefties Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodón, along with our righties Clarke Schmidt, and the "Cy Young Award" winner, Gerrit Cole (once he returns from the Injured List).  To make it even stronger, Cashman signed free-agent righty Marcus Stroman (a bulldog pitcher) - another character who will undoubtedly add spunk.  That makes our early pitching starters group with at least 40% lefties.  We also have some AAA lefties in queue when needed.  Wow, who would have thought to include a decent amount of lefty hitters and lefty pitchers on our 25- and 40-man rosters collectively?  Oh, I know...Gene Michael!!!

[Let's hope we win at least 92 games this season.]