About the Off-Day: Meanderings of My Mind

About the Off-Day: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

June 25, 2024

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The Yankees were off yesterday. They lost the weekend series to the Braves and have lost their last three series.  The ship is taking on water. Because of the off-day, I will now flit from topic to topic like a hummingbird in a flower garden.

·       This Yankees’ team reminds me a great deal of the 2022 team. I believe it is quite possible they will fade and this year, unlike 2022, they will slip out of first place. The Orioles are that good. 

·       I wonder if Ian Hamilton gets nervous whenever he's called into the manager's office., considering the manager is named Aaron and well, you know. Speaking of Hamilton, the average temperature in my apartment is in the mid to high 80s thanks to the marvelous cooling system the property managers have installed. I'm afraid that my final words may be those uttered by Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz, “I'm melting.”

·       DJ LeMahieu can't hit for power or drive the ball anymore. He is also not hitting for average. He is like a slap hitter who is a Quaker. 

·       One of the nice things about my new apartment is it's proximity to some very nice seafood restaurants. A couple of weeks ago I tried the lobster macaroni and cheese from one of them and I have to say that it was the best I have ever eaten. I will definitely be ordering it again.

·       Apparently, the Yankees formula for success is to corner the market on washed up players with the initials J&D in their name in some order. They have now added JD Davis to go along with DJ LeMahieu. (Editor's Note - Don't forget Josh Donaldson)

·       Without choosing sides, I will definitely have to take a break from the Yankees’ game on Thursday to watch the first presidential debate. Regardless of what happens, it has the potential to be fascinating.

·       Jose Trevino could not throw out Gianarlo Stanton right now, even with the damaged hammy. Yet, Aaron Boone continues to give him the bulk of the catching responsibilities. At this point, Austin Wells should be the primary catcher. It will be extremely difficult for him to develop and mature if he plays sporadically.

·       One of my biggest complaints about Aaron Boone has been his inability to successfully develop young players. I know people will say that Anthony Volpe has turned into a solid Major Leaguer but let's not forget, Volpe was foisted upon Boone by Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner. The reality is that if DJ LeMahieu had not started this season on the IL, Anthony Volpe would not be the leadoff hitter today.

·       One of the major problems that goes along with having a faulty and ineffective cooling system in my apartment is that it makes cooking an unpleasant activity. I love to cook and bake, but until my cooling system is brought out of the dark ages, I will not be doing much of it. I don't think I will even be doing smoking out on the deck because in the past I could go into the house to cool off periodically. At this point, it's even hotter inside than it is outside.

·       I do not mind that the Yankees traded for JD Davis. He might be useful. However, I do not want to see him installed at first base over Ben Rice. Rice should play first base every day unless he demonstrates that he is incapable of doing so. Davis was let go by the Oakland A's. He is not the answer. Rice might be. It is extremely likely that Anthony Rizzo will not be back on this team next year. The Yankees need to find out if Ben Rice is capable of being the full-time first baseman next year. Unfortunately, I have a very strong feeling that Aaron Boone will begin plugging Davis in at first base on a regular basis.

·       One thing I have noticed now that I'm retired and home all day is that there do not seem to be many ice cream trucks patrolling the neighborhood. When I was a kid, I lived in a fairly remote area but occasionally we would hear that familiar jingle as the ice cream truck made its way up the street. I do not hear it anymore. I am not in a position to be sprinting out there anyway, but it is noteworthy that the ice cream truck seems to be a thing of the past. I could have trained Nut to run out to the truck and tied a little pouch of money to his neck so he could get us some refreshingly cold treats but there's no point now since there are no trucks.

·       DJ LeMahieu has replaced Aaron Hicks as the host of Singles in the City. He only has twelve hits this season and none of them were for extra bases.

·       When I was a kid, my father used to come home from church every Sunday with fresh doughnuts and hard rolls from a local bakery. That bakery has long since closed but there were other bakeries that produced wonderful hard rolls. I don't know what happened but at least where I live in Connecticut, you can't get a decent hard roll anymore. The perfect hard roll is crisp on the outside and light, airy and soft on the inside. Nowadays, you just get these mushy lumps of bread speckled with poppy seeds that masquerade themselves as hard rolls. It's another one of those simple pleasures that you just can't find anymore.

·       I have not yet watched The Story of My Number on the YES network. However, it looks very interesting, and I do plan on watching at least some of the episodes and probably all of them. I do have a suggestion for a future episode. They could do a show on Mel Hall. I could just hear it now: Gracie Chapman would ask, “So Mel, how did you get your number?” “Well Gracie, the warden gave it to me.”

·       Since Jasson Dominguez is injured, and the Yankees do not have a tremendous offensive player in Scranton, I think the best solution for Giancarlo Stanton's absence is to make a trade for a designated hitter. At this point, it could be any of the players who will be available at the deadline. The position on the field is irrelevant. They just need somebody who can hit, hopefully for power. Since they are struggling against left-handed pitching, a right-handed batter would make the most sense. The point is that they need to get a legitimate hitter, not someone off the scrap heap.

·       If JD Davis is going to get at bats for the Yankees, they should come at the expense of either Gleyber Torres or DJ LeMahieu. They should not be the result of Davis playing over Ben Rice. In fact, Oswaldo Cabrera has been more productive than either Torres or LeMahieu and should be in the lineup. However, I will not be surprised to see a lineup, possibly as early as tomorrow, with Torres, Davis, and LeMahieu all batting.

·       I do not know if Giancarlo Stanton has any tattoos. I don't really pay attention to those things. However, he should have one that reads “Fragile” on both of his legs. By the way, I believe “Fragile” is Italian.

·       Does anyone really believe that the Yankees, as presently constructed, would advance very far in the playoffs? It's not as if Anthony Rizzo is missed. Giancarlo Stanton at least provided home run power. I don't know what we can reasonably expect from him for the rest of the season based on his history of lengthy recovery periods and they're very very slow return to productivity after an injury. Again, this team is starting to remind me very much of 2022.