About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

January 20, 2025

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Today is Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Day. It is a federal holiday and because it is Inauguration Day, it is also a regional holiday in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. The last time these two events coincided was 1997, for the second inauguration of Bill Clinton. The next time it will happen will be in 2053. I will be 88 years old at that time. I might even be old enough to be elected at that point. As a former history teacher, I always find Inauguration Day to be very compelling, regardless of whom is being sworn in.

Inauguration day was originally March 4th because it took so long to tabulate the votes and in addition, the travel conditions in the late 1700s and 1800s required more time between Election Day and Inauguration Day. In fact, due to bad winter weather, the first Inauguration Day was postponed until April 30th, 1789. I know this because my friend Roger was in the crowd that day and frequently tells me how George Washington tussled his hair as he walked through the throng to be sworn in. Now, both George Washington and Roger’s hair are long gone. Well, today is also Monday and it is the off-season. That means I will now move from topic to topic like a newly minted president going from one inaugural ball to another.

·      The Yankees reportedly had some interest in signing Tanner Scott. Unfortunately, he, like everyone else, signed with the Dodgers. Apparently, all the other teams in the Major Leagues have a roster of 26 players but the Dodgers for some reason, are allowed to have a roster of 56 players. Tanner Scott would have been a tremendous addition to the Yankees’ bullpen, but as was the case with Roki Sasaki, Scott was a luxury item, not a necessity. If the Yankees bring back Tim Hill and or sign Andrew Chafin, they will have the foundation of a very formidable bullpen. Unlike last season, the bullpen will not be populated by mostly reclamation projects and people claimed off waivers from other teams. It's alright to have a few of those pitchers. The Yankees seemed to have a gift for getting the most out of that type of player, but you can't have the whole bullpen assembled from the scrap heap.

·      Since it is Inauguration Day, here's an interesting tidbit from our history. William Henry Harrison, the 9th president of the United States, served the shortest term of any president in our history. He was sworn in on March 4th, 1841, and died on April 4th, 1841.  Harrison became ill a few weeks after being sworn in when he was outside in a severe rainstorm and never changed his clothes. So, when your mother tells you not to go out in the rain or to change your clothes after doing so, you should listen to her. Also of note, Harrison's inaugural address was over two hours long despite the fact that it had been edited by Daniel Webster for length. It's sad that Harrison’s inaugural address was almost as long as his term in office.

·      It seems that a lot of people are already conceding the 2025 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Oh, I know that they have signed basically everyone. However, as good as they look on paper, the games are not played on paper. It is true that the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 2024 World Series four games to one. However, there were mistakes made by the Yankees that contributed to that outcome. I do not believe the Yankees have finished constructing their roster for 2025 and there are always changes that can be made during the season. Therefore, based on the strength of the Yankees as compared to other teams in the American League, I believe they have a better chance than any other American League team to make it to the World Series in 2025. If they do and face the Dodgers, I don't think the Yankees should simply fail to show up because they don't believe they can win. If they do beat the Dodgers, it will be even more satisfying.

·      I made my initial batch of jam in my copper jam pot, using the wooden spoon. It was cranberry-cherry jam, which came out quite nice. The consistency was perfect, and the flavor was very nuanced, blending the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the cherries. I mixed a bit of whiskey in as well. I'm looking forward to the spring and summer when I can make jam with fresh fruit. 

·      I believe that the tenure of DJ LeMahieu as the starting third baseman for the New York Yankees in 2025 will last just about as long as the ban on TikTok. I suspect the Yankees will acquire a prominent player for that position which will lengthen their lineup markedly. We're not sure which player the Yankees will acquire but I'm sure they will acquire someone.

·      My adult daughter came to visit the other day. I will not delude myself into thinking that she came to visit me. Of course, she did but, I was not first on the list. She came in and hugged the kitten, Clancy and then my wife. I was third on the list. She spent a good portion of the day visiting and Clancy lay in her arms, basking in the attention. When he purrs, which he does constantly, it sounds like a lawn mower is running. I've had him for two weeks now and he has doubled in size. He still sleeps under the bed sometimes and every time he comes out, he looks as if he's gained half a pound. He is supposed to be eating kitten food, which he does but, he also eats the adult cat food, canned food, and just about everything else. I wouldn't be surprised to see him order a pizza one of these days.

·      Despite the fact that the Yankees lost Juan Soto, I think the 2025 team could be even better than the 2024 team. Think about it. If they have Gerrit Cole for a full season along with Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, who will have less restrictions than he did last year, that will be a huge improvement. If Max Fried pitches the way he always has, the starting rotation will be significantly better than last year's rotation. The bullpen has been improved greatly. Losing Soto is huge but the additions to the lineup should be major improvements over the players who were there last year. If Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells improve, that will make the team even stronger. Add to that a full season of Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and you have a pretty solid looking lineup. Right now, there is a hole at third base but last year, there were multiple weak spots in the lineup. I think Yankees’ fans should feel pretty confident about this team and that should only improve once they finally address the third base vacancy.

·      My older son made a recent suggestion that I am following. I'd like to pass it along to all of you. He suggested that whenever possible, we take family pictures. Not just at family gatherings or on holidays but at other times as well. With the advent of the cell phone camera, we all do that to some degree anyway but what he said did strike a nerve for me. I have looked through many boxes of pictures from my youth and I think I only have about 3 or 4 pictures of me with my father. There was one picture of me with my mother and father before my high school graduation and the top of my head is cut off in the picture. That's it. My father wasn't alive when I graduated from college and that's the only picture I have of us other than a few from when I was a kid. It's something I truly regret. So, I encourage all of you to take as many pictures as possible with your family, friends, loved ones, and even your pets because one day, it might be too late to take those pictures and all you will have is an overriding sentiment of “I wish I had taken more pictures.”