Perspectives: Reflections on a Few...

By Paul Semendinger

November 1, 2024

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Well, that's that. The 2024 season ended with a whimper. We sure have a lot to talk about.

Today I'll look at a few important people on the Yankees and give my thoughts. This is not a complete list. I'll have more to say about other players in the days and weeks to come. I'll also have more thoughts on these specific Yankees. As we start to think about 2025, this is where I will start...

It seems to me that if you keep trying the same approach and it doesn't work that it's time to change that approach. Aaron Boone has had seven seasons to bring the Yankees a World Series victory and he hasn't done it. In the seasons he has made it to the post season, he has always come to a series where the Yankees play poorly. That is is a point that one cannot debate. The Yankees have never played quality fundamental baseball under his leadership. Under Boone, the Yankees have been sloppy. Under Boone, the Yankees have often under-performed. Under Boone the team hasn't played with energy. Many players don't hustle. Aaron Boone says the same messages over and over - meaningless words. He always talks about getting them the next time, except in the end, he never has. Aaron Boone has had a longer tenure than any Yankees manager ever without bringing home a World Championship. He had his chances. We have seen how the team plays under his leadership. Why bring him back again for more of the same? Letting a manager go after seven seasons is not a quick hook. Boone did what he could. It wasn't good enough.

Anthony Rizzo is no longer a quality hitter. While he had a few hits in the ALCS, he batted only .125 in the World Series. In 2023, his regular season OPS+ was 94. In 2024, it was only 81. The fact that he is no longer even a league average hitter is not up for debate. Over the last years, his defense has also suffered. He is no longer elite. We saw two instances in the World Series alone where he didn't make critical plays. In Game 1, he failed to back up a throw (that then led to a run). In Game 5, he didn't get to the bag (even though Gerrit Cole should have been running over there) to get the inning-ending out. He is no longer an elite defender. Some might even wonder if he's an average defender. In two of the biggest games, he failed to be in the right position on the field. That's inexcusable. Rizzo will turn 36-years-old next year. It is time for the Yankees to move on from Anthony Rizzo. He had his time. If the Yankees witsh to compete in 2025, they must realize that Rizzo is not the answer at first base. It's sad when a player demonstrates that his best days are behind him. Sadly for Rizzo, they are.

So much of sports coverage in the media is nothing more than hype. The reporters find stories (or they're told what to report) and then they tell those stories over and over hoping they stick. They make a big deal about things and then act as if they never said them at all if they don't turn out as they hoped. Anthony Rizzo gave a big speech in the clubhouse before Game 3, I believe. It was mentioned on TV again and again and again. The Yankees lost the game. No one mentioned the speech again. The reporters so much wanted this to be a "Rizzo fired up the team" story. It wasn't. They then pretend like it never happened...

I feel very badly for Aaron Judge. He is a Yankees hero. He'll win the MVP in 2024. By all accounts, he's a good guy. When his career is over, he might have over 100 WAR something only Ruth, Gehrig, and Mantle accomplished as Yankees. Unfortunately in sports, players are judged by their performance in the biggest moments. And for Judge, his performance in the postseason was bad. It was very bad. And just when it seemed he turned it around, he dropped an easy fly ball that set the Yankees on the path to failure. It's not fair, but players are remembered for how they did in the biggest of moments. Until he changes the narrative, this is Judge's legacy. I hope for his sake, and the Yankees, that he gets another chance in 2025 and leads the Yankees to a championship. Until he does, though, he is going to be remembered as the greatest Yankee to never win the big prize.

Don Mattingly had been the greatest Yankee without a ring. Part of Donnie Baseball's story, though, is how he performed at his highest level once he had the chance to taste the post season. Mattingly stepped up, big time.

Also, it's all well and good when a player takes the huge contract. Aaron Judge signed for $40 million a season for 9 years. Along with that comes the expectation that that player perform when the lights are the brightest. One can say that Judge doesn't deserve the criticism he has faced, but when you take the biggest contract, you also have to accept that responsibility. With privilege comes responsibility. Judge also accepted the role as captain. A captain has to lead through words and actions.

Again, I hope Aaron Judge changes the narrative soon.

Finally, and I'll have a whole article on this... many are saying that Juan Soto is only out for the money. If they say that, then they also have to criticize Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole among so many others. They, too, went to the highest bidder. One can't absolve Judge of greed and at the same time deride Soto for following the exact same path. Aaron Judge was ready to leave until the Yankees until they made a gigantic offer and made him captain. If "Greedy Player" applies to Soto, then it also must apply to some beloved Yankees as well.

I hope the Yankees do the right things this off-season. It's right there in front of them.