September 28, 2024
***
Well, the Yankees limped to the finish of the 2024 campaign.
They lost 2 of 3 to the Orioles. They have now lost the first two games against the Pirates.
Some fans excuse this approach. "They don't care about winning right now," they say in defense of the team. I find that excuse crazy and absurd. Of course they care - or they should care.
If it is the truth, that they don't care, that the Yankees aren't trying to be their best, I find it infuriating. This is professional baseball. The Pirates seem to care.
Not only that, these games are still important.
It's still possible, as we go into the evening before the last day of the regular season that the Yankees have not clinched the best record in the American League. Maybe the Guardians will lose and do the Yankees' work for them, but still... not an impressive finish for the team as they head into the playoffs. I think a team that was serious about being the best would care about winning these games.
The Yankees gave Aaron Judge the day off yesterday. Previously, he had homered in five consecutive games. Today he went 0-for-5 with FIVE strikeouts. Five strikeouts! The man was as hot as ever and the Yankees sat him down. Yeah, that worked well. (I can't wait to see the excuses for that decision.)
Yankees back into the AL home field advantage (though at 1-4 in 5 meaningful games on this homestand it's not clear that's still an advantage) with Verlander beating the Guardians. Yankees guaranteed sub-.500 record in their last 92 games, two lost home series to end the year. Right now Baltimore and Detroit can beat them handily in the ALDS.
them silly, unserious, undedicated,losers of a Bronx baseball team
loafed and lucked their way into the American league's best W-l record for 2024.
they ought to be ashamed of themselves
they are shirkers who garnered this honor only because they were less proficient at losing games than all of the other AL teams.
maybe now these honorless, poxy ruffians can summon up the courage to give that bone-headed, great-hitter-and-nary-a thing-else fool of an outfielder the benching that he so richly deserves.
the organization ought to chain him to the bench for the rest of the entirety of the regular season.... not that he'll rue his transgressions long enough not to repeat them when next he plays
yes, this is professional baseball.
and these people do not always embody the same open-hearted amateurism with which boys of all ages approach the game.
there is always something justslightly different, justslightly off about professionalism
queer as a clockwork orange
You're right - this is not a good look for a team with WS aspirations. Will it matter in the long run. I tend to doubt it. The Yankees will not play again until next Saturday IIRC. By then the losses to the Orioles and, unfathomably, the Pirates, will be forgotten. Ballplayers have short memories - they have to.
As for Judge he had no chance in his first at-bat and Bednar also threw some tough pitches at him. Plus he was robbed of what might have been a big chance to get the Yankees back in the game due to Soto's base running blunder. Does all of that excuse the 5 Ks? No. But do we really know that…
and beyond the 5 strike outs, he literally barely touched a ball. i am not even sure how many fouls he had, but i dont think he had more than one in ANY AB
i will not repeat it. i made a long comment on the game thread. i have coached Baseball, Basketball, Football, and Track
I have ALWAYS tried to teach my kids to FINISH the job!!
if you are running the 400 meters (or use whatever distance you want) then you RUN 400 meters. actually always told them to run THROUGH the line and then and ONLY THEN decrease your effort
NO MATTER how far ahead or how far behind you are! you signed up to run t…