It's always interesting to hear a different perspective. I've been spending time with my wife's side of the family, many of whom are both baseball and Yankee fans, and we had a discussion the other night about the state of the game. Admittedly, the perspective at the other side of the table wasn't one to which I typically prescribe, given that I think the game has as much talent as it's ever had. I enjoy numbers and statistics, but I also believe very strongly that part of what makes baseball special are stories and people. I was confronted by the idea that baseball is very much losing the human element that makes the game more interesting to many people. The argument wasn't that the statistics are wrong or that performance wasn't being maximized; it was that it just wasn't as interesting anymore to the average fan.
It wasn't a perspective I expected to find persuasive, but I do think that baseball has to keep fans in mind as the game continues to change. In last week's Mailbag, I answered a question about some of the new proposed rules around starting pitchers. The more I think about it, and with some of my recent conversations in mind, I can't help but think that MLB might need to think about some artificial rule changes to give fans stories and people to whom they can latch and identify. The story needs to be front and center for the fans. People like me (and likely most of you who read this blog) should be allowed to enjoy digging down into the weeds, but everyone else should be allowed to enjoy the stories. The game can do both, and I think for fans to stick around, it is necessary for the league and the players to be very careful with the direction in which the games move.
As always, thanks for the great questions and keep them coming to SSTNReadermail@gmail.com. In this week's SSTN Mailbag, we'll talk about first base, Clarke Schmidt, and Jasson Dominguez! Let's get at it:
Brian asks: How would you handle first base right now? The Yanks must have the worst first base performance in the league.
It's pretty ugly right now, and there are no easy options. Jazz Chisholm presumably will return today, which means that 3B is effectively covered. LeMahieu has been so bad (honestly, a statistical argument can be made that he's the worst player in baseball), that I think he needs to be pinned to the bench. As bad as this idea sounds, I would split the reps between Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice until Anthony Rizzo returns. As bad as Rizzo was this season, he might still be better than what the Yankees have rolled out at 1B since July.
I never thought I'd say that Rizzo gets his job back when he comes off the IL, but here we are.
Fuster asks: Is Schmidt the key to Yankee post-season pitching success?
do you see him returning in time to get tuned-up in order to serve as a third starter in the play-offs?
and, if so, does that allow the team to replace the inconsistent closer Holmes with Luis Gil?
Yes, I think he is very likely one of the keys to stabilizing the Yankees' pitching staff in the playoffs. He should have enough time to build up and be a key contributor out of the rotation, which should push someone to the bullpen. However, I'm not as certain that Gil is the guy to go to the back of the bullpen.
I understand that the bullpen has been horrific, but I am hoping that shifting one or two starters to the bullpen, such as Nestor and Stroman, will serve to stabilize the playoff bullpen. I'm also crossing my fingers that one or two injured relievers return to further lengthen the bullpen.
If healthy, Gil is one of the Yankees' three best starters. I want him in the playoff rotation, mowing guys down for 5-7 innings. He'll be more valuable starting for multiple innings as opposed to possibly never getting an opportunity to impact the game.
The Yankees need to spend the next 6 weeks getting Holmes right, because whether Yankee fans like it or not, he is one of the keys to getting this bullpen to succeed.
Bill C. asks: How would you handle Jasson Dominguez for the remainder of this season?
Alex Verdugo has been one of the worst players in baseball for the last 3 months. Dominguez quite literally can't be worse, and he's getting pitched around at AAA (and no, striking out 3 times during his cameo a week ago is totally meaningless in the grand scheme of things, and not indicative of how he is likely to perform).
I would give Dominguez playing time and see if he responds. The worst case scenario is that the team needs to pivot back to Verdugo before the playoffs.
Contemplating Luis Gil as a closer, I wrote a few weeks ago that his reverse splits simply don't support the notion. He's not the second coming of Mariano Rivera.
Rivera dominated left-handed pinch headers throughout his entire career, thanks to his cutter. Gil would be very susceptible to late game pinch hitters. As a starter, this issue is minimized. He's not the answer to the Yankees closer issues and I agree with Andy, he's too valuable as a starter to contemplate moving him to the bullpen, where he would likely not be as effective.
I think this is only true because of his being allergic to his batting gloves and POSSIBLY his tattoos. His hands are constantly in pain as a result, as his allergy has caused blisters and rashes on his hands. Holding a bat is painful for him, which absolutely affects his hitting. This explains why his results started diminishing in his final 2 years in Boston.
The Franklin company is making special "hypo allergenic" battings gloves specifically for Verdugo. While he can't just remove all of his tattoos, since he is literally covered in them, Verdugo is also looking into taking Dupixent shots, which ma…
I am hoping like heck that Anthony Rizzo can get a LOT of rehab starts before he comes up and off the IL. Hoping he can first DOMINATE AAA pitching before he comes up. If Anthony Rizzo can be that great version of himself that he was in that series in Milwaukee, I think he will do fine in the post season. Rizzo has a history of success playing in the post season and has the potential to rise to the occasion once the post season starts.
In the off season, if the Yankees choose not to re-sign Rizzo, I am hoping they keep him with the club as a First Base Coach and Infield Instructor.
Andy, I gotta lean towards what the family thinks about the state of baseball. Yes, there is a ton of talent here, but too many geeks are holding that talent back. I mean, we hear about all these guys that have a ton of speed, but they strike out too much, but they then don't teach these guys how to bunt for hits. Or they do their shifts for defense, but no one did ANYTHING offensively to try changing those charts that set up the shifts. These geeks like the pitch taking, like yesterday, in 5 PAs, Torres saw 31 pitches. Strike outs are good because you can't hit into a DP. Then you have the warm up pitches betwee…
I'm opposed to artificial rule changes like the 6-inning requirement for starting pitchers. The way to restore starting pitching to prominence and reduce dependence on bloated bullpens is to reduce the number of pitchers on the roster. Phase it in 1 less pitcher every year until we get back to 10-man staffs - 5 starters and 5 relievers. That worked quite well for a long time.
Despite the obvious talents in the game today the product is still flawed by abominations such as expanded playoffs and the Manfred Man. I remember REAL pennant races where you had to win the league or the division or go home. Today all we have is jockeying for position in a post-season tournament. Yes…