By Ed Botti
September 19, 2024
***
About Yesterday:
It was great to stay up to the wee hours to listen the 2024 Yankees clinch a playoff spot. I would much rather have watched it but it was on Amazon. In the last week alone, 2 huge Yankee wins were taken away from loyal YES Network customers for Amazon money (i.e. Judge's Grand Slam against the Red Sox and now a “clinching game”).
As Joe Girardi would say “it’s not what you want”.
Although, winning a Wild Card spot is not exactly on par with winning the American League East, congrats go out to the Boys from the Bronx for at the very least, going further than they did last year.
If you have read anything I have written since the 2019 season when I joined the SSTN team, you will know that I put zero credence on the Wild Card. To me, it is akin to giving a ribbon to the kids that finished in 2nd place.
Don’t bother adding a comment about the Wild Card teams that have won a World Series, I am well aware of all of that.
Call me whatever name you want, but I still prefer the two divisions in each league format, when a winner from each division advanced to the LCS. It fostered better in season play and rivalries. And oh by the way, the World Series was competed under October skies.
Win your division or go home. Bucky Dent would not be as famous if they had a Wild Card in 1978, would he?
However, this 2024 squad began September 19th with an 89-63 record and more importantly a 5 game lead on the Orioles with 10 left to play. That gives me more personal pleasure and pride then any Wild Card.
The 78 -75 Mariners are only 2 games out of the Wild Card. Do they look like a team that should be in the World Series?
A shout out goes to Julio Rodriguez for the 2nd worse base running blunder of this series. Sorry Julio, but your teammate Victor Robles has that dubious distinction by trying to steal home on a 3-0 count with 2 outs and the bases loaded! No ribbon for you, Julio.
Looking at the face of Dan Wilson (a fundamentally sound baseball player himself) said it all. I have no idea what Rodriguez was doing, but at least he can say he tried to avoid being hit by a thrown bat. Not really an excuse when you see the foot path he took, but a better justification then Robles could possibly have!
Quick Stats:
This was not a game for a time capsule, that’s for sure. Between both clubs, there were 12 hits and 23 strike outs. Only two players had at least 2 hits, Jasson Dominguez (2-4) and Luke Raley (2-3).
The two teams combined to go 3-20 with RISP.
Starters Clark Schmidt and Logan Gilbert both pitched fairly well, albeit not very long. Once Schmidt got through the first inning in which he gave up one earned run of the three that were scored, he settled in fine, and did nothing to hurt his chances of pitching in valuable high pressure October Innings.
Gilbert’s one and only real hiccup was a two run home run off of the bat of Jazz Chisholm, his 23rd of the season and 10th as a Yankee.
Speaking of Jasson Dominguez, he in all likelyhood (if you believe in the pre-determined outcome—as Michael Kay would say) cost the Yankees this game in the bottom half of the first inning as he either lost a ball in the sun or just misjudged it, leading to two unearned runs.
This came on the heels of him essentially running past a fairly easy catch in center field on Wednesday night. Those things happen in baseball, so need to over react. But, can he use two hands when he makes a catch? Next spring training, I would invite Bernie Williams to camp, and have Jasson follow him around like a lost puppy.
Big Story –
On a day like yesterday, when the team was clearing not firing on all cylinders and looked a step or two behind (probably) due to celebrating just a handful hours earlier, I hope for one thing. Just don’t get anyone hurt.
Going to his left to make what I thought was one of his best catches of the season, Juan Soto banged his left knee sliding into the right field wall at T- Mobile Park (I still think of it as Safeco Field).
Photo by AP
Almost all of his fellow defensive teammates circled around Soto as he lay on the outfield ground. After a few minutes, he got to his feet, flexed his left knee, did few deep squats and told Aaron Boone he wasn’t coming out.
If you listened closely, you could hear a huge sigh of relief coming from 161st St. and River Ave.
Jake Cousins was next in line as he was escorted off the mound by a team trainer after six pitches, the last one a slider that struck out Julio Rodriguez.
After the game the team announced that despite no visual signs of an injury, his velocity was a concern to the coaching staff.
The Yankees later announced that Cousins was dealing with right pec tightness.
More to come on that in the next day, but lets hope he is fine. He has done pretty good job, IMO.
Player(s) of the Game –
Today, I am balking at awarding anyone from either team player of the game.
Notable Performances:
Nothing notable in yesterday’s game comes to mind. What does come to my mind is how in the world is Randy Johnson’s number 51 not retired in Seattle? I am assuming next year they will retire Ichiro’s number 51 after he is elected to the Hall of Fame. Maybe they will do what the Yankees did with Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra’s number 8, and retire it twice!
Photo by AP
Better to Forget:
Juan Soto stated, after he homered in Seattle Wednesday Night:
“What a best way to go into free agency with homers in all 30 ballparks, checking my list.”
Not exactly heartwarming if you thought/hoped he’d be back in Pinstripes, is it? But also, not very surprising to me.
I guess he didn’t take that call from Jalen Brunson that I talked about in June!!
My Take:
It’s pretty simple; finish strong, don’t rely on one player every night. Play as a team -- a single unit, keep your foot on the gas pedal until someone tells you to go home.
To advance in the post season they have to make pitches, move runners, hit behind runners, make more contact, throw to the correct bases, take extra bases when needed, don’t assume anything (see Austin Wells throw to nail Rodriguez at third), and catch balls that they should catch, and even ones most players might not make a play on.
And most of all, do not take a single pitch off. Play every single pitch as if it is your last one.
Easier said than done. It takes a special/strong group of people to do it. But, that is the winning recipe.
Now, go out and win the AL East. The toughest division in Baseball!
Next Up
The Yanks head off to Oakland, California for a three game set against the A’s beginning Friday night at 9:40 PM. You can see the action on YES!
Since the Orioles pulled off a walk off win on Thursday, the Bombers magic number to clinch the division stayed at six.
