Rain: The Bringer of Donaldson...

  

Josh Donaldson / Photo Credit: John Minchillo, AP

Rain Postponement of Opening Day sets stage for Donaldson…

For as excited as I was for Opening Day to arrive (delayed by one day due to the rain forecast), it certainly started poorly with the pre-game announcement that the Yankees and star outfielder Aaron Judge were unable to agree on terms for an extension. More thoughts on Judge later, but the mood seemed to carry through to the start of the game. Gerrit Cole, apparently flustered by a four-minute delay for first pitch, was roughed up for three runs in the first inning. Three runs with no outs. For a moment, it had seemed like Billy Crystal must have stayed on the mound after tossing the opening pitch. Fortunately, Cole was able to stop the bleeding and held Boston in check through four innings.

Gerrit Cole / Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg, NY Post

The Yankees quickly made it a one-run game in the bottom of the first when Anthony Rizzo blasted the first Yankee home run of 2022 following an Aaron Judge single. Giancarlo Stanton tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with an ‘only in Yankee Stadium’ home run blast to the right field bleachers.

The Red Sox broke the tie in the top of the sixth inning. With Clay Holmes on the mound, Xander Bogaerts led off with a double. He moved to third on a ground-out by J.D. Martinez and scored when Alex Verdugo singled. The Red Sox looked to be mounting a huge threat in the inning. After a fielder’s choice and a single had men at first and second, Holmes was pulled in favor of new Yankee Miguel Castro. The former Mets reliever walked the first batter to load the bases. However, the threat was snuffed out when Castro struck out Christian Vásquez. No doubt it was an incredibly positive first Yankee moment for him.

Boston reliever Garrett Whitlock took over starter Nathan Eovaldi in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the former Yankees prospect shut down the Yankees offense into the eighth. GM Brian Cashman was taking his usual beating on social media for allowing Whitlock to slip through via the Rule 5 Draft to the Red Sox prior to the 2021 season until DJ LeMahieu answered the bell. His home run shot to right center tied the game once again and quieted the social media talk about Whitlock.

Everyone wanted the Yankees to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. No one wanted to see the ghost runner at second base in extra innings. The moment was set up for Giancarlo Stanton to be the hero with Aaron Judge on second base and two outs. Unfortunately, it was not one of Stanton’s better at-bats and he struck out swinging to push the game into the tenth inning, complete the dreaded ghost at second.

Both teams scored a run in the tenth to keep the game going. Michael King, who had given up a cheap run in the tenth, was masterful in the eleventh inning. Two strikeouts and a groundout as Boston failed to advance their ghost runner. In the bottom of the eleventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, having made the final out of the preceding inning, took second base. Josh Donaldson, wasting no time for his signature Yankee moment, hit a single up the middle through Boston’s two “shortstops.” IKF raced around to score the winning run, 6-5 Yankees. Que Frank Sinatra and New York, New York.

  

Josh Donaldson, the Bringer of Rain, is our kind of “idiot.”

Photo Credit: Jim Davis, Boston Globe Staff

To point out a few of performances, I thought Jonathan Loaisiga looked terrific, picking up where he left off from last season. The closer-in-waiting seems ready to ascend to the throne currently held by Aroldis Chapman. Aaron Judge deserves credit for getting a hit in his first at-bat after the failed extension distraction earlier in the day. He made the plays he needed to make today. Yankees catchers did a superb job behind the plate. First Kyle Higashioka and later Jose Trevino. I cannot remember how long it has been since I had total confidence in catching defense after living through the Gary Sanchez era. Watching two expert framers is artwork in motion. I missed Higgy’s Spring Training bat but the defense more than made up for it. Someone tweeted that the Yankees would have lost today if Gary Sanchez had been the catcher. I believe it.

King picked up the win with his strong two innings effort.

Michael King / Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg, NY Post

It is important to get off to a good start. I know this is only one game, but a win is better than a loss. Even after the game, Anthony Rizzo said one game could be the difference at the end of 162 games. So true, one more win last season and the Wild Card game would have been held at Yankee Stadium rather than Fenway Park. With so many consecutive days without a day off and a shortened bench (due to sixteen pitchers), extra-inning games are particularly brutal this month. The shortened Spring schedule leaves the starting rotation still trying to ramp up, meaning an earlier hook in most games until they are fully stretched out. Therefore, I have no issue with sixteen pitchers even if I would have preferred fifteen and extra legs on the bench (specifically, Tim Locastro). My team goal this month is to stay healthy, win more games than losses, and have the team running on all cylinders by May 1^st when rosters reduce from 28 to 26 and pitchers are capped at thirteen.

It is hard to believe that Friday’s Opening Day walk-off was the first for the Yankees since before most of us were born. In 1957, Yankees third baseman Andy Carey scored Yogi Berra to win Opening Day and it has not happened since…until now.

The 2022 Yankees do seem to have a vibe that has been missing for the last few years. I am sure Josh Donaldson is a big reason, but it is not just him. This team seems more focused and ready to prove they are better than last year’s roller coaster team. I like it.

I am disappointed in Aaron Judge and the Yankees. I do not understand why the Yankees released the amount of their offer to Aaron Judge other than to make Judge look bad, but I do acknowledge that the seven years, $213.5 million extension proposal is fair and generous given Judge’s injury history and age (he turns thirty on April 26^th). When you factor in 2022, it brings the total value to $230.5 million. The average annual value of the extension proposal is $30.5 million. If the demands for nine or ten years from the Judge camp is true, the Yankees are correct to pass and allow Judge to walk after the season. I say this loving Judge as a Yankee.

Probably the greater disappointment is how the Yankees have passed on elite free agents over the past few years with Judge’s extension looming. I am hopeful the Yankees and Judge can find common ground, but the rift seems too large. Judge’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for June. If they do not settle before then, an arbitration hearing will make the relationship even more contentious. In July, if the Yankees see the impossibility of an extension, they should seriously consider moving him before the trading deadline to at least get something of value before he departs.

Hopefully, we never reach worst-case scenario and the two sides come together. It would be great to see Judge as a Yankee for at least seven more years.

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: John Minchillo, AP

Welcome to the newest Yankees.

Catcher Jose Trevino arrived last weekend in a trade that sent pitchers Albert Abreu and Robert Ahlstrom to the Texas Rangers. I feel bad for Ben Rortvedt, given he had a clear path to a Major League job before the trade. However, his oblique injury (right oblique muscle strain) has clouded his return and the Yankees needed a somebody better than Rob Brantly to pair with Kyle Higashioka. Like Higgy, Trevino is an elite framer, giving the Yankees two extraordinarily strong defensive catchers. Rort is in the same mold, but who knows when he will be ready. On the bright side, when he does return and goes to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he will be only a phone call away if one of the two primary catchers is injured. It is kind of funny how Trevino’s availability started with the Rangers acquisition of catcher Mitch Garver from the Minnesota Twins which of course led to the Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela trade to the Twins. A case of catching musical chairs between the Rangers, Twins and Yankees.

The Yankees and Mets hooked up for a rare trade that saw lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez head to Queens for righty reliever Miguel Castro. I never fully understood the Yankees move to re-sign Rodriguez so quickly in November, but in retrospect, I am glad it led to Castro’s acquisition. He is a welcome addition to the bullpen. A rare trade that helps both teams.

Marwin Gonzalez, in camp on a minor league contract, officially headed north with the big-league club when he was added to the 40-man roster after recent acquisition outfielder Jeisson Rosario was designated for assignment. A few years ago, I would have been incredibly happy to have Gonzalez. I may not be as excited today, but I do believe he can help until the best utility prospect (Oswaldo Cabrera) is ready for the Show. So long Rosario, we hardly knew ye.

As strange as it was to see the Yankees and Mets involved with a trade, it was weird hearing the Yankees had acquired a reliever from the rival Tampa Bay Rays. David McKay was added to the 40-man (when the Yankees moved reliever Stephen Ridings to the 60-day IL) and sent to Triple A. There, he will become part of the bullpen shuttle between New York and Scranton. We later found out that McKay had forced the trade. He had been signed to a minor league contract, but when he realized he would not make the Rays, he exercised his opt-out. The trade with the Yankees involved $1 to the Rays. I am sure it was tough for Hal Steinbrenner to part with that dollar.

The last new Yankee is an old face. First baseman Greg Bird, who will begin the year with the RailRiders. Bird had been in camp with the Toronto Blue Jays and was having his usual Spring Training success. He even homered off the Yankees this Spring with his then long-haired, bearded look. I thought he was going to make the Blue Jays roster but when he did not, he chose to opt-out. From there, he came back to his original organization where seemingly a path to first base behind Anthony Rizzo is not quite as daunting as Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. I thought it was funny to see Bird wearing #45 for the RailRiders, the number worn at the time by Luke Voit when Bird and Voit were engaged in the battle for Yankees first base a few years ago. Voit won that battle, but in a way, Bird gets the last laugh, at least with the Yankees. I am not counting on Bird like I once was, but I hope he does well. I hope Rizzo stays healthy, yet Bird offers some insurance. I always did love his beautiful left-handed swing at Yankee Stadium.

Greg Bird / Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg, NY Post

Congratulations to CC Sabathia for his appointment as a special assistant to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Sabathia will focus on player relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, social responsibility, youth participation, and broadcasting. CC is such a great ambassador for the game, and his new role will play a huge part in the continued evolution and growth of our favorite professional sport.

CC Sabathia / Photo Credit: Andy Marlin, USA TODAY Sports

Lastly, congratulations to Tampa Tarpons (Low-A) Manager Rachel Balkovec who picked up her first minor league victory in last night’s 9-6 Opening Day win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Balkovec, 34, is the first full-time female manager in the history of affiliated baseball at all professional levels.

Rachel Balkovec / Photo Credit: AP

As always, Go Yankees!

These Are Your New York Yankees...

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, AP

For better or worse, the Yankees roster is solidifying…

While it feels like the Yankees could have done so much more this interrupted and abbreviated off-season, it is hard to not have some excitement for the 2022 New York Yankees as they are presently structured. I know many of us wanted Matt Olson or Freddie Freeman and one of the elite shortstops, but it was not meant to be. It most certainly does not mean that the Yankees will not be good…they will be exceptionally good.

• 1B           Anthony Rizzo
• 2B           Gleyber Torres/DJ LeMahieu
• SS           Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• 3B           Josh Donaldson
• C             Kyle Higashioka (and Ben Rortvedt when healthy)
• RF           Aaron “Pay the Man” Judge
• CF           Aaron Hicks
• LF           Joey Gallo           
• DH          Giancarlo Stanton

A bench that will most likely include the versatile Marwin Gonzalez and the speedy Tim Locastro.

This is a better lineup than the one featured on Opening Day 2021 which featured Jay Bruce at first base and Clint Frazier in left field. I know we will miss the fun associated with Gio Urshela but clearly IKF and the Bringer of Rain are improvements. Gary Sanchez, well Gary, have fun in Minnesota before you hit free agency.

I had thought the Yankees would acquire an additional starting pitcher before returning north next month. For a while it seemed like they were hot after either Sean Manaea or Frankie Montas, but those talks appear to have cooled. The Yankees always seem to be hot after some pitcher, only to see the guy get traded elsewhere. With Opening Day less than two weeks away, I think the Yankees will revisit the starting pitching market in July when asking prices lower. The front office is expecting holes to be filled by the younger Yankees talent waiting for their opportunities in the Show, like Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and, if he has shaken off the disastrous 2021, Deivi Garcia. Schmidt is 26, Gil will be 24 in August, and Garcia will be 23 in May. Their time is now, and the Yankees do need to see what they have with these guys. Michael King pitches today, but he is better for the bullpen.

Clarke Schmidt / Photo Credit: AP

If Cashman makes any move between now and Opening Day, I fully expect him to address catching. Willson Contreras seems to be the most mentioned name, along with Oakland’s Sean Murphy. I feel we will see a new catcher before starting pitching or center field help if any trades are made. Two defensive catchers seem a bit underwhelming even if I am grateful defensive catching is no longer the liability it was just a season ago.

I doubt the Yankees trade him, but if there was one guy on the roster, I would trade today it is Aroldis Chapman. There is no chance the Yankees re-sign him when he hits free agency this fall. He is not the elite flame-throwing reliever he once was, and Jonathan Loaisiga has proven he is up for the challenge. I would love to eliminate Chappy’s salary to free up room for other areas and start Loaisiga’s run at the back end of the bullpen. No doubt we will see a transition this season. With Aaron Boone’s stated intention to use Chapman more consistently, even if that means bringing him in earlier in games, Loaisiga will be the safety net to potentially close out games.

Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, Getty Images

We have much to be excited about with this Yankees team. Toronto may be getting stronger, but they are not perfect. Although they have made some nice recent acquisitions, it can be argued they are not upgrades over the guys they lost. Boston clearly overachieved last year. They are making a huge financial commitment that Trevor Story does not show reduced production through the Coors Field effect and that he can successfully transition to second base. Just because DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado have been successful outside of the Mile High City, it does not automatically mean Story will be. I think he will, but it is not guaranteed. Nothing against former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi, but when he is your best starter (due to Chris Sale’s latest injury), there are challenges in the rotation from top to bottom. Tampa always finds a way, but there are no clearcut favorites and the Yankees can beat any of these teams.

It is time to get excited about our team, the Six Billion Dollar Men. Let’s Go Yankees!

A few new rules were announced this past week. Active rosters will be expanded from 26 to 28 players until May 1^st due to the shortened Spring Training. The maximum thirteen pitchers will not be enforced during the month of April. In a rule favoring Shohei Ohtani, if a team uses a starting pitcher as the DH, he can remain the DH after being pulled from the mound. Makes me wonder if we will start to see more players attempt to become two-way players with this rule and the universal DH. Lastly, in the return of a pandemic rule that has left many fans aghast, there will be a ghost runner at second base in extra innings. Too bad we cannot sign the ghost of Lou Brock or the phantom of Rickey Henderson’s younger days. I am indifferent to the rule. I have never been a huge fan of extra-inning games going beyond the tenth or eleventh innings. The longer games make players more susceptible for injury, and with fewer off days (and more double-headers) this season, it will be all hands-on deck for nine inning games. From a traditionalist view, it seems a bit janky to put an unearned runner at second base. Oh well, it is what it is.

A "younger" Rickey Henderson

These changes were agreed to by MLB and the Players Association but need to be ratified by the MLB Owners this upcoming week (through a simple majority vote).

I had been concerned about twelve arbitration eligible cases for the Yankees this year, but they successfully signed all but one, Aaron Judge. Judge filed for $21 million, while the club countered with $17 million. I am grateful the Yankees are not a ‘file and trial’ club. The Dellin Betances arbitration case a few years ago remains on my mind for how ugly this process can be. I simply cannot imagine going into a room to hear your employer tell an arbitrator how much you suck at your job. Human emotions surely come into play. As for Judge, I did not really expect them to agree on 2022 compensation since they are actively discussing a long-term extension. I am hopeful they can work it out before Opening Day. I am all in favor of retaining Judge and making him the team captain. I have no idea how Judge will age into his late thirties but that is not a concern for today. He is a great Yankee and a guy who can help win the elusive championship(s).

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey, MLB Photos

Speaking of Dellin Betances, whatever happened to him? I think of him every time Manny Banuelos, his former Killer B teammate, runs out to the mound as a Mini Me #68. I know Betances has had his struggles the last few years, but I would love to see the Yankees sign him to a minor league contract. As for Banuelos, I am quietly hoping he makes the team. Good health has not been his friend (the Yankees seemingly have too many of those kind of guys) but watching Banuelos in pinstripes again has rekindled thoughts of how much I had wanted him to succeed when he, Betances and Andrew Brackman were the great trio of hope in the farm system.

Manuel Banuelos

It is kind of funny that so many fans did not want the Yankees to sign Carlos Correa due to his participation in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal, yet it did not stop the Yankees from signing his former Astros teammate Marwin Gonzalez. I had thought Oswaldo Cabrera would inherit the utility role this year from Tyler Wade, but I like Gonzalez better (for now). He may not be the player he once was (when garbage cans assisted him), but he can help. With an ability to play both infield and outfield, he provides Aaron Boone an ingredient to field stronger lineups. Maybe he only proves why the Boston Red Sox cut him last summer, maybe he is something more. With the expansion of the rosters to twenty-eight, I view his signing as ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ If he does not work out, cut him. It is not like the Yankees are making a huge financial commitment with him. He needs a spot on the 40-man roster, but I am sure Brian Cashman will figure it out.

Lastly, Eli Fishman (@elifishman on Twitter) reported this week that George Steinbrenner IV has joined the Low-A Tampa Tarpons as an advanced scouting analyst. Young George is the 25-year-old son of late Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner. He mostly likely holds an ownership interest in the Yankees with his three siblings. I saw many fans cry nepotism at the news, but I like seeing a young Steinbrenner take an interest in learning the baseball side of the business from the ground up. Considering that neither Hank nor Hal exhibited strong interest in the Yankees when they were in their twenties, I like the ambition of Hank’s son. He seems driven to succeed and of course he carries a great name. For those who wish George Steinbrenner were the owner of the Yankees, maybe they will get their wish again one day.

George Steinbrenner IV

Speaking of the Tampa Tarpons, here is wishing a speedy recovery to their manager, Rachel Balkovec, who was struck by a baseball during hitting drills.

Rachel Balkovec (via Instagram)

As always, Go Yankees!

MLB Fandom Lockout Continues...

  

MLB Owners & MLBPA continue to show disregard for its fans…

The MLB Owners and Players Association finally met this week in a ‘why bother?’ one-hour session. The fool in me had been hopeful the first meeting regarding core economics in over a month would yield some momentum for further talks. Silly me. Now the wait for the Players Association to counter which most likely will be as aggressive as the MLB Owners were conservative…meaning the two sides remain miles apart. No time frame has been given for the Players Association’s response. There is a threat Spring Training may not start on time, but a shortened Spring Training is probably very appealing to both the owners and players. Now, it feels like this labor dispute could drag into March and delay the start of the regular season.

I think both sides are damaging the reputation of the sport. Much has been discussed about appealing to younger fans to help continue to grow the fanbase. Yet, the current state of Major League Baseball shows young sports fans that football, basketball, and hockey are tremendous alternatives. If MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to create a lasting legacy, he is on the wrong path. Hopefully, egos can be set aside, and cooler heads will prevail to bring meaningful negotiations soon. Maybe that is an overly optimistic view, but I cannot imagine the owners walking away from regular season gate receipts, especially after the trauma of the 2020 season. I do not understand the wait until the last minute. I understand each side wants to be the big winner but compromise for the sake of the game is more important. They can and will find common ground, but the question is when and at what cost to the fans.

We get this is a fight over our money. MLB Owners and Players, please remember this is not all about you. Get in a room, lock the door, and settle this…now.

Congratulations to Rachel Balkovec, the new manager for the Single-A Tampa Tarpons! This is a well-deserved promotion for Balkovec, who joined the Yankees in November 2019 as a minor league hitting instructor. I honestly wanted the Yankees to hire her as an assistant hitting coach for the big-league club, but this new role certainly befits the talented and industrious coach who is on her way to a bigger and brighter future in the Yankees organization.

Rachel Balkovec / Photo Credit: Yankees

Balkovec’s expressed goal is to be a general manager one day. I could easily see the Yankees eventually elevating her to assistant general manager. Jean Afterman is sixty-four and relocated a couple of years ago from New York to Sonoma, California. Balkovec is a possible replacement for the much-respected Afterman, when/if she decides it is time to enjoy the wonderful Napa Valley vineyards. Such an appointment could place Balkovec in line to eventually replace Brian Cashman. If not, it is a certainty in my mind that Rachel Balkovec will accomplish her goals through determination, perseverance, knowledge, and competitiveness. She wants to be a MLB general manager which means she will be a MLB general manager. For now, low level Yankee prospects will benefit greatly from an excellent teacher. I am glad she is on our side.

No word on a replacement for short-term Yankees assistant hitting coach Eric Chavez. The latest name mentioned is Eric Hinske, a brief one-time Yankee. His name excites me about as much as Mark Trumbo. In other words, not very much. Hinske served as assistant hitting instructor for several seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks until he was relieved of his duties in June 2021. I understand the need for a coach with Major League experience, a weakness in the current configuration of the Yankees coaching staff, but the Yankees can do better than Trumbo or Hinske. I like the idea of someone who has past ties to the organization but that is not a prerequisite. I want a coach who can team with hitting coach Dillon Lawson and assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes to provide a strong collaborative and synergetic trio to help make Yankee hitters better. I keep thinking Brett Gardner would be a formidable choice if the Yankees could convince him his playing days are over.

International Signing Day. For the Yankees, they are expected to sign top international prospect Roderick Arias. MLB’s Jesse Sanchez is reporting the Yankees have signed the young shortstop to a $4.0 million deal. The Yankees have not confirmed the signing. Per Sanchez, Arias has above-average bat-to-ball skills and strike zone awareness. He shows power from both sides of the plate with emphasis on the right side. Good opposite field power from the left side. Sanchez goes on to say the overall package could develop into a plus-plus hitter. Once the signing is confirmed, Arias will immediately be inserted into the Yankees’ current list of top ten prospects.

Roderick Arias

The presence of Arias and last year’s number one pick Trey Sweeney make it easier if the Yankees decide to include Oswald Peraza in a trade with the Oakland A’s to acquire first baseman Matt Olson. The Yankee still need more than a stopgap at short, but outside of Anthony Volpe or Jasson Dominguez, there is not much I would not give up to get Olson (although the argument can be easily made to simply part with money to sign Freddie Freeman). I remain on the bandwagon to sign either Carlos Correa or Trevor Story although their signings range from highly unlikely to mostly improbable. With no disrespect to the futures of Anthony Volpe or Peraza (if he is not traded), it will sicken me if the 2022 New York Yankees shortstop is Andrelton Simmons. If that is the case, I would rather have that Falafel dude from Texas. It does bother me that the Rangers thought so highly of Isiah Kiner-Falefa that they signed not one but two of the top free agent shortstops this off-season. I would prefer him over Simmons, but I do not think either guy would move the needle for improving the team.

More minor league free agent signings. I was a little surprised to see the Yankees have signed former top prospect LHP Manny Banuelos to a minor league deal (I know, Daniel, there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal). Manny has bounced around a few organizations since the Yankees traded him to Atlanta in 2015 (in the deal that brought Chasen Shreve to New York). In 2019, while a member of the Chicago White Sox, Banuelos gave up nine earned runs in one inning to the Boston Red Sox. After some time in China, he spent last season in the Mexican League. I would love to see Banuelos, now 30 years old, finally achieve success in the Major Leagues, even as a reliever, but let us just say that I am not optimistic.

Manuel Banuelos

The Yankees also signed former Red Sock Ryan Weber, 31-year-old RHP, to a minor league contract. In Weber’s last MLB appearance for the Red Sox on June 13, 2021, he gave up eleven runs in 5 2/3 innings. I see a common theme with both Banuelos and Weber. They have both been horrible for and against the Boston Red Sox.

Can Matt Blake and the Yankees minor league pitching instructors unlock potential in either arm? Doubtful but we will see. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I miss baseball.

As always, Go Yankees!

Silent Days and Nights...

  

MLB Lockout begins but when will it end?...

November was so much fun with the flurry of free agent signings, even if the Yankees chose not to participate, but then, thud, it all ended with the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the subsequent lockout unanimously imposed by MLB owners.

As a fan, this really sucks. I know the fun of the free agent signings in November would not have happened without the impending lockout, however, my favorite time of the MLB off-season is the Baseball Winter Meetings which were cancelled this year. The Rule 5 Draft was also postponed so catcher Josh Breaux stays in the organization a little bit longer.

It sounds as though the labor dispute will extend into 2022 and perhaps even into time allotted for Spring Training. The gap between the greedy owners and the players seems so wide. To an outside observer, there have been no signs, at least to me, that the two sides are willing to compromise. After the lost revenues of 2020, it seems almost unconscionable the owners would risk harm to their game rather than negotiate in good faith with the players. Even though the fans pay for the sport, we are the least represented party in this dispute. Everybody wants our money and more of it, and we have no voice except not to pay.

I am hopeful there is progress before the end of the year, but time will tell.

Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reported yesterday the Yankees have promoted Minor League Hitting Coordinator Dillon Lawson to Hitting Coach on Manager Aaron Boone’s staff, replacing the fired Marcus Thames, now hitting coach for Derek Jeter’s Miami Marlins. This is the move I had expected the Yankees to make with their commitment to analytics and the rebounding success of hitting in the Yankees’ farm system this past year. As time moved on, I thought maybe they were looking at guys like Tim Hyers, the former Red Sox hitting coach who joined the Texas Rangers last month, or Brian Snitker’s son, Troy, the Houston Astros hitting coach. With Eric Chavez’s name on the rumor mill, I thought he might be a possibility, but at the end of the day, Lawson makes the most sense to me. The Yankees, due to the MLB Lockout, have not confirmed the promotion but I trust Lindsey and fully expect the formal announcement when MLB business resumes.

Photo Credit: Quad City Times

There is no word about the two assistant hitting coaches the Yankees plan to add, but I remain convinced Rachel Balkovec would be a brilliant and inspired addition. Her connection to Lawson, who brought her into the organization, makes it a natural choice.

Photo Credit: New York Yankees

To assist Pitching Coach Matt Blake, the Yankees, per Adler, will promote Minor League Manager of Pitch Development Desi Druschel to assistant pitching coach. As a native Iowan, I like Druschel’s connection to the University of Iowa. He served the University for five years ending in 2019 as, first, director of baseball operations, and, later, as pitching coach. Go Hawkeyes!

Druschel, right / Photo Credit: Brian Ray, HawkeyeSports.com

Note: With today’s Big Ten Championship looming between the Michigan Wolverines and the Hawkeyes, I had to find a way for a shameless plug of my favorite college football team.

There is no word who will fill the first base coach vacancy, although I will be disappointed if current bench coach Carlos Mendoza is not moved to the position to allow for a more seasoned veteran bench coach to aid Aaron Boone. Some of the names are probably holding out to see who gets the Mets managerial gig. As much as I would hate to see it, Buck Showalter makes the most sense to me. Whomever gets the job is going to benefit from the billionaire owner’s passionate desire to raise his club to greatness. Gee, I wish we had one of those kind of owners…

I get there was no reason for the Yankees to make splashy moves in November, and there are plenty of reasons why the Yankees should not have paid the exorbitant sums of money to the players who were signed. Yet, I was hoping for at least one move that could give us good feelings during this lockout. Sorry, shortstop Jose Peraza is not that guy. Fortunately, there are still plenty of unsigned players who could make the 2022 Yankees better so not all is lost.

My personal feelings about a stopgap shortstop are that it would do nothing to improve the Yankees, currently looking like the fourth best team in the AL East. Carlos Correa is going to cost a lot of money, but he brings greatness to both sides of the ball and would clearly improve the Yankees. He is young with heavy championship experience (regardless of your thoughts about how he got it) and would not be intimidated by New York. He makes the most sense to me, although I remain of the opinion that I would be incredibly happy to see Trevor Story as a Yankee. Either way, the Yankees need one of them. The whole idea of keeping the position warm for the young prospects (Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe) seems ridiculous. They are probably five years from potentially becoming what Correa and Story are today. For a win-now team, we need the best possible players now.

If the Yankees make the long-rumored trade with the Oakland A’s to acquire first baseman Matt Olson, it is pretty much a given Oswald Peraza would be included as part of the package. Everybody is getting excited about the rumors possibly linking Freddie Freeman to the Yankees, but I am skeptical on that one for no other reason than I feel he should and probably will stay in Atlanta.

I do not blame Masahiro Tanaka for declining to exercise the opt-out in his two-year contract with the Rakuten Eagles considering the MLB Lockout, but there was a little sadness when I saw it. I will admit there was a part of me hoping for a reunion with the Yankees. I would love to see Tanaka win a championship with the Yankees. With so much uncertainty surrounding Major League Baseball, Tanaka would have been foolish to opt out of a sure thing. I wish him the best of luck in 2022. Kind of funny that former Yankees first baseman Chris Gittens, released last month to play in Japan, will be Tanaka’s Rakuten teammate.

All I want for Christmas is Major League Baseball. Rob Manfred and Tony Clark, please man up and make it happen. For once in your lives, please think of the fans.

As always, Go Yankees!

Help Wanted: Managers for Houston, Boston, and Queens...

Managerial Dismissals in Triplicate…

This has been quite the week in the Major League Baseball. I thought Januarys were for the ‘quiet calm’ before players begin heading to their respective Spring Training homes in Florida and Arizona next month. 

In the span of four days this week, three Major League managers had lost their jobs. 

Jim Crane, owner of the Houston Astros, fired manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow almost immediately after MLB announced the penalties on Monday against the Astros for their involvement with the electronic sign stealing cheating scandal. Like New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who sat out the 2012 NFL Season as punishment for his role in the infamous bounty scandal, I thought Hinch would have a one-year vacation and return to the dugout in 2021. Fortunately, Crane stepped up to do the right thing. Sever ties. I have no doubt Hinch is a good manager, but he allowed cheating on his watch and that’s inexcusable. Perhaps he’ll get another shot to manage one day but for now, it’s time to pay the piper. 

Photo Credit: David Zalubowski, AP

On Tuesday, before MLB has completed their investigation of the Boston Red Sox for cheating allegations, the team announced they had mutually agreed to part ways with manager Alex Cora. Credit to the Red Sox for getting in front of this. Based on the MLB report, Cora was a ringleader for the electronic cheating conspiracy. Unlike Hinch, who simply knew about it and did nothing, Cora’s fingerprints were all over the ideas and actions that led to the cheating schemes. I will be very disappointed if Cora’s suspension does not exceed the one year suspension given to Hinch. Many are calling for a lifetime ban. I might not go that far but it should be for multiple years.  We do not yet know the details of how he implemented his dishonest policies with the Red Sox during their championship run in 2018 but clearly Cora has brought great shame to the game of Baseball. Say what you will about Red Sox owner John Henry but like Crane, I am glad he took action against a guy who was very popular with the Boston players and fans. Singling Cora out, his actions are worse than anything Pete Rose ever did and we know that Pete received a lifetime ban. I think Rose is a miserable human being but I guess if Cora does not receive a lifetime ban, MLB should perhaps reconsider their ban on Rose. Personally, I am okay if Rose, one of the best players I’ve seen play, does not make the Hall of Fame until the year after his death, but maybe this whole electronic cheating scandal is causing me to soften on my hardline stance against Rose. Cora is clearly the worst of the two.

Photo Credit: Jim Davis, Boston Globe Staff

For a couple of days, there was speculation about whether or not New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran would retain his job. Holding the position for only two months, I am sure Beltran had been so excited to go to Spring Training with the Mets as their new manager, achieving a huge professional goal for his post-playing career. By Thursday, it was over. In another “mutual” decision, the Mets and Beltran parted ways. Some believe that Beltran could have kept his job if he had come out publicly to explain his role in the cheating scandal and to plead for contrition and absolution. As much as I had admired Beltran, the player, I felt it was impossible for Beltran to continue in a leadership role. As the only player identified in the MLB report, he was heavily involved with Cora in developing the schemes that have compromised the integrity of the game. If a manager cannot uphold trust and integrity, there’s no place in the game for him. As such, I felt Beltran had to go. I am glad the Mets reached the same conclusion even if they somewhat bungled their telephone press conference in making the announcement.The Mets will be the Mets. On one hand, you do feel bad for Beltran who was stripped of a dream of a lifetime, but on the other hand, he is responsible for his own actions.

Photo Credit: Rich Schultz, Getty Images

The biggest losers of this mess might be the Mets. The Mets organization was not an active participant in the cheating scandal like the Astros and Red Sox. During the off-season, they had a chance to get a good manager in former Yankees manager Joe Girardi who preferred to stay in New York. But for whatever reason, they opted to take a chance on the inexperienced Beltran and now they’ve paid dearly for it. I’d like to see Mets bench coach Hensley Meulens finally get his managerial opportunity but Buck Showalter would be a great choice too. While I am 100% on Team Aaron Boone now, Meulens was the guy I had wanted for Yankees manager when it was announced after the 2017 season that Girardi and the Yankees would be parting ways. In retrospect, particularly with how this off-season has played out, I am so very glad that Aaron Boone is manager of the New York Yankees. But I digress. Meulens is a great baseball man and deserves an opportunity. I think he would be very good for the Mets or any other MLB team as their leader.

While I look back at 2017 as water under the bridge at this point, I totally get the fans who feel the Houston Astros should be forced to vacate their World Series championship. At this point, there’s no way to say the Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers should be anointed champions. It would be very hollow at this point. I feel bad for the guys who lost chances for a legitimate championship like CC Sabathia and Clayton Kershaw. Even Todd Frazier expressed regret this week for what could have been with the 2017 Yankees. But over two years later, there’s no way to settle a debate about who should have been the champions. At the very least, MLB should have taken the championship away from the Astros since it was dishonestly achieved. I know there is not a precedent in MLB for the removal of a championship, but this is a special circumstance that showed the Astros used an unfair advantage to claim the crown.  

I will be glad when MLB completes its investigation of the Red Sox and we can move on. I am hopeful MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred makes it clear that future violations will not be tolerated and will automatically result in lifetime bans. It is very important to bring the trust, confidence, and integrity back into the game. No man, no team is bigger than the sport. This has been the darkest chapter of Major League Baseball in my lifetime which is significant considering many of us lived through the era of PEDs and steroids. Baseball is better than this, and we shall overcome.

In other news, the report about the possible renaming of East 161^st Street for the one block in front of Yankee Stadium to Jeter Street received some buzz this week before all hell broke loose about the cheating scandal.  I am not sure what I think about this. There have been so many great Yankees. I know Derek Jeter ranks among the greatest Yankee legends but he’s not bigger than a few of the names. I also see him as the CEO of the Miami Marlins. I don’t really care to name a street after the CEO of another team regardless of what he did for us.  Jeter is going into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee.  His number is retired by the Yankees and he has his place in Memorial Park. It should be enough, in my opinion.

I still have my doubts that Jeter will be an unanimous selection like Mariano Rivera last year. He may be leading the vote with 100% right now, but I think the final votes will bring at least one voter opting to exclude Jeter. Sure, I get the decision to re-name River Ave after Rivera. He was the greatest closer in MLB history and the first unanimous Hall of Fame selection. However, let’s face it, Jeter was not the greatest to ever play his position. We owe him very much for the great years he gave us and what he meant to so many Yankee teams and championships, but I don’t feel that it extends to naming the street by Yankee Stadium after him. I know, I was never Jeter’s biggest fan and most of you feel that he is a God, but I simply feel the Yankees are more important than any single player. Jeter was great but today we have Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge who both have chances to chisel their names alongside the great legends who have worn pinstripes. I appreciate what they mean today and can do for the Yankees going forward.  Are we going to name future streets after them when all is said and done? Where does it end? I already think the Yankees have retired too many numbers. 

Outside of signing Gerrit Cole and bringing back Brett Gardner, it’s been a very quiet off-season for the Yankees. LHP Stephen Tarpley is the latest ex-Yankee after he was designated for assignment when Gardy’s deal was officially announced and subsequently dealt to the Miami Marlins for third baseman James Nelson. Nelson has had a few disappointing years in minor league ball since opening some eyes in 2017. Last year, he hit .228/.279/.296 with four homers and 36 RBIs for the Marlins’ Class-A affiliate in Jupiter, FL. He may never amount to anything but the guy is only 22. I am interested to see if the Yankee instructors can help him tap into some of the potential he showed a few years ago. It’s not like the Yankee Farm System is overflowing with great third base prospects. I’d love for Nelson to achieve success with the Yankees. The organization has certainly been good for former Marlins prospect Michael King. I’d include Domingo German but for obvious reasons, I will abstain. 

Nelson was Miami’s 2017 Minor League Player of the Year but hasn’t been the same since he suffered a meniscus injury prior to the 2018 season. Nelson has ties to a former Yankee. He is the nephew of Chris Nelson who played 10 games at third base for the Yankees in May 2013. 

The Yankees get credit for the first full-time woman coach when they brought in minor league hitting coach Rachel Balkovec, but the San Francisco Giants one-upped them they announced the hiring of Alyssa Nakken as the first full-time female coach at the Major League level. Nakken and Mark Hallberg, who also was promoted by the Giants to MLB assistant, will not be in the dugout during games, but they’ll assist the other coaches during pre-game and will help foster “a clubhouse culture that promotes high performance through, among other attributes, a deep sense of collaboration and team”, according to Giants manager Gabe Kapler. Congrats to Alyssa and I look forward to the day that she is in uniform during games as part of Kapler’s staff if she proves to be successful in her role. 

As for former Giants player Aubrey Huff who criticized the team for Nakken’s promotion, STFU. I think this is a great step forward for MLB and I am excited to see what groundbreakers Balkovec and Nakken can do and hopefully open doors for others through their achievements.    

As always, Go Yankees!