A Day Later AKA The Juan Buckner Game
Posted by Steve L. on May 24th, 2011 · Comments (28)
Yup. This is why you don’t leave early.
Nice to see the fellas be able to jump around like happy little kids.
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This is why you pick yourself off your fat patootie, plunk down the bucks, and take yourself to the game; you never know if you’re going to see themin their worst moments (the horrific Nova gets shelled by the Royals game a couple weeks back, and I was there to live through that horror show), or their finest hour of the season to date (this win over the Jays, and I was there for the 2nd time this year).
I felt lousy and tired, the weather forecast looked bad, but somehow, the bargains at StubHub were preposterously good after last night’s game (there were a whole flock of Field Infield seats that go for $275 a game for season ticket holders, and $325 day of game) on sale for prices like $45 each for a pair. So I bought a pair, and I went anyway.
The weather was fine. The Yanks were desultory for the first seven innings. Cano looked like his head was up his…armpit early in the game…another game where they couldn’t finish a rally…CC got hit a little bit early, and also got unlucky, but gutted a manly man’s ace game; complete game when he was not on top of his game…the crowd finally got into in the 7th, when they two men on for Jeter with 1 out…the crowd rose and cheered and made noise (mostly unprompted) as the count went to 3-and-2…everyone was sure the Cap would come through, the hole was open on the left side…and then the Cap let the air out of the balloon with a brutal 5-5-3 DP.
Well, peoples, this was a lost game. I mean, they had shot themselves in the foot enough times (Granderson getting picked), made enough mistakes (Cano blowing the grounder up the middle for a RBI single, and dropping Tex’ flip on McDonald’s squeeze), blew enough chances (Cano’s ground out to end the 3rd with two on; A-Rod’s brutal DP grounder just in front of Cano’s 1st double in the 6th; Jeter’s DP in the 7th). I mean this was a LOST GAME, put it on the right side, Mikey. After the Jeter DP, I just wanted to go home.
But there’s one thing I’ve learned from attending hundreds of games, and watching thousands more on the tube; the game really isn’t over. The script really isn’t written, and reality doesn’t always conform to my narrative for it.
So I stayed, just like I always stay (unless there’s a philistine who wants to go home that I’m responsible for getting home). And while it doesn’t often happen, this is the payoff, the reward: as sweet a win as the Yanks have had in many months. I mean: two RBI hits with 2 outs, RISP in the 8th, and two more in the 9th!? That’s more than they’ve been getting in a month this year.
In the immortal words of Commander Peter Quincy Taggert: Never Give Up!! Never Surrender!!
I don’t know if I’d compare that play to the Buckner play. I think even I could have fielded the Buckner ball.
On a separate note, I have to say that I am really getting sick and tired of watching Jeter hit rally-killing ground ball after ground ball after ground ball. With Gardner starting to hit now, maybe its time for a change in the lead-off spot. Jeter and Swisher are killing us.
@ Evan3457:
That’s why baseball is my favorite sport – there’s no clock. It ain’t over till its over. I’m sure you had a blast in the end!
Evan3457 wrote:
We should really talk about this. Cano has been a major disappointment this year, combining the worst elements of 2008 (atrocious defense, apathy in the field, low OBP) and 2009 (horrible with RISP). His defense, especially, has been alarmingly bad. Even when he’s not charged with errors, we’re seeing him boot balls and sail throws. WTF is going on with him?
LMJ229 wrote:
Jeter’s washed up. We all know it. I just wish he’d admit it and tell Girardi it’s time to bat 9th. Unfortunately it’ll never happen.
One could even say that perhaps Girardi blew his chance to drop Jeter in the order now that we’ve had the Posada affair of a few weeks ago. I very much doubt Girardi would want to go through the same mess for a second time, this time with the less volatile but more vindictive Captain of his team.
It blows my mind, however, that anyone could look at Jeter and think he’s anything more than a #9 hitter.
What worries me about Cano is that it seems like he was fine until he got drilled in the head. I don’t know if it’s mental or if something is going on. I just hope the Yanks didn’t rush him back instead of letting him recover (as seems possible with Posada last season).
I just continue to love watching Curtis Granderson play baseball. To this point he has simply been amazing.
JeremyM wrote:
The OBP was very low even before that. He’s never been a patient hitter but it was back to 2008 levels even before the beaning.
YankCrank wrote:
Agreed. He’s been fantastic this year.
YankCrank wrote:
2010 bWAR: 2.5 (136 G)
2011 bWAR: 2.2 (47 G)
Granderson is playing his way into a top-10 MVP finish, potentially.
@ MJ Recanati:
On the flip side, Austin Jackson
2010: 2.1 (151 G)
2011: 0.5 (48 G)
@ Raf:
It hasn’t been a good sophomore season for AJax.
What scouting reports were the Jays reading from that said throw Jorge a fastball down the middle?
If we ever get this entire outfield clicking at the plate at the same time we’ll be tough.
Some of his teammates need to have a chat with Cano. Hitting struggles come and go, but when they are coincident with fielding flubs of the type we’ve been seeing… he’s got a focus problem.
@ MJ Recanati:
No it hasn’t, which is why I remained calm assessing the trade last season. AJax isn’t the first player to start off hot, then have a sophmore slump. He may bounce back, he may not. Granderson may be for real, he may not be.
Time will tell.
#15 wrote:
I agree with that. It’s times like these that I wish Larry Bowa were still around. I loved that guy.
MJ Recanati wrote:
I couldn’t agree with you more, on every point.
MJ Recanati wrote:
Gotta be Jeter’s fault. He’s such a shitty captain.
J/K.
MJ Recanati wrote:
It seems we have alot of guys who are prone to undisciplined at-bats. It was nice when we had Boggs to teach guys how to be patient at the plate and Pauley to teach guys how to battle every at-bat. Jeter doesn’t do that anymore. It kills me when our lead-off hitter swings at the first pitch and grounds out. That’s another reason why Gardner should be leading off.
YankCrank wrote:
And Russel Martin has been a great pick up for us thus far.
LMJ229 wrote:
Agreed, but I’m worried with him basically catching every day. At this rate he’s going to break down and swing the bat like Andy Phillips in the second half.
YankCrank wrote:
Me too. I’m surprised Girardi isn’t doing a better job of pacing Martin a little more.
Then again, Cashman should be held responsible for not calling up Montero and finally ending the Cervelli era.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Huh?
MJ Recanati wrote:
MJ Recanati wrote:
I think you missed the J/K (just kidding) at the bottom of Steve’s comment.
Jim TreshFan wrote:
I guess I did. I’m not sure I get the joke — it might’ve gone over my head — but at least now I know that Steve was joking.
@ MJ Recanati: Jeter’s washed up. We all know it.
“we” doesn’t include me.
redbug wrote:
You’re entitled to your opinion. But if he’s not washed up, how do you explain what we’ve witnessed since Opening Day 2010?
MJ Recanati wrote:
Excellent question.
Jeter’s numbers
BABIP: .281 (.354 career)
LD%: 11 (20)
GB%: 69 (57)
FB%: 20 (23)
BB%: 6 (9)
K%: 14 (17)
Less line drives, more groundballs, fewer walks and fewer k’s.
The rest of his numbers (outside zone & zone swing percentages) are around league average. So it appears that Jeter’s right around replacement level (which is borne out in a .4 WAR (or 0 if you prefer B-R).