THE SCRAPPY YANKEES ARE PLAYING GREAT, BUT IT WONT LAST
By Joe Aguiar
It won’t be long before the Yankee lineup is that funny IL Yankee meme
going around, the one that shows the names of the players who are injured, one at each position, and reads, Now Jacoby Ellsbury can’t even make the Yankee IL Team.
Gary Sanchez is the first of that group to return to the Yankees, after one rehab game in Charleston, where he had 2 passed balls and didn’t run out a check swing blooper to the shortstop. I’m sure the Yankee brass didn’t want Sanchez running out grounders in an A Ball game. If the Kraken doesn’t unleash a couple of homers upon his return, (or goes 0–4 with 4 Ks like he actually did in his return) the delusional fans will call him lazy, and insist Romine should start. (How’d that work out last season?).
The temperamental Yankee fans will probably even boo Aaron Judge when he gets back and “ruins the chemistry” if the teams drops a game or two. That’s the nature of the beast.
Domingo German has been great in the starting lineup, but you want that spot to be Luis Severino. When I guy fills in and preforms well, the fans seem to think it’s some secret weapon the team was hiding. That’s not the case. More often that not, an injury to a key player will significantly alter a team’s playoff aspirations.
The rare case when a team plays better has more to do with the team overcoming adversity than it does about the quality of the injured player. Teams get hot all the time, at any time, for no reason. You can score 18 runs one night, and with the same lineup and a less quality pitcher on the mound, score 2.
We live in a what have you done for me lately world. From 2015–2017, Gary Sanchez was one of the best in the game. He hits .190 with 18 HRs in limited action and he’s a lazy bum. Try being a catcher with a groin injury before making such harsh judgements.
The current scrappy group of back-up Yankees won’t be able to win long term, and even if they could, they won’t the chance. Once the projected starting lineup is back and healthy, it’s going to be bombs away. Yes, these guys are winning with “small ball”, but it won’t last. But keep it in the back of your mind come post season time.
