Yankee fans, Everything is going to be OK
The New York Yankees tied Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on a DJ LeMahieu home run in the top of the ninth. In that moment, most fans felt the Yankees V Astros ALCS would go come down to a 7th game against Gerrit Cole. That all ended with one hanging slider from Aroldis Champman to Jose Altuve.
This article won’t even address Houston’s sign-stealing scandals of 2017 and 2019, and the possible ramifications.
Instead, we’ll focus on the overreaction of Yankee fans.
Chapman should opt out. The Yankees pitching was garbage. The Bullpen was overused and will never win a championship. None of the hitters are clutch. Hal is too worried about payroll and won’t spend big on the best pitchers. Cashman has a bad track record with starting pitching.
You’d have thought the Yankees finished the year under .500 (which they should have when you consider all the injuries, especially to the rotation).
The Yankees out-pitched and outhit the Astros in the ALCS. That’s a fact. The series was that close. A couple of clutch hits by Houston was the difference. If these two teams played that series 10 times, I think they’d split. This is why the sign stealing matters.
All things considered, this series was extremely close. It wasn’t the pitching.
There are some who don’t believe the Yankees take starting pitching seriously enough, or who think Hal Steinbrenner is too cheap and won’t give a long-term deal to a starter. 2018 Free agent Patrick Corbin is the usual example given. It doesn’t help his Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019. Corbin slotted in nicely behind Stephen Strasburg and Max Sherzer. He wasn’t considered an ace, so the Yankees didn’t want to pay him ace money.
This has caused many members of Yankee Universe to believe that the Bombers aren’t willing to spend on Gerrit Cole. Hal has been misquoted by a lot of people that he is happy with the rotation. But this is what he actually said.
“If it was Opening Day 2020 tomorrow, I’d be a lot more comfortable than I was a year ago at this time”.
“It’s a good rotation,” said Steinbrenner in defense of the starters, though he admitted starting pitching would remain a priority in free agency. “You can’t have enough.”
After Strasburg signed a record deal, 7 years and $245 million dollars to return to Washington, there are now fans convinced that either Steinbrenner won’t be willing to go bigger for Cole, or worse, fans who are now saying it’s too much money for a starter.
The Yankees plan to go all in on Gerrit Cole. He’s been outstanding the past two seasons and has never had an arm injury. New York has had him on their radar for years. They believe he is the ace they need to get back to the World Series. Hal isn’t George, but if you don’t think he’s got the same mind-set as his father, you are very much mistaken.
