WHO ARE YOU WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING

Source: NY Daily News

Do you remember buying your first car? Do you remember how you felt?  How about being the parent of a child buying his first car?  Saturday, I experienced what it is like to chaperone my son in his first car shopping exertion.  And as unpleasant as it was, I was glad I was there to support him and fend off some of the used car drama.  It is in these tense moments when you figure out who you are and what you want to accomplish.  And who you are when no one is looking, is your true self, your authentic self.  So what does this all mean when it comes to the Yankees?  The 2019 Yankees are a team we will remember as that team that held it together; despite the boundless injuries, the pressures of winning in the competitive sports city of New York and without a consistent starting rotation.  Sure, that bit them in the ass at the end, but that team will be remembered for resilience.  Too bad the baseball gods didn't exactly see it that way.

Source: Chris O'Meara/AP

"Boone, getting snubbed for Manager of the Year, brings up a much bigger conversation. The conversation that baseball voters don’t like giving Yankees these types of awards. Before we take a look into the past, allow me to bring up the fact that DJ LeMahieu was snubbed as an AL MVP finalist," stated Fansided earlier this week.  I could not agree more.  For as much as Boone made mistakes from time to time, his next man up mentality when injuries prevailed enabled the 2019 Yankees to win 103 games this season.

"Boone ran through 53 players in 2019 and used 151 different batting lineups and 136 different defensive lineups. In other words, he had to really manage through all the injuries and it’s fair to say no manager in the history of baseball had to deal with more injuries than Boone. And yet, when it comes to manager of the year consideration, his fate could likely be tied to the Yankee payroll," reported the Daily News.

Source: USA Today

DJ LeMahieu carried this team well beyond the measures set for him in spring training.  No one predicted the kind of success he had this season.  His consistent performance at the plate and in the field made him invaluable to this team.  His contributions carried this team and his home run in the last game of the post season just showed how much he meant to the Yankees.  But alas, he was snubbed of the AL MVP Award, finishing fourth in the voting.

"LeMahieu, 31, had arguably the best season of his career in 2019. He bat .327 with 26 home runs and 102 RBIs, and was the leadoff hitter for the majority of the year. DJ was signed before the 2019 season on a 2 year/ $24 million deal but it’s likely that his contract will be extended if he expresses interest in staying. He had a 6.0 WAR, was voted to the all-star team, and won a silver slugger award," reported Empire Sports.  I get the stats and I believe Mike Trout is very deserving of the award but an MVP award should also take into consideration the circumstances of the player and his contributions to the team.  An MVP leads his team to victory, which means the division, and to me that guy has to be LeMathieu.

Both Boone and LeMathieu can look themselves in the mirror and know they gave it everything they had; their authentic selves carried their team to the heights they experienced this season.  No cheating. No stealing of signs.  No BS.  Just good hard baseball, even when it was tough and even when the drama of this baseball season tried to swallow them up.