THE YANKEES LUCKY 13

What's interesting about the number 13?

There are 13 baked goods in a baker's dozen.

There were 13 original colonies in the United States.

Alex Rodriguez wore number 13 as a Yankee and many were surprised it wasn't held back when Joey Gallo put it on for New York.

The Yankees won 13 straight.

All of these are facts.

The Yankees are playing great baseball. The Yankees are in other team's heads. And yes, dare I say, I have to give Boone alittle credit. Like I always said, he was too busy being friends with his guys and not being a manager. I would suggest he's found his balance and letting these players play rather than meddling. I hope it continues. 

The New York Post writes:

"The Yankees rolled to their 13th straight win and blasted four homers in an 8-2 victory over the A’s at Oakland Coliseum on Friday night.

They’ve hit 10 homers in their past three games and scored at least five runs in their last eight. It adds up to the franchise’s longest winning streak since 1961, when they also won 13 in a row.

“Any time you push records with this organization, you’re probably doing something special,’’ Gerrit Cole said of the streak. “But there’s a lot left out there for us.”

Cole says it best here. We've seen an incredible streak, but we didn't win anything yet. There's more to go and more to play. I often get excited about these moments for teams, but I'm always thinking ahead. There's alot ahead, we need to go game by game. 

And Stanton can't stop, can he?

Stant can’t stop. @Giancarlo818 💪 pic.twitter.com/aX7dde9ync

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 28, 2021

Wow. I have ripping this guy for one of the worst looking swings ever for the past 2 years. But he's having a season and you need to applaud that. He's really leading this team and I'll say again why. The dude's staying warm. Playing outfield, staying engaged, this is all a good thing for him. 

The Post writes here:

"Giancarlo Stanton’s second-half surge hit new heights, and so did the baseball he crushed in the fourth inning Friday night.

The Yankees slugger hit a mammoth 472-foot home run into the second deck in left-center field at Oakland Coliseum as the Yankees faced the Athletics. It was the longest homer hit by a Yankee this season and gave them a 1-0 lead against Oakland starter Sean Manaea.

Stanton, playing right field Friday night, has exploded at the plate since getting his glove back and no longer being a full-time DH. He now has 24 homers this season."

Pinstripe Alley wrote this earlier in the week:

"Perhaps his increased time in the outfield helps his focus and his hitting, as Stanton suggested after he led the team to Monday’s victory against the Braves with two big hits. He followed it up with another rocket homer while playing the field on Tuesday.

Whether or not that’s true, Stanton’s apparent comfort with manning the outfield more regularly is also a benefit to the team by freeing up the DH spot. Playing defense allows the lineup to expand, particularly by letting a suddenly-hot Luke Voit hit and a cooler Anthony Rizzo still benefit the team by keeping his steady glove at first base.

It’ll also allow for more rest for the team’s other heavy hitters like Judge, Sánchez, and DJ LeMahieu as they stake a claim to a playoff spot. And if Boone insists on starting Kyle Higashioka at catcher for another Gerrit Cole playoff start, at least Gary could potentially still get into the lineup as the DH."

Look, the Stanton move has done a lot of good for the Yankees and options are now a many.

All I know is that these Yankees are motoring, and you can't help but be excited as a Yankee fan. They're doing it at the right time. But hear me clearly... teams typically make streaks... not managers. When teams are on losing streaks, managers DO need to find the right formula to turn it around. When it comes to winning streaks... that's all team and the Yankees are on this winning streak, not Aaron Boone.  But did Boone help find the formula? He did. But he's not swinging a bat. Remember that.