Yup, yesterday Betances decided to hang up his cleats after he pitched in parts of 10 seasons with the Yankees and the Mets. It feels like just yesterday, I remember when the Yankees picked in him in the eighth round in the 2006 draft and how excited I was. I remember all the hype surrounding him as a promising young starter and watching him eagerly as part of the "Killer B's" trio. Now here we are, coming to the end of the 2022 season and the end of his career.
His hype as a starting pitcher never came to fruition due to his control issue and various injuries but in his best years as a Yankee he was a consistent, reliable closer that I loved to watch. I'm going to remember him as the four-time All-Star who finished third in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year behind Jose Abreu and Matt Shoemaker. He was a favorite of mine to watch in his earlier years, I felt confident when he was on the mound. I definitely miss that feeling right now.
But I am also not going to forget his ugly arbitration case back in 2017 where Betances and the Yankees were $2 million apart and the Yankees won their case, paying him $3 million as opposed to the $5 million Betances wanted. I remember the aftermath and how bad it made the Yankees look when Randy Levine had to go gloat and look like an a-hole. Do you remember this?
"It's like me saying, 'I'm not the president of the Yankees, I'm an astronaut," Levine told reporters, stating that Betances didn't get more money because he was only a set up man. "I'm not an astronaut and Dellin Betances is not a closer."
Looking back at this it is no wonder why Aaron Judge had preconceived notions heading into his own hearing this season. He got a front row seat to Levine the douchebag back then. Unfortunately, once the 2019 season came Betances made one short appearance for the Yankees before he got injured and then spent the remainder of his big league career with the Mets. He tried to bounce back this season with the Dodgers in the minors but it didn't go his way. He was released by the Dodgers yesterday and then announced his retirement.
Dellin, I wish you luck in the next chapter of your life. As far as Randy Levine goes, I wish we could send him up in outer space as an astronaut and then leave him stranded out there.
Dellin, I wish you luck in the next chapter of your life. As far as Randy Levine goes, I wish we could send him up in outer space as an astronaut and then leave him stranded out there.
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