As the cliche goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture is the state of the New York Yankees. We are a giant dumpster fire and I don't think a thousand words even begins to scratch the surface of what is wrong with this team.
It's just story after story about what is ailing this team. Aaron Boone spins the story of illness completely taking over the clubhouse HERE and then Aaron Judge blames the long string of losses on a "lack of focus" HERE. Oh but rest assured fans, Judge can't play but he's still going to save us because "we'll be talking here as a bigger group soon."
Is that supposed to make any of us feel better? No disrespect to Judge, because this team was already flawed to begin with. The fact that he can't play right now just makes it worse. I appreciate the sentiment but a conversation as a group does not fix this team.
Do I think there is still a lack of focus? Sure. I mean, we already saw just how much Jazz Chisholm just doesn't care at all. He only cares about his blow pops and living in a fantasy land where he imagines collecting $35 million a season in a long term deal. There is clearly a fundamental problem with this team, little league teams everywhere execute this game better than paid professionals.
But the problems with the Yankees go deeper than a lack of focus or illness. We've had 9 seasons worth of games to watch Baboonie. We know his strengths (I use this term very loosely) and weaknesses. He can't pick the team up when they are struggling. He can't put together a lineup that makes sense when the Yankees are riddled with injuries. Part of that is because Brian Cashman can't put together a strategic team but Baboonie still can't use what cards he is dealt. He always relies on a crazy law of averages. He waits for a large sample size to magically correct itself and just talks senseless babble to the media until things stabilize. Often times by then, too much damage is done. The false security of a 162 game regular season bites him in the butt when playoffs roll around he doesn't know how to handle a small window of opportunity. He needs to make smart decisions that give the Yankees the best chance to win and often times he makes dumb decisions that cost us valuable wins. He just doesn't have the smarts.
If he had the smarts, he also wouldn't have taken occasional catching duties away from Ben Rice. I'm not saying use him every game behind the plate either. Rice as a serviceable catcher was a strategic advantage for this roster. It would also mean not being "stuck" with Austin Wells because we really are stuck with him. It would've given some more flexibility in times like these....when people are all sick or injured.
This team isn't plagued by illness or a lack of focus. It's plagued by an infestation of incompetent decision makers. That's what I will call them from now on. There is no "leadership" characteristics in Baboonie or Cashman. In their world it's fine....everything's fine.
The Yankees are going down in flames. A healthy roster and more focus doesn't fix this dumpster fire. It needs to be torn down to the studs and rebuilt from scratch.
Until then, we are left with excuses, anger and Baboonie babble. Oh and me writing more of these blogs bitching about "decision makers."
LIKE THIS? READ THIS:
BOONE. A MASTERCLASS OF MISMANAGEMENT
URGENT TRADES NEEDED TO FIX BOONE'S YANKEES
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