WHAT AN EXPERIENCED MANAGER CAN BRING

 

If you haven't read Tim Keown's piece on Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy yet, let me bring you a taste of it. This paragraph encapsulates all you need to know about the man, but more to that, all you need to know about what a manager for a major league baseball team should be:

"BRUCE BOCHY SPEAKS in a low rumble, walks like his shoes are three sizes too small and prefers to talk about anything but himself. He manages a baseball game as if there are actual human beings on the field and not just a collection of numbers designed to dictate all outcomes, big and small. He is 68 years old and back for another run at glory that, if successful, he will refuse to accept credit for helping to create."

A brilliant description, but all those words are just another way to saying this one word to describe Bruce Bochy... CONFIDENT.  

When you're confident, losses hurt, but will roll off, a restructuring of a lineup will take place, but you never panic, you never coddle... you still continue to play hard-nosed baseball. It's a gut thing many times, because you're confident. This is what I have been missing on the New York Yankees this year.  This is why I want a guy like Aaron Boone to be removed as the Yankees manager.  He lacks confidence, he doesn't command a room, he cannot lead in good times and definitely not in bad.  

Boone uses charts and books and numbers and match-ups only.  The idea of using instincts is foreign to him. That's a major issue. And if you think about it, all truly great managers before Boone have been successful winners because they don't try too hard. Again, typically is a gut thing, a feel thing. Boone's got this thing where he's probably overthinking his players on the field and not going with instincts, but instead matchups... matchups that might have worked in one scenario a week ago, but it's not a computer.... so no doubt the outcome will be different this time around. And to be honest? That's the problem here.  

There's this too, to really hammer home what I'm talking about comparing a champion manager like Bochy to Boone.  Rangers' outfielder Travis Jankowski:

"He obviously appreciates analytics and uses analytics," Jankowski says, "but he's trusting his gut and his baseball instincts. We're not computers. We're human beings, and I know guys appreciate and thrive on being treated like one."

The gut check.  The players are human beings.  Instead of having a computer run your team, have an actual FEEL for the game.  When you don't do that, it's called inexperience.  

It's something the Yankees cannot seem to understand and surely Boone does not.  If Boone comes back next year... it will just be the same movie... a movie I hate.

Who knows if Bruce Bochy and the Rangers will win the World Series this year... but there's one thing I do know... I'd bet on it that they do.  If the Yanks were there... I would never, ever make that same bet. Why? Poor leadership... that's why.

NO EXCUSES FROM NESTOR CORTES... THE YANKEES NEED TO DO BETTER

Nestor Cortes was interviewed by Randy Miller of NJ.com and he had a lot to say about a lot of stuff.  But no one wants to hear about all the other stuff. We really want to hear from the Yankees mouths directly about how bad the Yankees were. Cortes was asked about the direction of the Yankees point blank.  And I admire Cortes for answering it.

"Are you worried about the direction of the organization? Will the Yankees be the Yankees again next year? Will ownership spend the money it might take to fix this?

The focus always has been on the Yankees living up to expectations. We owe it to the fans and I’m sure the front office is going to do its hardest to put the best product out there for sure."

There's no question that the Yanks had way too many injuries, which you need to really question the medical staff on that as well as the players, and then we had guys like Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino just being a total disappointment.  That "deep dive" from Hal Steinbrenner really needs to dig into everything.   But as I've said, I'm not sure how to you into a deep dive if you're allowing Cashman and Boone to be part of that process when they are part of the problem.  

I mean, think about this; Boone is a player's coach. He really coddles his guys.  He's the anti-Joe Girardi who was tough on his players.  But the Yankees moved away from that guy, changed their approach with Boone, a guy that is soft and a puppet clearly.  Now the word on the street is the Yankees front office wants Boone to have a different approach in 2024. Inside the Pinstripes writes:

"Heyman said. "Higher-ups will likely just suggest to Boone to instill more discipline (i.e., be tougher)."

It is clear to me that the Yankees front office has no true gauge on what they want.  And if they wanted tougher, why the hell did they get rid of Girardi again?  

Look, there's no question the Yankees "owe" us Yankee fans. They need to get back to being competitors. It's not fair to the guys that worked their tails off this season.  It's not fair to the ticket holders.  The bottom line, we need to be better... but does Hal really know how to do that?  

I'm really not sure.

THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION FROM THE "DEEP DIVE" IS LAUGH WORTHY!

I didn't want to say it before, but I will now. This "deep dive" is an epic waste of money! For years, we have witnessed how bad the Yankees are at spending money to build the right roster.... but now we can see that they also don't know how to spend money to tell them how to get better. It's pretty tragic.

Okay so, Hal Steinbrenner's "deep dive" is underway and the first big detail we get out of this smoke and mirror fest is that Aaron Boone will be asked to make one major change.... get ready for it.... instill more discipline, read more HERE. What does that mean, exactly? Well according to Jon Heyman, that means be tougher.

So, they want Baboonie to be like Joe Girardi? Maybe that's not how you see it, but honestly Girardi wasn't perfect, but he sure as hell was a tougher manager. He didn't coddle his players and he gave tough love when it was needed. He may not have been the so-called "player's manager" that Baboonie is supposed to be but, Girardi knew how to get the best out of his players. They performed better for him. Baboonie is well liked, but his players can't win for him. Interesting.

So, what does "be tougher" really mean and what does that look like? If Girardi was too mean and Baboonie is too soft and can only slam his hand down on a table and act all tough, what exactly do the Yankees want? Maybe the better question here is.... if they do know what they want (I doubt they do), would it even matter?

Honestly, I don't think so. How does being tougher fix a highly flawed roster? This team has zero understanding of baseball fundamentals. Instead, they are too focused on swinging for the fences and finding the perfect launch angle and studying exit velocity. No matter how tough or soft Baboonie is with this flawed roster, it's not going to help them win more games and be contenders until they actually construct a roster that can hit and contend and of course.... that depends on having a competent GM which Brian Cashman is not. 

If the Yankees think the secret to turning this around and winning in 2024 is Baboonie changing his management style, they have another failure coming in 2024. This "deep dive" is an epic waste of time and makes Hal look incredibly foolish.  

The Three Stooges are still a thing....and actually, probably an embarrassment to the iconic show. Hal can take his "deep dive" and flush it down the drain with the rest of his money. I'm tired of hearing about it.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKS WILL TRY TO GET A BIG SCORE TO SHUT UP YANKEE FANS, BUT WILL IT WORK?

I believe the Yankees will do anything they can to distract the fact that their front office and analytic department is horrible. And so, I believe the Yankees will do something big this off season.  I believe they will try and sign Juan Soto.  I swear.

Inside the Pinstripes writes:

"... if the Yankees want to contend for a World Series title next year they will need to make at least one or two solid additions this offseason. It's unclear exactly what the club will do, but one player who possibly could be a fit is San Diego Padres star Juan Soto, according to The Athletic's Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner.

"The best and potentially realistic left-handed option for the Yankees to consider would be trading for Juan Soto. If the San Diego Padres entertain offers this offseason, the Yankees need to be all in for the generational talent who’s still in the prime of his career."

But if they do pursue Soto. Will they trade away the wrong players? Will they trade away the youth movement? Will they try and make us Yankee fans happy but then crush our dreams about our new guys?  

Look, the Yanks are in a bad spot.  They need someone big to bring happiness to the Yankee fans, but they need an overhaul of the front office and try to get wins to the Yankees team. But at the same time, they need to balance who they give away to get Juan Soto.  

I'm watching this off season closely.  It's going to be very interesting. 

THE IRRESPONSIBLE QUOTE ABOUT OHTANI WITH ZERO FOLLOW THROUGH FROM AN "INSIDER"

What a stupid nugget, designed to get every Yankee fan riled up. Let me start by saying that I have no use for Shohei Ohtani. He's a player of privilege, allowed to be a pitcher and a hitter in the MLB while other players with the same talents cannot.  So right there I'm out.  

But then I think about the horrible Yankee season and then I see this headline:  Shohei Ohtani 'Doesn't Love' Pitching at Yankees' Stadium amid FA Buzz.

Now you have to admire it.  Clearly it was about clicks.  I clicked on it. But then I realized where it all originated from.  Jon Heyman.

"That might be a problem for the New York Yankees' chances of signing the pending UFA, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

"Word is Ohtani doesn't love pitching in Yankee Stadium," Heyman wrote Thursday."

But that was it.  No follow-up. No continued quote about why... no solution.  Nothing. I even went back to Heyman's original article HERE.  This is all he wrote:

"Word is Ohtani doesn’t love pitching in Yankee Stadium (27.00 ERA in 3 ²/₃ innings). He has to love hitting there though (.972 OPS)."

And so, this is what journalism has come to. A game of telephone.  As a reader, we want more. As a Yankee fan, the fact that I had to go dig to figure out what else came with that quote and then didn't find is ridiculous.  

And let's go further. It is my opinion that Ohtani coming to the Angels destroyed the Angel's team dynamic.  I think the media blew this guy up.  I feel like there was way too much attention on Ohtani and the Angels were left behind. Not to mention the whole idea of wrapping a team around Ohtani and Trout. The Angel's team never had a chance. And so Ohtani ran the headlines and clearly ran this one too.  

It shouldn't be about this guy all the time.  And that's when the media gets nuts and that's when they put out nuggets with nothing attached to it.  Bottom line? Read everything, and when you can't find the real story... call them out.  I'm tired of the click bait and the guess journalism. It's literally the fall of society.

COMPARING "GET IT DONE" TEXAS BASEBALL TO THE YANKEES "PANIC BALL"

Jordan Montgomery probably shouldn't have been traded when he was. After all, the guy we traded him for is gone now too.  What a waste of time.  But that's the craziness of the Yankees, Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and lack of patience or knee jerk reactions to make things happen.  

At the end of the day, it comes down to a few things... for 1. Development.  2. Patience. 3. Good managing.  

Not to keep harping on this, but if you're surrounded by baseball people... like ACTUAL BASEBALL PEOPLE... like Bruce Bochy for example, it's a helluva lot better than Aaron Boone.  Experience matters.  Patience matters.  Development? Yup. It matters.  And with Jordan Montgomery coming out with his latest comment literally sticking a finger in Cashman's eye, it just shows that I'm right yet again... the Yankees don't have good leadership.  The Yankees don't develop, they panic.  The Yankees? They better overhaul that entire front office because we are treading water, and the fan base is pissed off.  

Jordan Montgomery said this of the Yankees and them giving up on him:

"Yeah, I’m sure they saw the potential. They might have given up on me, but I think it was the best thing for me to get to the Cardinals and get set up with Mad Dog (pitching coach Mike Maddux, who this season joined the Rangers). Our pitching philosophies are much closer."

That's all he needed to say. Panic is no way to play baseball.  The Yankees panic. The Yankees have no patience.

And I want you to think about something else; In the Rangers' Game 1, it was the former Yankees of Jordan Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman that dominated the win.  Yup, 2 guys that struggled at times in New York, basically gave the Yankees organization the finger in Game 1. The New York Post writes: 

"Jordan Montgomery dominated over seven scoreless innings, while Aroldis Chapman twirled a perfect inning of his own as the Rangers blanked the Rays, 4-0, on Tuesday afternoon in Game 1 of their best-of-three American League Wild Card Series."

No lefty, righty match ups. No babying the starter and letting him go 4 innings.  It was Bruce Bochy calling the shots on a must-win game, hardnosed, clean baseball with gut decisions... and guess what?  If that meant Lefty starter and a lefty to close it out, so be it...GET IT DONE!  

Aaron Boone would never have never went lefty, lefty.  He would have never let Jordan go 7.  He wouldn't do any of it... Ever.

The Rangers Game 1 was the biggest example of a team who takes pride in real baseball and throws their analytics out the window when it comes to scrappy, hardnosed baseball.  And why wouldn't they? Bruce Bochy is at the helm.  He's experienced. 3 championships.  And trust me when I say this... there is no reason to believe he CAN'T do it again!

You know who just can't win?  Aaron Boone. Brian Cashman.  As Yankee fans, we're tired of Panic Baseball.  We're tired of babying our players.  We're tired of impatient front offices with our youth. Yankee fans are pissed and tired.

And you know what the biggest F you of it all for us Yankee fans? We have Carlos Rodon... a big tree of a lefty pitcher that we HAD TO HAVE! Remember that? That ain't working out. 

But let's not forget we HAD a big tree of a lefty pitcher already.  His name was Jordan Montgomery.  But we traded him away. Who made that decision?  Yup... that would be the Yankee front office.

People in the Yankee organization need to be fired.  Here's a list of the Yankees front office.  Take your pick.  It's time to change the way things are run because there are many idiots in that front office.

YOGI BERRA'S QUOTES COME ALIVE AGAIN IN 2023

I've had Yogi Berra on the brain a lot lately, and I am not sure why. Maybe I am just reminiscing about happier Yankee times, or just about Yankee greats of the past. Yogi was certainly one of the Yankee greats and boy do I miss his Yogi-isms. They were the most beautiful butchery of the English language that even non-Yankee fans can appreciate.

Now that we are all reflecting upon just how bad this season was as we wait for the official word that our weakest links are returning next season, I take some of my favorite Yogi-isms and relate them to right now.

1. "It gets late early out here"
It is hard for me to pick a favorite Yogi-ism but if this isn't my favorite one, it's definitely top three. We all saw just how it got late early on the field this season. The Yankees had a terrible start, followed by a really short winning streak before crashing back down to terribleness again. It got late early for sure. The Yankees fell behind in the standings early on and quickly turned too late. As a result, I'd say you can turn that Yogi-ism into "it got UGLY early out there" because it really did. It was really hard to watch, too.

2. "It's deja vu all over again"
I think we all agree this season was definitely deja vu when it comes to the Yankees offense. This team just cannot hit. They can't play small ball, they can't move the runners over, brings guys home when in scoring position or make productive outs. All this team does is swing for the fences, and sometimes it pays off.....but boy do they strike out a lot. It's the same story, just a different year with two different hitting coaches.

3. "The future ain't what it used to be"
Do you remember the Yankees 2016 fire sale? It was hard to think about at the time, but it really helped replenish the farm. Then 2017 came along and Aaron Judge won the Home Run Derby, we had all these young, exciting up and coming ballplayers that were heading into their prime. We got sooooo close to the World Series (damn you cheating ASStros) and the future was bright! Now here we are heading into 2024 with Judge injured and wondering how we don't WASTE opportunities when he is in his prime. Not to mention how to keep Gerrit Cole committed to us after next season instead of opting out of his contract. The future aint what it used to be....and the Yankees prime window of opportunity is closing.

4. "I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"
This is a good one. If the Yankees changed bats for every time they did not hit there would be a wood shortage on the planet. The Yankees probably do blame their bats, because they certainly do not take accountability for their lack of hitting. Sure, the Yankees fired Dillon Lawson but that isn't the answer. The Yankees need to learn how to hit and stop making excuses....and stop hiring people with a philosophy of "hit strikes hard." 

5. "In baseball, you don't know nothing"
See Dillon Lawson above, but furthermore, that is more like "the Yankees don't know nothing" because they keep making the same decisions over and over again expecting different results also known as, insanity. They also keep loser Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman around instead of cutting their dead weight. Don't worry though, Hal Steinbrenner is taking a "deep dive" by hiring an independent company to compare and contrast how the Yankees run their organization compared to other teams. So really, the Yankees don't know nothing, and they need to spend lots of money to hear that (and then they still won't believe it).

6. "When you come to a fork in the road, take it"
If only someone could make the Yankees realize that they have come to many forks in the road and didn't take it. They are at a HUGE fork in the road and it's time to take it....and by take it I mean clean house and start over.

7. "It aint over till it's over"
I wish this was true for Boone and Cashman's tenure with the Yankees....but that aint over. It should be, just like the Yankees season is. If only Yogi could make that true.

A walk down memory lane .... may Yogi rest in peace. He may not be walking amongst us anymore, but his words still ring true especially for the Yankees. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

BOONE'S BACK BUT I WON'T BE

This is likely the worst season I have ever witnessed as a Yankee fan. And now, painfully I have to watch mediocre teams, better than the Yankees clearly, battle out for a chance at the Division Series. The topper of this sundae is that word on the street is that the dugout mastermind of this disgraceful team is coming back next season. So, if Aaron Boone's back I am pretty sure I won't be.

"Per SNY's Martino, general manager Brian Cashman and Yankees officials will meet on Wednesday to discuss what went wrong this season. Boone will be involved in those talks since he is likely to be retained as manager," reported SI.com. Seriously. Unless they are bringing him in to can him, it seems like Boone who's measured against no outcomes clearly will be leading the 2024 Yankees to exactly the same place they were in 2023.

"The Yankees recognize that their record was unacceptable this year, but Martino from SNY says the front office and clubhouse view Boone as part of the solution." In what world does any of this make sense? If I failed to meet the outcomes set by my department, month after month let alone year after year, I would be gone. But I guess Boone is measured against an invisible rubric designed to retain mediocrity and enable bad managing to continue in the most storied franchise in history. And I am not sure why Aaron Judge and the rest of the team want him back. They lose under Boone. Am I missing something?

According to CBS Sports, "In Boone's six seasons the Yankees are 509-361 (.585) and have won two AL East titles (2019 and 2022). They haven't won a pennant since 2009, however, and their 14-year pennant drought is the second longest in franchise history behind 18 years from 1903-20. It seems likely the Yankees will change something this offseason, but apparently it will not be the manager." Do the Yankee brass think Boone is capable of preparing the next generation of Yankees stars because he is a good communicator? Honestly, I am concerned that he will break those shiny newbies just as he has killed the veterans on this team. 

I invest a lot of time and money in the Yankees. I buy gear, I go to games, I pay for MLB TV, I write this blog and I watch every game. And when I am not watching, I am reading about the Yankees. But I have to say, with Boone coming back, I don't know that I can commit all of this time into the Yankees next season. I feel like I have just been cut by the team in many ways. Maybe the cold weather and time away will ease the harsh feelings I have. But right now, right here, I have to say unless Wednesday hands Boone a pink slip, I need to step away from this team until change in leadership happens. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

BUCK NEEDS TO COME BACK TO THE YANKEES FOR A GIG YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT

Buck Showalter is a New York Yankee.  Why are we not looking at what happened over there in Queens and consider bringing in Buck Showalter to straighten things out in the Bronx? He's got the baseball mind, the experience and was Manager of the Year last year in the National League.  It makes sense to me.  And let me ask this again... why is Aaron Boone in ANY high-level Yankee meeting when he is actually the problem.  We just saw Gabe Kapler get fired from the San Francisco Giants and Buck from the Mets.  Boone's still there... why?

There's a great article out about bringing Buck back home to the Bronx, but not as the manager. Crazy right and it's a great idea, but I'd like the manager gone too. Baby steps. Anyway, Check this out:

"The Yankees should hire Buck Showalter.

But not to manage.

I believe the Yankees would do better creating an executive of quality control who has an unquestioned understanding of what works on the ground in the majors to help bridge a divide between philosophy and application in the big leagues. Showalter would be an ideal hire for that....

What the Yankees would be appealing to if Showalter would even consider this is that at his core he is a Yankee. That the organization that drafted him and gave him the first chance to manage in the minors and majors remains his true home base, and putting the franchise back on a championship path would be ultra-meaningful to him. "

I am all for this.  Buck needs to be with the Yankees again in some executive capacity. He's too smart, he's too good and he is respected.  Even Francisco Lindor didn't want the Mets to get Buck go. But ultimately the Mets were in panic mode. They'll regret getting rid of Buck.  We wouldn't regret getting rid of Boone.  But more to that point, bring Buck in and let him tinker on the executive level and get things straightened out.  It's a huge start and something that needs to be done.  

Great Article, Joel Sherman.

BUCK'S GONE BUT BOONE'S NOT?

I want you to think about this for a second; 

Last year Buck Showalter was Manager of the Year for the New York Mets franchise. This year, after the 2023 season he was fired because the Mets finished 74-87 .460 and second to last place.  

Now look at Aaron Boone.  Last year the Yanks ended the season in first place in their division.  Then they lost in the playoffs... typical.  In 2023, the Yankees finished 82-80 .506 and 19 games back.  NINETEEN.  But Buck Showalter gets fired and I guess because the Yankees are above .500, Aaron Boone gets to keep his job? 

What's worse... the Yankee organization was actually celebrating their 31st winning season streak.  Words like "Rallying" and "Clinch" were used almost to make it seem like it was a great achievement. I mean, let me ask you a question... WAS ANYONE WATCHING THE SEASON OVER THERE?  Even Aaron Judge was sitting there when the entire season ended pissed off and all symbolic like thinking "Shit's gotta change."

Yankees captain Aaron Judge takes in the final moments of a challenging 2023 season. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/hRjtrGlFQQ

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 1, 2023

Look, Captains? They go down with the ship. How do you not admire Judge right there?  It's symbolic.  But it gets worse...

The reports are Aaron Boone will in fact be back.  Meanwhile, a pretty damn good manager in Buck Showalter is shown the door.   It only means one thing, all that chatter from Hal Steinbrenner about doing a "deep dive" into fixing the organization doesn't mean a thing, especially when they haven't even gotten into the "retooling" yet. Hal's taking care of keeping the manager and GM first I guess.  River Ave Blues said it best.

Hard to take this front office "audit" seriously when the Yankees are making personnel decisions before it's even started. https://t.co/clO18VLCAb

— River Ave. Blues (@RiverAveBlues) October 2, 2023

The Yankees have no idea what to do or how to do it. YES Network actually put out a "highlight reel of the 2023 season" like everything was great. Did you see it? Better yet, did you see the activity on it?

Relive all of the top sights and sounds from the Yankees' 2023 season on YES ⚾ #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/AhWU3jshGN

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 2, 2023

The fan base really didn't care. It's embarrassing.

The Yankees think you're stupid, ladies and gentlemen. The Yankees know you're going to come back to the stadium next year with the same damn team, the same loser manager and the inflated ticket prices and they will "try again".  Hal will pound his fist on the podium and say what a disappointment this season was, but they won't change what needs to be changed. They'll find scapegoats and trade guys like Gleyber Torres, one of the bright spots this season, just to get more shiny things for you to wonder at. But that front office is what truly needs an overhaul.  

And just remember this post next year when Aaron Boone is still talking about "hitting strikes hard".  Showalter will be on his couch, or better, managing another team. Why? Because he's a terrific manager with a great track record that just had a bad season.  You can't say the same about Aaron Boone.  But I guess because Boone plays puppet better than Showalter does. And so, it's easier to retain the guy like Bozo. And that's exactly what the Yankees are doing, manipulating the manager.  

This season was a disgrace, no one can deny this... and so much would need to change before I even consider my next visit to Yankee stadium.  

Shame.

OH NO! TROUBLING SIGNS OF WHAT'S TO COME FOR THE YANKEES IN 2024

The 2023 season literally just ended hours ago, but a decision about the coaching staff for 2024 could already be made. Actually, my gut tells me more than one decision was already made. Hell, it wasn't even a discussion, honestly.

There should've been a discussion though. Multiple sources are reporting that an unofficial offer to bring Sean Casey back as hitting coach has been made, but you can read more HERE. Casey has not accepted yet, but he was quite chatty about it before the game yesterday. What's worse though.... both Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman have requested his services.

So if anyone out there is holding out hope that Baboonie is going to be fired, I wouldn't hold your breath. That goes double for Cashman, too. We all hope and dream that Cashman of all people will be fired but I don't think Hal Steinbrenner has the guts or brains to do it. These are some big decisions made already. Shouldn't these decisions be made after the "deep dive" investigation is completed and their results analyzed? If you are going to do it, do it right.

So, is this "deep dive" legit or just a bunch of smoke and mirrors? Seems like a fair question if your current manager and GM are already advocating for some personnel decisions after a trainwreck season. Who is calling the shots here? Two men who have valid reasons to be replaced shouldn't be advocating for anyone. It just grinds my gears.

I have nothing against Sean Casey. I don't know the man at all, but he seems to be a nice guy. He walked into a dumpster fire and had a lot to clean up. I'm not sure that just over 2 months as the Yankees hitting coach is enough to fairly judge how he did as a hitting coach. The Yankees have had issues with hitting for YEARS so honestly, I do not think months in position could've fixed what was wrong. That takes time, and he didn't have enough of it. I just don't know that Casey is the guy to fix the offensively flawed Yankees. The Yankees need drastic changes to make them contenders and I don't think he's the guy for the job. 

Winter isn't even here yet but, rumors about 2024 are already flying. Casey may be sticking around, but the bigger problem would be Cashman and Boone returning. More of the same internally is a troubling sign of things to come....and Hal needs to know fans won't stand for that.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

ONE MORE DAY

Country music artist Thomas Rhett wrote and recorded a song a couple of years ago called "Slow Down Summer." The lyrics provide a story about how summer slipped away for a couple, wishing it didn't so they could spend more time together. "Wishin' the weather wasn't gettin' colder. Lettin' you go, holdin' onto each other. Closin' our eyes, sayin', "Slow down, summer" I look at the 2023 MLB Yankee Season and sigh, wishing it was over in late August. I never want to rush summer away, but I have admit, I want to rush the Yankees away. One more day and we call it quits with hopes that real change surges through the Yankee organization.

According to ESPN+, "The Mets, Yankees and Padres share some ingredients in their own cocktails of disappointment -- underperforming their advanced statistics, losing true coinflip situations at an unsustainable rate, having more injuries than their rivals and seeing potential team building flaws become gaping holes within months -- but they also have a number of unique features that have led to their respective 2023 dumpster fires."

Some of those unique features for the Yankees include building their team on big contract players who underperformed and found themselves on the IL more than the field. Then they expected way too much of their farm system, bringing up players who were not quite ready for prime time. This has led to more injuries and poor batting averages, pulling down the Yankees' confidence and overall ability to generate runs and win games.

"Combine this risky approach to the top of the roster with some tough injury luck, young players who were slow to fully integrate and some truly baffling moves by GM Brian Cashman over the last three seasons, and it's not hard to see how things went awry," reported ESPN+.

The Yankees need their youth to shine next season if they are going to contend. These guys minimally include Anthony Volpe,  Oswald Peraza,  Jasson Dominguez, Everson Pereira, and Austin Wells. The organization can't afford big dollar contracts in the off season, because their over thirty elite players are simply not giving the team a return on investment. 

One more day and the Yankees' 2023 baseball season will be over. They will watch the playoffs from home, just like you and me. And I can rally around the playoffs and enjoy seeing good teams shine. But I will be bitter that the Yankees blew it again, but this time was the worst I have seen in years. Let's hope the mantra "we can only get better from here" reigns true and there are two less management level people with the team come this off season.

 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof