Thursday, May 24, 2018

Yankees blow 10-5 lead in 1968 and 2018.

Should Yankee fans expect this every 50 years? After last night's debacle in Texas I sent this to a couple of friends:

Subject: Yankees blew 10-5 lead in 1960s.

Stottlemyre in Fenway Park. Red Sox had pulled Yaz. I still vaguely remember. Now again.

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Then I searched the game logs for Mel Stottlemyre starting in 1965. Finally I found the game in 1968, the year of the pitcher, 50 years before almost to the day. Another message:

Subject: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Box Score, May 16, 1968 | Baseball-Reference.com

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196805160.shtml

50 years ago this month. 10-5 through 7 innings.
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First the 2018 game:
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Start Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Attendance: 31,304
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Game Duration: 3:20
Night Game, on grass
Rangers 12, Yankees 10


123456789RHE
New York Yankees30106000010141
Texas Rangers00052401X12112
WP: Alex Claudio (2-2) • LP: David Robertson (3-2) • SV: Keone Kela (10)

Yankee announcers are having orgasms over rookie Gleyber Torres hitting home runs in the last three games and 4 of 5 games. The number of Yankee homers in the last five games has been: 5,4,5,3,4. And the Yanks lost the last two. Torres hit five homers in those games.
PitchingIPHRERBBSOHRERABFPitStrCtctStSStLGBFBLDUnkGScIRISWPAaLIRE24
CC Sabathia4.16773123.55229057326196126021-0.4530.86-4.8
Jonathan Holder0.21000103.60314109102000100.0611.840.6
Chasen Shreve, H (2)0.12220104.15386312111000-0.0521.50-0.4
David Robertson, BS (4), L (3-2)0.21222204.9152212246011022-0.4513.24-3.0
Dellin Betances21110404.71828221156221000-0.0080.640.1
Team Totals811121259213.50411621075717331116902132-0.9031.18-7.5
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Thursday, May 16, 1968
Start Time: 7:35 p.m. Local
Attendance: 22,879
Venue: Fenway Park
Game Duration: 2:55
Night Game, on grass
Red Sox 11, Yankees 10


123456789RHE
New York Yankees1062010001092
Boston Red Sox30011006X11140
WP: John Wyatt (1-2) • LP: Joe Verbanic (1-2) • SV: Lee Stange (3)

Yankee homers: catcher Frank Fernandez with bases loaded and center fielder Roy White with one on. Mickey Mantle in his final season was 2 for 4 plus a walk. The Mick hit his second single leading off the 9th inning. Horace Clarke pinch ran and was the tieing run. Cleanup hitter Andy Kosko flied out. Then Tom Tresh lined to second and Clarke was doubled off first ending the game.

As I had recalled Carl Yastrzemski (1 for 3; double) had been removed in a double switch after the six inning with the Yankees leading 10-5. Former Yankee MVP Elston Howard (2 for 2) had started the game for the Red Sox but he too had been removed in a double switch after four innings.
PitchingIPHRERBBSOHRERABFGScIRISWPAaLIRE24
Mel Stottlemyre711876212.783721-0.3150.73-3.9
Joe Verbanic, L (1-2)03320002.51333-0.5683.21-3.7
Dooley Womack, BS (2)10001004.32422-0.1893.33-0.1
Team Totals81411972110.12442155-1.0721.14-7.7
Mel Stottlemyre faced 3 batters in the 8th inning.
Joe Verbanic faced 3 batters in the 8th inning.

The first three Red Sox batters reached base in the 8th and Stottlemyre was removed. Leadoff hitter was safe on an error by Yankee third baseman Bobby Cox, who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager.

After these losses the Yankee record:
1968: 13-19
2018: 31-15

The 1968 Yankees were 9th among 10 teams, 7.5 games behind eventual pennant and World Series winner Detroit. Division play would start in 1969 and the American League would adopt the designated hitter (DH) in 1973. For the entire 1968 season the Yankees averaged 3.3 runs scored per game; AL 3.4. So far in 2018 the Yankees are averaging 5.9 runs per game; AL 4.5. The 1968 Yanks hit 109 home runs. The 2018 Yankees have 79 in 47 games, including a game suspended after six innings. So let's take it easy on the Gleyber Torres is doing better than any Yankee in history stuff.

1968:
Batting Average
1.Yastrzemski • BOS.301
2.Cater • OAK.290
3.Oliva • MIN.289
4.Horton • DET.285
5.Uhlaender • MIN.283
6.Davalillo • 2TM.277
7.Buford • BAL.282**
8.Campaneris • OAK.276
9.Harrelson • BOS.275
10.Howard • WSA.274
No joke. Yastrzemski was the only .300 hitter in the AL in 1968. It was the dark ages.

Baseballs are juiced. Wednesday, June 14, 2017

I've been suggesting to friends this season that too many batters are hitting too many homers too far.
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Deaden the damn ball before Aaron Judge kills a pitcher with a line drive. Friday, June 30, 2017

Aaron Judge is hitting Titlist baseballs like he's using a one iron. Some are going low and up the middle. Judge is going to kill a pitcher. Pitchers are not players but defenseless, though obnoxious, beings.
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In last night's game Judge hit a homer about 471 feet.

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