IT'S OVER WITH FOR THE YANKEES

 A team with all the potential in the world can't get out of it's own way. They had a Yankee all-star team on the injured list at times this year, but that's no excuse. They have some talented players in the farm system that they were forced to use, but the trick with rookies is to try and keep them out of critical situations, especially pitchers. Boone didn't do that. To quote and old song, "They'll Be Some Changes Made."

Here are some changes I think will be made - and some that should be but won't: 

Aaron Boone - He should be gone but won't be. He has mishandled the pitching staff all year, mostly the bull pen. He can't wait to get the starting pitcher out of the game (Except for Garrit Cole), then continues to try and match pitchers to specific hitters - all by the book. BTW, they should fire the book, too.  Where is Buck Showalter when you need him?

Gleyber Torres -  never lived up to his potential.

Luke Voit - The Yanks obviously don't want him so they should trade him.

Anthony Rizzo - Re-sign him. I like this guy. He excellent in the field and is a team player.

Bret Gardner - He's older but he can still play..

Gary Sanchez -We've waited for 5 years for his "potential." Let someone else wait.

Corey Kluber - Like to have him but I think he'll cost too much.

Aaron Judge -Sign him up. Sign him! Please sign him.

Aaron Hicks - Same as Sanchez.

**Can someone please tell the networks that these are the baseball playoffs. Why do I have to search to find out what channel they're on. Yesterday, 4 games,  the first game started at 2:00 pm, the last one at 9:00 pm. Why? So they could get in at least 10 hours of commercials. At one time, there would be two games on at once and you could pick which one you wanted to watch and they would break in and show anything exciting from the other game. What was wrong with that? Well, you'd miss out on a bunch of ads for Metamucil or Kraft salad dressing. I make my own salad dressing but I could use the Metamucil.

**My pet peeve. Giancarlo Stanton played in 140 games this year. He's paid $25 million a year. That's about $40,000 every time he steps into the batter's box. When you hit the ball, RUN. You can admire the home run on YouTube later. Boone should tell his players that they will be fined $20,000 for every base they lose by loafing. Some players will lose 1/2 million dollars by the All-Star break.

**I lose interest in the playoffs when the Yankees are out of it, but this year, I'm going to root for the Dodgers in deference to my California sister-in-law, Pauline.

***THEY SAID IT***

{Apparently this is 'Pick on Urban Meyer' week - CP}

"Urban Meyer still adjusting to speed of NFL cover-ups."  -- TheOnion. com

"If you’re breathing a sigh of relief because home plate umpire Joe West didn’t really affect the results of tonight’s NL Wild Card game. Home plate umpire for game two of the NLDS will be …. Angel Hernandez!?!  So much for “no crying in baseball.”"  -- Janice Hough

"In 1978, Bucky Dent was nearing second base when his three-run homer cleared the wall in that one-game playoff in Fenway. Monday, “Stanton was barely out of the batter’s box when his ball hit the wall.”  -- NY Post reader Scott Wolinetz

"So is Urban Meyer still the Jacksonville Jaguars coach because their owner feels like the season is lost anyway, and doesn’t know if he can get out of paying Meyer $12 million a year?"  -- Janice Hough

"The Jets and Falcons — both 1-3 and outscored by a combined 97 points — play in London on Sunday. Apparently they didn’t qualify for the witness-protection program, so they opted for a change of venue."  -- Dwight Perry

"Nebraska 21-Northwestern 0. This is what happens when the Huskers play a team where the players actually have to go to class."  -- Brad Dickson

"According to the N.Y. Post, in 1962 Johnny Carson’s wife, Joanne, was having an affair with Giants receiver Frank Gifford. Typical of Gifford, he said he wasn't getting enough touches."  -- RJ Currie

"After Urban Meyer became Ohio St.’s ex-coach for hiring an assistant coach he knew to beat his wife, what was the name of that course he taught at OSU? Oh, yeah, “Leadership and Character.”  -- Phil Mushnick

"Shaquille O’Neal has renounced celebrity status and all that it stands for. Does this mean we won’t see his face on TV every 5 minutes?"  -- Nick Canepa

"The priest, the rabbi and the horse from the “walked into a bar” jokes — at least temporarily — have been replaced by Urban Meyer.So it’s probably not a good idea to ask “Why the long face?” even if he does have an 0-4 record."  -- Dwight Perry

"Breaking news: Snoop Dogg will be the Super Bowl halftime performer. Which answers the age old question: do the halftime performers need to pass a drug test? No."  -- Brad Dickson

Chad Picasner

 

THIS IS WHEN BASEBALL REALLY STARTS

 ESPN doesn't know it but the Major League baseball season is still going on.The cream has basically risen to the top with one or two teams disappointed by losing out on the post season play because of a crucial late season loss.

**There is a rumor that Umpire Joe West is going to retire at the end of the season. Boy, will that be a big retirement party. I can only hope that Angel Hernandez  gets the hint and retires, too. That party will be even bigger.

**I've seen players on a hot streak. I've seen Don Mattingly hit six grand slams in one season. I've seen him hit home runs in eight consecutive games. Giancarlo Stanton's streak is absolutely scary. Homers in four consecutive games is amazing in it's own right, but his homers are coming late in a game with men on base in a crucial series. That's hitting in pressure situations. Back in the 50's & 60's, opposing pitchers would rather face  Mickey Mantle with the game on the line than have to pitch to Yogi Berra in that situation. Yogi was the Yankee's best clutch hitter ever, but Stanton looks like he's going after the title. 

**The Yankee season has been a yo-yo all year. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Yanks chance of making the post season was in the 30's and Boston's was in the 80's. Now, in the final 6 games, those numbers are reversed. It's amazing how a teams fortunes can change so quickly. As John Sterling, Yankee radio announcer would say, "That's baseball, Susan." So, New York, Boston, Toronto and Seattle will be fighting for two playoff spots.

**In the National League West, the Giants and the Dodgers are fighting for the division championship. Their records are almost exactly the same. Unfortunately, one of them will be severely handicapped in the post season because they will have to play a one game playoff just to get into the Division Championship series. The Dodgers have an uphill battle having to play the final three against the Milwaukee Brewers, winners of the NL Central, while the Giants finish against the disappointing  San Diego Padres. 

This should be some weekend in baseball.

**It's close to college basketball season, so be prepared to briefly watch your team's bast player. 
As Groucho Marx once sang, “Hello, I must be going.” And it’s not just John Calipari’s one-and-done Kentucky, not anymore. That’s the plan for many. Student-athletics. Why don't they just change it to "Occasional Student-Athlete?"

***THEY SAID IT***

"Brewers star set-up reliever Devin Williams is out for the season after breaking a bone in his pitching hand punching a wall after Milwaukee celebrated clinching the division Sunday night “Siri, What does the expression mean – “Million dollar arm ten-cent head?”   -- Janice Hough 

"Don’t know about the IBF or WBA, but the WHL title belt belongs to the Vancouver Giants, after a cross-checking major assessed to Kyle Bochek against Victoria erupted into eight fighting majors and nine game misconducts.And that was in a preseason game."  -- Dwight Perry

"According to the N.Y. Post, in 1962 Johnny Carson’s wife, Joanne, was having an affair with Giants receiver Frank Gifford. Typical of Gifford, he said he wasn't getting enough touches."  -- RJ Currie

"Ohio State has announced that despite being tossed from the football team for rotten behavior, including the since-deleted tweet, “fucc Ohio State,” linebacker K’Vaughan Pope will be allowed to remain in school to continue “his progress toward graduation.” Graduation? He doesn’t even seem able to spell."  -- Phil Mushnick

"Kyrie Irving is the most discussed anti-vaxxer in pro sports. Kyrie is also a Flat Earther. Well, there's a shock."  -- Brad Dickson

"Anti-vaxxer Cam Newton remains unsigned. Now teams won’t touch Newton with a 10-foot swab."  -- Alex Kaseberg 

"The Toronto Blue Jays trail only the Houston Astros with 1331 hits this season. They've put more men in scoring position than  Paris Hilton."  -- RJ Currie

"Tyler Pence became the first U.S. runner since 2001 to win the Quad Cities Marathon when the volunteer bicycle rider leading the two frontrunning Kenyans mistakenly went straight when he should have turned.They lost out on the $3,000 first prize, but are considered the early favorites for this year’s Wrong-Way Kerrigan Award."  -- Dwight Perry

"What a horrible time for sports in Detroit. The Red Wings are lousy, the Lions are worse. The Pistons are last in the NBA and the Tigers are 11th in the American League."  -- Steve Simmons 

"Bozo NFL kicker who booted the amazing 66-yard field goal later thanked God. So that's why all these Covid wards are full of people struggling on ventilators - God is busy guiding field goals through uprights."  -- Brad Dickson

"It takes a village to make an idiot: To hear hundreds of U.S. team Ryder Cup spectators cheer bad shots and missed putts by the European team has been more sickening than surprising. And the pandering silence about it from NBC’s voices has been equally sickening and unsurprising. Our “sports culture” continues to dissolve."  -- Phil Mushnick

Chad Picasner