The Yankees are withholding Aaron Judge from Wednesday’s game – why? Is he injured, tired, or what? Don’t blame Boone; it comes at the top.
The Yankees are the first team I know of that has reached the point where they need to withhold an All-Star player from a game to prevent the possibility of an injury.
Disgraceful, but that’s what is happening tonight as the Yankees square off against Shohei Ohtani, as Aaron Judge will take his fifth day of the season off.
Excuse me, but I always thought that if a player is good to go, he goes.
But apparently, in the minds of the Yankees brain trust, that’s no longer true because they have “built-in” scheduled days off for not only Judge but Giancarlo Stanton as well.
Bless the Lord, and both have stayed healthy all season (to date). And for that, plus the 39 million dollars the team is writing checks to, the Yankees may feel fortunate, but seriously?
Follow the same logic, and the Yankees should be withholding Gerrit Cole to a six-day rest between starts, and Luke Voit, an injury waiting from happening, should be limited to two starts a week at first base.
Yankees Boone Caught In The Middle
Imagine how Aaron Boone felt when word came down from above (and it did unless you believe in Santa Claus) to sit Judge, removing one of the Yankees’ most powerful weapons from a game he is still expected to win?
For how long Boone will continue to put up with this idiocy is not a real question, as this is what he signed for when he took the Yankee’s job three years ago.
Boone will be the scapegoat if and when the Yankees’ season goes South – because Brian Cashman will never accede to failing as a GM responsible for giving his manager “a team” of players who can compete in the ultra-productive teams in their division.
Yankees: Could Have Thought It Was “Do It Now”
I could have sworn that the comments coming from Judge, Stanton and the latest from Brian Cashman when he signaled a time the team needed to put their best foot forward to (at least) make the 2021 playoffs, even as a Wild Card team.
Yet here we have the Yankees minus their best offensive player this year from the lineup.
Aaron: Tell ‘Em To Go To Hell
A change in the Yankees culture would be signaled, though, if Aaron Judge slammed his foot down, saying, “Skip, you just try to keep me off the field tonight.”
The troubling thing, though, is this is not what this Yankees team is made of.
Like Cashman, his analytics gurus, Boone, Judge, and everyone in that dugout, the idea is to keep those bi-monthly checks rolling in, despite the empty words they all utter.
Still, when tonight’s lineup was posted in the team’s dugout, there had to have been a double-take when the Yankees’ players saw Judge’s name missing from their arsenal against Ohtani.
Anticipating a player will suffer an injury is the same as a parent waiting for the doorbell to ring to learn their wayward son has been arrested.
The money paid to players these days (Judge earns $68,000 for each game played if he’s in 150 games) says if you’re healthy, you’re in there.
I wrote for years about the Dysfunctional Mets, hoping beyond hope a new owner would come in to create a new and spirited culture, and I’m beginning to wonder the same about the Yankees.
Alas, tonight’s Yankees lineup tells us more than we want to know about the state of this franchise.
Aaron Judge, grab a bat and tell them all to go to hell, but don’t ask me if it’ll happen…
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
Steven Kenworthy Really??? So Ohtani is pitching and they sit Judge and Urshela? Good grief, Cashman and his analytics mob have gone off the deep end.
Frank Kovach Come on guys they are very very very tired they need a week off
Kenny Rodriguez Exactly…this is not Boone’s call…
Robert J. Ferrara Meanwhile, Ohtani is going to pitch and play DH
Andrew Pal Dysfunctional is the perfect word for this organization. Did sitting Urshela tonight also come from the top? So apparently we have a spineless manager refusing to stand up for his team and making out the best lineup card possible in a must-win situation against one of the league’s best pitchers. We have a player who should be one of his team’s most respected leaders not demanding to play in a game he’s perfectly capable of playing and where he’s desperately needed. And we have yet another one of the team’s most productive defensive and offensive players conveniently given the same night off when they could have waited for another day. This team has totally lost its way. Author’s Note: As always, Andrew gives us food for thought.
Mike Paulhamus Amazing time for this team, so confusing.
Dennis Jay Yanks better show good and hang a W tonight or this headline will grow legs.
Bruce Chester I will be rooting for Bambino Ohtani to pitch a no hitter and slug 3-4 hr. This NY franchise has been run into the shit hole by Hal and that’s all I need to say. But I have a lot more but Hal is not worth the effort.
Bill Smith Boone’s usual ploy; and when Cash calls, this obedient soul, responds accordingly!
Reddy Martinez It looks like analytic has Urshela off, too. The one player that needs a day off, Torres keeps on playing.
Closing Comments and Final Thoughts
Getting close to game time and time to close published comments. It’s best you judge for yourself, but it still seems like Yankees fans are pissed off at what they are seeing And look at what the Yankees are doing tonight… (Steve Contursi)
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
