For nearly 2 years now, people have been telling me Torres is going to be a star; and I have been telling them that I would never have made the trade, because we could have won the World Series in 2016; and that I would have traded him to the Detroit Tigers last year for Justin Verlander, because (with considerably more evidence than the previous claim) we could have won the World Series in 2017.
After Sunday's game, I look like a fool.
As the great Yankee Fan Billy Joel would say, "I don't care what consequence it brings. I have been a fool for lesser things."
*
On Friday night, the Yankees began a home series with the Cleveland Indians. For 7 innings, things went very well, Pitching against the team with whom he debuted and became a star, CC Sabathia pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and no walks, with 7 strikeouts. Dellin Betances pitched a scoreless 7th. This was backed with 4 runs in the 4th inning, including Gleyber Torres' 1st major league home run and another homer by Aaron Judge, and another in the 5th, a home run by Gary Sanchez.
Then, Aaron Boone brought Chasen Shreve in to pitch the 8th. Cliche alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Shreve allowed a walk, a single, a 3-run homer and another single, before Boone got him out, and brought in David Robertson. He allowed another homer, to tie the game 5-5.
Did I say walks can kill you? In the bottom of the 8th, the Yankees got a walk by Neil Walker (appropriately), a single by Torres, a walk by Brett Gardner, and a bases-loaded walk by Judge. 6-5 Yankees. But by no means was the game in the bag. Aroldis Chapman gave us a single, a hit-by-pitch, and 2 wild pitches, and it was 6-6.
Bottom of the 9th. Giancarlo Stanton led off with a double to center. Sanchez flew out. Aaron Hicks flew out, getting Stanton to 3rd. Walker drew another walk. And Miguel Andujar singled to right, scoring Stanton.
Yankees 7, Indians 6. WP: Chapman (1-0), despite the blown save. No save. LP: Alexi Ogando (0-1).
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On Saturday afternoon, Sonny Gray got his groove back. He went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 7. With Jordan Montgomery on the Disabled List for several weeks, it is vital that Sonny step up.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 5th, but the Yankees struck back in the bottom of the inning. Cliche alert: Walks can kill you. Walker (again) and Andujar walked, and Torres singled to load the bases with 1 out. Austin Romine drew a walk to force home the tying run. An error alloyed Ronald Torreyes to reach, and Walker and Anduar to score. A sacrifice fly by Gardner made it 4-1 Yankees.
The Indians pulled a run back in the top of the 6th, but a Gardner single in the 7th was the nail in the coffin. Chad Green pitched a perfect 7th and 8th, and David Robertson a scoreless 9th. Yankees 5, Indians 2. WP: Gray (2-2). SV: Robertson (1). LP: Trevor Bauer (2-3).
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It has often been debated as to who is, and is not, "a true Yankee." On Sunday, Gleyber Torres made his down payment on "true Yankee" status.
With Montgomery out, Domingo German was given the start, and he, too, made his down payment. Through 6 innings, he allowed no runs, no hits, and 2 walks, striking out 9. A historic day was looming.
But it was 0-0, and, after 84 hitless pitches, Boone decided to Girardi the situation up. He gave the ball to Betances, who pitched a perfect 7th, but imploded for 4 runs in the 8th. It was now looking like a loss, and on Boone more than on Betances.
But the Yankees rebounded for 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th. The Yanks led off the bottom of the 9th with back-to-back doubles by Hicks and Walker, tying the game. After Andújar grounded out, Indians manager Terry Francona, our old Boston enemy, ordered Stanton walked to set up the double play.
There would be no double play. Gleyber Torres hit his 1st career manor league walkoff home run. Yankees 7, Indians 4. WP: Shreve (2-0). No save. LP: Cody Allen (2-1).
The Daily News and the New York Post had the same back page headline today, reflecting not only Torres' heroics, but the fact that yesterday was the 87th birthday of baseball legend Willie Mays: Both papers called him "THE GLEY HEY KID."
Torres is 21, the age the Say Hey Kid was when Uncle Sam forced him to step away from baseball for 2 years, to serve in the Korean War. It's too soon to compare him to Mays, or Mays' Yankee contemporary Mickey Mantle, or even to Robinson Cano, the most recent good Yankee at his current position.
Indeed, it's too soon to compare him to anybody. He could be the next Cano, which would be just fine, as long as he does what Cano never did, which is finish growing up. Or, he could be the next Kevin Maas or Shane Spencer, and quickly flame out.
But, for the moment, he is fighting the fear I had that the major leagues would be too much for him, or at least that it was too soon to try him.
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So, where do the Yankees stand? Following the game of April 20, they had a typical 2004-17 Yankees poor start, one that had me calling them "gutless wonders" on several occasions: 9-9, including losing 2 of 3 to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Since April 20, they have won 15 out of their last 16, surging to 24-10. This includes a 6-1 roadtrip to Anaheim (the Los Angeles Angels have been trouble for the Yankees since I was a kid in the late 1970s) and Houston (the Astros have been trouble for the Yankees since their 2015 Playoff season).
The Yankees are 1 game behind the Red Sox in the American League East, and their self-confidence is sky-high -- which is good because, following an off-day today the Auld Enemy comes to town for 3 games. This is the series that could well determine whether this will be a special season for the Yankees -- and we haven't had a special season in 9 years, last year's certainly wasn't one -- or this great run was just a false dawn, a mirage.
Here are the projected starting lineups, with all 3 games scheduled for a first pitch of 7:05 PM:
* Tonight: Luis Severino vs. Drew Pomeranz.
* Tomorrow: Masahiro Tanaka vs. David Price.
* Thursday: CC Sabathia vs. Rick Porcello.
Come on you Pinstripes! Beat The Scum!
*
Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: None. They play tonight, at 7:05, at Yankee Stadium II.
Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 5, Saturday night at 9:00 PM Eastern Time, 7:00 Mountain, away to the Colorado Rapids. They embarrassed New York City FC 4-0 at Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 18, on Saturday night, May 26, against the Philadelphia Union, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison. Their 1st game against the New England Revolution will be on Saturday night, June 2, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Their next game against New York City FC will be on Sunday, July 8, at Yankee Stadium II. Unless it's forced to be moved to Citi Field, East Hartford, or, this would be funny, Red Bull Arena. Their 1st game against D.C. United, and their 1st game ever at the new Audi Field, will be on Wednesday night, July 25.
Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 20, a "friendly" against Bolivia, at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania, home of the Philadelphia Union, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. Under 3 weeks. After the Bolivia game, there will be a trip to Europe, to play Ireland in Dublin on June 2, and France in Lyon on June 9. These 3 games should have been warmups for the World Cup. Alas...
Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 37, on June 14. A little over 5 weeks. But the U.S. team won't be playing. At least now, Donald Trump doesn't have to choose, and can root for his favorite country, the host nation, Russia.
Days until the 2018 trading deadline, after which we won't have to fear Yankee general manager Brian Cashman trading any proven good players for "prospects": 84, on Tuesday, July 31. Just 12 weeks.
Days until Arsenal play a game with a manager other than Arsène Wenger: 95, in the 2018-19 Premier League season opener, on Saturday, August 11. Time, opponent and location as yet unknown.
Days until the next North London Derby: Unknown, but not until next season. The only thing we know for sure is that you never see a derby on the opening weekend. So, more than 95 days.
Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 116, on Saturday, September 1, home to Texas State University. Under 4 months.
Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Unknown. The 2018 schedule hasn't been released yet. But the season opener is usually on the 1st Friday in September. that would be September 7, which is 122 days from now.
Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: Unknown, as the regular season is over. It is possible that the Devils will play the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that wouldn't happen unless both teams reach the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. Otherwise, they wouldn't face the Flyers, the New York Rangers or the New York Islanders until the start of the next regular season, which is usually on the 2nd Friday in October. That would be October 12, or 157 days.
Days until the next Congressional election, when we can elect a Democratic Congress that can impeach and remove Donald Trump from the Presidency: 182, on November 6. Under 6 months.
Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State game: 193, on Saturday, November 17, at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 198, on Thursday, November 22. Under 7 months.
Days until a Democratic Congress can convene, and the impeachment process can begin: 240, on Thursday, January 3, 2019. Under 8 months.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 260, on January 23, 2019. A little over 8 months.
Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 395, on June 7, 2019, in France. A little over a year, or under 13 months. The U.S. team, as 3-time and defending Champions, has, as usual, a better chance than the men's team would have had in 2018 anyway.
Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 589, on December 18, 2019. A little over a year and a half, or a little over 19 months.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 624, on January 22, 2020. Under 2 years, or under 21 months.
Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 808, on July 24, 2020. A little over 2 years, or under 27 months.
Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 910, on November 3, 2020. Under 2 1/2 years, or under 30 months.
Days until Liberation Day: 988, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 3 years, or under 33 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.
Days until the next Winter Olympics (after the current one in Pyeongchang, Korea) begins in Beijing, China: 1,368, on February 4, 2022. Under 4 years, or under 45 months.
Days until the next World Cup for which the American team will be eligible is scheduled to kick off: 1,658, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. Under 4 1/2 years, or under 55 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.