Not that I'm blaming Cashman specifically for what happened here. But this is the sort of thing that has happened to the Yankees under his indisputed leadership, since the 2009 World Series symbolically ended the leadership of George Steinbrenner, and effectively ended that of Gene Michael.
The Yankees could have clinched the American League Eastern Division the night before, had they beaten the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium II. But they activated Giancarlo Stanton from the Injured List, and while he doubled in his 1st at-bat, no one was on base.
He can't really be blamed, nor can CC Sabathia making what could be his last start for the Yankees, for the Yankees losing 3-2. But the fact that this Yankee lineup only got 2 runs in Stanton's 1st start back from injury seems to back up NCIS Rule Number 39: "There is no such thing as coincidence."
I said that night that the Yankees losing a potential clinching game, and then waiting up all night for the Tampa Bay Rays to lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings on the Pacific Coast would be the most Brian Cashman clinching ever. Well, it did go to extra innings, and it did go to around 1:45 AM Eastern Time, but the Rays won.
Now, we find out that Domingo German, at 18-4 the obvious choice for the AL Cy Young Award, has been placed on administrative leave, because he is under investigation for domestic violence. We don't know how long he will be unavailable. He could miss as little as 1 start. He could miss the rest of the regular season and all of the postseason -- which would render the Yankee postseason starting rotation as Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and, as was said of another 1st-place team, long ago, "pray for rain."
You know how it is: Even if the charge doesn't go forward (which doesn't necessarily mean he's innocent, only that there's not enough evidence to pursue the charge), Yankee Haters will tell us all that he's guilty. We know this because they say it about Aroldis Chapman.
Strange, but Yankee Haters were silent on the topic while Chapman was helping the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series. But then, they also stopped saying that Bartolo Colon was a steroid user once he was no longer a Yankee.
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Anyway, the Rays weren't scheduled last night, so the Yankees couldn't get any help. So they had to do it all on their own.
Tanaka started for the Yankees, and was brilliant, allowing the Angels a run in the 4th inning, but that was it for 7. The Yankees couldn't score on Angel starter Andrew Heaney in the 1st, but DJ LeMahieu hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 2nd. 3-0 Yankees.
The Angels took a run back in the top of the 4th, but Brett Gardner answered with a home run to make it 4-1. The Yankees got 2 more runs in the bottom of the 6th, on a double by Gardner. Clint Frazier cranked one in the 8th, to make it 9-1.
Aroldis Chapan came out to protect an 8-run lead. He finished it by striking out an all-time great, Albert Pujols. Yankees 9, Angels 1.
Ballgame over! American League Eastern Division over! Yankees win! Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees win!
It is the 20th AL East title for the Bronx Bombers, out of a possible 51. It is the team's 55th postseason berth, out of a possible 116. It is the team's 21st time winning 100 games -- making Aaron Boone the 1st man ever to win 100 or more games in each of his 1st 2 seasons as a major league manager.
But in his postgame interview with Meredith Marakovits, Boone correctly said, "We've got bigger fish to fry." And the celebration, while happy and proud, was a bit muted. These guys know that this is the foundation -- not the building.
Next: Working on home-field advantage for the Playoffs, trying to get a better overall record than the other 2 AL Division winners, the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins, and the best team in the National League, probably the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's a virtual 3-way tie between the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers at the moment.
But... then what? Will this Domingo German cloud still hang over the team in the postseason? What will the postseason starting rotation be? Tanaka was fabulous last night. James Paxton has been getting the job done. But, without German... Luis Severino? Is he really ready to go 5 or more innings regularly? CC Sabathia, one more time? J.A. Happ? Do these 2 have anything left? Do we go the ridiculous "Chad Green for 2 innings and then a cast of thousands" route?
Stay tuned. 100 wins down. 11 to go.
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Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 1, tonight at 7:00 PM, away to Monroe.
Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 1, tomorrow at noon, home to Boston College. After defeating the University of Massachusetts at home in the season opener, yesterday, they went out to Iowa and lost 30-0. This was considerably more indicative of their actual talent level.
Days until Arsenal play again: 3, this Sunday morning, at 11:30 AM New York time, home to Birmingham team Aston Villa. After choking away a 2-0 lead and allowing a draw to Hertfordshire team Watford last Sunday, they began their UEFA Europa League campaign yesterday afternoon, winning 3-0 away to German team Eintracht Frankfurt.
Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 3, at 6:00 PM, home to the Philadelphia Union. They got a big win last night, away to the Portland Timbers, so they will probably make the Playoffs now, but they can't let up.
Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer. The Red Bulls next play D.C. United the following Sunday, also at Red Bull Arena. They will not play DCU, New York City FC, the Philadelphia Union or the New England Revolution again during the regular season. NYCFC and Philly have clinched Playoff berths, and DCU will probably make it. So the last Playoff berth will probably be between RBNY and the Revs. RBNY lead the Revs by 4 points, but the Revs have a game in hand: Winning it would put them only 1 point back.
Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: 14, on Friday night, October 4, at the Prudential Center, against the Winnipeg Jets. Just 2 weeks.
Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 19, on Wednesday night, October 9, against the Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. The Philth, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The season's 1st game against the New York Rangers, a.k.a. The Scum, will be on Thursday, October 17, at the Prudential Center. The 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Thursday, January 2, 2020, at the Barclays Center.
Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 21, on Friday, October 11, at 7:00, against Cuba, part of the CONCACAF Nations League, at Audi Field in Washington. They will play Canada at BMO Field in Toronto the following Tuesday night.
Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 71, on Saturday, November 30, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Just over 10 weeks.
Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 89, on December 18, 2019. Under 3 months.
Days until the premiere of the final Star Wars film, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker: 91, on December 20, 2019.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 123, on January 21, 2020. A little over 4 months.
Days until the 1st Presidential voting of 2020, the Iowa Caucuses: 136, on Monday, February 3. Under 5 months. The New Hampshire Primary will be 8 days later.
Days until the next North London Derby: 218, on Saturday, April 25, Arsenal's 1st visit to the new Tottenham Stadium, adjacent to the site of the previous White Hart Lane. A little over 7 months. It is currently scheduled to be on the 16th Anniversary of the 2nd time that Arsenal won the League at White Hart Lane -- but also the last time Arsenal won the League anywhere. Of course, for TV reasons, the game could be moved to another date, probably the next day.
Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series (after this current one) begins: 231, on May 8, 2020, at Yankee Stadium II. Yes, the 2020 MLB schedule has already been released.
Days until Euro 2020 begins, a tournament being held all over Europe instead of in a single host nation: 266, on Friday, June 12, 2020. Under 9 months.
Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 308, on July 24, 2020. A little over 10 months.
Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge football game: Presumably, given the 2019 schedule, 357, on Friday night, September 11, 2020, away at the purple shit pit on Route 9.
Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 410, on November 3, 2020. A little over a year, or under 14 months.
Days until a fully-Democratic-controlled Congress can convene, and the Republicans can do nothing about it: 471, on January 3, 2021. Under a year and a half, or under 16 months.
Days until Liberation Day: 488, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under a year and a half, or just 16 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 begins in Beijing, China: 868, on February 4, 2022. Under 2 1/2 years, or under 29 months.
Days until the next World Cup is scheduled to kick off: 1,158, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. A little over 3 years, or a little over 38 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.
Days until the next Women's World Cup is scheduled to kick off: As yet unknown, but probably on the 2nd Friday in June 2023, which would be June 9. That would be 1,358 days, a little under 4 years, or a little over 44 months. A host nation is expected to be chosen on March 20, 2020. Since 2 of the last 3 host nations have been in Europe, North America (Canada) hosted in 2015, and Asia (China) hosted in 2007, my guess is that it will be in either Asia (Japan, possibly Korea, but not China) or Oceania (Australia, possibly a joint bid with New Zealand).