It's the bottom of the ninth inning, and Aaron Judge just drove in a run to keep the Yankees season alive, if not for a brief moment. Next man up: Cody Bellinger. The season ends.
A scenario, unfortunately, all too familiar to us Yankees fans over the past eight-plus years. A regular season filled with unbelievable moment after unbelievable moment, ends in the most unspectacular of fashions. To quote the baseball movie, "nobody reinvents this game."
A National Embarrassment
What I, and a lot of other Yankees fans across the country, just witnessed across this ALDS can only be described as one thing: pathetic.
The Toronto Blue Jays, for four consecutive games, embarrassed the Yankees on the national stage, proclaiming to everyone that they're "not a good team," and then showing everyone that they are, in fact, not a good team. To further rub salt in the wound, "New York, New York" was being played by the Jays' in their clubhouse following the win.
Take the bases loaded situation in the bottom of the eighth inning. Before anyone could even assess the situation, Austin Wells jumped on the first pitch, something he has NO BUSINESS doing, and immediately killed the rally. Later, three at-bats too late, Boone decides to pinch-hit Dominguez for Volpe - a move that works, as Dominguez immediately ropes a double into the gap. We all know what happens next.
Or rewind further, to when things really began to fall of the rails, when, yet ANOTHER defensive blunder caused an inning to be extended, which caused more runs to be scored.
I guess what I'm saying is, whatever brand of baseball the Yankees have been playing these past years, simply isn't working. It never did, and it never will. The fellas over at Jomboy Media were spot on during their postgame, echoing so many of the frustrations felt throughout the fanbase. I'm reminded of the definition of insanity...
Answering the Call
For all of the disappointment this postseason, and believe me, there's an absolute fk ton, two Yankees answered the call each time their number/name was -- the Captain, Aaron Judge, and Cam Schlittler. The latter solidified himself as a starter in the Yankees rotation next year, delivering two phenomenal performances, the first of which is, yes, historic.
And the Captain? He finally delivered when the team needed him most. Hit after hit, RBI after RBI, Judge showed why is the MVP every year he steps out on that field, and why he is the best hitter in all of baseball. His home run in game three is one of the most insane swings I've ever seen.
The narrative that Judge isn't a clutch or postseason player have been quieted, quite emphatically, this postseason, and I couldn't be happier.
For all that Judge did though, his supporting cast let him down -- and let him down in ways I've only seen in movies. Grisham, Volpe, and Wells disappeared when the team needed them most, often looking like they were guessing on every single pitch.
I mean, how do you stare at an 86MPH slider that's RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE, Trent?!?!
And Volpe... The Yankees have destroyed this kid, much like the NY Giants destroyed Daniel Jones. And, much like the fellas at Jomboy, the only way forward, especially after the "helpful instruction" from fans and boos he received after his last at bat, is to move on. The same goes for Grisham -- great regular season, but when the team needed him, he got caught guessing on hittable pitches. Multiple times. Every game.
It's Right in Front of Us
Every Yankees fan's favorite quote, right? The sad truth is that it's never been "right in front of us."
To the casual fan and national broadcaster who just looks at the stats, yes, the Yankees are a fantastic team. But for those who are watching all 162, all this series did was highlight the exact problems that plagued us in the regular season.
An overreliance on #99. Zero situational hitting. One of the worst bullpens in recent memory. And a front office that feels, most of the time, completely out of touch with the rest of the league.
That’s what killed this season.
And those problems have been there since Game 1.
It’s honestly pretty sad. Dare I say...pathetic.