Yankees – Page 127 – Keefe To The City

Jan 28, 2020

I’m Ready for Yankees Baseball to Return

The moment Jose Altuve made contact in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6 of the ALCS, I was ready for next season. I’m always ready for next season. I hate the offseason.

The moment Jose Altuve made contact in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6 of the ALCS, I was ready for next season. I’m always ready for next season. I hate the offseason.

The winter gauntlet that is January and February has an added day this year, and with still over a month until the clocks are set forward, Punxsutawney Phil better not see his shadow next Sunday. The cold of winter isn’t helped by Yankees players using social media to post videos of themselves hitting or working on their game outside in sunny Florida while I’m walking my dog Charlie in below-freezing temperatures praying he will find the right spot to poop before I lose all feeling in my fingers.

The offseason once again hasn’t been helped by the Rangers as they fade in the standings (even if this season was never supposed to be about the playoffs) and are on their way to a third straight postseason-less year, and it certainly wasn’t helped by the Giants since they last played a meaningful game when the 2019 Yankees were still playing.

We’re close to baseball, even if it’s just beat writers live-tweeting intrasquad games and batting practice. Reading about pitchers’ fielding practice and back-field infield drills and watching videos of bullpen sessions recorded on a phone through the spacing of a chain-link fence never sounded so good.

I welcome the daily updates about the battle for third base, what’s going on at first base and the overreaction to how good or bad Miguel Andujar looks at third base, first base and left field. I look forward to finding out if Aaron Boone will feel the need to stick a left-handed hitter in between the powerful righties for a third straight season and hearing about all the players who reported to camp in the “best shape of their life.” I want to lose it over the last position player and last reliever selected for the 25-man roster and I want to be irrationally upset over the order of the rotation to open the regular season. That’s how ready I am for baseball.

The wait is almost over. Even if there is snow in the forecast this week, we’re close. The sun is setting after 5 p.m., pitchers and catchers officially report in 15 days and position players five days after that.

I’m more than ready for the return of Yankees baseball. I have been since Oct. 19.

***

My book The Next Yankees Era: My Transition from the Core Four to the Baby Bombers is now available as an ebook!

Jan 20, 2020

Yankees Podcast: Joe Girardi Trying to End Phillies’ World Series Drought He Started

Matt Higgins of CBS Philadelphia joined me to talk about the Phillies and the former Yankees now there.

It’s now been more than a decade since the Yankees and Phillies met in the 2009 World Series and neither team has been back to the World Series since then let alone won a championship. While the Yankees have been to the four ALCS since 2009 and have contended for a return to the World Series, the Phillies are going on a ninth straight year without a playoff appearance. I didn’t see this coming when both teams were on top of the baseball world.

Matt Higgins of CBS Philadelphia joined me to talk about the Phillies hiring former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, the Phillies’ bullpen still being a major issue, the free-agent signings of Didi Gregorius and Zack Wheeler, looking back on the 2009 World Series and subsequent offseasons and expectations for the upcomning season.

***

My book The Next Yankees Era: My Transition from the Core Four to the Baby Bombers is now available as an ebook!

Podcasts • Yankees • Yankees Podcast

Jan 16, 2020

Yankees Podcast: Red Sox Are a Mess

Mike Hurley of CBS Boston joined me to talk about the Red Sox’ firing of their manager and their unusual press conference.

The Red Sox won 84 wins games last season and missed the postseason and now it seems like they are going to take another step in the wrong direction. Major League Baseball’s sign-stealing report has forced the Red Sox into a managerial search with six weeks until spring training all while their new general manager has been tasked with cutting payroll and possibly trading the team’s best players.

Mike Hurley of CBS Boston joined me to talk about the Red Sox “mutually parting of ways” with manager Alex Cora, the unusual press conference at Fenway Park with ownership and the front office, the team’s recent history of firing general managers and managers, the Red Sox’ plan to cut payroll and what expectations are in Boston for this season.

***

My book The Next Yankees Era: My Transition from the Core Four to the Baby Bombers is now available as an ebook!

Jan 13, 2020

Yankees Podcast: A Postseason Series Against the White Sox?

White Sox Dave of Barstool Sports joined me to talk about the White Sox’ offseason and a possible postseason return.

For the last few years it’s been the Indians and Twins the Yankees have worried about from the AL Central. The AL Central has sent four teams to the postseason in the last three years and the Yankees have eliminated three of them. But things are changing in the midwest and it might be the White Sox who are the team to beat in the AL Central.

White Sox Dave of Barstool Sports joined me to talk about the White Sox’ heavy-spending offseason, the additions of Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion and Dallas Keuchel, the breakout seasons from Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada, the career turnaround of Lucas Giolito, the future for Blake Rutherford, a possible Yankees-White Sox playoff series and the White Sox becoming the best baseball team in Chicago.

***

My book The Next Yankees Era: My Transition from the Core Four to the Baby Bombers is now available as an ebook!

Podcasts • Yankees • Yankees Offseason

Jan 9, 2020

Yankees Podcast: Yankees Affected by Astros’ Offseason

Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle joined me to talk about everything Astros this offseason.

For the last three years, the American League has been about the Yankees and Astros, outside of one miracle and fluke Red Sox season. Once again in 2020, the American League will be about the Yankees and Astros and the two teams will be expected to meet in the ALCS for the third time in four years. What the Astros do this offseason directly impacts the Yankees as the Yankees will likely have to go through the Astros to get back to the World Series.

Houston Chronicle Astros beat writer Chandler Rome joined me to talk about the 2019 ALCS, the Astros’ failure to win the World Series despite being home for Games 6 and 7, A.J. Hinch’s postseason management, covering Gerrit Cole and what type of person and teammate the newest Yankee is, if the Astros would really trade Carlos Correa, the Astros’ rotation questions, what their sign-stealing penalty could be and how many years are left in the Astros’ championship window.

My book The Next Yankees Era: My Transition from the Core Four to the Baby Bombers is now available as an ebook!