There is crying in baseball
Between losing John Sterling and tough-luck injuries, it was an emotional week
A lot happened this week, in the Yankee orbit and in my life. I’ll admit, I wasn’t very locked in on the games. I was preoccupied, and I had a tough time handling the loss of John Sterling. Emotions were running high, on-and-off the field, as players, commentators and fans weren’t afraid to shed a few tears.
Injuries are cropping up
Ben Rice being out of the lineup with a thumb injury is a blow to the Yankee offense, (as well as my fantasy team’s). The Yankees still haven’t put Rice on the IL, but it sounds like he hasn’t done a ton of rehabbing yet. So, I’m not sure where that leaves him.
Thursday’s game is where things got messier, however. José Caballero was hit by a pitch on Wednesday and was out of the lineup Thursday, and the scheduled starter Ryan Weathers was puking his guts out with some sort of stomach bug. So the Yanks went with a bullpen game.
In the first at-bat of the game, Brandon Nimmo hit a line drive to deep left that Jasson Domínguez got a good read on. He leapt to make a spectacular catch, crashing into the video board with a whole lot of force.
While the ball stayed in his glove, Jasson did not stay in the game. You could tell instantly he looked pretty banged up and got teary-eyed as they carted him away. My heart breaks for this kid who had just worked his way back to the MLB lineup. Everyone wanted him to work on his defense — this is how he was repaid.
The official word so far from MLB reporter Bryan Hoch is that Domínguez has low-grade sprain in his left shoulder, severe enough to land him on the IL. The positive news is that, so far, concussion tests have come back negative. We’ve seen concussions derail the careers of some talented Yankees in recent memory (Anthony Rizzo, Clint Frazier), so hopefully The Martian can avoid further tragedy.
Spencer Jones is getting the call up
Domínguez’s replacement will be one of New York’s biggest prospects, the imposing slugger Spencer Jones. He’s been highly touted for some time, but the 24-year-old has yet to make it to the big leagues. He’ll make his debut in their series in Milwaukee this weekend.
Jones is 6’ 7” — much like the Captain. He’s also got speed. Though the circumstances aren’t great, it’s good that the Yankees have the depth to bring him up. Let’s see if he makes an impact.
Ryan McMahon is starting to hit
Speaking of making an impact, Ryan McMahon is starting to truly turn things around. He’s got a .409 avg in his last 7 games, with 5 RBIs and a HR. He seems to have found power to the opposite field, instead of trying to swing for a porch job every time. The only thing that could make the Yankees any better right now, is having their weaknesses become strengths.
Pitching updates
Speaking of the Yankees getting better (I’m a master at segues today), Carlos Rodón’s return to the rotation is imminent, with Gerrit Cole not too far behind. Elmer Rodríguez was sent back down after his last start to help make room and, as of now, Rodón is slated to pitch on Sunday against the Brewers.
The pitching has been strong, which gives Cole and Rodón some breathing room on their return. Neither of them have to step in and be absolutely lights out. That’s mostly because Cam Schlittler and Max Fried are both favorites for the Cy Young with Tarik Skubal getting injured. I think they’re both making a solid case so far.
RIP John Sterling
There was a part of me that wanted to spring into action and write some SEO-optimized fawning ode to John Sterling on Monday. But the news broke only hours after I had just published, and I needed some time.
I’m glad I’ve had the last few days to process it, consuming some incredible memories and tributes shared by others. Now that let it sink in, I can throw my thoughts out there, adding to the heap of love that has been expressed this past week.
I’ll start by saying that there were a few years where baseball took a backseat for me. I was deeply ingrained in the youthful process of figuring myself out, and baseball wasn’t a part of it. As I returned to the joy of the game, it was John and Suzyn’s voices who welcomed me back.
At first, I didn’t have the time, access, or attention span to sit down and watch a YES broadcast. But I loved listening to the games. Even before I knew much about the lore of John Sterling, he struck me as an interesting character.
Soon enough, listening became less about the game itself, and more about John’s antics. I was endlessly fascinated by his demeanor, his anecdotes, and his references from another lifetime. He was a living connection to the past, to the history of the game, to New York, to American culture. His rapport with Suzyn was so heartwarming — any time I felt alone, I could listen to them banter back and forth.
I can’t solely credit John with reigniting my passion for baseball, but he had a heck of a lot to do with it. I’m forever grateful for what he gave to the game, to the Yankees, and to the fans. He was hilarious. He was passionate. He was an entertainer.
At the end of this post I’ve compiled some of the tributes, videos, memories, and facts that have helped get me through his passing. Love you, John!
Things I Did This Week Instead of Watching Baseball
Sometimes the best part of your team being on a hot streak is the ability to tune out a bit. They’re not clawing their way out of a hole, trying to get back to .500 or neck-and-neck in a pennant race. This Yankees team is simply rolling, stacking wins in early May against mid-tier opponents. So, I checked out a bit, I’ll be honest.
I already talked about why I don’t like the Rangers, but that’s not the main reason I let the Yanks cook without my supervision. The truth is, I had plenty going on that didn’t involve sitting in front of my TV.
So, here are a few things I did this week instead of watching baseball.
Played softball on a gorgeous spring night in Prospect Park, wearing my “John and Suzyn” tee as a nod to John Sterling’s passing.
As much as I wanted to tune in to see how they handled things, I think John would have been happy to see me out in the evening sun with my teammates and friends. I did catch part of the radio broadcast on Monday.
Saw Bruce Springsteen in concert for the first time
Seeing The Boss was something I felt compelled to do at some point and the stars aligned for me to see him on this tour. It definitely lived up to the hype.
The E Street Band was rockin, joined by guitarist Tom Morello for a big chunk of their set. Never did I imagine I’d be watching Tom Morello do his signature style of guitar shredding over Springsteen tunes.
My buddies and I all had a great time. But I’m not sure we had as good a time as this particular NY Islanders fan. As my one friend described it, “For a moment, he was free.”
Celebrated my birthday
Yes, this past week was also my birthday. Honestly, I usually use that as an excuse to hit a game, but I didn’t want to see the stupid Rangers. I did use it as an excuse to take a couple of days off from work. It was a low-key birthday overall, and I managed to (mostly) avoid the demons reminding me I’ve gotten another year older. I think hitting a personal running milestone and enjoying a beautiful night out to dinner with my wife were a big reason.
Michael Kay tearing up talking about John (at 13:00)
This interview between Michael Kay, Joel Sherman, and Jon Heyman was touching as well
Suzyn says John got her the job at WFAN (Reddit)
Bleacher Creature roll-call for John (Reddit)
One of my personal connections to John lore: I swear I was listening live when he got hit with that foul ball. It could be a false memory because I’ve seen it so many times after, but I am 95% I was tuned in and remember thinking it was nuts.
*preview image via reddit (LINK)
Happy belated bday! Your post has inspired me. Spencer Jones is here yo save my fantasy season
Playing softball and seeing Springsteen? Amazing! Happy birthday!