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00:01It's a drive by Derry Dawson, Charles Chisholm goes deep.
00:09Hello and welcome to the Pinstripe Post.
00:10My name is Ryan Sampson, but he's the star of the show, Joel Sherman.
00:13Today is Monday, August 31st.
00:15Joel, since the last time we spoke to, the New York Yankees took the series against the
00:19Boston Red Sox.
00:20They did drop the series against the Houston Astros.
00:22In an all-important game, it felt like yesterday, Sunday, they take that game, which did give
00:26them the season series win over the Boston Red Sox, which could play crucial later on
00:31when it comes to postseason seeding if they end up in the wild card.
00:35There's a lot to talk about.
00:36Aaron Judge talked about how he's not going to be doing rehab games.
00:39Luis Heal's back with the Yankees.
00:41Michael Fulmer is a bullpen pitcher.
00:43There's a lot to happen.
00:44And before we get to any of that, as always on a Monday morning, Joel Sherman, how you
00:48doing today, buddy?
00:49Good.
00:50Since last we were together, I've taken both of my boys back for their senior year in
00:54college, which was interesting and made me feel even older, but no, a good experience.
01:01And but I was at what I thought was the most meaningful Yankee game of the 2026 season yesterday,
01:09Sunday, really when you think about all the implications and where they were about midday
01:15Saturday and how, say, a Yankee fan felt after game one of the doubleheader and where they
01:23felt what they felt by the end of business Sunday, where the Yankees won the series against
01:30Boston, vitally won the season series against them.
01:35The Yankees finished tied with Toronto last year at 94 wins.
01:40And Toronto had the home field advantage when they got to the division series.
01:44Right now, the Yankees and Red Sox are on a collision course for a second straight year
01:48to play a wild card series, a best of three.
01:51It was in Yankee Stadium last year.
01:54The Yankees, for all intents and purposes, it's four games in the standings, but now have
01:58a five game lead on Boston because of the tiebreaker with 30 oddish games or so left.
02:04We're not we're really starting to get towards the end here.
02:07It's going to be hard to make that up.
02:09So that was a big, big victory, because if not, we'd be talking about it was really three,
02:16you know, what would be down to two in the standings and a real two if they lost, because
02:22then Boston would have the tiebreaker.
02:24So a huge Yankee victory in the on Sunday.
02:29And yeah, a lot they a lot of good things happened for them between the nightcap Saturday
02:36and the wind Sunday.
02:38And now they you know, it's interesting for this late in the season, right?
02:41And they have to go out to the West Coast twice still.
02:43They've got this road trip and then they've got an Arizona, Minnesota is their last road
02:47trip of the season.
02:49West Coast road trips in this late in the year when the body is tired or tougher.
02:55Look, it didn't help the Mets.
02:56They had four West Coast trips all early this year.
03:00If they were in the race, I think it would have benefited them not to have to leave the
03:04Eastern time zones that much.
03:06They obviously struggled.
03:08I do think it's tough on the body to go back and forth so late in the season.
03:11But the Yankees had a very successful weekend and are now in very, very strong position to
03:19be have the second best record in the league.
03:22Uh, perhaps still, uh, try to track down, uh, Tampa Bay, who they have, uh, is it three
03:29or four games left with at the end of the season?
03:31I know they have a series.
03:33I think it might be a four game series at the stadium.
03:35It's the next to last series of the year, uh, before they finish with Baltimore.
03:40And so they're, they, they, they, that is not out of the question.
03:44Uh, but they did a lot to make sure that at least the first round of the playoffs are
03:49played in the Bronx.
03:50No doubt, Joel, it is a four game set against Tampa from the 22nd to the 24th against the
03:55Tampa Bay Rays, which like you said, could be potentially for the division if they could
03:59catch up to them.
03:59Uh, but like you also had stated before the fact that this four game lead is now like a
04:05five game lead because of the tie break the Yankees owned for the season series.
04:08It, it was very crucial yesterday.
04:11Uh, but I want to start with ultimately this pitching that's happening right now with the
04:16Yankees.
04:16It felt like Joel, they were in a very crazy spot on Saturday.
04:20The fact that they were going into a double header with two starters in Max freed and Carlos
04:25Rodon, who are not, I mean, I don't think Rodon's fully built up yet as they're both coming
04:30back from injury and free.
04:31Clearly not.
04:32It put their bullpen in a crazy spot.
04:36And it was awesome seeing Michael Fulmer on Friday come into the game with a two run lead
04:42in the sixth inning.
04:43And you're on, oh my God, they're putting this guy in this spot.
04:45And he, he credits him.
04:46He came through, uh, Paul Blackburn continues to shine.
04:50But the fact that the starters have gave, didn't give him as much length the, the, the Saturday
04:56and the bullpen was really tested, but then sandwiched in between, you got Schlittler and,
05:02and Will Warren, who had his best outing.
05:03I thought of the year, uh, talk to me about the state of the Yankees pitching right now.
05:07It continues to really impress me and how they just, no matter what the situation in
05:12Joel is, they take the ball and they just shove and they, and they've performed admirably
05:18well.
05:18I would say.
05:19Yeah.
05:20The run prevention has been from the mound in particular has been great.
05:23Um, uh, I thought it was Will Warren's most important start as a major leaguer yesterday
05:30to, to give it, to give them length.
05:33I'll give you two insights from the weekend, which was, I was at the pregame press conference,
05:38uh, before game one of the Saturday double header.
05:41I'm sure you've seen the imagery since then, where they asked Aaron Boone, like about his
05:47bullpen and he went, and that's really how he felt like how I'm going to get through games
05:55because he knew he was looking at short starts.
05:58Uh, he knows he's asked too much of, uh, Hedrick and Blackburn already.
06:03Uh, and then I'll give you one other insight from talking to a lot of the people I was at
06:08the game yesterday is they were very, very concerned about the 18 inning possibility of
06:17Sunday and tonight, Monday, and how do they get the ball to call Schlittler again, Tuesday,
06:25Wednesday, where they feel somewhat confident that they'll get 18, 19, 20, like those guys
06:30will give them some length because Elmer, uh, Rodriguez is pitching tonight while they liked
06:36what they saw last time.
06:37It's still a rookie, uh, you know, out on the West coast.
06:41It's a long trip.
06:43They're, they're in the middle of 11 games in 10 days.
06:46They're in the middle of just playing, you know, essentially a playoff series against
06:50Boston over the weekend, four games in three days.
06:53And they were very concerned about how they were going to get through these.
06:59So that will, that will Warren who opens the game in the worst possible way, he does not
07:06do well against lefties.
07:08Roman Anthony comes off the IL hasn't played a made taking a major league swing since May
07:12and he hits about 110 mile an hour double.
07:15Uh, there's a scorched liner for the second out.
07:19And then the third batters, the second lefty he faces is Wilier Abreu.
07:22He walks him on four pitches.
07:24So it's first and second one out and you know, you could start worrying if you're the Yankees
07:29what this guy can't get out of the first.
07:31He ended up striking out the next two guys, uh, and then just kind of getting into his
07:36best groove of the season and getting 21 outs yesterday was, and then Tim Hill finishing
07:46it for six outs where everyone else day off kind of reset it a little bit.
07:53They would love to, I'm sure, find a way tonight, uh, to stay away from Blackburn and
08:00Hedrick yet again, like as many days as they could stay away from Blackburn and Hedrick at
08:06this point is all the better.
08:09Um, and, uh, you know, they get to add another arm on Tuesday.
08:14They'll go to 14 pitchers, right?
08:16You could expand to 28 on September 1st.
08:19So they'll add another.
08:20And I just think Yankee fans are going to have to get comfortable with this is some guys
08:24you're not going to want to see pitching are going to pitch this month because you just
08:30can't like the Yankees know they're going to be in the playoffs now.
08:33And you just, you got to save something for that then.
08:38And the best thing that could happen to the Yankees is that the division race clarifies.
08:43They either know for sure by the time they get to that Tampa series that they're in it
08:48or now they're eight back and they're not in it.
08:52It's a good point.
08:53I do think they have to start to think about the big picture, which is how do we make sure
08:59Aaron judge gets enough at bats?
09:01How do we make sure that, uh, you know, we, we pull back the reins on Schlittler who's
09:06leading the American league in innings.
09:08We, they pull back on Hedrick.
09:10They pull back on Blackburn.
09:11They don't overuse Bednar who actually has hardly pitched out for, for a week because,
09:16uh, you know how the games have been played, but at some point they're going to have to
09:20prioritize the big picture.
09:22Uh, and you want to win the division.
09:25If you go seize the division, then you get a week off and you, you know, you'll be the
09:30number one seed in the American league.
09:32So it's worthwhile to go for it, but it would be best for them to have it clarified sooner
09:37than later because they've got to stop pushing some arms and then you want to start working
09:42in your hitters who, or, you know, like how, how you want to see, see them, uh, you know,
09:47especially judge, you know, play them as you want to.
09:50Yeah.
09:51Look, uh, I think it's a great point by you, especially the clarification of where the
09:55division is.
09:56Um, I, I, I'm one, I'm curious where your thoughts are.
10:00My fact that Michael Fulmer again was brought in on Friday night and such a high leverage
10:04situation and didn't look terrible, Joel.
10:07Like I, it's like, Hey, we got Michael Fulmer.
10:09He's coming up and we're going to throw him right in.
10:11I'm pretty sure he was up, uh, when the bases were loaded as well in the bullpen, like they
10:15were warming him up, like in another spot over the weekend.
10:17So they probably think highly of him, Joel, but I think you could speak more to like, is
10:23this a guy that could potentially down, down the road in September is one of those guys
10:27where you're going to see a lot of Michael Fulmer over this next month.
10:30You're going to see a lot of Michael Fulmer over the next month.
10:32Yeah.
10:34I mean, that's just because, cause he's either going to be real or he's going to be somebody
10:39who could be put in a game.
10:41And again, I can't for the people who are nice enough to watch this or Yankee fans, I
10:45can't say this enough.
10:46You've got to take a deep breath when you see somebody come in a game who, cause it can't
10:51be Hedrick and Blackburn every day.
10:53It's, they've got to use the length of their bullpen.
10:56You know, there's going to be a, you know, I would expect that the guy on call tonight,
11:00if Rodriguez is troubled is Luis Hill, uh, to give them some length, because again, they'll
11:07want to protect.
11:08They'd rather use one long than four short.
11:12At some point, they've got to back away from some of this.
11:16I'll give you another insight that they're not screaming out loud.
11:21They were very impressed with the video of Fulmer and they were a little surprised that
11:27other teams didn't jump on it and they kind of really like them.
11:32Now to find somebody free in late August, sitting out on the waiver wire, you know, like I, as
11:39I said to one of their, their people, I said, look, I'll give you credit.
11:43You're smart.
11:44I just don't believe 29 teams are dumb.
11:47Uh, and that everybody saw the same video.
11:50You sort of Michael Fulmer, almost everybody could use an arm and only you guys were the
11:54geniuses to get it.
11:56Now, now what we don't know is maybe there were 10 teams trying to get them and the Yankees
12:01portrayed a, Hey man, we, we, we have open playoff spots in the bullpen.
12:07If you come pitch well, and that might set you up for the off season when, you know, you're
12:12an older free agent.
12:13And so, you know, we, and, and clearly, you know, one of the things the Yankees could always
12:18sell, they're great at helping pitchers become better relievers.
12:22Uh, you know, their track record is well stated.
12:25So if Michael Fulmer had five choices, you know, the fact that he could go to a playoff
12:30team in a high profile situation and maybe get better because the Yankee pitching is,
12:37uh, you know, infrastructure is good.
12:38Perhaps that helps.
12:39But I'm telling you, like I was blown away.
12:41Like a couple of people said to me, man, we really liked everything we saw with Fulmer.
12:47And it's interesting because they're playing the team tonight, the angels who aren't very
12:51good, who got rid of them.
12:53It's funny how that works, right?
12:54Joel.
12:54It's, uh, I always think of when you say something like that, it's, it's John, it's
13:00John Sterling saying that's baseball, Susan.
13:01Like that's just how it works when, when things like this happen.
13:04Uh, Luis heel, he returns to the majors.
13:07Uh, and there was some gymnastics going on in the rock, like for the Yankees to get through
13:12this four game set.
13:12I mean, they, they had, uh, just Justin Topa, you saw him and then they, they, uh, let him,
13:18you know, they send him back down.
13:19They let him go.
13:20Brandon Beck gets recalled.
13:21Uh, we see Clark Schmidt.
13:23He does a, uh, double a rehab start.
13:25Ryan McMahon played as well.
13:27Uh, but Luis heel, who was originally thought of to be potentially a starter at the start
13:32of the season after battling back injuries, he's now a bullpen arm.
13:36Uh, how are the Yankees going to use him and could he potentially play himself over the
13:42next month into that opportunity to be a high leverage reliever for them?
13:45Um, yeah, I think it's a pretty important month for him.
13:49Um, let's be frank.
13:51Uh, Luis heel is here because the Yankees had run out of other 40 man options, uh, either
13:57because of rule.
13:58You can't bring a guy back within 15 days or injury, injury, uh, should Billy, uh, is
14:05hurt, uh, uh, Castro is hurt.
14:09Uh, they've just run out of 40 man roster options.
14:13So he comes and heel could give them a little length.
14:16And the thing they have to protect against is they're losing eight to one.
14:22You don't want to throw like all your arms to just get through a game again, as many games,
14:30uh, as you can play in this short period where you use one, two, three starters, uh, one,
14:38two, three pitchers.
14:39That's a real advantage for the Yankees.
14:41They've got to kind of start backing off of some guys.
14:44And, uh, so, so I think Hill was the logical 40 man choice because there was no other choice
14:52and he was throwing well enough that they're curious what it looks like.
14:57And he will be out of options after this year.
15:01And so is he a guy who's going to be part of their pitching staff, part of their rotation,
15:08part of their bullpen?
15:09Does he do enough this month to make some teams out there go, Hey, Louis heel.
15:13I remember what that looked like in 2024 trade for him.
15:17So Louis heel needs to have a good month.
15:21Uh, it would really help the Yankees.
15:23It would really help his career, uh, to kind of set them up in a, in a, in a, in
15:28a better
15:28place.
15:30Uh, and you know, look at some point, the Yankees are hoping, uh, that Clark Schmidt and
15:35Ryan Weathers get back.
15:38Uh, I want to be very, very careful here that he's throwing, but I have not heard like nobody's
15:45talking on the Carlos Lagrange could get all the way back.
15:49He's throwing, uh, they haven't shut him down.
15:52They haven't completely turned off that spigot to say zero shot.
15:58Uh, I'm going to say it's pretty close to zero right now, just because still a new role.
16:04You're protecting him's future, et cetera, but they haven't shut it off.
16:08Uh, you know, if you've stopped playing multiple rounds of the playoffs, remember they'll carry
16:12some kind of taxi squad.
16:14They'll have guys probably down in Tampa continuing to, you know, there'll be that like Jason
16:18Dominguez, Anthony Volpe kind of group continuing to work out, uh, just in case you have an injury
16:24to an infielder and outfielder, et cetera.
16:27Uh, so I think he's in it, but I think, I think that I think guys like Hill Schmidt and
16:35Weathers, like if they, if one, two or three take two relieving well, I mean, now think
16:43of their bullpen.
16:43And also think about what it does for not that.
16:47This is what I'm talking about is you'd like to get to about the last 10, 12 games of the
16:51season where you say Clark Schmidt is going to relieve Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
16:58Then the following week, he's going to Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday so that you can see it
17:04like Ryan Weathers.
17:06If he could come back for like the last 10, 12 games, it's like, you'd like to get to
17:09the point of clarity, but Hey, if you got to go for the division, you might be Clark
17:16Schmidt's pitching the seventh inning against Tampa Bay.
17:19Cause we, you feel that's the best way to win the game.
17:22So I do think it's going to be, and by the way, a lot of teams are in this situation
17:27as
17:28they're trying to beat the clock and get injured guys back.
17:32You know, like if you notice Corbin Burns pitched a rehab game on Saturday, Will Smith, the Dodger
17:38catcher is coming back Tuesday night.
17:41Carlos Correa is starting to run the bases this week to see if he could come back from
17:46a pretty devastating ankle injury to play third base again for the Astros.
17:49It's just the, Hey, is there enough, enough time to get key guys back all over the sport?
17:55And the Yankees have that, especially with the pitching and of course their most important
17:59player with judge who interestingly to me is on this trip.
18:04Yeah.
18:04And, uh, I think that's before we get to the judge of it all, uh, the Yankees did suffer
18:10another injury in the bullpen too.
18:11We should remind everyone Fernando Cruz, uh, who is now dealing with a partially torn UCL.
18:17Uh, so we don't know if his season is over or if he's going to try and rest and rehab
18:21to
18:21get back to be a part of that equation as well for the playoffs.
18:24Um, so again, it's a juggling piece.
18:27It's, I don't want to be negative here cause it is a really important weekend.
18:31They just came off of, and they had a really great series win.
18:34Um, but the fact that they had not addressed the bullpen at the deadline and that they
18:39had injuries now to Weathers and Cruz freed is coming back from injury.
18:43Rodan was coming back from injury.
18:44It puts them all in a much tighter spot, more high.
18:48And they they're in so many tight games that it just puts all these guys in tight situations
18:52to be in high leverage situations.
18:53So like Joel said, expect some names this next month to be, whoa, this guy's coming
18:58in or whoa, that guy's starting, uh, or that guy's pitching because I thought it was interesting
19:03that they used Clark Schmidt in double a as an opener yesterday, Joel for 20 pitches.
19:08Could that be potentially something Schmidt could do, uh, up in the upcoming month at the major
19:13league level for the Yanks?
19:14So, uh, I was part of a group that talked to Clark yesterday and I asked them, uh, you
19:19know, I, I asked three questions that I was very specifically interested in.
19:23Uh, number one, it seems like the out of limit for him is going to be 30 pitches.
19:28So I would think of him as a two inning guy, uh, uh, that that's kind of what they're doing.
19:34Uh, and I think that they're kind of aiming for something between a reliever and remember
19:42what Michael King did for them a couple of years ago, that high, that hybrid role.
19:47And he agreed, he said, you know, he was on that team, uh, and he said, uh, that could
19:54be what it looks like.
19:55So I think that there could be situations where the Yankees think, you know, the best way to
20:02use Clark Schmidt today is the first six outs of the game, or think the best way to use them
20:07is some middle innings.
20:10And I just think we're in a pitching tryout situation that includes tonight.
20:15I think they're intrigued by Elmer Rodriguez.
20:18Uh, he's going to be an important guy for this month because he's going to start in weather's
20:23place, uh, uh, and get some real innings in and maybe be in their bullpen.
20:31Uh, they, they have some live arms and maybe they, when this is all said and done, Ryan,
20:39they may say, see, we didn't need the reliever.
20:42We just had a lot of good pitchers.
20:45They all got healthy enough and we use the best picture instead of using more collateral
20:50to get some seventh inning guy who maybe is good and maybe isn't, maybe they'll get to
20:57the finish line and this will work.
20:59I still think they needed just for comfort and are, uh, but if, but it's a tricky business
21:07to find, you know, like look at Brazoban with the white socks, you know, he had pitched
21:13so brilliantly for the Mets for four months.
21:16Then he pitched bad and got hurt with the white socks and you know, and you've given up real
21:21collateral to go get him.
21:23Now they have control of him beyond this year, but, uh, you know, it's, it's a tricky business.
21:28You trade for people at the deadline and it's a very short window and in relief, a very small
21:34job in a short window to get it right.
21:36And that's why most of it doesn't go right.
21:38Yeah.
21:39Yeah, for sure.
21:40Joel, um, Cam Schlittler, uh, I do want to highlight him as well.
21:45Uh, he became now the, that after Friday, it was his 20th start with one earned run or
21:51fewer this season.
21:52That is, uh, tied with Whitey Ford from 1964 season for the second most in a, in a season
21:57as in Yankees history.
21:59Uh, the only other picture of Moore is Ron Guidry with 21 in 1978.
22:03So that's very attainable.
22:05If, if, if Cam has another great start with one earned run or less.
22:08Um, and he also has the most in major league baseball with 20 starts at one earn or less.
22:12And the next closest is 16.
22:14Joel, the Yankees.
22:16I don't think there's any doubt about it.
22:18They found themselves a true ACE in that mid to late round of the draft.
22:23Uh, how impressive has this been for you?
22:26That Cam has one gone the distance and two, just completely dominated almost every outing
22:32that he goes out there.
22:34Yeah.
22:34He's another guy though.
22:35They need to back off of, you know, there were five walks on Friday night also, and he's
22:41a control pitcher for a power guy.
22:43He's a control pitcher.
22:45Uh, he, uh, look beyond anything else, Ryan, you, you know, there's, you grew up a Yankee
22:52fan and I've obviously covered a lot of baseball in New York in the last 40 years.
22:57Part of being a Yankee is you got to figure out how to do well against the Red Sox.
23:02And so he's already checked that box multiple times, including his most important start of
23:07his career in the playoffs last year.
23:09So he's done all the things you would want out of a young ACE like pitcher he's done for
23:18the Yankees.
23:18Uh, I do really think it's important that like extra rest.
23:25He's handled this great.
23:27He's handled it great, but you still have September and the Yankees hope they're going to pitch
23:33through October.
23:34Sure.
23:35There is an extra month of pitching coming up.
23:38They hope, they hope.
23:39And, uh, I would try very hard to be like 15 fewer pitches today is fine.
23:47And this is why I tell Yankee fans, it's going to be like the fifth inning and he has 75,
23:5280
23:53pitches and he's pitching a one hit shutout.
23:55And the score is like three to nothing.
23:57And you're like, why is he taking them out?
23:59And I'm like, you've got to see the big picture a little bit.
24:02You've got to, because, because no, you know, I would tell every Yankee fan, look in the
24:07mirror, the job is not to win a game on September 5th.
24:10The job is to get a parade.
24:13And so every decision from here on in has to be with that in focus.
24:17And you might cost yourself something down the stretch because Michael Fullman's in the
24:22game.
24:23Yeah.
24:24And it's just the way it must be.
24:27If you're thinking big picture, you've got, uh, you know, like I would have a tonight,
24:32I would have a no Blackburn Hedrick rule tonight.
24:36Like, even though both could probably be available without being used yesterday, I would just
24:41say it's another day.
24:42You know what?
24:44Uh, uh, good luck, Michael Fullmer.
24:47I mean, we, we know the Yankees have historically loved to try to avoid that and give the guys
24:52two days off in a row to get that little mini reset because it's crucial.
24:56Like they're playing for October.
24:58You've, you've said it so many times that this is where the Yankees mentality is.
25:02This is what their focus is.
25:03They're focused on October and trying to position themselves the best way possible.
25:08Uh, speaking of positioning themselves the best way possible, they're waiting for their
25:11MVP and best, best, uh, hitter and Aaron judge to make his return.
25:16Uh, we heard him speak to the media the other day and he stated, quote unquote, I don't need
25:22rehab, uh, games and I don't need rehab at bats.
25:25Uh, so Joel, this, this clearly, and again, this goes to what you've said before, this
25:31is Aaron judge calling the shots.
25:32This is him saying when I'm ready to return, how I'm going to return.
25:36I'm going to be playing the field.
25:37I'm batting, you know, second or third, wherever they position me in the lineup, but your thoughts
25:42on the fact that, you know, judges, judges calling the shots here and he could be nearing
25:47a return.
25:47And I saw your, your piece last week on, on making a guess again.
25:51And you told us again last week, yes, maybe September 10th, uh, if, if he was going to
25:57position himself that way.
25:58So what can you say about Aaron judge's return?
26:02Yeah, I'm, I'm, you know, my, my over under was September 10th because, uh, I think I said
26:08September 10th DH against Colorado, September 11th, play the Mets, uh, in right field, uh,
26:15on the nine 11 game, which will be meaningful for everyone in a bunch of different ways.
26:20Um, uh, I think he's getting closer.
26:23I think that he very much is following the mode of John Carlos Stanton.
26:28Like you can, I think in a world before the traject machine came along, you had to go on
26:34rehab to see real velocity and real stuff.
26:38I think players feel that the traject machine gives them a lot of that.
26:43Uh, I would not be surprised if someplace along the way, he's doing some, uh, simulated game
26:52stuff on the field.
26:53I don't know if the Yankees want to like, you know, if Ryan Weathers gets to the point
26:57where he can throw a, you know, a bullpen, he might as well throw a live bullpen from the
27:03mound and, and do it against Aaron judge, uh, you know, hitting.
27:07And so, uh, I, I think there's that, uh, I think in a different age, you got to go on
27:15rehab.
27:15I still think there's always a benefit to a rehab game or two because it's an actual game.
27:20And I think the sport is being ruined by the fact that we poo poo games too much, like poo
27:27poo on field batting practice, poo poo games.
27:30Like we are putting on an entertainment.
27:32It's okay to go hit outside every once in a while.
27:34So fans could see batting practice.
27:36Uh, it's okay to go to the double a facility, you know, thing for two games.
27:40So fans in your double a place, see you play.
27:43And it is an actual baseball game instead of hitting against the machine.
27:47But, uh, he is going to call the shots on this.
27:50Uh, and I think that the fact that he's going with them means that he is really ebbing
27:57close to some real stuff that is best done with them, as opposed to in Tampa, back at
28:06the stadium with trainers.
28:08So I think if I were a betting man, you will see him hit on the field at some point
28:15on this
28:15West coast trip.
28:17Yeah.
28:17Uh, it feels like, and I think that hit on the field and hear that he's hitting against
28:23velocity underneath against traject is the, okay, now we're a DEFCON something we're getting
28:31real close to it.
28:32Uh, and he's going to play, uh, soon.
28:35And, uh, but, uh, but I'll say this also is he does need to prep his body.
28:40He hasn't played baseball since May 31st and more important.
28:43He was not allowed to do anything for a couple of months.
28:47He wasn't allowed to ride a stationary bicycle.
28:50So he has a lot of ground to make up.
28:53I mean, he's, he's a world-class athlete.
28:55I'm sure he'll make it up, but you also don't want to rush it because any setback and then
29:01the season's over.
29:02Right.
29:03And he's got, you've got to be like, Hey, a hundred percent.
29:07Joe Torrey used to do this thing.
29:09Um, Ryan, where he'd be like, are you ready to play today?
29:14When a guy was injured and he'd go, the guy would go, yeah, he'd go, okay.
29:18So you'll play tomorrow.
29:21It was like his way.
29:22Like, well, let's just give it one more day.
29:24Like in some ways they were the Yankees.
29:26They knew they were good.
29:27You could always afford the one more day.
29:30Uh, and, uh, that's how I would feel about judge.
29:33You feel good today.
29:34Let's give it a couple of more days.
29:36Yeah.
29:37Because as much as you want to get them back again, there's nothing more important than
29:42October and he's got to play all the games that completely agree with you, Joel.
29:47It's a highly anticipated.
29:49It's fascinating that it is ramped up so quickly.
29:52It feels like over the last couple of weeks to now the point of, Hey, he's going out in
29:55the West coast trip.
29:56Like you said, he's there with the team.
29:58He's probably going to be doing some on-field drills that everyone will see.
30:01Maybe even take some live BP or, or, you know, batting cage practice.
30:05So it's, it's a much well, warm welcome for this offense because we see such a Jekyll
30:12and Hyde with this offense, right?
30:14Joel.
30:14And we see games like Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon where they go over again,
30:19runners are scoring position.
30:20I was there Thursday night, over and runners are scoring position, but then they have a
30:23game where they hit 13 singles and they, you know, they're not going to bludgeon you
30:28to death with homers.
30:28Like you feel like the Yankees would.
30:30Uh, and then they have yesterday where they explode for a bunch of runs that mix with homers
30:35and whatnot.
30:35And they, they, they faced a bunch of lefties this past weekend, which I thought was impressive.
30:39So there's a lot of thoughts here with this offense judge would, would solve.
30:44I think a lot of those things that we talk about where this Yankees offense isn't great
30:48in the first inning, isn't great versus lefties isn't good to get, you know, with runners
30:51a scoring position, but talk to me about the state of this Yankees offense and what they're
30:57getting from these guys right now.
31:00Yeah, well, the last two games couldn't go better because as an overall team, and I would
31:07include the pitching in this, they use seven pitchers in the nightcap Saturday to win.
31:13Uh, they used essentially their sixth starter and fifth reliever to get through a game yesterday
31:19and the offense, to your point, 13 singles, no team had scored nine or more runs off of 13
31:25singles in five years, uh, uh, or no extra base hits.
31:29So that was the length of a lineup helping.
31:32Uh, and then yesterday, obviously now some of this was done against a position player in
31:37the end, but a lot of the damage was done against the real pitching, uh, to force them
31:42to a position player.
31:44Uh, and it was a lot of guys doing it.
31:47I think the most important thing was that Elio Ramos, uh, had a big day.
31:53It was two for two with two walks.
31:55It included a three run homer off of Ranger Suarez.
31:58That was really, really important.
32:01I do say to Yankee fans, you got to be careful.
32:05There was a lot of jump, uh, uh, jumping to judgment on like say Randall Gritchick early
32:12in the year.
32:13Oh, he stinks.
32:14What did they waste?
32:15$2 million.
32:16They released them and then he is actually would have been the answer to exactly what
32:20they would have needed if they kept them.
32:22It was like Elio Ramos had like 10 at-bats against lefty pitching and it was like, why
32:27did they trade for this guy?
32:28He's terrible.
32:29And you've, you know, his track record is he's going to hit lefties and hit them well.
32:34Um, so I, I think you've got to have a little patience there.
32:37I think once judge comes back, he's going to become essentially maybe start against lefties
32:41and a pinch hitter.
32:43Um, I do think they have some interesting positional stuff coming up, what they do, how
32:48they do it, who survives, who doesn't, who plays, where do they play, uh, et cetera.
32:53Uh, but I think it's good.
32:55The other thing that I thought was big, and I was talking to a couple of their hitting
32:58guys yesterday about this is last year left on left.
33:04They hit a lot of homers.
33:08So like maybe there, they were like, uh, had a guy who hit two 20, like, like jazz didn't
33:13hit well against lefties, but he hit homers against lefties.
33:17Austin Wells hit homers against lefties.
33:20Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, Ryan McMahon, Cody Bellinger, Cody Bellinger.
33:25But that has dimmed a little this year.
33:29And so Wells going left on left before he homers off of the position players, I thought
33:35was he came off the bench.
33:37His at-bats have been so much better for five or six weeks now.
33:40And he came off the bench and hit a left on left homer, right?
33:45It's, it was important, right?
33:47If it felt big at that point.
33:48And I, I think the Elio Ramos of it all was even bigger to what you're saying.
33:53Or did he, did he come in and hit because they had brought in a righty?
33:57Maybe I'm wrong about that.
33:58Maybe he hit a homer off a righty and I'm wrong.
34:01I'm trying to, yeah.
34:03Cause he pinch hits for Sanchez.
34:05So maybe it's a righty in the game at that point, as I'm rethinking it in my head.
34:09Zoff Moran, uh, lefty.
34:12Yeah.
34:12So that's what I thought is, uh, yeah, it's a left on left homer.
34:17Uh, and so, um, yeah, I thought, I thought that I think, I think they're left-handed
34:24hitters against left.
34:26The Yankees are going to see a ton of left-hand pitching again, starting with Boston.
34:29If that's who they play in the playoffs, by the way, that might include Garrett Crochet
34:34by the time you get to the playoffs, another guy trying to beat the clock and get back
34:38and become a bullpen guy.
34:39The guy who finished second for the AL Cy Young last year.
34:42So their lefty guys, like you could go strikeout, strikeout.
34:46If it includes a three-run homer in the third at bat, that's fine.
34:50And so there's got to be, there was a real damage quotient last year, left on left.
34:55That's been missing to some degree this year.
34:59And so, um, the Wells homer and the, uh, the first Wells homer and the Ramos homer, Ramos
35:07off a lefty.
35:08That's your job.
35:09Wells off a, uh, a lefty.
35:11Hey, you, we could live with the 200 average.
35:14If you pop a couple of multi-run homers, uh, against lefties, cause you're going to see
35:20them and they're not going to be quick to pinch hit for Wells in the post season because
35:23you don't want to take your starting catcher out.
35:25Right.
35:26And, uh, the fact that Rosario hit a home run yesterday too, and Goldschmidt, uh, Goldschmidt
35:32was off Moran, but Rosario hit one off Suarez as well.
35:35Uh, that's what I'm saying is that to me, the most important homers of the game is this
35:38rerun Homer by Ramos off of Suarez and Wells off of a lefty as well, because, because Wells
35:46isn't going to be taken out in the post season and Ramos is at bats are going to be against
35:50the lefties, especially once judge comes back.
35:52We're never going to, you know, like if Ramos might get double switched into a game somehow
35:56and now he's hitting against the righty, but like at full strength and they're closer
36:01to it now because of Bellinger.
36:02And by the way, Bellinger has come back well, which is important for them.
36:06Right.
36:06Uh, and so, uh, and you know, he really showed his importance again, Friday night is the
36:12all around player.
36:13He is that throw was ridiculous, Joel.
36:16So can I, I want to, I, all the flowers on the throw and everyone's talking about the
36:21throw.
36:21I thought Wells made a great play on it.
36:24It's a short hop where he's being screened by the runner coming at him.
36:29And then he fully exposes his arm across the guy's body, which is dangerous.
36:36And he holds the ball and that's all bang, bang.
36:40And there was this criticism of Raffaella running there.
36:43I had no problem with Raffaella running there.
36:46Like, like they needed a perfect, perfect throw.
36:50Yeah.
36:50Ag to get him out.
36:52And by the way, if you don't, you need a two out hit to score him.
36:56I would take my chances on that as opposed to a two out hit.
37:00Can the Yankees execute that perfectly?
37:02The Yankees had two players execute perfectly the left fielder and the catcher to get the
37:07biggest out of the game and one of their biggest outs of the year.
37:10Yeah.
37:11Right.
37:11It's a one nothing game that they win.
37:13And so, uh, I had no problems where people were like, he defied the third base coach.
37:18And I'm like, the third base coach was wrong.
37:21He should have gone.
37:22Yeah.
37:23Test the guy's arm was just coming back from injury.
37:25Right.
37:25Like, I know it's, it's, he didn't have an arm injury, but it's like, let's, let's see
37:28if he can make the throw.
37:29And, and the Yankees defensively, like Cody Bellinger is, is their best offender.
37:34You can argue.
37:35And Wells might be their second best offender.
37:37So had the two right guys involved.
37:39So it was, I thought it was, it was an incredible throw, uh, in a hundred miles per hour,
37:44right on the, right on the line.
37:45I mean, it was perfect.
37:45But, um, I, I, I do want to ask you also about the Lombard injury.
37:51Do you feel like he could be pretend they, they got good news.
37:53There was no real structural damage.
37:56He is dealing with inflammation with the, uh, patella.
38:00I don't know.
38:00Is this, is this an IL stint?
38:02You think it's coming up for Lombard?
38:03I don't, I don't Ryan, because yesterday, I don't know if you saw the pregame yesterday.
38:09I was the guy who asked the question.
38:11I said to Boone, who's your backup infielder today?
38:14And he pointed at me, he said, you like, and I was, uh, uh, and that, and so if they
38:24thought he was an IL, they wouldn't have played without a backup infielder yesterday or tonight.
38:30I assume tonight and tomorrow, like if they think this is a two or three day injury, they're
38:35put, uh, now, now McMahon comes back Tuesday when rosters expand, but they're going to
38:41play tonight again without, now he said post game in an absolute emergency Lombard could
38:48have gone out there.
38:50So, but I think even in an absolute emergency, once it became a blowout, I think you had a
38:55better chance of Max Fried playing third base or something.
38:58Uh, you know what I mean?
38:59Then, then, then Lombard, but, but they wouldn't have played shorthanded if they didn't think
39:05this was a two or three day thing.
39:08Now, look, you get to the stadium today, the swelling could not have gone down.
39:12And now suddenly you're like, they open up the clubhouse and reporters start putting out
39:18on social media, Hey, there's a locker here for Max Schumann or, or Anthony Volpe, in which
39:23case you'll know it's a different thing.
39:26But, uh, you know, in the, in the short term, the fact that they played an important game
39:31shorthanded, I mean, again, that's one of the things that made the win yesterday.
39:35They were six starter, you know, who's been pitching himself out of the rotation.
39:41They're playing shorthanded in the infield where they know they have to play nine innings
39:45with Rosario at third, which they don't really want to do, which they're going to have to
39:48do again tonight, probably.
39:50Uh, and so, um, it was really good win on a lot of levels, uh, including that it felt
39:58like a full team win and everyone was involved and they had some issues they had to work through.
40:05You had talked about, it's some interesting position player things coming up for the Yanks.
40:09Uh, Volpe is playing third.
40:12I saw over the weekend, which is interesting considering Rosario, you're, you, you would
40:17think he's going to be starting versus the lefty against the Red Sox in the playoff series
40:20with Ramos.
40:22Does he get a start in left field?
40:24And do you slide Bellinger over to center because you don't trust Trent Grisham against
40:30the lefty in a playoff series?
40:31I think it's interesting, Joel, like where they're at and how they could pretend it again.
40:36They got to get to October 1st, they got to get everyone healthy, but if, if judge comes
40:40back, if, and when judge comes back, you'd figure it'd be judge.
40:43Would it be Bellinger in center and Ramos and left against the lefty if they were going
40:46to face one of the playoffs?
40:48Yeah.
40:49It's an interesting thing.
40:51Look, I, I, I think they're going to run the whole race with Ahmad Rosario.
40:57I think they feel like his underlying stuff against lefties is still good.
41:01They love who he is, what he brings to the team.
41:04And so like, as you think, like, could Volpe earn his way back up or something like that?
41:10I think it's going to be tough without an injury.
41:12I think for better or worse, they're committed.
41:16They, they, they believe in Ahmad Rosario and they're going to run this race with him.
41:20So I think that's that, I think the more interesting one is without another injury, when judge comes
41:27back, who's the move?
41:29It's probably Spencer Jones because he has the options league options, right?
41:38But Spencer Jones has hit lefties.
41:42And I'm not sure as long as it doesn't involve getting close to a wall, because I don't know
41:48what the Yankees do in the minor leagues, uh, about having their outfielders work near the wall
41:54because Jason Dominguez and Spencer Jones both stink going towards the wall, uh, and they got to get
42:00better at it.
42:01I'm not sure that Spencer Jones isn't a better center fielder than Grisham.
42:05And I'm not sure that Spencer Jones doesn't hit lefties better than Grisham.
42:09Uh, and so is your best outfield actually against lefties where you don't even start Ramos?
42:16So I said to one of the Yankee people yesterday and he said, interesting, I said, I would always
42:24play my defense regardless of lefty righty, because I just hate giving away stuff.
42:33And so I'll just, that's why I think the left on left Homer is so valuable.
42:38It's like, is McMahon a rough at bat against lefties?
42:42Incredibly rough, incredibly rough.
42:44Now I will say this is, I don't think you give up much defensive.
42:47It's Caballero at third, like Caballero against the lefties could.
42:52And, and, you know, Lombard at shortstop, uh, in that way.
42:56Uh, I just hate giving up defense.
42:59I, and, and I will say this is Elio Ramos makes Jason Dominguez look like a gold glove.
43:05Yeah.
43:06He's a bad defender.
43:08Uh, every fly ball looks like the first fly ball he's ever seen in his life.
43:12And, uh, I, and, and, uh, look, I think the bad is real.
43:16I think he'll hit lefties in Yankee stadium.
43:20You could hide them a little in right field, but you're not going to do that.
43:23You're not taking judge out of right field.
43:24So it's like, are you playing Elio Ramos in left field at Yankee stadium in a playoff game
43:29at night against the Red Sox, national television, millions watching here comes the fly ball.
43:36Oh, it got lost in the, I just, I'll play the defense.
43:41I'll play the defense and tell Ramos, Hey, get ready to hit against a Raldus Chapman in
43:46the ninth.
43:46That's your job today.
43:48I just, I am not giving up defense.
43:51I'm not, I'm not going to have gear Cole or freed or Schlittler on the mound and go,
43:56whoops, like you pitched great, but we just gave away a bunch of stuff.
44:01I do.
44:02I do worry, Joel, that when it comes down to it though, with Grisham and, and if you were
44:06to think about Jones and center field, I just, the Yankees have clearly.
44:10Position themselves to say, Trent Christian is our guy.
44:13We're going to live and die with that guy leading off, getting on base.
44:17But he's still, he's got this, these moments where you're like, did you get the right jump
44:23there?
44:23Did you read the ball right off the bat?
44:25Like it hasn't been good.
44:26It hasn't been good.
44:27And it hasn't been good.
44:28It's been unacceptable.
44:30It's been unacceptable.
44:32Look, the, the Saturday was brutal.
44:36The afternoon.
44:37He doesn't come in on the ball.
44:38So Elma Rodriguez's first start back, there's a liner.
44:43It's a tough, the tough play.
44:44It's like the one straight at you over your head.
44:47But what bothers me about the play by Grisham is like, that's a tough play.
44:52But like, once you realize you've misread it, you've got to get on whatever your horse is.
44:57You can't just keep doing the cool cruise and then have the ball clank your glove.
45:02Like, you've got to, like, whatever speed, you know, I always joke is like, hey, what
45:08speed would you run if there was a feral tiger running around the field?
45:12Probably faster than you just did.
45:15So why don't you act like that?
45:17Like, it's a rookie pitcher on the mound.
45:19He needs your best effort.
45:20By the way, Schlittler needs your best effort.
45:22Cole needs your best effort.
45:23But Elma Rodriguez really needs your best effort.
45:26And I just don't think that's your best effort.
45:29Yeah.
45:29And to credit Spencer Jones, he keeps putting together quality, long, lengthy at-bats, taking
45:35a lot of pitches.
45:36Right from the beginning, I've been saying this, Ryan, right?
45:38It's like, he doesn't strike out on three pitches.
45:40He strikes out at three and two.
45:42And he's just gotten, the at-bats have gotten better and better.
45:45And again, I...
45:47That's like kind of where, that's where I would be like, you know what?
45:49But Spencer Jones is kind of making us think twice about the center field position because
45:54he's giving us the same thing you would argue Grisham's giving you, which is long, lengthy
45:58at-bats to try and get on base, draw walks when you can.
46:00Steal a base.
46:01Steal a base.
46:02And he's more athletic.
46:04And he's going to give us better defense in center field, you could argue.
46:08Look, the Yankees, who knows how much baseball we're playing in 2027 anyway because of labor.
46:14And they're the Yankees.
46:15All that matters is October 2026.
46:17But it's a nice little calling card that Spencer Jones has put down here to suggest he could
46:23be part of something next year and maybe even a significant part of it.
46:28That they're, like, it is no longer outlandish to think, you know what?
46:34He may be an above-average starting outfielder.
46:38Like, there is that potential for him.
46:41And then it's, you know, like, if everyone had options, he would not be the one that you
46:48would send down.
46:50I agree with you, Joel.
46:52My final thought for you and question for you.
46:55Luis Garcia.
46:57I am continually, I just, I am impressed with the guy in his swing and how smooth it is.
47:04I think I've said this before.
47:05He reminds me a lot of Robbie Cano and the way he swings so smooth.
47:09Yeah.
47:09And the barrel just gets to the ball and it just pops.
47:14He had a lefty on lefty again over the weekend.
47:18What more can you say about Luis Garcia and the fact that this guy, you know, he's asked
47:23to go to first base.
47:24He's played it pretty well defensively, I would argue.
47:26And he's becoming a real important part of the lineup now.
47:31Yeah.
47:32It will be an interesting little, you face a lefty in the postseason.
47:37Is Paul Goldschmidt at first?
47:39If he is, who's the DH?
47:41I think Garcia is earning the bat.
47:44Uh, Rice has had a great year, but obviously the second half, I do think that Rice has
47:50worn a lot of the judge stuff.
47:52Yeah.
47:52I think he's put the weight on his shoulders.
47:55I think he's that kind of player and guy.
47:57Uh, I do think he's a well above average major league hitter.
48:01Uh, I think there's some mental and physical fatigue he's experiencing right now.
48:07Uh, I think that it will be an interesting, tough decision by Boone if everybody gets healthy
48:12and gets there and it is the Red Sox and you're facing a ton of lefty pitching, uh, uh, Garcia's
48:19at bats are good.
48:19He seems unfazed by New York.
48:22He seems unfazed by big moments, uh, exactly what you want.
48:28Uh, you know, it's always goes back to, uh, you know, I know the hate Brian Cashman group.
48:35Well, they're the loudest group in the world and what always gets overlooked is anything
48:40positive that happens, uh, like acquiring, uh, Luis Garcia jr.
48:45Uh, who seems like a real good fit for the Yankees.
48:49And again, somebody they have control of next year when you're assuming Goldschmidt won't
48:54be back and you're assuming Stanton is what?
48:58Uh, so then Rice and Garcia become first base DH and you feel like, wow, that's two big lefty
49:06bats to, to put around one probably hit in front of one hits behind judge over the long
49:12season.
49:13And then you're, you're feeling like it's a team that should score a lot of runs again,
49:17but that's 2027 and, uh, a long way away.
49:22And who, again, who knows how much we'll play, but yeah, the bats are impressive.
49:26Again, he's a guy who, uh, it just does not, it feels like he's in control.
49:33You mentioned Cano.
49:34What always struck me about Cano, Ryan is Cano was in control of an at bat.
49:40Like in an age when the pitcher always feels in control of the bat because the velocity
49:44and the stuff is so great.
49:46Sure.
49:47Garcia feels like in control of an at bat.
49:50Like, oh, I swung and missed it.
49:51It's like, fine.
49:53Like, he's like, fine.
49:54I, you got to get two more by me and he's got to, he exudes confidence that he can hit.
50:01Uh, and so it makes me feel like it wasn't fluky.
50:04What happened earlier this year with Washington, where he was one of the real breakout players
50:09of the season and went from one kind of guy to another.
50:11I think he's hit a stride.
50:12I think he's a very good major league hitter with real, the ball really comes off his bat.
50:19Yeah.
50:19It, the contact is, is exactly.
50:21We all know about the slug and what he was having, the type of year you're talking about
50:24with the nationals, but the contact has impressed me.
50:26And the fact that he could place the ball feels like in, in all fields in, in, especially in
50:31any kind of count.
50:32Um, so that's why I just wanted to highlight Luis Garcia.
50:35Uh, but we always love highlighting you, Joel Sherman.
50:37We appreciate it.
50:38Can I do a pet peeve?
50:39Of course.
50:41Can you do a pet peeve to go out on that will probably get me in trouble.
50:46So there was, there's been some stuff I noticed this morning, uh, where the, uh, I like all
50:53the Boston announcers, uh, whatever, where they were very critical of, uh, Josh Chisholm stealing
51:01some bases and, um, the Yankees, uh, whatever happened where the Yankees piled on in the
51:08end.
51:09So I am, this is not a Yankee thing.
51:13If it happens, I think anybody could go find my work at the network.
51:17I think I've written about this in the past.
51:19I would never stop trying to score runs for a variety of reasons.
51:24It is not my job as an offense to stop myself from scoring.
51:29It is your job to stop me from scoring.
51:32The score, I believe is seven to one in the ninth inning.
51:37And while the, you're playing behind the runner and you're, you're essentially throwing up
51:44a traditional white flag.
51:46We just spent an entire show talking about how important it was that the Yankees use no
51:51one else in their bullpen.
51:53And so seven, one is very comfortable where the Yankees are 99% going to win though.
51:59Didn't the Reds blow a game recently or the Giants in a red game, like somebody like was
52:05down and gave up six runs in the night.
52:07Like it happens once a year to somebody.
52:09So, but the loss for the Yankees is if they even have to warm up a reliever in the, in
52:16the
52:16top of the ninth inning and seven, one, if you get a guy or two on base and then pop
52:21a
52:21home runner side, you've got to warm Bednar up.
52:24You've got to warm them up or you've got to warm up Fulmer or you've got to warm up
52:28Louise Hill who has to be your long guy.
52:30I don't, I'm not in charge of your team.
52:32You're in charge of your team.
52:34I'm in charge of my team and my team can't warm up another reliever.
52:38So I'm going to score as many runs personally, jazz chisms, a free agent at the end of the
52:43year, when people look at his stats, nobody's going to go, well, those were the two free
52:47stolen bases in that when Austin Wells goes to arbitration, they're not going to say, well,
52:53that Homer was off of a position player position player.
52:57So like the stats really matter.
52:59And if the white flag really should go up, if in other words, if I should stop running,
53:05why should I even swing then against the position player?
53:08Why not just accept the strikeout?
53:10Right.
53:10Because there's nothing that's a greater white flag you're doing than putting a position
53:14player into the game.
53:16Right.
53:16Like, so you put a position player into the game.
53:18So I should do what?
53:20Stop trying to build up my statistics, which I'm judged by.
53:23I'm going to pad the hell out of them if I can.
53:26And, and, but the biggest thing is in this day and age when there's more pitchers, but less
53:32pitching and everyone's worried about how they get in the game, I'm going to score as
53:35many runs all the time as I can to prevent from even having to warm up a loss yesterday
53:41for the Yankees would have been a loss within a win would have been having to even warm up
53:46a pitcher.
53:47You were going to ask Tim Hill to pitch a second full inning.
53:50So you want to have as big a lead as possible to avoid even warming up another pitcher.
53:58I have to worry about my team.
54:01Absolutely.
54:01If you don't want to, you, if you've quit, that's about you.
54:08And again, that would go for games where the Yankees are getting blown up.
54:11This isn't a New York thing.
54:13Every team is trying to save pitchers and pitches.
54:16I'm going to score as many freaking runs as I can every game.
54:20And Ryan, to the point, we've talked all year about the Yankees offensive problems.
54:26It felt good probably for the Yankees to score a lot of runs.
54:28They're in charge of the Yankees.
54:31They want to feel good about themselves.
54:34They felt great.
54:35Like the number power on with all the days where they've scored zero and one and two.
54:41So I'm going to manage my team.
54:44You manage your team.
54:45If you're willing to quit, cool.
54:49But I'm not going to quit.
54:51And again, that goes for if the Mets are the team on defense, if the Yankees are the team on
54:56defense, you bring in a position player.
54:58That's about you, man.
55:00That's about you.
55:02And by the way, you're bringing in a position player because you don't want to waste any more bullets with
55:06your pitchers.
55:07The Yankees are scoring runs because they don't want to waste any more pitchers besides the ones that Tim Hill
55:12is going to throw in the ninth inning.
55:14Sorry.
55:14That's one of my pet peeves.
55:16No, listen.
55:17If you guys haven't heard, the WEEI radio play-by-play guys, Will Fleming specifically, was suggesting that Moran throw
55:26at Yankees catcher to start a fight.
55:29And then with second baseman, Jazz Chisholm as well, they called him a Bush League player, plays the game the
55:34wrong way.
55:35There were a lot of comments made by them during that game and that situation.
55:40Major League players, like Joel said, these guys are getting paid, too, to score runs.
55:46And if they're going to stand there.
55:48But there's a technical, tactical reason to score more runs there.
55:52Absolutely, Joel.
55:53Absolutely.
55:54It's a six-run game.
55:56Two guys get on base.
55:58Which is not outrageous against Tim Hill, who's not having a great year, in the ninth inning.
56:03I've got a warm-up probably Bednar.
56:06And I don't want to do that.
56:08So you know what I'm going to do?
56:10I'm going to keep trying to score.
56:12Remember, when Jazz is stealing the bases, he's thinking maybe I'm stealing the bases to make it 8-1.
56:17So now it's a little more bulletproof.
56:20Maybe you don't warm anybody up until there's three guys on base or a run scores.
56:24Like, I don't have any.
56:26And by the way, if it was 12-1, if you play behind the runner, that's your decision on defense.
56:32That's like telling me, like, I'm playing.
56:34Like, again, just call the game then.
56:38Right?
56:38Like, when you bring in the position player, there is no bigger white flag than bringing in a position player.
56:43No doubt, Joel.
56:44No doubt.
56:45We appreciate you, Yankees fans.
56:47Always hopping on here for Pinstripe Post.
56:49Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button on the New York Post Sports YouTube channel.
56:52Catch Joel, obviously, on the show with him and John Heyman on the show podcast here on the New York
56:58Post Sports YouTube channel.
57:00Joel's obviously at MLB Network.
57:02He's going to be doing some content there as well.
57:04Joel, thank you so much, man, for hopping on here and giving us all your insight.
57:07And we're looking forward to catching up with you again next week.
57:10All right.
57:10Thanks, Ryan.
57:11All the best.
57:12All right.