From Bryan Hoch:
Juan Soto arrived in the American League with a mission in mind, voicing his desire to homer in six specific ballparks so he could claim a long ball in each of the 30 current stadiums.
That checklist is now complete.
Soto cracked a two-run homer in the Yankees’ 11-2 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park, the final remaining facility in which he had not cleared the fences. The milestone was top of mind, Soto acknowledged, as soon as he connected off right-hander Bryan Woo.
“It’s a great feeling for me; so many different ballparks, so many different dimensions,” Soto said. “I just want to get all of them checked in. What a way to go into free agency, with all 30 ballparks checked on my list.”
Yankees fans might be unsettled by the last piece of that quote, which was offered unprompted, but that’s too far ahead to look. Let’s focus instead on Wednesday, when one more Bombers victory would assure a return to the playoffs after last year’s dark October.
I don’t think Soto’s comments about free agency are worrisome at all. The dude clearly wants to get PAID, and he WILL get paid, so it’s all good. His celebration of his 40th home run is the featured image.
Great win for the Yankees, although I sure would have loved to have seen Gil get through more than five innings.
this is your most successful wordle post, yet, cronin.
oh yes yes, definitely definitely
MVP of that game was Victor Robles. No way Turner wouldn’t have walked. And even a bloop after that would have changed the game.
On a 3-0 pitch. That was beyond dumb.
Nice to see Stroman getting a save. Nice to see Boone using his brain letting a starting pitcher out of the bullpen go long. He did this with Nestor too.
When Nestor came out of the pen he was unhittable and earned his spot back in the rotation. Stroman…not so much.
Yeah, he definitely made things simpler for Boone, huh?
Was the Robles steal foolish? Of course, but I dunno, I mean, Gil DID have his back towards him like a moron, so it really SHOULD have worked.
wordle
As long as we’re playing “what if” on stealing home – apologies as I’ve clearly thought about this too much over the last 10 years – baseball’s greatest recent missed-opportunity-for-drama may have been in the 2014 WS, Game 7, bottom 9th, 2 out, with the Royals down by 1 and a runner on 3rd (Alex Gordon, not too slow at the time). There’s a LHP (Bumgarner) facing a RHB (Salvy Perez). Bumgarner was pitching up and out of the zone, and it didn’t seem like he was paying any attention to the runner. If there ever was a moment for a straight steal of home, that was it…
I enjoyed this
Me, too.
Note: “Salvy” has to be among the top unconvincing americanized nicknames ever.
Any competition for the top honor come to mind? (Has anyone ever been called “Domingy?”)
Kimbrell sent to the corn field.
Stayed up long enough for Soto’s bomb and then went to bed thinking that should be enough. Fortunately, I was correct. Yay win!
4 games up with 11 to play as this division race is just about over. I wouldn’t have thunk it in July. With Wells, Torres, Judge, and Soto hitting plus the arrival of Jasson and some combination of Gil/Cole/Rodon/Cortes capable of throwing gems, I’m starting to get optimistic for the postseason. Somebody talk me down.
Boone.
Chris…please take your meds
Koyaanisqatsi
If Soto doesn’t sign with the Yankees, a better than 50-50 chance he won’t, what potential FA’s should they add?
Santander
Adames
Stanton getting another day for The Martian. Are they just giving him rest or does Boone plan on platooning them?
phenom back in the lineup. Waldo hitting over 300 since the beginning of July, Volpe around 210. Is there any threshold in which Waldo would see serious PT in the post season over phenom?
Hoch: Giancarlo Stanton said that he is fine physically and that he has been out of the lineup the last two games for matchup reasons. He has been told that he will play tomorrow.
Andrew McCutchen probably isn’t a Hall of Famer but he’s had a good career and seems like he loves the game. Hope he sticks around in baseball when he’s done playing.
Has he said something? Isn’t he playing too well to retire now?
McCutchen, by the way, is in the UPPER echelon of, “Oh shit, right, they were a Yankee, weren’t they?”
My off-the-cuff lineup of “Oh shit, right, they WERE a Yankee, weren’t they?” It doesn’t count if they were Yankees as prospects before being traded (like Doug Drabek)!
1B Youk
2B Mark Bellhorn
SS Troy Tulowitzki
3B Mark Reynolds
LF Jay Bruce
CFAndrew McCutchen
RF Billy Butler
C Pudge
DH Lance Berkman
P Bartolo Colon
P Derek Lowe
P Kevin Brown (he maybe doesn’t count since his involvement in 2004 was so prominent)
P Jeff Francis
P Jaime Garcia
Closer Armando Benitez
O’s lose.
Only 2 games ahead of KC!