The Yankees could have a golden opportunity to payback the Astros without using the baseball itself for an “act of vengeance.”
Take a look above at the 2020 schedule. Yanks are hosting Houston in a four-game series in the final week of the regular season. Imagine if the Astros are floundering and their playoff chances are on life support when they come to Yankee Stadium.
Do you think the Yankees would relish the chance to end Houston’s season at home in front of their “hungry for revenge,” die hard fans.
If teams want some payback without hitting batters, here are some suggestions:
If you have a big lead and it’s late in the game, screw the sportsmanship. Let’s say a team is leading Houston by six or seven runs and the game is in eighth inning. If the winning team puts a man on and he’s a stolen base candidate, screw the gamesmanship and steal a base with a seemingly insurmountable lead.
Pour it on when you get the chance, don’t call off the dogs and score as much as you can to humiliate the cheaters as much as possible. Like that great philosopher, Warden Rudolf Hazen told inmate Paul Crewe in the movie, “The Longest Yard”, (not the Adam Sandler version) “I want a 21 point spread.” In baseball terms, that means “show no mercy.”
The Astros are already feeling the off the field furor and it’s not just coming from the opposing players who are venting their frustrations.
Little Leagues around the country are dropping “Astros” as one of their teams’ names. Reportedly, there are groups of opposing fans who are designing ways to ridicule the Astros when they come to town. Actual trash cans would not be allowed in any ballpark but there are fans who are proposing bringing pictures of trash cans and holding them up when the Astros are hitting.
There’s an ugly side to the outrage that’s come forth as a result of the scandal. Astros players have reportedly been threatened “every day” since the team’s cheating scheme was revealed.
Astros OF Josh Reddick has reportedly received death threats and distasteful messages on social media, targeting his family. Reddick said one of the messages that he received read, “I hope your kid gets cancer.”
No matter what the Astros did on the baseball field, they didn’t kill or physically harm anyone’s children. Whoever sent that message is a coward and a lowlife who hides behind a keyboard. To say such a thing is uncalled for in the first place but this person, who hides behind anonymity, wouldn’t have the guts to say a thing like that to Reddick’s face.
The Yankees are keeping their fingers crossed that Luis Severino will be able to pitch this season. Severino was sent back to NY for three days of tests on the soreness in his forearm.
If the results of the tests show forearm tendinitis, (aka inflammation of the tendons of the forearm) then Severino and the Yankees would’ve “dodged a bullet.” Reportedly, a two or three week period of rest alleviates the inflammation and it would be a period of time after that for a full recovery.
If the test results show a significant tear or tissue damage, it could mean the dreaded “Tommy John surgery,” and that could sideline the Yankee right hander for an indefinite period of time.
If Yoenis Cespedes intends to snub the media all season long, then he better stay on the field and be a productive player who helps the Mets win a lot of games. If he doesn’t, he’s in for a long season.
Fans don’t care if the players talk to the media or not, but to stage a boycott all season long doesn’t do any good. Cespedes strikes me as someone who “plays for the money” and would like to increase the value of his brand. The first thing he has to do is stay healthy.
Could this finally be the year that Noah Syndergaard finally puts it all together. The reports from Port St. Lucie have been promising.
Syndergaard seems to have a more mature attitude coming into this season. He has already been in communication with Wilson Ramos, the catcher who he complained about throwing to last season, and he seems to be ready to take more of a leadership role.
If Syndergaard does begin to finally realize his full potential, the Mets could have a 1-2 punch atop their rotation that could rival some of the more famous 1-2 starting pitching combos of the past.
Karpin’s Korner appears every Friday on nysportsday.com