I can always appreciate when someone picks themselves off the schneid and comes up big in a timely moment. It’s how Aaron Boone himself hit that walk-off homer against the 2003 Red Sox after doing basically nothing all postseason. I also think about how lefty relievers Graeme Lloyd and Damaso Marte had poor reputations among the Yankees fanbase prior to the 1996 and 2009 postseasons respectively; now, they’ll always get a nice hand in the Bronx. Going back even further, Don Larsen was awful against the Brooklyn
Dodgers in Game 2 of the 1956 World Series and didn’t expect Casey Stengel to ask him to start another game. But the Ol’ Perfesser gave him Game 5 and the rest is history.
In short: Hell yeah, Ryan McMahon. A game-winning home run in April against a team that is a confirmed long shot for October is not at the level of what all those other guys did. But you have to start somewhere! And his teammates’ reactions were very wholesome.
Today on the site, John will pay tribute to a fallen rival, as we salute the late Garret Anderson, a Yankee Killer who is gone too soon. Later, Matt will be on the Rivalry Roundup, Kento will celebrate the 67th birthday of the unlikely Dennis Rasmussen, and Sam will take the opportunity of recent extension news for young players around MLB to ponder pros and cons of a possible long-term deal for a particular Yankee.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals
Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Royals.TV
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. Would you stick to the plan and have McMahon back on the bench today? Or would you start him even with the lefty Noah Cameron on the bump for KC?
2. Do you have any thoughts on the Padres being on the verge of reportedly selling for a record $3.9 billion?
