Apropos of nothing political…
…today the New York Yankees will play their 54th game, thus completing one full third of the season. And, regardless of whether they win or lose, they will end the day in first place.
This by itself is not remarkable. There are six divisions in Major League Baseball and every one has a first-place team.
But the Yankees are in first place with their entire starting outfield injured for almost the entire season, their starting shortstop out for the entire season, their starting third baseman, other than a few games, out for the entire season, their ace starting pitcher out for the entire season and their ace 8th inning relief pitcher out for the entire season.
Did I mention that two of their other starting pitchers have been on the injured list as well, one of them twice? Or that their starting catcher was out for about a third of the season so far? Or that there have been injuries to several other players as well?
And they are in first place?????
If there were a way to give the Most Valuable Player award to a non-player, the American league’s winners would be a virtual tie between Manager Aaron Boone for dealing with the triage center known as the New York Yankees, and General Manager Brian Cashman, who gave him so much depth that he could accomplish this amazing feat.
OK, back to politics, where “valuable” is, with good reason, a rarely used adjective.
