Apropos of nothing political…
…it is 30 games into the 2015 baseball season, and the Yankees – seen as a old team in transition, and missing 3 of their 5 starting pitchers – have a 19-11 record; one of the best in baseball.
There are a number of reasons this is happening. They certainly include the tremendous hitting of Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, the home run/rbi production of Mark Teixeira, and the strange – maybe suspicious – batting rebirth of Alex Rodriguez.
But none, I think, are as significant as the performance of their 8th and 9th inning relief pitchers.
So far this season, their 8th inning specialist, Dellin Betances – a New York born and raised player (do I ever love when local guys make it) and their 9th inning guy – closer Andrew Miller, have given up…
…nothing.
Thirty games and neither pitcher has given up even one earned run. A combined earned run average of 0.00.
Plus, both pitchers strike out more than 1.5 batters an inning, which is just plain brutal for the other team. You can\’t get hits, you don\’t advance runners, you don\’t general sacrifice bunts or flies, if you don\’t put the ball in play.
I\’m no baseball statistician, but I would be willing to bet money that this is the first time in baseball history that, 30 games into the season, both the 8th inning guy and the closer have not given up any earned runs at all.
Go Dellin. Go Andrew. Go Yanks.
Ok, back to politics, where I wish Mr. Betances and Mr. Miller could shut down most of the players in congress.
