A lot to cover!

Before I get into some of the play and injuries and trades, I want to discuss one of my pet peeves that happened again TWICE during the KC 2nd game Saturday.  I bring this up all the time because I don't understand how nobody else has drawn attention to this?  In fact, Cone (my favorite announcer) and the others talked about everything but what is obvious to me.  Gardner hit a swinging bunt down the 3rd baseline and the catcher gets to it turns and fires to the first baseman, Duda,  who has his left foot on the bag and his right foot on the invisible line toward 2nd base so he is basically on the baseline from 1st to 2nd base so there's no ability to stretch toward the ball on a close play.  This is part one of my gripe as close plays happen all the time and "they" lose 3-4 feet on the throw and runners are safe sometimes because of this.  But, what it also does is make it harder for the 1st baseman to catch a ball that is tailing into the runner because he has to catch it almost on the base and into the runner (which is an injury risk sticking your arm in there).  However, if you stretch toward the throw, like 1st baseman does all the time, you would catch the ball before it gets to the runner and much earlier in the throw.  It is a little harder to execute, but it is safer and more likely to get an out.  In this case, Duda drops the ball in trying to not get his arm torn off and we catch a break.  In the 8th with Walker on 2nd and nobody out Romine bunts down the first base line and the 2nd baseman covering does exactly what Duda did and does not stretch toward home and Romine beats the throw.  If he stretches Romine is probably out.  It is mind-boggling to me how often this happens and why they are taught to field this way?  BTW, I know that the way they field now allows more right to left movement to stop a ball from getting by the fielder, however, I would argue that most of the times throw get by the fielders are ones that are hard to field because it hits or gets into the runner.  When you combine that with the fact you catch the ball at least 3 feet further away, which allows runners to be safe, I have no idea why this done???

OK, moving on to something I wrote a few weeks back about something I would do that I have not seen done...Well, either TB is reading this blog (impossible) or they are smart (probably) as they used their pitchers the way I discussed using our relievers...They had their righty closer (Romo), who is very tough on righties, pitch the 8th inning and when a lefty came up (I think it was Bird) TB moved Romo to play SS/#rd and brought in a lefty to face Bird and shifted against him.  The lefty got him out and Romo came in to finish out the game.  I think this makes so much sense when you have righty/lefty discrepancies and I expect this to happen more often

Notes:

• Didi is struggling on pitches away. He can line a single to LF but outside of that, he is not hitting the ball with any authority that way and usually just hits weak fly balls.
• Losing Judge is a huge blow especially with Frazier being on DL again with concussion symptoms.  Further, we traded Mckinney away in the Happ deal so we bring up Shane Robinson?  Really, that is the best we can do (and I say this after he homered)?
• Critical that we get Severino back on track. His last 3 outings have been very bad and his ERA has shot up a full run.  I can't see anything crazy other than his changeup hasn't been used as much (he did allow a HR with it and then went away from it).  Maybe he is tipping pitches?  Regardless, he needs to get it straight for us to go far in the playoffs.  BTW, we can we please not boo Severino when he walks off the field?  Sometimes I am embarrassed by our fans.
• The Yankee offense should have had a lot more runs against the KC starter in the 2nd game (Fillmeyer).  He was leaving hittable pitches in every AB and we didn't swing well.
• The ump behind the plate helped us a lot in the 2nd game, especially in one key AB with CC on the mound where he gave us a strike on a 2-1 pitch with the bases loaded on a pitch on the other batters box.  Huge change in count that resulted in a K.  Game could have changed on that one call.
• Hicks made a fantastic throw getting Gordon to end the game in the 7-2 win the other night.  It was clocked at 99 MPH and it was right on target.  BTW, how in the world does Gordon get thrown out at home down 5 runs to end the game?  IDIOTIC.

Questions asked:

Do I like the Happ trade?  I was not a fan spending a lot on Happ as I would rather give up a ransom for a great pitcher (which is Happ is not).  But, McKinney and Drury is not a ton and we need someone who is reliable and he should be that.  Not sure if it is coincidence or luck, but he has had success against the Red Sox (went back and looked at last 9 starts over this year and the past 2 years and his ERA is roughly 2).  If I could have gotten an ace, I would have packaged Drury, Mckinney and others, but in the absence of this opportunity, it is a decent trade.  Also, and this is the same for the Britton trade, we have an issue with keeping guys on the 40 man roster and we could lose someone to another team so we do need to trade some players or risk losing them for nothing.

Do I like the Britton trade?

Yes.  Britton is still getting back from his injuries, but I think we can also keep him after this year or we get compensation for him.  Chapman has been excellent this year, but he seems to have a knee injury and this is great insurance for the season and into the postseason where having weaker starters can be covered up better.  the one concern is if Britton can pitch in innings other than the 9th.  This change in habit can be different for closers.  His arm is top notch though and once he gets his command back (his walks have been too high) he will be dominant.

I am concerned with the injuries and how much we are struggling against a really weak KC team, at home, who just traded away Moustakas.  Our team is very good, but we have to stay in the hunt with our best player down.  There is a lot of the year to go and one never knows if yet another trade is possible?