The year was 1973, which will be remembered in these parts for the long-shot Mets almost knocking off the A’s in the World Series. Nice story, except for the shock of Willie Mays’ rapid decline.
Arguably the greatest player in MLB history was just a ghost as his career cratered. The Say Hey kid couldn’t hit anymore, couldn’t run – heck, he lost a fly ball in the sun in Oakland’s Coliseum in Game 2.
Mays batted .211 that year and had only 10 at-bats in 12 games in the postseason. He was done. It was hard to watch.
I’ve been thinking about Mays’ depressing end lately as DJ LeMahieu staggers to his own finish line. Anyone who remembers LeMahieu’s prime as a two-time batting champion has already come to the same conclusion.
The old DJ is gone and isn’t coming back.
For one, he has $30 million remaining on his contract through 2026. LeMahieu is no idiot. He’s not leaving that money on the table.
Second, Aaron Boone is oblivious to the collapse we’re all seeing.
While there’s no getting out of LeMahieu’s deal – he’s not retiring early, Hal Steinbrenner isn’t flushing that cash – Boone could do everyone a favor by waking.
He doesn’t need statistics to realize LeMahieu at 35 isn’t much different than Mays was at 42.
The Yankees veteran doesn’t hit the ball with authority. He doesn’t get the ball in the air as often. And when LeMahieu does square up, the line drives that used to laser into the gaps just die at the warning track.
It’s not just instincts that should open Boone’s eyes. The numbers damn LeMahieu as well. His line drive rate (14.8 percent) is the lowest of his career. Only four percent of his fly balls make it over the wall.
Considering LeMahieu’s home run ratio was 27 percent in 2020 and 15 percent only a year ago, it’s clear LeMahieu is trending in the wrong direction.
So why is he still in the lineup? Why did Boone send LeMahieu to the plate in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Nationals?
The Yankees had a chance to come back against an out-of-the running NL team. Boone instead stuck with LeMahieu and his .202 average, who flied out to center.
A day later, in a similar situation, same inning, Boone changed his mind. He called LeMahieu back to the dugout and pinch-hit Orlando Cabrera. Why reverse course?
While Boone’s ninth-inning decisions weren’t the reason the Bombers dropped 2-of-3 to the Nationals – an embarrassment, by the way – he managed like he was conflicted. It’s a bad look.
I get it: Boone’s loyalty to veterans is a pillar of his leadership style. And I admire a manager who refuses to bend to social media. Yankees fans have washed their hands of LeMahieu.
But the playoffs are only a month away. Boone should stop trying to resurrect the 2020-21 LeMahieu and steel himself for the hard decisions just around the corner.
Boone has been waiting and waiting for the old LeMahieu to re-emerge. But that time has come to an end. With Anthony Rizzo ready to come off the Injured List, he deserves a long look at first base.
LeMahieu needs to sit while Rizzo tries to find his old groove in September. Chances are there won’t be a roster spot for LeMahieu in October, either. Boone will have to find a way to break the bad news.
No doubt LeMahieu will take it hard, even if he doesn’t utter a word in protest. LeMahieu is as non-verbal as anyone in the clubhouse.
But facts are facts: the Yankees are hitting .200 with runners in scoring position this month. Against the Nationals, they were 1-for-26. That’s more than embarrassing. A similar tanking in the playoffs will turn the Yankees into a one-and-out disaster.
They need offense, not automatic outs. The Yankees might be better off with Rizzo at first and Jasson Dominguez in left field. That means not only leaving LeMahieu in street clothes, it calls for Alex Verdugo’s benching, as well.
Let’s see if Boone has the guts for either one of these shake-ups. He better.
If the Yankees have proven anything this summer it’s that a) they’re World Series-caliber when Gerrit Cole has his best fastball and Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are hitting home runs.
And b) they can also be remarkably ordinary. The Yankees can be beaten by anyone. Anyone.
They’re barely over .500 (24-20) against teams that are under .500. The Yankees are MLB’s most enigmatic contenders.
Fangraphs.com has them winning the pennant but losing to the Dodgers in the World Series. ESPN likes LA, too.
It’s a reasonable pick, but the Dodgers, like the Yankees, are no powerhouse. They’re on a pace for only 97 wins.
But the stakes are higher for Boone than any other playoff-bound manager. He has no contract for 2025, which means his crew needs to roll through the playoffs.
It also means Boone must let go of the soft spot he has for LeMahieu. He’ll get another shot in spring training. But as of today it appears LeMahieu’s career has gone hurtling over the cliff.
Question is, will he take the Yankees down with him?
