Godzilla
The Yankees have been a whole lot of fun this year.
"I'm excited to see the kids play," Pops said, before the season started, and that's what it was all about.
The changing of the guard.
And make no mistake about it, it will never be quite as fun as it was back in 1977 & 1978 or 1996 through about 2004.
I was a kid in 1977. I was excited to watch with my brothers, sisters and my parents.
The Mattingly Era was fun, but they just couldn't get over the hump, but there were some good teams then.
1996-2001 was Yankees heaven, of course, and when they won it all in 1996, they were the underdogs with young guys.
And then people started talking about Hideki Matsui as the next Yankees great.
Godzilla...
...we were told.
Godzilla wasn't the monster everyone thought.
He was a good player (despite what my brother Jeff said "Matsui is a c&$@s$&k$&").
Jeff was just expecting a 50-homer, gigantic hitter of absolute bombs.
Well, there is a Godzilla on the team now.
Have you seen Aaron Judge punish a ball??
He's 6'8" tall and weighs 280 pounds.
I saw him from about 15' away as he stood in them on-deck circle in Kansas City last season.
He struck out a few times that night and I thought:
"He's not going to make it. Too big. Too much of a strike zone. Too loopy of a swing."
I know that Judge would be Jeff's absolute favorite.
He's a masher!!
He's what Godzilla looks like in a baseball uniform.
Yet, on Tuesday night (after already homering once) I watched him battle a pitcher to a full count.
"He can't hit another one," I thought, but I couldn't look away.
He blasted it about 400' and before the ball landed...
...I started feeling a little concerned.
Because baseball will eventually get the kid...
...he will regress.
The game isn't this easy.
There will be a prolonged slump and people will be asking "what's wrong with Judge?"
It's gotta' happen, right?
But in the meantime, Godzilla is here and it won't ever be as fun as it once was...
...but make no mistake...
It's still a little fun!
"I'm excited to see the kids play," Pops said, before the season started, and that's what it was all about.
The changing of the guard.
And make no mistake about it, it will never be quite as fun as it was back in 1977 & 1978 or 1996 through about 2004.
I was a kid in 1977. I was excited to watch with my brothers, sisters and my parents.
The Mattingly Era was fun, but they just couldn't get over the hump, but there were some good teams then.
1996-2001 was Yankees heaven, of course, and when they won it all in 1996, they were the underdogs with young guys.
And then people started talking about Hideki Matsui as the next Yankees great.
Godzilla...
...we were told.
Godzilla wasn't the monster everyone thought.
He was a good player (despite what my brother Jeff said "Matsui is a c&$@s$&k$&").
Jeff was just expecting a 50-homer, gigantic hitter of absolute bombs.
Well, there is a Godzilla on the team now.
Have you seen Aaron Judge punish a ball??
He's 6'8" tall and weighs 280 pounds.
I saw him from about 15' away as he stood in them on-deck circle in Kansas City last season.
He struck out a few times that night and I thought:
"He's not going to make it. Too big. Too much of a strike zone. Too loopy of a swing."
I know that Judge would be Jeff's absolute favorite.
He's a masher!!
He's what Godzilla looks like in a baseball uniform.
Yet, on Tuesday night (after already homering once) I watched him battle a pitcher to a full count.
"He can't hit another one," I thought, but I couldn't look away.
He blasted it about 400' and before the ball landed...
...I started feeling a little concerned.
Because baseball will eventually get the kid...
...he will regress.
The game isn't this easy.
There will be a prolonged slump and people will be asking "what's wrong with Judge?"
It's gotta' happen, right?
But in the meantime, Godzilla is here and it won't ever be as fun as it once was...
...but make no mistake...
It's still a little fun!
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