The New York Yankees’ proud tradition of excellence has been preserved in this century only at great cost and with decidedly mixed results. Since closing out the last century with 4 WS titles in a 5 year span, New York has had to settle for just three AL titles and one WS crown in the 13 years since. A windfall for some franchises, but not for the Yankees.

As they did last year, the Yankees are again significantly outperforming their Pythagorean projection, a feat of legerdemain that can seldom be preserved for extended periods. It’s likely that the Yankee players will need to perform much better the rest of the way if New York is to avoid its first losing season since 1992. After the jump, more on what ails the Bombers.

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Lonnie Chisenhall was already hitting out of his mind, so what do we call Monday’s rampage? Five for five, spiking his season average to .385, with 3 HRs, 9 RBI, and a double that one-hopped the wall. His 15 total bases are one shy of Rocky Colavito’s team record, in their only 4-HR game. Pat Seerey, Bobby Avila and Ellis Burks also had 15 TB for Cleveland.

It’s the 34th game with at least 9 RBI since 1914. No player has done it twice. Some notes on those games:

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The players in this quiz are distinguished by a single-game batting feat that only they have accomplished in regular season play since 1914. What is it?

Hint: there are four criteria that describe this batting feat, three of which were achieved by a player in one of Sunday’s games, an occurrence that John Autin remarked on in his Game Notes post.

Congratulations to Richard Chester (with a big assist from The Goof)! Richard identified that the quiz players found opportunity to drive in runs even when the box score would suggest otherwise. In particular, they are the only infielders (incl. catchers) with a game like David Freese‘s on Sunday of 4+ PA and zero AB but, unlike Freese, also with 2+ RBI. Those games are after the jump.

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Astros 14, @Twins 5 — Houston pulled away with two late grand slams, career firsts by Chris Carter and Jon Singleton, plus George Springer’s 12th homer. Collin McHugh was staked to a 5-0 lead, but his wildness kept him from getting through five and cost him a win.

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(I need a gimmick, so I’m only doing games with at least one team over .500.)

Cardinals 5, @Blue Jays 0 — Shelby Miller took a no-no to the 6th and finished off a 3-hitter, and Randall Grichuk’s maiden homer broke a scoreless tie in the 5th to hang a tough loss on Mark Buehrle.

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Yes, it’s been quite a parrot-y season so far, but that’s not what we had in mind….

If you haven’t been numbed yet by the level of parity in major league baseball so far, here are more measures to glaze your glazzies. Through Thursday, June 5:

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 60th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round begins to add those players born in 1922.  Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

After barely being nosed out by John Smoltz in the 1924 round voting, Duke Snider appeared on eight more ballots than last round, a level of support that proved more than enough to become the 59th inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats. More on the Duke and the voting, after that ever-present jump. Continue reading →

@Yankees 2, Athletics 1 — Victorious versatility by Masahiro Tanaka, who garnered his first win yet when backed by less than 3 runs. To say it wasn’t his most impressive effort — 4 Ks, a walk and 5 hits in six innings — discounts the level of the competition (MLB’s top offense, park-adjusted), and speaks to how quickly he’s become entrenched among the game’s elite, leading the AL in ERA and WHIP. But it was typical in other ways.

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@Padres 3, Pirates 2 — Everth Cabrera’s perfect push bunt was the lone safety for the winners. But it sparked a 2-run opening frame, thanks to Francisco Liriano’s wildness and two defensive gaffes behind him (one mental, one physical). Three more free passes (one to Ian Kennedy) forced in the third run, and the San Diego bullpen locked down late as usual.

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