Aaron Hicks Archives - Jane Heller

This Is Ridiculous!

September 13, 2019

Let me get this straight. Hicks is not coming back this season and most likely having TJ surgery. And now, after the Yankees swept yesterday’s doubleheader in Detroit, we learn that Encarnaion (oblique), Sanchez (groin – again) and Happ (bicep – he’s had it for weeks) were sent back to New York for tests? And oh, by the way, Judge slammed into the wall (says he’s ok but who knows) and Kahnle (slammed his hand in frustration and needed his fingers examined) had problems too.

Do these players’s bodies not realize the Yankees are now in the home stretch? That’s we’re fighting tooth and nail for home field advantage? That we’d really, truly prefer not to be eliminated early in the playoffs and, in fact, would dearly love to win a championship?

Sanchez, Encarnacion and Happ are crucial to the Yankees’s success – crucial – as is Hicks, although we’ve managed to win without him. Sure, it’ll be great having a healthy Severino back if he’s able to pitch at the level of ace-dom – and Betances if he can return as the reliever who can bring heat and command. But jeez, I was really bummed after last night’s news.

Onto Toronto and God knows who goes down next.

Bombs Away in the Bronx!

July 2, 2018

What a finale last night against the Sox! After we were shellacked in Game 2 (Sonny Gray has to go, and Sale is truly the elite of the elite pitchers in baseball), the Yanks stormed back with a vengeance, knocked David Price around and wound up with a Janer worthy of my undying admiration.

Not only was Severino superb, nearly as good as Sale, but Aaron Hicks performing a hat trick? I mean come on. Three homers against the Sox was brilliant – even more so because he’s a switch-hitter and they came from both sides. In that regard and his speed, he reminds me of Bernie Williams. Loved it. There was even a homer by the third-string catcher!

If only we had four more Severinos and the offense could bash like that every night. It was definitely my kind of game – no stress, just happiness.

Friday night’s game was great too in a different way. It featured a surprising outing by CC and by “surprising,” I mean that Boston has been known to hit him pretty hard. Not this time. He was masterful. And we got just enough offense to win comfortably.

So if you ask me, I think this pennant race is going to come down to which young players Cashman trades away to get a good starter. I’m praying it’s not Andujar or Gleybar, but I know that’s who teams covet. And to get a good player, you have to give up a player that hurts. The most obvious trade pick is Clint Frazier because we’re full up on outfielders. And of course Sonny is expendable; the guy can’t pitch in NY and will probably do just fine in a smaller market like he did before.

So bring on Atlanta. I just hope the Yanks don’t let down, the way they sometimes do after the adrenaline rush of playing Boston.

Tied

May 11, 2018

First, let me say that although we didn’t sweep the Red Sox and ended the series tied with them for first place, having briefly overtaken them on Wednesday night, the games in this series at Yankee Stadium were great games. I enjoyed each one, even though they weren’t blowouts (my favorite, when we win, of course). Even in last night’s loss, there was always a sense that the Yanks would stage a comeback and they did. It just wasn’t enough after the homer off Betances.

CC didn’t have his best stuff last night and didn’t last long. And the truth is, he’s never been very good against the Red Sox – at least not in my memory. But aside from Severino’s great start, this series was all about the bullpen. They kept the Yankees in every game just long enough to give them a chance to score runs, and Chapman locked down save after save.

Everybody contributed in some way. I wish Hicks would get his bat going and I’m not sure Tyler Austin is ready for prime time and I do wish Gary Sanchez would cut down on the passed balls, but Gardner finally got hot. The lineup, top to bottom, is capable of doing damage at any time, especially late in games.

All in all, while last night’s finale was disappointing, the series was nail-biting fun with high energy in the crowd and among the players. You could feel it.

Now, I hope there’s no letdown for the series against the A’s. That can happen after a charged Red Sox series, but maybe this team of young players will keep the adrenaline flowing.

What Can I Say?

August 14, 2017

I was never a fan of Chapman’s. He throws hard, but he seemed like trouble, and I much preferred having Andrew Miller back if that were possible. But here we are. Chapman is blowing saves. He’s not the same guy we had the first time around. Whether the problem was Joe Maddon, who rode Chapman too hard in last season’s World Series, or a rough patch or simply the fact that no matter how hard you throw the baseball, you still have to learn how to pitch. Remember Kyle Farnsworth?

Last night’s loss to the Red Sox in the series finale wasn’t the fault of the offense for once. I defy anyone to hit Chris Sale, and the Yankees did a decent job of trying. No, this one was on Chapman.

So now we sit 5 1/2 games back about to face the Mets, then the Sox again. Where does this team go? Someone on Facebook suggested Aaron Judge was another Dave Kingman and I vehemently disputed that. But is he? Or will we see the Judge of early in the season? Thank God Hicks is back. Boy, did I miss him. Having Starlin Castro back would help too. Ditto: Matt Holliday. But mostly it’s our rotation and those injuries that are so disturbing. First CC, then Tanaka, never mind Pineda. It’s one big question mark whether Luis Cessa is the guy to fill in. At this point, I’d rather have Nick Swisher.

It’s Infirmary Time Again

June 26, 2017

The injury bug has descended for real and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Yankees, who were already reeling from loss after loss (with one win wedged in there just to tease us). The long-time patients of the DL are CC, Ellsbury and Bird, but the latest arrival – and it pains me to utter this guy’s name because he’s been playing so well) is Aaron Hicks. Ugh. When I read about his oblique and that he’d be out for three-to-four weeks, my heart sank. And then we have Matt Holliday and his mysterious allergy. I’d thought that was a one-time problem after he ate breakfast in Oakland. (Something in the cereal, perhaps? Like maybe he’s sensitive to almond milk; my husband is.) He got a shot of Benadryl as we all would, and steroids too, but he’s still not feeling tip top, which is odd. Allergies don’t usually last unless the allergen is still in your system. OK, I’m not a doctor, but it’s weird.

The good news was that Tanaka pitched a gem over the weekend against his countryman, Darvish, and the Rangers. The bad news was that Pineda was homer-prone yet again yesterday. The Yankees nearly crawled out from the deep hole they were in, but they went down to defeat and it was depressing.

Aaron Judge aside, this current short-handed team isn’t strong enough to win ballgames on a regular basis the way the Yanks were early in the season. And I did enjoy the winning. Who wouldn’t? I’d love to be optimistic about this road trip, beginning with the White Sox, but I fear the good times are slipping away. Someone talk me out of it.

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

May 19, 2017

The Yankees’ offensive might was on full display in Games 1 and 2 of the series against the Royals, with a combination of small ball, big ball and really big ball. I love the combination of power and speed, but what I really love is this team’s ability to take the extra base. Remember how frustrating it was when we had all those older, slower veterans who lumbered to get around the bases and often didn’t even try? Not anymore. The 2017 Yankees are athletic and frisky, and it’s paying dividends.

Last night’s finale was a bit of a bummer, as the KC pitcher stymied the hitters and the sweep was lost, but overall I was happy with the way they played.

And let me spend a second on Aaron Hicks. I thought I’d be talking about Gary Sanchez and then Aaron Judge relentlessly this season, but Hicks has really been an eye opener. He gets his hits, is fast, makes good plays in the outfield, does it all. Impressive. One of the broadcasters – maybe O’Neill? – compared him to Bernie Williams, and I agree to a point. Let’s see what he does over the course of his career and then we can pin the “Bernie” label on him. Still, I’m excited to see what he can do.

Next up: the pesky Rays. We should beat them every time we play them but somehow The Trop proves bedeviling. It’s tough to even watch games there. I always feel as if they’re playing inside a gym. But maybe the Yanks will overcome and mute the cowbells.

Record Shattering!

May 8, 2017

Full disclosure: there was no way I was staying up to see the end of last night’s game at Wrigley. I hate ESPN games, as I’m sure the players do, and I went to bed before Chapman blew the save. I thought the Yankees had things under control. I thought we were bound for the broom.

And then – surprise! – we did need the broom for the sweep but it took 18 innings to get there. Wow. I mean wow. Six hours. A record number of strikeouts. More than 500 pitches from 15 pitchers. What didn’t surprise me when I woke up was that Aaron Hicks was in the thick of things. A-Rod compared him to Bernie on Fox on Saturday, and I agree. He’s got the speed and the bat, and he can field his position too.

What shouldn’t get lost is that Severino went toe to toe with Lester, no easy feat, rebounding from a poor pitching performance last time out. And almost all the relievers (they really should DFA Tommy Layne) have been great. Also of note, every game, with a few exceptions, is exciting, has a spark, makes me want to keep watching. This team is flat-out entertaining the way they keep coming back.

I can’t imagine they’ll be feeling perky against the Reds tonight, so if they lose I’ll let them off the hook. But they could surprise me again and play out of their minds. What fun!

A New Winning Streak Started Tonight

April 19, 2017

Last night’s loss to the White Sox was disappointing, especially after the Yankees mounted a challenge against old friend Dave Robertson in the ninth and especially after the seven previous wins in a row made it feel as if we’d never lose. But tonight was another notch in the win column, and, I hope, it will lead to another streak.

There were homers aplenty: Judge, Hicks, Castro, Headley. There was more good starting pitching: Tanaka. And there was more good relief work: Mitchell, Layne. I’m encouraged.

After tomorrow’s off day, it’s on to Pittsburgh. I have to say I’m not and never have been wild about inter-league series and certainly not this early in the season. But the schedule is what it is. The first series against the Red Sox is just around the corner, so there’s that to look forward to (or dread).

7 Game Winning Streak!

April 16, 2017

And another sweep, this time of the Cardinals. The starting pitching was great throughout the series. And the Baby Bombers, in particular, have been fun to watch. In tonight’s ESPN game, Judge kicked things off with what should have been a homer, but the umps refused to overturn the call. Then Bird connected with an undisputed homer. Hicks had one too. And all this without Gary Sanchez. Even Chase Headley is hitting like a monster. I don’t know how long this win streak will last, but I sure don’t mind counting higher and higher. Like 10 wins in a row would be a nice round number.

First Sweep of the Season!

April 14, 2017

And the “Babe Ruth” in last night’s game wasn’t Aaron Judge but Aaron Hicks with two homers against the Rays. Joining him in heroics was Luis Severino, who hadn’t won a game in forever, but had 11 Ks to dominate. And Chapman got another chance to be lights out. Well, not quite lights out – he did give up a hit and some of the at bats took awhile – but the man does bring the heat.

Brett Gardner got shook up in a collision at first base the other day so he’s shaky, but Greg Bird is back. Now if he could start hitting maybe we’d be in business.

It’s too early to tell what to make of this version of the Yankees, but when they win, they’re as much fun to watch as any Yankee team. What continues to trouble me is the number of empty seats behind home plate – the expensive seats. They’re practically bare in the early innings and gradually fill in during the game, after the Legends Suite holders finish dinner, I guess. But there’s a wide shot from the centerfield camera that shows just how embarrassing the situation is – at least to me. Yes, it’s April and the cold nights aren’t for everybody. Here’s hoping it warms up and either the Yankees drop their prices or fans decide to pony up.

Hello to the New Yankee

November 15, 2015

Aaron Hicks is the 26-year-old Twins outfielder the Yankees acquired last week in a trade for John Ryan Murphy. I liked Murphy, but he was bound to be a perennial back-up catcher and deserved more playing time, so I hope he does well in Minnesota. As for Hicks, he’s young and athletic. He’s supposed to have good defensive skills, but his offense hasn’t blown anyone away. I guess the hope is that he’ll mature the way Didi Gregorius did and be an upgrade over Chris Young or, if he’s injured or slumps badly, Carlos Beltran.

The other piece of news in Yankeeville is that Cashman has a beard these days. I assume that, like the players, he will have gotten rid of it by Opening Day.