Masahiro Tanaka pitched like the ace he was imported to be when he suffered an injury that led, of all things, to defining his time as such a durable and reliable Yankee
Tanaka set to start Wednesday night in Game 2 against Indians in the first round of the playoffs Any start to the season could be Tanaka’s last as a Yankee He is a free agent after the season and he conceded in his last regular season start at Buffalo that it occurred to him that this could at least be the last non-playoff start as Yankee
« I just thought it was seven years and seven years quickly, » Tanaka said Tuesday ahead of the Yankees’ 12-3 win over Indians in Game 1 « It’s kind of the end of a chapter in a way, just that thought of being there for a good seven years, that’s what came to my mind in Buffalo »
It was better than good Tanaka cost $ 175 million between salary and postage and the Yankees thought they were buying a No 1 entry It evaporated when his elbow started to hurt during his rookie campaign in 2014 But what emerged was worth every penny for the organization – a cross between the reliability of Andy Pettitte and the toughness of Orlando Hernandez for big games
This is why the Yankees will certainly want to hold him back in tandem with Gerrit Cole to stabilize a rotation that is shattering among youngsters such as Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt and Jordan Montgomery and reintroduce Luis Severino and Tanaka always seemed to enjoy being a Yankee, embracing with joy and responsibility the intensity and frequency of great matches
So the money is going to be on a reunion But how the money is spent this offseason will be a relentless Major League scenario Teams have generated less revenue in this COVID-19 impacted season Most have already considering that the subscription renewals for 2021 are somewhere between blackout and a disaster And there are no certainties even crowds next year So who knows who is going to spend and how much?
Aaron Boone has said he hopes Tanaka will be back, citing him as « a great example for any looking player wanting to hang on … he’s super prepared Takes great care of himself Obviously he’s completely dedicated and excellent at his craft It’s fun to see how precise he is and how much he expects him to be Paired with, if you get to know Masa he’s completely loved by his teammates He really has a great sense of humor I had the joy of knowing him and dealing with him He’s just someone who carries a lot of respect in the room and remains a great pitcher He’s been a very Yankee artist. constant during all his years here «
In 18 starts in his first Yankee season in 2014, Tanaka led the AL in ERA (251), hitting better than a batter in an inning and was on his way to being Rookie of the Year and possibly a Cy Young winner Then word came that he had a small tear in his elbow What followed was the belief that dominance may have gone and that Tommy John’s surgery would be needed
He’s never been a no 1 starter yet But that’s where Tanaka became Pettitte He was a trustworthy no 2 or 3 starters who like a metronome kept taking the ball He never needed Tommy John surgery His 153 2015-20 starts are 18th in majors He has a 114 ERA-plus as Yankee – Pettitte was 115
And, like Pettitte, you could put him in a playoff game without worrying that he would blink.But in this arena, he looked even more like El Duque because of a combination of cunning and tenacity. remake on the mound, depending on what he had that game – heck, last season he gave up his previous key height splitter because he wasn’t obeying and got behind his slider
In eight playoff games, Tanaka has a 176 ERA, having never pitched less than five innings, never giving up more than three earned runs and five times having given up zero or one Most famous, as the Yankees lost 2 -0 in a best-of-five series of divisions, he excluded the Indians for seven innings in Game 3 in 2017 to inspire the Yanks to rally to win the series It was reminiscent of Hernandez’s seven shutout innings in Game 4 of the 1998 ALCS when the Indians led two games to one and the Yanks were reluctant to lose a 114-game winning season
« The most important thing about pitching in a great game like this is trying to be yourself, » Tanaka said
Tanaka’s personality as Yankee has changed over time – from ace to a reliable mainstay of the big game Even with the downgrade he was worth every penny
© 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc All rights reserved
Terms of use
Privacy Notice
Your Ad Choices
Sitemap
Your California Privacy Rights
Do not sell my personal information
New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka, American League, Cleveland Indians
World News – United States – Masahiro Tanaka’s Yankees legacy is clear even though is over: Sherman
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
