Yermin is Yawesome! (And so is Turnbull)

While you might think it appropriate that I open this update lauding the work of Spencer Turnbull, who threw a no-hitter last night against the Mariners, I am going to go in a different direction. I mean, Turnbull was great, but it was the 6th no-hitter thrown this season already, and it’s getting kind of tired. Plus, it’s the fourth time since 2019 the Mariners have been no hit, which makes me wonder if a no-hitter against the M’s is more akin to Madison Bumgarner’s 7 inning no-no instead of an actual 9 inning no-no?

Anyway, congrats to Portland for his no-hitter.

But the juicy stuff is happening in Kaline (and also, more accurately, in Chicago). Two nights ago breakout star Yermin Mercedes, playing for the Drive, hit a home run. Which by itself is no big deal. But the setting makes it worth a deeper consideration.

The White Sox were ahead 15-6 in the last inning against the Twins. And for some inexplicable reason, Rocco Baldelli decided to bring in Rosebud Willians Astudillo to pitch. Yes, Astudillo, who throws a 47 MPH fastball. He got two quick outs, and then went to 3-0 on Mercedes. 

There is so much energy spent by baseball players policing unwritten rules in the game. One of those unwritten rules is that when you are ahead by a lot and you have a 3-0 count, you don’t swing. Except Mercedes did swing, and he hit a 400+ foot homerun. As he trotted around the bases Astudillo glared at him, but then he got one more out and was done pitching for the night.

But here’s the crazy thing – Mercedes’s own manager, Tony LaRussa, told the media gathered for his post-game press conference that Mercedes was wrong for what he did and was being punished in house. Think about that – his own manager publicly called him out for being awesome. What kind of manager does that?

To add a layer of complexity, last night I read that in arbitration hearings in MLB, every HR is worth somewhere around $40,000-$50,000. And Mercedes has had a long, arduous trip to the White Sox, and is having an excellent season, much to the surprise of everyone. 

Can you imagine a business owner chiding his new employee, who came to the profession after making a mid-career change and was helping the company to outperform previous numbers, saying to said employee, “Knock it off?” It is incredulous to me, and I hope the White Sox players start to manage themselves in a great act of mutiny. If you look closely, Mercedes last night went 2 for 4 as an act of defiance, I’d like to imagine.

So here’s to players playing baseball well, and not giving in to stupid unwritten rules. Because unwritten rules are most often used by an older generation to place burdens on the younger generation who has to “earn their keep.” And that kind of mentality never results in good being done. So hit away, Yermin. The rest of us will cheer you on.