On one level, the Yankees are the husband (or wife) for whom it seems impossible to get a proper birthday (or anniversary) (or Christmas) (or Hanukkah) gift. After all, what do you get for that man (or woman) (or baseball team) who seems to have everything?
Then Luis Castillo strode to the mound of Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.
Suddenly, in a moment of inspiration similar to when you finally find the perfect gift for your spouse, the Yankees found the ideal gift for themselves.
All that was missing was wrapping paper and a bow.
“He’s got a two-seam and a four-seam, hits 95-99 [mph], he paints both sides of the plate,” manager Aaron Boone said a few hours later after his Yankees lost 7-6 in 10 innings. “He gives you two different looks with the fastball, works it on both sides of the plate and has a great change.
“He was great.”
That was him. The Yankees spent most of Thursday night looking like they were playing with the Reds like a terrier plays with a chipmunk after catching the animal. They equalized a 0-1 deficit. They equalized a 4-1 deficit. They cut a 7-4 lead to 7-6 with a batter in the 10th inning. The Reds are one of the worst teams in baseball and the Yankees are the best. It seemed inevitable.
Luis Castillo passed his audition for the Yankees with flying colours. Robert Sabo for the NY POST
But good. It’s baseball, Suzyn.
But so is the game that’s set to pick up some steam in the next few weeks, the close of trade parlor game that promises to be particularly interesting in New York City this year. The Mets are certainly looking for another bat to add to their lineup and another arm for their bullpen. The Yankees, despite their 62-27 record (and magic number for winning the AL East of 61), could certainly use another lockdown starter after their rotation has suffered a few nicks and bruises in recent weeks.
And there, for all to see, was Castillo.
After the Beatles gave their last live performance in January 1969 at a rooftop concert high above 3 Savile Row, where their Apple recording studio was located, John Lennon once joked into a live microphone, “I want to say on behalf of you from the group and ourselves thank you and I hoped we passed the audition.”
Luis Castillo plays in the Reds’ win over the Yankees on Thursday. Robert Sabo for the NY POST
Well it’s hard to speak for the rest of the Reds and as a group they’re more the Rutles than the Beatles. But Castillo certainly passed his audition.
He threw brilliant seven innings at the Yankees, allowing just one run (which probably wouldn’t have counted had his second baseman Jonathan India not botched a groundball with infield) and batting eight. He consistently hit 98 mph for 114 pitches. The Yankees looked positively stunned from the first pitch to the last.
Fans cheer for Luis Castillo. Robert Sabo for the NY POST
And Castillo seemed to be having a hell of a time, looking like he’d pitch in front of 41,311 people at Yankee Stadium as comfortably as he usually does in front of friends and family back home at Great American Ball Park. That’s as important as anything when you’re the Yankees and you’re thinking about throwing some expensive chips on the table and pointing to Cincinnati.
Well, there is a legitimate question here. The Reds are in full rebuild mode, and that generally means everyone is in the game if the return is big enough. Shouldn’t the Reds at least consider making Castillo – under team control until next year – a foundational rather than a transactional play?
(Of course, the Reds are a team whose president, Phil Castellini, pouted and spat at fan criticism earlier this year: “Are you going to give up being a Reds fan? Are you going to give up following this team?” “)
It’s really simple:
If Castillo is in the game, the Yankees must be in the game. You have already been identified as one of the two most active admirers along with the Dodgers. Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have both pledged to honor what the Yankees have already done by making sure they have a maximized team in October.
And a maxed team would have Gerrit Cole and Castillo as a 1-2 hit at the start of each postseason series. The Yankees are already steaming into October as the betting favorites.
Cole-stillo?
That would make the money look even smarter.