The Yankees are free falling in the standings. Just a couple of weeks ago, they had the best record in the American League. On Labor Day today – or should I say Gleyber Day – they have fallen to the eighth and final playoff spot in the AL. It has certainly been a fall from grace for the Bronx Bombers. To get into the Yankees’ struggles, we bring you a brand new “Pinstripe Pod” with Chris Shearn and four-time World Series champion Jeff Nelson.
Shearn and Nellie open up the Gleyber Day edition of the podcast wondering if Aaron Boone will put him in the lineup or give him a day off. That leads into an epic rant from Shearn on the Yankees’ struggles and guys continuing to get days off, not understanding the gravity of the situation. With just 20 games to go, the clock is ticking and there isn’t much time to give guys days off when you are just two games up on even making the playoffs. Nellie explains how the Yankees do not want to play those top teams in the AL, because their starting rotations are better. They talk about players’ mindsets changing, not wanting to play every day and lose out on money if they get hurt, and how the times have changed from Nellie’s days. They discuss Giancarlo Stanton’s injury, him hardly playing any games since his first year here and the long rehab times. The guys look ahead to 10 huge games coming up against the Blue Jays and Orioles.
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In “Nellie’s Nugget” this week, in honor of the Orioles beating up on the Yankees, he tells the story of them physically beating up the Orioles when he was with the Mariners in 1993, which almost led to Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games played streak ending. He then gets into the infamous brawl with the Orioles in 1998 when he was with the Yankees.
YES Network Yankees clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits then joins the show. Marakovits talks about what is going on with the team right now, needing to figure it out quickly and not being able to replace All-Star hitters. She talks about issues being amplified in a shortened season, needing to get all three aspects of the game together and gives some injury updates on Stanton, James Paxton and Aaron Judge. Marakovits tries to talk Yankees fans from going off the ledge as the team struggles and points to positives to look forward to. I then jump in to ask her roots in Allentown, PA, if it is like the Billy Joel Song and what her Rockne Wall Hall of Fame induction speech would sound like if they let her make one.
Catch up on all episodes of “Pinstripe Pod,” a New York Yankees podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Chris Shearn on Twitter @ChrisShearnYES and Jeff Nelson @NYNellie43. The next episode of the podcast drops Thursday.