Hour 3 - Judgement

“The Yankees brought the October lobster roll. They bought that. They said, all right, we want Aaron Judge. That's our October lobster dinner. And then Judge shows up and instead of being that October lobster dinner the Yankees are getting a sleeve of saltines.” That is how Ben Maller opened his monologue on the New York Yankees’ mishandling of their franchise player’s return from injury. With the regular season winding down and a potential work stoppage looming, Maller spent the hour dissecting three major baseball storylines: the Yankees’ failed Aaron Judge comeback, the Red Sox’s premature managerial hire, and the Mets’ uninspiring choice to keep Andy Green.

The Yankees’ Colossally Failed Comeback Plan

Maller’s central argument was that the Yankees absolutely mishandled Aaron Judge’s return from a fractured rib. The problem, as Maller laid it out, began with Judge skipping a minor league rehab assignment. “He said, listen, you have a personal preference. And Judge said, yes, I have a personal preference. Well what is your personal preference? My preference is I don't do minor league rehab. I don't need a minor league rehab. I'm the captain of the Yankees. I ain't going to your little dopey minor league rehab.” According to Maller, Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone “genuflected to Aaron Judge” and let him bypass the traditional path back to game readiness.