The title may feel ironic considering Tuesday morning I called the Yankees an unserious organization, while that sentiment hasn’t changed, that was Tuesday and today is today. So let’s try something different as the Bombers hit an off day in the Big Apple before they welcome the Mariners to town tomorrow. Despite dropping Sunday’s finale against the Braves in the Bronx, the Yankees series with Atlanta honestly went about as well as it could have. The Braves, at least as presently constituted, are better than the Yanks, so grinding out the first two wins of the series feels like an achievement. Winning on Saturday was that much sweeter as it was a victory on Old Timers Day, a day that should always end with a Yankee win, if they can help it at all.

Interestingly the series win over Atlanta marked the fourth series the team has played against playoff teams in the last two weeks, four series in which they have done no worse than split. Performing well against good teams says something good about a ball club, at least I hope it does about this one, but only time will tell. Even more noteworthy is the Yankees record over the last 26 games, which is 16-10, despite not feeling like it at all. Over that stretch they have continued to struggle offensively but the pitching has continued to carry the team and the defense is coming along as of late as well. The last week and a half has seen them embrace defense and run prevention a bit more, a strategy that makes sense considering the quality of starts they get. The root cause of that, new addition Luis Garcia Jr. who has been very solid at first base, and a youngster making waves in “Yankeeland.”

George Lombard Jr. arrived Tuesday night in the Bronx, appropriately donning the number 96, as the Yankees spent the weekend honoring the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Title Team. He made flashy plays in the field, hit a pair of homers and made some things happen on the bases. For a week in the show, the counting stats and highlight pack looks very good, but to me the most important takeaway from the young man’s first few days on the job are these. First, he has an extremely high baseball IQ in the field, on the bags, and at the plate where his strike zone knowledge and discipline have aided him with the stick. Second is the poise he shows both in game and with the media. He doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the moment or the media or the pressure of a pennant race in the Bronx, he’s just come to work each day and acted like he belongs here. These tools will serve better over the long term than any stat he collects in his first week in a Yankee uniform, and it should only encourage more patience from the organization and the fans down the stretch.

As we start the week the Yankees trail Tampa by a season worst 5.5 half games in the division, a lead that it feels like they won’t quite reverse despite the amount of time left in the season. They’re not consistent enough to do the job barring Tampa falling off down the stretch. So with that in mind the focus has to shift to the Wild Card race and trying to stay ahead of the Red Sox, who have done nothing but gain ground for weeks now. This weekend felt like the one where the Sox would finally overtake them and leave in the dust as Boston hosted the A’s at Fenway. But the Yankees surprised with a series win against the Braves and Boston shockingly lost the series to the visitors from out west. At a game and a half ahead on the off day, the Yankees need to the keep up the momentum they established against playoff teams, in the next two weeks against lesser opposition.

Starting Tuesday, the bombers will play twelve games against teams under .500, including three series inside the AL East against Baltimore and Toronto. Despite all three teams being in the playoff chase, these are the kind of opponents that a good team puts some numbers on the board against. This twelve-game stretch needs to see them go no worse than 8-4, a number that would eliminate these teams from contention and also keep pace with the Red Sox who they will see four times at the end of the month and then again in September. While I think they’re far from fixed and I am a long way from buying in, they have an opportunity to at least take a bit more control over their season if they can keep this “better” play up.

Before I go I want to leave on a look to the past, as the Yankees had what was one of their better Old Timers Day groups in the last several years. The blend of young and old was great to see, as Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher took the field with 90’s legends and 70’s icons to document the franchises storied history. Credit Austin Wells for continuing to honor the life and legacy of Thurman Munson, walking his widow Diana out to the diamond in the pregame ceremony and donning a replica of Thurman’s iconic orange catching gear for Saturday’s game.

Unfortunately, there was a somber component to this year’s festivities, as former Yankee pitcher Tommy John released a letter to the fans and the game of baseball while in hospice care Saturday. The letter was essentially a heart felt goodbye and thank you to generations of baseball fans for making his life in the game what it was. A powerful moment from a man nearing the end of an impressive life. We wish Tommy comfort and as a fan of the game we’ll continue to honor his memory, and wish all the best to his family in this difficult time.

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