Jeterian

Sweeps are good...

2006-04-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

So it’s a three-game sweep of Kansas City in Yankee Stadium. Without being arrogant, that’s as it should be. One of the announcers on ESPN commented, “These two teams shouldn’t even be in the same stadium together.” But last year the Yanks got swept by the Royals in Kansas, and no, damnit, I haven’t forgotten. Sports Illustrated made the argument that close games fill seats, but watching your team romp all over another team has it’s merits as well.

The game was on ESPN the other day, and I got home to catch the last bit of it. The announcers were saying that managing a team like the Royals or the Devil Rays is all about preaching winning baseball. With no 5-tool players, and a serious shortage of 3- and 4-tool players, you have to make the most out of opportunities – when luck turns against the dominant team, the less talented team has to be there to take advantage of it. Still that could be a pretty sizable mental roadblock to overcome – to lose game after game and still maintain enough energy and enthusiasm every day to SEE opportunities when they present themselves.

Gotta say, I much prefer Damon bashing in a three-run homer in pinstripes with no trace of red in the uniform. The Yankees may not have needed the bat, but wow, it sure as hell doesn’t hurt.

I am half-listening to the game while doing several other things – the problem with listening to the game in the other room is John Sterling. “It is HIGH!” -- I drop everything, tell whoever I’m on the phone with to wait a sec-- “It is FAR!” --- I run into the next room – “IT IS....caught at the baggie by Ford.”

The BAGGIE?!

Much better

2006-04-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

I got wound up last night when Matsui hit that solo shot in the 9th inning, but it wasn’t meant to be. For once, I couldn’t blame Randy Johnson, either.

That was tasty today though – hoo, a perfect Yankee victory, a very relaxing, solid thumping. I can’t believe how much attention this past week’s losses have gotten. I guess the media have to do something to fill all that air, but to say “Well, it’s silly to ask ‘what’s wrong with the Yankees?’ this early in the season”, but then spend the next 15 minutes discussing what’s wrong with the Yankees seems a little contradictory.

I’m watching “Baseball Tonight” hoping to see some of the shots from the game, especially Mariano’s play at first base. John Sterling is usually pretty good at calling the web gems. “Oh what a play by Mo!”

And ARod. Incredible – even my Red Sox buddies have started grumbling about what a good ball player he is. To do so seems to cause them physical pain, so it must mean something. People seemed to be thinking that he was freaking out by taking a midnight batting practice last night – I don’t get it, what is the big deal? Don Mattingly pointed out that one of the worst things to have to do after a bad night on the field is to go back to an empty hotel room and try to sleep – nothing to distract you from it and nothing to do but go over and over every detail in your head. ARod seems like someone who could wander into overthinking-it territory, and if it takes an early am batting practice to reset himself, leave the lights on and leave him to it. It appears to have worked...

Well....Opening Day was good.

2006-04-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I have a massive head cold, and the last time I looked out the window it was actually snowing. Not helping matters is the fact that I stayed up late all week to watch baseball (so much for strict limits on my baseball habits!), and the Yankees being on a first week skid. It’s one thing to stay up late to listen to your team win, quite another when you crawl into work the fan of a losing team. If that losing team happens to be the Yankees, there is no mercy. A lifelong Orioles fan walked up to me and said “just so you know, my Birds are over your Yankees in the standings.” “Oh. I’m sorry, is it September?” “No, but like I’d pass up any opportunity to gloat.”

So it’s Saturday and I’m too sick to go out. I’m wrapped up in as many layers of fleece as I could find that weren’t packed away for the summer, and I’m going to listen to the game, hoping that the Yankees turn this freighter around.

Baseball is back!

2006-04-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Oh YEAH baseball is back! I was losing my mind there, but the Yankees return. They really weren’t kidding when they said they were ready for the season to start.

I tried to fix my jones by watching WBC games and Grapefruit League games – it’s just not the same, people. WBC was an interesting diversion, but I found myself really missing regular season play. Many people said that the WBC was more for other countries besides the U.S., which would make sense, but didn’t change my “who are these people?” disorientation. Then I started to listen to Grapefruit League games, but there would be so many player changes that I would have a hard time figuring out what was going on. I know that the whole point of Spring Training is to work out the kinks and give absolutely everybody you might even consider for the starting squad a chance to play, but damn, when I’m watching a Yankees/Phillies game and I don’t recognize anyone, it gets a little confusing. (The ball went where? Who caught it? Wait, who’s at bat? And who’s running for him? What’s on third, that much I do know.)

And I know it’s only the first game of the season, and I know that injury hangs over this team like a very localized thunderstorm, and I didn’t miss the fact that the run Randy Johnson gave up was a home run, and that Damon apparently didn’t attend Kevin Millar’s Boys and Girls Club lesson on hitting the cut-off man ( a little early for Jeter to be talking to his glove and sporting that “will be talking to you about that later” look, eh?) .........BUT!!!! Oh the hits! And the drawn walks, and Hideki with the three-run homer, and ARod with the Opening Day grand slam --- oooo, yeah, that was good, that was especially good. I had forgotten how much fun it could be watching that line-up scare pitchers like Barry Zito (Barry Zito!!) off the mound. Woo hoo!

One question? Who plonks Posada? I don’t mean that as any kind of slam to his hitting. Posada is a guy who never does anything to anybody, and that poor man has taken more knocks over the past couple of weeks than a football player. I’m hoping he makes it all the way through April, never mind the rest of the season.

It sucked that the game was on so late. I kept telling myself “Ok, ten more minutes, then you have to turn it off.” And the Yankees score ANOTHER run! “Ok. Ten more minutes.” I am so wiped out today, so I am on strict orders – directly to bed, do not even THINK about turning the TV on to see how things start.

But already I’m thinking....How’s Mussina going to pitch? Will they have the big hits tonight? Hmmmm.....Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night and deciding that it’s worth it to pay extra on the phone bill to check the score on my cell phone browser. Yeeeeehp. Totally hooked.

Baseball’s back!

Hot stove!

2005-12-25T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Merry Christmas, and man did I ever speak too soon about there not being anything going on in the trades. Looks like the Yankees found their centerfielder. I have to say, I still have a ton of misgivings – I still think Damon may be too old and too injured, but then again, not one major league baseball team has ever called me to ask if I would be interested in being their general manager.

I must admit, I really can’t help myself, GOD is it funny watching the Red Sox Nation FREAK OUT about this. I am spending Christmas in New England, and really, being in the heart of the Nation is definitely the best vantage point. “How COULD he???” Uhhhh....the Yankees acted like they wanted him? I mean, I’m sorry, people couldn’t see this coming? It was obvious to everyone that the Yankees were desperate for a centerfielder last season. TONY WOMACK was playing centerfield, that would have been your first clue. The Red Sox have an All-Star centerfielder whose contract is up, and has been expressing discontent in various small ways all season. The Red Sox blew it by not making sure that Damon knew beyond all doubt that he was very much wanted and that they were willing to work with him to keep him – please, it’s not like Boston is hurting for money. I know a big deal is made about the Yankees being the best team money can buy, but it’s not like the Red Sox are the Royals or the Devil Rays. And New England LOVES Damon – so pay the guy! Because, see, there’s Brian Cashman standing right over there, drooling, with one of those really big Yankee paychecks.

Johnny looks good with his short hair, and will look even better as a lead-off hitter in pinstripes – no disrespect to Jeter, who was not exactly a slouch in that role. Quite frankly, thinking about that batting order is making me dizzy – I just start laughing, and can’t stop. No predictions as to what might happen in April – God knows, Randy Johnson taught me to not count chickens, etc. But December feels reeeeeally good.

Missing baseball

2005-12-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

I was going to be a purist about this and not write anything until Spring Training, but I couldn’t wait.

First of all, how much do I miss baseball? At first it was nice because I had all this TIME. I have read so many books, seen so many movies, and have returned all of my email in a timely fashion. I can hold a phone conversation without having one eye swiveled rudely toward the score – when did I turn into the people I hate to date? But I’ve caught myself doing it more than once. “Uh...huh. What? Oh....yeah.” Not good!

But enough, thank you. I want baseball.

I just found out that my Dad got us tickets to Yankee Stadium to see a game in May. How cool is that?! We’re sitting on the third base foul line – I have to bring a glove. If I don’t, I’ll have Sheffield-pounded foul ball where my nose and orbital bones used to be.

Not much going on trade-wise. Tino’s gone (maaaaan...), and I still don’t quite understand what’s happening with Bernie. Tom Gordon went to Philadelphia. (Actually, Philadelphia should abandon the Eagles and focus on the Phillies – they’ve been quietly building themselves a very interesting team.) Nomar went to the Dodgers, Womack went to the Cubs, and the Yankees still need a starting centerfielder.

It made for lively breakroom discussion when Torre made the off-hand comment about Jeter or ARod playing centerfield. The tabloid media had a field day about how that was a serious consideration, but both platinum-caliber players had a fit, and Torre backed down. I don’t buy that, mainly because in the same statement Torre also mentioned that Mariano Rivera was a talented enough athlete to play centerfield. I don’t think that will be happening any time soon. Although it is sort of entertaining to imagine any one of those guys with throwing arms that strong and all that room to run.

And ARod. ARod ARod ARod. That guy has no off-season from the media – they seem to enjoy picking him apart as much for his spare-time activity as his play on the field. The thing is, as bad boys go, he’s really boring. The best he can do is be seen in a place with illegal poker games? Please. Not running around on his wife with some skanky stripper, not starting bar brawls, not getting mixed up in a sex cruise, not getting pulled over for DUI – what exactly is it about him that acts as the blood in the water for the press? He gets paid a lot. So? A lot of people get paid a lot. He didn’t know what team he was going to play for in the World Baseball Cup? So? If Mike Piazza can play for Italy when he was born in this country, I don’t really understand why it would be such a scandal for ARod to play for the Dominican. (God knows, they don’t have ANY other big names or anything, no team at all, really) I wonder if he decided to just sit the whole thing out because he realized that he was never going to win this one, and why risk getting hurt on top of it all. When in doubt, ask yourself – what would Hideki do?

I was really glad he got the AL MVP – very much deserved. I’ve even heard Red Sox fans admit that he deserved it over Ortiz, and that’s no small thing. And that, ultimately, I think will be the path that Alex Rodriguez needs to take to win over the hearts of the doubters. He’s never going to have that “Jeter thing” – his way may be by continuing to play his ass off and ignoring the media howling.

Walk On...

2005-10-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

I guess the Yankees’ charter plane had some sort of mechanical trouble and they didn’t get into New York until 3:00pm yesterday. Yeeeeeikes, imagine being trapped on that plane – there are times when many millions of dollars a year may not be enough.

The knives are out, and the sharpest ones seemed to be aimed at ARod. He’s not the only one, though, I’ve heard just about everybody hacked up. The only ones who were spared attention were Small, Chacon, and Giambi, and the only Yankees I’ve heard spoken of positively was Jeter. I don’t think that would be much consolation to Jeter at this point.

The focus on ARod as the problem is utter bullshit, though. I’m not going to lie, when ARod grounded into that double play in the top of the 9^th in Game 5, eliminating Jeter, I realized very suddenly that it was over, and I was furious with Rodriguez (“THE WORST POSSIBLE THING YOU COULD HAVE DONE IN THAT SITUATION!”). Having gotten some perspective, it wouldn’t have come down to that if they had been playing to their potential throughout the series. I seem to recall through a haze of bitterness that Chone Figgins and Vlad Guerrero were pretty well shut down by the Yankees throughout the series, and yet (ouch) the Angels (ouch) still won. Baseball’s a team sport, and it’s impossible for one guy to lose a five game series all by himself.

Steinbrenner released a thank you to the fans that was the most menacing show of gratitude I’ve ever heard. “WE WILL DO BETTER.” [Brian Cashman drops to the floor gasping, eyes bulging, trying to remove the unseen hand that chokes him.]

I’m still smarting – baseball isn’t fun to watch yet. I’m working my way into watching the ALCS but the first game was peppered with bad Yankees performance, and that sucked to watch the first time. I had to turn it off. I was able to watch several innings of tonight’s game – it’s weird though. I’m not that familiar with either team, and it’s like wandering into a stranger’s party.

It’s interesting when people scream about the payroll and the salaries. I was thinking about how much money I’ve actually spent on the Yankees this year, and I came up with the startling figure of …$15. I bought a subscription to Gameday Audio. For that piddly sum I got a season of baseball that was frustrating, exciting, suspenseful, and ultimately entertaining. I suppose if I had season box tickets, I might feel differently, but that not being the case…I could have spent ten times that amount, and still feel like I got way more than my money’s worth.

I know that that isn’t good enough for the Yankees, and I love that about them – none of this “We’re used to losing” rationalization crap. I’m sad that they didn’t ride the coaster deeper into the postseason, but as October moves on and I begin to think about putting away my t-shirts and washing my battered Yankees rally hat…

Is it April yet?

Too stunned to even cry...

2005-10-11T01:16:00.000-07:00

I should be in bed, I have to work tomorrow, but I can’t sleep. I watched the very last bitter out, and now I’m thinking about a certain plane probably in the air from LAX to JFK, and imagining how deathly quiet it must be on that plane.

I got my hopes up after Sunday’s game – that was an awesome game. Tonight’s game certainly wasn’t. I can’t go through all the stupid details, or I will start crying, and what’s the point? It didn’t happen, and almost everyone on the team shares some responsibility for that at some point during the series.

I can’t believe that it’s over, it’s like a car slamming into a wall – one minute it's flying along and then the next minute…it's not.

California or bust!

2005-10-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

And they go to L.A.! I flipped on ESPN Radio this morning, and in the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea what show I was listening to. All I heard was the show’s host going on about how the Yankees can’t stand each other, they’re mercenaries, they don’t care if they win or lose, they just want the season to be over and to collect their checks. Then I turned it off…

Frankly, I have no idea if the Yankees like each other or not. I’m sure there are plenty of conflicts – how could there not be? Forty guys living out of each other’s luggage for 8 months every year? Please. Honestly, I don’t care if they are the best of friends, as long as they get the job done. Ok, no that’s not completely true. I love watching Jeter, Posada, Tino, and Bernie goofing on each other, that is pretty funny. But simply because that level of camaraderie may not be readily apparent team-wide doesn’t mean they can’t get it done – you don’t have to be friends with someone to work effectively as a team. God, for proof of that, all you have to do is look at the Bronx Zoo era Yankees – those guys HATED each other, and they had Billy Martin busily fanning the flames, but they got it done.

And as for them just wanting the season to be over, that’s bullshit. If that was what they wanted, they could have very easily lost last night, and they didn’t. Why grind out a win and have to fly all the way to L.A. for one game if all you want to do is end your season?

Another point this host made was that the White Sox are a better team, and that they want it more. There may be an argument there – the White Sox are playing amazing ball and are totally fixed on the World Series – they seem prepared to mow right through any team that’s in their way. If the Yanks pull through tonight and somehow make it to the ALCS, the White Sox will be more than ready for them.

And about last night’s game? Two words – Jorge Posada. He and Shawn Chacon were the game last night. I definitely don’t think Jorgie got the memo that he’s a mercenary and that he just wants his season to be over. My favorite play was that rocket he threw over the mound to Jeter to nail Vlad Guerrero. Happiness is…

It wasn’t the “gorgeous, elegant win” I was looking for, but hell, a grinder will do, thank you very much. Let’s hope Mussina is rested and ready to throw the nastiest, ugliest stuff anyone can imagine.

Waiting

2005-10-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

And my blues persist. It’s times like this I wish I were into football – at least then I would have something else to occupy my mind. No such luck here though, it’s baseball and that’s it.

I can’t seem to get myself excited about the game tonight for some reason – again, is it the weather? Apparently, and without knowing it, I moved from Pennsylvania to India during monsoon season. It’s cold and dreary, and the accompanying “blahs” are especially stubborn. A gorgeous, elegant Yankee win tonight would lift my spirits considerably, and another Yankee win – of any kind! – tomorrow would make me ecstatic.

I’m worried, though. There are no guarantees here, and even if the Yanks make it through, the White Sox are rested and ready. To be honest, it’s not exactly like Chicago looked tired sweeping the Red Sox, you know? If the Yankees should make it, they’ll have to get on a plane late Monday night to fly to Chicago to play Tuesday night. I hope they rested up yesterday – took long naps, watched a lot of movies. I can’t tell you how bummed I’m going to be if the Yankees season ends tonight. I can’t even wrap my head around that concept. It doesn’t seem real.

Ptttttttthhhhhhbbbbb......

2005-10-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

It is absolutely pouring out, and it has been absolutely pouring out since about 11:00 last night (before that it had been raining but not like this). In watching the Weather Channel the same huge green and yellow blotch is sitting over New York, so there isn’t any baseball on tonight.

It may be all this rain, but I’m feeling a little bummed.

Is it because the Boston Red Sox were so completely shut down by the White Sox? My God, that was just an out-and-out thumping. I was all ready to gloat – oh, I was so ready to gloat – but it was so…sad. Pathetic might be the better word. As a Yankee fan, how many times have I seen the Sox going goofy in their dugout and wanted to throw something? You’d think I’d enjoy the moment. But seeing Manny Ramirez looking subdued, and Kevin Millar depressed, and …. is Varitek CRYING?! I couldn’t help but thinking if it can happen to them, it can happen to the Yankees too. Signs in Chicago like “It’s our turn!” and “Winning is our business and business is good” seem to be foretelling even greater things than the ALDS for the White Sox.

A little boy in Fenway sporting a Red Sox hat and jersey sobbed into his father’s stomach while his father rubbed his back, while his father’s face said it all. He’d forgotten to tell the little guy about those other, non-Idiot Red Sox teams, all those teams that didn’t make it to the World Series. It will be interesting how the Red Sox Nation will readjust to the traditional, comfortable role of Non World Series Champions. I’m curious to see how they find a way to blame the Yankees for it all.

Oh, yeah. The Yankees. Watching the Red Sox go fetal in their dugout reminded me that a similar fate may be in store for the Pinstriped Wonders if they don’t start playing better immediately. No errors, no bad decisions, no wasted at-bats, no runners left in scoring position – would that be too much to ask of a $208 million team? Game One in LA was great. Mussina pitched well, the boys played well in the field, and they were hitting (or getting hit, but who cares, a base is a base.)

But then it was like a mini review of everything that has gone wrong this season, minus injuries. In Game Two, Wang pitched well, but there were ridiculous errors – really, reeeeeally big oh-my-God-what-the-hell-was-THAT caliber errors, and they lost. What the hell happens to Alex Rodriguez when the postseason starts? He seems to be astonishing himself with his own mistakes and wasted opportunities – he looks at his hands like they belong to someone else and that they’re not working the way he expects them to. Even Jeter’s been quiet so far with the rally-making, and this is his time of year.

Game Three? Scathing, blistering criticism for Randy Johnson. So great that he pitched so well against the Seattle Mariners and such. Admittedly the Red Sox games were important and excellent. But last night was inexcusable. It totally disgusts me that Aaron Small got credited for the loss on the mess of a game he inherited.

One of the ESPN announcers commented, as Randy Johnson got booed off the mound, “Is there any Yankee fan in the stands tonight who could have seen this coming?” Uh….YES?! The real question is, by show of hands, how many Yankee fans would have felt more confident had Aaron Small been given the ball to start?

I was a little surprised that they played such an important game in the rain. I found myself wincing every time anyone would go hard after the ball, imagining the torn tendons and ligaments looming in the immediate future. I’m not saying that the ultimate outcome would have been any different, but I’m guessing it would have been a better ball game on a dry field.

So I’m glad that they opted to postpone tonight’s game until tomorrow – the Yankees have two very hard wins to come by before they can even think about facing the all-cylinders-firing White Sox, and they’ll never get the chance playing the lousy ball they’ve been playing for the last two games.

AL EAST BAAAAYBEEEE

2005-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

My God, they did it. They did it! I have pictures of champagne-soaked Yankees floating across my desktop! They took the AL East! Whoo is that making the Red Sox guy in my building grumpy…he acted like I set fire to all of his Boston stuff or something. He -- like almost everyone except Derek Jeter, apparently—did not realize that the AL East was on the line on Saturday. He was not happy that it came down to who had the better head-to-head record. (I think that’s actually a really good idea – it makes the whole season important, not just how hard you play in August and September) Derek Jeter had figured out on Friday night what was at stake, and was trying to tell his teammates what could happen – they didn’t want to hear it until after they won the game. God is he all that AND smart enough to master all the playoff scenarios? Maybe he should run for president when he’s done being a Yankee.

And speaking of those smart Yankees, look who taught themselves to hit the knuckleball! They said something on Fox about how the Yankees had a closed batting practice with a retired knuckleballer, but I didn’t hear anything about it after that. Whatever, I couldn’t believe how many hits they were getting.

Oh, and the Big Unit can scowl and grumble all he wants as long as he pitches that well and keeps it quiet enough that the umpire doesn’t hear him.

I thought it was cool when Gary Sheffield came out and put his arm around Joe Torre while Torre regained his composure to talk to the cameras. Sheffield doesn’t seem like the kind of person to make empty gestures and it was a really touching thing to come over when he did.

On to the postseason Bombers!

It's October? Already?

2005-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Crap. The Yankees need to win one game to stay in it, and I thought that they had a pretty good shot to win last night’s game. Crap.

I went out this morning to get the paper and the Red Sox Nation had already attacked my door with Red Sox logos, MVPapi signs, and a note saying “Hasta la vista Yankees! It’s over!” Halloween came a little early here. I would have preferred a crushed pumpkin and a couple of rotten eggs.

Overly confident folk, these Red Sox fans. I still have no idea which way this weekend is going to go. The Sox would have to sweep the Yankees to take the AL East on Sunday, and while it’s certainly possible, even the most die-hard Sox fan would have to admit that a sweep of the Yankees is unlikely. With Wakefield being so tough, and Mussina pitching injured, anything is possible, but the Yankees aren’t going to just lay down and die.

I watched the game on ESPN, and the shots of ARod hugging David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez before the game had to chap the collective asses of the Red Sox Nation. In uniform, no less, which is going to raise the ire of some old-timers, I’m sure. “Never fraternize with an opposing player in uniform.” Pfft, whatever. Major league baseball players are such a small, elite group of people, and they lead such a weird demanding life, that already there are very few people who understand what it’s like to be a Manny Ramirez or an Alex Rodriguez. Then factor in the reality of so many players changing teams so often, it seems a little ridiculous to worry about the uniform rule. Freakin’ ARod. Guy’s been playing Gold Glove caliber defense for months – and most of last night’s game, frankly--then lets a ball squeak through his legs like a Little Leaguer. Tell me that Fenway doesn’t get to them a little bit.

And Posada! Whoo, he had to be happy to see that game end, he was just having a bad night. Bad at-bats, a passed ball, and arguing with the umpire to the point where I was really shocked that he was able to stay in the game (and apparently, so was Torre, because Flaherty was suiting up.) That’s the only time I see Posada get really pissed off is when he’s screwed something up and he knows it, and now today instead of getting a chance to redeem himself, he gets to sit on the bench watching Flaherty do his job. I would imagine telling him that he’s cute when he’s mad wouldn’t help the situation any, either.

Cleveland lost last night, which helps. Reporters were talking to Ozzie Guillen about a month ago and asked him who had the better team, the Indians or the Yankees. Without hesitation, he answered “The Indians.” He owes the Yankees and Red Sox nothing, and his team has clinched AL Central – it had to be tempting to just coast this weekend, but the White Sox hung in there and beat it out. In 13 innings for God’s sake – I’m guessing that they won’t be so eager to push it to extra innings today.

OMG, how bout the rookies having to dress up like cheerleaders, and then having the footage released to ESPN??! Just when you thought you were a big shot Yankee…nice legs, guys.

Getting close to game time…we’ll see how it goes today. Hope springing eternal, and all.

Go Yankees!

Ouch.

2005-09-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

This playoff race is all about who blinks first, and if the Yanks had to blink, last night was the night to do it. Actually, it’s not the team as a whole that blinked but the bullpen squeezing their eyes shut. I still can’t quite comprehend that score – how can they lose so badly with 9 runs? (Answer: pitching.) I believe I mentioned a few entries ago that it would be nice if there was a place for Al Leiter on the team – and that place should involve a comfy chair and a pair of pom-poms. It should absolutely NOT involve any kind of ball or mound! Sorry Al, but damn.

When Gary Sheffield hit that grand slam, I really thought they had it – I was sure they had it. That’s the kind of game they usually win.

I admit that I had to turn the game off, it just got too depressing. With every game a must win, to lose one so badly is disheartening. I was thinking about those ALCS and World Series losses where Derek Jeter is one of the last people in the dugout, watching the other team celebrating – how the hell does he do that? I understand that to really appreciate and enjoy success, you have to know failure too, but watching the other team celebrate would be one of the very last things I wanted to do.

Anyway, whatever that was, hopefully they got it out of their system. Cleveland and Boston lost too, so the Yanks essentially got a do-over, and another miracle. Back to the pennant race boys.

Sprinting to the finish...

2005-09-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I had planned to be listening to the ballgame tonight, but the weather had different ideas. The Boston/Toronto game has already been called, and they have to make it up in a double header tomorrow. I’m glad the Yankees aren’t going to have to do that…I guess one of the potential solutions to a rainout was to make up the games after the Boston/Yankees series this weekend…NO THANK YOU. Talk about anticlimactic. I bet half of the Orioles wouldn’t even bother showing up.

The Toronto series was fine – I’m glad the Yanks faced them first, then Baltimore. Toronto still seems to be playing serious ball, and Baltimore looked like they could give a damn up in Yankee Stadium. I’m really glad Boston has four games with them, and even more glad that Toronto is to them like Tampa Bay is to the Yankees.

But everybody knows it’s going to come down to this weekend – how could it not? I know baseball isn’t fixed, but it couldn’t be scripted any better than this.

Yesterday was so sad, saying maybe-goodbye to Bernie. I hope not. I hope he’s still there in some capacity with them next year. I love watching Jeter, Posada, Bernie and Tino goofing off in the dugout, they make it look like they’re having fun playing.

I watched the profile of Derek Jeter on 60 Minutes last night. God, how nice is he? Just a decent human being, and I don’t know how anybody stays a decent human being after being that famous for that many years. His parents and my parents have very similar parenting styles—the contracts made me laugh. My contracts growing up were more like handshake deals, but they were very much in play.

What a long way Jeter has come from that game two weeks into his first minor league season that maybe no more balls would be hit to him.

Shhhhhhhh..

2005-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Oh…….my……..God. Don’t look now. Be very quiet. Nooooo sudden movements.

The Yankees ………are……….in………FIIIIIIIIIIIRST PLAAAAAAAAAAAACE!

It didn’t really hit me until out of force of habit, I went to look at the Wild Card standings and the Yankees WEREN’T THERE! Oh, I know, anything can happen – God knows, if there’s one thing that Yankee fans have learned over the past year, anything can happen. But I’m finding myself tempted to cancel plans so I can listen to games. I’m overjoyed that I can check scores on my cell phone. I switched cable/internet companies on Saturday, and was insistent that everything be up and running perfectly before the game came on or I wasn’t going to switch until November.

I would love to be smug about bumping the Red Sox, but I’m not quite sure about gloating rights just yet. The way the Indians are playing, the Wild Card may not be an option – the Red Sox, motivated by the fact that they’re in as much danger as the Yankees to not go to the playoffs at all are quite capable of pulling it together and beating out the Yankees. It has done a fine job of shutting down every Red Sox fan I know, however. David Wells said what everybody knew – the Yankees were on the mat, and the Red Sox had the perfect opportunity to crush them, but they didn’t manage to do it, and now they have to deal with the Yankees to get to the post-season.

The series with Baltimore has been kind of ugly. I like Brian Roberts, and watching his arm get pulled apart was really kind of horrifying. Poor Bubba, great walk-off home run one night, rip your former roommate’s arm off the next night.

What’s up with Jeter? Striking out in the clutch, throwing wide? *gasp* Jeter screwing up is like finding out there’s no Santa Claus all over again. It seems like every time he starts doing that stuff he’s hurt, maybe his arm? Perish the thought, no wonder he’s not telling anyone.

Oh my God, Tino just let a ball go through his legs, what the hell is going on here? Now it’s like I found out there’s no Easter Bunny all over again. I am really glad that they aren’t planning on using Mariano, because if he were to blow a save? It would be that moment where I realized that there might not be a God all over again.

That’s pretty funny. Moose has been pitching great, but because of sloppy defense there are runners on. For some reason though, guys are warming up in the bullpen. I didn’t realize there was a bull pen for infielders….

Wait a minute ---- Suzann Waldman SINGS? Will wonders never cease. Suddenly I’m thinking of Ethyl Merman and I don’t know why.

Ooo! Jorgie is having a hell of a game – 2 home runs! A rally! Let’s hope it’s a huge rally and Mariano can nap uninterrupted. I’m going to go listen to the game.

OMG, the Yankees are in first place!

Freddy has nothing on this…

2005-09-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

I had a nightmare last night that the Red Sox were playing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees had some sort of emergency and didn’t get out of the clubhouse in time for the start of the game, and the Red Sox were allowed to run around the bases scoring runs due to defensive indifference. I was really glad to wake up. My Yankees hat desperately needs to be washed, but now I’m superstitious about it and won’t wash it until this season is resolved, one way or another. I’m halfway expecting my hair to start falling out in clumps and to have waking hallucinations of Matsui striking out repeatedly in the clutch.

But how cool?! I really can’t wait to see what’s going to happen, but at the same time, sometime in mid-November I’m going to be totally Jonesing for more baseball…

Almost game time! And it’s on tv!

Rats....

2005-09-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Oooo, bummer. That was really disappointing. I really thought they might turn that around until the very last out. They’ve won so many close games over the past couple of weeks that they had to lose one at some point, but they lost ground in the Wild Card and only maintained in the East, when they could have gained ground. Rollercoaster on a downward dip…

Today’s game was especially disappointing after yesterday’s game how many phenomenal defensive plays can you cram into two innings? I was really sorry it wasn’t on tv – I was left watching highlights on a little 3 inch window on Yankees.com.

What is the deal with Jaret Wright? That poor guy can’t get a break. He’s going to have to start pitching games from behind that little fence that they use in batting practice and the home run derby. He needs a mask and pads more than the catcher.

If they only miss the playoffs by a game, I will lose my mind. It’s one thing to be like 5 games back, but one game….

A win is a win is a win...

2005-09-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last night’s game kind of sucked. I mean, they won, which was great, and Alex and Robbie were all over the home runs, which was great, but…

Randy got thrown out for running his mouth. The announcers made it sound like he wasn’t warned before being thrown out, and that umpires need to e more understanding of emotional players in a playoff race. As it turns out, he was warned, Flaherty admitted, “Once the umpire pulls off his mask, you need to back off.” Which Randy obviously didn’t do.

I’m all about personal responsibility here – if you’re working under the assumption that people will be more understanding of your childish and selfish behavior because you’re under stress, you’re asking for trouble. The Yankees needed him to pitch 7 innings and pitch them well, and he didn’t do either of those things. In a way, it did everyone a favor throwing him out. A homerun and hit batsman in the first inning with 50 pitches halfway through the second inning? Not exactly the makings of a magnificent start. He’ll apologize, but so what?

Alex got hit again… there is some talk that his arm may be broken, but he was going to wait until the morning to see how it felt. Who takes care of these guys? There’s this newfangled invention called the X-ray, you know, real science fiction stuff, lets you see right through to the bone to see if it’s broken. I halfway expect to hear that they bled him and made a goat sacrifice to the gods.

The Yankees bullpen, up to the point where they get to Gordon and Rivera, is a disaster. They gave up so many runs I went numb and had difficulty concentrating. An opposing team with any kind of patience would be able to make a real game for themselves once the Yanks get into their bullpen.

And the damn Red Sox, battling with Oakland in the rain until late in the night win the thing on a hit batsman. I thought Proctor walking in the winning run an extra inning game was bad, imagine being the pitcher who plunks in the winning run—how do you even apologize to your teammates for that? “Yooooops!”

Blow outs are good

2005-09-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was fantastic – after such a close game with the Red Sox , it was nice to kick back, relax, and listen to the Bombers beat the living hell out of the Devil Rays. There seemed to be a little bit of therapy involved with that.

Tonight is a little bit more typical – they’re tied at 4 at the moment. Chien-Ming Wang isn’t pitching as well as he was before he got hurt, which makes you wonder if he is still hurting.

I tell you what, I know the pitching has been the major issue this season, but as I write this, Matsui is standing on second with no outs. If somebody doesn’t bring him across home plate safely, I will lose my mind. OO! Posada moves him to third with a sac fly to move Matsui to third! There’s hope!

YES!!!!! YAAAAAAAAHOOOOOO!

2005-09-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

YES! YES! YAAAAHOOO! YES! Theeeeeeeeee! Yankees! WIIIIIIIIIIIN!

Oh my God that was the GAME, I cannot believe they won that game! A SHUTOUT against BOSTON! A one-run win! Ohmigod! No wait I have to run another lap around the house, I’m too hyped up….

That was just amazing. Randy, all is forgiven. You do not, in fact, suck. You keep pitching like that and Curt Schilling might not have to adopt you.

Whew, I am totally dizzy. I don’t think I remembered to breathe the entire 8^th and 9^th inning. I’m kind of glad they don’t play tomorrow, I could use the break.

My Red Sox loving buddy just called me to needle me about the upcoming series with Tampa Bay. Every Red Sox fan I know was sounding somewhat disconsolate last week when the Yanks dropped the series against TB. “It’s no good winning the playoffs if you don’t have to beat the Yanks to get there. It’s like you didn’t really win.” Well hold the phone, because this season is still kicking!

I checked out AROD.com. *Sigh* You know, I love the guy. I love what he does, and I think a lot of people talk a lot of trash about him that he doesn’t deserve. (Nothing like being fiercely talented, filthy rich, and ridiculously good looking to bring the claws out.) But this website. Mmm. “I. am. FABULOUS.” He couldn’t wait until November after he’d done something like, oh, I don’t know, help his team win a World Series? And I know all the copy has to be ghostwritten, but at some point he has to read and approve it right? How do you go through all that sycophantic blithering and say “yes, that is absolutely true, I am, in fact the nearest thing to God on this planet. Go forth and publish, spread the word!” I know he’s got the chops to warrant the praise, but just once I would like to see a very talented athlete jus’ hush up and play. (Oh, wait….that would be Derek Jeter.) I watched the “Pinch Hit and Run” segment with Jennie Finch -- I thought it was funny that he wasn’t even going to try hitting her pitching (btw…ouch. Why is her arm still in its socket?) God forbid, ARod being struck out by a guuuuurlll, that wouldn’t do at all.

Cardiac stress test in pinstripes....

2005-09-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Back to work, which means very little time for baseball, and even less time to write about it – depressing. I’m a little jealous of anybody who gets paid to sit in a ballpark and watch baseball – how cool would that be?

Every cliché about those Yanks – “rollercoaster ride”, “upanddown”, “streaky”, whatever, I can’t look away, the suspense has me reaching for my inhaler every key play.

The Oakland series was fantastic – rebounding after a 12-0 loss to take the series? Yes! They’re going to the playoffs! Major props to Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon for making that series happen. I thought it was funny when Chavez made a dig at Small, categorizing him as an inferior pitcher. Small’s response? “Oh, he’s right. My stuff’s not all that good.” Er…where’s your ego dude? Aren’t you supposed to be issued a major swollen head with your professional athlete uniform?

How weird is it to see Mark Bellhorn in a Yankees uniform? (Slammin’ kneesocks, bay-bee. I will never develop an appreciation for that look.) He looks much better cleaned up, finally rid of that greasy mullet mess that used to creep out from under his cap. I always expected some creature to peep out of that thatch every time the cameras were on him (“Boo!”) There are some things that Steinbrenner does that I do approve of, and insisting that his players practice good basic hygiene and fundamental dressing skills is one of them. Bellhorn looks a little crazed at the moment – that has to be like free-falling. One day you’re a Red Sock, literally the next day you’re flying across the country to play for your former team’s arch rivals.

Ah, but then, in walks Tampa freakin’ Bay, and losing the series to the Yankees new daddy, the *&%$ DEVIL RAYS. The mood fluctuates in the other direction No! They won’t make it to the playoffs! I’m with ARod on this one, I was just glad to see them get out of town. I can’t believe that they have to play them again next week. I would rather they had to fly all over the country playing the top team in each division than having to play Tampa Bay.

I just watched the end of today’s game against the Sox, and the Yanks got smacked around pretty good. Fucking Schilling. He’s one of those players that I don’t care for, regardless of the uniform he happens to be sporting, and one of my all time favorite moments of this season will always be the two run homer ARod hit off of him to spoil his comeback in July. (“I’m sorry, weren’t you talking some kind of shit about me?” *CRACK*) I was pretty hopeful about this game – last night’s game was awesome. Aaron Small! He appears to have no ego, but having a guy like David Ortiz strike out and look over at him like “Who IS this guy?” has to feel really good.

I was laughing out loud at Jeter mugging at David Wells – only Jeter could be pulling faces one second, then smacking a single the next. That guy could concentrate in the middle of a tornado. They looked like they were having fun, and playing really decent ball while they were at it. Hey, it’s not every day a team like the Red Sox hand over four errors (“SPIKE!”) and I’m just glad the Yankees took advantage.

One major issue…Everybody knows when a runner is heading for home, they have to mow the catcher down to get there – fair play to Varitek for knocking Posada on his ass, and much credit to Posada for risking the injuries to block the run. Johnny Damon did something similar in May, but when the play was over, he went back over and offered his arm to Posada to help him up and patted his back after making sure he was ok. No such class from Varitek – apparently some people can’t maintain a competitive edge without acting like a jerk.

Three little letters...

2005-09-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

L…….O……B!!!!

And right after that “ERA”. God, what is it with this team? As soon as they get any kind of momentum going something happens to one of their pitchers and they freeze up. LOB for last night? TWENTY-ONE. (Which might also be Al Leiter’s ERA at the end of the first inning. Poor Al. I don’t think he’ll be coming back after that one.) How do you get TWENTY-ONE guys on and bring NOT ONE of them across home plate? I mean, I know it’s really hard when two of your pitchers give up 10 runs in two innings, but this is the YANKEES. Look at the people in that line-up! Not ONE run?!

I checked Gameday before I went to bed to see how things were kicking off. I was stunned when Leiter threw Strike One, and then immediately followed it with Strike Two. (Whoa.) I thought this was a sign of good things to come and shut my computer down happy. About two hours later something woke me up (come to think of it, it may have been the screaming death spiral of Leiter’s career) and I turned on the radio to check the score. (I am such an addict – I am totally strung out on baseball this year.) The Yankees were down 11, and almost the whole starting line up was off the field in the fifth inning. (John Flaherty playing 1^st base????!!!!) Apparently Torre sent everybody home to think about what they’d done. Dear God.

And Mike Mussina may be out for the remainder of the season. The Yankees are to pitchers as Spinal Tap were to drummers – honestly, I’ll bet if you check the mound there would be green slime. There was a totally unsubstantiated rumor flying around that the Yankee organization was looking into signing Sidney Ponson… apparently “Yankee Pride” is no longer a factor.

Oh and Kevin Brown is apparently done for the season, and probably as a Yankee. Finally, some good news. What can Brown do for you? Sign with another team. Preferably the Red Sox.

Ah, come on, guys...

2005-09-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Man that loss yesterday really got to me. That felt exactly like the game against the Royals on Saturday, except they never exploded in the ninth. I was happy because the game was on at a reasonable time, but then they just seemed really “meah” – Wright got hit and they fell apart. What is it with the Yankees and leaving guys on base? Christ it drives me nuts. The New York Post was really grim about the loss Tuesday, but this was worse. Three out of four in this series would have been respectable, but splitting the series was not. God last spring when they were dreadful they pounded the Mariners. Really, really bumming.

What a week -- Mussina pitched badly, but they won. Chacon got his first shellacking as a Yankee – let’s see how he recovers from that. I wondered how long they could continue coming from behind and I got my answer. On the bright side, in walks Randy Johnson. THAT Randy Johnson. Go get ‘em Randy! Although I have to say, all the bellowing and chest pounding is a leetle beet scary. Waaaaaay too big a guy for that. He said, “There are a lot of people around here who couldn’t handle that from me every five days.” Er, yeah, ya think? Lurch springs to life. But it was fun listening to him school the “19-year-old pitching phenom” Felix Hernandez. (Absolutely everything that I read about Hernandez referred to him as the “19-year-old pitching phenom” like it was his title. “His royal highness”, “Secretary of State” --- “19-year-old pitching Phenom”) I love the fact that Johnson made a really big deal out of Robbie Cano too. “Without him, maybe we don’t win this game.”

And on the bright side for the Yankees, the A’s have lost like three key players to the DL – very lucky break, now let’s see if they make the most of it. Any handicap will do, thank you. That and the talk of Chien Ming Wang coming off the DL…maybe maybe maybe.

Because you know who they have to face next week. Mmm hmm. Oh yeah, BIIIIIG series, a constant thorn in the Yankee side. Yeah, you guessed it.

TAMPA BAY.

What, you were thinking Boston?

Ugh, 1:00 am is too late....

2005-08-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Man, they did it again – despite Mussina’s troubles they did it again. My dad sent me an email referring to “Moose panic” and I just got this image of dozens of fans fleeing the stadium “AAAAAAAAH!” My problem may be extreme fatigue – I had to be at work today at 7:00 after 3 weeks off. My internal clock is all screwed up, so I couldn’t sleep at all – why not listen to the game? I think I got like 3 ½ hours of sleep last night. I’m actually listening to tonight’s game at the moment, but I’m fading fast. I’ll end up falling asleep with my headphones on like a little kid. I can’t wait for the Yankees to come back to the East Coast.

So Mark Bellhorn, huh? I don’t know what to think about that – the last time I saw him play, Fenway was booing him for striking out all the time. Maybe the pinstripes will cure what ails him. He was on the DL for a month with a thumb injury. Must be some sort of epidemic.

Sheffield must be so annoyed that he isn’t able to do anything tonight – he didn’t say anything to the press about his suspension (yet, anyway) unlike David Wells, and as everyone knows, it’s not like Sheff to keep his thoughts to himself if he’s got something to say.

I am so loving Matt Lawton at this point – he seems to have jumped into the rapids and is swimming along just fine – a hit in that key 9^th inning in the game against Kansas on Saturday, a home run last night, all this while Hurricane Katrina is ripping the roof off his house while his parents are in it.

And Alex Rodriguez. I am just glad he’s a Yankee. Go ‘head Seattle, boo him. He seems to be pretty comfortable in those pinstripes these days. I wonder how someone politely inquires after one’s health when the person in question has pulled a groin muscle. “Sooooooo…how’s yer groin?”

I wonder how much longer they can keep coming from behind like that – that has to be draining on them with it happening as often as it is. I hope they take full advantage of the four games with Seattle because the A’s are going to be tough.

Sweep in the right direction....

2005-08-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Leiter, that guy, I’m tellin’ ya. I have time to get an entire week’s worth of chores done around my house when he pitches. Spring cleaning level of cleaning going on here.

I needed for the Yankees to have an easy blow-out kind of game today – thank you Jason Giambi for giving me that. It’s nice to have the opposing team hit a two run homer and think “huh” rather than “OH NO!” And so the Yanks sweep Kansas City, avoid the rain and leave for the Left Coast. I have to start back at work this week and won’t be able to stay up late to listen to the games. Baseball withdrawal!

There was a huge article in the Arts & Entertainment section of the paper today (you know, “The Daily Red Sock”) about a local English professor who happens to be a huge lifelong Red Sox and Phillies fan (geez, think about that for a minute). He apparently wrote a line by line baseball reinterpretation of T.S Eliot’s The Wasteland about the Red Sox winning the World Series last year. The Yankees of course are the figure of evil. (um…wasn’t it the Cards that they beat to win the series? Just curious.) Next up a reinterpretation of Beowulf with the Yankees as Grendel, I’m sure. His buddy paints huge folk art murals of famous baseball games – I’m wondering if he paints Yankee players with little horns. Cloven hooves? Forked tails. Get over it already!

GRIND IT!!!!

2005-08-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOO! I have to be honest, I almost packed it in on this one – even John Sterling sounded like he’d given up, calling the plays almost as an afterthought. I am soooo glad I didn’t turn the game off, that was AWESOME! I am almost always doing something else while the game is on – folding laundry, paying bills, whatever… All I could do for the whole bottom of the 9^th was pace back and forth…AMAZING! Many thanks to the Royals for blowing that double play and giving the Yankees that proverbial crack in the door…

WCBS interviewed ARod afterwards, and Suzann Waldman asked him if they would have won this game two months ago – he said “NO.” And to that end, I have to start thinking of him differently… I haven’t been giving him enough credit, still thinking of him as the guy that has trouble making it happen in the clutch. When Sheffield was up with 2 outs and runners 2^nd and 3^rd , I thought that if I were managing the Royals, I would consider walking Sheff, and going after ARod, hoping that he’d go for the big dramatic hit and strike out. This is why nobody is calling me to manage a baseball team – that was the two-months-ago ARod – this guy did exactly what was needed. Did I say? I feel the need to repeat it…WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!

Friday night’s game was such a nice break – Randy Johnson pitched well (!!!!!), Bernie made up for not being 23 by bashing the hell out of the ball, and they got and kept the lead—very pleasant to watch. Why does ARod grab Jeter by the neck? It looks like it hurts…

I was at the library the other day, and actually read the interview in The New Yorker about Gary Sheffield – he says what he says – he contradicts himself somewhat. Complaining that two guys on the team get all the media attention (there is some truth to that), but then getting pissed off about having to deal with the media doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I guess that would fall under “Sheffield being Sheffield” however. The article is an interesting example of how the media works, though. Most of what Sheffield actually says is targeted toward the media and the Yankees organization. It’s the interviewer who takes what he says and embeds it in names-named “Stepford Yankee” digs at Rodriguez and Jeter. With the media playing games like that, why would anyone ever be honest with them? Anytime anyone is, they twist it to suit their purposes – if you’re going to survive intact you almost have to be an automaton when the microphones are on.

Just checked the scoreboard. Boston lost a huge lead and lost 12-8 to Detroit. How perfect is that?

Guilt is a terrible thing to waste...

2005-08-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Oh, sure, but when the Yanks give up 9 runs in one inning, front page of the sports section, above the fold! They did a box score for yesterday’s win against Toronto, so I am slightly placated.

Wednesday was a little spooky, eh? I mean, Mussina is probably getting tired, being the only pitcher on the original Yankees starting roster who is both consistent and uninjured, but eight runs? Eeeeeesh. The fact that Randy Johnson is pitching tonight against Kansas City is not reassuring, especially since Kansas did such a nice job working over Boston. (Working over Curt Schilling! Har!)

I had to call my dad yesterday and give him hell. Months ago we had planned to go in for the game against Toronto yesterday. Neither one of us wants to sit in the bleachers – we both have to travel 2 ½ hours to get to the stadium, and damnit, I want to be able to at least be able to read the numbers on the jerseys when I get there. There were great seats available along the 3^rd base line (or as I like to call it “Derek Jeter’s side of the field”, apologies to Matsui and ARod.) Both my dad and I lament that when they show games on tv they waste all this time putting the camera on the announcers (who cares?! They’re sitting there talking!) or focusing completely on the match up between the pitcher and the batter. Third base line we can not only see what’s going on in the field, but into the Yankees dugout, which is cool.

A few weeks back I called him to find out how much I owed him for the tickets and he said, sounding annoyed “Well I haven’t gotten them yet! We need to see what the weather is going to be like! We’ll get them that week.” Fuck! My dad apparently still thinks it’s the 80’s when Don Mattingly was hitting home runs into seas of empty seats. Needless to say, we didn’t get tickets.

Having grown up Catholic, and being skilled in the art of the guilt trip, I had to call him after listening to the game. Perfect weather, ARod and Sheffield did their back-to-back-homerun thing, Mariano shut it down in the 9^th, Shawn Chacon pitched an “I-saw-him-when” start, Jeter was fully recovered from his tragic thumb incident. (An aside – how funny was that? Jeter was, even for him, remarkably evasive about that thumb. How’d you hurt it? “I forget.” Bet he did it doing something stupid – slapping somebody upside the head or moving the entertainment center at home. No wonder Torre basically had to tie him to a trainers table to get him to take a day off -- I’m sure he’ll be taking endless rations of shit from everybody about it. “Did you huwt your widdle fumb?”) The only element missing from the mix was Cano, another I-saw-him-when. Oh, yeah, I laid it on thick. He assures me that we will be buying our tickets for next year the second they go on sale in December.

Do the Red Sox own my local paper?

2005-08-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Frustrated and disgusted with my local paper. This is football country – Eagles country to be precise – and baseball is only that weird little sport that takes place during the three weeks that there’s nothing going on with football. I’ve come to accept that. But they haven’t even printed a box score for the Yankees for the past two days -- just a final score in tiny print among all the other AL box scores. What’s the deal? They didn’t finish late, it wasn’t a late game – really irritating.

Ah, anyway… How ‘bout those Yanks! Such exciting nerve wracking baseball – they’ve gone from being an all-star sure thing to a team knitted together from all stars, rookies, veterans, and guys thrown out by lesser teams. (God, the players of the game were Felix Escalona and Al Leiter.) How can you not love that? The fact that they aren’t a sure thing, the fact that Joe Torre has to use every ounce of the considerable managerial ability he has to make this happen, the fact that the all-stars may have to make it a point to get on base rather than saving the day – MAN. This is really cool. It would be really cool if the five starting pitching slots could be given to the guys who earned on the basis of performance this year, rather than history.

In praise of Al Leiter

2005-08-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

I hope, I hope, I hope there’s some kind of place for Leiter in the rotation after everybody gets healthy. There’s something about him that appeals to me. The fact that the Yankees pulled him off the scrap heap, threw a jersey on him, handed him a ball, and he pitched a beauty of a game against Boston at a crucial time should give him a place somewhere on the team, even if he isn’t their best pitcher. Given the intense uncertainty of that series – losing Wang and realizing that Pavano might not come back – the Yankees needed some indication that miracles could still happen and Al Leiter brought a miracle. I like his enthusiasm and his ability to not just tolerate but thrive in the New York media sauna. I like the fact that he’s working with Mel Stottlemeyer to try to improve, and I like the fact that he knows how lucky he is. Apparently he went and talked to Torre about possibly pitching out of the bullpen – he knows he doesn’t have what it takes to stay in the starting rotation, but he’s such a burst of energy and enthusiasm that I hope he finds a place. Maybe it’ll remind everybody what’s good about being in pinstripes. That being said, I hope he doesn’t lose to Toronto tonight.

I read an article written by Don Zimmer about George Steinbrenner (“Just Treat Me Like a Human Being”). He paints an interesting portrait about what it’s like to work for the Boss – all his employees appear to be property or livestock. When his properties are producing, he’s happy, lavishing praise and attention, but the minute they don’t perform, he just cuts staff – he couldn’t really care less about the history with that person. Obviously there’s a lot of money in play here, and I’m not saying that high paid staff and players should be allowed to hang out if they aren’t producing, but there are classier ways to handle it. He’s like the worst boss you could ever have. He holds the keys to the baseball kingdom – the Yankees, New York, the pinnacle – but you have to endure being mishandled and stabbed in the back by him the whole time you’re there.

"Brilliant!"

2005-08-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ah, yeah, Randy Johnson. MVP material that one. When he goes to Torre and volunteers to act as closer to give Mariano a break, I wonder if Torre gets dizzy and nauseous. Because, which inning would it be – a shut out, or six runs on four home runs? I had to turn WCBS off because I got sick and tired of listening to the fireworks go off after each one. Besides that if either Waldman or Sterling said anything about “Well he pitched a great game except for one really bad inning,” I was going to start pitching stuff myself. Uh-huh, yeah, and the Yankees would be in first if it weren’t for the Red Sox, but it doesn’t work that way.

Is George Steinbrenner paying attention? This is not an issue with Torre or any of his coaches – it’s not like you can coach Randy Johnson at this point in his career. This was an expensive mistake – people thought that the Big Unit was going to pitch the same way at 41 that he did when he was 37 – and he’s not doing that.

I would be terribly impressed with the Unit if he was throwing as well as he was talking. I mean, volunteering to pitch every fourth start and help out as closer, that’s great, if you’re pitching well. At this point, the idea of having Randy Johnson get more time on the mound induces an overwhelming carsick feeling. I don’t have enough good luck rituals to manage that.

Can you believe that kid asked for $20,000 for Jorgie’s ball? Damn! I’ll bet the little darling is going to donate it to charity, right!

But they won the series, and they are still in the running. I cannot imagine what any kind of playoff series would look like with this team, but they are still in it.

Tempting but nahhhh.....

2005-08-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

A Red Sox Nation representative sneeringly informed me that Johnny Damon has publicly stated that he would be willing to entertain a contract discussion with George Steinbrenner, and of course he would cut his hair if he signed with the Yankees. “Figures,” he pouted. “The Evil Empire can’t let an All-Star play for another team after all.”

I don’t have time at the moment to discuss the convoluted logic involved in that statement, but the idea of Johnny Damon signing with the Yankees got me thinking. The Yankees don’t really need another bat, but they do need a center fielder. The question is, do they want Johnny Damon?

Johnny Damon is one of a small number of Red Sox players whom I respect. He is maddening to me as a Yankee fan for all the right reasons. He’ll foul off 12 pitches looking for the one that he likes – and that pitch might be the one he golfs off his shoes. He gets on base, and once on base is almost guaranteed to steal an extra. Defensively he is aggressive and unconcerned about his own body, and will get the ball. He drives me nuts. I love watching a Yankee pitcher strike him out, because it means something.

He seems to have a good attitude, understanding that bottom line, it’s about the game and the game stands above any player, team, or age-old rivalry. I was impressed that he stayed out of all the public trash-talking the Red Sox did against the Yankees over the winter. When asked about the Yankees as competitors, he seems to view them with respect for their ability as fellow athletes, and stays away from any comment about what he may think of them as people. When Melky Cabrera had so much difficulty with that fly ball in Fenway, Damon sought him out after the game to offer advice and encouragement. Sounds familiar….like something *Jeter* would do?

But he’s in his 30’s, and players in their 30’s are on the back ends of their careers – nobody really knows how much longer a player will play at that point. Injuries start to become more of problem, and just plain getting old becomes more of a problem. Well, “old”. Only in professional sports and modeling do you look at someone in their 30’s and think “wow, the twilight of their career.”

I think the Yankees should pass on Damon, if he should come their way. They need younger players, and they have the chance to bring in a kid like Bernie Williams was when they signed him, and let him learn in the Bronx. Oh, don’t get me wrong. The idea of putting Damon in the batting order as lead off hitter and going through Jeter/Sheffield/ARod/Matsui/Giambi is a very tempting thought, but the Yankees don’t need bats. (Christ look at the batting order they already have.)

Boston should do right by Damon and pay him what he asks – he’s earned the opportunity to finish his career out of Boston if that’s what he wants.

Are you kidding me??????

2005-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

What is it about Tampa Bay that they function like kryptonite on the New York Yankees? They’re like 25 games back, they have no shot at a postseason, and unless their owners start taking the team more seriously, they never will. But let them face New York in a game and all of a sudden they’re playing the best baseball they’ve ever played and the Yankees collapse in a confused pile. “Hey, uh, does one of you guys have the ball?”

Tampa Bay is one of those teams that nobody can really gloat if they lose, because damn, look at them. I mean how many mistakes can you make in one game? If the other team loses its because they’ve done something really stupid. LIKE WALKING IN THE WINNING RUN. I wonder if they made Proctor walk back to the hotel. (“Since you like WALKING so much!”)

I mean seriously, how do you not bang your head against a wall when in the 11th inning a Yankees pitcher walks in the winning run?

I hate it when Mo blows a save. For me, Mo is like Jeter – ball goes to him, everything’s going to be ok. It’s really jarring when it suddenly isn’t ok. Seriously. Like I begin to suspect that the world is an evil place and doubt my purpose in life.

Everybody learns that waking up and thinking “Gee, today should be an easy day” is the most effective way to guarantee that you will be riding into work with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Kansas City are on a record breaking losing skid right now, and I hope to God the Yankees aren’t thinking, “well, after our beating by the White Sox, we’ll have Toronto, and pfft, Kansas City. Damn. Do I even need to show up for that series?” It was bad enough that they got swept by the Royals on the road, it will be completely embarrassing to get swept in their own house, and Kansas needs to start winning sometime.

Who knows, the good fairy of team spirit and October magic may come down and beat them with a bat, but I don’t think so. Jeter may succeed in convincing them that, no really, it’s much more fun to play good baseball and work in October, but it’s not looking like that. (Er suicide watch for Jeter in October? What will he do? He’s never had October off!)

It’s difficult for me to admit, but I almost don’t want them to go to the playoffs. Jeter, ARod, and Sheff haven’t had a day off unless they were sick or injured for the entire season. How much longer before they start swinging at the ball like it’s a piñata and they’re blindfolded? If a miracle is going to happen, it needs to happen immediately, and this team has already had more than it’s fair share of miracles this year. I will be the first to eat my words if they prove me wrong…(Please let them prove me wrong!)

King George expresses displeasure

2005-08-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

So Steinbrenner’s unhappy. So what else is new? Referring to Joe Torre repeatedly as “the manager” was a little ominous. As if that title might not apply to him in the very near future. How he can blame Joe for this mess is beyond me, it’s like blaming a chef for not being able to make a five-star meal with slightly stale gourmet ingredients and a broken stove.

Torre has the gift and the curse of a team full of smart veterans. How do you keep a team like this together and functioning when there have been times when NOBODY, Brian Cashman included knows who’s pitching in two days. These guys will know the score – many of them have been down the World Series road more than once. If Torre tries to sell them bullshit, they won’t buy it, and there’s very little real encouragement to be found this year. And yet, despite all the usual and unusual distractions, he has managed to keep the team fighting. If they aren’t still in it, they don’t seem to know.
Will Steinbrenner have learned from his mistakes? Or will he set Torre up to take the fall for the rather ordinary performance of the living fantasy baseball team he assembled? I am afraid that the latter will be the case, and I’m dreading November and December. Torre may be fired and Steinbrenner will be looking for more All-Star players in their 30’s to patch up the problems – when anyone in the organization tries to point out that that didn’t work well before, Steinbrenner will dump the blame on Torre and say that his new manager will handle it. While he’s at it, why not completely miss the point and name ARod as team captain?

What about the Bern?

2005-08-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

God, they freaking HAD it. They played their butts off, but as that ball hit by Uribe landed 15 feet in front of Bernie in the outfield, I thought, oh wow. This may really not happen this year. And since the All-Star Break, not from lack of trying.

Watching Posednik, Rowand, and Dye tear up the Yankee Stadium outfield got me to thinking about Bernie Williams. What Yankee fan doesn’t love the Bern? A quiet, classy guy who has spent the last 15 years making it happen for the Yankees defensively and offensively by being fast, agile, and smart.

But this year has been something else. Letting balls fall out of his glove, striking out at key moments, not getting there in time to make the play. The Yankees didn’t pick up his option for next year, and nobody seemed all that surprised. They put Tony Womack out there to give Bernie a break, but Tony Womack is a second baseman. Surprising to no-one, aside from being really fast, he has a really hard time out there.

Bernie’s biggest crime? He didn’t read the memo. Everyone in their 30’s knows about the memo – it’s the communication your body sends your brain “hey, no, not happening”. Mortality’s first shot across the bow. You get hurt easier, and once you’re hurt it hurts a whole lot longer. “Playing through it” becomes impossible, and there begin to be things you can’t do at all.

I’m not much of a television yeller, but yesterday when that ball dropped, I couldn’t believe it. “NO! NO WAY!” No to the season, no to Bernie being almost done, no to the whole damn thing. Heartbreaking.

So what do the Yankees do with Bernie? Do they dump him? Do they ask somebody like Paul O’Neil to pull him aside and say, hey I thought leaving baseball would kill me too, but I’m still here? Do they let him stumble into an ignominious end, letting Yankee fans boo him out of the stadium instead of chanting his name like he deserves? Unfortunately, I can’t assume that the Yankees will do right by him – God, they sent even the Babe to play for the Boston Braves.

I hope, I hope, that Bernie leaves the game at the end of this season as a player, but I would be thrilled to see him on the Yankees bench as a coach if that’s what he wants to do. It would be hard for me to imagine the team without him.

The Big Blewit

2005-08-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, I’m just going to say it. It’s all bottled up inside and you know, that’s just not good for a person to keep things all bottled up, so I’m just going to say it, mmm-kaay?

RANDY JOHNSON SUCKS. BIG TIME.

Whew, ok, much better, now I can think rationally again. Oh, I know, I know, 87 - time Cy Young winner, master of the blistering slider, I’ve heard. Because he was a National Leaguer of late, I didn’t get to see much of him pitch, but damn, what young scowling pitcher with a scorching fastball isn’t compared to the Big Unit?
“I swear, he’s like a young Randy Johnson!”
“Ohhhhh…..”
So where is that guy, hmm? I mean, they dig him out of the mothballs sometimes, every once and a while the master of the double-digit-K is on the mound.

But most of the time, it’s this guy.

Who’s this guy?

You know, the one who gives up one base hit after another, whoops! that one was a home run! Sheesh! Not very Yankeesque! The one that Joe Torre has to remove at the end of the fourth inning because he “may have tweaked his back” making a play at first (or was it because he was in the process of getting shelled?) The one who’s best tool this year seems to be that menacing stare. The one that ML batters aren’t scared of anymore.

I will give Johnson this – he’s no Kevin Brown – no whining, and he’s there with the team. He knows that he isn’t earning his money or pulling his weight and that bothers him. I applauded his statement that with Wang, Pavano, Wright, and Brown either on the DL or on their way, he and Mussina HAD to put up “W” s. Sadly that seems to have gone the way of the Sheffield/ARod “two RBI” plan. (It’s a shame. I liked both plans.)

The thing is, the Big Unit wasn’t signed for $16 million to be a Solid Citizen in the Yankee club house, he was signed to make every batter in the league consider taking a sick day to avoid having to face him. It would seem that dirty looks from the mound are not achieving the same effect.

I give Torre a lot of credit for not being a cooler tossing hot head in that dugout, because some of the things that have gone down on that mound would make a sane person want to pull out their eyes. Torre’s also gifted at managing around big egos, while not stepping all over his less demanding players – I might have lost patience by now. The Yankees organization should save wear and tear on Torre’s legs and give the man a giant hook in the dugout to manage pitching issues this year. *YOINK!* Thank you folks and good night!

If I were a reporter, and a really fast runner, I would consider walking up next to Johnson, tugging his shirt sleeve repeatedly and whining “Are we there yet? Huh? Are we there yet? Hey Randy are we there yet? Huh huh huh?” and then run like hell out of there.

Well no, probably not. But I would write a really irritable blog.

Play Ball!

2005-08-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

I never do things when I'm supposed to do them. I've never started a journal on January 1st. "Spring cleaning" usually happens sometime in September. I'm pretty sure that I would celebrate Christmas in February if it were left to me. In my world, it makes perfect sense to start a baseball blog about the Yankees in August. I'm actually a little surprised that I didn't start it in December.

Gary Sheffield made the news yesterday for an interview he did for The NewYorker. (Sheff is saying that he is being taken out of context, and the reporter is saying he's got tape. You decide.) He supposedly says, according to the story in the NY Daily News "I know who the leader is on the team. I ain't going to say who it is, but I know who it is. I know who the team feeds off. I know who the opposing team comes in knowing they have to defend to stop the Yankees".

For one whole minute of blissful naivete, I thought he was talking about Matsui.

He then goes on to say, "I am the straw that stirs the drink - Jeter thinks he can be the straw that stirs the drink, but he can only stir it bad." Oh, no hold on. Wrong era. Bring on the Bronx Zoo.

"Why shouldn't I tell the truth? I ain't trying to get no Pepsi commercial." He points out that the media is making a big deal out of Jeter and ARod, and "everyone else is garbage". Er...really? Sheff seems to get some attention, even when he's not pitching a tantrum. And wasn't ARod like Sheffield's little brother three weeks ago? Wasn't there a big love fest going on? "You the man." "No you the man" "Oh no you the man." Repeat.

Both Jeter and ARod say that they believe Sheffield. ARod emphasized that they are very good friends, and Jeter said "My name didn't come out of his mouth. He's sitting right over there, why don't you ask him?"

This is better than any television drama. I think I have the next reality show..."So you want to be a New York Yankee"

The game last night wasn't as much of a medical emergency as most of their games over the past week. (Shortness of breath, shooting chest pains, dizziness -- the Yankees are playing!) They started with and kept the lead, which always helps my breathing. Jeter let everyone know he was still the captain by getting a triple at his first at-bat, and Sheffield brought him home with a home run. I think someone from the Yankees organization should be assigned to piss Sheffield off every two to three weeks or so. "Hey, Gar, you'll never guess, now there's a steroid rumor." "WHAT???!!!" "Hey, man, aren't you up?" "GIMME MY BAT!"

I didn't notice that Jeter was banging on Sheffield's helmet any harder than usual when he was congratulating him either. "GOOD!" *BANG* "FOR!" *BANG* "YOU!" *BANG*

And to sweeten the whole thing? The Red Sox lost to the Twins. I mean they really really lost to the Twins. That's always like extra whipped cream on a Yankees win.

Sheffield has decided that he's nevernevernever speaking to the media evereverever again. Good plan. Group hug.