Quick Notes After A Pathetic Loss

Yeah, I don't really feel like writing a lot about today's pathetic loss. Here's some quick hits as to what's running through my head:

1. Moose and Mo looked great last night. If the Yankees want to beat the A's, or teams with great pitching, then Yankees pitchers better be on their games because they can't rely on the offense for run support.
2. Kei Igawa didn't looked horrible. He made a few mistakes but pitched decent enough.
3. I thought the job of a "lefty specialist" is to get out lefties. Going into today lefties are hitting .300 against Myers. He's now gotten 36 lefties out while allowing 24 to reach base. So 40% of left handed batters reach base against Mike Myers. Memo to Mike: You're not a lefty specialist.
4. Scott Proctor needs to get his head out of his rear end. He's now given up runs in his last 4 outings. In his last 15.1 innings, Proctor has given up 20 hits and allowed 9 walks. Memo to Scott: Why are you a big league pitcher?
5. 1 hit? Pathetic.

Memo to Brian Cashman: Get to work and upgrade our bullpen.
J

They Didn't Lose. Well, Not Yet Anyway.

My mother-in law is very lucky. The in-laws came over to check out how the baby's room is shaping up. She walks into the living room, sees the game on TV and says "oh, the Yankees are winning." It was 3-2. She went upstairs with my wife and my father-in law made a comment about the game and I said to him, "Well, it's all down hill from here because your wife jinxed 'em." And sure enough, Wang imploded in the 7th and the O's took the lead. Lucky for her the rains came and altered the game. The Yanks put up a little fight and took the lead back in the 8th. And now after a lengthy rain delay, the game has been suspended and will be finished on July 27th.
I'm kind of glad that these guys came back in the 8th. It's just the thing that might energize this clubhouse and get things back on track. I guess it's hard to make a case that they were ever on track, so delete the word "back" from my previous sentence.
Had the game resumed, the bullpen had ample time to throw the game away. It's sad that I think that. I don't want to get ahead of myself and put this one in the win column, but we'll call this a moral victory for the time being. You never want to jump to conclusions.
Right, Rick? Yeah I saw that. *giggle*
J

And We're Back...To 2 Games Under .500

To quote the groundskeepers from Major League:
"These guys are sh*tty

Ugly

U-G-L-Y! They ain't got no alibi. They ugly. They ugly. Yeah Yeah. They ugly.
And that's all I got to say about that.
J

Memo To Scott Proctor (And All Yankees RP)

Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes! Throw ******* strikes!
It's that simple. This is unacceptable!
J

And We're Back.....

Pardon my absence. I've been extremely busy. I just got done moving a room full of furniture from our house to my in-laws house. Got to make room for baby. Less than 2 months from his arrival. Yippee-kai-ay. It didn't help that it's about 100 degrees outside. All that manual labor has me sweating like my man Bowlajello when he was hiding in the woods while on the run from the po-po. But now I'm back and hopefully work will cooperate and allow me quality some blogging time.
Like most Yankees fans out there, I was thoroughly disgusted with the Yankees play while out on the west coast. That kind of baseball isn't going to result in playing in October. They just finished the top of the 4th in Baltimore. A leadoff single by Jeter. A force out at second. A double play. Typical. What failed the Yankees while out west was the lack of timely hitting. They can't string together successive hits to keep the line moving. I see Torre has Abreu hitting 8th. Not a huge vote of confidence from the skipper.
It's hard to believe that the Yankees have lost 5 of their last 6. If you're like me, you saw this team winning at least 3 of every 5. With Pettitte, Clemens, Mussina, Wang and rotating 5th starter, you'd think there'd be no way this team wouldn't play at least .600 ball. Sadly, we were sorely wrong. The pitching and the offense just don't want to co-exist, and it's usually the highly paid Yankees offense that's coming up short. It's mind boggling. It really is.
A catchable ball just dropped between Melky and Abreu. It's been that kind of season.
J

Roger Clemens 2057

For those that haven't seen the totally hysterical video of an "aged Roger Clemens" trying to land another pitching gig with the Yankees 50 years from now, I suggest you click here and watch the video. It is too funny.
J

Geez Louise

Will the real New York Yankees please stand up? I'm starting to wonder if the real Yankees are as good as I think they are, or if they're just another average team. It's hard to tell. They get on a roll. Then they get swept. They pitch. They hit. They win. They don't pitch. They don't hit. They lose. What gives?
i didn't get to see much of today's game. The Trenton Thunder are in Erie, Pa and I decided to drive down and try and get signed balls the Yankees top pitching prospects, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy. I did. Both on sweet spots. I rolled into Erie at about 3:45 and went and waited near the player entrance for them to come off the field from throwing and shagging balls during BP. I had my XM radio in my pocket and I was checking the score frequently, though I didn't listen to it. BP ended at 6, I got both autographs, and I decided to skip the game and drive back home.
As I started my drive, I turned on the game and the Yanks were up 4-2. What seemed like seconds later, they were down 5-4. Here's a tip: stop walking Ray Durham. Here's a question: can Mike Myers get lefties out? Some lefty specialist he is. Myers screwed up twice in Colorado and has done again days later in San Fran. Lefties are hitting .313 vs Myers. Some specialist. And while I'm ragging on players, Andy Phillips does not belong on a major league roster. I found it rather comical the other day when in his first game back, Ken Singleton praised Phillips saying he's hit everywhere he's been. Umm, sorry there Kenny, but no he hasn't. He's a career .224 hitter as a Yankee. He's not good. I wonder who will end the year with a higher batting average, Phillips or Nieves. My money is on Wil.
A-rod is on a freakin' tear. I was getting off the NYS Thruway to pick up some dinner. I went with a Crunchwrap Supreme and a hard shelled taco from Taco Bell. Friendly advice: don't eat hard shelled tacos while driving. It's a tough thing to do. Call it dumb luck, but I didn't get any of the beef on my shirt. Yay me. Anyway, as I'm on the off-ramp heading to the toll booth, A-Rod goes deep to tie the game at 5. This is the 2nd time now where I've been on an off-ramp of the NYS Thruway when A-Rod has gone yard in the 9th inning. The last being when he hit the walkoff grand slam against the Indians. I guess if I find that the Yankees are losing in the 9th inning, I should hop in my hooptie hoop, drive to the NYS Thruway ('bout 2 miles away) and sit on the off-ramp. No sooner than 10 seconds after I finished typing the last sentence, A-Rod grounded out in the 13th. There are 2 outs and Clemens is headed to the pen, and now Proctor is in the batter's box. He whiffed. What in the world is going on here?
I was still in the car when Kevin Thompson lead off the 11th with a single. I was furious when Abreu tried to sacrifice him to 2nd. My anger had nothing to do with the failed bunt attempt. That move made absolutely no sense to me. Assuming Abreu was successful, there'd be a runner on 2nd, 1 out and A-Rod would be up. Any manager with half a brain would then walk A-Rod with 1st base open. You would in effect be taking the bat out of the game's best hitter's hands. Dumb move Mr. Torre. Dumb move. Why give up the out when Abreu could get a hit. Didn't make any sense to me. Still doesn't.
I've been home for the last inning and a half. The winning run is now on 2nd with 1 out. Now there are 2 outs. Oooh, Vizquel just missed the game winner. We dodged a bullet. Wow, Vizquel just hit it in exactly the same spot. Just missed. Vizquel ended up with an infield single. Winning run is now 90 feet away. And a bloop effin single wins it. Mother (expletive deleted).
5 runs on 17 hits? Two words: pitta full.
I want to punch Robin Williams right in his nose.
J

Late Games Plus Work Equals No Posts

Forgive me for not posting earlier about last night's loss to the Rockies. In all honesty, it was a pretty dull game. The Yankees offense was again shut down. This time by Josh Fogg, who I think beat the Red Sox in his last start. The Yanks had their opportunities but failed to get that timely hit. It'll happen. No worries.
Moose looked alright. I didn't think he pitched poorly. Not great, but good enough for the W. What's killing the Yanks right now are the stolen bases. If memory serves me correctly, 2 runs last night scored after a stolen base. We saw this in the Mets series also. The Yanks look like they know what's going down as they seem to get the pitchout at the right time. And is it me, or does it still seem like the Yankees are getting hosed on a lot of calls. I know they're close calls but it seems like non ever go the Yankees way. It looked like last night they had Taveras at second but the safe call was given and Willy T eventually scored. I'll give credit to the Rockies for getting the hits at the right time. That's what wins ballgames.
There was an interesting discussion today on the Baseball This Morning on XM. It was about the humidor and the effect it's had on the balls in Colorado. They listed the HR totals for the last 5 years and it's a drop from like 230 to 170, or something like that. I heard most of the convo but I missed a few kibbles and bits. It was interesting. Does anybody know if technically they are working outside of the rules by "doctoring" the balls? I wonder what would happen if a team protested their use? Things that make you go hmmm.
Pettitte tonight. He desperately deserves some run support. Let's give it to him guys!
J

The Bats Need Visine

Two runs in two days. Pitiful.
J

Bonds In Pinstripes

There was a mention on one of the XM Radio shows yesterday, I forget which one, and they mentioned a rumor that the SF Giants may be interested in trading Barry Bonds. The Giants are floundering at the bottom of the NL West and Bonds isn't really doing anything to help the Giants win. He's old and he's no exactly cut out to be an everyday left fielder. The Giants have quite a bit to gain by unloading Barry. The only real reason I can see for holding onto him would be so he could break Hammerin' Hank's record as a Giant. At the rate Bonds is going, that might not happen before the trade deadline and I think the longer the Giants hold onto him, the lower his value goes. They also mentioned that Bonds is willing to waive his no-trade clause as he understands the Giants have a lot to benefit by trading him.
Now they didn't mention any rumors as to trade talks, it was more a story that the Giants were willing to trade Barry. But it got me thinking about possible destinations and I can see the Bronx being a possibility. And as much as I don't like Barry, putting him in the Yankee lineup wouldn't be a bad thing at all. Not many teams out there are in the market to land a guy like Barry. It's a safe bet that he'd likely head to the American League so he can DH. Throw out the teams that don't have the money, aren't in contention, or don't have the need, and you're not left with much. The Yankees are definitely a possibility. They're somewhat in contention. They definitely have the money. They definitely have some good prospects, especially on the pitching side. And they definitely have a need.
With Giambi on the brink of being out for the season, the Yankees DH role is pretty much open. Bring in Bonds and then Damon can always go back to the OF or even take over at first if needed, assuming of course the Yankees don't go after a 1B, which they're rumored to be doing with Shea Hillenbrand. I could easily see the Yankees plugging Bonds into Giambi's spot. Imagine that lineup? Wow. Damon-Jeter-Abreu-Bonds-Alex-Posada-Matsui-Cano-1B. Or do you out Bonds third and move Abreu down? Imagine the possibilities.
Now in the end, I don't think the Yanks would even make a play for Barry. But who knows how desperate George is for another title? Bonds would be a huge addition to any lineup. And like I said, I'm not a Bonds guy, but I wouldn't mind seeing him in the Yankees lineup. And who knows? Maybe they'll make a play for Helton while they're in Colorado.
Just some food for thought.
Peace, love and Pinstripes,
J

Happy Daddy's Day

I have a little break in the actions, so here's a quickie. I had to attend a dual baby shower yesterday, for my wife ans sister. It was out of town and started at noon-thirty so I didn't get to catch any of the game yesterday. I caught a few innings on the radio, including the pressure filled 9th inning. It sounded like the offense was there and the pitching wasn't. Since Clippard was on the mound, I wasn't surprised. I'm glad the O bailed him out.
So T-Clip is on his way back to Scranton. It's the right move. He definitely could use a little more seasoning. I think he'll be a key component of the Yankees pitching staff in the future, but now just isn't his time. He served us well, but now that things are heating up, we need a little more consistency from our 5th starter. It looks like Kei Igawa will get another shot. I saw him pitch a few weeks ago and he looked a lot better in my estimation. He had good control and I don't think we're going to see the issues he had on his first go around resurface. It would be nice to get a guy that can we can call our 5th starter and the revolving door between Scranton and New York can finally close. A guy I worked with asked if the Yankees were going to get Mark Buehrle. He hadn't heard any rumors on that, it was just wild speculation on his part. I'm not sure I'd have a problem with that, but long term, I'm not sure how good a move that'd be. Just some food for thought.
Happy Dad's Day everybody.
J

The King Of New York

What a game by Chien-Ming Wang! He channeled his inner Roger Clemens and whiffed a career high 10 batters. He was awesome. Just awesome. It would have only been better if Torre left him in for the CG. He should have pulled a Mussina and told Torre to have a seat. The pitch count is extremely overrated. More tomorrow

Mets @ Astros, I Mean Mets @ Yankees

don't know what it is about Roger Clemens but the guy gets little to no love from his offense. It looked like Clemens was wearing Pinstripes, but maybe my eyes were deceiving me because he was plagued by the same problems that happened to him in Houston. In my estimation, Clemens looked a lot better tonight than he did against the Pirates. I don't think the problem is ever going to be Roger Clemens getting shelled. He needs run support fellas.
The Yankees had their opportunities tonight but there were a lot of blunders that cost them in the end. Matsui getting doubled off at second on Cairo's shot to the track. Hey Hideki, even if you go half way, you're scoring if that ball hits the ground. Cano and Cabrera constantly chasing bad pitches. This was a game the Yankees could have won. I have to give some credit to Oliver Perez. He's had their number in both outings. Personally, I don't think he's all that great. The Yankees have made a lot of mediocre pitchers (see Julian Tavarez) look like Cy Young winners. It's going to happen, but if you ask me, it's happened way too often.
This isn't any reason to get down after this loss. The pitching was there from start to finish. That's good. The offense wasn't there. That's bad. But we know what this offense is capable of and I think we've gotten to the point where if the Yankees give up less than 4 runs, 7 or 8 times out of 10, they're going to win the ball game.
The Sox beat up on the Giants and got the game we gained yesterday back. No need to fret. No need to worry.
The Yankees are still coming.
J

Here Come The Yankees!!!

Crank up those speakers ladies and gentleman cause "Here Come The Yankees!" Feel free to sing along. I'll leave it up for a few days. I know it gets annoying after a while.
I don't really have much take on today's game. I saw none of it and heard about 20 minutes of it. But I don't really need to have seen or heard the game to know that the Yankees kicked some D-Back ****.
Pettitte = 8 innings of 4 hit ball. Another great outing by a Yankee starter. The Yankees pitching staff has improved greatly over the last several weeks. Team ERA in April = 5.02. Team ERA in May = 4.28. Team ERA in June (thru today) = 3.65. The overall team ERA thru today's game is 4.42. Let's compare to the BoSox. April = 3.28. May = 4.07 June = 4.10. Overall = 3.78. Both teams have played 64 games. Notice any trends? It's pretty obvious. But let me spell it out for you anyway. The difference between the two teams ERA is closing faster than the Red Sox lead on the Yankees.
7 Yankee runs on 12 Yankee hits. I think it's safe to say the offense looks like it's back on track.
Smack it up, flip it, rub it down. We're coming and we're getting there sooner than you think.
J

Eight Straight & Feelin' Great

I didn't get to see much of the game. It was supposed to be Wednesday night softball but about an hour before game time, the cell phone rings, and she's crying. Her feet are swollen and she's on the way to the hospital. Her OB/GYN advised she should go just to make sure she's not suffering from high blood pressure, which could have an adverse effect on the baby. Everything was fine. All tests were perfect. I basically sat in a room the size of a walk-in closet, sitting there, doing nothing, while the missus was laying in a bed with a fetal monitor on. I'm all for doing the expectant husband thing, but there's nothing fun about sitting in a room staring at the wall. I wonder if that's how Paris feels?
We left the hotel at about 8:15. The score was 3-1 in favor of the good guys. By the time I got home 20 minutes later, it was 7-1. Bombs by Posada, A-Rod and Matsui. The Bronx Bombers were in the house. And as soon as I pulled in the driveway, the bats went pretty silent. According to the box score, it looks like the guys were on their game again, with the exception of Damon and Wil Nieves. Nieves going hitless doesn't surprise me. Damon's been hot and cold recently. If he's going to be at the top of the order, he needs to contribute a little more. It seems like he does better when he's DH'ing. Why mess with a good thing?
Mooooooooooooooooooooooooossssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee! The innings I caught Moose looked pretty sharp. Another great outing by a Yankees starter. I love Moose. I really hope he makes it to 300 wins. He's been one of the most consistent starters his entire career. Are you also a Moose fan? Go join his fan club. I did.
People have been dogging the Yankees rotation since day 1. I've said all along that our rotation is solid and is one of the better rotations in the league. They're definitely pitching that way now. Maybe that has something to do with everyone being healthy. By the end of the year, you'll see that I'll be able to statistically validate that claim. It won't be long for the team ERA matches up with Boston, who by the way are down 12-2 headed to the bottom of the 9th. Mark my words.
Mirabelli strikes out looking. Cora grounds out to short. Julio Lugo flies out to center. Sox lose! Yankees win! Thuhhhhhhhh Yankees win! 8.5 back. My how quickly things change.
I just saw the highlight of A-Rod's BOMB! Holy freeholy. Don't forget to scroll down and check out "This or That w/ Phil Hughes"
J

This Or That w/ Phil Hughes

At the end of my post yesterday, I mentioned I had something "cool" on the burner. I had an idea a few months ago where I wanted to ask "this or that" questions to some of the Yankees and post their replies as a "weekly feature" on the blog. Being in Buffalo, the only way I'd get to do that would be to try it via mail, and cross my fingers that I get replies. I haven't actually sent anything out.
I recently found out through my friend Joe that Yankee rookie Phil Hughes has his own website, and get this, he's cool enough to actually interact with the fans. You don't see that everyday.
Now I'm a big Hughes fan. I actually purchased a "Hughes 65" t-shirt knowing full well that he'll likely change the number. I'll definitely get a new one next year (rumor has it he's going with #45). He has a section on his site that's basically a message board, and there's a section called "Contact Phil." I threw the questions up on the site yesterday and he answered them about 6 hours later. How cool is that?

Make sure you check out his site and even go as far as joining the community. It's pretty cool. If you're a Yankee fan, I highly suggest you check it out. You may even win some cool swag (he on occasion runs contests). Here are the questions with Phil's answers:

1. rock, rap, or country = rock
2. chicken or beef = both
3. chocolate or vanilla = chocolate
4. Coke or Pepsi = Pepsi
5. Playstation or Xbox = Xbox
6. McDonalds, Wendys, or Burger King = Wendy's
7. cats or dogs = dogs
8. action, comedy, or drama = comedy
9. MTV or VH1 = MTV
10. pancakes or waffles = pancakes
11. early riser or night owl = night owl
12. jeans or khakis= jeans
13. boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs = boxers

I can't imagine there are many players out there who interact with their fans via their own website. Again, go check it out and a special thanks to Phil for playing along. Get well soon. Can't wait to see you back on the hill.
Feel free to add your own responses in the comments section.
J

All Square At Five-Hundy

As I said earlier, I hate watching games when they're broadcast on My9. The local affiliate that carries the game here is WNGS RTN 11. The RTN stands for Retro Television Network. They show all sorts of what they call "classic" TV shows, like the previously mentioned 21 Jump street and Mission Impossible. First of all, they didn't join the game until there were 2 outs in the 1st. Who's manning the controls here? Second, and this is the worst, they cut to mid at-bat commercials and it's always for the type of product they have infomercials for. *** is that all about? When there's a 2-2 count and 1 out with a runner on, I don't need to see an advertisement for OxyClean. That dude needs a shave. Enough about that, how 'bout them Yankees?
Yeah baby! 7 in a row. The game wasn't the most exciting game in the world, but we kind of knew that with it being Wang v. Webb. And did I call it or did I call it? I said I'd be shocked if the game went more than 2.5 hours. Wait, the official time was 2:34. Consornit. I guess I was wrong. So close. I now know how Schilling felt when Stewart broke up the no-no.
It was good to see Wang outduel one of the NL's best. Surprisingly though, Wang got more fly ball outs then he did groundouts. Not a typical Wang start in terms of the type of out, but I'm not going to complain when he throws 7 innings and gives up 1 run. Wang is the ace of this staff. Sign the man to a lifetime contract extension right now.
The defense was on fire tonight. Some really great grabs by Jeter and Cairo saved Wang's hide. Jeter gets a bad rap as a good defensive SS. I don't think he's the greatest defensive SS in the game, not even close. But he gets dogged quite often for being a poor defensive SS. I don't get that. Maybe it's "Yankee-blindness," but if you ask me, he's always making plays.
Outside of the first inning, there wasn't much in terms of Yankees offense. I'll credit that to Brandon Webb. He didn't win the NL Cy Young last year for giving up a lot of runs. I like B-Webb. I never should have traded him in my Diamond Mind League. You gotta love Bobby Abreu at this point. I'm so glad that he's turned the season around. He's been absolutely on fire lately. He'll be at .300 in no time.
And then there's Mo. Another solid outing. The ERA is below 4. He's back. Back. Back in a New York groove. It won't be long before that ERA dips below 3. Take notes Kyle. That's how you do it.
It's past my bedtime. Check back tomorrow as I've got something very cool on the burner.
J-Boogie

A No-No

Congratulations Mr. Verlander.
I caught the last 2 innings on ESPN. He looked nasty, hitting 102 on the gun in the 9th. I wonder if the settings on that gun were tweaked to amp the crowd. Either way, wow.
J

Welcome To Farnsworthland

Does anybody want to become an investor in a Kyle Farnsworth theme park? Farnsworthland: Where every outing is an up-and-down roller coaster ride and it's always an adventure. The ride is expensive, there are long waits and it's never truly satisfying even though you usually get off the ride in one piece. And sadly, this ride is never fun.
In 28 outings, Farnsworth has pitched 3, count 'em 3, 1-2-3 innings. That's not exactly set-up guy material.
Come on fellas. 3 outs to go.
J

Freakin' Local Network

So it's 8:15 and my phone rings. It's my friend and fellow Yankee fan Don. He's asks what's going on in the game and why'd it start so late? I told him rain delay. He asked about the runner on base and I'm like what the heck are you talking about. He tells me they got a runner on 1st. So i pull up the gamecast on Yahoo and I see runners on the corners with 1 out. If that's the case.....
SOMEBODY TELL ME WHY I'M STILL WATCHING MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?????
Eventually, they then cut to a commercial for the local news and then another one for some fancy knife and then finally, Yankee baseball. It joined as a foul ball fell into the stands.
Wang gets a grounder and the inning is over. Phew.
I hate you WNGS RTN 11.
J

Rain Delays Aren't Fun

Here's another reason why I hate when the games aren't on YES. Normally in a rain delay you at least get Yankee-themed programming. Tonight, I'm subject to a classic episode of, drum roll please, badadadadadadadadadadadadadadada, 21 Jump Street. It's a good thing there was a Scrubs re-run on Comedy Central or I might have jumped off the roof.
Johnny Depp is still on my TV. Wait a second, Johnny Depp isn't even in this episode, so it's even more ghetto. Thank God it's ending. I wonder what'll be on next? A Mission Impossible re-run. It gets even better. Give me something to break.
J

Random Stuff

Not really much to talk about since yesterday was an off day. Here's some random stuff, much of which doesn't make any kind of sense. Enjoy.

1. Webb vs. Wang tonight. Should be a good one. I'll be shocked if this game goes more than 2.5 hours
2. Bonds finally hit a HR. Has anybody seen MC Hammer around here? I think it's about time Hammer resurfaces to post about it. Hammer = Jock Rider
3. Man Alyssa Milano gets a lot of promotion around here. Must be nice to get every post featured. I could care less, but a lot of people would love to get the featured spot, but it always seems to be the same people over and over again, usually celebs, players, and announcers. Lots of great blogs don't get any love.
4. What is the difference between partly sunny and mostly cloudy? What is the difference between mostly sunny and partly cloudy? I've always wondered.
5. Who put the bomp in the bomp-she-bomp-she-bomp? Who put the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong?
6. What's the scenario?
7. Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego?
8. Who wrote the book of love? Tell me, tell me, tell me.
9. Why is Paris Hilton famous?
10. Why was Anna Nicole famous?
11. Why am I asking all these stupid questions?
12. Why do fools fall in love?
13. Why do birds sing so ***?
14. Will you still love me tomorrow?
15. Who exactly did let the dogs out?
16. Who can it be knocking at my door?
17. Where's the beef?
18. Why do birds suddenly appear, eveytime, you are near?
19. Is anybody still reading this post?

Enjoy your day.
J-Boogie

We've Been Whacked

**SPOILER ALERT** If you haven't watched the series finale of The Sopranos, I highly suggest you skip this post. I do suggest you read this post if you want to find out what I think happened.
Last night was the TV event of the season. The series finale of The Sopranos. From what I've gathered, everybody has seen it, and everybody feels differently about it. I'll admit it at first, I didn't like it and I was totally disappointed. I wanted shootouts and action, and really with the exception of Phil Leotardo getting clipped and then having his skull crushed by a runaway SUV, there wasn't much action. The ending scene was pretty tense. You couldn't help but sit there on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen. It was set up very well. And then the screen went to black, stayed that way for 5 seconds or so, and then roll credits. The wife and I were sitting there wondering if our TV or cable crapped out, and from what I've read and heard from people, they all felt the same. That's funny in it's own right. I loved how the show used Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" for the final scene and right when you hear "Don't stop," the show ends. Classic.
Now here's where things for me take a turn for the better. And I can't take any credit for it. I was checking out Pete Abraham's blog this morning and he posted about the show. There were a few interesting comments and I think some have hit the nail on the head, and it's something that totally blows me away and makes the ending one of the greatest I've ever seen.
Earlier this season, there was an episode where Tony and the missus went and visited Bobby at a lake house. There was a scene where Tony and Bobby were fishing and Bobby was telling Tony how when you die, everything goes black and you don't hear anything. And that's exactly how the show ended. Meadow walks in, instant black screen and silence. Now some people interpret it that Tony got clipped as we usually see the show from his point of view. Someone mentioned, and I totally subscribe to this theory, was that we (the audience) got whacked, and life in Sopranosland goes on without us. It makes total sense. And if that's truly what David Chase's intention was, then wow! That could possibly be one of the greatest and most ingenius TV endings I've ever seen.
Face it folks, we're dead.
J

Single Digits

I've got to make this post a quickie. I've got some chicken heating up in the oven and the series finale of The Sopranos starts in 30.
The Yanks rolled today to their 6th straight win and picked up a game on the BoSox. T-Clip wasn't exactly on his game today. Thankfully, he didn't have to be. The Pirates didn't exactly make things hard for the boys today. Another game with 20 baserunners. If they can keep doing that, the wins are going to rack up and the Sox lead is going to go down faster than, you guessed it, faster than my cousin when she appeared in Nip/Tuck. For those keeping track, I think that's the 4th time I've used that reference. What can I say? I like going to the well.
The Yankees offense has been pretty impressive over the last 11 games. Everybody, except Cano, joined the hit party today. All I have to say is Blind Bobby ain't blind no mo. Abreu has been on a tear since he sat out a game in Toronto. Since June 1, Abreu has raised his average 44 percentage points, from .228 to .272. A-Rod seems to be back in the groove. 2 jacks and 5 RBI. Nice.
The Red Sox lost today! Nice way to end the weekend. The lead is now single digits. Here we come ladies and gentleman.
And there goes the beeper on the oven. Gotta run.
Peace, love and Pinstripes,
J

Yankees Win, Rocket Returns, And Farnsworth Still Blows

I wasn't overly impressed with The Rocket's first game back but it went as I expected. I was expecting to him to throw about 100 pitches and make it through 6. I didn't really think he was going to come in and put up zeroes either. Overall, I'm pleased with what I saw. If he can continuously throw 6 full innings and give up 3 runs or less, I think the odds are pretty good he'll be pretty successful this go around. I can't remember the exact stat I heard (and mentioned here) a month or so ago, but if I recall it correctly, Clemens has a career record of like 260-13 when he gets at least 4 runs of support. The Yankees offense, especially now that they look like they're clicking, should easily be able to give Roger the run support he didn't get in Houston. I'm pretty confident that whenever Clemens throws, odds are good the Yankees are going to win.
I was talking to my friend Don during the bottom half of the first inning. The Yankees had just plated their 3rd run and we both started wondering how Roger felt seeing the team he pitches for actually score early and often. It didn't happen a lot when he was with Houston. Clemens must have loved sitting in the dugout, looking up at the scoreboard and seeing 9 runs on the board. The Yankees offense had another impressive day at the plate. The offense has been pretty consistent since June 1st, well to be fair, May 31st. Going back to 5/31, the Yankees have won 5 straight, 8 of 10, and have outscored their opponents 66-46. If you ask me, 10 games is a pretty good sample size. I'd say they've turned the page. Abreu, Cano, Damon and Cabrera also have been pretty consistent over the 10 game span. It was good to see them run a lot today. 5 swipes. I like the aggressiveness.
And even though Farnsworth didn't give up any runs, I still think he blows. Is he capable of throwing a 1-2-3 inning? I have no confidence in the guy. It's amazing Torre is still committed to using him. Thankfully, the Yankees had a nice padded lead. Maybe he's better in non-pressure situations. Again, I wouldn't mind seeing him shipped off somewhere. But who'd take him.
5 in a row!! 2 games under .500. Is it me or is there that 1 team every year that starts out horrible and ends up finding themselves in the thick of a playoff race come late September. Take the 2006 Twins for example. On June 8th of last year, they were 26-33, 11.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers. Three and a half months later, the Twins win the AL Central with 96 wins. On June 8th of last year, the Marlins were 21-36, and they made it to .500 in September. In 2005, the Astros and A's come to mind. Both were about 13 games under .500 on June 8th of 2005. Both put together nice runs. Maybe this year, the 2007 Yankees will be that team.
Scratch that, there is no maybe. This year, the 2007 Yankees WILL be that team.
J

If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands

It's Friday. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. The Yankees have won 3 in a row. And best of all, Paris Hilton is back in jail. Man life is good. Life is sho' nuff good.
Three in a row! Wow how I've missed you. It feels good to win. No doubt about it. All I can say is it's about freakin' time. The hitting is more consistent. The pitching is more consistent. The winning is more consistent. It's definitely not to late to make a run. This team can still pull it off. Especially if they keep on with the keeping on.
I feel for Moose. I wasn't really sure why Torre pulled him when he did. I took that as a total lack of confidence from Torre on Moose's ability to get himself out of that inning. Personally, I think Moose should have been allowed to try and get out of it. He had been dealing all night and quite frankly, I'd rather see Moose on the hill than Scott Proctor, or any other reliever for that matter. Moose has aright to be ticked. I don't think Torre had a clue how Moose's removal would affect things. Moose is understandably ticked. 79 pitches is nothing. He should have been given the chance to get out of the inning.
I asked this yesterday, I'll ask it again. If you're sick of Farnsworth, raise your hands. Man that's a lot of hands. His inconsistency is remarkable. All he should do is rear back and throw some of that 100 MPH heat and don't get so cute with the slider. He again almost blew the game. It's sad that our 8th inning guy can only get 1 out. The last thing I wanted to see was Mo have to get 5 outs. The Yankees really need to find a reliable 8th inning guy. I really miss the days of Rivera setting up for Wetteland. If the Yanks took the lead into the 8th, game was over.
The offense is on a tear. The resurgence of Abreu, Cano, and Cabrera is definitely a sign that things have changed. Abreu has been on a tear since he sat in Toronto. Who knew all he needed was a day's rest? Melky's run is definitely a direct result of playing every day. With Giambi on the shelf, Melky's going to get time and that time is going to pay off. I'm still not entirely off the "trade Melky" bus. It's good to see he's increasing his value, but I really don't ever see him as anything more than a backup or a fill-in guy. I don't get the sense that the Yankees want to commit to him as a future everyday outfielder. I think he could be an integral piece of a trade puzzle. That 9th inning was fun to watch. I don't care what anybody says, A-Rod's HR was not another meaningless late game HR. the outcome of that game was in question. With one swing of the stick, the game was over. A-Rod has been money in the 9th inning all year. It's almost as if his success depends on Abreu's success in the 3-hole. Both had a terrible May. Both are off to great June's.
The Yankees rotation is now almost complete. We've got Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, and Clemens. All we need now is Hughes. Knock on wood that these guys stay healthy. No more spot starts from DeSalvo. No more 4 dingers in a row from Chase Wright. We've got quality from top to bottom. I'll even include Clippard in that mix in Hughes' absence.
The band is back together. The boys are back in town. Watch out league. We're coming.
J

Two Yankees Games For The Price Of One

Another day. Another Yankee victory. The tide is definitely a-turning. I didn't get to see any of the game tonight but I did listen to every pitch on the radio. I decided to take in the SWB Yankees/Buffalo Bisons game instead. I went by myself, sat way down the 3rd baseline in deep LF, and for the most part, the game was great except for a gaggle of kids continuously running around. Nothing beats being at a ballpark. It's one of the very few places I don't mind going to by myself. I love it. It is very weird referring to another team as the "Yankees." I see it on the scoreboard and hear it used by the announcer. It's just plain weird.
Igawa looked pretty good. 7 innings of 5 hit ball, 2 walks, 8 Ks, 1 ER. He looked pretty good. I can't say the same for the SWB bullpen though. When Igawa left the game, the score was 11-1. After 8 innings, the score was 11-9. SWB held on for the W. I stuck around after the game to get Igawa's autograph in the player lot. It is hands down the worst signature ever. It's like 4 scribbled lines and a dot. Check out this Ebay listing for a picture of what it looks like. It's pretty bad. Enough about the Baby Bombers.
The Yankees game itself was pretty exciting to listen to. It took the Yankees a while to get going but they got the job done. It was good to see them battle back from 2 deficits and pull it out in extra frames. It sounded like Gorzellany was pretty in control except for the Matsui bomb. When Chris Duffy hit an inside-the-parker, I could see a repeat of Melky's blunder two years ago in Boston. According to Sterling, the ball was catchable. I haven't seen the play so somebody fill me in. All I have to say about the offense is you have to love Captain Clutch. Nuff said.
Another great game by Pettitte and what does he get to show for it? It's not right that his record is 3-4. Hopefully this isn't a "Houston" thing. Andy and Roger are in need of some well-deserved run support.
I was a little surprised that Mo went 2 innings considering he got 5 outs last night. I think it's a good sign. He hasn't exactly gotten a lot of work this season. That arm has to be fresh and ready to thrown. The radio call made it sound like Mo was the team's biggest cheerleader when the Yankees were batting. I was sitting in my seat juts picturing it. Did they show any of that on the broadcast? I would have liked to have seen it.
4 in a row baby! The longest winning streak of the season. Man that's sad. Tomorrow, well, later today, is what we've all been waiting for. The return of the Rocket. As if the team wasn't energized enough. Now we've got arguably the greatest starting pitcher ever suiting up in Pinstripes. The stadium is going to be electric.
Just under 12 hours 'til blastoff.
J

Breaking News

This just in......Alex Rodriguez is good. Real good. As Buffalo Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret would say, he's scary good.
Ozzie Guillen is right to hate his bullpen.
J

Freakin' Farnsworth

If you are sick of Kyle Farnsworthless as much as I am, please raise your hand. Things never go easy with this guy.
J

Aw Poor Baby

God bless Shannon Stewart for breaking up Schilling's no-no with 2 outs in the 9th. Close but no cigar.
J

I Love Wang

I've used that title before, but what can I say I do love Wang. And again, for the pervs out there, get your minds out of the gutter would ya?
Last night was Wednesday night coed softball, so i didn't get to devote much attention to the Yankees game. We won 4-2, which is pretty low scoring for coed softball. I was Wangesque on the mound. Not really. I was having some control trouble due to the wind, but I settled down and got myself out of some jams by inducing the groundball. I throw a lot of junk on the mound. I've never seen so many people take pitches in slow pitch. I hit the corners a lot so I get a lot of called strikes where they don't swing. You're not there to walk, right? That drives me nuts when they don't swing at the close ones. I swing at the first pitch every time. If I think I can hit it, I'm swinging.
I got home for the top of the 7th of the Yanks game, though I did get to catch a few innings a t the bar and on the radio during the drive home. Wang looked like he was dealing. That's the Chien-Ming Wang we all know and love. It was nice to see him go the distance. He needs to teach the youngsters how to be more economical with their pitches. I thought for a second there he'd finish with under 100, but I'll take 104. Wang is without a doubt the ace of the staff, even if you include Clemens in the rotation. Wang has been the picture of consistency. The Yankees would be smart to lock him up long term.
Another game where the offense cranked out double-digit hits. The Yankees have been playing pretty consistently lately and we're starting to see things change and return to the form we thought it would be all year long. How great will it be, not would it be, when we pass Boston later this year. I don't know any Yankee fans that have abandoned hope on winning the division. The Sox have lost 4 in a row. So much for having those streak stoppers there in Boston. They've been playing out of their shoes and their now beginning their descent back to mediocrity. It's only a matter of time.
Things are starting to come together.
J-Boogie

I Don't Wanna Work, I Just Wanna Bang On These Keys All Day

I've said this a million times, and I'll probably say this at least another million times, I hate working! I'm just not cut out for it. I think I'd be perfectly happy sitting around on my duff and watching TV or blogging about the Yankees. in all reality, it's the job I'm really not a fan of. I can honestly say I've never really had a job I was gaga over. The best job I've ever had was managing a movie theater. The hours weren't great, and you deal with a lot of dummies, but it was a lot of fun. I think that was the case because most of the employees were high school/college aged kids. We really did screw around a lot. Ah the memories. Right jello? There are a lot of times at work where i can squeeze in some quality blogging time, but lately, my free time is getting severely cut in to by pointless meetings and in having to deal with whiny employees that rely on me for everything. it's a pain, but that's life. I gotta deal.
I went to last night's SWB Yankees/Bisons game. It was weird looking up at the scoreboard and seeing Yankees listed, and then looking around the crowd and seeing like 500 people. It was pretty odd. The Baby Bombers rolled the Bisons. I left after 5 and a half so i could catch some of the Yankees game. SWB ended up winning 15-4 or something like that. Chase Wright was on the mound and he looked alright. I wouldn't give him the ball on the big club, but he got the job done. I didn't get any autographs. To be honest, that aren't that many on the AAA team who I'd want to waste a ball on. Igawa is really the only one, and I'm not even crazy about that. I was going to ask Chase to sign a ball and inscribe it "4 in a row" but I didn't think he'd go for it. They are in town through Friday and I'll try to get back. They play at 1pm tomorrow and I'm going to try and bust out of jail, I mean work, early to check out some of it. I won't be devastated if i don't make it.
I thought the real Yankees were in for a tough night after hearing Jeter ground into 2 DPs in his first 2 PAs. But by the time was all said and done, the team set a season high for total hits and everybody was at the party. 6 guys had multi-hit games. Gotta love that. But only 7 runs? Come on guys. Pile it on! Abreu seems to have turned a corner. He's 9 for his last 18. Alex had a great game also. I'd have to give my game ball to Miguel Cairo though. He played a great first base and went 2-for-4. Maybe we'll see him as the everyday guy at first for a while. I say they give him a shot.
Farnsworth has to go. Just when you think he's capable of getting guys out, he slips back into a funk and almost blows the whole shebang. Bruney looked uncharacteristically bad. I'm not so worried about that. I was a little surprised they didn't open the 9th with Rivera but he ended up getting in work due to Bruney's ineffectiveness. Mo looked good. The ERA is slowly creeping back to respectability. Knock on wood. Clippard looked good. He just needs to be more economical with his pitches.
I don't want to get too far ahead of myself but could the tide be slowly turning? The Sox haven't looked so great and the Yankees are finally looking like they might be getting things going. There's a lot of baseball left to play and anything can happen.
All signs look good for a weekend Rocket landing. A nice winning streak before his arrival would be pretty nice. With Wang, Moose, and Pettitte on the horizon, things could be looking up.
J-Boogie

Inconsistent

I am having some trouble defining what "Yankees baseball" is. It's been so inconsistent all year long that I just don't know anymore. Just when you think they've turned a corner, they take a step or two backwards. Last night was another one of those backwards steps.
Now don't get me wrong, on paper, that wasn't going to be an easy game to win. Jon Garland vs. Matt DeSalvo. Not exactly a matchup that's in the Yankees' favor. DeSalvo wasn't exactly sharp and you could tell that the Yankees brass had little faith in him. I agree with the decision to send him back to AAA. I thought Kei Igawa should have gotten the start, but what do i know?
It's extremely apparent that much of the Yankees success is going to hinder of Damon and Jeter's ability to set the table for the rest of the lineup. The 2 went a combined 1 for 10, with 1 of the hits being a questionable one, which came in the last inning. That's not going to help. Jeter has been horrible lately. Since May 26th, he's been held hitless in 5 of his last 9 games. That's not the Captain that we've come to know and love. Jeter is 6 for his last 40 (.150). Ugh. Damon has been no better. Over his last 10 games, he's 4 for 30 (.133). Those aren't numbers you want from your 1-2 guys in the lineup. We need them to hit and get on base, so guys like Posada, A-Rod, Matsui, and knock-on-wood, Bobby Abreu can knock them in. Is it me, or is someone always slumping?
Chris Britton looked pretty good. So but so did Matt DeSalvo at one point. If not for anything else, it's good to get some fresh arms out there in the bullpen.
Clippard goes tonight. I haven't soured on him as I have DeSalvo. I don't think either are "ready" for the bigs, but Clippard has better tools than DeSalvo and with all the injuries to the staff this year, there really isn't a better option.
I'm going to try and hit up the SWB Yankees vs. Buffalo Bisons game tonight, weather permitting. They're in town for a 4 game set and I want to check out the Baby Bombers and hopefully get Igawa's autograph before he gets called back to the big club. Chase Wright throws tonight. Should be fun.
J

Two Out Of Three Works For Me

The Red Sox threw their big 3 at the Yankees yesterday and in the end, good triumphed over evil. The Yankees got to the ace of the Sox staff. I do have to tip my cap to Beckett for lasting as long as he did. I for sure thought he was done after 5 but he held his own. I originally thought Beckett was going to eventually relapse into his former self but I've since realized that's likely not going to happen. That made knocking him around all the sweeter. And then there's set-up man extraordinaire Hideki Okajima. First blown save. And finally, the great Jonathan Papelbon. 2 outs, 2 strikes, the world's most hated villain Alex Rodriguez at the dish. High fly ball to right center. It is high. It is far. It is gone. How 'bout dem apples? Mmm, they taste good.
As crappy as it was to see the Yankees relinquish another lead to the Sox, it was great to see them finally battle back and stick it to the Sox when they had their best pitchers going for them. Cano absolutely crushed Okajima's delivery. On a normal day that ball is long gone. That was a shot! The offense with the exception of Jeter and Damon has looked pretty sharp. I'd like to think the page has been turned, but I've thought that before. Cano is heating up. Melky is getting warm now that he's getting regular PAs. Abreu had a great series. Posada is a hitting machine. We're finally seeing several guys hit at the same time. The wins are going to start piling up.
Perhaps the best part of the game was watching vintage Mariano Rivera totally shut down the Sox best hitters. The ending to this game couldn't have gone any better. The 9th inning of last night's game could be the game we look back on as the point things changed. I'm extremely encouraged by what we saw. I don't want to jump the gun and assume everything is Kool and the gang (or as bowlajello and I like to say Kool and the MoFos. Though we don't say mofos). The Yanks have shown signs of greatness before, but they always take 2 steps back. This time it feels different. Am I right?
I was ready to write a huge tirade against Bobby Abreu, but he redeemed himself with that catch. His defense until that point was horrendous in the series. I put the loss in game 2 on him for misplaying Ortiz's leadoff flyball. His blunder last night in the bottom of the 5th turned the game around. Thankfully, he came through in the clutch and Cano and A-Rod bailed him out. Shore up that D Bobby!
Finally, I want to let everyone know about one of my pet peeves. It's something that annoys the living bejeezus out of me. It's so annoying when people talk on their cell phones and waive to the camera when they know they're in the shot. Come on people. Don't be that guy. Bad form. Bad form.
And the "Where is Roger" chant? That could be one of the dumbest chants ever. The Fenway Faithful are so creative.
J

A-Rodacus Slays Papelbon

Is it me or does every Yankees/RedSox game go past midnight? Work comes early so I'll I want to say tonight is:
Eff yeah!! Nice win boys!
More tomorrow. I mean later today.
J

7th Inning Nightmare

Hee hee hee, hoo. Hee hee hee, hoo. I can't believe that they need almost 10 hours to teach pregnant women how to breathe and to discuss having a baby. Childbirth classes are no fun. The last thing I wanted to see was the "video." I know I'll be seeing it live and in person soon, but, ewww. Delivering the placenta has to be the grossest thing I've ever seen. The only thing that comes close to topping it was the 7th inning of today's Yankees/Red Sox game. Talk about images I want to forget.
The Sox half of the 7th inning ranks up there with one of the worst half innings I've ever seen. Abreu totally misplays a very catchable fly ball. I guess the thought that Bobby's gets shy around the wall is true. Cano screws up an easy double play and instead of a tie game, the Yanks are now down a run and Doug Mientkiewicz was knocked senseless. Man that was scary. The way his head jolted when Lowell's thigh collided it with it. That was brutal. I knew right away he was laid out. It was a pretty ugly sight. Jeter then blows a routine inning-ending double play with his Bucknereqsue play. Proctor has no choice but to throw low and away since he can't go inside and he can't find the plate and next thing you know a 1 run Yankee lead turns into a 5-run deficit. Horrible all the way around. In all likelihood, if Abreu makes the play on Ortiz, I'm writing a much different post. But he didn't and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
I missed the first half of the game due to the all day childbirth class, so I missed a lot of the beginning. I missed Lowell's shoulder shimmy on Cano. I'll discuss that further down. I got back in time to see Posada chase the ever so great Curt Schilling from the game. Yeah. he's not all he's cracked up to be. Unfortunately, neither is Moose. Not his best outing. The weird thing was I was awake for Lowell's HR but fell asleep for Varitek's. I doze off for 5 seconds and the game's tied. Horrible.
I've already read quite a few posts on Mike Lowell's body check into Robinson Cano. I got to see the replay a few times on the post game show and on Baseball Tonight and I've concluded that it was a ******* play. A lot of people cried foul when A-Rod gave an elbow to Pedroia after sliding into second. I've seen that happen in a many a game, by many a player. I've never seen a player stop dead in his tracks in the middle of the baseline, get into a crouch and give a player a body check trying to break up a DP. Had Lowell been in motion at the time he cross-checked Cano, I'd have no issue with it. But he laid in wait and gave Cano a hit he didn't expect. When a player slides into second to break up a double play, odds are good that it's going to be a hard slide. I'm sure Pedroia has had plenty of practice dealing with that and I'm sure it's happened several times throughout his playing career. I doubt he's had practice running at a stopped runner and getting body checked trying to make a tag. Perhaps A-Rod's elbow was a little much. Lowell's body check was a little over the top. To me, what Lowell did isn't playing hard baseball. It's not like he ran over a guy in the middle of the baseline. It's within the rules of the game but it's a ******* play. He took a cheap shot at an unsuspecting player. Like I said, guys know a hard slide is coming at the second base bag. The great thing is Cano made the play so Lowell's effort was basically for nothing. Ask yourself this question if you disagree: What would you have said if A-Rod had bowled over Bronson Arroyo in the 2004 ALCS instead of slapping at the ball? I don't know one Red Sox fan that would have called that a fair play had it gone down that way. And the difference there would have been that A-Rod was running and Arroyo was stationary. Imagine if A-Rod stopped running, Arroyo charged him, and A-Rod threw a shoulder. Sox fans would have tore the place down. Sooner or later, somebody somewhere is going to get clotheslined WWE style.
No word yet on Mientkiewicz. Hopefully he's alright. Unfortunately for the Yanks, Roger's first start will be pushed back. Good thing is he doesn't start collecting pay until he steps on the field. The Yanks might have just saved a little dough.
Enjoy your night.
J

Did They Just Win 2 In A Row

Wow! Another 2 game winning streak. I still can't believe that I need to get excited by that. But it's been that kind of season.
The Yankees offense bailed out an ineffective Chien-Ming Wang by manhandling a less effective Tim Wakefield. Maybe manhandling isn't the right word as Wakefield didn't help himself out at all with all the free passes. The Yankees have owned Wakefield lately. It was great to see the Yankees finally get much needed hits with runners on base. It's something we haven't seen much over these past few weeks. Hopefully, they've turned a corner, but, they've looked as if they've turned the corner before and they fall right back into a funk. I'll get excited when they string together a few more games like the last 2.
Wang definitely didn't look like the ace of the staff tonight. All things considered, it could have been much worse. Wang allowed 13 baserunners, but escaped by allowing only 3 runs. Wang was typical Wang by getting 14 groundball outs. That definitely helped his cause. It was a good win for him.
How good was it to see Torre getting fired up on the blow call on Abreu's steal attempt of 3rd? Finally some intensity from the skipper. I loved it. Hopefully it lights a fire under these guys. Maybe that will be turning point? It's about time Torre put up a stink. The Yanks have gotten hosed several times this year. Joe hit the breaking point. It's well overdue.
Was the I only one who noticed that Posada never tagged Mirabelli when he was running him back to 3rd? He missed him with the ball and tagged him with the glove while the ball was in his hand. Correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think that constituted a tag? If I'm not wrong, how curious that they never showed that one in super slo-mo. Interesting.
In all honesty, I don't think that Proctor was intentionally throwing at Youklis in the 9th? I can definitely see why people would think that as Sox pitchers hit 3 Yankee hitters and Proctor seems to be the one pitcher who isn't afraid of retaliating. But throwing at his head? I don't see anybody doing that. It's obvious that the home plate ump thought it was a purpose pitch as he tossed him. Between Torre's tirade, Youklis yelling at Proctor, and Proctor yelling at the umpire, I think this game had more F-bombs in it than any game I've ever seen. And I didn't see Mattingly get tossed when Proctor got bounced. I thought the skipper got tossed along with the pitcher?
Mike Myers finally got David Ortiz out. That's a reason to celebrate. Give the man the key to the city.
K-Farns looked impressive. I give him about 2 outs before he implodes again. Sorry K-Farns, but I don't have faith in you.
The bottom of the Yankees lineup was on its game tonight. Now that Melky knows he's an everyday player, I'm expecting his average to start climbing. Cano seems to have busted out of his slump. Over the last 2 weeks, Robbie has raised his average 35 points from .234 to .269. Now that's what we need if we're going to claw our way back into this race. If only Abreu could catch fire.
I've heard a lot of "analysts" say that they like the Yankees take 2 out of 3 in Boston, and winning the opener was a step in the right direction. We get old man Schilling tomorrow. I smell a beatdown. Unfortunately, I'm going to miss most of, if not all of the game tomorrow. The wife and I are hitting up an all-day childbirth class. 8am - 5pm. I am so overjoyed. Insert sarcasm here. We're about 10 weeks away from the little guy's arrival. He's a very active little one, especially when the Yanks are on. It's eerie sometimes how he kicks when something good or bad happens. He's definitely rooting from the womb. Gotta love it.
Peace, love and Pinstripes,
J