Plum Crazy

Overstatement of the Year

The Knicks' quest for a playoff berth was dealt a major blow this morning when Jamal Crawford was found to have a stress fracture in his right ankle.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought their quest for a playoff berth was dealt a major blow by, um, let's see... the fact that they're playing below .500 ball!

Shorter me: The Knicks suck.

UPDATE: The Dolans suck too. Please fire Isiah.

No Room For Sentiment

Yesterday's news was that Bernie Williams would accept a minor league contract and battle for a job in spring training. Last night, the Yankee legend threw cold water on that theory, meaning his days as a Yankee are over. I can't say that I blame Williams for rejecting the offer. It was an insult to an all-time team great who has been nothing but a class act during his entire tenure with the club. The end of his career here is a sad day.

Part of me doesn't fault the Yankees. Their mission is to put the best product on the field and to win. If they don't feel that a player is part of the equation, their prerogative is to move on and use players who they feel can contribute the most.

But Bernie Williams gave the Yankees so much during his 16-year tenure. He was a star performer for most of his career and a linchpin when they won four titles in five years. He is one of the teams legends, ranking high in the club's record books. More to the point is his class. Bernie played with a quiet, dignified air, never once acting the part of a star, even though he was one and had every right to. After all he has meant to the team and to New York, combined with the fact he can still play, he should be allowed to leave on his terms, when he is ready. The Yankees owe him more than a minor league contract and only the thread of a chance to make the team.

I can understand carrying twelve pitchers on the team, but I can't understand putting three first basemen on the roster at the expense of Bernie. The Yankees are choosing Josh Phelps, Andy Phillips, and Doug Mientkiewicz over him. Maybe Bernie deserves a shot at the right-handed component of the first base job. Neither Phelps nor Phillips are anything special. Nor, for that matter, is Mientkiewicz.

Last year, Bernie showed he can still be a productive player, more productive than Phillips. He helped keep the Yankees afloat when they were decimated by injuries. The Yankees could have and should have found a way to keep him on the team for one more year or even two if that's what Bernie wanted. There is also the practical matter that they really should carry five outfielders and give up one of the first basemen. All around it is a bad, heartless decision.

All I can hope for at this point is that Bernie retires. He should only be a Yankee. To seem him finishing his career in some other uniform would be sadly wrong. A retirement, no matter how forced, seems to be the best choice now that his time here is over.

Why A-Rod, Why?

"At this point in time, Alex has certainly reflected to me he's very happy in New York. We have not talked about anything like that [opting out of his contract at the end of this season] and probably will not until the season is completed."

You're very happy in New York? Dude. Yankees fans hate you. This makes you very happy?

As he prepares for the start of spring training this month, his goal is to get a World Series ring for the first time.

"My burden has always been the same since I was 18," he said.

Your burden must be that you can't hit in the post-season. Against anyone.

Pain. I'm in pain. Can't you just get all Nomar and demand a trade or else?

Charge Not Equal To Guilt

The San Francisco Giants seem to have joined the chorus that immediately assumes anyone accused of or indicted with a crime is automatically guilty. In their contract with Barry Bonds, they negotiated language that empowers them to terminate the agreement if Bonds is indicted on charges not specified publicly. (One assumes that it would be in relation to the Balco case.) Let's set aside the point that there are many athletes who are arrested, indicted, and/or found guilty who don't have their contracts terminated. We'll forget why Bonds should be treated differently than other athletes. Just a petty nuisance. Let's focus instead on the fact that an indictment doesn't mean he's guilty. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty, yet there are organizations like the Giants who set themselves up as judge, jury, and executioner. I for one believe Bonds is guilty of steroid abuse and or perjury, but his guilt has to be proven in a court of law. The Giants should have no right to terminate his contract unless he's found guilty, and the union backs me up on this one 100%.

Yankees Fans

As a Yankees fan, I know a lot of people hate us. Sure, we're arrogant. Well, why the hell not? When your team has the winningest record in pretty much any sport, why wouldn't you be? What, we're supposed to be like "Aw shucks, we're not that good. We're just lucky." How annoying would that be? I'd have to slap us.

Sure, we expect to win. There's only one answer to the question I hear a lot from non-Yankees fans: "Doesn't it get boring winning so much?" That answer is "No." Who plays to lose? And stuff your "but...good sportsmanship!" Good sportsmanship is about how you play. Not about letting the other guy win sometimes just so they won't feel badly. There's no crying in baseball!

People thought they could shame us by referring to our team as the Evil Empire. Come on, people! We're New Yorkers! That was an insult? No, that was The.Most.Awesome.Nickname.Ever.

People are always "Your team buys championships." Um, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, Robinson Cano. All from the farm system. OK, sure, you're thinking "Yeah, but what about A-Rod?" Your point? How has that worked out for us? [And note to someone special re: "The Mets'll take him if you don't want him." If it were up to me, I'd do a trade. You going to give us David Wright?]

Still, say all the bad things you want about us. There's one thing you can't deny. Yankees fans are loyal. It's an article about how Torre told Cashman he'd like to give Bernie Williams a shot at making the team. Read the comments to it. Nearly every Yankees fan there has said the same thing. "We love Bernie. Just put him on the team already."

In Keeping with the Meta of this Blog

Yankees blogging!

One thing I really hope to see happen: Bernie Williams retire as a Yankee. I love me some Bernie Williams. He's a class act. He's a good ballplayer. And, as one of the commenters to the article says, he bleeds Yankees blue.

Although he's definitely past his prime, I know that another team would sign him for a year as a utility player. I think he would happily stay with the Yankees as a utility player. I think he'd even take less money from the Yankees than he would from another team. He's been loyal to the Yankees all these years. He played well for them for those years. He was a big part of the championship teams.

There's room for him on the roster, if the Yankees want there to be. Who would you rather have as a back-up first baseman? Bernie Williams or the fieldingly useless Jason Giambi, a man so slow that, as my brother once aptly put it, they measure his speed using a calendar (not that that actually makes a difference to Giambi's (in)ability to play first base, but it's such a great line I had to fit it in)? If not as a back-up first baseman, somewhere.

Bernie has been loyal to the Yankees for his entire career. I know that baseball teams aren't managed by staying loyal to players. I know that's especially true when you're dealing with George Steinbrenner*. Sometimes, though, you just want to believe that loyalty will be rewarded. That the team will forego some money in recognition of all the player has done for them in the past. That George Bailey will beat Clarence Potter**. This is one of those times.

*Besides, as much as I am grateful for Steinbrenner's willingness to open the checkbook, I still hate the man.

**Every time a batter swings, an angel gets his wings?

No More Big Unit In Big Apple

I love it when a plan comes together. Because I'm of the opinion that a mediocre relief pitcher plus a couple of pitching prospects and an infield prospect beats Randy Johnson.

Now if they could only trade A-Rod.

But, seriously, please, no more Roger Clemens. Isn't it bad enough I have to applaud Johnny Damon? You guys know my feelings about Roger. What will you do to me next? Pedro Martinez?

Get Well Soon Bobby Murcer

I didn't know until yesterday that Bobby Murcer had brain surgery. A colleague told me that it was for an aneurysm, but I learned this morning that it was for a brain tumor. There's no report yet on whether it was benign or malignant or on his prognosis. I wish the same for Bobby Murcer that I would wish for anyone who's just had a brain tumor removed. That he recover completely, that the tumor is benign, and that the tumor doesn't grow back. Yet this one hits a little closer to home since it's someone who while I don't know personally do know in a way. I watched him as a player growing up, remember his heroics in the Yankees first game after the death of Thurman Munson, and have known him all these years as an announcer. I don't think much of him as an announcer; still, he comes across as a gentleman and a genuinely nice man. Of course, I would still root for his recovery if he weren't a good person. But the fact that he is makes me root and care a little bit more. Best wishes for a full and complete recovery Bobby.

Cross posted on THTRB.

Often the Best Way To Get Around

Mass transit. Stuck in traffic on a bus, members of the British soccer team Coventry City opted for the Underground when they realized they would be late for the game. They took some grief from opposing fans along the way, but they made it to the game 40 minutes early. To boot (pun intended), they won the game 1-0.

Courtesy of the 12/4 issue of Sports Illustrated.

The Belated Award for Good Sportswomanship. . .

. . . goes to Rutgers basketball. They were scheduled to play the title game of the women's U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in late November against Arizona State. Sadly, the brother of an Arizona State player, there to watch the game, died suddenly. Rather than force Arizona State to show up or forfeit if they didn't show up, Rutgers agreed to cancel the game.

Courtesy of the 12/4 issue of Sports Illustrated.

6 Things I Think I Think About the NFL

1. Amazing. Despite their awful play in the second half of the season, the Giants are currently the second wild card team in the NFC. Fancy if they made the playoffs and get hot and roll to the Super Bowl. Ain't gonna happen.

2. I don't really want to see the Giants in the playoffs. They don't deserve it.

3. I do want to the see the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs so that Brett Favre can get hot for four games and go out on top.

4. Do you think the Houston Texans rue the day they passed up on hometown hero Vince Young? All he's done the last 6 weeks is lead the Titans to 6 straight wins and position them for the playoffs after they started 2-7.

5. The Eagles were surely done when Donovan McNabb went down for the season. Now, they're at the top of the NFC East and can clinch the division on the last weekend with a win. My friend Eve is happy.

6. Looking more and more like the Giants made a mistake when they mortgaged the farm for Eli Manning. I didn't like the trade when they made it and like it even less now. Like the Texans, they might have made a move that will haunt them for 10 years.

The Nets Are Up The Creek

I'm probably the only one on this blog who cares about it, but the Nets just lost Nenad Kristic, their talented young center, for the season. They were already weak in the middle. Now, barring a trade, they have no inside presence. Up the creek indeed.

It All Adds Up To Another Deflating Loss

Two goal-to-go possessions. A total of six points.

A 16-14 lead followed immediately by an Eagles touchdown.

A 22-21 lead followed by another Eagles touchdown.

2 interceptions, one returned for a touchdown on the first play of an attempted comeback deep in the 4th quarter.

2 fumbles.

Add it up, and what do you have? A 7-7 team that's not worthy of the playoffs.

Hall No?

Joel Sherman opines today that Mark McGwire doesn't deserve to in the Hall of Fame because steroids made him into the "great" ballplayer he turned out to be:

For the first 990 games of his career, a period from 1986-94, McGwire was an injury-prone first baseman who produced an offensive performance roughly equivalent to that of [Jay] Buhner. . . Then, suddenly, McGwire's career swerved toward greatness. His body broadened and his success soared.

Sherman has a compelling point. From 1996-1999, McGwire's batting average spiked to .289 and his median number of homeruns was 62. Contrast that to the pre-1995 McGwire. Tossing out 1993-1995, in which he missed considerable time, leaves us with dramatically different numbers for McGwire earlier in his career. His batting average was .248 and median number of homeruns was 36 between 1987 and 1992.

Granted, neither Sherman nor I have proof that McGwire started injecting steroids after 1994, but the circumstantial evidence is hard to ignore. Based on these numbers, I'd have to agree with Sherman that McGwire does not belong in the Hall of Fame.

Cross posted on THTRB.

Psyched!

Andy Pettitte is back.

Double Standard

Mel Gibson gets roasted. Michael Richards gets roasted. Steve Lyons gets fired. The first two are bigots and should have been roasted. Lyons said nothing and shouldn't have been fired. So it leaves me scratching my head when former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and ESPN NFL analyst Michael Irvin, who is African-American, gets a slap on the wrist for saying this of the white QB of the Cowboys:

Somewhere there are some brothers. . . . (Maybe) his great, great, great, great Grandma ran over in the hood or something went down.

snip

No, that's [being of African-American ancestry ] not the only way [to be a star athelete], but it's certainly one way. Great, great, great, great Grandma pulled one of them studs up outta the barn and said, "Come over here for a second."

Jimmy the Greek got fired for saying the same thing. Al Campanis got fired for racially insulting remarks. Why does Michael Irvin still have a job? What he said demeans two race groups: whites and African-Americans. He's saying whites are only athletic if they have African-American genes.

Why does Irvin get a free pass? Because he's African-American. Had a white analyst for ESPN, say John Clayton or Sean Salisbury, said the same thing, there'd be a national uproar. Yet when someone African-American says it, it's somehow palatable and gets swept under the rug. Can you say double standard?

Who?

No, who's on first, but who is this guy that the Yankees have won the rights to? Never heard of him before. $26 million is twice what the Mariners paid to sign Ichiro, and it seems that the Yankees are overreacting in the wake of the Red Sox snagging the rights to Matsuzaka. Say he gets a three year deal worth $24 million, which is my guess based on current market trends, that's $50 million for three years. As much money as they're paying to a known commodity in Johnny Damon for four years. Seems a bit steep. Hope this guy doesn't turn out to be another fat toad.

Why Fans Root

Excitement abounds. I have started work on a book about why fans root for their teams, called aptly enough "Why Fans Root". The primary basis of the book will be interviews with fans to learn about their passion for their teams, how they came to be fans, their most memorable moments (lows and highs). Basically to understand just what it is about sports that draws us to identify with specific teams and too root ardently.

I've ordered a couple of academic books on the subject, the book Friday Night Lights, and a book about the 2004 Notre Dame season, which follows fans as they become more and more disillusioned with then coach Ty Willingham. I've drafted a preliminary set of questions to use in interviews and have e-mailed several people to see if they'd be willing to be my guinea pigs as I feel my way through the subject and refine my questions. I'll also be getting a digital voice recorder to use in interviews.

If there are any readers of the blog - Rick? - who'd be interested in being interviewed, just leave a comment with contact info.

Jeter: The Fallout

Predictably, there was major fallout in today's news following Derek Jeter's second-place finish in the A.L. MVP balloting. The N.Y. Post blamed it on anti-New-York bias, with the headline Jeeted. Mike Lupica agrees that Jeter was probably the right choice, but didn't blame it on any bias against New York. In the meantime, Chicago Sun Times writer Joe Cowley is taking serious heat for placing Jeter sixth on the ballot. I think Lupica has it right and that Cowley has no right voting for the MVP.

Jeter wasn't robbed and didn't lose because of a bias against New York. Hideki Matsui lost the A.L. Rookie of the Year balloting because of a bias against the Yankees big spending ways. All of a sudden, writers made up this rule that the best rookie had to be a true rookie, even though Ichiro won both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in his first season. But A-Rod won the MVP last year even though he was a Yankee. You can't blame this one on pure Yankee hating.

Jeter lost because of the misperception that he was surrounded by more good players than Hugh Hefner is surrounded by hot babes, making him less valuable than a one-man wrecking crew like Frank Thomas, and because a number two hitter is less sexy than a slugger like Morneau. The first argument is trotted out by Cowley, who left Carlos Delgado and Vernon Wells off his 2003 ballot and was suspended as a result, and is specious. Three Twins finished in the top seven of the balloting. No other Yankee finished that high. A-Rod was the next best Yankee in 13th place.

Based on the results, Morneau was indisputably surrounded by better talent than Jeter. Writers who favor Morneau point out that the Twins took off when he took off. Not quite true. The Twins made a number of roster changes right before they got hot, including adding Francisco Liriano to the starting rotation. By comparison, the Yankees lost three key players to injury for much of the season and had two other key players - A-Rod and Giambi - have off seasons. The starting pitching was spotty, too.

Jeter had arguably his finest season and was clearly the MVP on his team, something that you can't necessarily say about Morneau. For all the numbers he put up, finding a good first baseman is easier than finding someone like Joe Mauer, a catcher who led the league in hitting.

Yes, I am biased as a Yankees fan, and no, it's not the end of the world that Morneau won. He had an outstanding season. Still, I feel Jeter should have won.

Cross posted on THTRB.

Tarnation

I am both disappointed and puzzled by the news that Derek Jeter finished second in this year's AL MVP voting. I had assumed all along it would be Jeter. He was the best player on the best team in baseball. He's been outstanding for so long that you think writers would have given him the award partially as a lifetime achievement award rather than given the award to a relative newcomer on some obscure team in the hinterlands. The NY tabloids will rip the results to shreds, claiming bias against NY. As much as I'd like to use that argument, it falls short because A-Rod took home the trophy last year. I guess it's just that Jeter doesn't put up prototypical MVP numbers. Still, does that make him less valuable than a slugger like Morneau? Jeter is captain clutch, actually I believe the most clutch player in baseball this year. He carried the Yankees through the absences of three cornerstone players. Should have won it. Probably never will.

Cross posted on THTRB.

Hypocrite

I like King James. He's a phenomenal talent and wise beyond his years. I am glad to be a witness. Still, I can't help but marvel at the audacity of his words after the Cavaliers rebounded from a 19-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Celtics last night:

"We could have easily packed it up but that's not who I am," James said. "Any time I'm on the court it doesn't matter how many points we're down, we always have a chance to win."

Say what? Is this the same James who walked off the court before the end of a game earlier in the week when the Cavs were down by 7 with 17 seconds left and the Hawks were dribbling out the clock?

Sheff Surprise

The theory went that the Yankees would be able to get middle-level players for Gary Sheffield. Perhaps some prospects, but no one special. The reality is that the Yankees did very well in trading Sheffield yesterday to the Detroit Tigers. They received three pitching prospects, two of whom I know nothing about, save that they look like hard throwers based on their strikeout numbers, but one of whom I had heard of. He's Humberto Sanchez, who first came to my attention when he pitched in the Futures Game this past summer. He threw one scoreless inning, but the more important data is that he was touted as one of the Tigers' top pitching prospects, if not the top, and that he had put up some impressive numbers at Double A. There was talk that he could join the Tigers later in the season. He didn't, but he got a call up to Triple A, where he got off to a good start before tailing off and suffering an arm problem. The arm problem bit gets me nervous, but it sounds like the Yankees got exactly what they needed. A young hard-throwing pitcher who's Major League ready. Expect to see Sanchez in the rotation this season. Hope that he becomes a solid member of the staff, joining Wang and eventually Philip Hughes in a triumvirate of young studs who can front the rotation for a long time.

Cross-posted on THTRB.

Over/Under

1 quarter before Knicks fans start booing at tonight's home opener?

Pop Culture Grid

I'm starting a new weekly posting here: The Pop Culture Grid, a feature in Sports Illustrated. Four pro athletes are asked six pop culture questions to see how they "fit in." Each week, I will give my own answers.

This week's questions:

Best thing you've ever gotten for free: the complete set of the Ella Fitzgerald song books
Number of cars in your driveway: I don't have a driveway
A pet you're dying to own: a tiger
I'm secretly afraid of: cockroaches
Scale of 1 to 10: How much do you want Madonna to adopt you: 0
My ultimate celebrity red carpet dream date would be: Heidi Klum

Today's Sports News

The Knicks still suck.

What's that? The first game isn't until tonight?

Your point?

And In Other News

The Rangers still suck.

Just Shut Up

Gary Sheffield is one unhappy camper. What's new? He's blustering how he doesn't want to play first base for the Yankees on a one-year deal or go to another team without a contract extension. Now in fairness to Sheff, the critics who say his position on the Yankees picking up his option has been inconsistent - he fumed in spring training when they didn't pick it up and is fuming now when they're ready to pick it up - his situation has changed. He thought he would be the right fielder next year, not the first baseman. The Abreu trade shifted the landscape. Still, Gary the Mouth should shut his. You have no leverage, Gary. None. You signed this contract without a no-trade clause and with a fourth-year team option. Your choice. Now you threaten to cause problems if it's picked up without additional years added to the end or you're forced to play first base? Tough noogies! You have no choice. It's either play or don't play. Cause problems and you kill your chances for a new contract. Cause problems and don't produce, and you kill your chances at 500 homeruns and a ticket to Cooperstown. So really, Gary, what I'd like to see more of from you is less. Go away and be a headache somewhere else.

Cross posted at THTRB.

Does Not Compute

LaRussa appears to be speaking English, but I can make no sense of his words:

This was a huge game and he was our biggest hero," La Russa said of [pitcher Jeff] Weaver.

My feelings about Jeff Weaver have been fairly well-documented on the blog.

If I Were Commish for Day

There has been much talk of the record low ratings of this year's World Series. Two solutions have been offered by the media. The first is to move the World Series to a warm weather climate. The other is to shorten the season to avoid the sudden change in weather that can make a Series game a miserably cold and uncomfortable experience. Before offering my own thoughts, let me say, "Fools!" We're talking about TV ratings. In the words of Tony Reali, host of ESPN's Around the Horn, I fail to see what the weather has to do with TV ratings.

Now onto my own thoughts. I'm not sure what to do about the low ratings. Not many people outside of St. Louis and Detroit care much about a Cardinals-Tigers series. There's understandably greater interest when a major media market team is in the mix. I suspect that baseball would do better, drawing ratings similar to the Super Bowl, if the Series was shorter and each game correspondingly more meaningful. Asking non-fans to endure seven games, vs. the one game of the Super Bowl, is a bit much. I, for example, watched the end of last night's game because it was the potential clincher for the Cardinals. However, no one is about to shorten the World Series.

Still, it's not a bad idea to shorten the season. Games should not last until the end of October when it gets downright chilly in northern climates. If I were Bud Selig for a day, I would shorten the regular season to 154 games; shrink the Wild Card round to best two of three, with the higher seeded team hosting all three games; and shorten the LCS back to three of five. That would cut two weeks off the season. Since none of that is happening, however, one solution to shortening the season is to have teams host more day-night doubleheaders. Toss in eight of them a season and you can cut the season by a week. The logistical difficulty is that they would have to be played on the weekend, otherwise, owners would balk at the lost gate receipts and TV ratings for the weekday portion of the double dip. I don't know if there are enough four-game series to make the idea workable for a week's worth of games.

Oh well, I guess have no real solution, other than mere fantasies of the way things should be. Wait, here's one. At a minimum play the weekend games of the LCS and World Series during the day. It would be nice to see some day baseball again.

Cross posted at THTRB.

Stay-Rod

Lesley and I have a bet. The other day it was reported that the Yankees have no plans to trade A-Rod this off-season. Lesley believes he will still be traded. I don't. I offered her the following bet, provided that Judy agreed: if A-Rod is traded, we treat her and Alan to a game next year, concessions included. Otherwise, they treat us to a game next year. Judy has agreed.

Personally, I would like to see A-Rod traded. Not so much because I believe he can't produce in New York, which I do, but more because I'm sick of the drama. Sick of the stories, of the fans booing him every time he fails to come through for the Yankees. I find it stressful, and I'm just a fan. Imagine how A-Rod must feel.

Cross-posted at THRTB.

Dear Kenny Rogers

Why couldn't you have pitched this well when you were on the Yankees? I'm just saying.

Oh well.

Yours in the bond of baseball,

Lesley

PS, Go Tigers (aka Go American League)!

Shame on U

As in University of Miami. For those who missed it, there was a brawl of criminal proportions between Miami and FIU on Saturday. Seems that everyone jumped into the fray, police had to break it up, one player for Miami wielded his helmet as a weapon, and the defensive co-captain of Miami stomped on a fallen FIU player. All in all, 31 players were suspended for one game, 13 from Miami and 18 from FIU. From there, the story takes a different path.

FIU reacted strongly and swiftly on Monday, kicking two players off the team, suspending the others indefinitely, and ordering anger management classes and community service for the team and coaches. Miami's reaction? To make the suspension for the helmet-wielding fool indefinite and requiring community service. That's it. Nothing else. The rest of the thugs miss one meaningless game against Duke and are then back. The guy stomping on people? One-game suspension. He and his helmet-wielding pal should be off the team and behind bars.

I would take it one step further if I were U of M president Donna Shalala. The program has been an outlaw program for basically the last 20 years, save for a stretch under Butch Davis. This is the third on-field incident for the team in its last 7 games. Their players, two especially, were captured for the world to see on video tape committing acts that would get you arrested anywhere else. If Duke cancelled the lacrosse season on what are now questionable charges, rushing to judgment before all the facts were marshaled, then don't you think the Miami season should be cancelled for stuff that's out there for anyone to see and seems based on the facts that have come out so far (see 60 Minutes from Sunday) to be worse than anything that the Duke players did?

Even though I am a Democrat and liberal myself, I can't help but wonder if Shalala, who served in the Clinton Administration, is one of those too-soft-on-crime liberals. Coddle them, hold back the stick? What Miami and FIU did was atrocious, criminal, and shameful. FIU gets it. Miami doesn't. Shame on them.

Update: Miami says the penalties are fair and strong enough. They do add that anyone who fights in the future will be thrown off the team, but still, it's not enough given the team's history and I fail to understand how someone who stomps on a fallen player is suspended for only one game.

Jon's Crystal Ball

Oy vey did I get my predictions wrong for the post-season. Every single series was I wrong on. I had the Yankees going all the way, taking down the Twins in the ALCS and the Padres in the World Series. And I had the Dodgers as the other team in the NLCS. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I saw it this way. The Yankees had the pitching and the offense to win it all, that Santana would take two for the Twins and the Twins would find a way to get it done in one more game, that the Mets pitching was too shattered to stand up to the Dodgers pitching, and that the Padres had the best pitching in the NL. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Still won't stop me from making predictions for the World Series. After seeing the Mets take down the Dodgers, I see no way they don't take the Cardinals easily in the NLCS. A's and Tigers is a compelling match-up. Good pitching on both sides of the ball. For the same reason the Tigers made me nervous going into the ALDS - Verlander, Rogers, and Bonderman - I like them in the ALCS.

Leaves Mets-Tigers in the World Series. My initial instinct is that the Tigers pitching shuts the Mets down, but the Mets have a talented, balanced, and young line-up - yes, the Yanks had a good line-up, too - one that has a player in Jose Reyes that will give the Tigers fits. He gets on and the dynamics of the game changes, and he has so many ways to get on. Mets in 6.

My other prediction? I will be wrong, wrong, wrong.

Cross-posted on THTRB.

The Curse of Godzilla

Way back in 2004, Lesley angered the baseball gods with her hubris after the Yankees took a 3-0 lead over the Red Sox in the ALCS. She declared the series over, annointed Hideki Matsui MVP, and went out and bought a Hideki Matsui shirt. Since then? The Yanks dropped dead against the Red Sox, lost to the Angels in round 1 last year, and folded against the Tigers this year. I have urged her on numerous occasions to burn that shirt. She refuses. The Yankees will not win another World Series championship until she does. It's the Curse of Godzilla.

Cross posted on THRTB.

Baseball Player Loyalties

I read today that the Marlins fired Joe Girardi. I have to say that I love Joe Girardi. He was a big part of the Yankees World Series wins in the late 90s. Which got me thinking about how I do have fondness for many former Yankees. I think it's fair to say that if you played well for the Yankees and aren't Roger Clemens, I will always love you. I have to add that "and aren't Roger Clemens" part, because I never liked Roger Clemens. I fully recognize that he may well be the best pitcher ever, but I do not like him. I was at many games where he was pitching and Mike Piazza was batting, and damned if it didn't look to me like Clemens was targeting Piazza. I don't even like Piazza, but that's besides the point. Roger Clemens - Great pitcher. Classless jerk.

Aside from Roger, though, there are many former Yankees that I love.

Willie Randolph. Oh man, I adore Willie Randolph. He was one of the Yankees players of my youth. I can still name the starting line-up of that team. Thurman Munson. Chris Chambliss. Willie Randolph. Bucky Dent (OK, I do not love Bucky Dent; mediocrity, thy name is Bucky Dent). Graig Nettles. Reggie Jackson. Mickey Rivers. Lou Piniella. And, yes, I love all of them except Bucky Dent. One homerun in a playoff game in a career of mediocrity does not earn my undying love. Even if that homerun did knock the Red Sox out of the post-season. I'm totally not that cheap. See also Aaron Boone. I do not love Aaron Boone. I have a mild fondness for Aaron Boone, but not love.

Luis Tiant. Come on, who could not love Luis Tiant? Sure he played most of his career with the Red Sox. Sure he played only two years with the Yankees. But, dude, he's Luis Tiant!

Tino Martinez. Nuff said.

Paul O'Neill. He and I share a birthday. He is the warrior. Plus, he loves the Ramones. Birthday + Warrior + Ramones = I love Pauly!

Scott Brosius. Scotty Brosius, MVP!

Andy Pettitte. I curse whoever for ever letting Andy go to Houston. Whoever might well be Roger Clemens, and that would be yet one more reason for me to hate Roger Clemens.

David Wells. Come on. The man is New York. Drunk. Loud. Obnoxious. What's not to love?

Rickey Henderson. Best.Leadoff.Hitter.Ever. "If you split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers." - Bill James.

Current Yankees whom I will always love:

Bernie Williams. Bern baby Bern. This will be his last season, and he will get a huge standing ovation at his last at bat.

Derek Jeter. Because what's not to love about the Captain?

Mariano "Mo" Rivera. Best.Closer.Ever.

Jorge Posada. Hip hip Jorge!

Hideki Matsui. He's like a rockstar in Japan, and he's like a rockstar to me. If I had a plane, I'd paint his face on it too.

Mike Mussina. The Moose is loose!

Hey, who said that baseball fans don't have loyalty to the players? What? Nobody. Yeah, okay, whatever.

Thank You, Kansas City!

With Detroit's loss to Kansas City and Minnesota's win over the White Sox, the Yankees are spared from having to face inevitable 2006 AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana twice in a short series. With Liriano out of the pst-season and Radke off form (it sucks to be Minnesota fans), I feel better about the Yankees' chances to beat the Twins in a 7-game series. But the prospect of facing Santana twice in a 5-games series was not a happy one (sorry Oakland).

The Mets are also spared from having to face Houston in the post-season, since they lost again today, allowing the Cards to clinch even with their loss. This makes my boyfriend happy, so I'm happy.

*To regular reader and Tiger fan Rick, sorry. I know. But a fan's got to wish for what a fan's got to wish for. And this is for the Twins to win the AL Central so the Yankees face Detroit in the ALDS. Up for another interblog wager?

Party On?

Hooray! The Yanks clinched the A.L. East crown last night and whooped it up in the clubhouse. I watched the celebration and am left wondering if they weren't a bit overzealous. After all, it's only the division title - true, a trip to the post-season - and that's not the Yankees goal. If you're the Detroit Tigers, coming off a 119-loss season in recent years, then you can trip the light fantastic. But if you're the Bronx Bombers and you're expected not just to make the playoffs but contend for the whole shooting match, then maybe you tone it down a tad. The time to let it loose is when you make it to the World Series.

Cross posted on THTRB.

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic

You know, never believe it's not so.

With another defeat of Tampa Bay and a little help from Baltimore, the Yankees skip eight and go right to seven!

He's a Magic Man

With some help from Bobby Abreu's 7 RBIs, last night's win over Tampa Bay brings the Yankees magic number down to 9!

Strange Magic

Why yes, boys and girls, it's that time of the year again. What time of the year you ask? It's the Yankees Magic Number Countdown!

Today's blog is brought to you by the number 10!

Ahem (Again)

Thanks to the Blue Jays, despite the Yankees' loss to the Twins, their magic number is now 20.

The Broom Is In The Room!

It's even more than I dared to hope for - The Yankees took all 5 games against Boston. At Fenway. Sweeeet!

A-Rod Sucks!

Dear those of my fellow Yankees fans who have spent the last 3 years booing A-Rod at practically every turn,

Although I've refused to join you, I think you've finally won me over. A-Rod does, indeed, suck. Really, what else can you say about a player who has just become the youngest ever to hit 450 career home runs and one of eight to get 2,000 career hits before his 31st birthday?

On second thought, the words "first-ballot Hall-of-Famer" and "one of the best players ever" come to mind. But don't let little things like facts dissuade you.

Hugs and kisses.

Lesley

Cross-posted at The House That Ruth Built

Don't Give Up Your Day Job

Lance Armstrong decided to have a little fun at the ESPY Awards last night. Cracked a joke about Brokeback Mountain. Speaking to Jake Gyllenhaal, the funny man says, "Jake, why you sitting in the front, I thought you liked it in the rear." Hold on. Can't type now. Laughing too hard. Just rolling on the floor. . . . Okay, it's under control now. Wow, Lance, that's a really clever joke. Who writes your material? Your juvenile, homophobic high school buddies? I hope there's a fall out from this one. Armstrong doesn't deserve to get away with such disgusting humor. There would be a huge uproar if he made a racist joke, and there should be one now. Count me as one fewer Armstrong fan.

Breakfast at Wimbledon

First a run tomorrow morning. Then I settle in for the Men's Final at Wimbledon. Too bad I missed the Ladies' Final today. Thought it was on tomorrow, too.

Not For Nothing, But...

...a team with the words Surf Dawgs in its name should not be allowed to play baseball. Because what the hell kind of name is that for a baseball team?

Oh, and Jose Canseco? Needs help. Stay retired, Jose. Stay retired.

Cross-posted at The House That Ruth Built.

19-1?

Noooooo!!!!

Dear Darth Boss George,

You need pitching.

Love,

Lesley

The House that Ruth Built

With Lesley's help and Coalition of the Dark Side defunct, I have launched a new Yankees site that right now two people know about: me and Lesley. Check it out. It's called The House that Ruth Built, and I am looking for readership and co-authors. Anyone wants in let me know by leaving a comment on the site.

A reminder to Lesley: please update the CDS link on these page to link to HTRB. Thanks.

10 Questions

Courtesy of the NY Yankees blog at the Daily News, 10 questions about the Yankees and other stuff:

1. What is the biggest surprise of the Yankees season so far?

2. What is the biggest non-surprise?

3. Is Joe Torre doing a good job?

4. Name one player (who didn't start the year in the minor leagues) who won't be on this team on Aug. 1.

5. How do you like your steak?

6. Who will finish SECOND in the AL East?

7. Which would you rather watch: World Cup, NBA Finals or Stanley Cup?

8. At a barbecue, I will always make sure to eat at least one...?

9. The best holiday of the year is...?

10. How many Yankees will be selected to the AL All-Star team?

For my answers, see below.

1. Randy Johnson being as terrible as he is. Never would have thought he would go from dominating to being dominated this quickly.

2. Carl Pavano on the DL. Will he ever pitch for the Yankees again?

3. Yes. It's amazing that the Yankees have stayed in the hunt with all the injuries and the poor performance by the starters. Torre is holding the team together with glue.

4. Aaron Small. He was a one-year wonder who has been awful so far. He's gone as soon as Dotel is healthy.

5. Medium.

6. The Yankees. Somehow they will stay up there. How I don't know, save for the fact that the line-up can still bang with Sheffield and Matsui out.

7. NBA Finals. The World Cup is too long, and you can't even find the Stanley Cup on TV. Where is the OLN?

8. Hamburger.

9. Not Yom Kippur. Labor Day. The U.S. Open is in town, and you can spend a day watching tennis live or on TV.

10. Four voted in. A-Rod, Jeter, Cano, and Giambi. Two selected. Rivera and Mussina.

Sacrilege

The self-annointed number one Yankees fan, Rudy Giuliani, is weighing buying the Chicago Cubs. To say this news comes as something of a surprise is an understatement. Giuliani has been a fixture at Yankees game and an unbashed fan of the team, as opposed to our current mayor, who straddles the fence. For Giuliani to buy a team from another city is sacrilegious. Well, on the bright side, at least it's not the Boston Red Sox. Imagine the horrors of that. His presidential bid would be over before it started. He'd lose the support of NYC in a heartbeat.

Coalition of the Dark Side Is Kaput

I kind of figured it was only a matter of time before Michele, having already pulled the plug on A Small Victory, would write off Coalition of the Dark Side. She did so Friday with a little push from me and TC. I griped that comments were down and that there was no one to fix the problem since Michele had seemed to abandon the site. That provoked a rant from TC, which provoked a harsh rebuke from Michele, who, fed up with TC's nonesense, deleted all authors but herself. A bit of overreaction, if you ask me, since she's chiefly pissed at TC. She could have yanked his privileges only rather than punishing us all, but you know, with comments off line anyway, the site was in effect defunct already.

Now I will need to do my posting about the Yankees here, unless I start my own Pinstripe blog. In the meantime, my first gripe is that everyone in the starting staff, except Moose, sucks, and I'd be shocked to see the Yanks go far this year.

Dear Rick

Feel free to grab this image and post it on your blog:

See how nice I am? I'll even host the image for you. How many obnoxious Yankees fans would do that?*

*Yes, yes. The Tigers still have a better record than the Yankees. But what fun is a baseball bet if you can't trash talk a little when you win?

UPDATE: Sweeet! Rick also questions whether I sport a pin-striped thong, but I'll never tell!

UPDATE 2: The talking Darth Vader helmet in my office, which BTW is prescient, just had this to say: "The Force is with you." Indeed it is.*

*Of course, that entire line should be "The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet." But the toy company cut off the rest of the line. The helmet says 5 things. You know one of them. The others are - "There is no escape." "Don't make me destroy you." "Your powers are weak." "You don't know the power of the Dark Side." And by some amazing coincidence, it always chooses the appropriate phrase to utter unto the moment. It is the best.gag.gift.ever. And, no, my geekiness does know no bounds. Is there something wrong with that?

Not To Be Premature

Because they still might lose, but the Yankees are beating the Red Sox 7-4 in the bottom of the 7th. Have they finally figured out how to hit against Wakefield? This is the second game in a row where they've rocked him for a good number of runs. If so, it's about time.

It's also nice that Jaret Wright had 5 scoreless innings.

The Difference Between Yankees Fans and Fans of Other Teams in Six Words

Is It OK to Believe Now?

Yankees fans never ask themselves that question.*

*Yes, we are annoyingly arrogant. Your point?

Hip Hip Jorge!

Down 9-0, Yanks win 14-13 on Posada's HR.

Yes, all right, so technically this happened yesterday in New York. But here in London, it happened today.

And, indeed, I am spending a lot of time in London lately. Thanks for asking. I'll be home tomorrow. [That's still tomorrow for those in New York.]

Painful

Randy Johnson quote du jour: "I can't remember the last time I pitched a good ballgame."

No, Randy. Neither can we. And yet, you are still the Yankees winningest pitcher. Which says a lot about the starting rotation this year. The line-up will only get the Yankees so far. And I'm not sure how far it will get them tonight against Schilling.

I'm not going to get down on A-Rod for the two fielding errors. Guy had an off night. Exception, not the rule. As for Melky Cabrera, well, there's a reason he was in the minor leagues. Hopefully Sheff's back in two weeks.

Until Tuesday

I'm going to post Darth again, because I want to enjoy the next two days. I'm less than sanguine about Tuesday's matchup of 0-2 Jaret Wright against 3-1 Josh Beckett.

And A-Rod Even Hits in the Clutch

Is it time to put Darth back in the sidebar? Can I be bothered to update it as the Yankees position moves?

Sigh

UPDATE: To the searcher who got here using the search term of riots in new york and new york yankees, let me remind you of this: New Yorkers do NOT riot when their sports teams win or lose. Does not happen. There have been riots in New York, of course, but none of them have been sports-related.

Oh Yeah

Last night's game might have been painful, but today's was sweeeet! Although it is good they took the Big Unit out in the 5th.

Why?

No, really. Why? Tampa Bay!

It pains me.

Because Kids Never Lie to Their Parents

Well, I'm convinced the Duke Lacrosse team is innocent of all charges after reading comments from the father of one of the players:

Brian Loftus, of Syossett, N.Y., the father of two players on the team, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview broadcast Tuesday that he approached one of his sons and asked him about the alleged attack.

"I asked him ten times. I said, 'Did anything happen?' Both my sons ... all they ever told me was 'Dad, nothing happened. Nobody did anything,'" Loftus said.

Now I don't really know what went on in the house and am somewhat persuaded by the DNA evidence that fails to link any of the players to the alleged victim. Still, all the tests haven't come back, and I haven't seen any of the evidence myself. Did they rape her or not? For a jury to decide.

Willie Mays Hayes?

No, Wily Mo Pena. Welcome to all the people searching Google for "Willy Mo Pena" (even if you are spelling his first name incorrectly). Yes, it's true. The Red Sox traded Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena. I'm not sure why this is so fascinating to Googlers and why you all don't, you know, go to a sports site for your Wily Mo fix. But hey, traffic is traffic, no?

Of course, now I have the song Wild Thing running through my head.

More on AI

In today's NY Post, Pete Vescey joins me in questioning the decision to leave Allen Iverson off Team USA.

Fire Zeke

My fantasy that Isiah Thomas would start acting rationally has been punctured like a balloon. Ok, that's a bad analogy, but not as bad as the absurd trade the Knicks made today for Steve Francis. How bad is this trade? Let us count the ways:

1. What in the world are the Knicks going to do with Stephon Marbury and Francis in the same backcourt? They are both shoot-first, me-first point guards who are incapable of running a team. Now the Knicks have both on the same team.

2. What happens with Jamaal Crawford and Quentin Richardson, two ill-fitting parts that the Knicks already have no use for and will be stuck with even though they have less use for them now than before?

3. It stretches the Knicks salary cap limit beyond the absurd limits to which it was already stretched. They have the worst cap situation in the league and have made it worse by giving up an expiring contract for a player with years left on his contract.

There is no hope for the Knicks. Thomas is the worst GM in the league, and they are the worst-run team in the league. The Knicks are going to suck and suck and suck for years to come.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Just how bad are the NY Knicks? Actually, we know. They're the second worst team in the NBA.

But they are a mismatched bunch of athletes who don't mesh as a team or complement each other's strengths. Their guard situation is a mess. They have no point guard and two struggling and overrated shooting guards. They finally have a true small forward in Jalen Rose, but they had to take on salary and contract length to get him, and he's a player on the decline. What young talent they do have doesn't get the minutes they should. After all, the team is going nowhere, so why shouldn't they play?

The coach, even though he's the best in the NBA, seems to have no clue what to do with this team. The GM makes the previous GM, who was a mope if ever there was one, look like a genius. He's taken a bad situation and made it worse.

The Knicks have to give up all pretense of making the playoffs, stop making moves for the sake of making them, forget the free agent market for the time being, stock as much talent as they can through the draft, and bide their time until the ridiculous contracts they've taken on expire. After all, who the frack is going to take Stephon Marbury and his bloated contract. Or Jerome James or Q Rich or Jamaal Crawford and on and on.

They're sunk for the next few years. The only move they should make is to ditch head honcho Isiah Thomas. In the meantime, I have to resign myself - fans in general, actually, have to resign themselves - to nothing but lousiness.

It's Not Miller Time

Bode the Mouth blows it again. With all his smack talk going into the Olympcis, Miller is going to go down as the biggest bust in Winter Olympics history if he doesn't somehow rebound to snag a Gold. If you can't walk it, Bode, don't talk it.

Five Reasons Why I Hate the Winter Olympics

Here's why I don't bother with this year's Winter Olympics:

1. The action isn't live. It's Memorex. Why watch something when you already know the results?

2. NHL stars in the hockey competition. When the U.S. team upset the Russians on the way to the Gold in 1980, it was a tearfully inspirational story. A bunch of young kids no one had ever heard of pulling off the greatest upset in the history of sports. If the U.S. wins this time, they do it on the strength of a bunch of NHL studs rather than scrappy amateurs. It's Goliath vs. Goliath, not David vs. Goliath. Doesn't have the same appeal.

3. No Michele Kwan. I'm not a huge fan of figure skating or of Kwan, but it would have been nice to see her finally win Gold like it was cool when Dan Jansen finally won Gold.

4. Obnoxious stars. Somebody needs to tell Bode Miller to shut up. His stupid comments have been plastered all over the place prior to the Olympics, starting with his comments about skiing drunk and proceeding to his interviews in Time and Newsweek, and now he's doing these ads for Nike that tout his website. Memo to Miller: you get to talk it only if you walk it. So far he's been shut out in these games. I'm not especially fond of Johhny Weir either. He told reporters to "eat it" the other night and then blamed a bus snafu for his poor performance in the long program Thursday. Face it pal, you skated poorly and lost. There's no one to blame but yourself.

5. They're boring. I don't like skiing, don't like bobsledding, don't like the luge or the skelton, don't care for snow boarding, and on and on. The only two sports I remotely care about it are women's figure skating and men's hockey, and I don't care especially much for either of those.

p.s. I'm not the only one who isn't jazzed about these games. They're being beaten soundly in the ratings.

Fools

Word around the NFL is that the Minnesota Vikings are shopping stud quarterback Daunte Culpepper because of his salary demands. Apparently, they want only a second round draft pick in exchange. Granted, his health is an issue - his knee was destroyed in a game last season - but are they nuts? When healthy, Culpepper is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. He's better than any of the stud quarterbacks coming out in this year's draft. If given the choice between a questionable Culpepper and either Vince Young or Matt Leinart, I'm taking Culpepper. Young or Leinart might be as good as Culpepper some day, but Culpepper is at an elite level now. He's a proven performer who had an MVP-caliber season in 2004. Either I'm trading him for one of the top picks in the draft or keeping him. But I'm not accepting a mere second round pick for him.

Huh

Was there a game on today or something?

Johnny Caveman on Board

The Yanks finally made a bold move in the free agent market. They've filled their greatest need by inking Johnny Damon to a four-year, $52 million contract to man centerfield. It's a little rich for someone who will be 36 years old when the contract expires and could be on the downside of his career. He doesn't have the range in centerfield he used to or a good arm. Still, he's a topflight player and the leadoff hitter the Yankees have needed since Chuck Knoblauch's career turned south. The Yankees haven't won the World Series since Knoblauch was in his prime, and I don't think that's a coincidence. With Damon in centerfield, the Yankees need to keep bolstering their bullpen to have a legit chance to win next year. They've taken some good steps in that direction with the additions of Mike Meyers and Ron Villone in the pen. They also added Kyle Farnsworth to replace Flash Gordon, but I'm not sold on that move. All in all with the addition of Damon, the Yanks can be said to have a solid offseason and bolstered their chances to reclaim the World Series glory that is rightfully theirs.

Update: The Yankees have signed Octavio Dotel as the last piece in a rebuilt pen. If healthy - he's recovering from Tommy John surgery - he could be a major asset.

The Vast Yankees Conspiracy Unfolds...

The shrouds of mystery begin to pull back to reveal the fiendish plot that is the Vast Yankees Conspiracy.

Sign every shortstop in the American League.

Nomar at 1st. Jeter at SS. A-Rod at 3rd. So why not have Juan Uribe at 2nd. Orlando Cabrera in left (because you've moved Matsui to center). Miguel Tejada in right. And could some of the other AL shortstops actually be worse than the majority of the Yankees bullpen? I think not.

Grr

Tom Gordon is a Phillie. He agreed to a three-year pact worth $18 million. I'm not saying he would have stayed with the Yankees even if they had gone to the mat for him, but they didn't go to the mat for him. They're going to the mat for Kyle Farnsworth, who sucks! The money they're offering Farnsworth is money they should have offered to Gordon. Even at 38, he's a better gamble than the inconsistent Farnsworth.

"Your Boyfriend Wasn't Re-signed"

The exact quote from a colleague breaking to me the sad news that Tino Martinez was not re-signed by the Yankees. Because my love for Tino is that well-known. However, I can't say I was expecting the Yankees to pick up his option.

Farewell, Tino. I will still wear my #24 t-shirt proudly.

P.S. You're still the hottest baseball player ever.

Just Desserts

Terrell Owens finally talked his way off the Eagles. Coach Andy Reid announced today that Owens has been suspended for four games, starting with last night's contest against the Redskins, and will be deactivated for the balance of the schedule. The Eagles' actions come after Owens' mouthed off last week about the team's lack of class for not recognizing his 100th career touchdown and about how Philadelphia would be better off with Brett Favre at the helm instead of QB Donovan McNabb.

Good riddance, T.O. You are the most obnoxious and self-centered star in sports. You've been mouthing off about your contract and about McNabb for months. It wore thin after the first week and got thinner and thinner. You are someone who should be seen and not heard. You deserve your banishment and the $854,000 in salary you will lose. Even better, when the Eagles release you after the season, your contract will be forfeit, and you won't get anywhere near the same pay as you would have under your present deal. It all started because you wanted more money, and now in a just twist of fate, you've lost millions of dollars. That sound you hear is the world's smallest violin bemoaning your fate. In the words of Nelson Munz, "Hah hah!"

88 Years!

Yay White Sox! Once the Yankees were eliminated in the ALDS, I was hoping the White Sox would win the World Series. I bet the White Sox will now gain a lot of fans in Chicago who previously were either Cubs fans or didn't care. But they deserve it.

With the Red Sox ending their 86-year drought last year and the White Sox ending their 88-year drought this year, how long before the Cubs finally win another World Series?

BTW, I predicted this in the beginning of July. One of the guys that works for me IMed me while I was in London. We were joking around about my ability to call things, and he asked me who would win the World Series. I replied "The Chicago White Sox. You heard it here first."

Could Someone Please Explain...

...why Jose Contreras is pitching very well for Chicago, but the Yankees, for the life of them, just couldn't do anything with him?*

*No need, really. I believe the reason is named Billy Connors.

Blech

Too many errors. Inability to capitalize on hits.

Ah well. At least the Red Sox and the Braves were eliminated too.

See ya next season.

Game 4

So I'm settling in for Game 4 of the ALDS. I've got Fox on. So why am I watching Terry and Howie talk about football? I don't know who the other two guys are.

UPDATE: Let's play ball!

UPDATE 2: What? They're pitching Chacon, a ground ball pitcher, and they have the defensively mediocre Giambi playing first? Why not Tino, who can actually field well?

UPDATE 3: OK, so I realize that since they elected to start Bubba Crosby in center, they want both Giambi and Williams to bat, so you can't start Tino. But ack.

UPDATE 4: Hey, A-Rod. Think you might want to get a couple of hits tonight?

UPDATE 5: Dear Sheff. See comment re: A-Rod.

UPDATE 6: You know, it isn't actually necessary to mention that Juan Rivera used to be a Yankee every single time you say his name.

UPDATE 7: Nice bunt by Crosby.

UPDATE 8: A-Rod. Hits, damn you. Get a hit!

UPDATE 9: Don't be making any more errors, damn you all! Especially not to let Chone Figgins on base.

UPDATE 10: What is up with Orlando Cabrera's batting helmet? That thing looks rank.

UPDATE 11: Whew! Got Chone Figgins trying to steal.

UPDATE 12: Jorge!!!!! Great throw

UPDATE 13: Sheff, see update 8.

UPDATE 14: Damn!

UPDATE 15: Damn again!

UPDATE 16: Sheff! You finally got a hit! Thank you!

UPDATE 17: Some nice pitching by Al Leiter. BTW, kudos to Chacon. He pitched well for his first post-season outing.

UPDATE 18: Of course the fans don't want to see Bernie bunt. This is Burn Baby Bernie! The crowd wants to see him hit a homerun. He didn't, but that's what they wanted.

UPDATE 19: Ruben!

UPDATE 20: Oh yes! Too bad, Bengie, it was a crap throw.

UPDATE 21: And we're going back to Anaheim! Woo hoo!

Yeesh

This Braves-Astros games is just painful. The 18th inning?

Come on, Astros!

BTW, is this the most innings a playoff game has ever gone to?

UPDATE: Well, according to MLB.com, this is the longest playoff game ever.

UPDATE 2: Yes!!!! The only thing that would have been more awesome is if the Rocket had hit the homer.

UPDATE 3: So just in case you're wondering why I was rooting for the Astros to win, there are two reasons. One is that I have a soft spot for Andy Pettitte. The other is that the only team I hate almost as much as the Red Sox are the Braves. Although in my nightmare World Series of the Red Sox vs. the Braves, I would be forced to root for the Braves. Ugh. I shudder to even think of it.

Non-Live-Blogging Last Night's Game

Okay, I didn't live-blog last night's game, because it was on too late and I was too tired. I did manage to stay up through the top half of the 7th, though, so my belated thoughts.

Defense. The Angels had it. The Yankees did not. Chone Figgins made a great play that prevented the Yankees from scoring a run. A-Rod, on the other hand, made a stupid error that eventually allowed the Angels to score a run. Fortunately Robinson Cano's error didn't wind up costing the Yankees.

Offense. The Yankees stranded too many men on base. They had opportunities in the early innings and could not capitalize on them. Clearly the Angels managed to get their offense really pumping after I fell asleep, since when I fell asleep, the game was tied. So I can't comment too much on the Angels offense. Except to say that second run would not have scored if A-Rod had tried to actually, you know, catch the ball.

I Love You...

...Robinson Cano!

UPDATE 1: The Moose is loose!

UPDATE 2: Am I mistaken, or did the Angels fans cheer A-Rod getting drilled in the ribs?

UPDATE 3: Oh fine, I should give props to Giambi for that double.

UPDATE 4: Nice play, Cano.

UPDATE 5: Figg. Dude. Rocky V? WTF?

UPDATE 6: Although, why the hell is Fox telling us the favorite movies of ball players?

UPDATE 7: What is this "If the Yankees sign Hideki Matsui" that McCarver and Buck speak of? If? If? Is this seriously in doubt? I don't believe it.

UPDATE 8: Matsui! That was a beautiful catch.

UPDATE 9: Al Leiter? Why is he in a game in which the run differential isn't at least 100? (Jon)

UPDATE 10: Yes! Bye-bye, Vlad.

UPDATE 11: Oh, A-Rod. That was just painful. Why a double-play?

UPDATE 12: Sheff!

UPDATE 13: And again - Sheff!

UPDATE 14: Woo-hoo!

Gee, Jaret

Did you want to give up a couple of more walks in the third? Fortunately Bernie's great catch saved you from worse. You were lucky to get out of that inning giving up only one run.

UPDATE: Hi team, how many men do you plan stranding on base today?

UPDATE 2: Bye, Jaret.

UPDATE 3: Aaarrrrggghhh! 6-0. I can't watch this right now.

UPDATE 4: (JON HERE) - The Red Sox are in. The Indians completed their el foldo job with a 3-1 loss. The Angels are up 6-4 on Texas, which has pulled out most of its regulars. Yanks might wind up on the road to start the playoffs.

UPDATE 5: (JON AGAIN) - Gas up the jet. The Angels won, and Joe Torre has the minor league line-up in.

Words Cannot Describe...

...how much I hate Jason Giambi. First, anyone but Giambi scores on Matsui's double. Second, what a crap throw. Tino makes the out.

UPDATE 1: Fine, he semi-redeems himself with that last catch. I still hate him.

UPDATE 2: On the other hand, Jeter is the man!

UPDATE 3: Giambi still sucks.

UPDATE 4: Oh sure, Giambi bobbles the ball. But go Wang.

UPDATE 5: Bye bye Wang. Not bad for a rookie in a high-pressure situation.

Hey Ho! Let's Go!

Go what? Go Yankees! The Ramones? Please.

Thank You Monica Seles

Last night, I had to put the Maria Sharapova match on mute because I couldn't take her ear-splitting shrieks whenever she hit the ball. Tonight, Elena Dementieva is making this high-pitched "wok" sound when she hits the ball. Can't these people just hit the ball without all that noise? I mean Lindsay Davenport is quiet as a monk. By the way, for anyone not in the know, I am talking about the U.S. Open.

Point

Terrell Owens is one of the biggest malcontents in sports. This was true before he began his protracted campaign for a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He made a name for himself in San Francisco by pulling a pen from his sock after a touchdown and signing an autograph. Fed up with playing for the 49ers, he forced his way out in a trade to the Baltimore Ravens, but not wanting to play for the Ravens - his eyes set firmly on the Eagles - he subsequently forced his way to the Eagles. In turn, he signed a 7-year, $49-million contract with the Eagles and was a good citizen last season, helping to spark the Eagles to the Super Bowl and coming back heroically from a broken leg to play a key role in the Super Bowl.

All is different now. Almost as soon as the Super Bowl ended, he began his cry for the Eagles to show him the money. Now, the hefty contract he signed is not good enough. He has complained long and loud, cried on talk shows about how underpaid and disrespected he is, threatened to hold out. He didn't hold out, but then he got into a screaming match with his head coach in training camp last week and got kicked out for a week.

I say enough is enough. You can't turn on the sports news without hearing about T.O. He's there all the time. Pleading for his money, for his respect. Doing sit ups in his driveway, attending an Atlanta Falcons game during his week-long suspension, campaigning openly to play for the Falcons. I and just about everyone who knows about the story, which is just about everyone with a pulse, are fed up.

You signed a contract, T.O. You knew what you were doing when you signed the contract. You forced your way to the Eagles, got the money or seemed to get the money you wanted, got a chance to be the big star and play in the Super Bowl. You are supremely talented and dedicated, and you deserve everything you've gotten from football, but it's time to shut up and play. To stop whining about the $7 million a year you average - or the $3-plus million you will earn this year - and recognize that most people won't see that much money in a lifetime, that the fans who make your riches possible struggle to make ends meet.

T.O. is today's poster child for the spoiled athelete. Tomorrow it will be someone else, but right now, the bullseye is on him and he needs to fade into the background and be grateful for what he has.

Memo to the Media

When the leading golf story is that Tiger Woods is now eight shots off the pace in the PGA Championship, there's too much focus on him. There are other golfers in the world. Phil Mickleson, who's in the lead, immediately comes to mind. Just saying.

Apparently Not

As if to answer a question I posed earlier this week, Congress comes up with a big, fat NO!

Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., a former pitcher who's in the baseball Hall of Fame, said the Senate will hold hearings this fall on legislation that would mandate two-year suspensions for any professional athlete in a team sport who tested positive for steroids.

Ooh, Congress considering mandating how private sports teams should discipline their players. How very small government of them. It's not like there are existing laws against steroid use that could be enforced through courts of law or something governmental like that. Oh wait...

``The hard line is for the good of the kids,'' Bunning said on ``Fox News Sunday.'' ``We don't want children, high school or college players, trying to boost their ability to make it into the major leagues.''

Oh, well, see, now that's different. It's For The Children^TM

Dear Congress

Don't you have ANYTHING better and more important to do?

I think Palmeiro lied, yes. I'm sure you're all upset that he may have lied to you, what with your outsize egos and all. But, you know, I really don't think the country needs protection from athletes using steroids. So just get over it and concentrate on the things that have a real impact on this country.

I'm sure you're going to say "Well, if we let him get away with perjury, then it will encourage other people to lie to Congress as well." To which I say "WTF were you doing investigating steroid use in baseball anyway?"

And then Davis added: ``If we did nothing, I think we'd look like idiots. Don't you?''

I think you already look like idiots. But thanks for asking.

What Can Brown Do for You?

Nothing if he's Yankees hurler Kevin Brown.

Lead you out of the wildnerness if he's the NBA's resident genius Larry Brown.

Dear Thirdbaseman

Whenever you scream out, "Lefty" as I come to bat in a softball game, I am hitting the ball over your head. I'm no dead pull hitter like Jason Giambi. I hit the ball to all fields. But as long as you don't learn that, more the good for me.

Oh Well

It was fun for the day it lasted.

Ahem

Dear T.O.

You are right. Right is indeed right, and wrong is indeed wrong. You signed the contract with the Eagles of your own volition, after forcing your way out of San Francisco. Now shut up and play.

Why Shaq's the Coolest Superstar

He's covering the funeral expenses of NBA pioneer George Mikan, who passed away yesterday at the age of 80. When Shaq first came into the league, I thought he was arrogant, that he thought he was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Over the years, I've learned just how wrong I was. Shaq is one of the most down-to-earth and good-natured superstars around. Hat tip for your generosity, Shaq.

Cart B4 Horse

Now I am aware that I am the only person on the blog who remotely cares about this, but don't you think the Cleveland Cavaliers should have hired a general manager before they hired a coach? The two have to work together, and it's customary to let the GM hire the coach to ensure they're on the same page. Forced marriages don't usually work.

The Only Man* Who Can Make Me Forget My Unnatural Affection for Darth Vader

Tino just hit his second homer in two at-bats! Click on the picture for Bamtino size.

*Okay, not really, but the other one is currently out of town, so his loss.

Darth Boss George^TM Awakens

About damn time.

“Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I’m sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team,” Steinbrenner said in a statement issued immediately after the game.

“It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around.”

Darth Boss George shamelessly stolen from TC. Because it's the Best.Nickname.for.Steinbrenner.Ever.

Via Coalition of the Darkside.

Great Catch

A-Rod may not be coming through in the clutch on the field, but Michele writes today that he made the biggest save of them all off the field yesterday. He pulled an 8-year-old boy away from a truck without a moment to spare. Way to go, A-Rod.

I Repeat

While I wait for author privileges on Coalition of the Dark Side, I repeat my call last year in this same space to give Mike Mussina his due:

When Mike Mussina walked the tightrope today, a co-worker got hysterical and asked when the Yankees will be free of his contract. Whenever newspapers write about the Yankees failure to win the World Series since 2000, they point to Mussina as one of the free agent acquisitions who has disappointed and bemoan that he’s not an ace pitcher.

It is time to set the record straight (again). Mussina has done everything the Yankees hoped he would. He had a miserable season last year, but he pitched terrifically down the stretch when it mattered most and it looked like the Red Sox might catch the Yankees. He would have had a claim to the ALCS MVP last year on the strength of two outstanding games if the Yankees bullpen hadn’t lost game five. The Yankees don’t win game seven of the ALCS in 2003 without his Rivera-like outing in relief of Clemens early in the game. He put the Yankees in position to win game five against Arizona in 2001, and it’s not his fault that Rivera lost the title in game seven. He has been a regular season workhorse every season except for last year.

Sounds like an ace to me. I say give the man his props!

Oh Mo, He Did It Again

Counting to back last year's ALCS, that's four straight saves Mariano Rivera has blown against the Boston Red Sox.

Tino Is the Man

Constantino Martinez. Beloved Yankees first baseman of the past. . . and present. Entering the game as a defensive replacement he immediately reminds us all of why he endeared himself to fans over the years. Hot shot off the bat of Johnny Damon, sure double down the right field line. Tino snares it and turns it into an out to a rousing ovation. Breaks into a broad smile once he reaches the dugout.

Welcome home, Tino.

Motivation vs. Dedication

Runner's World once ran a column about what keeps people running day after day, year after year. It's not motivation that keeps us going, it's dedication to the sport. Absolutely. Ask me if I want to go running right now. Now ask me if I will anyway.

Yay!

Via Coalition of the Darkside.

I've Gotta Wear Shades

I have one question for Brewers third base prospect Corey Hart. A question he's probably never heard in his entire life. Does he wear his sunglasses at night?

It's A Mad, Mad March

You know it's a sad state of affairs when you're doing so badly in the office pool that you're hoping to finalize your lock on last place just so you can get your money back. So I just want to say...

Thank you, Michigan State! Your victory cements my last place status. I'm retrieving my $10 tomorrow.

Now Playing for the Phoenix Suns. . .

. . . Aquaman.

Yogi Berra is famous for his quirky quotes. "It ain't over 'til it's over" or "It's deja vu all over again."

Yet, I don't think he ever said anything quite as silly as the ESPN announcer for tonight's match-up between the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. Of Suns' point guard Steve Nash, he just said, "He can pass right, he can pass left. He's amphibious." Next stop for Mr. Nash apparently is trying out for the U.S. swim team in the 2008 Olympics.

Confessions of a Tennis Junkie

1. I have watched replays of completed matches to satiate my thirst for quality tennis.

2. I have even watched replays, sometimes years later, of matches I previously watched just to enjoy the artistry and the magical moments one more time.

3. If we were playing Scrabble and proper names were allowed, I could spell Likhovtseva, Schiavone, and Kuznetsova without a crib sheet. As a matter of fact, I just did it now. (Ok, I did go to the web to double check the first two.)

4. These names roll more easily off my tongue than Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers rolls off the tongue of your average ten-year old.

5. I know that the Woodies are not some newfangled Hollywood awards show, but are instead the highly successful doubles tandem of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde. I can even pick them apart in photos.

6. Where most people can tell you who the Olson twins are, I am better acquainted with the Bryan twins, another well-known doubles team, at least in tennis circles. But the only reason why I can pick these guys apart is that one is left-handed, though I confess to not knowing whether it’s Bob or Mike.

7. I recognize all but two of the top 20 players in the Men’s and Women’s rankings. Things get a bit dicey when you expand to the top 30, but I still do pretty well.

8. I am proud of each and everyone of these facts.

[Whistles The Imperial March]

I'll be doing some Yankees blogging over at the Coalition of the Dark Side. The lovely graphic to your left will also take you there.

I always thought Darth Vader was the coolest Star Wars character anyway. What does that say about me?

Search Your Heart. You Know It to Be True.

Jay Caruso and his brother, Matt, are offering up one-of-a-kind Yankees 2005 t-shirts for $23 a pop - The Empire Strikes Back. I've already ordered one.

I Hope He Can Do It

My initial reaction to Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley wanting to be a good role model was cynicism. "For whom," I thought, "other malcontents?" Bradley has a history of poor behavior on and off the field, including a temper tantrum that got him suspended for the final five games of last season.

After reading the article, though, I wish Bradley all the best. It sounds like he's genuinely committed to being a good role model, already having taken several positive steps. He's been through anger counseling, opened a baseball academy, and approached leaders about organizing speaking engagements in front of youth groups.

Jewish Sports Stars

As part of the Googlebomb effort to get Wikipedia's entry on Jewish people to the top of Google's search results, I present three baseball and three basketaball luminaries who are Jewish.

Sandy Kofux: a dedicated Jew who famously refused to pitch on Yom Kippur.

Shawn Green: also serious about his Jewish roots, he refused to play on Yom Kippur last year, though he did actually play one game before sitting the other one out.

Jason Marquis: a hard-throwing lefty, could this 25-year-old be following in the footsteps of that Jewish pitching legend Sandy Kofux. Not likely, but he is one of the better young pitchers in the game.

Red Auerbach: you can learn more about the man regarded as the greatest coach in NBA history in Robert Slater’s "Great Jews in Sports".

Red Holzman: elected to the Jewish Hall of Fame in 1988, maybe not the greatest coach in NBA history, but the greatest coach in Knicks history and maybe a model for:

Larry Brown: maybe taking his Jewish roots too seriously by wandering the NBA and college ranks for thirty-plus years. Says his current stint with the Pistons is his last, but Knicks fans hope that this Brooklyn native decides to wrap up his career in his hometown.

I may make this a weekly posting (no promises), but in the meantime, to learn more try these sites -

Jews in Sports at their homepage

Archive of American Jews in Sports located here

- or these books -

Jewish Baseball Stars by Harold U. Ribalow and Meir Z. Ribalow

Jews In American Sports by the same authors

C'est tout pour le moment. Except to note, by the way, that I - and what a surprise this is - am Jewish myself.

How Droughts Are Built

The Knicks are at it again. Making moves that make them worse in the present and in the future. Sure, they picked up a couple of number one picks in their deadline dealings today. Unfortunately, they're low picks that aren't worth the salary cap flexiblity they lost by trading two players whose contracts are up after next season for players who will be on the books for years to come. It's a long dry spell that's only getting drier and longer.

Chill Out

Looking for a controversy where there is none, New York tabloids are up in arms about how David Wells blasted the Yankees in an interview yesterday. How he accused them of duplicity when they passed on the chance to sign him last winter, how he expressed bitterness towards Joe Torre and Mel Stottlemyre, and even how he bit the hand that once fed him, that of George Steinbrenner. After an examination of the record, allow me to say, “No, he didn’t” on each score.

Let’s take a closer look at exactly what Boomer had to say.

On the Yankees so-called double dealing: after he approached the Yankees about pitching for them, they told him they were building a younger pitching staff. “Then they turn around and sign Randy (Johnson), so, what part of that I didn't get I don't know, but that's just something that happens.”

Translation: “Their approach seems inconsistent from what they told me, but things like that do happen.” Yep, those are libelous accusations for sure. Rumors have it that the Yankees are dialing up their lawyers to press a defamation of character lawsuit.

On Torre and Stottlemyre: “I never had a good relationship with Joe, we've had a few run-ins. Mel Stottlemyre as well, and Mel's probably the best pitching coach I probably ever had, but just when you have run-ins like that, with that, it just leaves a sour taste, you know, and who needs it. I can understand their point and hopefully they can understand mine.”

Translation: “I’ve never had a good relationship with Joe Torre or Mel Stottlemyre, and it did get tiring. I can see their perspective, and I hope they see mine.” Ouch, that hurts. Everyone stand back. Torre and Stottlemyre, incensed by those unbelievably mean-spirited words, are at the gym now, getting in shape to kick Boomer’s sizable rear end.

On Steinbrenner: “I'm sure they would have passed (signing me) by (Steinbrenner) and I'm sure he would have passed on it. That's fine."

Translation: “That low-down, conniving SOB Steinbrenner would have stabbed me in the back.” Oh, wait, that’s what the tabloids would have you believe he meant. What he really meant? “Steinbrenner would probably have nixed signing me, and that’s ok.” Talk about being a whining, unreasonable cry baby.

I hope that the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has more going it for it this year than these supposedly outrageous comments by Wells. Because if the tabloids are reaching this much in spring training to sell papers, imagine what they’ll do if the race turns out to be a snoozer.

Curses

The best laid plans of mice and men, not to mention the New York Yankees, oft go astray. Prized lefty Johan Santana is off the market until the winter of 2008.

Ick

This is one piece of Cooperstown memorabilia that I don't need to see.

Was He or Wasn't He?

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is disputing teammates claims that he was sick during the fourth quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl. This is an odd argument. If he wasn't sick, why would his teammates make it up? If he was, why would he deny it? It doesn’t make him look bad. It makes him look more heroic for having played through it. This mini-dispute would make more sense if it were occurring the other way around, with McNabb saying he was sick to cover for his struggles, and his teammates denying it.

Three-Peat?

Barely had the Patriots won before talk of a three-peat started swirling. Only the second team in history to win three Super Bowls in four seasons (Dallas is the other), the Patriots goal is now to become the first team to win three straight and four in five years. Will they do it? Time will tell, but my guess is that with the coaching stuff gutted with the two top assistants landing lead roles elswhere, next season is a consolidation year for the Patriots, and they won't win.

Sir Paul

I almost never watch the Super Bowl halftime show. After all, do I really need to see the likes of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake sing, if that's even what you'd call it? However, when it's Paul McCartney up there, I am going to watch, even though he and The Beatles have admitedly become overplayed for me.

After listening to his four-song set, it's clear that he still has it, lo these forty-plus years later. An excellent choice of mostly fast-paced songs, save for the slower "Hey Jude", and performed with the same energy and magnificant voice as always. Many singers with incomparable voices have lost their edge over time - Art Garfunkel being a prime example - but McCartney hasn't. It must also be awesome to have a stadium's worth of people singing your song back at you.

Max Schmeling R.I.P.

Max Schmeling has died at the age of 99. A long, full life. In honor of his death, Portia was just boxing with me.

Yes, I have my first score in The Dead Pool this year.

A Vagabond Comes Home?

His coaching travels have probably racked up enough frequent flyer points for a trip to the outer regions of the solar system. Yet Larry Brown, a Brooklyn native, seems ready to come home. In an interview, he said coaching the Knicks has always been his "dream", and basketball fans all know that hiring Brown would be a dream for the Knicks, who have been wandering the desert for more than 30 years.

The only catch I see in this marriage is how Brown, a former point guard who only trusts players like Eric Snow or Chucky Atkins at the position, gets along with shooter Stephon Marbury. Nonetheless, here's hoping that the Knicks and Pistons can work out a trade, even if it's swapping the rights to whomever the Knicks select in the first round of the draft. The Patriots gave up a raft load of picks for the Albert Einstein of football, and it's worked out swimmingly.

Surely They Jest

Ok, even without Andy Roddick or Roger Federer, I still have an interest in watching the Men's Final at the Aussie Open. Alas, they've bumped it to prime time this year - and in case you're wondering, that's prime time in Australia, not here. It's on at 7:30 pm Down Under, which equates to. . . 3:30 am here. Good thing I bought that DVD recorder. The Women's Final is at a more reasonable time, on in just 4 hours from now.

When It's All Said And Done

Will Roger Federer be considered the greatest men's tennis player of all time? Granted, the 23-year old Swiss has a long way to go to catch up with the likes of Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, and Pete Sampras, having bagged only four grand slam titles to date vs. double digits for the others. Yet, he is on a 26-match winning streak, won three of the four majors last year, and has completely separated himself from the rest of the tour.

I saw him play live in the semis of last year's U.S. Open. It was a privilege. Where Andre Agassi is a great player and Andy Roddick obliterates opponents, they are chuckers compared to Federer, who plays sublime tennis. He moves with grace and has a complete game without one discernable flaw. He is quite simply the best tennis player I have seen in twenty-plus years of watching the sport.

Rod Laver does not exaggerate when he says that Federer could win the grand slam. He is so far above his peers, if you even call them that, that I can easily see him eventually ranking above all who preceded him.

A House Divided?

A college friend is from Maine. His wife is from outside Philadelphia. The New England Patriots will be playing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, the first time this potential match-up from years past has become a reality. Should be an interesting two weeks in the Sky household.

Update: if you were wondering, Eve is more than a casual Eagles fan, she is very much into this. They've also invited me down to Virginia to watch the Super Bowl, provided I wear a black and white striped shirt.

If Only We Had Such Good Retirement Plans

For the last two off-seasons, Roger Clemens has toyed with the idea of retirement, acutally retiring from the Yankees, only to decide to come back and pitch for the Astros. Last year, he gave them a hometown discount. Not this season, when he will be making a cool $18 million, the richest ever contract for a pitcher.

I am only a wee bit cynical about his true motives for weighing retirement this time around.

One Last Sports Musing For The Day

Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior - yes, junior - Lebron James has not only lived up to the hype, he's exceeded it. The second-year stud arguably is already the best player in the NBA and has turned the Cleveland Cadavers back into the Cavaliers, lifting them from the basement to first place.

Miscellaneous Sports Musings

On this day in 1969, the Jets beat the Colts in Super Bowl III. The 2004-05 Super Bowl won't even be played for another 24 days, with this weekend marking only the second of four total weeks of playoffs.

There have been as many Super Bowls (38, soon to be 39) as I've had birthdays. Gulp.

The Yankees apparently are keeping Steroid Boy Jason Giambi. Sigh.

Don King has filed a $2.5 billion lawsuit against ESPN for defamation of character. Makes that other frivilous lawsuit of $2.5 million against "Fear Factor" seem almost reasonable.

Touchy

Yikes, I hope this isn't a sign that Randy Johnson can't handle the New York media and the pressures that come with playing in the Big Apple.

Tino!

In a move that's sure to disappoint Lesley (not!), Tino Martinez has rejoined the Yankees. He's the second ex-Yankee to return home this off-season after Mike Stanton arrived in a trade with the Mets. Since the Yankees are correcting the folly of past winters, may I suggest they figure out how to get Andy Pettitte back, too.

p.s. The Yankees have also added Randy Johnson to the fold. Or so it looks.

Let's Make a Deal

Tino Martinez come on down!

Now That's A Blowout

The Knicks have managed to get themselves down by 41 points with 5 minutes left to go in the third quarter. I wonder if that's some type of dubious record. May I suggest the following goal for the rest of the game: try to save face and cut the deficit to 20 points or less.

Cold Feet

The Dodgers have done it to New York again.* Ok, it's not as bad as actually deserting the city, but they backed out of the Randy Johnson trade, leaving the Yanks high-and-dry in their efforts to acquire the ace lefty. Phooey!

*Update: I have falsely accused the Dodgers of scuttling the deal. It was Homerun Javy who blew it. Apparently he doesn't want to play for the Dodgers and refused to report to the team. Moron. Does he have any clue how ugly it will get for him in New York? Yankees fans already can't stand him after his pitiful performance in the second half and playoffs. Standing in the way of the Randy Johnson trade will make him public enemy number one. Jason Giambi must be oh so grateful to Vazquez for taking him off the hook.

*Update 2: Now I must apologize to Javy Vazquez. Seems like the Dodgers were using him as a scapegoat for their cold feet. Homerun Javy is vacationing in St. John with his family and wanted to wait until after the Holidays before taking his physical. In the interim, his agent offered the Dodgers the results of a physical he took for the Yankees in November. Not good enough, said L.A., which in turn floated the talk that Vazquez had no interest in pitching for them. The Dodgers aren't looking too good or honorable about now.

Big Unit Meets Big Apple

The Yankees are close to having a lefty pitcher again. Awesome! And no, I'm not upset that the Yankees had to trade Homerun Javi to get Randy Johnson.

Although I'm still looking forward to two years from now, when Johan Santana becomes a free agent...

YAY-DRO!

Pedro Martinez is packing up his locker in Beantown and migrating to Flushing, where he'll pitch for the Mets for the next four years. On behalf of all New York Yankees fans, allow me to offer a contingent thanks to the Mets for luring away a key cog of the Red Sox. I say contingent because I fear what the Red Sox might do in response - sign or acquire another pitcher who's a better fit than Pedro would have been. Until then, however, Yay-dro!

Whoa, A Pitcher!

Welcome Carl Pavano.

Hall of Fame

Two people will care about the following post. Me and my father. But what the hey. If you're interested - it's about the Knicks teams of lore - click the link to read on.

Doing some research on former New York Knicks greats, I discovered that the championship team of 1969-‘70 had four eventual Hall of Fame players and the winning team of 1972-‘73 had six - count 'em, six - eventual Naismith enshrines. The all-time greats on the first squad were Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Bill Bradley, Dave Debusschere, and Willis Reed. This quartet was joined by Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Jerry Lucas for the second run to the title.

That’s some impressive assembly of talent. No wonder they won two titles. This year’s version of the Knicks is the most fun group to watch in some time – with a set of backcourt stars the likes of which New Yorkers haven’t seen since Clyde and the Pearl were running together - but how I wish I’d been old enough to appreciate those teams when they were together.

Bronx Reunion

On Friday, the Yankees brought back one player they never should have let go, somehow convincing the Mets to take Felix Heredia for Mike Stanton, a stand-up guy and a key factor in the Bombers success from 1998-2001.

One, well really two (me and Miss Plum herself), can only hope that the next to return home is none other than the Bamtino, Mr. Constantino Martinez.

Psst, Buddy, How'd You Like to Buy this Bridge?

Barry Bonds is the latest casualty of the steroid revelations. In his testimony to the same grand jury Jason Giambi testified before, Bonds admitted using steroid substances but unknowingly. He thought they were simply supplements offered by his trainer. And if you buy that, there's this bridge in Brooklyn I hold the deed to. Let me know if you're interested.

Hypocrite

More Jason Giambi fall-out. In July 2002, Mr. Steroids had the nerve to say this about steroid rumors: "I could think about taking them, but I never have. Guys take a lot of pride in what they do, and it's kind of sickening for them to work their butts off all year around and now it's: 'He hits home runs. He's on steroids.'"

If you're going to lie about it, Jason, then don't paint yourself as some paragon of virtue. Yankees fans never took to him, and it's easy to see why. He is the anti Tino Martinez. Where Tino is a paragon of class, if not of virtue, Giambi is a deceitful and classless fraud. He should walk away himself, voluntarily give up the rest of his contract, but he won't. Hopefully, he'll never play for the Yankees again, even if it takes a buy-out.

You Mean It Wasn't the Cheeseburgers?

Here I thought that Jason Giambi had stumbled upon some new fad diet. When he slimmed down noticeably before the start of this past season, he attributed the weight loss to cutting down on cheeseburgers. "Self," I thought, "this could replace the Atkins or the South Beach diets." I started putting out feelers about getting the "Giambi Diet" published.

Well, imagine my shock and chagrin when I learned today it had nothing to do with the cheeseburgers, unless they were laced with steroids. Seems like Giambi had been downing steroids for several years before stopping last winter. Darn. So much for the book deal.

The admission is yet more proof that the Yankees messed up royally when they ditched Tino Martinez for Giambi after the 2001 season. $120 million for a player who is rapidly becoming a shell of a former self that existed only because of chemicals. Here's hoping that the Yankees have cause to void the rest of his contract.

Repeat after me, "We want Tino. We want Tino."

The Four Horsemen (Actually Two)

It was bad enough when Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson tag teamed to beat the Yankees in the 2001 World Series. Worse still when Curt Schilling helped to lead Boston past the Yankees in this year's ALCS and to the World Series title. Should this rumor come to fruition, it will be the sign of the apocalypse. Schilling and Johnson together on the Red Sox? The end is truly nigh!

Fallacious Comparison

In the wake of the Pistons-Pacers brawl last week, there have been numerous commentaries defending the players by positing what would happen if a player showed up at people’s workplaces and started heckling them. Wouldn’t we be within our rights to defend ourselves?

I see two problems with this line of reasoning. On Friday, no one got directly in Ron Artest’s face and started harassing him until after Artest entered the stands. Someone threw a cup of beer at him from a distance. Had the person stood right in front of Artest and threw the beer, Artest would have had every right to defend himself. Not, however, by beating the guy mercilessly as he did the fan he wrongly singled out.

But more importantly, athletes know and accept the fact that they will be in the limelight when they step onto the court or field. They get paid obscene amounts of money or receive college scholarships to play before thousands of people. It is why they call it “spectator sports.” Last time I checked I don’t work in spectator transportation planning. If someone comes into my workplace and starts harassing me, it’s called trespassing.

Not that I am defending the fans who got out of hand. They were wrong just like the players and deserve to be punished. It’s just that the players have to expect a certain level of abuse, right or wrong, and when it happens, to let security take care of it unless they are in imminent danger. No one but the fans were in imminent danger on Friday.

The Aftermath

The NBA’s reaction to last night’s riot in Detroit was swift. The NBA has indefinitely suspended four players – Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, and Ben Wallace – pending an investigation, which it expects to complete by tomorrow.

Kudos to the NBA for moving quickly. It also needs to act harshly against all those involved, issuing record fines and suspensions, to minimize the chances of a repeat. If you’re interested in my two cents on what should happen, read on.

The players
Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson, who charged the stands, should be arrested on felony charges and sentenced like everyone else is sentenced for assault. They should be suspended from the NBA indefinitely and reinstated only after they have served whatever jail time they’re sentenced to and after they’ve satisfactorily completed a league-sanctioned counseling program.

Jermaine O’Neal, who punched a fan who went onto the court, should be suspended for ten games. Ben Wallace, whose shove in response to an Artest foul started the melee, should be suspended for five games.

All the suspensions should be without pay.

The teams
Both organizations should be fined a minimum of $250,000, with the proceeds donated to anti-violence charities.

Detroit should voluntarily agree to forfeit a home game in order to send a message to fans that their behavior is reprehensible and not to be tolerated under any circumstances. If Detroit doesn’t forfeit a game, the NBA should force them to forfeit if it has legal authority to do so. The lost proceeds from the game should be donated to charity. In the event that a game isn’t forfeit, Detroit’s fine should be increased to include the proceeds from a game.

The fans
The fans involved in the brawl must be identified, arrested, and sentenced to a fine, probation, or preferably, jail. The fans should be banned from games for at least the rest of the season, ideally for the rest of their lives, with season ticket holders having their tickets revoked.

Detroit
Obviously you cannot punish an entire city, but it’s not the first time Detroit fans have rioted, and where were the police? The city needs to form a commission to determine how to prevent these incidents from occurring in the future and to ensure that there is adequate security at all sporting events within the city.

Concluding thoughts
Will all of the above happen? Probably not. Hopefully, though, the punishment will come close to fitting the crime.

He Died Happy

The world's oldest man passed away on Friday. Still, he lived long enough to see his beloved Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years. Born in 1890, he lived through all six World Series the Sox won.

Basketbrawl

How many decades will Ron Artest be suspended following his latest blow-up? Towards the end of last night's game, he and Pacers' teammate Stephen Jackson went into the stands and assaulted fans who had started throwing things at the players. Artest is beginning to make Dennis Rodman and Latrell "How Can I Feed My Family" Sprewell look like model citizens.

Not that Artest deserves all the blame. It's a sad moment all around when fans get violent and the players respond in kind.

Update: In apparent defense of Artest and Jackson, Lakers forward Lamar Odom said, "When you see things like that just think about what it takes for a NBA player to go in the crowd. I never hear anyone say the fan was wrong. Sometimes the fans can get out of hand." Sorry, Lamar, you're wrong. If the fans come onto the court, the players have every right to defend themselves if necessary, but if someone throws something from the stands, then it's up to security to handle it. In my opinion, the suspensions should be indefinite until the players involved can establish they're ready to re-enter the league. Artest especially needs to undergo counseling.

Rocket's Red Glare

Add another Cy Young award to Roger Clemen's trophy case. Although Randy Johnson in my view deserved the award more than Clemens did, Clemen's better won-loss record earned him his record seventh Cy Young award this season.

Some impressive facts about the Rocket's award totals: he joined Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Gaylord Perry as the only pitchers to win a Cy Young in both leagues; he's now won the award on all four teams he's pitched for; and in an amazing testament to how long he's pitched at a high level, he won his first award in 1986, 19 seasons ago.

One of the neat things about baseball is being able to share your experiences with different generations. I used to ask my parents about what it was like to see some of the all-time greats. One day I will be able to tell my kids what it was like to watch one of the greatest pitchers, maybe the greatest pitcher, of all time.

They Did What?

Morons. They're absolute morons. Why not just buy out Mike Mussina's contract while they're at it? Who needs starting pitching anyway? All I can say is that they better have a deal in the works to bring Lieber back.

A Sight I Hope To See Again

You're Hired. Wait, You're Fired.

Is this some extreme version of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" in which you're hired only to be fired days later? Ask Wally Backman, who was named the Diamondbacks new manager earlier this week only to be fired today following revelations of a checkered past.

In other news, Carlos Beltran's agent has announced he wants a 10-year deal. Fat chance. On the one hand, it's important to Beltran to play for a team that will consistently contend, yet he's asking for a commitment from his new team that will seriously impede its flexibility to field a winning squad. Make up your mind, Carlos.

You Think This Would Have Lesley Jazzed

Send sister a link to a story about Tino's possible return to the Bronx and let her be the one to write the post because she's the number one Tino fan in the family. Maybe the world. Does she post it? Nope. Decides to write some more stuff about the election. So now not only must she burn her Matsui shirt, she must burn her Tino shirt, too, since she's clearly not the fan we thought she was.

Cornering the Market

First A-Rod, now Nomar? Top shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, late of the Red Sox and the Cubs, has said he'd entertain a position switch to third base or second base. The pronouncement has fueled speculation about whether the Yankees would make a run for him and add him to a growing stable of elite shortstops. I don't see it, but you never know, and if they do sign him, Miguel Tejada must be next to play first base.

Red-Eyed Sox

Now that's what I call a loose team.

Now That's Some Strong Voodoo

The Curse of The Billy Goat apparently not only applies to the Cubs but to teams with too many ex-Cubs on their roster. Only two teams with three or more ex-Cubs on their rosters have won the World Series since 1945. Explains why the Yankees with six ex-Cubs folded against the Red Sox with only two ex-Cubs. Alas, the Yanks are caught in a catch-22, as there are three ex-Cubs worth keeping around: Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze, and Miguel Cairo.* Decisions. Decisions.

* Whoops: forgot Flash Gordon. But maybe the Yankees can solve that dilemma by packaging him for Tim Hudson.

We Lieb You Baby. Now Don't Lieb Us

Common wisdom and experience says that a pitcher recovering from major arm surgery needs a full season before he regains his form. For that reason, anything the Yankees got from Jon Lieber this season would have been gravy. Well, after an up-and-down first half, Lieber gave the Yankees all the gravy they could have hoped for and then some. They have an $8 million option on him for next year. It's a no brainer that they pick it up or decline it in favor of a long-term deal. He and Moose could be the bedrock of a solid rotation with the right acquisitions in the off-season.

The Best Yankees Fans Will Be Able To Muster?

Okay, now that the Red Sox fans had their much deserved day in the sun, the day of enjoyment of their historic ALCS and World Series wins, things can now return to normal. Which means the rivalry lives!

My brother wrongly suggests that next year:

...Red Sox fans will chant, “twenty oh four” while the best Yankees fans will be able to muster is, “Red Sox suck.”

Not at all. New Yorkers in general and Yankees fans particularly are much more imaginative than that. Two things Yankees fans will undoubtedly say to gloating Red Sox fans:

"2090!"

"Come on, the Florida Marlins have won more World Series in the last 85 years than the Red Sox."

And that's only two.

I don't want to hear anyone suggesting that Yankees fans have no right to continue to be obnoxious because of the huge choke during the ALCS. 85 years of futility never made Red Sox fans less obnoxious. It's all in good fun and part of the rivalry. Such is the sports culture in the two cities. Live with it.

He's Seen Them All

The Boston Red Sox have won six World Series titles. The first came in 1903 in the first World Series ever. The last was in 1918. Whoops, make that 2004. This man has lived through every one of them.

1918 2004

Congratulations to the Red Sox on winning the World Series. You guys played hard, and you deserved it.

Rick, send me the link to your Amazon.com wish list.

1918 To Be Replaced By 2004

No longer can Yankees fans chant, "1918" when Red Sox fans chant, "Yankees suck." Nope. Until the Yankees vanquish their own ghost, Red Sox fans will chant, "twenty oh four" while the best Yankees fans will be able to muster is, "Red Sox suck."

Congratulations, Boston, you earned it. I do also look forward to speaking to my friend Ari today. A lifelong Red Sox fan, he refused to believe the Red Sox would ever win a World Series and wasn't sure what he'd do if they did win. Now he finds out.

Clock Is Ticking On The Curse

Now through five innings, it's the Red Sox leading the Cardinals 3-0, both in the game and the series. The curse has 12 outs left to strike. Tick tock.

True Confessions

You know, I'm just getting this feeling it's the Red Sox year to win the World Series. So a true confession or two is in order.

1. It won't be the end of the world if the Red Sox win the World Series. I know, I know, but it won't be.
   
2. Not only that, it won't even be that bad.

Look, let's be real. The only reason the Red Sox haven't won a World Series since 1918 is not the Curse of the Babe. It's the "curse" of playing in the American League and, more specifically, the American League East. The Red Sox simply were never able to get to the World Series often enough to win it again. Not because they weren't a great team. They were. No, it was because the Yankees were, most years, a better team. The most dominant team in baseball. I don't care who you are, who you traded, and how great your players are, if you play behind the most dominant team in baseball, you won't even make it to the championship very often. And, well, to quote an old New York Lotto commercial, "You gotta be in it to win it."

So all those years without a World Series win turned the Red Sox into a great tragic team in the eyes of many Americans. Not necessarily Red Sox fans, but to the rest of us. The Cubs? No, because mostly they suck. The White Sox? Do you realize it almost never gets reported that the White Sox haven't won a World Series since 1917? You hear about the Cubs and Red Sox all the time, but how often do you hear about the White Sox? That's pretty much because the White Sox mostly suck too. The Red Sox have almost never sucked, though. On the contrary. So their inability to win becomes something great and mystical, not the rather mundane reality it is. If they played in the National League, they'd have won before now. If they played in the A.L. West, even, they'd have probably won by now.

So it will be something of a relief for the Red Sox to win the World Series. In the eyes of many, it will make them into just another team instead of baseball's great tragic team.

One last thing - Rick, spruce up your Amazon.com wish list. I have a feeling that you're winning this bet.

Two Much?

Two wins down. Two more to go for the Red Sox and the Curse will be over after 86 years. As much as I'd be happy for my friend Ari, a lifelong Red Sox fan, it will truly blow if the Red Sox win the World Series. No more "1918" chants at Yankee Stadium. Worse, they will have broken the Curse on the backs of the Yankees. One thing to do it without going through the Yankees. Quite another to do it by running roughshod over the Yankees after being 3 outs from elimination. I can hear the mockery of Yankees fans now. A nice “2004” chant.

Biggest Yankees Choke Ever?

Was this year's ALCS loss to the Red Sox after being up 3-0 the biggest Yankees choke ever? Objectively? Maybe. No MLB team has ever lost a playoff or World Series after being up 3-0. Emotionally? Not from my perspective.

Emotionally, the biggest Yankees choke ever was the 2001 World Series loss to the Diamondbacks. That was an amazing series. Two dramatic Yankees 9th inning comebacks in Games 4 and 5 had helped put them in the position of being three outs away from winning the World Series in Game 7. Three stupid outs, and Mariano Rivera, the generally aptly-named Mr. Automatic, comes in and blows it. Totally blows it. That was hard. After the events of 9/11, most New Yorkers really wanted the Yankees to win. Baseball was a way to help take our mind off the tragedy. It was the perfect distraction; it was something to look forward to at a time when there didn't seem like there could be a lot to look forward to. A stunning loss like that was really hard. Had they not come back in Games 4 or 5, losing wouldn't have been so bad. But to be three outs away and then lose it? Man, that was tough.

This year's loss in the ALCS was just not that tough. Surprising? Yes. More improbable than the 2001 World Series loss? Absolutely. Emotionally difficult? Not really. It was inevitable that some team would eventually come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. It was never an impossibility. So to the Red Sox fans I know who are gloating because the Yankees now have baggage and are like every other team (you know who you are, and if you aren't sure it's you, it's not)? Sorry. We've had baggage since 2001.

Besides, we're still not like every other team. A big choke doesn't erase the fact that the Yankees are still the most successful sports franchise ever. Do you think we've forgotten that in the aftermath of a big choke? Not on your life. We're New Yorkers, after all. A general feeling of superiority is just part of our mental make-up. If you don't believe me, just remember the New Yorker's view of the world from Ninth Avenue:

One Of These Things Is Still Like The Other

Either people are having a problem answering my trivia question or just don't care. For a shot at a $10 gift certificate from mlb.com, it's probably the. . . latter.

Two hints to help you out. Marty Barrett was a second baseman for the Red Sox. He nearly had something in common with a second baseman (not Willie Randolph) from the 1978 World Series Champion Yankees. You may look the latter up on the internet.

One Of These Things Is Just Like The Other

What do Marty Barrett and Hideki Matsui have in common? First person to answer without having to look it up on the internet wins. . . Well, wins nothing, but earns praise for his or her in-depth knowledge about baseball. *

*Update: In an effort to appease the baseball gods, Lesley has graciously offered to donate her Hideki Matsui jersey to the first person who can answer the question.

Pause for Lesley to say, "I have? That's news to me. Pest." But in seriousness I will offer a $10 gift certificate at MLB.com to the first person with the correct answer. Bear in mind, though, that I am psychic and will know if you've cheated by going to the internet.

One more thing, don't think you'll get away with answering something like they both play baseball. The answer is something most specific.

I've Been Called Out!

Rick DeMent of The Rant has thrown down the catcher's mitt, and I've accepted the World Series challenge. Loser buys winner something off the other's Amazon wish list (not to exceed $20). He's got the Red Sox, since I've obviously got the Cardinals.

Hot Stove League III

My take on what the Yankees can do to retool for next season.

1. Not sign Carlos Beltran. Not unless they find a way to dump Jason Giambi and his hefty salary. If they're worried about Bernie Williams' ability to play center, move Hideki Matsui to center and Williams to left. We already know Matsui can play center (he's faster than he looks, and he's played it before), and if they are stuck with Giambi, it would make no sense to have Williams DH. Of course, if they can get rid of Giambi, then, by all means, sign Beltran. But otherwise, use that money to get what the Yankees really need - PITCHING!

2. Sign Carl Pavano. Unless they can find a way to trade for Johan Santana, but I don't see the Twins agreeing to trade him. Of course, if there's a way for them to have both Pavano and Santana, well...

3. Keep Jon Lieber. That Tommy John elbow surgery seems to have helped him a lot. Outside of one bad inning, he pitched very well during the ALCS.

4. Bullpen, bullpen, bullpen. Buh-bye Heredia. Find another lefty reliever. The man has one use and one use only - getting out David Ortiz. A lefty reliever also needs to get out other batters too, not grant runs. Also, nix either Sturtze or Quantrill and get a more consistent righty reliever. Ramiro Mendoza comes to mind.

5. I'm unsure as to whether or not they should keep Javy Vazquez, as he does show signs of being a great pitcher, or dump him and keep Loaiza instead. I was impressed with Loaiza's stuff out of the bullpen during the ALCS, so I think there may be hope for him yet. But don't keep both.

I seriously hope Joe Torre still has his job next year. I don't know if Steinbrenner would fire him, but Torre may decide to resign if Steinbrenner doesn't back off. Torre knew that what the Yankees needed for 2004 was pitching, not A-Rod, but did the Boss listen? However, if Steinbrenner does fire Torre, I will hate Steinbrenner even more than I do now. And that's saying something.

Rocket Man?

Yes Astros fans, it seems all too familiar. Roger getting excited and blowing a big game. I feel your pain. Which is why I always said I would have been much more concerned about facing a healthy Andy Pettitte, a consistent big game pitcher, than Roger. I figured the odds of Roger getting excited about a trip back to one of his old stadiums in the World Series might prove to be the over-stimulation needed to make him blow it.

Still, I was hoping for the potential Red Sox-crushing that would have occurred had Clemens and the Astros been able to beat the Red Sox. Although historically more apt, it still won't be the same if the Cardinals beat the Red Sox. In 7, of course.

Let's Go Cardinals!

Well, Laurence was right. I had to change my look. So much for the old new Astros look.

Say hello to the (temporary) new new Cardinals look.

Hot Stove League II

Since I don't waste my time with calls to sports radio, I'll share with you some thoughts on how the Yankees can retool for next season. Click the link to read on.

1. Tell Kevin Brown not to let the door hit him - or not to hit the door - on the way out.
2. Recognize that Javy Vazquez is Son of Jeff Weaver, Nephew of Jose Contreras, Younger Brother of Kenny Rogers, and Grandson of Ed Whitson. Swallow half his salary and peddle him to the Marlins in a three-team trade that sends Florida third baseman Mike Lowell elsewhere and prospects to the Yankees. One of the prospects should be major-league ready pitcher. I think Florida might bite because Lowell can opt out of his contract and they could apply his money to Vazquez's salary.
3. Shop Jorge Posada, Kenny Lofton, and either Paul Quantrill or Steve Karsay for more prospects, preferably pitchers.
4. Strike a double blow at the Red Sox by attempting to lure Jason Varitek away to replace Posada's switch-hitting bat and defense. Otherwise, Greg Myers of the Jays could be half of a lefty-righty platoon with John Flaherty.
5. Ink Carlos Beltran.
6. Ink as many free agent pitchers to bolster the rotation and bullpen as is feasible. Tops on the list is Carl Pavano of the Marlins. Also of interest is ageless lefty Wilson Alvarez, who could be a long man/spot starter, and Ramiro Mendoza.
7. Bring back E-save-an Loaiza on the cheap.

I can hear Chris "Mad Dog" Russo lambasting me now.

Give Moose A Break

In one of the columns dissecting what went wrong with the Yankees in the ALCS, Mike Mussina was once again lumped in with the various recent acquisitions who haven't had the same level of success as legends of the 1996-2000 team. Every year since 2001, he's been branded as one of George Steinbrenner's recruits who don't have the same championship mettle as players who preceded him.

The reality is that Mussina has pitched some huge games for the Yankees and has positioned them to win again and again. He pitched a 1-0 masterpiece against Oakland when the Yankees were down 2-0 in the 2001 ALDS. The Yankees don't win game seven of last year's ALCS without his Rivera-like outing in relief of Clemens. He beat Pedro Martinez in back-to-back starts to help the Yankees win the division this year. He held his own against Johan Santana in game one of the ALDS and had two stellar outings against the Red Sox in the ALCS. He left game five on the long end of a 4-2 Yankee lead and would have merited MVP consideration if the Yankees had held on to win the game.

Ideally, Mussina wouldn't be the Yankees number one pitcher, but he has more than earned his spot as the team ace.

Interesting World Series Facts

I asked a guy who works for me (who happens to be a Red Sox fan) to do a trend analysis on the following World Series facts:

1946 World Series - St. Louis 4, Boston 3
1967 World Series - St. Louis 4, Boston 3
1975 World Series - Cincinnati 4, Boston 3
1986 World Series - NY Mets 4, Boston 3

Now, of course, history is not necessarily an indicator of past* future performance. But I'll still let you know the results of his trend analysis.

*Aaargh! I'm having brain freeze! Obviously history is an indicator of past performance!

The New Look

It's only temporary. But like I said, you can't expect me to want the Red Sox to win the World Series. As a Yankees fan, that would just be wrong. In fact, Red Sox fans I know wouldn't want it any other way.

If the Cardinals manage to win tomorrow night, the look will change again. Although it still won't favor the Red Sox. Just saying.

Yankees. . .

I never want to see play for the Yankees again - Kevin Brown, Javy Vazquez,
Felix Heredia, and of course, Jason Giambi

I am truly pissed at but realize the Yankees still need - Mariano Rivera, Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, and Alex Rodriguez

I am profoundly disappointed in - obviously the above, but also Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, the almost-MVP Hideki Matsui, and Jorge Posada

I am pleasantly surprised with - Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze, and E-save-an Loaiza

My Brother Is More Diehard Than I Am

Okay, I suppose his former Red Sox fandom has now been erased* by his willingness to stick with watching the Yankees through a game I gave up on watching in the second inning.

*Ignore the fingers crossed behind the curtain. You can't seriously expect a sister to give up on these little things she can use in the future for pest control.

Congratulations Beantown

After the way the Red Sox played the last 3 nights and the Yankees collapsed, all I can say is that the Red Sox deserved to win tonight and make postseason history. The Yankees did not deserve to win if they couldn't capitalize on a 3-0 lead and win it no more than 6. So congratulations, Red Sox fans!

Go Astros!

Well, you can't honestly expect me to want the Red Sox to win the World Series, can you?

It's Over

The Yankees just completed the most monumental collapse in the history of baseball. I expect these things of other franchises like the Red Sox or the Cubs. The supposedly cursed franchises. Not the Yankees with their history of post-season excellence. I don't know what else to say except how truly stunning it is.

Call Him E-save-an?

Yeah, I know that even the Yankees will be hardpressed to rally from an 8-1 hole, but Esteban Loaiza bailed them out of yet another tough jam in the 4th. I wonder if the Yanks try to bring him back on an incentive-laden contract after his success in the playoffs.

Hot Stove League

Interesting to see how George Steinbrenner will deconstruct the Yankees if they lose tonight. Not much you can or should do with the team, except rebuild the starting pitching. Hard to say exactly what happened over the last three-plus games. It started with Mo in game four and continued with Gordon in game five. The offense then inexplicably fell apart. Aside from a shaky starting staff, which wasn't the downfall, nothing wrong with the team on paper.

Good Night

If my brother, the former Red Sox fan (in his misspent youth), watches the game, I will publicly concede that he's a bigger diehard fan than I am. I haven't slept well in a week. After Johnny Damon's grand slam, I'm going to try to get some sleep. I know the Yankees can still come back, but I just can't watch this right now.

Go Yankees.

Kevin Brown, Please Retire

9:13 - Another sorry outing from Kevin Brown. 1 1/3 innings, 2 runs so far, and the bases loaded with one out. Up to Javy Vazquez to save the day.

Take your $15 million salary and limp off into the sunset, Kevin Brown, and free up a slot in the rotation for someone who can pitch.

Update: Homerun Javy just gave up a grand salami. He can go, too.

9:19 - Homerun Javy got out of the inning without further damage. Can the Yanks rally from the 6-run hole? Maybe with Lowe and a worn-out bullpen behind him. It would truly be the Curse of the Bambino in that case. Imagine the agony of the Red Sox fandom then. But I get ahead of myself.

Speaking of Mo-Jo

My brother wants you to know that both his cats, Scooter (named for Phil Rizzuto) and Huck, regularly tell him that they are fans of Mariano "Mo" Rivera.

How To Tell A Real New Yorker

Okay. There are native New Yorkers. And then there are those who have moved to New York and lived here for a long time. It is possible for people who have moved to New York and lived here for a long time to become real New Yorkers. However, the way you can tell the real New Yorkers from the faux New Yorkers is simple. Ask them one question: "Who are the four most evil men of the 20th century?"

If the name Walter O'Malley isn't on the list, they are not real New Yorkers. I mean, really.

Trying To Work A Little Yankees Mojo

BTW, I think when Jane says "meow", she's trying to tell me that she is a big Matsui fan. As am I. Later tonight, I plan to post a picture of the Matsui t-shirt I ordered which arrived tonight. I hope that's more Yankees mojo.

Emma, my other cat, seems to prefer A-Rod, though. At least I think that's what she means when she squeaks her little "Aaaah" sound. I keep trying to get her to switch allegiances to Sheffield, but so far she's all about A-Rod.

UPDATE: Here it is! The Matsui t-shirt.

To the Limit

No "Hip Hip Jorge" moments. One small "Bern Baby Bern" moment. No "He's Gr-r-r-r-eat" moment from Tony "The Tiger" Clark on what could have been the series-winning homerun but was instead the game-ending strikeout.

On to Game 7. The Yankees in one respect have already suffered the greatest collapse in baseball history, becoming the first team to go from 3-0 to 3-3. Will it truly be the most monumental collapse from them and most stirring comeback ever for the Red Sox after tonight's - yes, tonight's - action? Or is it all part of some sinister plan by the Ghost of the Babe to torment Red Sox fans in the worst way imaginable by giving them reason to believe, to get excited, and then snuff out all hope at the end again?

For these answers and more, tune in. Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel.

I'm Too Tired For This

On to Game 7. Go Yankees.

Go Astros.

Last Licks

The Yankees held the Sox in check in the top of the ninth. Still down by two. Can they get to a hopefully tired Keith Foulke, who's had a heavy load the last two days?

The Natives Are Restless

An unpopular overturn on a call that originally went the Yankees way has put the fans in a foul mood. Or a fouler mood. They're tossing stuff on the field. Now they've got cops in riot gear ringing the stands.

Inching Closer

They struck for one run against Arroyo. Three outs left to get the final 2 runs to pull even. Assuming the Yankees can hold the Sox scoreless in the ninth. Is it Mo time to keep it close?

The Time to Strike Is Now

Schilling is out. Arroyo, the whipping boy in game three, is in with the Yankees still within striking distance.

Bernie Goes Boom

A solo shot by Bernie in the bottom of the seventh gets the Yankees on the scoreboard at last. But that's all they got. Is it too little too late to avoid a game seven? Six outs left for the Yankees.

My Kingdom For A Clutch Hit

Another Yankees runner stranded in scoring position with two outs. Another inning without a run for the Yankees. Eleven scoreless innings in a row.

Hip Hip. . . Ah, Forget It!

All series long I've been waiting for Jorge Posada to come up with a monster hit so I could say, "Hip Hip Jorge!" Finally, he crushes a pitch to rightfield tonight, I let out with the "Hip Hip Jorge!", and the wind keeps the ball in the park for an out. Insert curse word here.

Blog Ball!

Jay of Mr. Blonde's Garage will be liveblogging tonight's Yankees/Red Sox game. With any luck, I'll be watching it from a sports bar with a group of people.

I'm Calling It Now

Lesley called it on Saturday: Hideki Matsui as ALCS MVP. How quickly things have changed in the series now that the Red Sox have forced game six. A new predicition: Jon Lieber if he pitches as well as he did last Wednesday and paces the Yankees to a win tonight.

Like I Said

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. David Ortiz is now every much an MVP candidate as Hideki Matsui. Another comeback win by the Red Sox, and it is now anyone's series.

At This Rate

The Cardinals-Astros game will be over before the Yankees-Red Sox game, which is still tied going into the bottom of the 14th. It took four games for the competition to materialize, but the Yanks-Sox is now looking like the thriller everyone expected.

How Upset Am I?

Not terribly. I never expected the Yankees to sweep the Red Sox. I'm amazed they got to 3-0 before losing their first game.

Could Boston win this ALCS? Theoretically, of course. Just because something has never been done before doesn't mean it won't be done. Nonetheless. In order to win it, the Red Sox are going to have to beat the Yankees 3 times in a row, all of those effective "Game 7s" for the Red Sox, with 2 of those 3 games at Yankee Stadium. Pedro is going to have to go deep into tonight's game in order to give his bullpen a rest. Pedro is generally only good for about 7 innings at his best, and he'll be facing the Yankees' best pitcher tonight. He's also only pitching on four days rest. Pedro is much better on 5 days rest.

That doesn't mean Pedro can't get the job done tonight. So I'll brace myself for a potential Game 6. Which would, at least, be at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox hit much better at Fenway than anywhere else. And the Yankees hit much better at Yankee Stadium. Look, it's possible that everything could go right for the Red Sox in the next 3 games and everything go wrong for the Yankees. But I'm feeling pretty good that the odds are against that just enough.

Yes, Again!

From three outs to finishing the series to having to play a game five. Poor clutch hitting and poor clutch relieving. Wonderful.

Oh, Mo! Not Again!

That's three times now in his career that Mariano Rivera has blown a save in a clinch-game for the Yankees. Thankfully, he stiffened and stranded the winning run at third with one out. Hopefully, the Yankees can get to the Red Sox bullpen, which is thin right now, and the Yanks can turn the game over to Flash Gordon to ice the series.

To play Monday morning QB for a moment. Joe Torre hasn't done a great job managing this game. He left El Duque in too long during his fifth-inning meltdown and should have gone to Gordon in the eighth rather than try to extend Rivera for two innings. I'm first guessing here. I was thinking both long before the moves and non-moves imploded in Torre's face.

Boston Massacre

Yankees 19, Red Sox 8 in a rout of unprecedented proportions. Looking good for the Yankees sixth World Series appearance in the last seven years. But I'm counting no chickens.

I'm Calling It Now

ALCS MVP - Hideki Matsui.

You could make a case for Gary Sheffield too, but I think Matsui's hits have been bigger. He's scored first in two of the three games.

UPDATE: Okay, I misspoke. Matsui technically did not score first. He drove in the first RBI in game 1 (driving home Sheffield, so Sheffield scored first) and the second RBI in game 3 (A-Rod had the first RBI of game 3). Still. He has more RBIs than Sheffield, so I still hold that his hits have been bigger than Sheffield's.

Docs: Evil Emperor Is Pedro's Father

Yankees and Red Sox fans were split over the news that DNA tests confirmed that George Steinbrenner is not just Pedro Martinez’s figurative “daddy” but is also the pitcher’s biological father. Where Red Sox fans saw a sliver of hope that the stunning revelation means an end to the curse that has weighed on Boston since 1918, Yankees fans dismissed such hopes as fantasy. “He’s a lunatic anyway,” one fan said. “Once he gets over the shock, he’s going to embrace the Dark Side and sign with the Yankees as a free agent.”

In a revelation that sent shockwaves through the baseball world, doctors today revealed that not only is New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner figuratively Pedro Martinez’s “daddy” but is in fact his biological father. The news follows DNA tests performed on all males associated with the Yankees who are old enough to have fathered the star hurler.

Boston Red Sox team physician Bill Morgan explained that the tests were done after Martinez jokingly suggested last month that he could “call the Yankees my daddy.” While most people attributed the remarks to Martinez’s frustration at continually losing to New York in key games, Morgan saw something deeper.

“We took the comments as a plea for help. That Pedro wasn’t sure about his true lineage and that maybe he suspected someone on the Yankees sired him on a junket to the Dominican Republic. We decided to heed this call. Not knowing who your father is, where you come from, can be profoundly unsettling.”

Morgan said he would have waited until after the playoffs to go public with the news, but the growing clamor over the issue in recent days forced his hand. “When you have 55,000 Yankees fans asking in unison, ‘Who’s your daddy?’ you just can’t ignore them. They’re expressing genuine sympathy over Pedro’s uncertainty. You want to give them answers.”

That it turned out to be George Steinbrenner was the real stunner for Morgan. “I was thinking of someone more athletic, more – how shall I phrase this gently – not as lily white being his father. Let’s face it. With no disrespect to that fat gluttonous bastard whose insatiable greed can never be quenched, can you picture someone as tight-assed as Steinbrenner fathering someone like Pedro?”

Apparently Martinez couldn’t. According to teammates, he is too distraught by the news to comment publicly. “It adds a whole new level to the Evil Empire, Darth Vader thing,” battery mate Jason Varitek said. “I mean it’s like when Darth Vader told Luke he was his father. Here you’ve vowed to snuff out the tyrannical overlord and all he stands for and he turns out to be your Dad. It’s got to be tough to swallow.”

Manny Ramirez, Martinez’s best friend on the team, added, “Pedro flipped. He was like, ‘No, it’s not true. It’s not possible.’ And Steinbrenner – he was on speaker phone so we could overhear – says, ‘Search your feelings, you know it to be true.’ He told Pedro to take his hand. That they could rule baseball as father and son. Vanquish Bud Selig and revenue sharing. That Selig had foreseen it.”

Steinbrenner declined to comment as well, but acknowledged through team spokesman Rick Cerone that the news is true. While on a trip to the Dominican Republic in 1971, when he was 40, he met Martinez’s mother Leopoldina and was instantly smitten. “Their flame burned short,” said Cerone, “but oh so bright. Nine months later, that October, this beautiful and exceptional love child was born. Obviously, he takes after his mother.” Paulino Jamie, until now believed to be Martinez’s father, raised Martinez as his own until Martinez was eight, when he and Leopoldina divorced.

Fans of both teams were split on what the news means. Red Sox fans saw it as the end of the curse that has plagued the club since 1918, when Boston sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees and won its last World Series. “I’ve seen Return of the Jedi, like I don’t know, maybe a hundred times, when the Evil Empire gets its long deserved comeuppance,” said lifetime Red Sox fan Ari Sky. “The best part is when Luke gets through to Darth Vader’s good side and Vader tosses the Emperor down that chute thingy. Pedro’s going to have the same effect on Steinbrenner. He’ll sell all his belongings, donate his wealth to charity, walk the earth like Caine from Kung Fu, and open the door wide for the Red Sox to saunter through. The wait is over, baby, it’s over!”

Yankees fans scoffed at the notion. One fan said, “Please, once Pedro gets over the shock, he’s going to embrace the Dark Side – he’s a lunatic anyway – and sign with the Yankees as a free agent, leaving the Red Sox high and dry. It’s kind of sickening to picture Steinbrenner doing the horizontal bop, but hey, if it nets the Yankees more players like Martinez, I say, ‘Get busy, George. Get busy.’ After all, Charlie Chaplin was fathering kids into his 70’s.”

With All Due Respect to Jay...

I felt his photo needed a little work. Darth Vader really needed the Yankees logo on his helmet. I also prefer the addition of the Star Wars-like font.

Search your hearts, Red Sox fans. You know it to be true.

A Lowe Down Dirty Shame

For Red Sox fans. Not Yankees fans. Curt Schilling's ankle will keep him out of game five if the series goes that far. Whipping post Derek Lowe will take his place.

A Win/Win Situation

Jason Clarke and Michele have come up with a bet that will turn this year's ALCS into a win/win situation no matter who (cough Yankees cough) wins:

Here's how it works: Loser donates either 40, 50, 60 or 70 dollars to a charity, depending on how long the series goes (seven games, $70, etc.).

Jason has chosen as his designated charity Garden of Angels, this month's Strengthen the Good charity. I haven't decided on mine yet. If you have a favorite, let me know and I'll look into it.

I signed up. If the Red Sox manage to win (hahahahaha), I'm donating $10 per game to Garden of Angels. I know there are other Yankees fans who read this blog and even the occasional Red Sox fan or Anybody But the Yankees fan. So go ahead. Sign up too. Just post a comment on Michele's entry.

Daddy Knows Best

Yankees lead series 2-0.

I did watch more or less the entire game. I drowsed off for a few at bats and promptly fell asleep after Mo wrapped it up. Gotta go to Mo.

When I Wave My Magic Wand

The Boston Red Sox will disappear. Nope. Didn't work. Wishful thinking. Retire the first 19 batters, take an 8-0 lead, and sweat out a 10-7 win that's in doubt until the final out. No matter what Pedro or the t-shirt says, right now, ain't nobody Boston's daddy, much to my annoyance and dismay.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Turns out that when you apply the New York Times research, the Yankees don't play as many close playoff games as you think. The paper ran an article that discounts popular perception that there are more close games in the playoffs than in the regular season.

Courtesy of retrosheet.org, I tallied the results of all the Yankees playoff games from 1996 to 2003. They played a total of 98 games during that span, 51 or 52% of which were decided by two or fewer runs. Not much different than the Times stats that 51% of playoff games since 1984 were close.

There you go, it is perception that the Yankees play an unusually high number of close games. Even last year, when it seemed that every game caused the blood pressure to rise through the roof, it was nearly 50/50 (9 close games and 8 games that weren't close). The two exceptions were 2000 and 2001 when 21 of the 32 games (64%) were close.

It's games like they played against the Twins this year, when two contests went overtime; against the Red Sox last year; and in the nail-biting seasons of 2000 and 2001 that distort the memory and cause us to think every Yankees game is a cardiac affair. Still, I vote for more seasons like 1998 and 1999, when the Yankees romped through the playoffs with 68% of the games decided by three or more runs. Half close games means equal easy breathing and equal agita.

Small Ball

The New York Times has an article today downplaying the importance of small ball in winning playoff games. It’s an interesting article that uses a number of different statistics to support its point. I am not convinced because the article focuses almost exclusively on tight games, steals, and sacrifice bunts as examples of what constitutes small ball.

The Times discounts the importance of the steal and sacrifice bunt. It notes that the team that is leading is more likely to try either, that trading an out for a base could stall a larger inning, and that only about half of teams executing successful bunts have won their series.

All well and good, but small ball isn’t just about stealing bases and sacrifice bunts. Set aside that the Yankees used a stolen base by Alex Rodriguez yesterday to score the series-winning run and that Derek Jeter had a key sacrifice bunt that helped them win game two. A single, a timely walk, a hit batsman, moving a runner over to third with less than two out on a grounder, a sacrifice fly. All of these are key components of small ball that help teams scratch out the run that might be the difference between winning and losing.

The Yankees winning rally in game one of the 2000 World Series began with a walk to Paul O’Neill. They scored the series-winning run on a Luis Sojo dribbler past the infield in game five that year. While it’s true that it was big ball – a mammoth three-run homerun by Ruben Sierra – that tied the game yesterday, it was small ball that set up the homerun. An infield hit by Gary Sheffield, a walk to Hideki Matsui, and a single by Bernie Williams put the Yankees in position to tie the game.

It was what the Yankees didn’t do in later innings yesterday that extended the game to eleven innings. With Alex Rodriguez on second base with no one out in the ninth inning, Gary Sheffield popped to second. What would have happened if he had a hit a groundball to move Rodriguez to third with one out? Do the Yankees get a sacrifice fly to win the game in nine? Who knows, but those missed opportunities can lose games and series as much as cashed-in chances win them. Ask the Twins who had several chances to put the game out of reach against Esteban Loaiza.

While statistics do bear out the Times point that playoff games really aren’t much closer than regular season games, tell that to a Yankees fan. (Between 1984 and 2003, 50.7% of playoff games were decided by two or fewer runs, compared to 47.5% of regular season games. No matter which way you apply this statistic, it doesn’t add up to many more close games during the season or many fewer close games in the playoffs.)

It always seems that the Yankees are in tight games. Sure, they got blown out in three of their four losses against the Diamondbacks in 2001, but the other four games, including the horribly depressing game seven, were all nail-biting affairs. They eked out a 1-0 win against the A’s in the division series the same year that staved off elimination, played the Boston Red Sox to the mat last year, were neck-and-neck with the Marlins in four of the six games, and just finished a series against the Twins where all but one game was decided by two or fewer runs. Maybe the numbers will even out over the course of all their games, but I’ve had enough memorable games to last a lifetime no matter what the stats say.

In the end – and to end this thesis – that’s what really counts. Who cares what the statistics say, whether the idea of small ball and close games is nothing more than anecdotes, perception, and glorious memories? The playoffs are all about the magic moments that keep you in suspense until the end, that bring you from elation to despair in a heartbeat, or hopefully (and usually for the Yankees), lift you from despair to elation just as fast. That’s why we live and die with them.

Let's Go Yankees!

Yankees 6, Twins 5, 11 innings.

Although it would be nice if they could manage to not turn these things into heart-stopping, comeback victories. But now it's on to another ALCS against the Red Sox. Should be interesting.

I'm Convinced

Common wisdom is that St. Louis is the best baseball town in the country. Being a native New Yorker who's experienced Yankee Stadium during the ALCS and World Series, I've often wondered how St. Louis fans could be more passionate and more savvy than New York fans. Well, after watching the first few innings of the Cardinals-Dodgers NLDS game tonight, I'm sold that St. Louis fans are at least more passionate than New Yorkers.

I thought Yankee Stadium was loud. It's a church compared to Busch Stadium. Jim Edmonds got the kind of hand usually reserved for momentous occasions at Yankee Stadium for simply coming to bat in the first inning. Then when the Cards put up a three-spot, I thought I'd go deaf just listening on TV.

For the Yankees Fan Who Has Everything

Is there a Yankees fan in your life whom you wish to torment? May I suggest you buy this for your friend.

p.s. Anyone who buys this for me is dead meat.

In the Hole Again

Tonight's opening game loss to the Twinkies marks the fourth straight time the Yankees have dropped the opening game of a playoff series. I could do with a lot less tension. A nice 15-0 win, followed by another 15-0 win, etc. for 11 straight blow outs and another championship.

Any advice on how should I respond tomorrow when my boss, a Mets fan with a massive and understandable inferiority complex, asks, as he will, "Jonathan, how did the Yankees do last night?" I'm torn between the straightforward answer, "They lost," and the snippy, "Gee, Gerry, how did the Mets do? Oh wait, that's right, they didn't play because they finished second to last." I'm open to suggestions.

Bring Back Tino

Says here that Tino Martinez will become a free agent if the Devil Rays decline to pick up his option. Now wouldn't it be just great if the Yankees come to their senses, figure out a way to rid themselves of that albatross Jason Giambi, and ink Tino to man first base again? A snowball has a better chance in you know where, but one can always dream, can't one?

World Series Picks

The post-season line-up in baseball is all set with Houston earning the last berth today. Thanks to a stunning late season run (not to mention a horrendous and sad collapse by the Cubs), the Astros nailed down the wild card spot. Read on as I make my predictions for the World Series.

Most everyone likes the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished the season with the best record in baseball and boast a power-packed line-up. I don't. They don't have the dominant pitching that typically wins. In the NL, I'll go with the smoking Astros. Led by the Rocket and Roy Oswalt, who both can stake a claim to being the NL's best pitcher this year, they have the type of one-two pitching punch that propelled the Diamondbacks to the 2001 World Series title. They also boast a solid line-up led by one of the most underrated but best players in the game: five-tool stud outfielder Carlos Beltran.

No one in the AL overwhelms me. All the teams have major flaws. I will go with a dark-horse pick that, of course, will foster cries of me being a homer: the Yankees. Although their pitching has been shaky all season, on paper they have the most dominant group of starting pitchers of the A.L. contenders. Note that I didn't say the most dominant pitcher - that title belongs to Johan Santana with Curt Schilling a close second. But no other team boasts the potential depth of the Yankees, who can trot out the Moose, Kevin Brown, and Javy Vazquez. They have a bullpen led by the best closer in baseball history and a set-up man (Flash Gordon) who would close for most other teams. Put that together with a versatile offense that has shown it can manufacture runs when needed, and it adds up to another Series berth.

So now the World Series. Gadzooks, as much as it pains me to go against my team, I say that the Rocket and Oswalt shut down the Yankees like Arizona did in 2001 and Florida did last year. The Astros not only win their first playoff series ever this year but win the whole thing. I can only hope that I'm wrong, and that the Yankees pull it out.

Let the debate (and mockery of me) begin.

What Was It Like

Someone wants to know what it was like to be at the Yankees division clincher on Thursday night. So finally, the long version.

You couldn't have asked for a better night for a game. Although it had been raining during the day, by 5 pm it had started to clear, and by 5:30, there was actual blue sky. So it was clear. The temperature was ideal. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not too humid.

The game itself was very exciting. Homerun Javy lived up to his name, giving up two homeruns among the seven hits he allowed. The Yankees were down. They tied it up! The Twins scored another run. Olerud hits a homer! The Twins scored another run. Matsui gets a homerun! It was 4-4 going into the ninth inning. Will this game go into extra innings? Tom "Flash" Gordon comes to the mound. Gets the first two batters out. Then he lets two guys get on base. The fifth batter comes up with a man on first and second. Runner in scoring position. The count goes to 3-2. The stadium is on its feet, hoping for the third strike. Flash does not disappoint.

It's now 4-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. Real possibility of extra innings. Doesn't matter, though, I'm sticking it out until the bitter end. Everyone is on their feet. Sheffield is up first. He's out. Matsui is up to bat. He draws a walk. Bernie Williams comes up. He's had a fantastic night, 2 for 3 before this at bat. Can he work some of that old Bernie magic? He hits it hard. There's a tense couple of seconds there, when the crowd is unsure if it's going to go long. It sails into the stands! It's a walk-off homer! The crowd goes wild! The team pours onto the field. Much jumping around and hugging ensues. My colleagues and I leave quite happy, except for the one Twins fan who was in our little crew. Even the guy I was sitting next to, who is from India and had never been to a baseball game before, was happy. I spent most of the night explaining the game to him, and by the end, he was yelling at the Yankees batters to score runs.

So there you have it. Great weather. An exciting game. The division clincher at home. All in all, a fantastic night.

Good for Pizza

Jason Giambi hasn't been good for much of anything this season. Until now. He scored a free slice of pizza for the fans of Toronto by becoming the 7th Yankee to whiff in tonight's game North of the Border.

Let's Go Yankees!

More tomorrow, but the short version: It was awesome.

Bernie Goes Boom!

And the Yankees win! T-h-h-h-e-e-e Yankees win! AL East champs for the 7th straight year. Woo hoo indeed!

Lesley was there, and we all look forward to her first-hand report of what it was like to be there for a walk-off homerun to win the division.

Woo Hoo!

What's the magic number?

3

2

1!

Put An Asterisk Next To It

Right on Rick Reilly. There's been something bugging me about Ichiro Suzuki's chase of George Sisler's record of 257 hits in a season. In the 10/4 issue of Sports Illustrated, Reilly echoes my skepticism and calls it like it is: "As Ichiro chases the hallowed hit record, join me in standing and saying, in unison, 'What a load of Bushido!!!'"

Ichiro does seems a lock to "break" the record, standing three hits away with five games to play. But let's tote this up. Sisler had 257 hits in 154 games. Ichiro had 250 hits in his first 154 games. Hmm, I see a problem. To quote Reilly, "End of story. Sorry. Enjoy the fishing season in Kobe. See you at spring training."

Not Alone

Watching the Yankees struggle to fend off the Red Sox has been a depressing experience. Not as bad as Mo blowing the 2001 World Series but still pretty bad. But at least they're not blowing it as badly as the A's or the Cubs.

Yep

It's still four.

Stupid Magic Number

It's still four.

Not A Four-Gone Conclusion

Ok, I'm usurping Lesley's role as the magic number poster, but I think the headline is so clever I couldn't resist. (I'll cede control to her after this post.)

Courtesy of another whooping by the Red Sox, the Yankees magic number remains stuck at 4 for the second day in a row. %$^&*!!!! I want the final nails in the coffin. It's a long shot, but it ain't four-gone (tee hee!) that it's over for the Sox.

Bring Out Your Dead

"We're not dead yet." No you aren't, Boston Red Sox. Not after you spanked the Yanks tonight. Magic number remains at 4.

Seven Schmeven

A win by the Yankees and a loss by the Red Sox not only clinch the Yankees at least the wild card, but reduce the magic number to six.

This makes up for yesterday's dismal failure to move the number from eight to seven.

The Number So Nice...

...they repeated it twice.

Thanks to a loss by the Yankees and a win by the Red Sox, the magic number stays at eight.

Back by Popular Demand*

The Yankees Magic Number Countdown!

Pieces of eight.

*To the degree that requests by 2 people can be considered "popular demand".

Not Looking Good So Far

Here the Yankees are trying to assess whether Jason Giambi can help them. Believe it or not, it looks like he's not being of much help. Whoever would have foreseen that? Oh yeah, me!

Oh What A Beautiful Weekend...

Yanks take 2 of 3 in the series against the Red Sox. Now what could be wrong with that?*

UPDATE: Damn my brother! He beat me by 3 minutes! Which just goes to show that Yankees fans are all equally obnoxious.

*Other than the Yankees having lost the first game in the series, but you have to take a few roughs with a smooth.

2 of 3

I will save the "Bwahahaha!" for later so as not to risk jinxing next weekend's series with the Red Sox. But if the Yankees have the same success next weekend as they did this weekend, beware!

Indeed He Did Blow It

Why is that two of Mariano Rivera's four blown saves, have come against the Red Sox? I don't want to and can't take anything away from what Mo has done for the Yankees since 1996, but argh!, take away the two blown saves against the Sox and the Yanks would have a cozy 6 1/2 game lead.

Not a Blauch-head?

I just watched ESPN's 25 Biggest Sports Blunders of the last 25 years. Inexplicably, they let Chuck Knoblauch off the hook for his total brain freeze against the Indians in the 1998 ALCS. It can never be said often enough, even six years later: "Pick up the ball. Pick up the freaking ball!"

From All-Star to All-Flop

No surprise. Jason Giambi's miserable and injury-riddled year has earned him a spot on Sports Illustrated's All-Flop team for 2004. Here's hoping that he headlines the All-Comeback team for 2005.

I'll Save Them The Trouble

Wonderful. Jason Giambi is back, and the Yankees plan on playing him over the next couple of days "to gauge whether he can help them in their pennant race with the Red Sox." Let me spare them the trouble: has he ever helped the Yankees? Excluding when he played for the A's.

This Really. . .

sucks.

Unless you're Russian. Then it rules.

This. . .

sucks.

Making matters worse, Andre Agassi lost earlier in the day, meaning I don't have any rooting interest when I attend the Men's Semis on Saturday. Alas, there are far worse things in the world, and I will stop whining.

At Last

For the first time since August 23 - yes, in 2 1/2 weeks! - the Yankees have gained ground on the Red Sox. With a sweep of their double dip against Tampa Bay, the Yanks are assured of gaining at least a half game even if the Red Sox, who are silly hot, win again.

Update: they picked up 1 1/2 games thanks to the Sox losing 7-1.

Andy Roddick

Awesome.

Watching Andy Roddick blast away on TV is impressive. Seeing it in person is phenomenal. In a display of power the likes of which I've never seen before, he blitzed past Tommy Robredo for a date in the U.S. Open quarterfinals against Joachim Johansson. The match promises to an absolute bomb-fest, as Johansson hits with Roddick-esque pace. I know where I’ll be Thursday night. Glued to the TV.

Serena Williams

Robbed.

I had never rooted for Serena Williams until Tuesday's night quarterfinals match against Jennifer Capriati. Williams was the victim of four inexplicably bad calls, all of which were apparent to the naked eye even from the heights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The first cost her the first game of the decisive third set. The last three were the difference between breaking to even the third set at 5-5 and losing the set and match.

Giving Yankees Fans A Bad Name

I have little doubt that Steinbrenner is behind this. As a Yankees fan, I have to say - Tacky. Very, very tacky. There was a hurricane. Cut them some slack. Are the Yankees so unsure of their ability to win that they are reduced to asking for a forfeit because of travel delays caused by a hurricane?

I love the Yankees, but I hate George Steinbrenner. Best thing that happened to the Yankees since I've been a fan was the two years he was banned from baseball. I curse the day they lifted the ban.

Kevin Brown

Moron.

Damn Yankees

That about sums it up.

Say It Ain't 'Zo

Granted, I am not a doctor, not even close, and his doctors are comfortable with the concept*. But it makes me very nervous for his well-being to hear that NBA star Alonzo Mourning is attempting a comeback less than a year after a kidney transplant. He's an aggressive low-post player who takes countless body shots in a given game. I don't see how that can be good.

*Update: apparently not the case. Seems like 'Zo's doc is as nonplussed as I am.

Whew!

The U.S. Men's basketball team isn't going home empty-handed. They corralled the Bronze medal today with a thrilling and breathless 104-96 win over Lithuania. Even though the U.S. opened an 11-point lead late in the game and was up by 10 points with about 1:30 left, I didn’t breath easily until Tim Duncan sealed the game with two free throws with 40 seconds left. Lithuania has such a penchant for draining three-point shots in the blink of an eye that they couldn't be counted out until the closing seconds.

In the Gold medal game, Argentina beat Italy, giving the country its first basketball medal ever and second Gold medal of the day. Earlier, the Argentinean Men’s soccer team beat Paraguay in a 1-0 thriller.

The Real Dream Team

It was a cliffhanger until the last few minutes, but the U.S. Women's basketball team just defeated the Aussies for the Gold medal, 74-63. That's three Golds in a row for the U.S. Women. Awesome!

Study Tips

Wednesday night I learned the difference between "pray" and "prey". Last night, I learned that French tennis player Nathalie Dechy is actually from Guadeloupe and that Guadeloupe is an island in the Caribbean and a French possession. So the next time someone gives me a hard time about my obsession with sports, I shall respond, "Yes, but I actually watch because I’m studying for my high school GED.”

Still Dreaming

The Dream is over. The Dream is still alive. Now that the US Men's basketball team is out of Gold medal contention, let's turn our focus and energy to the squad that's shaping up as the true Dream Team. The Women's team plays Australia today at 9:15 AM eastern time in a rematch of the 2000 Gold medal game.

The SAT Or Tennis?

I'm watching the last couple of games of a 2nd-round match in the Pilot Pen championships. Daniela Hantuchova is on the verge of closing out the match but seems to getting tight.

One of the announcers comments that Hantuchova seemed to be praying for the match to end on her opponent's mistakes instead of her own winners. The announcer then clarifies that's pray as in "p-r-a-y." The other announcer professes he doesn't understand what his partner is alluding to, so she clarifies that Hantuchova isn't "preying" on her opponent but "praying" for something good to happen. To which I respond testily (ok, I confess that I talk to my TV), "Yeah, I got it the first time."

Is this some sneaky way of helping students watching the match prepare for the SAT?

Not The Only Game In Town

Is it that people prefer turmoil to efficiency and stability? Or that we're blinded in this country to only men's team sports? There has been much teeth gnashing over the struggles of the US Men's Olympic basketball squad, which is in very real danger of not winning the Gold medal despite being composed of star NBA players. Yet no one seems to be paying much attention to the US Women's team, which has cruised into the semi-finals without dropping a game. Hopefully, the drumbeat for the women will pick up now that they’re nearing the Gold.

Give It Up Folks

The South Koreans had their opportunity to protest when it would have changed the results. They didn't. Yet they persist in pushing for a duplicate Gold medal for their gymnast. Sorry. You missed your chance and have only yourselves to blame.

I Hear You JB

I just finished watching a special on the top 10 rivalries in pro sports. It didn't take a psychic to figure out which rivalry would finish on top: the Yanks and the Red Sox, of course.

But I love the comment by Jim Belushi: “This isn’t a rivalry. For it to be a rivalry, there has to be a give and take. This is more of a sadomasochistic cult.”

Right on, Jim!

Cuckoo for Coco Crisp

The Yankees are playing the Cleveland Indians tonight. Now batting for the Indians is the player with the best name in baseball: Covelli "Coco" Crisp.

A player named after a breakfast cereal. Beautiful.

Eve of Destruction

Keep your eyes peeled for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The end of the world is surely near. How else to explain this most serious turn of events.

Get Well Soon Andy

Sadly, former Yankees star Andy Pettitte, now pitching for the Houston Astros, needs season-ending elbow surgery. Here's hoping that he recovers quickly and fully, and that he returns to the form that made him one of the best pitchers in baseball.

It Figures

I do this fantasy baseball thing with ESPN. Concept is that you have a $50 million payroll to field a complete offensive team, including a desginated hitter, and a pitching staff (you select an entire team's staff like the Yankees). You can and should change your roster everyday to take advantage of favorable match-ups.

For weeks on end, I've been taking Arizona's pitching staff whenever Randy Johnson pitched and gotten nothing from it. The Diamondbacks are the worst team in baseball, meaning that they often lose even when Johnson excels, and Johnson hasn't been especially stellar. When he got pounded this week by the Expos, one of the few teams as bad as Arizona, I gave up on him. So what does he do? Dominates the Mets.

I should have known that the Mets would be the only team sorry enough to get bested by Arizona.

Now the Griffster is Out

First Everday Eddie. Now Ken Griffey Jr. No one will ever accuse the Griffster of being everday, not after the last few seasons, but man, I ache for the guy. He's one of the most talented players in the history of baseball, and his career just hasn't been the same since he came to the Reds. A great career has been devestated by one injury after another.

The Top Choke Artist Is. . .

The Boston Red Sox, who else? Their fold in the 1986 World Series earned them number one billing on ESPN's Biggest 25 Chokes of the last 25 years.

Now He's Eddie "No Day" Guardado

Sad. Very sad. Everday Eddie is out for the rest of the season and maybe longer. Sigh.

Willy Mo "Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum" Pena

I wonder if the Yankees are having second thoughts about having swapped Willy Mo Pena back in 2001 for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Henson. (Ok, Henson wasn't the Cowboys quarterback until this year when he finally gave up on baseball.)

After looking totally lost early in his career the 22-year old Pena is finally living up to his billing and putting up some outstanding stats while subbing for the injured Ken Griffey (18 homeruns and 49 RBIs in about 250 at-bats).

Yeah, I know, the Yankees have an All-Star at just about every position, and we fans still want more. Sue us.

The Bionic John

Dislocate a hip, have it put back in the socket, return to work the next day, and play golf that weekend. Only if you're Tommy John, ex-Yankees pitcher, and have an artificial hip.

Still Classless But Not In This Case

Seems like the Rocket was an innocent victim in that youth league brouhaha last weekend. Maybe the ump who tossed him is related to Mike Piazza.

Starting from Scratch

The Yankees today optioned pitcher Felix Heredia (or Horrendous-ia as I like to call him) all the way to their Class A affiliate in Tampa. That's about as low as you can get without actually being released. The move worked wonders for Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay. Sent from the majors to Class A in 2001, the struggling Halladay put his game back together, eventually blossoming into last year's A.L. Cy Young Award winner. I don't think the Yankees will enjoy the same luck with Heredia. Call it a hunch.

Dogs and Cats Live Together...

Is the world tilting off its axis? Is Babe Ruth spinning in his grave? Am I horrified? Could this be a sign of the end times?

The answer to at least one, if not more, of those questions is "Yes", as I have today learned that the Yankees and Red Sox are in talks to merge their sports networks. I have to ask what the hell are the owners thinking? Would the Evil Empire align with the Rebels just to make a few bucks? Could Darth Vader really just be that whiny teenager, Anakin Skywalker, in a big metal suit? The Yankees can't go into business with the Red Sox.

The mind boggles.

Say It Ain't So

I am disillusioned. I am shocked. I don't know what to make of the news. He is no longer Eddie "Everyday" Guardado. Christened with the nickname because of his ability to pitch, well, everyday, the Seattle Mariners reliever is now on the DL. With a tired shoulder. It can't be true. Can it?

Roger Clemens = Classless Jerk

Acting in form, as the classless jerk he is, pitcher Roger Clemens was ejected from a youth baseball game over the weekend for arguing with the umpire. Amazingly, he did not throw the ball at any of the hitters, although he did spit sunflower seeds at the umpire's leg.

Really, arguing with the umpire at a youth baseball game? These are kids 10 and under. What a jackass.

No More

No more will I be able to yell No More! when Nomar comes up to bat against the Yankees. Buh-bye Nomar. You went from one team that hasn't won in nearly a century to another team that hasn't won in nearly a century. I find it highly amusing all around.

Gotta Get One of These

I'm watching the Yankees game and they pan to a fan wearing a t-shirt that reads, "I support two teams. The Yankees and whoever beats the Red Sox." I like. (As a sidebar, if you hate the Yankees, relax, there are similar shirts that read, "I support two teams. [Insert your team here] and whoever beats the Yankees.")

Gone-Treras

No Randy Johnson, but the Yankees did pull off a swap of enigmatic pitchers today, trading Jose Contreras to the Chicago White Sox for Esteban Loaiza. It's not the big score the Yankees were hoping for, but I suppose they're banking on addition by subtraction. Contreras never managed it to put it all together for them, alternating between brilliant and awful, and probably never would have. I suspect that the White Sox will get the better end of this trade, now that Contreras is out of the glare of New York. The biggest trade of the day and year was a 4-team swap that sent Nomar Garciaparra from the Red Sox to the Cubs. This may be one of the rare trades that helps all teams involved.

Randy Staying Put?

I think it's time for the Yankees to make a hostile takeover bid for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona has steadfastly refused to acknowledge the omnipotence of the Yankees and cave in to King George's desire for Randy Johnson. Looks like Randy's not going anywhere as the witching hour (aka the non-waiver trading deadline) approaches in baseball.

The New York Who?

Ahem. I received an e-mail this morning from a regular reader and Red Sox fan who shall remain nameless. The e-mail said simply "The New York Who". Being the obnoxious Yankees fan I am, I shall proceed to answer that question in obnoxious Yankees fan style.

That would be the New York team who, even after dropping 2 out of 3 to the Boston team, still had a 7.5 game lead over that very Boston team that only had a .5 game lead on a wild card slot.

I trust this answers all questions.

Clemens/Piazza All-Star Top Ten List

From my brother, the Top Ten Things that Happened When Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza Teamed in Last Night’s All-Star Games

10. They announced that they will be forming a third-party ticket in this year’s presidential election.

9. They begged George Steinbrenner to team them together permanently – on the Yankees!

8. Piazza “accidentally” hit Clemens in the head as he was throwing the ball to second base on an attempted steal.

7. Clemens “accidentally” tripped Piazza while he was fielding a bunt that fell between them.

6. Daddy Bush, in attendance at the game, approached them about being joint U.S. ambassadors to Iraq, citing their calm personas and strong diplomatic skills.

5. Confused, Clemens threw at the head of A.L. all-star catcher Pudge Rodriquez, claiming he could have sworn it was Piazza batting.

4. They announced plans to team together in the baseball celebrity version of “Survivor.”

3. They discussed wallpaper patterns for the house they will begin sharing after the conclusion of the baseball season.

2. Piazza kissed Clemens three times, once on each cheek and then flush on the mouth, before introducing him to his cousin Vinny, the “plumber.”

1. Quoting Vice President Dick Cheney, Clemens told Piazza to go ^%$& himself and that next time the bat wouldn’t miss him.

Rocket Failure

As a Yankees fan who saw Roger fall apart last Memorial Day, against the Red Sox, in his quest to win his 300th game, let me just say: Bwahahahaha!

I never liked Roger anyway, referring to him regularly as a classless jerk (do a blog search on that term). A great pitcher, but a classless jerk. When he gets too pumped, as he probably was last night, he just gets wild and starts giving up runs left and right.

Painful

Ugh.

Fortunately for me, unlike Michele, I'm one of those Yankees fans who hate the Red Sox more than the Mets. To me, the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is THE rivalry. I'd be insulted if I found out that a Red Sox fan hated a team more than they hated the Yankees. That's just not right!

In fact, I don't even hate the Mets. I actually root for them, except when they're playing the Yankees. Hey, if a New York team wins, I'm happy. Except when that New York team beats the Yankees. Ugh.

Da Broom Is in Da House!

Oh yeah. How sweet it is. The Yankees widen their A.L. East lead to 8.5 games, and the Red Sox fall to 2 games out of the wild card slot.

New York Isn't Called the Empire State for Nothing

11-3. We are the Evil Empire, and we love it!

Giambugi

Giambi diagnosed with parasites? I thought Giambi was a parasite.

Good Things

...bear repeating. Lookee over there in the left column. This:

will remain there while the Yankees stay in first! Woohoo!

However, we will NOT discuss Jose Contreras

Bwahahahaha

Click on the button. Go on, I dare you!

I got the image from Michele.

We Are #1

Sure, you do something crazy like get some sleep, and the next thing you know, some pest is, well, pestering you about not having updated with the latest baseball standings. I was really tired yesterday and slept a lot. Sue me.

But in the meantime, yes, it's true! The Yankees are in first place in the A.L. East. Not just that, but they have the best record in baseball.

Yea Verily the Yankees Conspiracy Truly is Vast

An e-mail received from a regular reader who has one major character flaw - he's a Red Sox fan. Well, nobody's perfect.

I tried to post this at your blog in the comments section:

>>Eastern Division
----------------
W L PCT GB Home Away Div Streak
Boston 23 16 .590 --- 11-6 12-10 18-8 Won 1
NY Yankees 22 16 .579 1/2 13-7 9-9 4-8 Lost 1<<

I got this response: Your comment could not be submitted due to
questionable content: k

lol

I wasn't kidding when I said this blog was the home of the Vast Yankees Conspiracy.*

*Actually, I have no idea why that happened, but it's incredibly amusing and fitting. Besides, it is questionable content. Sure, the Red Sox are in first place right now (although if the Yankees win tonight, that might only last another couple of hours). But it's only May. Someone recently likened the Red Sox to daylight savings time - spring forward/fall back (I wish I could remember who, because it was brilliant, and he or she deserves credit). Oh yeah.

They Only Suck in that Suck Is the First Syllable of Success*

In a horrifying turn of events, some moron unfortunate arrived at my blog by doing a web search for yankees suck chant download. Heathen.

*Credit to beerzie boy for that suck/success thing.

You Know I Have to Do It

Yes, the Yankees are now tied with the Red Sox for first place.

How 'bout them Yanks?

More Fun With Statistics

After tonight's loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Red Sox are now playing .500 against teams not the Yankees.

Oh and the Yankees are now only one game behind the Red Sox and coming up fast. The Yankees have won their last 6 games. The Red Sox have lost their last 4.

Fun With Statistics

Did you know that the Yankees are playing .722 against teams not the Red Sox? And, conversely, the Red Sox are playing .563 against teams not the Yankees? The two teams play each other next on June 29th. May the trend continue (only may the Yankees beat the Red Sox next time around)!

UPDATE: Ooh, the Red Sox got swept by Texas this weekend (not as hideous a fate as it would have been in the days while Texas was still burdened with the huge A-Rod salary; like, you know, last year). They're now playing .525 against teams not the Yankees.

Fair Weather Fans

Okay, I am embarrassed by some of my fellow Yankees fans now. What's up with booing Derek Jeter? We do not boo our own team! We boo members of the opposing team. Booing your own team is the kind of crap Mets fans pull. Do we want to become like Mets fans? Oh, the humanity!

Play Ball?

Sigh. What a depressing Yankees game. Yet another loss to the hated Red Sox. Many squandered opportunities to win the game. Et tu, Bernie?

On the upside, it took precisely one homerun, followed by a single, to make me feel a lot better about A-Rod playing for the team, though.

Play Ball

I managed to score two tickets to tomorrow afternoon's Yankees/Red Sox hoedown at Yankees Stadium. I know, you're thinking "Yankees vs. Red Sox, baseball's oldest, most bitter rivalry. She must have had no trouble getting someone to take the second ticket." Ha! You'd be wrong. I finally just found someone to take the second ticket. But based on the number of rejections, you'd have thought I was asking people to attend a Knicks game or something.

Speaking of which, how sad is the NBA Eastern Conference that the Knicks, with a .476 record, managed to snag a playoff berth. In fact the Eastern Conference is so bad that, Boston, with a .439 record made the playoffs too.

The Boys of Summer

Baseball is back, and I'm glad. I don't really much care about any other sport. Football bores me. It also confuses me. I once was able to follow what John Madden traced with his light pen, which was one of the most profoundly frightening moments of my life. That thing is freaky.

Basketball is only exciting in the last quarter, and I don't want to sit through an entire game to watch the last 15 minutes. Not to mention that those "15 minutes" can take more like a half-hour. Besides, watching guys run around in tank tops and shorts just isn't as much fun for me as watching them run around in tight shirts and pants.

Speaking of watching guys run around in tight shirts and pants, the only sport to have this guy is baseball:

Yay baseball!

How Sweet It Is!

A-Rod came a few feet short of a grand slam in the seventh. The AL MVP had another quiet night in his second game for New York, going 0-for-5 and dropping to 1-for-9 with no RBIs.

Bwahahaha! Serves those damn Yankees and their Series-buying owner right. But, after all, we already knew that the Yankees suck.

A Googler After My Own Heart

Google Search: red sox suck email address. Unfortunately, I have no such e-mail address, but I am pleased and honored to learn that my blog is the 7th search result for such a fine Google.

Oh Yeah

An all-star shortstop turned third baseman - $183.6 million
Taunting Red Sox fans - priceless.

Actually, I think the potential trade is a bad idea and hope it doesn't go through. The Yankees shouldn't be throwing money after another pricey hitter. They should be throwing money at pitchers, get a good but not horrendously expensive third baseman to replace the moron Boone, and keep Soriano. But there is all that value in terms of pissing off Red Sox fans.

You gotta love sports rivalries.

Via Michele

Booing Boone

Aaron Boone should become nonguaranteed. But either way, who will play third base for the Yankees during the 2004 season? If I get my way, the answer is in the last sentence of the linked article.

Keep an eye on the Dodgers trade rumors; they have Jose Hernandez, former Yankee Robin Ventura, and Adrian Beltre - who is entering the final year of his contract.

Yes, bring back Robin Ventura. He played well for the Yankees. And he's a left-handed hitter, just what you want in the Stadium. The fact that he's cute and looks good in pinstripes doesn't dissuade me either.

Left Out

Oh joy. The Yankees now have no left-handed starters, as David Wells has signed a contract with the Padres.

Knicks' Holiday Season Layden with Good News

From the Fire Layden website - Knicks President Scott Layden has been fired. I love it when a plan comes together. He has been replaced by Isiah Thomas.

Pay-Rod

There is justice in the world. This is what should happen when you sell your soul for money. A-Rod, who prior to signing with Texas, was making noises about wanting to play for a Series contender, may well have stuck himself in the cellar for life due to his greed. A great player, but what does that mean when you play great for a lousy team? But Dan Wetzel puts it even better (presumably why he's paid to write): "Rodriguez will play out his prime in last place, posting Hall of Fame numbers for a Hall of Shame franchise."

Oh yeah.

Stupid Football Player Tricks

I've heard of a touchdown dance, but a touchdown cell phone call?

Aaargh!

I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.
I hate George Steinbrenner.

Dream Weaver?

From my brother, who appears very fond of the word vast. I was previously unaware of this particular quirk of his, but I suppose there are worse ones.

According to today's Newsday, the Yankees have offered Jeff Weaver to the Dodgers for Kevin Brown.

The hope is that the Dodgers would be willing to gamble that the younger and cheaper Weaver realizes his vast - I say VAST, got that? VAST - potential. The Dodgers would save about $9 million this year and $6 million next year, enough to ink some help for their offense.

The Yankees would be free of the headache that is Weaver and convert what's now a lost spot into the rotation into a productive spot without having to give up someone like Nick Johnson.

BTW, did I say that Weaver has VAST potential? That's VAST with a capital "V", which rhymes with "P", which stands for potential.

VAST!!!!!!!!!

It's hardly a secret that I would be more than happy to see Weaver off the Yankees, so I consider this a good short-term move. But I'm sorry, everybody knows that "P" stands for "pool". Robert Preston is rolling over in his grave.

Tino!

A banner day. The budget review meeting is finally over and went well, and my favorite baseball player has been traded to an American League team! Now I will be able to go to ogle see him play at Yankee Stadium again. I wonder if the Yankees sell a season ticket package just for games against the Devil Rays...

At the Old Ballgame

Baseball is over for the year. It's now time for fans of New York teams to settle in to the long dark winter of the goal. Let's just get right out in front of it.

The Giants suck.
The Rangers suck. Yes, they beat Detroit today. They still suck.
The Knicks suck. It's not even the regular season yet, but they have a losing preseason record. They suck.

Although neither the Devils nor the Nets suck, I'm not really a fan of either team. Also, they are the New Jersey Devils and the New Jersey Nets. I'm still a New Yorker at heart.*

Okay, the Islanders don't suck either. But I don't care. Never cared for the Islanders.

*Yes, I know that the New York Giants play in New Jersey, but they still call themselves the New York Giants. Perception is reality.

Cold Comfort

Well, I was right about the World Series going to six games. Unfortunately not the way I wanted it to. It is hard to win when you can't get a hit. Oh well. At least they didn't lose to the Red Sox. The 1918 jeer lives on!

Hopefully the Yankees will use the post-season to (1) do something about their bullpen, (2) get some hitting in the bottom of the rotation, and (3) make sure that they keep Andy Pettitte and get good replacements for Roger Clemens and potentially David Wells.

Today's Moment of Duh

Yes, after last night's game, I hope the bet I mentioned here is wrong. Now thank me for being Captain Obvious.

Godzilla!

My brother has officially allowed me to make fun of him (not that I might not have anyway) tonight. See, in this post I say that I think Torre should take Williams out of clean-up, since he's not hitting for power, and put Matsui, who is, there instead. My brother informs me why he thinks not. And yet tonight? Yes, Torre is batting Matsui at clean-up. Oh yeah.

Andy!

Some people, who shall remain nameless but just might happen to be my brother, didn't have great faith in Andy's ability to pitch well tonight. Fortunately Andy showed them up with a 6-1 victory over the Marlins. Andy pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings, and had Aaron Boone not dropped that damn ball that Cabrera hit, Andy probably would have pitched a complete shutout game.

Also good news was that the Yankee bats finally came to life. Giambi was hit by a pitch in the first, after which Bernie hit a single, and Matsui came up and hit a homerun. Although Matsui has been hitting regularly in the postseason.