Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Gary Sheffield 1B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
^ Possibly our line-up for the playoffs... an All-Star in every position...
People may state that there is too much offense in this line-up... what I mean is: Sheffield is a liability at 1B (though apparently, not as big of one as Giambi) and Melky is better defensively than Matsui...
However, I can see only one point being made here: If the Yankees fail to win the World Series with this line-up, it would truly be a team failure on all accounts. No excuses, putting it all on A-Rod (though Sheffield and Matsui didn't come through more often than not during last year's ALDS)... if we lose, it's a team effort, for a team with 9 All-Stars should not be able to make excuses...
Now, off to the game!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Why am I a fan?
Before I start... anyone remember the "How You Doin'" song series that played on Z100 and around the Stadium between 1999 and 2003?
I just found their CD, though I'm not desperate enough to get it.... if you hear the tracks on the CD, you can tell that the songs started to sound played out by 2003...
However, I just wanna hear from Joey Baseballs and Carmanooch one last time, maybe making a version of "How You Doin'" for a possible Subway Series, perhaps? Or even just for the playoffs? It'll be the best thing to hear on Z100 since Justin brought sexy back a few months ago...
But anyway, let's bring it back to the original questions Prez put out there in a forum topic...
1. "So why are you a fan? What made you a fan?"
B(rent)
I just found their CD, though I'm not desperate enough to get it.... if you hear the tracks on the CD, you can tell that the songs started to sound played out by 2003...
However, I just wanna hear from Joey Baseballs and Carmanooch one last time, maybe making a version of "How You Doin'" for a possible Subway Series, perhaps? Or even just for the playoffs? It'll be the best thing to hear on Z100 since Justin brought sexy back a few months ago...
But anyway, let's bring it back to the original questions Prez put out there in a forum topic...
1. "So why are you a fan? What made you a fan?"
When I was growing up, home videos proved that I was groomed to be a Mets fan. I had the Mets jacket, the Mets cap, and I even had the cocky Mets demeanor. I was this way all the way up to 1995. I started to watch TV, especially sports, more heavily than before. In that year, my allegiance within baseball and basketball were made. I became a Yankee fan and a Knicks fan that year. Though I am a disgrunted Knicks fan (screw you, Dolan!), I still love the team, especially doing the Patrick Ewing era. As for the Yankees, if this blog isn't a testament for my love of them, nothing can.2. "What games in you life stand out and you will always remember good and bad?"
What mades me a fan though? Maybe it's how closely I follow the team. Maybe it's the reason why I read the Times, Post and Daily News. Maybe it's the reverence I show for my Mariano Rivera jersey. Maybe it's the fact that I have a "game cap" and my "going out" Yankee caps. Maybe it's that I have so much Yankee stuff on my walls at home and at school that the walls are ready to fall with all the Yankee awesomeness.
But maybe... maybe, it's because the Yankees are a part of my identity as a person. Maybe it's because it brought me so many friends that I never thought I would have. Maybe it's because the Yankees are becoming more of my life every day I write in this blog, see a game, chat at the Yankees Empire, wear my "going out" cap, and go to the Stadium.
What makes me a fan? My love, appreciation, admiration, and dedication to my Yankees, period.
There are so many I can think of, but I'll go with three.3. "Who are some of your favorite players that we let go? Who are some of your favorite flops?"
a) May 10, 2006: I talked about it here, but the reasons why I'll always remember the game: it was my first Yankees/Red Sox game, Schilling got bombed, A-Rod was "clutch" and hit a HR to put us in the lead, and the rush I got from repping my Yankees in the midst of an absurd amount of Red Sox fans in the Stadium.
b) November 4, 2001: Mariano gives up the blooper and Arizona wins the World Series. I remember that I was completely stunned of the moment, but I don't remember being upset really. As cliche as this sounds, we all needed that World Series for obvious reasons. It had absolutely "perfect" games, as perfect as you can get in baseball. You have Game 4 with Jeter's walk-off, you have Game 5 with one of the most clutch performers in Yankee history tying the game with a HR (Brosius), you have the Yankees sending O'Neill with amazing cheering in Game 5, and you have the improbable happen in Game 7. By far, it was the best World Series I have ever seen.
c) October 16-17, 2003: I have been practicing this call almost every day, and I do it for the people on the subway going to Yankee games. Let's see how good I am with this...
"His first at-bat of the game... there's a fly-ball, deep into left, it's on its way, there it goes, and the Yankees are going to the World Series! Aaron Boone has hit a home run! The Yankees go to the World Series for the 39th time in their remarkable history. Aaron Boone, down the left field line. They are waiting for him at home plate, and now, he dives into the scrum! The Yankees win it 6 to 5!
Ball game over! American League Championship Series Over! Yankees win, the Yankees win!"
I just finished my homework when Boone hit his HR. I ran out in my underwear and I celebrated with my mom and grandmother downstairs in the kitchen for 5 minutes. I even ran outside in the house to celebrate... yes, only in my underwear.
It was amazing, to say the least, and a moment I will never forget.
Though I still like A-Rod over Soriano, Soriano is up there. Jon Lieber is up there as well. Andy Pettitte is also up there.4. "Who are the top Yankee players in your lifetime?"
Flops: Brien Taylor. Period.
To state them all is rather silly, so I'll just say Jeter and etc. and just move on.5. "Can you spot a bandwagon fan from a mile away? If so, what do you tell him/her? Are you a classy Yankee fan? Or, do you fit into the "typical Yankee" fan stereotype?"
Whenever I hear the voice of a girl screaming "Jeter! Jeter!" who won't listen to reason or debate, that's my sign to know that the person's a bandwagon fan. I don't say anything to them because it would be useless. I am a classy Yankee fan who gives respect where respect is due. However, I can be a jerk, which can be fun at times. Seriously.6. "How do you feel about our future? Are we building another dynasty? Damon, Jeter, Bobby, Alex, Jason, Matsui, Sheff, Cano, Jorge?"
As EJ from the Fire Joe Torre blog states, we have incredible pitching depth in the minors. Melky, Cano, and Wang shows what our farm system can reap and sow. Unlike the Red Sox (Cla Meredith, Anibal Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez), we didn't deal our cream-of-the-crops within our farm system. As more teams are paying and buying players as well as increasing payroll (the Mets and Blue Jays, among others), the Yankees did their best to reduce their payroll by 10 million dollars by Opening Day this year.Happy reading!
We're going on the right track. As my high school principal used to say about us at Paramus Catholic, "there's no better time to be a Yankee fan."
B(rent)
If I had to make up the postseason roster for the Yankees...
It would be a little different than what Torre probably has planned out...
Let's start simple and put in the ones that just have to be on the roster:
Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Posada, Matsui, Abreu, Damon, and Melky... that's a simple 8 right there...
Wang, Mussina and Johnson makes it 11... Rivera, Farnsworth, Proctor, and Myers makes it 15...
That gives some questions to be answered:
1. Sheffield will be on the roster, which will make it 16, but in what condition? It all depends on how Giambi responds from his time off this weekend... a torn ligament in your wrist is not exactly the easiest injury to rebound from, and, at this point, I sincerely just want to use Giambi as the DH and DH only, putting Sheffield at 1st...
That makes the roster 17...
2. Wright over Lidle as the 4th starter, making it 18... Lidle's last start against Tampa Bay settled his fate, though I personally love the guy and his 4th/5th starter stuff... will Lidle stay on the postseason roster? I would say maybe, as an emergency starter... making the roster turn to 19...
But Lidle over Rasner and Karstens? Karstens doesn't have strong stuff, but what he can do is get you strikes and get ahead of hitters, which is always dangerous. However, the Tigers and Twins aren't exactly the most patient of teams when it comes to hitters. Karstens has the stuff that can fool teams that are patient (i.e. the Red Sox), but other teams can jump on.
Rasner's been great, and if Torre takes him over Lidle, I won't be pissed off about it. Rasner has been quite effective, even on 3-day's rest, getting the win on the 18th in place of Lidle, yielding 3 runs. If Lidle is still injured, Rasner > Lidle and Karstens... I want to wait until Lidle comes back to say him definitely, but if Lidle struggles, Rasner should go in... it depends on how things go in the next couple of days...
3. Fasano's getting on the roster, making it 20... you gotta have a good back-up catcher, especially with Posada and the risk of injury... you also need a back-up infielder, so Cairo, come on down, you got 21...
4. Villone and Bruney are almost guaranteed spots due to Villone's great start and lefty arm (you know how Torre likes his lefties), and Bruney's success so far this year... that makes the roster 23...
5. I completely forgot all about Bernie... oh ye Yankee gods, please forgive me!
So let's recap: I have picked 24 players with 11 pitchers... here comes a big question: What else to do?
You have Wilson, Phillips, and Guiel to bring up... and let's not forget Rasner... 4 players, 1 spots... who gets in?
To me, you gotta take a back-up first baseman... however, I also am pulling to bring up a 12th pitcher...
At this point, I will take Wilson over Phillips for Wilson's more "seasoned", has more experience, fields better (.990 to .989, career-wise), and I have more confidence in his bat than Phillips...
I still feel conflicted with one idea: taking Guiel or Rasner... Guiel has played 11 games at 1st base this year and has not committed an error... if there was someway Torre can use Guiel as a defensive sub for these next few games to see how Guiel can really do at 1st, I'll take him...
However, maybe I'm just slap-happy over Guiel's 2-run blast last night, and not seeing who he really is: a very useful utility player who left the Royals for good, and has gotten better while wearing pinstripes... ahhhh! *sighs*
Let's be reasonable here: I'll take Wilson as my 25th... giving you guys your 25-man playoff roster...
If you can envision the starting line-up for game 1 against the Tigers (I hope) or Twins, here is what you have:
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Giambi DH
A-Rod 3B
Matsui LF
Sheffield 1B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Cabrera back-up OF(!)
Williams back-up OF
Wilson back-up 1B
Cairo back-up IF
Fasano back-up C
Wang (starter for game 1)
Mussina (game 2)
Johnson (game 3)
Wright (game 4, if needed)
Lidle or Rasner (emergency starter/long reliever)
Villone (Torre's whipping boy... I mean, Torre's next Paul Quantrill... I mean! Nevermind!)
Proctor (a man who found his groove as the middle reliever, and whose arm hasn't fallen off... yet)
Myers (left-handed specialist who has pitched to quite a number of righties lately... hmm...)
Bruney (everything that Farnsworth is with one added spice: he has balls... and he's younger too)
Farnsworth (a ball-less version of Bruney)
Rivera (Greatest of all time... closers, that is)
Ok, even if my starting line-up doesn't work out, think about this for one second: Cano, the man with the 3rd best batting average in the league (he will be qualified soon) will be batting 8th or even 9th!
Let that soak into your minds and hearts... ok? Ok! Think about this as well: the man who is only 2 points behind Ichiro in OBP... is our back-up outfielder!
This line-up can either be one of the best hitting line-up ever to win the World Series, or the best hitting line-up not to win the World Series, simple as that. Within that line-up, you have 9 former or current All-Stars hitting up and down that line-up... from Damon to Posada, you have all All-Stars! How sick is that?
Expect a post with questions answered from Prez on the next post...
And now... some music before you guys leave...
Here's some of the NWO Wolfpac Theme, as a tribute to Giambi, his time to heal, and the new song that pumps me up before every Yankee game... :-)
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Let's start simple and put in the ones that just have to be on the roster:
Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Posada, Matsui, Abreu, Damon, and Melky... that's a simple 8 right there...
Wang, Mussina and Johnson makes it 11... Rivera, Farnsworth, Proctor, and Myers makes it 15...
That gives some questions to be answered:
1. Sheffield will be on the roster, which will make it 16, but in what condition? It all depends on how Giambi responds from his time off this weekend... a torn ligament in your wrist is not exactly the easiest injury to rebound from, and, at this point, I sincerely just want to use Giambi as the DH and DH only, putting Sheffield at 1st...
That makes the roster 17...
2. Wright over Lidle as the 4th starter, making it 18... Lidle's last start against Tampa Bay settled his fate, though I personally love the guy and his 4th/5th starter stuff... will Lidle stay on the postseason roster? I would say maybe, as an emergency starter... making the roster turn to 19...
But Lidle over Rasner and Karstens? Karstens doesn't have strong stuff, but what he can do is get you strikes and get ahead of hitters, which is always dangerous. However, the Tigers and Twins aren't exactly the most patient of teams when it comes to hitters. Karstens has the stuff that can fool teams that are patient (i.e. the Red Sox), but other teams can jump on.
Rasner's been great, and if Torre takes him over Lidle, I won't be pissed off about it. Rasner has been quite effective, even on 3-day's rest, getting the win on the 18th in place of Lidle, yielding 3 runs. If Lidle is still injured, Rasner > Lidle and Karstens... I want to wait until Lidle comes back to say him definitely, but if Lidle struggles, Rasner should go in... it depends on how things go in the next couple of days...
3. Fasano's getting on the roster, making it 20... you gotta have a good back-up catcher, especially with Posada and the risk of injury... you also need a back-up infielder, so Cairo, come on down, you got 21...
4. Villone and Bruney are almost guaranteed spots due to Villone's great start and lefty arm (you know how Torre likes his lefties), and Bruney's success so far this year... that makes the roster 23...
5. I completely forgot all about Bernie... oh ye Yankee gods, please forgive me!
So let's recap: I have picked 24 players with 11 pitchers... here comes a big question: What else to do?
You have Wilson, Phillips, and Guiel to bring up... and let's not forget Rasner... 4 players, 1 spots... who gets in?
To me, you gotta take a back-up first baseman... however, I also am pulling to bring up a 12th pitcher...
At this point, I will take Wilson over Phillips for Wilson's more "seasoned", has more experience, fields better (.990 to .989, career-wise), and I have more confidence in his bat than Phillips...
I still feel conflicted with one idea: taking Guiel or Rasner... Guiel has played 11 games at 1st base this year and has not committed an error... if there was someway Torre can use Guiel as a defensive sub for these next few games to see how Guiel can really do at 1st, I'll take him...
However, maybe I'm just slap-happy over Guiel's 2-run blast last night, and not seeing who he really is: a very useful utility player who left the Royals for good, and has gotten better while wearing pinstripes... ahhhh! *sighs*
Let's be reasonable here: I'll take Wilson as my 25th... giving you guys your 25-man playoff roster...
If you can envision the starting line-up for game 1 against the Tigers (I hope) or Twins, here is what you have:
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Giambi DH
A-Rod 3B
Matsui LF
Sheffield 1B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Cabrera back-up OF(!)
Williams back-up OF
Wilson back-up 1B
Cairo back-up IF
Fasano back-up C
Wang (starter for game 1)
Mussina (game 2)
Johnson (game 3)
Wright (game 4, if needed)
Lidle or Rasner (emergency starter/long reliever)
Villone (Torre's whipping boy... I mean, Torre's next Paul Quantrill... I mean! Nevermind!)
Proctor (a man who found his groove as the middle reliever, and whose arm hasn't fallen off... yet)
Myers (left-handed specialist who has pitched to quite a number of righties lately... hmm...)
Bruney (everything that Farnsworth is with one added spice: he has balls... and he's younger too)
Farnsworth (a ball-less version of Bruney)
Rivera (Greatest of all time... closers, that is)
Ok, even if my starting line-up doesn't work out, think about this for one second: Cano, the man with the 3rd best batting average in the league (he will be qualified soon) will be batting 8th or even 9th!
Let that soak into your minds and hearts... ok? Ok! Think about this as well: the man who is only 2 points behind Ichiro in OBP... is our back-up outfielder!
This line-up can either be one of the best hitting line-up ever to win the World Series, or the best hitting line-up not to win the World Series, simple as that. Within that line-up, you have 9 former or current All-Stars hitting up and down that line-up... from Damon to Posada, you have all All-Stars! How sick is that?
Expect a post with questions answered from Prez on the next post...
And now... some music before you guys leave...
Here's some of the NWO Wolfpac Theme, as a tribute to Giambi, his time to heal, and the new song that pumps me up before every Yankee game... :-)
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Friday, September 22, 2006
A little "Did you know?" coming your way...
Do you know that the teams with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th highest payrolls in the MLB will most likely not make the playoffs this year?
Those teams are the Red Sox, Angels, and White Sox, respectfully...
The team with the 5th highest payroll is the Mets, and the Yankees obviously have the 1st...
What does this mean?
Though the Red Sox have Ortiz and Manny, and have Schilling and Beckett, and all that, the Red Sox have absolutely no depth... the Yankees went down with a rash of injuries and still held their ground, while the Red Sox flopped through their injuries...
I'll leave you tonight with that thought... :-)
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Those teams are the Red Sox, Angels, and White Sox, respectfully...
The team with the 5th highest payroll is the Mets, and the Yankees obviously have the 1st...
What does this mean?
Though the Red Sox have Ortiz and Manny, and have Schilling and Beckett, and all that, the Red Sox have absolutely no depth... the Yankees went down with a rash of injuries and still held their ground, while the Red Sox flopped through their injuries...
I'll leave you tonight with that thought... :-)
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
My second hiatus has ended and now, I begin again...
These hiatuses will probably only happen during the weekends and maybe, through midterms/final exams/big days with HW... but that's understandable, right?
Hmm, to go a bit off-topic, I sent my blog and my notice to the Sports editor for my school's local newspaper, and I still haven't gotten a reply back... now, I have no desire to bitch and complain about wanting to get on the newspaper, but the newspaper's known for not being responsive...
Clearly, I find it irresponsible not to get a reply back... but meh, if I don't get anything, it's, more or less, their loss and I move on...
Expect a Yankees Empire post from Thursday's game today along with my thoughts on the Boston series, and tonight's game, with the magic number being...
1!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Hmm, to go a bit off-topic, I sent my blog and my notice to the Sports editor for my school's local newspaper, and I still haven't gotten a reply back... now, I have no desire to bitch and complain about wanting to get on the newspaper, but the newspaper's known for not being responsive...
Clearly, I find it irresponsible not to get a reply back... but meh, if I don't get anything, it's, more or less, their loss and I move on...
Expect a Yankees Empire post from Thursday's game today along with my thoughts on the Boston series, and tonight's game, with the magic number being...
1!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
September 13, 2006 - Yankees 8, Devil Rays 4: If only he had more PAs...
What can I say about tonight's game and the experience there except... it's pretty awesome!
I went by myself to the real place where dreams come true... Tier Box 646, Row D, Seat 20... I took my camera, my notebook, some notes to read for school, and my spirit, and this is what transpired...
^ If someone could get me the name of the guy in the Tampa Bay bullpen who wears the girly backpack, I would really appreciate it!
Now, to the game...
A few changes were in the line-up: A-Rod hitting 4th instead of 5th, and Fasano instead of Posada in the line-up... I thought the A-Rod change was a little interesting, if A-Rod hits well in the 4th spot, it will cause major damage because the other team can't use a lefty-specialist to handle both Abreu and Giambi without dealing with A-Rod in between... apparently, tonight, this worked...
I get to my seat...
^ It was a good seat, it fit my butt pretty well... and the view I had was pretty decent...
Sure, you couldn't see half of left field, but if you're around good people and enjoying a great game, why not?
What about the game can I speak about?
Let's try the first inning...
5 pitches into the game, a Baldelli HR into left... 15 pitches into the game, Crawford HR into right... add in there, A-Rod's throwing error and you got yourself a real dandy top of the 1st inning... but the Yankees responded...
Before the start of the 1st, I took out my notebook, copied down Hammel's stats and wrote in big letters (and circled) "ROOKIE", it has been well-documented that the Yankees have more trouble with pitchers they have never faced before than with veterans and 2nd/3rd year pitchers... that theory didn't hold water tonight, as plainly seen in the bottom of the 1st...
Damon walked, Jeter gets a single to extend his hitting streak to 22 games, Abreu walks, A-Rod hits a dribbler to B.J. Upton who misplays the ball barehand... it was ruled a single but many of us (including me) thought it was an error... Giambi hits into a double play... except that he actually beats out the throw to first... Cano hits a sac fly, and Matsui ends the inning with a fly out to center field... Score: Yankees 3, Devil Rays 2...
Fast-forward to the bottom of the 3rd inning... with 2 outs, A-Rod hits a monster shot into the black seats in CF for a solo shot, making the score 4-2... Giambi hits one of his two singles through the shift... and Cano comes up...
Before Cano starts to get into the box, a woman behind me asks her 3 or (possibly) 4-year old son if Cano will hit the ball, the kid says "no"... I immediately turned around and said, "I hope the kid is wrong"... boy, was he ever... Cano hits a 2-run HR into the seats in RF... Score: Yankees 6, Devil Rays 2
Cory Lidle started off shaky but it seems that he turned it on until the top of the 4th... Cantu files out to Damon, and B.J. Upton is up... Upton hits a liner off of Lidle's foot, the ball gets to Cano, and Cano throws to Giambi, but Upton beats it out...
^ Ok, how many guys does it take to check out one guy's foot? The entire infield, Guidry, the medical staff, 2 members from Boyz 2 Men, Randy Johnson's love child, Paul Lo Duca's 19-year-old short-time mistress (very hot, I may add), and the entire University of Louisville's marching band gathered around Lidle to make sure he was alright...
Though he didn't limp trying to make the play and he seemed to throw fine, what happened afterwards may refute that assessment: Zobrist (what a name) walks, Paul singles, Upton scores...
At this point, Bruney and Myers both start to warm up... Baldelli strikes out, Delmon "Throw a Bat at a Ump" Young flies out to Damon, and the inning was done...
Top of the 5th, Crawford singles and steals 2nd on a high throw by Posada that Jeter saved from going into the outfield, the DH Norton singles, and Crawford scores, effectively ending Lidle's night...
Lidle's line: 4+ innings, 4 runs, 9 hits, 1 man left on, one walk, 2 Ks... not exactly the most impressive thing in the world, and it was his second straight disappointing start...
Up comes Brian Bruney, the man I have been talking about in the blog so far... what he did in the top of the 5th shows how dominant he has been for the Yankees so far: he gets Ty Wigginton to check swing groundout to him, in a full count, he gets Cantu looking at a 97-mph fastball for the K, and he gets Upton to fly out to Abreu...
Bruney effectively pitches 2+ innings on 26 pitches, one hit, 2 Ks... his K to IP is now 1.8... and to me, he basically pitched himself not only a win in tonight's game, but a spot on the postseason roster...
Bruney seems long removed from his time as Arizona's closer, eh?
Mike Myers comes in after Bruney, pitches 2/3rd of an inning, getting Crawford to ground into a double play and pitching a walk... who comes in for Myers in the top of the 7th?
^ I groaned, I moaned, I almost cried, but the same man who received August's Pitcher of the Month before the game (for the Yankees) is the same man pitching on one day's rest and who has pitched in 4 of the last 5 Yankee games...
He didn't fall flat on his face, he pitched as effectively as he has all season, pitching 1.1 innings, getting a man to strike out, and only yielding one hit...
I would have loved to see Proctor get another day's rest and put Villone in there to see if he has worked out his problems, but then again, who would you put out there? Farnsworth was coming in later, Dotel pitched yesterday, Karstens would be used in a long-relief role, Mo's out, and Myers/Bruney already pitched... I can't argue too much about the choice, but I still didn't feel too great about it...
At least, his arm doesn't seem affected by the lack of rest... and that's a good thing...
My player-of-the game, Robinson Cano hits a bases loaded double in the bottom of the 7th to increase the lead 8-4, which says that way partly because of an impressive appearance by Kyle Farnsworth, who got Baldelli and Young to strike out, and Norton to fly out (with a Crawford double in between)...
Nat left me a comment to discuss Cano and his performance in the blog... I always give what my readers want... well, up to this point...
Robinson Cano has been incredible since he came back off the DL on August 8th...
Here are his splits (AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS) in the months of August and September (so far):
August: .351/.373/.598/.970 with 12 doubles and 23 RBIs...
September: .364/.391/.545/.937 with 5 doubles and 9 RBIs so far...
So Cano has been hitting .355 since coming off the DL... I don't know about you, but that's really impressive...
Because of him being on the DL, at this point, Cano does not have enough plate appearances to be a part of the batting title chase... the leaders of the AL batting title chase are:
So, if Cano had enough plate appearances to be mentioned in the AL batting title, he would be ranked 3rd with a .337 BA... it has been talked about on WCBS that Cano may reach the number of PAs in a week or two... if that is so, Mauer and Jeter, watch out!
If only he had enough PAs now, he'll be in the chase, but just watch out...
And some people still have the nerve not to rank Cano as one of the top 5 second basemen in the game today...
Final score: Yankees 8, Devil Rays 4...
Magic number:
^ Thanks Wikipedia...
*******
Wang pitches tomorrow, looking to get his MLB-lead-tying 18th win... I'll be going with two of my friends at Fordham, and probably meeting a few more members from the Empire at the game... Section 39, that's where it goes down...
Hopefully, God will hold some of the rain back so we can get the game in... and if not, well... then... uh...
Happy reading!
B(rent)
I went by myself to the real place where dreams come true... Tier Box 646, Row D, Seat 20... I took my camera, my notebook, some notes to read for school, and my spirit, and this is what transpired...
^ If someone could get me the name of the guy in the Tampa Bay bullpen who wears the girly backpack, I would really appreciate it!
Now, to the game...
A few changes were in the line-up: A-Rod hitting 4th instead of 5th, and Fasano instead of Posada in the line-up... I thought the A-Rod change was a little interesting, if A-Rod hits well in the 4th spot, it will cause major damage because the other team can't use a lefty-specialist to handle both Abreu and Giambi without dealing with A-Rod in between... apparently, tonight, this worked...
I get to my seat...
^ It was a good seat, it fit my butt pretty well... and the view I had was pretty decent...
Sure, you couldn't see half of left field, but if you're around good people and enjoying a great game, why not?
What about the game can I speak about?
Let's try the first inning...
5 pitches into the game, a Baldelli HR into left... 15 pitches into the game, Crawford HR into right... add in there, A-Rod's throwing error and you got yourself a real dandy top of the 1st inning... but the Yankees responded...
Before the start of the 1st, I took out my notebook, copied down Hammel's stats and wrote in big letters (and circled) "ROOKIE", it has been well-documented that the Yankees have more trouble with pitchers they have never faced before than with veterans and 2nd/3rd year pitchers... that theory didn't hold water tonight, as plainly seen in the bottom of the 1st...
Damon walked, Jeter gets a single to extend his hitting streak to 22 games, Abreu walks, A-Rod hits a dribbler to B.J. Upton who misplays the ball barehand... it was ruled a single but many of us (including me) thought it was an error... Giambi hits into a double play... except that he actually beats out the throw to first... Cano hits a sac fly, and Matsui ends the inning with a fly out to center field... Score: Yankees 3, Devil Rays 2...
Fast-forward to the bottom of the 3rd inning... with 2 outs, A-Rod hits a monster shot into the black seats in CF for a solo shot, making the score 4-2... Giambi hits one of his two singles through the shift... and Cano comes up...
Before Cano starts to get into the box, a woman behind me asks her 3 or (possibly) 4-year old son if Cano will hit the ball, the kid says "no"... I immediately turned around and said, "I hope the kid is wrong"... boy, was he ever... Cano hits a 2-run HR into the seats in RF... Score: Yankees 6, Devil Rays 2
Cory Lidle started off shaky but it seems that he turned it on until the top of the 4th... Cantu files out to Damon, and B.J. Upton is up... Upton hits a liner off of Lidle's foot, the ball gets to Cano, and Cano throws to Giambi, but Upton beats it out...
^ Ok, how many guys does it take to check out one guy's foot? The entire infield, Guidry, the medical staff, 2 members from Boyz 2 Men, Randy Johnson's love child, Paul Lo Duca's 19-year-old short-time mistress (very hot, I may add), and the entire University of Louisville's marching band gathered around Lidle to make sure he was alright...
Though he didn't limp trying to make the play and he seemed to throw fine, what happened afterwards may refute that assessment: Zobrist (what a name) walks, Paul singles, Upton scores...
At this point, Bruney and Myers both start to warm up... Baldelli strikes out, Delmon "Throw a Bat at a Ump" Young flies out to Damon, and the inning was done...
Top of the 5th, Crawford singles and steals 2nd on a high throw by Posada that Jeter saved from going into the outfield, the DH Norton singles, and Crawford scores, effectively ending Lidle's night...
Lidle's line: 4+ innings, 4 runs, 9 hits, 1 man left on, one walk, 2 Ks... not exactly the most impressive thing in the world, and it was his second straight disappointing start...
Up comes Brian Bruney, the man I have been talking about in the blog so far... what he did in the top of the 5th shows how dominant he has been for the Yankees so far: he gets Ty Wigginton to check swing groundout to him, in a full count, he gets Cantu looking at a 97-mph fastball for the K, and he gets Upton to fly out to Abreu...
Bruney effectively pitches 2+ innings on 26 pitches, one hit, 2 Ks... his K to IP is now 1.8... and to me, he basically pitched himself not only a win in tonight's game, but a spot on the postseason roster...
Bruney seems long removed from his time as Arizona's closer, eh?
Mike Myers comes in after Bruney, pitches 2/3rd of an inning, getting Crawford to ground into a double play and pitching a walk... who comes in for Myers in the top of the 7th?
^ I groaned, I moaned, I almost cried, but the same man who received August's Pitcher of the Month before the game (for the Yankees) is the same man pitching on one day's rest and who has pitched in 4 of the last 5 Yankee games...
He didn't fall flat on his face, he pitched as effectively as he has all season, pitching 1.1 innings, getting a man to strike out, and only yielding one hit...
I would have loved to see Proctor get another day's rest and put Villone in there to see if he has worked out his problems, but then again, who would you put out there? Farnsworth was coming in later, Dotel pitched yesterday, Karstens would be used in a long-relief role, Mo's out, and Myers/Bruney already pitched... I can't argue too much about the choice, but I still didn't feel too great about it...
At least, his arm doesn't seem affected by the lack of rest... and that's a good thing...
My player-of-the game, Robinson Cano hits a bases loaded double in the bottom of the 7th to increase the lead 8-4, which says that way partly because of an impressive appearance by Kyle Farnsworth, who got Baldelli and Young to strike out, and Norton to fly out (with a Crawford double in between)...
Nat left me a comment to discuss Cano and his performance in the blog... I always give what my readers want... well, up to this point...
Robinson Cano has been incredible since he came back off the DL on August 8th...
Here are his splits (AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS) in the months of August and September (so far):
August: .351/.373/.598/.970 with 12 doubles and 23 RBIs...
September: .364/.391/.545/.937 with 5 doubles and 9 RBIs so far...
So Cano has been hitting .355 since coming off the DL... I don't know about you, but that's really impressive...
Because of him being on the DL, at this point, Cano does not have enough plate appearances to be a part of the batting title chase... the leaders of the AL batting title chase are:
| 1. Joe Mauer, Min | .348 |
| 2. Derek Jeter, NYY | .346 |
| 3. Vladimir Guerrero, LAA | .330 |
| 4. Miguel Tejada, Bal | .327 |
| 5. Justin Morneau, Min | .325 |
So, if Cano had enough plate appearances to be mentioned in the AL batting title, he would be ranked 3rd with a .337 BA... it has been talked about on WCBS that Cano may reach the number of PAs in a week or two... if that is so, Mauer and Jeter, watch out!
If only he had enough PAs now, he'll be in the chase, but just watch out...
And some people still have the nerve not to rank Cano as one of the top 5 second basemen in the game today...
Final score: Yankees 8, Devil Rays 4...
Magic number:
^ Thanks Wikipedia...
*******
Wang pitches tomorrow, looking to get his MLB-lead-tying 18th win... I'll be going with two of my friends at Fordham, and probably meeting a few more members from the Empire at the game... Section 39, that's where it goes down...
Hopefully, God will hold some of the rain back so we can get the game in... and if not, well... then... uh...
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
September 12, 2006 - Yankees 12, Devil Rays 4: Hugs and hand-pounds, y'all!
Before I start my post on the game, and before I go insane after posting a Stuart Scott quote as my title, I'd like to show you a picture from MLB.com and show you my intelligent and thoughtful inquiries on it... (thanks to Shaft for pointing me to it!)
Matsui: "Damnnnnn, those are some fine Japanese bitches out in right!"
Sheffield (looking out at Abreu in right field): "Who the fuck are you?"
And those are all my thoughts for tonight! Happy reading...
*5 seconds have passed*
You really thought I was going to do that and go all Royales With Cheese on you? I'm glad you think better of me not to do that... even though I do like me some royales with cheese now and then...
*******
Those 7 stars above this sentence symbolizes Bobby Abreu's 7 RBI night... but let's throw in there some stats on him and the team...
Bobby has now gotten 96 RBIs this year... A-Rod has 108, Giambi has 107, Jeter has 92 RBIs, and Posada has 80 as of today...
Assuming that Jeter and Abreu are both almost destined to get 100 RBIs at this point, having 4 100-RBI men on your team is an amazing feat... however, if Posada can get 19 more RBIs in these next 21 games... the Yankees of 2006 will be one of only four teams who has boasted 5 100-RBI men in one season (thanks Baseball Toaster!)...
What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? One of the three teams, the 1936 New York Yankees, won the World Series, starting the dynasty in the late '30s... and in 1894!, the Boston Beaneaters (should have kept the game) didn't make it to the championship series after winning it twice before, and the Baltimore Orioles lost 4-0 in the championship series to the New York Giants...
Basically, the stat is something great to look at, and maybe, just maybe, it's a small sign of the quality of the team that it can be up there in RBIs with the '36 Yankees... and of course, the Beaneaters and Orioles too... :-P
Matsui's back, and in a big way, going 4-for-4 with a RBI... I think God's rewarding my thoughts of the postseason line-up, even if it's just for one day...
My idea for a postseason line-up (against right-handers, preferably):
Damon
Jeter
Abreu
Giambi
A-Rod
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Melky
With Matsui being the DH, of course... the line-up will change for left-handers, depending on how Sheffield reacts to playing again... the match-up plans would be: L, R, L, L, R, L, R (S), L, R for right-handers, which is the best match-up situation that you could possibly get at this point...
I can't wait for Sheffield's return, and see his debut... hopefully, he'll return back with a fire in his belly and in his bat... if he does, we will be stacked, and though that will be a problem, it will be a good problem... :-)
Last, but not least, the game of baseball has so many twists and turns that Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-0 with 3 walks and a HBP, still has his hitting streak intact... but then again, that's the beauty of baseball: the weird, human aspects of the game as well as the statistical evidence that make people like me drool...
Baseball has something for everyone: from fit guys (well, except Sal Fasano and David Wells) in tight pants for the less dedicated women crowd to the essence of community... from numbers and stats to debates and arguments... from the feel of the ballpark to October baseball... and from the sandlots of our youth to the established monuments of today... baseball has it all, and I can't believe God granted me the privilege to detail it every day, if I choose...
Lidle pitches tomorrow, trying to bounce back from his less-than-stellar performance in his last outing... I will be there in Tier Box 646, with my camera and my notebook, taking notes for you guys... Cory Lidle has shown to be the 4th/5th starter the Yankees have been looking for, let's hope he can provide another big performance...
He pitches against Jason Hammel? Let's hope for the rookie pitcher disease not to catch on tomorrow night... especially with me in attendance! :-P
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Matsui: "Damnnnnn, those are some fine Japanese bitches out in right!"
Sheffield (looking out at Abreu in right field): "Who the fuck are you?"
And those are all my thoughts for tonight! Happy reading...
*5 seconds have passed*
You really thought I was going to do that and go all Royales With Cheese on you? I'm glad you think better of me not to do that... even though I do like me some royales with cheese now and then...
*******
Those 7 stars above this sentence symbolizes Bobby Abreu's 7 RBI night... but let's throw in there some stats on him and the team...
Bobby has now gotten 96 RBIs this year... A-Rod has 108, Giambi has 107, Jeter has 92 RBIs, and Posada has 80 as of today...
Assuming that Jeter and Abreu are both almost destined to get 100 RBIs at this point, having 4 100-RBI men on your team is an amazing feat... however, if Posada can get 19 more RBIs in these next 21 games... the Yankees of 2006 will be one of only four teams who has boasted 5 100-RBI men in one season (thanks Baseball Toaster!)...
What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? One of the three teams, the 1936 New York Yankees, won the World Series, starting the dynasty in the late '30s... and in 1894!, the Boston Beaneaters (should have kept the game) didn't make it to the championship series after winning it twice before, and the Baltimore Orioles lost 4-0 in the championship series to the New York Giants...
Basically, the stat is something great to look at, and maybe, just maybe, it's a small sign of the quality of the team that it can be up there in RBIs with the '36 Yankees... and of course, the Beaneaters and Orioles too... :-P
Matsui's back, and in a big way, going 4-for-4 with a RBI... I think God's rewarding my thoughts of the postseason line-up, even if it's just for one day...
My idea for a postseason line-up (against right-handers, preferably):
Damon
Jeter
Abreu
Giambi
A-Rod
Matsui
Posada
Cano
Melky
With Matsui being the DH, of course... the line-up will change for left-handers, depending on how Sheffield reacts to playing again... the match-up plans would be: L, R, L, L, R, L, R (S), L, R for right-handers, which is the best match-up situation that you could possibly get at this point...
I can't wait for Sheffield's return, and see his debut... hopefully, he'll return back with a fire in his belly and in his bat... if he does, we will be stacked, and though that will be a problem, it will be a good problem... :-)
Last, but not least, the game of baseball has so many twists and turns that Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-0 with 3 walks and a HBP, still has his hitting streak intact... but then again, that's the beauty of baseball: the weird, human aspects of the game as well as the statistical evidence that make people like me drool...
Baseball has something for everyone: from fit guys (well, except Sal Fasano and David Wells) in tight pants for the less dedicated women crowd to the essence of community... from numbers and stats to debates and arguments... from the feel of the ballpark to October baseball... and from the sandlots of our youth to the established monuments of today... baseball has it all, and I can't believe God granted me the privilege to detail it every day, if I choose...
Lidle pitches tomorrow, trying to bounce back from his less-than-stellar performance in his last outing... I will be there in Tier Box 646, with my camera and my notebook, taking notes for you guys... Cory Lidle has shown to be the 4th/5th starter the Yankees have been looking for, let's hope he can provide another big performance...
He pitches against Jason Hammel? Let's hope for the rookie pitcher disease not to catch on tomorrow night... especially with me in attendance! :-P
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Monday, September 11, 2006
September 11, 2006 - Yankees 9, Orioles 6: What a way to get your 17th, Randy! and Jeter's last laugh...
Randy Johnson becomes the 4th man in the MLB to get 17 wins, giving up five runs and nine hits in 6 innings of work... Johnson stayed in long enough in the game to earn his 17th because of the Yankees' 6-run 7th inning, capped by Robinson Cano's bases-clearing double...
However, before you got that double, you have Guiel get hit, Damon walking, our MVP candidate getting a single to load them up, Abreu's sac fly, A-Rod's single to drive in a run, and Posada's hit by pitch before Cano's double... that's how you play to win...
The Yankees don't survive only on the long ball, these Yankees manufacture runs through singles, walks, sac flies, etc...
A few things to mention about tonight's game:
1. What is up with Johnson? His run support in this game was critical, getting 7 runs of run support... it's the story of the year so far: Johnson pitches a great game, almost no-hits a team, and the next game out, he buckles and yields 5 or more runs... it's incredible inconsistency, with Johnson having a 4.84 ERA, and yet, still getting 17 wins...
2. Even with that, Cy Young candidate Wang and Johnson both have 17 wins, which is admirable and worth applauding...
3. Ok... *holds my breath and my voice as much as I can*
PROCTOR HAS PITCHED IN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES!!! COME ON, TORRE!!!
*breathes again, normally*
Ok, Proctor has now 91 innings under his belt... Proctor has been one of our most effective bull-pen guys this year... and Torre decides to pitch him again?!?!?
WTF, mate??? Give Proctor some rest... can someone start a petition about that? Please? Pretty please?
4. Brian Bruney... another strong outing, one inning, 2 strikeouts... o.84 ERA in 11 games, 16 K... has pitched back-to-back yesterday and today, without yielding one hit... what is there to be said? Bruney is looking like the last player the Yankees will take with them into the postseason...
*************
From MLB.com:
You stay classy, Boston...
But really, Jeter responded in the way you'd expect a player with class to speak of: focusing on the playoffs instead of the MVP...
In other words, David Ortiz just got owned... :-)
*************
Mussina pitches for his 14th win tomorrow against the Devil Rays at the Stadium, it will be the only game I won't be attending this series, which I'm very excited about!
Pictures will follow the games...
Let's hope that Mussina comes back and pitches like his dominant self tomorrow!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
However, before you got that double, you have Guiel get hit, Damon walking, our MVP candidate getting a single to load them up, Abreu's sac fly, A-Rod's single to drive in a run, and Posada's hit by pitch before Cano's double... that's how you play to win...
The Yankees don't survive only on the long ball, these Yankees manufacture runs through singles, walks, sac flies, etc...
A few things to mention about tonight's game:
1. What is up with Johnson? His run support in this game was critical, getting 7 runs of run support... it's the story of the year so far: Johnson pitches a great game, almost no-hits a team, and the next game out, he buckles and yields 5 or more runs... it's incredible inconsistency, with Johnson having a 4.84 ERA, and yet, still getting 17 wins...
2. Even with that, Cy Young candidate Wang and Johnson both have 17 wins, which is admirable and worth applauding...
3. Ok... *holds my breath and my voice as much as I can*
PROCTOR HAS PITCHED IN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES!!! COME ON, TORRE!!!
*breathes again, normally*
Ok, Proctor has now 91 innings under his belt... Proctor has been one of our most effective bull-pen guys this year... and Torre decides to pitch him again?!?!?
WTF, mate??? Give Proctor some rest... can someone start a petition about that? Please? Pretty please?
4. Brian Bruney... another strong outing, one inning, 2 strikeouts... o.84 ERA in 11 games, 16 K... has pitched back-to-back yesterday and today, without yielding one hit... what is there to be said? Bruney is looking like the last player the Yankees will take with them into the postseason...
*************
From MLB.com:
So... I think there's only one thing really left to say on this topic...Talk of whether Jeter is a worthy candidate or not surfaced before Monday's game, a day after Red Sox slugger David Ortiz indicated that he would be a better choice than Jeter, even though Boston will probably not advance into the postseason...
Jeter, who extended his career high hitting streak to 21 games in the first inning Monday, responded to Ortiz's comments prior to the game.
"I don't have to do it in his lineup," Jeter said. "I'm not thinking about winning the MVP. I'm just thinking about winning the division. No one's focus here is on individual awards. We've got something to play for."
Johnny Damon, who played with Ortiz for the past three seasons in Boston, said Ortiz's comments didn't sound like something the Red Sox designated hitter would normally say. This year, Damon has seen Jeter on an everyday basis.
"He's gotten clutch hit after clutch hit," Damon said. "I'm going to choose my teammate, bottom line. I see the value Derek brings."
You stay classy, Boston...
But really, Jeter responded in the way you'd expect a player with class to speak of: focusing on the playoffs instead of the MVP...
In other words, David Ortiz just got owned... :-)
*************
Mussina pitches for his 14th win tomorrow against the Devil Rays at the Stadium, it will be the only game I won't be attending this series, which I'm very excited about!
Pictures will follow the games...
Let's hope that Mussina comes back and pitches like his dominant self tomorrow!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Finally, a new post!
After a small hiatus (filled with lots of work, moving around, and rest), I'm back to being able to write on this blog...
To all respect for the victims and the people remembering 9/11, I won't expound on it today on this blog, that's due for my other personal blogs, but I do ask you guys to take some time, meditate, pray, and remember what happened, and also remember how much you have grown since 5 years ago...
I'd like to jump back into the thick of things by addressing an article that this forum topic on the un-private New York Yankees group brought me to...
From ESPN.com:
While that may be very true, why would Ortiz even say that about his team? Mike Lowell, Mike Loretta, and the Jew are pulling together good enough numbers to help the team out in the line-up... and let's not forget Manny!
I'll say this: if I have a line-up that has 2 MVP candidates hitting incredibly while having an average line-up around me, I would be pretty damn happy about that line-up... most GMs would be happy with that fact as well... but Ortiz? Apparently, he doesn't have enough faith in his line-up...
3. They gave A-Rod the MVP when he was on the Rangers because his numbers were above and beyond anything that any other player could put up... however, Papi doesn't have numbers that are abouve and beyond all the players in the AL...
My MVP pick, Jermaine Dye, is posting a 41 HR/112 RBIs season while playing in 3 less games, and posting a better OPS% (OPS = OBP + SLG)... and let's not forget, he (unlike Papi at this point) has the pressure of a very tight playoff race in the AL Central...
4. My last point: I have had a lot of respect for David Ortiz, I feel extremely bad for him with his irregular heartbeat problems, I applauded his clutch efforts this year and the last two years, I hated the man before because he is so good as a hitter and a personality... he's the player that most teams would want on their squad...
However, reading these comments, it makes me re-think about my original thoughts about him. Sure, he's a great hitter, but I would not want a guy who will whine about a very useless award, while only focusing on his personal accomplishments. The Red Sox are 7.5 games out of the Wild Card race, sinking faster than the Titanic, and yet, he cares enough about the MVP award that he would tear into his team and his team's line-up, when the team is already down and out...
Way to kick your team when it's down, Big Papi... but most importantly, way to be a real MVP... and way to destroy your MVP chances now...
There is something positive you can say about this though: it gives Big Papi something to talk about, while his team continues its trek into the off-season, filled with golf tournaments and free Big Papi sandwiches for all!
**************
After his one-hit performance, Johnson is back on the hill tonight, facing Kris "Mets reject" Benson... it should be a good game, and I hope that Johnson will continue to build off his performance from last game...
As Steve mentioned in WasWatching.com today, we could use Johnson's Ks in the playoffs... we could use them in a major way...
Go Yankees!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
To all respect for the victims and the people remembering 9/11, I won't expound on it today on this blog, that's due for my other personal blogs, but I do ask you guys to take some time, meditate, pray, and remember what happened, and also remember how much you have grown since 5 years ago...
I'd like to jump back into the thick of things by addressing an article that this forum topic on the un-private New York Yankees group brought me to...
From ESPN.com:
"I'll tell you one thing," Ortiz said. "If I get 50 home runs and 10 more RBI [which would give him 137], that's going to be a round number that no one else in the American League will have."
"But they'll vote for a position player, use that as an excuse. They're talking about [Derek] Jeter a lot, right? He's done a great job, he's having a great season, but Jeter is not a 40-homer hitter or an RBI guy. It doesn't matter how much you've done for your ball club, the bottom line is, the guy who hits 40 home runs and knocks in 100, that's the guy you know helped your team win games.
"Don't get me wrong -- he's a great player, having a great season, but he's got a lot of guys in that lineup," Ortiz continued. "Top to bottom, you've got a guy who can hurt you. Come hit in this lineup, see how good you can be."Ortiz said if he had a vote, he might cast it for Jermaine Dye or Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox, or Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins. ...
"I'm right there," he said, "but I'm not going to win it. They give it to [Rodriguez] one year, even though his team was in last place, so now they can't play that BS anymore, just because your team didn't make it. They gave it to Alex that year because of his numbers. But they always have a reason to vote for whatever, so that's why I don't worry about it."
Not worrying about it, Papi? Heh, doesn't seem like it with your comments...
What can be said of Ortiz's "whining"?
1. As crazy as this may sound, hitting 2nd in a line-up doesn't provide protection quite like hitting 3rd in a line-up before another true MVP candidate, Manny Ramirez...
Sure, Jeter doesn't have those power numbers, but just because you have two guys who are hitting 40 HRs and driving in more than 100 RBIs doesn't mean that the one guy who's hitting .345, 13 HRs, 91 RBIs (he just might get to 100 RBIs, Big Papi, does that make him an RBI man?), getting 29 stolen bases... and he leads all MVP candidates in one interesting stat... sacrifice bunts! He has 7, which ties him for 6th overall in the AL...
He moves the players around, getting players in scoring position, which (unlike whining about the MVP award) is quite unselfish and very valuable for a player to do...
We all know that having 2 men who can hit 40 HRs and drive in 100 RBIs doesn't exactly help a team win games when they actually matter...
^ Doesn't this picture remind you of that simple fact?
While that may be very true, why would Ortiz even say that about his team? Mike Lowell, Mike Loretta, and the Jew are pulling together good enough numbers to help the team out in the line-up... and let's not forget Manny!
I'll say this: if I have a line-up that has 2 MVP candidates hitting incredibly while having an average line-up around me, I would be pretty damn happy about that line-up... most GMs would be happy with that fact as well... but Ortiz? Apparently, he doesn't have enough faith in his line-up...
3. They gave A-Rod the MVP when he was on the Rangers because his numbers were above and beyond anything that any other player could put up... however, Papi doesn't have numbers that are abouve and beyond all the players in the AL...
My MVP pick, Jermaine Dye, is posting a 41 HR/112 RBIs season while playing in 3 less games, and posting a better OPS% (OPS = OBP + SLG)... and let's not forget, he (unlike Papi at this point) has the pressure of a very tight playoff race in the AL Central...
4. My last point: I have had a lot of respect for David Ortiz, I feel extremely bad for him with his irregular heartbeat problems, I applauded his clutch efforts this year and the last two years, I hated the man before because he is so good as a hitter and a personality... he's the player that most teams would want on their squad...
However, reading these comments, it makes me re-think about my original thoughts about him. Sure, he's a great hitter, but I would not want a guy who will whine about a very useless award, while only focusing on his personal accomplishments. The Red Sox are 7.5 games out of the Wild Card race, sinking faster than the Titanic, and yet, he cares enough about the MVP award that he would tear into his team and his team's line-up, when the team is already down and out...
Way to kick your team when it's down, Big Papi... but most importantly, way to be a real MVP... and way to destroy your MVP chances now...
There is something positive you can say about this though: it gives Big Papi something to talk about, while his team continues its trek into the off-season, filled with golf tournaments and free Big Papi sandwiches for all!
**************
After his one-hit performance, Johnson is back on the hill tonight, facing Kris "Mets reject" Benson... it should be a good game, and I hope that Johnson will continue to build off his performance from last game...
As Steve mentioned in WasWatching.com today, we could use Johnson's Ks in the playoffs... we could use them in a major way...
Go Yankees!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Small hiatus, my apologizes...
I should inform people now... there will be times when I will take a small 2-3 day hiatus from writing in the blog because of college, the work that's involved and the like...
So for your treat tonight, here's a pitcher of a little hint of redemption, and a little ribbing against "the Wonder Kid" Theo Epstein... :-)
Enjoy your night, kids, and see you tomorrow...
Major Number = 14!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
So for your treat tonight, here's a pitcher of a little hint of redemption, and a little ribbing against "the Wonder Kid" Theo Epstein... :-)
Enjoy your night, kids, and see you tomorrow...
Major Number = 14!
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
September 5, 2006 - Royals 5, Yankees 0: 0-for-11...
The stat on my title says it all: we left 11 men on base, and none of them came home... we got on, but we couldn't drive them home, simple as that...
There's not a lot I can really say about the game: Mussina goes 5+ innings, yielding 8 hits and 4 runs, including the HR to Emil Brown that knocked Mussina out of the game... I don't know what to make of his 1st performance back, he didn't look particularly sharp, though he threw 58 strikes out of 86 pitches... but I can give him the shadow of a doubt because it's his first performance back...
The two things that I found impressive were:
1. Brian Bruney... he's still 24, pitched another impressive outing today, striking out 1 in one inning of work, reaching up to 97/98 mph on his fastball...
Did I also mention that he has 13 strikeouts in 8.1 innings? That's... pretty good for a 24-year-old... pretty good...
Just wondering, is it Cashman's job to make other teams (especially the Nationals and D'Backs) look foolish? Rasner and Bruney look like the Small/Chacon pick-ups of last year: small under-the-radar pick-ups that can help the yankees... except Rasner and Bruney are both young and the up-side for both of them are greater than that of Small and Chacon...
Small/Chacon: helped at the moment... Ranser/Bruney: possible help for the future? Only time will tell...
2. Oh, my Lord, Torre finally put Dotel in! Dotel pitched a scoreless and hitless inning with one walk and one strikeout... more work for Dotel will be great for the rest of the season, just so Torre and the rest of us can see where Dotel lies in Torre's plans for the bullpen in the postseason...
And Sean Henn made an appearance tonight, after his not-too-impressive debut in the majors last year (posting an 11.12! ERA in 3 games and 11.1 innings), yielding one run in one inning of work... last year, I gave him an excuse because he was called up from AA, but this year? Eh... he's still 25, we'll see how the rest of the year goes...
Tomorrow, Randy Johnson pitches... he has been pitching... well... mediocrely the last three games, yielding at least 4 earned runs the last 3 games, but Randy has pitched at least 7+ innings the last 3 outings... I'm hoping for a good performance, 6+ inning, 2 earned runs, or 7+ inning, 3 earned runs (so we can save our bullpen), but then again, these are the Royals, who have given the Red Sox, White Sox and Twins trouble this season...
We'll see if the Big Unit can pitch and dominate against the likes of John Buck and Shane Costa...
Happy reading!
B(rent)
There's not a lot I can really say about the game: Mussina goes 5+ innings, yielding 8 hits and 4 runs, including the HR to Emil Brown that knocked Mussina out of the game... I don't know what to make of his 1st performance back, he didn't look particularly sharp, though he threw 58 strikes out of 86 pitches... but I can give him the shadow of a doubt because it's his first performance back...
The two things that I found impressive were:
1. Brian Bruney... he's still 24, pitched another impressive outing today, striking out 1 in one inning of work, reaching up to 97/98 mph on his fastball...
Did I also mention that he has 13 strikeouts in 8.1 innings? That's... pretty good for a 24-year-old... pretty good...
Just wondering, is it Cashman's job to make other teams (especially the Nationals and D'Backs) look foolish? Rasner and Bruney look like the Small/Chacon pick-ups of last year: small under-the-radar pick-ups that can help the yankees... except Rasner and Bruney are both young and the up-side for both of them are greater than that of Small and Chacon...
Small/Chacon: helped at the moment... Ranser/Bruney: possible help for the future? Only time will tell...
2. Oh, my Lord, Torre finally put Dotel in! Dotel pitched a scoreless and hitless inning with one walk and one strikeout... more work for Dotel will be great for the rest of the season, just so Torre and the rest of us can see where Dotel lies in Torre's plans for the bullpen in the postseason...
And Sean Henn made an appearance tonight, after his not-too-impressive debut in the majors last year (posting an 11.12! ERA in 3 games and 11.1 innings), yielding one run in one inning of work... last year, I gave him an excuse because he was called up from AA, but this year? Eh... he's still 25, we'll see how the rest of the year goes...
Tomorrow, Randy Johnson pitches... he has been pitching... well... mediocrely the last three games, yielding at least 4 earned runs the last 3 games, but Randy has pitched at least 7+ innings the last 3 outings... I'm hoping for a good performance, 6+ inning, 2 earned runs, or 7+ inning, 3 earned runs (so we can save our bullpen), but then again, these are the Royals, who have given the Red Sox, White Sox and Twins trouble this season...
We'll see if the Big Unit can pitch and dominate against the likes of John Buck and Shane Costa...
Happy reading!
B(rent)
A survey, an article, and a rant... all in ONE post! 3 for the price of one!
While randomly browsing through the Baseball group on MySpace, I came across a survey written by a member named Romi-o... he asks questions that jab at many people's childhood dream: to actually play in the MLB...
1. I'd play for the Yankees (duh) or the Red Sox, actually... it would be interesting to be a part of a great rivalry, and take in Boston and the people in it... hey, if Craig Hansen can do it, so can I!
2. I'd want to meet Joe Torre if I was on the Yankees, and ask about why he manages his bullpen in the way he does... I'd want to meet Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox and see if he really has the stuff to be a starter in the league next year...
3. I'd be a utility man, playing 1st base, catcher, and a little outfield, if needed... I have experience in all three, as well as 3rd base, but balls getting hit to the "hot corner", as in my corner every time I'm called to play? Yea... no...
My hitting prowess in modified slow-pitch softball (line-drive hitter who has started to hit opposite field) would translate into an utility man playing just above replacement-level in the majors... :-P
4. 63... my two favorite players are Paul O'Neill and Mariano Rivera... 21 + 42 = 63... plus all my favorite numbers would be retired or in the process of being retired: 3, 13, and 21... (yes, I have hopes that A-Rod's number would be retired as a Yankee... if he helps us win a World Series)...
5. Lenny Harris, move over! I want the most pinch-hits in a career record! I'm absolutely serious!
6. World Series, and Mr. Congeniality... :-)
And to add something in there...
My at-bat song would be: Baby Ranks feat. Notch - Verme for a few reasons: I like music that I can dance to when I'm going to bat... I would love to have some Hispanic cred with the players on the team (especially since I'm half Puerto Rican)... and it will get the crowd hyped... just look at the fans react to Bobby Abreu's at-bat selection of C & C Music Factory - Boriqua Anthem...
*thinks to himself* But Bobby's Venezuelan...
*********************
Anyway, onto the article!
My friend Lea directed me to an article I first read on Steve's Waswatching.com comments a few days ago from Wallace Matthews detailing A-Rod and whether he's "stat-padding" now in September...
1. Mr. Matthews is one of many who can still get on A-Rod, no matter the circumstance... the thing is, with many things in life, if you have something against a player or a thing, you can find any sort of logic to prove your point...
So A-Rod hits well now, he has come through in the clutch, especially in memorable spots this season against the Braves and the Mets, when the Yankees were chasing for the AL East title... he has put up the numbers, earning his 9th straight 30 HR/100 RBI season... but many can look at that and say "well, this isn't October"...
All I can really say to that is two things:
1. You gotta play well through May through September in order to make October... and A-Rod has had a good May, a good July, and so far, he's having a pretty good September (do you sense a pattern?)
2. The Yankees aren't winning in spite of A-Rod and his stats... to make that assumption would be ridiculous... this isn't Kenny Rogers in 1996, this isn't Jared Wright, this is A-Rod, arguably one of the top five best players in the game today...
Yes, I may get frustrated at him, like I do with every Yankee player when they don't come through, but I honestly don't think that A-Rod is hurting the team more than he's helping it... it's a team effort, not just an A-Rod effort...
When the Yankees won in the postseason, it was because different players help carry the team over the hump to win... it could be Jeter one year, Brosius another year, Mariano one year, Wetteland another year... to expect A-Rod to carry the team into the World Series is a tad bit ridiculous, especially since many view the leadership role to handle that type of burden as being held by Mr. November and 2006 AL MVP candidate, Derek Jeter...
But eh, apparently, we'll see in October, and see if A-Rod can continue to try and silence Mr. Matthews and the "hypocrites" that are New York fans... is it wrong that I found that offensive?
Speaking of A-Rod, on a side note, let's congratulate Mr. Alex Rodriguez himself for earning Player-of-the-Week honors this past week, hitting .375 with a 1.042 Slugging %, one double, 5 HRs and 11 RBIs... whether this award means anything or not, A-Rod still gets a really nice watch... or time-piece, as MLB.com states it as... and I always liked nice watches... :-)
*********************
And now, my rant...
Am I the only guy out there who is absolutely sick and tired of the New York media talking over and over again about the 1986 New York Mets?
Yes, it was 1986, and yes, this is the first time the Mets will win the NL East since 1989, and yes, there were great players on that team (Dr. K, Strawberry, etc etc.)... but two things should be in mind:
1. The Mets were one out away from losing the World Series... and one Bill Buckner play from going into the 11th in Game 6... and 2. It was 20 years ago!
It's surprising that there aren't celebrations, ceremonies, or the like for the 1996 team which have those two players: Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry... 10 years later, winning another World Series together along with another former teammate: David Cone...
Apparently, to the New York media, a World Series championship that started one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history isn't as important as a World Series championship that only tell of what could have happened (a few more World Series championships for the Mets, perhaps?)... *shrugs*...
I don't blame New York and Met fans for looking fondly back 20 years ago, I still look fondly back to '96, '98, '99, and 2000 and I look fondly to our future... only differences: I have more opportunities to look fondly back on... and I have less time to complain about other teams (Braves and Yankees, anyone?) and their successes and their payrolls and the like, even though, now, the Mets own the highest payroll of any team in the NL... :-)
**Disclaimer: This isn't a stab to the smart and intelligent Met fans who know what they are talking about... it's just a stab to the ones who still complain about the Yankees, even though the Yankees don't play in their division and they don't play the Mets 17 times during the season. It's rather annoying, especially when the Mets still have to play the playoffs and get in the World Series, if at that. Worry about the NL, and then, worry about us if the Mets and Yankees make the World Series, period.**
Oh! Last but not least...
^ I highly recommend the book... it details the '96 Yankees in amazing detail and great behind-the-scenes stories...
Happy reading and let's go Mussina!
B(rent)
For anyone else who is gonna post this, answer these questions:Unlike on the Baseball group, I'll go into a bit more detail with my answers here...
1) What team will you play for?
2) Who would you want to meet first on that team?
3) What position would you play?
4) What number would you be?
5) What record would you want to break? (Most strikeouts per season, most career homers, etc)
6) What would you prefer to win? (World Series, MVP, any other award)
1. I'd play for the Yankees (duh) or the Red Sox, actually... it would be interesting to be a part of a great rivalry, and take in Boston and the people in it... hey, if Craig Hansen can do it, so can I!
2. I'd want to meet Joe Torre if I was on the Yankees, and ask about why he manages his bullpen in the way he does... I'd want to meet Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox and see if he really has the stuff to be a starter in the league next year...
3. I'd be a utility man, playing 1st base, catcher, and a little outfield, if needed... I have experience in all three, as well as 3rd base, but balls getting hit to the "hot corner", as in my corner every time I'm called to play? Yea... no...
My hitting prowess in modified slow-pitch softball (line-drive hitter who has started to hit opposite field) would translate into an utility man playing just above replacement-level in the majors... :-P
4. 63... my two favorite players are Paul O'Neill and Mariano Rivera... 21 + 42 = 63... plus all my favorite numbers would be retired or in the process of being retired: 3, 13, and 21... (yes, I have hopes that A-Rod's number would be retired as a Yankee... if he helps us win a World Series)...
5. Lenny Harris, move over! I want the most pinch-hits in a career record! I'm absolutely serious!
6. World Series, and Mr. Congeniality... :-)
And to add something in there...
My at-bat song would be: Baby Ranks feat. Notch - Verme for a few reasons: I like music that I can dance to when I'm going to bat... I would love to have some Hispanic cred with the players on the team (especially since I'm half Puerto Rican)... and it will get the crowd hyped... just look at the fans react to Bobby Abreu's at-bat selection of C & C Music Factory - Boriqua Anthem...
*thinks to himself* But Bobby's Venezuelan...
*********************
Anyway, onto the article!
My friend Lea directed me to an article I first read on Steve's Waswatching.com comments a few days ago from Wallace Matthews detailing A-Rod and whether he's "stat-padding" now in September...
A few things can be said about the article...He knocked in five of the Yankees' 10 runs and, under mild prodding, took his third curtain call of the past four days for the largest regularly assembled group of hypocrites in the history of sports. (The second largest holds its meetings across town at Shea Stadium, chanting "MVP!" for Carlos Beltran, last year's punching bag.)...
No matter how many gaudy statistics Rodriguez hangs up in the next 27 regular-season games, his odometer, like everyone else's, rolls back to zero
Oct. 3. That is when we, and Rodriguez, must start all over again.
In his office after the game, Torre was asked if Rodriguez is capable of "carrying" his team.
"Well, he's doing a pretty good job right now," Torre said.
Of course he is. Right now, the burden of carrying the Yankees is light housekeeping.A month from now, it will become heavy lifting, and once again, the burden will be on Rodriguez to prove he is up to the task.
1. Mr. Matthews is one of many who can still get on A-Rod, no matter the circumstance... the thing is, with many things in life, if you have something against a player or a thing, you can find any sort of logic to prove your point...
So A-Rod hits well now, he has come through in the clutch, especially in memorable spots this season against the Braves and the Mets, when the Yankees were chasing for the AL East title... he has put up the numbers, earning his 9th straight 30 HR/100 RBI season... but many can look at that and say "well, this isn't October"...
All I can really say to that is two things:
1. You gotta play well through May through September in order to make October... and A-Rod has had a good May, a good July, and so far, he's having a pretty good September (do you sense a pattern?)
2. The Yankees aren't winning in spite of A-Rod and his stats... to make that assumption would be ridiculous... this isn't Kenny Rogers in 1996, this isn't Jared Wright, this is A-Rod, arguably one of the top five best players in the game today...
Yes, I may get frustrated at him, like I do with every Yankee player when they don't come through, but I honestly don't think that A-Rod is hurting the team more than he's helping it... it's a team effort, not just an A-Rod effort...
When the Yankees won in the postseason, it was because different players help carry the team over the hump to win... it could be Jeter one year, Brosius another year, Mariano one year, Wetteland another year... to expect A-Rod to carry the team into the World Series is a tad bit ridiculous, especially since many view the leadership role to handle that type of burden as being held by Mr. November and 2006 AL MVP candidate, Derek Jeter...
But eh, apparently, we'll see in October, and see if A-Rod can continue to try and silence Mr. Matthews and the "hypocrites" that are New York fans... is it wrong that I found that offensive?
Speaking of A-Rod, on a side note, let's congratulate Mr. Alex Rodriguez himself for earning Player-of-the-Week honors this past week, hitting .375 with a 1.042 Slugging %, one double, 5 HRs and 11 RBIs... whether this award means anything or not, A-Rod still gets a really nice watch... or time-piece, as MLB.com states it as... and I always liked nice watches... :-)
*********************
And now, my rant...
Am I the only guy out there who is absolutely sick and tired of the New York media talking over and over again about the 1986 New York Mets?
Yes, it was 1986, and yes, this is the first time the Mets will win the NL East since 1989, and yes, there were great players on that team (Dr. K, Strawberry, etc etc.)... but two things should be in mind:
1. The Mets were one out away from losing the World Series... and one Bill Buckner play from going into the 11th in Game 6... and 2. It was 20 years ago!
It's surprising that there aren't celebrations, ceremonies, or the like for the 1996 team which have those two players: Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry... 10 years later, winning another World Series together along with another former teammate: David Cone...
Apparently, to the New York media, a World Series championship that started one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history isn't as important as a World Series championship that only tell of what could have happened (a few more World Series championships for the Mets, perhaps?)... *shrugs*...
I don't blame New York and Met fans for looking fondly back 20 years ago, I still look fondly back to '96, '98, '99, and 2000 and I look fondly to our future... only differences: I have more opportunities to look fondly back on... and I have less time to complain about other teams (Braves and Yankees, anyone?) and their successes and their payrolls and the like, even though, now, the Mets own the highest payroll of any team in the NL... :-)
**Disclaimer: This isn't a stab to the smart and intelligent Met fans who know what they are talking about... it's just a stab to the ones who still complain about the Yankees, even though the Yankees don't play in their division and they don't play the Mets 17 times during the season. It's rather annoying, especially when the Mets still have to play the playoffs and get in the World Series, if at that. Worry about the NL, and then, worry about us if the Mets and Yankees make the World Series, period.**
Oh! Last but not least...
^ I highly recommend the book... it details the '96 Yankees in amazing detail and great behind-the-scenes stories...
Happy reading and let's go Mussina!
B(rent)
September 4, 2006 - Yankees 12, Royals 5: "It is high, it is far, it is... OFF the center field wall!"
To start the post, I'd like to show the play-by-play from MLB.com of the top of the 8th inning:
Whether the come-back is against the Devil Rays, the Rangers or the Royals, every epic comeback like this will always leave a great taste in your mouth...
The reason that makes this come-back even more sweet is how the runs were scored: with singles, walks, and power blasts... A-Rod starting the rally with a single, Posada coming through with a 2-run blast, Cano still hitting (to hit over .350 after coming off the DL is just flat-out good) with the single and HR, Bernie being productive in the pinch-hit role...
And Bobby Abreu, whose name was mis-spelled in the defense play-sheet on the Kansas City broadcast and whose double call was messed up by Mr. John Sterling (shown by the title), coming through with a big double...
From the AP:
Tonight's game was a perfect example. Though the Yankees didn't do much against Luke Hudson, the Yankees made him throw 113 pitches before the 7th inning... the weakness of many teams is their bullpen, and if the Yankees can continue to look for their pitches and make pitchers work, they will be able to work on the bullpen, quite like a teenage boy rubs and washes his face just to get ready to work on popping the big zit staring at him on his forehead...
The 10-run inning overshadows a 5.2 inning, 7 hit, 3 run performance by Wang and a terrible home plate call by the ump in the 6th inning...
Let's hope that Mussina comes back and dominates after coming off the DL tomorrow...
And let me take this time to offer my congrats to Mr. Carlos Pena of the Boston Red Sox for his walk-off HR...
Here's a brief history of Carlos Pena, written by... uh... me!:
Magic number: 17
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Jimmy Gobble replaces Luke Hudson.
Top 8TH B:2 S:2 O:0
Alex Rodriguez singles on a soft line drive to center fielder Joey Gathright.
Top 8TH B:1 S:2 O:0
Jorge Posada homers (17) on a fly ball to right center field. Alex Rodriguez scores.
Top 8TH B:0 S:1 O:0
Robinson Cano singles on a ground ball to left fielder David DeJesus.
Top 8TH B:4 S:0 O:0
Melky Cabrera walks. Robinson Cano to 2nd.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Bernie Williams replaces Aaron Guiel.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Scott Dohmann replaces Jimmy Gobble.
Top 8TH B:4 S:2 O:0
Bernie Williams walks. Robinson Cano to 3rd. Melky Cabrera to 2nd.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Andrew Sisco replaces Scott Dohmann.
Top 8TH B:1 S:1 O:0
Johnny Damon singles on a ground ball to center fielder Joey Gathright. Robinson Cano scores. Melky Cabrera scores. Bernie Williams to 2nd.
Top 8TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Derek Jeter strikes out swinging.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Bobby Abreu doubles (39) on a fly ball to center fielder Joey Gathright. Bernie Williams scores. Johnny Damon scores.
Top 8TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Jason Giambi grounds out, second baseman Mark Grudzielanek to first baseman Ryan Shealy. Bobby Abreu to 3rd.
Top 8TH B:4 S:2 O:2
Alex Rodriguez walks.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Pitcher Change: Ambiorix Burgos replaces Andrew Sisco.
Top 8TH B:1 S:2 O:2
Jorge Posada singles on a soft pop up to shortstop Angel Berroa. Bobby Abreu scores. Alex Rodriguez to 3rd.
Top 8TH B:0 S:1 O:2
Robinson Cano homers (9) on a fly ball to right field. Alex Rodriguez scores. Jorge Posada scores.
Top 8TH B:1 S:0 O:3
Melky Cabrera flies out to left fielder David DeJesus.
Whether the come-back is against the Devil Rays, the Rangers or the Royals, every epic comeback like this will always leave a great taste in your mouth...
The reason that makes this come-back even more sweet is how the runs were scored: with singles, walks, and power blasts... A-Rod starting the rally with a single, Posada coming through with a 2-run blast, Cano still hitting (to hit over .350 after coming off the DL is just flat-out good) with the single and HR, Bernie being productive in the pinch-hit role...
And Bobby Abreu, whose name was mis-spelled in the defense play-sheet on the Kansas City broadcast and whose double call was messed up by Mr. John Sterling (shown by the title), coming through with a big double...
From the AP:
RF Bobby Abreu matched a career high with three doubles. ``He fits this team like a glove,'' Alex Rodriguez said.I whole-heartedly agree... the man affectionately known as "the Eye" by NoMaas.org fits perfectly in the 3rd spot for the simple fact that he sees so many pitches (as apparent in his OBP% since coming to the Yankees: .463!) , and putting him with Giambi and A-Rod following, pitchers would have to tire out before the 7th...
Tonight's game was a perfect example. Though the Yankees didn't do much against Luke Hudson, the Yankees made him throw 113 pitches before the 7th inning... the weakness of many teams is their bullpen, and if the Yankees can continue to look for their pitches and make pitchers work, they will be able to work on the bullpen, quite like a teenage boy rubs and washes his face just to get ready to work on popping the big zit staring at him on his forehead...
The 10-run inning overshadows a 5.2 inning, 7 hit, 3 run performance by Wang and a terrible home plate call by the ump in the 6th inning...
Let's hope that Mussina comes back and dominates after coming off the DL tomorrow...
And let me take this time to offer my congrats to Mr. Carlos Pena of the Boston Red Sox for his walk-off HR...
Here's a brief history of Carlos Pena, written by... uh... me!:
If you need a history lesson, Pena was a member of the Tigers since 2002 until 2005... the Yankees picked him off of waivers, played on the Clippers for 105 games, posting a .260 batting average until he exercised a clause in his contract, becoming a free agent...Apparently, Pena was raised around the Boston area... I'm glad he's happy and I hope he likes golf... I heard there are good country clubs around Boston, especially during October... :-)
Pena signed with the Red Sox on August 16th, he played his first game as a Sox on the 28th, and now, he hit the walkoff...
Magic number: 17
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Sunday, September 03, 2006
September 3, 2006 - Yankees 10, Twins 1: A sign of the future?
I'll like to start this blog post with a quote from Mr. Tim Kurkjian about what players who must perform down the stretch:
August 31st: 3-for-4, 2 runs, one 2b, one HR, 2 RBIs, and one stolen base...
September 1st: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs...
September 2nd: 0-for-3, one K...
And today, September 3rd: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 HRs, 5! RBIs... and maybe, the most important stat, no boos...
Granted, the man the Twins put out there to pitch today, Matt Garza, is a rookie, and Pat Neshek (the man A-Rod took deep in the 7th) is a rookie as well... but this game was huge for A-Rod and the Yankees for a few reasons...
1. Throughout the season, the Yankees have had problems with pitchers they have never faced before... and Matt Garza (as forementioned before) is a rookie who the Yankees never faced before...
2. The Twins are a potential ALDS opponent, and any time you can beat up on a team you may face in the playoffs is always a good thing (granted, no Santana and Liriano this series, but let's stay positive here :-P)...
3. It only takes a few at-bats for someone to get hot... and in the past 4 days, A-Rod has gone 9-for-17 with 5 HRs and 10 RBIs, helping him have another 30 HR/100 RBI season for the 9th straight season (2nd behind Jimmie Foxx with 12)... if A-Rod's hot, going into the playoffs, the "A-Rod isn't clutch" talks may finally fade away...
4. Darrell Rasner made the Nationals look foolish waiving him earlier in the year... the man doesn't have blow-you-away stuff (95+ mph fastball and the like), but his off-speed stuff can get many batters off-balance, as the Twins clearly showed today with Rasner's 1 run, 6 inning outing...
If Rasner was able to pitch a few games earlier in the year, I would have said that his performance today (and against the Tigers June 1st, 1.2 innings, one hit, one K) was Aaron Small-like... but to me, relating any pitcher to Aaron Small or Shawn Chacon is a kiss-of-death, and would I really want to jinx a pitcher's career like that? I didn't think so...
and 5. A look at the box score today shows that more good was done...
Scott Proctor rebounds from his last outing (giving up a 3 run HR... let's not talk about that) with a hitless/scoreless 1.1 inning outing with one walk... and Farnsworth comes in with a hitless/scoreless 1 inning outing with 1 K...
Our bullpen will need to be on if we want to have a chance in the playoffs, period. If Farnsworth, Proctor and Villone (hopefully, he bounces back) can get going by the end of September, they should be ready for the postseason...
However, rest is needed... we'll see how Torre works all that out during the rest of the month...
Happy reading!
B(rent)
New York YankeesMr. Kurkjian wrote this article on September 1st. Let's look at his game-lines from August 31st on...
Alex Rodriguez. His horrendous play -- he is mired in a 7-for-39 slump with 16 strikeouts -- is what makes baseball so great. The best player in the American League over the last 10 years is playing as if he has forgotten how to play.
RodriguezThis never happens in football or basketball. No great NBA shooting guard wonders if he's ever going to hit another shot. Michael Jordan, even on the worst day of his prime, was always the best player on the court.
But just as quickly as a player can lose it in baseball, he can find it, also without explanation. Rodriguez needs to find it now if the Yankees are going back to the World Series.
August 31st: 3-for-4, 2 runs, one 2b, one HR, 2 RBIs, and one stolen base...
September 1st: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs...
September 2nd: 0-for-3, one K...
And today, September 3rd: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 HRs, 5! RBIs... and maybe, the most important stat, no boos...
Granted, the man the Twins put out there to pitch today, Matt Garza, is a rookie, and Pat Neshek (the man A-Rod took deep in the 7th) is a rookie as well... but this game was huge for A-Rod and the Yankees for a few reasons...
1. Throughout the season, the Yankees have had problems with pitchers they have never faced before... and Matt Garza (as forementioned before) is a rookie who the Yankees never faced before...
2. The Twins are a potential ALDS opponent, and any time you can beat up on a team you may face in the playoffs is always a good thing (granted, no Santana and Liriano this series, but let's stay positive here :-P)...
3. It only takes a few at-bats for someone to get hot... and in the past 4 days, A-Rod has gone 9-for-17 with 5 HRs and 10 RBIs, helping him have another 30 HR/100 RBI season for the 9th straight season (2nd behind Jimmie Foxx with 12)... if A-Rod's hot, going into the playoffs, the "A-Rod isn't clutch" talks may finally fade away...
4. Darrell Rasner made the Nationals look foolish waiving him earlier in the year... the man doesn't have blow-you-away stuff (95+ mph fastball and the like), but his off-speed stuff can get many batters off-balance, as the Twins clearly showed today with Rasner's 1 run, 6 inning outing...
If Rasner was able to pitch a few games earlier in the year, I would have said that his performance today (and against the Tigers June 1st, 1.2 innings, one hit, one K) was Aaron Small-like... but to me, relating any pitcher to Aaron Small or Shawn Chacon is a kiss-of-death, and would I really want to jinx a pitcher's career like that? I didn't think so...
and 5. A look at the box score today shows that more good was done...
Scott Proctor rebounds from his last outing (giving up a 3 run HR... let's not talk about that) with a hitless/scoreless 1.1 inning outing with one walk... and Farnsworth comes in with a hitless/scoreless 1 inning outing with 1 K...
Our bullpen will need to be on if we want to have a chance in the playoffs, period. If Farnsworth, Proctor and Villone (hopefully, he bounces back) can get going by the end of September, they should be ready for the postseason...
However, rest is needed... we'll see how Torre works all that out during the rest of the month...
Happy reading!
B(rent)
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Every blog needs a start... this is mine...
So, how the heck should I start this Yankee blog? I mean, there are millions of blogs out there, and this blog's going to be just another Yankee blog in the bunch... many people won't read it, nor even know its existance...
Why am I even starting this blog in the first place? For three reasons...
Why am I even starting this blog in the first place? For three reasons...
- I'm inspired to... I'm inspired to write due to my love for Yankee blogs like: Replacement Level Yankees Weblog, WasWatching, Fire Joe Torre Blog, and Baseball Toaster: Bronx Banter...
All four are very well-written, and quite entertaining, especially Steve's WasWatching.com... - I'm a regular blog myself... I had my first blog when I was a freshman in high school about 5 years ago... though my blog posts in those times were the talk of the school and everyone who was talked about in my blog, it didn't make me write better... it only made me write more maliciously... I even got in trouble in high school for my blogs, but let's not get into that... :-)
I still write in my blogs now (GreatestJournal, LiveJournal, Xanga), but not as much as I used to... I use the blogs to show what I can do on YouTube and the like... - It's my dream... by the end of this semester, I will probably declare a double major: History (focused on US History) and Communications (focused on Journalism)... my dream would be to write for the Yankees, to be a beat writer, to be at the games, writing on my little laptop (ala Bob Ryan), and make money in that way... I also would love to put my history knowledge within my writings, as well as my love for Christ and my journey with God...
Maybe this blog will help me fulfill that dream... :-)
I'll start this blog by actually listing a few things about me and my Yankee fan-dom and my writing style (in case you didn't guess by now :-P)...
I'll list 13 things about me, in honor of my 5th favorite player in baseball, Mr. Alexander Emmanuel RodrÃguez himself...
- Just to put this out there before anyone starts to ask: Yes, I like putting ellipsises at the ends of my statements, I use smilies, and I can ramble on... it's my writing style, and it's (in some ways) like the way I talk...
- Many baseball fans (and players) have songs that they listen to that pumps them up for the upcoming game... for me, that song would be "Jay-Z vs. Linkin Park - Encore vs. Numb", A-Rod's former walk-up song before he changed it to Missy Elliott's "Lose Control"...
Reason why? The song details A-Rod's career and situation in New York more than he will ever know... but that's a subject and topic for another post... - I have been only able to own one Yankee jersey... but of course, it's of my favorite current Yankee...
Mr. Greatest Modern-Day Closer of All-Time, Mariano Rivera... - My blog title...
When I have time, I usually head down to MySpace and check out a few Yankees groups and the official Baseball MySpace group to add my 2 cents... however, my MySpace group of choice is the Yankees Empire, where I would argue my points about certain issues using basic and not-so-basic statistics...
An Elite member of the group named Laura started calling me her "Pocket Stat Boy" and the name stayed with me ever since... - I speak with my mind first, heart second, gut third, and out of my butt last... well, I do when it comes to baseball... though I do use stats to support my points at times, I just like talking baseball and my Yankees, period.
- I have a soft spot for the New York Mets... I'll admit that... a few years ago, I saw some home-video footage of me, wearing Mets gear... I was 6 in the video, not knowing what I was doing to myself... until I started watching TV and having the revelation that I was to be a Yankee fan in 1995, I didn't know that I was wearing Met gear...
The Mets have always been the lovable losers and the arrogant winners... however, I have respect for their 2000 team , and I always love seeing them beat up on the Braves, when they are able to... and I have incredible respect for Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, and John Franco...
Heck, the Mets almost got me to actually start liking Pedro... key word: almost... - To me, Paul O'Neill symbolized everything a Yankee should be in one word: warrior... that's why I don't know if I could never accept Carl Pavano as being an actual Yankee, but that's also for another topic...
- From #8 to #12, I'll quickly put my opinion to the BIG arguments and debates around baseball and the Yankees today...
A-Rod: I love A-Rod, I loved his pick-up, I have been frustrated at him, but I have never booed him, nor do I advocate booing him at all... - Steroids and the Hall-of-Fame: Though some have disagreed with me, if Mark McGwire gets in the Hall, it will be easier for Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds to get in... though I do think steroids has stained the game of baseball, it doesn't do much for your hand-eye skills and it makes your balls smaller... and who wants to have small balls? Seriously?
- Boston's Recent Woes: I will probably address this in more detail in my first few posts, but all I have been hearing the past couple of days is about Boston's injury/cancer woes... Jason "I fight with a catcher's mask on, while hitting .243" Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Alex Gonzalez, Trot Nixon, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Jon Lester, and now, Jonathan Papelbon...
All my prayers go to Lester and his quick recovery, but I have heard such an incredible amount of excuses and whining from Red Sox fans and the organization, it has just gotten ridiculous... when Matsui and Sheffield went down this year, all you heard from ESPN is how the Yankees were "done" and couldn't recover from the blows... the Red Sox and their fans were licking their chops and gave us no slack... why, as Yankee fans, should we do the same?
Unlike the team with the 2nd highest payroll, the Yankees have depth, and we have been able to take a 8 game lead in the East while having 14 players miss significant time during the season with injuries, plain and simple. - Carl Pavano: He has balls to pitch through 2 broken ribs... too bad he doesn't have a brain to actually tell Brian Cashman about a car accident... honesty is always the best policy and Pavano wasn't honest... and now, as Cashman stated, Pavano is the "laughing-stock" of the Yankees organization...
- The Mets Resurgence: Yes, the Mets play in the NL... yes, the AL had a 154-98 (.636) record against the NL... yes, the Mets played the Yankees in a time where they won against a guy now designed for assignment (Aaron Small) and without our three pick-ups in Abreu, Lidle, and Wilson... throw all of that out the window...
The Mets can be dangerous and they are still my pick to represent the NL in the World Series... the Mets do have the Dodgers or Padres to worry about because, arguably, the Padres and Dodgers have better 3-man playoff pitching rotations than the Mets, but the offense the Mets carries with them looks like something straight from the AL...
Whether the Mets win the World Series or just get there, if the Mets don't get to the World Series, I would consider the season a disappointment... many people (including me) predicted the Mets to take the East and do well in the playoffs... anything short would just be sad... believe me, as a fan of a team who has falled short of expectations the past 6 years, I know... - Last but not least...
Many people have terrible and harmful addictions... some are addicted to drugs... some are addicted to alcohol... some are addicted to cutting... etc etc...
My addiction is Yankee games... being at Fordham University in Lincoln Center gives me a great opportunity to go to many Yankee games during the year... I usually go to the 5 dollar ticket deal games or student ticket deal games, and so far, I have been to 7 games...
1. April 12th, 2006 - Yankees 12, Royals 5: First 10 dollar Student deal ticket game and the 2nd home game of the season, Sheffield started the Yankees' scoring with a 3-run shot in the 1st and drove in 4 runs, and Chacon earned his first win of the season witha 6-inning, 5 run performance... great game to attend, but ironically, it would be one of the last times I'll see either player in pinstripes...
2. April 26th, 2006 - Devil Rays 4, Yankees 2: Another student game, had tier seats, but went closer to the action when I saw two Elites (Judy and Laura) and hung out with them... it was an extremely cold night and the game lasted past 11... it was a horrible way for me to experience my first Yankee loss at the Stadium with Mariano Rivera giving up 2 runs in the 10th, and Sheffield (after hitting a 2-run HR earlier in the game) ground out to 3rd base with the bases loaded at the bottom half of the 10th... horrible feeling, no question about it...
3. April 29th, 2006 - Yankees 17, Blue Jays 6: A game I went with people from my school, it was a great game to see, but bottom of the 5th, with the bases loaded and one out, Gary Sheffield grounded to the 2nd baseman, who had to play the ball in the outfield to throw to Shea Hillenbrand... Sheffield collided with Hillenbrand, and as Sheffield fell hard on his wrist, you can see Sheffield's option for next year fall with it...
You ever had the awkward moment when you were cheering so loud while everyone else is dead silent around you... then you turn around, see why they were silent, and go "oh... crap"? That's exactly what happened to me in the bleachers... as the bleachers went dead silent, I was still cheering Sheffield's 2 RBIs... and then... oh crap... it was the only game I felt awkward in, as well as the first game I had to leave early (at the end of the 8th)... great game though...
4. May 10, 2006 - Yankees 7, Red Sox 3: A game to remember, my first Boston game, and I had a Chemistry final the next day (got a B+ for the class, btw)... the atmosphere was incredible, though there were SO many Boston fans in attendance, I almost threw up, it was sickening to see... so many fights broke out around me, A-Rod came through against Curt Schilling (my least favorite/most disliked pitcher), and I went back to school with a Yankee win... great game I went to so far this year...
5. May 19th, 2006 - Mets 7, Yankees 6: I went with my uncle to Shea to see the first game of the Subway Series... crazy atmosphere... had a drunk Met fan next to me on the left, looking like he was going to punch me and blow chunks at me at the same time, quite classy... had a few hot girls who were Yankee fans behind me, they were good seats...
But when David Wright (my second favorite Met, Carlos Beltran's 1st) hit that ball over Damon's head to give Mariano Rivera the loss and the Mets a win, it was just... I didn't say anything the rest of the night... even when we thought someone stole our car by the park, and we looked for the car for an hour, I didn't say anything... and hearing the Met fans cheer "Yankees suck" for an hour and a half while we were getting out, it was horrific, but I still loved the experience...
6. May 27th, 2006 - Yankees 15, Royals 4: I planned a church outing to get 25 people to go to this game... it was quite hectic to get rides for everyone to go, but I was able to do it through the power and grace of God... it was a great outing, and everyone had a really good time... and that was more important than the win... :-)
7. August 30th, 2006 (1st game) - Yankees 2, Tigers 0: Wang was incredible, and I got to seat in tier box seats for the first time... Craig Wilson couldn't pick up a Jeter throw on the top of the 5th, but he picked up for himself with a solo shot in the bottom half of that inning... Giambi sac-fly, Rivera with the save, and the rest is history...
I have tickets for September 13th, September 14th (with friends), and September 28th... 10 Yankee games this year... on a college student's budget... in NYC... if that isn't an addiction, nothing is...
With that said, I take the champagne bottle, I hold it against the side of this blog ship, and I smash the heck out of the bottle on the side...
Happy reading... :-)
B(rent)
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