161st & River

Still the King

2007-08-08T00:02:00.000-04:00

Barry Bonds' name is now atop baseball's home run list, but Hank Aaron remains the people's home run king.

His classy display on the scoreboard in San Francisco tonight proves it. While he has made it clear that he has doubts about Barry's pursuit of the record, he recorded a message of congratulations to Bonds, wishing him well and saying he would graciously move aside and let Bonds enjoy the record.

So, for now, Bonds is the HR King of baseball. Fortunately, Alex Rodriguez is a likely candidate to knock Bonds off the thrown within the next several years.

What will be interesting is to see how fans in other cities react if A-Rod remains a Yankee and breaks the record in pinstripes. He's not the most popular guy around the league, but given the choice between Bonds and Rodriguez, I think most people outside of San Francisco would rather have A-Rod atop baseball's most famous list.

Bush league?

2007-08-07T22:25:00.000-04:00

So, more than a month ago, A-Rod yells "HA!" as Howie Clark was trying to catch a pop-up. The Blue Jays all fly off the handle, calling it a "bush league" play, and vowing revenge.

A little more than two weeks later, the Jays came to Yankee Stadium for four games, and did absolutely nothing. A-Rod had hits in all four games, including a home run, and still Toronto pitchers got no vengeance.

Yesterday, Toronto starter Jesse Litsch threw his first pitch of the second inning behind A-Rod's knees, which should have been the end of it. Nobody got hurt, the message was sent, we could all move on with our lives.

Until tonight, of course, when Josh "Headed to the Minors" Towers drilled A-Rod in the legs in an obvious situation with first base open. A-Rod was understandably upset, benches cleared but nothing ultimately happened, except that Towers kept running his mouth and A-Rod wasn't too interested in listening to some guy who will be bagging groceries next week.

Benches cleared again, and for some reason Matt Stairs, who nobody has even talked about in five years, tries to get at A-Rod. Fortunately, Shelley Duncan intercepted Stairs, and cooler heads again prevailed.

I'm trying to wrap my brain around this one. How is it "bush league" for A-Rod to harmlessly yell when passing by a fielder, but perfectly acceptable to throw at a guy's knees on consecutive days?

The answer, of course, is that Blue Jays' manager John Gibbons is a horse's ass, and he's got a team full of guys just like him.

Ultimately, the Yankees had the best revenge, winning 9-2, having Roger Clemens ejected after drilling Alex Rios between the shoulder blades (now that's how you hit a guy), and generally kicking the Jays' collective ass.

Joba Chamberlain made his much-anticipated Major League debut, and while he struggled with nerves and control, showed the stuff that we all anticipated with a high-90's fastball and wicked slider.

Good night all around.

500! And I was there!

2007-08-04T18:43:00.001-04:00

When I say "there" I don't mean "in the stadium" I mean, "10 feet away from a 30-second free-for-all fight over the baseball."

Simply put, the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed in a ballpark, and immediately goes past Jim Abbott's no-hitter as my favorite moment at Yankee Stadium.

To be that close to such a milestone, to experience the electricity in the crowd as A-Rod stepped to the plate, the realization as the ball came off his bat that it was coming towards us, watching as the ball seemingly hung in mid-air before beginning its descent to the left field seats, then the mad scramble that took place directly in front of me.

I felt badly for the fan who got the ball, it bounced perfectly into his hands before he was swarmed by a mob of lunatics, some of whom were kicking and punching him in an attempt to get a piece of history.

I say I felt badly for him, because word filtered back out to the crowd later in the game that he was given $100,000 for the ball. Quite a day at the ballpark for that guy.

Hey, Michael, shut up about A-Rod trying for his 500th!

2007-07-27T23:15:00.000-04:00

We get it. A-Rod is close to hitting his 500th home run. It's a big deal. He'll be the youngest ever to reach the mark. We're right there with you.

Now, just the hell up about it! You spent all night making a big deal out of it, then after the Yankees lost, said maybe people were making too much of a big deal of it and the team was distracted.

Guess what? If it takes 337 more days for him to hit #500, he'd still be the youngest to do it. It's going to happen, so stop trying to force it to happen but constantly bringing it up.

I realize you've got a pre-written call sitting on the broadcast table just waiting to show the world how horrible a play-by-play man you are, but hold your friggin' horses already.

In conclusion, shut up, and let the moment happen.

Where have the bats gone?

2007-07-27T22:54:00.000-04:00

These are the Yankee run totals for the last seven days, including tonight's 4-2 loss in Baltimore:

7, 17, 21, 9, 9, 7, 1, 2.

Consistent, no? This is the kind of thing that has been the trademark of the 2007 Yankees. They'll look like world beaters for a week or two, then plummet back to Earth like a boulder.

I realize they aren't going to score 10 runs every night, but would it kill them to space it out a little? How about five?

Tonight the entire lineup looked like they were in a hurry to get out to Fells Point for a night of drinking, swinging at the first pitch repeatedly, and making routine outs all game. Hitters 1-4 in the order went a combined 2-15 at the plate, and the Yankees managed just seven hits one night after getting just six in Kansas City. This is the kind of frustrating evening that shouldn't happen more than a few times per season, yet has happened repeatedly all year.

At this point, they don't have the luxury of having an "off night." Winning the continuation of the suspended game was nice, but ultimately was balanced by losing yet again in Baltimore, their third loss in four games in "Charm City."

Naturally, the Red Sox have broken out of their slump and won easily in Tampa Bay, bringing the Yankee deficit in the AL East back up to eight games. The Indians also won, so the Yanks trail by five full games in the wild card race.

Igawa: Japanese for "hanging curve"

2007-07-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

The combination of a typical Kei Igawa start and a total lack of clutch hitting of any kind brought the Yankees six-game winning streak to an end Thursday night, as the Royals avoided a four-game sweep with a 7-0 win.

Igawa dug his teammates a hole by allowing four runs in the second on a pair of doubles and pair of triples, part of a 10-hit Royals attack that included seven extra-base hits.

The Yankee offense dealt with Igawa's customary ineffectiveness with a collective shrug of the shoulders, as if to say, "lets not waste our time scoring, we all know Igawa can't wait to give up a few more ropes up the alley."

Yankee runners were left stranded in five of the first six innings, and left nine men on base on the night.

The loss, combined with Boston's win in Cleveland, dropped the Yankees back to 7 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, while remaining 4 1/2 back of the Indians in the wild card race.

Mussina semi-competent, A-Rod smacks #499 as Yanks win again

2007-07-26T16:49:00.000-04:00

Melky Cabrera provided all the offense Mike Mussina and five relievers would need with a two-run second inning homer, and Alex Rodriguez provided some eighth inning insurance with career home run number 499 as the Yankees won their sixth straight, 7-1 over the Royals.

Mussina was effective enough, pitching into the sixth while allowing only a single run, then watched as the bullpen merry-go-round held the lead for Moose's fifth win of the season.

Meanwhile, A-Rod moved within one of becoming the youngest member of the 500 HR club with his opposite field, two-run blast which - for the second night in a row - turned a tight contest into a rout. Hideki Matsui followed with a solo shot, before Andy Phillips' RBI double provided the final margin.

The Red Sox 1-0 loss in Cleveland allowed the Yankees to pick up a game in the AL East, where they are now 6 1/2 back. Kei Igawa takes the ball tonight as the Yanks go for the sweep, facing Jorge De La Rosa, the man who surrendered A-Rod's 400th homer in 2005 while pitching for the Brewers.

Yanks roll again in Kansas City, win fifth in a row

2007-07-25T00:02:00.000-04:00

For the second night in a row, the Yankees jumped on top in the first inning and never looked back, pounding the Royals 9-4 to take the first two of a four game series.

KC starter Scott Elarton was brutal in his return from the disabled list, which was to be expected since he pitched to an ERA near seven in his minor league rehab stint.

The Yanks scored seven off Elarton in less than two innings, which was plenty of support for starter Chien-Ming Wang, who wasn't terribly sharp - likely due to an extended wait as his teammates batted around in each of the first two innings - but picked up his 11th win of the season.

Derek Jeter was one of four Yankees who had a multi-hit game, picking up three singles and a double to move ahead of Jorge Posada for the team batting lead - .335 to .334. Posada and Bobby Abreu each had a pair of RBIs, and the Yankees scored nine more runs despite leaving 14 runners on against a Royals staff that didn't seem terribly interested in throwing the ball over the plate.

Meantime, in Cleveland, the Red Sox won for the second night in a row, moving the Yankees within 4 1/2 games of the Indians in the race for the AL Wild Card.

With the Yankees on a winning streak, the only question now is how long will it take Mike Mussina to dump a bucket of cold water all over it when he takes the ball Wednesday night. My money is on the third inning.

A-Rod reaches century mark, Yanks top Royals 9-2

2007-07-23T23:18:00.000-04:00

Hideki Matsui's two-run first inning single got the Yankee bats off to a good start, and Alex Rodriguez provided some insurance with a ninth inning single to drive in his 100th run of the season as the Yanks won their fourth in a row, 9-2 in Kansas City.

A-Rod has now recorded at least 100 RBI for the 11th consecutive year, having reached the milestone in the Yankees 98th game of the season. Four more runs would follow in the ninth as the Yanks turned a 4-2 game into a rout.

Roger Clemens picked up his third win, allowing two runs over seven innings of work. Luis Vizcaino followed with a perfect eighth, sparing us all the torture of having to deal with Kyle Farnsworth in a two-run game, and Ron Villone closed things out as the Yanks kept pace with the Red Sox, who beat Cleveland 6-2. The Yanks picked up a game in the wild card standings as a result.

Start of a comeback, or just another tease?

2007-07-23T14:24:00.000-04:00

After their incredible offensive outburst this weekend in taking three of four games from the horrendous Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Yankees are playing phenomenal baseball and feeling good about themselves as they head out on the road.

Predictably, the Yankees were horrendous in my presence on Friday night. If I ever get tickets to a game Mike Mussina is pitching again, I will give them away.

Moose was predictably awful after striking out the side in the first, and Edwar Ramirez made a bad thing worse by walking the entire ballpark before giving up a grand slam to former Yankee farmhand Dioner Navarro.

The good news was that the 9-0 deficit was good enough for me to get the hell out of there after the fifth, and catch an earlier train to the Jersey Shore. It was the earliest I've ever left a game; there was simply no reason for me to remain in that ballpark any longer.

Naturally, during a weekend when I watched exactly zero seconds of Yankee baseball, they scored 45 runs in winning three games in a row. So, the Yanks have won 10 of 13 and everyone is feeling very good about themselves in the clubhouse.

Sound familiar? It should.

The Yanks began the month of June by winning 13 of 16 to reach their high-water mark at three over .500 before embarking on a nine-game roadtrip to Colorado, San Francisco and Baltimore.

One win, seven losses, and one suspended game later, they returned home back under .500, blowing a chance to gain ground on the Red Sox, who were also struggling for wins at that point.

Once again, the Yankees are seemingly back on track and poised for a run at either the AL East or wild card. Four games in Kansas City will be a good indicator of whether or not they have a shot at either. The Royals are not a bad baseball team - not nearly as bad as the Devil Rays - and took two of three from the Red Sox at Fenway last week.

After those four, the Yanks make a return trip to Baltimore. They will first complete their suspended game, leading 8-6 in the top of the eighth with Derek Jeter on second with one out, then play three more games for a total of eight results on the trip.

So that's eight results they will earn on the trip, needing to record just six outs to earn one win.

If the Yankees are to make a little noise in August and September, they can do no worse than 5-3 on this trip. We've been down this road before, and seen what can happen when a team "on a roll" goes on the road.

This week, we find out if this is the start of something great, or the beginning of the end for the 2007 Yankees.

Yanks fail to capitalize on Damon's outfield flyball, drop finale to Blue Jays 3-2

2007-07-19T15:55:00.000-04:00

One bad inning from Chien-Ming Wang and a lifeless offensive attack were enough to prevent the Yankees from a four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, who scored three times in the seventh for a 3-2 victory this afternoon at the Stadium.

After late-inning rallies each of the last two games, the Yanks could only manage two first inning runs as their five-game winning streak came to an end.

The offensive struggles can be attributed largely to the continued failure of lead-off hitter Johnny Damon, who combined with the 7-8-9 trio of Cano, Phillips, and Nieves to go 0-13. Damon's walk did set the stage for the first inning rally, but he ran his hitless streak to five games, an 0-17 slide that has dropped his average to .233. A lazy fly to right in the eighth was the most solid contact Damon has made during that stretch.

How much longer are they going to allow Damon to kill the lineup? It's going to be difficult to make up the necessary ground and make the playoffs with an automatic out at the top of the order. When coupled with Wil Nieves' .125 average, that's a lethal combination. How they could enter the season thinking Nieves would be a satisfactory backup is beyond me.

So, the Yanks give back a game in the loss column with Tampa Bay coming to town for four games this weekend. Mike Mussina gets the start tomorrow night without the Nieves security blanket behind the plate, and with yours truly in attendance. Matt DeSalvo and Kei Igawa go Saturday, which appears to be a great day for me to go to the Jersey Shore and leave the radio at home, which is exactly what I'm doing.

Anything less than three of four this weekend will not do in the long run, there is simply too much ground to make up to split a home series with a last place team.

A-Rod delivers again, Yanks rally for 6-1 win

2007-07-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

For six innings, it looked like the Yankee bats had taken tonight off. Blue Jays start Shawn Marcum allowed only two hits and faced just one batter over the minimum through six and Toronto held a 1-0 lead that easily could have been larger.

Roger Clemens pitched in and out of trouble all night, getting through six innings with only one clean frame.

In the bottom of the seventh, the bats came alive. Derek Jeter's lead-off single was followed by another off the bat of Bobby Abreu, moving Jeter to third. That set the stage for A-Rod, who continued his season full of clutch hits with a double to left, scoring both Jeter and Abreu to put the Yanks ahead.

Later in the inning, Andy Phillips delivered a two-run single for a little insurance; it was the third time in four games Phillips drove in a pair of runs.

Mariano Rivera got the final five outs to record the save, as the Yankees moved a season high four games over .500.

With the Red Sox and Indians both losing, the Yanks also picked up a game in the AL East and Wild Card standings.

Since beating the Yankees on June 2 to go 37-17 with an 11 1/2 game lead, Boston is 19-21.

Whaddya know?

2007-07-17T22:50:00.000-04:00

Despite the best efforts of Joe Torre and Larry Bowa, who tried desperately to lose tonight's game at the Stadium, the Yankees pulled out a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays thanks to Robinson Cano's game-winning single in the 10th inning.

Torre continued the asinine and self-destructive practice of using Kyle Farnsworth in the eighth inning, tonight bringing him in with the score tied at one. Naturally, Farnsworth allowed a lead-off single, then threw the ball away on a pick-off attempt when the runner was literally standing on first base. Two batters later, the Blue Jays had the lead.

Enough with Kyle Farnsworth, please. I can't be any more clear, he's trash. Every time he comes in a game, he allows a run.

In the ninth, Andy Phillips continued his hot hitting with a lead-off single. Pinch-runner Miguel Cairo stole second, and gave Larry Bowa a chance to display his desire to run the Yanks out of a ninth inning rally. Melky Cabrera's grounder got past Lyle Overbay and into shallow right, and for some reason Bowa decided to try and score Cairo.

One of baseball's unwritten rules is that you never make the first out at home. Cairo was out by 10 feet, and instead of having runners at the corners and nobody out, the Yanks had only a runner at second with one out.

Fortunately, Jeremy Accardo melted down on the mound. He ignored Melky at second base and allowed him an easy steal of third. Then, after walking the lifeless Johnny Damon, Accardo balked Cabrera in as the tying run.

After that it took only one more inning for put this one in the "W" column. A-Rod was hit by a pitch leading off, and took second on a wild pitch. Hideki Matsui nearly ended it with a blast to the upper deck that was just a few feet foul before striking out. An intentional walk to Posada set the stage for Cano, who slapped the first pitch to the left field corner for the game winner.

So the Yanks won a close game for a change, and are 10-3 in their last 13. I'm not going to comment on the standings until the Yankees are within 5 games in either the AL East or Wild Card standings, but the Red Sox loss to Kansas City did move the Yanks a game closer.

Cut your hair, ya hippie!

2007-07-16T22:38:00.000-04:00

Kei Igawa was bad, but not bad enough to stop the Yankees from winning for the ninth time in their last 12 games, 6-4 at the Stadium.

Igawa allowed a pair of home runs to Yankee-killer Troy Glaus and threw roughly 650 pitches to get through five innings. He also looks absolutely ridiculous, and his hair is too long.

Time for the Boss to break out the clippers.

Fortunately for Igawa, the Yankee offense is in a groove. Hideki Matsui continued his tear with a homer in the second. Two batters later, Robinson Cano followed with one of his own.

A-Rod did that thing he does, hitting a two-run shot - his 32nd - an inning later.

Still, thanks to Igawa and Scott Proctor, who served up a game-tying homer to Alex Rios, the Yankees needed a big hit late in the game, and for the second straight game, Andy Phillips delivered.

You may remember some time ago when I essentially said Andy Phillips should be selling peanuts in the upper deck or foam fingers out by Gate 4. Well, when did I ever claim to know what I was talking about? He's been terrific over the last few weeks. I'm cautiously optimistic that will continue.

After Phillips gave him the lead, Proctor got through the seventh, Luis Vizcaino pitched a perfect eighth to continue his impressive run of late, and Mariano Rivera closed things out to put the Yankees two games over .500.

Today in Yankees history

2007-07-16T12:51:00.000-04:00

Joe DiMaggio went 3-4, extending his hitting streak for the final time, to 56 games.

The Yankee Clipper's diaries are now available, and include some thoughts on carrying the streak as far as he did:

"If I thought this would be taking place," Joe DiMaggio laments in a diary entry about the public relations frenzy, "I would have stopped the hitting streak at 40." (source)

Still, it was an amazing accomplishment, and remains one of baseball's most "unbreakable" records. If the pressure was so great in 1941, imagine how bad it would be today.

Wil Nieves gets to run the bases

2007-07-15T17:19:00.000-04:00

It must have been quite a thrill for the Yankees backup catcher at Tropicana Field today. Not only did he deliver a big RBI double in the fifth inning - the first extra base hit of his season - but got to meet Derek Jeter after the Captain's two-run homer later in the inning.

Nieves raised his average to .132 by going 1-3, and helped the Yankees to a 7-6 win in Tampa, as they took three of four from the Devil Rays.

Despite Nieves' heroics, the Yankees needed an eighth inning rally after Ron Villone flushed a 5-4 lead by allowing a two-run homer to the man who should be the Yankees first baseman, Carlos Pena.

The man occupying first for the Yanks, Andy Phillips, delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth, and Jeter's infield single gave Kyle Farnsworth an insurance run he would predictably need in the bottom of the frame.

I'm not completely sure why Farnsworth is still on the Yankees roster, and even less sure as to why he's appearing in setup roles.

Still, you can't complain about winning three of four against anybody. Of course, the fact that I've posted means the Yankees are due for another losing streak. I apologize in advance.

Clemens wins #350; A-Rod leaves with injured hammy

2007-07-03T14:02:00.000-04:00

In this incredibly frustrating Yankees season, even a win and milestone victory for Roger Clemens comes with a side of bad news.

Clemens was brilliant in picking up the 350th win of his amazing career, throwing eight innings of two-hit, one-run baseball as the Yankees won for only the fourth time in their last 13 games, 5-1 over the Twins at the Stadium.

Bobby Abreu's homer far into the upper deck down the right field line sparked the decisive four-run rally in the sixth. Abreu came out of his funk with three hits, which is as many as he'd had in his last 31 at-bats entering the contest.

The sixth inning was also the source of potential bad news for the Yanks. A-Rod was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury after a collision with Twins first-baseman Justin Morneau. Early indications from Rodriguez are that the injury isn't terribly serious and his departure was a precautionary measure. If A-Rod is forced to the DL, you can raise the white flag on this season.

Vegas, baby, Vegas

2007-06-28T23:51:00.001-04:00

For the next three days, yours truly will be in Las Vegas for a bachelor party and won't be anywhere near a computer.

If you'll recall, last time I was out of town, the Yankees began their best stretch of baseball to get everyone's hopes up after two miserable months.

Can history repeat itself? Is my presence in New York the cause of the misery in Yankee-land?

We shall see. If I come home a couple thousand dollars richer, I may not care anyway.

Hey! It's a non loss!

2007-06-28T23:43:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a four-run rally in the top of the 8th inning in Baltimore, the Yankees were able to end the road trip without a loss.

Of course, they could still eventually lose this game, which was suspended after Derek Jeter's two-run single put the Yanks up 8-6. That's where the game was halted due to a torrential downpour.

The Yankees are fortunate the rules regarding suspended games have changed within the last few years. Previously, a situation like tonight's would have resulted in a Yankees loss, since the score would revert back to the last completed inning, in this case the seventh, and the Orioles would have claimed a 6-4 win.

So the road trip ends with a 1-7 record. If you're one of those "glass half full" type people, you could say, "at least it wasn't 1-8."

I'm not one of those people.

Why even bother watching?

2007-06-27T21:57:00.000-04:00

Honestly, what's the point in turning on the game every night when I already know what's going to happen? Tonight in Baltimore, the tone was again established in the first inning, when Orioles starter Eric Bedard struck out Damon, Jeter, and Matsui in relatively easy fashion.

Seven more Yankees would fan against Orioles pitching on the night, and the Yanks didn't have a runner reach second base until the ninth inning of a 4-0 shutout loss.

What more even needs to be said? I suppose you could blame Roger Clemens for allowing four runs in the bottom of the sixth, but it hardly seems fair to do that since the Yankees at no point looked close to creating a rally. Asking your starters to be perfect every night simply is unrealistic; the pitching has actually been fairly decent of late, despite the fact that the Yankees have now lost seven of eight.

But, hey, Joe Torre says they are battling and are going to fight their way out of it. Of course, he's said that 39 times this season, so I'm beginning to think he might be wrong. Call me crazy.

The anomaly of the Yankees success in early June is now a distant memory. That wasn't the real Yankees. This is. The sooner we all accept that, the better off we're all going to be.

There is good news - the Yankees are only six games away from reaching the mid-point of the season. Every day that goes by is one fewer day we have to watch this nonsense.

God help me if the Giants don't get off to a good start in the fall.

I've had enough of this

2007-06-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

So, the Yankees lost another ballgame tonight, 3-2 in Baltimore. Again, the offense was non-existent, the defense was poor, and the bullpen blew the game. The $200 million Yankees are now 1-6 on the road trip, and 16-24 on the road this season.

It's not a phase. This is who the New York Yankees of 2007 are. A boring, predictable, and sometimes lousy ballclub.

No moment illustrates just how predictable this team is than the seventh inning, when the Yankees had runners on first and third with one out. Miguel Cairo, the ninth-place hitter and excellent bunter was at the plate, and the situation was practically crying out for a squeeze to get the runner in from third.

With the way they have been struggling to score runs, you'd think Joe Torre would want to try something different than just having everybody swing away. You would have been wrong. Cairo never even showed bunt, and his shallow fly to center wasn't close to deep enough to push across the go-ahead run.

Predictably, Torre went to the old standby, "we didn't score enough runs" in his postgame media session. I guess that's easier than answering questions about a potentially risky squeeze play; wouldn't want anybody to criticize a decision, would we?

In the ninth, Scott Proctor walked Corey Patterson leading off, then allowed a single to Brian Roberts. With runners on first and second, Chris Gomez popped up a bunt attempt, which Proctor caught. We know he caught it because instead of throwing to second for an easy double play, he showed the entire world the ball in his glove. After walking Nick Markakis to load the bases, Proctor went full on Ramon Hernandez, and predictably walked his third man of the inning to score the winning run for Baltimore.

Sickening. Disgusting. Boring. Your 2007 New York Yankees.

Happy B-Day, Captain

2007-06-26T12:04:00.000-04:00

How is it possible that Derek Jeter turns 33 today? It really doesn't feel like it was that long ago that he was a 22-year-old rookie on a team without a World Series title in 18 years.

As hard as it is to believe, that was 11 years ago, in 1996. Jeter was a question mark on a team coming off a heartbreaking loss to Seattle in the 1995 ALDS. What would we get out of our rookie shortstop?

What we got was the rookie-of-the-year, who helped the Yanks to their first championship since 1978. We got a steady, reliable and remarkably clutch performer on baseball's biggest stage. We got an All-Star Game and World Series MVP as part of a Yankee dynasty that won four titles in five years.

We got a first-ballot Hall of Famer who has an outside chance to break one of baseball's most "unbreakable" records. Jeter has 83 more hits than did Pete Rose at the time of his 33rd birthday. A .318 career hitter, Jeter is fifth on the Yankees all-time hit list, and figures to become the first Yankee to reach 3,000. If he chooses to play long enough, Jeter could surpass Rose's total of 4,256.

But beyond the numbers, beyond the milestones, beyond anything you can predict down the road, what we got in Derek Jeter was a ballplayer, plain and simple.

Now, Jeter is one of the last remaining pieces from the latest Yankee dynasty. He's part of a team that bares little, if any, resemblance to those great teams, one floundering below .500, in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in Jeter's career.

Here's hoping Derek uses his birthday wish to ask for a summer charge to the postseason. I won't know what to do in October without it.

That was fun while it lasted

2007-06-24T22:57:00.001-04:00

Remember when the Yankees won nine games in a row, and appeared to be on the right track after two months of lackluster baseball?

It's becoming apparent that those two months may just be who the 2007 Yankees are. Since beginning the month of June by winning 13 of 16 games, the Yanks have dropped five of the last six after losing a pair in San Francisco this weekend, and have fallen back below .500 and into third place in the AL East, 11 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.

As if being swept in Colorado wasn't bad enough, the losses in San Francisco were worse. Amazingly, the Yankees won the game started by Kei Igawa, and lost games started by Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina.

Yesterday, they left 14 runners on base, and despite yet another attempt by A-Rod to singlehandedly save the day, fell in 13 innings. Today, they spared us all the aggravation of watching them strand baserunners by the dozen by getting only five hits.

So, maybe this is who the Yankees are. Capable of stringing together a long winning streak, but equally able to play flat, uninspired and downright awful baseball. Is it possible this is simply a wildly inconsistent .500 baseball team?

It's starting to look like it.

Never fear, Kei Igawa is here!

2007-06-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

So you say you're concerned about the Yankees taking a three-game losing streak into San Francisco?

Oh ye of little faith. Who would you rather have on the mound when trying to stop a skid than $46-million man Kei Igawa?

Don't answer that. It's a long list, and it includes Hideki Irabu.

Still, that's the situation we're in tonight, as Igawa - and his 7.63 ERA - returns to the Yankees after spending the last six weeks tweaking his mechanics in the minors. Let's hope they fixed whatever was wrong, though I can't say I'm terribly optimistic about tonight's game.

A Mile Low. June 21: Rockies 4, Yankees 3

2007-06-21T18:14:00.000-04:00

Three games. Three losses. Five runs scored.

That about covers the Yankees trip to Coors Field. Before the series, all anybody wanted to talk about was the run-scoring barrage that was sure to ensue when the Yankees smoldering hot lineup arrived in Denver. Apparently, they assumed that just showing up at the ballpark would be enough.

For the third straight day, the Yanks grabbed the lead this afternoon on a two-run home run by Hideki Matsui in the second inning. For the third straight day, the lead didn't hold up. A pair of Colorado homers off Roger Clemens tied the game in the bottom of the second, and Rockies took the lead for good in the fifth with two more crossing the plate.

That was enough to make a winner of Rodrigo Lopez, who for years was a Yankees punching bag as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Today, Lopez had his way with a lineup that spent the series swinging for the fences in the hopes of making the predicted offensive outburst a reality.

After all the good feelings generated by the hot start in June, the Yankees have lost four of their last six and find themselves back at .500 at the official start of summer.

Damon will start in CF

2007-06-21T14:04:00.000-04:00

Rather than put him on the DL as rumored earlier this week, Joe Torre will give an unhealthy Johnny Damon the start in center this afternoon at Coors Field.

Would it be so much to ask to let the guy have a couple weeks off to completely heal? I realize he's never been on the disabled list in his entire career, but what does that have to do with Damon's health right now? He's obviously hurt, and now he's going to be asked to cover one of the largest fields in baseball on a 90-degree day.

Something tells me the phrase, "left with cramps" will be used at some point today.

Who does Andy Phillips have pictures of?

2007-06-21T13:41:00.000-04:00

Now, I'm not here to pick on Andy Phillips. I'm sure he's a very nice guy and everybody seems to like him.

There's just one problem. He can't hit major league pitching. Never could. He's 30-years old, has 246 at bats in the majors, and is a career .225 hitter.

Yet, here we are again, with Andy Phillips on the Yankees' roster, getting the start at first base last night in the second game since his call-up from Scranton.

I'm not here to make Miguel Cairo out to be more than a good utility player, but the Yankees had been winning with him playing first. I can see giving Jorge Posada the start at first on Tuesday night, with Mike Mussina and Wil Nieves as battery mates.

I fail to see the logic, however, in going with Phillips at first last night, when it's been proven time and time again that he's simply not a major league hitter.

As if to prove the point as quickly as possible, Phillips killed a rally in the second inning, bouncing into a 4-6-3 double play. After grounding out in the fifth, Phillips struck out to end the seventh. Each time, Phillips ended an inning with the pitcher on deck, which means the Yankees essentially started three innings with one out.

I can see having Phillips on the roster as a defensive replacement. I cannot see having him as the starting first baseman when he's not even as good at the plate as Miguel Cairo, who can at least bunt and is notoriously hard to strike out.

Yet another head-scratcher from Joe Torre.

Another offensive explosion. June 20: Rockies 6, Yankees 1

2007-06-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

Someone apparently didn't give the Yankees the memo that in order to score runs at Coors Field, you actually have to make contact with the ball.

For a second straight game, the Yanks' offense was held to just one run as the Bombers fell again in Colorado, 6-1.

Rockies starter Jeff Francis improved on Josh Fogg's outing the night before, allowing only five hits and striking out nine in seven innings of work, giving Colorado a chance to sweep the three game set this afternoon.

The Yankees streak of five straight series victories came to an end.

Andy Pettitte earned the loss, giving up all six runs in 6 2/3 innings. After a Derek Jeter double gave the Yanks a lead in the top of the sixth, Pettitte gave it right back in the bottom half, surrendering a mammoth two-run homer to Matt Holliday that landed near the concession stand beyond the seats in left.

An inning later, Colorado scored four more to put the game out of reach as the Yankees managed only a single base-runner in the final three innings.

The first two games in Denver stand in stark contrast to the Yankees last visit to Coors Field in 2002. In the first two games of that series, the Yankees scored 30 runs on 35 hits.

They have a grand total of 2 runs on 12 hits over two games this time around, and have again fallen into a double-digit hole in the AL East, trailing the Red Sox - who again won in Atlanta - by 10 games. With the Tigers also winning, the Yanks are six back in the race for the AL Wild Card.

In a Fogg. June 19: Rockies 3, Yankees 1

2007-06-20T13:07:00.000-04:00

The last time they visited Coors Field, in 2002, the Yankees scored 41 runs in taking two of three games from the Rockies.

Last night, they managed only a single run off Colorado starter Josh Fogg, who allowed just four hits in seven innings to earn his second straight win.

Fogg also shut down the Red Sox in his last start, so it's not as if he isn't a capable pitcher, but it would have been nice to have a few more chances against a guy pitching to a career 4.58 ERA.

Mike Mussina wasn't bad, but just couldn't match Fogg's performance, allowing three runs in his six innings of work. The big blow came in the sixth, when Yorvit Torrealba took him deep for an insurance run that looked enormous with the Yankee bats flailing all night long.

The loss cost the Yanks a game in both the AL East and Wild Card standings with both the Red Sox and Tigers winning their games. The deficit stands at 9 in the East (8 in the loss column) and 5 in the Wild Card (4 in the loss column).

Yanks take 2 of 3 from Mets, A-Rod still good

2007-06-17T23:39:00.000-04:00

So are the Yankees still winning because they are playing bad teams, or is it because they are finally playing good baseball?

After a pitiful offensive performance Friday night - no doubt caused by my presence at the ballpark - the Yankees crushed Mets pitching over the last two days to the tune of 19 runs, 26 hits, and 5 home runs.

With the pair of wins over the weekend, the Yanks have now won five series in a row, are 14-3 over the last 17 games, and have won 11 of 12. Any way you look at it, the Yankees are playing good ball.

Tonight, it was A-Rod who got the offense going with his 27th homer of the season. An RBI single in the 3rd gave A-Rod 73 RBI for the season, on pace for more than 170. Ridiculous.

Still, it was Chien-Ming Wang who was the story of the game, winning for the sixth time in his last seven starts in absolutely dominant fashion. Wang didn't allow a Mets baserunner to reach scoring position until the Yankees held 5-0 lead in the 5th inning, and struck out a season-high 10 batters in 8 2/3 innings. Only Joe Torre's desire to use at least one reliever in every game prevented Wang from a second complete game in his last three starts. Still, he was awesome; the Mets didn't have a prayer tonight.

So, now an off-day tomorrow before a nine-game trip begins Tuesday in Colorado, facing a Rockies team that has won 10 of their last 14, including 2 of 3 at Fenway Park last week.

Baffling. June 15: Mets 2, Yankees 0

2007-06-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

After two solid weeks where the Yankee bats looked to be coming around, last night at the Stadium the "Bombers" were completely shut down by Mets starter Oliver Perez, as the nine-game winning streak came to an end.

Perez was behind in the count to nearly every hitter, yet the Yankees couldn't put anything together offensively, and even when they did, horrendous base-running ended the threat.

I'm talking, of course, about Hideki Matsui's 4th inning decision to go all the way to third on Miguel Cairo's long fly to left. When Carlos Gomez made the catch at the wall, Matsui was an easy double play victim.

That play was just part of the frustration on this night. Roger Clemens survived a long 1st inning without allowing a run, and gave up just 2 over 6 1/3, but without any run support earned the loss.

After the game, Mets fans whooped it up in the Stadium concourses like they had just won the World Series, and I guess when you haven't won one of those in 21 years, you forget that it's played in mid-October not mid-June.

With the loss, the Yankees dropped a game to both the Red Sox in the AL East, and Tigers in the Wild Card as both won.

Today it's Tyler Clippard, who won his first start at Shea Stadium last month, against Tom Glavine, who has been stuck on 295 wins since beating the Yankees on May 19.

Subway Series Part II - The Bronx

2007-06-15T11:31:00.000-04:00

The Yanks are rolling, playing their best baseball of the season, riding a 9-game winning streak.

The Mets are reeling, looking a lot like the Yankees of April and May, losers of 5 in a row and 12 of 14.

That, of course, makes them a dangerous team this weekend in the Bronx. Surely they aren't as bad as they played over the last few weeks.

One way or another, I think the Yanks find a way to win 2 of 3 this weekend. I'm on my way to the Bronx for tonight's game, Roger Clemens vs. Oliver Perez.

See ya at Stan's.

The view from Boston

2007-06-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

In case you thought Red Sox fans were sincerely confident in cruising to the AL East title this season, this picture appeared on the Bostondirtdogs.com website after last night's loss to the Rockies.

Nine. June 14: Yankees 7, D'backs 1

2007-06-14T16:31:00.000-04:00

No need for any clever "Cloud Nine" headlines here, especially since you know either the Post or the News will have some variation on that tomorrow on the back page.

The Yankees won their 9th in a row this afternoon at the Stadium, in the process reaching their high-water mark for the season, improving to 33-31.

Again, it was Andy Pettitte who gave the Yanks another solid outing, dealing 8 solid innings and allowing only a single run on 4 hits to lower his ERA to 2.93. It was the 7th time in his last 8 starts that the lefty pitched 7 innings or more. To say Pettitte has been everything the Yankees expected and more would be an understatement. At 4-4, his record doesn't even come close to representing how well he's pitched this season.

Pettitte's strong outing gave the Yankee bats time to wake up after missing early opportunities to blow the game open. They managed only a pair in the first in a bases loaded, no out situation.
Two more runs in the 3rd gave the Yanks a 4-1 lead, and with the Diamondbacks looking eager to leave town, that was essentially the ballgame. A 3-spot in the 7th put the game out of reach.

Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter each extended their hitting streaks, to 13 and 9 games, respectively. A-Rod had 3 hits and drove in a pair, raising his season RBI total to 68.

So that's 9 wins in a row, and with Detroit losing this afternoon, the Yanks have moved within 3 1/2 games in the Wild Card race with a chance to gain ground in the AL East if the Rockies can win in Boston tonight.

Let's take a moment to remember a great night

2007-06-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Rangers first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years.

Hard to believe it was that long ago, because the memories of that playoff run and Game 7 in particular are as clear as ever.

Thanks again, boys.

Selig to suspend Giambi?

2007-06-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

From the AP (via Yahoo Sports)

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is "heading toward" suspending Jason Giambi next week if he doesn't cooperate with the steroids investigation by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, USA Today reported on its Web site early Thursday.

The newspaper, citing a high-ranking Major League Baseball official who had spoken with Selig, said the commissioner wants a decision from Giambi by Tuesday. The official was not given permission to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, the paper said.

Selig said June 6 that he wanted Giambi to meet with Mitchell within two weeks and to "cooperate fully" with the probe, which began in March 2006. Baseball said Selig would make a decision on disciplining the New York Yankees designated hitter after Giambi "completed his activities" with Mitchell and that Giambi's level of cooperation would be taken into account by Selig.

The players' association said Giambi, currently on the disabled list with a foot injury, would make his decision after consulting with his lawyer and the union. No active players are known to have spoken with Mitchell. (source)

Crazy Eights. June 13: Yanks 7, D'backs 2

2007-06-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

Eight wins in a row, and thanks to the Rockies thrashing of Curt Schilling, the Yanks find themselves just 8 games behind the Red Sox in the loss column.

The win also put the Yankees over .500 for the first time since April 20 - when they were 8-7.

Even a Mike Mussina start couldn't stop the Yankees' winning streak. Moose allowed only 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings, by far his best start of the season. Had the Yankees started Melky Cabrera in center rather than Johnny Damon, it's a pretty good possibility Moose would have given up only one run - the first D'backs run came on a second inning sac fly about 50 feet behind second base.

That lead would last only momentarily, as Jorge Posada led off the Yankees second with a homer to right, continuing what appears to be the best offensive season of his career. An inning later, A-Rod launched one in the direction of the Major Deegan that was stopped by the facing of the left-field upper-deck for a 3-1 lead, his 25th of the season. Then, after an A-Rod RBI single in the 4th, Hideki Matsui blew the game open with a 3-run shot to right.

Good news all around last night. Besides the Red Sox, the Tigers and Mariners also lost, moving the Yankees within 4 1/2 games of the Wild Card lead. That's the number to focus on at this point, and it's within reach even by the All-Star break if the Yankees keep this up.

Amazing how things have turned around in just a few weeks.

Five-hunny. June 12: Yankees 4, D'backs 1

2007-06-13T10:26:00.000-04:00

No, reaching .500 in mid-June is not a terribly impressive accomplishment for a team predicted to win around 100 games.

However, when you consider the fact that the Yankees were 8-under exactly two weeks ago, and 7-under just over a week ago, it looks like the 2007 Yankees have finally arrived.

Still, while getting back to .500 is a step in the right direction, what's important now is putting that step in the rear-view mirror in a hurry.

Last night, the Yankees beat the D'backs best pitcher, Brandon Webb, who's only mistake came in the first inning. After an error allowed Johnny Damon to reach leading off, Derek Jeter followed with a routine double-play grounder that turned into a hit-and-run single when the shortstop went to cover second. I'm not sure of the last time the Yankees executed, or even attempted, to hit-and-run, but it was a welcome event, especially since the suddenly red-hot Bobby Abreu followed with a monster 3-run shot to right.

From there, Chien-Ming Wang pitched in and out of trouble and again gave the Yanks a strong outing. After the typical Kyle Farnsworth madness in the 8th, Mariano Rivera had a clean 9th for his 8th save. It was the 9th straight appearance for Mo in which he didn't allow a run, dropping his ERA below 4.00 for the first time since his April 15 implosion in Oakland.

Being at the Stadium last night, I got a sense that the fans realize how important it was for the Yankees to get to .500, and also a sense that there is now the expectation that the team is on the verge of doing something amazing.

What the hell happened while I was gone?

2007-06-11T09:56:00.000-04:00

Had I known the Yankees would go on a tear the second I left the country, I would have been gone April 1.

Seriously, Bobby Abreu - hitting?

Clutch hitting from anybody, period?

Winning a couple one-run games?

Looking like an actual Major League Baseball team?

I don't know what happened while I was gone, but I can assure you that if anything changes over the next week or so and the weary, boring Yankees of May show up again - I'm gone.

A much needed break from the Yankees

2007-05-31T15:46:00.000-04:00

For the next 10 days, yours truly will be traveling through Europe, far far away from the madness of Yankee Universe.

I can't wait to see what has happened while I'm gone. Will Torre be fired? What of A-Rod's little goomah?

Or conversely, is the glorious summer comeback of '07 underway?

Fortunately, these are things I won't have to think about until next Sunday.

A-Rod's (alleged) philandering, loud noises help Yanks top Jays. May 30: Yankees 10, Blue Jays 5

2007-05-30T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Yankee bats finally woke up tonight in Toronto, and not a moment too soon. Five 1st inning runs, starting with a lead-off home run by Johnny Damon went a long way in snapping a five-game losing streak heading into a day off before the weekend series in Boston.

This wouldn't be the 2007 Yankees without something interesting happening during the game, and it came in the 9th inning, not surprisingly involving A-Rod, who appeared to distract Blue Jays third baseman Howie Clark on a routine pop-up. Naturally, the Jays were infuriated that someone made noise in the ballpark while one of their players was trying to catch a ball and flew off the handle.

I don't happen to see how that's any different than a middle infielder faking a double-play turn to confuse a base-runner, but since A-Rod was the antagonist, I'm sure the Warren Commission, Geneva Convention and Stonecutters will all be involved in a massive investigation.

Back to the game. Damon had two hits including the 2000th of his career, and Robinson Cano went 4-4 with three doubles. Tyler Clippard wasn't great, and my boy "Bulldog" Bruney got lit up in relief, but the pitching was good enough, including a four-out save from Mariano Rivera, who I forgot was even on the team.

So the Yankees won a game, in the process gaining a game on both the Red Sox in the AL East and Tigers in the Wild Card standings.

At least someone's scoring in Toronto

2007-05-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

Today's NY Post reports that A-Rod had himself quite a night last night north of the border:

Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate with a mysterious, busty blonde in Toronto, as these intimate, exclusive photos reveal.

The cozy duo dined with two pals at a pricey steakhouse late Sunday night, then headed to a glitzy strip club before making their way to his hotel, where the pair ducked into an elevator and headed upstairs just after midnight.

Cynthia Rodriguez - A-Rod's wife and mother of their 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Natasha - was nowhere to be seen during the slugger's big night out on the town, which occurred the evening before the last-place Bronx Bombers' pathetic 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lets not jump to conclusions here. Maybe he just wanted to make sure his lady-friend enjoyed an evening in Toronto. Maybe they went back to the room to watch a movie and play Uno.

Or maybe his night went exactly like this season has gone for the Yankees; they went upstairs, got their clothes off, then A-Rod fell flat on his face, curled up in the fetal position and started weeping while she and the hotel staff laughed at him.

Armando Benitez hates Shea Stadium

2007-05-30T02:54:00.000-04:00

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a Mets fan right now. The Yankees are in the toilet, and tonight, for the second time this season, they staged a dramatic rally off their former closer Armando Benitez, who many still blame for the loss in the 2000 World Series, and blew several crushing games during his career in Queens.

Tonight's implosion may have outdone them all. Leading 4-3 in the 12th, Benitez issued a leadoff walk to Jose Reyes, then balked to move him to second. Endy Chavez followed with a sacrifice bunt. Then, with Reyes dancing off third, Benitez balked AGAIN to force in the tying run. After retiring Carlos Beltran to temporarily stave off the inevitable, Benitez showed everyone he hasn't forgotten his flair for allowing the dramatic, as Carlos Delgado ended the game with a walk-off home run.

I remember when the Yankees used to win games like that. I remember when they used to win GAMES, period.

Finding yet another way to lose a ballgame. May 29: Blue Jays 3, Yankees 2

2007-05-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

Despite the best efforts by the Toronto defense in the 8th inning, the Yankees simply wouldn't allow the Blue Jays to lose tonight, dropping their fifth in a row and 13th in the last 18 games.

Yankee bats were asleep again, managing only two hits in six innings off Jays starter Shaun Marcum and stranding eight for the game, which made a hard-luck loser of Andy Pettitte, who again pitched well enough to win and was hung out to dry by shoddy defense and a non-existent offense.

The Blue Jays scored on an RBI groundout, a straight steal of home, and an 8th inning sacrifice fly.

It is the third run that again makes me question Joe Torre's management of the bullpen. With a runner on third and one out - an obvious strikeout situation - Torre turned to Scott Proctor instead of Brian Bruney, who hasn't allowed a run in over a month and averages a strikeout per inning. What on earth does Bruney have to do to get the call there? I don't get it.

Naturally, Proctor gave up a flyball on a high fastball, then punched a wall in disgust, which may give Bruney the opportunity he's deserved for weeks anyway. That is, of course, unless Torre can find another excuse not to use his best reliever.

Oh, and the Red Sox won again.

There is good news. The Devil Rays lost, so the Yankees didn't fall into last place by themselves in the AL East. Of course, that tiny bit of good news comes with a side of bad news, since they lost to Detroit, who leads the AL Wild Card race.

Rocket ready to return. Does it even matter?

2007-05-29T18:37:00.000-04:00

Joe Torre confirmed tonight on the YES pre-game show that Roger Clemens is ready to return and will likely start next Monday in Chicago, after the Yankees play a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Since Clemens announced his return on May 6, the Yankees have lost 13 of 20 games, and fallen from 5 1/2 to 13 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.

At this point, unless Clemens manages to put David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez out of commission for a few months, I'm not sure his return will make too much of a difference.

Ladies and gentlemen, your last place New York Yankees!

2007-05-29T02:29:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day, unofficially the first "milepost" of the baseball season, has now come and gone, and the New York Yankees are a last-place baseball club.

There's no bright side here. It's no longer "early." The 2007 Yankees, a $200 million behemoth, appears to be on its way to one of the most colossally disappointing seasons in franchise history after falling into a last place tie with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 13 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.

The 7-2 loss in Toronto Monday night wasn't so much disappointing as it was utterly predictable. Yankee bats were shut down by a pitcher who entered the contest with an ERA over 7. It wasn't until the 8th inning, already trailing 7-0, when Hideki Matsui collected the team's fifth hit of the night, a two-run home run to center that broke up Dustin McGowan's shutout bid.

Matt DeSalvo, armed with the knowledge that only a no-hitter will give the Yankees a chance to win (and ask Andy Hawkins how well that worked out for him), dug an early hole, then watched as Ron Villone and Mike Myers turned it into a giant crater in the 7th.

At 21-28 through 49 games, this Yankee team has a worse record at this point than all but three Yankee teams since 1915:

-1925: 21-28
-1972: 20-29
-1990: 18-31

The last of those teams is remembered as "rock bottom" in recent Yankee history. A season that ended with 95 losses, and highlighted by the suspension of George Steinbrenner that ultimately proved to be the catalyst for the latest dynasty.

I wonder what Howie Spira is up to these days, anyway.

1978 reprise? Forget it

2007-05-28T19:03:00.000-04:00

I know people want to talk about 1978 and the 14-game comeback made by the Yankees from even later in the season. Problem is, these are not the '78 Yankees, and more importantly, these are definitely not the '78 Red Sox.

That Yankee team was loaded with clubhouse turmoil in the middle of the "Bronx Zoo" days of the team. More importantly, that team was coming off a World Series victory in 1977, and knew they were better than their place in the standings. This year's team is playing exactly how they played in their ALDS loss to the Detroit Tigers last season. No clutch hitting, unreliable pitching, and shoddy defense.

Even if the Yankees go on an absolute tear over the final 114 games, they'd need Boston to completely fall apart to have a chance to catch them. If the Red Sox play merely one game over .500 in their remaining 113 games, they would finish with 91 wins. The Yankees would need to go 70-44 (.614) just to tie. Not impossible, but I consider it highly unlikely that the Red Sox would play only one-over between today and the end of the season.

Time to start thinking about the Wild Card.

Yuck. May 25: Angels 10, Yankees 6

2007-05-25T23:06:00.000-04:00

It's amazing to me sometimes how a professional baseball team can look so horrible.

Somehow, the Yankees managed to avoid being credited without any errors in one of the sloppiest games of the year, and that's saying something, because there have been lots of sloppy games.

Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui turned every ball hit over their heads into an adventure, while all the while the Yankees best defensive outfielder, Melky Cabrera, is stapled to the bench.

Sadly, the defense wasn't the worst part of the game tonight. That honor goes to the "relief" work done by Matt DeSalvo and Luiz Vizcaino in the 5th and 6th innings. I don't blame DeSalvo for his wildness coming out of the bullpen for the first time in his career (great move, Joe.)

I do, however, blame Vizcaino for his hideous night. One inning, 3 hits, 3 walks, and 4 runs that blew the game open and made a late-game rally essentially meaningless. He's now pitching to an ERA of 7.66 for the season, and at this point should be reserved for mop-up duty, and by that I mean he should be responsible for cleaning the bathroom floors in the clubhouse and bullpen.

In the end, it goes in the books as another mess of a game in a season full of them. Tyler Clippard wasn't terribly effective in his first Yankee Stadium start, which was probably to be expected after the week he's had. I guess we can hold off on all the "Yankee Clippard" stories for a while.

If you're one of those people who need to take positives out of a disaster like tonight, there were some:

-Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 19 games
-A-Rod hit his 19th HR of the season
-Ron Villone had another effective outing out of the bullpen, which could have been better if Johnny Damon could have made a sliding catch
-Scott Proctor got to pitch in a game, which we all know hardly ever happens

So, once again, the Yankees fail to build any sort of momentum, and go into the weekend needing to win 2 in a row just to take the series.

I've never liked these guys

2007-05-25T16:56:00.001-04:00

Besides the Red Sox and Mets, the Angels are my least favorite team for the Yankees to face.

Since the 2002 playoffs, every series with the Angels has been hard fought, and they are the only team to have a winning record against the Yankees during the Joe Torre era.

With that in mind, these three games over the weekend - like all games when you're 9 1/2 back in the division - are critical to getting back in the race.

Hopefully Tyler Clippard gets the Yankees off on the right foot with a repeat of his Sunday night performance at Shea. He goes against J. Weaver. No, not him, the one who doesn't suck. Jered, which is the stupid way of spelling "Jared."

Pitching match-ups for the series:

Tonight: Jered Weaver (3-3, 3.46) vs. Tyler Clippard (1-0, 1.50)
Tomorrow: Kelvim Escobar (5-2, 2.82) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (3-3, 4.28)
Sunday: John Lackey (7-3, 2.38, 57 K's) vs. Mike Mussina (2-3, 6.52)

The Boss speaks

2007-05-25T15:19:00.000-04:00

On Cashman:

"He's on a big hook. He wanted sole authority. He got it. Now he's got to deliver."

On Clemens:

"I think Roger is capable of sparking the team. He is a veteran and will bring stability. I am happy he is coming back. I love him."

On Giambi:

"He should have kept his mouth shut. The matter is in the hands of the baseball commissioner."(source)

Well, that about covers that. One might point a finger in Big Stein's direction for the Giambi signing in the first place, and about a dozen other moves that have his fingerprints all over them.
Cashman had to undo the Randy Johnson and Jaret Wright mistakes.

Cashman had to deal a malcontent named Gary Sheffield, which was another George signing.

And lets not forget that it was George who constantly wanted to trade Andy Pettitte, and made no sincere effort until it was too late to re-sign him after 2003.

The list goes on and on.

Yankees interested in Todd Helton?

2007-05-24T13:52:00.000-04:00

From today's Denver Post:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters this week that although trades are always possible, nothing is warm right now. Still, multiple scouts said Wednesday the Yankees are interested in Rockies first baseman Todd Helton and closer Brian Fuentes, though nothing is brewing.

If the Rockies don't rebound, many teams will be calling to see if they want to unload salaries. Helton has rebounded nicely this season. He ranks second in the big leagues in on-base percentage and first with 21 multihit games. Fuentes has already established a club record with eight saves this month. (source)

Helton will have 4 years and $68.9 million remaining on a 9-year contract if he chooses not to opt-out and become a free agent after this season. He turns 34 in August, and his power numbers have dropped each of the last 2 years.

Is this simply a case of trying to replace Giambi's bad contract with a longer one? I'm not in love with Minky/Phelps at first, but I really don't see the need to add another aging bat. Unless the goal is to re-live the 1980s, in which case, this is the move to make.

38 pitches, Yanks hit. May 23: Yankees 8, Red Sox 3

2007-05-23T22:27:00.001-04:00

13 IP, 20 H, 10 ER, 4 HR, 6.29 ERA

Those are the numbers of Curt Schilling against the Yankees in 2 starts this season.

By contrast, this is what they've done against Julian Tavarez:

10 2/3, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4.35 ERA

Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I choose to look at the bright side of those numbers, which is that the Yankees have handled Schilling this season, and he's a 40-year-old tub of goo who's fastball didn't crack 90 tonight.

One night after Mike Mussina put the Yankees down 3-0 after 4 batters, it took the Yankees only 3 batters to do the same. Damon, leadoff double. Jeter, RBI single. Matsui, 2-run HR. Even Doug Mientkiewicz got into the act, blasting one off the facing of the upper deck.

Naturally, Andy Pettitte made it stick with another strong outing. Someone pitched a horrible 8th inning that I'd rather not discuss, and we got a look at the real Mariano Rivera in the 9th, when he struck out the side.

So the Yankees did what they needed to do, and that's win a series they needed to win. Now, it's time to back that up by getting on a hot streak.

Move over, Joe D

2007-05-23T22:03:00.000-04:00

With RBI singles in the first two innings, Jeter moved past the Yankee Clipper and into 5th place on the Yankees all-time hit list with 2215. Jeter continues to chase Joe D's legendary status with Hollywood starlets.

Move over, Ed Whitson, you've got company

2007-05-23T19:26:00.000-04:00

No player better represents the Yankees failure with free agent pitchers in the 1980's than Ed Whitson, who parlayed a strong 1984 season and one quality NLCS start with the Padres into a contract with the pitching-hungry Yankees.

In less than two full seasons, Whitson became one of the most reviled players in Yankees history. In his first season, Whitson compiled an ERA of 4.88, then as the season came to a close, broke manager Billy Martin's arm in a fight in Baltimore.

The following season, Whitson was booed mercilessly, then eventually moved to the bullpen, finally reaching the point where he would only pitch on the road to avoid further harassment by angry Yankee fans. His career in the Bronx ended in July when he was traded back to San Diego.

Final numbers as a Yankee: 15-10, 5.38 ERA.

Congratulations, Ed, you are no longer the worst free agent pitcher signed by the Yankees, and you've got Carl Pavano to thank. The Yankees gave Pavano a 4-year, $39.95 million dollar contract after he went 18-8 in 2004 with the Florida Marlins.

It's been one injury after another for Pavano, who started 17 games in his first year, then missed a year and a half with injuries to his shoulder, back, elbow, ribs and buttocks. He returned at the start of this year to make two starts, the second of which was actually good, then was again sidelined with a "mild elbow sprain."

Now, this (AP Story via Yahoo Sports):

Carl Pavano is headed for reconstructive elbow surgery, probably ending his unproductive stint with the New York Yankees and making his contract a $40 million bust.

After being examined by four doctors over the past few weeks, Pavano met Wednesday with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to go over all the medical documents. Pavano's agent, Gregg Clifton, said the pitcher will have the operation.

"All four doctors conclude that he has a damaged ligament and recommend Tommy John surgery," Cashman said.

The right-hander will be sidelined for most if not all of what remains on his $39.95 million, four-year deal, which runs through 2008.

"The time is not on our side, obviously, for him to get totally recovered," Cashman said. "Is it possible? Outside possibility the second half of next year, but everything would have to go right."(source)

Yeah, you can pretty much forget about him coming back. He doesn't want to pitch for the Yankees, and I can safely say nobody wants him to pitch for the Yankees. Just get him out of here. I don't want him rehabbing in Yankee facilities. I don't want him going anywhere near the team. Get the surgery and get out of our lives forever.

If this is indeed the end for Pavano in New York - which it should be - here is what nearly $40 million gets you these days:

19 games, 5-6, 4.77 ERA in 111 1/3 innings pitched.

In case you're wondering, that's:

~$8 million per win
$2,102,631.58 per game
$357,750.51 per inning
$119,610.78 per out

Even Ed Whitson thinks that's pathetic.

Another chance for a sincere apology

2007-05-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

You have to admire Jason Giambi's dedication. First steroids, now a positive test for amphetamines.

From the Daily News:

Jason Giambi failed a Major League Baseball-administered amphetamines test within the last year, which has subjected him to additional drug testing, sources told the Daily News. Giambi tacitly admitted last week that he has used steroids, but he failed to mention that he has been caught using other drugs.
Because Major League Baseball's amphetamines policy keeps a first positive test secret, however, it is unlikely Giambi will be asked about it when he meets with representatives from commissioner Bud Selig's office, possibly as soon as tomorrow on the Yankees' day off.
Giambi declined comment before last night's loss to the Red Sox, saying, "I can't really talk about anything." (source)
In Giambi's defense, without steroids it must be tough to get juiced up for a game. Nothing like a little speed to solve that problem.

I wasn't saying, "Mooooooose." May 22: Red Sox 7, Yankees 3

2007-05-22T22:43:00.000-04:00

Well, that was fun while it lasted, wasn't it? Baseball sayings exist for a reason, and when they say, "momentum is only as good as tomorrow's starting pitcher," they might have been referring to Mike Mussina, who sucked the life out of the Stadium before people were even in their seats tonight.

I'm sure he had a good reason for having absolutely nothing in the first inning: the extra day of rest, an especially tricky crossword in the Sunday Times this week, whatever. Two hits and a Manny bomb that landed halfway to the Yankee Tavern and the game was over practically before it started.

Not that the bats were any better. While our 5+ ERA starter was pitching to form, theirs turned the Yankees lineup to mush, as they managed a mere 2 hits in 6 1/3 innings off the legendary Julian Tavarez.

Despite all that, the Yankees were actually in the game, trailing only 4-2 in the 7th when yet another blown call at 2nd base opened the door to a 3-run Red Sox rally that put this one to bed. Coco Crisp was out trying to steal, called safe, then scored one pitch later on a single by Julio Lugo. I guess having competent umpires is out of the question.

Not that it lets Moose off the hook since he proceeded to pour gasoline all over the rally, but it would have been nice to get out of that inning with at least a shot at the Red Sox bullpen.

So we're back where we started the series, 10 1/2 games back.

Rubber game tomorrow, Pettitte vs. Schilling. It's pretty simple, Yankees need to win.

Two more just like that would be fine. May 21: Yankees 6, Red Sox 2

2007-05-22T02:25:00.001-04:00

You've got to like starting off the game with a 2-0 lead, and thanks to A-Rod's monster home run off a Tim Wakefield knuckleball, that's basically what happened. The Yankees have won two straight for the first time since May 8-9, and cut the AL East deficit to 9.5 games.

Number 18 for A-Rod set the tone, and the Wanger made it stand up, 6 1/3 innings of fairly solid baseball, despite not having his best stuff.

You really have to wonder, though, about Torre's decision-making with the bullpen ... again. "Bulldog" Bruney blows away Manny to end the 7th, then strikes out JD Drew to open the 8th before Mike Lowell pops out.

Then, a 2-out walk to Coco Crisp, which looked harmless when Bruney fielded a Doug Mirabelli swinging bunt. Unfortunately for Bruney, his throw to first was wild, and with 2 runners on, Torre showed absolutely no faith in him, yanking him for Proctor despite the fact that the Red Sox didn't get the ball out of the infield.

What does Bruney have to do to earn the right to pitch out of that jam? What does Proctor have to do (besides being suspended) to get a night off? Thankfully, Proctor got out of the jam despite hitting Alex Cora on the first pitch, when Cano stabbed a Lugo grounder and flipped to Jeter for the final out in the inning.

After A-Rod, the offense did enough. Giambi put a good swing on the ball for the first time in days, Cano looked comfortable at the plate for the first time in weeks, and Jeter extended his hitting streak to 16 games.

So it's a step in the right direction, with 2 more chances to close the gap in the AL East and make them start to squirm a little in New England.

Might be a good time to start beating these guys

2007-05-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

I'll go ahead and say it, if the Yankees don't win at least 2 of 3 from Boston at the Stadium, we can all kiss the AL East goodbye. Sox have already won 5 of 6 meetings this season, and lead by 10 in the loss column, and if they leave town with a double-digit lead and 3rd straight series win over the Yanks, is there any reason to believe they can be caught?

On the other hand, a Yankees sweep and the deficit is only 7. Of course, the Yankees haven't come close to winning a series from Boston so far, so I'd settle for taking 2 of 3. For his part, Yankee-murderer David Ortiz summed it up pretty well on the Red Sox team website, "It's their problem right now. We're playing well. We're doing our thing right now. They have to figure out what they need to do to beat us."

That about covers it.

Pitching match-ups for the series:

Tonight: Tim Wakefield (4-4, 2.41 ERA) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (2-3, 4.54)
Tomorrow: Julian Tavarez (2-4, 5.59) vs. Mike Mussina (2-2, 5.64)
Wednesday: Curt Schilling (4-1, 3.57) vs. Andy Pettitte (2-3, 2.83)

Hey look, it's a win! May 20: Yankees 6, Mets 2

2007-05-20T23:10:00.000-04:00

Win one tomorrow, that's two in a row. Win again, that's called a "winning streak."

Had to start the new blog on a winning note, and wins have been pretty hard to find.

Looked just like a real baseball team tonight at Shea and got a much-needed win to spoil a Mets sweep. Of course, it means nothing if they don't take the series from Boston coming up, but one thing at a time.

Tyler Clippard gets a pat on the back for a nice job tonight, with a trip to the dermatologist scheduled for sometime before his next start, assuming there is one, which there should be after this performance.

Honestly, I was about to text "2 more stranded" to my buddy with Damon batting in the 4th, and if the Yankees turn this season around, his dunker into right field will probably be forgotten, but it came as a relief. Then, Jeter heard my request of, "how about a longball here, Derek" and delivered, which makes me wonder why I don't ask for more.

Anyway, it's a win. Almost forgot what that was like.

Oh, and welcome, blah blah blah.