Michael Kay and Ken Singleton were discussing Gary Sheffield’s latest comments as Sheffield came to bat in the first inning. No sooner had Kay reported that Sheffield told reporters before the game that his words were taken out of context, the Yankees’ right fielder lined a two-run homer to left. Hey babe, say what you want, just keeping mashing. As far as what he told the press, Sheffield is at his usual upfront (and confounding) best:
“That’s the life of being me,” Sheffield said at Rogers Center on Friday. “It’s tough for me to do interviews. When people have pens, they have motives. It was supposed to be a positive interview.”
…Of all the two people you pick, you pick probably the two guys I trust most in all of baseball,” Sheffield said. “Not just on this team, but in all of baseball. Dearest friends, closest friends, personal relationships. That ain’t even worth commenting on or defending.”
…Of Jeter, he said Friday: “Jeter’s our captain – he’s not the leader, he’s the captain. So that’s a different ballgame. Every team I’ve been on, everybody leads in different ways. So it’s not no shot at one particular person. There’s a lot of leaders in baseball. That’s what it was about.”
(N.Y.Times)
Neither Jeter or Rodriguez seemed to be upset about Sheffield’s comments. Nothing to see here, let’s move along.
After Friday night’s tidy 6-2 win in Toronto, Randy Johnson goes to the hill for the Yanks this afternoon. The Bombers gained a game in the AL East standings.
Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon have given the Yankees five good starts. Johnson and Mussina need to be lights out.
1. Why is this game being blacked out on mlb.tv?!?!
2. Probably a blessing. Johnson has been an unmitigated disaster. Sweeping the dugout is a hell of a lot more funny when you pitch like the guy we're paying 15 per for.
3. Can someone update me on what's going on in the game? "Injury delay" on Gameday.
4. Ump is injured I guess. I think he took a piece of the bat off of his leg?
5. RJ is up to his old tricks again... 2 run 1st
Jetes with a 2 out RBI hit... yes... finally
Sheff with a 2 out RBI hit... yes... typical
A-Rod K's with 2 on... crap... Guy's been good.
How many runs will RJ need today?
Anybody with GameDay see that 'Injury Delay' right after Giambi's AB... wondering if he pulled his groin running to 1st? Don't know about you, but I stained my shorts.
An idea: Cano's a pretty good 2 strike hitter. How about giving him the TAKE sign for the first 2 pitches of his ABs.
How about Giambi batting 5th and Matsui 6th?
Might make a little difference.
6. P.S. Just spoke with MLB TV. Here's the gig. Fox has an exclusive agreement with MLB that goes like this.
If Fox televises ONE game to your area before 7PM (regardless of who plays), all games, ALL GAMES before 7PM are automatically blacked out on MLB TV. Bummer.
7. Thanks singledd...figures fox would be behind this.
Frank Menechino?!?!
8. Man is Randy sticking it up today or what.
9. 2 innings; 4 runs; 8 hits
I say RJ gives 1/3 of his salary to Chicone, 1/3 to Small and 1/3 to Clemens (just because RJ sucks) and pitchers like Clemens at least earn their keep.
10. How the hell did Hillenbrand steal home? God.
11. RJ is Brown reincarnate - only more expensive and 1 year longer contract. God.... this guy... our Savior... is killing us.
Well George, I hope you're happy.
Bring on Nomo. At least with him, we will get what we paid for!!!!!!
I can hear the Sox fans laughing from here!
12. Clemens was not lights out his first season with NY. Still, he wasn't batting practice either.
I'm going to have to find out what the Yanks' winning percentage is, sans Saturday games.
13. Fellas, enough of the "Unit and Moose have to be lights out" crap. We have to concede...we MUST win when Small and Chacon are on the hill.
14. Getting so tired of the "can the bottom of the order score Giambi" routine.
15. Why is Bernie's pride more important than winning? Um, thanks Torre.
16. Bernie's 1/3 with an outfield assist - why aren't you ragging on Matsui and his 3 Ks?
17. Matsui has had a terrible day, but in what universe should Bernie still be playing CF?
18. Woemack PHs for Flaherty and they lose the DH. Ugh.
19. I'm not watching the game, but the boxscore tells me Bernie threw someone out at home. I'd love some details on that one--did the guy trip or something?
20. Further evidence of why Giambi must be moved up in the lineup.
21. Well.....
Sometimes when you score 5 runs for a $15 million pitcher, you win. Wouldn't that be nice? I think RJ hates being in NY and being a Yankee.
22. I hate RJ being a Yankee right now. What a piece of crap. I've had it with his pitching. Show up and be a man, if Aaron Small can pitch well against these guys, you'd think Johnson could. If he's hiding an injury and pitching through it, that would be one thing- and it's possible. But otherwise, go back to Arizona.
23. Leiter tomorrow in the rubber game, then the White Sox for three.
Ugh.
24. RJ maybe hurt. If he is, he needs to go on the DL because this isn't working.
25. From the postgame (paraphrasing):
RJ: I can't put my finger on it today. I just wasn't very good.
Flaherty: His warm up was decent...Just one of those days. He didn't have his good stuff and they were swinging the bat well. He's trying to do too much. We're trying to slow him down a little bit...He becomes too quick in his delvery and that affects his mechanics and his slider becomes flat.
26. Bring in Joe Kerrigan...to consult. Is Mel's pride so precious that it can keep us from making the post-season. If RJ's mechanics are off (perhaps from his early season injury)then he needs outside help not the bitter dregs of Mel Stottlemyre's slider-happy legacy.
27. Somehow, I wasn't expecting them to lose the Mussina and Johnson games, and win with Chacon and Small.
On the good side, the Bosox have lost twice in a row.
28. How's Brad Halsey doing right now?
29. Halesey's doing well, but he's also in the NL, so take it with a whole salt shaker. That said, I still wonder if he couldn't have helped us as our LOOGY down the stretch last season, and I think if I could do the trade over, I'd pass.
30. Just for yucks...
RJ/Pavano/Wright 4.80 $33,000,000
Al/Chacon/Small 3.86 $27.38
Wang 3.89 pays us for the privilage
OK.... I'm being silly.
Makes you wonder if George should shop at K-Mart more often.
31. Anybody know who's pitching Monday?
32. If you read between the lines of this article, it become apparent that RJ is likely hurt:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/sports/baseball/07yankees.html
Blue Jays Pull Ahead Early vs. Johnson
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: August 7, 2005
TORONTO, Aug. 6 - Yankees Manager Joe Torre does not ask Randy Johnson about his back. Johnson's catcher, John Flaherty, does not want to talk about it. "I'm not going to touch that one," Flaherty said
Only Johnson knows how much his back affects his performance. It may be a measure of his greatness that, when he pitches the way he did Saturday, people wonder if there is a physical reason.
"He may be making some adjustments because of his back - and I'm guessing," Torre said Saturday after Johnson stumbled in an 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. "He's a competitor. He doesn't allow you a whole lot as far as talking about what he can't do."
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