[Mark] Teixeira is, in some ways, lucky. Whether it’s the afterglow of a championship, a bigger target in Javier Vazquez or the team’s 12-7 mark, his brutal April has escaped the tabloids’ spotlight. Perhaps this is progress, because in every measurable way, Teixeira, 30, is the same hitter he was a year ago. There are some fluctuations in his contact numbers — not quite as many line drives, a few more ground balls — but nothing that indicates a change in talent level given the limited number of plate appearances. No, Teixeira is mostly hitting in bad luck; he has an absurd .137 batting average on balls in play, the second-lowest mark in the game to Travis Snider, who has just been sent back to Triple-A. Also, just 9.5% of his fly balls have left the yard, about half of his career rate. Teixeira is doing what he does, just not getting the same results; his slow start in 2009 featured similar, if less extreme characteristics. There’s nothing to worry about here.
Be nice to see Teix break out tonight. Here’s hoping AJ Burnett is strong–but not too strong–and that the Yanks take the series before they return to the Bronx for the weekend.
Ya hoid?
[Photo Credit: Ken Aviation]
Play Ball!
Where is everyone?
2nd leadoff hit in as many games, yeah?
ooh maybe tex's bat is waking up
Yes! C'mon Alex... get that big azz scoretruck in gear, man.
good to get the score truck revved up early.
is the camera now going to follow arod as he trots off the field?
[5] hehe.. did it? (I'm at work and listening via gameday audio)
[6] yeah, after he hit a deep sac fly to rf they quickly cut to him running across the field (i couldn't see if he ran across the mound) back to the dugout.
Hola everyone. Let's go High-landers!
Man it sucks to start 13-7 and be 2.5 games out of first. Will those damn Rays ever lose?
Imagine if we'd had a more usual April.
[8] what's up ee.
the yanks are going to have to do the heavy lifting themselves and beat them up when they get the chance. while they are playing very well, and their run differential is sick, it doesn't hurt that they have played 5 more home games than the yanks and mostly patsies on the road (regardless though that 9-1 on the road is impressive)
Thames may not have caught both of those balls.
[9] good point. Maybe the Red Sox will actually help us a little and beat them a few times.
[9] Out of our last 19 games, 7 are against TB and 6 are against Boston. So we could obvioulsly gain, or lose, a ton of ground in the last 3 weeks.
[12] Ummm... did I break the Banter?
[12] I love how the schedule makers screwed us with opening and closing series at Fenway park. I'm sure they'd make us play every game there if they could.
Oh BTW, I caught 2 games at Wrigley this month and its absolutely spectacular!
damn nice catch markakis
[14] first time there? I went in 08 with some friends -- it was unreal. Like stepping back in time.
How 'bout that Frosty, eh?
That was just sick.
ROBBIE!!!
oooh I can't wait for that one to hit the highlight vids!
Another lazy play by Cano.
The O's announcers (one is Jim Palmer) both just said that no other 2nd baseman in the game could make that play.
Have you guys heard that another one of the Unwritten Rules of Baseball is that you can't bunt in a run to win a game in the bottom of the ninth? What a fuck this Perez is. Oh, that was the first reason I despised Schilling, come to think of it. His similarly sore-loser reaction when his perfect game was broken up by a bunt.
"Kendrick's maneuver didn't sit well, though, with Perez, who threw just one pitch and was the third Indians pitcher used in the inning. Joe Smith took the loss in his first decision of the year.
"It was a bad baseball play that happened to work out," Perez said. "I don't want to say it was bush league. But you never see that. Ninety-nine percent of hitters in that situation would rather win the game with a hit, not a bunt. It was a stupid play that just happened to work."
http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100428&content_id=9655368&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana
good lord - that man is on fire!!
[22] sore loser, that's all. Tie game, big hitter, element of surpise. Fuck it, Dude... a win is a win. If it were the Yanks, I'd love it.
DONT'CHA KNOW!?!
[22] All the more reason to ignore the unwritten rules.
Does anyone still want to trade Cano?
[23] hey... isn't that a Pink Floyd album cover?
Soooooo.... this experiment with Cano batting 5th.... how's that working out?
Mickey Mantle, he of 536 HRs, was an excellent (drag) bunter. Good enough that even on bad wheels, he still got base hits. And when he bunted, you can bet it was a BIG surprise! (which is just why Mickey did it). Besides, didn't this jerk watch 'Major League'?
Frosty the Snow Monster.
[28] Yeah, I've heard that about Mantle. There's no reason every major league baseball player should not be a proficient bunter. Zero reason at all. They're just all afraid of looking effeminate in the eyes of assholes like this Perez and Schilling.
kripes. Sterling just called brains "Cisco the Kid".
I really love the show, but this is a disastrous episode of Community. Truly awful.
Good evening all
[30] Mick would bunt any time, and and in surprising situations. It prevented the defenses from playing back, or putting the shift on. IMHO, all MLB players should be able to bunt. They stress that in Little League. Imagine if Papi or Giambi could bunt down the third base line once in a long while.
And really, do you think Mickey or Willie would give a rats ass about what some blow-hard pitcher thought about them?
RIPPER!!!
wow robbie
tims has lived up to his rep as a left masher.
just keep him the hell out of lf.
Word. Poor Melky probably cries himself to sleep in Atlanta.
Well, Thames might play LF like a drunk falling down stairs ... but he seems to have the "hits LHP" part of his job description down pretty well.
I Heart Cano. Dusty can wipe his tuchus with his un-deserved MVP, Robbie Robbie he's our man, etc etc!
Friday Fun Fact: In 1973, Gaylord Perry had 29 complete games...I can't logically compute that..
Melky in 80 PA: .197 .278 .225 .504 / 37 OPS+.
You'ld be crying too.
Take that Jorge!
Poor feed by Jeter.
this wieters kids is pretty big.
doesn't seem like he could stick at catcher, but maybe.
[43] Mauer is very big too.
[43] [44] Mauer is listed at 6'5"/235, while Wieters checks in at 6'5"/225.
[44] true. wieters is probably not as athletic ia mauer is, but i don't know.
i guess what strikes me about wieters is how long he looks. as tall is mauer is he doesn't look as long because he is thicker and doesn't have the long legs wieters has.
Jeter has been hacking away this season. He only has 3 walks. Robinson Cano has 6.
[47] he really has. i wonder why - just being aggressive or something else.
[48] Yeah... I figure each hack is gonna cost him about $100,000.
The boys at MASM are really impressed with Cervelli's defense. Jim Palmer is just loving him. When they replayed Cano's great play, they called it 'impossible'.
whaddimiss?
I've been watching a live stream of my college wind symphony. They just played a piece called "Pastime" which was written by thelarmis' college professor, and is based on the theme from "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Small world, egh?
With Montero and Romine in the pipeline, is there room for Cervelli on this team?
test
oh good - we made it to the 2nd page.
[51] aj has been very solid; robbie with some amazing glove work and more big hits; and cervelli with some really nice work behind the plate.
pretty low key game.
[52] at some point maybe not. but might as well ride him out until it becomes more apparent what montero can do behind the plate and whether romine can hit major league pitching.
[16] yep it was my first time at wrigley. Sorry for the delay. It was easily the best ballpark experience I've ever had, even counting Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards. Simply a beautiful place.
Hey yo hey!
Just tuning in. I'm in Indiana, of all places.
CANO ... DONTCHA KNOW???
jesus christ
Oh, and just in time for Robinson!
[57] hi riyank - why, conference season?
He once went 5 for 5 and didn't even use a bat.
AJ: as good as his line??
Just because it's so much fun to type this:
Cano: 8 HRs, .407 .444 .790 1.235
[63] yeah - i wouldn't say his stuff is as nasty as we have seen, but he is pitching a very solid in control game - very efficient, almost easy game for him
[56] I had the same feeling. I've been to 13 ML stadiums -- counting Shea, the Vet, and Old Yankee Stadium. But Wrigley is by far my fav. Can't exactly pinpoint why... I still get chills in Yankee Stadium, but Wrigley Field was like, as I said, stepping back in time. All I can think about now is that I want to take my son there for a game before they tear it down (although who knows when that'll be).
Kinda on the same token, I'm scared to go to Fenway, cause I'm afraid that I'll like it too much. sigh.
Ladies and gentlemen, Brett Gardner.
[65] Don't look now, but it could be done around 10 o'clock.
And somehow, Gritner continues to hit. Hell, he might even out-hit Melky!
[66] I've been to both. My only time at Wrigley, they called the game after three innings for rain. It was still awesome.
My first time at Fenway, Bucky Dent hit a famous home run... That was awesomer.
[68] just might make. hopefully trembley won't make anymore pitching changes.
o's games are usually interminably long, this series has been remarkably fast.
Watching Brett Gardner hit is like watching a pig sing ... I mean, it ain't pretty, but *hell* it's a singing pig!
[70] whoa. you were at the tiebreaker game!?! "Deep to LEFT!"
but therein lies another problem. Logic would say that I could go catch a Yanks-Sux game at Fenway. But I'm afraid I might not make it out alive.
It *is* fun to watch him water bug around the bases though ...
Oink oink oink *111 OPS+*
[70] [73] yeah, you were there? is that the first time you have revealed that on the banter?
Mo needs work?
[77] mk always thinks so
[73] I know, it's a little scary. I was in the bleachers (the tix cost something like $6), and didn't let out a peep, even though I was sitting with some Sox fan friends, so somewhat protected. But I was smiling...
They say Wrigley is scarier. Not in my experience, though I wasn't rooting, and it was kind of wet.
[76] Yes, I believe it is.
I was a college freshman. My roommate's girlfriend stood in line at Fenway to get tickets, and I begged for one. She reluctantly agreed.
[77] Well, he just walked somebody ... so ... yes!
=)
[80] haha, very cool.
[81] Looks like he's shaken the rust off now though, huh?
Ooooooooh .... nice little 2 seamer there from Mo.
9:58pm just fair
nice way to close out this series.
Ah, very nice game boys, very nice.
Thank be to Mo.
And now, the hotel bar beckons...
[86] Cheers to that. [70] Well I saw Kevin Brown win his 200th. And it was raining. So there. : )
I love Cano.
Wanna see something weird?
I was just looking ahead at the White Sox stats and saw this:
Andruw Jones 6 HRs, .275 .393 .667 1.060
[87] where art thou?
[89] he's even playing some in the field. this makes me happy.
[88] I got the topper.
Yankee Stadium on May 14th, 1967
Mickey Mantle hits his 500th Home Run!
[79] yeah, we saw a Nationals-Cubs game at Wrigley. No big deal, as I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular. Harden was on the mound.
here's our seats (my boys waving in the top row)
here's our view
[92] holy shit. where were you sitting?
[94] on my drum throne at my studio. that's why i missed the game.
oh, you meant OYF. my bad! ; )
[94] Hmmmm... if I remember.... bottom tier, RF, about 2/3rds of the way between 1B and the foul pole, about 2/3rds of the way up from the field. If was an amazing fluke, as I was going to private school in Darien Conn. at the time (8th grade).
hehe.. yo man - check out [51]
holy crap, tampon's offense is on fire. they've already put up 11 and have 2 men on...
[96] that's amazing, OYF. I'm in awe. Do you have a program or at least the ticket still?
[97] holy hell, that's sooo cool! dan and i emailed earlier this week. i might see him in 2 months. he took a sabbatical this year and learned a music notation program for the computer. he's been spewing out mallet ensemble charts like there's no tomorrow.
[99] btw, dan's a baseball fan. he's from texas, so if he had a team, it'd be the 'Stros. i might see them at The Ted on Sunday.
davin pinto - i think that's his name - the sabr homerun dude. he's actually a mallet player / classical percussionist!
[100] whoops.. I forgot you're a Nittany Lion. shite.. I was referring to Jack Stamp from IUP. But anyways, we've talked about him before. haha
Is it Sibelius he's learned? I'm about to buy that. I've been hearing great things about it.
[102] that makes more sense. i don't know all of dan's pieces, but that didn't sound familiar. yeah, he learned Sibelius 6. i personally, like Sibelius' 5th in Eb Major. ; )
yup, i'm a nittany lion. penn state proud!!! all the way, baby! : )
[99] I wish. It didn't really sink in for a while, what a historic event I saw. I do remember the standing ovation. My buddy timed it at just under 10 minutes. Some people were in tears.
The earlier post was on the greatest Yankee. It may have been Ruth, but Mickey was so loved, such an Icon, he might be #1. Obviously his stats aren't the best, but in terms of raw potential, I think most baseball people will tell you that Young Mantle was the greatest talent they had ever seen.
And even with 'Ball Four', and the drinking and womanizing revealed later after his career, I don;t think anyone loved him any less.
My favorite quotes:
"On two legs, Mickey Mantle would have been the greatest ballplayer who ever lived." - Nellie Fox
"No man in the history of baseball had as much power as Mickey Mantle. No man. You're not talking about ordinary power. Dave Kingman has power. Willie Mays had power. Then when you're talking about Mickey Mantle - it's an altogether different level. Separates the men from the boys." - New York Yankees Manager Billy Martin
"If that guy were healthy, he'd hit eighty home runs." - Carl Yastrzemski
"He should lead the league in everything. With his combination of speed and power he should win the triple batting crown every year. In fact, he should do anything he wants to do." - Casey Stengel
[104] well put, OYF. That's pretty cool that you were there. REALLY cool. My Nanny used to tell me about how her dad would take her and my great uncle to Yankee Staduim in the 20s. THE 20s! She remembered Babe Ruth and all the hype, but her favorite hitter was Lou. And in the 90s, her favorite was always Bernie Williams. That'd blow my mind that she saw Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium! goddamn, what a cool game it is we love.
[105] It's more than love, it's a way of life, especially in NYC. My dad went to many games as a kid in the Babe and Lou years, and later with Joe D. He always told me that Lou G. was the best player he ever saw, and more feared than the Babe in the clutch. The arc of Gehrig's story is beyond anything Hollywood could ever write, and he personified what it is to be a Yankee. Born and raised in Manhattan (is there any other player in the HOF born in Manhattan?), went to Columbia, lived in Riverdale, spoke to an entire nation about pride and humility when he was dying. Anyway, no matter how the Yankees compete and finish a year, or the ethics of ownership (Steinbrenner is after all a convicted felon) is there any other team that means more to its fans or the history of baseball?
Love the stoeis above, arigatou gozaimasu!
thelarmis, if you're out there..got a drummer Q 4 U....
[107] I'm a partially trained drummer. Prolly won't know the answer, though.
[108] Hey NYYfan22..I was wondering, in most salsa music, there seems to be a lot of "poly-rthyms" swilring around..what is the proper way to express this? And who is "keeping time", the trap-kit drummer or one of the other percussionists? Thanks!
Holy #$%&, just saw Cano's play on mlb.com...ridiculous! Two taters and the glove work, he's carrying this team!
[109] well, as predicted, I'm not entirely sure. But here's some general things:
- Usually at the top of the chart, you'll have a few notes as to the tempo and style. So it might say "salsa, 208". In most club- or casual situations, that's all you'd get -- you just know how to play a basic (and more advanced) salsa beat. The aux percussionists know the tite grooves, also.
- how do you express this? well, as a composer, if you're dead-set to certain poly-rhythms, then you better write them out for cats to read. If you're gonna trust the musicianship of the players, then you could write a bar or 2, and then write in "simile"...
- As for the specific rhythms that the drummer and percussionists would play, I don't know that they would necessarily be written out. Depends on the importance of certain hits and ques.
- On a lead sheet, sometimes you'll find ques written in to show what rhythms are to be played there, or stops. Other charts contain no such ques, and the percussionists would either a) interperet his/her own hits based on the melody, or b) "find" a groove within the section.
- I'm a bassist. :)
hope this ties you over till thelarmis gets home.
[111] Hmmm..as someone with Miles Davis level passion for music & Wilson Betemit musical talent level...I'm struggling to understand.. Never seen a "lead sheet" before, for example! But basically..dpending on the given piece, a lot of the percussion parts will have "cues" but not necessarily much written instruction..unlike the brass or reeds, for example...?
Thanks!
[112] But basically..dpending on the given piece, a lot of the percussion parts will have “cues” but not necessarily much written instruction..unlike the brass or reeds, for example…?
No.. I wasn't clear. Everyone would read off of the same lead sheet. This isn't for a big band setting, I'm talking small group here. A lead sheet contains all the elements needed for each musician to get what they need. Chord changes for the piano, bass, guitar, and any melodic instrument when they get to their solo. The melody is there so that anyone can play it the first and last time through the changes, called "the head". Style and tempo markings are there for the rhythm section.
If you're talking about a big band, then obviously they'd have written parts for each instrument. But sometimes they still only have a basic drums/percussion part, with a sample beat, or style written in and slash notation (that's just a way of representing the general feel... like / / / / per measure in common time would mean you feel the quarter note pulse). So I'd say overall, my final answer is: it depends. If it's an afrobeat comp, then they'll prolly have all the rhythms written out. For a basic groove, musicians know how to make them happen.
Is it more better clearer?
If you're dying to see a lead sheet, I have thousands in pdf. Pick a standard and I'll email you the lead sheet.
[112] Ouch! You should practice in your dreams more, like I do; I'm a virtuoso on any instrument I lay my hands on!