Yeah these games have been tighter than my prom date.

Hey Now. Dimelo, here all week folks!

From ESPN:
Two days before Tuesday's trading deadline, all appeared quiet on the Red Sox front, although one major league executive insisted Sunday night that the team is looking for a buyer for starting pitcher Josh Beckett.

Beckett isn't going anywhere. He's too expensive, too shitty and he's got 5-10 rights.

Let's Go FREDDY!

[4] Yeah.
Maybe Texas, if the Red Sox pay some.

Nice splitter to end the first.

Hey, Fred! How about that.

Lead-off homer for A-Jax vs. Laptop.

Second batter Quinton Berry doubles off Clay.

Hey, which kind of breakfast cereal do you prefer: Cocoa Crips or Quintonberry?

Buchholz gets big boys Cabrera and Fielder, and then Delmon Young, without damage.

[4] Tejas is looking at getting Cliff Lee again (chuckle), so why wouldn't they...(snerk) consider Beckett... *pbbbbt* BWAHHAHAHAA!
Nevermind.

[9] Hey, Cocoa Crips sure sounds bangin'...

[11] Beckett would cost them (much) less. I hear the Phils are asking for a lot.

[12] Aw shaddup!

Oh Rob!

[13] They could probably get him for a bucket of chicken at this point.

[14] Hey, it wrote itself; I blame you >;)

Carl Crawford triples in a run and scores, 2-1 BoSox.

Joba's almost ready to return I guess...

Hey...Balk!

Chavie!

Nice nice nice.
EZ EZ run! (IbanEZ, ChavEZ.)

Fred.
Fred Fred Fred.

Second tough DP of the day.

Damage: Limited.

Lead-off triple, single and a couple walks, Buchholz is in trouble in the third.

Ummm.
Okay, if Paul says Curtis is correct not to try to catch that ball... I guess.

At Fenway Delmon Young GIDP and Laptop gets out of the jam. 2-2.

And in the Bronx, the Orioles have a 1.000 OPS against Fred through four, but just one run!

Dropped by to see Ichiro starting again in RF. Jonebañez starting again in LF. Swisher getting another half day off after the half day off after the extra day off after the DL.

R-E-S-T-I-N-G.

Gonzalez is pitching well so far. Freddy's got to hold serve.

[29] You know he's coming off injury, right?

[31] If he's injured, he should sit. If he's not injured, he should play in RF, moving Ichiro to left getting the DHs out of the field. But Girardi is fascinated by resting players and the bizarre use of the DH position.

Fat Freddy's got fuck all tonight ...

[32] Uh, what if he's healed well enough to hit but it would be risky for him to play RF?
Or are you saying there's no such thing?

I think the way the Yanks have used the DH position has worked out remarkably well -- I wasn't thrilled with the idea at the beginning of the season, but it's worked.

I mean, I love this (http://tinyurl.com/bn3fx2r):

Nick Swisher started at designated hitter for the second day in a row on Monday, and he could continue to play that role for the rest of the Yankees' series against Baltimore..."Right now, with the way everything is going, we can afford to do this," Swisher said. "I guess that's kind of the answer."...Girardi said having a capable glove like Ichiro's has made it easier to sit Swisher until he's ready.

Awesome. "The way everything is going"---losing seven of ten? And you know what lurks behind "having a capable glove like Ichiro": I am about 70% certain that he'll start the rest of the year in RF, with Swish, Ibañez and Jones platooning in LF.

I am about 70% certain that he'll start the rest of the year in RF, with Swish, Ibañez and Jones platooning in LF.

Okay, so you're giving 2-to-1 on that? I'd love some of that action!

[34] Yes, it's possible. But I'm not convinced that this isn't a case of Girardi's tendency to be cutesy with the DH position.

And I must disagree with you about the Yankees use of the DH. It hasn't worked, or at least not in the way that it was presented. Because of injuries to the OF, the Yankees were forced to abandon having Ibañez and Jones as a DH platoon, instead playing them in the field. That the organization decided not to bother trying to solve this problem doesn't mean that it has worked. When you are forced periodically to DH Nix and Martin, it's not working.

9 hits, 3 runs and a balk through 5 innings.

Amazing we are only down by 3

opps, down by 2

[37] How many times has Martin DHed? That wasn't good, I agree. But the other DHs have been good enough, and I believe the days off for the 30something players will make a difference in October.

[38] Yes. 1.200 OPS against Fred over 5 innings, lucky to have given up only three runs!

opps, down by 1

Dino with the no doubter.

Heh ... @bindergirardi ... was that you MP?

Meredith is cute. I'd never seen her. She reminds me of Kim.

[45] I was smitten with the NESN reporter..can't remember her name.

Thats a very nice camera angle on a Meredith laughing

[46] Right, Jenny Dell.

Yeah, there's been a lot of wisecracking about the much greater eye for talent NESN has than Theo and Ben.

Awesome. 2 fucking k's in a row. Oi!

I call a run scoring slasher into the gap!

[48] "Jenny Dell"..wow, so Main St., USA. She looked more like a Apolonia or Sahar..

GameDay says P Gonzalez, M RHP is holding the Bombers to 2 runs through 6IP. Is this accurate?

Pony homer gives the Sox a 4-2 lead.

Ah, the Mexican Wave, always the sign of a quality crowd ...

[40] The breakdown of the Yankees' DHs (92 games):

Arod: 26 G, .913 OPS
Ibanez: 16 G, .975 OPS
Jones: 15 G, 1.106 OPS
Chavez: 15 G, .697 OPS
Jeter: 11 G, 1.110 OPS
Swisher : 6 G, .815 OPS
Cano: 4 G, .763 OPS
Martin: 3 G, .775 OPS
Nix: 2 G, .750 OPS
Teixera: 2 G, .625 OPS
Granderson: 1 G, .250 OPS
Nunez: 1 G, .000 OPS

Interestingly, ARod had become the de facto DH, since injury pushed Jones/Ibanez into the field. Also worth noting is that several of main DH occupiers (ARod, Jeter,Ibanez, Jones) hit much better as DH than when playing in the field. Now, maybe that is just small sample size. But, can we really say that using the DH to keep players fresh is working, when the players like Jeter and ARod appear to be wearing down playing in the field right now? And, moreover, is it a true rotation when players like Cano and Teixera see almost no time at the DH position? And lastly, while the Yankees have hit well as a team at the DH position, we need to consider that using this sort of pseudo rotation has made starters out of lesser players, and the continued use of Jones/Ibanez in the field has greatly compromised the OF defense.

Lefties.

Well, that blew chunks.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOne.

Hm, this game is getting away, huh?

But, can we really say that using the DH to keep players fresh is working, when the players like Jeter and ARod appear to be wearing down playing in the field right now?

Wait, are you saying that they would be doing better if they had played every day?
Obviously we don't know about A-Rod, but, say, Jeter? Jetes is hitting .337 over the past 28 days, by the way.

And, moreover, is it a true rotation when players like Cano and Teixera see almost no time at the DH position?

No, it isn't a true rotation. I don't see why that matters.

Damn, pity that one doesn't count for two ...

IchiGO!!!

[59] Or that one.

Ichi! the THRILLER!!!

I miss some xtra long double-tater action?

Well that was exciting.

Great job Robbie, way to dog that relay throw.

Dammit Robbie.

[63] Both up on mlb highlights already.

Cap'n!!!

Alright. Another lead off single for The Captain. Now friggin' do something with it!

An Angel or a Ray tags up on that play. Fug.

AAHHHHHH .... GAAAAHHHHHHHHH .... BLAAAAAHHHHH.

Well at least they're trying to squash our hopes quickly. C'mon, Robbie!

[60] That means "strawberry" in Japanese.

Amyone here the Sterling call on Ichiro?

[73] huh, make that "hear"

Nice job, Phelpsie!

[74] But you're still happy with "amyone"?

:-)

(Cf. [9], [12])

Can some one tell me why David Phelps can't pitch the whole inning?

I'd like to hear who has been more consistent out of the pen.

Oh, please, bring in Chad Qualls. As if we're not pissed off enough as it is...

Oh, bugger me, Chad Qualls is throwing ...

[76] Ouch. [blushing]

I'm trying to do work, while watching the game and chatting with you mopes. Google Ad words for business com services. Better I make the mistake here, I guess.

Nice job Clay. Here comes the gasoline for the fire.

Coffee Joe sure over-managed this inning into a mess ...

The Lefty Specialists are on fire tonight. ON FIRE!

Uh-oh. Moderation. It kills me that I can swear like a drunken sailor but some inane comment gets held in limbo.

[77] He pitched the previous inning.
However, in retrospect...

Bullpen roulette. Let's see if Chad is loaded. Or merely hanging.

Hey, Ara JF, I also have an innocuous comment awaiting moderation. I really have no idea what the issue is.

Bullpen.
(Checking to see if that's the moderation trigger.)

[81] Cue David Bowie.

Nope.
What about 'loaded'?

Man, Robbie's having a tough night.

Robbie's in a funk.

Jesus Robbie, wasn't the LAST botched double play a wake up call??!?!?

Nope.
Jeez, I have no idea what triggered the moderation.

Big batter for Qualls here...

[86] Bingo!

Cano's head is jammed up his Coolo right now.

Well, here we go, team! Swish leading off. He'd better walk, and I'm serious. No swinging at pitches in the dirt.

Better than a walk!

CORNFLAKE!

alright Swish!! can we bring him in?

Swisher! Score him now for the love of MO!