Monthly Archives: August 2012

No shame in getting smoked by Justin Verlander, now is there?

Nova had nothing. Yanks lose, 7-2.

[Photo Credit: Opcion]

Yanks in the Motor City for four games against the Tigers.

Tonight gives Verlander.

Curtis Granderson CF
Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Ichiro Suzuki DH
Russell Martin C

Time for Nova to shine.

Never mind the gun smoke: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Robert Motherwell via Just Another Masterpiece]

The Killer B’s, they ain’t doin’ nuthin’. Andrew Marchand has the story.

Ah Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billie they’ll be comin’ up for air…

[Photo Credit: Girls LOVE Sex Too]

Here’s a good piece by our ol’ chum Pete Abe about why firing Bobby V won’t fix the Red Sox.

[Pictures Via: Boston SportsU18; Boston Public Library]

If you’ve got an I Pad or any other kind of nifty tablet, his looks more than worth your six bucks: Henry Chalfant’s Big Subway Archive.

Ichiro was hit just above the right knee yesterday with a pitch. Before the ball reached him he yelled out. It was funny especially if you’ve ever been hit by a pitch. I remember getting plunked once in a high school game. The home plate ump warned both teams before the game not to curse but when the ball hit me in the leg I said, “Fuck.” I looked back at the ump and apologized. He told me to go to first.

Here’s a piece by Tim Kurkjian over at ESPN on what it feels like to get hit by a pitch:

“There are two types of thoughts when the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand,” Indians outfielder Shelley Duncan said. “The first one, you see the ball, and about halfway to the plate, you have that ‘Oh s—‘ moment. If you don’t get ready for it, that’s when you get hurt. The other one is the pitch that you know right away, you are going to wear it. You can turn your body, you get ready to get hit, but it all happens so fast. You have to make the adjustment because one second you are calm, then a split second later, your heart is racing.”

Catchers have been known to yell, “Watch out!” when a pitch is headed for a hitter; the Yankees’ Russell Martin has done that more than a few times. Braves outfielder Matt Diaz said, “I’ve yelled, ‘Oh!’ when the pitch was headed at me because I was sure it was going to hit me, then it didn’t. I turned to the catcher, and he was laughing his a– off. The umpire was chuckling. I said, ‘I thought it was going to hit me.’ They said, ‘We did, too.'”

[Photo Credit: The Washington Post]

The wife and I had dinner at our friend’s place the other night. Watched the Olympics and ordered in from a terrific Indian restaurant. We were stuffed and forgot to eat dessert. Okay, I didn’t forget, I showed some discipline in not asking for an ice cream sandwich. Our friends are the only people we know who stock ice cream sandwiches in their freezer. On the regular as they say.

I think they buy White Rose or some other budget brand. Doesn’t matter to me cause an ice cream sandwich is an ice cream sandwich and I ain’t picky.

But over at Serious Eats, here’s a taste test of ice cream sandwiches for you to check out.

Charlotte Rampling via Sunset Gun.

Via Kottke here is Sight and Sound’s list of the Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time.

You may start arguing…now.

My twin sister loved Marilyn when we were growing up. As much as I loved David Bowie or the Stones or Woody or anyone else I ever loved.

Sam had Marilyn posters on her wall, had Marilyn books, and of course, saw all of her movies, or at least the ones we could find on videotape. I remember going with her to a double feature of Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire  at the old Regency Theater on 67th Street and Broadway. This must have been in the mid-80s sometime. I pretended not to care about Marilyn or worse, put her down because Sam dug her, but I remember that day, sitting in the balcony watching those two movies and enjoying Marilyn just fine.

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of Monroe’s death.

Remember Steve Trachsel? He wasn’t just deliberate when he pitched, he was obstinant like a fuggin mule. Trachsel worked so slowly and on broiling hot summer days like today he managed to piss off just about everyone in the park: his teammates in the field, the opposition, the fans in the stands (and at home), the home announcers.

Throw the damn ball, you just wanted to yell, and often did.

I thought of ol’ Trachsel this afternoon as Freddy Garcia and Hisashi Iwakuma performed the great Snail-Off-Schivtz-a-thon at the Stadium. Okay, Garcia wasn’t quite as soporific but he wasn’t crisp either and didn’t last past five innings. The result was good for napping, perhaps the cure for ansomnia, and little else.

The relievers worked at a quicker pace for which we were all grateful. The good news in all of this was that nobody passed out from heat exhaustion. Better still, the Yanks came away with a 6-2 win.

Hey, they don’t all have to be pretty. The “W” is reward enough.

Ice Cream Sandwiches for everyone.

[Photo Credit: Dessertsforbreakfast]

The Yanks look to take the weekend series against the Mariners this afternoon in the Bronx.

It’s overcast and supposed to rain. Still hot and sticky.

Course there’s no shame losing to Felix Hernandez, especially not when he’s dealing like he was yesterday. But that’s over and done with and the Yanks are in the business of beating inferior teams, even ones that are playing well.

They turn to Fab Five Freddy and hope to score a truck load of runs themselves.

So, never mind the forecast: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Clarissa Bonet]

Here’s a nice way to start a lazy Sunday.

[Photo Credit: ilariamammut]

Here are some excellent things:

Here’s another: King Felix Hernandez.

The Mariners’ ace was dominant at the Stadium this afternoon. Beautiful. Like the old days with Pedro. He out-pitched Hiroki Kuroda–who was excellent–and had Yankee hitters…

…looking this so:

He gave up a couple of hits, walked two, stuck out six and threw 101 pitches.

Game was over in two-and-a-half hours.

Final Score: Mariners 1, Yanks 0.

Consider out hats tipped.

[Images Via: Dave Whitley; Dope Magnitude; A Spoon Full of Sugar; Bron Stadheim; Beach Riot; Fashion Squad; Hel Des; Milica Balubdzic; Elliot Erwitt; Norman Seeff; Meth-Lord; Dan Pickard; Walter Looss Jr.; Koto Bolofo; Lovely Derriere; Uma Cor; Edmondo; observando; Sam Jeibmann; Gene Blevins; Gruesome Twosome]

Hiroki vs. King Felix today at the Stadium.

Better of inside if you ask me.

1. Curtis Granderson CF

2. Derek Jeter SS

3. Robinson Cano 2B

4. Mark Teixeira 1B

5. Raul Ibanez DH

6. Nick Swisher RF

7. Eric Chavez 3B

8. Ichiro Suzuki LF

9. Russell Martin C

Never mind the Heat Index: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: ttttarantula]

Humid–damn, it’s steamy–here in New York. No need to move any faster than necessary.

Always thought of this as a late night cut, but it works on a slow-moving Saturday too.

Siah & Yeshua dapoED – The Visualz Instrumental remake

[Photo Via: Marc Johns]

C.C. Sabathia dominated the Mariner hitters last night for stretches at a time. He gave up a solo home run and the Yanks only led 2-1 but it seemed like it was 10-1. But there’s the rub in baseball, right? A masterpiece can turn into a flop in no time at all. And Kevin Millwood pitched a good veteran game, mixing speeds. You know if you like pitching, it was hard not to appreciate watching Millwood.

C.C. gave up a long two-run home run in the ninth inning but by that point the Yanks had given him four more runs (including two on a ball by Eric Chavez, using Andruw Jones’ bat, that bounced off the top of the right field wall).

Rafael Soriano was in the bullpen ready to replace Sabathia. After the home run Joe Girardi walked to the mound, eyes wide open and he looked at his pitcher, shouted a few words and then returned to the dugout. C.C. got the last three outs, had his complete game, as the Yanks won, 6-3.

[Photo Credit: Anton Dorokhov]

This never happens–I don’t recall the last time it did–but I played hooky on the Banter today. Wasn’t be design, I just had to be up and out of the house mad early and just returned now. I thought about it a few times while I was tooling around Manhattan cause it’s not like me to leave the Banter unattended. But I tried to give myself a break and not feeling guilty. Summer Friday is all, right?

Anyhow, all is well, although hotter n hot here in the Bronx as the Yanks face the Mariners at the Stadium.

Yanks need C.C. to get on a roll here.

1. Granderson CF
2. Jeter SS
3. Cano 2B
4. Teixeira 1B
5. Ibanez DH
6. Swisher RF
7. Chavez 3B
8. Suzuki LF
9. Martin C

Never mind the temperature: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: DeShaun A. Craddock]

An open thread on the anniversary of Thurman Munson’s death.

Image and link from It’s a Long Season.