Hmm..Phil Hughes against Oakland..swelteringly humid Rainy Season day here..in need of some refreshment to get through the late morning. The lineup IS looking a bit better these days though.

[1] The lineup IS looking a bit better these days though.

It's the comforting image of Vernon Wells in the middle of the order.

And lemme just say that one of my favorite things of this season has been the success of Brett Gardner. He's been my favorite supporting player for a few years now, and I was really disappointed when he was injured last year. It really felt like we might've seen the last of him as a Yankee. It wouldn't have been a surprise if he had struggled after being out for almost an entire year. I'm not sure if he can keep this up, but if he ends the season at .280 or above, that has to bode well for the Yankees' chances.

[3] I really love his game too, but with his speed shouldn't he be swiping 50 EASY bases a year?

[4] Definitely. In years past I could understand why they might want him to stay put on first and wait for a home run or a double in the gap, even if I didn't agree with the idea, but with this team I'd like to see him go on the first or second pitch whenever he reaches. If Girardi worries that would take the bat out of Canó's hands, then he should adjust the lineup accordingly. But even that ended up giving Canó an extra twenty walks over the course of the year, I'd still prefer seeing Teixeira hit with runners on first and second over Canó with just a runner on first.

[4] He seems to have gotten worse as a base stealer, He seems like the stereotypic fast-but-not-a-great-baserunner, but he wasn't that way a few years ago. I wonder if he was always a bad base stealer, but he was able to outrun the ball, and now he's lost a half a step---still really fast, but not bend light fast.

[3] I love the idea of Brett Gardner, but I am not confident that he has a long career ahead of him. I always figured that since he developed at such a slow, deliberate pace, he pretty much has a brief window of a few years as a productive player. So I too as disappointed by his injury last year, because I feared that it cost him one of his peak seasons. That said, he seems to have bounced back nicely this year. I would like to see him keep his OBP at .350 or higher.

[5] He's only 10 for 15 in SB attempts. He needs to improve his ratio or it's better that he not run so often.

[6] I think with his glove and a .350 OBP he can play for many more years. [10] 10 for 15 isn't great but didn't he start 0 for 3?

20 pitches for Hughes already..

[8] But can he maintain .350 OBP? He's already 29 an it looks like his walk rate is dropping, meaning his OBP will be more BA dependent. Plus, his game is very speed dependent, and speed is one of the skills that tends to go with age. I doubt hes a starter for more than another two or three years.

He started 0-2, I think.

Atta boy, Phil.

[10] Hey be nice, that was Brandon Moss batting there. BRANDON MOSS, one of the best power hitters of our time!

[11] Hey, did you notice the man in the cronut?

Geez, either tonight's game really sucks or I discovered some new game thread kryptonite... I don't think it would take that long to see it, so...

(13) At lunch. Listening to Oakland radio feed..this game slightly less boring than a Japanese political speech..slightly...

What's a cronut?

Hawks-Bruins going to a 2nd overtime. Wouldn't mind seeing a run score for the Yankees here.

[14] See today's Taster's Cherce...

[16] Hah! I will pass on trying a cronut.

Yikes. Bad call.

You're killin' me, Robbie!

Nice work, Lardass.

There are Yankee fans that enjoy watching Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain and like having them on the team. This befuddles me.

Jazz, I hate this weather more than anything. Everything is wet. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeverything is wet.

I went through two dress shirts yesterday. Had to do my dog and pony show in the evening. By the time I was ready to go, my shirt was toast.

[21] There are Yankee fans that boo A-Rod when he strikes out. There are Yankee fans that booed Jeter! There are Yankee fans that booed Latroy Hawkins for wearing Paul O'Neil's old number.

Most Yankee fans aren't exactly sophisticated or very deep.

[21]
Been so many years,down so many roads..
since those Golden Days of Generation Tre..

[22] I almost changed my shirt on the crowded rush hour train this morning..was already sweating and had that awful feeling of being pished up against other sweaty salarymen while the air con blew straight down on us..Blechh...

Bruins go down in triple OT. Oh yeah! Yanks down 3 in the 9th. Ugh.

Lame. The Yanks O is bleh. As is Hughes and Joba.

As is? As are? ??? Time for bed.

[28] I just call them Phoba. Or Jobugh.

Pleeeese. Spending my time with Lightroom 5. Something productive. Much better than watching the Yankees rotting. Not even warning track power.

[27][29] It's so awesome to watch the Yankees develop young, star pitching prospects and really get the most out of their talent. It makes me all the more excited for the return of Pineda...

More seriously, are the Yankees at the point where it's better to simply release Wells and/or Overbay, and call up someone...anyone...to play in the OF? I mean, I don't follow MiL all that closely, but would, say, Thomas Neal be a better option than the corpse of Vernon Wells, now dead and rotting for three seasons?