Those aren't hard feelings, it's nausea.

Oy, those ESPN guys make me gag. Esp. Kruk.

The Yankees went 1 and 5 while I was on vacation. Also, the Pirates moved into 1st place and now have the most wins in baseball. WTF.

Oh well, that's likely the game ...

That was a helluva play by Nix.

Nice dive nixy

Ouch, Chris.

Oh boy Machado is the goods.

Man, Adams is due to do...something, huh?

[2] Japanese tv feed handy on the Sunday night games. Though lots of praise for sac bunts from these guys too.

[8] Love that he wears #13 to show respect to A-Rod!

Bases loaded, 2 out. We've been here before.

Bases loaded... teasing??????

A walk is something!

C'mon Brett, make this one count.

C'mon, Brett!

Come on, wild pitch

BB!

We'll take it.

For fuck's sake!

[8] Described by the announcers as "one of the best young talents in the game today." A combination of words that had me pretty confused.

Anyone know if he's under led suspicion?

Sorry led.

Damn auto correct... ped

Ok, now *that* was the game ...

I hate the orioles.

No, THAT was the game. Is Hughes wearing Kiroda's uni?

Please, Joe, walk Davis.

[2] These announcers have their noses so far up the Orioles butts, you'd think they were on payroll.

During the last Almonte AB they never mentioned his name once. Then the inning was over.

[28] To be fair, can you blame them? And Yankee half-innings do tend to go by quickly.

Starving kids in Africa feel sorry for the Yankees offense.

[29] Well, yeah, they are professionals. And his is the kind of broadcasting that really sounds silly when things don't play to script.

I can appreciate the excitement for Chris Davis and Machado, but a love-fest for the sour-face Showalter is more than any man should be have to suffer though.

Yay, Robbie!

Robbie!

Here's to you Mr. Robinson.

RIPPER!

[31] There are no professionals any more. ESPN broadcast are always frontrunners, so of course they're going to suck up to the O's. I mean, what are they going to do, go on and on about NIx and Romine?

As for Showalter, the dude is a good manager even if he is a sourpuss.

And hey, look at that, Robbie hits a HR and slobber over him for a few minutes ("I don't know if there's a better LH swing in baseball...").

[36] Good manager but has an isufferable public persona. There's nothing that gets my goat more than 'genius' coaches who show nothing but hostility and arrogance. (Showalter, Belichick, etc.) It's a game, chill the feck out.

[37]an insufferable public persona.

Doesn't bother me much at all, because I don't by and large care what athletes and coaches say or think. They can show hostility and arrogance because the press gives them the opportunity, because the fans have an insatiable appetite for things said (hence millions of fans following athletes on Twitter). The problem is solved when we fans stop caring about persona and just watch them play the game. Of course, the biggest stars will always attract more attention, but otherwise, why do most of these guys even *have* a public persona?

[37] In his defense, it is his job. To us, at the end of the day a 100 loss season doesn't affect our lives outside of how much emotion we wrap up in the team. But to a manager, it's getting a paycheck next year. And he did turn around the Yankees.

[36][37] et al.

All that being said, Showalter is no Chessmaster™.

[38] It's not about caring, it's about the absurd self-importance these guys project (aided by the media and fans, of course.) You can be a great manager/coach without acting like you're dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis..

Jeez, home town fan, let your guys get the ball. I hate this.

[41] But how would we even know that's how they acted if it were not the attention we give them? All we would have are occasional shots of the sourpuss in the dugout, were it not for endless postgame interviews, etc.

[43] Not sure I follow you..as fairly serious Yankee fans, we are interested in hearing what the manager says over the course of the season. My point stands; guys like La Russa and Showalter may be the bees knees when drinking a beer in the club house but their 'persona' is terribly off-putting. It's baseball, they can lighten up a bit, that's all.

Obviously, Bucky doesn't have a binder; binder calls for a LHP here.

C'mon Ichi. (I wish I had faith.)

C'mon Ichiro

1-1 pitch was his. Now O'Day will go off-speed and get him.

Make up call.

Pitiful.

Wait, a RHP just got 2 LHB out?

That's unpossible!

[44] as fairly serious Yankee fans, we are interested in hearing what the manager says over the course of the season.

In fact, I'm not. The vast majority of what managers say is gobbeldegook, filler to answer endless inane questions during postgame interviews ("so tell us, how did it feel to have Kuroda pitch a complete game?"). Only rarely does the press pose a serious question about strategy or tactics, and most of the time the managers respond with pat answers. Only occasionally does the mask slip and a real nugget is revealed. So no, I don't really care about the vast majority of what managers say. Thus, I don;t pay much attention to their words---and even then, almost always in print---and therefore I am not subject to their "public personae."

I am more interested in what they *do* than what they say, at least in most cases. For example, Joe Girardi's fascination with starting Vernon Wells in the cleanup spot. I can analyze that decision. I don't pay much attention to whatever bullshit reason Girardi might give ("he's a real pro out there, taking good hacks..."), and I certainly don;t pay much attention to how he says it.

[46][47] I've actually reached the point where I don't even notice what the game situation is. I get somewhat excited when Gritner and Cano bat, so peak up at the screen now and again to see if they are up. And I take note of any interesting individual play or at bat I happen to notice. But otherwise, the innings are something of a blur.

Oi! Things are about to get worse.

So, when did the White Stripes riff become a widespread stadium chant?

[55] It's been in heavy circulation at soccer matches for at least a couple of years now, guess it's broken out into other sports ...

[55] Ah, according to my wife, its origins are international soccer. Hmmm.

[56] Another reason to love the beautiful game?

Not a real strong throw by Gardner there.

Horseshit throw, Brett. C'mon!

[58] Brazil when they are moving like they did tonight..a joy to watch. I'm sure you were watching, Cult?

[61] And not a sourpuss to be found!

[62] Brazil's coach famously looks like Gene Hackman. It's a cool sidebar.

The announcers now pondering Girardi's tactical options, which boils down to "should he pinch hit Vernon Wells."

And here he is! I feel fulfilled.

[61] Oh yes. Funny thing is, the final two games could have easily been reversed, as I thought both Italy and Uruguay were the better teams in the semis. Still, tremendous performance from Brazil and a fun match (though it probably would have been better with at least a goal from Spain).

This is awesome. Girardi PHs for one of his few marginally credible hitters (Hafner) with...Vernon Wells. Because right handed. And then Showalter responds by changing pitchers, bringing in someone specifically to face...Vernon Wells.

Is like a parody chess match.

.629 OPS...er, at least it was. Fucking amazing.

Machado is going to kill the Yankees for many years to come.

[67] Frenchy Francouer, come on down!

[69] Hahahahah! Perfect.
And with that I'm out, time to spend the afternoon doing some record-hunting!

[69] That would be perfect. I mean, it would keep with the organization's strategic approach for the season AND he would represent something of a youth movement!

Meanwhile Showalter takes out the guy throwing 98 MPH--the O's EIGHTH INNING GUY---so he can go to his Closer with a 4.00+ ERA in the Save Situation™.

Chessmaster!

3 man bench. Unbefuckinglievable.

Alright kid, time for a mo-damned hit!

Stewart got banged up tonight. Yikes.

[73] I almost commented on the same thing, because that's another one of my pet peeves---especially when the Yankees do it, which seems to happen every year when they just can't bother to figure ut who to call up, so they just bring up a pitcher. But then I thought about it more. This is the same organization that felt it had no one better than Vernon Wells and his obscene contract to fill in when Grandy got hurt. So, if Wells is your (perceived) best option, why bother having anyone else on the bench. Shit, they should just drop everyone except the BUC and go with a fifteen man staff.

Fucking Bollocks.

OK, the Yankees lost. Again. But.

I got to see Vernon Wells bat. I got to hear a soccer chant during a baseball game. And I got to see plenty of footage of Buck Showalter's sour visage.

Well, at least at this rate, we'll be in range of a protected pick in next year's draft in no time!

I'm through. No more checking scores for me. Tickets for the last home-stand to see Mo. In the meantime, I'll let you know whats happening in Soccer.