Bernie was an artist, and I don't just say that because of his post-baseball career. He was the last player I've watched, pitchers not included, that seemed to discover each game as it was played. Each at bat, each swing was like a novelty. That's why he was such an awful baserunner - he had to be pay too much attention on the basepaths and he always seemed overwhelmend by the size of the game going on around him. But when the ball was hit to him in the field, or when he held the bat, it was all artistic reaction. He played with such an open-heart, by far my all-time favorite player.

This has always bothered me, ever since the "Core Four" nonsense started around 2008. And I will admit, a lot of it is because Bernie was "my guy" during my formative years as a baseball fan.

Posada, who I love, had nothing to do with '96. He played in 8 games that year and had 15 at-bats. So when people say those four were part of five championships, it's really stretching the bounds of reality. This isn't to tear down Posada, but just to point out that this is more of a marketing scheme than anything else.

2) Yeah, the marketing scheme part of it is what really rubs me the wrong way.

3) yeah, it has Brandon Steiner's fingerprints all over it. You just know that there is already an autographed 8x10 for sale on his website of the first pitch yesterday, that's all this is about.

the Caw Faw thing is nonsense because yeah, there were five guys who were "homegrown" (to use another silly term) core players during the post-strike championship years.
The Core Four that played together while Pettitte was in Houston is different than the Core Four that played together after Bernie stopped playing, and Pettitte returned.
I don't know why Bernie wasn't at the ceremony yesterday, but I'm sure it had nothing to do with this nonsense.

Thank you for this. Bernabe RULES!!!

I guess it's kinda fitting that he seems to be his own island, in regards to his place in Yankee history.

But, yeah, he should get waaaay credit and notoriety. I love Bernie!!!

Pastadivingjeter!

I demand a restart, Nova!

Bernie also lived in Armonk for a long while, and has performed in free summer concerts at our town gazebo. Think he moved to Purchase or Harrison.

i guess they couldn't figure out something that rhymes with 5.
i also read somewhere that posada and jeter fell out a bit with bernie - if true, wonder if that has anything to do with it.

regardless bernie should be part of the mystique.

Seems like there's some sloppy play today

Yikes, not a good start at all.

11) or Buck Showalter is using his Genius Vision to steer hit balls just out of the Yankees' reach. Either way, we're going to have to hit our way out of this mess.

Is it my imagination, or is Gardner striking out more often than before?

[0] et al. - yes yes yes, many times over! Bernie is and always was part of this whole thing. Doesn't matter who came up with who or who debuted when - it was always five and should be five. But I also imagine that, due to his departure, Bernie still has some bruised feelings. Posada got over his quickly enough, but one can never tell with Bernabe.

[14] Nope, he definitely did last year, but it wasn't that much more, and he made more contact (and hit a couple more dingers) as a result, without really losing too much OBP. A worthwhile tradeoff, IMHO.

Well I picked the wrong day to be home sick.

kind of a shitshow at this pernt. crappy pitching and defense, and weak hitting.

Obviously, 'Fab Five' works fine. Get Grillo (or whatever his name is) on the line. Thinking I should tune out the game...

Alright, here comes the comeback!

sori sori hallelujah

While I appreciate and want to participate in the Bernie love fest, this isn't some kind of purposeful, sinister exclusion. The Core Four, and all its commercial ickiness, was cooked up in 2009 when there were 4 guys on the 2009 team who are also members of the teams of 1996-2001. Bernie also came up through the system at a different time and retired much earlier. He's not an exact contemporary.

Bernie's got no argument for a place in the Core Four, though as lame as it is, I'm sure he's cool with that.

Sori - 50th on the all-time homer list! Tied with Duke Snider.

Pip Jervis!

Sol-man!

'Yanny Clipper' does it again!

Port Jervis, where have you been all our lives!

The comeback continues!

more like...

Port Authority!!!

We all know whose fault this is. Bernie would have been in the Core Four if ARod hadn't messed things up.

[28] HA!

I have to say, I really like Ellsbury hitting 3rd. Even if it pushes Tex down in the lineup when he comes back, I would go with it. Beltran 4, Sori 5, Tex 6, McCann 7 . . .

I'm loving me this Ellsbury guy!

[0] My coworker and I were talking about this as well. Maybe Bernie faded from baseball so quickly that the marketing guys forgot about him? Or the Yanks are too cheap to pay for the rights to "Fab Five"? Does U of Michigan own that?

Le sigh.

18) I checked Gardner strikeouts YTD 11 SO out of 34 AB = 32%. Last year 127 SO in 609 PAs = 21%. Also, his total career including first 6 games this year, ie, average per year is 18% or 105/584.

Nice of Nuno to push this game completely out of reach

Doubles machine.

Everyone plays today.

32 hits through 8 innings. Congrats to Johnson on his first Yankee homer. An inauspicious day for my Banter debut

Let's just pretend this never happened.

[38] You win some, you lose some - pretty sure the Yanks lost the first game thread I commented in, too!

Cervelli played 1B??!! You know, isn't it about time Cashman addressed the awful farm system..how can they be in a position where they run out this infield?

[41] Don't blame Cashman, blame Jay-Z, money grubbing, good fer....grrrrr