Watching Friday night’s game I was struck by just how difficult it is to play the game and remain healthy. First, there was the play at first base where Carlos Gomez almost took Mark Teixeira’s hand off. “That’s twice,” shouted an angry Teixeira to Gomez (I didn’t catch the first incident). Teixeira does not strike me as a red ass, which made his outburst more compelling. He knew how close he was to being seriously hurt (I looked away from the TV when they showed the replay of Bubba Crosby running through Brian Roberts’ left arm several years back). Then in the ninth, Brett Gardner slipped on first base and wiped out, his legs getting tangled like a young Colt. Nothing twisted or turned, Gadner recovered and still managed to reach third.
None of this shows up in the box scores, of course. But they were both hold-your-breath moments. Fortunately, nobody came up lame.
This afternoon, Joba Chamberlain, who, according to the New York Times, is trying a new pre-game routine, hopes to lead the Yankees to their fourth-straight win.
It is cool, foggy, and wet in the Bronx today, with rain in the forecast.
Perfect day some of this…Break it down, Biba:
"his legs getting tangled like a young colt"
I tell ya what, there is no-one less coltish than Gardner. He's sort of pony-esque ,maybe.
A player like Gomez should be expected to do his one skill properly.
Joba needs to knock him on his ass.
Nevermind. He's not in the lineup.
Joba has been careful to pace himself... a mature tactic. But maybe he needs to come out blazing in the first, and then throttle back a bit?
c'mon joba, no 1st inning blues today!
So fah, so good.
Paging Hoss: Dude! I read your post and was pretty sure what the scoop was. However, if the older, wiser and mellower Banterers can't stand the heat in the kitchen, there will be no one left in the kitchen except.. well... you know.
Excellent. The First Inning Blues are history.
Freakin' Fox. They have NO GAME today at 1:00 (one at 4:00), yet they still blackout the 1;00 games. Jeez...........
nicely done, joba, nicely done!
Might I assume that outside of paid-for MLB packages, there is NO place where one can listen to the game on the net?
[11] I know the Yankee broadcast is not available. Stations that normally stream their broadcast are contractually obligated to stop when John and Suzyn come on.
You should try to find a Twins broadcast.
[7]
[13] Minimalism.
nice to see arod making a play like that
Again, I would like to pernt out that Gardy not injuring himself by slipping on the 1B bag on that triple, is the result of giving 100%, instead of holding back, because "It's a marathon, not a sprint," which is nonsense. They are paid so much to give it their all on a consistent basis, because their all is such an asset to consistently winning baseball, not because they were lucky enough to win titles during their salad days.
I would rather have 100% of players for three months, than 80% of them all year. They are simply not that good to turn it on and off like a switch and remain competitive with others throughout the league, who give it their all...
[11] OYF,
I'm afraid that the blackouts due to "FOX Saturdays" last from Noon to 6:00 local time, which is why we get Yankees Saturday night games on television.
I could be wrong about that though...
nice to see joba using that changeup more and more
Woohoo @ no run scored? Or at least an inning-ending durble play!
LOL
Hm, that was a terrible call. Nice to have a terrible call go our way!
anyone here know if the run counts since michael kay is of no use.
[19] after he slid into 2nd, he made like he was gonna go to 3rd, then turned around back to 1st without touching 2nd again
Nope, it looks like it was the right call!
[11] i'd try using a proxy ip.
Regardless, Gardner should've hit the cutoff man. No way he gets the runner @ home with his arm
maybe brett realized as he was throwing it he should have thrown to 1st but it was a horrid throw.
[23] Cult, I don't need that today (I'm not in the blacked out area), but can you explain how to do it?
Bleh at whatever score it is, as it's clearly not 3-0 or 4-0 after the first inning from Joba!
: )
[16] i didn't see the play yesterday. how did he avoid injury by giving 100%?
[20] Tag-up plays are not force outs in the relevant sense, so the run counts if it scores before the out is made.
I guess that's obvious now.
I don't think Brett could have prevented the run by throwing to first. He could have done it by throwing to second, but he had no way to know that.
[28] I don't know, but the contortions his legs did after he slipped on the 1B bag and fell, would have rendered any Yankees veteran, save perhaps only for Damon, circling the bases today with the aid of a Rascal Scooter!
: )
[29] thanks - why do you think throwing to 2nd could have prevented the run ?
Wow, what's got into Jeter recently?
Oh, he was safe.
nice play by jeter
alright joba build on a good first inning - do not allow all those runners from the first inning on now
[31] Because I think the out would have been made before the run scored. Don't you?
[30] I would venture to guess that giving 100% enacts adrenalin, such that the body is less susceptible to injuries in terms of the "fight or flight" response, instead of mailing it in, which yields no protective adrenalin at all...
alright shouldn't complain - joba doing well
[35] yeah i figured that was where you were going - and wasn't sure about the timing but could well be that they would have made the out before the run scored.
i don't even know why i listen to michael kay - i have known this rule since little league but he throws me off sometimes.
Wow, that's encouraging.
(Kay just noted that first pass through the line-up batters hit .179 against Blackburn, second time through it's, uh, .340 or something.)
[39] Gasp @ roughly durble after one mere time through the order.
That's really substantial!
Undoubtedly a kybosh for the Yankees though...
: )
[26] well, it's kinda a pain in the ass and it's not entirely safe, unless you can find a trustable open proxy. it's been a while i've done it, so i can't recommend a specific proxy server, but you can get the basics of "how" through google.
'fraid i'm not that versed on it, sorry.
=/
yeah tex!!
Or not!
Woohoo!
I swear the next time a Yankee hurler has a no-hitter going through six innings, I'm going to teleport to the YES booth and duct tape Kay's mouth shut!
: )
This is what we're paying for, right?
jesus christ, we've got THIS bum for another 8 years?!?!?!
[44] Well I'm not paying for Blackburn's crappy BAA increase each time he faces an order throughout a start...
I'm paying for the Yankees to play motivated and consistently winning baseball, which apparently includes playing with the effrontery of having the batter before you intentionally walked!
LOL
Just walk Morneau from now on.
might need to be a wee bit more careful pitching to mauer
[46] Not sure I followed all of that. (My [44] referred to Teixeira's dinger.)
Oh, and walk Mauer too.
Yeah, that might not work.
[49] I'm just saying that walking a batter intentionally apparently allows the next Yankees batter to come up to the plate with enough effrontery that "pressing" doesn't enter into the AB, as evidenced by Melky last night, and Tex today...
: )
c'mon Joba, bear down here
[51] Oh, you were talking about yesterday. That's so long ago!
However, if you check you'll see that last night when the issued that IBB to Rob, I said it was a bad move...
is anyone else having trouble with loading this thread? sometimes i have to try refreshing 4 or 5 times to get the comments to appear.
Ok... solo shots don't bother me like walks and two, three, and four run shots...
How much command does Joba have today?
Is it a noticeable improvement?
I'm listening to WCBS today I'm afraid...
[54] I'm having no trouble.
[55] Yes, his command is good. Not fantastic, but it's good.
Damn, we were doing a good job with Blackburn's pitch count until that inning.
[54] i was having trouble a few minutes ago - hit refresh and got no comments - just alex's write-up - had to refresh a few times, but okay now
alright 1 more joba
Damn, only game I can get is White Sox at Blue Jays. No way in hell am I going to listen to Hawk Harrelson. I hate Fox Saturday blackouts, especially when the Fox game is at 4 pm and the Yankee game is at 1 pm. Makes no sense.
lord johnny please don't kill your self in lf today
[60] Gotta love the hustle, though.
Even if Joba gives up more runs, his pitching today has been a breath of fresh air after the doldrums of Hughes' effort last night.
I'm listening to AMcC on WCBS say Joba warmed up today with somebody standing where a batter would stand.
Fascinating how minds can be "tricked" like that... into improved and/or increased production...
[63] Yeah, the bullpen coach pretended to be a hitter. Cute. But who knows whether that's what made the difference?
[61] oh yeah no doubt - just thinking about all the injuries and depth and wanting his bat in the lineup
- though pj seems to have a different theory that the 100% play causes less injury :}
[64] I cannot argue with no multiple run first inning today as the result.
Dollars to donuts they do that at least for the next few starts.
*shrug*
yes - good job joba
thankfully he didn't swing at that though - right down the middle
[66] Couldn't hurt, that's for sure.
Boy, that was a nice finish. I wish he'd got Span, though -- I was thinking Joba would pitch the seventh. Now it's somewhat unlikely.
[67] It was. Thankfully it was also 96 mph!
[54] weird. it's driving me crazy
Joba at 87 through 5 (do we add the extra warm up pitches? do girardi and eiland?).
[70] yeah it's frustrating.
maybe half the pitches count :}
what a joke that selig would be asked to speak at u. of wisconsin's graduation.
dammit Joba, throws strikes.
FINISH HIM!
[73] Good enough?
nice recovery from the start of the inning for Joba.
good start.
now, let's add on some more runs before the arsonists get at a chance at things ...
[73] Well, he didn't 'sweep the leg', but i guess it'll do.
=)
yes some runs would be nice
Good for Damon
And I'm glad Joba pitched around Mauer. I don't want that guy even making contact for a while.
alright tex - keep up the hot streak
I forgot to asked, but I am using the radio time website and listening to the Wolf out of R I (trying not to blow it by being google-able).
Stupid blackouts.
[81] What is the Wolf?
[81] - that should be who asked.
Wow, that guy sucks. Where's Cody Ransom?
[65] It's not my theory I'm afraid, Ms October. I have always heard a player is more susceptible to injuries when not giving it his or her all as opposed to giving it 100% all of the time...
It may be due to adrenalin being secreted, or not, even in trace amounts?
It sure sounds reasonable to me though, as adrenalin actually does make the body more durable as it flows through the bloodstream, in addition to providing an increased sense of awareness with the senses!
*shrug*
: )
nice of the fans to show alex patience for about 10 at bats ...
That is the "name" of the station. I was trying to avoid using the call numbers . . . I think it is ninety-four point three.
And it is out of NY. My bad.
wow ... nice turn by Morneau, but ugh, Stick's bat is just sick right now.
Bleh!
Honestly, this "hitting" with RISP by the Yankees is not even fun to listen to...
well, 6 outs to Mo.
and here we go ...
sweet baby jesus, jose veras makes me want to step in front of a bus ...
[83] oyf wanted to know about the radio - he might not be around now
[85] yeah in some ways it makes some sense - in that if you are not just going off instinct or you are trying to protect or prevent an injury it might make you susceptible to hurting yourself. but the flipside is there are plenty of injuries sustained when going all out - the one popping into my head is damon hurting himself last year when running into the wall when the ball sat on the wall for a second. so i know we enjoy poking fun at bobby abreu - but i think we have to ask, did he help himslef by his play around the wall compared to someone like damon?
veras must anagram to something else besides saver - and ass is surely involved
Why, why is Jose Veras on this team? And why does he come into one run games. Everyone knows he's going to walk the first batter!
[93] Nobody can answer these questions.
Why does the universe exist?
Well, Veras did his job! This is what Joe brought him in for, right? To get runners on second and third with one out?
[94] Guys like Veras are a dime a dozen. There's tons of guys around with "great stuff" who generally suck at throwing strikes.
And, inevitably, another reliever has to come in and try to keep this from being a total disaster...
What is Joe Girardi thinking? He got a good performance from Veras yesterday. Why push your luck and put him out there today? To face a lefty no less? Sometimes you gotta leave well enough alone, Joe.
brian bruney can't get healthy fast enough.
good job coke
Nice, Phil. Good job.
One more.
[97] and he dry humped albaladejo to do it.
c'mon Phil, *this* is the guy you need to get.
Nice pitching!
I like Coke. Think I'll have one now.
whew
nice work coke
NICE PHIL!
now, let's get's some damn runs before the M-n-M's come up in the 8th.
It's a good think Veras got to face three batters, isn't it? Otherwise that inning would have been so damn boring.
I just don't get why veras is still on the team. I know he is out of options and all, but he basically stinks. let him be someone else's problem. At least with the other kids, you can shuttle them in and out and they have upside. Veras isn't going to become something other than what he is
Coke is good enough. He has his bad moments but he doesn't seem to create as much trouble for himself as Veras does.
But cosign on [98].
[107] Girardi must for some bizarre reason think that Veras just needs to work through something and he'll be good. Seems irrational, I agree.
I feel like the Yankees' failure to tack on a run or two is going to bite them in the ass. They're up one run but seem like they're giving away at bats like they're up six. They are not making this middle-of-the-road pitcher earn his paycheck at all.
[92] Well there are always variables, such as the walls shooting up out of the ground unexpectedly.
I'd counter that with Posada and Molina hurting themselves while clearly mailing it in, in the "running flat out department," instead of running like they were being chased by an angry and rabid grizzly bear, the way Gardner always seems to...
Had Po or Molina fallen after such a slip on the bag as Gardner's, considering how they "try to run," they would still be in emergency surgery, and bits of them would still be in the area near the 1B bag!
: )
well that's a big out out of the way
Why not put Mo in here? Let someone else pitch the ninth. The most dangerous part of their batting order is up ... It seems perverse to save Rivera for when the gravest threat is already past.
I'd be plunking the "new version" of the M&M boys at this pernt!
I'm just sayin'...
[100] like that - crap
[110] yup.
But you guys are correct! Wasted scoring chances most always come back to bite teams in the ass, particularly the Yankees...
I hate this team, I hate this bullpen, I hate Jose veras, and I hate the save rule. Mo should have pitched the 8th, it makes the most sense. But nooooo...
Coke does seem to give up HRs. Still, it's better than the clusterf*** that so often is a Veras-pitched inning.
Veras makes everyone else suck more by forcing them to pitch more.
[117] But they haven't even gotten as far as getting scoring chances. Blackburn had at least two recent innings where he threw less than 10 pitches. It sounds ridiculous but the Yankees don't seem to be trying.
Win a few games and apparently they think they'll just magically win.
gdsaj
Jeez, that was horrible. Should have had him by a freaking mile.
jesus fucking h. christ. this is brutal...
Melky get an error for that?
at least nathan shouldn't be available today. then again, might be nice to face him...
Funny we were all up in arms about Veras but Coke blew it.
Ridiculous! Brian f*ucking Buscher? He of the .205 BA???
Wow!
Did I mention I hate this team. God forbid they should, oh, I don't know, hit with RISP and not lose in the most incredibly frustrating ways possible.
Another game that proves once again the incredible stupidity of the save stat
You have to factor this crap in to a Chamberlain start too. Six innings just won't cut it with this bullpen.
did anyone else hear the faint echo of a distant 'boom'?
i think that was the sound of william's head exploding ...
[129] The hitting with RISP wasn't the problem, at least in the later innings. Someone check how many pitches per inning Blackburn threw since that HR by Teixeira. It's not a lot.
Once again, DFAing veras and/or Edwar would allow the Yankees to shuttle through their plethora of minor league BP arms to go with the hot hand. Instead, we are stuck looking at the same ineffective relievers shuttle out of the BP time again
[132] Well, all you need to do is go back to the 6th...
[132] But I agree, they look like they are playing a getaway day game...
[121] "Win a few games and apparently they think they’ll just magically win."
I think that's a function of being so spoiled, or misguided, even from childhood, everyone wins, even when you lose...
: /
[131] LOL
Where can one find the pitches per inning stat while the game's in progress? Any recommendations?
[130] that's true as coney is reiterating now
until the pen solidifies it will be hard for this team to get on a roll.
Is Aceves injured?
[130] Pitch counts have ruined baseball for me (see also Jim Kaat)...
: /
Joba was still throwing well when they took him out. Maybe they could have left him in.
matsui!!!!!!!!!
at least girardi ph.
good job mats! c'mon, cap!!!
can el nino steal a bag???
Bunting Jeter is a bad decision..;this team doesn't get guys in from third.
well, he got him to 3rd. we BEST tie the game here...
[144] I'm glad he didn't try. How depressing would it be if he was gunned down?
Will someone please get John Sterling some new glasses, yesterday already?
His "Blind Melon Chitlin'" calls are teh suck!
"It is high! It is far! It is gone! No wait, it's a "grounds" rule double."
Gawd!
cripes
Girardi has a knack for making the wrong decision at the wrong time.
i'm glad johnny is up. c'mon, dude, tie the game!!!
christ almighty. let's go 4-4 Tex. please?!?!
Woohoo Tex!
yes good job tex - looking quite good the last games
YEAH TEX!!! atta boy.
I guess Tex is out of his slump...
A lot is forgiven for Teixeira with today's game. He of all four Yankee RBIs.
man, i'd have walked teixeira there and faced alex.
alex needs to win the game here...
[158] Cosign.
[158] i'm glad you're not managing the twinkies! ; )
If I were Girardi, I'd piss off Tex from day to day... really!
Tomorrow:
"Hey Tex, since you obviously cannot handle ML pitching, I'm playing Swisher at 1B today!"
: )
teixeira is 9 for his last 16.
whatta bum.
I feel bad for Blackburn. He wasn't exactly dominant, the Yanks were somnambulant. I guess the Twins had to leave him in with their bullpen, especially minus Nathan.
heh ... nothing like a 4 for 4 in the early season ... Bum's avg went from .213 to .238 in a day.
Preparing for a bad A Rod at bat.
well, now would be a nice time for Nick to turn off the suck.
I'll say this for A Rod - he doesn't look nearly as jumpy as I thought he would.
alex is the walking dude! (old Anthrax reference there!!!)
swish is overdue. let's go guy!!!
obviously arod is still rusty - but that he is willing to take the walks makes me quite happy
The next day:
"Tex, I'm afraid that because of your wife's shopping in the garment district recently, your credit limit has been reduced!
: )
My faith in Swisher is pretty much evaporated at this point.
a-rod's IsoD is over .200!!!
Swisher looks way out of whack.
What happened to high OBPS % Swisher? Patient Swisher?
dammit!
Atta boy Spanky!
Bleh!
Great tunes in the Clubhouse though!
*rolling eyes*
Hey Guys...great hit by Teix, and good job by A Rod not offering at that garbage--although that last pitch was close. But crappy job by Swish here. Dude, ever hear of cutting down on your swing, Captain Highlight?
Swisher is pulling off everything...can't figure out why Girardi doesn't give him a day off or at least move him down in the lineup. Make no sense.
Anyone but Mo in this inning and the Yankees are asking to lose.
FOX about to show muts-giants here. santana vs. unit (going for #299).
[178] i don't know if that's possible after 6 red bulls ...
Let's Go MO!
It's funny. You'd think in the day of video batters would feel that Mo was setting them up, cutter, cutter, cutter and then goes away and freezes them with that outside fastball. I just love it.
Textbook, Mr. Cano. Ah, ain't it nice when there are no bad hops?
Uh Oh, Mauer...
I heard he (Swisher) tried to obtain a "slump buster," but the only one he could find was so old, she told him he reminded her of Spanky McFarland!
Nick replied, "Who?"
: )
mo almighty that was nice
It doesn't get old. And that WAS NOT outside. Great job, MO!
now that's some good Mo.
I think Mo is back! The one we're accustomed to anyway...
At least it sounded that way!
If they don't score here, you have to go to Mo for two. No one else in this pen is going to get out Morneau.
MOSES!!!
now, if Robbie doesn't end the game here with a solo shot, Mo's gotta go out there for the 10th. he threw only 10 pitches...
Body-wise, and even in the chubby cheeks, Swisher reminds me of Ron Cey.
[191] great minds...explode at the same time?! ; )
[194] And to think I thought that was simply more thunder here...
: )
[193] i was just trying to think of who he reminds me of, in the face. might be someone i know personally... TWIB, was showing highlights just a bit ago and Josh Hamilton was running toward home and his posture & presence reminded me a bit of Paulie O.
It seems like this lineup is handing off the hot streak instead of coming together at the same time.
That was weak.
Mo BEST be pitching the 10th...
Good call on Paulie O. Except Hamilton's swing is quicker and more fluid.
I guess Gardner and Cabrera are competing in the ineffectiveness category today. I give Gardner the edge since he's hit the ball to the exact same place more often.
Great! Now, if Cash gets hurt, we get Berroa @ Catcher!
Yikes!
Blurgh.
Did not like that sequence at ALL
Ooof, Kubel got a good hack at that first pitch...
C'mon double play
Booooolshite
Double Blurgh.
When MO gets beat with the good stuff, it's on dinks and dunks. Damn incredible.
Ugh. No luck here for Mo/Yanks
Phew...Okay NOW turn two...
alright put buscher back in his place
Gardy wheels...
phew. one more mo, one more.
that could have been tricky - good nothing happened with that hit
I agree with O'Neill...this team still doesn't have a "personality".
Fab a lous.
Herc a leese
Herc a leese
Herc a leese
good work mo
now win it fellows so we don't have to see tomko
PHEW!!!!
215) totally agree too.
Where's Tex?
whew! now...let's win! thank you, please...
muts score 3 vs. Unit in the 1st. should be plenty for Santana and his minuscule ERA...
ok. now, let's win the this baby and go pound some budweisers!
Mariano pitched a lot better than the line will look for that inning. Two BS singles. The only problem is he threw more pitches than he should have had to.
[223] Honestly, I expected much worse considering his "second inning factor" and all...
: )
[200] i was noticing when Hamilton was running home, to score a run, he made a gesture and it reminded me of Paulie O.
[222] can i substitute that for Sierra Nevada pale ale?!?! : )
alright. i more or less expected that from cash.
at least he won't be clogging the bases during the winning rally ... which starts NOW!
kevin cash struck out??? i'm shocked! : o
[225] He murdered a Gatorade Cooler?
: )
Is there something wrong with Aceves? Why is Girardi going to give the game away by bringing in Tomko?
[230] i don't know, but Aceves is the one warming up for the 11th.
Jeez, Jeter just missed that one.
Kay kept saying Tomko was warming...that blew my mind.
alrighty, Al, time to throw up some zeroes ...
Aceves is pitching, william.
They were both warming.
Oh more crap. Guess who's pitching for the Indians today. And so far pitching well.
[236] tomko was up behind Mo in the 10th, I'm assuming Girardi doesn't want to bring Aceves in mid-inning given that he's essentially been a starter his whole career.
[237] Charles Nagy?
: )
[238] also, he probably needs longer to warm up than one of the other relievers ...
[238] Good thinking, I bet that's right.
Well, we have serious walk-off power in the bottom of the inning. Not feeling incredibly optimistic about it, but at least Tex will bat.
[239] Nope. It's the American Idle.
Nice scoop by Swish!
Who ends it? Teix or Alex?
Wow.
Jeter just seems to have supercharged D-batteries today.
okay god job - again - now score
GREAT plays by the Captain and the Bum.
now it's time for a 5 for 5.
[243] My money's on Robinson.
[239] i was thinkin' Chad Ogea!
i don't care who ends it - just win...NOW!!!
M&M boys due up next half. if, unfortunately, we have to go there, Ace BEST be out there for another inning...
[242] LOL
I'm reminded of my "That's Pavano" lyrics sung to the tune of "That's Amore"...
: )
There's the walk.
Now A-Rod will walk, too.
NICE start! i'll take the leadoff walk.
c'mon Alex, it's time...
hahaha ... that look on gardenheier's face after the walk was priceless.
Kaboom!!!!!
alright arod!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whoopie!
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
easy on that hip boys ...
NICE!!!!!!!
HELL MUTHAFUKIN' YEAH!!!!
wahoo, aaaaaaaaaahhhhhright!!! : )
God, that's spooky.
I swear, I just tuned in and had a premonition Alex would hit it out literally a second before Sterling started screaming.
Nice win, Team.
[258] haha - i was thinking that too
are melky & robbie doing their superman dance on a-rod?
is the crowd alive?!
I know I'm repeating myself here but...YAAAAAAYYYY!
Waa Hoooo!
A Rod just got a shaving cream pie. Couldn't tell who nailed him.
Way to be clutch, hip crip drip with tha pip! That deserves a sip!
: )
that was a beautiful swing- thank god the man can hit cause arod is corny as hell
Too bad his teammates don't like him.
[267] my sips will have to wait til late nite. my jazz trio plays a gig til after midnight. i'll hit the suds after that! : )
FOX still hasn't shown a highlight...
Kim Jones: "When's the last time you got a whipped cream pie?"
A Rod: "My birthday!"
What a great game. This team is pretty happy! If you believe Pete Abe, they get along pretty well too.
[263] Yes, Melk and Rob are very psyched. Also Tex, Brett, and maybe that was CC, not sure. Everyone's very high, but a few of them are just dancing around.
Great!
Thus far we are looking at the Bizarro world A Rod- his overall numbers aren't very good but he's already had a few huge hits. Here's hoping his clutch performance keeps up, cause when he's doing that, you get years like 2007.
[268] Definitely - he is a strange dude, for sure.
pavano thru 2 innings: PERFECT game w/ 4 strikeouts. fargin' icehole!
[272] They do seem a lot happier than, well, any time in recent memory.
(You're new here, right?)
"santana strikes out the side". shocking! : o
[272] then maybe he/she should change their screen name to "rufuswaselsewhere"! ; )
[270] Bleh! Relying on FOX for anything positive with respect to the Yankees, especially from A-Rod, is like waiting on realism from Limbaugh!
Have fun playing tonight Thelarmis! May your riffs be "attuned" to the masters!
Catch yas lata Banterers!
: )
[279] right after i typed that, chris rose mentioned he got texted the info and they'd show the highlight "soon". we'll see. i'm not gonna be watching much longer...
[280] Post game on YES now!
wins are fun.
man, if we can get teixeira and alex hitting well at the same time this team could really go on a nice run ...
ah...just saw it! it was quick though and didn't get to see much reaction. looked like alex was trotting nice n slow, favoring his hip a bit. when he was rounding 2nd, he was smiling, but looking toward his teammates, longing to run faster to celebrate sooner. i'm glad we won!!! : )
Phew, first hit against Pavano
[281] too bad i don't get that station here in atlanta...
excellent, smithers! time to release the hounds on him!!! ; )
[285] i'd recommend kicking down for the MLB.tv subscription.
even if you're not able to watch the game live, you can watch all of them later and the HD feed comes with DVR functionality, which is nice.
[287] i'm afraid i'd never practice any of my instruments again! hell, i'd probably miss gigs and lessons if i had the MLB network! ; )
johan has allowed 4 earned runs...all SEASON!!! : o
Ol Hoss checkin' in ... was everyone nice to OYF today?
Alex ... YAY about does it, yep. Real redemption day for Tex and A Rod, wasn't it? Rodriguez is basically in spring training still, and sucking it up a bit with his stats for the team. He deserved a walk off, and I assume the pieman was Burnett again (he got Melky yesterday).
Two notes ... I honestly have no idea what the 'personality' of a team is or means. I think it gets handed to them, or becomes a media schtick. Is it someone deciding that 'Cowboy Up!' defines them? Or Bad Willie Stargell's weird, stoned Pirates? Or Billy Martin being the personality of every team he managed? A team is 25+ personalities and how they fit and mix with new people on the roster will evolve ... and WE won't actually see most of it! Someone posted something I also read ... these guys like each other, get along, are looser than some other Yankee teams. The rap on Yankees has been a 'corporate' image, but that's more to do with where they play and endless masses of media and being trained to TRY to stay out of headlines. (I just read the book on Mussina and Glavine (Living On the Black) and there's a telling bit where Glavine notes so many reporters in the Mets clubhouse as he chases 300, and Mussina notes how there are that many and more EVERY DAY in the Bronx.)
Second, I am truly puzzled by PJ's bit about hamstrings coming cause people are only going part-speed all year, unlike the Great Gardner, running All the time, dammit, he can fall down and get up and still go, like a Timex Marlin watch!
I think, with respect, you are doing the straw man thing here. When some of us have talked about 'it is a long season' we are NOT saying players shouldn't get fit, stay fit, run out grounders, stretch before games, dig for extra bases ... and to be honest I don't see a lot of players NOT doing that, and they get beaten down by managers and teammates if they don't. A Manny Ramirez is an exception.
When we say 'long season' we mean (I think that OYF and RIYank are with me on this) it is lame to dump on Teixeira for a slow start, to evaluate his signing based on his 1st April, to get a man-crush (or woman-crush) on Swisher for a fast start. To get too excited about Pena or Cervelli after 7 games ... to panic at a short losing streak. And the PLAYERS mostly know this ... that is the point of 'it is a long season' ... not that they don't try or don't care (I HOPE we laughed that one out of court awhile back) but that they pace their emotions, the ups and down better than ... most fans do. Earl Weaver's "We play this game every day," will be MY word on this.
As for hammies ... so Crawford, Figgins, Ellsbury, Rickey get or got their hamstring pulls because they didn't go flat-out as much as Gardner? Got it. Posada and Molina are SLOW, and they were at 26, their body types lend themselves to leg issues (Po claimed somewhere he was fast before blowing his knee young, but I don't believe him!). If you say 'they don't run fast' you are right. If you are saying 'they don't run at their best speed because they are ... cruising?' I think you are simply wrong.
Leaping into stands for foul balls in May, or crashing walls in 8-3 games ... baseball people will tell you ... do NOT do it. That's a different issue and I am assuming - maybe wrongly - you aren't urging players to do this.
Single malt time. No ice.
What a game and a finish. Don't want to get too giddy about being 2 games over .500, and a horrible bullpen, but you can start to see the lineup coming together. Jorgie and Bruney returning can only help.
Is Tex over the hump?
Can't wait for tomorrow's game, SWEEP THE LEG, JOHNNY!!
Thinking a bit more about 'personality' because it is interesting. What is the Twins personality? The Mets? Boston this year? The Blue Jays? Can we all play word-association?
MAYBE we equate personality with a strong-image star? Like Stargell? Or Manny/Papi? Or Yaz's BoSox. Or is it the manager? Billy Ball? Angels going first to third? Earl Weaver himself (for those of us who remember?) Winning on pitching and 3 run homers and arguing with every ump he saw? For the Yankees, maybe (I think this might be it) the team's 'personality' was Torre for so long, and Girardi has no hope of establishing that. Maybe also our 'leaders' going forward - Jeter, A Rod, Teixeira, Mo are either maligned people or relatively colorless (in Jeter's case deliberately).
Yup, I think when we talk about personality for a team a lot of the time we mean the manager's style of field managing, and/or his strong image.
Hello.... hello?