So it rained before the game, and it’s raining now, but the heavens closed tonight just long enough for the Yankees to play a listless nine innings and lose, 4-2, to the Rangers.
During the game I was thinking that Phil Hughes may be back in the rotation sooner rather than later, because it sure seemed like something was off with Andy Pettitte. After the game he said he was fine, but his first couple innings tonight were a festival of walks and singles – both his stuff and his location were giving him trouble. It’s a testament to either Pettitte’s luck or his guile that he limited the damage to four runs and then got himself through five innings, given how rough he looked in the early going. Could just be an off-night, or maybe his back still hurts and he’s being macho about it, which (note: complete speculation) would be my guess.
Meanwhile Scott Feldman, going for the Rangers, was not exactly dominating but did do a good job of preventing the Yankees from stringing anything together. Alex Rodriguez singled in Nick Swisher in the first, and then in the seventh, Jorge Posada knocked a line drive over the right field wall, and that was it for New York.
Despite all their come-from-behind wins this year, I never thought they’d pull one of those off tonight – the game just didn’t have that feel. Low-energy, and a bit of a comedown after the last two doozies, but hey, they were certainly due for one of these. My personal favorite moment of the game was Paul O’Neill’s extended shocked silence at the revelation that Randy Choate is currently closing for the Rays.
So, I’m off to sleep. Over the last few weeks I’ve been having really odd, vivid dreams, which I only mention because a lot of them have been baseball-related. There was one the week before last in which Jeter and A-Rod were kidnapped and for some reason I had to find them when the police couldn’t. Then I had one of those classics where you show up to class and discover there’s a huge exam you’re totally unprepared for, and all the questions were about the ’94 strike. Oddest of all, a few nights ago I dreamed I was… making out with Johan Santana at an Enrique Iglesias concert. (Please note that my admiration for Johan Santana is considerable, but platonic, and that I can’t stand Enrique Iglesias.) The subconscious is a strange place.
Anyone else have any weird baseball dreams you’d care to share?
Emma-san, I too was fixated on Johan for awhile but he's a Met now..we have to let go...
Odddest baseball dream: Earl Weaver retired from Os and came to manage my little league team..he scared the crap out of all of us, and left me close to tears when he shouted at me for swinging at ball 4...
Don Mattingly is a recurring figure in my dreams over the years. No narrative, ever, but he appears as a figure of pathos. I'll see him field, maybe, or hit, and be brought to near tears at the beauty of it all, the loss of childhood, and the tragedy of his decline from greatness.
It's a sort of "where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" type dream.
i've had at least seven dreams featuring homer bush.
and that's all i have to say about that.
I once dreamt David Wells knocked on my front door and he came in to hang out. That was cool. I've had about a dozen dreams about the last Yankee stadium, but it was never really the stadium, if you know what mean. And once I dreamt Louis Armstrong was trying to kill me.
(Throw Momma from the Train.) : )
“I just stunk,” said Rodriguez, who did drive in a first-inning run. “One hit, and I think we win that game. Those at-bats are not acceptable.”
What I like about this is he is critical of the at-bats, not just the result.
I once had one of "those" dreams about A-Rod. I won't go into the details, suffice it to say we were going to leave our respective spouses. When I woke up, I was like, "Yuck?"
There can be worse things than dreaming about Santana, but Enrique Iglesias? That's just wrong.
I noticed the palpable silence at the Randy Choate comment. I kept waiting for Paulie to say something intelligible.
Last night the team seemed lackluster. The at-bats were taking the wind out of their sails and they made Feldman look like a Cy Young candidate. Tipping your hat and all that malarky. No worries, just one down game.
I wonder if A-Rod dreams of (being like) Jeter
I kept waiting for Paulie to say something intelligible.
He just found out Randy Choate is the Rays closer... I'd have a hard time coming up with something intelligible. :D
“I just stunk,” said Rodriguez, who did drive in a first-inning run. “One hit, and I think we win that game. Those at-bats are not acceptable.”
And you'd be right, Alex. I can understand the k, after that strike 2 call, but that GIDP was inexcusable, what with Feldman having a hard time throwing strikes. And it was ball 4 that he swung at.
Don't recall any baseball dreams. And Emma, at least it wasn't a Yanni concert.
[9]
Here come the ... Yannis ..
Let's get behind and cheer the Yannis ....
(OK ... that's enough of that)