Obviously, anyone who's a fan of the Red Sox and Jonathan Papelbon would be a hypocrite if they said that fist pumping and mound theatrics bothered them. So it's the opposite position that I take in this whole swirl of commentary about Joba Chamberlain, the Yankee reliever who has been on the hot seat because of his mini celebrations during games. I really have no problem with it.

Goose Gossage, the ex-Yankee reliever and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, has an issue with it. Do you want to know why? Because he didn't do it. He believes that Chamberlain is below him. It's a "Back in my day..." sort of looking down on current guys position, if you ask me. If you're not as good as Goose, you should be doing everything like he did it in hopes of improving yourself. Forget that!

I will admit that, for an eighth inning reliever, his choices of instances to get wound up seem suspect at times. He's not getting a save or a win in most appearances. Perhaps the third strike in the 8th of a game that the Yankees are up by 3 seems less than wanting of a celebration. This is his job, though, and when he does it well, he's happy. What a freak, right? Let's not forget, too, that the Yankees need whatever good vibes they can muster these days, or the fact that Chamberlain was out recently to go home to be with his ill father, a man who by all accounts is a huge reason why Joba is where he is. When he's doing well, he's excited, both for himself and for his dad. How can you knock that?

If nothing else, these little seizures that he goes through should inspire opponents to play harder, which is never a bad thing. Instead, some opposing players get all trite and use words like "bush." David Dellucci used that very term to comment on Chamberlain's enthusiasm after striking him out recently. This strike out came the night after Dellucci went yard off of Chamberlain. If you can't get excited about that, there's something wrong with you. And if you can't understand why someone would get excited about that, you need to be in a different job. Yes, Mr. Dellucci, I'm talking to you! This is a kid's game that you play. The key term being "game". You're supposed to get excited because it is supposed to be fun. You make seven figures to do a job that people everywhere would be willing to do for minimum wage. You're supposed to be in a good mood!

I wish there were more guys showing emotion on the diamond. I don't have a problem with Manny raising his arms when he smacks a home run. What I do have an issue with is when he strikes out with men on and the Red Sox trailing and he shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "Oh, well." It bothers me, too, when a guy like J.D. Drew goes 0 for 4 and still carries that thousand-yard-stare that he wears all the time. Or when Eric Gagne blows yet another save with the same expression he always wears, none. What endears fans to players even more than raw talent is the appearance that they care about the games somewhere near the same amount that we do. David Ortiz went through a huge slump to start off this year. While he wasn't breaking bats or going on profanity laden tirades, you could tell by he mannerisms and reactions that he was as disappointed in the turn of events as we were. Ryan Howard has the same thing going on. He's doing lousy and you can tell he's mad about it. I assume that guys like Drew and Gagne are upset when they perform poorly, but I can't really be sure because they appear to not care.

I have made fun of Chamberlain on many occasions and will continue to do so as long as he is a Yankee and as long as he has that funny jowl vibration when shaking off a sign from his catcher. But to chastise him for exuberance would be both hypocritical and contrary to what I really want to see in a baseball game.

Labels: baseball, Jobe, Red Sox, Yankers

There are many things that could be the subject of a post today. There is the painful Red Sox loss last night to the Tigers that on the surface is attributed to Papelbon's first blown save of the season, but is really due to the Lugo error. I came very close to kicking the TV when that happened, and that's about all I can say on that, so...

The real story is one that I missed. How I missed it still baffles me. If you add up the time that I spend reading sports stuff online, listening to it on XM, and watching it on TV, the idea that I missed a story about a Yanker fan killing a Red Sox fan is just unfathomable. Yet, it happened and I missed it. On Sunday night, a Red Sox fan by the name of Matthew Beaudoin (29) was killed by Ivonne Hernandez (43) in Nashua, NH. The whole story can be found in many places, including here, but the gist of it is that he yelled "Yankees Suck!" and she ran her car into the group he was with and killed then man.

This is one of the the most ludicrous things that I have ever hear. There is one in the back of my mind about a football fan who was put in the hospital after a beating for wearing the opposing team's jersey (Was that in Philly? I can't seem to find anything on it.) This, however, is way off the chart of insanity.

We all take our sports seriously. We all get charged up when the Red Sox and Yankers play, and it never matters who's doing well and who's not, the rivalry is what it is. But when you get right down to it, none of it matters.

Let this be a lesson to all fanatics out there. Was there anything really wrong with yelling "Yankees Suck"? Not really. But won't we all think about doing stuff like that a little longer the next tiem the opportunity arises? I know I will.

Labels: baseball, Red Sox, Yankers

Yeah, yeah! I know. I'm a slacker. No excuses. But I've been paying attention to both the Phils and the Sox over the last few days, and what a few days they've been, huh?

As for the Phillies, they played a 4 game series with San Francisco. Each game was decided by the winning team's last at bat. This included 3 walk-offs by the Phillies. Chase Utley continues to have a good portion of the time on talk radio with early predictions of NL MVP. Ryan Howard, on the other hand, continues to suck. As of today, he's got a .168 batting average, and 47 K's in 119 ABs.

Over in Detroit, the Red Sox have taken the the first two in a four game series against the offensively anemic Tigers. This is following a three game sweep of the Rays at Fenway. The Orioles have slowed down a bit, getting closer to what they really are. And the Yankers appear to be dealing with a start similar to last year's, without the talk of firing Torre, of course.

Papi and Manny went back-to-back last night, which puts Manny at 497! I think I have 5/19 in the pool.

Labels: Giants, Orioles, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, standings, Tigers, Yankers

Weekends are busy times for me, and as such, I find myself needing to catchup a bit here after a weekend packed with stuff to blog about.

Red Sox Sweep!

Most important of the weekend events was yesterday's completion of a sweep against the hapless Rangers. Boston came back from early deficits in the first three of those games, making for comebacks in 9 of their 14 wins so far! Timely hitting, some clutch jack action from Tek and Manny, plus surges from Lugo and Pedroia, and solid play from fill-ins Casey and Lowrie, were the stories with in the story. Most importantly, the unearthing of the Ortiz jersey from Yanker Stadium II has unearthed Papi's bat, as well. Ortiz had 10 RBI over the series, including 5 on Friday when he had a grand slam. His batting average was at .077 when the garment was recovered. Since then he is batting .322!

Manny Hits #496

One of those comeback wins was courtesy of Manny Ramirez who cranked a 2 run shot in the 8th inning of Saturday's game. The score was tied at the time and the lead held. Manny was ejected from Sunday's game in the 2nd for arguing a called third strike. He was scheduled to have a day off Monday and, even though he had most of Sunday off anyway, he did indeed ride the pine yesterday.

Hello, Kettle? This is Pot...

Only an idiot would have a guy with a 100 MPH fastball as a middle reliever. That was the latest bit of "wisdom" from Son-of-a-Steinbrenner, commonly known as Hank. Well, not really the latest, because he back peddled considerably the next day. Still, who exactly is the idiot he was referring to? Cashman, the guy who got Joba Chamberlain in the first place. Joe Torre who managed him last year, the year of the "Joba Rule"? Surely not Joe Girardi?

Can you identify the true idiot in this group?

Phils Majors and Minors

So, the Phillies managed to avoid the sweep from the Mets and, last night, finally figured out how to outscore the Rockies. The biggest story from the weekend though, the Iron Pigs game that I attended on Friday night. Boy, does the Phillies AAA team suck, or what? They got beaten 8 - 3, but that score makes the game seem a little less like the one-sided affair that it was. Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania is a great place to watch a ball game and both I and my step-daughter enjoyed the beautiful weather and post-game fireworks immensely. I have a little bit of post-game eye strain, however, from trying to identify the young prospects that the Phils are honing in Lehigh Valley. I couldn't see him.

Labels: baseball, Iron Pigs, Mets, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Rockies, Yankers

MANNY HITS #494 and #495

What a difference a day makes, huh? After the marathon loss of the night before, last night's win over the Bronx Bozos was made all the better because we received some more evidence that MANNY OWNS MUSSINA!

With two jacks in his first two AB's, Manny has himself 5 away from the 500 milestone and a little farther from the hearts of the Yanker faithful.

As an aside, while logged on to TalkSox.com last night for the game thread, I posted to following query:

"Ok. So, MLB.tv is blacked-out out for me because of YES. The radio feed audio isn't as sharp at it was on ESPN last night. My question is this: Are the less than classy left field fans yelling "Manny is an a#%hole" like last night?"

The one of the responses (from a Yanker fan, because many them are fixtures in this Red Sox forum) was this:

"Are you serious? I hadn't realized. Even that shocks me. Growing up just blocks from the Stadium, Manny is probably one of the few Sox players some, if not most, Yankee fans admire. I know I do at least. Except when we play you guys...then the dude drives me [expletive] crazyyyyyyy"

I met this comment with a combination of surprise and disbelief. There were people in the stands holding up impromptu "Moany Ramirez" signs when he complained (and rightly so) about the strange and lengthy delay that Wednesday's home plate ump, Tim McClelland, had when calling balls and strikes. The sound on ESPN that night was clear enough to hear all sorts of vile and vulgar shoutings from classless Yanker fans, so much so that I was glad my kids weren't watching. Yet, this guy, who claims to be a long time resident in the thick of it all, is surprised that Manny was chastised. Please!

Not to be outdone by the fans, Kyle Farnsworth took it upon himself to get payback for Manny's clubbing of Moose and throw a 98 mph burner that sailed just behind Manny's head. He was immediately warned by the home plate ump, as were both benches. In reality, Farnsworthless should have been tossed, fined, and suspended. A heater of that caliber in the head could surely be a career ending event! It was a move totally devoid of class, character, and respect for either the game, the opponent, or himself. What a total and utter clown!

The "wild pitch" as the Yankers wish to consider it, prompted this wondrous quote from Terry Francona:

“I’m glad he didn’t hit him...98 (miles per hour) at your lips is going to hurt.”

In the end, the really important thing is that we have left these two early series against the Yankers up by a game. we won't see them again until July when we return to their house for a 4 game jaunt. So, far at least May and June, they (the fans) can stew knowing they are 2 out of 5 against the Red Sox!

Labels: baseball, Red Sox, Yankers

Aside from the painful length of the game last night and the pitching that made Joe Borowski feel a little less like putting his head in the oven, there was one other lousy aspect to last night's Red Sox loss to the Yankers: The fans.

We've come to expect little in the way of class or decorum from many of the folks with seats in Yankee Stadium*. Last night was only one in a long line of examples, albeit a pretty pointed example, at that.

OK. So Manny gets booed for showing his temper over the "Rain Man" sort of method that home plate ump Tim McClelland used for calling balls and strikes. I understand that this will not endear anyone to NY fans, let alone Manny. But what the room temperature IQ's missed, was that Manny was not arguing the call, but the slowness of the call. That was an issue for several hitters on both side during the evening. Either way, had the hooting an hollering been limited to situation like this one, so be it.

Before too long, though, those of us watching on ESPN found our just what a challenge it can be to do live TV. When Manny got back out to left field, you could hear the resounding chant of "Manny is an A#%-Hole" clearly over the play-by-play. Now, is that doesn't say, "New York at its finest," what does.

Another wonderful moment was when Kevin Youkilis struck out, the camera caught squarely a older gent in a Yanker cap shouting "F##k You!" at Youkilis as he walked back to the dugout. Now, keep in mind, this is the same Kevin Youkilis that is batting .368, or, in other words, he's batting 41 points higher that any of the Yankees. Well, any of them with the exception of Chad "I'm hitting so far over my norm that I'm getting nosebleeds" Moeller's 4 out of 10 for the season.

I know that there is always extra passion when the Yankers host the red Sox. Just look at Cano and Cabrera after one of the shakiest wins in recent Yanker history...

Labels: baseball, obnoxious fans, Red Sox, Yankers

This just in: The Red Sox's bullpen just gave up another hit.

Good grief! Was there ever anything as painful as sitting through all four hours+ of that game last night?

30 hits? 24 runs? One lone error by (who else?) Julio Lugo. 42 men on base on 341 pitches from a total of 9 pitchers? Yecch!

Oh, and Kevin Youkilis had to have x-rays (thankfully negative) after fouling a ball off of his left big toe. He, and his starters-leading .368 average, may miss tonight.

Some of those innings reminded me of this:


"Wham! A Homa! Wham! Anudda Homa!"

I don't know what to expect from tonight, but I'm sure glad last night is over!

Labels: baseball, Red Sox, Yankers

The Boston Globe (among others) is reporting a story that Curt Schilling's doctor, Craig Morgan, told WEEI that Curt would consider signing with the Yankees. Curt, in Cleveland with the rest of the team, claims to have been surprised by this revelation and insists that it is not true.

I watched an interview with Curt months back (think it might have been on Real Sports, but I am not sure) that was before he resigned with the Sox. Curt was talking about places he like to go and was adamant that the Yankers were not an option. While mentioning various options that he'd consider possible, he mentioned the Phils and the Diamondbacks. He specifically denied a chance of wearing the nauseating pinstripes on the Bronx Bozos. I believe the way he put it was that going the the Yankers would be like switching from the Hatfields to the McCoys.

But here we are, not too much later, reading about this supposed conversation. With the issues that exist between Schilling and the Red Sox front office over the shoulder problems he's having, or, more specifically, how to deal with them, this story might be getting a bit more credence than it would earn otherwise. Schilling is also reported to be voluntarily restructuring his contract to eliminate incentives he is scheduled to receive for making weight requirements. Schilling said this:

“It’s against probably the advice of the Players Association and my attorney, but it just didn’t seem like it made any logical sense. I’m already collecting money I’m not earning right now, and I’m going to make more?”

My hope is certainly that Curt is being honest. As things stand, if he never threw another pitch, he would still be an icon in Boston. If things end up being that he moves on from the Red Sox, I think fans could handle that. If, however, he were to go to the Yankers? Well, I think most would add his name to the list that holds Damon and Clemens.

Labels: baseball, Curt Schilling, Red Sox, Yankers

Just in case the whole Cement Jersey Hoax was not, in and of itself, enough to make you despise the Yankers even more, the latest lie from the "House With a Papi Foundation" is that the recovery of the jersey from the concrete has cost the Yankers no less than $50,000!

Note to Hank: Start off slower. You can't pull off this caliber of bullshit this early in you tenure.

So, not only was the shirt mysteriously found in a service corridor, as opposed to the floor of the clubhouse where it was said to have been placed, now were are to believe that the hole in said service corridor has a $50,000 price tag on it. Please! While the photos in the story are certainly worthy of scrutiny, the hole appears to be about 4 feet wide and about 3 to 4 feet deep. There was some re bar reinforcements that had to be cut, and it will need to be filled back in.

If the Yankers paid $50,000 for that, they got robbed. I would have done it for $5,000 and 2 tickets to tomorrow's game. Of course I would have buried something far more "cursed" in the process, but I would have saved them over 43 grand!

Labels: baseball, hoax, Red Sox, Yankers

For this, the 100th post on the PhilSox blog, we humbly submit to all that the recovered Ortiz jersey supposedly pulled out of the concrete at the new Yankee Stadium is purely a hoax. The fake photo-op was contrived by the Yankee front office to nip in the bud any "curse" talk.

As the photo see clearly shows, the jersey that sources claim to have pulled out of a solid concrete slab of floor at the new venue wouldn't fool a child. PhilSox Blog consulted with a local contractor who asked to remain unnamed. "Anyone who has worked with cement at any time knows that fabric, when mixed with liquid cement, absorbs the mixture. When you took it out of the floor it would never be in as good shape as [the shirt in the photo]. A shirt that was actually submerged in concrete then dug up with jackhammers would be shredded and torn as the concrete was smashed. At least you'd expect to see like chunks of concrete hanging on [the shirt]. The shirt in the photo was not buried in cement!"

Perhaps we should be giving the Yankees some credit for going all out on this. It would seem though that even the most ardent Yankee fan would have to wonder about a few details:

• After denying the story all along, they changed their minds and decided to "remove" it awfully fast.
• They knew exactly where to jackhammer, even though the person who buried it was not there to assist.
  
• The nailed the spot perfectly on the first try.
• They happened to have a photographer on hand.
• The shirt was in remarkably good shape, with bright, crisp red numbers and letters.

No one can blame the Yankees for wanting to solve this issue as quickly as it arose. Yankee fans got a ton of mileage out of "The Curse of the Bambino" for a long time. Chanting things like "1918" and such became the third most familiar line out of New Yorker's mouths, surpassed only by "I want to see a lawyer!", and "Yo, Joey, how's my hair look?" Having any possibility of a curse running the other way had to have struck fear in hearts of many a Yankee lover. I know that most of them can't wrap their minds around a concept like "karma", but they had to be worried about it, none the less.

So, as far as Hank and George and the rest of the too-thin mustached Yankee faithful are concerned, the who messy situation is over. They probably even buried one of Giambi's sweaty jocks in the whole before they filled it in, just for good measure. But as for the rest of us out here in Red Sox Nation, we know the truth.

Labels: curse, hoax, Yankers

After a decidedly crappy beginning to the weekend, the boys from Boston came back on Saturday and Sunday so as to head off for Cleveland having taken 2 out of three from the Yankers. With many fans saying before hand that this year's April series at the Fens was decidedly less than exciting, many disagreed and believed that any Red Sox/Yanker match-up is good for getting the blood moving and the dander up.

On Saturday, the big story PhilSox territory was how someone at FOX almost got murdered after the network switched to NASCAR with two outs and two strikes in the Yankee 9th! After the 2 hour plus rain delay, the game resumed at roughly 8:20 PM EST. After Papelbon fanned A-Rod and the Sox made a quick time of the bottom of the 8th, the Yanks came up for what would be their last at-bat unless they rallied. we all sat, engrossed as Paps retired the first two batters in short order. Then, with two strikes on Cano, FOX switched to some race, with a quick announcement that the game could be viewed on FX. well, by the time I got there, the game was over! I had to wait until the game was archived on MLB.tv to see that Cano grounded out. In fact, things were so screwed up with FOX, that if you watch the archived game at that point, you see Papelbon dealing to Cano, but hear some announcer dealing with the opening moments of Saturday's installment of "Redneck Merry-Go-Round"!

Sunday night saw the red Sox jump out to a large 7 - 1 lead, despite a very shaky Dice-K. With the bats finally seeming to awaken a bit, the Sox held on to9 win 8 - 5. Papi took the night off, and here's hoping that the rest helps him a bit. Also out was Jeter, with Posada coming back in late in the game and pointedly not throwing to second on steals while nursing a bum shoulder. All the more good for the Sox.

On to Cleveland!

Labels: baseball, Red Sox, Yankers

After being away for a couple days and not getting posts done for the Tigers' first win and then the Red Sox coming back the next day to spank them 12 - 6, I'm "yanked" back here today after listening to the first Yanker-Sox match of 2008. The painful 4-1 loss the Red Sox suffered leaves one wondering which is more to blame; the virtuoso performance by Wang (complete game,2 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's, 1HR) or the continued anemic plate performance of the Red Sox. Most notably, of course, is the pathetic .077 that David Ortiz is posting, which includes an 0 for 3 last night.

Buchholz had another good outing. (6 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's) But, like I mentioned, no run support. Right now, for Sox pitching, the first sing of a weak link is Jon Lester. He seems to break down consistently after about 4 innings. He looks like a deer in the headlights when he gets in trouble, which is not what I was thinking when I predicted him having a breakout season. Oh, and there ther's the bull pen, which I can't even bring myself to think about these days.

While stopping in at TalkSox.com for the usual camaraderie of other beleaguered Sox fans, I noticed many comments about the lack usual excitement around this Sox/Yanks series. These comments came from both Red Sox fans, as the oddball Yanker fans that always seem to be on TalkSox. (These guys puzzle me to no end, but maybe that's best saved for another post.) I, on the other hand, was juiced for this weekend since seeing in on the schedule. With both teams coming in dead even in the surreal AL East, who cares if it is only April?

Relegated to listening to the audio from WRKO (thanks to MLB.tv's blackout of YES carried games in my area) I sat in my kitchen with the laptop in front of me, wringing my hands and looking at a ridiculous box score as it built itself. I'm hoping for better things today, as FOX states they are carrying the game. Tomorrow, ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball promises the third game. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both. I like the match-ups in the next two games. Mussina vs. Beckett will depend if Josh is closer to his mid season form that in his first start and if Mussina is closer to last years "suck" than in his previous start. Sunday feels really good. The recently smokin' Dice-K up against Phillip Hughes.

GO SOX!!!

Labels: baseball, Red Sox, Yankers

The Red Sox will take the field tonight in Toronto for the Jays home opener. Counting the Japan trip, then the A's first home game, this will be the Sox third opener. They of course have one more, the most important, opening day at Fenway this coming Tuesday.

Yesterday was an off day which we're hoping will take the last of the team's jet lag away. There nothing like an off day to get creative juices flowing for folks when there isn't actually a game to talk about. I heard on Mike & Mike this morning a clip of some baseball pundit extolling the reasons why Papelbon should be a starter. I cannot remember who this lad was (If anyone knows, please leave a comment!) but he was taking a page out of some Sabermetrics guide and talking about how your best pitcher should not be a reliever and your best reliever should not be a closer. The geek view of this topic is that you should put your "closer" in whenever the game is really on the line. For instance, if you have a 1 run lead in the 6th, and the opponents meat is coming to the plate, that should be the clue to put in your "closer". The only flaw with this theory that I can think of was that the Red Sox tried this once and it was a downright disaster. Meanwhile, the Yankers have two closers; Rivera for the ninth, Chamberlain for the eighth. I vote we keep Paps where he is.

There's been discussion about center field and the Crisp/Ellsbury situation. The truth of this matter is that decisions on who is in the line-up are not being made strictly on numbers and perceived benefit towards a win. Crisp got a start Wednesday and will probably get more, not because he is better than Ellsbury, but because the front office wants to "showcase" him so that a trade can be worked out. He went 2 for 5 that night and scored a run. I suppose that isn't too bad a show, but I can't help but wish that Jacoby was in. (Drew, who went 1 for 5, is not being showcased for anything, as far as I know.)

It appears that Josh Beckett will make his first start on Sunday in the third game of the Toronto series. Here's some logic that I can't help but question. Starting Tuesday (for that Fens opener) the Sox will be facing Detroit who will be, at best, playing .500, assuming they sweep the White Sox. Based on their plate performance while being swept by the Royals, those Tigers may not be able to get three in their first home stand, but anyone who thinks that those bats aren't going to wake up at some point is nuts. Should we be leaving Beckett out until that Tuesday? I mean, he didn't get the Japan start, now he won't get to pitch in Fenway until the 11th or 12th against the Yankees? I say you let him have the Fens opener, which still leaves him ready for game three of the Yankee series (Which is the only one I'll actually get to see since MLB.tv will be blacked out for me and Sunday's game is on ESPN. (Thank you YES network!) Who do we need Beckett more against, the Toronto line-up or those of Detroit and New York?

Finally, folks are expressing their relief to see some players waking up a bit. Papi had hit first hits, his first RBI, and his first jack of the season on Wednesday. Matsuzaka looked much better in his second start, as did the young Jon Lester. Even Tek is performing better at the plate, getting a RBI double (He was robbed of a homer, pure and simple) and a homer this week. We have survived the worst part of this Homeric 2008 Opening Odyssey with a record of 3 and 1, and that is a good thing because April is not getting any easier.

Labels: baseball, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Royals, Tigers, Yankers

The lastest in Hank Steinbrenner's jabs at the Red Sox was his comments about Jonathan Papelbon. In terms of keeping the Red Sox - Yanker rivalry interesting, I want to say "Thanks!" to the big Junior Windbag from the Bronx.

It all started, of course, when Hank made the comments about Red Sox Nation and expressed his delusion about how the United States should be subtitled "Yankeeland". The, Paps, when asked by The Courant about Hank's insult, stated:

"I don't know if he's trying to stir things up or not. I sure as hell don't
care, because he sure as hell hasn't stepped foot on a baseball field. He needs
to just stick to pencil-pushing, I guess.

Hank didn't like this. He responded:

"Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse."

and then...

"So now, all of a sudden, this player, this 20-something kid who really doesn't
know his way in the world, comes out with a personal insult. There's no excuse
for that."

Somehow, Hank doesn't see how saying that Red Sox Nation is a "bunch of $#@!" might just be construed as insulting. No, in his mind, gentle ribbing was made into horrible mudslinging by Papelbon's assertion that Hank never played baseball. He hasn't ever played, has he?

But in the end, the truth of the matter is the the real difference between Papelbon's comments and Hank's is that Paps are for real. Hank's is all so much B.S., the intent of which is to make headlines and beef up a rivalry that Yankee fans have sort of tired of since it stopped being like the rivalry between a hammer and nail. Now that things are a bit more even, Hank wants to get the stuff stirred up because, in the end, it's all about the dollars. Just ask the teams that the Yankers "subsidize".

The rivalry does make the season more insteresting. If the majority of the Yanker fans that I know weren't prone to resort to horrible profanity and slurs against my mother when I make a valid point while discussing things, I'd be even more happy. But as it is, I want to say thanks to Hank. While he wants to do business with John Henry and he's a major contributor to the Jimmy Fund, he can keep pretending that his jabs at the Sox are about fun and passion when they're really about dollars and cents.

Labels: baseball, Hank Steinbrenner, Red Sox, Yankers

No long commentary. No wordy argument. Just two things. Shelley Duncan said of his slide into second base "There was no spiking in my eyes." Now I ask you. Does this look like the slide if a guy who's trying to beat the throw and get to the bag?

Labels: baseball, punk, Rays, Yankers

Hmmm?

Labels: baseball, Yankers

10. Living in the past - Yankee fans were always the first to yell about how the Sox hadn't won a series since 1918. They're all "here and now" when it suits their purpose. But in every other argument they resurrect artifacts with more fervor than Indiana Jones. Just to name a few... Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and every mention of about 21 of their 26 World Series titles.

9. The pinstripes - I'm sorry. I just don't like the look, on anybody. Pinstripes don't symbolize speed, grace, or anything related to sports. They symbolize staunch, stuffed-shirt, pomposity.

8. The emblem - Again, Yankee fans may argue that it is the most popular insignia ever, almost as universally recognized as, well, the swastika, but I fail to see the beauty. Who the hell came up with that font? Take a look at it broken apart:



7. New York City - I know it hasn't been cool to complain about NYC since 9/11, but for every good/great thing about that metropolis, there is at least on bad/horrible thing. The last time I was there, I stood next to a man pissing in a bottle at 2 in the afternoon. We were in front of FAO Schwartz. Any questions?

6. RDD - Retail Delusional Disorder - You see, Yankee fans talk about a how the Yankee emblem and Yankee gear is the most popular of all teams. While this is certainly true, the fans never talk about just why. Sure, they have a huge fan base. No argument there. But the Yankee logo has become a fashion statement. There is a rather large segment of the population that wears the logo not because they know anything or care in the least about the Yankees. They have as much loyalty to the Bronx Bombers as they do the Dolce & Gabbana, or Fendi. Then you need to add in the rapper crowd that wears Yankee colors as a statement, but not the statement, "New York Yankees are the finest in baseball." I believe that if you could round up every person in the country that owns an article of officially licensed Yankee gear, that less than half would be able to tell you who the current manager is, how many rings the Yankees have, or what song is played at the end of games at Yankee stadium.

5. No Heart - While many teams (especially the Red Sox) have high priced talent, the Yankees players, more often than not, seem like hired guns. They smile little and they seem more like 1960's FBI agents than guys who get paid a ton of money to play the wonderful game of baseball.

4. No Loyalty - Yankees have no objections to taking the high-priced, high talented player that they ridiculed and screamed profanity at the season before. They took Damon, they tried for Martinez (after all that who's your daddy crap.)

3. The Rules - No, not the Joba Rules, though they annoy me, too. I'm referring to the no facial hair, no long hair, no personality, no style, no fun rules. Like I said, 1960's FBI.

2. The Steinbrenners - I always get asked the question about why I can stomach the Red Sox $146 million budget, but the Yankees payroll annoys me. The answer is the ownership. I can't impugn the business sense of these lads. They've created one of the most successful businesses in the world. But I'm not particularly interested in the business side of baseball. To me, it is the downside, to be sure. But if there is any doubt that business is the prime motivator for the Steinbrenners, I need to be versed. Sure, they make moves to win. But these moves are made with all the passion of an Exxon board meeting. Success is what they crave. Defeating the foes. Making as much money as humanly possible. Being able to pat themselves on the back. There is no love of baseball exhibited. There is absolutely nothing done in the name of fun. But worst of all, it is the ownership that is 50% responsible for the hatred that many feel for the Yankees. It's not the fact that they win so much. It's stories like that of Billy Martin, and now Joe Torre, showing the true hearts of the men at the helm, that sour so many to the Yankees.

1. The fans - Finally, the other 50%. The reason why the Yankees are hated is the people who love them. This vulgar group of sophomores that spends more time jeering at the Red Sox than they do cheering for the Yankees when the two teams play. The real reason the rivalry stays so heated no matter what. The way they can never, ever admit that anything the front office does was a mistake. The way the lambaste Sox fans for doing some of the same things that are accepted in Yankee fan circles. (Accents being the first thing that comes to mind.) While nothing could ever ruin the game for me, these folks come the closest. The constant ranting about 26 rings, blah, blah, blah. They try to sell you their team, ,talking about how wonderful and winning it is, then cry and moan about the "Pink Hat Brigade", the neo-Sox fans who have become Sox fans because of the team's recent success. Isn't jumping the bandwagon exactly what they'd like us to be doing? The issue isn't jumping on the bandwagon, its the wagon that gets chosen. Most of all, I get the impression that most of these fans are truly happiest when they are actively making some other, non-Yankee fan miserable.

Labels: baseball, fan, obnoxious fans, Red Sox, Yankees, Yankers

Fun with SimMatch Baseball

Let your mind rush back to your childhood. It's a cool October. In a month our parents will collectively elect Ronald Reagan to his first term. The Phillies have taken the NL pennant from the Astros in typical "Cardiac Kid" fashion. But here's the switch. The Royals haven't beaten the Yanks 3-0 for the AL Championship. Instead, the Yankees prevail and now, with home field advantage, they take on the the Phils in the 1980 World Series!

Game 1 - Yankee Stadium






With two outs in the first, Michael jack Schmidt stepped to the plate. With a 1-1 count, Schmidt cranks a Tommy John fastball toward left field. The frozen rope shot barely clears the wall, giving Schmidt his first World Series homer and the Phillies a 1 run lead.

The lead was to be short lived, however. Will Randolph's double coupled with Reggie Jackson's walk gave the Bombers 1st and 2nd with one out. Oscar Gamble's lined one to left center for a single that scores Randolf and moves Jackson to 3rd. Bob Watson lines his own to center, scoring Jackson. Then, with runners at 1st and 2nd again, Graig Nettles launches a towering shot over the right field wall, clearing the bases and giving the Yankees a 5-1 lead at the end of the first, Bobby Brown having been caught stealing for the final out.

The bottom of the second sees Greg Luzinski score from third on a line drive single by Maddox. 5-2 Yanks, after 1 1/2.

Things settled down considerably for awhile. With the score still 5-2, the fifth inning saw Schmidt get to first on what could have been called a throwing error by Randolph after a slow roller. Schmidt was safe at first, but more importantly, Pete Rose scored from second, beating an excellent throw by Brown who charged in after the errant throw. Later in the frame, Schmidt scored from second on a left field shot by Lonnie Smith. McBride, on 2nd after a single of his own, ended up on 3rd after Smith's hit. A Luzinski sac-fly brought McBride home. The game was all tied after a 1-2-3 Yankee at bat that featured Jackson's second K of the game.

Several more 1-2-3 at bats brought both Phils and Yanks to the bottom of the 9th still tied at 5. With two outs, Rose found himself on second after his second double of the game. McBride, looking at a full count, lined a Ron Davis offering to left center. Rose was already eying home plate as soon as he left the 2nd base bag. Bobby Murcer made as good a throw from center as any Yankee fan could have hoped for, but in the end, Rose was too quick. He slid under the tag for the go-ahead run!

Tug McGraw came in to relieve Carlton for the bottom of the ninth. Things looked hopeful when he walked Cerone, but Brown grounded out to Manny Trillo on the first pitch of his at bat. The Phillies took game one with a score of 6-5.









Check back soon for Game 2 recaps!

Labels: baseball, Fake Flashback, Phillies, World Series, Yankers

"Baseball This Morning", featured on XM's MLB Home Plate Channell, reported today that Joba Chaimberlain showed up at spring training with both his nipples pierced.

Yuck!

This conjured up two competing images in my mind. The first was of the rip-chords on two badly packed parachutes. The second was this:

Labels: baseball, Joba, stupid, Yankers

The current buzz seems to indicate that Johan Santana will be traded before Spring Training and that the current front runner is the Mets. The Yankers and Red Sox are still in the picture, but aside from not wanting the Sox to lay out too much for the Cy Young winner, I find myself torn. It appears my choices (not that they are rally mine to make) are either the Sox get him and lose Ellsbury, the Yankees get him and the Sox face him, or the Mets get him and the Phillies have to face him.

No really great option there.

I suppose that if I were asked to rank them, I'd put losing Ellsbury over letting the Mets get him, but I'd rather the Mets get him than the Yankers. All I need is to have to listen to the already annoying Yanker fans preen over their newest star acquisition. In both cases where Santana ends up not with the Sox, my real fear is not what he'll do when he pitches against my teams, but what his presence on either the Mets or Yankers would do for their overall record as the 2008 season progresses.

Of course, I can't expect the Sox to go the extra mile to keep him from the Mets. I do hope that the idea of keeping him from the Yankers is on Theo's mind. Maybe I'm daft, but in the end I still think I'd be happier seeing Ellsbury in center that I would seeing Johan on the mound in Boston.

Labels: baseball, Ellsbury, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, Santana, Yankers