It Means Very Little.

This investigation is a joke.

First, the main guy in this ridiculous 400 page document is Kirk Radomski. Who agreed to a plea deal in exchange for giving over information. Lets go over that again. He serves LESS time in jail by giving out names..

There is nothing in this plea deal that states he has to give EVIDENCE in relation to the names hes giving out. Just names.. Come on now..

Secondly, we all know that Mitchell is on the board of the Red Sox. He is a director. Unpaid or not, he has a bias.

Even if he is somehow the most honest man in the country, there is an unconscious instinct that we all have, to protect things that we have value in.

This investigation was basically 2 people giving names.. That's not much of an investigation.. Do we really believe that 2 people ran the entire steroid scandal in Baseball? Give me a break..

Nothing should come from this. Congress should stay out of baseball, and the league shouldn't suspend anybody. This report is full of holes. Anybody that actually breaks it down, instead of just comparing the names and the numbers of players on a certain team, will see that it is very weak.

No Santana for the Yankees

At least for now..

We all know that Hank has told everyone that the dealing for Santana is over.. I'm always hesitant in the world of baseball to call anything 'over' because, we know that nothing is 'over' until theres 0 chance left..

Personally I couldn't be happier about it.

I'll never argue that having Santana at the top of the rotation is a bad thing, but, hes 29 years old with a lot of innings on that arm already.

Meanwhile, Hughes and Kennedy's' journey is just beginning, and I for one want to watch it. I would have been very sorry to see them go.

I think a rotation made up of (in no real order..) Wang, Pettitte, Moose, Kennedy, Hughes, and of course, Joba, has the potential to be very good.


The Yankees really need to keep on focusing on their bullpen.. Joba needs to join the rotation, and I don't want any second-guessing that move this year because of struggles by the bullpen..

Can Farnsworth hold his own in a set up role? The Yankees brass is staying optimistic.. But we all know we'll be holding our breath with every pitch..

The bullpen really will be the most important part of this team.. It seems like the Yankees know that this year, so I'm feeling optimistic too.

Don't trade Hughes.

That's all..

A-Rod Probably Back.. So Now What?

Alright so if the rumors are true, and Alex is back in pinstripes, what does that mean for the Yankees?

Well for one thing, it means the Yankees will be fielding basically the same offense as they did this past year.

It also means that they now really need to focus on their pitching.

I'm honestly not sure how to feel about this. I do like Alex, but his playoff record since 2004 really does scare me.

And what is this going to do to the clubhouse chemistry now? He blew the team off, didn't return calls from the other players and basically turned his back on them...

That does honestly worry me.

But... Again, if the Yankees can get some pitching, and solidify the bullpen, the Yankees will once again be a team to fear.

Jorge Gets 4 Years.

So the Yankees signed Posada. They tried to get him with a 3 year deal, but that didn't work. So they were forced to give him the 4th year.

Thats a long contract for a 36-year-old, but the Yankees had no choice. Posada will give the Yankees some solid time behind the plate, but you have to figure he'll be eventually moved to firstbase, or to the DH spot.

All an all this was the one player the Yankees absoluty had to sign, and I'm glad they did.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox haven't been able to sign Lowell yet, and he is now on the open marker. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the Yankees stay far far away from him.

Don't Trade for a Third Baseman

Ok, heres my stance. The Yankees should not trade anybody for a third baseman.

They shouldn't trade for Crede, Atkins or Miguel Cabrera.

Furthermore, they shouldn't sign Mike Lowell.

Crede is a medicore player, coming off major back surgery. Plus, he'd likely cost the Yankees Johnny Damon. This would be a bad deal for the Yankees.

Go ahead and take a second to look at Garret Atkins home/away spilts.
He has hit .349 in Colorado, and .254 everywhere else..

Cabrera is a great player, no doubt. But hes going to cost the Yankees WAY to much. You don't trade stud pitching.

Mike Lowell is a great player at Fenway, but he would not be suited for the Yankees. Take a look at this article and this spray chart by River Ave Blues He would also more than likely be looking for a 4 year deal. Thats just to long.

The Yankees #1 concern this offseason, after Posada and Rivera, should be the BULLPEN.

Focus on building a dominent bullpen.

Alright I added a poll to the side.

This poll is based on this article, which speculates that A-Rod wants to at least sit down with the Yankees.

The question here isn't whether or not you think the Yankees should try and sign Alex, the question is should they enter into talks with him at all? Is it worth it to try and negotiate with him and Boras, or should the Yankees turn their backs completely?

With the Yankees out of the picture, Alex's price gets driven way down. No team can match the type of extension plan the Yankees were planning on offering. That hurts A-Rod bottom line.

On the other hand, there are no real attractive third basemen options out there. Put all the crazy trade talk aside for now. The Yankees aren't going to be trading Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to get Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins.

So who plays third? Joe Crede? Wilson Betemit? Arron Boone? Scott Brosuis?

I think the chances are very good that Alex and Boras have trouble finding teams willing to pay as much as they're looking for. More and more organizations are seeing that it takes more than one player to win. If that happens, and Alexs' price keeps dropping, do the Yankees at least have a sit down with him?

Feel free to answer the poll and leave any comments you might have below.

Girardi It Is

It's official, and a good call.

Now they need to focus on Mo, Posada and Abreu..

Then they need to turn their eyes towards 1B, 3B and the bullpen..

Its going to be an interesting 100 or so days..

Girardi?

Girardi is the long shot in this race.. Chances are the Yankees are making it seem like they are giving him serious consideration for bussneiss reasons..

That said, it would show a nice breaking of the mold to hire him over Mattingly or Pena..

I love both Mattingly and Pena, but their personality seems to be right along the same lines as Torres.. The team next year would have the same 'feel' or 'personality' as they have the last 7 or 8 years..

Girardi would bring something almost completey different with him. I think he has a completely different style of managing compared to Pena and Mattingly..

Would that be good or bad? That's a much harder question..

So Long, Joe.

Ok well, Joe is gone.

Let's be blunt about this.

I myself didn't partake much in the Joe Torre debate over the last few years. Everyone knows his bullpen managment is suspect, but everyone also knows that the Yankees have made the post season 12 years in a row.

I very much disliked what they did to Torre, he did deserve to be treated better. To fly him down there take him away from his comfort zone and put him in a spot like they did, was an ugly choice by the Yankees brass.

Heres the thing, the Yankees are a business and because of that, they need to sometimes make hard and unpopular choices. It can't always be friendly.

As a team, as a business, the Yankees demand perfection. They passionately want to put winning teams on the field. They tried to play Torre, and he called them on it. Now, change happens.

Things are electric right now, but they'll calm down. The Yankee will hire a new manager, he'll have a tough task, but this is the Yankees. They respond to this kind of thing.

Try not to get caught up in the media tornado that's going on right now. ESPN and the like hate the Yankees. They'll milk this for as long as they can. Just remember that change is always inevitable, but this is the Yankees. Don't forget about the players. Don't forget that despite what happened with Torre, the Yankees brass knows what they're doing. This team will shape up and although many of us will miss Joe, things will work out in end.

End of an Era?

It would seem so...

So disappointing, but lets not overlook what this Dynasty did.. It was a great ride..

This was this Dynasty's last breath.. Year after year we try to fool ourselves and say 'making the playoffs is enough', but we know that's not true.. We need to win.

But these teams have not been enough.. A lot of things will need to be looked at... It's time for a change, and I think we all know it.

Thankfully, we have a core of young players that are eager to step up and start a new Dynasty for the Yankees..

For now, take a deep breath, remember the good times this team has given us and try to focus on the future because it truly is bright for the Yankees.

Don't Stop Believing

It's just one game folks. Lets relax, regroup, and get them tomorrow.

Go Yankees!

Yankees vs. Indians Preview

Well it definitely was an exciting regular season. Or at least, exciting in retrospect... After all, it wasn't very exciting back in April and May.

Now the real fun begins. The pose season. I'm looking forward to the anxiousness, the pacing around the room, the tension and the emotion.

So the Yankees play the Indians. What does this mean? Well it means the Yankees have to go up against a couple of pitchers who could very well finish 1 and 2 in the CY Young voting. In a 5 game series, C.C Sabathia will likely be scheduled to pitch twice, first in game 1, and probably in game 5. Because of that, the majority of the experts seem to favor the Indians, though I have seen quite a few pick the Yankees.

When writing this preview, I tried to decide how much of it I wanted to dedicate to statistics. Did I want to list out batter vs pitcher comparisons and rattle off number after number? I'm sure we've all seen the stats and that we all know the Yankees haven't faced C.C since 2004.. I'm sure we all know the Yankees are 6-0 against the Tribe this year, etc, etc..

In the end, I've decided not to list all these stats. I feel that numbers lie when it comes to the post season. The post season is a whole different season. Yes, a lot of things will stay the same. Certain patterns we've seen and certain player tendencies will not change. But some things will. Every post season, we all see a multitude of things that don't add up to what we've been told.

Things happen that the 'experts' didn't predict.. Things happen that completely go against all the stats. So yes, I could list off each teams stats. I could give you their regular season clutch hitting numbers, or how they pitch with men in scoring position, and who knows, maybe those numbers will carry over to the post season.. But I really think history tells us otherwise.

All that long winded talk aside, of course I'm picking the Yankees. Here near Boston, all I have been hearing is how bad the Yankees pitching is. It's the same thing I've heard for years. Just like I've always heard them say 'The Yankees have no farm system'.

So, just as the 'Yankees have no farm system' proved to be wrong, I believe the idea that the Yankees have no pitching will be proved wrong as well.

I also just have a feeling about this team. There's a chemistry on this team that has been absent in years past. They have a winning attitude that was lacking in past seasons.

There is also the myth that this Yankee team is just on a streak at the end of the season, and that they're playing above themselves. Well, here's something that a lot of the 'experts' as well as the people here in Boston are missing... The Yankees have won 73 of their last 112 games. That's a .652 winning percentage.. That, simply, is consistent winning baseball. That is what the Yankees play.

There is an aura around this team. They're having fun and they're winning. This is the Yankees year. Anyone over looking the Yankees and counting them out for whatever reason will be in for a big shock.

So, I'll turn the TV on, and I'll be nervous, excited and anxious. I'll be perfectly still, and ill pace around the room. But somewhere inside I'll know that in the end, it's all going to be worth it.

Start Times for The ALDS

Lohud has reported the start times will be:

Game 1 at Cleveland on Thursday: 6:30 p.m.

Game 2 at Cleveland on Friday: 5 p.m.

Game 3 at New York on Sunday: 6:30 p.m.

Game 4 at New York on Monday: 6 p.m.

Game 5 at Cleveland on Oct. 10: 5 p.m.

Here's whats interesting..

The Yankees are 29-27 in day games, and 65-41 in night games, which is the third best night record in the league.

I have no idea what category these random start times fall into.. But I consider these times closer to night, rather than day.. So lets go with that.

Yankees To Play the Indians

So the Yankees will be the wild card team, no 10th straight division.

The Yankees will play the Indians, and the Indians will have home field advantage.

It'll either be on Wednesday or Thursday. I'm hoping for Wednesday because I'm ready for some post season baseball.

All Is Calm.. For Now..

So there is a real lull right now. It's pretty apparent to fans I think.. Yes, we still keep an eye on the division, and we can talk about match ups and who we want to play in the post season..

But right now, the remaining games don't hold much interest. I think collectively as fans, we're still soaking in how good it feels to see this team rise up from where it was.

I'll mostly watch these last few games to see our younger players. Following the minors and our younger players is something I really just started doing this year.. I'd always keep an eye on things in the past, but this is the first year I really thoroughly followed our prospects and their development.

Things will get more exciting in the next couple days. We'll hear more about the lineups and the schedule, we'll have stats thrown at us from every direction and we'll have every expert and their brother telling us what's going to happen.

For sure, it'll give us all plenty to talk about.

There Will Be Yankee baseball In October!

Oh how many people counted the Yankees out?

How many people were just so thrilled that they could belittle and bash the Yankees?

How many writers and 'experts' counted this team out?

None of it matters now. The Yankees fought back, and fought back hard and they're now on their way to their 13th post season in a row.

It's been quite a season so far, and it's far from over.

Lets go Yankees!

The Edwar Enigma

Edwar is a strange player. Some nights his change up has the whole stadium fooled, other nights, even casual fans can tell what the pitch is when it leaves his hand..

In 25 games a AAA this year, Edwar pitched a total of 40 innings. In those 40 innings, he gave up 20 hits, stuck out 69 and didn't give up a single home run.. He also only walked 14..

This gave him a 0.90 ERA and a ridiculous 15.53 K per 9 ratio..

Those numbers are completely out the window in the majors

Starting September 5th, Edwar appeared in 4 games, giving up 3 hits, striking out 5 and not giving up a run..

However, he has now given up at least 1 run in his last 5 appearances, while only striking out 3..

He's pitched 1.2 innings against the Devil Rays and given up 9 earned runs.. That's a 48.60 ERA...

I really think the Yankees want him on the play off roster because his change up is so different from what the other relief pitchers throw.. But right you have no idea what Edwar is going to do when he goes out there. He might stirke out the side, he might give up 4 runs, or he might give up 4 runs, but still manage to stirke 3 batters out..

I for one can't figure it out.

Lets not worry about the post season roster though. The Yankees can again clinch tonight. So Go Yankees.

1

The Yankees are now 1 game from clinching a spot in the post season.

In honor of that, I'm going to list a few tracks from the Beatles album 'The Beatles 1', as they relate to the Yankees.

A few things about this album:

It was realized in November of 2000. Just after the Yankees finished winning the World Series...

How many songs are on this album? 27.

What championship are the Yankees winning this year? #27.

1. Love Me Do

There's a lyric in this song that goes "Ill always be true", so this is dedicated to all the fans who didn't jump of the wagon in April and May

2. From Me to You

"If there's anything I can do, just call on me".. Does this remind anyone else of Rivera?

3. Can't Buy Me Love

This ones dedicated to the rookies who have stepped up and outplayed the high-priced players on the Yankees.. Carl Pavano anyone?

4. A Hard Days Night

There's a lyric in this song that goes "When I'm home, everything seems to be right".. And that's the truth for the Yankees, who are 52-29 at home this season. The second most wins at home by any team in the league.

5. Help!

"I need somebody, Help! Not just anybody".. This reminded me of Roger Clemens.. Before he signed, the Yankees pitching staff really needed help, and Clemens was the person most Yankee fans wanted to see.

6. Yesterday

Looking back to the beginning of the season, we saw a season that looked lost, but now we're fighting for the best record in the league.

7. Hello Goodbye

Hello there Carl Pavano! What? You're hurt again? Ok, goodbye...

8. Let it Be

This is dedicated to Brian Cashman, who for the most part left the Yankee team in tact this season. He could have dismantled it before the trade deadline, traded away prospects for aging players like in years past.. He could have sent Ian Kennedy and Melky to Texas for Gagne.. Instead, he let things stand, and after the all star break the Yankees took off.

9. The Long and Winding Road

This ones pretty easy right? If this doesn't describe this season, I don't know what does. Twists and turns, ups and downs, valleys, peaks, etc.. It's been a strange journey for Yankee fans, but I know this is a season I won't soon forget..

If anyone can think of any other songs that relate, feel free to comment!

Yanks drop makeup game 4-1

Ick. Game went pretty quick today... Wasn't to strong of a showing as Litsch shut the Yankees down only allowing 1 run on 5 hits..

Andy Pettitte ran into one bad inning, but that's all it took..

This loss gives the Yankees a record of 28-27 in day games...

Compare that to their record of 62-39 in night games..

Apparently the Yankees need some better sunglasses, or something..

And Around The Turn They Come

7 games remain in the 2007 MLB regular season. The Yankees magic number sits at 2, which means a Yankee win coupled with a Tigers loss will guarantee the Yankees a play off spot.

They do still sit 1.5 games back in the division.. That half game will be decided today as the Yankees play a makeup game and the Red Sox are off.

But don't get caught up to much in the division race. The Yankees are 3 games into a 10 game stretch that ends when the regular season ends.. Look for Torre to try and get his guys some regular rest once the Yankees clinch the wild card.

There's been a lot of debate about whether or not the Yankees should push for the division title, but that debate as been between the fans. The Yankees will focus on making the playoffs and setting up their pitching staff for the first round. The Yankees have cut the Red Sox lead by 13 games. Even if they don't catch them, that's still pretty amazing.

Lets hope the Yankees clinch tonight. It all starts at 1:00PM with the makeup game. If the Yankees win, all eyes will be on Detroit's match up with Minnesota..

Lets hope tonight we're celebrating another Yankee trip to the postseason.

That Was Tough To Take

Brian Bruney just isn't very good... Pretty simple.. The man can't throw enough strikes.

But, Torre was basically out of options. Olendorf was warming, but I think Joe knew he might actually need a relief pitcher for todays game..

Not much really to say, the Yankee bats were shut down for all but 1 inning last night.

I will say this though, they should have given Shelley a chance to hit.

So the Yanks will go out and try it again today. It was suppose to be Kennedy but he was scratched.. Then it was Clemens, but he's now been scratched... So Hughes will get the ball today.

Don't stop believing everybody. Go Yankees!

Work left to do

Well the Yankees are flying high right now, and we fans are soaking it all in.

But, there is still work to do. The Yankees magic number sits at 5. They are a very solid 5.5 games up on the Tigers, but they are not in the playoffs just yet.

It's great fun to be right on the Red Sox heels, especially around here where panic is taking over the streets. But the Yankees need to finish off the wild card and clinch a spot in the playoffs.

They now go to play the Blue Jays, who throw out their best pitching rotation at the Yankees.

The Yankees will make the playoffs, but it's easy to focus to much on the post season and such before that happens. All the talk about resting players and such can't really come into play until the Yankees have actually clinched a spot. Then the debate about chasing the division title can really kick in.

I suffered from heavy Yankee baseball withdrawals yesterday so I'm looking forward to tonight's game.

Go Yankees!

Panic Much?

Here in Boston, there is now officially panic.

Today is the first day that you can actually feel it in the air. From the radio, to the office, the Red Sox are the topic of conversation.

I'm already hearing people say 'We'll at least we have the Patriots..'

I've heard people bringing back the slogans and catch phrases they used back in 2003 and 2004, you know, when they were the underdogs.

There are actually people panicking enough to give up on a team whose magic-number to make the playoffs is 3. I'm starting to actually hear people justify the wild card, saying that it will actually be to the Sox benefit to get into the playoffs that way..

I just do not understand this city and this fan base. I think this is the first time they've had to sweat all season long, and they're clearly over-reacting. It's amusing to say the least.

After the early season woes us Yankee fans had to endure, I won't pretend I don't get just a little enjoyment out of watching the fans around here finally sweat a bit.

Lets keep up the optimism. Lets go Yankees!

"Don't Stop Believin'"

Journey. Where would the world of karaoke be without them?

This song, in case you missed it, was played when the final score of the game between the Red Sox and Blue Jays was shown.. The blue jays rally late to win, bringing the Yankees within 2.5 games of the division..

Can it happen? Of course it can!

Detroit falls again, pushing them back 4.5 games.. There are 11 games left..

Moose was brilliant and probably just had himself penciled in as a starter when the post season in begins.

This season and this team has a different feel then in years past.. Last years Yankees swept Boston in a 5 game series, and every Yankee fan rejoiced. I felt good about that team... But, it doesn't even compare to how good I feel about this one. You can see it in their eyes and on their faces. I think we can all sense something when we watch this team..

Sometimes I think maybe it's just the blogging circles we're in that has our optimism running high, and that maybe the majority of Yankee fans aren't comfortable with this team. However when I take a trip outside this little community that we have, and when I read papers and message boards, people are genuinely excited about this team and about this season.

It has been awhile since I've been this captivated by baseball, and it feels good. There is an excitement in the air, and it grows stronger after every game. It's good to be a Yankee fan.

How's everyone else feeling?

The Numbers Game

The Yankees are 3.5 games behind the Red Sox, and 3 in the loss column. The Yankees have 12 games remaining. The Tigers are now are 3.5 games behind the Yankees. The Tigers have 11 games remaining. The Yankees magic number for the wild card sits at 9.

The Yankees are now 8-2 in their last 10, the Red Sox are are 5-5.

The Indians and Angels have the same record, at 88-62. This also puts them 2 games behind the Red Sox for the best record in the league. There seems to be a big debate about who we want to play the first round betwen the Indians and Angels. We can't worry about it. Focus on today and todays game. The playoff seeds will sort themselves out, and the Yankees will be ready for whomever they face.

Here in Boston, there is a sense of unease but I wouldn't say anyone is worried. They see those games against Tampa coming up, and they don't see how they can lose. However I do think they're overlooking how much ground the Yankees have made up.. After tonight though, there could be panic in the streets.


By the by.. I couldn't watch the game last night, did the squirrel show up?

Recap of the Minors

There's a great recap of the overall performance of the Yankees farm system this year over at http://mvn.com/milb-yankees/

Not a bad year wouldn't you say?

Looking Back at This Weekend

If you couldn't tell, this weekend felt a lot like October. The weather has changed, the wind has picked up and the leafs are looking like they're ready to turn into the colors of the fall. Saturday and Sunday the tempratures dipped into the 40's...

And of course, its only fitting that the first signs of the fall happen just as the Yankees and Red Sox play their last series of the regular season.

Fridays game started slow. You could tell the Yankees were tired. According to ESPN, the Yankees didn't get into Boston until 3:30am that day. At 7-2 going into the 8th, it seemed like it was over. I'll admit, after Giambi hit his homerun all I could say was "Great, a solo shot. That helps". Of course I was wrong in being sarcastic, as it did help and the Yankees pulled off a great come from behind win.

Saturday, I was at an annual celebration in Boston held by Samuel Adams fittingly called Oktoberfest. Yes, there I was, at 5:00PM, relaxing with friends and listening to some live music. Of course it would have been a little more fun if the band didn't stop playing every 10 minutes to give updates on the score of the game. I think there were more 'Yankee suck' chants at this event then there normally are at the games themselves.

And of course, last nights game was also great. The temperatures dipped again, it was chilly but there was still that electricity in the air. The Yankees put runners on second and third with Damon stepping up. The last thing I expected from him was to swing at the first pitch. And I was disappointed until I remembered who was up next. We all know what happened. Jeter hit a "no-doubter" way back into the seats over the green monster.

Then, as the bottom of the ninth came around, we all became slightly sick to our stomach. Close calls, a line drive and some walks.. Suddenly the bases are loaded for Bostons hero. Then he hits a looper, and we all watch as Cano, Melky, Abreu and Jeter rush towards shallow center field. In years passed these little loopers have killed the Yankees and Mariano.. But not tonight. Ortiz hit under it to much. It stayed in the air long enough for New Yorks hero to get there and put the game in the books.

The Yankees are 10-8 against the Red Sox now. They would own the tie-breaker, but catching the Sox does seem unlikely. Then again, anything can happen...

Detroit is putting the pressure on the Yankees though, as they have now gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. They now go play Cleveland in what will be the Central divisions biggest series of the season.

The Yankees need to focus on bearing Baltimore, who they are somehow only 4-8 ageist this year. There's only 13 games remaining. It's going to come down to the wire. This is exciting. This is what being a baseball fan is all about.

Go Yankees!

Wang Isn't Very Good on the Road..

Wang is now 8-3 on the road.

In 82 innings, he has given up 96 hits and 46 earned runs. That is a 5.05 ERA...

Batters are hitting .301 against him on road starts. Compare that to the .236 batters hit against him at home..


I know that stats don't tell the whole story, and I know a lot of people will say that Wang catches some 'bad breaks' or unlucky hops that hurt him.. Sadly, the fact is he needs to pitch better on the road...

He also needs to improve on how he pitches with runners in scoring position... For the year, both home and away, batters are hitting .331 against him in those situations.

I like Wang and I think hes a good pitcher for this team. I know that for every negative stat I throw out there, there's going to be a positive one to offset it. However Wang needs to make some adjustments. He needs to be able to pitch on the road.

A lot of people argue that Wang is not an ace because he doesn't strike people out. I don't care about strikeouts, I care about a pitcher who can get outs... Wang is having trouble doing that on the road this season..

Game times at 8:05 tonight. Yankees are looking to Clemens to come up big.. Lets go Yankees, lets take 2 out of 3.

Time to Focus on Today

Last night was amazing. The Yankees came back faster then you could blink. It was a great win for the Yankees, and keep their dream of winning the AL East alive.

But.. Today is another day. Today Wang and Beckett will try to show the league why they should be the Cy Young winner. There will be a lot of talk during todays game about what happened last night, but it's important for the Yankees to focus on today.

All aboard the Optimist Bus!

Go Yankees!

Derek Jeter is on the Optimist Bus

The lohud blog is reporting that during the sixth inning, Derek Jeter told his teammates that they would win that game.

Then he comes up with a huge hit in the 8th.

That's why hes the Captain.

Yankees stun them!

What a come back by the Yankees tonight.

They stun the Red Sox and score 6 runs against what has been the best bullpen in baseball.

They now pull within 4.5 of the Red Sox, and keep their 3.5 games lead over the Tigers who also won tonight.


Fenway park was silent by the end of that game.. What a shocking turn of events.

Optimism works! Go Yankees!

The Last Thrill of this Roller Coaster

The Yankees enter Boston today for a 3 game set with the Red Sox. It's the last real high energy series of the year.

This year has been a roller coaster ride. They started started as low as they could go, started winning and rising up, only to come crashing down. As fans, we've had highs and lows and we've had ups and downs. Now the Yankees find themselves 5.5 games back in the East with 16 games remaining..

They also find themselves up 3.5 over Detroit.

Now, another series against Boston. It's not the end of this roller coaster, because the Yankees finish the season against Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay, and it is important not to overlook those games..

But it is the last, exciting, no-body-knows-whats-going-to-happen twist in this roller coaster ride we call the 2007 season.

These three games have an aura around them. Here in Boston there is a palpable sense of unease (especially after last nights hammer drop on Bill Belichick). But there is also still that 5.5 game lead that they feel is going nowhere. To your face they give the Yankees no chance at winning this series, but talking to them, you sense doubt.

This has the feeling a movie right before its climax. There is the feeling like this weekend will decide everything. It's in the air.

So the roller coaster car slowly approaches the last thrill of the ride, and we as fans sit back and wait to see where it will bring us..

Now lets go Yankees!

Moose talks to Squirrel, pitches better

Ok well, I don't know for a fact that Mike Mussina sat down and had a chat with the squirrel, but I can only assume since he pitched so well.

I know you were all like me, and you cringed a bit when you saw Moose penciled in as the starter. But he came out and pitched great, and with each out Yankee fans collectively relaxed a little bit. Now, Yankee fans will sit back and hope to see a healthy, effective Clemens pitch on Sunday..

The Yankees gave him a 2 run lead before he even took the mound, and those turned out to be the only runs the Yankees would need. He walked 3 and only struck out 1, but it was still a solid performance.

In the playoffs (which, the Yankees will make), You have Wang then Pettitte.. But the rest of the rotation is still up in the air. Moose clearly helped his case to be the third starter tonight, but he needs to pitch well in more than just 1 game. Sunday, Clemens will get his chance to show the Yankees that he belongs in that third spot.

The Yankees go for #8 in a row tonight, with another rookie on the mound.

Speaking of rookies, The Trenton Thunder beat Akron 3-2 last night, to take a 2-0 lead in their best of 5 playoff series. Chase Wright got the win, pitching 7 and giving up 1 earned run. Don't give up on him yet.
Read more about it here.

Keep up the optimism Yankee fans!

Yankees win, The Yankees win!

Another good game.

More tomorrow!

Go Yankees!

Another day, another win

The Yankees have won 6 in a row and are 7-3 in their last 10. They've also won the first 4 of this 11 game road trip. Not to shabby.

The Sox won too, pushing their magic number down to 13 and remaining 5 games up... Though only 4 in the loss column.

Detroit spilt their doubleheader with Texas, allowing the Yankees to pick up a half game on them. That sets Detroit 4 games back and sets the Yankees magic wild card number at 14.

Seattle.. They are 6.5 games back and are dangerously close to being dropped out of the playoff discussion completely (if they haven't been already).

Phil pitched well enough. I thought he looked pretty solid.. 3 hits in 6 innings shows that when he goes after hitters, he can get them off-balance. He struck out 1 tonight, while walking 3.. Most people would like to see more strikeouts, but as Wang has showed, you don't always need to blow people away to be effective.

He did though, throw 106 pitches in just 6 innings.. That's to many... It did look at times like he didn't want to challenge the hitters by just going after them. But, again, 3 hits and 3 walks is pretty good.

Edwar (K-Ram), had that ridiculous change working tonight. He's fun to watch. 5 strikeouts in 2 innings for him.

And we got our first look at Ohlendorf. The consensus seems to be that he looked real comfortable on a major league mound, but we're all going to need to see him more before we can draw any real conclusions.


The Yankees go for 7 in a row tonight, and the optimism levels couldn't be higher. It's also been a few days now since we last saw Joba. If they pitch him tonight, he could get his off day tomorrow and be ready for the Sox this weekend...

And on a spooky note that I somehow missed and just saw over on Peter Abraham's LoHud blog.. The Yankees had 9 runs on 11 hits on the 6th anniversary of 9/11... Strange..

The Off Day

The Yankees were obviously off last night, but there wasn't a lack of things to follow.

There were 3 games that were of immediate importance to the Yankees last night.

Oakland beat up on Seattle 9-3, so that wasn't very exciting..

But the D-rays at Sox and the Toronto at Detroit games were pretty thrilling..

Tampa managed to shut out the Sox, striking out 13 of them in the process. The game was a nail biter. The Sox came in 5.5 games up on the Yankees. Now, they sit at 5 games up.. Which is the same number of games they were up on the Yankees in 2005.

Chew on that, it's delicious.

Detroit meanwhile, managed to pull some late inning heroics by scoring 4 in the ninth... In this game, Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay threw 123 pitches in 8.2 innings, but apparently didn't have enough to get that last out. Either did reliever Casey Janssen, who gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. So Detroit now sits 3.5 games behind the Yankees in the wild card.

The Yankees have 19 games remaining, the Tigers have 18.

Over on the football field there was this tid bit of news, that football fans should have already heard about and find a bit interesting..

And of course every ones thoughts are with Kevin Everett and his family..

Lastly, today is the 6 year anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It sure doesn't seem like 6 years ago. I can remember that whole day incredibly clearly, even though so much has happened in the world since. Here's hoping for peace...

Optimism!

Optimism! Believe it!


More tomorrow.

What to Watch Tonight

Tampa Bay at Boston

Keep an eye on Shilling, he'll be pitching Sunday against the Yankees.


Toronto at Detroit

Toronto is just 30-43 on the road, but, they do have there ace Doc Halladay on the mound. He hasn't been as great this year but lets hope he pulls out one of those starts that won him the Cy-Young in 2003.


Oakland at Seattle

Seattle's starter Horacio Ramirez has a 6.45 ERA.... Oakland's Joe Blanton has a 3.81 ERA.

Lets take a look...

A sweep of the Royals. Couldn't ask for a better start to the road trip.

The end result is the Yankees holding a 4 game lead on the Tigers and a 5 game lead on the Mariners. The Yankees and Tigers have 19 games remaining and the Mariners have 21.

How about we look at the remaining schedule?

For the Yankees, 3 games against the Blue Jays (72-70) and 3 against the Saux (87-57) before returning home to play Baltimore(61-81) and Toronto again, then ending the season with a road trip to Tampa Bay(60-83) and Baltimore.

That's a combined opponents record of 280-291 and that number is obviously helped out a lot by the Red Sox record..

Just looking at the numbers of the bottom feeders of the AL-east, you might not get worried, however here's a look at the Yankees numbers against those teams this year..

Toronto: 6-5
Boston: 8-7
Tampa Bay: 8-7
Baltimore 4-8 (ugh)

Total: 26-27

So the Yankees need to be careful down the stretch here.. 4 games is a nice cushion, but nothing is in the bag..

Meanwhile, the Tigers face Texas(68-74) and Minnesota(70-73) before a huge series at Cleavland(83-60).. They then finish their season against the likes of Kansas City(62-80), Minnesota again the White Sox(61-82).

That's a combined record of 344-369.. Below is how they have fared this season against those teams..

Texas: 3-3
Minnesota: 7-5
Cleveland: 6-9
Kansas: 9-6
White Sox: 6-9

Total: 31-32

And finally, the fading Mariners. They play host to Oakland(69-75) and Tampa Bay(60-83) before heading on the road to Oakland and Los Angeles(84-59)... Then things get a little unorthodox... They head to Cleveland(83-60) for a night game, then both teams fly BACK to Seattle for a make up game during the day, then fly BACK to Cleveland for a night game... Whew... And finally they finish the season home against Texas(68-74).

That gives a combined record of 364-351..

As far as how they have done against those teams so far:

Oakland: 10-3
Los Angeles: 4-11
Cleveland: 1-2
Texas: 8-8

Total: 23-23

Stats are stats and when it comes down to it, they don't mean much. But looking at those it looks like all three teams play pretty evenly against their upcoming opponents.

This would be fine for the Yankees. A 4 game lead is a strong one, but they do have to be careful. Playing at a .500 clip like they have agaisnt these teams so far is not what they want to do.. The Boston series is doubly important because the other two teams play fairly weaker teams at that time.

Things look good, but the Yankees just can't let up. It's going to be an exciting season, right down to the wire.

Also, most of the info here was pulled from this website. It's worth checking out if you're a stat-hound.

We're down to the last 20 games..

Well what a strange wild season it's been so far..

I'm not the most articulate guy out there, so I'm not quite sure how to put the feeling into words but..

This season and this team has a different feel to it then it has the last couple years. To be more accurate, this feeling happened right at the end of April when the Yankees began shaking things up..

I don't know if it's the influx of youth, I don't know if it's the fact that on any given day half the players on the field are homegrown and I don't know if it's because of the winning ways lately.

What I do know is that when I look at this team and when I read interviews or see pictures of them in the dugout, they look more relaxed. They look like they're having fun. They look like a team that has chemistry.

That was missing in the last few years. I can remember many games, good and bad, where the players sat in the dugout or bullpen and looked genuinely disinterested in what was going on.

This year it feels like no matter what the situation there's somebody up on the top step, or there's somebody chatting and laughing on the dugout.

Now I know that a team needs a lot more then just chemistry to win games, but I do think it's a big ingredient.


Game time is at 2:10PM today. Wang hasn't been stealer on the road this year. He has a 4.93 ERA in 11 road starts. He's given up 82 hits in 69.1 innings.. That's to many. All that aside though, he is 7-2 in road starts.

Yankee's magic number at 19

Well, this year tracking the magic number means tracking the wild card, which isn't ideally what we Yankee fans look for, but we'll take it.

So it's sitting at 19 right now, and it's the Tigers 3 games behind us. It's a cushion, but not as large of one as the Yankees would like right now.

Hopefully a sweep of the Royals in the next two days will create come breathing room.

Go Yanks!

Another good win for the Yankees.

Game just ended, and I feel like writing about it.

This was a really good win for the Yankees. Kennedy struggled early on, but overall he didn't pitch that badly.. Yes, 7 hits and 3 walks over 5 innings is to much, but, he kept the most important stat off the boards.. That would be the runs the Royals scored..

So, thats a good sign at least.

If you were lucky enough to be watching the game on TV, you would have seen Harlan Chamberlain, Joba's father.

Harlan is an amazing man, and I'm sure many of you have read about his life and the trials he has gone through. He was ill, and six years old when he had to leave his reservation. He went through 5 different foster homes. He went through painful and scarring medical procedures. I compel you to click that link above and read the story. It's really something.

And finally, tonight, he gets to see the boy he raised full fill his wildest dreams.. He's able to listen to a young man who is both respectful and well spoken.

He cried tonight, and there isn't anybody, anywhere, with any kind of heart that isn't touched by that.
He could have given up at any point in his life. But he chose to be a good man and a good father, and he raised a great young man.


Go Yankees!

Yankees win, 3 up in the WC, 6 down in the East

The Yankees put together a good win tonight. Hughes pitched great, Joba recorded his first major league win and ARod hit 2HRs in one inning.

The biggest thing out of that is the win by Hughes. He has struggled since returning from the DL and tonight was a monumental game for the Yankees. They needed to push their lead in the wild card.

Hughes threw a lot of pitches in the first two innings, but then he settled down as was fairly economical. He only walked two, and he struck out six. His fastball had life and a little extra pop on it. He was mostly throwing 91, but it seemed to be moving more then it was in his previous few starts.

Hughes is going to be a big part of the puzzle for the rest of the season. With Clemens down and Moose struggling, the Yankees need another starter or two to stand up, and hopefully Hughes can be that guy the rest of the way.

The Squirrel

By now I'm sure you've seen or heard about the squirrel at Yankee Stadium that's been hanging out on the foul pole.

the NY times wrote a story about how this might not be such a good thing..

However, there are some other interesting myths and legends about the squirrel that point to it being a good omen..

This website tells me that:

"The Squirrel is the sentinel of the home. He will watch each member of the family and warn them if there is a problem within the family.
The squirrel is energetic in its work and play, and always ensures the future is well prepared for. The squirrel is a symbol of trust and is one of the few animals that will eat out of a person's hand. Learn from the squirrel to establish trust where you find it lacking."

I like this idea better.

Wang needs to step up big tonight

Wang has been the Yankees best pitcher since the break, and the Yankees really need him to come up huge tonight.

Dropping the first 2 to the team that's right on your heels for the Wild card just can't happen.. The Yankees need to be able to respond and rise up to situations like this.

Lineup from LoHud
YANKEES
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Matsui LF
Duncan DH
Cano 2B
Betemit 1B
Wang RHP 16-6, 3.79ERA


Update 10:10pm: The Squirrel is back at the stadium tonight.. I have no idea where it came from, or where it goes afterwards.

What I do know, is that if the Yankees hold on to this 7 run lead, the Squirrel will be 2-0.

I'm also pretty sure it's getting a pretty healthy stash of peanuts after everybody clears out of the stadium.

Rough Weekend

Let me assure you it wasn't a fun weekend to be a Yankees fan in enemy territory. Thankfully I was out of town so I missed the brunt force of this lop-sided weekend.

I'm not overly sure how the Yankees managed to sweep the Red Sox, but drop 2 of 3 to the Devil Rays..

Hughes didn't look good. More than the numbers, he just didn't look comfortable. Since coming back from his injury, Hughes has struggled with his control. He's never had to deal with that before, so this is a big test for him. If he can learn to correct himself then it's another test he passes on the way to becoming a great starting pitcher... But if this lack of control gets into his head, there's no telling what could happen.

Of course around here I haven't heard so much about the Yankees recent struggles. That's instead replaced by a barrage of talk about Clay 'Hey Can I Borrow Your Laptop' Buchholz and his no-hitter... Red Sox fans like to pretend that they're team is fully home-grown. They like to pretend they didn't spend 200 million in the off season. So when they get a chance to talk about a rookie you better watch out.

I respect the accomplishment, but he is a Rookie. One no-hitter should not be taken as a sign of things to come...


You can read there about some other rookie pitchers who tossed a no-hitter.. How many of those names stick out at you?

It has to be back to business for the Yankees tonight. They hold a slim 1 game lead on the Mariners and need to win tonight's game.

Links of the day:
NYPost
Lohud Recap
Seattles Take

Breaking News: Joba suspended

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070831&content_id=2181072&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb


Over all, this is pretty pointless.

According to the Joba rules, he wouldn't have pitched for 2 days anyway.

This isn't really anything at all but a way for the MLB to save face and protect one of it's umpires choices.

No big deal.

A look at tonights matchup

Tonight's match up is:

RHP Andy Sonnanstine (3-9, 6.38) vs. RHP Phil Hughes (2-2, 5.35), 7:05

Rookie pitcher Andy Sonnanstine has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on..

Here are some basic 'by the number' stats for him:

In the month of June: 5 games, 32.1IP, 5.85 ERA, .287 BA, 27K
In the month of July: 6 games, 39IP, 5.31ERA, .291BA, 24K
In the month of August: 5 games, 24.2IP, 8.76ERA, .305BA, 17K

The Yankees faced him once this year. He went 6.1 giving up 5 runs on 9 hits, 2 of which were HRs.

It's also worth noting that he is 0-7 in night games with a 6.88ERA.


Phil Hughes hasn't been having the greatest success, but there are bright spots for him..

First, the bad stuff. The number of Home runs he's giving up. Coming into the season, one of Hughes' biggest bright spots was the lack of HR's he gave up. He had a streak going in the minors.. That's vanished though as hes given up 5 HRs so far this month..

The good news, is that in his last 5 starts, batters are hitting just .231 against him. Hes also struck out 25 against 11 walks in the last 5 starts..

All in all though, this game should be one the Yankees take. Sonnanstine gives up far to many hits.

Sweep

Yankees sweep the Sox. I'm sure you've read everything about that now.

Here's an article from ESPN titled "Shut up, Red Sox nation", which proclaims:
"Red Sox fans, sadly, have taken over the mantle as the most obnoxious fans in sports."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/070829&sportCat=mlb

The most shocking thing about this article is where its coming from. ESPN is notorious for being incredibly biased towards the RedSox. (Joe Morgan anyone?)

Be nice if they try to shift away from that.

Yankees win, Kennedy up, Seattle drops another one

The Yankees beat the Red Sox last night with a mostly home-grown team on the field:

Posada, Pettitte, Phillips, Cano, Jeter, Cabrera, Chamberlain Rivera.

But you wouldn't know that around Boston. Yes, there is an acknowledgment to Joba and some of the other young players, but you won't hear or read much about the Yankees fielding a team they built through the draft.

That's because the Yankees have become synonymous around here with spending money and fielding a team of over priced free agent signings. There is no Yankee-Red Suax argument that doesn't go back to the amount of money the Yankees spend.

Eventually all of baseball will have to come to a realization of how deep the Yankees farm system is, and that the players there will be playing a great roll in the Yankees future.

Speaking of the farm, the big news is that Mussina is out and Ian Kennedy is in.


Read more about it here:


http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/kennedy-replaces-mussina-in-the-rotation/
and here
http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070829/SPORTS01/708290389/1034/SPORTS

And finally, Seattle lost again last night. That's four in a row for them, and it brings the Yankees to within 1 of the wild card. Seattle scored 5 in the first but only managed 1 run over the next 8 innings.

Seattle has been one of the best teams at home, going 41-25 before last nights game. So gaining a game on them while there at home is a big bonus for the Yankees. Soon, they head out on a tough 10-game road trip, and they are currently only 32-31 on the road.

Why Hello There

I'll try to keep this 'about myself' post brief because I don't really think anyone comes to read a sports blog to learn all that much about the writer.

I'm a life long Yankees fan. I was born in western Massachusetts, but I've lived the majority of my life about a half hour outside of Boston. I've gone my entire life surrounded on every side by Red Sox fans, with the exception of my home as my parents and most of my family are also Yankee fans.

I usually feel like I have a thing or two to say about the team, but it's tough to discuss the Yankees while surrounded by Red Sox fans, so I thought I'd create this blog to try and give a perspective on the attitude here behind enemy lines as well as share my own thoughts and feelings on the team.

I loathe writing these introductions.