That was quick, Alex. Good job.

Must be weird to finish a game and then start fresh again so quickly. Must feel like a do-over of the evening. Take two. Or maybe it just feels like a...rain delay. Anyhow, it's a great relief that the Yanks won the game. Now, they need to just go out and win this series. I know the O's are playing well and I know Guthrie is pitching tonight. But the Bombers miss Bedard this weekend and, well, they just need to win two-of-three on the reg, so, just do it, dogs. We'll be rooting you on.

2 This is what I keep saying. "They just need to win two-of-three" is wrong. They need to win all three. If they only win two it doesn't destroy their season, but they need to start sweeping some series.

Is Rivera available for the second game?

Well, duh, I'm just trying to get too greedy. Of course they need to sweep. But the O's are playing well and if they win two I'll sleep okay at night. No, I doubt we'll see Mo again tonight. He threw more than twenty pitches.

Tied for second with Seattle in the WC, not that the WC should be our target. Aim high, and all.

It was a funny experience checking out gameday for the game, seeing Mo with 10 saves and an ERA of 4+, A-Rod batting .330, etc. At first I thought we got killed, and then I realized they updated the stats of that game.

What would have been really funny would have been if A-Rod had hit a HR top of the 9th. That would have been his 500th regular season HR, but it would have been counted on the 28th of June, and his HR against Meche would have been his 500th in the books (every Banter reader knows this).

I wonder if all the stats going forward from June 28 through today will be updated to reflect the 1.5 innings just played.

Baseball is weird sometimes. I guess that's why I love it.

damn Hideki.. 2 runners stranded already

RI -

And Sterling on that one by Robby?

Nice hit by Melky but:
1) He watched the ball a bit before he ran
2) shouldn't he stay at 2nd (never make the 3rd out at 3rd).
I don't want to be critical, but things like that can cost you a game.. which could cost us the PS. Should Bowa have told him to stay pit (at 2nd)?

10 Melky will learn...he has good role models on the team.

10 Wow. And people think I'm critical?

10 Maybe, but he was sent (or went on his own) before Payton (I think) made aplay on the ball. The only reason it was so close only because the LF made a great play and a perfect throw.

As for the third out at third--true, but had Damon been safe on that almost IF hit, Melky scores from third but not from second.

9 Yep. But the ball was hit "to the top of the wall", leaping catch, so I don't see how you can fault him too much.

Also, my brother, who is listening to Orioles radio, says that for the long scary foul in the suspended game ninth, Joe Angel had no doubt that it was a homer.

Robinson Cano's signature play is the slap tag...I have never seen another infielder apply a tag more quickly than Cano. Sometimes, he does it so quickly, I think the umpires get fooled.

10 i definitely agree on (1) and a little on (2). it's a little too close, but he did make it.

Ugh, that wasn't good.
Well, get Roberts and all will be forgotten.

Oh Andy...that's an easy play.

15 he's quite a tagger

14 Gary Cohen watching the same exact game described it perfectly. And he has the benefit of describing it for people watching the video feed.

Whew.

Am I getting too critical, or did Abreu seem as if he was shying away from an imaginary wall?

Not sure if its been mentioned yet, but RJ just elected to have season (and possibly career) ending surgery. Seems like a good trade to me now.

18 I think he was afraid to jump because of the wet grass and coming off the mound. And he did end up slipping.

20 You mean, you could tell by Cohen's tone of voice that it was going to be caught?

23 Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.......

23 Whin-n-n-n-i-e. Is that you, Wilbur?

The Diamondbacks confirmed that Randy Johnson will have surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back next Friday and will miss the rest of the season.

-rotoworld

14 And like we said, Sterling launches into the homer call regardless. It's not like he knew it was going to hit the top of the wall.

Cohen modulated his cadence to use his words to match the play - perfectly in sync.

That's what a good radio guy needs to do. Not catch up to the action because he was too busy showboating.

23 Dead horse issues aside, that likely means RJ falls short of 300 and the Rocket stays ahead of him for the #2 K slot.

29 Gary Cohen is doing the Yankee game?

29 Of course he didn't know it would hit the top of the wall. He thought it was going over. My point is that's pretty close.

Crap...I hope Arod can take care of 500 very soon.

25 Cohen described it bouncing off the wall as it bounced off the wall - he timed his words to match the play.

23 28 And it was still a terrible trade. They got nothing they needed. If Vizcaino didn't come through, someone else would have (see Bruney, Brian 2006). And if the package wasn't right, they could have traded him in April - when he seemed "healthier." Nothing will change my opinion on that.

Meanwhile, the money Cashman was so "brilliant" for saving - three times that amount was blown on Igawa. Add in Pavano and that's 90 million.

31 MASN

32 But whether he thought it was going over or not, he shouldn't automatically start barking HR then have to correct himslef. Moreover, it's radio--he doesn't NEED to call it a HR early. The radio audience is at his mercy--so he can wait the extra second or three to see what the OFs are doing, and the audience would be none the wiser.

Pettitte doesn't seem to have much...again.

35 You mean Thorne? right? Cohen does the Mets.

32 P.s. An announcer's job isn't to think - it's to announce! Especially when they're on the radio!

Again - what happened on that ball?

Cohen: "He drives....the..ball...into...the...RF...corner...and it's a fair ball."

Perfectly timed to coincide with the action.

23 28 34 Not now, Wilbur, I'm watching television.

34 Please no more...we all know where we stand on the trade!!

38 Right - sorry.

36 Very nicely said.

40 Sorry...I was just providing the factual support for 23, not trying to revive the carcas.

42 I like Thorne...I love his calls from the 1995 ALDS.

Tejada loops that one the other way...it is going to be a foul ball.

45 ANd I didn't mean to relive it either. PeteAbe's post already had me mental:

"That trade certainly looks like a brilliant move by Brian Cashman, regardless of whether any of the prospects work out. Luis Vizcaino and the salary dump alone were a great return."

39 His job is not to think. I see.
What if I replace "thought" with "believed"? Are you going to say that his job is not to believe?

(Those are questions.)

45 I just don't get it. That's exactly what happened, right?

Pettitte is not making things easy...he's been very frustrating to watch this year.

47 I think his job is to report adn describe, as in things that have happened or are unfolding immediately. His job is not to anticipate and then retract.

34 Aren't the yanks winning? why do you have to retread pavano, igawa, blah blah blah, We are 4 out of the wild card,

36 I'm still not getting this.
Why is it bad to start "that ball is high, it is far..." and finish with "it is off the top of the wall"? Why is that worse than not giving any sign that it might be over the wall until it's gone?

51 Sadly, not any more.

49 For much of the year, his ERA was more than a run better than his FIP (if I recall correctly).

What we are watching now...and for a while actually...is the evil regression to the mean.

Ugh.

Well, get Gibbons, and we'll score a few, no problem.

52 Because the "It is high" call is damn annoying and it should be a crime for him to say it at all.

Andy is not supposed to start sucking this early. But he looks like he has nothing today.

55 As I hit 'submit'...

47 No - no beliefs either - not while the action is going on. He tries to predict when his job is to describe.

Do you really not see that distinction or are you just trying to be difficult? (another question)

Horrible job by Pettitte.. starting to look like Igawa

Another stinker from Andy...his lack of consistency really worries me. He just hasn't been reliable this year.

48 Why bother? JD already said that "Nothing will change [his] opinion on" the RJ trade. Fair enough--no evidence, argument, rhetoric, or subsequernt development will change his opinion, so there is no reason to present any.

51 Nice effort.

Willbur, have you seen my feed bag?

56 I enjoy it. Partly because it drives Red Sox fans nuts.

51 You new here?

54 His peripherals are not very good at all…very similar to Moose in fact. This team needs a dominant Hughes.

65

This team needs a dominant anybody.

63 Well your prerogative, I guess. It does seem a little mean when he gets it wrong though. ;)

59 I would have seen the distinction (between describing and predicting) if you had made it. Instead you drew the distinction between "think" and "announce", which was pretty close to nonsense.

Every home run call by every announcer is a prediction. You can't be saying that no announcer should ever make a home run call until the ball actually lands over the fence. That's absurd.

This is starting to feel like the last trip to Baltimore...someone needs to tell the Yankees it isn't June 28!

52 How about this--I don't know if it's "wrong" to start like that. But I do think a radio play-by-play announcer would do much better to actually describe the game as it unfolds, as I remember they used to do. How about:

Smith swings and hits a high drive deep to CF. Jones runs back, looking up. He reaches, and the ball...bounces off the top of the wall and rolls past Jones. Brown runs over from LF...

See, then the radio listener can actually picture the action on the field.

53what do you mean not anymore?

65 I wrote about them on my blog.

Between two games in the very beginning of June, the two switched bodies. Pettitte started to completely suck...and play to his peripherals....and Mussina started playing well.

Actually, Mussina's peripherals greatly improved since that day too (at the time I did it anyway...they may have changed a bit in his last 3 starts)...specifically his LD%, GB% and HR%

Is Guthrie this good? And, why did Cleveland only give him 30 innings?

71 The yankees aren't winning (the game) any more. It was 1-0 when you typed 51 and 2-1 when I typed 53.

everyone is bad at what he does it's just a continuum. everyone is a disappointment in some way.

71My comment was focusing solely on our present wildcard out status.

72 No kidding (about Moose in particular). That's encouraging -- I still think of his starts as precarious.

75 That was such a inane post...I really expected more from you :)

68 Homeruns calls are an ESPN driven fantasy. Where they should be an anomaly, especially on radio, Sterling has made them commonplace. They deserve a place only when the ball is a no-doubter. Sterling launches into it every time the OF's move back. And then he stumbles all over himself to catch up. Meanwhile, the crowd reaction has already told me if it was caught or landed.

73 He's been that good this year, and he was good in college. His MiL numbers don't look spectacular. Why Cleveland used him as a reliever? Who knows?

Abreu is a piece of work...that's an awful play.

"Bobby Abreu willll roam to theeeee wallll........and can't come up with it."

How did Sterling "describe" it?

Well, I guess the good news is that he actually went against the fence. He was so scared he dropped the ball, but at least he went against the fence. I don't think I've ever seen him do that before.

73 The O's radio announcers were talking him up as if he were the second coming of Pedro. His numbers have been very good, though I think he's beatable today...unfortunately, Pettite is even more so (he looks horrible, actually), and the offense is slumbering again.

82 It actually a good call...Abreu basically drifted to the wall, inexplicably jumped into it and then dropped the ball.

70 Exactly. I think the WCBS could use your talents.

84 Really? Cano and Cabrera have well struck balls, but everyone else looks like they are using wet newspaper. He looks pretty dominant.

79
"Homeruns calls are an ESPN driven fantasy. Where they should be an anomaly, especially on radio, Sterling has made them commonplace."

Nuts. Most listeners like home run calls. You don't.

"Sterling launches into it every time the OF's move back."

Simply not true -- I pointed out counterexamples yesterday but I guess you stopped reading.

I'll be happy to point out more if you like -- for instance, the Roberts double was way over Abreu's head but Sterling didn't start a home run call.

Ah, Pettitte luring them into a false sense of security, then trapping them with the ol' "line drive smash caught easily doubling off the guy who had basically stolen third uncontested" gambit.

Well playeed, sir.

Jim Dean Hates Sterling; RI Yank likes him; If anyone cares, I like him too. Can we get back to making fun of Abreu's defense?

89 I think Farns taught him that trick.

88 I don't know if "most listeners" like HR calls. I know I sure don't, but you may be right about the average listener.

I preferred it in the olden days when the HR calls came AFTER the ball landed over the fence: "That was a Getty Goner by Bobby Murcer..."

82 I don't remember the exact words, but there were far more than that, anyway. Abreu "a-way back", and he mentioned "the scoreboard wall".

Does anyone remember Phillips using the opposite field as much? Last year, he seemed to be pure pull.

90 Or debating the RJ trade.

Doh!

88 By "most", how many people have you polled? ANd they similarly like all the blown calls for the few he gets right?

And of course I'm exaggerating, but even once is too many times. ANd he does it at least once a game. Indeed, it's not even the fifth inning and he's already done it once.

True radio guys don't do that. I'm sorry you don't seem to appreciate the difference. To me, it's memories of my childhood vs a bastardization of them. Sterling shits all over the medium.

That Phillips is a baseball player...excellent read.

87 I agree he has nasty stuff, but his control was a little off the first few innings -- even the O's radio team pointed this out (listened to the first two innings in the car before getting home). He seems to be settling down, unfortunately.

I'm not saying he was beatable from the standpoint of us hitting him hard, more that I thought we could have worn him down and gotten to the bullpen.

Good baserunning Andy!

I think jeter might squeeze.

90 I'd be happy to leave it at that -- Jim has some very specific (and I think false) criticisms. We agreed the other day -- yesterday, I think -- to test them out.

Sterling:

"Swung on and lined to the left field line, it is a base hit. Peyton gets to the ball and then fumbles it, Damon on to second and Philips is into third."

(The wording wasn't exactly that on Damon and Philips.)

Crap...Jeter hasn't looked against Guthrie and I remembered Girardi sayign Jeter will bunt when he doesn't like the matchup.

Is this day two or day three of saying the same things over and over about Sterling? I lost track.

94 Hard to say. I took a quick look at his hit chart for 2006 (on MLB.com), using Yankee Stadium (I'm not looking at everyu other park), and it looks like he spread things around pretty evenly last year. He pulled a lot of grounder, and had a lot of FOs to RF. It actually looks like he had more extra basehits the to the opposite field.

It is amazing that so few pitchers throw down and in to Jeter. But then again, no one brushes Thomas or Ramirez either, when its actually the best approach.

why would you spend so much time arguing that someone is bad at what he does when it doesnt even really matter? sterling isn't ideal, but he's kind of fun. in the end, i always know what happened. it just takes a little while sometimes.

The Yankees have to score here.

101 Look. I'm not saying he never does his job. But he makes so many mistakes becuase he usually doesn't try or care.

The homerun calls are the perfect example of that.

All I want is a description of what's happening. I shouldn't have to guess. And with Sterling I'm guessing a lot - probably because he's too busy making predictions.

Jeter sucked there. That's inexcusable.

103

Hey, at least we're not saying we'll be 10 games back by the end of the weekend, which is just as likely as Sterling keeping his job.

104 Interesting...thanks.

109 I know right? They should cut that no talent ass clown.

I am a huge jeter fan and the truth is he has just not been coming through of late- seems to be a lack of concentration.

109 Yep. I really question his character and integrity lately. If doesn't show stronger moral fiber they have to look into moving him.

106 It matters when folks say he's fun. That's not his job. If anything, Suzyn's job is to provide the color. Instead she provides the fellatio.

And it shouldn't take a while - not when I already know what's happened by the crowd reaction.

110 I propose next week, that we all just say the same things over and over about how lousy Giambi's contract is.

107 Unfortunately not in the relevant sense of "have to".

Damn, they refused the gift from Payton.

106 Because it's less painful than thinking about this game?

112 Sarcasm aside, that was too close to take..

It amazing how often the heart of our order chokes with RISP. Our team RISP numbers aren't that bad because of these big innings we post on a semi-frequent basis. But it seems to me when we are behind, our RISP numbers are poor.

Such as 0 for 12 last night.

Boston and Cleveland up big...not a good day to drop one to the Orioles.

It would have been nice to see Jeter or Abreu hit the ball hard.

115 Dude, he announces baseball games. Baseball games. His job is to entertain, in the same way the Derek Jeter's job is to entertain. It's notlike he's doing surgery on people, or engineering airplane parts. He announces baseball games. I wish the Toaster had frickin italics.

Also, Do you think Pettitte and Mussina share the same fork that is sticking out of their backs, or do you think they each have their own?

Jeter and Matsui are fine, upstanding human beings, but it sure feels like Groundhog Day the last couple of days watching them kill rallies.

117 Re: 106 - Exactly.

"To me, it's memories of my childhood vs a bastardization of them."

Over dramatization much?

/done with Sterling comments.

The Orioles announcers just called this game a pitcher's duel. So ya know, 8 hits in 4 innings = pitcher'd duel apparently.

119 "But it seems to me when we are behind, our RISP numbers are poor."

Ummm...isn't that to be expected, at least to some degree? If they are behind, then they probably haven't scored much that game, which means that they proabably have done poorly with RISP.

I think this is another perception over reality issue--we remember more accutely game like this, when opportunities are lost, than we do when a player fails with RISP but the team wins 5-1 or loses 12-1.

121 I will debate that sentiment to the end. His job is to announce. If he wanted to provide the color, they could hire someone to do the play-by-play. Instead, his ego is so fucking big he wants to be THE guy for everything, and none of it gets done well.

124 No. When I was a kid, I loved listening to the games on the radio. And then the team sucked.

Now? I'm often moved to turning him off - even when the Yankees are winning.

He just kills all rhythm of the game. It's secondary to his shtick.

119 The reason RISP avg. is low when the team is behind is that when the team isn't hitting with RISP, they're apt to be behind.

Here's something interesting. The BoSox are 54-3 when winning after 8 innings, and 1-40 when trailing. Now, a lot of the time the lead will be substantial and the expectancy for the leading team is high. But those figures sound really extreme. The winning is surely explained by Papelbon, but the losing is amazing. Is it, or is that more typical than it sounds?

127 Wrong, his job is to keep fans tuning in to the broadcaster he works for.

126 Brilliant! 129 Too slow.

Meanwhile, ever wonder why they don't have a guy like O'Neil or Girardi in with Sterling?

It's because they would upstage the fuckwad.

Indeed, even when the reporters come in during the fifth inning, he's always got to be right or have the last word.

I don't know. Maybe it takes a douche to know a bigger douche...

130 Sucked in!
Now, about Giambi's contract...

C'mon 'Sui!

121 127

Your both missing the point, to a degree. Yes, his job is to enetertain; he is in the entertainment industry (as is Derek Jeter and Brad Pitt and Sting). But each one entertains in a different way, because his excat profession within the entertainment industry has different expectations. I don't want to see Jeter act, or for that matter start singing on the ball field. I don't expect to see Sting suit up or start announcing baseball games. And so on.

Sterling would entertain better, in the opinion of this one listener, if he cut the HR callas and stupid nicknames and clichés, and just spent a little more time describing the action as it unfolds. He has a brilliant voice for radio. Now, if he would just listen to a few hours of Vin Scully tapes and pick up a few points.

Hey, is there a baseball game going on?

133 One year left plus $5M buyout.

Rid of him forever!

135 You're being too generous, in this listener's opinion.

Anyway, let's go Posada!

128 130 I subscribed to MLB.tv because I refuse to listen to Sterlin/Waldman on the radio (my only real access here in Québec). Anecdoatal evidence, I know, but that's what happened in my case.

139 Or Robbie!

The Yankee fans are starting to be heard over the Oriole fans now...

The swing looked bad, but it did the trick!

OMG, a hit with RISP. Somebody mark the date and time. :-P

Yay Robbie!!

14 I'm going to have to do the same. And Thorne is an absolute joy.

146 Re: 140

CRUD. CRUD.

At least Gutherie will be done soon - just hit 100 pitches.

oooooh fuuuuck...someone say situational hitting?

Dammit!

Let's review: Robbie pulled the ball and got a base hit, driving in a run; Andy went the other way and hit into a DP. Somewhere Weeping is sitting, confused and disoriented.

152 Well played.

152 It was because Andy was clearly not disciplined, and is an all around bad egg.

Normally I'd rant here about how the Yankees aren't focusing, but Guthrie is very good. He has a good fastball and curve and very good command. If I was an Indians fan, I wouldn't be very happy that they never game him a shot (especially when chances were given to Jason Johnson, Scott Elarton, Jason Davis and Jeff D'Amico).

Hold it here Andy, then there'll be three innings of Baltimore's bullpen.

Yanks edge back and Pettitte walks the lead-off batter. Typical.

Damn it, Yankees - I really don't want to lose a whole game in BOTH standings...

150 Which situation? The "you gotta swing to protect the plate with two strikes" or the "it's inexcusable not to hit a sac fly in that situation"?

157 And Howdy Doody's up.

154 He just doesn't care. Look, he's spitting on the fans! Why did he swing at that -- he should practice not hitting that pitch. YEEEAHHHH.

Andy's pussyfootin' again.

Why is the Yankee bullpen "just beginning to stir"?

154 Give me an "M"--M! Give me an "O"--O!...

159 It comes to the same thing. Just choke up. Keep your hands back. Don't try to do too much.

Nice job, Derek - keep us in it.

165 Right, I forgot. I can't believe they don't coach that.

It's too bad that Cashman doesn't read the Banter. There are so many people on this site who totally have the game of baseball figured out.

And as for why the pen is just starting to stir, that's an excellent question I was wondering about myself.

166 It had nothing to do with Derek. What you saw right there was Jay Payton giving up.

Okay, I'm getting tired of this. Let's play something else.

169 I know, let's play "That guy isn't as good as some other guy who we could have had at one point."

No wonder PeteAbe and Feinsand are best buds - they look exactly alike.

I don't know who this blonde floozy is on the Baltimore feed, but I enjoy her a lot.

159 the inexcusable was DJ not taking the bat off his shoulders with two strikes earlier- the ohh fuck...situational hitting is you've got to try to lift a ball there...baseball 101. Admittedly that could have been the same result on Cano's ab...but some luck intervened. IN otherwords even though AP hit it hard you've got to try to lift or drive something- the only disastrous result is a double play- at least a strikeout means another shot at the tie. I know it was bad luck but it was also bad situational hitting. And what is this shit about Jeter being above any criticism- He's my capitan and I think he would he want to be told shit the crapper when he shits the crapper- let's stop with the untouchability already.

169 Jeter made a nice scoop on the short hop, IMO

Some people seem to add nothing to the Banter. Why do they even bother?

Jim... what do you do for a living?

175 Totally agree.

175 Such as?

^ This guy.

174 I was kidding. Lame. Sorry.

174 I agree.

173 Did you see how good that curve ball was to Jeter?

173 See 167. The really should teach Baseball 101 in the Yankees MiL system.

I have a serious question. Is this season the most enjoyable from a Banter perspective? I mean, even though the conversations sometimes get really tiresome, I feel like the Bronx Banter comments section are as lively and engaging as I can ever remember.

Paul Shuey????? I thought he was 100.

I have no problem giving Guthrie credit...now, if the Yanks cant threaten this pen over three innings, well, that's another story.

179 What would you recommend I 'contribute', then?

Why did a reliever who got two guys out on six pitches just get taken out? Was he hurt?

184 Losing stimulates brain cells?

184 I have to admit, that I get a pretty good chuckle at some of the posts.

May be the extended adversity of the season has brought out more interesting and spirited threads?

188 Lefty.

Abreu walks, A-Rod hits #500 to give us the lead. Write it down. ;-)

Or, just memorize it. Save a tree.

Wow, 0-4 with a strikeout. Ouch. You'll get 'em next time Derek.

192 Nice contribution! ;)

I often wonder how Ortiz could have been so unknown in Minn, and turn into such a monster in Boston. When Boston first got him, he rode the pine. It took a few weeks and a number of doubles before Boston starting playing him regularly.

With as close as Minn. has been to/in the PS, you wonder how they would have faired if they had kept Big Papi.

How was he so under the radar?
He is now a perennial MVP candidate.
Wanna talk about bad FO moves?

191 Thanks.

193 Jeter looked awful against Guthrie, which is why I thought he'd squeeze earlier in the game.

194 Thanks, I'd like to thank God and Apple Computer, who provided the MacBook Pro on which I posted that prediction.

168 Ah Schteeve... I don't think we want Cashman here, it might lower the debate.

there was a lot of movement in that checked swing

198 Did God provide the prediction itself?

Too bad about Randy Johnson going out for the season. I really feel bad for the guy, I wish he could have finished the season on a high note and made another run at some post season hardware.

/lying.

What was looking like an awful performance has turned into a Quality Start.

Too bad about Randy Johnson going out for the season. I really feel bad for the guy, I wish he could have finished the season on a high note and made another run at some post season hardware.

/lying.

The Yankees are 5-12 on Fridays, which explains why my weekends have been so shitty this year.

202 - 204 An RI sandwich on Schteeve, please.
(But not in a sexual way at all.)

205 If Joe Morgan ran the Yankees he'd petition the league to keep frady games off the schedule.

203 Hopefully not too little too late though.

I like the cut of Andy Phillips' jib.

205 It is the My9 effect.

I think this was Andy's best inning of the game so far. Eight pitches I believe.

206 Not that there's amything wrong with that.

201 Actually, yes. There was a burning bush in my backyard last night which foretold A-Rod's 500th HR, a Wild Card berth, and strangely enough that J-Lo's latest marriage ends in divorce!

FYI I'm getting drunk.

203 Backwards performance -- usually what looks like the makings of a Quality Start turns into a meltdown. The first few innings tonight were as bad as I've seen Andy.

But I'll take it.

195 They didn't really make the wrong move so much as he was a FA. In retrospect they should have made a bigger push to keep him. But, we are talking about Minnesota and their small payroll; also, while (again in retrospect) you can see Ortiz's obvious progress as a hitter, no one thought that a rotund DH-only coming off a career high OPS+ 122, with some serious platoon splits, was going to blossom into a perennial MVP candidate, and not get hurt, and start hitting lefties.

Now, we can speculate how Ortiz went from OPS+ 122 to OPS+ 160+ age 29 and 30...

A-Rod is gonna house the Jamie Walker fool.

What was that - a .258 SLG (.577 OPS) for Abreu against lefties?

Do the Yanks have a right-handed RF?

214 Drink of choice?

216 I speculate: Monte Cristo sandwiches.

216 Speculation:
Prayer, practice, studying his 101 textbooks. In short, virtue.

219 Negroni. They are delicious.

Ooch.
Pete, so close.

I knew I shouldn't have turned the hose on that bush.

I can't wait for Bonds to break the record, so I can go back to not concerning myself with the record.

Frick, two hard-hit balls, two out.

221 Funny!

225 My only desire is that he breaks it on the road, but it looks like he sandbagged enough and now has a few games against Florida at home.

Did anyone else log onto ESPN and get the little 'dee-dee-dee' SportsCenter jingle, and have a little red box with a Bonds update slide in from the left side of their browser?

Here we go, two out rally.

229 No i try to never log on to ESPN.

229 I have gotten that several times, and it is annoying every time.

That was a lame inning...it looked like Abreu swung at ball four and Arod and Posada offered at first pitches they really couldn't drive. The bottom of the lineup in the 9th...maybe that's a good thing tonight.

228

But is Bob Costas going to to be there? Will Smoltz or Hudson challenge him? Will he say something so stupid that his own brain leaks out the side of his head?

210 Ok, I looked up the My9 effect.

Prior to tonight, the Yankees have played 13 games on My9.

They have a 4-9 record.

(Suspended game didn't count...I think it was originally a YES game, but I might be lying)

A Proctor special.

Call Tampa immediately

Annnnnnnnytime you wanna trade him Cash, it's fine with us.

Millar hits fastballs...Proctor throws one down the middle.

229 I don't know when was the last time I went to that website.

Ah, Proctor with his special incendiary approach to pitching...

Games like this are precisely why we are going to miss the playoffs. Cleveland is supposed to lose to Boston, and they did. The Yankees are supposed to beat the Royals, and they did. The Indians are supposed to beat the Twins at home, and they are. The Red Sox are supposed to beat Tampa, and they did.

The Yankees are supposed to beat the Orioles, and they aren't, and they wont.

239

Funny huh. I guess he doesn't read his own scouting report. When he gets his curve over for strike one, he has much more success. What do the Dodgers have that we can use now, or in the future? They want him, and they can have him.

242 Not be too combative, but you seem to be saying that the reason the Yankees won't make the play-offs is that the play-off teams are winning their games and the Yankees are not.

What a great 0-2 pitch...right down the middle.

242 I don't think you are supposed to beat Baltimore with Guthrie throwing as well as he did. If the Yankees miss out on the playoffs, it wont be because of this game. It will be all the games they lost in April and May when it seemed like the team and Joe didn't think those games would count.

Millar is positively Sheff-like on fastballs in. You don't throw them. Junk/off-speed stuff outside. Proctor deserved that (although we don't).

I know I can be fairly negative...but I am not ruling out winning the series in B'more if we lose this game- that's just silly. Shouldn't it take more than one game or two to get the panic started.

247 Posada, not Proctor.

Okay, I guess I'm feeling combative. I blame Torre.

244

Well, yea. I can deal with the games where we get blown out, but we had so many chances tonight and yesterday, and blew every one of them. While Boston kept the game close and blew it open later, exactly what playoff teams are supposed to do. Pettitte kept us in the game, and we refused to take advantage of a team we were within one run of. All we had to do is score three runs in eight innings but couldn't muster even that. That is why we probably won't make the playoffs.

Joba and Phil...where are you!

The Yankee bullpen does two things well: walk the lead off batter and give up very hard hit outs.

Can the Yankees trade Torre at the deadline?

If Cano can get on, the ball will start rolling. It's all up to you Robbie...slap Bradford to left.

Let me tell you guys a little story. I was playing pool recently. It was me and my buddy against these two random old guys in a bar.

After the break the old guys went on a run. And when they finally missed and we were in a huge hole, my buddy looks at me and says, "We might as well forfeit" and one of the old guys looked at my friend and then looked at me and said, "Son, you need a new partner."

And he was right.

250 Sox lost 1-0 to Cleveland, though, squandering scoring chances with terrible base-running. How come they get to make the play-offs?

Not a good job Robbie...have to take a second strike there. Oh well.

257 Sigh.

246 It isn't an automatic beating a team playing well lately with a pitcher like Guthrie on the mound, but we did what we were supposed to -- got a quality start, made the other guy throw a lot and got him out after six innings and over 100 pitches. What's disappointing is pissing away the last 3 innings against a mediocre bullpen.

The game isn't over (yet), and if we lose, I still think we can win the remaining two. But with the situation we're in, we can't just write off games because a good pitcher is on the mound.

Cano was safe! Thank you Tivo.

259 Write off...of course not.

Why Melky?

So, was that good Ab or bad AB by Phillips? He swung at the first pitch, but it was a strike. He pulled the ball, but he got a hit. I'm so confused.

255 Clap-clap-clap!
Tell one about airplanes and bad guys.

2006 Damon hits a HR.

262 I can see a righty swing early...Bradford is tough on them.

Johnny Big Fly is about to tie this thing up.

2007 Damon grounds out weakly.

Let's go Johnny Big Fly!!

blech. See you clowns tomorrow or something.

Another lousy weekend...thanks Yankees!

Aright, that's that.

For some reason it was not nearly as painful (for me) as it probably should have been. Thanks for the memories (and to Schteeve for the stories).

268 Isn't he a porn star?

And with that, I'm out.

Beltre! 3 run double! I like that kid.

Win the next two or the season is over. That's basically it. This offense is starting to go in the deep freeze again. We've got to scrape together some runs. The pitching is just not good enough to shut out another team.

274

Well, I wouldn't say its over in that case, but when Seattle loses seven in a row, wins one, and pushes us back to third place in the Wild Card, that doesn't bode well. We have to hope Cleveland faulters, because there aint no way we are catching the Red Sox.

My fear is that if we miss the playoffs, with Torre's and Arod's departure, that Jorge and Mo might leave, and Pettitte won't excercise his option, leaving us in really bad shape going into next season. As good as our pitching prospects are, none of them have pitched in the bigs long enough to know if they will be any good. We need to make the playoffs more for the future, than we do for this season. If guys leave, the Yankees will have no choice but to trade away some prospects for Tex before 2008, as we will have not a one home run hitter in our lineup, assuming Giambi is cooked. It is so tempting to be negative, but when you can feel the outcome of the game in the third inning, it doesn't make watching the games much fun. We need Rocket and Wang to come up big. Here is to hoping they can scratch out a few runs tomorrow.

274 when prior to those 7 losses, Seattle was 6 games up on us, it bodes just fine. Folks need to keep in perspective that this is a marathon. And we're actually doing quite well of late. And yes, we are going to lose games to bad teams. Even if we continue to do well in general.

oops, meant that for 275

Alex,

I liked your article on SS's. Is OPS+ mainstream enough that you don't need to define it? If it is, great. But I would be surprised if all of your readers knew what it was. Keep up the good work.