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Moose it is!
2008-05-15 05:24
by Alex Belth

Okay, so the Yankee bats didn't exactly light it up against James Shields. They scored two runs. But it was enough to beat the Rays as Mike Mussina delivered and the Bombers won, 2-1. Mussina pitched slow and slower last night and it was a thing of beauty to watch.

"Whether it's Joba throwing 96 or me throwing 86, they have to gear their approach to whatever speed is coming," Mussina said. "Well, if I can make them gear from 68 up to 85 or 86, that's a big spread. No matter how hard the top is, the spread is pretty large.

"And if I can throw changeups for strikes at 70 miles an hour, and dump curveballs in there for strikes at 70, and work in between — throw sinkers at 81-82, throw cutters at 81-82, throw fastballs at 85-86 — then that makes it hard on them, no matter what the speed is.

"I'm not going to strike out 10 guys a game, and I know that. But I can mess with them enough that they're not going to get the swing that they want to get. And that's all I'm trying to do."
(Kepner, N.Y. Times)

The Yanks had some luck too when Gabe Gross lined into a double play to get Ross Olendorf out of trouble in the seventh. Gross hit the ball hard, but it was right at Jeter, who quickly flipped to Robinson Cano (four hits, Robinson Cano!) to double Cliff Floyd off second. Joba Chamberlian struck out the side in the eighth and Mariano Rivera was back to putting heads to bed in the ninth, notching his 11th save. Hey, a win is a win, right?

Especially with Hank itching to show that his bite backs up his bark. Here's more from the Son of Steinbrenner, as reported by Bill Madden in the Daily News:

This is what the new "Hammerin' Hank" had to say to me Wednesday when I reached him in Tampa with the greeting: "How 'bout those Rays!":

"They're a great story down here right now," he said, "although it's terrible that they're only drawing only 16,000 a game. They're playing a lot better than us, that's for sure. I know we're gonna come on at some point in this season, but right now, other than (Chien-Ming) Wang, (Mariano) Rivera, (Derek) Jeter, (Hideki) Matsui, (Johnny) Damon and (Mike) Mussina, after I got on him a little, we're not doing jack (bleep).

"What bothers me is that these guys are all working for me and my brother and they're all making more money than we are. That's what makes me mad. But while I'm confident they'll come around, we'll just have to wait and see what happens this year. And if they don't come around then changes will have to be made. I've just got to clean up the mistakes of the last five years and make us what we should be."

Ah, so Hank gets the credit for Mussina's recent performance. Same as it ever was.

Comments
2008-05-15 05:50:14
1.   Sliced Bread
Once In A Lifetime. Best Video Ever.
2008-05-15 05:56:45
2.   Sliced Bread
Classic pic of Hank with the 16 oz. brew.

"Make mine a Hankeken."

2008-05-15 05:58:14
3.   rbj
I propose sending Hank over to Iraq, where he can tell everyone there to knock off the fighting. Then, while he's in the neighborhood, he can get on the Israelis and Palestinians.
2008-05-15 06:18:33
4.   Simone
Gotta love Hank taking the credit for Mussina's turn around. When it comes to Hank, the apple doesn't far from the tree. I find it very comforting to know that the Yankees still have a bellicose, bossy owner.
2008-05-15 06:22:39
5.   Simone
4 ..."the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
2008-05-15 06:27:40
6.   Alex Belth
I LOVE that Talking Heads video, and agree it's a top ten classic.
2008-05-15 06:48:28
7.   ms october
one the best parts of hank's statement has to be him complaining that they are all making more than him and hal - unless they aren't in the will, i wouldn't worry too much about that hank

mattpat in last night's thread pointed out that br has moose on pace for 21-12 - certainly it is a long season and who knows what will happen when he sees the same team multiple times, but i would be wonderful and somewhat amazing if moose could get his 20win season this year

2008-05-15 07:15:30
8.   bp1
I wish someone would ask him a followup questions about this part of his statement:

"I've just got to clean up the mistakes of the last five years and make us what we should be."

Gotta wonder what he considers the mistakes from the past five years, and who is responsible for them. Those are some powerful words.

Talk radio LOVES Hank, as do the daily rags. He is money in the bank.

2008-05-15 07:22:31
9.   rsmith51
8 Partial List...
Raul Mondesi
Jaret Wright
Carl Pavano
Tony Womack
Aaron Boone
Randy Johnson
Javy Vazquez
Kevin Brown
2008-05-15 07:37:57
10.   dianagramr
9

continuation of list ....

keeping Suzyn Waldman, Michael Kay and John Sterling
trading away Dioner Navarro

2008-05-15 09:59:37
11.   Chyll Will
10 Personally signing Gary Sheffield over Vlad Guerrero...
2008-05-15 10:04:59
12.   JL25and3
11 Although that did give me three years of great material...
2008-05-15 13:49:02
13.   AbbyNormal821
9 What about Karim Garcia
;-P

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