Candus Thomson has a piece in the Baltimore Sun about those inter-locking YH (Yankee-Hater) caps that are all the rage this season in and around Red Sox Nation. But the Dirt Dog, Steve Silva, isn't impressed:

"Real Red Sox fans are sick and tired of this obsession with the Yankees," says Steve Silva, webmaster of the site www.bostondirtdogs.com. "Yankees Hater is just a rip-off of Yankees suck. It's cheap and low-rent and makes us look like idiots."

Silva, a third-generation Red Sox fan, says Orioles fans won't fall for the hype.

"What is so appealing about promoting the Yankees? That's all this is," he says. "Do Orioles fans obsess about 1996 and that Jeffrey [Maier] kid interfering with the ball, or do they care about the present state of their team?"

Right on, bro. But speaking of the Bombers, check out Larry Mahnken and Steve Bonner's posts on last night's game. Steve is a big Giambi fan. Unlike me, he hasn't wavered this season:

Last night was proof that this guy is always dangerous. He did what A-Rod couldn't do in a key situation, by taking Gagne deep. As I pointed out before the season, Giambi is past his prime, but he is still a money hitter. Ask Gagne, and for that matter ask Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox.

It's ubelieveable to me how Yankee fans have cooled on this guy. I mean let's be clear here, if it wasn't for Giambi in Game 7 of the ALCS, there's no Posada's double, there's no Grady Little getting fired, there's no Aaron F'n Boone, there's no World Series for that matter. And yet 9 out of 10 Yankee fans I talk to are like, boy that Giambi sucks, what a bust. Right. Okay well he can play for my Yankees. You don't have to like him.

I still like Giambi but haven't enjoyed watching him as much this year. He is a great hitter and clearly enjoys hitting. If I concentrate on that, it's easier to appreciate his game. Like Mark McClusky mentioned in his post this morning there aren't too many hitters who could take Gagne deep like Giambi did last night.