Bob Ryan has a piece on the Yankees today in the Boston Globe, and remembers how excited New York was when the Bombers finally made it back to the playoffs in 1995.

Ben Jacobs offers his analysis of the Yanks-Twins Serious, and he is on point as usual.

If you have some time to kill before the start of the game today, go over and check out Jay Jaffe's last posting of the regular season. It is a treat (so what's new?).
Also, if any readers are watching the game today, if you would be generous enough to give me updates and details via the comments section below, I sure would appreciate it. It'll help me fill me in when I have a moment to sneak a peak at the score.

Thanks, and let the games begin.

I know this may not be the right time for non-baseball stories, but I did want to mention the passing of Elia Kazan. Kazan was one of the most influencial theater and film directors of the 20th century. A member of the Group Theater in the 1930s, Kazan was one of the founders of The Actors Studio. He directed the stage versions of "Skin of Our Teeth," "Death of a Salesman," "A Streetcar Named Desire," and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Kazan also made his mark in the movie world, directing the film version of "Streetcar" as well as "On the Waterfront, " "Viva Zapata!" and "East of Eden."

Kazan is perhaps most famous for naming names during Communist witch hunt of the early 1950s. The Times had an excellent, and even-handed appreciation of the director, who was 94, in yesterday's paper. It's well worth reading, as Kazan is well worth remembering.

If you haven't seen "On the Waterfront," I suggest you rent it once the season ends. (Check for Fred Gwynne--aka Herman Munster---in a bit role as a gangster in the begining of the movie.)

It isn't chilly this morning in New York: it's cold. But the skies are blue and it should be an absolutely beautiful day for playoff baseball. I'm going to be stuck at work, so I'll miss the damn thing. But if I have to miss one game, I suppose Game 1 is a safe bet.

The Yankees have been playing well and so has Minnie. New York isn't overly confident, and the Twins aren't cowed. Mike Mussina has owned the Twinkies during the course of his career, and Johan Santana is a devastating young pitcher who seems to be unfazed by the pressure he faces this afternoon. All the makings of a good game, right?

The local papers are filled with special sections today. Most of them aren't telling you anything you probably don't already know, but if you are interested, head over to BaseballNewsstand.com and check it out.

Peter Gammons gives the Bombers "props"---heh heh---in his latest column. He also hits the nail on the head when he writes about the great expectations facing this year's squad:

The greatest barrier facing the Yankees is that they have to win. In George Steinbrenner's world, losing is not an alternative. If they win, they did their job, like a GM assembly worker, or a toll taker on the Garden State Parkway. If they lose, Phinneas T. Boss will ...

... be quoted a lot.

Man, it's tough to find a good barber. I've lived in the Bronx for three years and I am still having issues. When I have the time, I still travel two plus hours round-trip on the subway to see my old barber in Brooklyn.

This past Saturday I figured I would try a joint that I spotted on Broadway and 240th street. This is a few blocks from the end---or the begining---of the IRT, Broadway local 1 and 9 trains. Manhattan college is a short walk up the hill, and even further up the hill is Riverdale, where I now live. There used to be a row of bars on Broadway, but there was constant trouble between the locals and the college kids; things got nasty at one point and the city shut many of the places down.

As I walked from my neighborhood down the hill, I day dreamed about the coming playoff games at the Stadium. At one point, I took a short cut through the woods. (This was the first time I made the trip, so it felt like an adventure.) When I got to the bottom of the hill, I noticed a young kid with a Yankee cap, and a mitt, having a catch. I couldn't see who he was throwing the ball to at first, and when I got closer, I realized he wasn't having a catch with anyone: he was pitching the ball against a big tree.

He was a thin, fair-skinned kid with bright eyes. He missed the tree, and as he went after the ball I called out to him. "Getting ready for the playoffs?" Indeed he was. We chatted for a few minutes. He told me that he favorite pitcher was Mike Mussina and that Jason Giambi and Alfonso Soriano were his favorite players. I asked him a few more questions. It's amazing how a kid's face will light up when you aske them what they think.

I didn't want to make him feel strange, so I kept the conversation brief and continued on, walking past the train yards, down to the barber shop. The moment I walked in, I knew I was in the right place. A black guy and a big Latin guy were cutting heads; hip hop music was pounding on a stereo.

I had a nice conversation with big Looie, and he gave me a good buzz. I don't need to go to Brooklyn anymore.

On the way home, my new friend was still pitching. I saw him wind up and miss the tree once again. Got to work on his control, I thought. When I reached him, he was poking around the woods, looking for the ball---an old, muddy ball. God, that brought me back. How familiar was that sight?

I couldn't resist, so I asked if I could have a catch with him. We hung out for about fifteen minutes and talked a lot about baseball. I obviously didn't have a glove, but that was OK. He was careful not to throw the ball too hard, and each time he made a poor throw he follwed it with an immediate apology as he ran after it. He was 13 years old, and plays center field. But he wants to be a pitcher. I told him about some of the pitchers I like and asked him a lot of questions about who he likes, and why.

I could tell he was energized by our conversation and that made me feel good. I felt boss about making a connection with a kid, and I felt good that it clearly meant something to him as well.

Baseball doesn't seem to matter to kids the way it used to. At least white and black kids. (I was spoiled living in a Dominican neighborhood for three years.) But if you look hard enough, you'll still see the die hards playing whiffle ball with tied up socks, or a ball of tin foil. Or you'll see a kid pitching by himself on a Saturday afternoon, gearing up for the playoffs.

As I walked away, back through the woods, I heard the ball miss the tree again and crunch through the leaves. The air was getting crisp, and the fall is almost here. He may keep missing for a while, but he's showing up. And that's a beautiful thing.

Tom Boswell previews the playoff match ups in The Washington Post. He is excited by many of the possibilites and with the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and A's all in the mix, it is easy to see why. The one thing that would make the post season a bummer, according to Boswell, is if the Yankees win it all.

Ah, go peddle your papers, man.

I've been gearing up for the Yankees-Twins serious since I woke up in the middle of the night unable to stop thinking about it last Thursday. The Twins are a good team, but I think the Yankees should be able to beat them. If Minnie pulls off the upset it won't exactly be the Jets over the Colts--the Twins have good pitching, stellar defense and a decent offense.

After losing to the Angels in the first round last year, it is hard to feel too confident in the 2003 squad. These Yankees have to prove themselves. Still, I won't lie. If they lose in the first round, it would be a disappointing way to end the season. What worries me even more than losing however, is what will happen after they lose. Here is a portion of a letter I got last week from Alan, a Bronx Banter reader:

...There's King George lurking in the background, and I'm just terrified of what the crazy man might do if we fail to finish in the money for the third straight year. He's been held marginally at bay since returning from his most recent lifetime suspension, largely because the Yankees were awful when he left and successful when he came back. But it's obvious that the meddling has increased in recent years -- and it can only get worse.

Or else. (Cue cliff hanger organ music.)

Be sure and check out Twins fans Aaron Gleeman and John Bonnes analysis during the serious. Both have indepth previews of their sites now. Don't sleep; take a peek.

The Yankees ended the season taking three of four from the hapless Baltimore Orioles at the Stadium over the weekend. Andy Pettitte won his 21rst game on Friday, and then Jorge DePaula threw a gem in the second game of the twi-night double-header. But the Yankees couldn't hold on for the win. Roger Clemens won his last regular season start in New York on Saturday, and yesterday, Boomer Wells collected the 200th victory of his career. Derek Jeter fell short of the batting title, but considering how his season began, he had an admirable season.

The Yankees final record is 101-61, which tied the Braves for the best in the game. The Bombers led the majors in attendance, and broke the team's all-time mark, which was set last year.

I saw a sound bite on EPSN this morning that might be of some interest to the Oakland A's. It was after last night's game in Boston, when infielder Todd Walker told the TV cameras---as well as the Fenway Faithful: "We're going to roll into Oakland and whip some ass and move on from there."

Hmmm. He's got the nerve to say it, let's see how he backs it up.

Congrats to Red Sox Nation this morning, as their boys clinched the wild card last night at Fenway Park. There was a wild celebration after the game, which featured Manny Ramirez talking to the press! Funny what winning can do, huh? While part of me is happy for the Sox faithful, another part of me scoffs at such premature celebrations. Pardon me if I'm a spoiled snob, but the Sox haven't won anything yet. You'd think that a good portion of the Nation would be leary of such antics as well.

Listen, I'm happy for the fans and the team---or as happy as a Yankee fan can ever be with such a thing. Theo Epstein assembled a fine squad, and they play with a lot of character and moxie: they are an entirely admirable group of players. If the 1996-2001 Yankees were hard to hate, so are these Red Sox. But calm down, now. Wait until you've won something meaningful before you go throwing a ticker tape parade.

Last night's Love-In will seem hollow if they can't make it out of the first round. Then again, it is just the begining if they can make it all the way to the Championship.

Oh, and a special congrats go out to Scott Adams, Ed Cossette, David Pinto, Ben Jacobs, and my man, Johnny fuggin' Red Sox---all Red Sox fans of the first order.

My blogging pal, and fellow New Yorker, Steve Keane, sole owner and proprietor of The Eddie Kranepool Society, recently took exception with an article written by Daily News columnist Filip Bondy. The article in question was a puff piece about one of Bondy's beloved "Bleacher Creatures." It is a trivial little column, and I'm certain that this isn't the first time the Yankee-friendly Bondy has chapped Keane's---or any other self-respecting Met fan's---behind:

I have never hide [sic] my hatred for Filip Bondy of the NY Daily News. I've always felt that Bondy has had a vendetta against the Mets. Back in the late 80's he wrote a column calling Mets management racist for not having any African-American players on the team. This is the same guy who writes about his love for the NY Yankees. The same NY Yankees who would have been the last team in baseball to become interrogated [sic] if it were not for the Boston Red Sox.

While I can't disagree with Keane's assessment of Bondy, I do want to offer some clarification regarding the Yankees race record. They were one of the last teams to integrate, but when they finally promoted Ellie Howard to the majors in 1955, there were still three teams that remained all-white: the Phillies, Tigers and of course, the Red Sox.

The Yankees' racist management, and the casual bigotry of Casey Stengel and some of the players is indeed a shameful mark on the team’s history. Interestingly, they initially had been one of the first clubs to sign black players. In 1949, GM George Weiss recruited Artie Wilson, Frank Austin, and Luis Angel Martinez; next, they bought the contracts of Bob Thurman and Taborn from the Kansas City Monarchs. But none of these players came close to making the big club, who by then, were in the process of reeling off five consecutive championships.

According to Jules Tygiel’s scholarly history of integration, “Baseball’s Great Experiment:”

The Yankees had…followed the same begrudging path toward integration as the majority of the other clubs. In the early stages of the great experiment, they had exceeded the efforts of most clubs. In the post-1951 era, however, the Yankees lagged, as they recruited few additional prospects. Located in New York with a large black population and an active sporting press, the Yankee situation came under more stringent scrutiny than other clubs. As the years passed with no blacks added to the squad, even Dan Daniel, a devoted defender often accused of being on the Yankee payroll, admitted, “If the Yankees weren’t guilty as charged, they were certainly going out of their way looking for trouble.”

The Yankees acquired Elston Howard for the Monarchs in 1950, and later that season they also picked up a 19-year old Peurto Rican phenom from the independent Provincial League named Vic Power. Power was a flashy and exciting prospect. Perhaps entirely too exuberant for the Yankees liking. He toiled needlessly in the farm system for several years. According to Tygiel:

His one-handed catches offended Yankee traditionalists. More significantly, Power rarely retreated from physical challenges, racial or otherwise. In 1953 he engaged in a fistfight with an opposing player. “He is a rough, tough customer. He refuses to scare easily,” wrote [black sportswriter, Wendell] Smith. “If you start punching, he’ll punch back.” Perhaps most important, rumors reached New York that Power dated white women. For any or all of these reasons, the Yankees decided that Power did not fit the requirements for their first black player.

Funny, but a combative young star like Power would seem to have fit in well with the likes of Billy Martin. Too bad Billy and his employers were so short-sighted. Power was eventually traded to the Philadelphia A’s in the winter of ’53. Instead of promoting a Cassius Clay, the Yankees would wait another full season until Howard, their Floyd Patterson, would break the color barrier.

Mike Mussina was denied his 200th career victory yesterday because the White Sox scored eight runs off of him in the sixth inning. Esteban Loaiza picked up his 20th win of the season as the White Sox rolled over the Bombers, 9-4. Bernie Williams hit a homer and so did Jason Giambi.

I think that Bernie will catch fire next week against the Twins. And I'm mostly saying that because he's had a terrible season and he's my favorite Yankee.

Jack Curry has an article in The Times today about why Jose Contreras should be considered as a viable option for a start in the post season:

When Torre was asked about putting Contreras in the rotation, he said, "I don't know how that would happen," but, of course, he knows. Torre could gamble a little, use Contreras instead of the sagging Wells and explain it by saying that Contreras has been more reliable.

"You might see that," catcher Jorge Posada said. "You never know. Anything can happen. I think you could see him in Game 4. But I think they'll want him in the bullpen because Skip wants to use him more than once."

Still, when Posada was asked if Contreras would be in the top four if the Yankees ignored reputations and chose the pitchers who are performing the best, he said: "Absolutely. He would be one of them."

Meanwhile, Christian Ruzich and Will Carroll must have been happy after the Cubs shut out the Reds last night to remain a game ahead of the Astros. I did manage to catch the Barry Bonds at bat vs. Billy Wagner replayed on ESPN last night. Bonds was pinch-hitting in a one-run game and Wagner was throwing nothing but cheese. He whiffed the best hitter on earth with his 100 mph fastball, and somewhere in Ft. Lauderdale, Pat Jordan was smiling.

There is no joy involved with the Yankees. The reporters covering them have mentioned this time and again during the course of the 2003 season. There is only victory, and nothing else in Boss George's universe. Win or look out. That may or not be true.

Fortunately, I only have to root for the Bombers and I get a tremendous amount of joy following the team. I also appreciate the joy that Derek Jeter derives from the heat of a pennent race. He shows it in little ways in practically each game. I think that between the lines, there is joy to be found on the Yankee team, regardless of the pressure they face from their owner, the press, and the demanding fans.

Heck, some fans may only be happy if the Yankees win the Serious, but as I mentioned earlier today, you are setting yourself up for a long, cold winter if that's the only thing that will make you happy.

Bob Klapisch, a longtime New York reporter, delineates the possible outcomes for the Yanks should they lose in the playoffs or Serious this year. One thing is for sure---and I'm sorry to say this---but unless they win it all, Cashman and Torre's coaches won't be back.

Allen Barra is back with a characteristically charged article on the way the New York press covers the Yankees. This one appears in The Village Voice, so Barra doesn't hold back even a little bit. He is right on the money when he criticizes Mike Lupica's typically shrill sensibilities (which in this case involved the Aaron Boone trade):

The Yankees, he wrote, "were simply out to win at any cost. It is the real business of the Yankees, and it sucks the joy out of the season." Out of whose season, exactly? And why, we're entitled to ask, shouldn't Steinbrenner and Cashman be out to "win at any cost"? If the fans are willing to pay the price for the tickets and beer, what exactly is Steinbrenner supposed to do with that money? Pocket it as pure profit, as so many of those teams getting that fat luxury tax from the Yankees do? Or try to improve his team the best way he and his front office see fit?

If teams such as the Cincinnati Reds leave players like Aaron Boone and Gabe White (the real steal in the deal) out on the doorstep, is it less of a case of the Yankees "sucking the joy" out of the game or of the Reds spitting it out?

I'd pay to see a steel cage match between Barra and Lupica any day---or even a head-to-head trash-talking contest, like the one Norman Mailer had with Gore Vidal on the old Dick Cavett show.

Even though Jason Giambi has posted back-to-back 40 home run seasons, I'm sure there are still Yankee fans who long for the days of Tino Martinez. I don't know why, but old habits die hard I suppose. I'm sure Tino wishes he were still in New York too. Anywhere but St. Louis. Redbird Nation has a revealing post today, detailing why Martinez is miserable playing for the Cardinals.

As some of the older Yankee players said during the postgame celebration last night, this just doesn't get old. The Yankees blanked the White Sox, 7-0 and clinched the AL east for the sixth consecutive year. This was a volatile campaign for the Yankees, who will play the Twins starting next Tuesday in the first round of the playoffs, with shades of the ol' Bronx Zoo strudel threatening to disrupt the harmony of the Joe Torre era.

For many Yankee fans this is only the begining. "Now, the real season starts," is what some of the more thoughtless fans will bark today as if they were following basketball. As if the regular season was an afterthought. But regardless of what happens over the next couple of weeks, we should take a moment to appreciate another fine season.

I still pinch myself regularly to remind myself of how fortunate I am that a team I root for has been this succesful for so long (I root for the Jets and Knicks, after all). I don't expect it to last. Why should we be so fortunate? I figure that one year, fate, or injuries or Boss George or the Red Sox will put an end to the current run. Maybe it will happen next year or the year after. But for now, the Yankees have made us proud once again.

One of the great pleasures of watching the Yanks win is getting to see Joe Torre get blubbery. I'm sure it must make Yankee-haters ill, but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It has to do with the fact that Torre is a native New Yorker, and an Italian man of a certain temperment and disposition. Go to Gravesend, or Carroll Gardens or Bensonhurst in Brooklyn and you can find men like Joe.

Torre is grave and paternal, firm but fair, and he manages the circus around the Yankees better than anyone before him. It is fitting that he gives it up for us in the end, the ol' softy. He lets his guard down, his voice starts to tremble, and then come the water works. I've always had the sense that he appreciates how meaningful the Yankees' success has been. It's not just cliches with Torre, he's not distant and removed, he's like one of the family; that's why he's known as Saint Joe around these parts.

Jose Contreras was brilliant last night and will allow us to go into the off season thinking that he wasn't a $32 bust after all. The Red Sox came from behind to beat the O's in dramatic fashion at Fenway last night; later on, the Mariners lost, and now the wildcard race is all but done. The YES cameras caught Jeter checking out the scoreboard in the 8th inning last night. The O's had taken a 5-2 lead in the top of the 9th, only to tie the game on a Todd Walker homer in the bottom of the frame. Jeter peeked at the scoreboard in center field, and then did a double take. He smirked, ala Robert DeNiro, as if to say, "Whaaat? Don't those guys ever die?" Never a dull moment for the Yankee captain.

Jason Giambi hit a grand slam in the 9th inning for his 40th homer of the year. He also hit a double to left center field which is a positive sign indeed. Giambi is the first Yankee to record back-to-back 40 dinger seasons since Mickey Mantle. Not bad for a guy who has played with injuries all year. According to John Harper in The Daily News:

Giambi, meanwhile, admitted before the game there was reason he wasn't using the whole field anymore.

"My back side's collapsing," was the way he put it before last night's game. "Because of my knee."

It's a wear-and-tear injury of sorts that he has downplayed for most of the season, even as it has deteriorated over the last couple of months and caused him to limp noticeably at times.

But in trying to explain why he hadn't been driving the ball to left-center anymore, Giambi said the state of his left knee is such that he can't keep his weight on his back leg at the plate, wait on the pitch and drive the ball to all fields as he had done with such great success throughout his career.

In other words, the injury has wreaked havoc with the sweet swing responsible for batting averages of .314, .342, and .333 the last three seasons.

"It's not an easy thing to swallow," said Giambi, batting .251 after his 2-for-4 night, "when you're a career .300 hitter, and you've never hit below .290, and you look up there and see your average at two-forty-something.

"It's tough. But that's the risk you take when you play hurt."

Giambi doesn't need to apologize to anyone. With Jeter, Nick Johnson, and Bernie Williams all missing significant time, Giambi couldn't afford to get healthy. As a result, his numbers dropped, but he still put together a fine season. His effort has not gone unappreciated.

Newsday columnist John Heyman has a piece today about why the Yankees should be licking their chops at the prospect of facing the Twins in the first round of the playoffs. Sure, they might appear to be a better match for New York than Boston, Seattle, Oakland or even Chicago, but I wouldn't discount the Twins either. And the fact that the Yanks have won 13 straight over Minnie doesn't fill me with confidence, it gets all of my superstions working overtime.

I used to hate Chipper Jones when he was a young player for the Braves. I simply didn't like his looks, and I didn't like the fact that his country ass didn't like New York (why the nerve). But then he got too good for me to hate. Plus, I don't root for the Mets, so I didn't really need to hate him anyway. Now, not only do I appreciate him, but I actually root for him as well.

This summer, I've been thinking about how steady he's been for the Braves, and yet despite his classical jock handsomeness, and the fact that he plays for America's Team, Jones doesn't receive a lot of national attention. Not as much as A. Jones or Gary Sheff, or Maddux or Smoltzie. I may be wrong about this, but that's the impression I get.

Fortunately, Rich Lederer has a pointed analysis of Jones' career accomplishments over at Rich's Weekend Baseball Beat. Just in time to scratch my itch. And yeah, Chipper Jones has been one of the best in the game ever since he started playing.

Will Carroll, the injury professor over at Baseball Prospectus, has joined the all-baseball.com family. Make it a daily read, as Will has energy to burn, and lots to say. I'm honored to be on the same team---big ups to Ruz for giving Will another forum to speak his mind.

Alfonso Soriano led off last night's game with a home run off big, bad Bartolo Colon. It was 'lil Sori's 13th lead off dinger of the year, a new record. He followed that with another solo shot in his next at bat. But Colon and the Chicago bullpen was able to work out of several jams, and the Sox eventually defeated the Bombers in extra innings, 6-3. Magglio Ordonez smacked a 3-run shot off Jeff Weaver to put the Yankees celebration on hold.

The Sox were streaking a few weeks ago, while the Yanks struggled. Now, Chicago must settle for moral victories and sour grapes. Wha' happened? Jack Curry posed the same question in The Times:

What made one first-place team fly and the other fizzle?

"Money, money and money," Frank Thomas, the White Sox designated hitter, said. "The bottom line is there's a lot of pride in that organization. They will win at all costs. That's what pro sports is all about. Steinbrenner wants a winning team year in and year out. He's got the ability to go out and get those players."

...While the gluttony enables the Yankees to absorb huge mistakes, the money does not automatically make them winners. The endless payroll gives the Yankees more flexibility if they stumble, but then they still have to get up and produce.

"If we were able to spend $150 million or $130 million, we'd win every year, too," Thomas said.

..."Money doesn't guarantee you'll have big performances down the stretch when it counts," [Derek] Jeter said. "You can have all the money in the world and it doesn't matter if you don't have people who are going to play well. That's an easy out. Money, money, money. Go ask him why Minnesota is where they are."

Take Two tonight. Jose Contreras will start, and it looks like Mike Mussina will be getting a Game 1 start in the playoffs.

Congrats to Greg Maddux, who won his 15th of the year yesterday (on the third try). With the victory Maddux breaks Cy Young's record for consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins.

What does it mean? It means that Greg Maddux has been very fortunate, and very good for a very long time.

Or as Rob Neyer noted a few weeks back:

Is Maddux's streak of 16 15-win seasons really more impressive than Cy Young's streak of 19 13-win seasons or Warren Spahn's streak of 17 14-win seasons?

No, not really. If we draw the line at 15, we're doing it simply to glorify Greg Maddux, (whose streak includes two 16-win seasons and three 15-win seasons), and he doesn't need us to glorify him. It's enough, I think, to say this:

In baseball's first half-century, Cy Young was the game's most durable and consistent pitcher.

In baseball's second half-century, Warren Spahn was the game's most durable and consistent pitcher.

And in baseball's third half-century, Greg Maddux has been the game's most durable and consistent pitcher.

Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada are two Yankees that I've had short fuses with over the years. I don't mean to suggest I haven't appreciated their contributions, or that I don't like them, or think that they are losing players, but you know how it is: some guys burn you up faster than others. It's as much about me as it is about them.

But both longtime Yanks have had terrific seasons. Pettitte won his 20th game of the year on Saturday, the second time he's won 20 in his career. Whatever uncertainty existed about Pettitte's health will most likely be overlooked now, and I would be surprised if he didn't return to New York next year. (Of course as good as Pettitte's been, Mike Mussina has been the best pitcher on the staff---just ask my man, Cliff.)

Posada is being considered as an MVP candidate. I heard Joe Morgan mention it on ESPN last night. Wow. He's been great offensively, but I'm really impressed with his his poise behind the plate. There have been times in the past when Posada let his emotions get the better of him. This year, he has delivered a mature, all-star performance. I guess he can get away with calling his teammates out after losing in the first round last year, after all.

The Yankees swept the Devil Rays in Tampa this weekend and are on the brink on clinching the American League East. But things got nasty before it was all said and done. On Saturday night, the Yanks and Rays exchanged hitting opposing batters, and yesterday, emotions boiled over.

D-Rays starting pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez---a high-strung, square-jawed kid with a yellow mop of hair who looked like he just stepped out of a David Lynch casting session---threw high and tight repeatedly to the Yanks during the early going yesterday. He moved Bernie, Godzilla, Boone, and Enrique Wilson off the plate, before finally plunking Nick Johnson in the 5th. He brushed Jorge Posada back later in the inning too.

Posada took exception, stepped out of the box and glared into the D Rays dugout. Well, that was all it took to get Lou Pinella going. Sweet Lou yelled something at Posada who promptly grounded out. But on his way down the first base line, Jorge had some cherce words for Gonzalez. The pitcher charged Posada at first, but both players were restrained. The benches cleared and who do you think was in the middle of things, yelling the loudest?

That's right, Sweet Lou himself. According to the morning papers, he called the Yankees "a bunch of crybabies." Then, there was a Yankee yelling back. Wanna guess who? None other than Sweet Pea himself, Bernie Williams. Now that was worth the price of admission.

No punches were thrown, and nobody was ejected. Roger Clemens had a 3-0 lead at the time, and he got through the 5th and 6th inning before he retaliated. With two out in the 7th, the Rocket airmailed one over catcher Javier Valentin's noggin (he nipped him with the next pitch). The Yankees won 6-0.

"I said that the Yankees are a bunch of crybabies," Piniella said. "Not all of them. I said they've got a bunch of them."

..."The amazing part about it is, when the Yankees buzz people in, or when they hit people, it's O.K.," Piniella said. "When it's done against them, they don't like it. They've got a bunch of talent on that team; they've got a great team. I respect them as individuals. But at the same time, let's play baseball. The rules aren't supposed to be circumvented in their favor."

Who is the cry baby here? Joe Torre remained calm.

"I'm not saying we don't all yell at the opposition once in a while, but I think Lou is frustrated," Torre said. "He's had a long year. He's not used to losing a lot of games. But I think this ball club has won more games than maybe they would have with someone else there."

Meanwhile, after losing a crusher on Saturday, the Red Sox came back with their ace and a win yesterday, and Boston continues to lead Seattle by 2 1/2 games for the wildcard. (It would take a monumental collapse on Boston's part to miss the postseason now.) The Twins and A's--thank you Mr. Lily---all but have their divisions locked up.

Mike Mussina, Joe Torre, George Steinbrenner and Gene Orza all had cherce words for MLB after yesterday's game. The game officially ended in a 1-1 tie and will be made up if needed.

Meanwhile the Sox beat the D-Rays and the Mariners lost to the Rangers. Boston trails the Yanks by five games, but leads Seattle by two and a half; the Yankees magic number for clinching the division remains at six.

With the M's starting a weekend series against the A's it may be time to say goodnight. Incidentally, there is an article out of Seattle today which pits Pat Gillick vs. Billy Beane.

Dig this:

"You have to give them credit, but the test is going to be how they maintain it," Gillick said. "It's difficult, with that payroll, to maintain. We'll have to wait and see. Initially, they've gotten it done, but once Tejada and Chavez are eligible (for free agency), if they can't pay them, you'll probably see a decline in their won-loss record."

Said Beane: "Time will tell. Listen, at some point, yeah, there will be a dip in the performance level. You don't have to be Nostradamus to predict that. But you know what? That's the case with every sports franchise. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Gillick further took shots at Oakland's "Moneyball" approach:

"I think from the Double-A level up, statistical information is more pertinent than from Single-A down," he said. "At least when you get to Double-A, Triple-A and the major leagues, you have something to compare the statistics against. I'm not sure what the level of competition is at Class A, rookie or amateur level.

"I don't want to limit myself in one area. If we think the best player is from college, we'll take him; if we think the best player is a high-school player, we'll select that player. If we think we want to get a player from China, Japan or the Dominican Republic, those are all areas you have to investigate."

"Why limit yourself to one area? Why say you have to draft college guys and you have to fit this criteria? I think you're limiting yourself and not looking at the big picture. Baseball is full of exceptions and opinions. Last year, anyone could have had Esteban Loaiza for nothing, and now he has a chance for the Cy Young.

"They have a theory what they do, but I think what they're doing is limiting themselves, maybe because of economics. They think high-school kids are too much of a longshot, too much uncertainty. But the old saying is, if you want to hit it big, you'd better take a risk."

Said Beane, "When you have an unlimited payroll, you can take that approach. When you have a limited payroll, there's certain things you can and can't do. We're in that situation in Oakland, unlike some other people."

Added Beane, "We'll continue to try to compete in our situation. We're not asking anyone to either validate us or mimic us. Our responsibility is to our fans and ownership, and to the players in this organization."

Gillick has taken much heat for not improving his team when he's had the chance. It appears as if the Mariners will win 90+ games again this year and miss the playoffs. Still, he's got an impressive track record, and has been one of the best GM's of the past 25 years. But he comes across as petty and spiteful here. Think chasing the A's once again has anything to do with it?

The Yankee game has been suspended, proving once again, when it comes to running things in MLB, it ain't the heat, it's the stupidity. Man, don't you think they could see this coming? Wonder how peeved the Yankees are having to sit around and wait for a flight to take them into the eye of the storm?

The Yankee-O's game is tied after five innings in Baltimore. They are now sitting on their hands as the game as been delayed by rain. Hey, no fuggin kidding. Was it supposed to rain today?

Bunch of greedy sombitches...

I know I'm a couple of days late on this, but Pat Jordan had a piece on flamethrowers in The New York Times magazine last Sunday. I don't think the article was one of his best---it felt slight---but it is still worth reading. I was, however, taken with Jordan's portrait of Houton's Billy Wagner. While interviewing the diminutive southpaw in the Astros locker room, Wagner's two young boys sat in a nearby chair watching TV:

Wagner is obviously a caring father -- as he talked to me his eyes kept flitting toward his sons -- in the way of men who experienced difficult, disruptive childhoods. His parents married young in a small Virginia town. They fought a lot and shuffled off their son to live with various relatives. Wagner lived with his grandfather, who used to whip him with a switch, and then his aunt and uncle. No matter where he lived, however, he lived in poverty (food stamps were not unknown) and anger. He remembers as a boy standing outside the home of his aunt and uncle, picking up a baseball and firing it at the house in anger.

''It was the only way I could express myself,'' he said. ''I used to rage and explode; now I channel it to aggressiveness on the mound.''

Despite his success, he said, he's still insecure about it. ''There's no way I should throw a baseball 100 m.p.h.,'' he said. ''I'm small. I see guys 6-foot-8 throwing 88. There's nothing I did to get it. Maybe throw a football a lot. I have the short, quick arm motion of a quarterback. Some say it's in my legs, or my wrist. But I don't know why.''

Jordan has always been able to find the tremendous vunerability in the athletes he writes so well about. That's probably due to his own experience as a bonus baby prospect, who never made the major leagues. It's certainly why I find him to be one of the best baseball writers going.

Hall of Fame historian Bruce Markusen details the baseball men we've lost in 2003 in his latest Cooperstown Confidentail column over at Baseball Primer. The year isn't over yet, but some great baseball men have passed on---guys like Larry Doby, Sam Lacy, Leonard Koppett, and most recently, Bobby Bonds. Worth taking a look.

Several years ago my old friend Russell started doing a lounge singer routine in the downtown scene here in New York. I had limited patience with the scene, but I did manage to see him perform as Johnny Fayva once. It involved Russ dressed up in a wild leisure suit, with a blond wig and blond mustache. He sang old rock tunes like Dean Martin, karate-chopped like Elvis, and by the end of the act, he had stripped down to a thong---something neither Dino nor the King ever attempted.

Russ moved out to LA a few years ago, but Johnny Fayva is alive and well. If you want a cheap laugh---and what better kind of laugh is there---stop by his webpage. Be sure and check out the "Iraqi Freedom" video.

SI's Tom Verducci still thinks Mariano Rivera is a top-flight closer:

Let's get something straight: Mariano Rivera is not a question mark for the New York Yankees. He may not be unhittable, as he was in the past, but he's still ultra cool in the clutch and still has plenty of the nasty stuff needed to get hitters out, if not dominate them. If you're looking for a reason why the Yankees are vulnerable -- and there are a few of them -- don't look to their closer.

...I wouldn't worry about Rivera. He may have lost a smidgen of velocity and sometimes lacks confidence in that high fastball hitters chase, but his stuff is still plenty good. The real problem is the rest of the Yankees' bullpen, which this year has forced manager Joe Torre to bring Rivera into numerous games in which runners are on base. The slender right-hander has such good mechanics and doesn't throw a lot of pitches, so I do think he has at least two more All-Star quality years left.

If indeed Rivera can put up two more All-Star seasons, will he have a legitimate shot at the Hall of Fame? It's a tough one to figure simply because great closers like Sutter and Gossage have yet to be recognized. I keep thinking that once Eck is elected, the thinking on closers may change. I would guess that if Rivera continues to be very good in the regular season, and sensational in the postseason, he'd have a decent chance at making it into Cooperstown somewhere down the line.

David Wells was gunning for his 200th career victory last night, but he gave up five runs in the early innings, and the Yanks couldn't score enough runs to help him out. (They managed eleven hits, to no avail.) Wells stayed in the game and pitched well after that, but the Yankees lost, 5-3. The game took all of two hours and twelve minutes.

The Bombers played the game as if they had a plane to catch. If it were up to them, that's exactly what they would have done. With a massive storm headed up the east coast, today's game has been rescheduled as an afternoon affair. The only snag is that the game is about the only thing that will go ahead as planned in Baltimore today, as the schools and local government will be shut down.

"I'm sorry we have to play, period," said David Wells, who pitched a complete game in the loss. "It's not good. The city's closing down, the government's closing down, and we're playing. Figure that out."

..."I don't really see it," first baseman Jason Giambi said. "I don't see the need to get it in, especially when they're shutting down schools and having the Navy get their ships out. I hope everything works out and everybody's safe. I don't understand the thinking of what they're trying to accomplish."

Joe Torre, the Yankees' manager, had a theory. "Everybody's scratching their head about why we're cutting it so close, but it's not our decision," Torre said, later adding, "When you're dealing with revenue in today's game, that's what it comes down to."

Mike Mussina will pitch for the Yanks today, and has a chance to earn his 200th career victory.

The Red Sox were shut out by the D-Rays in Boston last night, while the Mariners finally beat the Rangers (thank you, Mr. Moyer). Boston's lead in the wildcard is down to a game and a half. Johnny Damon missed last night's game, and the Sox, who have been relatively injury-free throughout the season, are starting to show some bumps and bruises.

The A's won behind a strong effort from Barry Zito, and their magic number---like the Yankees'---is down to six. The Twinkies beat the White Sox again and now lead Chicago by two and a half games in the central. Finally, Doc Halladay pitched a complete-game shut out against the Tigers and may have earned himself the Cy Young award.

THAR HE BLOWS

Is old man Steinbrenner starting to look out the front door? Maybe yes, but on the other hand, certainly not. According to an article by Richard Sanomir today's Times:

Steinbrenner manufactured his own intrigue yesterday in two telephone calls.

In the first one, he was discussing the business acumen of his sons, Hank and Hal, and his son-in-law, Steve Swindal, when he said: "You don't want to let go, but I'm going to let go. After this many years and so many ups and downs, if I can deliver a championship, I can feel like I can step aside."

But minutes later, Steinbrenner called back to say that he did not mean to say that a 27th Yankees championship would trigger his retirement, only that he might slow down a bit.

"I didn't say I'd step aside," he said, "but there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when I'm going to step aside and let the young elephants in the tent. This is not a retirement announcement. What I mean is that the young elephants, the young sons and the son-in-law, will be more and more active."

Love him or hate him, the Yankees will be forever altered when the old elephant shuffles along. I've mostly disliked Boss George since I started rooting for the Yankees in 1979, but I'm also grateful that he's been dedicated in providing us with a winning team, despite of his unsavory methods. I've been thinking a lot about the day when he's gone this summer. Everything that I know about the Yankees, the way they operate with free agents, with the media, with the rest of the league, is rooted in the Steinbrenner Era. I can't help but wonder if I'll actually miss the big bully when he's gone.

In the late 1980's and early '90's, I remember wishing that George would not only leave the Yankees, but God's green earth as well. It was the only way the Yankees would have a chance to win again I figured. Of course since then, George has enjoyed a Nixonian twilight. Some teams wish they had a guy like Steinbrenner running their team---just ask Christian Ruzich.

Just goes to show, you got to be careful what you wish for, huh?

Greg Maddux failed in his second attempt to win his 15th game of the season last night. Javy Lopez caught Maddux for the first time since Christ was a Cowboy, and the Maddog left with a three run lead. But Atlanta's bullpen coughed up both the lead and the game. David Pinto has several good posts regarding Maddux over at Baseball Musings for those of you who are interested.

I struggled to keep my eyes open last night as I watched HBO's "Curse of the Bambino" documentary. And believe me, it was a struggle. The hour-long show was a bit better than the Yankeeography slop that the YES network churns out regularly, but it was far from memorable. Judging by his performance as the show's narrator, it appears as if Ben Affleck had a hard time staying awake too. Affleck comes off like a rank amatuer, and is ill-suited for the job at hand.

The show is essentially a slight, self-aggrandizing tribute to Red Sox Nation. Thanks primarily to historian Glenn Stout, there is more balance and attention to accuracy than can be found on any Yankeeography. But overall, the show was unfocused and trite, rehashing familiar moments. Perhaps, if you are a Sox fan, the show was oddly gratifying. I found it a bore, which is a shame, because the Sox are such a rich subject.

If you are a Chicago fan, I'm sure you are thinking, "Cry me a river, fellas." Of course, the highlight of the piece was getting to see Edward Cossette's fat head. Edward had several quotes that made the cut, and my only complaint is that there wasn't even more of him.

Ben Jacobs has another nifty analysis over at Universal Baseball Blog, Inc. This time, he compares the freak Alfonso Soriano with the super freak Vlad Guerrero. Larry Mahnken gives his take on 'Lil Sori too. Good stuff, men.

Rocket Clemens pitched seven innings and allowed two earned runs, which was good enough to notch the 308th win of his career. Derek Jeter had two hits, Godziller collected 3 RBI, and the Yanks beat the O's again, this time by the score of 6-3. The Yankees' number for clincing the division is down to seven games.

In Boston, Pedro Martinez pitched a complete game, and the Sox edged the D Rays, 3-2. The Red Sox are now 2 1/2 games ahead of the Mariners, who lost to Texas. Alex Rodriguez smacked his 44th home run of the year; Rob Neyer thinks it's time for us to stop worrying and love the bomb---give the man the MVP already. Here, here.

This is not a good time to be a Mariners fan.

Last night was gravy night for the Yanks in Baltimore as they pounded the O's, 13-1. Andy Pettitte won his 19th game of the year and will likely have two shots at winning 20 for the second time in his career. 'Lil Sori hit two homers and has now reached the 30-30 club in consecutive seasons. Soriano led off the game with a blast, his 11th lead off dinger of the year, which puts him one behind Brady Anderson for the single season record. Aaron Boone added two homers of his own.

Jason Giambi hit his 39th of the year and collected his 100th RBI; not to be outdone, Hideki Matsui, fresh off his Pimpzilla fashion display, notched his 100th RBI as well. Jorge Posada added bases clearing double for his three RBI and he now has 95 on the year (his career high is 99).

Since beating the Red Sox 3-1 in New York nine days ago, the Yankees are on a roll. Even my pessimistic arse doesn't have much to crow about these days. Instead, I'm grateful that we'll get another opportunity to experience playoff baseball in New York. Joe Torre and the Yanks are gearing themselves up for the post season. According to The New York Times:

With a 92-57 record coming into tonight's game with the Orioles, the Yankees had a two-and-a-half-game lead over Oakland for the best record in the league and, thus, for home-field advantage in a possible A.L.C.S. But Torre is mindful of what happened last season, and he will manage accordingly.

"I think there's a price tag on that," Torre said, referring to the pursuit of the best record. "You have to decide on what's more important: being ready to go to the postseason or being concerned about getting that extra game in the championship series. If one works hand in hand with the other, sure, you want to win. But the most important thing is making sure your team is mentally and physically ready to play."

The Red Sox crushed the Devil Rays in Boston, 8-2 and gained a game on the Mariners, who lost to the Rangers. (The Sox will go down in history as the first team to have nine guys hitting at least .285 with 28 homers and 95 RBI.) Boston is 1 1/2 games up in the wildcard race with 13 games left to play. They trail the Yanks by 5 1/2. It looks as if the Mariners will be the first to wilt, blink, and fade but don't say that too loudly around any card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation. There is still too much time for something cruel and unusual to happen.

Speaking of which, Ben Affleck narrates an HBO documentary on Red Sox Nation tonight at 10 pm. (Richard Sandomir reviewed it in The Times yesterday...watch out now.) It would be easy to throw potshots at Affleck, but with our ex-mayor being Yankee celebrity fan #1, I think I'll just keep my mouth shut on this one. I'm going to watch the show in the hopes that Edward Cossette's talking head made the final cut. It will be a nice day for the blogging community if Ed is indeed in the documentary. Cossette is one of the original baseball bloggers---I believe this is his third season---and continues to put out one of the best columns out there.

Don't sleep, take a peek.

As Emily and I continued to unpack this weekend, we had the Yankee games on in the background. On Friday night, she turns to me and says, "You know what? I get really sad when the game gets into the 6th, 7th, 8th innings because it means that the game is almost over." You can only imagine how excited she was when the Yanks and D-Rays played a day-night double header on Saturday. She was miffed that there wasn't another double header on Sunday.

Have I picked the right woman or what?

The Yanks won three of four from Tampa Bay and increased their lead over the Red Sox to 5 1/2 games. (The Red Sox lost two of three to Chicago in Boston.) Their magic number for clincing the division stands at nine games with thirteen left to play. It would take a Gene Mauch-like collapse for the Yanks to miss the post season at this point. It's hard to see Joe Torre going out like that.

It was a wet and humid weekend in New York, and until yesterday's 5-2 loss, the Bombers had reeled off eight consecutive wins. Jason Giambi is starting to swing the bat well again, and Bernie Williams enjoyed his 35th birthday in style.

Jose Contreras was nasty yesterday and struck out a career-high eight batters. (He then showed off his playa threads as part of an annual rookie hazing after the game.) I don't have a great feel for him yet. It might not be fair to compare him to El Duque, but I keep thinking about the Yankees' erstwhile Cubano as I watch Contreras.

Contreras has much better "stuff" than El Duque, but he doesn't seem to have the same competitive poise. When he gets ahead of batters, and is "on", Contreras looks impressive. His forkball---a splitter that sinks in a floating motion not unlike a knuckle ball---is especially effective. But when he falls behind, he unravels quickly.

It's also hard to tell much about Contreras' personality on the mound. He looks like a sleepy hulk. If El Duque was an international man of mystery--the Yankees version of Yul Brenner, Contreras comes across much more like a gentle giant, our very own Herman Munster (actually, that's not a great call, but it's the best I can come up so far...OK, he looks more like a combination of Delroy Lindo and Shrek). Hernandez was a red ass, and he was difficult to deal with when he wasn't completely healthy, but he also possessed an inimitable style on the mound that Yankee fans won't soon forget.

It is hard not to be curious about Contreras, especially considering that he's gonig to be around for a minute. With Antonio Osuna taking a beating again yesterday, it is likely that the big man will serve as a reliever during the playoffs. Whether that is a good thing or not remains to be seen.

Roger Clemens had nasty stuff early on last night, but the evening turned out to be more of a grind than a breeze for the big guy. When the Rocket left, with two outs in the seventh inning, he had thrown 120 pitches. Clemens allowed two runs on seven hits before Gabe White and Mo Rivera closed the door with ease on the Tigers. Nick Johnson hit another dinger, Bernie Williams added his 12th of the year, and Jorge Posada added two RBI (91) to give the Bombers a 5-2 win. The Yankee lead over Boston now stands at four (the Sox had the night off and return home to face the White Sox tonight).

The game moved along at a brisk pace. During the seventh inning stretch, the Yankees played a video tribute in honor of 9.11. The video was characteristically maudlin, but what was truly chilling was the moment the presentation ended, the clock read 9:11.

The Yankees host Tampa Bay for four games at the Stadium starting tonight. Jeff Weaver will get a start in a day-night double header tomorrow.

Is Mike Mussina the best starting pitcher to have never won 20 games in a season? Ben Jacobs thinks so. Check out his fine article over at Universal Baseball Inc.

I want to offer my apologies to Mike C of Baseball Rants. His wife gave birth to a baby boy last week, and not a baby girl as I initially reported. Congrats are in order either way. Thanks for setting me straight Murray.

Count Boswell in. Tom Boswell, one of the great baseball writers of the last 30 years, believes that this will be the Red Sox year. Hey, if the Angels could do it last year, why not dream big like Jayson Stark and imagine a Sox/Cubs World Serious, right?

You would think that veteran writers would know better than to choose Boston, despite the very real evidence that the Sox could in fact pull it off. Even Boswell's wife knows this:

To this day, my wife will not watch an important Red Sox game. Why? "Because it will make them lose." She's not much of a sports fan. But she got a proper New England education. If you put hope in the Sox, they will lose. Yet for eons that hope lingered, until the hope itself became an anchor.

But that's what makes all of this fun. The bigger the expectations, the bigger the celebration, or in the case that history repeats itself, the harder the fall.

As soon as I finished reading Boswell's article, I recieved the following news from Lee Sinins:

Redsox RF Trot Nixon's strained left calf is expected to keep him out of
the lineup until at least the weekend. But, BP's Will Carroll is reporting
that it might be serious enough to put the rest of the season in jeopardy.

What if the White Sox end up being the "cursed" team to win it all?

Greg Maddux will try and win his 15th game of the season tonight against the Phillies. If he is successful, Maddux will break Cy Young's 98-year old record of consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins, with 16. I've been rooting for him to get the record all year, but haven't mentioned it, cause I didn't want to put the whammy on him or nothing.

Maddux isn't talking too much about it either, but the rest of the Braves are:

Leo Mazzone (pitching coach): "It's a standard of consistency that will never be matched again..."I'll say it. I want him to get it real bad. He's meant too much to all of us, on the field and in the clubhouse. He's been a great influence on the other pitchers. We won't see the likes of him come by again."

Don Sutton (announcer): "He could have slammed his hand in the car door. He could have slipped on a flake of cereal his kid left on the kitchen floor. There could have been a player's strike, and there was. So many things have to go your way. Not only do you have to be good, but you have to be blessed with good fortune."

John Smoltz (Braves closer): "Absolutely, he wants it. He'll make it seem like he's oblivious. Last year he struggled, too. He wanted it. There are certain things you can downplay and certain things you can't."

He's got four more starts left in the season. Good luck Maddog.

Two years ago today the Twin Towers fell. It is a beautiful morning in New York today, clear blue skies with a distinct autumn chill in the air. This is almost exactly the same weather we had two years ago. I heard several conversations on the subway this morning about 9.11. People sharing where they were, and what they saw. I don't want to think back on it, and re-open those wounds.

But it is meaningful to remember the lives that were lost on that day. It is 8:00 a.m now. In an hour, there will be a moment of silence around town. I will be at Yankee Stadium tonight. I'm sure I'll get the chills during the seventh inning stretch.

King Kaufman has an interesting article on the derth of football blogs today at Salon.com. Both Edward Cossette and I were quoted in the piece. To be honest, I don't read much about football, so I don't know exactly why it hasn't caught on in the blogging world.

My guess is that most football writing centers around front office and locker room gossip. But that wouldn't make it much different from any other sport really. Statistics are not the lifeblood of football like they are in baseball.

"In football, statistics are a lot simpler, and mean less, because the situations are a lot more widely varied," says Sean Smith, whose Purgatory Online blog is about the Angels. What he means is that while baseball is built on a straightforward batter vs. pitcher competition, everything that happens on a football field is dependent on the performance of teammates and opponents. "Compared to football, it's easier to figure out which [baseball] statistics are meaningful," Smith says.

Considering how popular statistical analysis is in baseball, it's confusing why football hasn't attracted a similar audience. Kaufman opines:

Football, aside from being massively popular, seems ideal for the blogosphere. It's highly technical and complicated, yet it can also be followed and understood on a "Did you see that hit?!" level. It seems to me that brainy programmer types can appreciate the intricacies of strategy, blocking schemes, zone coverage and quarterback checkdowns at the same time that the, shall we say, less complicated among us can appreciate the game on a more foam-finger-in-the-air level.

The problem with football is that you only have games once a week. What are you going to write about: practice?

The Yankees and Tigers played a game that felt like it was staged by Mack Sennett last night at the Stadium. There were eight errors, three each by first basemen Nick Johnson and Carlos Pena. But if the state of affairs was ugly, it was also amusing for Yankee fans, as they bombed Detroit 15-5.

Johnson made up for his fielding nightmare by scoring four runs. Godzilla hit a homer, and had three RBI; he now leads the team with 99 (Giambi, who was hit by a full-count pitch with the bases loaded, has 96). Aaron Boone hit his first homer at the Stadium and Jorge Posada had seven RBI (89), including a salt-in-the-wounds grand slam in the eighth inning.

The Tigers followed Jorge's 28th homer with three more errors. Oy.

The Yankees lead remains at 3 1/2 over Boston, who shut out the Orioles yesterday, 5-0. Prince Pedro Martinez pitched eight commanding innings, allowed three hits, walked two, and whiffed nine. Both Oakland and Seattle won too, so there was no change in the playoff standings.

Jayson Stark is the latest writer who thinks this will in fact be Boston's year:

"If I had to pick one team, I'd pick them," says one GM. "And the only reason is, I think Pedro (Martinez), (Derek) Lowe and (Tim) Wakefield give them a chance to get the game to the seventh inning. Which is what they need, because their bullpen scares the hell out of me. But they've got the best offense in baseball, which makes them the least likely team to get shut down by good pitching."

Stark adds:

We're going to pick the best story: Cubs vs. Red Sox. Why the Cubs? Because Prior and Zambrano are a combined 14-1, 1.40 since the break, and if Kerry Wood is your third-best starter, nobody can top that. Why the Red Sox? Because this is baseball's best lineup since the '95 Indians -- and they can run Pedro out there twice in a short series.

Now if those two teams really played in a World Series, it would be reasonable to wonder if anybody would win. But our first prediction is: Somebody would. Our second prediction is: That team would be the Red Sox, because they're better-balanced. And our third prediction is: The party in New England wouldn't end till Opening Day.

There are several good articles out there which may be of interest to you, so without mincing words, here they are:

1. My good pal, a label-mate Christian Ruzich has a piece on Baseball Prospectus about playoff tiebreakers. Don't miss this one. Great job as always, Ruz.

2. Peter Gammons has two good articles this week:

Watching the Angels outhit the Yankees, Twins and Giants last season, and watching what magnificent offensive teams like the Braves, Cardinals, Red Sox and Yankees do to opposing pitchers, has raised another criticism -- that pitching is simply dreadful. Two American League general managers think that's not the case. "I actually think there's a lot of really good young pitching coming along today in both leagues, a new cycle," Oakland's Billy Beane said. "The problem is that hitters have improved so much the pitching numbers don't show it."

"I would agree that there's not enough pitching," Kansas City's Allard Baird said, "but there isn't enough good pitching to contain all the improvements in offense throughout the game. Twenty years ago, the theory on hitting was to be aggressive, swing the bat and that it couldn't be taught. That's completely changed.

"Hitting is being taught today, better than ever before," Baird said. "Watch the approaches many hitters take today. They're taught to go deep in the count, to get the pitch they can handle, and more and more hitters have learned to not be afraid to hit with two out. The game is so much more aware of on-base percentage than years ago, it isn't funny. Look how well so many hitters can take the ball out over the plate and put it in play hard. Hitters now have video, they are schooled in pitch recognition and visual training, they are bigger and stronger and able to manipulate the bat better than ever. The bats are better, lighter, better-balanced, specifically made for individual hitters."

3. Steven Goldman is back with another installment of The Pinstriped Bible. Goldman's column is a must for Yankee fans:

Call me a party-pooper, but it seems obvious that no matter what the outcome to this season the real excitement is going to take place this winter. This kind of thinking doesn't enter into the all-bottom-line-all-the-time Yankees organization groupthink, but 2003 already qualifies as a success. Any team that has to do without Derek Jeter, Nick Johnson, and Bernie Williams (or the local equivalents thereof) and still has a strong shot at 100 wins and a playoff spot has had a tremendous year. With three .400 on-base percentages out of the lineup, well, the Titanic was more likely to keep floating.

There should be a lesson in here for offense-builders who still aren't buying into what is now the Yankees/A's/Blue Jays/Red Sox philosophy of working the pitcher for walks and high pitch counts: Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams, even though they are way off their usual games, are still on-base machines. The same was true of Robin Ventura while he was here. Even when they aren't stinging the ball, these players still take pitches, pushing the starting pitcher towards an early exit even if they do not reach base.

...The Yankees will make the playoffs, and once that happens there is every chance that they can win another championship. It seems though, that the real suspense will come over the winter. This promises to be the most unsettled cold and flu season in recent Yankees history.

"Cowboy up" is the team's new motto, and if Ramirez won't fulfill that pledge, the Red Sox have enough tough-minded grunts who will. Heck, even manager Grady Little strapped on his boots last week, benching Ramirez for one game after the ailing slugger failed to show for a doctor's appointment one day and refused to pinch hit the next.

Little's unspoken message -- Manny will play when I say he's ready to play -- was a turning point both for the franchise and the manager's own credibility. Ramirez's unprofessional conduct united the Red Sox as never before. If the Sox reach the postseason, his infamous sore throat should be considered the MVP -- Most Valuable Pharyngitis.

5. Speaking of the Sox, Aaron Gleeman provides a link to the now infamous Kevin Millar/Bruce Springsteen video tribute. Worth a look for a cheap laugh.

6. Jon Weisman writes a good recap of last night's impressive Dodger victory over The Big Unit and the D-Backs.

7. And Ed Cossette has another terrific, literary-minded post today over at Bambino's Curse.

8. The Baseball Crank offers a cool piece on the 1928 clash between the Philly A's and the Bronx Bombers.

9. Jay Jaffe, who is always on point, comes through as usual, with his report on Monday's game at the Stadium.

10. And finally, Irina Paley, a native of Washington Heights, has a new Yankee-based blog. Best of luck Irina. Welcome to the club.

The Yankees didn't exactly break out a can of whup ass on the lowly Tigers last night. Instead, they struggled to earn a 4-2 victory. According to The New York Times:

"This is not like other sports like football or basketball where, salary-wise or talent-wise, you might have a lot better team and can just go out and muscle people," said the Yankees' manager, Joe Torre. "You just can't do that in this game."

But never mind how frustrating the game was to watch, they got the win and that's all that counts. Jose Contreras started off brilliantly, but fell apart after he tweaked his ankle fielding a grounder. The bullpen did a fine job, and Mariano Rivera survived a ninth inning error and a long foul ball to earn the save.

Bernie Williams delivered the game-winning single, and Godzilla Matsui made a nifty shoe-string catch in death valley. Jason Giambi was given the night off.

The Red Sox beat the Orioles, 9-2 and continue to trail New York by 3 1/2 games. But they gained a game on the Mariners in the wildcard race, as Seattle fell to the Rangers in extra-innings.

Larry Mahnken has been doing an impressive job covering the Yanks this season. He has a good critical eye and he's a passionate screwjob too. It's been fun to read his column and watch how he tries to balance his emotions vs. his intellect.

Think the Yankees series against the Tigers is critical? Mahnken does:

If there ever was a team this season that needed a three game series at home against the Detroit Tigers, it's the Yankees right now.

And if there ever was a team this season that you felt nervous about going into a three game series against the Detroit Tigers, it's the Yankees right now.

...The Red Sox got back into the race on merit, by playing .800 ball against great teams for two weeks. But if they finish the comeback and overtake the Yankees for the AL East title, it'll be because the Yankees gave it to them. There are only three games left on the schedule against a team that offers a serious challenge to the Yankees, and that's not until the very end of the season, where hopefully it won't matter. The Red Sox are good, but they're not so good that they can expect to keep winning 80% of their games against even the weakest competition. If the Yankees win 2/3 of their games like they should expect to, it would take a miracle for Boston to win the division--a miracle that seems even more unlikely after last night's collapse. But if it were to happen that way, I don't think you can blame the Yankees for blowing the East (they'd be in the playoffs anyway), you'd have to give the Sox the credit they deserve.

But I don't want to give the Sox any credit, and I don't want to give them any chances. The Yanks have to win these games.

Edward Cossette, author of the fine Red Sox blog, Bambino's Curse has an especially good post today. Ed and I are kindred spirits. Even though he's a stinkin' Sox fan and I root for the lousy Yankees, we share similar sensibilities about art, music, and literature, which of course, effects how we write about baseball.

Today Ed writes about the literary tendecies of Red Sox Nation (check out the linked articles by Simmons and Boswell too):

I'd love to teach a survey course called "English 1918: The Red Sox as Tragic Hero." A sample essay question on the midterm might be: "Which of the following literary characters best exemplifies the Red Sox fan experience. Odysseus from Homer's The Odyssey; Joe Christmas from Faulkner's A Light in August; Ned in Cheever's short story The Swimmer."

The "Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus would be required reading of course.

I want to offer my bestestest wishes to Mike C at Baseball Rants. His wife had a baby girl last Friday. That's a beautiful thing.

The Yankees got just what the doctor ordered on Monday as their dormant offense exploded for 16 hits and nine runs in an afternoon game against the Blue Jays. Derek Jeter had three hits, Jason Giambi added a couple of his own (to go with a couple of walks), and Hideki Matsui went 3-5 with 3 RBI on Godzilla bobblehead doll day at the Stadium. Mike Mussina wasn't in top form, but he was good enough, and the Bombers cruised to a 9-3 win. Nice way to break the tension fellas. Thanks.

Jay Jaffe, the Futility Infielder was at the game, so stop by his site later today for his write-up. While you are at it, check out Jay's piece about Sunday's game, and his celebrity sighting of note.

The Red Sox offense didn't skip a beat either, pounding out ten runs of their own against the O's. But their pitching and defense let them down in a rather royal way and Baltimore escaped with a 13-10 win. B.Y Kim took the loss, and there were a couple of crucial calls that went against the Sox too.

The Yankee lead in the AL East is 3 1/2 games (4 in the loss column). Jose Contreras will start against the Tigers in the Bronx this evening.

The Red Sox rolled into the Bronx this weekend and smacked the Yankees all about the mouth and face on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Pedro Martinez was back in good form on Friday as the Sox bulldozed the Yanks, 9-3. Andy Pettitte gave up a lot of hits, but I didn't get the sense that he was creamed; it just wasn't his night.

Things got worse on Saturday when Boston gave Rocket Clemens and the Yanks pitching an 11-0 beating. With memories of The Boston Massacre in the air, the Sox were poised to return the favor.

But Boomer Wells pitched arguably the biggest game of the season for New York on Sunday afternoon, and he responded in typical fashion, throwing 7.1 innings of shut out ball. Jeff Suppan matched Wells, and pitched a terrific game too. (Whaaat?!?!) The Yankees didn't hit a ball well against him until Bernie Williams connected for a two-run homer in the seventh.

Derek Jeter made a surprise start on Sunday, indicating just how desperate the Yankees were for a win; he collected a single, stole a base, and then made a crucial one-out error on a Johnny Damon grounder in the eighth. It led to Boston's lone run of the day, which came on Manny Ramirez's bloop single to right.

Alfonso Soriano returned the favor in the bottom of the inning with a bloop double of his own. After stealing third base---and almost sending me into cardiac arrest in the process---Nick Johnson singled him home. Mariano Rivera, who replaced Wells with one out in the eighth, allowed a single in the ninth, but that was all, and the Yanks won, 3-1.

The Yankees win the season series against the Sox, 10-9, giving them the tie-breaker should the teams finish tied for first to end the year. The Bombers' lead is 2 1/2 games (three in the loss column). Massacre averted.

Still, that didn't stop Boss George from blowing his horn. If you are interested in that sort of thing, pull up your boots, cause the horseshit was thick and deep.

I was at the ballpark yesterday, sitting somewhere in upstate New York, along the left field side. It was a gorgeous day in the Bronx, sunny and clear, with a slight fall chill in the air. You could cut the tension with a knife. There was a nervous edge to the roar of the Yankee crowd. Every play they made felt like it was the seventh game of the World Series.

There were more Yankee fans than Red Sox fans, but not by much. And believe me, the Nation was vocal. That was cool. When they cheered for their guys when Bob Shepard announced the starting line ups, that was cool. But when they booed the Yankees line up, I started fuming.

The battle of the chants went back and forth all day long. It usually started with a Red Sox rally cry, which would quickly become so strong, that the Yankee fans then felt compelled to drown it out with boos and chants of their own. The most popular word of the day was "sucks," proving that when it comes to creative thinking, there isn't much that separates Sox and Yankee fans at all.

I went the game with my friend, Johnny Red Sox, and we had Sox fans behind us and in front of us as well. At one point in the middle innings, with the Sox rallying, a middle-aged Sox fan said to me, "Hey, you are pretty quiet down there." I looked up from my scorecard incredulously.

"Well, there isn't much for me to make any noise about is there?"

"No, there isn't."

And your point is? Well, I kept quiet. But as I passed this guy on our way out, I couldn't resist taking the low road.

"Hey, you are pretty quiet up there."

He laughed. I wished his team good luck, and declined suggesting that he take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

The Yanks host the Blue Jays this afternoon at the Stadium for a make-up game. Kelvim Escobar starts against Mike Mussina. The Red Sox are in Baltimore tonight. The Orioles and Devil Rays had a good time spoiling things for the A's and M's over the weekend; they could be give both Boston and New York some trouble in the next three weeks.

Yankee reliever Chris Hammond tells the Post that New Yorkers aren't the easiest people to please. Hey, no kidding fella. Hammond said he doesn't enjoy pitching in the Bronx even a little bit:

"Just because the fans don't give you any room for error," Hammond said. "That's helped me because all my bad games have come on the road. My goal the first couple of weeks was not to get booed off the mound. Some guys like playing in Yankee Stadium and some don't.

..."Antonio's ERA was one-something and he gave up a homer and was booed off the field," Hammond said. "That was the first time I saw what kind of fans they were. That helps me pitch there but I don't like to pitch there. I like to be comfortable pitching with the fans behind me."

I can't kill Hammond here. Sure, he sounds a bit naive, but what he's saying is essentially true: from Mickey Mantle and Jason Giambi down to Bobby Meachum and Antonio Osuna, New Yorkers are not shy about booing until they are blue in the face (or until you give our spoiled, demanding asses something to cheer about).

The Yankees lost on Wednesday, while the Red Sox nipped Chicago in extra innings. But the Yanks bounced back last night to avoid a sweep in Toronto; Boston had the night off, and the Yankees' lead now stands at 3 1/2 games (four in the loss column). No matter what happens in the Bronx this weekend, the Bombers will remain in first place.

But there is a feeling that the Yanks are increasingly vunerable while the Sox are surging. Internal controversy has engulfed both teams of late; the Red Sox have done a better job of shrugging it off, and not letting it bother their performance. Don't believe me? At least the Sox sound convincing:

"It's been a relentless attitude," Jason Varitek said. "It's just something we developed into. Nobody has panicked. Different people have had to contribute, and it's special when that many people can help."

``I think we've had a very good rapport with everyone the whole season,'' said Wednesday night starter Derek Lowe.

``But in the last two weeks, there have been things going on, things that people love to stir up and see cause some controversy. But we know that the only way to win is to stick together and we've had that mentality all year. The thing that I like about this team is that we don't let anything affect us. It's a great trait for a team to have.''

Joe Torre held a meeting before last night's game. Just the kind of pep-talk that Boss George loves. But Joel Sherman warns today that if the Yankees should collapse in the final weeks of the season, Torre and GM Brian Cashman won't be around next year.

Pedro Martinez goes against Andy Pettitte tonight; Clemens faces Wakefield tomorrow and Boomer Wells will pitch against Jeff Suppan on Sunday. Look for Pedro to exact a measure of revenge tonight.

Derek Jeter will not play in the series. But Luis Sojo might (cough, cough) after Erick Almonte hurt his leg warming up yesterday.

Emily is finally moving her stuff down to our new place tomorrow. I'll be helping her out so I won't be around to blog. But I'll be back Friday, ready for another heart attack special between the Yanks and Sox this weekend in the BX. The Yanks have two more games in Toronto (Mussina pitches against Escobar tonight); the Sox play two more in the Windy City. It should be interesting to see if Boston can pick up any more ground on the Bombers.

How many homers will Ramirez hit in New York this weekend? I'll be conservative and start with two...

Tom Boswell has a sympathetic piece on Bobby and Barry Bonds in The Washington Post:

Where did Bobby Bonds get the bad rep? Was he too smart, too independent, too pro-union? Did he party too much or, a more likely sin within baseball, speak his mind too often? Don't ask me. We hit it off. Once, when we were talking, a player tried to push a rubber snake under my stool to make the kid reporter jump. Bonds tipped me off and we turned the joke around with me stomping the snake. That was Bobby Bonds to me.

How Bobby got on the wrong side of the baseball establishment long ago is ancient history now. What's pertinent is the impact on a son when a father he adores is ushered out of town when he's 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. How would any son, after that experience, feel toward owners, general managers, managers, coaches, reporters or fans? Would you trust them, consider them fair judges of a person's character? Would you think they'd taken the trouble to know what made you tick?

Barry Bonds's supposed split-personality -- an obsessed, driven jerk within the game, but an amiable nice-guy to everyone who meets him outside a baseball context -- has never seemed mysterious to me. Some players have a chip on their shoulder. Barry carries a grudge. Every time he sets a record, it feels like he's settling a score.

...These days, we need to ignore everything that Bonds isn't and focus on what he is. Don't ask him to be an ambassador for a sport he doesn't trust. Just appreciate what he is. Only Ruth, whose statistics far surpass Bonds's, was better. Right now, Barry's playing with an injured hamstring and can barely run. We're not guaranteed how long he'll stay at this level.

Peter Gammons still thinks the Yankees' core makes them a tough out. He correctly praises Jason Giambi (the anti-Manny) for playing hurt all year (something Shawn Green has done in L.A. as well).

Meanwhile, Joe Torre tells George King that working for George isn't a bed of roses:

"It hasn't been fun," Torre told The Post yesterday. "It's always difficult, but it hasn't been fun."

Why?

"There are too many questions being asked," Torre said before a long pause. "I am trying to be respectful here. After being here as long as I have [eight years], the fact that I am here as long as I have been here, I think there are certain things that should come with that. That they have been satisfied with my work. You would think that it would get past a certain point where, I don't want to say not get criticized, but it shouldn't be as uncomfortable."

And this is a Post Exclusive. Hard to believe why Lee Sinins loathes the New York press. Oh, brother.

Bartolo Colon pitched a complete-game, two-hitter against the visiting Boston Red Sox last night in Chicago and managed to lose. Two bad both hits were solo homers (Kapler, Nixon). The Red Sox beat the White Sox 2-1 behind a strong outing from old man John Burkett; Boston now trails the Yanks by four games (five in the loss column). Manny Ramirez was benched last night, though he appeared fit to play. Manager Grady Little said:

"He's available to DH today," Little said before the game, "but my decision to wait is -- I like the way our club has responded the last few days, and we're trying to win the game. I'm putting the team out there that I think gives us the best chance to win tonight."

That's a good one, huh? The Sox front office does not want to suspend Ramirez. According to their GM, Theo Epstein:

"As a front office, we fully support Grady's decision not to put Manny in the starting lineup tonight," Epstein said. "Grady's going with a lineup that gives us the best chance to win as a team, and tonight that does not include Manny, despite his availability to DH.

"Manny's a big part of this ball club, and we all look forward to getting him back on the field very soon and watching him help this team win some important ballgames. Contrary to some reports, Manny has not been suspended. He's not in the lineup tonight, and we all support Grady's decision."

You think the Red Sox are a better team without Manny? Mmmm. Let's see if they are still a better team without him when they return to New York this weekend. (Manny will probably respond by crushing the Yanks.)

Ramirez might in fact be unhappy in Boston, but this story won't hamper the team. The Sox can roll their eyes and offer the usual, "Manny is Manny," and then sit back enjoy the production he gives them in the middle of the order.

The Yanks needed a spare infielder for the stretch drive, so who else do they call upon, but Uncle Luis Sojo? (Somewhere, Jay Jaffe is smiling.) Sojo actually played in the Old Timer's Game this year, which begs the question: Is Luis the first player to ever play in an Old Timer's Game only to be activated as a regular player later in the same season?

Minnie Minoso, eat your heart out.

Labor Day in New York gave rain. It was moving day for me, so go figure. What's another curve ball? It was a long, emotional day, but I'm all moved in to the new crib; Emily will be moving her stuff in on Thursday. Two more days of limbo, and we're good to go.

When I discovered that the Yanks got pounded 8-1 by the Jays, I said, "Fine. Today feels like 8-1 anyhow." Doc Halladay did his thing, and continues to be a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young. Boomer Wells and Jiffy Pop Weaver were beat up but good for the Yanks. Jason Giambi went 0-4 and is now 0 for his last 24, which counts as the worst slide of his career.

The Red Sox won another wild affair to gain a game on New York; Boston now trails by 4 1/2 games. The Sox and Phillies played an interleague make-up game and it was a back-and-forth contest. Drama, anyone? But how are you going to have confidence in the Phillies? Trot Nixon hit a grand slam late and Boston won 13-9.

Meanwhile, Manny Ramirez, who missed last weekend's serious vs. the Yanks, is in the headlines. Apparently, the ailing slugger was spotted in a hotel bar with the Yankees' futility infielder Enrique Wilson on Saturday night. Oops. Not exactly the kind of move that will endear Manny to his teammates, but one that is sure to keep sports editors happy throughout New England.

I walked from my old apartment up to my new place this afternoon in the middle of the Yankee-Red Sox game. It was a great day to be out, and I was going stir crazy with all the boxes and packing anyhow. Our new place is a good 10 minute hike from the nearest subway station (238th street), and it is a 20 minute walk from my old pad. It's not only a walk; it's a hike. Way up a big hill.

When I returned, I watched Clemens pitch the seventh with the Yanks leading 8-2. Boston's defense was terrible and it helped the Yankees out to the big lead. There were errors all over the place. Johnny Damon sat today after his Pete Reiser act yesterday. Manny Ramirez, out with the same flu-like sickness which sidelined Pedro, didn't play again. (In fact, he didn't show up to the Park it was so bad.)

Two runs came in for Boston and Clemens left with the bases juiced. The Boston crowd gave him an ovation, and after Clemens left the field he came back out and tipped his hat and the cheering got louder.

It was the classy kind of act that you'd expect from the Boston fans. Say what you want about them but they know their baseball. I wouldn't expect anything less from them.

"It was exciting and that's what it should have been," Jason Giambi said. "The reason why they boo him is because they miss him. And Boston fans are just like New York fans. They love great players."

Gabe White pitched the eighth and Nellie came on to pitch the ninth with a four-run lead. Two men reached on scorchers to Boone at third. He couldn't handle either of them and two men were on with no out. Nellie came back to get the next two men out (which included a nice pick this time by Boone), but he couldn't shut the door, walking the bases loaded. That was it for Nellie; Torre called for Rivera to get the final out. First batter: Nomar. Boffo time.

Even when the Yankees seem to have a comfortable lead, the Sox are always in the game, ready to pounce. Rivera had a dramatic outing on Saturday, but he handled Garciaparra effectively today for the final out of the game, striking him out on five pitches. Whoopee. Yankees win, 8-4. Clemens won his 13th on the year and his 100th career game at Fenway Park.

The moment the game ended, I addressed my apartment and said aloud, "It's been real, you've been great. But on that note I can leave a happy fan and a happy man. C ya..."

The victory puts the Yanks 5 1/2 up on the Sox (6 in the loss column). The Sox lose ground in the wildcard race as both Seattle and Oakland won again this afternoon. The A's have won nine straight and lead the M's in the west by two games. Somewhere, a distracted Michael Lewis, who is currently following Ah-nold around the country, must be pleased. The M's lead the Sox by a game and a half in the wildcard.

The Yanks head to Toronto to face Roy Halladay tomorrow afternoon. Welcome to Canada: Bon chance. Boomer Wells will try to pitch his way back out of the doghouse for the Bombers. The Sox head to Philly for a make up game with the Phillies. Next, they are off the Chicago to face the White Sox. That should be festive.

Jeter had to leave the game with a "slight" muscle tear on his left side. Giambi went 0-4, though he did hit the ball on the screws his last time up. Giambi is one of the worst slumps of his career; he hasn't had a hit in over 20 at bats. Posada had a couple of more hits today, while Wilson started in place of Soriano again. Matsui isn't hitting and Bernie is hot and cold. Boone is looking better and Nick Johnson is proving why Yankee scouts have been crazy for him for all these years.