Great opening paragraph. I've long been jealous of my good friend/Yankee fan Mike, who has been able to thoroughly enjoy the past 10 years of our run with his now-college-freshman son, Daniel. My oldest son is almost 3, and I'm constantly telling him how hard Jeter plays, how focussed Mariano is, the smoothness of AROD, etc. Hope he gets it !

Last night's win was great, let's get more.....

Interesting you should say that. After taking a look at the identical back pages of the Post and News, my first thought was: who at the US Open paid off the local tabloids to splash their product given the magnitude of the games played by each of the local baseball teams last night - one effectively ending its season to the same old nemesis in heartbreaking fashion and the other, a late season come-from-behind-must-win-dead-heat-wild-card event.

Obviously, I couldn't care less about tennis so my bias is a prime factor. But I have to believe that the majority of their readership was looking for either Mets/Yanks when they picked up the paper, not Agassi's baldilocks. Heck, I though that guy had retired!

After last night's game, I woke up thinking: the Yanks need to do everything they can in the off-season to get Piniella to the Bronx.

Meanwhile, Murray, you left out the fact that the NFL regular season starts in earnest this Sunday (after the season opening game tonight). Simply not fair.

Of course, I'll be at the Stadium on Sunday, so my choice is made.

I gave up my Yankee tickets last night (which is a rarity for me) to attend the Open, and I'm glad I did. It was unbelievable. To put it in perspective for folks here, it was just as emotional as the July 1 game last year.

Hell hath no fury as a Piniella scorned? Alex, you may be on to something - not just the monumental loss in '01 ALCS but also the '00 ALCS when the Mariners also had a better record than the Yanks.

As for Lou managing the Yanks, no. Ugh. Improving the team requires the continued use of younger players and pitchers. People harp on Torre for not playing rookies, but Lou is no better, especially when it comes to young pitchers.

And don't tell me about what he's done with a very young team in TB. He's got a fantastic young offense, and a good young staff - in two years I think they can contend, maybe even next year with smart free agent signings - and he wants out.

I have been taking a mini hietus from yankee baseball (only watching the 8th and 9th innings instead of scoring the whole game) because of whats been on going at the Open. Let me just say, once in a lifetime event.
Last night's tennis match was in the realm of vintage tennis classics...Comparable to '91 Jimmy Connors' run except this guy will win! If any of you missed it, I feel sorry because you missed a part of sports history last night. period.

To question why it was even a headliner in this morning's papers, is just as being oblivious to whats been going on in the news the past couple of weeks. Climb out under that rock people! There's other sports out there other than footbal, basketball, hockey and baseball. hahahah

Jen, I gave up my tickets to the game last night too, just to watch the match on TV! The happy recipient, my sister, They are cheap upper deck tickets, so I didnt care. However, I get a call from my sister this morning saying, "I talked to a security guard and he let me sit on field level the whole game..." Everything else she said was blah blah Giambi this blah blah. Man, what does she got that I dont have!

Don't worry Alvaro, the yanks have and will have their time on the front page. Let tennis have it for one day. Bosox are in town. Let's hope that headline ends with "...Win!" and not "...Lose!" =/

England lost to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1927 in World Cup Qualifying.

WOW!

:::crickets:::

The Republic's (my home's) draw with France was a nice little game too.

Sorry, but its 1927:

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-worldnireland&prov=reuters&type=lgns

Sorry dude, but they HAVE been worse than my high school junior varsity team. This is a big win for them. And I congratulate them.

Not a good day for your home country. It will be hard road to recover from for their entry. That 0-1 loss to France, is making everyone pessimistic over there.

As for the back pages, the USTA doesn't have to pay anybody off. Tennis--unlike baseball and NASCAR racing--is popular all over the world, and the Open is one of the biggest events in tennis.

I wish today's game were an afternoon "get-away" game so that the Tampa melodrama could be dispensed with before the evening...I can't deal with another evening of watching Gameday/listening to Sterling and wondering whether the revolver pointed at the Yanks' head is going to go off or not.

And to think we get to relive all this next week, at Tampa to boot. Whoever thought I'd be more sick of seeing Cantu/Gomes/Huff/Hall etc by this time of the season, than I would that merry band of idiots coming into the Stadium this weekend?

Sacre bleu!...

"And to think we get to relive all this next week, at Tampa to boot. Whoever thought I'd be more sick of seeing Cantu/Gomes/Huff/Hall etc by this time of the season, than I would that merry band of idiots coming into the Stadium this weekend? "

I'm really tired of the Rays already. I just want them to go away. Every time I see them play against the Yankees, I start have nightmares of Flipper Anderson running past the goal posts and to the Meadowlands tunnel to celebrate that OT playoff win against the Giants. The Rays are an inferior opponent, much like the Rams were that year vs. the Giants, and the Rays seem to look so much better than the Yanks and could be the reason the Yanks don't make it to the playoffs this year. Though I know it won't happen, but the AL East is another story.

I really liked what Kaat said. They are cocky now, but he'd like to see how cocky they'd be if they were battling for the division or a wild-card. He'd like to see how they handle that pressure.

I hope Hendrickson gets his ass handed to him today. Put a 13 spot on them early and "f'em all, let's bury those cockroaches".

.308/.363/.630

That's old friend Tony Clark, before he went 2 for 5 (with 2 HR) today.

And it doesn't seem to be from playing in the BOB as he's hitting .303/.360/.561 on the road.

Don't know what woke him up, but maybe we should've kept Clark for a year and not signed Tino?

(A little off topic, but I wanted to see if I could turn discussion from tennis/futbol/football to baseball again.)

Good to see him back.
(please don't get lit up, please don't get lit up.)

Props to Tony, I've heard second hand that he is one of the true gentlemen in the game. I'm glad to see him doing so well, but his '04 and '03 seasons were essentially identical. There was no way anyone could have expected his performance this year, and no reason anyone should expect him to repeat it in '06. Meanwhile, some might argue that Tino saved the season by putting the team on his back in May (even if he's disappeared since then) and Giambi has also exceeded expectations, so I can't complain about not having Dig 'Em around.

baseballmod:
1:01 pm Topic: AROD.com

baseballmod:
1:40 pm Thanks for logging on to today's chat with Alex Rodriguez. Please keep submitting your questions.

baseballmod:
2:00 pm Thank you for participating in today's chat. The chat will begin in about 30 minutes...

mlbguest:
2:13 pm test

mlbguest:
2:36 pm Hey everyone, thanks so much for joining the chat. I can see there are already tons of questions  Ill answer as many as I can before I have to leave for the stadium. If I cant answer your question today, feel free to e-mail it to me (just click on Ask Alex on AROD.com).

Base_Ball_2:
2:36 pm Hey ARod, what's your favorite food?

mlbguest:
2:36 pm Sushi

Alan_Olsen_3:
2:37 pm Alex, during your Major League career, who is the toughest pitcher you've ever had to face?

mlbguest:
2:37 pm Pedro Martinez.

msiege2:
2:37 pm Alex, how would you feel if you won the MVP, but the Yankees failed to make the playoffs? Would the honor be less worthwhile?

mlbguest:
2:37 pm Yes, of course.

mlbguest:
2:37 pm The only goal as a player is to help your team make the postseason and win the World Series.

msiege2:
2:38 pm Alex, what has been your favorite moment since joining the Yankees?

mlbguest:
2:38 pm Beating Minnesota in the postseason lasat year.

bw22:
2:38 pm Fans are now voting at MLB.com for the greatest Latino Team of All-Time, of which you are a nominee. How do you feel about MLB & Chevy, the program sponsor, creating this program to recognize Latino greats, past & present?

mlbguest:
2:38 pm I love it.

mlbguest:
2:39 pm I think it's great for the latino heritage and I'm very proud to be a part of the latino community.

doctorrpains:
2:39 pm What time do you wake up in the morning?

mlbguest:
2:39 pm 9 a.m.

mlbguest:
2:39 pm (when we have a night game)

mlbguest:
2:39 pm A lot earlier if it's a day game.

prqueen2:
2:40 pm What is your favorite road city and why?

mlbguest:
2:40 pm I would say Dallas.

mlbguest:
2:40 pm I've got a lot of friends there so there are a lot of familiar faces.

Ryan_Kelleher:
2:40 pm Whats it like going out in front of the huge crowds day in and day out?

mlbguest:
2:41 pm It is a dream come true. Not only to play in front of large crowds, but to play in front of the greatest fans in the world.

Justin_Hammond:
2:41 pm Are you worried you may lose the division this year, especially 4 games behind and having games coming up against the Red Sox?

mlbguest:
2:41 pm We're just taking it one game at time.

mlbguest:
2:42 pm (sorry for the cliche but that's how you approach it.)

prqueen2:
2:42 pm What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done to meet you?

mlbguest:
2:42 pm Probably someone who flew across country and waited in an elevator at a hotel.

Base_Ball:
2:43 pm what is the biggest difficulty about playing on a team with so many all-star players?

mlbguest:
2:43 pm How is that difficult?

mlbguest:
2:43 pm It's a dream come true to play with those guys every day.

Ronnee_Alexander:
2:44 pm While growing up, did you ever think that you'd be where you are today?

mlbguest:
2:44 pm I always dreamt about it, but never knew I would be this fortunate.

Joe_donato:
2:45 pm What's your favorite movie?

mlbguest:
2:45 pm Wall Street

flagbert:
2:45 pm How do you maintain your mental sharpness over such a long season?

mlbguest:
2:45 pm A lot rest and a lot of family time.

bella_bella:
2:46 pm what is your diet? how many calories do you eat? how much protein? was at the game last nite...great ab to set up giambi. that was a great piece of hitting. very tough pitch to hit.

mlbguest:
2:46 pm I eat six times a day.

mlbguest:
2:46 pm That includes two protein shakes.

mlbguest:
2:46 pm I think this year, I'm just thinking smaller.

mlbguest:
2:46 pm Not trying to hit a home run every time up.

mlbguest:
2:47 pm I knew if I got on base in the ninth last night, we had the guys behind me to get me home.

mlbguest:
2:47 pm And Giambi did it.

ROB_CAMPANO:
2:47 pm Who do you look up to player-wise in baseball today?

mlbguest:
2:47 pm Roger Clemens.

mlbguest:
2:47 pm Dedication, accomplishments, longevity & world champion.

Adam_Seybolt:
2:48 pm Who is your favorite NFL, NBA team?

mlbguest:
2:48 pm NFL -- Miami Dolphins

mlbguest:
2:48 pm NBA -- Whatever team Pat Riley is involved in (so it's the Heat)

dawn13:
2:48 pm why did you pick the song Numb/Encore by Linkin Park as the song you go up to bat with?

mlbguest:
2:49 pm Becuase Jay-Z (who performed on the song) is a good friend and it gets me loose at the plate.

mlb_com_member_3:
2:49 pm Do you feel that Giambi has redeemed himself?

mlbguest:
2:49 pm No question.

mlbguest:
2:49 pm Comeback player of the year.

mlbguest:
2:50 pm No one will ever know how hard he has worked. I see it every day.

Base_Delfino:
2:50 pm I am curious, in your whole MLB career, does Joe Torres's manager duties and attitudes differently from your past managers?

mlbguest:
2:50 pm I think he's experienced -- his ability to deal with all types of personalities. And he let's the players play.

Faye_Weiss:
2:52 pm Alex your daughter is adorable, is it hard not being with her on a regular basis at this time in her life?

mlbguest:
2:53 pm I actually spend every possible moment I can with my family.

mlbguest:
2:53 pm It's baseball and my family. They are my hobby and my life.

msiege2:
2:53 pm Alex, what other active players in baseball do you admire? Why?

mlbguest:
2:53 pm Barry Bonds.

mlbguest:
2:53 pm I hope he comes back.

mlbguest:
2:54 pm Just awed at his abilities.

kmpataky:
2:54 pm What is your favorite place to eat in NYC?

mlbguest:
2:55 pm Rosa Mexicana

mlbguest:
2:55 pm and I know I'm spelling this wrong, but Camponella -- a great italian place

alexrodriguez:
2:55 pm After you, or any other player strikes out on a called strike; I often see the player saying something to the umpire on your way to the dugout. What are you saying to him?

mlbguest:
2:56 pm I just perhaps tell him that I had a different vantage point than him on the third strike or even an earlier pitch.

mlbguest:
2:57 pm I have tremendous respect for umpires but they are human and veteran players and veteran umpires have a rapport

mlbguest:
2:57 pm I still don't like being punched out though on a third strike

prepare:
2:57 pm Do you work constantly with Don Mattingly on your swing or only on request?

mlbguest:
2:57 pm Every day.

mlbguest:
2:58 pm Donnie have a maintainance program we do every day before BP

suebak:
2:58 pm Congrats on a great season so far... any idea why this year is so much better for you than last? Oh, and my 14 yr old daughter just adores you. Her name is Allie. :)

mlbguest:
2:58 pm Hi Allie

mlbguest:
2:58 pm I'm really enjoying this season.

mlbguest:
2:59 pm I think being more relaxed has been the key.

doctorrpains:
2:59 pm What type of TV do you watch?

mlbguest:
2:59 pm I don't watch much TV -- I do more reading.

mlbguest:
2:59 pm Sometimes I watch replays of the games I just played in when I get home.

mlbguest:
3:00 pm Here's a good book I just read -- Barbarians at the Gate

Patrick_Ainslie:
3:00 pm AROD do you miss playing short stop?

mlbguest:
3:01 pm No, playing shortstop was great, but it's in the past.

mlbguest:
3:01 pm I am a third baseman and I love the challenge of learning to master it every day.

Steven_Rothweiler:
3:01 pm You have a very nice website. Did you help in the design details?

mlbguest:
3:01 pm Absolutely.

mlbguest:
3:02 pm We have been working on this for almost a year and I am very happy with the way it turned out. I hope you like it.

venada:
3:02 pm How has your life change now that you are a Dad?

mlbguest:
3:02 pm Perspective -- before children, I did things for myself, now everything I do is for her.

mlbguest:
3:03 pm Cynthia and I love being parents.

savetekulve:
3:03 pm If you could sit and talk hitting for an hour wth anyone who has ever played MLB..who would it be?

mlbguest:
3:04 pm Joe DiMaggio -- I would have loved to hear how he handled hitting in the old Yankee Stadium. What a legend.

Alisa_Standley:
3:04 pm Hello, I'm excited to be able to chat with you! Does it hurt your feelings when you get boo'ed?

mlbguest:
3:05 pm No, it's part of the game. It comes with the territory.

dawn13:
3:05 pm If you could do your career all over again, would you wait until you got out of college to begin your professional career, or change nothing?

mlbguest:
3:05 pm Change nothing.

mlbguest:
3:06 pm However, I want to stress that college should be an option for everyone. I can't stress education enough. And I am working to get my degree in the future.

Sergio_Rodriguez:
3:06 pm You were a big-time high school quarterback, do you ever regret not playing at Miami?

mlbguest:
3:06 pm It would have been a great challenge and a lot of fun. I would have enjoyed making a run at the NFL.

mlbguest:
3:06 pm But I know I chose the right route.

makearodcapt:
3:09 pm Will you be writting a daily diary on arod.com?

mlbguest:
3:09 pm I will be posting journal entries about once a week.

italian77:
3:09 pm Out of your 421 career home runs, is there one in particular that stands out from the rest?

mlbguest:
3:10 pm Yah, my two against Boston last year in the postseason at Fenway.

mlbguest:
3:10 pm But actually, they don't count toward the 421

msiege2:
3:10 pm Alex, do you see yourself as a role model? What advice can you give young athletes today?

mlbguest:
3:10 pm Yes.

mlbguest:
3:11 pm My advice would be to make academics a priority and to stay away from drugs and alcohol. Also, surround yourself with positive people.

jeetfan2:
3:11 pm How do yo uhave such success sitting back on breaking pitches and still hitting them with tremendous power ?

mlbguest:
3:12 pm Just wait as long as you can and try to hit it up hard up the middle.

natemac079:
3:12 pm Thanks for chatting, Alex. You must be pumped for this weekend. How big is this series for you guys? Will you be happy with anythnig less than a sweep?

mlbguest:
3:12 pm It doesn't matter who we're playing. I'm serious, but I know this is a big series. We need to win as many games as we can.

harrison11:
3:13 pm Alex, is there life after baseball? And if so, what will you do?

mlbguest:
3:13 pm I want to help a lot of people through charities.

mlbguest:
3:13 pm I also see a future in business.

dmg841:
3:14 pm Mr Rodriguez, I am a huge fan and I was wondering who is your closest friend in baseball? Thanks so much

mlbguest:
3:14 pm I would say Michael Young.

jekenbarger:
3:15 pm Hey arod, what are the chances of the triple crown this season?

mlbguest:
3:15 pm I can't worry abou that. The only crown I care about is a World Series crown.

mlbguest:
3:15 pm I have to get ready to head out to the stadium so this will be the last question.

yankeefan9554:
3:16 pm are you glad you are here in NY? Have we made you feel welcome here?

mlbguest:
3:17 pm Of course. I can't see myself in any other place.

mlbguest:
3:17 pm I feel very welcome here.

mlbguest:
3:17 pm I love the energy and excitement of the city -- and the passion that fans express for the Yankees.

mlbguest:
3:18 pm Well, I hate to leave, but I do have a game tonight.

mlbguest:
3:18 pm As I said earlier, feel free to email me your questions

mlbguest:
3:19 pm I am humbled and honored that so many of you took the time to join me. I really appreciate all of you fans. We, as players, are nothing without you. Take care and God bless you. Alex.

All you had to do is switch to CBS they played the rest of the match.. They pick up matches after 12:30am EST. CBS and USA Network have a weird contract with the US Open. But that's a different story.

I'm too young to remember the Yankees ever being bad as well. The past decade has been amazing (not as much as of late, but I'll take it). It would really suck if it ended this year- I've always thought that it'd continue forever.

Thanks for the chat transcript...more entertaining than I would have thought, though sometimes unintentionally so...my favorite answer: I just perhaps tell him that I had a different vantage point than him on the third strike or even an earlier pitch

1. favorite movie - Wall Street

2. good book just read - Barbarians at the Gate

I bet he ends up with a degree in something business or economics-related. Think he and Moose ever discuss investing?

3. "I just perhaps tell him that I had a different vantage point than him on the third strike or even an earlier pitch."

When I read this, I had to close the door to my office, I was laughing so hard. He 'speaks' with the polish and care (and refined) word choice of an attorney - I didn't know he went to law school. ;)

Barbarians at the Gate, about Nabisco, is a CLASSIC business book. He really should check out (probably has) Den of Thieves & Liar's Poker (written by Billy Beane I believe ;)

P.s. Cleveland down 2 so far but Detroit seems pretty content with wasting some good scoring opportunities.

I watched the Yanks until the game was over (tempting as it was to give up after that horrible first inning). But I, too, think Agassi vs. Blake is worth the ink. If it was Yankees vs. Red Sox, maybe...but Agassi vs. Blake is the match New Yorkers wanted to see. The final will be an anti-climax in comparison.

The fact that a lot of people expected Agassi to be retired by now is a big part of his appeal. We all know the end is near, and that makes each match more precious. And Blake...he'd be the runaway favorite against anyone but Agassi.

And...sushi??? Er, can I have mine well-done? ;-)

I'm with ShaunP and Max, as soon as I read that I started giggling... in the middle of my class in the computer lab. I think it's alright, though, nobody seems to have noticed.

As far as the Agassi match goes, I got cut off as well and it wasn't carried over to CBS here (Montana), so I ended up "watching" it online (like gameday, only way cooler) and listening to the radio feed. Hell of a match, though.

How about Agassi! IS this guy amazing for an old fart? I think his comeback story and personal triumph is one of the all-time great sport's comeback stories. Look at the condition young Blake is in, and Agassi just wore the bastard out. Amazing!

Which game are you referring to? I've seen that a few times this year, including a call (mistakenly) overturned at first against the D-Rays that ended up costing them the game.