Continuing the conversation from the old thread...

Yeah, when is Joe going to listen to me and put A-Rod in the two-hole? It would give him some protection in the lineup and take some of the pressure off.

I don't know about the two-hole, but I do like the idea of putting Giambi behind him for protection, so you get:

L - Damon
R - Jeter
R - Rodriguez
L - Giambi
S - Posada

Of course, Torre did that in the ALDS last year with Jeter, Rodriguez, and Giambi hitting in order one-through-three and the Angels still pitched around Rodriguez, which supports all of the statistical analysis which says that line-up protection doesn't have a meaningful effect (though every time I see Papi at the plate with Manny on deck or think about Roger Maris's 1961 season I beg to disagree).

Crazy as it sounds I'd agree. I'd go

Damon
A-Rod
Giambi
Jeter

I know Jeter isn't typical cleanup. But I like High OBP in front of contact guys. Maybe get some more runs across. I don't think this is ideal just a shake em up kinda thing.

For those of us stuck at work, try to download something called TVU. It streams ESPN (and a few other channels) over the internet in a stand-alone application. It buffers quite a bit, but its better than Gameday.

This is one of the only times I'm actually happy to get an ESPN feed.

www.tvunetworks.com

1. Yeah it doesn't make much sense putting in Melky who feels more pressure at the two-hole than his previous spot, instead of A-Rod who seems to feel less pressure hitting 2nd than Clean-up or 5th.

2 Maris in 61 was intentionally walked zero time. Will there be a time when people forget the Mick. I still say I'd rather have Mantle then Mays.

A-Rod in the two-hole would be a temporary thing, like in 2004, to help calm him down a bit. Maybe he'd remember to just take the walk instead of swinging at bad pitches.

I really never understood why Cano was never put in the two-hole. Was it his lack of walks?

8 Yeah, I think so. OBP too low.

6 I agree with you about Mantle. If his knee had held up imagine the numbers he would have put up...

Also, from the last thread: I'm a 1992 University of Alabama grad. Man, I sure was not happy to see y'all get Spurrier (hey, it's only 66 days until kickoff).

Yeah. Wanger strikes him out on four pitches.

7 Plus he would see more fastballs when Damon was on base ahead of him.

10 Most of these Yankee fans have no idea what a real rivalry is until you experience SEC football. If Mantle came up today he probably would stick at shortstop. Imagine those numbers at short unbelievable.

Nasty, 95mph sinking fastball strike three for first out... one pitch ground out on a sinker to Jetes for number two... high pop to shallow left snagged by Jeter for out number three. Nice 11 pitch start for Tiger...

14 Where did Wang's strikeouts go. I know he is effective without them, but why didn't his minor league strikeouts translate?

13 This is a huge sequence of ifs, but, assuming Mickey was going to stay at short, he wouldn't have been given a shot in 1951 because Scooter was coming off his MVP season. If he was called up anyway and played in RF as he did, the injury in the '51 series would have ended his days as an infielder anyway. This is a long shot, but does anyone recall reading about Mickey's defense at short? Was he any good? Putting aside for a second that Mantle was one of the five best hitters who ever lived (Babe, Ted, Barry, Lou and Mickey are my top five), that kind of production out of CF is a pretty big deal as well.

Does anyone think Smoltz is a hall of famer?

Yeah, Jeet! Goes the other way for a double.

Melky's looking a little hacktastic recently, no? His pitches per PA are taking a tumble. Could he be reverting to his minor league ways? If so he could be hacking his way toward a trade.

13 I worked at South Carolina for a few years, I was astounded by the Carolina - Clemson rivalry, and that's with them being in different conferences.

I agree that Giambi should hit behind A-Rod, give him some better pitches to see.

17 Tough call. I think he has a case, one made stronger by both Eckersley's induction and the fact that he's come back strong in his second stint as a starter. He'll have to wait until Glavine gets in, though. I put him in that group with Moose and Schilling just above Kevin Brown and David Wells. Brown and Wells are not HoFers, the other three I'm undecided about.

13 You're right. The other night the Nats announcers said the crowd at RFK was like a SEC game when the Yanks were in town. 56K fans might be like a Kentucky/Vandy game, but there is nothing like 100K fans for a huge rivalry game like Alabama/Auburn or USC/Clemson. It's like a game seven atmosphere.

Two out two on for Rodriguez. My heart sinks in these situations, out of sympathy rather than frustration.

Props to Jeter and Giambi for making Smoltz work hard this inning, by the way. 22 pitches and counting.

Might have to start calling him A-LOB (you know - "Alex - Left On Base")

Ok ok - bad joke. In times like this, whattyagonnado?

Hey at least he drove the ball. That's a nice change of pace.

Put A-Rod in the two-hole already. He can't deal with that kind of situation right now.

23 watching ARod.. i remember the emphasis going into 2005 was a concerted effort to take the ball the other way and shorten the swing and get HRs off the short RF..

i think he has forgotten or abandoned that strategy..

his swing is long and he is pulling everything..

i just feel if he starts dinking balls to RF with short swings he will be fine..

16 Funny you should ask. I was saying that if Mantle came up today he would of stayed at short, Coleman would of been replaced by scooter at 2nd, and maybe no Billy Martin. That is the move someone like Stengel would of made even with Scooters MVP. My dad met Mantle in 1974 and asked him about playing shortstop, and he answered he wasn't half as good as defensively as scooter. I have this old picture of my dad staning next to Mantle, and something always bugged me about it. When I was about twelve I realized that my dad was taller than the Mick. My old man was born in the Bronx in 1938, and after hearing all of the Mantle stories I expected him to be 8 feet tall.

22 I will say that I think the 12 hours of tailgating have something to do with it. Do you got to many games. I go to all of the home games, and 2-3 road games a year. I love going to Alabama, even with our record there.

I was watching TBS for the game and have found more announcers I can't really stand. But they are way better than ESPN and FOX for that matter though.

I do not understand why people are still booing Arod. Even with a Stadium not all full you can still hear the boos loud enough.

I don't know if anyone noticed. TBS has mentioned that Jeter is hitting .319 in the second and .409 in the third hole. That might explain why Torre seems to be constantly finding someone to bat second.

30 .409 in 44 at-bats.

Which might be why Torre feels like he should continue to try it until it doesn't work, no?

I will get high blood pressure if Braves win today.. Sox and Yanks have been playing th NL for a while now.. fairly the same teams i think.. we are .500 they are on a 10 game streak.. we gotto lap up the weak teams..

Great hussle by Cairo but we can't afford another player to go down.

Wow. Great play by Miggy. Bunt along the 1B line, slides in head first to avoid the tag.

Miggy's 7 for 13 against Smoltz now.

32 No what I'm saying is that Torre shouldn't make any decisions based on 44 at-bats. That's why Phillips sat. Plus Jeter's good enough to hit anywhere, and his place in the lineup doesn't matter.

So that was the best backup catcher the Yanks can get? It's been months and still not answer.

37 If he gets to 3 balls Stinnet should always have the take sign.

32 Don't get me wrong, I am completely with you! If only Torres thinks the same way.

33 When looking at that 3.5 game difference, there are so many different emotions it's indescribable.

(4) thanks for the tip, able to watch the game.

The Wanger special: GIDP.

Johnny Damon's having a nice June and nobody talks about him.

34 I never wish injury on any player, but why can the Yanks not afford Cairo to go down? Is he appreciably better than Green? And, couldn't possibly, finally, maybe, possibly force the Yankees to call up someone productive or at least interesting?

Heck, it took a rash of injuries just to get Melky and Thompson called up, and to get Andy in the lineup.

I hate when these softball "in-game interviews" are over the game action.

28 "he answered he wasn't half as good as defensively as scooter" Well, Scooter was an outstanding defensive SS, so that's not terribly informative. If Mantle was a wizard at short he would have stayed there. The question is was he solid or was he just awful as Bobby Murcer often claims he was.

43 "Is he appreciably better than Green?"

Hell, yes. Cairo's a good utility guy. Very solid on defense, and much better than Nick ".077" Green on offense.

Cairo is a proven good utility player and we can't afford to call someone up and wait to see if they can produce

45 To clarify, as Murcer claims he himself was.

42 Damon, Jeter, Posada and Giambi have all exceeded expectations thus far this year. Cano has as well, but to a lesser degree as his lack of power has been disappointing.

47 Thank you, Mr. Torre.

More hacking by Melky. Me no likey.

Why are we the Houston Astros all of a sudden? Can't give our pitchers any support.

48 I meant more along the lines of that team in todays atmosphere of offense first. Even if he was poor at short he would of stayed there.

I don't know why they put Melky in the two-hole. He seems to stress out when he bats that high up in the order.

51 Ah, but Scooter was Captain Intagables, that still flies, plus he was coming off a season of legitimate production at the plate. Also, in today's atmosphere, the Yankees would have let Rizzuto play forever on the Good Old Scooter plan.

Leiter thinks Wang is overthrowing a bit. The radar gun is reading 96-97 mph, and the ball usually doesn't move as much when you throw that hard.

"Andruw Jones doubles (15) on a line drive to right fielder Bernie Williams. Edgar Renteria scores."

A double on line drive to Bernie? Was Bernie somehow at fault here TV/radio/streaming video folk?

28 I've read that Mickey was awful at shortstop and couldn't make the throw to first to save his life. Can you imagine if he would've put up those numbers at short during that era?

55 I don't know if I'd say he's at fault. It was hit hard along the line into the corner.

He didn't play it all that well, though.

55 Not really, Damon was closer and he definitely was going for the ball just couldn't reach in time. Don't think Bernie should be blamed.

Taking our current pitching staff, including Dotel and the farm, do people here think our current offense (including Cano) is enough to win the division? I don't.

59 I do.

And it's a base hit for A-rod!

59. Yes, the Red Sox are overachieving

59 its all predicated on if/how well Matsui heals.. I have given up on Sheff.. i think sheff will take it slower because he wants to be fit next yr and is confident his track record will get him dough..

with Matsui.. his sheer work ethic.. i think he will be back by september.. will he effective.. i donno..

59 One of the missing puzzles has to be Arod. It's pretty much July. He can't get away with "it's early in the season" anymore.
All-Star break can really do them some good.

I know at least Arod is hitting again. But he's gotta find his consistency back. I have confidence he will be back soon!

62 Effectiveness is too difficult to predict. He return in September or maybe even late August ought to be optimistic.

I think it's really striking, how A-Rod regressed when he got back to Yankee Stadium. He's suddenly slumping again (that base hit notwithstanding). And not just on offense. He didn't have any errors on the road trip. Get back to his home turf, and it's another error.

My favorite part of ESPN's Gamescast is how it animates a pop-up to 2nd base yet the graphic below reads:

"So-and-so lines out to 2nd base"

So which one is it???

57 Says it was in the corner. 58 Says Damon was closer. Which was it?

Man, this one's really living up to the billing. Three hits and a walk per team. Wang has thrown just 52 pitches after five and has gotten 13 of 15 outs on the ground. Great stuff.

62 right.. well i always felt Matsui runs out of gas towards October coz of his streak of games..

this extended break and future periodic breaks may help him

68 It was in the corner. It would have been a double anywhere.

Good job Cairo. Where can I get the same rose-colored glasses that Joe is watching him with? Maybe he should just try bunting.

Renteria's hit went into the gap. I think that's the one 58 was talking about. Andruw's went into the corner, and scored Renteria.

I think...

70 I'd prefer Matsui not break anything else.

Wrist injuries are tough for hitters. Keep your eyes on Derrek Lee who just returned from the same injury as Matsui for some indication of how Godzilla might do once he returns in what could be late August.

71 Where was Bernie then? I only saw Damon picked up the ball. But you are right, it was a solid double.

Watching Smoltz, all that went through my mind was that, "hey, at least it's not a no-name minor leaguers anymore." But I do envy Alex, who is surely enjoying what is turning out to be a dandy pitchers' duel.

So remind me again, why is Smoltz still pitching a "scoreless game"??

75 Because the Braves are at the plate.

75 I think the one Damon picked up was Renteria's fly into right center.

Damon really has a lot of real estate to cover with Bernie in right.

73 Thanks for clearing that up. My mind was obviously somewhere else thinking why Smoltz with 73 pitches through 5 innings is still having a shutout so far.

76 I am just thinking ahead for the next inning, that's all.

Wang's slider is definitely not his best pitch.

79 Ah. Otherwise someone might think you are trying to jinx Smoltz, who is throwing a shutout.

74 well the culture of under-performance maybe getting to Lee..

the healing powers are different.. and i have agut feel Matsui may be back relatively quicker

And any updates on Pavano or Dotel??

i think Hughes pitches today.. if nothing else thats one thing i like to look at..

Bad play by Damon...completely faked out by Chipper. The way we're hitting, that run is going to hurt big time.

Does anyone else get annoyed when Bernie does his patented "I knwo I can't get to this ball but I am going to stick my arm up and sort of wave at it to pretend I am closer to it than I am" play?

And man oh man is our offense in a slump...We are at the point where as soon as Wang gave up a run I was thinking "oh geez, how are we going to get that run back?"

I look at Francoeur's swing and cannot figure out how he ever makes contact.

83 Explain how Chipper faked out Damon.

84 Yes.

Don't bunt, Jeter.

A-Rod breaks through here. 3 run shot.

Oh, no. A-Rod coming to the plate with RISP.

A-Rod will walk here.

What's Bobby complaining about that was ball 3.

eh. i'll take it.

Don't bunt, Jeter.

For those without TV. A-Rod hits one hard up the middle that hits Smoltz, and bounced to Giles. Tough luck for him. Should of been a hit.

nice. not a 3 run hr, but nice.

And Bernie flies out on the first pitch. :-P

Well, Alex got an RBI and cut the lead in half. Helluvan AB by Bernie, one and gone. Anyone boo Bernie there? He's hurt this team far more than Rodriguez, it's almost absurd to say that out loud the distance between the two is so extreme.

84 Very much so.

95 Exactly what I was thinking when I saw that, but a RBI is still good.

87 Cliff, it looked to me like Damon let up when Chipper gave a slight hitch in his run to second (as if he was letting up)...then JD threw weakly to third. I've seen Damon give up early on plays in a similar fashion when he was with the Red Sox, so this looked like very similar...he can get casual at times in approaching a ball in front of him.

Since I'm doing 3 things at the same time while watching the game, it's possible I misread the play and Damon never had a chance given his arm, but the announcers were saying the same thing.

Nice pickup, Andy.

I don't think anyone would ever boo Bernie in Yankee Stadium.

I love Bernie for his glorious past, and for being a great guy. But I really don't want to see him in RF.

Bernie's defying the longstanding trend of older hitters getting more patient as they age, being much more selective, even guessing (or zoning)more, especially deep in a count. Strange since his strong suit has always been working the count. He must really feel he's lost a good deal of bat speed and fears being challenged late in a count.

98 Arod is doing better than Bernie recently but "he's the MVP from last year, there's a much higher expectation for him!"

Double standard all the way. I have a lot of sympathy for Arod lately.

Man, this really bites. Please don't hand Atlanta their first back to back wins of the month.

Way to go Andy! I can't believe Andruw didn't get that.

Yeah, Andy!!!! A nice triple.

101 Mind you I'm not saying they should boo him, but they shouldn't boo Rodriguez either. Rodriguez should be the AL's starting 3B, for all of his struggles he has still produced at that level thus far. Also, a coworker just today reminded me that Rodriguez is something of a second-half performer. Indeed, historically his best month is August. Also, thought you'd all enjoy these career numbers through 2005:

Total .307 .385 .577
Empty .304 .383 .570
Men On .314 .393 .584
RISP .305 .395 .560
Loaded .309 .393 .618

Posada better pinch hit for Stinnet.

My god, how sad was that flailing at the first pitch by Cairo...no run in.

Andy Phillips is a triple hitting machine!!!!!

Roll Tide!!!

Damn you, Cairo.

102 Phillips is ready to make up for the lack of power from Bernie.

Cairo, Rally killer

YESYESYES! Posada is on.

Man, Andy with two triples in three games. Sweet. Second best SLG on the team!

In Cairo's defense, Cano would have swung at the first pitch too.

And Jorgie's in for Stinnett.

I would never boo a Yankee player.

Well, maybe if he was a child molestor or something.

115 Didn't he also hit a triple against Florida?

102 I think Bernie is guessing. Only he's guessing on the first or second pitch.

Damn. Renteria robbed Jorgie.

Nice battle, anyway.

That was a great catch though. It's a shame Jorge's base hit was definitely robbed.

Damon walks. Need a good AB from Melky here, no hacking!

It would be a good time for Melky's 3rd homer....

non-intentional, intentional walk!

By the way, good job by the Yanks to get Smoltz over 100 pitches despite not doing much else on offense. He's at 106 following that walk to Damon.

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!

Terrible. Terrible.

Miguel Cairo is a waste of a baseball player.

Man, July can't come soon enough. Stranding people at third is getting old.

Have to give this team credit. It takes a flabergsating ineptitude to blow a lead off triple.

It hurts to waste lead-off triples in one run games.

122 Wow, talk about unreasonable expectations!

Totally unacceptable. But not surprising, and indicative of why this team hasn't been winning...Down 1, eadoff triple, no run,

F*CK

Very frustrating!

well, that sucked...but Smoltz is now done for the day and if Tiger keeps th Braves at 2 runs, it sets up the bottom of the 8th inning with Jetes-Giambi-Arod.

Did any of them try to airlift the ball over the infield?? this is freakin BS

Very few things piss me off more than leadoff triples that don't score.

July can't get here soon enough? Try football season.

Wow...18 groundballs.

&^&!@#(&!!!!! and (&$#$_@#$*(&@#!!!!!+

Move Phillips to 2nd, call up Pena to play 1st, and DH Giambi. I'd call up Durazo but he's strictly a DH and Giambi's gotta play.

135 In all fairness, Edgar Renteria made a helluva play to rob Jorgie of an RBI single. But Cairo sucks. First pitch swinging with the tying run on third. Awful.

Oh God help us Proctor is warming up.

142 Come now. His ERA is only over 7.00 over his last 19 appearances. It could be worse; he could be Josh Towers.

137 Dan, that was my way of trying to be optimistic. :-)

130 I thought since Andy was a on triples tear, maybe Melky could start a homerun tear... (or was Melky just padding his HR stats in that game last night?)

Way to go, Wang.

91 through 8 for Wang. Proctor sucks. Do you let Wang finish it?

147 Hopefully, we let Rivera finish it.

Whoa! Nice pick by the Captain.

Jorgie was robbed, and you gotta give Smoltz credit. He was not giving them anything to hit. He's one of those pitchers that somehow steps it up when there are men on.

It's Proctor's day today...that is, everyday.

145 Could we settle for a singles tear?

"you gotta give Smoltz credit"

Lately, we've been giving so much credit, it sounds like the longest Academy award acceptance speech ever.

142 I think Proctor was warming up because Wang was kinda hit by a comebacker. Guidy went back to the dugout and made the call after they checked on Wang out on the mound.

137 Dan, since you nailed me on my lack of World Cup love.... what, no love for football season?

ESPN is saying Steve Howe had meth in his system when he died. Man, that guy had some tough problems.

It's gotta be this inning

Eh, Phillips will hit a HR in the 9th.

152 Good one!

155 Its sad, but i think everyone knew it would be something.

THE GIAMBINO!

The Giambino ties it up!

Giambi, the man.

That may have been the oddest HR I've ever seen. No one seemed to think it was going out.

Thank god.

YEA BOY!!

At least someone is trying to carry this team.

GW HR from Rod?

147 Absolutely.

Irresistible force against the immovable object: Braves pen vs Yanks offense. Which will win? Giambi homer gives the edge to the Yanks offense right now.

And Smoltz maintains a comfortable lead among starters whose bullpens have blown leads for him.

163 Must have been. It even fooled Sterling.

Or Giambi will hit one this inning. Now if ARod goes yard peopl will say its not clutch, because it wasn't in the bottom of the ninth of game 7. So he's just padding his stats :)

155
Sad.

Me thinks the Giaminer is starting to heat up.

How about 13 stealing a base here???

No, Bama, I love football season (I'm a Giants season ticket holder). What I meant was that I'm really pessimistic w/r/t this Yanks team, and looking forward to moving my energies to the Giants.

168 Especially if you want to save Mo for a lead.

And when I said "finish it" I meant 9, obviously. No 10th for Wang if we get there. :)

Man, helluva game. I had several offers of tickets to this one too. Stupid work.

171 Just padding his OBP there.

So people watching today, has Wang been getting lucky or is he just pitching nasty?

177 I know, a true clutch player would swing at anything, even a pickoff attempt. Shameless stat padding.

170 Giambi just sort of stood there, Farncoeur looked like he was ready to catch it, the crowd was dying, the announcers weren't saying anything. It was strange.

178 Ground ball, ground ball, ground ball. Nasty sinker.

Hmmm...setting up for the Andy Phillips game winning hit?

Wang's been pitching pretty well. 20 groundballs, 4 fly balls. I think that says it all.

181 velocity?

178 Lot of ground balls.

Bernie actually walked. Holy guacamole.

181 He hit 96 at least once.

178 I'm only watching on Gameday, but he's been efficient and getting almost exclusively grounders. I'd say nasty. Man I really dig this guy.

8 balls in 9 pitches.. man their BP stinks..

184 Velocity is good. Maybe even too good, Leiter said earlier in the game. He was throwing 97mph.

Thanks for the comments guys, and 188 Cliff, yeah, how can you not love a homegrown guy who pitches 7+ nearly every game and is unflappable?

did anyone hear what waldman just said about giambi: "when 10 of your last 22 hits are homeruns . . . that's clutch." no mention of situation at all.

do these announcers even think before they talk?

What are you doing, Atlanta? leave Ray in there. Please.

Bubba for Cairo?

2 questionable strikes freeze Andy and he strikes out.

FUCK. Did he forget the count?

Andy got 5 pitches. All Balls, and he struck out. That was terrible.

Awwww. Can we PLEASE pinch hit for this waste of a roster spot?

Tough question courtesy of TBS announcers:

"With Bernie, the older he gets, the BETTER ( ) hitter."

Wang's even got a tough look on his face. He is so not a young rookie anymore.

C'mon, Miggy. Be clutch.

194 To do what?

195 I missed the second strike, but strike three was easily a strike.

What's with this strikezone. On Gameday every pitch is too low but still shows red.

192

... and if those 22 hits had taken 100 at-bats to obtain, would Waldman have mentioned THAT?

(sigh)

201 Piss me off less?

That's because of the home plate umpire's warped strike zone.

I hate you, Miguel Cairo.

alkjsdflk;ajsdflk;ajdsf Cairo alksdjflaksdfjlkasjdf

Damn you, Cairo.

I think I'm about to cry.

0 for 9 with men on base after 8.

AL Standings:
1st - Red Sox
2nd - Jason Giambi

201 I never want to see Bubba Crosby with a batting helmet on.

203

exactly. Can't they use some of the payroll to sign some decent announcers.

I want Wang back, but who is really coming in to pitch?

Am I the only one that thought strike three on Phillips was obviously a strike? The overhead seemed to agree.

I don't know what you people are crying about. Cairo already got his daily single. Did you expect him to provide anything more?

MO!!

The way Wang pitched today, he is not gonna get anything for it. That's too bad.

I'd like to see Mo's number coming into tie games this year. For some reason i dont think they're good.

212 Well, Suzyn has the job because of the affair she's had with Steinbrenner, and who else would be as loyal a lapdog as Sterling?

174 I thought that's what you meant. I just had to try to give you a hard time since you called me out on that WC thing...

BTW, you and a guy from work have shamed me into following the WC.... GO BRAZIL!!!!!

I don think Wang is EVER pitching again in the 9th.. torre let him do it once.. and it back-FIRED, so only 8 even if 90 pitches..

I actually thing Wang's unflappableness (new word!) is overstated. He'd rattle against the Red Sox, rattle if his fielders made errors, and rattle with runners on base (though that might have been mechanical). Just because he doesn't have fit like Jeff Weaver or have that Jose Contreras look of fear in his eyes doesn't mean he doesn't rattle. That said, I think he's overcoming all of those issues, in part due to improved infield defense (Cano, Andy) and Guidry working with him on his mechanics in the stretch. He also had his best start against the Sox the last time he faced them. So I think he's putting a lot of that behind him, but I think it was there.

It's Mo.

I'm considering switching from "we need a pitcher" to "we need a hitter." This is getting old.

192 203 Can you remember a recent Giambi HR in a blow-out? He has been absolutely carrying this team. 22 for 100?. Yup, he's slumping his way to leading the league in OPS and top 5 in almost every category.

anybody notice that Zimmerman is 1-25,that one being the homer off Wang!

Break his f*ing bat, Mo.

Today's Pool:
Which Yankee get the game-winning hit?
Weigh in please.

221 I agree with you, Cliff. He was more shy (and therefore little emotions) than unflappable before. That's why I said today that he's even got a tough look on him now (and in most recent games). Somehow he's got more confidence now. And besides all the help he's got like you mentioned, RJ's poor performance before might have helped him more of less too (knowing that his spot is rotation is more secure than ever.)

Nifty play there by Derek.

227 Jeter.

227 Posada. GWHR to lead off bottom of the ninth.

227 Jorge. Lead off home run. That's my prediction. I'm an optimist.

Wow. If the Marlins win tonight, they'll be in second place.

227 Who better than Jorge? But I will definitely jump up and down if it's Cap Clutch.

227Melky, walk off HR (just joking Cliff)

With that homerun, Giambi moved ahead of Big Papi into sole possession of 2nd place on the "most homers in the AL" list.

DAAAAAAAAAMN. So close.

Darn, that was close.

236 And 9 coming from June.

239 I think it may actually be ten in June.

If anybody needs a walk-off game winning hit BADLY it is Arod infront of homefans.

My Gameday impression of Paronto is that he's dealing. Can anyone comment on that?

true that

Good job, Melky. Now it's up to Capt. Clutch.

241 What's the point, they'll forget about it completely if he doesn't hit six five-run homers against the Mets.

242 Aye, Aye, Cliff.

242 He is. The one mistake was to Jorgie, and he pulled it just foul.

And Melky steals 2nd...

Melky's got wheels.

IBB Derek to face Giambi? That's an interesting move.

Wow. Walking Jeet to face Giambi?

Damn them, ruining my prediction.

Lefty? In the pen?

Yup, lefty coming in.

Wow, bottom of the ninth two-out walk and steal by Melky, they walk Jeter to have a lefty face Giambi, who tied up the game with a homer in his last at-bat. What a game!

Giambi hasn't hit lefties that well this year. Still gets on base a lot though.

Maybe it is to set up an easier ground out at 1B..

i have a feeling that Giambi walks and Arod wins it

245 The one thing that annoys me about people who defend A-Rod is they act like he's doing a good job but the fans just ignore it. He's been miserable. He doesn't deserve this booing, but don't act like he's doing a good job and the fans just wangt more.

This team should be stealing more often.

Steve Goldman says trade Farns for a decent OF'er. Interesting thought. If Dotel is decent, and Beam ans Smith contribute, it may be a way to improve our lineup without much negative impact. Opinions?

He can hit this lefty.

Goldman's got a good idea but we'd have to pay a lot of his salary as well.

258 Agreed. I noticed this team is 3rd in the AL in stolen bases, and 2nd in stolen base percentage.

261 Well, we could pay his salary for another team or we could pay his salary and watch him blow games for the next 2.5 season.

257 Well then have one scale.. An Arod fly out is booed and a Jeter K or fly-out is hushed ..

a Bernie error is forgotten.. an Arod error is ridiculed..

heck an ARod walk was boo-ed

he gets the short stick..

whats sickening is that.. this wedge was manipulated by the Sox and some Yankee fans have fallen prey.. they dont think he is a "true" player..

i loathe that talk

261 as he points out, a lot of WC contending teams are desparate for relievers. I guess it might depend on the salary of who we get in return.

Go figure a two-pitch AB by Giambi there. Oh well, did he smoke it to Andruw?

259 I'd do it, even if it meant paying part of his salary 261 Clearly, this team needs some offensive help.
Q: Farns signed as a FA this year; doesn't that mean he can't be traded this year, or only until the All-Star break. I thought there was a weird rule like that.

Yea

Giambi's 2006 performance by game situation (through 6/27)

Score/AB/H/HR/BA/OBA/Slug%
Tied/70/18/7/.257/.435/.600
Lead By 1/25/5/2/.200/.394/.480
Lead By 2/15/4/3/.267/.421/.933
Lead By 3/13/7/3/.538/.571/1.308
Lead By 4/10/2/0/.200/.385/.300
Lead By 5+/19/7/0/.368/.567/.526
Trail By 1/21/4/3/.190/.320/.619
Trail By 2/28/7/3/.250/.421/.643
Trail By 3/12/2/0/.167/.333/.167
Trail By 4/1/1/0/1.000/1.000/1.000
Trail By 5+/11/2/1/.182/.182/.455

And I checked the game-by-game log for those "last 22 hits" ... they came in 84 ABs (.262)

Yea to (266)

259 Getting Noworth off this team is a positive in of itself.

Don't think you can have 1 scale b/c different things are expected of different players. A-rod is supposed to be a superstar. I don't think "true player" status has anything to do with it. He has underachieved plain and simple.

David dellucci or Shane Victarino for Kyle??

No consistent strike zone behind the plate today.

Roger should be available in about a month.

262 Doesn't that suggest they're already stealing a lot considering they don't have an Ichiro or a Reyes type to pad those numbers? Also, the good percentage is likely a result of smart basestealing rather than running willy nilly and negating the gains of the steals with extra times caught.

Yeah! Jorgie guns him down.

259 what team is gonna pay farnsworthless 6 million per year for the next 3 years ... methinks the Yanks would have to pony up most of his salary in any deal

272 Maybe this year he has, but last year? The guy won the MVP for chrissakes. The only other reigning MVP I can think of being booed consistently at home was Roger Maris in '61.

267 Means he couldn't have been traded before June 15. it's moot now.

Nice play, Jorge!

I wish I had TiVo'd this one. Hope the Yanks score in the bottom of the 10th; no way Mo should pitch a third inning with almost thirty pitches under his belt already.

who's pitching next inning (if needed)?

hip, hip, Jorge!!!

QUICK...
what does ARod do in this AB (I say double)

Mo threw 33 pitches. :(

280 Thanks Benjamin.

284 Home run. (I'm being so optimistic that the predictions are getting dumb.)

Just an awesome exchange between Jorge and Cairo. Not just a perfect throw, but announcers rightly give Miggy credit for being in perfect position to receive it and get the runner out.

284 Walkoff homer.

I can dream, can't I?

A walk and a steal would be fine by me..

As for A-rod, we're talking right here, right now. Last year was last year (to say nothing of his performance against LAA in the postseason).

I wouldn't trade Farnsworth until we know what we're gonna get from Dotel. Then again I never thought we shoudl have gotten the big goon in the first place.

When Cubs fans think you suck, YOU SUCK.

Sigh. Ground out and a chorus of boos.

291 nice deal.. he did blow the lead in all 3 games.. and he did watch the 2 OFers collide and lose a run..

he did watch Randy stink at the stadium.. and he did watch Sheff n matsui stink up the joint too..

funny.. i have forgotten all of that..

Speaking of Farnsy, he's warming.

291 By that logic, should I have booed Bernie all of last year? or most of this year? A-Rod is a great player. His only fault seems to be that he puts too much pressure on himself and trys too hard. I can't hate a guy for that.

Wow. Bernie's patience has returned. Good work, Bernie!

Good PA for Bernie.

Bubba. I wonder who he runs into this time.

294 Yes, precisely. In a short series, its possible for even the greatest players to have a slump (recall how many times a groundball almost sneaks through, or a liner is hit right at someone). What about Matsui? Sheff? Jeter? Randy? the entire bullpenn minus Mo? from last postseason. The team wins or loses. ARod cannot win or lose games all on his own.

Miguel got out? Surprise.

Farnsy on the mound. Ack.

Um...noooooooooo

300 That said:

askjdhfkajshdfkljahsdf Cairo alksdjflkajld;lkajsdf

though I really can't be mad at him. Cairo has never claimed to be anything other than a sucky utitility IF. I blame the FO for signing him and the coaches for playing him.

If ARod made only $10 million per year, fans probably wouldn't be as hard on him.

But that contract is SO absurd, nothing ARod does (short of breaking every single-season offensive record and winning gold gloves and doing well in the post-season) will EVER be good enough.

Ahhh, Farnsworth on the mound. This should be interesting. Pump up that trade value Farnsy.

Nice pick for Andy.

There's no discussion here fellas. You're talking apples to oranges. Bernie Williams is not A-rod. The expectations are completely different. A-rod has played like crap recently and deserves to be booed.

276 Desperate times call for desperate measures. That comment was more a product of my frustration watching this team's offense.

I want A-Rod to do well. I really do! Main reason--I'm sick of seeing the greek tragedy that is his season debated in papers and on boards. ugh!

Oh and of course, because the Yanks need him.

305 I understand what you're saying, but the logic is flawed. If someone offered me twice as much money to do my job, I'd take it. Its not my fault if people are dumb enough to overpay me. Its not ARod's either. What should he have done? Negiotiated the offer DOWN?!

305 If you are going to boo A-Rod because of his contract, then your boos are misdirected. You should boo Rangers owner Tom Hicks for offering A-Rod $5 million more per year than the next highest offer. Why should A-Rod have turned down that money?

Good grief, the A-rod pom-pom squad is out in force today...

Crap. Looks like another error for A-Rod.

oh STFU people in Yankee Stadium. We're lucky that wasn't an RBI double.

312
311

I totally agree with you ...

I'm saying that most average fans look at the athlete, and forget that it DOES take two to tango in terms of a contract,

Its hard to boo Tom Hicks, cause he isn't on the field.

yet another sterling effort by farnsworth

Myers is coming in.

They scored it a hit, not an error. A-Rod got booed anyway.

313 I'm not his pom-pom squad. He's certainly not one of my favorite players on the team (though I do like him). I just don't understand what you want from him? He is clearly trying as hard as he possibly can. He's made zero excuses for his poor hitting as of late and even said he deserves to be booed. Don't you think he'd rather be hitting a HR every AB?

Now if he was whining about the fans/media/managers etc. You might have a point, but he's not.

308 u once again ignored the other STARS.. i dont get it.. did u watch the same series as i did..

even in the fatal 04 alcs.. didnt jeter, sheff n matsui go MIA??

305 well some fans need some understanding here.. we pay him 15 mill per yr.. yeah 15 not 25.. the other 10 is paid by Texas

Benjamin - I understand what you're saying and don't necessarily disagree but I think there is a case to be made that A-rod was foolish in signing the Texas deal and I think it went a long way in perpetuating his perceived disingenuousness (speaking of new words) with the fans/players.

319

well-said!

E5 on alex after all.

321 Foolish?!
Team A: We'll pay you $15 mil/year for ten years.
Team B: We'll pay you $25 mil/year for ten years.
Now who the bloody hell would not sign with Team B?

313 well its better than the .. " i am bored.. let me bash ARod" squad

Oh Gimme an effing break. Diaz didn't even TRY to get out of the way. That should just be a ball.

321 i think this losing is getting to u.. or u r a lurker..

Alvaro Espinoza, dude. There is nothing foolish about agreeing to let someone pay you $252 million dollars.

If anything it's foolish if he let's that bother him when he slumps. He's a baseball player. Baseball players have slumps, they have off seasons. Anyone who gives a baseball player that kind of money and expects him to automatically become a run producing robot is foolish.

Urgh. Please, not Proctor. Where's Beam? Smith?

Why was Mike Myers pitching to a right handed gentleman?

Oh man, Proctor in, bases loaded, two outs. This should be ummm...more...interesting.

One of ARod's problems is that he tries so hard, and is SO image-conscious, he seems disingenuous (and yes, that is a word) :-)

330 they PH for a lefty. Torre didn't want to lose him without throwing a pitch is my guess.

331 NO.. i blame Arod for not going to the mound and talking to Myers and shwoing how to throw a 12-6 curveball..

right??

If only all of Proctor's outings were that easy.

What a nightmarish afternoon. Getting behind on work because of this ballgame, and all I get is more impotent offense against an impotent ballclub, and the rump of our bullpen on the verge of going down in flames.

And another A-Rod moralizing debate breaks out here at the end of a game thread.

Sorry for the self-pity...guess I'll be working late into the night to make up for lost time...and this is very lost time.

Wow. One pitch and he gets out of the inning. Nice work, Scotty.

one pitch proctor

Whew ... Come on, pathetic so far offense. You can do it!

Eso eh Proctor....one pitch, one out...good job

332 Agreed, but can you blame him for being image-conscious? I mean he gets ripped to shreds for saying the right things. Imagine if he said the wrong ones?

I'm not talking about other stars. The rules, rightly or wrongly, are different for A-rod. Was it A-rod's fault they lost to LAA? Of course not. The implied point was that he failed in a big spot, nothing more. It's also a tag he continues to suffer through. If you expect the same things from 2006 A-rod as, say, 2006 Bernie, we can end the conversation right now. Sure he's professional. So what? He's supposed to be. Sure he tries hard. So what? He's supposed to.

He's playing lousy baseball and deserves to be booed. I don't see what's so terribly unfair about that statement.

336 Ok, fair enough, I'm done with ARod. I just felt the need to respond to the negative comments. Apologies around.

I don't understand why Arod's salary is ever an issue in these debates. Yes, he is the highest paid player in MLB history, but the majority of the guys in the Bigs are all millionaires, so we as fans shouldn't single out his salary as an excuse to boo him.

The reason why I am so annoyed and sometimes disgusted by his play is not the size of his bank account, but because he is probably the most talented player on the field the majority of the time. Given that, the fact that he's been friggin' putrid lately is reason enough to boo him, not his $$$$.

"Torre didn't want to lose him without throwing a pitch is my guess."

He couldn't take him out. Rules say he has to pitch to one hitter before taking him out.

ESP* works sometimes I guess.

*Everday Scott Proctor

336 I've lost a little time due to the length of the game, but I've stopped reading any A-Rod-centered debates, which has saved me both time and anguish. The whole A-Rod discussion is like arguing over religion or politics - folks can get very entrencthed in their beliefs very quickly, and don't want to move.

345 Ah, thanks!

C'mon guys, a run. You remember what those are like? Right? Somebody runs across the homeplatey thing.

Nope, not a lurker. Just a difference of opinion.

sigh

Hmm .... Farnsy and Hughes for Abreu and something?

I doubt Farnsworth will be dealt given the state of our bullpen.. hes got stuff and it could be useful.. IF dotel is good he COULD help.. else Kyle is not going anywhere.

Hughes ain't going nowhere. If Cashman trades him for anything short of Francisco Liriano or Albert Pujols, he should be summarily fired.

Despite his high ERA Kyle Farnsworth strikes guys out. And in the playoffs, sometimes you REALLY need a strikeout. He's a good guy to have.

Braves should shut down Giles for a few weeks. He hasn't been right the whole year, and I seriously doubt his finger injury from earlier this year has ever fully-healed (he's also not a leadoff batter, but thats besides the point)

LSKDJFJKDJF SCOTTPROCTORDIEKDJFKAJAKLJSD

Thanks a lot, Scottie. :-P

355 Hm, he looked pretty good there.

Oh well, it is on the offense now.

Jeter, Giambi, Arod, at least.

Let's keep this within reason, Scotty...

358 that was the roto-owner-of-giles side of me speaking ...

The Yankees are NOT going to lose to this shitty Braves team again.

Proctor. Ugh.

363 I think we will soon have to come to grips with the fact that the Yankees too are a shitty team. This has been one stretch of pathetic baseball.

Well, that was predictable. Not that there isn't share to go all the way around, but who here didn't know full well that when Proctor came out for this inning that it would end with us down?

Anyone know how many games back the Yanks were at this point last year? Just want to see if there is any hope left.

Now it would be an appropriate time to boo a Yankee.

Is Guidry warming up?

So unhappy with ESP right now . . . so very very unhappy. PLEASE tell me Smith/Beam are about the enter the game before it gets even more out of hand.

In fairness to Mr. Torre, I don't think I trust Farnsworth either - but if he doesn't trust Farns, then Proctor ought to be under constant survaillance to make sure he doesn't steal anything.

Proctor pulled for Villone. And the boos rain down on Proctor...

367 Problem with comparing to alst year is that the teams were going in opposite directions. The team last year was heating up at this point, as opposed to now, where everything is finally catching up to us: bullpen abuse, injuries, no bench...

Benjamin Kabak, I simply refuse to believe that the Yankees are a shitty team. The offense is just struggling at the wrong time.

I know feces throwing monkeys that are more effective than Proctor

As Zack said at 372, the injuries, bullpen abuse and utter lack of bench is finally catching up with them. No one'e stepping up and this team is slipping. Plus, help is not on the horizon.

Villone, it is right in front of you, the plate.

At freaking last. It's on you, offense.

Giambi, Cap and A-Rod...

Let's go Yanks!

I envy Alex in that he got to take day off from work to see a Yanks' game.

I do not envy Alex in having to watch this particular game, especially if the Yanks end up losing (which I hope they don't).

Thank you Mr. Hacktastic - when will the Braves realize that Francoeur's power does not make up for his complete lack of patience?

Jeter, Giambi, and A-Rod. One of them should be able to score a run, dammit.

Edgar Renteria is still being paid by the Red Sox, and I hate him even more right now.

Let's see...
When have scored to runs against a last place team.
When have not scored a run against the worst bullpen in the NL.
But we don't need to improve our offense?
For those of you who think not, please send me some of the drugs that you are using.

One down, 2 more to go.

To state the obvious: Boston hasn't lost any of the games like this ... just get some guys on in front of that sensational middle of the line-up, and runs pour across the plate. From today's Baseball Prospectus, take a look at how their line-up has hit during this streak of theirs:

AB AVG OBP SLG
Mark Loretta 44 .449 .471 .571
David Ortiz 38 .289 .449 .632
Manny Ramirez 32 .406 .525 .938
Trot Nixon 34 .382 .475 .559

Wow.

Jason walks, A-Rod homers... (:smack:) wakes up...

Whatever happens, please don't let A-Rod make the last out.

As much as i hate this streak of poor play.. i also realise we are playing with some severe injury issues..

i hope they do the best,.. i just cant curse them

At least Giambi is working the count.

As others mentioned before (last night maybe?), someone should really study why the Yanks tend to do poorly against otherwise sucky pitchers. This is getting ridiculous.

Fingers crossed for A-Rod.

Okay, here we go. A-Rod, it is on you. You have to find a way.

C'mon, A-Rod. This is clutch, in case you were wondering.

Oh damn.. this is all set up so sweetly now..

Sosa channelling Villone.

391 this is very clutch...

Come on big fella. We're rooting for you.

3-1 pitch.....

THAT IS CLUTCH!

CLUTCH!!!!!!!

There is a god....

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes!
Clutch-Rod

Thank you, baseball gods, thank you. See A-Rod is clutch.

FUCKING A!

Whooooooooo

Who's not clutch now, Bitches!!!!!

Take that.. YES

MVP!

MVP!

MVP!

It was all worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There. That was easy...

BOOO. Why wasn't that a grand slam? BOOOO

Wow. I think I'm going to cry!

AMAZING!!!!!!

I think I'm gonna cry.

A-Rod!!!! Not Boo-Rod.

Give him a f**kin curtain call..

THe Stadium better be going fucking nuts right now.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

The Yankees Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a relief!!! Screw the booing. Good job, A-Rod.

I will now cease my Arod bashing for the forseeable future. Arod was just C-L-U-T-C-H!

Trying to get some work done. Keeping one eye on the TV screen. And A-Rod hits it far, high, and gone.

So the first thing I think is...man, they gotta be goin' nuts over at the Toaster.

Feels good. Feels damn good.

I was gonna say something sarcastic, but this is too sweet a moment.

OK, now I envy Alex 100%! What a relief! What an ending to see in person

A-Rod ought to get a curtain call . . .

Yeah, but it was only a 2-run walk off. Papi hits 3-run walk offs...

if this clip doesnt show up on Sports Center.. i will mow them down

Boy am I happy for A-Rod. Maybe he'll catch a break from fans finally.

BklynBmr called it in post 385. Nice job!

TV watchers.. did he get a Curtain Call??

Ohmyf'in god. Alex does a Manny at the plate, tosses his bat aside, holds his arms up, and says "Boo that, m*f*ers".

Thank you, all the ARod bashers who crashed the game thread late. You made this one that much sweeter.

About fucking time.....seriously this is great because it wins a game also cause ARod can now relax a little.

BklynBmr, you, my friend have ESP. LOL! I'm so silly happy right now. Happy for the Yankees. Happy for A-Rod. Happy that I'll be having a blissful evening. Oh, I'm happy for Alex as well. I can imagine that he was clapping and yelling the loudest at the Stadium.

no curtain call, he went right into the clubhouse.

420 Big Hype-i ought to enjoy his favorable press while he's got it. Nothing lasts forever.

421 Not just SC but every ESPN outlet, every sports outlet. They give Papi mad props all the time, the MVP deserves the same.

There was much jumping around on the field, then A-Rod immediately went into the clubhouse.

But the Stadium was going nuts. You could see the people behind him all throw up their arms in celebration as soon as A-Rod hit it. (Including Bubba in the on-deck circle.)

Well lets thank Scott Proctor for setting this up for CLUTCH-Rod.. LOL

i am so happy for King ALex

424 No curtain call. Straight into the tunnel after the mob at home plate.

Great reaction by A-Rod after the hit, and an amazing reaction by Melkly at home plate as Alex was circling the bases. Just jumping up and down like he couldn't control himself. Man, that's great.

Whoo hoo!!!

428 He can let his bat do the talking for him anytime.

423 Hopin' against hope! Sometimes it works out ;-)

Now "Let's Go Mets!!!" (gotta wash my mouth out, but it had to be said)...

Is there a better feeling than that? Don't it feel great?

The stadium was going nuts (what was left of the fans--how could you leave?) but they did not show him coming back out.

Great performance by Wang and Rivera as well, I'm glad they weren't wasted.

THANK YOU A-ROD!!

WOW ! Does it seem like is lifted off OUR shoulders ??!!! Imagine how AROD feels. I predict a big run - 9 out of 10 wins or something like that.

What a great ending.

WOW ! Does it seem like a great weight is lifted off OUR shoulders ??!!! Imagine how AROD feels. I predict a big run - 9 out of 10 wins or something like that.

What a great ending.

I butchered my previous comment - sorry everyone !

Ok, time to work.

385 BklynBmr, I hope you never wake up from your dream. :-) That was an awesome call.

Funny how Proctor got the win.

Arod looked totally relieved, and got a nice hug from Torre. All the teammates looked truly happy not only for the win but also for Arod who did it.

With how effective Wang was, I never thought the game would be this long.......

434 I'll help you, just remember we are doing this for the Yanks. "Let's go Mets!"

Yes, props to Wang and Mariano who were excellent.

427 Simone, I am so happy for A-Rod, too. He can carry this team and he knows it. He's also been handling the crap from Yankee "fans" like a pro, which I respect. We really need him to go on a tear right now, and maybe this'll light the match. Also good to know we're not gonna be 4.5 back tonight!

"clutch" pshaw.

It wasn't the 9th inning.

442 Sorry I was mistaken (and I was watching the game, oy), Villon got the official win. But it felt like the HR off Proctor fired Arod up.

Can't wait for Alex recap later.

Ok, I know I said I was finished talking about ARod, but I'll allow myself one more comment. C L U T C H! Nice job ARod, even Alvaro is cheering for you now ;)

434 442 I have to admit it, deep down... I've always wanted to root for Pedro. And now I can, with a clear conscience!

I don't hate the Mets. I rooted for them in the World Series when they were playing the Red Sox, and I'll have no problem rooting for them tonight.

Go, Mets! :-D

448 Pedro to me is one of those characters I seriously am glad to have seen and experienced first hand as a sports fan...it's hell living in Red Sox territory, but Pedro was truly entertaining to watch and follow...his diva-ish exploits as well as his actual pitching performances.

I found it impossible to hate him as a ballplayer, even though I despise his former team. Were there specific things about his behavior I despised...sure, he could be very, very immature. But it was all part of the package.

And even though it harkens back to a time that most Yankee fans would rather forget, watching his press conference when he said "I tip my hat to the Yankees and call them my daddy" is truly one of the most memorably jaw-dropping things I've ever seen an athlete say.

Could you have scripted it better?

"Yes-ah, here at the Bronx Ban-tah, we've got the Hatah's Special tonight-ah: A big-ol'heaping plate of crowwww, with a big-big slice of Humble Pahh on the side-ah, along with a nice, tallllll frosty mug of STFU ta wash it down-ah... all for only $13 and chaaange."

Ahem. Sorry I'm late, good people. Demons, we all fight them day by day. Really glad for A-Rod to get to smack his back for a change. Can we finally give the man his Yankee Moment and move on from the hate?

Who cares if it's close and late? What's wrong with close and early?

Wow. Wish I was in front of the tube. Amazing.

Yankee Stadium fans were always booing him at their own peril, as he was bound to do something sooner or later. This isn't Miguel Cairo they were booing (who gets a free pass despite doing nothing at all in his fill-in starts so far and stranded Phillips at 3rd with 0 outs, I realize it's somewhat appales and oranges). You don't boo a guy like A-Rod and not look like idiots. In my mind, Red Sox fans from the Ted Williams era still look like a bunch of idiots, not to mention Yankee fans in 61 booing Maris.

Anyway, A-Rod can be a frustrating player at times, but it's really time we all start appreciating him for what he is and stop hating him for what he isn't.

A-Rod postgame interview was pretty generic. Except at the end. She asked him if heard the cheering of the crowd. He said, "A little bit. But I kind of just went in and enjoyed the win in the clubhouse."

Zing...

Pedro is getting no help defesively. Game over in the 1st.

456

I guess the fans deserved that. A tad childish though. I don't remember Jeter or Giambi saying anything that stupid.

Pedro kind of screwed up himself, with the shoulda-been DP.

Bad time for the Mets to go all impotent...

http://tinyurl.com/lu9sp shhhhhhhh!

Looks like Boston's Pedro's daddy tonight. :-P

456 Oh God, I hope this ends now, this A-Rod vs the Fans stuff. The "I kind of just went in and enjoyed the win in the clubhouse" line was not his best moment, although perfectly understandable.

How about Torre getting on that reporter in his post game interview? Yikes. I was a little uncomfortable sitting at home. Gotta figure that reporter either melted in his shoes, or started sharpening his pencil. Wonder if there is any history there. Weird moment, for sure.

Good win, though. I still can't get over Melky's reaction. What a kid. I just loved it. And A-Rod's tossing of the helmet as he approached the plate. A very unrehearsed spontaneous reaction. Good for him. Let's hope there are many more in the coming weeks.

Ok - so the Mets are laying down for Boston. Does this mean they're going to be Balls to the Wall this weekend against the Yankees? Geez. Wassup with that?

They yanked Hughes after five innings. Probably good after his last outing. 5 IP, 3 K, 1 BB, 0 R. Another good outing.

Why do you say "probably good after his last outing"?

462 I hope not.

Plus, the Yanks send Mussina and Unit to the hill this weekend and miss Pedro & Glavine. Based on the matchups, Yanks should take 2 of 3 at the least.

Didn't I read somewhere that the Red Sox limited Lester to 5 innings in each of his AAA starts so that he'd be "fresh" when they called him up? Is this common? Perhaps that's what's going on with young master Hughes...or maybe I'm just dreaming.

I confess, I love watching them celebrate in moments like that. Melky Cabrera was a hoot. He came bouncing onto the field like a bunny rabbit, high-fiving Posada and anyone else in reach.

I noticed A-Rod throwing his hat and his bat. Some thought it was a "FU" to the fans, but I thought it was sheer happiness. Bubba Crosby, in the on-deck circle behind A-Rod, did the same thing. In fact, he threw his bat before A-Rod threw his. He knew it was gone. (I think Posada threw Bubba's helmet, during the celebration at the plate. I saw it on the ground as they filed into the dugout.)

I guess being a major league baseball player means you don't have to pick up your own equipment. ;-)

The Mets are so useless.

467 Me too. Re the helmet tossing by A-Rod, have heard others say they do that because you are going to get pounded on the head by the team at the plate, and it really hurts if you keep your helmet on so you toss it as you round 3rd.

468 I smell collusion.

469 Interesting.

I'm surprised more players aren't injured in those plate celebrations, actually. They seem ripe for "Grammatica moments."

Are Knicks' fans still alive and kicking after Isiah's draft pick? LOL!

472 Wow, I sure hope Isaiah knows something we don't, because even by Knick standards, that was a head-scratching draft pick.

Here's hoping the Mets win tommorrow. I really don't look forward to playing them right after losing 3 straight to Boston.

471 Or hockey celebrations, with the equipment and skates, guys just jumping on to the pile.

I actually don't think that it matters who teams pick in this draft. It is such a weak draft. None of these guys will be anything special. At best, they will be role players who can help out on occasion. It makes me crazy to listen to all these basketball "experts" try to talk up these guys when they know they won't be doing much in the NBA.

This weekend, we have 3 against the Mets while Boston has 3 in Florida. We really need a good weekend.

475 Simone, while I agree, it's bizarre to be picking players that no one wanted or even expected to be drafted before the second round (and low second round at that). Like I said, the picks are so strange that my contrarian side is telling me that Isaiah possesses some weird knowledge that no one else does, and the wisdom of his decisions will become apparent next year on the court.

Or maybe he's trying to get his severance to kick in sooner rather than later. Got to get me one of those "selltheknicks" T-shirts.

If anything, the Knicks were able to fill a need in shoring up the point guard ranks. I mean, Crawford, Marbury, and Francis are not enough to get it done. The Knicks should have a team filled with just 12 point guards, plus a retired one as coach.

Jeremy, LOL. Though the weird thing is that when I first read your post, it seemed perfectly logical to me...but that's because I'd love to put Crawford, Starbury, and Stevie in a leaky boat out in the middle of the Atlantic and shoot a few more holes in it while I'm at it.

And in the Knicks bizarro world, there is no scenario too strange, least of all a team with 12 point guards. It might actually be an improvement over the product on the floor currently.

OK, need to think happy thoughts...ARod clutch, ARod clutch...

479

But remember ... Isiah is assembling all this talent that other teams want (he said so in public last season).

He's gonna be trading all that talent to teams that want it ...

(pin drops in the background)

I like how we been pitching lately... but our RISP is just beyond bad in June so far.. we are top tier in almost all offensive catagories in June yet manage to score some of the fewest runs.

Just saw the Cards / Indians game.. ouch, a nice pitchers duel through 7 then the the Cards bullpen pitch like junk and give back the lead ... then the Indians top that by give up a walk off error.. two away men on 3rd and the short stop throws a grounder wild.. ouch.

"And A-Rod's tossing of the helmet as he approached the plate. A very unrehearsed spontaneous reaction."

Ha. Very unrehearsed? Sorry, but no. Ortiz started that, and he's the one that said it was to protect his head. Pay attention guys =)

Another lucky win for the sox tonight. We've been lucky all season. I'm hoping for more luck tomorrow night.

(see, I'm learning)

481 >>we are top tier in almost all offensive catagories in June yet manage to score some of the fewest runs. <<

Interesting. Any ideas on what the problem is?

I meant it was probably good yanking him early considering he threw, what, 120 pitches last time out?

Didnt the toss the helmet thing start because a guy had his nose broken during a home plate celebration? How can you credit Ortiz for starting that? I need evidence.

485 I think it was 113 pitches last time. With a five-run lead, they didn't see any reason to keep him in the game. They try to keep pitchers under 100 in AA ball. If there's something special, like a no-hitter, they'll let them go over 100, but then they'll pull them early the next start.

484 obviously due to the fact that they aren't hitting when guys are on, they get on base in droves and hit big hits... just rarely together... most of the HRs they hit (3rd most in the AL in June) were solo shots, their OPS for June is 5th in the AL, but they are in the bottom 3 in runs scored.

One of the main culprit was Robbie Cano, who had been one of the hottest Yanks in the month before the DL stint but managed to drive in less runs than Melky Caberra (whom had a terrible June)

488 Boy, that is interesting. Guess Robbie's not big on situational hitting.

also, the Yanks have quietly crawled back to 2nd place in team ERA after the series of nice recent efforts by the starters

490 Taken altogether, it sounds like we really don't have huge holes to fix.

I think the starting pitching has been great. We just can't seem to get the pitching and hitting working at the same time.

491 exactly, our hitting it self hasn't been a huge issue either... it's just that we simply aren't scoring as much as our offensive numbers should suggest.

In truth, I feel this season is cursed :(

Matsui really seems to be working hard. He will be back for sure. If anyone is interested, in today's NY Times article there's a picture of Matsui working out on the field after yesterday's game if you scroll down.

http://tinyurl.com/qtuz2

So I just saw my very first Yankee game, after years of TV, radio and now Internet in far-flung western towns, I finally lined up a vacation with a Yankee game and what a doozy! Wow! I nearly fell out of the 11th tier I was so worked up. I even forgot all about the kid who barfed right next to me all over the stairs. The pitching matchup was perfect, Wang was golden against an ageless Smoltz, and Mo coming in to hold the tie. Farnsworth giving me an ulcer, Andy baby! Andy hits that triple and makes a great play at first, Melky works the count after getting down (that was ballsy and tough to do in such a pressure game) and then steals second. Myers hitting a guy he is up on in the count (ouch), Jorge stopping the momentum with that clutch throw to 2nd, booing Proctor, booing Proctor some more, Villone walking a guy hitting .190 (ouch). defending Arod when the stupid fans (and the smart-ass kid behind me) started booing him after the easy-out grounder and error at 3rd. The fans streaming out early after the top of the 12th (what is with that failure of nerve?). The table set in the 12th for Arod after Giambi works the count yet again. And seeing that pitch sail over the wall. My, God what a moment! All that shit he has been eating gone as he tossed his helmet in the air. The Arod haters around me apologizing as we danced around cheering like idiots. Taunting the 4 Braves fans in front of me who actually started that insipid tomahawk chop droning in the 12th. I feel like my girl and I just saw the best game of the year (it was her first Yankee game, too). Bar-hopping afterward to vanquish the remaining nay-sayers who claim Arod just got "lucky." (Lucky was Proctor in the 11th). Go Yanks! Go Arod!