I hate to say I finally agree that the Yankees are toast, but could you please pass the Jam?

I thought maybe they could turn it around, and maybe they still can. However, it just seems unlikely.

Johnny Damon is making noises about returning to Center, notwithstanding the fact that he is a liability offensively, and a serious downgrade defensively. Sit the fuck down Johnny and do what you're told. Folks still think Beltran was too expensive? Beltran is having a down year, but he's still a whole lot better than Damon, in the field, on the bases, and at the plate.

The offensive woes certanly shine a light on Cashman's incompetence. It was nice to see El Duque come out of the pen last night, and thank God we have Tony Clark to pinch hit with some pop. They both would have been so expensive to keep. Those prospects many applauded Cashman for keeping have turned out to be a pile of garbage. The Padres make a trade for Michael Barrett, opening up a real possibillity of a deal to bring Josh Bard to NY and move Jorge to First for the time being, solving our First Base woes. But alas, Cashman cant see the forest for the trees. Then again, who would want any of the life long minor league junk we have in our system?

That being said, we cannot hit, cannot protect our pitchers defensively, and cannot provide the fans with any hope that the 2007 Yankees are anything more than a laughing stock.

Courtesy of YES:

1. Johnny Damon DH
2. Derek Jeter SS
3. Hideki Matsui LF
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Jorge Posada C
6. Bobby Abreu RF
7. Melky Cabrera CF
8. Robinson Cano 2B
9. Andy Phillips 1B

1. Dave Roberts 2B
2. Brandon Fahey SS
3. Nick Markakis RF
4. Kevin Millar 1B
5. Aubrey Huff DH
6. Melvin Mora 3B
7. Jay Gibbons LF
8. Paul Bako C
9. Jay Payton CF

1 "Those Prospects" are all in the minors right now and Hughes is on the DL. Wang has been the ace for two years now, and Cano has shown he can hit (though he is killing me right now). "Those prospects" are the best group of pitching prospects in baseball. Who was the big bust? DeSalvo, the guy who isn't even considered a prospects? Wright was brought up from AA to face the Sawx, in Fenway Dump. Clippard so far has been the only real disappointment from the minors. Melky is a serviceable back-up outfielder (NOT starter). Chamberlain, Kennedy, Horne, and Betances are all good young pitchers. Hughes has filthy stuff. But Cash has made some mistakes, the biggest probably defending Joe from Big Stein after last year instead of letting him go and bringing in Girardi.

3 And Edwar Ramirez is still in AAA, as is [not really a prospect] Britton. Also, Darrel Rasner had a 4.01 ERA before going on the DL.

And he did that because he feared Piniella (George's preference) more than he objected to Torre. Hope Brian learns a big life lesson from this. The devil you know is not always better than the devil you don't. Ironically, it's been reported that George and his sons now believe Girardi's a better choice than Mattingly.

Johnny Damon is making noises about returning to Center, notwithstanding the fact that he is a liability offensively, and a serious downgrade defensively. Sit the fuck down Johnny and do what you're told.

1 Ha ha aha haha!!!

Indeed, Vandelay.

What's old Johnny saying, exactly? I've not heard...

Oh, and I heard Joe on WFAN. Asked about why he didn't bring Mo into the tie game the other night said, "I don't really have a good reason except that I didn't want to use him for two innings."

He said something about needing to rely on someone other than Mo to get three outs in that spot anyway.

He sounded pretty lost, the poor guy.

4 By not getting a 1B (or useful bench player), promoting superior bullpen options, replacing a manager past his prime, etc., the Yankees organization has done very little to support the team. For that reason, I think Cashman's job has to be on the line too. Winning isn't an entitlement, but I think the entire organization (Fans, players, executives, etc.) is entitled to a full effort. That simply hasn't been the case this season.

Tony Clark had an OPS+ of 59 last year, which is exactly what Miguel Cairo had. This place would've had Cash's head if he had signed Clark in the offseason.

2 Damn, I knew he was fast, but running from SF to Baltimore that quickly is just nuts.

Also, Bard is now the SD BUC, IIRC. As we all know, even halfway decent BUC are rare, so I don't see why SD would want to get rid of him.

Great effort boys. Way to be patient against the walk machine.

Is it wrong that I'd rather watch a Spanish league soccer game on WorldSport HD than the Yankees game?

11 If you are a Yankee fan...yes. Well, at least it would be wrong if you do watch the soccer game (as opposed to rather).

Didn't Singleton say something at the beginning of the game about "making Cabrera work"?

13 why? cano's the lazy looking one, not melky ...

This "swing at everything Cabrera throws" plan is right up there with the "Wait Boomer Wells out" plan that leads to 8 Ks over 8 innings against him.

First pitch swing at a ball clearly off the plate...looks like the Yankees have another effective game plan working.

3

Cano and Cabrera were alreay with the big club, not prospects. Less Hughes, there isn'ta decent pitcher down there that was there when Cashman was being praised for not trading them.

I don't mean to be contrary, its just difficult to watch Cashman make mistake after mistake, whils hearing Joe say "I don't really have a good reason except that I didn't want to use him for two innings."

Right, he has no clue why he does anything that he does. The guys blow right now and that is not his fault, but for Christ's sake, don't make it worse.

As for Bard, because it makes no sense for SD to carry both Barrett and Bard, if they are really looking to make a push for the playoffs. Bard is young, and would solve our 1B problems tomorrow, if Posada moved to First. Its worth a shot is all I am saying. Doesn't Cashman owe the fans something for thinking Damon over Beltran was a good idea?

Then again, why is this a surprise? The O's are only 2 games in back of us in the loss column. They are in essence, our equal.

I wonder is there's anyway Girardi didn't take the O's job because he was told to sit tight by someone in the organization. I also wonder how badly the Mattingly/Yankee relationship will be hurt if he is passed over?

Nothing to see here folks, keep it moving, no game on tonight...

Oh, wait, there is? Sigh

3-1 count...weak hack by Robbie...first two pitches...Phillips is hacking. Does Torre take any blame for this awful approach? I could just see the pre-game speech: "Let's force the attaction and be aggresive. We can't look for a walk. We need to create our own breaks and play with fire".

17 doubtful. they gave up their previous buc in the barrett deal, barrett's a FA at the end of the year and they don't have anybody knocking on the door from their system, bard's started 2 of the 7 games since the trade, fwiw ...

Hmmmm. Does that earn him a three day pass to the Belly Full of Guts Club?

FUCK YOU JOE, THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T PLAY CAIRO.

FUCK. YOU.

Yay, Andy. Who says he can't hit breaking stuff?

We don't need no stinkin' Hillenbrand.

Does that mean Joe HAS to play Andy now, or are we a sure bet to see Cairo playing again tomorrow?

well, i suppose he'll have to play him for a couple of games at least, but he won't like it ... so andy'd better hit the ground running

23 I would guess so.

24 My sentiments exactly.

Anyone see this playing out like the beginning of last year? Cairo gets the starts cause Torre doesn't trust Phillips. Cairo stinks up the joint. Phillips starts for a month and puts up his Hillenbrand line. Then Cashman makes a move for Dmitri Young.

And Andy earns his keep on defense, too...

24 Take it easy...you are right though. Letting Cairo swing with 1st and 3rd in the 7th on Tuesday was awful...bunting with Cano when it was clear to see that would likely put Cairo in the role of having to get the big hit was just as bad. Of course, Phillips isn't exactly a great option himself. His two feeble outs to end two games in Colorado should serve as a reminder. The real travesty is that the Yankees released Josh Phelps. Even if they just kept him as a pinch hitter, he would have givent the team a much better chance to win at least one of those games.

Story of the Yankees season...score 1 run...give up 2.

That was a short lived lead. Hoo-boy.

McPhail on MASN is referencing his time in Chicago as a way of how to do things.

Meanwhile - things aren't going well when Wang gives up a HR to Dave Roberts.

That pitch was fatter then Schilling.

and it doesn't really matter anyway ... poor andy could hit 4 800 foot homeruns tonite, but we're still trading for shea fucking hillenbrand who'll get to start, even though he's a douche and a lousy player at this point and andy get's another one way ticket back to riding pine without actually getting a shot ...

30 Andy Phillips should be the BUIF; he should have been the BUIF last year.

If the Yankees lose this game, they need to do one of two things:

(1) Fire Joe in an attempt to shake things up.

(2) Let Joe have his farewell tour and start fielding offers for whatever they can unload.

36 He can't play SS. :)

35 I'm not convinced.

He got lucky, but Jeter swinging at the 1st pitch is further evidence of how disfunctional this team has become. If the captain does it, why wouldn't Cabrera and Cano?

convinced of what?

35 They'd get Hillenbrand. It's not like he's a Terrence Long.

Let's go, Yankees!

Winning baseball!

Thorne: A-Rod is the first to average an RBI a game since Joe D in 1948. (152 RBI in 151 G)

44 Besides Manny's 165 RBIs in 147 games in 1999?

45

That's what I was thinking.

45 For the yankees.

44 And Juan Gonzalez' 157 RBIs in 154 games in 1998?

47 Ah...gotcha.

That'll keep Cano from swinging.

i'm surprised he didnt swing at that

97 mph in the ass.

Now! Are the Yankee pitchers going to do anything about Cabrera plunking our guys this time? Or will we wait until 2010, after he hits 20 or 30 of us?

41 i think they're going to get somebody, hillenbrand is gonna get DFA'd, so he's avilable first and he's not going to cost alot

well, except for the fact he hasn't actually demonstrated he's any good in the last year's worth of playing time, he's got an over inflated sense of his own worth, and he's a clubhouse cancer

First pitch out of the zone...Cano hacks. I know I am belaboring a point, but the Yankees success has always been about drawing walks and not giving up any. This year, that has not been the formula.

And Robby gets nailed right in the butt.

But I doubt it was intentional. At this point, I don't think Cabrera could hit the broad side of a barn intentionally.

Think a GS could get Andy starts thorugh the All-Star break?

Back to the bench with you!

Yup, that AB will probably override the HR is Joe's mind and we will see Cairo come in half way through this game...

58 doesn't he get points for making cabrera work??? cairo would ...

over in AZ, the big ugly is getting punted ... down 6-0

55 They are sixth in MLB in walks.

55 They are sixth in MLB in walks.

61 But how is Sheffield doing?

60 The problem is that he wasswinging too hard, not trying be pesky and make contact. Joe won't stand a player taking the wrong approach.

What was Millar thinking?

61 He's still better than Moose and Igawa. Roger, I'll hold final judgement.

Meanwhile - Joba has 10 K (4 BB 2 ER) through 5 IP.

64 Not playing 1B, which is where he would have started this year.

64 i'm sorry, i believe you've mistunderstood my motivation ... this wasn't an attempt to revive the beating of the dead horses of anybody's opinion of the sheffield and johnson trades ... this was merely a effort to revel in a moment of pure, unadulterated schadenfreude

62 In the past, the Yankees would always be top-3 in issuing walks and top-3 in drawing walks. This year, they are fourth in the AL in drawing walks (not so bad) after taking a big step back last season. Where they have really deviated is in issuing walks. At an astounding 3.7 BB/G, the team is only better than Texas and Baltimore. If you need a reason why the Yankees have been so awful this year, I think that's the best place to start.

Damon looks much , much better on these pop ups--that chiropractor is really a miracle worker.

nice jetes, hack at the first pitch ... it's not like cabrera walked half the team last inning or anything ...

Is Jeter running full speed on that? Did he think it was through?

68 The Yankees could have made room for Sheffield, as the season has made evident. I supported the deal, but that doesn't mean it didn't turn out to be a pretty bad one. Sheffield is exactly what the Yankees need. His 57 Runs Created and 143 OPS+ would have made a huge difference.

72 Second time he has done it, which makes it very hard to hold the others accountable.

72 True about issuing walks. During the dynasty and just post-dynasty years, they had a staff that was usually very good at not issuing BB, with pretty high K rates. That hid a lot of pretty uninspiring defense.

74 Where? The only way there was room for Sheff was if Giambi started at 1B.

I agree that things have turned out badly, but I can't get worked up over the highly unexpected result of what (I thought) was clearly the correct move.

i just blame nick johnson for this whole mess ...

3 DPs so far

Melky with the circuitous route to that liner. Wang is getting hit pretty hard tonight, but the DP is a very good friend indeed.

76 According to the Beane Count (cumulative ranking of getting and allowing HRs and BBs), the Yankees have dropped all the way to 6th in the AL (30 score). Boston is first at 14. Since 2002, the Yankees scores have been 7.0, 7.0, 12.3, 17.5 and 17.7. It's no surprise that with the jump to 30, the team's record has plummeted.

Posada is pretty comical running the bases.

77 You could have rotated Sheffield, Matsui, Damon and Giambi using the two OF spots, 1B, DH and days of rest. Considering the age and frailty of the names involved, it wouldn't have been a stretch to envision a plan that would get each player 130+ games.

Meanwhile Mr Cabrera is trying to kill Mr Cabrera.

Cabrera's trying to kill his long-lost brother here.

Another swing at a clear Ball 4...I think we all like Cabrera's and Cano's energy, but it's becoming clear that their approach is deviating from what has been a very successful forumla.

83 Maybe..I'm not so that works out because you would have to include Melky in the mix, unless you want Sheff or Matsui in CF. I'm also not sure you would really want to rotate into LF (heck, I'm not sure they wanted him in RF). And I assume that this scheme requires Abreu in RF all the time?

I'm not convinced there are enough ABs and positions to go around there. Of course, the injuries were inevitable, so all they would have needed to do is convince the players for a few weeks, I guess.

at least it appears that the rampant hacking at the first pitch has spread to the orioles as well ...

3 4 11 Wow, Ron Burgundy! Where did you come from? Long time no see - nice to have you around again.

86 Maybe. But both Cano and Melky had significant playing time last year, and neither walked much then either. I'm willing to bet that if Giambi was healthy, the Yanks' walk numbers would look about right. Dude does walk 90-100 times/season. Take those away and . . .

89 "Take those away..."

...and replace with Doud ManPhilRo...

83 86 Don't forget that keeping Sheff meant either signing him to a 3 year, $14M extension, or listening to him bitch all year about how the Yanks didn't respect him.

Would he be useful now, especially with Giambi out? Absolutely. But how about in 2010?

HA! That'll learn Cano patience!

Successful bunt = 30 Guts Credits.

wow! he out cairo'd cairo there ... phillips power!

93 I can stomach a bunt, if it gets Cairo back on the bench. Now let's see if Mr. "I don't need no stinkin' DL" can get the runner from 3rd home.

Chiropractor!

weep for joy, weeping, weep!

small ball fever! catch it!

Holy Carp. First of all, it's Paul Shuey. Second of all, he looks like Goose Gossage.

87 It would have taken some creativity and days when you sacrifice defense, but on the whole, I think it would have worked out well, especially when yo consider the injury concerns of an older team. Not only would more frequent days off have kept the veterans fresh (Damon would have already been DL'ed for example), but it would have meant that the first man off the bench was a real threat (no more Andy Phillips with the game on the line).

Again, I was dead wrong in approving of the Sheffield deal, but it's easy to toss away talent to save the headache in the offseason, and much more difficult when your team can't beat anything that throws with its left hand.

91 Then let him bitch...it was a contract year, so operation shutdown would have hurt him as much as the team. Also, when yuo consider that the Yankees are in competition with the Tigers, the foresight of the deal doesn't look too strong.

HA?

c'mon arod ... break this one open ... mo's gonna be tired from pitching last night, best to avoid a save situation

unreal.

bugger

Something about that AB makes me feel that things are being set-up for another loss (can you Farnsworth is my 8th inning guy?).

what happened? I missed what just happened.

106 Bases loaded...Arod...6-4-3.

bases loaded 1 out ... alex grounds into dp

108 on a 3-1 pitch.

109 That likely was Ball 4.

109 now you're just piling on ... no need to traumatize the poor lad

105 Not to fear...Andy Phillips should bat at least once more!

110 that goes for you too!

;)

For that to be a triple is absolutely awful.

Cue circus music.

There's your ballgame.

losing.the.will.to.live.quickly.

How often do you see a pop fly triple?

How much did he miss that ball by? Should he have had it?

should i just be happy i'm not watching the game to see whatever horrible miscue must have occurred for keven goddamn millar to get a TRIPLE?!?!?!?

The more I watch Bobby Abreu, the more I start to believe that there really is a such thing as winning ball players. I don't think Abreu is one of them.

OK, one out. Would you IBB Mora and go for the DP? Normally I would say no, but with Wanger's sinker...

120

Ummm. I hate to say it, but Abreu had been called in and was shading toward Center. Not really his fault, he did almost catch the ball.

120 High fly ball lofted down the right line...Abreu skates over...dives for the ball after it has already hit the ground...appears to dust pick himself up and dust himself off before throwing the ball back in.

Looks like a UIBB

Abreu just barely missed it. He could have gotten it, IMO.

He was probably keeping one eye on the scary wall instead of the ball.

119 Hard to say. He was shaded way to RCF and Millar doinked one down the line. He got close and sort of half slid, missed it, and the ball rolled into the corner. Can't really hold the miss against him, but I didn't see if he got the best jump he could have.

123 I disagree...the ball was in the air for a looong time. Abreu's path and speed to the ball were poor. A good RF catches that ball. Abreu is no longer a good RF'er.

Torre...please allow Wang to lose the game. Somehow, that seems more acceptable than watching the bullpen blow another one.

Wang over-throwing...

123 124 126 127 Wow, four different pairs of eyes and four completely different versions of the story. Where's Jim Dean and his RATE stat? ; )

128

Another reason that Damon should never play another game in Center! Who do we blame for that? Who has the history? Was it KC, High School? Who was it that put the idea in his head that he is a CF'er?

Sigh.

Well, at least Mo will get some more rest tonight.

105 I hate being right.

Even if he'd dived instead of slid, he could've gotten it. He doesn't dive because he's afraid of injury. Which I guess I can understand. This ain't exactly Game 7 of the World Series.

good nite everybody, like popeye, i can't stands no more ...

Talk about an ugly game...if this isn't the perfect segue to fire Torre, well, then I don't know what would be?

Cellar dwelling team Presidents must be salivating at the schedule. You get boosted attendance, revenue, and you get some wins. Start circling the Yankees on your scehdules boys.

126 135 I agree. Even with the ass-slide, he missed by just a few inches. A dive catches it, or a little more speed or better jump. Hard to say he SHOULD have had it, but he COULD have had it.

Now Jorge shits the bed.

138 This where it get's ugly for the Yankees...a lot of teams and a lot of fans are going to have fun over the second half of this season.

I honestly burst into laughter at Posada's throw. Really. I mean, you have to laugh.

135

Yes. If you notice Matsui since the injury, he has purposefully stayed upright on balls in front of him, even if it means letting the ball drop.

Holy shit! Did that just happen. I don't really care who they trade now, just get some players under 35. Abreu, Damon, Mussina, I don't care...trade all of them.

135 it seems to me that when you slide, the part of your body that you need to make the catch actually slows down, whereas when you dive you are thrusting your arms towards the ball. sliding was the wrong play and has led to another yankee loss. not that everything after has been his fault, but that was a big non-play.

143

If the Abreu play didn't contributre to a loss, some other player surely would have.

At this point, Big Stein has to do something, right? It cannot possibly get any worse. After tonight, the O's will be 1 game behind us!

142 If I was GM, here is my agenda for tommorow:

1) Fire Joe Torre.
2) Put out the word that Farnsworth/Abreu/Mussina/Bruney/Cairo/Matsui/Damon could all be had for cheap (with money available for the bad contracts).
3) Go to Arod and Boras and either come to an agreement about either an extension or a trade.

Nice...the O's scored just in time for an abbreviated win. When it rains, it pours.

145 not bruney.

If only there was some way to get fans in NY to boycott the home games and actually make it stick.

Why not make a pitching change here?

145 And with Torre, the whole staff goes too. As much as I'd hate to see guys like Guidry and Mattingly forced to cut ties with the organization, the Torre era needs to come to an end now.

143 Come on now, we are debating over whether Abreu should have been able to make a diving catch or not. That's not really the issue, is it. Either he tok a bad route to the ball, in which case he should have caught it, or he needed to dive, in which case it was a tough play no matter how he went for it (and he did just miss the ball).

More striking is Wang's meltdown.

By the way, going back to William's suggestion that the team should have kept Sheffield and cobbled together a mega-platoon of Abreu, Damon, Matsui, Sheff, and Giambi--we would have seen lots of balls that "should have been caught" with Sheff in LF and RF, Damon in CF, Matsui and Abreu occasionally in CF.

Did someone already post the espn article from Cashman's 1050 interview? If Not:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/24m6v9

At least he calims he will hold on to the kids...

145

I actually dont blame Joe for this mess. But the players certainly need to understand that there are consequences for this kind of play.

Why on earth would you trade Arod...we're 30 games out without him?

Could be worse. Could be raining.

Oops...

Finally called it. Why didn't Torre make a switch to waste time? Anything to get a win at this point.

147 Yes Bruney...his 1.91 era makes it look like he has more value than he really does. His 40 BBs in 53 IPs as a Yankee are the real story.

148 that will be great. great way to prove that yankee fans are not frontrunners.

150 why fire mattingly?

148 With around 45.000+ aseason and advanced ticket sales for the rest of the season, and 30,000+ season tickets for next year, it's pretty hard to have a meaningful boycott.

And, for more optimism, even when he's off, Joba still can strike out 10 guys in 5 innings! (4 bbs, 2 ER, 5H, tough loss)

152

If anyone should go, Cassman should certainly go before Torre. We haven't won a Series with any of the teams that he substaintially put together.

Hey, thank mother nature for putting us out of our misery, no?

151 Sheffield wouldn't have been worse than Abreu. The difference of course would have been made up on offense.

153 Is this game Torre's fault? Probably not...but then again, the team's awful approach for most of the game is at least partly his fault. At some point, you have to impose your will on your players.

As for Arod, I would trade him if he wont agree to an extension now. The worst case for the Yankees would be if Arod leaves and you get nothing in return. If that happens, 1990 wont be too far away.

160 Joe's got to go first. Cashman probably too, but the team has too much talent, period, to play this way, and while its almost 100% the player's faults for their crapatude, its partly the manager's too. Cashman can't be blamed for the sudden and massive decline of some of these players. he can be blamed for, say, a weak bench and not having the best options to fall back on (though pitching wise, I'd argue that with Hughes/the kids/Clemens).

I'm not supporting Cashman, but massive injuries/underperformance can't be put at the feet of the gm. You can squable with the back up spots and the BP, but thats not why this team is so bad, or at least, not the whole reason.

153 Because he is gone. The dude is getting the hell out of town after this year. I would bet my right thumb on it.

156 i don't disagree that he has been bad lately. but he's also a 25 year old who throws 97 mph and has been great at times. he is worth keeping, even if he turns out bad.

160 and be stuck with a new steinbrenner puppet? maybe cashman deserves a lot of the blame, but let's remember that the alternative will almost definitely be worse (will almost definitely trade valuable prospects).

162 My point was not that he would have been worse, only that we would have witneessed plenty of OF near misses, à la the wonder team of BErnie and Sheff.

157 Because I am not convinced Mattingly would be the right transition from Torre. Girardi is the better candidate at this point, so unfortunately that means Donnie Baseball would get passed over.

160 Cashman isn't beyond the axe, although I do think Torre's handling of the team from 2003 was more the reason for the team not winning the WS than the roster composition.

167

Kevin Brown in game 7, 2004, should have been the last game that Joe Torre ever managed for the New York Yankees.

165 Right now, RH power arms are not the Yankees problem. If you can turn Bruney's very nice ERA into a nice prospect (Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell, maybe), then I'd give it a shot.

167 but i don't think that mattingly has to be manager or be fired. and i don't think he is all that close to joe torre. he never even played for him. and how do we know that girardi will be the better option? because the marlins were close to .500? i'm a girardi fan and i wanted him hired before the season started, but why is it so clear that he would be so good?

166 I know that's what you meant...I was just suggesting that is what we are seeing now anyway. Even Melky, who is usually very good, has shown the propensity for sprinkling in some awful plays among his usually good defense.

167 et al. Why is everyone so high on Girardi? He managed a 78-84 Florida team that didn't seem to overachieve much (compare their records in 2005 and 2007). Then he got fired because he didn't get along with the FO.

What about his resume makes him particularly suitable for the Yankees?

I'm not saying he's not, I'm just curious why he gets so much attention.

168 Alex Gonzalez walk off against Weaver would have been my preferred moment. The point is, you could create a long list of Torre head scratchers since Cashman took over. I'd much rather try Cashman/New Mgr than New GM/Torre.

168 at the time, the wins were still too recent to fire him. it would have been at least justified though. i think more for bullpen management (game 5 especially) than for kevin brown. the options were pretty limited with el duque's shoulder not healthy.

169 of course, if we can get a good position player for him i can't complain. but what are the chances of that?

170 He does have a MGR of the year under his belt. As 172 mentioned, you can poke holes in that, but I happen to think he has the right mix of old and new school. I also think you can't ignore the catcher factor. For whatever reason, Girardi just seems like he would be well prepared to step into Torre's large shoes.

I guess Mattingly has to be fired because it would be tough to tell the new manager that he has to have the "other guy" on his staff.

Sure will be a shock for DJ to realize that not all managers manage like Torre, his only manager ever, eh?

Was that the shortest rain delay in the last 25 years?

175 how about john flaherty? he seems smarter when announcing.

178 obviously not going to happen just a thought.

From 4-2 bases loaded for Arod to a 6-4 deficit and two innings away from a sweep by Baltimore, a team that had lost 8 in a row. Wow.

Hey look, it's the O's version of Farnsworth!

162 1990 not too far away? You're soaking in it right now...

For what it's worth:

• Split GM tasks between Stick (identifying talent, shaping the roster) and Ca$h (getting them).

• Make available everyone possible over 30 not named Jeter for trade. Pack the farm.

• Do whatever it takes to keep A-Rod

• Thank Joe for everything, hire Girardi.

• Sit back, watch an exciting, albeit .500 club in '08.

• Sign the right vet or two.

• Break in the new stadium in '09 with the perfect mix of youth and experience — a hungry team that will seriously contend. Then, and only then, the run begins anew...

182 "Make available everyone possible over 30 not named Jeter for trade."

if mariano isn't on this team for the rest of his career, i swear i'll stop being a fan.

182 If Arod walks for nothing (the caveat in that statement)...yes, it is possible that a 3-4 year down slide could be upon us.

183 I feel the same way (not the stop being a fan part)...the same goes for Posada. Of course, I also thought Bernie deserved a roster spot, but then what would we have done without Phillips, Mienky, Basek, Cairo, etc.

183 My bad. I have not seen Mo since I don't know when, so I forgot he was on the roster ;-)

Make that 'anyone not named Jeter and Mo'..

If they bunt down 2 runs in the 8th, then Torre should be fired on the spot.

182 Be fair, as painful as this season is, it doesn't even come close to 1990. At least this year we have been able to watch Jeter, A-Rod, and Posada. In 1990 the best player was Jesse Barfield.

No comparison.

Melky!

Please see comment 181.

What is Melky doing at 2B!

188 Ummm, there was a guy called 'Donnie Baseball' on that squad, too... ;-p

190 Looping liner right to the second baseman on a bounce--he didn't have much of a chance to advance.

They have to take the lead in this inning...it isn't likely that the bullpen will shut the Orioles down, and Torre has proven that he wont use Rivera in tie games.

192 Posada read the ball of the bat pretty well. If Roberts caught the ball, he was going to be doubled off anyway.

191 He sure was, and he was kinda stinky that year. (.643 OPS--Yikes!!).

It sucks having such futility at the bottom of the order.

194 Singelton claimed that Melky would have been gunned down at third had he run, so it was better to play it safe and stay at 2nd. Anyway, that's what he said.

If the Orioles win the game, Trembley's "out of the box" decision to use his best pitcherin the most important situation would contrast strongly against Torre's decision to allow Proctor to blow the game.

Wouldn't we all have agreed that Bernie deserved a spot...if Torre wasn't the manager?

197 He may have been thrown out, but that's because he waited for the ball to bounce. To me, it looked like it would bounce after it left the bat. Posada read the same thing. Cabrera didn't. As a result, Damon's infield hit didn't plate the go ahead run.

They should just declare this game a draw--like a fight between two old, tired, slow boxers.

That's why Jeter is Jeter.

IT IS POURING!!!!!

The new suspended game rules apply...right?

lets agree theres a bitch that exists lets just enjoy LIFE in the 21 st century and fun.

Anyone with a B-More weather forecast?

195 What was his stat for preventing IF's throwing errors that year?

This game is completely wacked.

200 Then you've answered your initial question. A runner has a split second to make the call--Jarge read the ball better off the bat (he probably had a better abgle to read the liner, BTW), Melky wasn't sure so he didn't gamble. I don't have much of a problem with a player keeping himself in scoring position. I suspect that if he got thrown out we all would have bitched that he should have played it safe and stayed on second.

207 I think he saved 300 runs with his glove that season, almost as many as the new M & M team (Miggy and Minky).

210 and cancer, don't forget he cured cancer that season ...

any word on when the game will resume?

210 That's what I was thinking. Plus Donnie's ZiPP, ZAAP, and ZoPP numbers where off the charts in '90, but that was before everyone started focusing on those telling aspects...

204 I was wondering about that. What exactly is the rule now?

204 Rule 4.12 (a) A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons...

(5) Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead.

The old suspended game rule would apply here. If the visitors take the lead after being behind and the home team doesn't get to bat, the game is suspended.

The new suspended game rule is that if the game were tied, it would be suspended.

great, so if they call it tonite, the game is just suspended and our comeback is left in limbo?

Charlie Manuel has once again managed to make Joe Torre look like Billy Martin. With a man on 1st and no outs, Manuel has Ruiz swing away on a 1-1 count and then bunting on a 1-2 count. Why don't the Phillies win more games?

3,000 hits for Biggio.

215 That's it, thanks. And thanks, Bob, too.

219 nice! he's a seton hall alum, always wish the best for anyone from there since WSOU saved my musical ass with the best 3 hours of music every sunday night when i was growing up

also, i'm happy, since now the astros can bench him and his .274 obp and give themselves a better chance at winning ballgames ...

great career and easy HOF'er in my book though ...

218 Manuel just pinch ran for Rod Baras with 1st and 2nd and 1 out. The problem is the count on the batter was 1-2 and there were at least 5 pitches already thrown in the AB.

221 You could have a Nievesesque OPS+ and get into the Hall if you had 3000 hits...

223 maybe, maybe not ... i always thought harold baines would be the litmus test if he had managed to hang around long enough to scrape together 3k

Is Dave Trembley a cruddy field manager too? I thought those pinch runners were dumb moves. Looking over the comments here I don't see anyone mentioning it.

he doesn't belong at 2866, he wouldn't belong at 3k ... it would have been an interesting ... well, given the fact it would have involved sportswriters, i wouldn't have called it a "debate" exactly, but it would have been interesting to watch what happened

pete says tarp is off ...

227 Now Pete sez:

UPDATE, 10:51 p.m.: OK, I lied. They just put the tarp back on the field. It's raining a little again but more must be on the way.

argh!

221 cult - i was a huge WSOU fan growing up as well! what was the sunday nite program when you were growing up?

i'm a big biggio fan, also. congrats to the smithtown, ny native! my only hope now, is that he can somehow smash about another 14 homers to join my favorite exclusive baseball club - 300-300!!!

IIRC, it celtic heritage hour at like 9 followed by the metal show until Midnite or 1 ... i loved 'em both

231 nice! yeah, i grew up listening to their metal shows everyday - rockin' roman, missy calazo, etc. that station ruled back in the day!!!

yanks: we can't even win when we're winning...

Yankees 2007: Even Mother Nature hates us!!!

223 If one could sport a Nievesque OPS and still get 3000 hits, then you deserve to get into the HOF.

I don't think they want to finish this game on July 27, which is the Yankees next game at Baltimore.

235 bob - your FAQ's were hysterical! i wish there were more...

236
Thanks. I was actually trying to provide comic relief after watching the Dodgers get 16 runners on base against Arizona in 9 innings and not score any of them.

Dear Lord, this game is still on!! I thought for sure it was called awhile ago! Man, just goes to show me, um...something. Yeah.

In any case...hows it going guys?

you live in LA bob?

hi all. been busy. see there was a rain delay. Anyone following the planned walkout in Pittsburgh.

239
Yes, but I'm a citizen of the world.

232 So, so funny.

241 it takes too long to become a citizen on this planet. Come, be a citizen of my greater universe.

ah, i live in pasadena ... though i used to live in echo park ... used to walk to dodger games and stumble home ... nice deal

242 thanx, yankz!

so, what are the chances they finish this game tonite?

245 ok, so with new rules, they would finish this game on another date?

243 no sun ra fans i guess. :(

246 Yes, and they will, it's been suspended.

246 yeah, methinks they'd finish it in a month, next time we're at camden.

glavine threw a 1-hit "complete game shutout" for 6 innings against the cards the other day and it was called for rain, but it was final. i guess we're screwed, 'coz we took the lead in the top half of the inning and the home team hasn't had the chance for last licks.

soooo - even when we do score and take a lead, it's bad timing. un-fucking-believable!

246
I believe they would finish the game on July 27 when the Yanks go to Baltimore again.

At least it's a divisional game, so the teams have more home games. Sometimes you can have the situation where the game is made up on the road because that's all that's left.

The original home and road designations belong.

I would like to see the game delayed until July 27 because with both of these rosters there should be a lot of churn and who knows who will be available.

Shea Hillenbrand could be making his Yankee debut by then.

Just kidding...!!!

248 249 thanks.

247 wow, this blog never seems to amaze me! i'm a big sun ra fan! unreal - just tonite, i get to relive my metal years at WSOU growing up in high school at my folks' house and now a Sun Ra mention.

i got to hang with Sam Celestial in Knoxville, Tenn in the mid-late 90's before he died. it was an honor playing in front of him : )

252 oh yay, a sun ra fan! That sounds like fun. One of my fondest college memories was drinking a 40 in central park during a sun ra/sonic youth free show. unfortunately, i wasn't too familiar with sun ra yet and didn't fully appreciate them.

and oh yeah, WSOU was seton hall's station. awesome. I remember many a ride in my friends trans am listening to WSOU. so funny.

250 Bob's right.

So the Yanks don't win and don't lose. I didn't think there could be a less-rewarding result than what they've had of late.

254 Pirate Radio!

256 heh. i was a pony pirate in those days.

255 schroedinger's game?

Sun Ra mention! Alright! When I lived in Chicago, I'd scour the old record stores for Sun Ra albums (yes, those vinyl things), and just loved catching them at festivals.

Also, John Gilmore (featured soloist on many recordings and concerts) was an amazing sax player who deserved more recognition...but there are many stories like that in jazz.

pirate radio = yes! i remember that slogan : ) 89.5 FM

well, we did kinda lose -- detroit and clevenland both won. so did mini-soda...

seamus, there have been a ton of posthomous sun ra releases on both cd & dvd lately. i like a lot of the stuff on Evidence records. my fave is probably Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra Visits Planet Earth Interstellar Low Ways.

john gilmore, michael ray & marshall allen were all great. yeah, it's not the easiest stuff to digest and "get" - that's for sure!

Miguel Tejada could be healthy by July 27.

260 i'm a big fan of the soundtrack to Space is the Place. I AM the brother of the wind.

259 I've finally given in to the digital age. I still have all my vinyl but I've actually stopped buying it (just within the last year or two though). Now I'm kind of flustered by not having listened to many albums nearly often enough. itunes is too easy.

i haven't checked out much sun-ra, though i like jazz and rather challenging stuff in general ... just downloaded a bunch of james blood ulmer stuff, though i haven't had a chance to listen yet

259 john gilmore was amazing!!! and, yes, totally underrated. he had a cool blue note record called Blowin' In From Chicago with clifford jordan. unfortunately, it didn't garner him enough attention to the more mainstream audiences of that day...

my favorite Sun quote was when he was asked why he moved to Philly. his reply: "Gotta fix the crack in the Liberty Bell!"

So in a month Farnsworth will blow the lead?

260 i used to play Space is the Place when i toured with Col. Bruce Hampton, Ret. Sun Ra was the colonel's hero...

265 ain't no doubt! if he needs help, i'm sure proctor will oblige... : ~

266 hmmm, what do you play (or did you)?

I wonder, if the management were to blow up the team a bit (figuring that they haven't done anything since they became a team loaded with all stars) who would you keep and who would you toss (starters only)? No need to name replacements - just name who you'd toss.

As much as I get frustrated with some of these guys, I unfortunately like most of them and I'd be sad to see many of them go.

I could live without Abreu & Damon. Also, anyone who has played 1st in the past 5 yrs.

That leaves 1st base & 1 or 2 outfield positions to fill.

In the pitching rotation, I could live without everyone in the pen save Mo, and that's about it. For some reason, as washed up as Moose has looked, I'd really miss him on the team.

Now I ask myself - do I really think that 1 or 2 outfielders, a 1st baseman, and a new bullpen would make all the diff? Maybe. Doesn't seem like that would be a tall order for Cashman to fill (well, maybe the pen would be tough to fill).

On the other hand, since 2000 we've pretty much changed
1st base annually, changed right field annually (save for Sheff's few years) and changed the pen annually or semi-annually, and we don't have anything to show for it.

So is this all attributable to Torre, or does this team of all stars just make a horrible TEAM when they're all thrown together?

sorry for being so long and terribly off topic ; )

i play/teach/record drums for a living...

when did you play with the colonel?

270 not sure what any of that has to do with sun ra. was that an album i haven't heard?

(imagines sun ra and his arkestra playing 269

Oh man...I love Sun Ra. I saw him live 30 years or so ago, and it was...not like anything else in the world, uh, galaxy.

271 i do envy you. if only i had some figment of musical talent. my only claim to musical fame is getting banned from a bar in philly for being too loud. :(

270 uuuuh, i think i'm the one off-topic! man, i always loved abreu. wanted him on our team for years when he was in philly. he kicked major ass the 2nd half of last year and this april. he's been well out of character lately. i'm hoping he rebounds (again) and stays hot for the remainder of the year.

damon had a career year last year. most thought he'd be good for 2 years, half the contract. now, it seems like 1 great year and that's that.

unfortunately, mats probably isn't gonna get any better and develop more power in MLB.

i'm with you - i'd kinda miss moose too. the sourpuss has grown on me.

the bullpen bridge can keep changing. no names are always having great years, then turning to suck again. it's generally crapshoot and catching lightning in a bottle, (for the most part).

I bet that on 7/27, Torre won't bring in Mo to close it out because he pitched "yesterday" (6/28).

OK, that sentence was kind of crappy, but you get what I mean.

i envy all of you who actually got to see sun ra live. alas, i never did.

272 cult - have you heard of the col? that's cool! i played with him in fiji mariners, live gigs only, in 1996-1997. i've done other work with him, too and tons of related bands. i still see/talk to him all the time...

3,000 hits & 500 homers in the same day. nice milestones!!!

275 that's awesome! i remember playing a club there called the Middle East...

279 i remember the Middle East Tavern (i think i have that right). Or am I confusing it with another place. been so long...

270 seriously. i'm all excited about talking sun ra but it is kind of way off topic. sorry.

holy crap! i know i must read the right yankees blog, because they talk about sun ra during the rain delay. i saw sun ra a bunch during the late 80's/early 90's. it got to the point where i got to know one of the arkestra's trumpet players by sight. for some reason he associated their cover of "Days of Wine and Roses" with me. And would play every time he saw me before a show.

282 priceless! that kicks ass : )

280 i don't know. i think there were like 3 Middle Easts, in different major northeast cities. yeah, it's been a decade at this point, so who knows anymore...

and, yeah, i'm sorry to everybody (that's left), too about getting so off topic - i just get excited when there's a lull here and it turns to music. me likey!

278 honestly, i haven't heard much, just bits and pieces of times where his path intersected with phish

This inspired me to play one of my favorite Sun Ra tunes - "Nuclear War." You can kiss your ass goodbye. What'cha gonna do...without your ass?

284 Someone say Phish?

284 When I first read that, I thought you meant Sun Ra and Phish...now that would be quite an intersection.

game's been called ... it's no longer a lull ... table's open for topics ... and, quite frankly, i'd rather talk about WSOU, sun ra or col. bruce hampton than beat the corpses of certain waiting dead horses ...

285 have you heard the yo la tengo cover of that? it is awesome!

I had never heard Sun Ra, so I did what I do, and found this f**cking awesome and trippy video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bfLpnXQpjvw

... or phish ...

speaking of WSOU, i'm now playing Overkill, off that epynonymous first album, in honor of those late sunday nights in high school ...

bless the NE metal scene in the late 80's ...

287 well, your wish kinda came true in 1996. trey and fishman from phish got together with marshall allen & michael ray from sun ra, along with oteil (and his brother kofi) from col. bruce hampton, along with a few other musicians and put out an album on elektra. it's called Surrender To The Air. you can find it super cheap on ebay.

284 yeah, phish totally look up to the colonel, too. bruce is like the miles davis of that scene. he's a mentor to us all. i got to share a kit with jon fishman at a big col. bruce tribute concert here in town a few years back. very nice guy...

286 old phish was excellent! rift is my favorite. but nectar and hoist are both really good, too. i saw them on their 1st tour at jones beach for the junta album...

292 i used to carry that vinyl to school with me! i prayed to that album. i still love overkill. i'll never forget the years of decay concert at the ritz.

hey, rat skates is back on the scene with a new dvd! i was traversing his site just the other nite! feel the fire RULZ!!! here's the link (sorry for no tiny url)

http://www.kundrat.com/homey.htm

293 a lot of those old metal bands are back together. there's new material and lotsa reissues. i'm a BIG fan, collector and historian of sorts on that stuff. if you ever wanna chat about it, lemme know. if not, no biggie...

oh wait, is NE = new england? like Meliah Rage or something?

and pink floyd, jimi hendrix, frank zappa, marley, miles, coltrane, mingus, dylan and phish ... without music i'd have been bat-shit crazy long ago

and, of course, "don't stop believin'"

yeah, i know it's journey, but, i believe i decided this afternoon, while at the gym, that it was the don larsen perfect game of songs, greatness achieved by the most unlikely ...

'course i'm a wee prejudiced, it's been in heavy rotation amongst my friends since that night on the sandcrawler at burningman last year ...

296 naw, meant north-east ... though mostly just the tri-state area

This one gives a little taste of what Sun Ra was like: http://tinyurl.com/2gh34w

The main problem is, it's too restrained. When I saw him he was wearing a huge quasi-Egyptian headdress, there were three dancers wearing billowy yet skimpy gold lame, and everyone was generally having a grand old time.

Sun Ra himself, as far as I can tell, was serious about the whole interplanetary thing.

yeah, i hear ya - music is my entire life! well, and baseball, beer & babes. wait, that sounds like a david wells book. ah, nevermind...

i'm BIG on zappa, miles, trane, mingus, dylan, etc.

a great Mingus record was from 1972 on columbia called Let My Children Hear Music. "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers," is one of the greatest song titles ever!

i wrote a whole dissertation on "don't stop believin'" on that banter thread. journey really weren't unlikely to achieve such greatness. they pretty much kicked ass...

285 now that song is in my head. it will blow your ass. way up high in the sky.

mingus always did have the bestest (and longest) song titles ...

290 nice video. very cool.

now playing ... MOD's Jim Gordon ... which brings to mind Anthrax, which I haven't heard in years ... hmmm, time to hit up Al Gore's inter-tubes ...

298 there was some great underground metal back in the day in the tri-state area. esp. in jersey.

299 that's awesome! yeah, sun was pretty much serious about everything. he and zappa each rehearsed their bands for unheard of amounts of time each day. sun ra was a big fan of saturn, as is col. bruce. the 10th moon of saturn is called Themis, which you can see is part of my sobriquet. colonel bestowed it on me back in '96...

300 i recently dl'd (but haven't extracted and listened to) a recording of pre-steve perry journey ... must have been right after they schon and rollie split from santana ... they were more prog-rockish then ... kinda hard to imagine without perry's pipes, though ...

cult --

here's another cool mingus title: "If Charlie Parker Were Alive, There'd Be A Lot Of Dead Copycats"!!! (or something like that)

Anthrax are amazing! charlie, to me, is the greatest metal drummer EVER, regardless of what the crazy death metallers can play today. he lives in Chicago now. the "classic" lineup has been back together for about 2 years now.

you should do yourself a favor and pick up the last studio record though. it's called "We've Come For You All." it's from '03 and you will not be disappointed. it's easily their best since Sound of White Noise, from a decade earlier.

306 i agree with your early journey sentiments. completely.

the 'main' drummer from journey, steve smith (my idol), works with another former Santana member, Tom Coster. they have a great fusion band called Vital Information. the new cd, Vitalization, is excellent. listened to it today!

307 thanks! i'll give it a listen ... random "now playing give it a listen" recommendation, los fabulosos cadillacs, surfer calavera ... rock en espanol ... everything from lounge jazz to metal, thrown into a blender and mixed up for a couple of seconds on pulse ...

argh, that's "fabulosos calavera" as the album name ...

ooh, that sounds good. kinda like a beachy Naked City!

where in cali are you again? bay area thrash is the greatest metal there is!

i wonder if rocket and/or andy called/texted biggio tonite. bidge seems real easy to like as a teammate. cute wife, too... ; )

down in LA ... which is it's own strata of metal ... some of which (VH, GnR) was sublime ... some of which (take your pick of just about everything else), wasn't ...

the next piece features john paul jones on piano ... no quarter ...

though usually, the nod should have gone out to bonham as well, he was such the monster ...

to me, bonzo is THE greatest rock drummer ever. period, end of. i teach a lot of bonham to all of my students. he's a god!

john paul jones produced a butthole surfers record ahwile back. TooL do a cool version of No Quarter.

LA had some 'real' metal bands like Slayer and Abbatoir...

I have to admit, I love pretty much all kinds of music...except metal. Hank Williams, Interstellar Space, The Damned, T-Bone Walker, Eric B. and Rakim, Mingus, Louis, Gram Parsons, Flatt and Scruggs, whatever...but not metal, not since I didn't much like Led Zep back in the day. Hell, I even have the Shaggs and Hasil Adkins on my iPod, but no metal to speak of.

I'll keep trying.

that fabulosos calavera, cd looks really good, cult! cool artwork, song titles and a funny caption. i see ruben blades guests on it, too! one of my best friends is playing a latin jazz gig at the baked potato in LA coming up. i deleted the email earlier today, but i can call/text him and find out the 411, if you ever go to shows like that there...

301 I'm glad someone else knows and likes that tune. It's so damn infectious.

huh, shows what i know ... i always thought slayer was bay area for some reason ... wiki has your back ...

"Slayer formed in 1981, when guitarist Kerry King met Jeff Hanneman while auditioning for a band. The two recruited bassist and vocalist Tom Araya, who had played with King in a band called Quits, and drummer Dave Lombardo who met King while delivering pizzas. The band began playing cover versions of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs at clubs and parties in Southern California"

318 let me know ... i like the baked tater, neat place to catch a show ...

317 oh, it's all good. i can't stomach any type of rap, hip-hop, trance, house, etc. i'm not good w/ electronics. i also never got into the goth/new wave/alt. stuff like depeche mode, erasure, cure, morrisey, etc.

but all of us have to be careful when we say we like "everything," 'coz most of us really don't. there are also sooo many sub-genres in styles. i have a couple of degrees in Classical Music and there are so many different eras/periods/styles and it's hard to really dig all of them. i'm a big fan of Indian Classical music. i also really like a lot of Afro-Cuban and avant garde. buuuuuut...

i'm a GIANT metalhead! : ) blame my big brother for that! jazz-fusion and thrash metal are definitely my 2 faves...

that said, Joe Jackson, is my favorite musician...

timmy k. is having multiple orgasims on BBTN talking about biggio & the big hurt. good stuff!

322 heh ... as well he should ... two things like that, from two shoo-in hall of famers on the same night ... big deal ... we should celebrate it ... bless 'em both

my appreciation for rap & hip-hop is pretty limited ... ice cube's "the predator", snoop's "doggy-style" and a couple of PE albums are about it ... other than that, i can appreciate it, but don't actually enjoy listening it ...

but then, i'm a live music junkie ... i'd rather see you fuck up trying to jump from A to .47 than listen to the most perfectly layered and composed studio album there is ...

321 i just texted my friend. hopefully he'll email it to me soon. i'll post the 411 here if/when i get it...

oh, that's cool wiki has that info. i would never had thought to check it. yeah, i have waaaaay too much useless knowledge, mostly about Metal, floating around my brain.

i did win a relatively easy bet at the bar the other week for a friend of mine. he used me for silly baseball reference, betting with some random dude. they wanted to know the 1964 gold glove winners for 2nd baseman. thankfully, it was an easy one... : )

i saw slayer at MSG on the clash of the titans tour (w/ anthrax, megadeth and alice in chains), and they got banned from the venue 'coz fans literally ripped the seats out of the ground. it was weird and chaotic.

i love all the huge career numbers they're crunching in regards to bigs & hurt and relating them to history. absolute shoo-in HoF-er's. A-Rod is going to completely annihilate the record books.

ooh, which reminds me -- Canada's Annihilator has a brand new cd out! : )

323 Hey, I like Kurkjian!

Man, are we the only two Easties still up? Where's Chyll? And I am about to pass the f*ck out...

326 you a phish fan?

hey, i like kurkjian too! i wasn't meaning to come across sarcastic. i'm a huge fan of round #'s in bb history...

yeah, i guess we are the only easties up! man, i'm wide the fuck awake. i'll be up for a coupla more hours... : ~

327 Yea, though there's no way I could talk music with some of the big boys around here.

mmm ... fela step right up ...

329 you have a chance to see them live?

And with that, guys, I'm out. It's been great!

329 talk it up, yankz! btw, i 2nd your stance on jeter being awesome. we're lucky to have him. hopefully he'll, at the very least, finally win the damn batting title this season. mags can't keep this up, can he?

331 Nope, if only. :( I think I like some of their newer stuff more than most Phish fans.

OK really now, my eyes are blurring, goodnight!

333 Christ, you guys are going to make me oversleep my alarm for the first time ever.

Yeah, this has to be the year. I hope to see Jeter finishing at .355, with Mags somewhere around .330.

331 i've seen phish live a few times. i've seen them be great - on fire with tremendous musical sensibilities. and i've also seen them shit the bed - completely uninspired and insipid.

yankz, you still up?

are phish still together? or on a "hiatus"? i know trey got busted bad on some heavy drugs and stuff...

well, that's too bad, i think i'm at about 30 shows since '98, there's nothing i've seen better than a really good phish show ... i'd bet (if my life was staked on it) they'll play again at some point ... if so, see them around the mid-point of the 1st tour, it'll be special ...

nice. my best friend from childhood (still my best friend...), is a big phish-head and has traveled to see them all over the place. i can't argue with you on a good phish show, it really is something...

yeah, i'm sure they'll get back together and do another tour or three, at some point.

soooo, would the iron sheff be this good if he were in NY this season? something tells me he wouldn't be quite this good. he sure would look nice as our DH right now though...

so go on home, british soldiers, go on home ...
have you got no fucking homes of your own???
for eight-hundred years, we've fought you without fear ...
and we'll fight you for eight-hundred more ...

If you stay British soldiers, if you stay
You will never ever beat the IRA
The fourteen men in Derry
are the last that you will bury
So take a tip and leave us while you may.

341 i think i just wet myself laughing, well done sir, well done ...

blame the beer... ; )

i'll sing you a song of a row in the town,
when the green flag went up and the crown flag came down ...
'twas the neatest and sweetest thing 'ever you saw ...
when they played that great game, called erin go bragh ...

well, if you're ever in LA, or if i'm ever in NYC (which, whatever happens i plan to be at the end of next season for the last series in THIS yankee stadium) i owe you a beer, or seven ... or whatever

345 i've played in the bay area a coupla times (and loved it), but i've never been to LA. i'm actually in atlanta now. i auditioned for col. bruce whilst i was playing in the symphony in pennsylvania and got the gig. he's an atlanta cat, so i came down here. it's been 11 freaking years now!

that said, i'm headed back home to NYC in 1.5 weeks to visit the fam. man, i would love nothing more than to catch a game at The Stadium before it goes bye-bye.

i'll treat you to a Blue Point ale. it's a long island micro brew and it's fucking awesome!!! can't wait to drink seven (or more!) in early july : )

hey cult, speaking of some celtic stuff. my favorite gaelic saying -- are you familiar with "Slainthe Mhath"?!

it's weird, pronounced Slon Dja Moth (as in "sloth," not "moth)

essentially, it's just the way the say "cheers" in scotland. good health. l'chaim type of thing. i love it. i guess it's mostly shortened to just Slainthe.

but even when i toured extensively throughout the UK a coupla times, it was tough to find folks who still say/use that saying. i always do...

hmmm ... interesting, i work for Earthlink ... which is HQ'd out of the ATL ... i just found out i'm gonna today i'm gonna be heading out there sometime in the next 4-8 weeks, probably in the 1st couple of weeks of august ... i can let you know when i find out, wouldn't mind hanging out and grabbing a beer or two if you were around ...

ooh, i just saw a highlight of the a-rod play in the field this evening. looks like phillips made a nice stretch on that throw. must be the high socks...

obviously he learned that from riding pine and watching The Gnome ...

now playing ... couldn't stand the weather, from a live show in late '88

no way! there used to be an earthlink bldg right across the street from my pad. there's also a music venue here that was called Earthlink Live -- i'm sure you know more about that than i do, considering your love of live music and your job. as a gigging musician, i actually don't get to check out a lot of live music...

all that said, i didn't even know earthlink was still around. i always get it confused with Mindspring, which - i think - was another local computer company...?

man, i'd love to grab a beer or three! i'll be the guy in the Yankees shirt! seriously, lemme know when you're gonna be in town. as of now, i will most likely be in Pa. august 8-12, but other than that, i'm here. my friends and i try and do a college reunion up at Penn State every summer and those are the aug. dates we're gunning for.

1st week in august would be wonderful! you can come check out a gig and i'll take you for a beer. do you know where your HQ is located?

early SRV was better for the blues numbers, but the up-tempo rcoky numbers really burned after he beat the bottle, i find ...

351 too funny -- i'm playing in Blues trio right now as one of my full-time gigs and it's heavy on the SRV. in fact, i just booked a bunch of gigs w/ that band for july-sept.

from couldn't stand weather, we've played: the title cut, scuttle buttin, voodoo chile (of course...), cold shot, tin pan alley and honey bee. essentially the whole damn record, just about. they're not all in regular rotation, but we've done 'em all...

i remember the day stevie died. i was working at a Record World on long island and was so devastated, (even as a drummer), that i took the day off.

i'm listening to some later Black Crowes - an atlanta band...

yeah, Life By The Drop, was a super cool tune. he was a big heroin junkie, too. ick, crazy.

i recorded a record for an instrumental guitar god back in 2003. he had a 'stevie tune' that was very reminiscent of "house is a knockin'" -- much fun to play, indeed!

aight, we're gonna have to hang out when i come to atlanta ... like i said, it's gonna be in the next 2 months ... def before labor day ... if i had to guess, i'd say the 1st week or so of August

now i've got Little Wing from Red Rocks, 6-19-85 ... which is the most scarifying SRV i know ... it's smack dab in the worst of his addiction days, it's like he just reaches inside and tears himself apart in front of you ... "it's a wonderful day in the first place, life is a wonderful thing ..."

yeah man, that sounds killer! let's just hope it's not the 2nd week/end of august, when i'll most likely be at penn state. other than that, i'll be in town, around, until like the 30th/31st, when i'll be out with said blues band...

just let me know when you find out your travel dates. i'm gone aug 8-12. and i'll let you know about my pals' baked potato latin-jazz gig at the potato...

do you know what part of town Earthlink is located? metro atlanta is very spread out. everything's pretty much 20 minutes though...

it's like 2 blocks from the place with Earthlink Live ... peachtree street

yikes, that does indeed reek of addiction. i'm sure he's playing great though. i've passed red rocks but haven't played there. i bet that's a HUGE rush!

i'm not big on bootlegs and stuff, but i have tons of official albums. nothing massive, but a collection of like 5,000...

wait, does stevie actually sing on that Little Wing? that would be cool. but he usually does it instrumental. i'd like to hear him sing it. nobody ever really mentions it, but i always dug his voice. he's not a great "singer," per se, but i did his intention and timbre...

peachtree and 17th, to be exact

359 or, in other words, maybe 5 minutes from my pad. at most. actually, earthink live - used to be called Center Stage, it's all coming back to me now! - is on W. P'Tree St., if i'm not mistaken. right where it meets up w/ P'Tree street. it's right around the corner from my studio...

this'll be easy. let's hope they send you here anytime other than the PSU trip and we'll meet up for beer/music/yanks...

360 well, it depends on what you think the best guitarists are doing when they play ...

362 excellent! i should know shortly ...

yup, super close to me. right in between my pad and studio. it'll be a cinch to meet up. how long will they send you here?

cool! hey, maybe we can grab dinner with the colonel! i usually grab thai food w/ him on tuesdays. he has the BEST stories ever...

atlanta really is a wonderful city. you'll enjoy it!

sounds like it will be for a weekish, monday through friday morning ... would love to meet up, i'll bring my portable HD with the musical brain and such ... send you email to temek@earthlink.net and let's keep in touch

that sounds great man! if you get an email with the word "drums" in it, you'll know it's me! early in the week is better for me, as i teach wed/thurs. i may not be gigging while you're here, but i should be around.

ooh, just got a text from my drummer buddy in LA -- he's gonna re-send the email about the baked potato gig. i'll just forward it to you...

rock on!

awesome! god bless al gore and his dump trucks of inter-tubes!!!

look forward to it!

aight ... i'm out ... gotta sleep ... shoot me an email, or well be in touch on a game thread ... ciao

sounds great, man! my buddy from LA called, so i'm talking to him now... i'll shoot you an email...

277 h aha ha ha ha ha haa ha haa ha ha ha!!!!!