0 "I just hope Mike Mussina can handle the disruption."

Maybe that explains the shot of Clemens massaging Mussina today--consolation after Torre or Guidry broke him the sad news?

Who is Mike Mussina and why do I care about what he thinks? His multiple failures cannot be blamed on who receives him, can they?

2 Of course not. Anyway, Posada has caught an overwhelming number of Moose's games, so there shouldn't be a problem there.

1 Ha!

So Edwar gets to overmatch AAA hitters for another couple of weeks until September, while Worthless stays with the major league club?

Makes sense to me.

5 Actually I'm not as upset about the move. Edwar clearly needs regular work, and while I disagree that Joe won't put him into anything but a blowout I can at least see where he's coming from. If there's one thing you hate from your relievers, its walking the park. Let Edwar go down, get his command back and then come back up. If Joe isn't going to use him in close games he'll just rot on the bench up here.

7 Of course. Joe needs to win every game... witness Mo closing the first game yesterday w/a 4 run lead. If Joe/we lose with our 'regular' vets... well.... that sucks. But if we lose because we're trying to see what the kids got? Stupid!

Kid Bugs has plenty of time ahead of him. Hopefully he will be up in the spring and be an impact guy next year. We really have some exciting pitchers to look forward to... despite stupid ole Cashman.

While it is about time we replaced Nieves, he had all of 61 ABs. While every AB counts, and he did hurt us some, it pales in comparison to the hurt laid on us by Abreu/JD/Cano... and earlier on by Melky and Matsui. I'm glad I don't have to listen to more comments about Nieves/stupid Joe/stupid Cashman. Nieves was moving deck chairs around on the Titanic. Abreu/JD/Cano/Melky/Matsui decide whether the ship sinks or not.

We have another week to see if Cashman pulls a rabbit out of his hat, but it really doesn't look like there is much quality to be had.

While we are still a longshot, I still believe. If we gain ONE game a week, we make it. Everyone is coming around except JD. Lets hope Joe keeps him in LF and he picks it up some. We have pitching help coming soon. And we won a doubleheader with 2 MiLB pitchers against a good hitting team. TB wins 4 out of 10 games, so that's nothing to sneeze at.

We need a dandy from Andy!
LETS GO YANKEES!

Oops... that's 6, not 7

0 Momeana, Molina, Bananafanabolina, Feefifolina... Molina!

so, damon is sitting. If Damon isn't hurt, and he sure doesn't look hurt, why is he sitting? Shields is a righty, correct?

I won't be able to watch the whole game. But mostly I hope the team isn't asleep after firing on all cylinders last night.

0, 9 And I was thinking of the old blues song:

Molina, Molina, where you been so long?
Molina, Molina, where you been so long?
Ain't had no (backup) catchin' since you been gone.

But that's just me. I also had fun at the first game yesterday, yelling "Hey NAWW-ton, ol' buddy, ol' pal" in my best Kramden voice every time Greg Norton came up.

Meanwhile, it seems - I hope - that Joe has shifted the bullpen roles, and some nickname changes are called for. Luis Vizcaino has apparently moved into Proctor's old role, so he's now CDLV, for the Spanish Cada Día Luis Vizcaino. Proctor is no longer EDSP but EISP, Eighth Inning Scott Proctor.

And the former eighth-inning guy, well, he's just POSKF.

13 I'm still partial for Worthless as a nickname for Kombustable Kyle. It really sums up who he is as a person.

Oh man, there are just so many movies I've seen 15 times going up against the Yankees game today:

USA: Stargate, then Waterworld
TNT: Lara Croft, Tomb Raider
A&E: A Few Good Men, then Braveheart
TBS: Demolition Man
ABC Family: Groundhog Day

I don't know if I'll be able to keep myself from channel surfing. Come on Pettitte and Shields, make it interesting!

15 Angelina in clingy black garb, sporting a steel reinforced bra. yummmmmmmm, donuts!

Cabrera, cf
Jeter, ss
Abreu, rf
Rodriguez, 3b
Matsui, lf
Posada, c
Cano, 2b
Phillips, 1b
Duncan, dh

Phillips then Duncan??? Two righties in a row! The Joe Torre BFOG Lineup Construction Server must have crashed on that one.

Nice to see Duncan is getting a fair shake instead of mostly useless JD in that DH role and that Joe has given the Miguel Cairo Experience a rest while Phillips has been staying productive with the bat and glove. The 1-7 batters just need to keep doing their job now.

BTW... Pettite two Ks alread, and one of them was newly annointed Upton... Niiiiiice.

20 BJ Upton is going to be a very very good player. The only question was where on the diamond he was going to play. He's freaky-athletic.

I was sold ever since he hit an opening day walk-off grand slam down by 3 with two outs in the ninth as a Durham Bull two years ago.

It's a good thing and all, but I just don't understand how a manager could start Cairo for two weeks straight at 1B, but now gives Duncan the start over Damon and even after the game Damon had yesterday.

Weird.

My only guess is that Joe has been convinced to see what they have in Duncan before the trading deadline. And his HR yesterday just helped cement that sentiment.

21 The label "superstar" applies, especially if he remains a CF.

22 As PeteAbe mentioned, I don't think you see the day Damon had and think turnaround, with his bloop hits. When he starts putting balls over the short porch in right, then he's turned it around.

Damon's day in the field though, was encouraging. You really need a CF-type to cover LF at Yankee Stadium.

So, everyone is watching Stargate, then?

24 True, it was just a start. But still, that's reason in the Torre universe to play him for another week straight.

I guess he's seen enough of Duncan to buy into giving him a few starts before they decide whether to trade for Wiggy.

Matsui-san!

Wow, it's good to see him back.

9 HR and 16 RBI in last 10 games.

Godzilla!

I feel like I am watching the same game for like a week now.

Now watch Jorge get thrown out trying to go first to third. Groundhog day.

That was a real aggressive swing Robbie- sorry to wake you up so early this morning.

24 One more note on that:

If the reports are true, Torre's choice is either playing Duncan or trading Proctor.

I can see why he's playing Duncan.

[Nooooooooo! Not EDSP!!!!!!!]

32 Cano's 2007 Day/Night split is pretty extreme.

Duncan made that way too easy.

The Melkman Delivers!

Wow, dig Leche!

Nice stroke, excellent hustle out of the box.

(See that, Robby?)

Melky the Machine

Melky now up to .282

Oof- Jeet's OBP below .400?

35 Evidently that's the kind of hitter he is.

I'm trying to just resign myself to it, in the interests of open-mindedness.

37 Hey, Robbie hit it the other way in his first at bat...

Leche again!

Come on Derek, let's cash it in!

Who said Melky wasn't fast?

Looks like a fine leadoff hitter to me.

42 Yes, I saw. :)

41 But that really was like a video game sequence. Everybody knew exactly what pitches were going to be thrown.

Now Jete needs to take 2nd.

[Channel Harvey.]

45 I know, I was thinking the same thing.

I am really not sold on Duncan- I know short sample but there is a huge hole in his swing and not near enuff discipline

I wish he didn't walk Jeter there- DJ needs something to get himself jumpstarted back to dominating form

Kay and Leiter were going on again about Shelley Duncan being the son of Dave Duncan. But that got me to look up Duncan the elder's career numbers. He was a catcher, but has been a long time pitching coach. That makes a certain amount of sense, but I wonder how many other pitching coaches these days are not former pitchers themselves.

Great baserunning two times by Melky.

Bobby!

That was huge.

Beautiful.

Nice and easy, up the middle.

I think Jeter needs to swipe second here while BA is up

40 And now it's back to .400.

Funny Posada goes to third on that and Jeter stops at second- MIRA JORGE!

WOw if AROD Were looking to hit the first pitch that was gone

Double steal? - with two strikes - sounds like a plan

47 What can I say?

He's not my favorite kind of hitter, to be sure.

I'm trying to be Zen about him and hopefully he'll make me happy now and again.

Alex!

Pour it on, Team!

Ball gets away!

Ha!

50 There's not really to be sold about, he's showing the same abilities he showed in AAA this year: lots of Ks, lots of power. If his towering foul ball on Friday night stayed fair, that would have been a representative sample of Duncan's abilities.

While people like weeping aren't going to fall in love with an all-or-nothing hitter, he's going to have a better BA, a better OBP, and most certainly a better SLG than Damon. He's not a long term-solution, but he makes the team better right now.

Love the way he's adjusting his swing with two strikes.

A-God!

Best. Story. Of. The. Season.

[Just needs three homers in a game 7]

Excellent running, Alex.

Please stay A-lex!

59 Well said, and even if he only ends up starting against LHP and as a PH hitter off the bench.

Giambi back would mean a bench of:
Damon, Molina, Duncan, and Cairo.

That's as good as it's been in years.

54 I started referring to Derek as Mr. 1-3, but maybe I should rather call him Mr. 1-3-With-a-Walk.

He's just so divinely consistent.

63 And imagine if they only carried 12 pitchers!

64 I know, I know, the math there doesn't quite work out.

Humor me.

63 There's a reason I'm not a baseball GM, but what I would do would be to trade Proctor for Wiggy anyway, and DFA Cairo. Then the bench is Damon, Molina, Duncan, Wiggy... and the downgrade in the bullpen (Proctor to Viz in the 8th, bring up Britton or Edwar) is not substantial.

But Jim, what would you complain about? ;-)

Pasta Leapingcano :-)

22 Who would you have played over Miggy at first... especially Miggy played excellent D and also hit .250ish once he played regularly?

According to PeteAbe, Torre kept JD out to rest his legs. Last night, a number of running catches, 2 doubles and 1 (or 2) SBs. Not so weird.

59 After all those conversations about the merits of Adam Dunn, I'm actually pleased to see Shelley because we get to see an action exactly what we were talking about.

And I welcome the challenge of trying to appreciate a player I'm naturally averse to.

Dont give it right back please

67 I'm down with that, but only if I thought that the manager would use Jeter/A-Rod to cover SS (otherwise, Cairo is the only BU SS). Wiggington and Phillips would make Cairo doubly redundant. I would also drop to 12 pitchers (see 65) and call up a speedy guy for the bench--that would also make up for the loss of Cairo, who is admittedly a fine baserunner.

Nice play APHIL

69 Going to Andy Phillips, who was hitting very well at AAA, three weeks earlier, would probably have netted the Yankees at least one more win over that stretch in June.

Wow, that was a tricky (lucky?) throw by Andy.

Could JONNY GOMES had anymore de-latinocized his name? At least Richie Valens was 50 years ago.

59 Even with the current GOJD, I doubt Shelly will have a better OBP.

"Thank you God, thank you God!" (Leiter on throwing the cutter.)

That was cute.

I like these two together.

77 So then he won't be "clogging up the basepaths" then...

74 Agreed.

70 I love the notion of Duncan, but he's not even close to Adam Dunn's league. Dunn is the same type of hitter as Duncan, except he's been mucho successful at the ML level, not slowly moving through MiLB. Hell, they're the same age, but Dunn came up when he was 22.

Why is Andy diddling around with this team?

Come on, Andy!

You're Andy Pettitte, remember?

Go get 'em!

75 Lucky. Bad angle. Needed to move in and throw to the SS side of the bag.

AIIISH! Andy- You could have gone after Navarro. Why make it so interesting?

Can't walk Navarro on 4 pitches..

Stop with the nibbling already, Andy.

80 Right, Duncan's like the poor man's Dunn.

Still, no one's going to confuse either of them with Rod Carew.

The wheels are coming off.

Andy playing with fire.....

No, no.

He'll get out of it.

Don't worry.

(Please, Andy, please.)

Fuck!

It seems like it wouldn't hurt Pettitte to once in a while rear back and throw it through Posada- show a 93 with GANAS! His soft stuff sometimes gets him in trouble

NIce hitting.

Not much you can do about that.

MLB.TV crapped out on me. Did Andy get out of the bases loaded jam?

Uh Derek...Derek!

Prediction: Three-run Homer from Duncan this inning.

Uh Derek...Derek!

Jeez.... Jetes simply can't move to his left.
Might a dive have knocked that one down?

93 Nope.

Adam Dunn: Career 128 OPS+
Rod Carew: 131

Pretty effin' close.

97 I don't think so.

97 Yeah. Leiter defended him, because he was shaded to the hole. FAir enough, I guess, but it would have been nice to dive and try to prevent the second run. Come to think of it, when was the last time you saw Jeter dive (except into the stands)?

Pettitte is becoming too much of a PUSSYFOOTER...he needs to stop PUSSYFOOTING around like he only has Mussina quality stuff and throw a fucking hard fastball in or away early in the count...as far as I am concerned he got we he deserved that inning. SHIT!

This is shaping up as another game in which Pettitte stays one run ahead of his offense. Usually, W-L% isn't a relevant statistic, but with Andy it does tell a story. He seems to constantly cough up leads as soon as the Yankees get them and always has his worst outings when the team scores a lot.

Screw you Cano, always pulling the ball.

Inaccurate, sure, but Young has quite the arm.

Okay, I'll settle for a two-run homer.

In truth, in terms of bat speed and contact, the difference between that single and a DP ball is infintesimal. These ground balls, whether hits or DPs are really just the RCNB.

93 What's his face (the guy before Iwumora) took a low pitch right back up the middle, nice and easy like, plating two.

Cano up to .286

99 I was going to post that, but decided against it. In Srew's defense (as if he needs one), he was super-productive for a really long time, with a number of peak seasons much better than anything Dunn has put up so far (at least according to OPS+).

Two pitches back to the lead...NOte to Pettitte- PITCH WITH THE LEAD NOW!

Nice to get one right back.
Obviously, TB feels they can still score more.

107 RCNB? Real Club Nautico de Barcelona?

109 More importantly, his OPS+ is now on the right side of 100.

Kaye has found the perfect partner.
"Please... let's not."

Great bunt opportunity here...time to play baseball...

110 Oh, there's no denying who was the better player. But it's not like a Ruth to Nieves comparison, either.

I'm still getting used to the YES broadcasts, since this is my first year with MLB.tv. Does Kay always tell the same story over and over and over and over again? And does the production crew always indulge him by supplying the same replays and other a/v effects to enable his repetitive story telling?

Before today:

Mfhsdjkg - 13 runs created in 141 PA
Andy - 12 runs created in 86 PA

Basically, Andy is like having twice the offense at the bottom of the order.

Dammit, Melky. Get the bunt down.

113 Random Chaotic Nature of Baseball (tm)

114 Yup. AVG is just easy with Gameday.

Which site do you use for in-game OPS+?

That looked like two to me...

67 but who would play SS in case Jeter went down!?

The fact that we saw Mgdhfsgjk, Cairo, and Nieves at all?

118 Welcome to the Michael Kay Experience. You will learn to use the mute button on your computer regularly.

There appears to be a pair of testicle stuck to Duncan's helmet.

Got love Uncle Fester's hustle though!

The most consistent hitter I've ever seen.

Derek.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

"Well you can't teach this, folks," says Leiter.

He attributes Derek's swing to hand-eye coordination rather than mechanics, so maybe you're right, mp.

119 Oh, and let's not forget Cairo's 10 RC in 116 PA--getting back to who should have been called up earlier this year to play 1B.

Hey, lookit that Duncan mix it up with Wilson at 2B. I like the cut of his gib...that's an 10 points on the BFOG meter.

69 Uh, Andy Phillips?

This is the kind of run NOT GETTING has come back to bite us in the ass...Send Jeter!

130 I think not. Derek TRIES to go the other way when it's appropriate.

122 It doesn't have in-game, but B-R.com updates OPS+ on a daily basis.

125 Thank you.

Common ARod. Make this one Andy-proof.

130 Right. Meant to grab that too.

256 PA for Mghdkx and Cairo...

The White Sox are horrifyingly bad

133 I think so too.

All I know is, Leiter said "you can't teach this" so maybe he knows something we don't.

Just more evidence to throw into the hopper for the perpetual argument between me and mp.

Crap... now ARod loses an RBI

SPEED KILLS!!!

Manny three run HR against Garland. It may be time to start focusing on the wild card. Seattle is getting pounded. Need Texas to bring their whooping sticks tonight.

With Schilling back and no more Tavarez starts, they just aren't going to lose that much anymore.

Double steal!!! With A-Rod at the plate.

There is increasingly less the complain about...

Now, if only that bullpen could get upgrades...

Andy Phillips =>? Scott Brosius

Please leave first base alone Cashman. We always win with these TYPE of players

118 In a three game series, Michael Kay told the Troy Tulowitzki story eight times. And I think he only told it once in game three.

Shit AROD RBI taken away...Shields your a Woosie!

Our 'O' is turning into a machine. Damn!

Keep it up, boys, keep it up.

man, leatherface is smoking hot these days ... go, go Gojira!

HA! AndyProof!

134 Thanks.

B-R is simply amazing. Hopefully Forman never cashes out for a few million.

129 133 My sense is, watching Jeter (and this is atmittedly speculation on my part) is that he has tremendous batting coordination, which he has further honed, but also that he seems to aim almost exclusively to right field. Sometimes I think he does this to a fault--it seems like in his by far best season (1999) he pulled the ball with more authority. Now, maybe he got injured somewhere along the way, or maybe it's like a relative fitness peak (he has trained himself/evolved to a certain peak, and it would be too hard to unlearn his current tendencies to learn/practice a different sense of skills.

And he is not a perfeect player (who is?). He clearly sacrifices a little power (usually SLG ~.470) for BA. And he's not afraid of the K (averages 114 a season!).

But as with any player, you takle the good with the bad and evaluate the whole package. This combination clearly works for Jeter, because taken as a whole, including his subpar D at a tough defensive position, he's a great player.

145 By the way, did you know that Tulowitzki was a Jeter fan growing up; Johnny Gomes had a heart attack on Christmas Eve and Dave Lapoint knew it was time to retire when his fastball and changeup met at the same speed?

I've decided the dancing is the worst part of so many awful things in that commercial

139 Nah! That's just Jeterspeak. You give Cano $1,000 for every opposite field BH. Then watch.

151 It is better than amazing. It is by far the best and most important website for baseball stats and information.

Hey, remember when Fossum was an overhyped-by-espn can't-miss Red Sox prospect?

154Does that mean you can't dance, or just dance like a fool?

153 There's another really bad one he has, but it escapes me at the moment.

This is glorious.

If we wind up scoring ten runs over four games in kansas...

I almost feel bad for them. Almost.

I'm really getting tired of all these singles. :-)

Wow, this is on the verge of being Andy proof AND Farnsworth proof.

Cano = .288 :)

I bet Andy gives up 2 runs next inning.

155 I've thought about that too.

It's hard not to think it would work.

156 No doubt. And it's one guy.
You, too, can make a difference!

This is just sad.

168 I refuse to believe that.

I want to see Shelley jerk one.

Hold onto your hats, here he comes!

154 No. It's clearly the "rapping". Hate, hate, haaaaaaaaaaaate.

171 Uh...

172 Um....you need to get out more.

173 :)

174 I don't get it.

Why?

(Not that I don't need to get out more, but it seems like a non-sequitur.)

Thanks, Shelley!

Get out ball!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shelley Duncan for President.

I'm telling you, he's Shane Spencer reborn.

heeeyal yea

Jerk it out!

BOO YAA!!!!!!!

JERK THAT!
=)

Shelley!

Sterling hasn't figure out his call yet...

Dead pull hitter.

Shelley !!!!!!!!!!!!

This game is fun

183 yea, he oughta have something good for shelley.

That's the best way to stick it to that loser 2B.

Man, Shelley almost fell over swinging at that.

What violence.

Shelly - 2 HR and 6 RBI in 10 AB.

What took so long to call up?

Oh, right. Cairo was playing 1B. And Damon was the DH.

Goosebumps - man I got goosebumps watching that homer by Shelley ! I'd give just about anything to be him right now !!!

Does this call-up remind you of Kevin Maas's run many years ago ?!

183 His head will explode if he doesn't figure it out the next time he hits one... "It is high! It is far! It is gone! Shelley Duncan shell--- Shelley Duncan dunk--- Shelley Dunc---" (Poof, head explodes)

Now everything said, Duncan is one goofy looking MF.

189 did you see how he hi-fived his teammates yesterday?

187 I don't know if "good" is what I expect.

Dammit, Jete, you suck!

That felt like it was Jeter's 3rd AB that inning.

193 Goofy and hits some bombs!!!

191 Let us not speak of such things.

Friggin' Jeter... Please note 163. (Shelly did!)

what-a-bum that jeter, grounding out on the 1st pitch ...

192 Nice.

last time it was: "A dunkin' for Duncan!"

195 well,i mean, putting it into perspective.

191 Don't put a hex on the kid, joe. Jeez.

man, i hope andy was doing jumping jacks in the clubhouse, that was a loooooong half-inning

I take complete credit for Duncan's homer: 95

193 That he is. Both as a ballplayer and as a human.

Maybe if he'd been blessed with a more classical appearance he'd have adopted a swing to match.

Maybe in little league he was the tall kid who adopted that aggressive persona to capitalize on his goofy looks.

Goofy looks, goofy swing, underwritten by sheer aggression.

I like this kid.

193 He's Uncle Fester

Only Melky lacks an RBI today.

207 Uncle Fester with pop in his bat.

If Andy (Pettitte) can keep it together for another inning or three, it may be time to empty the bench and get some starters not named Phillips or Duncan a little more rest.

206 Yes, we can not overlook that the man is 30 feet tall. He really is quite the site.

But as long as the results are there, he can look like the guy from The Mask for all i care.

uh-oh ... i hope henn feels like pitching today

205 You can't take credit from a previous inning. That's against the prediction rules. That's like me saying Phillips is going to "jerk one" on Tuesday.

205 Well done.

213 It was the same inning! Duncan walked in his first at-bat in the inning, but hit the homer in his second at bat.

Somehow it just seems that ARod just needs to have a stat-padding-non-clutch-cantdoit-inthe-PS HR sometime today.

206 Phew! I thought you were going all medieval (or even ancient) on me, and were going to conclude that his awkward apparence betrayed a flawed moral character.

; )

211 He's quite the sight, too.

What the hell with everyone using the "If anything happened to Jorge Posada..." argument to the Molina acquisition?

Jesus H. Christ

Cashman and Torre yesterday. Now everyone on the WCBS...

Whoa, I had forgotten this- only reason Yanks have Hughes is because they got the pick when Pettitte walked.

Ah, mehmattski, I agree with Jim. I didn't realize you were off by an inning. I retract my "well done."

:)

213 I think I see, Jim, you're titillated by the phrase "jerk one," is that it?

216 i hope! im looking at this season as the most likely for a-rod to break bonds. that would make me feel great even if we dont get into the you-no-whats

215 I retract the retraction.

Heh heh.

I think Leiter talks a little too much, but I do appreciate that he basically tells Kay that he's full of shit, only in a somewhat nicer manner.

215 Nope, doesn't count. Only applies the AB. I'm keeping stats on the predictions and with that you're 0 for 5.

213 Please refer to 171 and 172. Ignor the misspelling of come.

217 ha ha ha hah ah ah ah qah ha ha hah a!!!!!!!!

That's really funny!

(As a medievalist, I find it especially so. :)

221 especially when you follow it up with "hold onto your hats, here he comes!"

Sorry... all these runs are making me childish.

221 I'm titillated (heehee!) too. Who knew baseball was such a haven for immature humor?

221 Come on! You're the one talking about watching him jerk one - then "here he comes!"

That's a sad, sad, reflection on your personal life.

What is bearded road tripper claiming that i care about?

227 A medievalist, eh? Historian, literature? I'm an ancient historian (Roman, some Greek) by trade.

Pettite has to get it together or this team will go nowhere.

I hate to put the damper on this offensive explosion, but Andy has been atrocious today. His whip going in to today's game was 1.42, which obviously has only gotten worse. He just can't keep people off base and that means that Yanks have only two pitchers they can rely on, Clemens and Wang.

so far in the last two games, 30 runs, 33 hits. thats amazing.

228 Oh, God!

Of course.

(I can be a little obtuse wrt bathroom humor sometimes--my delicate sensibilities, you know. :)

Now I get it, thanks.

:)

Well, with this game in hand, back to 15, new set of movies starting:

USA: Waterworld
TNT: Minority Report
A&E: Braveheart
ABC Family: Robin Hood: Men in Tights
AMC: Patriot Games

Waterworld is awful, but is watchable up to the point when Kevin Costner delivers the worst acted line in the history of acting... They've established that this character's whole life is his make-shift raft in this world with no land. And so when the refugees he doesn't want tagging along are the cause of an attack on his home that burns the boat to a crisp (while he somehow keeps a woman without gills alive by breathing into her mouth), Costner's character surfaces and sees the destruction.

Costner then deadpans, in a monotone:

"My boat."

And that is the worst acted line of all time.

el coma dulce

This is actually kind of sad

Bobby Abreu says, "Thirteen is an unluck number. I must get that off the scoreboard immediately."

237 Is that what the Devil Rays owners and coaching staff are saying collectively right now? In the same voice, of course.

234 He hasn't be great - but he has 6 K's and is one inning from quality start.

Meanwhile, I love how Sterling gives a call in Spanish (probably poorly translated) that no one understands, so he has to translate it into English as soon as he's done.

237 I've got to go with Jack Black's line at the end of King Kong:

"It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast."

It's not even grammatically correct!!

233 History.

Just at the beginning of the dissertation, which is on the use of ritual in the christianization process, ca. 600-900.

You're an ancient historian?--funny, you don't look all that old!

ha ha hah aha!!

Thank you, thank you, I'm here all weak, ladies and goims!

Abreu up to .273

KC up on Detroit by 3.
LA up on Minn. by 3.
Seattle getting creamed.
We should gain some ground today.

Only problem is, Vizcaino(i geuss hopefully) wont get the win

244 Good stuff. I had a buddy in grad school whose dissertation was on church architecture and christianization in the Greek east, c. 600. My diss was 4th and 3rd centuries BC, Roman Italy.

244 uuggh

How about pulling Posada for Nieves? Give Jorge some rest and Nieves his last horah?

234 You read my mind. Our 230may explode, but without pitching we'll be all dressed up and nowhere to go.

244 Also, wheels slowly turning--I see how your Banter "name" makes sense.

234 You read my mind. Our 'O'230may explode, but without pitching we'll be all dressed up and nowhere to go.

237 waterworld's intermittently entertaining in all the wrong ways ... but it's doesn't come close to the sheer ego-bloated grandeur of The Postman

250 I missed the beginning of the game--is Nieves still on the roster? Yeah, I would pull Posada and either Cano or Jeter (for Cairo).

255 Nieves go bye-bye. Molina caught the red-eye and is sitting in the dugout.

But Cairo in for ARod, as Miggy should bat cleanup.

256 Ah, See-ya-ves?

Kennedy today:

5 IP 3 H 0 ER 0 BB 6 K

256 Does anyone else feel like Mussina drove Wil to the airport and their goodbye was something like the final scene in Casablanca?

Can we win without Nieves?

hmmph, only a one run inning and the sox lead 3-0 and threaten.

260 LOL!

237 I saw a film called "Joshua" the other night.

Highly recommended, especially for those of you with kids.

It's intense and very dark, but very real.

261 i think we can prolly manage. Although he was a "nice guy", so it may put the rest of the team into a deppression induced slump.

oh, yeah - Cano = .290

264 Genre?

252 ;)

BTW... as fun as the last three games have been, this has to be the worst baseball series I have ever bore witness to.

At the end of this game, the Yanks will have gone 9-3 since the ASB. Not too shabby.

Glad to hear Kennedy's great line today. Despite the love affair with Jaba's nasty stuff, Kennedy has actually been the better pitcher so far, and I think, and hope, he can figure just as prominently in the Yanks future.

270 Thank God for the D-Rays and B-Jays getting us back on track.

267 Good question. Indy, kind of felt like Harold and Maude.

It's about post-partem depression, dementia, sibling rivarly, high-powered work life, obsession with death, the Brooklyn Museum, Alice in Wonderland, and family.

It's kind of a psycho-drama, reminiscent of Chabrol or Polanski.

TB is a young but talented team. When Torre watches these games, it reinforces his 'Vets' preference. What is the TB payroll? Pocket change? I hope they can afford to keep some of these guys and keep building. When they play well, they are a fun to team to watch. And this is without Baldelli and Crawford, who are 2 of their leaders.

An all-time bad 'Quality' start for Andy.

269 I know, I was thinking the same thing.

I hope it doesn't screw up their focus in the coming games.

273 Sorta Harvard Man-esque, only with less drug use?

Hey, he jerked another one!

Dead-pull hitter my ass!

:)

Shelley Duncan for Ruler of the Free World!

Did Sterling's head blow up like I said it would???? I'm not listening. Please tell me.

Oh my god

SHELLEY SMASH!!!

Shelly!!!!

And I love that Sterling has no call to launch into. Gosh, he just has to explain what's happing! What a concept!

That was actually like one of Alex's swings.

That was impressive.

10 says he sits tomorrow

but you gotta say it like ... HULK SMASH!!!

Yo, fun game today.
That Duncan kid can rake, I guess.

275 All-time, huh? With 8 K's against 3 BB's?

283 and he should if the lineup calls for it. I know folks get enamored with small samples, but you don't shake up your team because of them.

288 meant to point to 284

285 Yeah, that's good.
I was thinking maybe: "Shelly shellacked it!"

272 Now they play KC, Baltimore, Chicago, KC and Toronto before they finally face a good team, Cleveland, on August 10. 16 games against lousy teams, and they really should win...what, 13 of them? Win three series, sweep two?

277 Never saw it, but there is drug use, albeit, prescription psychotropics.

Meanwhile: Ha ha hah ah aha !!! That was so funny. God, this is like a circus.

What inning is this?

Duncan = 1.598 OPS

You'd rather have Damon?

288 You're right... you should never ride the hot hand, especially when your alternative DH is Johnny Damon.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, good Lord.

This is like a cartoon.

HA!!!

Couldn't let Duncan have his moment of glory, huh StatRod?

A-God!!!!

498.

The best thing that should come out of the win today would be an upset of Chisox over the Bosox!

So if damon's coming in to rest Abreu, Damon can't be THAT banged up or tired, no? Looks like Joe is just realizing who the better player(s) is(are). Meet your new fourth OF, pinch runner, Mr. Johnny Damon.

F-in A-Rod, there he goes padding stats.

Man, i can't remember a game like this in a long, long time...

Another meaningless ARod homer. Ridiculous.

Anyone else a little bored? It's only the 6th.

This win means very little other than moral support if we don't pick up a game

Trivia question:
How many poeple have seen the original 'Producers' movie, with Zero Mostel, Dick Shawn (as a hilarious Hitler) and a young Gene Wilder?

275The negativity is Unbeliveable.

ok. this just isn't cool. when did we start playing tee ball?

Guess A-Rod is slumping again, huh? I mean he's only hitting homers to left field and left center. Those opposite field shots are just doubles off the wall.

295 two games does not equal a hot hand. it is called perspective.

that arod, always padding his stats ...

A-rod 1 year ago today: .280/21/71

Stat-padding-non-clutch-cantdoit-inthe-PS HR. I feel better.

288 What shaking up the team? He's pretty much a solid DH type player, and he's a few bombs against RH pitching. He should absolutely start tomorrow, and keep starting until his weaknesses are exposed or until Damon stands up from that wheelchair and walks, I say, walks again. Otherwise, the rest of the lineup is exactly the same.

304 Um, it means a win. It's the opposite of a loss. If Boston wins today, it means that we didn't lose any ground. WHat the hell do you people want. 35 runs in two games and people are complaining and diminishing the accomplishment. It's making me sick. I've never seen such a joyless collection of malcontents.

309 You didn't say who you'ld rather be DHing than Shelley... Damon and his .240 BA? Or Miggy?

how was that ball that JD hit ... was it a bloop, or did he actually drive the ball for the first time in 6 weeks???

309 So that's a "Yes, I'd rather have Johnny Damon." Unless Miggy Mantle should DH?

313 He is a solid DH player based on 3 major league games? If the pitching matchup call sfor him to play, fine. But overreacting to a small sample and pretending that is smart baseball isn't what it appears to be.

303 No kidding.

304 Well, it means we're on track. We don't have to pick up a game today, but rather need to go on a tear so we'll pick up any games to be had.

That's why that two-game losing streak killed us. We really needed to win Wang's last start. That's the one that got away.

Oh my God, double by Jorgie.

This is really painful to watch.

What's the major league record for hits?

Must be like 30, right?

Christ, all these D-Rays pitchers' arms are going to fall off... I kind of feel bad for them...

315 D'oh...

Wow.

Pull Posada now.

hmmm ... so which position player for the DRays gets to fall on his sword and take the beating for the pitching staff?

305 And. Now. It's. Spring-time. For Hitler . And Ger-ma-ny!

Winter. For Poland and France!

crap. gotta go y'all. see ya in a week. maybe.

324 ALL of them...

320 Same. At this point I just want them to get home before they collapse from running around the bases too much.

318 I repeat... who do you want to DH instead of Duncan? Give me one name.

Looks like there should be no more talk of trading for Adam Dunn. With all those homers and Ks, Duncan is Adam Dunn.

323 yeah, this is a perfect time to get our flying molina brother into his first game

305 I have. Ask away!

301 22-0 Cleveland

319314 My point is not negative just pure objectivism. All of the beautiful bombs by are hitters are nice, but lack true substance if the Soxs win.

320 Did they feel sad when they kick our ass on Friday?

334 I don't mind insubstantial wins, myself. I prefer them to losses of all kinds.

I just realized, it's 35 (and counting)runs in the past 2 games. That's gotta be some kind of record, right?

This game is going to move them into first...in runs scored.

318 I don't get it. They've had all season to figure out that Damon can't DH. Or, more accurately, he can't hit enough to warrant playing DH--either historically or especially based on his awful play so far this year. I am convinced that Duncan will give them more offense from the DH spot, based not on his three games at the ML level, but on Damons 95 games this year at the ML and Duncan's season at MiL. Now is NOT the time to jerk him in and out of teh lineup playing matchups--especially since he does done ok so far against RHP. RAther, now is the time to see just what kind of player he actually is. We KNOW he's not the next coming of Ruth, or even Adam Dunn for that matter. But I would rather make the organization evaluate him based on 50 or 70 ABs, rather than 10 or 12--thet means starting him for 10 or 15 games.

It was Damon's shitty play that 'forced' them to call up Duncan, about a month too late. Now the best thing they can do is follow the experiment through.

326 Seeya, seamus!

That's Henn up in the pen... at least Joe doesn't feel the need to burn anyone useful out in this blood bath.

So, Proctor for the 8th?

325 One of the all time great classics that flew totally under the radar.
Remember... in the park...

"I think I love you"
"what?"
"I said I think I love you"
"wwwwhat?"
"I SAID I THINK I LOVE YOU!"

339 Well said. Is there any kind of an ETA on Giambi, btw? Just curious.

Do you realize that we have 4 'kids' in the lineup today?

I have a feelng the Royals series is going to be tough. We have to face Meche who owns us, have to withstand yet another Igawa start, and KC is about to take a series at Detroit. And we must make up at least 1 game during this week. We must.

Oh my God!

Was Shelley's homerun this inning?

It feels like hours ago.

Good Lord, what a game.

344 All the reports say that he's ahead of schedule-talking early August return.

Personally, I don't believe it for a second.

343 Thinking... actually, I can't remember that scene. Dammit.

342 ha ah ah ah aha ha ha ha ha hah a!!!

Indeed.

339 Heard somewhere online mid Augusto

When was the last time you saw 3 ground rule doubles in one inning? I wonder what the record is.

344 Jason took batting practice yesterday. Maybe 3 weeks.

WHY IS POSADA STILL IN THIS GODDAMN GAME???

305 Many times. Many, many, many times.

As far as I'm concerned, that is The Producers; accept no substitutes.

Springtime with Hitler is the funniest dance number ever put on screen, beating out even "Puttin' on the Ritz" from Young Frankenstein (and that's saying something).

And it did for "concierge" what ThePrincess Bride did for "inconceivable."

349 Nor can I, though it rings a bell. It's Wilder's line, right?

It's when he starts to loosen his tie, so to speak, right?

Ooh, Cairo flashing his Jeter range.

I wonder if Torre can handle letting Henn just finish the damn game.

355 Now I'm wet, and I'm in pain, and I'm still hysterical.

Leiter's telling about how he got Kasmir traded for turning off his music and putting on M&M in the weight room.

Leiter ripping the Mets for insinuating he was in a "circle of power" that conspired to oust Kasmir.

I love Leiter's honesty.

349 Oh, no. It's when Zero is 'romancing' one of his sponsors

torre's machinations appear to have broken gameday

356 I believe it's Zero Mostel with one of the little old ladies.

359 And expressing only thinly veiled disgust for Kay bringing it up.

Gameday doesn't say who is the DH now. Or will Henn be hitting for himself

364 It'll be PH's or the pitcher. They lose the DH, so it's announced every time the spot comes around.

364 Yes, they've lost the DH.

364 No DH-Duncan moved to 1B. I suspect that Molina will bat for Henn if the need arises.

If Leiter had a bad start on a road trip, he'd not go to the bathroom on the plane because doing so would have meant using the bathroom in the front, to get to which he'd have to pass Billy Martin.

The bathroom in the back of the plane was vets only.

This crazy fraternity business is one thing about baseball that makes me uncomfortable. But then, I'm not a major league baseball player so I guess it's not really my business.

346 Then winning 3 of 4 is going to be that much more impressive.

349 Zero sitting on a bench in the park with a VERY old lady. After "I SAID I THINK I LOVE YOU!", the camera pans out, showing about 50 people who watched/heard Zero.

Here's the fuuniest movie of all time:
"Where's Papa" with George segal, Ruth Gordon, Ron Liebman, Rob Reiner, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino, Andy Williams and 'Muthafucka'.
Anyone see it?

349 Negative.

Where's Papa is funnier then the produces. I am talking about being in serious pain from laughing so hard.

Rent it if you can. It's hard to find.
One of the all-time great opening scenes.

the Producers...I mean

372 Cheers!

Anyone notice the irony of a guy named "Shelley" being a dead-wringer for Frankenstein?

Jeez.. the Kid looks like Frankenstein.

Melky needs to hit a homer to join the day's RBI club

And Cairo looks like Igor?

375 This is such a literary crowd. (That's why I felt comfortable calling Vizcaino "Vide Licet" yesterday.)
But you mean the monster, not the doctor, right?

379 No, he meant Mary Shelley. :)

Leiter's career at the bat: 45-530.

Leiter's still bitter about having been "ripped off" of a hit, a bunt off of Pettitte that was scored an error.

I love the things these guys remember.

380 Uh. I don't get it.
I was asking who he meant by 'Frankenstein'.

379 Yes, the monster, not the doctor.

:)

380 ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!

382 I was being facetious... I was saying he meant the author herself, not the doctor or the monstor. It wasn't that funny to begin with, and it is exponentially less funny now that I have had to explain it. Sorry.

Nobody has seen "Where's Papa?". Wow. Kids.

Today the BoSox have eight runs on seven hits. (7 BB)

385 :)

If you want to rebound, I'd suggest musing about whether or not one of our guys can jerk it next inning.

You'll have 'em rolling in the aisles.

;)

385 My fault. It's never a good idea to ask for a joke's explanation!

388 Or I can just point out the potential comedy of having Henn lead off the bottom of the eighth... He actually could 'jerk it'. I'm just saying.

Okay, way to go Sean!
I'm outa here (gonna play tennis with my kids, probably have a radio on to hear the end of the game).

See youse tomorrow.

370 I saw Where's Poppa back in the early 70s and didn't like it. I did laugh at the breakfast of...was it Lucky Charms and Pepsi?

Same with Harold and Maude - actually, I hated that movie.

Both had the same problem: Ruth Gordon is fingernails on a blackboard to me. I can't stand to listen to her, and it's incredibly difficult for me to watch her in anything.

389 It's ok. After all the Yankees have three batters coming up, videlicet: Henn, Matsui, and Posada (maybe Molina's debut?).

Wow. 5 HRs, 11 XBHs.

394 6 HRs, 12 XBHs... thank you Robbie...

And we're just one Phillips hit away from another Shelley AB.

368 Weeping, me too.

Okay, I was going to ask weeks ago when you said you lived in New Haven, but I held off. Now that I know you're a medievalist though I have to ask: you at Yale by any chance?

237 You, sir, have obviously never seen Battlefield Earth.

Every starter with a RBI.

and Melky gets his RBI

Now just Henn needs a ribby

396 silly man animals ...

396 Emma, I admire you. I've seen an awful lot of wretched movies in my day, but I've never seen Battlefield Earth. I feel like I should, because it seems to be universally acclaimed as the most unwatchable movie ever.

As for the original assertion: I'd say that every line ever spoken by Kevin Costner is the worst acted line ever.

Dohmann entered the game with a 4.50 ERA. He left with a 12 ERA. The wonders of few IP.

At least we've finally solved BJ Upton: the LOOGY.

401 oh, then you're missing out, it's entertainingly craptacular

401 Don't do it. I saw it with a friend (IN THEATERS!) because we figured it would be so-bad-it-was-funny. This was a terrible miscalculation. It was waaaaay too bad to be funny -- just staggeringly, inconceivably awful. We came out of it shell shocked.

By far, the worst movie I've ever seen... and I've seen a lot of bad movies. Kevin Costner in the Postman is Lawrence Olivier in Hamlet next to Travolta in that movie.

405 ah, The Postman ... another delicious trainwreck

396 By any chance I do, Ms. Supersleuth.

:)

Why, you too?

I give the place mixed reviews, fwiw. Sometimes I think it's great, others I think it's exasperating. Much like life itself, I suppose.

So....
Indians and Red Sox.
Who do you root for?

405 ha ha aha ha ha ha ha!!!

That'll learn you, young Emma--if it looks bad, it probably is bad!

Wait--did you say Travolta?

There's a movie about Travolta in Space?

Christ Jesus, but that's all I need to know...

408 Never root for Boston.

Never.

406 Ok, I'll admit, I can see the appeal of a good trainwreck now and again.

It's a fine line, though, as Emma attests.

Hey... the Yanks now have 8 ROAD games in a row. Do we let ARod hit #500 on the road? Jeez... he deserves to hit it in NY.

Any thoughts?

406 I saw that one in a theater with a contingent of 15 wildly cheering US Post Office employees. True story.

407 I had a friend in medieval studies there... though, he was undergrad. Drop me an email sometime if you feel so inclined... ekspan@gmail.

412 Gee, OYF, that's a good point.

I guess we'd better bench for a week, huh?

(Sorry to be snide, I'm just teasing.)

That is unfortunate, though, I agree.

The only solution is to assure that he hits numbers 600, 700 and 800 in the Bronx, no?

It's so funny. It's taken me three years to really warm up to Alex and now he's on his way out.

I know everyone's been saying for years that we'd miss him and how great he is, but frankly, it really wasn't until his struggles last year that I began to really feel emotionally invested in him as a player and as a person.

And now he's got one foot out the door.

Such a pity.

bah ... stupid white sox ... loaded the bases with no outs and got nothing

Redsux win but wasn't easy - They just don't seem like a team that knows they're gonna do it...everything is starting to fall into place-

ChiSox had bases loaded nobody out and Thome struck out and Konerko gidp. Can't have everything-

Need some help from Texas tonite and this is a perfect day in the Wild Card

They had bases loaded and 1 out in the 7th and got nothing too. In the 9th, they had Thome up with no outs, based loaded.

We don't have to bench ARod until he hits #499. Let's hope for a week full of doubles and only ONE HR. Then, he is only in NY for 5 games, and then back on the road.

Bad timimg.
The ovation he would get in NY might buy us some brownie points for him staying.

speaking of awful movies, some of my friends are screening "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats People" tonite after hearing patton oswalt give it a nod as the worst thing he's ever seen in one of his standup dvds ... supposedly it was so bad it was never even released back after it was made (back in the 70's)

My alma mater, too. Never mind this 7th-century Christian stuff; my undergrad major was the first three centuries. After Constantine converted, it was all a big yawn to me.

414 weeping, I'm not at all convinced that Alex is on his way out the door. I don't have time now, but I think there are any number of reasons that he'd be foolish to leave. Do everything possible to drive the price up, yes, but I have a feeling he's smart enough to know he's better off if he stays.

420 God, I hope you're right, JL. I think about him walking away and I feel ill.

"Never mind this 7th-century Christian stuff; my undergrad major was the first three centuries. After Constantine converted, it was all a big yawn to me. "

That's 'cause you never took my class.

:)

This is really going to skew the Pythagorean W/L numbers.

422 Those are really the only standings I follow. : )

Karstens through 5 IP at The Office, 2 H 1 ER 1 BB 6 K (69 pitches, 47 strikes)

The one run was a solo shot.

Bad movies, you say?

What about Catwoman, Gigli and... wait, nothing could be worse than Gigli. Not even Battlefield Earth, sorry. I nearly lost my mind when I inadvertently peeked at two minutes of rambling dialog in the middle of the movie. Had to wash my brain with French New Wave, and that's saying a lot...

But I have to wonder why The Departed didn't piss more people off for winning Best Picture.

BTW, if I were at the stadium today, I would have had the crowd yelling "J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!" during the eighth.

(Well, I know most Yanks fans are Giants fans, but the sarcasm would have been less obvious if people thought we were talking about San Fran... >;)

"Pride of the Yankees" is on TCM right now, btw.

425 I thought you were talking about "West Side Story."

:)

Oooooooh, and "The Passion of Joan of Arc" is on at midnight!

One of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.

427 There's a place for you too >;) What channel is The Passion of Joan of Arc? If that's the b/w version (if there is another), then I concur wholeheartedly. I have Pride of the Yankees on DVD. I also recommend "The Straight Story" directed by David Lynch and starring Richard (Red) Farnsworth.

ah yes, gigli, wherein jennifer lopez entices ben affleck to perform oral sex with the immortal words, "it's turkey time, gobble, gobble"

East Side (of the Bronx) Story

Scene: clubhouse
Shelley Duncan is bouncing off the walls. A tall dark Panamanian strides through the door and fixes Duncan with his stare. The Bullpen Chorus begins snapping their fingers in rhythm.

Mo, softly at first:

Boy, boy, crazy boy
STAY LOOSE BOY!
Gotta
Rocket
In your
Pocket
TURN OFF THE JUICE BOY!
Go man go, but not like a yo-yo school boy...
Just play it coooool, boy,
Real cool.

430 "Hey! Not bad. Nice, hot mustard. Good bread. The turkey's a little dry. The turkey's a little dry! O foul accursed thing! What demon from the depths of hell created thee?!"

You must know where that came from...

432 cuz I didn't watch more than two minutes of Gigli. I heard it was in there somewhere... maybe more than once...

429 One of my favorite laughable biopic lines is from Pride of the Yankees:

"Give it to me straight, doc...is it three strikes?" (Meaningful, empathic pause)..."It's three strikes."

For sheer loopiness, though, it still can't touch The Winning Team, with Ronald Reagan and Doris Day as Mr. and Mrs. Grover Cleveland Alexander. It turns out, you see, that Ol' Pete wasn't really a drunk - it was that old WWI injury that caused him to get dizzy and stumble around and fall down. And to have splitting headaches the next day.

421 Nah, that state-sponsored hierarchical stuff didn't interest me nearly as much as the free-for-all that came before.

Do you know if Bentley Layton is still teaching there? He was the guy who first got me interested in that - and in Gnosticism in particular - and the best damn professor I ever had.

But then, maybe if I'd taken your course, who knows?

430 I used to have high hopes for Ben Affleck (I'm a huge Chasing Amy fan.) But seriously, has he made anything watchable since, say, Dogma?

Similarly, I think Kevin Spacey made a deal with Mr. Applegate: you'll get Oscars for Best Actor and Supporting Actor...and then no one will watch another movie of yours, ever again.

Some fun facts from the AP:

"The Yankees, a season-best five games over .500 and 7 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston, took three of four from the Devil Rays, hitting .408 in the series with 49 runs, 62 hits and 11 homers. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Yankees franchise last had back-to-back 20-hit games on Aug. 23 and 25, 1902, when the team was playing in Baltimore."

429 Turner Classic Movies.

I got cable for the express purpose of watching the Yankees and I've happily discovered the treasure that is TCM.

What's the Straight Story about?

430 Oh. My. God.

431 ha ha ha hah aha ha hah aha hah !!!! :)

Perfect.

435 Oh my God, of course I know Bentley Layton! He was actually my minor field advisor for my orals exam and we go to church together. He's a dear man, and yes, his monasticism course was a highlight of my coursework.

From "Pride of the Yankees":

Man: "Why don't he bunt? What's the matter with him?"

Woman: "Bunt! Three runs behind and you say bunt!"

Le plus ca change.

:)

436 What about Hollywoodland? I heard he did a good job in that. I haven't seen it, but that's the word on the street

420 He's gone Daddy gone, love is gone! I think the tail will wag the dog on this one. Coming off his best season, maybe of his career, there is no way Boras won't seek bigger dollars, if only for himself. He's not quite Brady Quinn, but I think Rodriguez puts far too much stock in Boras' opinion, and with another 8-10 year deal in the cards, the money and security will be hard to resist. I would prefer he stay, obviously, but I think its in Joe's hands. As scary as that is, Joe Torre is going to convince him that he is his other son on this club to keep him around past this season.

"I tell you, that shouldda been a hit!"

"Aw, Lou, they can't all be hits. Maybe you're trying too hard."

"No, you can't try too hard."

"Is it three strikes doc?"

"Doc, I've learned one thing. All the arguing in the world can't change the decision of the umpire."

Peter Gammons just said that revenue sharing has worked? What planet is he on? Spend some time in KC or Pitt Pete.

Anyone have an opinion on Mark Cuban being permitted to put in a bona fide bid for the Cubs or Braves? I actually think MLB should take over management of the Pirates, but in lieu of that, Cuban should certainly be allowed to purchase them if he so desires.

442 Are you kidding? That's the first reasonable thing he's said in years. Revenue sharing has redistributed significant wealth to "poor" teams. The fact that the Pirate are run by boneheads doesn't change that.

Now, if we're going to complain about Sunday Night Baseball, could they please stop blathering on about Hank Aaron (a great player, no doubt), since it is just an excuse to for SF homer John Miller to mention Barry Bonds over and over and over again. We get it--Bonds sandbagged so he can set his inevitable record at home. Great--let's get this Balco sideshow over with so we can talk about baseball.

BTW, I love the idea of Julio Franco playing until he's fifty, but he looks ba-a-a-ad out there.

STFU about Barry fucking Bonds!!!

438 I just got cable yesterday. TCM, Cartoon Network, Nicktoons, and Classic R&B bebey!!

The Straight Story : "From director David Lynch comes a lyrical portrait of one man's real journey across America's heartland. Filmed along the route that the actual Alvin Straight traversed in 1994 from Laurens, Iowa to Mt Zion, Wisconsin, 'The Straight Story' chronicles Alvin's patient odyssey and those he meets along the way. When not rolling along at five miles an hour aboard his '66 lawnmower, Alvin encounters a number of strangers, from a teenage runaway to a fellow World war II veteran. By sharing his life's learned wisdom with simple stories, Alvin has a profound impact on these characters that color his pilgrimage."

Heh, read that off the back of the Netflix sleeve. Starring Richard Farnsworth (Red from "The Natural" and thus the baseball reference), Sissy Spacek and Harry Dean Stanton. It's actually very sweet, like "Brother From Another Planet" sweet (another David Lynch film.)

Father: "All the bakers in town, and we have the only one who doesn't know that Lou is a lefty!"

Tangle-foooot! (hey, someone should sign in with that name, that would be sweet.)

443

I think I disagree. Revenue sharing dollars have not been redistributed to players, they have been redistributed to teams. The percentage of revenue sharing dollars used for player salaries is so low, it is greatly oversahdowed by added revenue teams now enjoy as a result of increased revenue across the board. It's effect is negligible at best.

As for Sunday Night Baseball. I thought it was just another excuse for Morgan to talk about another black player he views as "underrated." Although I do agree with him about Renteria. If Boston didn't have Carl Spackler taking care of their infield, they could have had a very good SS for years.

446 I doesn't really matter whether the money has been redistributed to players, in my opinion. The goals was to shovel money to whiny poor teams, and in that way it has succeeded. But I think we disagreeing past each other. If your point is that revenue sharing has not led directly to league parity, I would agree.

Frankly, I think that a few teams in MLB should simply be relocated to more viable markets. People act as if having an ML sports franchise is some sacrosanct right, but teams in baseball used to move--like Miller's beloved Giants and Hank Aaron's former team the Braves. I would also stick another team in the NYC area, to help break up that massive market.

But the revenue sharing is just window dressing, a bribe to buy off a few owners. And it seems to have worked, for now.

Good point about Sunday Night Baseball. It is remarkable just how little they have talked about the game that seems to be going on in the background, which you can see behind the interviews with Hank Aaron and the graphics of Barry Bonds. I had basically quit watching SNB last year; now I remember why.

My less cynical view of revenue sharing is that, with the exception of the Yankees, the revenue sharing tax has worked as a de facto salary cap, which will over time (if the keep the tax in the next CBA) to level most payrolls. But even with a hard salary cap, a la NFL, there is nothing to force teams (owners) to actually spend money on players rather than pocket profits and keep payroll well below the cap. They could experiment with a payroll minimum, but I think that would only have the effect of driving up the price of mediocre players.

441 Thanks, I forgot that part. Even worse than I remembered.

448 If I understand it correctly, revenue sharing and the luxury tax aren't the same thing.

447 I believe that most - if not all - of the MLB markets are perfectly viable. The problem often isn't the market, it's the team. When Pittsburgh and KC have had good teams, they get good attendance.

Now we MUST take three of four from Kansas. Not rest for the weary.

448

I agree. I support most social welfare programs used to benifit the population at large. In baseball, revenue sharing is essentially welfare. Unlike society, this program is not used to ensure that people are being fed and clothed etc. Because of the above, teams must have to demonstrate and disclose where every dollar is spent in order to continue recieving it. That is why I do believe in leagure minimums, and I do believe every revenue sharing dollar should be used for salaries of players. If the team needs these funds to operate the team outside of payroll, then they are cooked or incompetent anyway, and I agree, should be moved or in the alternative, a sale of the club should be mandated.

That is not the peoblem in places like Pittsburgh or Kansas City, where the fan base is large enough to support the team. Owners there are simply Donald Sterling clones, pocketing as much for themselves personally as possible, and should not under any circumstances be delivered revenue sharing funds, without a guarantee that the money will be spent on the field.

I believe a fair minimum would be 4X the amount of revenue dollars recieved through the tax, or the revenue dollars would have to be returned. This should result in a salary minimum somewhere in the 40-50 mil. range. Fair enough?

All the NFL has accomplished, is to keep player salaries below market value. But that's just the beginning of how awful the NFL is to its players. Jimmy Hoffa should rise up and blow the heads off every Union Official in the NFL Players "Union."

450 Your right, they're not the same. I was looking at them as two sides of the same coin, though--an attempt to level the playing field for clubs in different markets without imposing a strict salary cap. Part of the luxury tax is rolled into a general growth fund, which should (in theory) benefit all teams.

451 As for good teams = good attendance, I agree. But which is the cause and the effect? Some owners would argue that they can't ever have a competitive team (necessary for high attendance and thus revenue) unless they can get more money from the wealthier teams. Also, some markets may generate good attendance but cannot generate much by way of television revenue. If this is the case, then perhaps those markets are simply not viable enough to have a team. Sure, MLB could decide to hand a whopping amount of money to the Royals so they can buy an all start team, and thus drive up attendance and revenue, but us that what the league should do? That was a silly, exaggerated example, but you get my point.

For the last decade or so MLB has been very competitive, with more teams than ever making the playoffs, a number of teams rising and falling above/below .500, teams winning the WS for the first time in decades, small market success stories (Oakland, Minnesota). I tend to think that the various measures the league has taken (revenue sharing, luxury tax, wild card teams), not all of which I like, have basically worked.

450

You are correct. Sharing of locally generated revenue was increased from 20% to 34% under terms of the collective bargaining agreement of 2002. That's revenue sharing. Luxury Tax is Based on a tax rate of 17.5% of the payroll amount over $117 million. I think that's right, no? I may be off on that $117 million figure, wasnt it raised?

However, neither program's funds are meant to be spent on day to day operations, or simply pocketed.

I actually oppose both programs. What the league untimately seeks to do is mirror the NFL, where all power is concentrated at league level. Part of baseball's beauty is the independence on the clubs, and anything done to change that, I am in opposition to. The good and well run teams contribute revenue in every city they play on the road, and that's plenty for me. Mass organized boycotts of teams like Pittsburgh would have far greater impact than any program they can come up with to hand them money they don't deserve.

454

As the sports adage goes "its a business." And if it is indeed a business, then KC and Pitt. have to take risks to make money, as in any business, or fold up shop. What these teams want is akin to the Airline bailout, and they treat the funds they revieve in exactly the same manner. Not beneifiting their customers in any way, and its wrong.

453 Good points, though I tend to come at it from a different starting point philosophically. There is already a de facto minimum spayroll, which is 25 x the league minimum. By imposing a higher minimum payroll, all the league would be doing is forcing teams to pay some players more money to meet the threshold. Presumably that would make teams more competitve since most would attemtp to sign good players. But there is nothing in that systen that would stop an owner from just overpaying a few mediocre palyers just to conform to the mandated minimum.

I frankly don't care how owners spend the revenue sharing money they receive, so long as they don't bitch about it. I gues this is because although I love baseball and feel strong sympathy for fans, I don't think it's a community's right to have apro sports franchise, or for that franchise to be competitive. If Owner X wants to pocket all the money and not field a competitive team, more power to him.

Now, one could argue it's in the interest of the league as a whole to have as many serious owners as possible in the league. OK, but that's an internal league matter--I'll let the owners hash that out for themselves. The owners have decided instead to be petty and selfish; that's their call. And amazingly, the league is thriving economically despite their seeming shortsightedness.

455 456 I reread your posts, and I think I dig your jive. We disagree, if at all, only in the details.

445 Ah, of course, the lawnmower movie.

I remember that one. Yeah, I've actually wanted to see that, thanks for reminding me!

452 Can't we sweep?--Pleeaase?