Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
The Yankees won another close one against the Jays on Sunday afternoon, 7-5. Mike Mussina was impressive again, Jose Molina had three RBI, and Joe Torre broke the so-called "Joba Rules," as Chamberlain earned his first big league save.
It was a beautific afternoon at Yankee Stadiuma and the late afternoon shadows swept across home plate at a quarter to four. I love the way the light in September is different, deeper more mellowed, than the bright harsh light of March and April. Long, elegant shadows trailed the pitchers early in the game and it all looked great on the HDTV. (I tell you sports on HDTV is absolutely the greatest thing since sliced bread.)
In a playoff preview, Torre went to Chamberlain with two men on and two out in the eighth inning. You got to love Torre picking this spot to try the kid out because, rules be damned, you know that Joba is going to get the call in a couple of weeks. Torre isn't the kind of guy who is going to pass on a sure-thing like Chamberlain in the playoffs. After all, Joba is the best young pitcher the Yankees have had since Mariano Rivera.
This is the first time Chamberlain has entered a game with runners on base and he struck Adam Lind out on five straight sliders. He got ahead 0-2 and then threw two more, both low and inside. I couldn't believe he wasn't throwing the fastball. Where's the cheese, tough guy? So he throws him another slider, low in the dirt again, but Lind swings through this one to end the inning. How cocky can you get? 5 straight sliders. Onions.
With one out in the ninth, Chamberlain missed with a curve ball to pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay. He hasn't thrown many curveballs--but it's hard to forget the unfair one he dropped on Dustin Pedroia isn't it? When Joba throws a curve it just feels like he's toying with the hitters. Oh, the arrogance. It's not fair for that guy to have a good curve.
Overbay whiffs and then Chamberlain K's Reed Johnson on three consecutive fastballs to end the game. The YES cameras caught a great shot of Harlan Chamberlain, who actually does bear a liking to Jabba the Hut. A more affable Jabba. After the last out, he screamed and pumped his fist, a toothpick somehow not falling out of his large mouth in the process.
Mike Mussina gave up three runs in the second inning and worked out of trouble in the fourth, helped out by a favorable call at the plate to end the inning. Moose retired the last ten batters he faced and was as good as could have been expected. Good for career win #250. Something tells me Mussina will remember this one in years to come.
Molina, who helped get the favorable call in the fourth with a smooth bit of acting, had three hits, as did Robbie Cano. Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter had two each and Alex Rodriguez walked three times. Dustin McGowan showed his good stuff but the Yankees made him work, and he labored, throwing 112 pitches through five.
Big win for the Yanks who move to a game-and-a-half behind the Red Sox, who lost in Tampa. The Tigers won, so New York's magic number is two...wow, two--that...is a beautiful thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuIev-flfA
Does some fine dancing around that last question.
Like there was any doubt.
(Not that there's anything wrong with being italic. Not at all. In fact I hardly noticed.)
Hey, appropros of nothing, has anyone else noticed the very steep rise in the use of the expression, "going forward"? I swear I almost never heard it before last year. Now I hear it or read it every day.
I'm sure it's from sports talk. It's still much heavier in sports talk than elsewhere. Professionals, talking heads, coaches.
also, the a-rod ownership story is being debunked as bull ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3033203
11 You'd expect Boras to say that. But, yeah, it never seemed very believable.
I think he missed the point of it all.
"He has not, however, gotten off the hook with the New York media."
Somewhat true, but just look at the RLYW cover-counter. It's a different story, for the most part, this year.
"When Rodriguez and Boras sit down this off-season and make their pros-and-cons chart, you'd have to imagine "Chicago Tribune Won't Run Photo of My Night Out With a Buxom Blonde and Write That I'm Into the 'She-Male, Muscular Type'" would be rather high up the list." When A-Rod was in Seattle and Texas, this was something he never had to worry about; if he actually did cheat on his wife on the road, this would make him like nearly every other athlete in sports and would not be reported upon."
How does he know it wouldn't? I get the feeling it would still sell. And you can't compare Chicago to Seattle/Texas. Totally different towns.
"He has a history of being sensitive when he's felt unwanted—and he certainly hasn't been hanging around NYU making conversation with undergraduates lately."
Probably since he's been too busy hitting a bajillion home runs per AB.
"So take heed, Yankees fan. The future is in your hands."
This is probably true. How are we doing on that NYT ad?
in addition, all signs point to the actual transfer of ownership of the cubs taking most of the rest of the year, at which point the question could very well be irrelevant
and MLB states that player ownership of a team is not allowed, whether it is given up front or promised for the future ...
boras is smart enough to realize all of these things, there's just no justifiable reason for him to have actually engaged in any of these rumored discussions, risking considerable sanctions on himself and possible disqualification on the ownership group
we need to have some BB live-bloggers at the games!
*or was it "blog" or "website"?
yeah, that was indeed crazy about milton bradley. plus, he injured mike cameron. i like cammy and i'm hoping he reaches 20-20 this season.
28 yeah, Sut said something like a yankees site - maybe he said 'blog', i can't remember. it was either william or mattpat who had the great comment: now that it's after midnight, is joba available?! good stuff.
She has a sad tale about Igawa up. Apparently he had no friends until very recently. He sucks and all, but that might have something to do with it. Even Farnsworth deserves friends (I think).
I am currently finishing my degree in Kinesiology at SFSU. Hopefully when I'm finished I can replace the head trainer for the Yanks, after all, my uncle is going to be in the Olympics this year for body building. I can get a good dose of knowledge from him and have already. Alright, just kidding about the Yanks part, but that would be nice, although is nowhere near my goal.
28 31 Wow, I did not know that was actually said on air. Very interesting. I believe it was William that said it.
Five straight sliders, the last one Lind missed by two feet.
I mean Good God.
(Goes to check BR page...)
Gulp.
Nice to see Molina doing so well. Great pickup, Cashman.
Good to see that Joba Rule becomes history.
"As the blog Bronx Banter pointed out, an MVP, carrying his team to the playoffs, facing impending free agency, was being mocked for his idiosyncrasies the second he was cementing himself as the team's best slugger of the past 50 years. However good-natured it was, it's the kind of thing that does not speak to an undying attachment between player and team."
Yes, I didn't mention the teasing but I thought it was a funny thing. The last comment here is stictly Will's observation and nothing I told him.
Have they had him up in the booth yet? I'm waiting for that next.
Anyway, Alex - did I miss a post where you got an HDTV? Pretty sweet, isn't it? We're pretty spoiled here in NY as EVERY Yankees game is in HD, home or on the road. Not even the Mets can claim that.
When I first got my own set, I was watching anything & everything in HD. I now know more about beetles in the Amazon jungle than I ever cared to in my life.
I still can't believe the Yanks didn't win Friday night, but c'est la vie.
43 I thought so too, but I understand he makes for a good human interest story, if you will. It's only going to last for so long. I'm happy that he's enjoying his time now, and hope that he rides the wave for as long as he can.
I just didn't want to see the guy become a target of any backlash is all. I've already seen some of it coming out of RSN, and it ain't pretty.
You Joba No Botha. (rough quote from memory - RotJ).
As for RSN, f- 'em...
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