WOW what a game, Best Ever?

Last night was one of the great games in Yankee playoff history. I thought about what to write about and I realized I was too happy and too emotional last night to clearly state the big parts of the game. Right now I'm a little more level headed but still I can't put into words the greatness and how much just happened in that game. For 9 innings we had a great game filled with lots of interesting developments. We had AJ Burnett throwing a very AJ Burnett game. He dominated the first 4 innings but then hid the skids in the 5th after hitting a batter and walking batters. A few wild pitches thrown into the mix and he had blown the 2-0 lead. He managed to settle in the 6th and ended with a pretty solid performance. For the Angels, Saunders looked a bit shaky in the early going. Cano had a 2 out RBI triple and Jeter had a solo shot to give the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead. Saunders found his stride for the second straight game against the Yankees and managed 7 strong innings with only 2 runs.

The funny thing was this game was supposed to be sloppy weather wise, but instead it was sloppy in terms of performance. Both teams were making errors left and right. Both teams failed to score with men in scoring position. There were wild pitches, hbp, meetings on the mound, and countless pitchers used. The game dragged on, Extra innings. Then the rain began. Then the game got intense. Alfredo Aceves was the first Yankee reliever to have any trouble. Previously JOba, Coke, Hughes, and Rivera had all done a great job of keeping the Angels at 2 following AJ's start. Aceves gave up a run on a Chone Figgins double, his first hit of the postseason. It looked like curtains for the Yankees who had failed to score in 8 innings. But the Yankees love the spotlight and love the comebacks. Arod led off and in typical A-rod of 09 fashion, came through in a tight spot. On an 0-2 pitch from closer Brian Fuentes, he nailed a fastball the opposite way just over the right field wall for a game tying solo HR. Just when you thought the Angels had taken this marathon game, the Yankees clawed back. Just when you thought at 12:15 you could go to bed, think again. Just when you thought Arod had done enough in the clutch to overcome his previous postseasons, he comes through AGAIN in a big way. He really has put all his problems behind him and is putting the team on his back.

Well the game continued and it was sloppy with the weather as the rain picked up. Innings continued to be played and people were wondering if it was going to ever end. Who would the Yankees pitch? Who was left? Who was going to be the hero, who wanted the pie? Well in the 13th inning after Dave Robertson avoided 2 threatening Angels innings, Jerry Hairston pinch hit for Freddy Guzman. I was wondering why he didn't previously pinch hit but all the same glad he got to hit last night. He came up and smoke a single. Garnder bunted him over to second. Cano was intentioanlly walked. And with 1 out and first and second, Melky Cabrera came up. He hit a sharp grounder to Izturis. Izturis had one play and that was Melky at first, but he tried to make too much and get the force at second trying for a double play. Instead he through it wide of Aybar and Hairston was allowed to score. A fortunate 2nd error and 3rd mental error for the Angels, a team that never allows mistakes made a big one.

Lot of notes on this game. First the play on Aybar earlier in the game, he was called for not stepping on second on a routine double play. Fortunately it did not cost them the game or their would be lots of problems with the call, but I saw that one with the naked eye and called it before the umpire did. I know it's the neighborhood play and nobody calls that, but you gotta touch the base. He never did and that's the rule. The fact that the announcers were saying it was BS for the angels was beyond me. How? THat's baseball. I know it isn't called often but just because it's the ALCS doesn't mean you are exempt from touching 2nd on a double play. Sorry Aybar complain all you want but on replay you never touched. Go back to basics and learn how to do it right.

Jeter also got called out on a double play hit right to Saunders when the replay showed he clearly beat the throw. Not complaining just saying anyone who thought the umps were siding with the Yankees last night, wrong.

21 players were used for the Yankees, only Pettitte, CC, Gaudin, and Cervelli were not. MOst all time in BAseball playoff history. Lets see what Monday brings for game 3 in warm Anaheim.

Game 2

The Yankees won game 1 in Angels fashion...huh? Yea that's right, the Yankees won game 1 playing a Mike Scioscia type baseball. 0 HRs, great defense, first to third on hits, and good pitching. The Angels on the other hand did not look like themselves. Nobody got on the bases and nobody was running. There were 3 errors in the field and the team looked lost. Maybe it was the cold or maybe it was CC Sabathia, either way the Yankees looked like a vastly superior team in Game 1 and look to continue that success tonight in game 2. Joe Torre always said game 2 was the important game and it's hard to argue with his logic. Tonight either AJ Burnett brings it and we cut off breathing circulation to the Angels or the Angels retake momentum and tie the series and head back to LA.

Burnett has been great lately and he is working with Jose Molina, his best catcher friend. Saunders will go for Anaheim and he has been pretty good his last 2 seasons and vs the Yankees. He however, has not pitched in 2 weeks. AJ has been great lately but also lead the MLB in walks. The Angels work walks and love to run the bases, something that ought to be troublesome for Burnett. Chone Figgins has struggled for the Angels lately and he is their tablesetter and without him they are not the same. We'll see how Burnett handles him, Figgins is 412 vs him in his career and led the MLB in walks, so that is something to keep an eye on, will they stop Figgins.

I suspect Burnett will have some struggles but will work innings and keep us in the game. maybe 5 hits and 3 walks through 6 giving up 4 ER. I say the pen shuts down the Angels and the Yankees will not quite hit Saunders but knock him out early. A 7th or 8th inning rally will get the Yankees back into it and we'll see another pie in the face game. 2nd in the playoffs, 2nd in game 2 of the playoffs and 16th for the season.

By The Numbers

4- straight playoff wins for the Yankees and the combined amount of earned runs from Yankee Starters in the playoffs.

2- Wins for CC in this postseason

7- RBIs for Alex Rodriguez in 4 postseason games.

0- HRs allowed by the Yankees in the playoffs

36- Mariano Rivera's postseason saves (most all time).

Not satisfied

I posted a little while ago and it was dry. I was distracted and it was a little far from game time I wasn't quite feeling it yet. Well now we are 40 minutes away and the Dodgers game just ended (dodgers won) so that means its time to focus on the Yankees for the sports world. I realized that I cannot wait for this game to begin and this is what the whole season is all about. I'm nervous, I'm excited. Each pitch will have significance and I won't miss one. I think this is the most significant playoff series the Yankees have had in 5 years since the 2004 ALCS vs the Sox. Because of that I think this is the most important series in my life for the Yankees. Clearly I was a fan in 2004 when I was 16, but I was so used to success and I was so young. Now I'm older and now I know what its like to not make the World Series or even the playoffs every year. This is our year. This is the best team we have put together in a decade. This is a team of destiny. We are the comeback kids, the miracle whippers, the magicians on the field, and the team that never quits, never fails, and most importantly, has fun. This is a great team to watch and I am hoping and praying like every other Yankees fan to see a win tonight and a win this series and hopefully a win in the World Series. I am wearing my heart on my sleeve tonight and I am very excited. LETS GO YANKEES, GIVE THE HALOS HELL.

Here...We....Go!

So the Yankees disposed of the Twins rather easily in a 3 game sweep. A great win for the Yankees and the first playoff series win in 5 years, almost sad to say but it's true. Now that brings on the real tests (sorry Minn). The Yankees will face the LA Angels in a best of 7 series beginning tonight at Yankee Stadium. The game might have some showers and could be delayed or postponed but either way the series kicks off at 7:57 in the Bronx. This should be a good one, but a nerve racking one as well. The Yankees have always had problems with the Angels and it is all Mike Scioscia's fault. Scioscia has been the manager of the Angels for quite some time now and he has done an excellent job of making them more than just a competitive team for 10 straight years. Their style of play is the Yankee nemesis. First to third on singles, stealing bases on the regular, hard nosed baseball, pitchers don't walk batters, batters take pitches, and a high energy strategy.

This series may be different than the last bunch. The Angels have won the previous two playoff series and had the last regular season sweep against the Yankees (right before the all star break) but the Yankees look like a completely ready to go team. The Yankees look like a team that is ready to roll and hasn't looked this good since the good ol Torre days in the late 90s. The Yankees look to be going to a 3 man rotation which should create some interest and might work well but it hinges on the 3 starters being successful. CC has handled limited rest in the past and singlehandedly put the Brewers on his back last year, I think he will be ok. AJ won't have to do any starts on 3 days rest but he and Andy will have 2 starts a piece and must be relied upon. The bullpen looks pretty sharp and with Joba finding his way into the 7th or 8th inning along with hughes, it could be unbeatable.

The key to this series is the Yankee offense being able to hit the Angel pitching, and the ability of the Yankee starters to keep the Angels off the base paths. The Angels have only a few hitters with 20 or more home runs and so they rely heavily on 2 out singles and lots and lots of running. They also have 4 extremely reliable and proficient starters who have had lots of success in their past vs the Yankees. Kazmir has always done well as a Ray vs the Yankees and Saunders shut the Yankees down the last series they played. Lackey is their most dependable starter and Weaver has pretty good stuff and has been pretty legit lately. The Yankee offense is clearly a juggernaut but I worry sometimes that they will hit the skids and fail to be themselves especially against a good pitching staff like the Angels. At least Rivera is phenominal and Fuentes has seen better days and can't beat the Yankees to save his life. Should be an ejoyable series and I hope for the best. I expect the Yankees to win in 6 or 7 but it will be certainly a hard fought battle. The main keys to the series, Posada and Molina's % throwing out runners, CC in his 3 starts, the bullpen battle, and the middle of the Yankee order. We know Jeter brings it and there is not so much pressure on Swisher and Melky, it comes down to Damon, Tex, Arod, and Matsui in the middle of the order. Have to be able to take advantage of the limited opportunities with runners in scoring position and get those clutch singles. Can't wait for tonight, let's go NYY!!!

Yankees Get Playoff Win #1

The Yankees got their first playoff victory in the New Yankee Stadium and their first victory under Joe Girardi. The Yankees looked very good tonight behind CC Sabathia. The Yankees won 7-2 over the Twins after falling behind 2-0 early. Sabathia struggled a little early on in the game but after giving up 2 runs in the 3rd found his own and did very well. after 3 innings Sabathia had a 64 pitch count and appeared to be on his way to another post season flop. However he rebounded with a big 4th 5th and 6th, throwing only 30 pitches and accumulating 4 strikeouts bringing his total to 8.

The Yankee offense was a little sluggish out of the gate, with only Jeter getting a hit on the first go round. However they responded in the third inning with a 2 run BOMB from Derek and tied the game at 2. Swisher had a clutch rbi double scoring Cano later, Arod had 2 clutch 2 out singles scoring 2 runs and Matsui had a nice 420 foot 2-run HR off Liriano. The Yankees showed why they had the best record in baseball and are considered the team to beat. They dominated offensively and mowed the Twins down despite one bad inning from Sabathia.

This win was an enormous win for the Yankees. We all know they are a fantastic team, but we didn't know how CC or the rest of the team would handle the new pressure of the playoffs. Last few post season appearances have been busts and I was afraid this would be as well. The Twins have been hot as hell lately and I was concerned they weren't going to cool down. Jeter got an extremely important 2 run home run in the 3rd to tie the game. Unlikely to hear that a 3rd inning home run could be so clutch, but it was more of a message than anything else. Jeter was saying to the team, "Guys, we are the same team we've been all year and this is how we do it. Don't be concerned, I got us going now somebody else keep us rolling." And then they did. Arod, Swisher, and Matsui all followed suit with big hits of their own. CC never looked back and the Yankees coasted.

The Yankees pitched Joba for a little bit who looked pretty solid. His velocity was up and he was effective and showed some good signs. Hughes pitched rather well as well and overall the pen was able to manage 2 1/3 innings of 0 runs, something that they needed to do. The Yankees throw AJ on Friday against Nick Blackburn and that game is also scheduled for a 6:07 start. Looking forward to game 2.

One more quick note....It was nice getting a win in game 1 and especially in this fashion. It was nice the Yankees didn't make any of us Yankee fans sweat during the win. We love our 8th and 9th inning comebacks but maybe it was nice saving that for later on in the series after we have some Ws under our belt. 1-0 Yankees in this best of 5 series.

Hmmm...Twins

So the Minnesota Twins capped off their unbelievable run with a win on Tuesday night. Now they will face the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs that begin on Wednesday at 6pm in Yankee Stadium. the Twins are on fire, but are tired and without Justin Morneau and used their best starters in their last two games. They are also 0-7 against the Yankees this year, so this bodes well for the Yankees. I think the Yankees should dispose of the Twins, but you can never take a team for granted and especially not in a short series. CC will take the hill tomorrow against Duensing. Should be an interesting matchup and a good series in general, I think either sweep or Yankees in 4.

Yankees Conclude Regular Season--Playoff Baseball Now

The Yankees won their season finale, to bring them to 103-59 for the season. The Yankees did not need to win the game because they had the best record in MLB locked up, but it was good for their psyche to end on a win. Not just a win, but a dominating win. One that was highlighted by a 10 run inning accounting for all 10 runs they scored in the game. 7/10 runs scored were driven in by Alex Rodriguez, both on Home Runs. Damon led off with a double, Tex walked, and then Arod hit a 3 run bomb. The inning continued and then Damon came up with bases loaded and got a 2 run double. The Rays elected to intentionally walk Tex to face Arod with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Arod meanwhile came into the game with 28 home runs and 93 Rbi. After the home run earlier in the inning Arod was at 29 and 96, needing a home run and 4 rbi to reach 30 and 100 for the 12th straight season. Arod seemed to understand he needed to hit a Grand Slam to accomplish that feat as well as tie Mark McGwire for 8th on the all time home runs list with 583. Well Arod delivered with a second a-bomb in the inning and put the Rays away for the final time this season.

The Yankees went on to win 10-2 and got a good performance from starter AJ Burnett and Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the regular season. Now the interesting talks begin, the postseason. This is what it is all about. The stats, the wins, the comeback walk offs, the dominating performances, the nailbiters, the records (Jeter most Yankee hits, Yankees most HRs in a season, Melky Cycle, etc.) all mean jack shit if the Yankees can't go the distance. And when I say go the distance, I don't mean win in the first roun for the first time since 2004. I mean go all the way and win the World Series, because this team has known since July that they were destined for bigger and better things. This year is the year of the Yankees and they brought in guys just for this. CC, AJ, Tex, Swisher, they all know what it means to be a Yankee by now, but do they know this is where they earn their pinstripes? The 19 regular season wins from Sabathia will soon be forgotten if he throws another stinker in October. Tex is likely to finish top 3 in the MVP voting, and all things considered the best FA signing for the Yankees since I can remember, but again he better bring it this week.

2 Weeks ago I'd have told you this team was 100% going all the way, but some things came up and now as likely favorites as they are, their is cryptonite to their Superman skills. CC Sabathia pitched yesterday and has his worst start of the year. Yea you could chalk it up to one bad start and forget about it and remember the game meant nothing to the team, but I can't do that. It was the first chance in his nice career where he could achieve 20 wins, and you best believe that was on his mind. He pressed and was a little edgy and resulted in failure. This isn't anything new to CC, he has a 7+ era in the playoffs and again showed he does not have the big moment juice in him. Anyone else concerned for Wednesday's playoff opener? Also the Yankees don't really have a 4th starter. For the first round they won't need to use a 4th starter but in the next rounds, they will have to decide between Gaudin, Joba, or Mitre. I think Gaudin will likely be the starter and JOba will come out of the Pen, but it doesn't seem like that is the case or you would see Joba in the pen in the first round as well. Instead it appears as if he will be left off the roster for the first round. Either way we are putting a lot of stock in AJ and Andy to carry some serious loads. I have faith in Pettitte as he's come through in the playoffs countless times before, but it's been years for him and I hope his age has not caught up with him. I doubt this is the case, but one can only wonder when the last time he won a playoff game was and hope he is still the big game pitcher Andy Pettitte we once remembered.

The first round will feature the Sox and the Angels but the Yankees are yet to know their opponent for the first round. The Tigers and Twins are currently tied for the division lead and so will need to play a one game playoff on Tuesday to determine the winner. The Tigers are a little bit more intimidating on paper, with a very strong pitching staff, but they are cold lately and don't measure up with the Yankees well. The Twins on the other hand don't seem like a playoff team. They lost Morneau for the season and their pitching staff is inconsistent and average at best. However, they are the hotest team in the league bar none. They were about 7 games out for the division lead as of 3-4 weeks ago and have seemingly not lost in weeks. They continue to swing hot bats, get good starts from their pitchers, and the pen seems to hold the game each and every time. I can honestly say about 3 weeks ago I was nervous about the Tigers. Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson in a short series could be trouble, but given the play lately of both teams, I am praying the Tigers get a mircale W on Tuesday and we play them. Verlander pitched today so he wouldn't go until Friday and Edwin Jackson will pitch on Tuesday so he wouldn't go until Sunday. That means Porcello in game 1 and Porcello if the series gets dicey, I like those odds, a rookie in Yankee Stadium when it's rocking in rocktober. The Twins however threw Blackburn yesterday, Baker on Friday and Pavano today. They have Duensing as well. I don't see any pitcher being clearly better than any other, but Baker is likely their ace and I think we'll see him Tuesday and so that counts him and Pavano out for game 1.

Either way the playoffs should be interesting and exciting. I have high expectations for the Yankees and I don't see anything other than a ring satisfying my thirst. When it all comes to a close win or lose, I think I will shed a tear. This may sound weird and distrubing and maybe it is, but I have become so attached to this team. The length of this season with the early downs to the recent ups have excited me greatly. This team has accomplished so much and have been the most fun team to watch, beyond any other team in any other sport that I have seen. 103 wins, 15 walks offs, a cycle, a possible cy young, 2 possible mvps, record breaking hits and homers, a near perfect game, 9 wins in their last 10 games vs Boston, 34 straight saves, and some remarkable offensive & defensive plays. They have overcome injuries and adversity to become one of the best all around teams in baseball history. I will greatly miss watching this team, but hopefully they cap it off the right way. Let's hope for the best, and good luck to the rest of the league in the playoffs.

Giants

The giants got their season kicked off in the right way this past Sunday with a 23-17 win over the Washington Redskins. The score was close so the game appeared to be a tight hard fought battle, but this was not the case. Barring a fake FG touchdown, and some red zone offensive issues, the Giants completely dominated the game. The defense was phenomenal and swarmed to the ball on every play. The D was led by Osi Umenyiora the star Defensive End who missed all of last season with a leg injury. This year he returns and did so in a big way, sacking Jason Campbell and forcing a fumble and then recovering it and taking it all the way for a touchdown. Osi's signature arm swipe which has caused fumbles for many quarterbacks in the past. The giants beefed up the defensive line through free agency with signings of Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty. Getting Osi back adds to an already very deep and strong position for the Giants. They now have Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwinuka, Chris Canty, Osi Umenyiora, Rocky Bernard, Fred Robbins, Barry Coefield, and some other lesser players. The giants also looked great in the secondary. The secondary was a concern as some major players were hurt, Ross and Dockery most notably. Corey Webster played great all day, locking down Santana Moss and even picking off Campbell with a sesnational toe tap grab. He looks to be a pro bowl corner this year and secondary leader. Safeties Michael Johnson and Kenny Phillips and corner Terrell Thomas should improve and add strengths to this defense.

The offense was solid, making enough plays to get the win but also making some mistakes. There were two turnovers on the game, both credited to Eli, a pick and a fumble. The Giants also failed to punch it in for 6 3 times and had to settle for FGs, a concern last year that clearly has yet to be worked out. Overall the game was a nice first one and a definite win for the Giants. They beat an improved Redskins team, but they will face harder tests in Dallas and Philly in the coming weeks. If the Giants are to win these games and be the division leader, they will need to sort out the redzone issues. This week's game is Sunday at 8:20 against the Cowboys in Texas stadium, clearly a big game for the Giants.

Quick bit about football

The NFL season is beginning tonight with the Steelers and Titans. An AFC playoff preview showdown of two defensive powerhouses. Because the season is beginning today it is time to predict a few things as we start to countdown the hours. My first main prediction is clearly for today's game, where I think the Steelers will hold on 24-10. Looking at the year as a whole, it looks quite promising as a Giants fan. I expect 11-5 and the division title. I think the Giants have a legitimate shot to make it to the superbowl as the better teams in the league are in the AFC. I think the only team that could beat the Giants are again the Eagles. I think the Patriots ought to rebound from last year's somewhat disappointment (given Brady's injury). I expect 13-3 and a superbowl appearance for them as well. I think Andre Johnson will be the NFL MVP this year with 1800 and 11 tds and the Texans will make the playoffs.

Right now I have a few notes and comments I want to bring up about the NFL. The first point is about Shawne Merriman. Merriman is suspected of beating his girlfriend Tila Tequila. I understand nothing has been proven, but does anyone have any doubts this guy is guilty. The guy is a roider and proven, the guy has anger issues, he is a complete machine in size and has just been a complete problem for the face of the NFL. I don't understand how guys like him get away with what they do and are still seen as role models. We care so much about our respective teams that we still root and cheer for players who are notorious thugs. I hope Merriman actually gets charged for the crime and serves jail time. I have 0 problem rooting for Michael Vick becuase the guy served his time for his crime. You can't say the same about Pacman Jones, Marshall, Merriman and countless other athletes who are terrible role models and terrible people but continue to garner respect.

An athlete who recently lost my respect was Richard Seymour. People continue to tell me how there are so many layers to this situation and how it is not black and white... blah blah blah. All I hear is "I'm a selfish prick and I'm only focused on me." For those unfamiliar with the situation, Seymour was traded from the Pats to the Raiders and now refuses to go to Oakland and show up at camp and is listed on the 53 man roster. He therefore will be getting paychecks but he is not playing for the Raiders. I understand how the guy feels, The patriots are going to be a superbowl contender and the Raiders suck. His family is in Mass, and he has to go 3000 miles away. I really can sympothize with the guy had he just gone to Oakland, but now that he is not I'm gonna call him a sellout and a bitch. I cannot sympothize with a guy who is getting 3.5 million dollars to play football. If you are so concerned with your family and their schooling, take 6 months and leave them and play football in Oakland and then after this one year you are done and you can sign elsewhere. I'm sorry you won't make the playoffs and I'm sorry you can't be with your family, if you hate it so much you shouldn't take your anger out on the raiders, but your former team the Pats. Suck it up and play and deal with the issues after. Any person on earth would take millions to play football so stop complaining. Would you rather flip burgers at McDonalds for 80 hours a week like other people, QUIT WHINING AND PLAY!!!!! What a great example you set for kids as well, "hey kids, you don't like your job or your life, sit back and say Fuck it and it will all work out in the end". Come on guy get your act in gear.

Congrats Derek

Tonight, September 9th 2009, Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for most hits in Yankee franchise history. Jeter went from being a rookie in 1995 getting his first hit in May, to being one of the best batters in Major League Baseball and showing it tonight with 3 hits, the final hit being a historic one. Jeter had a Jeterian single into right field which gave him 2,721 hits, the same as Lou Gehrig as the most in franchise history. The whole crowd broke in applause as the flash bulbs went off. Derek Jeter, a Yankee through and through, added another notch on his belt. His rookie of the year award, batting titles, gold gloves, world series rings and mvps, and hopefully 2009 MVP award all took the backseat to the most remarkable thus far. In one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports, literred with fantastic heroes throughout all of time, Jeter climbs above them all.

There was nobody watching today that wasn't rooting for Jeter wholeheartedly. Even Red Sox fans, wherever they are, are thinking to themselves, "he deserves it". Jeter is a class act in every sense. No steroid allegations, no criminal record, no arguments, no ejections, no problems. Jeter is an all around hard working great guy and he showed that with strong will and dedication (and obvious talent) you can achieve success, the highest kind. I know Jeter doesn't like the spotlight and preferred to talk about the win instead of the achievement, even he understood how monumental this was. Anyone like myself who watched him grow as a player and has been a fan of his since the beginning, is proud to see him get this record. Happy to be able to tell our kids or people in generations below that we saw Derek Jeter play. I'm excited to tell my children that I saw all 2721 hits and saw the one that tied the record. I watched the best SS in baseball history, and one of the greatest Yankees of all time. Clearly his tenure with the Yankees is not over, and he has more great accomplishments to reach (3,000 hits, most runs all time, etc) but this was the best notch on the belt.

Amidst the Jeter drama, there was a Yankee game tonight, and the Yankees won that game. The final was 4-2 on a pinch hit 3 run home run by Jorge Posada. Another Yankee come from behind win. Another late inning rally. This team finds no reason to get scared at the end of a game and refuses to bend over when the going gets tough. Joba looked sluggish in the first but settled and went 3 innings retiring his last 8. Aceves did well following him and so did every other reliever after that. The Yankees pitching held the Rays to 2 early runs and that was that. The offense was quiet facing Nieman, but came alive off Grant Balfour late. The 91st win of the season, 2 more than last year, and a 4 game sweep of the Rays. Tomorrow is off, but Friday we'll see Pettite take the hill against Baltimore and Jeter will look to hold the all time hits record alone.

Brief Post

Ok this is going to be a quick post but I wanted to comment on my Yankees. I think today was one of the worst games I have ever witnessed. Between errors and horrible pitching and some other add ins, it was just embarrassing. This was the first time in a long time I turned the game off mid game out of anger. I don't like losing, but some games are acceptable losses. For example the Friday loss to Halladay, shit happens. But today was straight awful and I took nothing positive from it, except for Jeter closing in on Gehrig. I hope the following games show us some more about this Yankee team, because this was a sad, playoff less performance. I think I am going to let this go with a pass (no arod no posada not a meaningful game) but this was a terrible game and I want to never speak about it again. Lets hope they bring it for the double header tomorrow vs Tampa.

Interesting Finish

Tonight the Yankees played the Texas Rangers, a possible preview of a first round playoff matchup, if the Rangers can win the wild card and the Yankees maintain the best record. The Rangers threw veteran Kevin Millwood against young gun Joba Chamberlain. Both looked like rookies in this one and this game was high scoring right off the bat. Both teams can swing the bat and playing in the friendly comfines of Yankee Stadium made for lots of pop and circumstance. Matsui had a 2 rbi double and Posada a 2 run HR both in the first to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead. Joba lost the lead by giving up a career high 7 ER in only 4 and change. The Yankees got a solo blast from cano to chip away, but before long the defecit was 5 runs, 10-5. The Yankees failed to comeback or show any fight...until the 9th.

In the 9th inning down 10-5, the Rangers went with Jason Grilli to face Johnny Damon. Damon singled and next up Teixeira walked. Ron Washington decided it was time for his closer and no more funny business. Frank Francisco came on to face Arod with 2 on and 0 out Texas still leading 10-5. Arod worked a full count and then walked. Bases now loaded the tying run on deck. Matsui was next and lines a base hit on an 0-2 pitch. Posada as the tying run and the bases still loaded hits a soft ground ball to third which was unplayable and goes as a hit. Bases still loaded now 10-7 and Cano up. Cano drills a hard hit single and its now first and second still 0 out and now 10-9. Hairston pinch runs for Posada and he's at second as the tying run. Swisher is up and the winning run at first. Swisher attempts to lay down and bunt and hits a pop out to Michael Young at 3B. Melky Cabrera comes up next and he hits a hard line drive to Andrus at short. Andrus makes the catch and then sprints towards second to try to double off Hairston. Jerry races back as well and Andrus wins the race by a nose making the double play and ending the game. Jeter had to watch the drama unfold with a bat on his shoulder while waiting on deck.

One could view this loss as just one of about 60 for the season. Joba didn't pitch well, the Yankees fell behind by 5 runs and the comeback was a good sign of good fight and good perseverance rather than failing to finish the job. I instead view this as a bad loss. This is a team that is fighting hard to make the playoffs and has played extremely well. This is a team that would come to NY for the playoffs and has no pitching. This is a team that should be beaten when the matchup is in NY, every time. This is a good team but their recent success shouldn't phase the Yankees. I think when down 8-5 the pen should have held them to 8. I think the Yankees should have been able to finish the job and gotten the necessary 10th and 11th runs. when you look at the 9th as a whole you say "4 runs!! they almost won!! What a comeback attempt." I think, "You had first and second nobody out and the last 6 batters had reached safely, how do you not get the runner from 2nd in." Good teams don't blow good opportunities like that, even if it came on the heels of the previous 6 men reaching. I don't like the Swisher bunt attempt. i don't get why Girardi thought after the first 6 guys had reached base safely, that they needed to start playing small ball. Especially Swisher who likely hasn't bunted ever. Melky then hits a line drive out and Hairston is in no-mans-land and gets doubled off. The fact that I was asking Melky to plainly strikeout so Jeter would be guaranteed an at bat tells you the confidence I have in Jeter. I love Melky and think he did a good job getting the bat on the ball and almost got a hit, but I think the Yankees win if Hairston isn't doubled off. Jeter would have gotten a hit, I'm positive. Don't ask me why or how I know this, don't even argue with me because I will not waiver in my opinion. Derek Jeter is the best hitter in baseball history--fuck yea I just said that--when the game desires him to get a hit. I've watched 13 seasons of a guy who NEVER fails when you put the game in his hands. Not to mention he's 30 for his last 55, get that. So I know you can say what a good try to win the game, but I'm looking at a bad loss vs a playoff team with late game failures not late game triumphs that cost the Yankees the W. This stings and bothers me tremendously...Tomorrow is a new day and they ought to win behind Andy, but you never know.

A Little Consistency Please?

It hasn't felt like a Yankee-Red Sox rivaly yet, and maybe that's what October is for. Today the Yankees got pounded 14-1 and nothing about today was a good sign. Yesterday it was 20-11 Yankees and almost everything (except some minor bullpen players) looked good. That has been the story this year. The 9-5 Red Sox edge in the season series has been that way through 8 straight wins and then 5 straight losses and then today's win. It doesn't seem like we have seen two great evenly matched teams yet. Today it was Tazawa shutting down the Yankees and Burnett getting rocked...huh? Previously Burnett had been dealing and was matching with Beckett in a showdown that went 15 innings. Clearly that was a clase game on the scoreboard but the Red Sox had their best pitcher on the mound and only managed 4 hits, and that was their high for the series.

Right now I'm wondering where these two teams are headed. I'm going to be frank because why play this bullshit game and talk about the Rays and Rangers like they are legit threats for the postseason. Cut the crap, the Yankees will win this division and the Red Sox will be the Wild Card team. I'm fairly certain the Yankees will stomp Detroit and The Red Sox who have always bested the Angels will advance as well. This leads to a playoff matchup we are all salivating to see in October. The matchup that created tons of hysteria in 03 an 04 which were epic series for both teams. 03 was capped off by a mammoth game winning, walk off solo HR for Aaron Boone in the 11th inning in game 7 of the ALCS. 04 was the drama of 4 straight wins for the Red Sox after being down 3-0, each win coming in great fashion (for Sox fans). This year may or may not be the same. I think these two teams will meet in October and I think these are the two best teams in the AL. I think the Angels are damn close, but if Boston gets some things together, they are deadly. The lineup is undeniably good, 2nd best in fact (to the Yankees). Their starters aren't deep like they should have been, but they have 2 aces in the top of their rotation, Beckett and Lester. If Wakefield/Bucholtz/Dice-K emerge as a legit 3rd option, this team could be dangerous.

The same could be said for the Yankees, who have 4 legit pitchers, a great pen, and a fantastic offense that also fields extremely well. That is why for a few weeks now I have said the Yankees are the best team in baseball and should win the World Series if all stays well. I am curious which teams will show up in the playoffs, because if Boston and the Yankees are at their best (neither team has been during any of their series) this could make for a historic and memorable matchup. I am excited because it is the first time in a long time I feel like the Yankees will be there when it matters, not may, but will be there. For the last 7 years I'd say, maybe more, I felt that the Yankees had a legit chance to win it all, but were not the favorites. Not since the late 90's were the World Series a realistic goal. This year the Yankees should be there and will be if they stay healthy and keep this ball rolling. I just wonder if Boston gets right and meets us on the last step of the way, will we be able to do what we must and get over that hump. It's been since 2003 that we made it to the Series and 2000 since we won, that's too long for me to wait. I hope this year changes that and I hope we play Boston on the way because we need to beat the best to be the best, and for a change I'm confident of our success vs them. They should be fearing us, not us fearing them.

Back to the present, we finish the series tomorrow vs Boston in Fenway at 8pm with CC vs Beckett, a crazy fun matchup. I think we should be able to put up a good fight, certainly a pitcehrs duel is in effect (maybe one team won't get double digits). I think a win would be great to take the series for future confidence sake, but I think everything the Yankees needed to do to win the division was done in the 4 game sweep and Friday's win. 5.5 or 7.5, either way we are looking way back in the rear view mirror and I'm not worried for once.

Yankee Dominance

The New York Yankees are the best team in baseball. Not only am I stating my opinion because over the last few weeks they have demolished every opponent, but they now carry the best record in baseball. They also carry the largest lead for any team in their division, 6.5 games. The Yankees continued their utter destruction last night in Seattle when they got a game winning HR by Mark Teixeira in the top of the 9th in a 2-2 game. After tacking on another run, Mariano came in and shut the door on the Mariners for the 2nd win in a row in this series. They had previously won on Thursday night behind the Yankees 11 run offensive explosion and CC's 8 innings of 1 run ball and season high 10 strikeouts. Pettitte matched CC last night with a season high 10 Ks of his own in a very good performance. Pettitte struggled out of the gate with 3 consecutive hits to start the game, but bared down and finished the inning and the game strong with 6 innings of only 2 runs. Although Pettitte pitched well, again he left the game tied or behind, the story of the second half for him.

Andy's last start before the break was a loss to the Angels and he gave up 6 runs and his ERA ballooned to 4.85. Since then, he has had 6 starts and has given up only 9 runs in 39 2/3 innings, that's posting a 2.05 era in that span. He recorded quality starts in 5/6 starts and in the one non quality start it was the pen that let up all his runners left on base. His era has dropped from the 4.85 mark to 4.09 now. He also has struck out 8, 7, 8, 6, 4, and 10 batters in his 6 starts in the 2nd half, thats 43 in 39 2/3 innings. Despite this resurgent Andy, he has only 1 win to show for his efforts and 5 no decisions, although the Yankee have won 3/5 no decision games. Pettitte is giving the Yankees the pitching length and success that they need right now as both Mitre and Gaudin are in the rotation and cannot provide either consistently.

Even with Mitre in the rotation and now Gaudin, and a multitude of injuries (Arod, Jeter, Posada, Gardner, Rivera) the Yankees are playing their best ball of the season right now. The front end of the rotation is as strong as ever, the lineup is scoring runs in bunches especially in late inning pressure situations, and the bullpen is no longer a weak point, but a strength. Brian Bruney pitched last night in a tie game and looked good, he might have brought himself back into the old form which will be crucial for the pen. Aceves is continuing to play great and of course Hughes and Rivera. Not to mention Coke and Robertson who have been doing a fine job and are young up and comers with good stuff. The Yankees look poised to continue to sweep crummy teams and make a play at the best overall record in the AL. With the way they are going now I can only hope they stay at this level because this bodes well for October. They continue play tonight in Seattle at 10 with Mitre on hill. It'll be for 5 in a row and 11/12.

Goodbye Boston

People talk about a rivalry between Boston and New York, not this year. The Boston Red Sox had the New York Yankees number for the first 8 games and it looked like there would be little competition for the Sox for the division. It appeared as though there was no heated rivalry between these teams because it was so one sided. The teams play basically at .500 in their history and yet this year it was all Boston, until this weekend. The Yankees finally showed Boston that they were ready to play this year and that they are the team to beat in the AL east. With a 4 game sweep of the Sox, the Yankees jumped out to a 6.5 game lead on the division, with only 50 games to go. A lead that may or may not hold, but certainly looks promising for Yankee playoff hopes.

The Yankees welcome AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia, and most recently Teixeira and Swisher to the Yankees-Red Sox clash. AJ had been dominant against Boston in his career, but struggled early this season in his 2 starts. Friday he brought his A game and helped the Yankees win in 2-0 walk off fashion. Saturday Sabathia pitched and pitched great, the first time he had played so well against Boston. Today it was Teixeira who came up in the 8th in a 2-2 game. Damon had just tied the game on a solo hr and Teixeira followed with a bomb of his own, which put the Yankees ahead for good. Swisher came up later in the 8th with 2 on and 2 outs and drilled a single up the middle which provided very critical insurance runs. Both Swisher and Teixeira are new to the Yankees (as with Burnett and CC) and all played instrumental parts in this 4-game sweep, although have yet to be part of the rivalry because there still is no rivalry. We haven't seen the typical nail biting games with Boston. We haven't seen the Boston team that would always fight back and make you worry the whole game. Instead we saw 31 consecutive scoreless innings and a hurt and weak opponent not worthy of a rivalry.

The Yankees have looked like a totally different team than the team that struggled vs Boston early in the year and this team has the makings like the World Series teams in the late 90s. This is the best Yankee team I have seen since 1998. I think that they have all the right pieces and anything short of the WS is a failure. The Yankees have looked SO dominant since getting A-rod back and even more dominant since the All-star break. So good that when the Yankees gave up a 2-run HR to Victor Martinez to blow the lead in the 8th, I wasn't breaking a sweat. I told my father and my friend that the HR would happen (random accurate prediction), but then proceeded to suggest that the Yankees would get it right back in the 8th. The Yankees lead the league in come from behind wins and have a tremendous track record of scoring off opponents' bullpens late in games. It is because of this that I never worry that this team is out of the game and I always have hope. Hope is great thing and I have much of it, hopes that this team will bring a title to NY. They have the right pieces, they just need to focus and play like they did vs Boston this weekend. One thing I can say for certain, Boston no longer scares me this year, the only team that's gonna stand in this team's way is the Angels. So goodbye Boston and leave your dignity in the Bronx!!

Yankees - Red Sox

Last night Alex Rodriguez became a hero in the Bronx after hitting a walk off 2-run HR in the bottom of the 15th inning. The home run was the first run of the game, giving the Yankees a 2-0 win, the second in a row in this 4 game series and a 4.5 game lead over the Red Sox in the division. The story of the game was not Alex's HR, it was the pitching. A.J. Burnett went for the Yankees and Josh Beckett went for the Red Sox. It was the third time this year that there guys squared off against each other, and unlike the previous outings, both we on fire. Burnett allowed only 1 hit through 7 2/3 innings and struck out 6. Beckett managed 7 scoreless innings himself, and the game went to the bullpens tied 0-0. Both bullpens were masterful and the game continued on into extras. Inning after inning the game wore on and neither team was able to scratch across a run despite some good opportunities. Finally A-rod belted one into the night after 5 hours and 33 minutes of baseball to end the 15 inning sharade. In typical yankee walk off fashion, Burnett pied A-rod in the face to the delight of the home crowd.

This game was a crucial win for the Yankees. The Yankees went into this 4-game series vs Boston ahead 2.5 games in the standings, but 0-8 against Boston on the season. This can be looked at two ways. The first is the obvious way, wow the Yankees cannot beat the Red Sox this year and that is a problem if they intend to make it anywhere this year. The other interesting thing to look at is, the Yankees are somehow still in first going into this series despite the 0-8 record vs Boston, meaning they must be doing significantly better vs the rest of the league than Boston, which means if they can find a way to get some wins vs the Red Sox, they will create some separation in the division. That is exactly what is happening. The Yankees took the first game of the series behind some spectacular offense, which might have ended John Smoltz's career. Smoltz was signed in the offseason by Boston and missed the first 2 months coming back from surgery. He had been struggling all year and on Thursday night gave up 8 earned runs in only 4 innings. Following the start the Red Sox designated Smoltz for assignment and it is unlikely another team will try to sign him. Back to the Yankees, after winning on Thursday they showed that they could finally beat Boston and got the monkey off their backs. Last night was a great hard fought win which continues to be a staple of this Yankee team, late inning drama. This Yankee team is finding ways to win games in all sorts of ways and as a fan you never lose hope and you never count this team out. 15 inning of scoreless pitching is a remarkable feat and shows the Yankees starting pitching and bullpen are finally getting straightened out.

Before this series began there were talks of the Yankees taking 3/4 or possibly sweeping, becuase this is a different New York team and a different Boston team as well. The Yankee tea that went 0-8 against Boston was missing Alex Rodriguez, had a shaky bullpen, and had unreliable starting pitching. As of today the Yankees have the best record in baseball including fantastic 1-4 starters, a great pen, and the best offense in baseball. Not to mention the addition of Teixeira which brings increased defense all around. The Red Sox right now are without Jason Bay, Dice-k, and Wakefield. Their starting pitching although deep, is struggling mightily. Their bullpen is as good as ever and proved so last night, but the offense is sluggish. Their 5-9 hitters last night all had batting averages under 250. Ortiz, Drew, Varitek, Reddick, and Green/Woodward. The Yankees are so far taking advantage of being the hotter team and should continue that today at 4 with CC on the hill. The Yankees are trying to prove they aren't just the hotter team, but the better team.

Steroids in Baseball

Steroids has attacked baseball far worse than the mosquitoes attack my skin on a summer day (this summer has been so bad!). Steroids is like the plague that travels from rat to rat infecting the public and people just want to run the hell away. Steroids is something that will forever be linked to baseball and will forever taint the game itself. Although there are steroid users in football and in other sports, when you think steroids you immediately think baseball. There are a few reasons for this, the first is Bud Selig's inability to send a clear message about steroids. It wasn't illegal for a while and when it finally became legal the punishment was, 10 games? Ha, nice try Bud, but that doesn't stop anyone. All these government investigations and anonymous and confidential reports just shows me that this is a complete disaster. This ties in with the other major reason for baseball and steroids being forever linked. Baseball is a game of history and stats. The only way we can compare legends of the past is by looking at their achievements and comparing them to today's greats. Stats like, all time home run leader and all time RBI leader, are crucial to the make up of baseball. It is something that all players and fans want to see be achieved with dignity, not through cheating. It is with this that we cannot just cut ties with what has happened and say, "forget it, lets look forward with a new drug testing policy and anyone who used steroids, o well. That was then and this is now." Although to be honest I kind of want to hear that.

I think Ortiz's name coming out as part of the 2003 sports illustrated survey shows us truly nothing. That study was conducted in 03 to see if there ought to be a drug testing policy and it showed that there should be because so many people who participated came up testing positive. It was taking in confidence that the names would not be released and therefore we cannot penalize anyone on that list. We can change our opinions of them as players knowing they used steroids, but we shouldn't know those names to begin with. Anyone with half a brain knew Ortiz and Manny used steroids. Everyone knows the obvious steroid users just from the sheer increase in head and arm size in a matter of years. We all know Ortiz went from never having hit 20 Hrs as a Twin and never having 400+ at bats to 40 and even 50 Hrs and 600+ abs as a Red Sox. It's something that tainted this era of baseball because this will be known as the steroid era. Anyone who is putting up Hall of Fame type numbers may not get in for being linked to steroids. This may be unfair to those who aren't steroid users but are legitimate home run guys. Ryan Howard for example has yet to be linked to steroids (it will come with time) and he is crushing 40 and 50 a year. He may get 500 or more on his career and it would be a shame if he were witheld from the Hall of Fame or even looked negatively upon just because of the time he played. I also guarantee there are many players who are steroid users and just have not been caught. I'm not mentioning any names, but I bet there is a long list of players who used steroids and never got caught. What about them? It's hard to look back at all these records and achievements and sift through to find the clean and the dirty ones. It's hard to differentiate the legitimate accomplishments and the not so legitimate ones.

The talk about steroids will never die and for that reason baseball is in trouble. Baseball wants to remove steroids from the conversation of baseball. If you are a baseball enthusiast you want the link between the two to be removed and not to return. You only want to hear about it when someone fails a test today and is suspended. You want baseball to be strict on its steroid policy to the point where any user is literally screwed. Make steroids a hanis offense and test for it arly and often. Remove it from people's minds immediately and make it something that will never again happen. A full season's suspension or expulsion from the game. NO NEED FOR SECOND CHANCES. Why give someone a second chance when this is the most blatant form of cheating and everyone playing the game knows how bad steroids are and knows the ridiculous crap baseball is going through about steroids. Any kid at 15 years old right now playing in high school thinking about being drafted and playing in 5 year should say, fuck steroids I can do this on my own. If you use steroids I don't want you in my game, I want you out of baseball, that's it. You cheated, they didn't (the rest of the league), so...get the fuck out. Makes perfect sense to me. Then you can show everyone in the world that you are taking this steroid stuff seriously and you can then start to look back if you would like and decide who makes it to the Hall of Fame and who's records will stand and such. For now it just seems like MLB is ok with steroid use because they understand how home runs draw fans and money and therefore any means to increase revenue is a good thing. Until this policy changes and until priority number 1 is to remove steroids from baseball, MLB will be looked on negatively and will always be tainted in some way.

The last point I want to make is in regards to the 104 players who participated in the anonymous SI survey in 03. That was confidential and those players should not be mentioned by name. A-rod, Manny and Ortiz have been mentioned but that doesn't mean that all the other names ought to be. I think those 3 being revealed is wrong because it makes them stand out when they were not the only ones. Not to remove them of blame but I'd say at least 50% of the legaue was using steroids at the time and to single these guys out when they were guaranteed security, is not fair. Now it seems like to make it fair everyone should be revealed, but that violates their security as well. Baseball made another mistake revealing only a few names. This drip drip drip way of revealing roiders just makes this whole controversy continue and always points back to tainted stats and records instead of the great things that go on each day in baseball. a great game is being ruined by DUMB executives and commissioner. Bud get your shit together my man cause I can't take people abusing my sport.

David Arkow's 2 Wild Baseball Theories

Theory 1- Derek Jeter Never Fails

Everyone knows Derek Jeter is a great baseball player and one of the greatest Yankees of all time. His talent is something that can overlooked by some, but never by Yankee fans. There isn't much that wows you about his game, except that he goes about his business doing the same things day in and day out and does it with incredible success. For the last 15 years he has played in almost every game, playing at shortstop and making some great defensive plays, and he just straight up gets hits. He will end up over 3000 on his career and likely in the Hall of Fame. But what makes Jeter a 4 time world series winner and the superstar for the Yankees dynasty in the 90s and 2000s, is his ability to get the clutch hit. When I hear the phrase "clutch performer", I immediately look to Jeter. The guy has never shied away from a big moment, whether that be regular season, playoffs, extra innings, or just when guys are on base. The man just gets the job done. For the last 4 years (that's as far back as I'm willing to check stats for), Jeter has batted over .300 with runners in scoring position (RISP) and RISP and 2 outs in each year. This includes high marks of .418 and .366. His playoff batting average is .309 and he's had years in the playoffs of .500 and .375, literally putting the team on his back. Clearly the more difficult the situation the better Jeter performs.

But let's be honest, we all know this. So what is this cockamamie theory all about, i'll tell you. Obviously Jeter has earned the respect of the fans and will never get booed, but he also never lends himself to getting booed. There is hardly ever a batting situation where Jeter is the scapegoat. The double plays are the only times Jeter puts an immediate stop to an inning, otherwise he is fail proof. What I mean is that whenever Jeter comes up with RISP and 2 outs, as stated earlier, he comes through. When he comes up with RISP and 1 or no one out, he can be successful but sometimes makes out (his RISP avg is less than his RISP w/ 2 outs). In these situations, I always make a note to anyone watching around me and I'll say something like, "Watch dude, the next guy up will get a hit and get Jeter's back." What do I mean by this? When the inning is over the Yankees will have scored runs anyways and no one will look at DJ for having failed earlier in the innning. If Jeter comes up with Cabrera on 2nd and no one out and he strikes out, Damon or Teixeira or whoever are the next two to follow, will get a single and make sure no one remembers Jeter not advancing the runner at least. Had there been 2 outs, Jeter would realize that he has no one else to help him out and he MUST come through and therefore does. On some level Jeter has the ability to will a hit and does when it is needed. So I challenge you to find a time where you see Jeter fail and the players behind him do as well, because it does not happen often.

Theory 2- Relief Pitching

Theory 1 was my joking love for Jeter and his lack of failures, but this theory on relief pitching is practical and should be taken much more seriously. This theory I have shared with my dad many times and he generally agrees is something more managers should consider. When the game is on the line in a pressure situation, who do you want pitching for your team, Mariano Rivera or Alfredo Aceves, Rivera or Phil Coke. Let me paint a picture to make my point clearer. Let's say in the 7th inning, the Yankees have a 2-1 lead and there are runners on first and second and nobody out. The starting pitcher AJ Burnett leaves the game and it's Girardi's turn to call on anybody he wants from the pen. He calls on Brian Bruney. Bruney allows the first man up to smack a 2-run double and the Yankees fall behind and lose 3-2. (This is a made up situation keep in mind). Now looking back we realized that Bruney was a mistake, but even had he succeeded, this was a mistake. The game is to be won/lost in this situation. The reason Girardi did not use Rivera was because he wanted to save him so he could do just that in the 9th. But in most situations Rivera will come up facing the 7-8-9 hitters in the 9th with no jam. That's a cake walk and should be for any pitcher. However the 7th inning is not easy and that's where you NEED Rivera and not Bruney. According to the Elias Sports Bureau and other sports statistics, with a 3 run lead in the 9th, the ace closer has a 99% success rate, whereas any other reliever has a 98% success rate. This is an insignificant drop, but in that 7th inning I bet Mariano succeeds 8/10 but Bruney only 5/10. This is a much more significant drop. Why save Rivera for the 9th that may never happen if your other guys fail? Why wait to use the best player on your relief staff when the game is to be saved now. The only reason we wait and pray that our decent relievers can save it for Rivera, is because the rules almost dictate it that way. We have grown accustomed to the best player being the closer, the last guy to face the most pressured 9th inning. These are the guys that rack up the stats and get the save and make the most money. We can't deny them the opportunity to "save" the game. Look at K-rod, the guy is making $37 million over the next 3 years with the Mets, because he saved 62 games last year. He was definitely great last year, but he had better seasons prior that and there were other guys who were better last year, just not given 65 opportunities. But what earned him the money was not his 2.4 era but his 62 saves. So Mike Scoiscia can't just take away save opps for him or it would cost him money, but then again a manager's job is to win the game.

Should the Yankees get Roy Halladay?

That is the million dollar question, should the Yankees pursue the most sought after player in baseball. A player who at 32 years old is playing his best baseball. A player who has already won a cy young, could line up a second after this year, and is surely to be a hall of famer when his illustrious career comes to a close. This player is available and has been for the last 3 weeks. JP Ricciardi, the Blue Jays General Manager, put Halladay on the block when it appeared that the Blue Jays were eliminated from contention. A lot of teams seem interested in Halladay (who wouldn't be), but Ricciardi is asking for an enormous amount for Roy. The Phillies appeared to be the favorite but it seems as though the Jays and Phillies have hit a snag and neither team is willing to budge. Halladay is under contract through the end of 2010, so any team that trades for him has to take on about 6 million for this year and another 15 for next year. So back to the original question, should the Yankees trade for Halladay, and furthermore will they?

I think as fantastic as Roy Halladay is, the Yankees should not get him. I've been hearing all week about how this makes the Yankees an instant World Series favorite for 2 years, and when you have a chance at a Hall of Fame pitcher, you shouldn't let a few minor leaguers stand in the way. I understand this point of view, but I have to respectfully disagree. The reported oasking price from the Jays was Hughes/Joba, Austin Jackson, and Jesus Montero. At this point I no longer consider Hughes/Joba young talent. These are impact players now and are crucial to the Yankees run this season. I also know that Montero and Jackson may not pan out, but it's nice saving the farm for the future and in case of injury.

The Yankees also have a track record of going out and getting the best pitchers on the market who are on the decline of their career and they don't pan out. Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, Roger Clemens (stint 2), and Jaret Wright. All these players struggled with the Yankees and were a waste of money. If you look at what it took for the Yankees to win 4 World Series titles in 5 years, it was the right combination of young talent and good major league free agents. Not one player on that roster was a stud brought in from another team. It was Posada, Jeter, Pettitte, Bernie, and Mariano, all home grown talent. It was also, O'neill, Martinez, Brosius, Wells, Cone, and El Duque, all good major league players but no one was a real stud. It took chemistry and it took the right guys stepping up at the right time.

This year the Yankees are 2nd in MLB with a 61-38 record, a team that is fun to watch and playing great baseball. Why fix what's not broken? Why go and get a pitcher who could impact this team greatly but also take away the heart and soul of this team? Why remove the youth which provides the spark, the energy, and the hustle from a team that needs no help? I think doing this move says "we can't win with the current team", which is an insult and a lie. This team right now is better than Boston and LAA and so long as they dont get Halladay, it's an uneccessary move. I think the option to get Johan was there a few years ago and Cashman passed because he wanted to save the young talent. That is why they signed Burnett and CC to improve the pitching without having to give up young players. The payroll is almost never an issue with the Yankees but paying the luxury tax would increase the cost of getting Halladay, from 21 million to around 32 million. I know some people seem to think when you are already paying 200 million, what's another 20 a year. My answer to that is plain and simple, if money isn't an issue and you are willing to do anything to win, why wouldn't you sign every free agent out there and nearly guarantee the World Series title? Get Manny and Abreu in the offseason in there instead of Melky and Swisher. Throw money at every FA and lock em up. This at least saves you prospects. But clearly this is unreasonable as the Yankees want to win with their players and they want to win in an economical manor. It's not like you are in trouble at this point in the season and to stay competitive you need 1 bat or 1 starter. This is a team playing out of its mind baseball and doesn't need Halladay to put the rest of the league in a choke hold.

Homestand Comes to a Close, Looking Forward

The Yankees ended their 10 game home stand at 9-1. They took themselves from 3 games out of the division lead to 2.5 games ahead in the division. During a stretch where Boston lost the ability to score runs and win games, the Yankees were showing the rest of baseball that this year they are for real. The Yankees can almost never be counted out of a game. They have an uncanny ability to score runs on the opposing team's bullpen. The Yankees should have emerged 10-0 during this stretch, but lost on Saturday to Oakland when the bullpen collapsed in relief of Andy Pettitte. More specifically, Alfredo Aceves, who had been pitching great, came into a tie game with bases loaded and 1 out. He got Mark Ellis to pop out but then surrendered 4 straight hits and the lead ballooned to 6-1. Since it's the Yankees we are talking about, they scored some runs late off a pair of Home Runs, but still lost 6-4. Had that inning been nuetralized a little bit sooner, the defecit would have been more manageable. Despite that blunder the bullpen has overall done a great job. Mariano clearly the ace of the staff, but Phil Hughes is coming into his own as well as a dominant 7th and 8th inning guy. If Bruney can get straight, along with Coke and Aceves and the Yankees add Demaso Marte soon, that bullpen looks more like a strength than the weakness it was at the start of the season.

Despite playing some outrageous baseball, concerns are beginning to airse in Yankee world. They now have to head to Tampa for a series against the Rays. A much more legitimate team than Baltimore or Oakland, and a team that always plays the Yankees tough, especially in their building. This series and the next few will also be played without Brett Gardner. The little speedster broke his thumb on Saturday sliding into second, and will miss the next month. Although he is not part of the elite core of the team, his value to the team has shown and he matters greatly. He adds another dimension the Yankees game that they haven't really ever relied on, speed. Gardner plays great defense and can literally manufacture runs, something crucial to do against good ball clubs. His injury leaves more playing time for Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher, and Eric Hinske, which should be able to pick up the slack, but the question is whether or not the Yankees ought to do something about this as the trade deadline approaches. There are a few options for the Yankees.

Option 1- Do nothing
This option is the do nothing approach. This option is, we have good replacement guys and a deep bench so we should not lose much. Just keep plugging away and hang in there and this team is too good to fall apart without one little dude. It's ballsy, but the Yankees do still have enough to continue to win most of their games. Although they play Boston at home following the next 3 road series. It would be nice to take at least 2/4 games in that series and losing Gardner does hurt.

Option 2- Get someone
The option here is to go out and get someone you know will impact your ball club. The Yankees have 4 days until the trade deadline, they could go out and get a bat or even get a pitcher. I know you lose Gardner so why get a pitcher, but anything to help the team to stay on division winning target. I doubt the Yankees get Halladay, but Cliff Lee and Jarrod Washburn are names being thrown around, someone might be interested in selling and the Yankees might just get someone, even if it's a small signing like a Hinske, it could be beneficial.

Option 3- Ajax or Action Jackson
This happens to be my favorite option, and that is to bring up young talented OF, Austin Jackson. Jackson is doing well in the minors, batting over 300 with lots of steals and brings great defense. He is a young future star and the number one player in the farm system. Bringing him up now has its risks, it could stunt his growth not playing everyday, and he could lose confidence if he doesn't play well. Also if he struggles it will hurt his value as a player to possibly be traded. However if he plays well, he could help this team greatly and could cemente his legacy as a Yankee future star and increase his value. Clearly there is risk and there is worry, when isn't there, but if he is as good as they say, he shouldn't struggle more than natural beginning woes. I expect some jitters and some bad strikeouts, but I also expect some good hits and steals and some good defensive plays. The Yankees made this move with Jeter and Cano in the past and we all know how that worked out, time to make the move Cashman. Get this real deal young gun into the lineup and let's win now.

Going Streaking

A cold and rainy night in the Bronx signaled, it was time to go streaking, in a manor of speaking. The Yankees reached 7 games on their post all star break win streak. The win came at 12:50 am in the Bronx as the Yankees beat the Oakland As 6-3. The game was delayed by over 2 and a half hours thanks to showers. When the game finally started, it was CC Sabathia for the Yankees and NJ native Vin Mazarro for the As. Sabathia ran into trouble in the early innings, but as CC generally does, he settled down and managed to finish 7 strong innings of 3 run ball. Mazzaro was quite the opposite, he started off retiring the first 6 batters, 4 on strikeouts. He (fortunately for the Yankees) fell apart in the 4th when Damon led off with a single. Mazzaro then fell behind 3-0 to Teixeira, who was then given the green light and crushed the 3-0 pitch into the middle deck in right field. Arod followed with a walk, then stole second and was brought in by Posada on a double to the gap. Hinske singled Jorge home, and all of a sudden the Yankees were ahead 4-3. They scored 2 more in the 5th inning knocking out Mazzaro and claiming the 6-3 lead which would remain the same for the rest of the game.

CC seemed to get stronger as the game wore on and his pitches were hitting 95 even in the 7th when his pitch count was over 100. Hughes relieved CC and pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th for his first save. Once again it seemed like the Yankees did just enough to get the win and never really looked uncomfortable out there. Despite the game starting at 10 pm and the Yankees falling behind 3-0, the players seemed to know the comeback was inevitable.

"We expect to win every night." Mark Teixeira said.

The players seem to be playing with an extra confidence, realizing that they are capable of winning any game and every game. The Yankees have now won all 7 games since the all star break and managed to go from 3 behind the Red Sox for the division, to 2 1/2 games ahead for the division lead. As Teixeira said, the players take the field with a certain swagger, knowing the late scoring will come and the starting pitching and bull pen has been lights out.

"The starting pitching has been incredible." Teixeira added.

The Yankees look like the team from the 90's, having fun unafraid to score late, and relying on humble heroes like Brett Gardner, Eric Hinske, Melky Cabrera, Sergio Mitre, Phil Hughes, among others. These guys and others are contributing to the streak and may be flying under the radar. The Yankees play 3 more vs Oakland this weekend and Joba takes the mound tonight at 7 pm as the Yankees look to increase their lead on the division and win their 8th in a row.

Power Sergio

Last night former Marlin starter, Sergio Mitre took the mound on a cold, wet night in the Bronx. Mitre's last start in the majors coming back in 2007, no one knew what to expect. Well he sure didn't dazzle anyone with his 5 2/3 innings of 4 run ball, but he did give the Yankees a good chance to win the game and they did just that. Mitre got the win in a 6-4 game as the Yankees topped the Orioles despite a 30 minute rain delay. Mitre ran into a considerable amount of jams throughout the course of the game, but managed to minimize the damage and allowed the Yankee bats to propel the team to 5 straight victories.

The offense was lead by Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a pair of fly balls in the second inning. In the 4th he came up with bases loaded and drilled a hard hit ball right by the shortstop Izturis for a 2 run go ahead single. Later in the game Cano came up and hit a rocket into the right field bleachers for a 2-run HR putting the Yankees ahead for good.

Last night's win combined with Boston's 4-2 loss, put the Yankees in sole possession of first place in the American league east. This is the first time the Yankees have been in possession of first this late in the year since October of 2006. The Yankee offense hasn't been getting overwhelming amounts of hits, but are finding ways to squeek out just enough runs to win the game. The bullpen last night, just like the previous 4 games, looked phenominal. Alfredo Aceves or Ace, pitched 1 1/3 innings, followed by Coke for an inning, and then of course Mariano to close it down. Coke got Luke Scott to hit a sharp line drive right to Teixeira who stepped on the bag for a double play, doubling off Markakis to end the 8th. Teixeira's defense has been stellar all season and was on display again last night. Yankees will go for the sweep and 6 wins in a row with AJ Burnett vs Berken on Wednesday in an afternoon game in the Bronx.

Yankees winning in spite of the offense?

It took only 2 hours and 40 minutes for the Yankees to see Hideki Matsui get pied in the face by AJ Burnett. In case you didn't know, that's the new signature Yankee sentiment given to the player who delivers the game winning hit. Tonight that was Hit-Deki Matsui, who crushed a 2-2 Jim Johnson pitch into the night in the bottom of the 9th. Matsui's home run came with 1 out and no one on in the 9th inning in a 1-1 ball game. Despite hitting the 9th game winning hit of the season and 27th come from behind came, the story of the game was the pitching and the defense.

Andy Pettitte started for the Yankees, meanwhile questions surround him about whether he's slowing down or will fall apart in the second half just like last year. Pettitte temporarily answered those critics with a dominant pitching performance, 7 1/3 innings of 1 run ball and not to mention a season high 8 K's. Pettitte seemed to be mowing down batters and never looked uncomfortable. Any time he reached any sort of jam, he made all the pitches he needed to get out of the situation unscathed. Even after Pettitte left the game, the Yankees relief pitcher Phil Coke was able to get out of a 2nd and 3rd 1 out jam left on by andy Pettitte. The batter Nick Markakis smoked a ground ball to Teixeira, who fielded it cleanly and fired home. Molina applied the tag and Izturis was out at home. Next batter Adam Jones got to see only 1 pitch that inning as the ball was a wild one and got away from Molina. Molina raced down to the ball, slid and threw almost simultaneously to Coke who tagged Roberts for the final out in the inning. Twice the Orioles failed to score that inning with a man on third. All game the Yankees got big outs in big situations, including numerous double plays and great defensive plays.

For the third game in a row the Yankees won by a score of 2-1, showing they are capable of winning games on the strength of their starters and bullpen. The offense came up with some clutch hits when it needed (all 3 games taking the lead late in the game) and of the 6 runs, 5 of them coming on 5 solo HRs- Hinske, Teixeira, Matsui, and Arod twice. But overall the offense has been a bit sluggish out of the gate in the second half. The reason this hasn't been mentioned? The Yankees are 4-0. When the team wins the questions and the concerns will of course disappear.

But this article isn't meant to point out the offensive struggles, but more importantly to highlight the incredible pitching and defense that has propelled this 4 game win streak. In the 4 games since the All-Star break, the Yankees have held their opponents to a total of 6 runs. 6 runs on 26 hits in 36 innings. The starters for the Yankees had quality starts (at least 6 innings of 3 ER or less) in every one of the 4 games and the bullpen only gave up 1 run on the Marcus Thames solo homer off of Aceves on Saturday. The defense has been highlighted by the spectacular work of Mark Teixeira. Mark showed why he deserved the 8 yr 160+ million dollar contract he offered the Yankees in the offseason. He hit home runs in both Friday and Sunday and then came up with outrageous defensive plays in all the games. Molina also showed why he is on the 25 man roster and not Cervelli, saving the Yankees from giving up a run in the 8th. Overall it's been taking a total team effort on every front to win three straight games while only scoring 2 runs in each. The Yankees go for 5 in a row tomorrow and we'll see if they can continue their pitching dominance with Sergio Mitre on the mound.

Different Joba?

Yesterday's 2-1 win over Detroit marked big strides for starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain. It was the longest outing for Joba since June 1st and the first time he had given up less than 2 runs in a game since his last start vs Detroit on April 29th. Joba overcame early struggles and settled down to win his 5th game of the year, his first win since June 24th against Atlanta. Joba seemed to be in much better command of his fastball, hitting upper 90's with consistency, and seemed to be increasing as the game went on. Joba has a tendency of nibbling around the plate and not being able to put guys away, but yesterday he only had 3 walks and struck out 8 batters. His 8 strikeouts was the second most he has recorded this season, showing he came with a different approach to challenge hitters. This helped keep his pitch count low and allowed him to go 6 2/3 innings as well.

The most important thing I saw from Joba yesterday was how he picked up his teammates. In his last 2 starts Joba gave up unearned runs because he couldn't get out of jams created by his teammates errors. More specifically his start on July 5th vs Toronto, while leading 5-3 with 1 out in the 4th inning and a man on first, Cody Ransom made an error on a possible double play ball, setting up first and second with 1 out. Joba could have cracked down and gotten out of the situation, but it ballooned and he ended up giving up a double, single, and home run for a total of 5 runs. This goes down in the stats as 3 er and 8 runs, so Joba's era remains in tact, but this is a situation where you need to bear down and help your teammate out. In the last few outings Joba failed to do this and let his game get out of control. Yesterday howevere, different story. Joba faced Granderson with 1 out and no one on in the 6th and Granderson lined a pitch to Nick Swisher. It was a well hit ball and certainly should have been a hit, but Swisher tried to play the ball on a short hop and let it get right by him after doing an embarassing leap up. Granderson ended up on third as the go ahead run, and still only 1 out. Joba managed to get out of the inning unscathed thanks to a 97 mph fastball on a 3-2 pitch to Marcus Thames that blew right by him. After recording the out, Joba did his signature celebration with fist pumps and a voilent shake. It was good to see him help out his teammates and not let a small mistake blow up. It was also refreshing to see Joba excited and happy on the mound for the first time in a while. On top of that Joba wasn't afraid to go after the hitter on a 3-2 pitch and dialed it up to 97! Overall many good signs from Joba yesterday and if he can continue this, a good 1-2-3 in the rotation.

Game 7/17 vs Detroit

Tonight's Yankee game was a very nice way to open up the second half of the season. A nice 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. AJ Burnett really impressed me tonight, not because he had dominating stuff tonight, but because he did not have his best stuff tonight and still managed to keep the Yankees in the game. He went 6 innings 3 earned runs off of 6 hits and 5 walks and a hit by pitch. Thats a pretty high WHIP (walks and hits in innings pitched), but a quality start nonetheless.

The Yankee bats were quiet in the beginning off rookie starter Lou french, but awoke late off of Joel Zumaya. It was capped off by a mammoth 3-run HR into the 2nd deck in left by Mark Teixeira. After forty minute rain delay in the middle of the 8th inning, the game resumed to see Rivera get the final outs and close down the 5-3 win. It was a typical Yankee victory, but one that showed some good signs.

First the Yankees came from behind just like they always do, but a good sign of a good team. Being able to beat a playoff contender late in the game, good work NYY. Second impressive thing was the Yankee pitching. Burnett as I mentioned earlier being able to put a solid outing together despite his hardships. Also the bullpen, 3 scoreless innings to nail down the W. Most importantly I saw a lot from Joe Girardi tonight. Sometimes the best decision is to stop thinking about lefty righty matchups or how this pitcher does vs this hitter, blah blah blah. The best thing sometimes is the hot hand and the best player, straight up. I really liked that after a 20 pitch 7th innings, Girardi brought Hughes out for the 8th inning as well. He brought his total to 40 for the game, but he struck out all 6 batters he faced and looked phenominal. I was happy that he trusted Hughes and was thinking about the W and not about anything else. Hughes has been dominant lately and I was glad he just let the man do his job. Hughes-Rivera is an unbeatable combo, rivaling the Joba-Rivera duo in late 2007.

Overall a good Yankee win and in typical fashion, my only qualm with the whole game was the decision to send Posada home earlier in the game when Melky hit a single with 2 out and runners at first and second. I understand that with 2 outs you want to be agressive, but with Jeter on deck, I want him up with runners in scoring position. Not to mention that the outfielder caught the ball when Posada was just hitting 3rd base. He is a slow runner and he was out by 567 miles. O well, a small aspect of the game, just something that would have been a major issue had the team lost 3-2. Jeter is batting over 400 with RISP and 2 outs, so you might want to know who's on deck and who's on the base paths (slow ass Jorge) next time that situation arises.

2nd Half

The 2nd half of the MLB season begins tonight and for the Yankees it begins tomorrow with a 3 game series against the AL central leading Detroit Tigers. Looking forward it's easy to predict that the Yankees will make the playoffs. Since the season began I have been saying this team is destined for bigger and better things, but at this point I have some concerns. For normal team standards, this team is way above average and will be rather successful. Unfortunately with the steinbrenners running the franchise and being in New York and being the most successful sports franchise in history, the expectations are always high. This team spends roughly $200 million on pay roll and as a result should have a top tier team. Bringing in CC, Burnett, and Teixeira in an offseason is beyond excessive and just lets you know at what level the Yankees are at. Accepting an 89 win playoff-less season like last yr, is out of the question. The Yankees refuse to let Boston and Tampa take control of the division and they are trying to position themselves for a title run. It all looked promising following the return of Alex Rodriguez. The staff was doing well, the bullpen rejuvinated with the addition of Phil Hughes, and the offense running on all cylinders. In the last week though, things got a little dicey. A 3 game sweep at the helm of the Angels was enough to derail the success train. Right now the rotation includes CC and Burnett as the 1-2, a very good 1-2 punch. The 3-4 is Joba and Pettitte (in whichever order you prefer) and currently neither is playing at a level worthy of a 3rd of 4rth starter. The 5th starting spot is Mitre's for right now until Wang can get back to 100%. If you had a quality 3rd starter, you would not mind pettitte and Joba struggling because as 4th and 5th starters, this is expected. But as the 3-4 guys, we expect and need more! The second half of the season should be no different than the first and I expect 93-95 wins and a wild card spot behind the Sox. This worries me because that means likely a visit to LAA for round 1 and back to Boston for round 2. With the current team that the Yankees have, they cannot beat LA or Boston in a series in their building. The Yankees offense is stacked and their pen is doing well, but they don't have enough to out slug other teams if they cant get good reliable pitching. CC is a terrible post season starter as is wang (if he gets straightened out). Burnett is inexperienced but should be capable of a good outing. Joba and Pettitte concern me. Pettitte has done it in the past with great success, but he is not the same pitcher. He's old and he looks it. Joba is young and looks it as well. He nibbles at the plate, can't throw 95 and doesn't have an out pitch. Joba needs to settle and become a reliable 3rd starter for the playoffs or this team has 0 chance when it matters. The yankees will make the playoffs but it is also imperative that they claim the division. As i just said I think 93-95 wins is in the cards, enough for 2nd place, but that means 2 road series before the World Series and it means Angels and Boston. A first place finish means Detroit in round one at home (should be possible to win) and then a series against the Angels/Red Sox in all likelyhood at home. This seems like a much more winable scenario for the Yankees in October. Either way they aren't winning shit until they get the starters straightened out. This doesn't mean get Halladay, but it means maybe making a small time move, or working with what you've got...fast!

Home Run Derby

While hanging out with some friends last night, I realized I'm not a fan on the Home Run Derby. I think all of my life I convinced myself the Home Run Derby was amazing and found the idea of blasting homers 500 feet pretty marvelous. As I've gotten older I think my love for the game of baseball has increased leaps and bounds (to almost dangerously high levels), and therefore my love for the Home Run Derby has disappeared and might have been a false love in the past. I think most fans love the idea of people getting out there and hitting bombs into the night and baseball fans will always support players with flash and style who hit 40 HRs a yr at 420 feet a pop despite a 230. batting avg. The use of steroids seemed like a no brainer, with fans craving for someone to challenge all time home run records and other fans dying to have some player wallop 20 HRs in a single home run derby round, some over 500 feet. The incentive for players to use steroids is clear, more home runs, more fan appeal, more money, better chance of being known as the best ever, we get that. So now that I'm old enough to really understand baseball and what makes it great, the home run derby ruins that. The home run derby requires players to change their swing completely and do something completely different than a baseball game. Players are hitting "juiced" balls according to Dan Duquette, a member of the Red Sox personnel who said in the 1999 All Star Game the balls were definitely stuffed and easier to hit out and he thinks that hasn't stopped. Players are also hitting balls at 65 mph from 40 feet away. The marvel of a few bombs is intriguing enough for me to turn it on and have it as background, but it isn't baseball and it isn't great.

I would be happy to do away with the whole competition, because I think guys who just hit bombs are overrated and shouldn't be recognized on a big stage as much as they are. But if you are going to have the event (I highly doubt it'll ever cease to exist), then at least change the format a little so it's not a painful site to watch. I spoke to 3 friends who are big baseball enthusiasts and only 1 of them actually watched the whole thing. These are people who would watch the entirety of a pirates v nationals game just because they enjoy the game so much. The competition (if you can call it that), started at 8:30 and the second round did not begin until 10 pm. 8 contestants is far too many, period. You cannot force guys like Brandon Inge, Joe Mauer, and Adrian Gonzalez into the competition. If you made it a 4 person semi final to begin, 2 from each league, and a 2 person final, the competition would last all of 1:20 minutes and would be enjoyable almost the whole way through. Guys who are good home run hitters would likely participate instead of backing out, like Teixeira and Arod. Less people and higher talent means more enjoyable viewing for me. I wasted so much of my time watching Inge go homerless I stopped watching later when Howard and Mauer came up. MLB lost me, David Arkow, a huge baseball fan, from viewing the whole or even half of the competition. Fix it Selig and fix it fast. As you can see from this post and the last post, there is much to be done to fix the game of baseball, although it is a fantastic game.

I compared Selig and MLB to a smooth sailing ship. Selig just needs to maintain the order and take care of the minor problems that occur and the ship will coast forever, just don't shoot cannons through the boat...o wait, too late.

The All Star Game

I have 2 main issues to address with the all star game

1) The first is that I can't really believe that this game means something for the season--especially something as important as home field advantage. I don't believe there should be so much on the line, but if you Bud Selig felt it was a must, I could go with it. But then remove the fans from the voting!! If Josh Hamilton is gonna start and Manny is coming close to making a team, then something is wrong. As great as those players are, they don't deserve it and they shouldn't be representing their league with something important on the line after injuries or suspensions.

2) The other problem I have with the All Star game is that players can't re-enter the game and managers feel obligated to play all players. Ok I don't like the system, but we can't change it right now, we can only adapt accordingly. So I'm Joe maddon and I'm coaching the AL team and I see that tim Wakefield is on my squad. Honestly, (I hate the guy Im a Yankees Fan), but seriously as good a year as he is having, he cannot play in the game. Sentimental old time baseball fans will say something like, "He's been a good pitcher for a long time and his time has finally come and he deserves to be in the game and be in the spotlight for once." Well I agree he is having his best year ever, but since this game means something and I want to win, I want Halladay for 2 innings followed by Beckett for 2 innings followed by Greinke for 2 innings and then I want Papelbon, Nathan, and Rivera. No ifs ands or buts about it. I want to win and no one else deserves to grace the field. For my offense, Mauer should never sit down, period. these are things that won't happen but are automatics if you give 2 shits about the game, and give the current system--you must. As a yankee fan I see the world series as a possibility and given that the dodgers are a scary opponent, I want every advantage I can get. To have 4/7 games at home vs them is HUGE and im not letting some sentimental attachment to tim wakefield blow my chances at a ring.

I also think there should be re-entry. Players like Albert Pujols and Chase Utley will be removed early in the game and it strikes me as odd that in a 1 run game in the 9th inning when Rivera is trying to close this one down for the AL, we are going to see Orlando Hudson? Good player, but not worth staying up till 11pm to watch. I want the exciting "this never happens and these are the best two in the game" matchup, not 2 random players. get it straight MLB! People wonder why the NFL is surpassing the MLB in ratings and in US attention, I can tell ya, Bud Selig. Baseball is a great game, so Selig get off your knees cause your blowing this game for all of us.