I’d rather watch boxing in a movie than watch a true boxing match. And, I’ve probably only seen a handful of boxing matches in my entire life. In fact, if they outlawed boxing tomorrow, I wouldn’t think twice about – much less shed a tear.

That all said, as a 48-year old, it’s always cool to see a 46-year old do something major in professional sports – no matter what the contest is…

And, yes, I just  caught the last few rounds of this one on HBO, once the Yankees blew their game open in the 7th today.

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Via Flip Bondy today –

Nobody can match the Yanks slug for slug, least of all the Mets. The Bombers have become something of a muscle-bound cartoon these days, beating teams mainly by banging the ball into laps to compensate for their other obvious shortcomings.

Hardly anybody ever singles in runners from second or third. Again yesterday, the Yanks managed no hits with runners in scoring position. They have only 26 stolen bases and stood second-to-last in fielding in the American League, giving up 21 unearned runs in 44 games on 32 errors.

So this is hardly pretty or pure stuff, but it gets the blood pumping, pulls in ratings and wins enough games to keep the Yanks afloat in the surprisingly mediocre AL East. This is what big money will buy you: oversized baseball. And if you look at the standings today, somehow the Yanks are back in first place.

This act of contention won’t last long, unless the Bombers diversify their one-dimensional attack and start building runs in more conventional fashion. They have played only 18 games on the road so far, and the fences are not as cozy outside the Bronx.

2007 Milwaukee Brewers, anyone?

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I really thought that A.J. Burnett would find a way to choke this one up.

Didn’t happen.

I guess it’s not the end of the world, afterall.

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Jason Keidel offers this on Bartolo Colon -

We all knew the Yankees’ best pitcher this year would be a large man who threw a live ball.

We didn’t know he’d throw it with his right hand, and was brought to New York as a de facto insurance policy, a fading, former Cy Young winner who would likely roam between the rotation and bullpen, if not drift from team to team in a pitching-starved sport.

Where would the Yankees be without Bartolo Colon? No, he’s not off to a Clemensian (circa 2000) start, but Colon has been nothing short of a life raft for a team drowning in a dearth of decent starting pitchers.

Before you demand a urine sample from me after stamping Colon the team’s early ace, look at the numbers. Before CC Sabathia’s gem last night, Colon and Sabathia started nine games apiece, and the Yankees went 5-4 for each hurler. Colon had a better ERA (3.16 to 3.47), and a better WHIP (1.13 to 1.36). Colon had a better strikeouts to innings pitched ratio, had a better strikeout to walk ratio, better batting average against (.241 to .260), and half the walks.

I have to admit, both Colon and Freddy Garcia have shocked the heck out of me this season, so far. Anyone who says they saw this coming from the two of them is full of it. No one could have predicted that they both would throw so well over the first two months of the season.

But, then again, it’s only been six starts for Colon and seven starts for Garcia that we’re talking about here. Let’s see how they both do over their next eight starts. If, at that time, they’re still doing so well, then, it’s time to consider them as legit. Don’t forget that Kevin Brown and Javy Vazquez looked good at the first quarter pole in 2004. And, we know how their seasons that year ended-up.

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Ugh. 

How embarrassing…

Oh, well, I guess you can’t play the Baltimore Orioles everyday?

Yankees are now 23-20 on the season.  That’s 6-0 when playing the O’s and 17-20 when playing teams other than Baltimore.

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Some story, huh?

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From April 19th through May 18th, the Yankees went 14-14.

Their team ERA during this time was an outstanding 3.21 in 257.6 IP.

Meanwhile, during this time, their hitters had a BA/OBA/SLG line of .253/.342/.425 and averaged 5 runs scored per game.

So, why the 14-14 mark?

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Derek Jeter’s BA/OBA/SLG in his last 112 PA: .282/.321/.388

Not great. But, not terrible either.

In any event, still not what you want from someone in the top of your line-up. More like a solid #8 hitter.

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Joe Posnanski picks up where I left off in December 2010. It’s a good read.

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Adam Meshell writes about the difference between the two teams -

From 1980-1990 the Yankees averaged a bit over 28,000 fans per game. On average, that was about 1,500 more tickets punched per game then the Mets. From 1991 to present time the Yankees attendance jumped to over 38,000 per game. The Mets jumped slightly to 30,000 giving the Yankees an 8,000 person edge on average per game. In a matter of a decade the fan bases drastically changed in numbers. This is the consequence of a generation of youth growing up watching a team win World Series after World Series. Both teams have built new stadiums 3 years ago. While the Yankees kept capacity around the same as the old stadium, the Mets decided to decrease their seating by about 13,500. These are two teams in the same market, competing for the same fans yet Mets ownership clearly feels as though they cannot compete for fans on the same level.

The toughest part for the Mets is that the difference between the two franchises is not solely based on wins and losses. For decades, the Yankees were directed by an owner who had his share of negative moments, but for the most part was an extremely charismatic individual. Despite any negative attention he may have received during his life, George Steinbrenner will be remembered for how significantly he was able to grow the franchise by doing and spending whatever it took. By contrast, the Mets ownership will most likely be remembered for being a large investor with one of the most infamous financial villains the world has seen. Follow that with a story being leaked that the Mets required a loan from Major League Baseball just to make expenses. The saga does not yet have an ending, but the chance it ends positively for Jeff and Fred Wilpon is microscopic.

While the Yankees have had to deal with some steroid scandals involving Alex Rodrguez and Roger Clemens their perception in the media and to the outside world remains squeaky clean. The Mets on the other hand are viewed as a walking calamity. The Yankees have received negative attention in recent days because one of their most respected players asked out of the lineup. Last year, the Mets had a player assault an older aged man in the clubhouse. The Mets certainly win that battle if they are fighting for the biggest public relations disaster.

Even a brand new beautiful stadium had its share of problems. When first opening in 2009, fans continually complained of a lack of a Mets theme. $600 million and the place did not feel like home.

Of course, if the Mets win this weekend series at the Stadium – assuming they ever get to play some games with all this rain – it will seem like everyone and their brother is a Mets fan and pounding their chests.

These games are always the same for the Yankees. Beat the Mets, no one cares, you’re supposed to be better than them. But, lose to the Mets and it’s the end of the world. It’s no-win for the Yankees, all the time against the Mets, ever since they started these games. And, it may be a very, very, long time before that ever changes.

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Via Andrew Marchand:

The New York Yankees will reconsider Jorge Posada’s future with the team if his numbers don’t improve by the All-Star break, according a baseball official with knowledge of the Yankees’ thinking.

On Wednesday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi left Posada out of the lineup for the third straight time against a left-handed starter.

This sets the stage for what could be an inglorious end to Posada’s career with the Yankees. With Posada appearing to be demoted to part-time designated hitter, he must begin to hit consistently to remain on the team.

The official said there has been “zero discussion” about releasing Posada since the resolution of this weekend’s dispute, when Posada refused to play against the Red Sox on Saturday after Girardi put him at the No. 9 spot in the order. The subject had been broached on Saturday night.

By the All-Star break, the Yankees will have three options. They can stick with him, trade him or release him. One team source optimistically said it would be to stick with him. Posada is hitting .179.

“When it comes to Posada, I think he’s going to be better,” said one Yankee insider.

Posada is making $13 million this season. If the Yankees release him after the All-Star break, they would lose around $6 million.

If the Yankees were to release Posada, then Jesus Montero would be the likely internal alternative as the DH.

Posada must start hitting because without a position or speed, he has no on-field value to the team.

The Yankees will likely want Posada to be on the team for Jeter’s 3,000th hit. Jeter is 34 hits shy of becoming the first Yankee to reach that mark.

Seems fair – if a guy his age is hitting a buck-something by the All-Star break, you’d think it was time to pull the plug.

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So, how did it end?

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Via John Harper -

The two home runs Tuesday night would have been plenty for Alex Rodriguez if they merely snapped his horrendous slump. But perhaps more significantly, they seemed to ease any concern he may have had that his surgically repaired right hip was becoming an issue for him again.

“I finally felt like I had my legs under me again,” was the way he put it. “I feel a lot better about the whole thing.”

That surely goes tenfold for the Yankees. Considering their various problems these days, they probably can’t win anything without a lot of nights like this from Rodriguez, whose two solo shots off James Shields sparked the 6-2 win over the Rays.

For A-Rod, the timing was perfect. Earlier in the day, a Yankee source had said the Yankee third baseman was “very concerned” that his hip was the reason he had looked lost at the plate for some three weeks, preventing him from using his legs as he normally would to start his swing.

Rodriguez didn’t admit to that level of concern when asked about it before the game, saying “I don’t want to speculate on that.” But he did say that his “lower half” was not reacting as it should, and admitted there were similarities to the way the hip was reacting in 2009 when a tear was discovered in the labrum of his right hip.

“The hip is funny,” A-Rod said before the game. “It’s not really something that is tangible. It’s almost more of a delayed reaction when I swing the bat.”

He likened it somewhat to the feeling he had two years ago, saying, “You would fire (the lower body), and then the hip would fire. It was almost like it wasn’t in sync.

“Again, I don’t want to speculate, but if it continues, I want to make sure everything is OK.”

After the game, A-Rod said he would still get his hip examined when he returns to New York on Friday, but said it was more standard procedure than anything.

“It’s something I’ve got to stay on top of,” he said. “But that delayed reaction I talked about wasn’t there tonight, and I felt like I had my leg kick under control.”

Oh, what the heck? How about a song?

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Great interview with Mark Teixeira in the Baltimore Sun.

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Finally.

Order, peace and calm are restored in Yankeeland. (At least until the next game.)

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No, not this guy.  The green one who gives a hoot.

Now, let’s just see if he’s insulted by batting 9th this evening.

And, does this make Swisher the latest Yankees whipping boy?

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Heyman tweets this AM on A-Rod:

Wasn’t it just like six weeks ago where everyone thought his monster Spring was leading to another MVP type season?

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I know it’s only May 17th, but, it’s upsetting to look at the standings this morning and see the Yankees closer to last place (1.5 games out) than they are to first place (3 games out).

The Yankees front office, manager, and coaching staff is lucky that Hal/Hank/Randy/Lonn are calling the shots these days and not Big Stein.

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Via Chad Jennings –

From the bad to the bizarre, Rafael Soriano is going to see Dr. Ahmad tomorrow. His elbow felt tight again this afternoon and he had to cut his bullpen session short. Girardi seemed legitimately concerned about his setup man, who said he felt better today than last week, and who said he felt “a lot different” from his injury plagued 2008 season.

Of all the things he said, though, tonight’s Soriano interview will be remembered for three things, all of them suggesting he skipped the media training session this spring.

At one point Soriano said he had been advised to take a week or two off, but when asked who gave him the advice, he said it was team vice president Felix Lopez, who Soriano had been talking to pregame. The Yankees later clarified that Lopez had been acting as a sort of intermediary for the training staff. Maybe that’s explainable, but two other comments suggest Soriano will need to apologize more than Jorge Posada.

Asked whether it bothers him to not be able to pitch, Soriano threw his lineup under the bus: “I don’t think the bullpen be the problem right now. I think it be the hitters. That thing happens sometimes. Whatever we have to do, make a good game and see what happens. One of these days, everything be better.”

Given a second chance to answer essentially the same question, Soriano was asked how much it’s bothered him to miss games against Boston and Tampa Bay: “Not at all, to me,” he said. “Because in the situation, how the team looks be the situation when I’m supposed to be in the game, the eighth. Everybody see, (the team is) losing two, three runs. I don’t think it be that situation that I would be in the bullpen, that I would be in the game.”

Thank you Hal Steinbrenner and Randy Levine.

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Via Bob Klapisch today -

Never, in the darkest regions of his imagination, did Joe Girardi ever conceive of this kind of stress.

His Yankees are losing games in a steady, careless stream. His catcher-turned-DH, Jorge Posada, isn’t hitting, and is instead engaged in a nationally televised war with the general manager, Brian Cashman.

The captain, Derek Jeter, will end up in Cooperstown. But the path is already littered with hard feelings, most of them directed at the front office. Not even CC Sabathia, the resident good guy and guardian against long slumps, has been himself this year. When the big left-hander had his chance to stabilize the Yankees in a Saturday night showdown against Josh Beckett, the result was an ambush — by the Red Sox.

Girardi is desperately trying to hold his club together, insisting, “everyone goes through stretches like this.” But the Yankees’ 6-5 loss to the Rays on Monday night was their sixth in a row, the longest of the season and most since Girardi replaced Joe Torre in 2008.

Question is, even if Girardi and Posada make real peace, do the Yankees have the kind of warrior ethos to recover from their current slide? The Rays, younger and more athletic, turned their 1-8 start to vapor; they’re 23-9 since then, the best record in the majors during that stretch.

Likewise, the Red Sox are gaining ground and confidence after sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx over the weekend — their first such conquest since 2004. The Yankees’ real test was supposed to begin Monday night at the Trop, and for a while it appeared the Bombers’ nightmare was over.

Not only were they getting good pitching from A.J. Burnett, they buried David Price in the process, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. But Burnett quickly got in touch with his inner 2010, self-destructing in the Rays’ five-run fifth inning which included two HRs.

Sooner or later Girardi will have to remind the Yankees there’s more to accountability than simply good sound bites — they’re going to need an extra gear on the field. So far the manager has avoided leaning on his players; he is non-confrontational by nature.

But the situation in the clubhouse — and now, the standings — is becoming critical. Does Girardi have it in him to actually lead?

Hey, maybe Brian Cashman can turn this around with a team meeting like he did in 2009 down in Atlanta?

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So, the Yankees have now lost six games in a row. This is Joe Girardi’s first six-game losing streak since taking over as New York’s manager in 2008. And, it’s the 27th time since 1973 that the Yankees had a six-game losing streak or greater. Here are the others:

.

The big question here, at this point, is “When will it end?”

Personally, it can’t end soon enough for me.  Each night, my 7-year old son goes to bed listening to the Yankees game on the radio as he falls asleep.  And, in the month of May, including tomorrow, the are now ten mornings where I had  to let him know at breakfast that the Yankees lost the game.  That’s ten times in seventeen days (covering just 15 games). 

Just for once, I’d like to give the little guy some good news rather than have to tell him that they lost, again.

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Via Bill Madden -

In the heat of his anger and frustration Saturday night, Yankee icon Jorge Posada told general manager Brian Cashman that he not only wanted out of the No. 9 spot in the Yankee batting order – he wanted out of the Yankees, too, according to team sources.

Being assigned to the bottom of the lineup by manager Joe Girardi was simply a contributing factor in the 39-year-old designated hitter’s overall frustration with a situation in which he is hitting .165, is consigned to fulltime DH duty and is believed to be dealing with a personal situation.

“It was just something said in the heat of anger and frustration,” a source close to Posada said of the former catcher’s angry comments to Cashman and Girardi an hour before Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox. “He didn’t want out, and doesn’t want out. He was just frustrated and said a lot of things.”

It was because of those comments that Cashman called a hastily arranged press conference in a work room behind press row during the game and also appeared on Fox’s national telecast to say that Posada had taken himself out of the lineup and that there was no injury involved. Posada later told reporters he was suffering from back stiffness.

This all should make for an interesting passage in a book someday…for either Posada or Cashman, whomever writes one first.

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The Yankees have won 20 of their first 38 games.  How many times, since 1996, have they won 20 or less of their first 38?  Here’s the answer:

.

There’s the answer.  This season compares to 2005, 2007 and 2008.  Otherwise, since 1996, the Yankees usually win more than 20 of their first 38 games.  Then again, this season’s start isn’t that far off from 2009 – and they won the World Series that season.

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Two months ago, from today, I asked the question:  If you made a list, who would be your 2011 “Top 15″ teams in baseball.  And, where would the Yankees fall on that list?

So, today, what’s your thoughts on this?  Top three?  Top five?  Top eight?  Somewhere else?

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Ian O’Connor will be at Foley’s tonight between 5-8 pm to sign copies of his book: The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter

I’m about 40% done reading this one now – and I am loving it.  Review to follow.  But, in the interim, you want to check this out.  Wish I could be there to get a signed copy.

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Via Buster Olney –

Derek Jeter’s negotiations with the New York Yankees last winter seemed to have been Round 1 in the tense transitional relationship between the club’s accomplished Old Guard and management. Jorge Posada’s episode over the weekend was Round 2.

And now there may be a Round 3 in the hours and days ahead, after Jeter essentially exonerated Posada from any wrongdoing, in his statements to reporters. According to sources, the club’s management was surprised and frustrated by what Jeter said — particularly in his standing as captain — even after Posada acknowledged that he was wrong in his actions Saturday and apologized to manager Joe Girardi.

Posada, who is struggling at the plate, was dropped to the ninth spot in the lineup for Saturday’s game and asked out of the lineup, feeling disrespected.

Jeter, who is close friends with Posada and described him on Sunday as someone he regards as a brother, repeatedly deflected questions about Posada’s actions, and said there was no reason for him to apologize to teammates, after declining to play on Saturday. The team’s front office was so angry with what Posada did that they considered releasing the veteran immediately.

Jeter had a very different take. “If I thought he did something wrong, I’d be the first to tell him,” Jeter said in the midst of a long session with reporters.

Is it possible to douche the entire Yankees organization now – the playing roster, field management and coaching staff, front office and team owners? Because, this stuff is really starting to get annoying. Maybe the best thing that can happen from all this is a total meltdown and reboot?

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I know it’s wrong. But, I still laugh every time I here this one.

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Four days ago, I recieved the following kind and appreciated message via email -

I participated in your poll and saw your follow up post. I know I’m in the minority but I almost never look at comments on posts, not just at WasWatching but on most other blogs I follow. There’s almost never anything worth looking at after the third or fourth comment. I know that in some cases there are literate and thoughtful contributors who help build a community around a blog, but too often they get obscured by the trolls, and I’d just as soon not bother.

Meantime I will keep coming back for the posts. I’d encourage you to continue to do it the way you’re doing it now – for yourself and your other contributors, make it your own, keep the personal perspective, and make it more like a newspaper column. It’s a great counterpoint to something like the LoHud blog, which seems to have lot less “color” since Abraham left for Boston.

I wonder how many people there are like me who don’t look at comments, don’t try to engage in the flame wars that break out. You probably don’t want to run another poll for a while, but it might be interesting to ask that sometime in the future when you’re doing this kind of research. Meantime, know that there are some of us who come for the content and never show up in the comments. Keep on doing what you’re doing – all the best.

Related, please consider taking the following poll:

Thanks in advance. And, please feel free to add comments on your opinion in the comments section.

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The Yankees are 20-18 today and the Mets are 19-21. The two teams face off against each other this weekend at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have four games before hosting the Mets: 2 games each at the Rays and Orioles.

The Mets have four games before facing the Yankees: 2 games each at home against the Marlins and Nationals.

If the Yankees lose 3 of 4 games and the Mets win 3 of 4 games, both teams will be at .500 when they meet in the Bronx on Friday.

How bad will that be, if, at the one-quarter pole this season, the Yankees are just a .500 team, like the Mets, and then have to deal with all the media hype that will lead into a series against Wilpon’s Mess?

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