• Is It May Day In Yankeeland?

    Posted by on May 8th, 2012 · Comments (21)

    Please allow me to put on my Yankees fan cap for a minute and discuss the state of the Bronx Bombers.

    Some facts about the Yankees season so far:

    • The Yankees were schooled by the Tampa Bay Rays during the first three games of the season.
    • The only thing between the Yankees and last place at this moment is the struggling Boston Red Sox.
    • The Yankees have lost 7 of their last 12 games.
    • The Tampa Bay Rays now head into Yankee Stadium for a three game series.

    How important is it for the Yankees to play well in these three games against the Rays?

    Yes, it is only May 8th.  And, yes, it’s only three games against Tampa.  And, yes, there’s still a ton of baseball to be played after this series.

    However, how damaging would it be to the Yankees heads if they get beaten by Tampa, again, this time in their home park?  And, how bad would it be for New York to come out of this series even closer to last place than they are now?

    Sure, George Steinbrenner is dead.  So, that takes off some of the heat.  But, the media is still out there.  Think they’re going to take it easy on the Yankees if they don’t play well against Tampa?  And, at some point, should Yankees fans start to get somewhat concerned too?

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    7+ ABs While Batting 9th In A Game, 2+ Times In A Career

    Posted by on May 7th, 2012 · Comments (3)

    The list since 1918 -

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    Mr. Byrd made the list thanks to that wild game in Fenway yesterday.

    By the way, everyone ready for that Buck Showalter vs. Don Mattingly showdown in the World Series this year?

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    My Chat With The Lady At The Bat

    Posted by on May 7th, 2012 · Comments (4)

    Here’s the Podcast that I did with Bernadette Pasley – which I mentioned yesterday.

    My thanks to Bernadette for having me on her show! (And, yes, I use “um” when I speak as much as I use commas when I write…)

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    Fenway Park To Be Renamed Fort Zinderneuf?

    Posted by on May 6th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Back in the late 70′s, I had an english teacher in high school who always had a question on every test that went like:

    …in literature as well as in life, “something” is to “something” as “Something else” is to “blank.”

    And, then we would have to fill in the blank, related to the reading assignment for that test period, and then write about it.

    I wonder if that teacher, if they were still around today, would say:

    …in politics as it is in baseball, the meaning of the word “is” to Bill Clinton is the same as the meaning of the word “sellout” to the Boston Red Sox…?

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    The Juju Rules: Or, How To Win Ballgames From Your Couch: A Memoir Of A Fan Obsessed

    Posted by on May 6th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Hart Seely, aka “el duque” of the blog “IT IS HIGH! IT IS FAR! IT IS…”, one of the forces behind the awesome collection “O Holy Cow!: The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto,” has written a new book: The Juju Rules: Or, How to Win Ballgames from Your Couch: A Memoir of a Fan Obsessed.

    I’ve never met Hart. But, after reading his book, I would have to cast Larry David (Yankee fan, by the way*) to play the lead in this one – if asked to take the book and translate it to the screen. As Hart tells the story of his life as a Yankees fan with this new book, interwoven with his “manifesto that reveals the deep secrets of fan jinxes, hexes, and charms,” several times I pictured the story being played out like an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Seriously, it’s that quirky, funny and interesting.

    Flat out, Hart Seely is a dude that must Yankees fans can resonate with – albeit seeing a bit of themselves in him, or, being reminded of someone they know who is (or was) a passionate fan of the team. And, you get that from reading “The Juju Rules” – throughout the entire book. That said, I highly recommend this book to all Yankees fans.

    Further, back in 2005, when I first saw the movie “Fever Pitch,” I thought to myself “This is a film that a diehard fanatic of a team can appreciate as it depicts so many moments that we all share and emotions that we all have inside us – again, as fanatics of a particular team.” And, the same thing applies to “The Juju Rules.”

    Anyone who was ever lived and died with the sundry good fortunes and tribulations of their favorite baseball team, and who has allowed their fanatic association to creep into their everyday life, will enjoy reading “The Juju Rules” – and seeing that there are others like them, out there.

    Hart Seeley’s wit is keen and his story-telling delivery with this work is often hilarious. I was very happy to have read The Juju Rules: Or, How to Win Ballgames from Your Couch: A Memoir of a Fan Obsessed.

    *You have to read the book to get this joke.

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    Timing Is Everything…

    Posted by on May 6th, 2012 · Comments (5)

    This morning, I did a PodCast interview where I was asked about the Yankees. The topics included Phil Hughes’ woes and the lack of power this season from Cano and A-Rod. And, then, look what happened today. Oh, well,…

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    Used Baseball Teamwear

    Posted by on May 5th, 2012 · Comments (5)

    If anyone knows of any places that buy/sell or consign used sports team-wear in the NJ/NY/CT area, please let me know. I have a friend with a huge collection of caps and other things that they may be looking to move.

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    Adam Bender Is My Hero

    Posted by on May 5th, 2012 · Comments (1)

    This clip is four years old, but, it is still inspiring:

    This one special kid. He even has his own foundation. Awesome.

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    2000 Olympics: USA Baseball

    Posted by on May 5th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    One of my dogs, who will be 105 years old in a few weeks, bless her heart, got me up early this morning.  But, that was OK, I wanted to get up at 7 AM anyway since we had a Little League game today and I needed to be at the field early.  (About an hour after I was up, the league called off the game because of wet grounds.  Go figure.)

    In any event, since I was up, I decided to watch a little Quick Pitch on the MLB Network – and then I starting clicking around.

    And, when I landed on one of the Showtime channels, I saw that they were playing a Bud Greenspan documentary on the 2000 Olympics.  Specifically, they were featuring the USA baseball team.  It caught my eye because they were interviewing my old friend, Rico Bergman.

    I was glued to the segment.  What a story and what a team!  It’s a shame that more is not said about what that cast of characters did Sydney.  They were awesome.

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    Is 2012 The Season Of The Injured Closer?

    Posted by on May 4th, 2012 · Comments (3)

    Mariano Rivera, Drew Storen, Brian Wilson, Ryan Madson, Sergio Santos, Joakim Soria, Kyle Farnsworth, Andrew Bailey,…

    Did I miss anyone?

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    Octavio Dotel

    Posted by on May 4th, 2012 · Comments (2)

    Maybe his name should have been Octavio Dotravel?

    Seriously, the dude has now played for 13 different teams (which is a record) in a span of 14 seasons.

    In the last 8 seasons, he has played for 11 different teams.   That’s one way to get to know a lot of different people.

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    The Curse Of Sherman’s Tweet For Mo Rivera

    Posted by on May 4th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Joel Sherman had this tweet three days ago:

    And, now, look what happened to Mo Rivera.

    I guess Joel doesn’t know the power of the whammy?

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    Buck Showalter & Mo Rivera: From Tony Phillips To Nick Markakis

    Posted by on May 4th, 2012 · Comments (1)

    Tony Phillips was the first batter to face Mariano Rivera in the major leagues.  He was a strikeout victim on May 23, 1995.  And, it appears that Nick Markakis will be the last batter to face Mariano Rivera. He hit into a double-play on April 30, 2012.

    Who was in uniform for both of those games?  Just Rivera and Buck Showalter.

    Now, there’s a trivia question for you.

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    Oh, Mo, Exit Sandman

    Posted by on May 4th, 2012 · Comments (21)

    I just hate it when I go to bed on a twisted knee and wake-up to find a torn ACL. And, oh, how it happened…talk about really getting fuc…, er, I mean, shagged.

    What a day for Jayson Nix, huh? The excitement of being called up to the Yankees, back in the big leagues, being in the starting line-up, and then hitting the BP fly ball that ended Mo Rivera’s season and most likely his career.

    Of course, Nix is not to blame. But, now he has his name in Yankees history, for all-time, for a very sad reason. I feel bad for Nix. I hope he’s not taking this too hard.

    I feel terrible for Rivera. This is not the way that his career is supposed to end. Granted, he’s an automatic first ballot Hall of Famer. That’s locked up. And, the odds are in his favor that he will be the all-time career saves leader for the rest of his life. But, it would have been nice to see him go out with a special moment during his last All-Star appearance and an even bigger moment during his last appearance, in uniform, as an active player, at Yankee Stadium.

    I just hope this doesn’t become an excuse for the Yankees when they don’t make the post-season this year. It would not be right for the front office and/or players to get a buddy-pass on a bad job this season because Rivera blew out his knee.

    The interesting question now is: Who will close for the Yankees in 2012? Do they use the guy with the best stuff (David Robertson) or the guy who is getting paid like a closer (Rafael Soriano)?

    And, yes, I don’t think that Mo is coming back from this situation. Rehabilitation after ACL surgery may take several months to a year. So, you’re looking at a return in 2013. And, Rivera will be 43 at the end of this season. Plus, he was hinting that he wanted to retire after this season. When you add this all up, it sounds like the end of a career.

    May 3rd, 2012 won’t ring in the minds of Yankees fans the way that August 2nd, 1979 does…and with good reason. Rivera had a great career, perhaps the one of the greatest of all-time, and he has the rest of his life in front of him. But, I think that Yankees fans will now always think of him whenever New York plays in Kansas City – especially when there’s a fly ball in the spot where Rivera was injured during BP. The whole thing is just terribly sad.

    It seems like a bad dream.

    Sleep with one eye open.
    Gripping your pillow tight.

    Exit light.
    Enter night.
    Take my hand.
    We’re off to never-never land.

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    Jayson Truitt Edward Nix Hit It

    Posted by on May 3rd, 2012 · Comments (5)

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    When Is A-Rod At His Best & Worst?

    Posted by on May 3rd, 2012 · Comments (13)

    Here are Alex Rodriguez’ career “clutch” stats, through last night, via B-R.com -

    Split G PA AB H HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    Ahead 1571 4055 3488 1083 242 791 457 715 .310 .396 .581 .977
    Margin> 4 R 907 1609 1411 442 99 302 158 256 .313 .387 .583 .970
    Within 1 R 2273 5382 4582 1377 316 940 659 976 .301 .395 .569 .964
    Tie Game 1948 3031 2576 763 176 518 384 567 .296 .394 .565 .958
    Within 4 R 2407 9129 7878 2357 534 1602 1020 1677 .299 .385 .562 .948
    Within 3 R 2393 8291 7139 2135 479 1432 951 1506 .299 .388 .560 .947
    Within 2 R 2366 7084 6071 1801 397 1205 841 1292 .297 .388 .552 .940
    Behind 1536 3652 3225 953 215 595 337 651 .296 .368 .549 .917
    Late & Close 1082 1452 1236 335 81 263 182 295 .271 .370 .526 .896
    2 outs RISP 1046 1315 1080 292 56 419 205 247 .270 .401 .468 .868

    As you can see, A-Rod has his best production (OPS) when his team is ahead in the game or when the game is somewhat out of hand (meaning there’s a difference in the score of five runs or more).  And, A-Rod has his “worst” production in “Late & Close” situations or when there are two outs with RISP. 

    Note that his career numbers in ”Late & Close” situations or when there are two outs with RISP are very good.  It’s just that he’s so much better, production-wise, when his team is ahead in the game or when the game is somewhat out of hand.  And, that’s why some probably consider him to be someone who pads his stats with garbage time production.

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    11+ ER Allowed In A Start Of 3 IP Or Less

    Posted by on May 3rd, 2012 · Comments (1)

    Since 1918 -

    Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt IP H R ER
    1 Johnny Miljus 1929-07-25 CLE PHA L 3-21 3.0 13 14 14
    2 A.J. Burnett 2012-05-02 PIT STL L 3-12 2.2 12 12 12
    3 Ricky Nolasco 2011-08-17 FLA COL L 5-12 3.0 11 11 11
    4 Gio Gonzalez 2009-07-20 OAK MIN W 14-13 2.2 10 11 11
    5 Yovani Gallardo 2007-08-08 MIL COL L 4-19 2.2 12 11 11
    6 Jason Jennings 2007-07-29 HOU SDP L 11-18 0.2 8 11 11
    7 Jeff Fassero 2004-08-08 COL CIN L 7-14 3.0 11 11 11
    8 Arnie Munoz 2004-06-19 CHW MON L 14-17 3.0 10 11 11
    9 Jose Lima 2002-08-24 DET OAK L 3-12 2.2 9 11 11
    10 Junior Herndon 2001-08-30 SDP STL L 3-13 3.0 9 11 11
    11 Jimmy Anderson 2001-08-03 PIT COL L 7-12 2.1 11 11 11
    12 Roy Halladay 1999-04-29 TOR ANA L 1-17 2.1 9 11 11
    13 David Wells 1997-08-19 NYY ANA L 4-12 3.0 10 11 11
    14 Bryan Rekar 1996-04-28 COL MON L 9-21 2.1 10 11 11
    15 Doug Bird 1983-05-24 BOS CHW L 4-12 2.2 9 11 11
    16 Joe Coleman 1976-06-19 (2) CHC ATL L 5-12 2.2 10 11 11
    17 Boots Poffenberger 1938-06-12 DET WSH W 18-12 3.0 8 11 11
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 5/3/2012.

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    Well,  that answers the question of:  “What do A.J. Burnett and Boots Poffenberger have in common?”

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    Yankees, Last 91 & 11 Seasons

    Posted by on May 3rd, 2012 · Comments (6)

    In the 91 seasons between 1921 and 2011, the New York Yankees had 50 “Playoff Appearances.” (See chart below.)

    For those scoring at home, that’s a rate of making the post-season 55% of the time over a 91-year period. And, it means that just about half the time they made the post-season, they have won a ring – as they have 27 World Series Championships.

    However, over the last 11 seasons prior to this year, the Yankees have made the post-season 10 times and only won one ring.

    Is that because there are more rounds in the post-season today? Or, is it because the Yankees of recent years are a team built to reach the post-season but not win in the post-season? What do you think?

    Year Tm Lg W L Finish Playoffs
    2011 New York Yankees AL East 97 65 1st of 5 Lost LDS (3-2)
    2010 New York Yankees AL East 95 67 2nd of 5 Lost ALCS (4-2)
    2009 New York Yankees AL East 103 59 1st of 5 Won WS (4-2)
    2007 New York Yankees AL East 94 68 2nd of 5 Lost LDS (3-1)
    2006 New York Yankees AL East 97 65 1st of 5 Lost LDS (3-1)
    2005 New York Yankees AL East 95 67 1st of 5 Lost LDS (3-2)
    2004 New York Yankees AL East 101 61 1st of 5 Lost ALCS (4-3)
    2003 New York Yankees AL East 101 61 1st of 5 Lost WS (4-2)
    2002 New York Yankees AL East 103 58 1st of 5 Lost LDS (3-1)
    2001 New York Yankees AL East 95 65 1st of 5 Lost WS (4-3)
    2000 New York Yankees AL East 87 74 1st of 5 Won WS (4-1)
    1999 New York Yankees AL East 98 64 1st of 5 Won WS (4-0)
    1998 New York Yankees AL East 114 48 1st of 5 Won WS (4-0)
    1997 New York Yankees AL East 96 66 2nd of 5 Lost LDS (3-2)
    1996 New York Yankees AL East 92 70 1st of 5 Won WS (4-2)
    1995 New York Yankees AL East 79 65 2nd of 5 Lost LDS (3-2)
    1981 New York Yankees AL East 59 48 4th of 7 Lost WS (4-2)
    1980 New York Yankees AL East 103 59 1st of 7 Lost ALCS (3-0)
    1978 New York Yankees AL East 100 63 1st of 7 Won WS (4-2)
    1977 New York Yankees AL East 100 62 1st of 7 Won WS (4-2)
    1976 New York Yankees AL East 97 62 1st of 6 Lost WS (4-0)
    1964 New York Yankees AL 99 63 1st of 10 Lost WS (4-3)
    1963 New York Yankees AL 104 57 1st of 10 Lost WS (4-0)
    1962 New York Yankees AL 96 66 1st of 10 Won WS (4-3)
    1961 New York Yankees AL 109 53 1st of 10 Won WS (4-1)
    1960 New York Yankees AL 97 57 1st of 8 Lost WS (4-3)
    1958 New York Yankees AL 92 62 1st of 8 Won WS (4-3)
    1957 New York Yankees AL 98 56 1st of 8 Lost WS (4-3)
    1956 New York Yankees AL 97 57 1st of 8 Won WS (4-3)
    1955 New York Yankees AL 96 58 1st of 8 Lost WS (4-3)
    1953 New York Yankees AL 99 52 1st of 8 Won WS (4-2)
    1952 New York Yankees AL 95 59 1st of 8 Won WS (4-3)
    1951 New York Yankees AL 98 56 1st of 8 Won WS (4-2)
    1950 New York Yankees AL 98 56 1st of 8 Won WS (4-0)
    1949 New York Yankees AL 97 57 1st of 8 Won WS (4-1)
    1947 New York Yankees AL 97 57 1st of 8 Won WS (4-3)
    1943 New York Yankees AL 98 56 1st of 8 Won WS (4-1)
    1942 New York Yankees AL 103 51 1st of 8 Lost WS (4-1)
    1941 New York Yankees AL 101 53 1st of 8 Won WS (4-1)
    1939 New York Yankees AL 106 45 1st of 8 Won WS (4-0)
    1938 New York Yankees AL 99 53 1st of 8 Won WS (4-0)
    1937 New York Yankees AL 102 52 1st of 8 Won WS (4-1)
    1936 New York Yankees AL 102 51 1st of 8 Won WS (4-2)
    1932 New York Yankees AL 107 47 1st of 8 Won WS (4-0)
    1928 New York Yankees AL 101 53 1st of 8 Won WS (4-0)
    1927 New York Yankees AL 110 44 1st of 8 Won WS (4-0)
    1926 New York Yankees AL 91 63 1st of 8 Lost WS (4-3)
    1923 New York Yankees AL 98 54 1st of 8 Won WS (4-2)
    1922 New York Yankees AL 94 60 1st of 8 Lost WS (4-0)
    1921 New York Yankees AL 98 55 1st of 8 Lost WS (5-3)
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
    Generated 5/3/2012.

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    Best & Worst A.L. Starting Pitching Staffs – So Far In 2012

    Posted by on May 3rd, 2012 · Comments (15)

    Where does your favorite team rank?

    Tm R/G G GS Wgs Lgs ND QS QS% 6 GmScA
    LAA 3.76 25 25 10 9 6 17 68% 58
    CHW 3.75 24 24 11 9 4 16 67% 58
    OAK 3.73 26 26 10 11 5 17 65% 53
    TEX 3.48 25 25 13 4 8 16 64% 56
    BAL 3.40 25 25 10 7 8 14 56% 54
    TOR 4.32 25 25 9 6 10 14 56% 54
    SEA 4.27 26 26 7 11 8 14 54% 52
    CLE 4.59 22 22 8 8 6 11 50% 49
    DET 4.58 24 24 6 9 9 12 50% 51
    LgAvg 4.34 24 24 9 9 7 12 50% 51
    BOS 5.54 24 24 8 10 6 11 46% 46
    TBR 4.12 25 25 14 5 6 11 44% 54
    KCR 4.91 23 23 5 10 8 7 30% 44
    NYY 4.75 24 24 9 10 5 7 29% 45
    MIN 5.71 24 24 3 14 7 5 21% 39
      4.34 342 342 123 123 96 172 50% 51
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
    Generated 5/3/2012.

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    Willie Mays Aikens: Safe At Home

    Posted by on May 2nd, 2012 · Comments (1)

    This clip is 10 1/2 minutes long. But, it’s worth checking out.

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    100+ Non-Extra Inning Games With 9+ Hits

    Posted by on May 2nd, 2012 · Comments (2)

    Since 1918, these are the teams to have 100+ games in a season, of 9 innings or less, where their team had at least 9 hits -

    Rk Tm Year #Matching W L  
    1 NYG 1930 113 72 41 Ind. Games
    2 PIT 1929 108 69 39 Ind. Games
    3 STL 1930 104 70 34 Ind. Games
    4 PHI 1930 104 44 60 Ind. Games
    5 SLB 1922 103 73 30 Ind. Games
    6 CLE 1996 103 76 27 Ind. Games
    7 CHC 1930 103 69 34 Ind. Games
    8 BOS 2003 103 71 32 Ind. Games
    9 PHA 1925 102 65 37 Ind. Games
    10 DET 1922 102 62 40 Ind. Games
    11 CLE 2000 102 66 36 Ind. Games
    12 BRO 1925 102 52 50 Ind. Games
    13 BOS 1950 102 76 26 Ind. Games
    14 SEA 2007 101 61 40 Ind. Games
    15 WSH 1930 100 73 27 Ind. Games
    16 TEX 1999 100 71 29 Ind. Games
    17 STL 1939 100 68 31 Ind. Games
    18 CHC 1929 100 73 26 Ind. Games
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 5/2/2012.

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    The 1930 Phillies really had no pitching…

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    Damn Yankees

    Posted by on May 2nd, 2012 · Comments (0)

    I just had a chance to review Rob Fleder’s Damn Yankees: Twenty-Four Major League Writers on the World’s Most Loved (and Hated) Team.

    For those not aware, this book is a collection of 24 original essays by contemporary writers each focusing on the Yankees.

    There’s some uniqiue stuff in this one. I found the features by Michael Paterniti, Steve Wulf, Will Leitch, Jane Leavy, Rick Telander, Bill James and Roger Director to be interesting.

    If you’re a Yankees fan and enjoy reading about the team, I suggest checking out Damn Yankees.

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    Phil Hughes, Slowey He Turns, Step By Step…

    Posted by on May 2nd, 2012 · Comments (16)

    A case could be made that Phil Hughes’ big league career, to date, has mirrored the start that Kevin Slowey had to his:

    Rk Player WAR GS ERA+ IP From To Age G W L BB SO ERA HR BF
    1 Phil Hughes 4.6 76 96 465.1 2007 2012 21-26 125 37 27 164 393 4.60 60 1982
    2 Kevin Slowey 4.3 82 95 473.1 2007 2010 23-26 86 39 21 79 361 4.41 74 2006
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 5/2/2012.

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    Maybe the next time R.A. Dickey climbs a mountain, he can bring Hughes with him? Or, maybe the next time Brian Cashman rappels down a building, he can bring Hughes?

    In any event, doesn’t it just seem like yesterday that all we heard about Hughes was how he was in the best shape of his life, had regained his form, and was pitching like an ace in Spring Training? That turned-around not so “slowey,” didn’t it?

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    Hit’em Where They Ain’t-Rod (Unless There Are Runners On)

    Posted by on May 2nd, 2012 · Comments (16)

    It’s not up there (in Yankees history) with the Lemon ordered Bobby Murcer bunt in Game 3 of the 1981 Word Series, or the July 1978 against Martin’s orders Reggie Jackson bunt, but, clearly, it’s now time to update the Alex Rodriguez Yankeesography with this great achievement.

    Via ESPN -

    With the Yankees trailing the Orioles 6-1 on Tuesday night, Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning.

    Baltimore starter Brian Matusz threw a first-pitch breaking ball, and Rodriguez — with 633 career home runs to his name — shocked everyone in the stadium by laying a bunt down the third-base line.

    A-Rod easily made it first base safely — his first bunt for a hit since 2004 — but the next three hitters all made out, stranding him at first base, in what turned out to be a 7-1 Orioles victory.

    “Whatever it takes to win, you’re gonna try to do,” Rodriguez said of the bunt after the game. “Obviously we’re down five, I’m leading off the inning. I saw [Wilson] Betemit [playing] back, I saw an opportunity to get on base, and I took it.”

    “Smart play,” said manager Joe Girardi. “We need base runners, that’s the bottom line. We’re trying to put together a big inning, and you need a bunch of base runners, so I don’t have a problem with it.”

    An inning later, with the bases juiced and two outs, Rodriguez again came up to the plate, with a chance to put a serious dent in the Orioles’ lead. A-Rod again offered at the first pitch, but this time he popped out to the catcher in foul territory.

    Rodriguez responded by slamming his helmet to the ground as he ran down the first-base line, and heard plenty of boos afterward.

    “Beautiful pitch to hit,” Rodriguez said. “I mean, that’s exactly the pitch you want, right down the middle, hanging slider, and I should have done a lot better than popping up to the catcher.”

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    May Day For Pettitte & Clemens

    Posted by on May 1st, 2012 · Comments (19)

    The Daily News is keep tabs.

    I am still waiting for the judge to ask Clemens’ lawyer: “Did you say ‘yutes’?”

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    MLB Mulling Revamp To “Rivalries” Schedule

    Posted by on May 1st, 2012 · Comments (8)

    Via Adam Rubin -

    Major League Baseball is working on a scheduling reconfiguration for the 2013 season and beyond that likely will eliminate the Mets and Yankees as well as other “natural rivals” playing home-and-home, six-game series annually, baseball sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

    With the Houston Astros moving to the American League West next season and the leagues becoming balanced at 15 teams apiece, natural rivals throughout baseball no longer will be guaranteed six games a season and home-and-home series, the sources said.

    That goes for obvious intracity rivals such as Mets-Yankees and Cubs-White Sox, as well as for more-forced natural rivals such as the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.

    The Mets and Yankees will continue to play six games a season — three apiece at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium — when the AL East and NL East line up for long-form interleague play every three years.

    But in the other seasons, a major league source added, the competition likely will be limited to three games at one ballpark, or two games apiece at each ballpark.

    Sources cautioned that the 2013 Major League Baseball schedule, and the precise new configurations, are still being discussed.

    I wish there was a way to get this right. If the Yankees are going against the Red Sox, Rays, Orioles and Blue Jays to see who finishes first in their division, then, those five teams should all play the same schedule. That’s only fair, right?

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    Ward, To Your Mother

    Posted by on April 30th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Alex Belth asks Robert Ward everything you ever wanted to know with the exception of whether or not he is ever confused for Burt or Jay. Cool stuff.

    Check it out.

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    What Cashman And I Have In Common

    Posted by on April 30th, 2012 · Comments (15)

    Brian Cashman and his 8-year old son were sitting in the stands at yesterday’s Yankees game. 

    And, I was also at the game with my 8-year old son yesterday.  (If you saw a father and son in Yankees game jerseys, dad in #21 and son in #2, that was us.  But, we only left our seats for a little bit in the 6th inning.  So, I doubt you saw us walking around.)

    I wonder if Brian had the same reaction as me when the vendors came by selling hot chocolate for $10 a cup?

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    Holy Oldie Cow!

    Posted by on April 30th, 2012 · Comments (2)

    For the baseball history/trivia mavens out there.  Can you spot the history made in this game?

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    Now Filming At Yankee Stadium, The Jerry Springer Show

    Posted by on April 30th, 2012 · Comments (3)

    Girls gone stupid.

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