I know that some of the Yankees players came through with an incredible effort today. And, I know that the ghosts of Yankee Stadium were busy this afternoon spinning magic, where needed.

But, I’m taking the credit for the win today.

Around 12:30 pm, we decided to take the kids to Friendly’s for lunch and ice cream. While we were there, I got one of those over-sized glasses of soda. After lunch, we elected to go down to the marina to do a little strolling and boat watching. As we were getting ready to leave the boats, the soda starting sending signals to my bladder. But, I thought “Ah, we’ll be home in a few minutes, I can wait.” And, we came home.

When we arrived home, I flicked on the TV and the game was in the bottom of the 8th – just as the “big” rally was starting. So, I sat and watched – and put the need for personal relief on the back burner for a minute. Once the Yankees tied the score in the 8th, I thought “OK, now I can’t move a muscle, or else I risk the whammy” and I sat there, frozen in my position.

And, I continued to sit there, through the 8th, and the 9th, and the 10th, and until the end in the 11th – ignoring my bladder telling me to do otherwise. Let me tell you, standalone, those innings were a heart attack alley. Add a full bladder on that, and, well, it’s taking one for the team. But, as a fan, what else could I be expected to do?

And, yes, the minute Matsui scored in the 11th, it was a great relief and one gauntlet defeated.

There is no sweeter sound to a Yankees fan’s ears than hearing Sinatra’s New York, New York being blasted over the PA at Yankee Stadium after a 9th inning comeback win (like today) against a team that they seemingly can never beat (like the Angels) and against a punk relief pitcher (like K-Rod).

As far as picking up Alan Embree, I don’t get it? Boston is hurting for RP like the Yankees are for SP. If he had any value, pitching-wise, the Sox would have never let him go. The only guess I have is that Torre and Cashman want to see if Embree can teach them the Red Sox secret handshake, or something like that.

What can I say? The Angels are my Daddy.

Seriously, considering the current state of Yankees starting pitching, it’s a sin for this team to piss away a start like the one they got tonight from Mussina.

Lastly, just for the record, if the Red Sox trade Manny and two of their better prospects in exchange for Aubrey Huff and Mike Cameron, I will have a bounce in my step for days – maybe months.

12:27 pm EST: Why can’t I shake the feeling that the Yankees are going to lose this game by a score of 6-5 or 5-4?

What a shame.

Al Leiter does his best Karl Wallenda and somehow keeps it to a 1-0 game through five. F-Rod, go figure, gets it to seven, and then the bullpen starts throwing grapefruits and it’s a 6-0 game heading into the bottom of the 8th.

That’s the shame – within a few frames late in the game, this one went from possible squeaker to way-uphill in a hurry.

Bernie’s “foul homer” in the 8th was just about the summary of his season this year in one AB, huh? The minute that went foul, and it was 0-2, I said to my wife “Watch, now he’ll whiff” – and he did.

You know, since the All-Star break, excluding that one 11-10 wild game in Texas on July 18th, the Yankees are averaging 4.58 runs scored per game. With their pitching situation, 4.58 runs a game is just not going to cut it.

Besides the fact that Boston won tonight, this game hurts because there’s an excellent chance that the Yankees are going to lose 2 of their next 3 games – because of who will be starting them.

What a great entry into the dog days of August.

“Are we there, yet?”

Yes, I believe the Unit has landed. A no-no would have been a beautiful thing tonight – but, the win is the most important takeaway this evening – along with some evidence that whatever old-age thing may be bothering Johnson, that it can’t be that bad.

You know when the clock strikes 9 pm EST, and they’re playing God Bless America at the Stadium, you’ve got a pitcher’s duel cooking. It was great to watch.

Also, from this game, let the record stand: If Robinson Cano hits in his next 43 games in a row, I want a recount on that ball that was supposedly an inch off the right field foul line tonight.

A thought: If the Yankees do sign Ruben Rivera, will they have to place a security guard over Unit’s gum-holder-glove every time he pitches? Remember the fuss a few seasons back on Luis Gonzalez ABC gum? That would be nothing compared to actual Big Unit Game Chew on the market.

Lastly, Brian Cashman, if you’re reading this, and were thinking of picking up Danys Baez – please, do not. Anyone who can’t hold a 2-run lead over Boston in the 9th – or preserve a tie in the 10th – is not someone who would be a good fit for the Yankees pen.

It would have been nice to see Tampa hold that 8-6 lead tonight. Oh, well, tomorrow is another day.

That plane ride back from the West Coast just got a tad easier with the win today. And, the off day tomorrow should be somewhat better now, than it might of been, as well. Thank you Moose, Matsui, and Mo.

Truth be told, the minute the news on Wang broke, if you told me that the Yankees would split their games against Boston and L.A. on this trip, and win the series in Texas, I would have signed on for that – so, in the end, a 6-5 road-trip is not all that bad. It just stings a little because it could have been a 8-3 trip, just as easy as it was a 6-5 trip.

One week left until the trading deadline. And, the loss by Boston today means the Yankees are 1.5 back of first with 65 games to go. The travel day on Monday could be the perfect day to break the news of a trade.

I know that I mentioned yesterday that it’s been a long road-trip, and we know the Angels are a good team who has been hot lately. But, then, you see the Red Sox go into Chicago to play the White Sox and have little problem beating the Pale Hose, and you have to say “Maybe the Yankees don’t have what it takes? Maybe they just caught Boston and Texas at the right time, got lucky with a few wins on this trip, and they’re not as ‘good’ as the really good teams?”

To the game, this was another one of those where I could not stay awake. I fell asleep in the 5th, then woke up in the 7th, and went to bed, even though the score was 8-6 at the time. I was hoping to wake up to a surprise comeback victory and watching the highlights on ESPN this AM. But, no luck on that.

During parts of the game on YES, that I saw, Bobby Murcer and Michael Kay were going on and on about how much time/work/treatment that Brown needs – just to get to the point to be able to toe the rubber for a start. Is it worth it at this point? If Brown is still this bad by mid-August, it’s time to DL him for good, or tell him that he can retire. Yeah, he has guts for going out there like this – but, he’s not helping the team.

Do you remember the “Brand New Day” that started a week ago?

Well, since that day, the only Yankees to hit are A-Rod, Cano, Jeter, Giambi, and Tino. On the flip side, Posada, Bernie, and Sheffield have tanked. Matsui has been OK.

On the pitching-side, TanGorMo and F-Rod have been fine. And, Unit and Moose have pitched well. Everyone else has been stinkweed.

I hope Mussina can keep it up today and that maybe some of the slumping bats can wake up before they come home.

Well, at least the bullpen is rested for today. I give Leiter some credit for that.

If anything, this should tell you that Sheffield is a huge key for the Yankees. He’s 1 for 16 in his last four games, and the Yankees have lost three of those contests. I’m not blaming Sheff for the losses. I’m just saying that when he hits, it’s a whole different team.

This was another game where I could not stay awake. I passed out in the 3rd inning and the woke up around the 7th and threw in the towel and went to bed.

From what I saw in the last two games, I would say that the Angels are pumped. K-Rod in the 9th, after the final out, on Thursday, and the Molina brothers, in this game, after scoring in 2nd, acted like this just won the World Series (at least to me).

Heck, the Angels always play the Yankees like it’s the World Series – and their record shows it. I just wish they played this way against Boston in the ALDS last year instead of rolling over like a submissive poodle.

Now, many might see this as an excuse, but, I blame this road-trip for most of what we’re seeing in Cali. It’s an insane trip and shame on MLB for doing this. Eleven games in 11 days, three stops, each in a different time zone? Between the stress of playing in Boston, and then the heat in Texas, and now the time change on the West Coast, no wonder the team has looked a little flat the last couple of games.

They’re going to need that off day on Monday.

Ah, there’s nothing like snatching a defeat out of the jaws of victory! It’s a shame, standalone, and even more so in the bigger picture – as the only ‘real loss’ on this road trip so far is that game where Redding and May fed the lions. What could have been!

I’m 9 and 1/2 months older than Randy Johnson. So, when I tell you this, it’s from experience. This is always the way it’s going to be for him. Stuff is going to pop-up – esp. with the back. I know, trust me, I know. That’s the most frustrating part about being this age, with respect to doing anything physical, like sports, when you least expect it, something happens that will prevent you from performing at 100%, or even 90%, and it’s almost always nagging. For me, it’s the back, or my neck muscles, or the Achilles Tendon, or tendonitis in the elbow/forearm, or a chest pull. It’s just no fun getting older, when it comes to sports. And, all the titanium jewelry in the world is not going to make a difference.

Now, to the game, I fell asleep just as Proctor came into the game and woke up in the 8th inning. So, I was spared most of the bad news, in terms of getting it first hand. But, I think, at least I hope, that we will soon see the last of Scott Proctor. It’s just not working for him at this level.

And, despite Groom’s night, I’m not giving up on him. I think the issue there is how he’s being used. If you just use him as a LOOGY, he should have value. If you think he can be a bridge pitcher, you’re wrong (Joe).

And, I know that Giambi hit two bombs last night. (By the way, four homers and five runs? These Han Solos are killing the Yankees.) And, I know that Jason has his BA up to .288 after being left for dead. But, I’m sorry, if you’re going to be The Man, then when you’re up in the 9th, down by a run, with a runner on 3rd and there’s only one out, you have to make contact in that situation. It’s the difference between being an Aaron Boone and a David Ortiz.

Lastly, if only Posada’s ball in the 9th had been 8 feet to the left or the right……..it was that close. Sooooo close. Darn, darn, darn, darn, darn.

I’m happy about the win tonight. To be honest, I thought (coming into this game) that today’s game entry, once the contest was in the books, would be:

And, if you would have told me, for fact, that A-Rod, Sheff and Godzilla would go oh’fer in the game, then perhaps even worse thoughts (if that was possible?) on the game outcome would have come to mind.

So, yes, obviously, the “W” was unexpected and is very much appreciated.

This all said, I don’t believe that “Small came up big.” In his career, before tonight, he averaged allowing 15.52 base runners per 9 innings pitched (BR/9). And, this evening, for this game, his BR/9 mark was 15.21. Folks, WYSIWYG. And, what I see was not something overly impressive – outside of the way Aaron Small handed the ball to Torre in the 6th (as I thought he did that hand-off like a classy pro).

On July 7th, I said that the Yankees would have to go 13-8 over the rest of the month to show “us” whether or not they were a good team. Since then, the team has gone 8-3 and only needs to split their next 10 games to make that 13-8 score. I like their chances.

Ah, the recent legendary gaggle of “next great pinstriped LOOGY” hopefuls……

Randy Choate
Chris Hammond
Felix Heredia
Gabe White
C.J. Nitkowski

And, now add Wayne Franklin to the list.

As Steven McCrosky would say, looks like the Yankees picked the wrong night to bring a 0-0 game into the 8th inning – on a day when their pen was on fumes.

Shoot, for what it’s worth, I’m shocked that Felix Rodriguez didn’t blow the game when he showed up. (And, is it just me, or, is Felix the bastard love child that Jose Contreras and Felix Heredia left behind?)

At least they went down kicking and scratching in the 9th.

Imagine a no-pitching, back and forth, game so ugly and long that the YES cameras went on strike for the bottom of the 9th!

But, regardless of the fact that this game was not the one to show to outer-space aliens (upon their landing on earth) to explain the game of baseball, the important thing is that it’s a win!

And, the Yankees are in first place!
Happy Birthday Joe.

Well, on Thursday, Torre promised the team that they would have a pitcher for the game on Sunday, and he did not lie. I have to confess, there was something warm about seeing a LHP on the mound for the Yankees, wearing #19. And, 2005 season stats to date be damned, Leiter came through for the Yanks tonight. In fact, the pitcher that I saw tonight was the same pitcher that I saw in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series – the one with a ton of heart. When Al whiffed Millar to end the 6th, I jumped out of my chair and pumped out a left jab followed by a right uppercut. Leiter was that inspiring today.

After seeing good pitcher, after good pitcher, come to the Yankees, and then suck, only to leave New York and then pitch well again elsewhere, it’s nice to see someone once good, after sucking somewhere else, come to the Yankees and throw a good game.

All things considered – the standings, the Yankees pitching situation, it being the Sox in Fenway, Wakefield, the snuffed rally in the bottom of the 9th – this just may be the biggest win of the season, to date, for the Yankees.

Kudos to Sheffield, A-Rod, and Mo for their performances in this series. It’s nice to see guys step up in, what Big Rube calls, “the clutch time.”

Lastly, nice shot by ESPN of Wells, Manny, and Damon in the 9th, sitting in the dugout together, after the Ramirez homerun. That was a Mensa Meeting in the Bizzaro World.

From a fan perspective, there’s just about nothing cooler than a 6-run rally started with 2 outs and no one on. That was the game today, in my opinion.

The win today was very important because, now, tomorrow, the Yankees are playing with house money. It’s either take the split, and get out of Dodge in a hurry before anyone realizes that you were able to hold your own under very bad conditions, or, if by some freak thing, you get the win, then you’ve pulled a miracle and have actually won the series. All things considered, it’s win-win for New York.

Anyone know why Curt Schilling opted not to parade out to the bullpen, across the field in front of everyone, like he did on Thursday night? Were the red lights not on?

Tomorrow marks the start of Al Leiter The Yankee, Part Deux. How old is Al? Well, in 1989, the Yankees traded him to get Jesse Barfield. And, Barfield retired 13 years ago. Further, Jesse’s son, Josh, is not that far now from the big leagues himself. That’s old.

The Yankees rotation, as it stands now, should try and group together and “pitch” (no pun intended) an ad campaign for Geritol.

As this is being penned, it’s the top of the 5th inning and the Yankees are losing 12-1.

I haven’t seen anything this one-sided since the last time I saw the cartoon short “Bambi Meets Godzilla” – which they would usually play before the midnight showing of a Cheech and Chong movie at the Jerry Lewis Cinema next to Arthur Treachers Fish & Chips (down in Mariners Harbor, Staten Island). For the record, that was around 1979.

That’s a long time folks. I’m not even sure how much of this I can watch tonight. I’ve got the wide screen of Million Dollar Baby on DVD just sitting on top of the TV, screaming out “Watch me!”

Storybook.

When A-Rod’s big fly off Schilling in the 9th cleared the wall, I jumped out of my comfy chair in the family room and started to do a tap dance.

I have no idea how to tap dance.

But, it was the greatest tap dance in the history of the world.

I know that the odds are against the Yankees for the rest of this series. And, New York just might end up losing the next three games. But, for now, for one night, for this moment, everything is beautiful in Yankeeland. Everything. Well, except for one little thing…….David Ortiz.

Driving home tonight, I heard the Joe Torre Report on WFAN. When asked about the dominance that Dominican Shrek has over the Yankees, Torre admitted that their approach to him was terrible. Joe went on at length talking about how they have more data and a new plan. And, Torre added, on his own, that, while they would never hit a batter on purpose, they needed to make Ortiz more uncomfortable at the plate. In Torre’s words, he said something like ‘We just can’t have him standing there at ease just picking whatever pitches he wants to hit.’

And, what did we see tonight in regard to pitching to Ortiz? No change – nada – none whatsoever. And, the results were the same. What is so hard about making this guy move his feet?

Anywho, enough on that negative. And, let us get back to allowing this win tonight to marinate supreme and then permeate Yankees fans everywhere with happy feelings. Gosh, could this game tonight have been scripted any better?

Like I said, it was storybook.

I missed the Yankees game today. But, I’m thrilled that they won – and are now just 2 and a 1/2 back as they head into the All-Star break. I wish I could say more about Randy Johnson’s “performance” today, or about Big Rube, or Giambi, or Melky’s OF play – or even our pal, Arthur Rhodes. But, since I did not see any of the game, all I can and should say is that it’s just flat out great to see the Yankees where they are in the standings – all things considered. Thank you AL East – for no one running away with this thing in the first half!

I did go see the Staten Island Yankees this early evening. They played the Williamsport Crosscutters. It was the perfect evening to enjoy the sight lines of the park in St. George. Prospect wise, I was not overly impressed with Brett Gardner or Jon Poterson – who were two players that I was anxious to see. But, one player I did see tonight left a good impression on me – and it was someone who I did not know anything about coming into the park.

The player is Tony Roth. He played 3B this evening and made a sparking play on a ball to his right early in the game. And, he looked like he had a plan at the plate and could handle the bat. He did not look very “toolsy” to me – like Gardner and Poterson – but, he looked like someone who is a “ball player.” He was a 2B at Creighton and was signed as a non-drafted free agent (NDFA) this summer. I know that the odds are stacked against a college kid who signs as a NDFA. But, if I were the Yankees, I would give this kid as much of a chance as some drafted players. Yes, it was just one game in short season A-ball. But, this kid Tony Roth just looked like be belonged on a ball field.

And, in keeping up with WasWatching.com kids at the game tradition, here we are with “Huck” – the sun was behind us, so, it’s not a perfect picture. But, a bad picture of being at the ballpark is better than a good picture of being anywhere else, every time, in my book.

Today was just another example of the nightmare this season has been almost every time someone named Wright, Brown, Henn, or May has been given a start. Since Pavano is hit and miss, and only a fool would count on Kevin Brown for anything after the last 15 months, it really would be in the Yankees best interest to find a starter to follow Unit, Mussina and Wang. (And then use Pavano, when he’s back, as the 5th man.)

Today was also another example of the personnel issues with the pen – which brings cause for Torre to use guys for too long or in spots not best suited for them.

Lastly on the “real” game this afternoon, I’m willing to give Cano and Melky buddy passes for today’s execution failures. Hopefully, they will learn from these experiences and not repeat them.

Since there’s not much nice to say about the “game” today, I’ll move right on to some Old Timer’s Day (OTD) comments.

It was very nice to see the young (Cano and Melky) and the old (Tino and Unit) in the dugout soaking in everything that OTD has to offer. Too bad on the rain coming when it did – halting the OTD contest. Still, it was fun to see how fit Kevin Mass and Bye Bye Balboni were today. Good for them. Ratio Man really ripped one out there when he was up against Goose. And, it was nice to see some of the old-timers like Pags, Yog, Mr. Ten Jeans, Whitey, Miguel Rivera, Scooter, Puff, Gator, etc. But, it would have been nicer to see Paul O’Neill as well. It’s been three and a half years since he played. If Justice, Leyritz, and Boggs can come to OTD, then Paulie should not feel bad about coming at his age.

Does anyone know why Gossage and Nettles had “SAM” written on their caps? I’m curious on that one.

Is it just me, or, does it seem to rain often for Friday home games this season? Nah, there’s no need for a retractable roof in the new Stadium, right? Tell that to Giambi’s hamstring.

Tonight’s win was big. And, it’s not because it’s another gem from Obi Wang. And, it’s not because the new LOOGY on the block made a contribution. And, it’s not because Melky had two hits. Although, all that is nice.

It’s because tomorrow is Old Timer’s Day (OTD). I’ve always had a theory on OTD – although it’s based on memory, and not fact. It seems to me that the Yankees often lose on OTD – and I think that’s because the clubhouse is such a zoo on that day that it’s a distraction to the team. Now, throw in the fact that Darrell May is starting for the Yankees tomorrow, and, well, if I was a betting man, and you gave me odds, I would pick the Yankees to lose tomorrow.

So, the win tonight, plus Unit on Sunday, gives the Yankees a chance to win this series – even if they lose tomorrow. That’s why this win is a big one.

OK, in closing, tonight, I saw something for the first time – and, I cannot believe that it’s taken me all these years to make the connection. And, yes, I know this is sorta-mean, but, do these two somewhat look-alike, or, is it just me?

Years ago, I remember seeing Flavor Flav, on some channel, doing a “Yo’ momma” thing with someone. And, he was flyin’.

Yo’ momma’s teeth are so yellow, I can’t believe it’s not butta. And, there also was: Yo’ momma’s so fat, she wears a refrigerator for a beeper.

Well, after the game tonight, I think we can change that last one to go: Yo’ momma’s so fat, she can’t even fit into Dale Scott’s strike zone!

Now, to the questions from tonight:

Is it just me, or was that fan in the gray T-shirt in RF tonight not Jeffrey Maier?

So, are we going to start calling CF in Yankee Stadium Melky’s Way? (I wish I knew what the bleachers used for roll call tonight – and if the kid knew to wave.)

Related, I did not notice Tony Womack on the bench tonight, did he jump the team after being told he was now a bench player?

How odd is to hear “slept on it funny” and “MRI” in the same sentence when Torre speaks about Gordon? What’s next, Mussina’s left foot falls asleep because he sits on the throne for too long reading a crossword with his left elbow resting on his thigh, so he goes for a battery of tests on his leg?

Who would have thought that the Yankees would be 3 and 1/2 back on July 7th after the way they’ve played so far this year?

Yesterday, I wrote:

As much as I wish that it could happen, the Yankees are not going to score 13 runs every game.

See, I told you so!

Seriously, the long ball explosion today was incredible. And, more importantly, Randy Johnson stepped up and provided exactly what the Yankees needed today – seven innings of strong pitching.

This gives the pen a much needed blow. And, to think that Unit did this after not going on 3 days rest since 1995.

One fact from today’s game that I found mind-boggling: This was Giambi’s first game with three extra-base hits since July 30, 2003. That’s just days away from being two full years. Wow.

Now that the team is getting hot, here’s the tricky part: They play only 4 games over the next 8 days before going to Fenway Park for a huge series with the Sox. Somehow, despite all that off time, they need to keep this hot streak going. It will be hard.

Happy big seven-five George!

Big Stein must be feeling pretty good about today’s “birthday” win. For sure, he probably would have been happy with a nice and tidy 6-zip shutout victory. But, I doubt that will bring any cause for him to want to return a beautiful seven-run 8th, come from behind win, with a nice big bow on it?

The Yankees showed a lot of spirit today. It would have been very easy to lay down and submit after blowing a one-run lead with 8 outs to go – not to mention having a 6-nothing lead after two and letting that melt away. Instead, with just 5 outs left to their offensive chest today, they came back to tie, then go ahead, and then blow out the game for the “W.”

Still, perhaps hidden to some, in the thrill of the big inning today, is the fact that the Yankees current holes in their starting rotation and middle relief came very close to costing them a game today. As much as I wish that it could happen, the Yankees are not going to score 13 runs every game. Clearly, pitching is still an issue in Yankeeland.

In any event, the team needs wins and they got one today. Bottom line, that’s all that matters. Yanks have now won 5 of their last 7 and it might have been 6 of 7 if not for a questionable RP selection on evening of June 28th.

The next several games will be worth watching.

First 1-0 win since July of last year. Wow.

Well, this locks it up – the Yankees will be a .500 team at the half-way mark of this season. Imagine that even being a question.

I joined this one in the bottom of the 6th. Looks like I did not miss much. But, I have to confess, when Wang came out after just 98 pitches thrown, and then Gordon almost walked the lead-off batter in the 8th, and then gave up two long outs, and then Mo gave up the lead-off double to start the 9th, I was thinking there, a few times, why did they take out Wang?

I cannot say enough about the value of Wang during the first half of this season. Counting today, he’s started 11 games and 8 of them have been “quality starts.”

He has to be in the running for A.L. Rookie of the Year.

I had to turn this one off after the end of five and a half tonight. Looks like I missed a good one!

Tony Womack, with two outs, in the 9th, on an 0-2 pitch!

I feel like I missed a chance to see Haley’s comet.

As today is July 1st, tonight was the first loss for the Yankees in the month of July, if they lose 10 more games this month, you can forget about the rest of this season.

There’s an episode of the Little Rascals, called Birthday Blues. In that show, the mother of Dickie and little bro Spanky is upset because her birthday is forgotten. So, the boys, with help from Stymie, bake a huge cake with “prizes” in it. And, they throw a party where they sell slices for a dime – to raise money for Mom’s birthday gift. (The prizes were things like a hair brush, a pipe, a shoe, suspenders, a mousetrap, a rubber glove, a bar of soap, a hot water bottle, etc.) There’s a classic line given in a scene when the kids are eating the cake, comparing prizes, and one kid (looking at his “prize”) says to another “What did you get?” And, the other kid answers with “I ain’t got nothing but a bellyache.”

I’m starting to think that the 2005 Yankees are that cake – flat for the most part, some surprises inside, but, for me, all I’m getting is a bellyache.

And, Randy Johnson is a big part of that pain. If you were to look at the top 20 seasons by a starting pitcher, from 1996 through 2004, you would see that the Big Unit had 6 of those 20 seasons. (Pedro had 5 and Clemens had two.) It goes without saying that Randy Johnson, recently, has been one of the best – if not the best – pitchers in baseball. And, of course, the minute he puts on the Yankees pinstripes, he just another ingredient in a cake that sounds like this.