"It's great to be young and a Yankee."

"Sweep= our wedding's off. My mother will be so disappointed." -Iowa Jeff


So, like Gloria so astutely put in one of the all-time cinematic classics, "Sometimes when you win, you really lose and sometimes when you lose, you really win and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic globule, from which one extracts what one needs."


But in terms of the Yankees? They really won. Again.


I will admit that part of me feels a little bit bad it had to be against the Twinkies. Besides for the White Sox, who don't count, does anyone have any kind of problem with the boys from Minny? It's impossible. Is there anyone on the Twins that anyone can boo in good conscience? It'd be like as heartless as throwing eggs at the redheaded, kindly loser in "Can't Buy Me Love." And if I had to rank em, I'd put them dead last on the teams I'd investigate for steroids.


I unexpectedly had to work late, so listened to the first 6 innings courtesy Sterling and Waldman, who both decidedly have developed a boundless infatuation with Cervelli, "who's really gonna be something special." Say what you will about Ms. Waldman, but in my experience, she knows her baseball.


The team, as a whole, has turned maybe 120 degrees. Not quite a 180 yet, but they're playing like they belong together. The line up FINALLY is hitting on all cylinders, people are getting on base and the BA with RISP has been improving slowly but surely every game.


A-Rod homered for the 3rd game in a row. A-Rod. You know, the guy who was only good because he took steroids, and who never would have been anything without cheating. Yeah, that guy.


Teixeira is just unreal at 1st, as good as there is. Maybe better than ARod. He does it so effortlessly. In fact, the entire right side of the field is a defensive juggernaut right now, they're eating up balls more aggressively than Garfield eats up lasagna. (That's what she said?)

I don't know whether his surge (Tex's, not Garfield's) is a result of the inevitable end of his routine hibernation for the first 6 weeks of the season, or because of ARod's return. Since ARod's been back, our 1B's gone from batting less than .200 to slugging twice as many HRs. (Throw "Going Deep From Both Sides" on the list of Indisputably Badass Baseball.)

It's quite remarkable actually, how tight the Yankees' defense has gotten. It's reminiscent of last years' Rays. And even more remarkable is how their offense is bolstering it. They don't need to rely on late inning solo HRs when they're running hard 90s all game.

Even the fans are making less errors, as evidenced by a reverse warning track foulball grab by a pre-teen. Backhanded, no bobble, over the ledge. "And look at that, right in front of Pops, too!"--YES Booth. Aggressive fielding, that's what I like to see. Probably stole that move from Melky, who made a great catch by cutting off Swisher today. In a nice, teammate-like way. HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS TEAM?

When was the last time in this century that I can remember saying that the Yankees defense looks just as robust as their offense? It's a weird feeling. I'm not going to get too attached to it. Like a really great first date that makes you start thinking about the next one, and gets you excited and stupidly happy during the day...I'm not going to expect their defense to call for a second date, I'll just try to keep myself busy and not think about it, so if something happens, then great!

(Annnndd I 100% just realized that I'm talking about dating a team's fielding percentage. I don't know what's sadder, the fact that I made that analogy to begin with, or the fact I know my mom would probably be ok with this arrangement if there was a way for infield stats to enable grandchildren.)

One of my favorite parts of the game came around when little Phil Coke started having a little trouble recording the final out. I swear to God, the guy looked like he was at a school-wide piano recital and just couldn't remember the next notes. (Nothing's worse. Nothing. Except for stepping in dog shit. At least in a play someone can cover for you if you forget a line. When you're sitting on a hard bench with absolutely nothing in front of you except 88 keys that all look alike...you're on your own.) And that's how terrified yet determined Phil Coke looked on the mound.

I don't know what he was so worried about. I bet half the team was secretly hoping for another opportunity to log a walkoff in the books.

So after he walks another batter, Pena and Cervelli trot out to talk to Coke. And as CC&P is shifting around on the mound like they're antsy at recess, Ken Singleton notes how interesting it is to see the young'uns out there, with David Cone awesomely pointing out how it used to be Posada, Jeter, and Mariano out there, and "Talk about a coming of age!" (David Cone, btw, is probably the most endearing man in the world. Well played, YES Network, for bringing him back to the Bronx.)

And when Coke did record his first Major League save, Teixeira was leading the charge in the congratulations. I got goosebumps, actually, watching the last few innings when I returned home from work.

Tomorrow we're hosting Baltimore. Please please please please for the love of God don't do that thing where you have a huge amazing empowering, momentum-generating win and then lose by 12 runs the next day to a bunch of confused hedgehogs in cleats.