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12:42amSo we're back from the rain delay.
I'm exhausted.
Michael Kay: "And we're just been informed that the Yankees starters have all been sent home. Which makes sense. This game is out of hand, and the game tomorrow is at 1, no sense in keeping them up all night when they gotta be here at 10."
God, what I WOULDN'T GIVE for my job to work like that. "Hey, Kris, you got an early meeting down at the client tomorrow at 8am. Instead of staying here all night working on a deck, why don't you go to bed early so you're well rested and not passing out in the middle of the meeting?"
In other news, I have never seen less people at Yankee Stadium in the 7th inning of a game. Ever. It's weird. A very, very odd turn of events for such a historic evening. Doesn't really make much sense.
The announcers have lost it. They're delirious. And I mean, they sound even weirder than the 15 inning game. I can't even follow what the hell they're talking about. They 100% sound wasted-slash-sleep talking. The two of 'em sound dangerously similar to Chris Farley and David Spade in "Black Sheep" when they're getting high off the nitrous oxide. ("Do you know how fast you were going?" "Uhh I couldn't have been going more than 65, tops." "You were going 7 miles an hour. SEVEN.")
I think they've sufficiently covered the point that there is, indeed, no one left at the stadium, and, indeed, those that remain are true fans. Can we move on?
Bottom of the 8th now. I'll be back when game's over.
1:37 am
Annnnd we're done. Let's review:
Derek Jeter has the most hits of any Yankee. He passed one of the best players in the history of the game. It was amazing. Really, really something to behold. And out of everything that this represented, the best part of it all--for me--was watching the team run out onto the field to congratulate him. Jeter looked so happy and everyone just looked so happy for him.I'm incredibly touched and moved by seeing someone or someones being genuinely happy for and proud of someone else. It is one of the most selfless things you can do.
- The weirdest part of the hit? Was when Chris Tillman immediately tried to pick him off at first. My sister turned to me and said, "No seriously. Did that really just happen? Even Jeter's laughing at it."
- The funniest part of the hit? Was when Luke Scott hit a single in the inning following "THE INNING" and made this look like, "Wtf, why isn't MY name on the jumbotron. Geez."
- The biggest
suggestion of a Family Guy scene? Courtesy my "favorite" element of YES broadcasts, also known as the Chevy Player of the Game. The best part is, tonight is the ONE night I had no problem with it being in the 8th inning.
- Hell, it could've been in the 4th inning, and it would've been justified. So when I see this pop up on my tv, I was even more bemused than when Tillman aggressively went after Jeter on first.
- And I was reminded very much of this Family Guy scene. Most things remind me of Family Guy, so you can imagine how strongly I felt about this to assign it a superlative to it.
- I feel like every time the media extols the virtues of Jeter, and uses phrases like, "So classy, never did anything wrong, played the game right, always says the right thing to the press, never says anything dumb, etc etc.." the subtext is: "Unlike Arod."
- Why was Al Leiter being such a Debbie Downer tonight? It was almost like he was getting to the "ok enough already" stage of the Jeter story. It was just this little tone he had when the rain started coming down in the 4th, and he says, "Well, we need to go 5 to make this a complete game. So that hit might not even count."
- If the earth split open and the stands starting tumbling into a dark chasm that led only to Middle Earth...that game would still be played to its rightful conclusion. If that pitch to Dale Mitchell was 7 feet off the strike zone, the ump was still gonna call it a strike. Same principle.
- My sister is equally defensive of Arod as she is obsessed with him. But her favorite all-time Yankee is Lou Gehrig. So I think she was kind of in the Al Leiter mentality a little bit. "It's kind of said. Lou's not even alive to defend himself." Is it bad I see her point? So I told her about the differences in Jeter's and Lou's stats:
"Gehrig had 8000 career at bats. Jeter's already had almost 600 more than
that."
This seemed to cheer her up. "Really?"
"Yep."
"PSHHH. What the hell, this isn't even fair. Try getting 27o0 hits without
your muscles functioning, Jeter." She was kidding, but again, I see where she's
coming from. I keep feeling conflicted about being thrilled for Jeter, yet sad for Lou.
- Not that I can speak intelligently to the preferences of the deceased, but I'd like to think that he's happy for Jeter. Just like the rest of the Yankees.
- Toyota Text Poll: "Do you think Jeter will get to 4000 hits?" That's a pretty tall order, but 70% said Yes. (Which is now the second time today I've been surprised by a 70% stat. Earlier I learned that a study revealed that 70% of men answered "yes" to the following question: "Do you think married men should remain monogamous?" Which means 30% of men think married men should NOT remain faithful.)
- 4000 hits means that Jeter's gotta stay on his 200 hits per year pace for another 6 and a half years. He's 35. So he would have to be putting up the same numbers for the next 6-7 seasons without diminishing at all. And while staying healthy.
- My sister: "6-7 seasons? You think Jeter's going to retire after even 15 more seasons? Um, Bernie Williams hadn't had a hit in about 49 years and they kept him on the roster, and when they were finally like, 'ok you can't lift the bat anymore, we're gonna have to send you down,' everyone like what the f. Jeter is NEVER going to stop playing. Ever. He could be in a wheelchair. He could be dead, even. It's gonna be like Weekend at Bernies. They'll tack him onto someone's back and be like, 'what it's cool. He's on the active roster. He's just not active.'"
- Cano made a SICK play at second. I feel stupid bringing this up.
- ARod hit a 3-run bomb in the first. And Jeter had the other RBI. I'll go back to the captain later of course, but right now, I wanna take an organic look at the offense today. Or defense, maybe. I'm not sure what the hell happened here.
- It's 4-1, and the Bronx is rocking out on a Friday night, all deliriously happy about the life NY fans share right now. Then like 15 minutes later, it's 4-3. Not a big deal. Cano preserved the lead with the aforementioned play at 1st.
- But then in the 6th and 7th, the O's just teed off. Or rather, the usual suspects teed off. Their 2-3-4-5 hitters went 6-16, with 6 RBIs. Nick Markakis probably has the best batting average of any play against the Yankees. Put that in my queue of things to google later. Frankie the Sports Guy says I need to start dating someone frome the Elias Sports Bureau. He may be on to something there.
- Damaso Marte. Sigh. 4 earned runs. Against the f'n O's, dude. That's really awful.
- Edwar Ramirez. I expect this from Marte, but I'm just plain disappointed in you. 3 runs on 3 hits.
- The whole game is lined with the numbers 1,4, and 2. The Yanks had 12 hits on the day with 4 RBIs. Pettitte's ERA went down to 4.14.
- Worst text of the night: "Can't wait til like 2 yrs from now when jeters hitting .240 and skank fans hate him." --Jordan. (Who is also a self-professed obsessor over Oliver Perez. The only reason we talk at all is because I am indebted to him for showing me how to make my fantasy team name take up 2 lines of extra space in Yahoo.)
- I'm somewhat scared to even take a gander at my Sux fans statuses. Despite the fact we still own an 8 game lead, we lost to the O's. So I wouldn't be surprised if some fans went ahead and tried to play down Jeter's accomplishment. No easy feat. But when it comes to irrational shots at the Yanks, Boston fans will not be slowed by logic. They are determined as hell.
- My buddy Mike emailed me to tell me he received the following text from his Sox fan friend:
Mike's Boston Friend: Were you at the game? Jeter is a classy player and we
need more players like him.
Mike: I'm here with Boof. Great moment.
Mike's Boston Friend: That's awesome.
Well played, Mike's Boston Friend. Well played.
So there it is. Every time Jeter gets a hit now, he's breaking a record. Congratulations, Jeter. What you did and continue to do for this team is nothing short of amazing. I can't believe I got to see it. You gave every Yankee fan who was watching the game or listening to it, the gift of being able to someday say, "I remember when the hits record was made at Yankee Stadium."
On a day that will always be remembered as the biggest tragedy this nation has ever suffered, you were a bright sliver of hope and testament of unrelenting fortitude and character. 8 years ago, the Yankees tried to be strong for the city of NY after it was torn apart by 9-11. Today, among honoring the country and remembering the lives that day took, it was stirring and inspiring to see New York City brimming with pride and united in a celebration of resiliency and of heart.
"Though nothing can bring back the hour, of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower...we will grieve not. Rather, find strength in what remains behind."
--Wordsworth
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Jeter's overall stats don't put him in the absolute top tier of greatest hitters, and I doubt his intangibles (though admirable) win as many games as Gehrig/A-Rod's pure ability to hit a baseball. But his stats are really, really, freaking good. Why can't we just be satisfied with that?
There is one defense of Jeter's stats in the direct comparison to Gehrig. Gehrig put up his stats as a first baseman, a historically offense-heavy position. The late '90s aside, even good offensive shortstops are expected to hit more like Ryan Theriot and less like Jeter. An interesting comparison is Jeter to Cal Ripken. Jeter has a higher career AVG, OBP, and SLG.
Still... Gehrig > Jeter.
And I couldn't agree more with your statement that "his stats are really really freaking good. Why can't we all just be satisfied with that?" Excellent point.