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

Well, I don't think this series is gonna be on Yankee Classics anytime soon.

• Once again, the entire 40-man roster as well as 30 of their closest peers, all got a chance to play today. Did someone's mother complain about their son not getting enough field time? In addition to our starting lineup, we saw the offensive and "defensive" stylings of Hairston, Hinske, Duncan, Pena, Gardner, and Cervelli. I love all of them. So I'm completely cool with Obama's spreading of the wealth principles extending into the Yankees rotation. (I'm so proud of myself for knowing a political nuance! And for inserting, however inaccurately, into everyday jargon!)
  
  
• The addition of Hinske was on account of ARod and Girardi getting tossed from the game, mere moments before they undoubtedly were going to maul open the umps like a couple of dobermans. I'm not kidding. I've never seen either of them that heated before. And the weird part was, they were arguing a call they occured like half an inning ago. Personally, I know that when I get pissed, I get enraged initially. Like violently incensed. But if I temper myself for even just 20 minutes, I more often than not forget whatever I was mad about in the first place. UNLESS I'm that f'n fuming. So I can only imagine how hostile they were prior to actually acting on it.
  
  
• The argument in question came over a blown call over an outside strike 3 on Arod that stranded 3 runners, ended the inning, and put a hard stop to the Yankees all-important rally.
  
  
• The officiating in this game was pretty terrible. The strike zone was more amorphous than a lava lamp.
  
  
• El Capitan broke the hits record a few more times today, going 3-5. Aside from him, the lion's share of the production came from the bottom of the order: Melky, Cano, and Swisher went a combined 7-15, with Melky chipping in 4 RBIs.
  

• Which wasn't the highest ribbie count from the order, seeing at Matsui came through HUGE today, with 5 RBIs and a big home run than sparked the offense to go on to eventually knock in 20 total hits to the Os' 6.

• 20 hits is awesome, but it doesn't erase the abyssmal RISP numbers. The Yanks left 14 on. Ouch. And while they eventually were 9-24 with RISP, this is only because of their 8th hit-hemorrhage. I don't mean to sound like your garden variety Yankee/ARod hater, but it'd be worth more to me if they could do this when it's touch and go, rather than when we're playing with house money. End cynical bitching here.
  
  
• Our bullpen managed to hold onto our plump lead, with the only hit coming off Phil Hughes (OH MY GOD! kidding.) Bruney did everything in his humble power to perfect his audition tape for "America's Next Top Farnsworth." Mercifully, Edwar Ramirez came in and didn't implode and closed out the game, albeit not for a save.
  
  
• Only 3 freaking K's on the day? 1, CC? ONE?? I don't mean to sound greedy, especially since I love the morbidly obese work of Sabathia, but COME ON, TUBBO! Every other start you have, you blanked like a bajillion! Couldn't you have done the same today when I need to pad my K stats for fantasy? Was this some kind of way of punishing me for accidentally benching you on Monday? If so...touche.
  
  
• While it bears mentioning that Tex had 3 ABs with a runner in 3rd and less than 2 outs and failed to bring him in each time, it does not bear dwelling on, because Tex is the man. And what he does for on first is invaluable. I can't say enough about this. Ditto for the announcers. ("I mean, Giambi's a nice guy, but not a good first baseman." HAHAHAHA. Sounds like s chick letting a guy down easy.)
  
  
• Johnny Damon, who was out for the last 2 games with a stiff back, (what's with all his ambiguously defined ailments this year?? He has like every kind of physical detriment that doesn't warrant surgery), made a RIDICULOUSLY HORRIBLE eff-up in the outfield. See if Manny Ramirez did it, which he has about 232 times, then it would be cute and endearing, and end up invoking the most irritating Boston catch-phrase known to mankind, which I won't repeat here.
  
  
• It doesn't work that way in NY, and you don't need to look any further than CC's reaction to Damon holding onto the ball for the 3rd 2nd out, which let a run in, to see how poorly this is looked upon. (CC very obviously shouted "What are you doing???" You didn't need to be a lip reader to feel his palpable ire.)

Thanks to Pooser for today's game pics!! I LOVE getting cell phone shots of the game, especially since I don't get to go to that many games anymore, and I don't know, I just love seeing the stadium from all angles. Plus, it adds to my pretending-I'm-at-the-game simulation. I even ate a bag of peanuts today to help to that end. Anyways, thanks Brian!!