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


Not the best Yankee performances I've seen. But I cannot even begin to say how relieved I am they won, hence allowing me to sidestep the "Jeter Curse" murmurings.

And I also cannot even begin to say how happy I am CC got the win, making him the AL's first 17 game winner, and helping me out (somewhat) in the critical final moments of fantasy baseball Week 1 playoffs.

It's easy, now, to say "What, me worried?" But I'll admit, I was terrified when it looked like the Yanks were rolling over and dying. It's one thing to be outplayed, (I can't believe I just said that.), but it's a completely other thing to hand the game over on account of mental errors. (Cough, Damon, Cough.)


Here's what happened:

  • 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.)


So, the Yanks win an ugly one. Whatever, I'll take it. Unlike the other games they've been trotting out in the last few weeks, this weekend certainly did not inspire any "Man, this team is unstoppable!" sentiments.


But you can't be flawless all the time. And while I know all too well that I can be an alarmist and that I can be saturated with anxiety, I think the Dalai Lama would be stressed out if he had to spend more than 3 minutes with me...while, yes, I know all this, I also know that it's not gonna get any better. In fact, it will just get worse. Because it's September, and we're in a pennant race, and this is the year for the Yankees.


Maybe days like this can shake my confidence about some aspects of their game, but my confidence is firmly entrenched in the belief that 2009 is it. I know it.





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!!

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