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

Ah, another late one, but I think I get a little latitude here, since the 4th of July was a veritable loony-storm.

Easily the weirdest Independence Day I've ever had, also the most fun. And it all started with the Yankees toppling the Canadians at home in extra innings with a walkoff from Marcus Thames of all people.

I won't go into all the details of the game since it's pretty much a little old news. So maybe this post can just a little less of a recap, and a little more of a special edition to celebrating independence.

Is it me or did this series seem particularly weird overall? It was like we could never get a bead on them or something, and just always felt like nothing was ever stable. Leads were always tenuous. Deficits were never damning.

And yesterday was like the embodiment of this. Actually, everything that happened in my day/night was the exact same way, too.

J's take 1-0 lead, Yanks respond to make it 3-1, J's retaliate and it's 4-3. Then 5-3. And right about then, lying under the 96 degree heat on my roof, was when I realized it was going to be a doozy of a game. I don't know why, but it's just kind of like how you can SENSE these things or something. Like how a 2-1 count is most batter's favorite count. Like how a 3-0 count with bases loaded with Arod batting is a recipe for a salami.

Trailing 5-3 on the 4th of July against a Canadian team...it just felt like it was scripted to be a nutty game for the Yanks. They were being baited and set up for an explosive finish.

Actually, I gotta say, as if the game itself wasn't wildly entertaining, the radio broadcast was almost more so. Sterling and Waldman were at all time particular in levels of manic weirdness. Waldman's high points were when she asserted that "It's the Year of the Thumb" and then listed all the people with thumbs. I'm assuming she meant with thumb INJURIES, but it was hysterical nonetheless to hear here check off on her fingers a list of people with "thumbs."

Also, I think someone might have had words with them about talking about irrelevant stories during critical 2-out moments in the game, because on multiple occasions, they were interrupting each other with things like, "Um, John, do you think this is the best time for that story about David Cone? Maybe we should wait til the next inning."

The topic du'jour was of course the All Star Game and I swear to God, if I hear one more reminder to vote for it, I'm going to take a knife to my internet connection, or--more reasonably--start directing Yankees.com emails to spam. OK I GET IT. IT'S TIME TO VOTE. How can the voting still be going on? Aren't the rosters set? Please, please, please, Yankees.com..cease and desist with the email alerts that are waking me up at all hours of the night.

I suppose the voting is important since it somehow landed ARTHUR RHODES on the team. Arthur Rhodes. He's as old as his name sounds. It's almost like Carrie getting nominated for Prom Queen. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he takes the mound, starts tossing around the rosin bag, only to discover the thing is a water balloon of pig's blood.

GGBG tied the game with a completely ridiculous inside the park homerun, which was like the 2934th time in a 3 games someone lost the ball in the sun.

I wonder how many games the Yanks wouldn't have won if they playing night games.

(Another Waldman gem of the day: "I love when TBS covers the game...because it means it's a day game and we get out of here early." Aww so sweet, Suzyn!)

DeWayne Wise, of the famed Buerhle perfect game catch lore, had a less than perfect moment in the outfield when he let GGBG's fly ball get lost in the lights. And boy, did he beat himself up over that one in the dugout. It was kind of like this scene in A League of Their Own:



Oh, well. GGBG's 2 run inside the park HR tied the game.Tex doubled to give us the lead plating Jeter.

Then:

"Why did Chan Ho Park give Mo a case of diarrhea?" --Kevin W.

Yeah, that happened. Mo blew the save, let the J's tie it up at 6, and we're heading into extras.

"I want one of those hats." --Hug

Yeah, me too. I love the new American Flag hats. I mean, of course I am partial to my own since it's flown in the a fighter jet along with an American flag... (Thank you to my good friend Captain John!)

And because it's the 4th of July, and because it can't be a normal win, and because we're American and fighting a non-American team, the Yanks come back to win in a most improbable fashion.

"Interesting choice PHing a guy who's been on the DL since the reagan administration." -CYC to Kevin

"Ha yeah gotta keep em off guard." -Kevin

Yeah, Marcus "Tim" has been off the DL for all of 12 seconds before he's thrown in a 2-out extra inning situation...and he loops in the game winning single.

That was the most excited I've seen the Yanks all season.

"You say that every game, Kris." --my sister

Touche.

Happy belated 4th! Annnddd...we're back to the West Coast.

In game preview news, I just read the A's fans will be sporting "Get Off My Mound" tshirts.

On a scale of 1 to 11, how amused are you if you're Arod and this is the latest fashion statement in opposing parks he's gotta face?

"Eh, better than the Madonna masks..."