Excitement

Wait a minute... isn't that a fist pump that Morgan Ensberg gave after tagging Cliff Floyd out at third to end the second inning? I thought that emotional reaction of excitement had been outlawed by the Yankees. I mean, after Goose Gossage denounced Joba Chamberlin a few days ago for fisting David Dellucci, I thought someone from the Yankees organization would have spoken to the team. Wasn't that the subject of the 45-minute, closed-door team meeting that occurred before last night's 2-to-1 Yankee win over the Rays? Seriously folks, if this cheerful display of confidence goes unchecked, we might soon see Melky Cabrera high-fiving fans over the wall just like Manny.

Well, I propose that it is this kind of excitement that will take the Yankees to where they need to be. All too often I think we tend to forget that this is a GAME. If we have to second guess what our opponent might be "feeling" before reacting to a good play, then we are thinking too much. I am not saying that we need to chant in the dugout like the Nationals, but a little excitement can go a long way.

Moose pitched an amazingly good game last night and since I am the kind of person who likes to say "I told you so," I hope all you radio talk show callers and bloggers who were calling for the Moose to be "put down" in early April are able to take notice that Mussina has won his last 5 starts and is now 6-and-3.

The Yankees bats aren't really where I would like them to be but it is nice to see some life in Cano who went 4-for-4 last night. More importantly though, it seems like Girardi has finally woken up to the fact that he needs to more aggressively manage this team. Perhaps it was the report from Hank demanding more fire from the team, but Joe is showing more signs of life too.

The Yanks will have a chance to even up the 4-game series against the Rays today at 4pm.

Confidence

I always wonder why some people don't consider certain wins to be more important than others. I was having a conversation with a buddy of mine who said "a win is a win and a loss is a loss". His point was that at the end of the season, it is the number of games won as compared to the number of games lost that determine whether a team advances to the post season. No one will likely remember in October, an outfield catch in April that allowed a team to win a game against an seemingly insignificant opponent. Ultimately, this may be true except for the overwhelming effect of confidence.

Most will agree that a victory over an arch rival or a win that breaks a runaway losing streak can boost a team's confidence. And so much of sports (and life, for that matter) is about confidence. Those who have it will always have an edge over those who do not. Yesterday afternoon's 6-to-3 Yankee win against Cleveland may make only a small difference in September but, for at least some Yankees, it may help to turn things around.

The players who really performed yesterday were the very players that needed to perform. Giambi and Cano especially but it was nice to see something from Betemit too. Sometimes a home run or a key hit is all that is needed to bring a player around. I heard a statistic during the broadcast yesterday indicating that only one other Yankee in the last 80 years had performed as poorly at the plate as Cano and Giambi have at this point in the season. That one other player, whose name I can't remember (I wonder why?), played in the '60s.

My point is this... Cano is not a .172 hitter and Giambi can do better than .163. In the same way that a team's average in September has a way of "correcting" itself, so does a player's batting average. If you believe this, and there is no reason why someone shouldn't, then there are some Yankee hitters that are going to have to make a turn around real soon. And this will happen... it is inevitable. All that is necessary is a turning point. Hopefully yesterday's game was just that. Confidence. It is a powerful thing.

Now, on the same topic, I wanted to address the Joba fist pump that seems to be resurfacing to the headlines. Nothing more than confidence. For the very best players, a sport can be such an emotional thing. The pressures, the anxiety, the unpredictability. One pitch can mean a win or a loss... it is as simple as that. Greg Cohen did an great job in his blog yesterday analyzing the incident. I agree completely with his post, so I won't bother re-hashing it but you can find it here. While you are at it, check out another take on the issue here.

So the Yankees face Detroit tonight to see if they can give some payback for last week's licking that they took when they faced the Tiger's in the Bronx. Wouldn't it be nice to build a little more confidence?

Ice Cold Beer

When you go to Yankee Stadium to watch a game you are getting more than nine innings of baseball. There is history there... from the old timers like Ruth and DiMaggio to the sacred hollow of Munson to the current legends like Rivera, Jeter and Posada. You also get to see some great service people; like my friend Mark who vends beer in the upper decks. When you have a season ticket plan you begin to appreciate "regulars"; you use the fastest gate, buy your food from the same stands, and build a bond with the fans around you. I had recognized Mark from the many times over the years that I had seen him selling hot dogs. Yesterday, I happen to notice that he was carrying beer. "Two over here, beer man!"

While he was pouring, I told him that I remembered him from his hot dog days and congratulated him on his "promotion". (I am not positive, but I was told once that vendors start with things like cotton candy and foam fingers and move their way up the ranks to beer... the highest tipped merchandise). Mark and I began talking and I learned that he currently is in his 15th year of service at Yankee Stadium. 15 years! I was just a young whipper-snapper right out of college back then. Mark has seen a lot over the last decade and a half and I also learned yesterday that he is putting all of these memories in a book he is writing called, of course, "Ice Cold Beer". Ok readers... tell me that you can meet people like this at the newer SafeCo Field. Tell me that Nationals Park has a guy like Freddy who lets you bang out a quick rhythm on his clover-covered frying pan. If the Yankee Brass really wants to make the new stadium special, they will take care to make sure that some of their other legends, namely Freddy, the pan-man and Mark, the beer-man make it safely across the street. In the mean time Mark, please don't forget about section 627!

Yesterday's game was a lot like Friday night's outing. Quality pitching from the Yankees (and bloggers, please recognize The Moose's performance, winning three in a row now with a 4-3 record), some decent hitting by the Yankees, and a lot of errors by the Mariners (4 on Friday and 2 yesterday afternoon). Cano was back in the game to yet again contribute nothing; Giambi not looking any better these days.

Johnny Damon hit his 400th career double and asked to keep the ball. Derek Jeter also had a nice double that enabled him to surpass DiMaggio's record of 389 (Yankee Doubles).

So the Yankees take Game 2 against Seattle 6-to-1 and regardless of today's game will win the series.

Here are the Sunday standings:

Pretzels

It was a cold, damp night at the stadium last night... one of those games when your first beer gives you the shivers but your fourth makes everything feel alright. I saw people eating dippin-dots, and that just blew my mind. It was a relatively short game (2:57) and I was amongst friends, so all was good in my world. (Notice the two Mariner fans in the picture... two great friends of mine who just happen to like to root for the wrong team. I shot this one early in the game, while they were smiling and before the depression had a chance to set in.)

First of all, I would like to officially thank Joe Girardi for benching Cano last night. I was getting angry at just seeing out there and I am glad the Yankees recognized that his simply needs some time out of the game. Wang pitched a decent game last night and is now 6-and-0, the first pitcher to tout this kind of start in the American League. He gave us a little scare last night when the medical staff was called to the mound but it turns out it was just a cramp in his hand. Of course, I have seen him at time when he was more on his game but a win is a win and that's all that really matters.

The Yankees offense looked slightly better last night. The 4 Seattle errors certainly helped us out in that regard. Melky Cabrera's double base, double RBI in the second inning was probably my favorite play of the game. We are really very fortunate to have Cabrera, and I hope that the Yankees finally realize that.

Bobby Murcer got a standing ovation last night when his video feed came on the big screen to the tune of "Welcome Back". He also had the honors of pulling the switch after the fifth inning to change the home game countdown number from 69 to 68. God bless you Bobby, I hope you are with us for a long, long time.

The Yankees received some information yesterday indicting that Posada will not need to have shoulder surgery this season but will likely not be able to pick up a baseball for the next two weeks. I am hoping that we see in back behind the plate in June. Posada did mention that it did not hurt him to hit, only to throw, but I doubt that the Yankees are going to take many chance with him. Posada will explore off-season surgery at the end of the year.

So, overall a good win for the Yankees last night, taking the first game of the Seattle series with a final score of 5-1. My seats acquired from StubHub were decent and the I enjoyed the company of my Seattle seatmates. My one complaint... and this is more of a general gripe about Yankee Stadium and not specifically last night's game... is that it is way too difficult to get a damn pretzel in the house that Ruth built. I mean, unless you get one in the first inning, you are screwed. The geniuses working at the pretzel carts seem to think it is good idea to put only 10 pretzels on the fire at one time (even if they have a line for 30 people) and then will tell you that it takes 10-to-15 minutes for the them to heat up. I am told that in the new Yankee Stadium, this will all be different. I am told that this will be a place where every fan will be able to get a hot, fresh pretzel. Where bathroom paper towel dispensers will be checked and refilled regularly and the employees might actually thank you for handing them a twenty for 2 cups of beer. This is my dream.

Worst series ever...

Well, maybe not the worst series ever but still pretty bad: The Yankees got swept by Detroit in their own home by losing the last three games... something that hasn't happened since 1966. Joe Girardi... do you think perhaps it is time to do something? Maybe have Cano sit on the bench for a game or two? Perhaps encourage Mr. Cashman to start thinking about pitching (and please don't simply think that you can solve this predicament by making Joba a starter... we need better, more thought out solutions here)? And how about a team meeting? Don't get me wrong... I liked Torre as a manager but I thought we were going to be getting more life when Girardi was brought in. I think we need some anger; I think we need a little Billy Martin or Lou Pinella to come out. Over-turn a table in the clubhouse; ask Jeter to pick the starting lineup from names in a hat. I don't know... do something, because what we are doing now is definitely not working.

Enough about that... tonight the Yankees start a three game set against Seattle. The Mariners, a team that has also been struggling quite a bit lately is 13-and-16 and will be looking for a little adrenaline boost. Being married to a Seattle-native, I generally attend most of the match-ups with Seattle and I will be at the game tonight and tomorrow. We generally go with a few friends and I am often the only one in our group actually cheering for New York. It could be worse... my wife could have been from Boston. But actually, that couldn't have happened because, like tattoos or being a smoker, being from Massachusetts would have been a dating deal-breaker. I love my wife and support her in everything she does but, tonight I will have my $9 beer in hand, cheering for the Yanks, hoping not to be disappointed by lazy at-bats and sloppy ball playing. Wang is undefeated so far this season with a 5-and-0 record and I would love nothing more that to see a nice, quality start. Please, New York, do not embarrass me in front of my own wife.

Upsetting

I am starting to get a little tired of the crap that Phil Hughes is putting over the plate this year. The now 0-and-4 starter allowed 6 runs over 3 -2/3 innings. I don't want to hear about how young he is. I don't want to hear any excuses. This guy is in the number 3 spot. He NEEDS to do better and that's all there is to say. There is no room for a 7.85 ERA in the Yankees starting lineup. I would almost rather see Kei Igawa on the mound.

Seeing Chris Stewart behind the dish made me realize just how important Posada and Molina are to the team. Stewart had very little control over him domain last night and didn't help Hughes out in the least.

As nice as it was to see Cano hit one to the stands in the 2nd inning and Giambi had a nice hit in the 9th, but we didn't really get to see much else. Another bases-loaded opportunity gone bad (make that TWO bases-loaded opportunities gone bad); too many players left on base.

This game was against Detroit for Christsake! Final Score: Tigers 6 and Yankees 4.

No, I don't know why I am so aggressively depressing in this entry. Perhaps it had to do with the Yankees releasing All-Star Game info today. Tier Box tickets selling for $50 for a regular season game are selling for $770 per seat for the All-Star Game and other required events. Prices range from $300 for the bleachers to $1,600 for field level... and these are just the face value amounts. StubHub is already marketing tickets up to $25,000. This is so completely outrageous that it actually angers me. I didn't really ever think I would have a chance at securing any tickets to the game but now I have put it out of my mind entirely.

An interesting game..

I was a little concerned going into last night's game, especially since Chicago has been dominating the standings (in both leagues) as of late. I suppose my concern was more appropriately an anxiety of not knowing what to expect. A-Rod took my advice and had his second child during an appropriate off-day while he was still recovering from a muscle strain, but of course that made him unavailable for the Chicago series. I would be watching Posada during his first return behind the plate since April 8th, hoping that there were no lingering issues. The Yankees had 19 different lineups in their last 20 games, and this lack of stability can have an underlying effect. Contreras would be facing Wang at the mound.

Let's start with Wang... he ultimately got the win (now 4-0). Part of me doesn't think he deserved it because his throw was just plain off. I am not sure what happened to his ground ball pitches, as I am seeing more and more pops. Wang struggled last night, his pitch count rose early in the game, leaving after 6 innings with 105 pitches which is high for him. But still, he pitched himself out of trouble several times and entered the dugout with a trail of only one run.

Then came Bobby Abreu to save the night (say thank you, Chin) with a 2-out grand slam off of Dotel. Hehe, Octavio Dotel didn't do anything for us as a Yankee and I am so glad he is up to his same stuff. Oh, and by the way, did you see the shot of that fan trying to catch Abreu's grand slam? Not only did he drop it from both hands but it knocked him on his ass. Very funny.

Traber and Bruney were a little frustrating to me with their untimely walks. Joba too for that matter but he ultimately got the job done. Fartsworth of course needed to come in to give out another of his infamous home run pitches.

But let's talk hitting... the Yankees looked good at the plate last night (let's home it lasts for more than one game). Giambi surely took some confidence from his early smack to the stands. Damon had a three run shot with two out in the 8th (and also had some nice stuff defensively last night, by the way). Cano made out with a double and anything from him lately is a flash of bright hope. In fact, Jeter was the only Yankee last night without a hit (except for late comer Gonzalez).

So this game was interesting in that it showed some promise. We saw some potential short-comings and we saw some great ball being played too. It showed the team working better together... batting to help pitching. Let's hope for the same tonight when the Moose takes the mound in game 2 of the series.

Numbers

I had completely forgotten that it was Jackie Robinson day yesterday. It was great to see the entire Rays team wearing 42 but it made me wonder why only Jeter, Cano, Girardi (and of course, Rivera) were the only Yankees sporting the legend's number. Regardless, I think it is nice that Major League Basesball recognizes this event.

On the Michael Kay show yesterday afternoon, they were discussing some of the racial issues surrounding baseball as compared to the other major sports. The point being made was that children growing up in the inner cities do not have as much access to baseball fields nor do they have the money to spend on the additional equipment required to play the sport (like a glove, bat, cleats, etc). In contrast, a sport like basketball is much easier to practice and master. All it takes is a ball, can be played with much fewer players (even alone) and basketball hoops are much more common than baseball diamonds. I am not sure if I have an opinion to all that yet but some interesting points were raised and I wanted to touch on it briefly. If any of you would like to expand the discussion just let me know.

Back to numbers... the Yankees have announced that LaTroy Hawkins is officially giving up his number 21 uniform because he is tired of all the flack he is getting for wearing Paul O'Neill's number. I think this is rather funny. LaTroy, maybe if you pitched a little better, you would get so much crap. So, what number is hi going to be wearing starting with tonight's matchup against Boston... number 22. I guess no one will give him a hard time for wearing an old, juiced-up pitcher's number. At the start of the season I was wondering why Cano didn't switch back to number 22 since the rocket was reported as taking on too much fuel and is probably in Houston for good.

Sorry to short change last night's game in this post. Check the box score but watch the highlights too. Pettitte gave up an awful lot of hits but did very well limiting the score. I think it is important sometimes to get yourself into trouble if for no other reason than to prove that you can get yourself out of trouble. I trust Andy.

Mixed Emotions

Wow. Last night's game against Tampa Bay was certainly an unusual one. Firstly, something must have been pumped into that dome air to cause all those home runs! Damon, Rodriguez, Ensberg and Cano (finally) all knocked one out of the park for the Yankees. Unfortunately, Yankee pitchers also let three go for the Rays.

We got to see some variety of talent on the field last night and I was pleasantly surprised by what they brought to the table. Moeller did fine catching for Bombers, and that is a good considering he is third-string. The Gonzalez at 2nd and Ensberg at 1st duo worked well and I think it made sense to sit Cano out for most of the game (more on that in a minute). Kennedy certainly pitched a whole lot better than his last outing and more importantly, it seemed that he made corrections and targeted improvements from his last start against Tampa.

I would have liked to have seen Albaladejo come in to the game for some relief. I think at one point he was in the pen but Joe opted for Traber and Bruney. Both were a disappointment but I think (hope) it was just a case of them having a bad night. I do like Bruney alot and think he will help in those middle innings but Joe needs to be sure not to over use him like Torre did with Proctor. Traber also has a targeted purpose and the Yankees need to be mindful of that. Clearly Joba was missed last night.

Back to Cano... I think Girardi took a risk by bringing him in the pinch hit and I think that risk paid off. Joe got lucky. Nothing more... nothing less. I was at my chiropractor last night and he asked me what I thought of Joe's decision to have Mussina pitch to Manny in last Saturday's game against Boston as opposed to walking him to an open first base. I told him that I think Girardi made a decision (took a risk) and it turned out to be a bad one. No, not really a bad one... just one that didn't work in his favor. Had Cano struck out last night, every paper in the city would be chanting "Clueless Joe".

So why mixed emotions? I am elated that the Yankees hit well last night, putting a season-high 15 hits on the board. I am especially pleased with ARod's 4-fo-5 performance at the plate. But I am concerned about bringing a 7-2 lead in the seventh to such a close game. If the hitting we saw last night continues throughout the entire season (and it should) then there really is no concern I guess. I just want to know that we didn't just get lucky last night (and I am not just referring to Cano).

Stats

So here are the numbers for the Yankees so far this season as listed on the Yankees website. It would be easy to blame last night's loss to the Red Sox on Phil Hughes. Afterall, the young lad didn't look so great. The Yankees Chick blamed the loss on Fartsworth. My newly found blogger buddy Wolf Williams holds A-Rod accountable. I haven't seen the NY papers yet today but I am sure one of the writers will find some way to blame it on Girardi.

I got to tell you... I don't think any one person can be blamed for last night or even where the Yankees sit right now in the standings which, incidentally, is at the bottom of the AL East with a 6-7 record. Look at some of the numbers: our DH turned first baseman Jason Giambi is maintaining a .107 batting average; Mr. Cano, the guy who now makes me cringe every time he walks up the the plate is at .170. Leading our team with the greatest number of strikeouts, the third baseman, Alex Rodriguez. Shall I go on? Does anyone else think that Damon should be doing better than .190? Hits, dammit! We need some hits!

The injuries are not helping us either. I had a brighter outlook on things last week. Jeter being out for the last bunch of games sucked but (bright side...) it gave us a chance to see Alberto Gonzalez, who I think should stay with the team long term. Jorge Posada's dead arm didn't really cause me concern because (bright side...) Jose Molina is worthy of filling in on a consistent basis... BUT, then he gets injured and now the Yankees are going to need to scramble to find a fill-in for the fill-in. And this just in... Harlan Chamberlin, Joba's dad, collapsed last night at his Lincoln, Neb home and is currently in the hospital listed in critical condition. Joba left the team after last night's game to be with him and will most likely not be available for the Tampa games and perhaps not even the second set of Boston games later this week. These changes are becoming less and less manageable.

I was starting to see some signs of life (see Friday's post) but now I am just starting to get sad (not quite depressed yet, but it is only the beginning of the week. I am not sure what the answer here is or why there seems to be a dark cloud hovering over us. I know that there are some other strange things happening to other teams too... David Ortiz is sporting a .070 average (hehe) but that just makes me want to smile. The Detroit Tigers have a record of 2-10 (oh, my). The Mets last night couldn't even beat the Brewers (who are surprisingly 8-4). I thought Seattle would be doing better than 6-7.

I suppose that it is what is in front of us that matters though. I am really not concerned at this point... just frustrated. So, like any other true fan, I will put the stat sheet aside, look towards the future, and support my Yankees. I hope all of you will do the same.