Are bloggers really losers?

There has been a little battle going on between some sports bloggers and Michael Kay, host of The Michael Kay Show on ESPN radio and also the play-by-play Yankee announcer for the YES network. Let me start by saying that I have always been a fan of Michael Kay. I value his opinion on most things and respect his views on some other things I might not agree with. The comments he made on his talk show yesterday afternoon however really rubbed me the wrong way.

It all started a few days ago when Michael Kay criticized Joe Torre for making phone calls to Yankee players, namely Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. Kay's feeling was that Torre was crossing a fine line by having private conversations with players on another team. Regardless of the relationship that Torre might have had with these players for the last 10 years, it is still "improper".

Also on this broadcast, Kay referred to Torre as "St. Joe", indicating that he is virtually untouchable in baseball. "He’s earned that aura from all his years," Kay said. "He can do no wrong. I don’t think he’s doing anything in his mind that’s wrong. But he shouldn’t be calling players from other teams in my opinion."

I suppose my feelings are mixed on this issue but I can certainly see the point that Kay was making.

Ok, fine. But then Neil Best from Newsday does a write up of Kay's comments in his Watchdog blog. People begin to read the Newsday blog and, as what happens on most blogs except for mine, readers post their comments. Kay, who apparently says that he doesn't normally read blogs did read the Watchdog blog because he knew that Neil was writing about him. He also read the comments posted by the blog readers and didn't like what he saw. One in particular, written by Rich, stood out for him:

Besides being a sub-par play by play announcer he's been a hypocrite for years. Why didn't he say things like this during his Yes broadcasts over the years but had no problem saying things like it on his radio show? It's fine if he wants to say it on both platforms but to be quiet on his "paying gig" shows a lack of class. Not exactly the type of person you can trust.

So, yesterday afternoon, at the top of the four o-clock hour, Kay responds to Rich's comments on the air. He defends his reputation and clarifies that ESPN, in addition to YES, pays him very well for his radio talk show and also distinguishes between the fact that ESPN is indeed a talk show that thrives on commentary whereas the YES gig is merely a play-by-play job and it would be out of place for him to elaborate on his personal opinions while performing his job there.

That is where it should of ended (maybe even before then). But instead, Kay goes on further and starts to attack bloggers in general. No different than a racist who generalizes about a group of the population, Kay proclaimed his hatred for the blogging population. "I can almost see what they look like", Kay said referring to bloggers like Rich, "I bet there is a pocket protector involved". He went on to infer that if he ever met some of the guys who wrote blog comments he would surely not be up against a tough guy in a leather jacket but rather a wimp who hides behind a computer screen, afraid to share their views in public.

Shame on you Michael. There are personal opinions and there are private opinions. I agree that your personal opinions about the Yankees can (and should) be voiced on your talk show, in fact, that is why people listen to you. But critizing someone like you did yesterday for merely expressing their personal opinion (as harsh as it might have been for you), well, that is more "improper" than Torre calling his former players. You didn't just attack "Rich", you attacked me as well. You made a blanket statement that would lead people to believe that all bloggers are losers. I may not have many readers and I certainly don't have your medium, but I stand by everything I say, would say it in public, and no, I do not own a pocket protector.

P.S. The Yankees lost to the Clevland Indians last night by a score of 3-to-0.

So what...

I guess the more tv you watch and radio that you listen to, the more you will hear people repeat themselves. It happens with news headlines all the time. I am so tired of hearing about Obama and Clinton... just have the damn election already and be done with it! Fortunately, this blog is not about politics, but about baseball, so let me translate some of my "enough already" moments to the Yankees.

"Joba falters as Yanks fall to Tribe" was the headline on the Yankees website this morning. Ok, fine. This is true. Joba gave up a three-run homer with two outs in the eighth to pitch-hitting David Dellucci . But, so what? Joba may at times appear to be God-like but he is definitely not God. Mistakes are going to happen and fans need to know that. Joba's problem last night wasn't even a one-pitch mistake that resulted in a hit to the stands but rather difficulty finding the strike zone. This will happen to a pitcher, any pitcher, at times. Tonight is another game.

"Kennedy returns to form in minors" So what? If he can't find a way of pitching effectively in the majors then what difference does it make. Speaking of God-like, if you were listening to John Sterling last night during the game broadcast you would have thought that he and Suzyn Waldman were talking about the Messiah. One hit over 7-1/3 innings and no walks IS good pitching but my $60 face value tickets are not for games played in Scranton.

"Oh no... Igawa is scheduled to pitch on Friday!" Ok, so this wasn't a headline anywhere (that I could find anyway) but it might as well be. I am no happier than the next guy when it comes to resorting to Kei Igawa on the mound but let's face it folks, a loss is a loss, right? Does it matter if it is earned by Igawa or Hughes? What I mean to say is... what else do we really stand to lose by giving Igawa another chance? We certainly paid a helluva lot of money for him. Igawa is in the rotation... so what?

I have more of these and I could probably keep going (i.e. A-Rod is a wimp because he passed out when his baby was born... so what?) but, unlike the local media, I am going to move on.

Tonight will be a game to watch as two undefeated pitchers take the mound. Wang (6-0) for the Yankees will go against Lee (5-0) for the Indians. Which one will emerge as victorious? I say it has a lot to do with whether or not the Yankee bats decide to rally.

Much needed wins...

So my Yankee prayers on Friday afternoon were answered this weekend as the Yankees took all three games from the Seattle Mariners. Sweeping this series was a very important step in the rebuilding of confidence and momentum for the Yanks. This past week or two brought some misfortune in the way of injury and lack of performance but the team has made some adjustments and only additional time (and games played) will determine the effectiveness of these changes.

It would appear, at least for the time being, that the Yankees have switched to a four-man pitching rotation. With Phil Hughes on the DL and Ian Kennedy sent down on Sunday, the probable pitchers lineup indicates Pettitte, Wang, Mussina, and Rasner for the next four games. The team does have the night off on Monday so this modification will have little to no effect this time around.

Fox news last night had a poll question that asked: "Are the Yankees going to be better off without Hughes and Kennedy?" Admittedly, I dozed off before hearing the results but it is an interesting question to ponder. The one thing that jumps out at me, at least when looking to yesterday's performance by Rasner, was that we have been watching a completely different offense this past weekend. Now this is not to diminish Rasner's pitching in any way and I think he was magnificent in his major league debut of this season, but the Yankees outscored the Mariners 19 runs to 4. Had they performed this well at the plate when the two kids were on the mound, we may have seen some different game outcomes. One might argue that Seattle is not Boston, and this is certainly a valid argument. Nevertheless, it is an interesting question to ponder.

Speaking of Boston, they also picked up the broom this past weekend and swept the Tampa Bay Ray's at Fenway 26 runs to 10. The Yankees therefore were not able to gain positioning in the standings and remain 3 games back in the AL-East. This weekend was all about opportunity though and as more of those opportunities reach the Yankees with Cleveland, Detroit and Tampa Bay in the immediate future, I am confident that brighter times will prevail.

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.

The same old story

It is almost pointless to write about the same thing day-after-day. The Yankees lost last night's middle game to Detroit by of score of 6-2 because they were asleep at the plate. One really needs to wonder what needs to happen before some action is taken.

Almost every player who was spoken to by the media after last night's game was asked "Do you think having A-Rod, Posada and now Hughes out on the DL has had some effect on the Yankees emotionally and therefore affecting their performance at the plate?" Now, first of all, this is a ridiculous question to ask because no one but the batter in the box is responsible for their own statistics (or lack thereof). Still, every player who was asked this question stated that the Yankees roster is strong enough to bring in run regardless of injury. Ok... then why aren't they doing that?

I think it is very ironic that the deal this past summer for Santana didn't go through because the Yankee's brass refused to part with Hughes and/or Kennedy. But if you remember, Melky Cabrera was also part of those talks. The Yankees had no issues with giving away Cabrera who is arguably one of the very few players on the team that is doing anything for the club.

Lastly, let's address Hughes who is now on the disabled list for a strained right oblique. Am I the only one here that thinks this injury is bullshit? Isn't it just so convenient that Phil came in today with a little pain in his tummy? Hughes himself couldn't seem to give any straight answers to the press last night. He looked like a kid who was sent to the Principal's office for shooting spitballs. "Huh? Time? Oh, I don't remember at what time I first felt any pain." Just bring Rasner into the the rotation and let's see what happens.