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A Biased Look at the New York Yankees, the Greatest Franchise in the History of Sports

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February 26, 2011

YANKEES SEASON PREVIEW

by @ 9:30 am. Filed under 2005 Season, 2006 ALDS, 2006 Season, 2007 Season, 2008 Season, 2008 Yankees, 2009 Yankees, 2010 Yankees, 2011 Yankees, Baseball Bag, Baseball Equipment, Baseball Tickets, Joe DiMaggio, World Series Retrospectives, Yankees History, Yankees Tickets

Did you ever see the movie, “Catch Me if You Can”? It stars Leo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and is directed by Steven Spielberg. For all intents and purposes it’s a highly enjoyable flick. There’s a line in it, however, that I feel compelled to write about. In the movie, Leo asks, “You know why the Yankees win so many games? Because the other team can’t take their eyes off the pinstripes.” What a load of crap. Here’s your 2011 New…York…Yankees…
Left field: Brett Gardner. 2010 splits: .277 average, five home runs, 47 RBI, .762 OPS. Brief: Gardner is considered sneaky-quick, swiping 47 stolen bases in ’10. His production slipped mightily in the second half, as Gardner batted only .233 after the all-star break. There are concerns within the organization that he will be the same player he was in the second half last season. The good thing for Yankees fans are those concerns are coupled with a fat check book that can go out and make the necessary tweaking if need be.
Center field: Curtis Granderson. 2010 splits: .247 average, 24 home runs, 67 RBI, .792 OPS. Brief: Granderson isn’t a hitter who will consistently hit for average. It’s a common misconception because he’s a speedy centerfield that can rob a sure double in the gap with the efficiency of a common criminal. However, Granderson has an elongated swing that can put him in extended slumps from time-to-time. Still, when he’s on, it’s hard to find a guy more capable of a standup triple this side of Jose Reyes.
Right field: Nick Swisher. 2010 splits: .288 average, 29 home runs, 89 RBI, .870 OPS. Brief: What a pleasant surprise Swisher was in ’10 for the Yanks. Makes me a little sick to my stomach to be perfectly honest. Swisher put up career numbers last year and was also a fan favorite for his “zany antics”. I hate that schtick: “I’m the crazy guy who’s out here to loosen up these up-tight millionaires.” Anyway, there’s also rumors that Charlie Sheen wants Swisher to conduct his first interview since he last ran into some…shall we say…trouble. This guy should buy a lottery ticket.
INFIELD
Third base: Alex Rodriguez. 2010 splits: .270 average, 30 home runs, 125 RBI, .847 OPS. Brief: A-Rod is now 35 years old? Daign, that must make Ken Griffey Junior eligible for an AARP card. Rodriguez produces, despite all the flak he receives. At this point, it’s a simple matter of health for A-Rod. He had a number of different ailments in 2010 including a nagging hip injury. One day he’ll be remembered for what he is, one of the best players of all time. And also for sun tanning in Central Park…The four dudes playing volleyball in Top Gun thought that decision was a little questionable.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter. 2010 splits: .270 average, 10 home runs, 67 RBI, .710 OPS. Brief: There’s certain athletes you don’t mess with. You hear me Hank Steinbrenner!? That’d be like my hometown Detroit Red Wings giving our fearless leader Steve Yzerman grief. And I don’t play that. So, Hank, keep Jeter’s name out of your mouth because he’ll probably make a remarkable play in a big moment and win you another World Series that you don’t need.
Second base: Robinson Cano. 2010 splits: .319 average, 29 home runs, 109 RBI, .914 OPS. Brief: Cano was arguably the best player in baseball last season. He seems to have climbed into that top-tier reserved for future hall of famers and perennial all-stars. Not to mention, the guy makes some ridiculous plays at second base and has tremendous range. It’s good to be good.
First base: Mark Teixeira. 2010 splits .256 average, 33 home runs, 108 RBI, .846 OPS. Brief: Big Tex suffered a nasty hamstring injury last year in Game 4 of the ALCS. He should be back and ready to produce as steadily as always. Teixeira has had at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI every year for the last seven seasons.
Designated Hitter: Jorge Posada. 2010 splits: .248 average, 18 home runs, 57 RBI, .811 OPS. Brief: Now 39 years-old, Posada finally relinquishes his spot behind the plate to Russell Martin. I think this is a great move that should help increase Posada’s production at the plate.
Catcher: Russell Martin. 2010 splits: .248, 5 home runs, 46 RBI, .679 OPS. Brief: A former all-star, Martin’s production at the plate has steadily decreased since 2007. Nonetheless, he will provide a breather for Posada, who should benefit from not having his knee cartilage disintegrate at such an alarming rate.
That’s all for now…come back next week and we’ll take a look at all things pitching for the Yanks. Goodnight now.

October 26, 2006

Derek Jeter Wins Hank Aaron Award

by @ 5:18 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Derek Jeter was given the American League’s Hank Aaron award, which is given to the best offensive player.  There’s no double Jeter had an outstanding season.  He just about did it all, at least during the regular season.

There’s little doubt that Jeter will also win the MVP this year as well.  Fat Papi might provide some token competition but as is usually the case, the Red Sox will be second fiddle to the Yankees.

October 22, 2006

Brett Gardner Tears Up Arizona Fall League

by @ 5:17 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

I know, I’ve been lazy about my writing.  It’s just depressing when I have to watch another World Series without my Yankees.  Once this lame World Series is over with, I’ll probably get a bit more motivated.

Here are a few tidbits though.  Brett Gardner, the Yankees’ third round draft pick last year, is tearing up the Arizona Fall League.  He leads the league with 12 walks and ten runs.  Not too shabby.  We might have an opening in right field next year and this guy might make a cheap alternative, giving us some cash to get some pitching.  You can check out how all of the Yankees’ prospects are doing both in the AFL and out in Hawaii by checking out this story.

Jason Giambi and Randy Johnson both went under the knife recently.  Both players are supposed to be ready for the start of the 2007 season.

October 15, 2006

Breaking the Silence

by @ 10:53 am. Filed under 2006 Season

Alright, it’s been over a week since the Yankees lost to the Tigers in the ALDS.  Yes, it was disappointing.  Very disappointing.  And something definitely must be done to fix this.  I don’t think canning Joe Torre and hiring Lou Pinella is the answer though.  Pinella has one championship to his name, and that was a team that Pete Rose pretty much built.  Since 1990, he hasn’t done a whole lot either, other then take the Mariners to a 116 win season and then choke in the ALCS.

The name of the game is pitching and the Yankees haven’t done a good job in this department.  Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano have all underperformed and Mike Mussina isn’t getting any younger.  That leaves Chien-Ming Wang and a bunch of unprovens.  I’m thinking we should pass on Gary Sheffield and use that money to get some pitching.

The death of Cory Lidle was tragic.  My initial reaction to the crash was “oh crap, here we go again.”  Then when it came out that it was Lidle, it seemed to make for a bizare twist for me.  I was eight when Thurman Munson passed and I only remember it a little bit. 

So, what’s on tap for the offseason?  A couple of things.  I’m going to start my Joe DiMaggio retrospective and then come 2007, I’m going to work on a 1927 Yankees diary.  If you’re not familiar with this, you should check out Gas House Gang.  He just finished up a 1926 Cardinals diary with the Cardinals winning their first World Series against the New York Yankees in seven games.  And of course I’ll be following the offseason exploits of the Yankees.

October 2, 2006

Yankees Get Ready to Host Tigers in ALDS

by @ 2:25 am. Filed under 2006 Season

Playoff time is like an annual tradition for Yankees’ fans.  Unlike other losing franchises (Red Sox), the Yankees always seem to put it together in the end.  At least they have since the mid-90s.  Now it’s time to get down to business.  The Yankees playoff runs haven’t gone so well the past couple of years and now it’s time to make that change.

It’ll be the Tigers not the Twins who the Yankees face first.  After a five game losing streak and a sweep at the Royals, the Tigers will be limping into Yankee Stadium to take on the Bronx Bombers.  It’ll be Nate Robertson going up against Chien-Ming Wang. I like our chances in that one.

My playoff predictions are simple.  Yankees win.  You can see mine and other Yankees’ bloggers predictions over on this thread.

September 29, 2006

Yankees Head Into Final Series of Season With Best Record in Baseball

by @ 12:00 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Even when it doesn’t matter, the Yankees play like they’re supposed to.  With home field advantage on the line, the Yankees are one game ahead of the Twins and Tigers.  I know they have the tie break over the Tigers but I’m not sure about the Twins.  Regardless, the Yankees will probably need two wins over the Blue Jays this weekend to clinch home field through out the playoffs.

Cory Lidle did a nice job on Tuesday.  He held the Orioles to three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.  Robinson Cano hit homerun number 14 and Bobby Abreu went yard with his sixth in the 5-4 win.

Wednesday’s game was a blowout.  Sixteen runs on eighteen hits was the final tally and Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada led the way with four RBIs.  Giambi, Posada, Abreu, Damon and Cano all homered in the 16-5 win.  Chien Ming Wang tied Johan Santana with his nineteenth win.  He gave up four runs on ten hits in six innings of work. Next up is four against Tampa Bay. Hopefully the guys don’t enjoy Florida too much. Those playoffs start in a little over a week. Individual game tickets go on sale shortly, but at a premium as you can well imagine. Payday loans are available online if you need to go that route but remember that scalpers will be on Jerome Ave in force so there may be bargains to be had.

Yesterday was the lone loss of the series.  Daniel Cabrera took a no hitter into the ninth inning and all the Yankees managed was one unearned run.  Darrell Rasner was shelled in less then three innings of work and Robinson Cano had the only hit of the game in the 7-1 loss.

The Yanks finish things up against the Jays.  if things started today, we’ve play the Twins, but there’s still a chance the Tigers could be our first round opponent.  Things might be more clear as early as tonight.

September 26, 2006

Yankees Head Into Final Home Stretch With Blow Out Win Over Rays

by @ 2:17 am. Filed under 2006 Season

Alright, the home town fans get a show this week.  I know the Yankees won’t be playing all of their regulars as they tune up for the playoffs, but that still should give Yankees fan a chance to come out and cheer for their team as they roll into another post season.

Chien Ming Wang picked up win number 18 on Friday.  He was pretty impressive and gave up only one run on six hits with four strikeouts over seven innings.  Gary Sheffield made his return and he went zero for three and Robinson Cano and Aaron Guiel both went yard in the 4-1 win.

Saturday’s game wasn’t encouraging because Randy Johnson got knocked around.  He gave up five runs in six innings in an 8-0 shutout loss.  The Yanks were held to four hits.

Sunday’s game was scary.  Not because the Yankees got bounced but because Mike Mussina took a comebacker on the hand. He’s okay and he’ll be ready to pitch but we need every arm we can keep.  Robinson Cano hit homerun number 13 and Mussina dropped to 14-7 in the 11-4 loss.

The Yankees made up for those two losses yesterday when they ran up 16 runs on the Devil Rays.  Bobby Abreu was a one man wrecking crew.  He went four for four with a homerun, three runs, and four RBIs.  Hideki Matsui went yard as well and he drove in four runs.  Jaret Wright was solid through six innings of work and he’s now 11-7.

Randy Johnson will miss his next start because of back spasms.  Get better Randy.  We need you.

Next up is three at home against the Orioles.

September 21, 2006

Yankees Clinch AL East

by @ 2:29 am. Filed under 2006 Season

The last time the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs where the season was actually finished was 1993.  That’s a long time ago.  And it’s the ninth straight time the Yankees have done it by winning the AL East.  With the Braves finally falling short in their division, the Yankees now become the standard bearer for regular season success.

The Yankees did it by winning their series over the Blue Jays.  Monday’s game was the first win, but it wasn’t without it’s drama.  The Yankees scored three runs to give them a 7-3 lead in the ninth but the Blue Jays touched up Ron Villone and Octavio Dotel for three runs to make it a one run game.  Jose Veras buckled down and got that final out though so the Yankees left with a win.  Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter both hit two run homeruns in the 7-6 win.

Jeff Karstens threw a solid game on Tuesday.  He gave up three runs on ten hits and three walks with one strikeout in 6 1/3 innings.  Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect ninth to pick up the save.  Jorge Posada, Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui all homered in the 6-3 win.

Sean Henn was bounced in the fourth inning yesterday in the lone Yankees loss of the series.  The good news out of this one is the pen pitched really well.  They pitched 4 1/3 innings of four hit shutout ball to close out the game.  Unfortunately the Yankees couldn’t stage a comeback.  Bernie Williams hit a solo shot in the 3-2 loss.

Next up is four against Tampa Bay.  Hopefully the guys don’t enjoy Florida too much.  Those playoffs start in a little over a week.

September 18, 2006

Yankees Drop Three of Four to Red Sox and Nobody Cares

by @ 2:25 am. Filed under 2006 Season

The magic number is now four and the Yankees should wrap up another division title here this week.  All this despite losing three of four to their so called rival, the Red Sox.

Friday’s game was rained out so the two teams had to play a pair of doubleheaders this weekend.  In game one on Saturday, the Yankees got a two run homerun from Robinson Cano, but that was it.  Chien Ming Wang was mediocre and he dropped to 17-6 in the 5-2 loss.

Game two was their lone win of the series.  Randy Johnson threw a pretty poor game but the bullpen and the offense picked him up.  Bernie Williams drove in two runs and Jorge Posada had three hits, two runs and an RBI in the 7-5 win.

Yesterday wasn’t pretty.  The Red Sox doubled up the Yankees in game one 6-3 and the Red Sox came from behind to beat the Yankees 5-4 in game two.

So we’re done with the Red Sox until 2007.  Good riddance.  Next up is three against the Blue Jays.

September 15, 2006

Magic Number Down to Six After Sixth Straight Win

by @ 2:10 am. Filed under 2006 Season

What didn’t seem like a certainty to many back in July is now happening.  The Yankees are headed to the playoffs for the eleventh straight time and the hope is that they win their fifth World Series in those 11 years.  Our first round opponent is still in limbo though.

Bobby Abreu got it done on Tuesday.  He drove in seven runs in a 12-4 blowout.  He also hit his third homerun since joining the Yankees.  Derek Jeter scored three times and drove in one without needing a single hit and Hideki Matsui made his return and only went four for four with two runs and an RBI.  On the pitching side, Mike Mussina threw 6 1/3 shutout innings and the Devil Rays didn’t score their runs until the ninth off of Octavio Dotel.

The Yankees only doubled up the Devil Rays on Wednesday.  Robinson Cano homered and drove in five runs and while Cory Lidle was roughed up in only four innings of work, the pen got the job done. 

It was hardly close, but yesterday’s game was the closest of the three.  Cano drove in three more runs and Matsui went yard for his first homerun since coming off the DL.  Rookie Jeff Karstens didn’t get a decision but Darrell Rasner was awesome in four innings of relief.  He improved to 2-0 on the season.

If the Yankees sweep the Red Sox, they lock up on the division Sunday.  I like how ESPN was hyping it as the last “regular season” matchup in 2006.  What a joke. 

September 12, 2006

Yankees Magic Number Now 10 After Three Straight Wins Over Hapless Orioles

by @ 2:35 am. Filed under 2006 Season

While it’s nice having the Red Sox on the schedule for sheer excitement, it’s also nice having the Orioles and Devil Rays on there just to make the schedule a little easier.  Maybe one day, the Orioles will be able to find their way back to the glory years in the 1970s but I’m not holding my breath.

The Orioles actually took the opener on Friday.  Cory Lidle was shelled early and didn’t even last six innings.  From there though, the pitchers did just enough to win.  Nice solid series.

The Yankees will probably clinch sometime early next week.  They have Tampa starting tomorrow then the Red Sox come to town.  Normally it’d be a huge series.  This year, it’s more like the Red Sox funeral.

September 7, 2006

Yankees Magic Number Now 15 After Series Win in Kansas City

by @ 5:14 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

It’d be nice to clinch things up sooner rather then later.  At this point, I can see the Yankees having the AL East in hand sometime near the end of next week.  And I’m giving the Red Sox some credit here.

The Yankees scored ten runs in the eighth inning on Monday.  Oddly, the Yankees struck out 12 times despite racking up twelve runs on seventeen hits.  I know there’s always 27 outs to make and any of them can be strikeouts, but I found it odd.  Bobby Abreu drove in four runs and Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano both drive in three runs in the 12-5 win.

I’m not sure what happened on Tuesday.  Jorge De La Rosa and Todd Wellemeyer combined for a nine hit shutout and the Royals knocked around Mike Mussina in his return.  It wasn’t a horrible start for Moose, but it wasn’t anything spectacular.  Maybe he was just rusty.

The Yankees wrapped up the series behind Randy Johnson’s 16 wins.  As rough of a season as he had, it’s hard to believe he’s still got a shot to win 20.  Johnson threw seven shutout innings and he struck out eight.  Jorge Posada had a monster game.  He homered twice and drove in six runs in the 8-3 win.

Next up is four against the Orioles.  Double yawn.

September 3, 2006

Yankees Roll on With Series Win Over Twins

by @ 12:14 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

The Twins are effectively the fifth best team in the American League.  Which makes them the sixth best team in all of baseball.  While they would make formidable opponents in the playoffs, the Yankees rolled over the Twins this weekend.

Alex Rodriguez is getting ready for a nice playoff run.  He homered twice on Friday to bring his season total up to 29 and he drove in three runs in the 8-1 win.  Bobby Abreu continued to rake and he had three hits, two RBIs and a run.  Derek Jeter had three hits and he scored twice.  Cory Lidle coasted to an easy win.  He pitchted six shutout innings and he improved to 3-2 since coming to the Yankees.

It wasn’t a sweep because of Saturday.  Scott Baker of all people held the Yankees to a single run on two hits through five innings of work.  In the meantime, rookie Jeff Karstens was solid but Ron Villone was knocked around for four runs as the Yankees were on the receiving end of a beat down.  The only run cameo on Derek Jeter’s RBI double in the third inning.

All good teams bounce back though, and that’s what the Yankees did today.  They ran up the score on rookie Matt Garza and knocked him out in the fifth inning.  The Twins pen didn’t do much better because the Yankees scored ten runs.  A-Rod homered twice more and he’s now at 31.  He drove in five runs for the Yankees and Derek Jeter scored twice more in the 10-1 win.  Darrell Rasner made only his second career start and first as a Yankee.  He gave up one run on four hits through six innings of work.

Doesn’t matter what they Red Sox did.  They’re long buried.  And we have a nice relaxing week.  Three against the Twins then three against the Orioles.  There’s even a day off in there.

August 31, 2006

Yankees Come One Pitch Short of Sweeping the Tigers

by @ 5:00 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

The Red Sox are dead.  Rest in peace.

The Tiges rolled into town this week.  Tuesday ended in a rain out so they played two yesterday.  Game one was masterful performance by Chien Ming Wang who combined with Scott Proctor and Mariano Rivera for a four hit shutout.  Craig Wilson put the Yanks on the board with a solo shot and later that inning, Jason Giambi drove in Johnny Damon on a sac. fly.

Game two didn’t go quite as well.  Jaret Wright actually pitched into the seventh and he left with a 3-2 lead.  The Tigers threatened in the eighth but came up short but in the ninth, Proctor walked two guys then gave up a two out walk off homerun.  They were one out away.  The Yankees were held to three hits and one of them was a two run double by Derek Jeter.

Randy Johnson looked very good today.  He had a three hitter through eight and gave up five hits altogether.  Problem was, three of those hits were homeruns.  He did strikeout eight.  The big shot in this was by A-Rod, who broke out of a horrific slump.  His two run shot made it 6-2.  The Tigers added two in the ninth, but came up short.  Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez had three hits a piece.

Next up is three against the Twins, who are fighting it out with the White Sox for a Wild Card spot.  When do the playoffs start?

August 28, 2006

Yankees Continue Rough Stretch

by @ 2:29 am. Filed under 2006 Season

Man, I hate losing.  If the Yankees could have won say four of six this week instead of two of six, we could have locked up the AL East because the Red Sox are playing even worse then we are.  Regardless, the lead is still 6 1/2 games.

On Friday, the Yankees blew a 5-4 lead and lost it 6-5.  Jaret Wright didn’t even last four innings and the pen did their share of damage.  Jorge Posada had two hits, two walks and a run and he was really the only guy who hit the ball well.

The pitchers followed up Friday with an even worse game on Saturday.  Cory Lidle gave up five runs in less then four innings and each of the four relievers the Yankees used was credited with an earned run.  Johnny Damon went two for four with two RBIs, two runs and a homerun.  Jason Giambi drove in two runs in the 12-7 win.

Finally, the Yankees won yesterday.  Through three innings, the Yankees scored eight runs and busted the game open.  Bernie Williams homered twice and drove in six runs while Derek Jeter homered twice and drove in three runs.  Robinson Cano had four hits, two RBIs and two runs while Jeff Karstens cruised to his first career win.  The final was 11-8.

The Tigers roll in to town today.  They’re the only team in the American League with a better record then the Yankees.  I’m thinking sweep to make a point.

August 25, 2006

Yankees Blow Series Against Mariners

by @ 4:38 am. Filed under 2006 Season

Now this is a drag.  I guess I can’t complain too much after this past weekend and it’s not like the Red Sox are tearing it up.  They did pick up a game on the Yankees so it’s 5 1/2 games in the AL East.  I’ll take it.

The Mariners snapped an eleven game losing streak on Tuesday.  Jeff Karstens made his first major league start and put in 5 2/3 decent innings.  Ron Villone took the loss when he gave up a solo homerun to Adrian Beltre in the ninth inning.  Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez went yard for the Yankees in the 6-5 loss.

Chien-Ming Wang won his 15th game on Wednesday and he’s probably at the top of Yankees who will contend for the Cy Young.  Wang gave up two runs in seven innings.  Robinson Cano drove in three runs and Abreu scored three times in the 9-2 win.

The Yankees couldn’t follow that up with another win though.  Randy Johnson gave the pen a rest and pitched a complete game but he gave up four runs and took the loss.  All the Yankees could muster were two runs.  Johnny Damon hit a solo homerun and Derek Jeter had two hits and an RBI.

Next up is three against the Angels.  Seems the Red Sox are following us around.  They play the Mariners this weekend then the Angels after that.

August 21, 2006

Sweep

by @ 12:41 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

First off, I want to introduce someone I now affectionately refer to as Slappy.  As in, Red Sox Slappy.  Slappy is the newest writing in the Baseball Historians network, and he couldn’t have picked a better time to start his Red Sox blog, Fenway Fables.

Slappy is a little distraught and couldn’t run down the games in this series.  I have no pretenses, so here they are in minute detail.  This is a big day.  Huge.

Friday, the Red Sox and Yankees played a double header.  The Yankees proceeded to score twelve in the first game and fourteen in the second.  The Red Sox actually put up a fight in game two and scored eleven, but for those of you who are bad at math, that puts them three runs short.

Johnny Damon was the hero in game one in the city where they wouldn’t pay him fair value.  He homered and drove in four runs while scoring three times.  He was a double short of hitting for the cycle.  Bobby Abreu also had a big game.  He went four for five.  Jason Giambi drove in three runs and Chien-Ming Wang won his 14th of the season in the 12-4 blowout.

Not settling for one win, Johnny Damon came up big in the second game as well.  He had three more hits and three more RBIs and hit homerun number 20.  Robinson Cano drove in three and Melky Cabrera had three hits, three runs and two RBIs in the 14-11 win.  Sidney Ponson was roughed up but Mike Myers picked up in the win in relief.

You’d think after that doubleheader, the Yankees would be sick of scoring and blowing out the Red Sox.  Naw, they did it again on Saturday.  Robinson Cano came up huge and drove in five runs and he homered.  Damon had three more hits and Jorge Posada had four RBIs.  Randy Johnson wasn’t quite his ace self (which has been a problem this year) but he had more then enough for his 14th win of the season.

They can’t all be blowouts and there was definitely some drama yesterday.  Down 5-3, the Yankees scored single runs in the eighth (Giambi sac. fly) and in the ninth (Jeter RBI single) to the game up.  Then in the tenth, Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada both went yard to make it 8-5, a lead that would stand.  Mariano Rivera evened up his record at 5-5 with two shutout innings.

Today’s game was a nice old fashioned pitcher’s dual.  David Wells and Cory Lidle went head to head and once again, the Yankees came out on top.  Bobby Abreu doubled home Melky Cabrera and then Nick Green scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.  After six shutout innings, Cory Lidle yielded to the pen and Scott Proctor gave up a solo homerun to Wily Mo Pena.  Fortunately Kyle Farnsworth did the job in the ninth (Rivera had the day off) and the Yankees finished their five game sweep over the Red Sox.

So now the Yankees have a nice, comfy six and a half game lead.  While the Yankees head out west, it’s against the Mariners, who have lost eleven straight games.  What a great time to be a Yankees fan!!!

August 18, 2006

Yankees Lose Ground to Red Sox After Series Loss to Orioles

by @ 4:43 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Those pesky birds.  Just when it looks like we’re going to run away with the AL East, we hit a wall. 

Things went fine on Tuesday.  Mike Mussina kept us in the game and then a late rally led by Johnny Damon won it for us.  Damon went two for five with a homerun, two runs and three RBIs in the 8-3 win.  Scott Proctor got the win and Mariano Rivera the save.

It all went downhill from there.  Cory Lidle gave up three early runs and the Yankees couldn’t their bats going on Wednesday.  Then yesterday the Orioles blew us out.  Jaret Wright had been doing okay, but not this game.  He was gone after three innings.

So now it’s five games against the Red Sox in the shit box.  We have a game and a half lead, so there could be a huge swing by the end of the series on Monday.

August 15, 2006

Yankees Split Four Game Series With Angels

by @ 2:42 am. Filed under 2006 Season

2-2 is pretty mediocre.  Throw in the fact that the Red Sox got the job done against the Orioles this past weekend, and the end result is a two run lead in the AL East thanks to the Tigers yesterday.  The only good news out of that is the Yankees have a three game lead in the much more important loss column.

Friday started the lose one, win one routine.  Rookie Joe Saunders held the Yankees in check and Cory Lidle got bounced around.  By the end of five innings, the Angels were up 5-1.  Sal Fasano drove in two runs in the 7-4 loss, and Alex Rodriguez went two for four with an RBI and two runs.  A-Rod hit his 24th homerun of the season.

Jaret Wrighted the ship (horrible pun intended).  He got the Yankees back on track with 5 1/3 solid innings on Saturday.  Johnny Damon hit homerun number 16 and he drove in two. Robinson Cano hit a three run shot in the second inning in the 5-2 win.  Mariano Rivera notched his 30th save.  He’s had thirty saves in nine of the last ten years.

Sunday it was back to losing.  Young phenom Jered Weaver held the Yankees down and Chien-Ming Wang gave up three first inning runs en route to his fifth loss of the season.  Craig Wilson, A-Rod and Jason Giambi all homered in the 5-3 loss.

It’s very nice to see Randy Johnson back on track.  He threw seven solid innings and picked up win number 13.  Every Yankee got a hit with Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada going yard in the 7-2 win.

Next up is three against the Orioles.  Hopefully they’ll lay down like they did for the Red Sox.

August 11, 2006

Yankees Drop Two to Red Sox, Still Extend AL East Lead

by @ 2:40 am. Filed under 2006 Season

The bad news is, the White Sox took two games from us.  The good news is, the Red Sox are really struggling and that one win this week resulted in an extra game lead in the AL East.  Even better, the Red Sox now are down two games in the Wild Card race.  Could be a Red Soxless post season?

Mariano Rivera has been so good for so long, it’s hard to blame him too much when he blows a game.  The Yankees had this one in hand and 99 times out of a hundred, we walk away with a win.  It just wasn’t Rivera’s day though as Paul Konerko took him deep to tie the game up.  Sox then won it in the eleventh.  Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in two runs and Bobby Abreu had two hits.

Wednesday was another game where the trade for Bobby Abreu paid some big dividends.  He drove in a run in the first inning on a single then hit a two run homerun in the fifth.  Derek Jeter scored two runs in the game and Randy Johnson picked up his twelth win.  Johnson had a no hitter going through six innings until the White Sox finally got to him in the seventh.

Yesterday, the White Sox took a big early lead and while the Yankees picked away, they came up just short.  Abreau singled and he now has an eight game hitting streak.  In fact, he has a hit in every game since becoming a Yankee except for his debut. Jason Giambi hit a two run shot and Melky Cabrera went yard as well.  Mike Mussina dropped to 13-5.

Next up is four against the Angels in a wrap around series.  The Angels are fighting for a piece of the AL West so this is a pretty big series for both teams.

August 9, 2006

Baseball Historians

by @ 5:41 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Bet you didn’t know this, but I’m part of a network of blogs.  It’s not a really formal network, but the ring leader has been Brian, who writes at Tigerblog and The Hardball Times.  He recently put together a centralized site that picks up all of the feeds from the various sites.  So in between innings while the Yankees pound the White Sox, you should go check it out at Baseball Historians

The common link is all of the blogs also do historical stuff.  I’ve been dropping the ball there lately.  Haven’t done a World Series retro in a while, nor have I started my Joe DiMaggio prospective.  I do have something very cool planned for next year though, which I’ll keep a secret for now.

There will be original content on Baseball Historians on occassion.  Brian is supposed to do a top 10 best World Series teams of all time and I’ll be doing all ten because they’re all Yankee teams.

August 6, 2006

Yankees Continue to Roll, Now Lead Red Sox by Two Games

by @ 5:40 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

The Yankees rolled into Baltimore and left with a series win.  In the meantime, the Red Sox looked very mortal against the lowly Devil Rays.  The net result is, the Yankees are now in the process of running away with the AL East.  You heard it here first.

Jorge Posada hit a solo homerun in the top of the ninth to give the Yankees the win on Friday.  Miguel Cairo drove in two runs in the 5-4 win and Posada finished with three hits.  Randy Johnson threw six mediocre innings   Scott Proctor picked up the win and Mariano Rivera saved his 27th game of the season.

Yesterday was ugly.  Some rookie named Adam Loewen and a couple of relievers held the mighty Yankees to a single hit.  Mike Mussina dropped the game in a so so start and he’s now 13-4.  Bobby Abreu had the only hit of the game for the Yankees.

Jaret Wright is looking very solid of late.  Today was no exception as he improved to 8-6.  It’s his second nice start in a row and hopefully this is a trend.  Jason Giambi went three for three with a homerun and two RBIs in the 6-1 win.  Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera all homered as well.

Next up is a pretty big series against the White Sox.  The Red Sox play the Royals, so the Yankees will probably have to win to keep their lead. 

August 3, 2006

Yankees Sweep Blue Jays, Take Over First Place in AL East

by @ 5:53 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Regardless of whether the Red Sox win or lose, the Yankees will remain in first place by mere percentage points.  Bobby Abreu appears to be the Yankees good luck charm.  Or maybe it’s Cory Lidle or Craig Wilson.  Or maybe the Red Sox inability to get a deal done (outside of the laugher that’s being reported with Javy Lopez) at the trade deadline is our good luck charm.  Maybe Theo should have called it quits after all.

Jaret Wright looked pretty sharp on Tuesday.  One run on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in five innings.  It was good enough for the win.  Alex Rodriguez went two for four with two RBIs and Abreu walked and scored in his Yankee debut.  Derek Jeter continued to rake and he scored two runs.

It’s hard to believe Chien Ming Wang has become our most consistent starter, but that’s been the case so far this year.  He now stands at 13-4 and he threw eight shutout innings yesterday.  He gave up four hits and three walks.  Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada went yard and A-Rod had three hits and two RBIs.  He appears to be hitting out of this so called slump rather nicely.  Final in this one was 7-2.

This afternoon was more solid pitching and good hitting.  Cory Lidle made his Yankee debut and just like that, he’s a better pitcher.  He gave up one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings.  The pen did their job and three relievers combined for three shutout innings.  Jason Giambi homered and drove in four runs in the 8-1 win.

Next up is three against the lowly Orioles.  They’re a step below the Blue Jays, so I forsee a sweep and the Yankees distancing themselves even more from the Red Sox.

July 31, 2006

Yankees Deal Shawn Chacon for Craig Wilson

by @ 5:35 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Like the Abreu and Lidle trade, I like this deal.  It gets Jason Giambi off of first base and it gives the Yankees another bona fide hitter in the lineup.  Chacon became expendable because he has pitched like garbage and we traded for Lidle.

This will also give us some insurance in the event all doesn’t go well with Gary Sheffield’s and Hideki Matsui’s recovery.  Once again, we should all thank the Boss for putting the Yankees in yet another position to win a World Series.

July 30, 2006

Yankees Take Two of Three Against Devil Rays, Trail Red Sox by One Game

by @ 12:05 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

With the Bobby Abreu deal still in limbo, the Yankees did their job and took two of three against the hapless Devil Rays.  The Red Sox play tonight but at this moment in time, we trail the Red Sox by a single game.

Chien Ming Wang was unhittable on Friday.  He threw a two hit shutout and he won his twelth game of the season.  Bernie Williams homered in the game for the eighth time this season and Derek Jeter had three hits and two RBIs. 

Yesterday’s game didn’t go quite as well and I think for now, it’s best not to talk about it.  Let’s just say, Randy Johnson nor the bullpen threw very well.  Thankfully, the Yankees got back on track today.  Mike Mussina picked up win number thirteen and he gave up two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings.  Mariano Rivera picked up save number 26 and even Kyle Farnsworth appears to be throwing better.  He struck out the side in the eighth.  Most of the offense was by Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter.  Damon scored three of the Yankees four runs and drove in two while Derek Jeter drove in the other two runs.

Next up is three against the Jays.  It would be nice to bury them since they keep hanging on a few games back of the Yankees.

Yankees Trade for Bobby Abreau and Cory Lidle

by @ 10:39 am. Filed under 2006 Season

The rich always get richer.  The Yankees solved two of their problems assuming this trade goes through.  The Yankees get All Star outfielder Bobby Abreau and starting pitcher Cory Lidle for the Yankees first round draft pick in 2005 (C.J. Henry), reliever Matt Smith and a player to be named later.  This was a classic salary dump by the Phillies as it looks like the Yankees will pick up the entirety of both player’s contracts.

Obviously this is huge, and tips the scales back in to the Yankees favor in the AL East.

July 27, 2006

Yankees Lead Wild Card After Sweep of Rangers

by @ 2:14 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

It is inevitable.  The Yankees will be in the playoff mix every year forever.  Even in the years where it looks like they have no chance.  It doesn’t matter because it’s the Yankees and Yankees equal playoffs.

Their sweep of the Yankees put them in first place for the Wild Card, al beit by a half game.  Sweating it out are the Red Sox, who are now only a game and a half in front of the Yankees, and two games ahead of the White Sox and Twins for the Wild Card.  Like last year, it should be a very interesting final two months of the season.

Monday’s game was all Yankees.  Randy Johnson did his job and improved to 11-8.  Melky Cabrera went three for four with two runs and Aaron Guiel homered.  Johnson struck out seven in six innings, and the pen threw three shutout innings.

Tuesday’s game was a little closer.  The Rangers took a 2-0 lead but the Yankees answered with three in the fourth and three more in the fifth.  Mike Mussina improved to 12-3 and he gave up three runs on five hits through six innings of work.  Rivera pitched the ninth and picked up his 24th save of the season.  Guiel homered again and drove in three runs.

Yesterday’s game was crazy.  The Yankees took the lead 2-0 and the Rangers tied in the second then took a two run lead in the fourth.  In the eighth, the Yankees leapfrogged the Rangers and took a two run lead with four runs and the Rangers answered with three in the bottom half of the inning.  Then Jason Giambi hit homerun number 29 to give the Yanks an 8-7 which held.  Jaret Wright was acceptable and Shawn Chacon picked up the win with an inning of relief.  Mariano Rivera picked up save number 25 and A-Rod homered for the 22nd time this season.

Just what the doctor ordered, the Yankees play at home against the Devil Rays.  Time to bury those AL Central pretenders and leave them in our dust.

July 25, 2006

No Help Coming From Octavio Dotel

by @ 2:20 am. Filed under 2006 Season

We all knew this was a risky signing, and according to this Baseball Injury Report, it looks like Octavio Dotel’s season is over.  So add a middle reliever to the list of needs for the Yankees heading into the trade deadline.

July 23, 2006

Yankees Continue to Struggle, Drop Three of Four to Blue Jays

by @ 1:24 pm. Filed under 2006 Season

Talk about downers.  The Yankees came out of the box after the All Star break and swept the White Sox.  Since then, they’ve been dog shit.  They’re now closer to the Jays who are behind them then they are to the Red Sox and the only good news is the White Sox have been struggling, so we’re still barely in second place in the Wild Card race, 2 1/2 games back.

The Yankees scored a run in the eighth to tie it on Thursday, and they sent the game into extra frames, but Mariano Rivera gave up a run in the eleventh and took the loss.  Mike Mussina was mediocre but he lasted seven innings.  Jorge Posada had three hits and that eight inning RBI.

Alex Rodriguez was the Yankees offense on Friday.  His three run homerun was all the Yankees put on the board in the 7-3 loss.  Jaret Wright was gone before the end of the third inning and Shawn Chacon wasn’t much better in relief. 

The Yankees finally won yesterday, but the big news was A-Rod’s four strikeouts.  Bernie Williams homered and drove in two runs in the 5-4 win and Derek Jeter had two hits and an RBI.  Chien Ming Wang gave up four runs on ten hits and one walk through six innings but he picked up his eleventh win.  Scott Proctor, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera all pitched a shutout inning to close out the game.

This afternoon’s game was ugly.  Sidney Ponson and the Yankees pen were shelled to the tune of 13 runs on 15 hits.  Jorge Posada hit a three run shot and while the Yankees managed 13 hits, they stranded eight guys.  The Jays hit five homeruns in the 13-5 loss.

Next up is a three game series in Texas, who are currently in second place in the AL West.  It’s time to put together a nice little winning streak because August is right around the corner.  Time to win.

July 20, 2006

Yankees Win Series Against the Mariners

by @ 2:58 am. Filed under 2006 Season

Two out of three isn’t bad, it’s just unfortunate that the game we lost was when we had our ace pitching.  And just when we start making up some ground, the Red Sox go on a winning streak.  So heading into the series with Toronto, we trail the Red Sox by a game and a half and the White Sox by two and a half.

On Monday, the Yankees scored only four, but Chien-Ming Wang had a nice outing so we picked up the win.  He gave up two runs on seven hits through seven innings of work and in the process, he picked up his tenth win of the season.  Mariano Rivera got into trouble in the ninth but he held on and picked up save number 22.  Jason Giambi hit homerun number 22 and Miguel Cairo drove in two runs.

Tuesday, the Yankees needed extra innings to win.  They were down 5-3 heading into the ninth before the Yankees scored two to tie and send the game into extra frames.  Then in the bottom of the eleventh, Melky Cabrera went yard with a walk off solo homerun to win it.  Sidney Ponson was roughed up in his start but the bullpen was excellent.  Four relivers combined to throw 4 1/3 shutout innings. 

Yesterday’s game was a downer.  Randy Johnson had a good outing but we couldn’t give him the runs.  And it was an unearned run in the eighth that cost Johnson.  He did strikeout eleven through eight innings.  Derek Jeter and Andy Phillips drove in the two runs.

Next up is four games with the Blue Jays, who are still hanging around behind the Yankees.  It’d be nice to bury them right now.  I like today’s pitching matchup of Mike Mussina vs. Roy Halladay.  That should be a good one.

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