TakeHimDowntown.com » Spring Training

A Southpaw Steps Forward

Dan McCourt — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:53:27 +0000

Well, the Yankee bats came so awake Monday that it took two ballparks in two cities to contain them. And they made some noise Tuesday as well. But the pitchers “dropped the ball” in a 12 -7 loss to the Pirates, the team’s first loss in three games with Pittsburgh. Ace CC Sabathia, throwing mostly hard stuff, surrendered four runs and a team cycle to the first four Pirates hitters, with right fielder Garret Jones

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Wecome Back, Javy

Dan McCourt — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:36:49 +0000

It was hardly what any Yankee fan still reeling from what took place in October 2004 wanted to see. It didn’t help that Jimmy Rollins took Javy Vazquez’s first pitch over the George M. Steinbrenner Field wall in right field in front of a crowd swarming with Phillies fans. And Vazquez was pitching for a team that hadn’t won since its Spring opener five days ago. In that time the Yankees have been swamped by

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Catch a Buzz

Dan McCourt — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:48:13 +0000

This was the advice from the very popular beer guy at Dunedin Stadium where we witnessed the Blue Jays host the Tigers Sunday afternoon. As it turned out, it was a wise move to blow off the three-hour trip to see the Yankees embarrassed by the Twins in Ft. Myers. It was on this day in 1857 that baseball decided that a game would constitute nine innings, not nine runs. Reverse that rule and two

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Waiting for Good Play

Dan McCourt — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:23:30 +0000

Well, the weather in Tampa and the Yankee play continued heading in two different directions Saturday afternoon, as the home-standing pinstripers took it on the chin from the Blue Jays, 9-1. But although the offense continues to struggle, much of the day’s trouble can be tied to one unfortunate bullpen outing.

A.J. Burnett survived a shaky first but allowed two runs in the second.

Starter A.J. Burnett showed a good fastball but didn’t quite have

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Beware the Fifth of March

Dan McCourt — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 03:41:35 +0000

I have to imagine that, like most sports figures who experienced success early in life, Joba Chamberlain must have a nice collection of memorabilia. For his sake, I hope it’s not calendar-based, because if it is, March 5 has to be shaping up as one of his least favorite days. A year ago, for instance, he started a game against an undermanned Team Canada from the World Baseball Classic. Five batters, four walks and 28

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Dreading the Day

Dan McCourt — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:41:07 +0000

It was fitting that Thursday’s Yankees/Phillies contest in Clearwater saw the teams come up with just five hits and no runs between them through six innings, as the nine hurlers who carried the action to that point were led by Philly’s Roy “Doc” Hallday and CC Sabathia from the the Yankees, two of the very best pitchers in major league baseball. Home-standing Halladay, in particular, was midseason nasty, retiring six of seven batters around a

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Not Game Seven…

Dan McCourt — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:03:40 +0000

…of the 2009 World Series (rumor has it that that’s over?) but even in March it’s hard not to get excited about Doc Halladay vs. CC Sabathia in Clearwater Thursday afternoon. Expect to see Randy Winn and Nick Swisher, perhaps Robbie Cano too. None of them played in the Opener at George M. Steinbrenner Field Wednesday. I expect Joe Girardi will bring a representative team (at least to start) on the 20-minute drive.

The Yanks could

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Walkoffs W-e-e!visited

Dan McCourt — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:58:11 +0000

Everyone seemed to be ready to settle into Opening Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field Wednesday afternoon quietly, feeling their way, making a mistake here and there, and zipping through a pitching-dominated game. The lowly Pirates were the visitors, with some interesting one-time Yankees in tow, and the crowd size was minimized by the 55-degree temps, a whipping wind and the all-too-intermittent burst of sun.

The Yankees supplied their usual bells and whistles, highlighted by

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Thinkin’ Tampa

Dan McCourt — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:15:50 +0000

When Chad Gaudin delivers his first pitch to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon, it will mark the 15th Spring Training Opener since the Yankees moved preseason prep facilities to Tampa from Fort Lauderdale in 1996. The opponent that March 1 was the reigning American League Champion Cleveland Indians, and things got off to an inauspicious beginning.

The game seemed unlikely to get started at all as a bruising several-day storm subsided and George

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Spring Training 2010

SueC — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:02:08 +0000

Pitchers and catchers report February 17, can we be far behind? We’re sticking to the greater Tampa Bay area, so we’re headed over to Dunedin on Sunday instead of taking the 2+ hour drive to see them play the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers.

Image courtesy MLB.com

3/3 Pittsburgh @ NYY 3/4 NYY @ Philadelphia 3/5 Tampa Bay @ NYY 3/6 Toronto @ NYY 3/7 Detroit @ Toronto 3/8 Philadelphia @ NYY 3/9 Pittsburgh @ NYY

Also, can’t wait to

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