Bronx, N.Y., May 4, 2003 — I was going to entitle this column “Cry If I Want To,” in honor of the sixties pop star Leslie Gore, born Friday in 1946, who informed all who were willing to listen (and in 1963 that was plenty of people) that, yes, it was her party, and yes, she could cry if she wanted to. Leslie had just lost that elusive dreamboat Johnny to the horrid Judy; I was red-faced in the aftermath of the Yanks’ first series loss of 2003. We just finished playing the best of the West in six games at home and now head west for the road versions starting Tuesday. Even though we did split the six games, we lost the most recent three-game set. We faced six front-line pitchers (and not even the best six) and only managed to match the six hits we got off the first starter Gil Meche, in seven innings on Tuesday, once in the next five games.

We pitched well against both teams; we took two out of three from the Mariners, but the A’s pitched even better than we did. You can look at the numbers any way you like. That’s what you’ll come out with. As mentioned, we only managed six hits, no runs, off Meche. Only five off Jamey Moyer, but four in a crucial first inning. And six off Joel Piniero, but two very loud ones. Ted Lilly kept us off balance, though his four walks and those issued by the guys that followed finally drove home the guys we couldn’t manage, even though we had ducks on the pond throughout that game’s middle innings.

And after four games we were up 3-1 even after having totalled only 21 hits off the four starters over 26.3 innings. And that brings us to the last two games, and if you want some consolation, try grasping for that no-day-games-in-the-playoffs thread, because Hudson and Zito looked every bit as good as we could have feared. Three hits, one run, in eight off Tim; four and zero off Barry over the same eight.

Although the simple answer to this afternoon’s beating was the homer Roger gave up to Hatteberg on the game’s sixth pitch, I tried to throw the numbers against the wall for some hidden secrets and patterns anyway. Roger notched six strike outs to Zito’s three, which looks like a number in our favor, but strike outs negatively affect pitch count, and Roger’s one-walk, one-strike-out, one-hit first inning had him in trouble early with 24 in that frame. (And the 13 balls to 11 strikes was worrying too.) And even though we lost by two rather than one largely because of Almonte’s one-out error in the third (a walk and single plated the ill-gotten run), the miscue hurt Roger on pitch count even more, as 18 of the 29 pitches he threw that frame came after the misplay. That basically resulted in Roger having a seven-inning day to Barry’s eight, but aside from that their numbers were strikingly similar.

Clemens faced 28 guys today, with a 15/13 first strike ratio, while Zito managed 17/13, facing 30. Plus for Barry. But there were only two really interesting numbers on the day, and the first was the exact 60 percent strikes Clemens threw (66/44). Zito’s numbers were similar with 68/47, but he loses in a squeaker as his strikes percentage was only 59. Of Barry’s 17 first-pitch strikes, 12 were called by home-plate ump Larry Poncino, while five times Yanks swung at the first pitch. Roger loses this battle but only slightly as he got 10 called by the ump and coaxed the A’s into swinging at the first pitch the same five times. Aside from Roger’s exactly 60 percent strikes number, Zito’s pattern in amassing 17 first-pitch strikes was bizarre too. The first and third times through the order he recorded a dizzying first-pitch strike seven times each (to only two balls). So how to explain that he reversed that tendency totally the second time through, as he threw first-pitch balls seven times (with strikes only twice)?

We got off to a late start today, as Roger’s first pitch to second baseman Ellis zoomed high at 1:09. This was largely due to the unusual practice of listening to two national anthems before first pitch on a day that did not feature a team from Canada. Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard was the Yankees’ guest today and, before we got the Marine Corps Band version of our national anthem, we first heard a catchy tune called, “Advance Australia Fair.” But they picked a good day for the two-nation honor. The A’s and Yankees were not going to keep us any longer than necessary, and the whole tilt was over in an extremely “manageable” two hours and 31 minutes.

The local weather people looked like shills for the Chamber of Commerce as the afternoon began, as the “partly cloudy” forecast was correct early only if one agrees that such a description is accurate for a sky that is totally engulfed in clouds. But the sun broke through completely in the early innings, and a good number of the 45,426 in attendance will probably show a bit of a sun-kissed glow from the welcome in-game rays. The posted game-time temp of 55 degrees with 69 percent humidity made a nice climb for the better part of the festivities. The enthusiastic crowd filled most of the bleachers and all but the wings in the upper deck, and an excited hum arose as we watched Mondesi and Matsui playing short, then long, toss in front of the Yankee dugout before the game. Given time, this duo could become an impressive long-toss pair as they both have strong and accurate arms.

Of the two games that ended this series and the homestand, the Yanks had the better of the play Saturday. Even though the A’s scratched hits and threatened Jeff Weaver all day, he is our fifth starter and he outduelled one of their best for most of the day. He was almost always able to get the big out when he needed it. It’s funny, but when he first came aboard last year and performed horribly, a fan could be forgiven if they got the impression that he was a nice pitcher who was just too prone to surrendering the long ball. But although he gives up a high number of hits per innings pitched in 2003, he hasn’t given up a home run yet.

We took the lead that day by doing the one thing we couldn’t do Sunday, as we took advantage of the only opportunity Hudson gave us. Giambi stroked one of only three hits off Tim right after a leadoff walk, and we got the first run on a fielder’s choice. Jason’s ninth-inning two-run jack, too, comes right out of the intimidating-playoff-baseball-at-home handbook. If it leaves a bad taste in your mouth after Acevedo’s failure it really shouldn’t. He came through big for us while Mo was out, and is suffering through a readjustment that is only to be expected. He suffered through a similar three-batter, three-run implosion Wednesday, and he’ll probably work it out. And even if he doesn’t, well then, he won’t be getting the baseball in October in those situations anyway.

But Sunday afternoon, we had about as many opportunities (only two really), and we could not produce the key hit when it was needed. Two guys who rarely get into games got starts, as Bubba Trammell DH’d and John Flaherty filled in for Jorge at catcher. Spot starting is a tough job, so one does not want to blame these guys for too much on those rare days they get a start, and against last year’s Cy Young Award winner no less. Williams and Matsui both bounced back to the box after we got two aboard with none out in the third, so the part-time guys aren’t the only ones who had a tough day.

Bubba actually looked great at the plate, and came oh so close to being the subject of this column as the day’s hero. He got our first hit in the third, and his drive to deep left center with two aboard in the seventh nearly got past Eric Byrnes for a certain score, and probably a tie game. Flaherty, however, could not have been worse. Not only did he hit into a 1-6-3 double play after Bubba’s third inning single, it came right before Eric Almonte’s hard double to left that probably would have scored one run and perhaps set up another. Then he bounced to third in the fourth, and in the seventh he squelched our last great chance as he grounded into a 5-4-3 to end an inning where we managed to bunch two of four hits off Zito with nobody out. But to understand the worst part of John’s day at the plate, you have to go back to the numbers. Not only did he kill two of the viable Yankee “rallies” on the day by bouncing into twin killings, he grounded out three times on the day while receiving the paltry sum of only five pitches all game. Bad results come with the game. Total lack of patience at the plate is behavior one can learn to overcome. That was a bad day.

It’s May 4, and the Yanks have certainly had difficulties with the Mariners’ and A’s pitching staffs during the regular season before. And yet we have always had the answers when it came time to play them in the playoffs. We have another six games against these guys this week, and even after those, the worst of outcomes will not serve as a reliable predictor of what may befall this club in October.

But it is a way of judging ourselves, of measuring ourselves in the midst of the great numbers we have put up this year so far. Friday was not only the birthday of former pop icon Ms. Gore, but also of Elijah McCoy back in 1844. The son of former slaves, he became one of the second Industrial Revolution’s great inventors, patenting among other discoveries a device to keep moving parts in machines lubricated. He also made inventions in the ironing and lawn sprinkling areas, and his lubricator was so reliable that people purchasing industrial equipment in the late 19th century would often ask whether or not the given device included “the real McCoy,” meaning the real thing, the one that worked.

Only time will tell if this Yankee team is “The Real McCoy.” Despite a trying week against strong competition, it’s hard not to be happy with a team that has played as this one has, and has done it while missing its star closer, setup man and shortstop, and with its key homer/rbi guy struggling. We have the closer back in the fold, and he looks good. And the shortstop is on the fast track to return, while the setup guy’s future is still a question mark. And While Jeter has been out, even though Erick Almonte has struggled somewhat in the field, he is out of position and he has shown the ability to handle major league pitching. So once Jeter is back and playing his largely flawless game, we will have a young player who has performed all right under the world’s brightest spotlight waiting in the wings, perhaps to be spent for that bullpen guy or hitter we may need as the real season approaches in October.

As a footnote, Sterling Hitchcock is beginning to show the ability to get big-league hitters out. He may play a role in this pen yet, or in getting us some talent for down the road. And Willie Randolph can breathe easier as Nick Johnson did get into today’s game and flied to center to end the game. His consecutive-game-walks streak is over at 18, the same number Willie holds in leading the Yankees all time. Nick will have to start another streak Tuesday, as will the Yanks. We owe these West Coast guys a few lessons, and I’m sure we’ll fight them close in the next six games. Are we “The Real McCoy”? We might be. It’s enough to keep me up late in the coming week to find out. How about you?

YANKEE BASEBALL!!!