Bronx, N.Y., September 17, 2004 — To battle your way down the interminable ramps leading to the exits at Yankee Stadium after Friday night’s game, you would have thought the days of a last-place finish in a 10-team league from 1966 were back to haunt us. Of course, a healthy percentage of the 55,000-plus who remained through two rain delays, five hours, and 300-plus pitches from eight hurlers were wearing red, and they were in a celebratory mood. But the majority were wearing some midnight blue, and they were unhappy. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., September 6, 2004 — Well, I knew if I waited long enough the Commissioner’s Office would find yet another reason to ignore the rule book if applying it worked in the New York Yankees’ favor. Move over Mr. MacPhail, it’s Mr. Selig’s turn. I’m told that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays made their stand on principle. They would not leave their homes with a hurricane bearing down on Florida, even though they had much of Friday night and Saturday afternoon to do so, and MLB “suggested” that they do. If it involved a forfeit, so be it. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., September 5, 2004 — It took one Jorge five pitches to strike out another for the last out of a 3-1 Orioles win Friday night. On Sunday Jorge Julio made the mistake of throwing a sixth pitch and Jorge Posada unflinchingly took it, to drastically different effect. Yankee fans had groaned in dismay when Julio got a called strike one from home plate ump Dan Carlson after having walked the bases loaded (the latter two being by defensive choice) in the bottom of the ninth. But the two tosses that followed were off the plate, Posada swung and missed at the next, and Julio missed badly to set up a full count. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., September 4, 2004 — It was obviously with a heavy heart that I trudged up the billion steps it seemed it would take to emerge from the subway at 125th St. in Harlem last night. Baltimore closer Jorge Julio had just struck out three Yankees in the bottom of the ninth on 13 pitches to close out a disappointing 3-1 loss in the Stadium. And I didn’t even know then about the disastrous turn of events involving Kevin Brown in the clubhouse yet. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., September 2, 2004 — Jon Lieber displayed two very likable traits on the Yankee Stadium mound in a 9-1 Yankee victory Thursday night. First, he pitched like a guy who knew how to use the fielders behind him, a man comfortable with his stuff and not afraid to throw it over the plate. And second, he threw like a guy who found himself with an early 6-0 lead. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., August 31, 2004 — Another huge crowd at Yankee Stadium was “treated” to a strange sight, something never witnessed there before, on Tuesday night, but it was not a joyful apparition. While nine New York batters went down meekly on just 36 pitches to ex-Yank Jake Westbrook through three, 21 Indians batters had already fashioned a 9-0 lead on totally ineffective Yankee starter Javier Vazquez and Tanyon Sturtze in relief. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., August 8, 2004 — To read the headlines in the New York papers all summer you could be excused for thinking that this Yankee team has been an unwieldy machine with a decided need for fixing. The two-headed centerfielder is too old (whatever his number); they have no second baseman; their pen is overworked; injury and illness at first base will kill their chances; the starters are old and prone to injury. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., August 3, 2004 — Things looked very good for the Yankees after Jorge Posada’s three-run, opposite-field, first-inning home run off Mark Mulder in Yankee Stadium Tuesday night. The Oakland ace came in steaming like the unbearably still sky that enveloped the ballpark, with a 14-3 record, despite the manhandling he received at the hands of the Yankees back in April. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., August 1, 2004 — Yankee bats seemed to struggle under the same malaise that had many believing there would be no game in the Bronx on Sunday afternoon. West, south, north, and east of Yankee Stadium the skies filled with rain in the morning, and even when most of the visible precipitation dwindled after noon, 90 percent humidity dampened brows and spirits, and fans searched for cover as much as they would under a deluge. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 30, 2004 — The deafening drumbeat of the news about the wavering Yankee starting rotation has grown to a crescendo with the approaching non-waiver trading deadline. The party line of late has been that with two guys with quality arms like those of Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina lingering on the disabled list, the triumphant return of either, or both, would prove even more beneficial to the roster than a deadline trade. Continue reading →