Bronx, N.Y., August 30, 2009 — All around Yankee land, I’m sure there are a host of mildly disgruntled fans (how angry can you be with the best record in baseball?) patting themselves on the back smugly, opining that they were right all along. After all, if young Joba Chamberlain is to be sent out to the mound to pitch only three frames and toss the rock a mere 35 times, what is the difference from what he would have been doing had he been retained in the bullpen setup role so many of the rooting horde wanted for him? Thus is the state of things in the Bronx, where coming off a 5-1 homestand following up on a 7-3 road trip, the pinstriped passionate would rather talk about player decisions than revel in another win, this one an 8-3 drubbing of the White Sox that completed a three-game sweep. Continue reading
Author Archives: Dan McCourt
[Long] Fly in the Ointment
Bronx, N.Y., August 28, 2009 — Despite a stellar though short career playing on baseball’s biggest stage, young Robbie Cano appeared to be on the way to another of “those” nights in a rainy Yankee Stadium. Possessed of a solid glove and stellar arm, the Bombers’ second sacker fields his position and turns the dp as well as anyone. He is possessed of a sweet, line-drive swing to all fields, and his .313 ba going in give him an offensive number unmatched by anyone in Pinstripes this side of mvp candidate Derek Jeter. But. There’s a new-fangled number on a 2009 boxscore, pretty far down the line. It comes after doubles, triples, home runs, times at bat, rbi’s. Right after two-out rbi’s. “Runners left in scoring position, 2 out.” After nine innings, three players had made this ignominious list: Chicago’s Alex Rios, 1, Yankee Nick Swisher 1. And Robbie Cano 4. Continue reading
Jorge, Hairston Hurt Holland
Bronx, N.Y., August 26, 2009 — Yankee veteran southpaw Andy Pettitte outdueled his much younger lefthanded counterpart, Derek Holland, Wednesday night in a 9-2 win over Texas in Yankee Stadium. Despite the fact that the Yanks jumped in front in this one early, the contest was in doubt much of the game, particularly given the 10-run comeback the Rangers had put up following an early Yankee lead on Tuesday. Continue reading
CC the Noun, and the Verb
Bronx, N.Y., August 8, 2009 — It was only fitting that titular Yankee ace CC Sabathia got the ball in the Bronx Saturday in Game Three of four against the Red Sox. The Yanks had just beaten the Sox two straight in games that couldn’t have been more different. They won Thursday, and drove John Smoltz out of Boston, perhaps even out of baseball, but certainly from the America League, with a bombastic 13-7, four-hour lathering. A day later in a game approaching six hours, they beat Boston 2-0 in 15, in a game where if the phrase “playoff atmosphere” didn’t fit like a baseball glove, it was only because this was better than most playoff baseball. Continue reading
Girardi Pens a Win
Bronx, N.Y., July 26, 2009 — The Yankees completed a 9-1 homestand Sunday afternoon with a 7-5 win over the Oakland A’s. Fifth starter Sergio Mitre gave them a decent five innings, and the bullpen copped the win after an early glitch. All nine starters on offense had at least one hit, with third base sub Cody Ransom pitching in with two doubles. Continue reading
Yankees Are on a Roll
Bronx, N.Y., July 22, 2009 — Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. A promising Yankee team spends a long weekend on the West Coast and loses big time. Suddenly, a season filled with hope is on the brink of ruin. If you’re thinking I’m talking about a week and a half ago, and the three-game sweep by the Angels, think again. The Bombers went 1-4 to start the 1998 season in California, then came home and won 113 and lost 44 the rest of the way. Continue reading
A Giant Step to First
Bronx, N.Y., July 20, 2009 — The Yankees kept their roll going Monday night with yet another victory in the Stadium, this one over the Orioles after having swept the Tigers over the weekend. It was the third straight (and perhaps last, for a while) beautiful day in the Bronx, and although they’ve had quality starts in all four games (and wins) since the All Star break, this made three playoff-quality outings by a starting pitcher in a row. CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, and Andy Pettitte went exactly 21 innings among them, and in those frames they surrendered all of two runs. Continue reading
A Walk Too Far
Bronx, N.Y., July 19, 2009 — Forty-three ex-Yankee players took the field for the Old Timers Game in Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon, and they were joined by the widows of four more. The stars played through three innings to a 5-2 win by the Clippers over the Bombers, and although routine fly balls fell for hits and grounders sneaked through the infield, there were a few flashes of the brilliance we’ve witnessed before. Present were most of the usual suspects, but I was thrilled to see reliable reliever Lindy McDaniel from my youth, and Charlie Hayes and Chad Curtis, who between them corralled the last outs of the 1996 and 1999 Championships. It was good, too, seeing Mike Mussina looking younger than all those around him, quite a change from the last few years, and the irascible Don Zimmer, whose presence on the Yankee bench was a comforting sight for so long. Continue reading
No-Out Lumber, Two-Out Thunder
Bronx, N.Y., July 18, 2009 — A little more than a month ago, Yankee Stadium was abuzz with a big crowd in anticipation of a classic pitcher’s duel as the Yanks hosted the crosstown Mets. But although 2009 free-agent signee A.J. Burnett fulfilled his half of the bargain for the Yankees, the Mets’ Johan Santana responded with his worst start in years. The hometeam pounded the Flushing southpaw and coasted to a 15-0 laugher. But Detroit’s Justin Verlander and New York’s CC Sabathia produced on the big stage Saturday afternoon. Continue reading
A Near Miss
Bronx, N.Y., July 6, 2009 — Well, the Yankees came oh so close to completing a four-game sweep over the Blue Jays Monday afternoon, even if young lefty Ricky Romero was every bit as good for the visitors as his notices claimed. Deftly mixing 95mph heat with mid-eighties sliders and changes of pace, he kept the Yanks off balance once he escaped a messy first with some help from third base ump Marty Foster. Continue reading