Bronx, N.Y., April 6, 2015; Blue Jays 6, Yankees 1 — The Yankees and their fans awoke to a gorgeous sunny day Monday. It wasn’t actually warm, but weather featuring temps in the low 60s is better than we’ve come to expect for Opening Day of the baseball season in the Bronx in early April. Masahiro Tanaka was poised to take the start, and a mostly new infield was in place to help initiate a new Yankee era. Continue reading →

August 24, 2014, Bronx, N.Y. — A Yankee season in disrepair took another baby step toward redemption Sunday afternoon, as the “Bombers” took out the visiting White Sox, 7-4 in 10 innings, for a three-game sweep, and a barely acceptable 4-2 record on a homestand vs. two very challenged ballclubs. The win hardly leaves them looking pretty, but they’re in better shape than they were four days ago. Continue reading →

August 7, 2014, Bronx, N.Y. — After going 2-0, in effect, against three Detroit Cy Young winners in succession, relying on veteran hurlers, the Yanks hosted the Bengals in an even more tight, tense contest — if that’s possible — on a gorgeous Thursday afternoon today. But this time the home team handed the ball to 25-year-old rookie Shane Greene, taking on veteran Rick Porcello, 13-5 on the season, in Greene’s sixth major league start. Continue reading →

July 20, 2012, Bronx, N.Y. — It’s hard not to feel good about the three-game sweep of the Reds by the home-standing Yanks coming out of the All Star break, particularly in light of the five straight losses the team suffered to conclude their last home stand. Those losses, one uglier than the next, handed the “Bombers” a home mark five games under .500, their lowest standing in that respect in decades. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 27, 2014 — Yankee fans were doubly concerned as the team welcomed the rival Red Sox to town for the first of three Friday night. The 2014 season has been a struggle in the Bronx. The team’s infield defense has been weak, three starters have been disabled, and key offensive performers are having bad years. It’s enough problems to forget about the opponent. From the fan’s standpoint, the team is fighting their own shortcomings, trying to succeed in areas where they have often been failing all year. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 17, 2014 — Although to all reports, Masahiro Tanaka is delighted to be on a team with the great baseball history that the New York Yankees have, there is no way we can yet know how specifically he gets involved with the highlights that have taken place day by day over the years. What is clear, however, is that he is writing a whole new page in that history himself. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 5, 2014 — It seems a momentous occasion to report on a 2-1 Yankee victory to close a frustrating — but mercifully brief — homestand at 2-5 Thursday afternoon, but it was nothing special really. The Yanks benefited from stellar starting pitching, survived with a gutsy three-headed outing from their bullpen, and even though they failed to come up with enough offense to keep their two-runs-per-game output going, they achieved the number with a little help from the A’s. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 1, 2014 — The only classy thing to do following Sunday’s Yankee ninth-inning meltdown in a 7-2 loss to the visiting Twins is to give a tip of the cap to ex-Pinstriper Phil Hughes, who relied on his plus fastball to dominate the Yankees with 100 pitches through eight innings. One year ago on this day, Phil failed to survive the fifth inning in an 11-1 loss to the Red Sox in the Stadium, but his career has been reborn in Minnesota, and it is largely his work that has kept the Twins in the second-place mix in the AL Central behind the Tigers. Continue reading →

May 17, 2014, Bronx, N.Y. — If you’ve come across a highlight, or even were just in the South Bronx late Saturday afternoon, you heard the loud noises the Yankee offense made in battering the Buccos from Pittsburgh, 7-1. But don’t be fooled. The Yanks came out of this with a convincing win, but victory was far from assured midway through. Continue reading →