Bronx, N.Y., September 30, 2004 — In so many ways it was an old-fashioned party in the Bronx Thursday night, as the Bombers clinched the AL East Division title for the seventh straight year, in the process guaranteeing themselves home field advantage throughout the coming playoffs. Unexpected sprinkles had dampened spirits early in the day, but although the announced humidity at game time was 100%, no rain fell on a cool night in New York. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., September 21, 2004 — The Yankees have been making a habit lately of dropping the first games of series, and then proving that that’s not such a bad thing more often than not by recovering to win the night(s) after. They evened up their series with the Blue Jays on Tuesday night with a 5-3 win on a gorgeous night in the Bronx. Although the Stadium was not packed to what has become the usual 50,000-plus total, the 36,675 in attendance seemed quite a lot when compared with the 10,000 who dotted the seats in the schedule-patched contest the night before. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., September 19, 2004 — The stage was set for the huge rubber game in the Bronx on Sunday afternoon. The two teams in first and second place atop the AL East were meeting in the third of three with a shot at first place on the line, and with a look to a possible rematch in the month of October. The roaring crowd of 55,153 matched Saturday’s total exactly, and pushed the series number of turnstile turners over 165,000, resulting in a season crowd Yankee record of 3,555,298. Continue reading →

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 →