Bronx, N.Y., August 10, 2011 – The baseball headache hovering over the Bronx from Tuesday night’s loss dissipated in a hurry Wednesday. The skies over the ballpark were largely clear except for a smattering of purple clouds and a waxing moon, both looking like they had been painted by fifth graders – with evident style – and stuck up there with velcro. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., August 9, 2011 – The biggest upset in the Bronx on Tuesday night was that the Angels and Yanks started on time, played nine full innings, andd got no rain. But that was far from the thing(s) that caused the most upset. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 31, 2011 – Well, OK, I suppose we Yankee fans were being silly and presumptuous, expecting massive scoring breakouts after the thunderous double header sweep over the Orioles on Saturday. But on the other hand, who could blame us? After all, the unprecedented 12-run first-inning outburst Saturday night may have featured 10 hits, but even it started with a strike out of Captain Derek Jeter. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 30, 2011 – Ivan Nova’s called-strike, first-pitch fastball to Nolan Reimold to start the second inning of the nightcap half of the Orioles/Yankees day/night doubelheader in the Bronx on Saturday whispered over the outside corner at 8:08 p.m. This is significant because the young righty had started the first inning against shortstop J.J. Hardy in the same way – with a first-pitch fastball called strike – 61 minutes earlier. The 12-run explosion that all but decided game two of the double dip wasn’t only significant because it was the most run-productive opening inning in Yankee history. It also took one hour and one minute to complete. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 26, 2011 – The first game of the Yankees’ second century of 2011 games will be a hard one to top for in-the-ballpark excitement, and that holds true even though the game was twice interrupted by rain, one day after the 100th game was delayed by wet conditions for two hours. The Yankees’ home run tandem of Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira opened and closed the scoring in a 4-1 Yankee win with blasts that carried just far enough to count, and CC Sabathia flirted with history. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 25, 2011 – Another day, another big-time performance by a veteran Yankee pitcher. Monday night it was Freddy Garcia, following Bartolo Colon’s seven-inning, two-run stint by going two outs further and allowing one more run, although Freddy held the Mariners to just three hits and one run through six. Each hurler allowed but one walk, and Garcia bested Bart’s four strike outs by one. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 24, 2011 – The Yanks took the rubber game of their three-gamer with the A’s Sunday afternoon, prevailing in a way they could not the day before: They took a solid start from a vet and made it stand up. The Bombers couldn’t overcome the two-run third-inning homer off A.J. Burnett by Josh Willingham, coupled with the relentless bat of Hideki Matsui, on Saturday. But they achieved a 7-5 win this day despite an early two-run rally against Bartolo Colon, and the 5-for-5 day the 2009 World Series MVP threw at them. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 10, 2011 – For the second time in almost three years, I was invited to spend extra time in a Yankee Stadium on an unforgettable day on Saturday afternoon and, just as I had done in September 2008, I took full advantage. Smiling contentedly from the depths of my being listening to the father behind us explain how he and the family should book so they could beat the traffic, I had relaxed and listened to Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter explain just how special a day I had just experienced. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 9, 2011 – OK. I’m the happiest person, and Yankee fan, on the planet about now, and I can’t stop smiling. But the 5-4 Yankee win over the Tampa Rays Saturday afternoon, and Derek Jeter’s part in it, has me in a bit of a bind. I’m my Irish father’s son, and we don’t just celebrate our great days – we exaggerate them. As sure as the six-foot sub I served my family three decades ago zoomed to an incredible 25 feet, there’s some embellishment coming. But how to manage it? Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 7, 2011 – That’s about all there is to say coming off a lifeless – make that L I F E L E S S – 5-1 loss to the Tampa Rays in Yankee Stadium Thursday night. The Rays scored early, sneaking a bouncer past Mark Teixeira at first that he’ll catch nine out of 10 times, and Nick Swisher, whose right field play of late has been stellar, had trouble with the wall down the line for the second time in two weeks, and Ben Zobrist had a triple. Continue reading →