Bronx, N.Y., June 17, 2010 — Wednesday night in Yankee Stadium began with the uplifting Tuesday highlights when the team jumped on Philly ace Roy “Doc” Halladay for three home runs and six tallies in an 8-3 win. The Yanks had not only won four straight, the Scoreboard pregame show informed us, but nine in a row at home, a streak one game longer than any they put together in the magical 2009 championship season. Having dispatched the best the visitors had to offer, hard-throwing A.J. Burnett was to be paired against the relatively (in baseball years) ancient Jamie Moyer, who allowed nine runs while recording three outs his last time out. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 13, 2010 — Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, despite having a tough 1981 postseason with the Yankees, had a string of All Star seasons playing for the team, years where his numbers were comparable with those of any offensive star in the American League. Aside from his premier year in New York, the slugger posted 100-plus-rbi seasons six straight years, and in six of seven, before back surgery cost him the the 1989 season. It easily could have been eight straight too, except for what befell poor Dave in 1987. Continue reading →

Going for his 200th Yankee win, Andy Pettitte earned it by "pitching to daylight."

Bronx, N.Y., June 12, 2010 — Only the Yankees and their fans, with a considerable assist from the Sports Authority, could throw a party for Hall of Famer-to-be Mariano Rivera, and then put him to work on his own night. The sporting goods chain sponsored what was clearly this season’s most popular promotion in the Bronx, as a Rivera statuette was given to the first 18,000 early arrivals, at least the ones who were 21 and over. The fans may have had to show up a little early, but the ever-gracious Rivera not only put the finishing touches on his “party,” he did so by sending the happy fans home just 2:19 after the first pitch. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 3, 2010 — The Yanks trotted out a cavalcade of stars in beating Baltimore 9-1 Wednesday night. They scored early and often on the first night in a month where they could field a lineup anything like the one they assembled on the drawing board when designing their 2010 team. DH Nick Johnson won’t be back for some time, but the toughest thing about talking about an easy win the first day both Curtis Granderson and Jorge Posada were in the lineup is choosing a player to highlight. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 31, 2010 — The 18 hits and 11 runs in the boxscore notwithstanding, Andy Pettitte and Cleveland’s Mitch Talbot actually enjoyed a dandy pitching duel for much of Monday afternoon in Yankee Stadium. The 11-2 Memorial Day victory, which gave the Yanks a three-games-to-one win in the wraparound weekend series, actually stood at 2-1 Yanks entering the bottom of the seventh. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 30, 2010 — It was a shame that many Yankee fans approached today’s afternoon battle with the Indians in Yankee Stadium with trepidation. Despite the series of horrors that took place in the venue Saturday, fans attending this weekend need to be aware of what a rare treat we face, with three straight day games in the Bronx. The weatherman has cooperated through the first two, and at least on Sunday, attendees got to see a very good baseball game. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 29, 2010 — If you’re expecting to read a blow-by-blow account of how the Yankees managed to lose a home game against one of the game’s worst teams when they had a 9-3 lead after four innings, you may be disappointed. But on the other hand, that should put us a similar wavelength. I was there the whole time. I know from disappointment. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 19, 2010 — Twenty-four hours ago I was writing about the Yanks and Red Sox having played yet another four-hour game, yet another battle in which one team won in its last at bat. Admittedly, yesterday’s outcome thrilled me a great deal more, but I think both sides would admit that Tuesday’s 7-6 Boston victory featured teams trading critical mistakes more than rising to the occasion to emerge victorious. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 18, 2010 — More than 48,000 fans seemed to be having quite an exciting time watching the Red Sox and the Yankees renew their rivalry in the Bronx Monday night. They were duped obviously. No less an authority than veteran umpire “Country Joe” West knows his baseball (you’d hope), and he offered the words in the title for the two teams’ tendency to play long games. The playing time on this one not only exceeded three hours to finish a regulation nine, it ended up just 11 minutes short of four hours. The humanity! Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 16, 2010 — The Yanks already had a series win in their pocket when they took the field against the AL Central first-place Minnesota Twins Sunday afternoon, but that didn’t make the loss of the third game in the set any more palatable. The Bombers have been having their way with the Twins for a few years, and in particular at home wearing the Pinstripes where they had won 10 straight of these in the regular season, plus the two games in last year’s ALDS Continue reading →