Bronx, N.Y., June 7, 2009 — When a team comes from behind to win late in games, the first place you tend to look at is the offense. And the Yankees did have some terrific at bats during their three-run eighth-inning rally in Sunday’s 4-3 win. But the game ball this day, and the “W,” goes to their veteran relief. Continue reading
Category Archives: Regular season
A Calamitous Carom
Bronx, N.Y., June 3, 2009 — The Yankees fell 4-2 to the Texas Rangers in Yankee Stadium Wednesday night, as the home team returned the honor of the American League’s best record that they had just wrested from Texas the night before. Young Scott Feldman outpitched veteran Andy Pettitte, but the second biggest upset to anyone in a rain-soaked Bronx an hour before first pitch is that they played at all. Continue reading
‘Close’ Fences Make Good Neighbors
Bronx, N.Y., May 22, 2009 — It didn’t take the Phillies long to come up with a first impression of the new Yankee Stadium. A.J. Burnett’s first-pitch fastball to Jimmy Rollins at 7:09 landed several rows back in the right field stands before the clock advanced to 7:10. True, the next pitch that hit Chase Utley didn’t seem nearly as neighborly, but once Phillie righty Brett Myers threw his second pitch behind Derek Jeter 10 or so minutes later and both benches were warned, the new place became downright civil yet again. Continue reading
First Base Steps Forward
Bronx, N.Y., May 18, 2009 — Ever since Donald Arthur Mattingly called it quits once his team finally reached the playoffs after years of meritorious service, first base may have supplanted center field as the position to fill on the Yankees. Both Tino Martinez and Jason Giambi initially struggled under that mantle’s weight until each secured a spot for themselves with early-season grand slam home runs. Mark Teixeira has battled through a tough stretch with this early as well, but he has broken the mold. It’s hard to point to one particular at bat, one defensive play, one individual game where Tex overcame his struggles. But make no mistake, he has arrived on the star stage. Continue reading
The Damon Deck
Bronx, N.Y., May 17, 2009 — So how is the new Yankee Palace going to play as the season unfolds? Will balls continue to fly out in right center as the months grow warm, then hot, and the winds grow still? Will the team warm to the new Stadium and regularly win here, or lose too often, as had been the case before their recently begun homestand? Patterns emerge over time, and trends need to be verified through game after game. But at least for the time being Johnny Damon has snagged onto the second deck in right field as his preferred depository for his home runs. Continue reading
Less (Pitches) = More
Bronx, N.Y., May 16, 2009 — Agonizing through an endless top of the eighth inning Saturday afternoon, I was thinking about one of the earliest games some kids play in their baseball-learning process. “Bombs away” is the way I and a string of nieces and nephews refer to the game that came to mind, a pastime that has the player(s) located near a convenient stream, river, pond, lake, or even bigger body of water. A partaker picks up a rock, stone, shell, stick, or some other object and tosses it in the water while yelling “Bombs away!” Artistes sometimes go for flourishes such as skipping stones, but really, the splash is the hoped-for (and almost always achieved) outcome. A big spash is a crowd pleaser, but bottom line, this game is about quantity, not quality. The more you can throw, resulting in more splashes, the better. Continue reading
A Lame Loss
Bronx, N.Y., May 5, 2009 — Of all the negatives that could and will come out of yet another Yankee loss to the Red Sox Tuesday night, one argument will be no closer to being settled. Should Joba start or should he relieve was a beside-the-point calculation in this one, because the 21 pitches the Red Sox punished for five hits and four runs starting the game were poor-quality pitches. The mounting losses point to several Yankee season-long concerns, like a devastated bullpen, their two most expensive free-agent signees stumbling badly out of the box, a weak bench, and an offense that seems always to be waiting for a long ball to score the next run. Continue reading
Mayday Mayhem
Bronx, N.Y., May 1, 2009 — Friday night was not a gorgeous night. And despite a quick 4-0 Yankee lead in the first inning in Yankee stadium, it hardly featured a classic game. The four-run outburst was achieved on just two hits, with a huge assist from Anaheim (sorry, one city mention per team is my rule) righty Jered Weaver, who walked the first two batters he faced. A fielder’s choice, sac fly, single, and homer (Jorge Posada) followed, and the Yanks had a nice lead. Continue reading
The Melkman Cometh, Twice
Bronx, N.Y., April 22, 2009 — The Yanks and A’s played two games, really, in cold, wet Yankee Stadium Wednesday afternoon. In the first one, the Yanks followed the seventh-inning stretch by getting their 14th and 15th hits of the game, but failed to add to their seven runs with bases loaded and no one out. Melky Cabrera came up short in the key at bat. Fortunately, there was a 14th-inning stretch seven frames later. Over the ensuing innings the home team’s impressive hit total went up by just one. But after the second stretch, Melky responded much more positively. Continue reading
Yanks Struggle Together, and Win
Bronx, N.Y., April 19, 2009 — We shouldn’t be surprised that the new Yankee Stadium outfield wall was involved in a 2009 home-run call review so early in its first stand, in its fourth game. The new Palace has been experiencing firsts since it opened with home runs smacking both foul poles in an exhibition against the Cubs. That one worked well for the home team, even if it was meaningless, but the many scoring records surpassed, tied, or threatened Saturday afternoon weren’t nearly as welcome. The bunches of home runs have been a mixed bag, good at first, but again, not on Saturday. Not Sunday either, to start with. Continue reading