Bronx, N.Y., July 22, 2010 — Six days ago, CC Sabathia got his first 2010 post-All Star start in Yankee Stadium, and he took the mound after an emotional ceremony honoring two fallen Yankee heroes. Thursday it was CC again, and yet another icon was lost, as the Stadium honored The Major, ex-Yankee player and Manager Ralph Houk, who passed away the day before at age 90. Continue reading
Turnabout Day
Bronx, N.Y., July 20, 2010 — Fans hearing that the Yankees and Angels evenly split 30 hits between them in a 10-6 Bombers victory might think they know what kind of game this was, and go looking for who knocked in all the runs. But this game had some strange twists, and frustrating moments and, before it was over another one of those “you don’t see that everyday” moments as well, one sure to bring a smile. Continue reading
More High Noon
Bronx, N.Y., July 18, 2010 — It wasn’t hard to get psyched about the rubber game of the three-game home series vs. the Rays in Yankee Stadium Sunday. It was a gorgeous day, particularly for those who could escape the unrelenting rays of a hot sun in heat-waved New York. And the matchup was classic: the home-standing wily veteran Andy Pettitte vs. upstart gunslinger David Price from out of town. Think Alan Ladd against quintessential bad guy Jack Palance in Shane, or any number of hotshot youngsters vs. Marshall Dillon in the long-running TV classic series Gunsmoke. Continue reading
Half a Yankee Doodle
Bronx, N.Y., July 17, 2010 — Day Two of the most emotional Yankee weekend in years unfolded under a hot sun in a largely cloudless sky Saturday afternoon. And following up on the right notes the team hit the night before, the Old Timers Day tribute to the 60th anniversary of the 1950 Championship team went off without a hitch, although the day was punctuated with mentions of the team’s recently fallen stars. Continue reading
The Yankees Find Their Focus
Bronx, N.Y., July 16, 2010 — Yankee fans were comforted in the first 15 minutes of the Friday night festivities that the team would get the scene and the sounds right as the organization prepares to play the season’s second half minus two of its icons. Cheered by the sights of Derek Jeter’s brief pregame speech, Mariano Rivera’s poignant presentation of flowers to home plate, and the images of the patches that honor long-time public address announcer Bob Sheppard and owner George Steinbrenner, they were also treated to a cathartic and poignant rendering of Taps, a stirring National Anthem, and the graceful gesture by Paul Oldin that no announcer would be calling out player names the first game after Mr. Sheppard’s passing. The Bleacher Creatures even went along by skipping the traditional Yankee roll call. But what wasn’t nearly as clear was, could the team shake off the All Star lull and all the emotional distractions and get the baseball right as well? Continue reading
What a Relief
Bronx, N.Y., July 16, 2010 — Yankee fans flocked to the Stadium Friday night for the first game after the All Star break, yes, but this year there were concerns that no home runs, no defensive picks, no dominating pitched innings would resolve. The Yankee family not only lost two of its most revered citizens in the last week, they did so two days apart. Bob Sheppard, the “voice of God,” left this earthly coil just a few months short of his 100th birthday. And two days later, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner succumbed to a heart attack about a week after his 80th birthday. Continue reading
In Memoriam
View From 420b
Bronx, N.Y., July 13, 2010 — For a few, George Steinbrenner was a bad guy from the beginning, but most in New York were happy with The Boss once the Yanks quickly won the AL pennant three times and the World Series twice, in 1977 and 1978. But people were crazed about things even then, among all the winning. Bringing in Catfish was a solid plus, but Reggie was disruptive from the outset, and signing high-priced but oft-injured arms like Don Gullet and Andy Messersmith caused lots of jealousy on an already solid staff. Continue reading
Swish, Switches and a Stretch
Bronx, N.Y., July 4, 2010 — The Yankees pulled out a 10-inning 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon, barely rescuing what has been a frustrating homestand and a nervous weekend. They salvaged a 2-1 series win, a must really when you consider that they were home to fourth-place Toronto, and that they had the lead in 20 of 30 innings in the three-game set. Combined with just one win in three against last-place in the West Seattle, they managed to escape the Bronx, despite a four-game stretch of delightful day baseball, with a 3-3 mark. Continue reading
A.J.’s Great, But…
Bronx, N.Y., July 2, 2010 — The concern in Yankee land had reached fever pitch by the time Friday’s game rolled around. What was up with A.J. Burnett? Would he ever win again? Even have a trouble-free first inning? June 2010 was without a doubt the worst month of his career. On a Yankee team built on its starting pitching, would titular starter number two ever right the ship? Continue reading
The CC Code
Bronx, N.Y., July 1, 2010 — There is no truth to the rumor that the Yankees are going to start discounting all their ticket prices because of the new phenomenon in the Bronx: the [well] under three-hour game. Seattle’s Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez dispatched the home team the last two days in 2:30 and 2:46, respectively, and CC Sabathia returned the favor Thursday afternoon in 2:33. The stocky lefthander shut down the Mariners on two hits over the first four frames. Continue reading