Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The Rivalry Still Lives

The Red Sox may have won the 2004 World Series after sweeping the Yankees down 0-3 in the Championship Series, but the rivalry still lives. I present to you, fuel for the fire.



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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 12:18 AM 0 Heckles

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Ode to A-Rod

We all know that third baseman Alex Rodriguez had a horrible year. Here is a short video "highlighting" his season.



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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 11:52 PM 2 Heckles

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Founding Fathers

Today I present a montage of former Yankees who brought the glory of what is now Yankees baseball. From Ruth to Maris, a memory of what has passed.



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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 3:06 AM 0 Heckles

Get Ready for Next Year

For the next week, I will be posting a new Yankees video for your enjoyment. Today I present a couple vidoes to raise our spirits and to start getting ready for next year, a new quest for 27.






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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 2:29 AM 0 Heckles

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Jeter Takes Home Hank Aaron Award

The Hank Aaron Award is named after baseball's all-time home run king, but this year's American League recipient took a different approach during his spectacular season. Derek Jeter may have only hit 14 home runs, but the rest of his numbers helped him become the first Yankees player to capture the annual honor that goes to the outstanding offensive performer in each league.
Jeter ranked second in the American League with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored, fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases. Jeter also drove in 97 runs out of the No. 2 spot in New York's lineup.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jeter became just the fifth player in the past 75 seasons to hit .340 or higher, drive in at least 90 runs and steal 30 or more bases in the same season. The others were Larry Walker (1997), Ellis Burks (1996), Willie Mays (1958) and Jackie Robinson (1949).
"It's nice any time you can have your name mentioned with Hank Aaron," Jeter said earlier this season, when he was informed he was a nominee.
More than 250,000 votes were cast on MLB.com during the final phase of voting. Jeter received 29,275 votes, or 37 percent of the votes among the six American League finalists. Jeter, who beat out Vladimir Guerrero, Travis Hafner, David Ortiz, Justin Morneau and Paul Konerko, also is one of the leading candidates for the AL Most Valuable Player Award, which will be announced on Nov. 21. The Phillies' Ryan Howard is the National League winner of the Aaron Award.
"Derek Jeter, to me, has demonstrated that he is not only a man that the Yankees can depend on winning a championship year in and year out, but he has carried this a little bit further because he has done so many great things off the field," Aaron said at Wednesday's award announcement at Busch Stadium in St. Louis prior to Game 4 of the World Series.
"I think this award means much more than just presenting an award to two great players. I think that you, more than anybody, have realized that what you do on the field means little of nothing to what you do off the field. And you have carried yourself that way."
Commissioner Bud Selig was equal in his praise of Jeter.
"I haven't had the privilege to know Ryan as well as I've known Derek, but what Hank said I'm sure is true about Ryan -- Derek Jeter is the kind of player, frankly, that makes you proud to be the commissioner of baseball. Congratulations," Selig said.
In accepting his award, Jeter thanked CENTURY 21 for its support, then he recalled his first meeting with Aaron.
"In '99 we had the All-Star Game in Boston, that was the first time I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Aaron," Jeter said, "and the thing that stuck out with me, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'I was looking for you.'
"What he stands for, like the commissioner said, not only on the field but away from the field, how he carries himself, he's second to none. This award, I thank everyone that voted for me. I sort of feel out of place. With Hank Aaron, the first thing that comes to mind is home runs. Ryan Howard the same thing. So when people said what award I was going to win, I stuck my chest out, and I said, 'You know, the Hank Aaron Award. What do you think?'
"Thank you very much. It's an honor and privilege for me to be here, and I really appreciate it."
Since 1999, the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record, Major League Baseball has recognized the best offensive performer from each league with the Hank Aaron Award presented by Century 21.
Past recipients include Barry Bonds (three times), Alex Rodriguez (three times), Manny Ramirez (twice), Albert Pujols, Todd Helton, Sammy Sosa and Carlos Delgado. Last year's winners, selected via balloting during the regular season's final month on MLB.com, were Boston's Ortiz and Atlanta's Andruw Jones.


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 10:43 PM 0 Heckles

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Rivera Wins DHL Award...Again


At the current pace, the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award may eventually be renamed after Mariano Rivera.
That's because the Yankees closer picked up the honor for the second time in the award's two-year history, beating out nine of the best relievers in baseball.
The Delivery Man of the Year Award is officially sanctioned by Major League Baseball, recognizing the most outstanding relief pitcher of the season as voted on by the fans. From Sept. 25 through Oct. 9, fans cast nearly 90,000 votes for the award on MLB.com.
Rivera, who garnered 18,559 votes, helped the Yankees win their ninth consecutive American League East Division title by saving 34 games in 37 opportunities. He finished the year with a 1.80 ERA, striking out 55 batters and allowing 61 hits over 75 innings pitched.
In recognition of this honor, DHL will donate $15,000 in Rivera's name to the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program, an MLB youth-outreach initiative designed to increase participation and interest in baseball, encourage academic participation and achievement and promote greater inclusion of minorities into the mainstream of the game of baseball.
The eight-time All-Star also earned the save in the American League's 3-2 win in the 77th All-Star Game. The save was Rivera's third in the Midsummer Classic, tying him with Dennis Eckersley for the most in Major League history.
Rivera posted solid numbers both on the road and at Yankee Stadium, where he converted all 20 of his save chances with a minuscule 1.51 ERA in 32 games. In 31 games away from the Bronx, Rivera struck out 31 batters while walking just four.
If there were any question as to how important Rivera is to the Yankees, it was answered during the first three weeks of September, when Rivera sat out with a mild muscle strain in his right forearm. The Yankees mixed and matched out of the bullpen, using Kyle Farnsworth as the primary closer -- and causing many stressful moments for manager Joe Torre.
"I think we all take 'Mo' for granted," Torre said. "When he's not available to you, if we didn't have the sizeable lead we had, there would have been a lot more uncomfortable nights in that dugout."
This season, Rivera became just the fourth reliever in history to compile 400 saves, reaching the milestone on July 16 against the White Sox. Rivera is the only one of the four 400-save members (Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and John Franco are the others) to record all of his saves with one franchise.
"Personally, I think it's a great number for a reliever," Rivera said. "I never thought I would be talking about getting close to 400 saves, especially with one team. It's amazing. Without my teammates, I couldn't have accomplished anything."
Rivera's 413 career saves are the most ever in the AL, ranking him fourth on the all-time list. He also holds the records for most postseason saves (34) and appearances (73), posting a minuscule 0.80 ERA in the playoffs over his career.
"Mo has done things that nobody else in the history of the game has done," said Derek Jeter. "We wouldn't have the success we've had without him. Only a few teams in history have had the luxury of having someone they can count on every single day. He's been pretty much automatic."
Rivera beat out San Diego's Hoffman, Chicago's Bobby Jenks, Minnesota's Joe Nathan, Boston's Jonathan Papelbon, the Angels' Francisco Rodriguez, Toronto's B.J. Ryan, the Mets' Billy Wagner, Seattle's J.J. Putz and Detroit's Joel Zumaya for the award.
To create the ballot, an initial list of 15 relievers was compiled by the editorial board of MLB.com. The 10 finalists were chosen from this list of nominees by a special "yellow-ribbon" panel consisting of newly inducted Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter; former manager/player Lou Piniella, Mike Bauman, national columnist for MLB.com; Jerome Holtzman, the official MLB historian and a member of the writer's wing of the Hall of Fame; and Bob Watson, MLB's vice president, on-field operations.
Throughout the season, the panel also selected the monthly Delivery Man of the Month Award, which went to Papelbon (April), Jason Isringhausen (May), Jenks (June), Nathan (July), Rodriguez (August) and Hoffman (September).


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 1:14 PM 0 Heckles

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Yankees Injuries 2006

In alphabetical order:

Miguel Cairo:
-(8 Aug)
Left hamstring strain, 15-day

Robinson Cano:
-(27 June)
Left hamstring strain, 15-day

Shawn Chacon:
-(21 May)
Left leg hematoma, 15-day

Bubba Crosby:
-(21 May)
Right hamstring strain, 15-day

Octavio Dotel:
-Started season on DL, 15-day

Hideki Matsui:
(12 May)
Left wrist fracture, 15-day

Mike Mussina:
(23 Aug)
Unknown, 15-day

Carl Pavano:
-Started season on DL, 15-day
(5 Sept)
Transferred to 60-day

Andy Phillips:
-(18 Aug)
Left rib muscle strain, 15-day

Darrell Rasner:
-(6 June)
Right shoulder discomfort, 15-day
(14 July)
Transferred to 60-day

Gary Sheffield:
-(9 May)
Left hand contusion, 15-day
-(1 June)
Left wrist injury, 15-day

Aaron Small:
-Started season on DL, 15-day

Tanyon Sturtze:
-(13 May)
Right shoulder sore, 15-day
(26 May)
Trasferred to 60-day


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 12:48 AM 0 Heckles

Sunday, October 15, 2006

A Letter to my (dead) Wife

You think I don't know? You think I am that stupid not to realize your ways?
Think again bitch. I know everything, and it will haunt you come divorce time.
I know what you did after three months of marriage.
I know the lies you told, and the guys you fucked. How? I have confessions and I have statements catching you in the act.
I know about the guy across the street. He told me everything before bashing you.
I know about the guy serving in Iraq. May he be the only one killed. How do I know, the e-mails you sent him and the defense fight you tried.
I know about your ex. May he kill you. Wether it be by physical abuse or drugs.
How do I know about your ex? Your friends, who by the way, are also my friends, and they have desency and respect relationships.
You were complaining about your friend being cheated on? Looks whos fucking talking.
Three guys at three different times.
I may not be very outgoing, but the ones I know have all the info I need about you.
And guess what else I have? All of you possessions except your clothes. You can get them back if you want, but make sure your the highest bidder on eBay.
All the proceeds from your shit will fund the divorce.

So before you start thinking that I am some retard that doesn't know anything, think again, I know more than you think. I know so much shit, that it's scary, even to lawyers.

Go ahead and tell mommy and daddy what a terrible person I am. After they find out about all this, I don't think you will have a mommy or daddy to go back to.
I will not support you, because I believe it's illegal to support a drug habit.
Which brings me to the next topic.
Of all the guys to fuck and go back with, why do you choose some one that got you into drugs, that nearly crushed your throat, that fractured your tailbone, and that shot BB's and paintballs at his dog AND daughter of seven years?
I mean, does that make any sense to go from a great life that I offered you, to a life of abuse and drugs?
But then again you have no clue about the world and have never grown up.

I always wondered why you got so defensive when I asked if you were cheating on me, but now all my questions about you are solved.
You are a drug-addicted slut who needs nothing in life than sex and whoring online. You are a terrible wife and a horrible mother. If I was your father, I would be ashamed to call you my own.
You have a son, three years old now. Ever since I took him under my wing, he learned a lot. He started watching education children programs, he started talking and forming sentences, he even started showing compassion and respect. But that's what I taught him. From what I know, your teachings would be how to combine ammonia and sudafed to create a wonder drug called meth and he will go down the same path as you.
So enjoy being a slut, enjoy being abused, and if you need money, prostitute for it, your already doing it for free, might as well make money off it.
Don't call me, don't e-mail me, don't even fucking think about me. You are dead to me and always will be.
Oh, one last thing, stay away from Long Island, your type is not accepted here, and I have the whole world behind me. The last thing you will get is a paper with the words divorce decree on it.
Enjoy your pathetic life, I hope you die soon so the world can be a better place.

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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 9:42 PM 7 Heckles

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Cory Lidle, Dead

Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle died in an airplane accident in New York City on Wednesday afternoon when a plane he was piloting crashed into a 50-story building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Reports indicated that the plane took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey at 2:21 p.m. ET, crashing into the 40th floor of the East 72nd Street building roughly 15 minutes later.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that two people on the plane were killed, but nobody in the building or on the street died in the accident. The second victim was Tyler Stanger, the instructor who taught Lidle to fly last winter.

Over the weekend in Detroit, Lidle discussed his flight plan with teammates. Yankees outfielder Aaron Guiel said Wednesday that Lidle planned to take the cross-country trip with Stanger.

"This is a terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire Yankees organization," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "I offer my deep condolences and prayers to his wife, Melanie, and son, Christopher, on their enormous loss."

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig echoed such sentiments.

"All of baseball is shocked and terribly saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of Cory Lidle," Commissioner Selig said. "Cory was only 34 years old and had played in the Major Leagues for nine seasons with seven different clubs. He leaves a young wife, Melanie, and a young son, Christopher. Our hearts go out to them on this terrible day."

The single-engine plane, a Cirrus SR20, was purchased by Lidle last offseason for $187,000 after he earned his pilot's license.

Lidle, whose team was eliminated from postseason play on Saturday by the Detroit Tigers, told reporters on Sunday that he planned to fly home to California on Wednesday. He said it would take roughly 15 hours of flying time, though he planned on stopping at least twice, including stops in Tennessee and Arizona. He was scheduled to arrive in Southern California by Saturday.

Initially, the crash sparked fears throughout New York, as the accident occurred just a few miles north of the World Trade Center. The FBI and the Dept. of Homeland Security quickly said there was no evidence it was anything but an accident. Nevertheless, within 10 minutes of the crash, fighter jets were over several cities, including New York, Washington, Detroit, Los Angeles and Seattle, Pentagon officials said.

Within an hour or so, word began to spread that Lidle was involved.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman learned of the accident shortly after 4 p.m., and he said the news "seemed to get worse" as each call came in regarding the situation.

"I enjoyed talking to him. I saw him in chess matches all the time with other guys," Cashman said Wednesday night. "He was a competitive pitcher both here and elsewhere. He just seemed like a good guy."

Cashman said that Lidle's wife, Melanie, was on a commercial flight headed for California and was not on board Lidle's plane. She landed at Los Angeles International Airport shortly before 9 p.m. ET and was informed of Lidle's passing.

"I'm still in deep shock," Cashman said. "It's very hard to believe."

"This is a terrible shock," Yankees manager Joe Torre said in a statement. "I was with Ron Guidry and Lee Mazzilli when I heard the news, and we were just stunned. Cory's time with the Yankees was short, but he was a good teammate and a great competitor. My heart goes out to his family."

Kevin Lidle, Cory's twin brother, said on CNN's "Larry King Live" that he had spoken to their parents, who were "obviously having a tough time."


"But what can you do? Somehow you hang in there and you get through it," Kevin said. "I've had a lot of calls from friends and family, people calling and crying. And they've released some emotions, and I haven't done that yet. I don't know -- I guess I'm in some kind of state of shock."

Mary Varela, Lidle's mother-in-law, told reporters outside Lidle's Glendora, Calif., home that Melanie Lidle wasn't home and they weren't certain if she knew about the crash.

"This is a tragedy for everybody involved," a teary-eyed Varela said.

Lidle's agent, Jordan Feagan, told Newsday he was told by the Yankees that Lidle was among the fatalities in the crash.

"He wasn't just my client," Feagan said. "He was probably my closest friend."

FAA records showed the plane was registered to Lidle, an FBI official said, and FBI reports show that Lidle's passport was found at the scene.

FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said the plane was apparently not in contact with air traffic controllers. Pilots flying small planes by sight are not required to be in contact.

ABC News reported Wednesday that after Lidle's plane departed Teterboro, it took a normal flight pattern down the Hudson River, appeared to have circled the Statue of Liberty, then headed up the East River. Guiel said he thought Lidle may have been flying toward Yankee Stadium to take one more look at the ballpark before heading west.

The plane fell off the radar at about 59th Street. The apartment the plane crashed into was the entire 40th floor of the building, and it appears two other apartments on the 41st floor suffered from the impact. Mets third-base coach Manny Acta is a resident of the building, called The Belaire, which was built in the late 1980s and has 183 apartments.

The FAA said it was too early to determine what might have caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators.

Lidle's interest in flying was examined in a New York Times story on Sept. 8. In that article, Lidle discussed the safety issues regarding the plane.

"The whole plane has a parachute on it," Lidle told the Times. "Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the one percent that do usually land it. But if you're up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly."

Lidle also talked about the airplane's safety in an interview with MLB.com in February.

"If you're 7,000 feet in the air and your engine stops, you can glide for 20 minutes," Lidle said at the time. "As long as you're careful, everything should be fine."

There have been several fatal plane crashes involving Major League players, the two most famous being the one that killed Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in 1972, and the one in which Yankees captain Thurman Munson died in 1979.

Lidle, a right-hander, was acquired by the Yankees from the Philadelphia Phillies on July 30 in a trade that also brought right fielder Bobby Abreu to New York. Lidle went 4-3 with a 5.16 ERA in 10 games, nine of them starts, for the Yankees.

Lidle also pitched for the Mets, Devil Rays, A's, Blue Jays and Reds. He played in all or parts of nine Major League seasons and had a career record of 82-72.

Donald Fehr, executive director of the MLB Players Association, issued a statement after learning of the news.

"We were very shocked and saddened to learn of the fatal plane crash involving Cory Lidle," Fehr said, "and our thoughts and prayers go out to Cory's family and friends, and to the families and friends of others killed or injured in this terrible accident."

"The Phillies family is extremely saddened by the tragic news involving Cory Lidle," Phillies president David Montgomery said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are extended to his wife, Melanie, son, Christopher, and those families who were affected by the terrible incident in New York."

Yankees captain Derek Jeter added in statement: "I am shocked by this devastating news. Spending the last few months as Cory's teammate, I came to know him as a great man. While he was known as a baseball player, he was, more importantly, a husband and father and, at a time like this, I want to share my deepest sympathies with his wife, Melanie, his son, Christopher, and all those who know and loved him."


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 12:27 PM 0 Heckles

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

CHEATED

This is for all the guys and girls that have been cheated on, boy do I have a story for you.

Ok, I got married back in February this year and thought that I would have a great marriage. My wife just got out of an abusive relationship that involved a trip to the ER and drug abuse.

Mistake 1 - Bad history.

We got married after only one month of knowing each other.

Mistake 2 - To soon

After about a month or so after marriage, she got her kid back form her abusive ex boyfriend and almost got into a fight with the house sitter. That itself isn't much of a mistake because I gladly accepted her child as mine. Good thing I never adopted him.
So, a couple months pass by and she starts spending late night hours on the internet.

Mistake 3 - Poor habits.

About four months into our marriage, I check her email and see a letter she wrote to her exhusband saying that she wants to be part of his family again.

Mistake 4 - Forgiving her.

We get into a huge fight that I eventually gave up on because she did not want to talk about it.

Mistake 5 - secrets.

I let it go by. So then she starts going to the gym for no reason; she was a very petite girl and did not need to work out.

Mistake 6 - the first sign of an affair

So then another month goes by and she starts chatting with guys in the late hours while I was sleeping.

Mistake 7 - the second sign of an affair.

Last month I see a bunch of emails that were sexually explicit to a guy stationed in Iraq.

Mistae 8 - there is defiently somehting going on, and it's not with just one person.

So, we get into a huge fight one night because she claimed to be out of gas in a city about 1.5 hours away and had to ask for gas money. Apparently she got enough gas to come back with over a half a tank full. ALSO, she gave me a call midnight before that event and told me she was tired after waking up from a nap while she was visiting her ex with her kid.

Mistake 9 - Defiently cheating with a third guy.

She comes back , we fight and I finally kickeed her out of the house.

Mistake 10 - wait, this isn't a mistake, I finally opened my eyes.

Now I am finding out a lot of shit that she did while we were married. She cheated on my through the emails as explained above, she cheated on me with a random guy she knew from high school three months into our marriage and took off the wedding rings, and she cheated on me as I headed to Illinios. That's three guys in a span of six months.

What the fuck am I, flavor of the fucking month!?!? I can't believe I put all this trust in here only for her to shit on me. I did nothing wrong in the marriage and the only reason why I checked her emails is because I started suspecting things. And I have a right to know is she is having [multiple] affairs behind my back.
But here is what I did...

...I threw her out of the apartment, packed up all her belongings, well, most of them, and when they arrive in New York where I will be waiting, I will throw them all away. I will not support her financially because she does not deserve it. I guess I did the right thing and got lazy because I never added her to my bank account, I neve adopted her kid, and I never gave her health insurance. Her teeth are rotted away from her past drug use and her tail bone is fractured from an abusive ex.
But thats not all. Let me explain the guy she was with before we got married. He is a child abuser (shot his daughter with paintball and BB guns, and neglected her after school to th epoint where the sun had set and she was still waiting for her dad. He is an animal abuser because he hit his pet dog over and over again with a lead pipe and got shot at by paintballs and BB guns. He is a spouse abuser because when she was with his, he chocked her, fractured her tailbone, and forced her to labor with cooking and cleaning. And finally he is a drug abuser. He owns a meth lab, nuff said.
Ok, she goes to a club with her other friends, but instead of coming back with them, she stays with her ex, and undoubtably, fucks him.
This is the ex that I was just talking about.
The day I left the apartment, I left a nasty letter basically telling her to fuck off. She did just that, she fucked some one in my apartment.

Why am I telling you all this? I want the world to know that people like her exist and to watch out for them. If you even suspect infidelity, then beware. I got screwed over three times by three different guys, all in a span of six months. And I highly suspect there is more. So beware, learn from my nine mistakes, and solve it before you reach mistake one.
Apparently my soon to be exwife cannot be in a relationship, but more of a free fuck.

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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 12:46 AM 2 Heckles

Monday, October 09, 2006

Sox Fans

So, I am walking in downtown Chicago minding my own business and talking with a friend of mine until a biker rode by me. Apparently it was a Red Sox fan, and our conversation went like this:

Sox fan: "Fuck the Yankees!"
Me: "Fuck the Sox!"
Sox fan: "Fuck you!"
Me: "Fuck you!"
Then he rode off into the crowd and disappeared like any other Red Sox fan.

Short and quick to the point.

I know this conversation was unintelligent and not though out, but that's how Sox fans like to be. For me, that's all I could come up with a pussy riding away on a bike afraid to confront their mortal enemies.

Goes to show you that these fans are everywhere and Yankees fans need to always be on their toes. For me, I am always ready to confront any Red Sox fans.

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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 8:22 PM 1 Heckles

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Quest for 27: FAILED

The flight from Detroit was a quiet and subdued one for the Yankees as they took their last trip as a team this season. All most could do in the short time was wonder how -- despite the best record in the American League -- the Bronx Bombers could find themselves on the short end of a short Divisional Series with the Wild Card Detroit Tigers.

"I think we got taken by surprise, got matched up with a team that was a little more ready to play than we were," said right-hander Corey Lidle, who struggled in his effort to relieve Jaret Wright in Saturday's Game 4, allowing three runs and four hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work.

"We were all pretty surprised how not ready we were for that series. I don't think we took the Tigers for granted. I just think they were up for it more than we were."

Most predicted the Yankees would be the better team, considering New York clinched the division with 10 days to go while the Tigers closed out their regular season losing three straight at home to Kansas City and fell into the Wild Card spot.

Yet it was that scenario, Lidle believes, that had Detroit playing with more attention and energy.

"They were fighting tooth and nail to the last game of the season, and we clinched pretty early," said Lidle, acquired from Philadelphia on July 30 along with outfielder Bobby Abreu. "Maybe we were just in cruise control a little too much."

Lidle was one of several players and coaches returning to Yankee Stadium on Sunday for the final time in 2006 to clear out their belongings as they prepare for another offseason -- a winter loaded with questions and changes.

"It's not so much as you're sad, it's that you're disappointed," pitching coach Ron Guidry said. "We really had a better team than what we showed. It didn't work. What I'm thinking about as I watch the whole thing unfold is good pitching usually offsets good hitting. The guys from Detroit just shut our guys down. That's what the game's all about."

After scoring a Major League-best 930 runs in the regular season and hitting 210 home runs (second in the American League), the Yankees lineup batted just .246 against the Tigers and managed just 14 runs in the four-game series -- eight of those coming in the first game.

The Tigers, meanwhile, batted .309 against Yankees pitching, which posted a 5.56 ERA in the playoffs and lost three straight games to close out the series.

"Guys were certainly frustrated and disappointed at the outcome of the last three games," Andy Phillips said.

"Guys are certainly disappointed they didn't give a better showing and we didn't accomplish what we set out to accomplish." Said Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in a statement: "I am deeply disappointed at our being eliminated so early in the playoffs. This result is absolutely not acceptable to me nor to our great and loyal Yankee fans. I want to congratulate the Detroit Tigers organization and wish them well. Rest assured, we will go back to work immediately and try to right this sad failure and provide a championship for the Yankees, as is our goal every year."

While the Yankees' goal is to win the World Series, it's an event the Yankees haven't been to since 2003 and haven't won since the Subway Series against the Mets in 2000.

"You definitely feel like the team could have done a lot better. We'll just get ready for next year and hopefully go all the way," reliever Scott Proctor said. "I think we had a great team this year, it's just the Tigers got hot at the right time and we were kind of struggling."

Other Yankees who came in Sunday to clean out their lockers were Kyle Farnsworth, Sal Fasano, Craig Wilson and Chien-Ming Wang, who will spend the next few weeks in New York before returning to his native Taiwan.

Bench coach Tony Pena and bullpen coach Joe Kerrigan also gathered their belongings, along with Guidry.

The Yankees, to a man, were certainly upset at the way the season ended.

Many, however, took solace in the silver lining of winning their ninth straight division title despite a slew of injuries. The Yankees lost left fielder Hideki Matsui and right fielder Gary Sheffield to wrist surgery for four months each. They were without the services of starter Carl Pavano due to a variety of strange injuries. The Yankees also had to deal with injuries to first baseman Jason Giambi (wrist) and closer Mariano Rivera (forearm).

Still, the Yankees managed to go to Boston in mid-August and sweep a five-game series from the Red Sox to all but clinch the division.

The season reminded Guidry of what he and his teammates went through in 1978, when the Yankees trailed the Red Sox but caught up in the second half only when they overcame several injuries and finally got their full lineup together midway through the season.

"We just didn't show the team that we really had," the first-year coach said of the 2006 Yankees in the postseason. "And from what we went through all year -- really battling throughout the year with young kids, patching up the pitching staff -- to win whatever we won, it was a great job on what the team did. It's just unfortunate we didn't get to proceed and meet our goals. "I'd like another chance to [coach]. There are some things we need to concentrate on to make it a better club. I hope I'm given a chance to say a few things about [that]."


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 8:36 PM 0 Heckles

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

2006 ALDS Yankees vs Tigers Game 1

The 9-time AL East champions take on the AL Wild Card team in the 2006 American League Division Series to determine who advances to the League Championship where they will battle for the pennant.

INNING 1
Tigers Batting
Chein-Ming Wang pitching


Curtis Granderson batting: foul, foul, ball, foul, fly out to left field
Placido Polanco batting: ball, ball, ground out pitcher -> first
Sean Casey batting: strike looking, ground out second -> first
Yankees 0, Tigers 0

Yankees Batting
Nate Robertson pitching


Johnny Damon batting: ball, strike looking, ground out second -> first
Derek Jeter batting: foul, base hit to left
Bobby Abreu batting:
ball, strike looking, ground into fielders choice, Jeter out at second
Gary Sheffield batting: strike looking, ball, ball, ball, foul, fly out to center
Yankees 0, Tigers 0


INNING 2
Tigers batting
Wang pitching


Magglio Ordonez batting: strike swinging, double off the left-center wall
Carlos Guillen batting: ball blocked in dirt, ball, ball, foul, foul, walk
Ivan Rodriguez batting: ball (show bunt), strike swinging, Ordonez caught stealing third (1-2-5), strike swinging, ball, strike out swinging
Craig Monroe batting: ground out shortstop -> first
Yankees 0, Tigers 0

Yankees batting
Robertson pitching


Jason Giambi batting: hit by pitch
Alex Rodriguez batting:
strike looking, ball, ball blocked in dirt, strike looking, ball, foul, foul, line out to second
Hideki Matsui batting: pop out to left
Jorge Posada batting: foul, base hit to left center, Giambi to second
Robinson Cano batting: ground out third -> first
Yankees 0, Tigers 0

INNING 3
Tigers batting
Wang pitching

Marcus Thames batting: foul, foul, double down left field line
Brandon Inge batting: pulled bunt strike, foul, ground out third -> first
Granderson batting: strike looking, ball, base hit to right, Thames to third
Polanco batting: pick off attempt (safe), ball, ground into double play, shortstop -> second -> first, Granderson out at second
Yankees 0, Tigers 0


Yankees batting
Robertson pitching


Damon batting: strike looking, pulled bunt ball, ball, foul, infield hit (pitcher tumbles at field attempt)
Jeter batting: strike looking, pick off attempt (safe), strike swinging, ball, ball, ball, double to left center, Damon to third
Abreu batting:
check strike, ball, fly ball double to right center, Damon scores, Jeter scores
Sheffield batting: base hit to right center, Abreu scores
Giambi batting: pick off attempt (safe), strike looking, strike looking, pick off attempt (safe), ball, foul, foul, HOME RUN, Sheffield scores
Rodriguez batting: ball, base hit to left
Matsui batting: ball, check strike, fly out to left center
Posada batting: pick off attempt (safe), ball, ball, ball, fly out to right
Cano batting: strike looking, fly out to left
Yankees 5, Tigers 0

INNING 4
Tigers batting
Wang pitching


Casey batting: strike swinging, strike swinging, ball, fly out to left center
Ordonez batting: pop out to right
Giullen batting: strike looking, ball, double down left field line
Rodriguez batting: strike swinging, strike swinging, foul, ball, ball, foul, strike out swinging
Yankees 5, Tigers 0

Yankees batting
Robertson pitching


Damon batting: strike looking, fly out to left center
Jeter batting: base hit to right
Abreu batting:
ball, ball, strike looking, ball, Jeter caught stealing in rundown, fly out to left
Yankees 5, Tigers 0

INNING 5
Tigers batting
Wang pitching


Monroe batting: ball, strike swinging, ball, HOME RUN
Thames batting: check strike, ball, ball, ground out shortstop -> first
Inge batting: base hit to right
Granderson batting: strike swinging, ball, fly out to left
Polanco batting: ball, fly double down right field line, Inge scores
Casey batting: ball, base hit to left center, Polanco scores
Ordonez batting: strike looking, ball blocked in dirt, foul, (great catch by right field ball boy), strike out swinging
Yankees 5, Tigers 3


Yankees batting
Robertson pitching


Sheffield batting: ball, ball, strike looking, ball, pop out to deep second
Giambi batting: strike looking, ball, foul, hit by pitch
Rodriguez batting:
strike looking, strike swinging, ball, strike out looking
Matsui batting: foul, ball, foul, ball (Giambi steals second), ground out pitcher -> first
Yankees 5, Tigers 3

INNING 6
Tigers batting
Wang pitching

Guillen batting: ball, ball, ball, strike looking, strike looking, ground out second -> first
Rodriguez batting: ball, strike swinging, ground out shortstop -> first
Monroe batting: strike swinging, ball, ball, ground out third -> first
Yankees 5, Tigers 0

Yankees batting
Robertson batting

Posada batting: check strike, ground out third -> first
Cano batting: ground out third -> first (pitcher neary tumbles at field attempt)
Damon batting: foul, foul, ball, foul, base hit to left
Jeter batting: ball, double to left, Damon to third
Abreu: base hit to right, Damon scores, Jeter scores

Jason Grilli replaces Robertson

Sheffield batting: pick off attempt (wild throw) Abreu to second, ball, ground out shortstop -> first
Yankees 7, Tigers 3

INNING 7
Tigers batting
Wang pitching

Thames batting: strike swinging, check strike, ball, strike out swinging
Inge batting: strike looking, ball, check foul, foul, ball, ground out second -> first

Mike Myers replaces Wang (standing ovation)

Granderson batting: ball, drag bunt strike, strike swinging, ball, foul tip, HOME RUN

Scott Proctor replaces Myers (crowd boos)

Polanco batting: strike looking, base hit to right center
Casey batting: ball, ball, strike swinging, foul, fly ball hit to right, Polanco to third
Ordonez batting: pop foul, pop out to right center
Yankees 7, Tigers 4

Yankees batting
Jamie Walker replaces Robertson

Giambi batting: ball, strike looking, ball, ball, strike looking, walk
Rodriguez batting: foul, ball blocked in dirt, strike swinging, fly out to right
Matsui batting: foul, strike looking, ball, foul, pick off attempt (safe), ground into fielders choice, Giambi out at second
Posada batting: foul, base hit to center, Matsui to third
Cano batting: strike looking, strike swinging, ball, fly out to right
Yankees 7, Tigers 4

INNING 8
Tigers batting
Kyle Farnsworth replaces Proctor
Andy Phillips replaces Sheffield

Guillen batting: ball, ball, ball, walk
Rodriguez batting: ball, ball, strike looking, fly out to left
Monroe batting: ball, pick off attempt (safe), strike looking, ball, strike swinging, strike out looking
Thames batting: ball, ball, ball, strike looking, foul, foul, foul, pop out to deep shortstop
Yankees 7, Tigers 4

Yankees batting
Walker pitching

Damon batting: strike looking, ball, foul, ball, foul, foul, strike out looking
Jeter batting: ball, foul, HOME RUN (5-5 for the game) (curtian call)
Abreu batting: ball, ball, (crowd chants Derek Jeter!), ground out to first
Phillips batting: ball, strike swinging, foul, ball, fly out to deep center
Yankees 8, Tigers 4

INNING 9
Mariano River replaces Farnsworth
Tigers batting

Inge batting: ball, strike looking, ball, strike swinging, ball, pop out to first
Granderson batting: ball, strike looking, base hit to right
Polanco batting: ball, strike looking, ground into double play, second -> shortstop -> first

FINAL SCORE
Yankees 8, Tigers 4


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 7:41 PM 1 Heckles

Monday, October 02, 2006

My 2006 Playoff Prediction



League Division Series
Mets over Dodgers in 5
Cardinals over Padres in 4
Yankees over Tigers in 4
Twins over Athletic's in 5

League Championship Series
Cardials over Mets in 6
Yankees over Twins in 6

2006 World Series
Yankees over Cardinals in 5


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 11:57 PM 0 Heckles

Sunday, October 01, 2006

2006 ALDS Yankees vs Tigers

The 2006 Playoffs start this Tuesday for the Yankees as they host the AL Wild Card winners in a best-of-five series called the Division Series.
Last time the Tigers were in the playoffs, I was still in diapers. Last time the Yankees were in the playoffs, well, was last year, and I blogged every game.
The Yankees took over the AL East with a five-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox and have held onto that lead and increased it ten fold.
The Tigers on the other hand had that ten fold lead, only to see it shrink away and lose it to the Minnesota Twins.

The Yankees own a 5-3 record against Detroit and have outscored them 38-23. Randy Johnson has two wins against them as the Tigers top pitcher Jeremy Bonderman has two loses, both times opposite Johnson.

STATS

W-L
Yankees: 97-65 (Best in majors)
Tigers: 95-67

Runs Scored
Yankees: 930 (1st)
Tigers: 822 (8th)

Batting Average
Yankees: .285 (2nd)
Tigers: .274 (10th)

Hits
Yankees: 1608 (Tied 1st)
Tigers: 1548 (9th)

Runs Batted In
Yankees: 902 (1st)
Tigers: 785 (9th)

Home Runs
Yankees: 210 (5th)
Tigers: 203 (6th)

ERA
Yankees: 4.41 (Tied 11th)
Tigers: 3.84 (1st)

Strikeouts:
Yankees: 1019 (18th)
Tigers: 1003 (Tied 21st)

Saves
Yankees: 43 (Tied 9th)
Tigers: 46 (Tied 5th)

POSITION PLAYERS

1B
Yankees: Gary Sheffield
Tigers: Sean Casey
Edge: Yankees

2B
Yankees: Robinson Cano
Tigers: Placido Polanco
Edge: Yankees

3B
Yankees: Alex Rodriguez
Tigers: Brandon Inge
Edge: Tigers

SS
Yankees: Derek Jeter
Tigers: Carlos Guillen
Edge: Yankees

Catcher
Yankees: Jorge Posada
Tigers: Ivan Rodriguez
Edge: Tigers

LF
Yankees: Hidecki Matsui
Tigers: Craig Monroe
Edge: Yankees

CF
Yankees: Johnny Damon
Tigers: Curtos Granderson
Edge: Yankees

RF
Yankees: Bobby Abreu
Tigers: Magglio Ordonez
Edge: Yankees

DH
Yankees: Jason Giambi
Tigers: Marcus Thames
Edge: Yankees

Starting Pitching
Yankees: Chein-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson, Jaret Wight, Cory Lidle
Tigers: Jason Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander,
Edge: Tigers

Bullpen
Yankees: Ron Villone, Scott Proctor, Bryan Bruney, Mike Myers, Kyle Farnsworth
Tigers: Zach Minor, Joel Zumaya, Jamie Walker, Fernando Rodney, Jason Grilli, Wilfredo Ledezma
Edge: Tigers

Closer
Yankees: Mariano Rivera
Tigers: Todd Jones
Edge: Yankees

Manager
Yankees: Joe Torre
Tigers: Jim Leyland
Edge: Yankees

My prediction, Yankees win the series in four games.


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 8:40 PM 1 Heckles

Two Former Yankees Named in Steroid Scandal

Former Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, plus Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons of the Orioles, were all named by Jason Grimsley as players who had used performance-enhancing drugs when the U.S. Attorney's office released an affidavit of an interview with the former Diamondbacks relief pitcher earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times reported in its Sunday editions.
The names of those players in the affidavit had previously been redacted, but the newspaper said that "a source with authorized access to an unredacted affidavit allowed The Times to see it, but retained it to read back what had been blacked out of the public copies."

Grimsley played with Pettitte and Clemens on the Yankees and with Tejada, Roberts and Gibbons when he was with the Orioles.

Grimsley's accusations are legally considered hearsay. The statements were not made under oath and he has not been charged in connection with any investigation. Since June, the Times reported, he has complained to friends that the affidavit misrepresented his statements.

All the players named in Sunday's Times' report declined interview requests for the Times story, either through their clubs or individually.

But several of the Orioles were quoted in Sunday's Baltimore Sun.

Club owner Peter G. Angelos, reached by the Sun, deferred comment to Orioles Executive Vice President Mike Flanagan.

At least 15 names had been blacked out of the affidavit, which was publicly released on June 6 when Grimsley declined to help authorities investigate other players who were expected of steroid use.

Grimsley was originally confronted by Internal Revenue Service investigators at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home on April 19. Grimsley had received a package containing two kits of human growth hormone (HGH) worth $1,600 each via the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS had been awaiting delivery of the shipment of the substance and Grimsley surrendered the kits when presented with a search warrant on that date.

HGH is illegal to use under MLB's current drug policy, but there is not an effective test -- either urine or blood -- in baseball, or any of pro sports leagues, to prove whether an athlete is using it.

Grimsley also said in the previously sealed affidavit that he had been taking steroids since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2000, and he was told he actually failed a drug test in 2003. Edward F Novak, one of the top criminal attorneys in Arizona, said at the time that Grimsley was a steroid user, but he also accused federal investigators of trying to coerce Grimsley into wearing a wire to collect evidence against Giants slugger Barry Bonds, who is also under investigation for perjury about his own alleged steroid use.

The interview occurred after agents arrived at Grimsley's house in April, and reportedly threatened to embarrass him in front of friends and family who were at the residence that day. Grimsley originally cooperated, but he then obtained Novak's services. At that point, he told the IRS that he no longer had any interest in helping with the matter.

Federal officials continued to press Grimsley. And according to an anonymous friend interviewed by the Times, investigators warned the pitcher that "if he didn't continue to cooperate, they would expose him as a rat."

On June 6, investigators searched his house and Grimsley went to Chase Field to play in that night's game against the Phillies. He failed to tell club officials about what had transpired and was actually warming up in the bullpen when the story broke on the Arizona Republic's Web site.

Grimsley almost immediately sought his release, a request that was granted by the ballclub, which declined to pay him the remainder of his $825,000 contract. On June 12, Grimsley was suspended for 50 games under the auspices of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Policy. Although he filed a grievance with the players association about the monetary issue, it was later settled when Grimsley allowed the Diamondbacks to donate the money to charity.

Grimsley hasn't played since his release by the Diamondbacks and has not served the suspension. No player on the 25-man roster of any Major League club this season has been suspended for failing a random drug test, down from 12 last season when the initial penalty was a 10-day suspension.

MLB has been testing for steroids since the 2003 season, but players didn't begin to get penalized until a year later.

Since the end of March, former Sen. George Mitchell has been conducting an investigation into MLB's steroid era, but there's no timetable regarding the release of a report. Mitchell's committee has no subpoena power and cannot compel players to come in for interviews or turn over medical records.


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BallHype: hype it up! Posted by Steve Kenul at 11:53 AM 0 Heckles

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