Thursday, April 26, 2007
Oh Hell
Short and Sour:
Six losses in a row and Boston this weekend, very damnlicious.
This is sickening.
We have used nine different starters in a five man rotation: Andy Pettitte, Carl Pavano, Mike Mussina, Kei Igawa, Darrell Rasner, Philip Hughes, Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright and Chein-Ming Wang. Four of them minor league call ups to replace the injured staff. Pavano, you have no excuse, unless you got into another car accident.
Something has to be done, and it has to be done quick.
Raise more young arms in the rotation, dump Pavano since he can't pitch without visiting the disabled list, Mussina is aging, and Igawa so far is a bust.
The bullpen is a waste of time allowing three sure wins to be wasted with two of those against Boston last weekend.
What the Yankees need to do is appear on a new reality show: Extreme Makeover: Bullpen Edition.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Labels: bullpen, pitching, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 10:22 PM
Monday, April 23, 2007
BREAKING NEWS
Alex Rodriguez has hit his second home run of the night against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to tie the MLB record for most home runs in a month with 14, and he also drove in his record breaking 34th RBI.
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Labels: Alex Rodriguez, record
Posted by Steve Kenul at 10:49 PM
Did I Say That?
After mentioning to the press all through spring training, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has officially stated the he would not have Philip Hughes pitch in the majors this season.
Officially.
With the exception of Tuesday.
The 20-year-old was probably fairly surprised to have his phone ring on Monday with a message that he'd be starting in pinstripes on Thursday against Toronto.
The Yankees' rotation has taken some blows early on this season, with Mike Mussina on the disabled list with a sore hamstring, Carl Pavano watching from the dugout with tightness in his right forearm and Chien-Ming Wang out with a strained hamstring. Torre said he wasn't sure what would happen with Hughes, or how long the youngster would stay up, but he said the team would take it "a start at a time."Hughes fanned 10 last Wednesday, but Torre was more impressed with how the right-hander was able to fight through rough patches.
Taken in the first round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Hughes was the only Minor League pitcher recommended to Torre by his advisory staff.
Across 26 starts at Class A Tampa and Double-A Trenton last season, Hughes went 12-6 with a 2.16 ERA, striking out 168 batters and walking 34 in 146 innings.
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Labels: minor leagues, Philip Hughes, pitching, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 7:32 PM
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Head to Head with the BronxBlogger
Here is a recent chat log from me and a fellow baseball fan and owner of the
My Opinion on Sports empire.
dolphinfan: Dude, 4 HR's in a row!
bronxblogger: I know, crazy
dolphinfan: are you sick yet?
bronxblogger: no, still a close game
dolphinfan: Yankees pitching has really let them down this series
bronxblogger: big time
bronxblogger: then again, two rookies wont help
dolphinfan: I thought they had it in the bag Friday
bronxblogger: it was all Yankees, till Rivera pitched
bronxblogger: almost like Brad Lidge in the playoffs
dolphinfan: I've never seen him melt down like that
bronxblogger: I think he wants to be released
dolphinfan: really?
bronxblogger: two blown saves in two chances
dolphinfan: they said on ESPN Friday night that they didn't feel as if he was in shape yet
bronxblogger: he had plenty of time to get in shape
dolphinfan: I agree, but they were talking about number of actual pitches thrown in games
bronxblogger: he needs to throw the bad pitched in the bullpen, not on the mound
bronxblogger: although I am impressed with the Yankees hitting this series
bronxblogger: we can hit their best pitching
bronxblogger: got 5 off schilling, 5 of Beckett, 5 of special k
dolphinfan: A-Rod has impressed everyone this season.
bronxblogger: get the bullpen to relax, and we can take them
dolphinfan: Schilling seems done to me
bronxblogger: he's been done
bronxblogger: still riding on his bloody sock
dolphinfan: I was about to say the exact same thing
bronxblogger: I think Jeter hit the first home run off of Special K
dolphinfan: after his debut he really hasn't seemed all that special to me
bronxblogger: no, not much
bronxblogger: great movement, but gets in trouble when there is a runner on base
bronxblogger: as was demonstrated today
dolphinfan: I expected him to be more of a no contact at all guy
bronxblogger: same here
dolphinfan: people are hitting off him more than they should for a guy with that much hype.
bronxblogger: yup
dolphinfan: A-Rod is in position for more heroics if B.A. gets on
bronxblogger: I don't like Papelbon, he's too good
dolphinfan: he is throwing some nasty junk but is only a pitch away from a walk
bronxblogger: and the save
dolphinfan: true
dolphinfan: A-Rod time!
bronxblogger: A-rod needs a hit, at least a hit to be welcome back to NY
bronxblogger: but a HR will be thankful
bronxblogger: power vs power
dolphinfan: yep!
dolphinfan: he has been amazing this month
dolphinfan: 0-2
dolphinfan: first sweep at FP in 17 years
bronxblogger: well get them later this year
dolphinfan: several more opportunities
bronxblogger: just like last year, they owned us at first, then they gave us the East
dolphinfan: I never would have expected a sweep from either side
bronxblogger: I will say this, we can hit off their best
dolphinfan: the problem is giving up runs
bronxblogger: bullpen needs to relax
dolphinfan: like four consecutive HR's
dolphinfan: that had to make you sick
bronxblogger: Vizcaino and Farnsworth are both getting rocky after a nice season
bronxblogger: I was more impressed than sick
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Labels: chat, dolphinfan, Red Sox, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 11:19 PM
Friday, April 20, 2007
Rivera you Bastard
How in the fucking hell are you going to blow a three run lead? Three damn runs!?
That makes you two for two this year; two chances, two blown saves.
Absolutely pathetic.
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Labels: loss, Mariano Rivera, rant, Red Sox
Posted by Steve Kenul at 9:30 PM
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Let it Begin
No teams gather as much attention as the Yankees and the Red Sox, and nothing gets the baseball world more excited then when these two play each other.
It seems as if the players step it up a notch as if they were playing in the playoffs. Derek Jeter diving in the stands chasing after a foul ball, Melky Cabrera leaping up and over to rob Manny Ramirez of a home run, and Alex Rodriguez duking it out with Jason Varitek.
Riot police once had to play the role of stadium security and any brush off pitch can set off a nuclear explosion of fierce emotions.
The Yankees will play three games in Boston where last time they played there in 2006, they put together a five game sweep taking full and permanent control of the AL East. Boston came to New York taking two of three, but by that time, they were too far in the way of coming close to the division lead.
One question for Boston:
What are you going to do about this guy?
No rivalry is larger, Yankees, Red Sox, let it begin.
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Labels: Red Sox, rivalry, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 10:21 PM
History of the Rivalry
Jan. 3, 1920 “The Curse of the Bambino”
In what has now gone down as one of the greatest tales in baseball lore, Boston owner Harry Frazee sells Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000. This came just two years after The Babe helped Boston to their last World Series title in 1918. Since that time, the Yankees have gone on to win 26 World Series, while the Red Sox have not won one. This transaction has come to be known by baseball fans as “The Curse of the Bambino.”
May 30, 1938 “The Original Brawl”
What would a rivalry be without some good old fashioned fist-a-cuffs. In 1938, Red Sox player-manager Joe Cronin and New York outfielder Jake Powell fight on the field and beneath the stands before a Yankee Stadium record crowd of 83,533. Both players were fined and suspended for 10 games. This would be the first of many altercations between these two teams.
1941 “Williams vs. DiMaggio”
Boston’s Ted Williams had one of the best seasons ever in which he hit .406, becoming the last player to reach the .400 plateau. Unbelievably, he was outdone by the Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio and his record 56 game hitting streak. DiMaggio overtakes Williams to win the AL MVP, and the Yankees go on to win their 5th World Series in 6 years.
Oct. 1 & 2, 1949 “The Pennant Race”
A classic pennant race comes down to the last weekend of the season. With the Boston Red Sox ahead in the standings by two games, the New York Yankees had to win the last two games in Yankee Stadium to reach the Series. Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, that is exactly what they did. The Yankees win their first of a record five consecutive World Series titles.
May 20, 1976 “Munson vs. Fisk”
In one of baseball’s classic brawls, The Yankees’ Thurman Munson crashed into Boston’s legendary catcher, Carlton Fisk. This ignited a fierce brawl between the two catchers that resulted in them both being kicked out of the game.
Oct 2, 1978 "Bucky Bleeping Dent"
In 1978, the Red Sox and Yankees were forced to play a one game playoff to decide the winner of the AL East. This came after Boston was leading the division by 14 games on July 19. In one of the most heartbreaking moments in Red Sox history, light-hitting Yankees’ shortstop Bucky Dent sent a fly ball sailing over the green monster and cementing a comeback win and the end of Boston’s season. Since that day, Boston fans have never uttered Dent’s name without the now famous middle name.
Oct 11, 2003 “Martinez vs. Zimmer”
In one of the strangest brawls ever, Yankees bench coach and former Sox manager Don Zimmer lunges at Boston’s ace, Pedro Martinez during game 3 of the ALCS. Martinez moves to the side and tosses the 73 year old Zimmer to the ground, which ignites an even bigger brawl. Later in the game, Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson and outfielder Karim Garcia tussle with a Fenway Park groundskeeper after he cheers for the Red Sox in the Yankees’ bullpen.
Oct. 16, 2003 “Aaron Boone?”
The Yankees come back to tie game 7 of the ALCS after Boston manager Grady Little fails to remove a tired Pedro Martinez in the 8th inning. The game goes into extra innings where slumping Yankees’ third baseman Aaron Boone smashes a homer off Boston knuckeballer Tim Wakefield that sends the Yankees to yet another World Series and Boston home for another long off-season. Grady Little is canned days later.
July 24, 2004 “Yet another Brawl”
Newly acquired Yankees’ shortstop Alex Rodriguez and Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek exchange heated words after Rodriguez is plunked by a pitch in this regular season match-up. Varitek pushes A-Rod in the face, which ignites a bench clearing brawl. The inspired Red Sox go on to win the game thanks to Bill Mueller’s ninth inning home run off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. This is at least the 7th time these two teams have fought in their long history.
Oct. 20, 2004 “Redemption”
In what might possibly go down as the best postseason series in history, the Boston Red Sox fought back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the New York Yankees 4-3 in the best of seven game ALCS. Coming back from three games down is something that has never been accomplished in the history of major league baseball, and the Red Sox did it against their arch-nemesis. The series had two extra inning games that were both won by the Red Sox in walk off fashion. The Red Sox went on to play the St. Louis Cardinals in their first World Series since 1986.
August 19-23, 2006 "The Sweep"
Heading into Boston with a slim 2 1/2 game lead of the Red Sox, the Yankees staged a record setting series in which one team would claim not only bragging rights, but also a sure fire chance to win the AL East. The Yankees were that team. A record five game sweep against the Sox convinced the world that the Yankees were indeed the better team and adding insult to injury, playing in Boston. Former Red Sox Johnny Damon assisted in the sweep with his home runs and timely hits.
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Labels: Red Sox, rivalry, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 5:28 PM
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Congratulations Mark Buehrle
On behalf of all of us at BronxBloggers, we wish to congratulate
Mark Buehrle on his no-hitter.
He faced the minimum 27 batters with the help of stellar defense and a Jermaine Dye grand slam.
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Labels: Chicago White Sox, no-hitter
Posted by Steve Kenul at 11:26 PM
2007 All-Star Game
Only two weeks into the season and the voting for the 2007 All-Star Game has already started.
All position players are on the ballot and pitchers and the 32nd player will not be selected till later this year.
The All-Star Game winner does take home field advantage in the World Series and since Sandy Alomar Jr. hit the game-winning shot in 1997, the American league was won nine games and tied one.
Stop on by
MLB.com, or click on the above header, and start voting for your favorite players for the 2007 Midsummer Classic.
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Labels: All-Star Game
Posted by Steve Kenul at 5:39 PM
Monday, April 16, 2007
Analyzing a Loss
The Yankees have had some tough breaks with their pitching.
Well, not breaks, but a repeat of last year.
Four starters landed on the disabled list, and the bull pen is showing signs that the Death Star can blow up again.
Chein-Ming Wang, last years Cy Young runner up and TYIB Pitcher of the Year started the season on the DL and is expected to return after a rehab start this Saturday in AAA Scranton.
If his rehab goes well, expect him to pitch for the Yankees next Wednesday or Thursday, just after the Yankees and Red Sox battle.
Mike Mussina returned to the DL with a strained left hammy, and for a pitcher, a hamstring injury can affect a pitcher's push-off or his stop, depending on what hand they throw with. For Moose, it's the stopping that is affected.
Carl Pavano....well, he's Pavano, this was expected.
The Yankees fifth starter, Jeff Karstens was sent to the DL with Wang before the start of the season with tendinitis in his right (throwing) elbow. However, he is young and can overcome this injury quickly and is expected to return around the same time as Wang.
As for the bullpen, better than last year, but still, lacking essential winning power.
Kyle Farnsworth was a laugh last year, but has improved dramatically to be a great set-up man for Mariano Rivera.
His last two appearance have been less than noteworthy allowing tying and winning runs to cross the plate and earning a loss in a game in which he allowed four runs through. He is making an effort to resolve this problem going over video footage of his pitching and spotting mistakes, one of them being releasing the ball to early and rushing pitches.
Mariano Rivera, who gave up last nights game to a rare home run was cold as far as preparedness goes.
He has only pitched four innings before last night striking out six and getting a few splinters from sitting on the bench too long.
In my personal diagnosis, I think sitting on the bench may have convinced Rivera that innings only last two outs since that's all he pitched before allowing two on base and sending a moon shot from a .050 hitter over the fence for the game-winning home run.
As for the "new" starting line up, Andy Pettitte and Darrell Rasner will be joined with AAA pitcher Chris Britton and AA pitcher Chase Wright who leads the Eastern League with 19 strikeouts in 14 scoreless innings and is already on the 40-man roster.
Do not expect to see Philip Hughes till late this season or even next year, Brian Cashman has made it clear he wants to build for the future and having Hughes rush into the majors will be a huge mistake.
It's about time some one in the Yankees front office read my blog.
Recent forum talk: Woe is Us: Pitching
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Labels: bullpen, Chein-Ming Wang, loss, Mariano Rivera, minor leagues, pitching, starting rotation, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 9:35 PM
Saturday, April 14, 2007
2006 Best of Blog Results
The 2006 Best of Blog results are in.
BronxBloggers, with 36% of the vote, placed...SECOND.So a big thank you to all the people who voted for us and another big thank you to the people who helped out with this site.
First off, it was a big deal getting nominated since we were snubbed from both the Weblog Awards and the Bloggies, but settling for a second place finish with Best of Blogs is a great feeling and I can guarantee, we will be back next year.
The voting process is still going on at the Bloggers Choice Awards and will continue till May 22, so stop on by and let's take first place!
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Labels: awards
Posted by Steve Kenul at 4:48 PM
Friday, April 13, 2007
Bat Photos
Here are the Babe Ruth bat photos I promised earlier this week.
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Labels: Babe Ruth, bat
Posted by Steve Kenul at 6:19 PM
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Scoring 101
It appears there have been no attempts on the contest below, so I will help yo out.
Introducing: How to Score Baseball by
BronxBloggers (no college credits available, but it's free.)
First off,
getting to the absolute basics.
1) Baseball is a nine-inning game with three out per half-inning for each team. The game can go extra innings to break a tie.
2) There are nine men on the field, a pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and a right fielder.
3) Each one of those player have a turn at bat.
3a) Only in the American League is a designated hitter batting in place of the pitcher.
3a-1) The only
exceptions are when the American League batter is playing a National League team in their ballpark.
Interleague and the World Series are those
exceptions.
4) Opposite the defending team, one batter is up at bat in an attempt to score runs.
5) Up to four offensive players are to be in play at a time, three on the bases, one at bat.
Basic enough for you?
Each defensive player is assigned to a number in which scorekeepers use to denote defensive plays:
1 - Pitcher
2 - Catcher
3 - First Baseman
4 - Second Baseman
5 - Third Baseman
6 - Shortstop
7 - Left Fielder
8 - Center Fielder
9 - Right Fielder
Common types of defensive plays include:
GO - Ground Out
FO - Fly Out
PO - Pop Out
Foul - Foul Out
FC - Fielder's Choice
DP(
GIDP) - Double Play (Ground into Double Play)
E - Error
A - Assist
X - Tag Out
Immediately after these abbreviations, is the assigned defensive number to whom was credits for the play.
Scoring bases would be as follows:
First base - 1
Second base - 2
Third base - 3
Home - H
For example a double play was started by the shortstop, he tossed the ball to the second baseman who got an out, then threw to first for the second out. This play would be scored 643, or
GIDP(643).
A more complicated play could be a DP4X2(3).
This means a double play was stated by the second baseman who tagged the runner on second base and threw the ball to the first baseman for the final out.
Let's break it up even more.
DP4X2(3)
DP - Double play, two outs. The 4X2(3) denotes how the play went.
4 - second baseman
X -
out at leading base2 -runner on second base
(3) - first baseman
Now fill in the blanks with common sense.
"A double
occurred as the second baseman tagged out the runner advancing to third, then threw to the first baseman for the force out."
Still with me?
Let's get more complicated.
K/DP34x2[CS](3[CS])
In this scenario, the pitcher struck out the batter (K). The catcher (3) threw to second (4) to pick off the lead runner on second. The
second baseman threw the first baseman for the out. The reason why the second baseman threw to the first baseman for the final out is because the catcher is credited for the out during a strike out.
K(2)
In this case, no put out was recorded, but instead a dropped third strike ensued and the runner was caught stealing first but was put out in the double play.
Ok, how many people have I lost so far?
The reason why the CS is in
brackets, is to denote an out as part of the play.
Multiple numbers in a row [CS](3434143) almost always means a rundown play. In the provided sample, the play goes as follows:
[Caught stealing] (catcher - first baseman - catcher - first baseman - pitcher - first baseman - catcher).
With what I have taught you, we can now dissect the line of code for the contest.
FC5/DP.3XH(525);2XH(53436425)Fielders choice started by the third baseman,
double play started the runner on third was tagged out advancing home,
(third baseman - catcher - third baseman); the runner on second was also tagged out advancing to home. (third baseman - first baseman - second baseman - shortstop - second baseman - catcher - third baseman)The above play actually happened:
7-1-1927
CIN @ PIT: With one out in the top of the eighth inning, Cincinnati had Dolf
Luque on third and Chuck
Dressen on second. Billy
Zitzmann tapped to Pie
Traynor, and
Luque was run down between third and home.
Dressen was also run down between third and home after Pittsburgh tried to retire
Zitzmann between bases:
FC5/DP.3XH(525);2XH(53436425) With that in mind, here is another line of code to decipher.
First correct answer wins 100 BE credits.
FC6/
TP.3
XH(625);2X3(54);BX2(4393)
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Labels: contest, scoring
Posted by Steve Kenul at 6:47 PM
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Baseball Codes
Win 100 BE credits if you can decipher this play from the record books:
FC5/DP.3XH(525);2XH(53436425)
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Labels: baseball, contest, strange and unusual
Posted by Steve Kenul at 11:41 PM
Black Betsy
There comes a time when baseball collectors come across a special piece of memorabilia. My sister's boyfriend has an autographed Mickey Mantle baseball, I have a 1951 Yankees team autographed baseball, and my co-worker has Black Betsy.
The story behind Black Betsy is my co-workers grandfather used to work at Fenway Park when one day during batting practice, a Red Sox player cracked his bat, and as the generous person he was, gave the bat to a nearby kid. This particular player named his bats Black Betsy.
The kid grew up and passed the bat down through two generations and into the hands of my co-worker.
He brought in the bat to show it off and just seeing it is amazing. At first I thought it was just an old bat, but when I turned it over, I realized why he was showing the bat to me. I actually got to hold the bat and take a couple swings before handing it over.
The bat is old and has numerous cracks and is starting to split at the grain, but the name George Babe Ruth was inscribed into the wood in clear fashion.
The bat is solid ash with a medium handle and barrel and weighs close to 46 ounces while measuring 36 inches in length and finished with a dark complextion.
Black Betsy was owned by one of sports greatest icons, Babe Ruth.I held Babe Ruth's bat. How many of you can say that?To prove this story, I will have pictures posted tomorrow.
Recent forum talk: Baseball Memorabilia-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labels: Babe Ruth, bat, memorabilia
Posted by Steve Kenul at 6:12 PM
Monday, April 09, 2007
A-Rod Wins Weekly Honors
New York Yankees third baseman
Alex Rodriguez and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Vladimir Guerrero have been named co-winners of the
Bank of America Presents the American League Player of the Week for the opening period of the 2007 season, ending April 8th. Bank of America, the Official Bank of Major League Baseball, is the presenting sponsor of the American League and National League Player of the Week Awards, which reflect Bank of America's long-standing tradition of promoting and recognizing higher standards of accomplishment.
Rodriguez hit .381 (8-21) with a 1.095 slugging percentage, three doubles, four HR, 11 RBI and 23 total bases. On Opening Day, he went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. In three games against the Baltimore Orioles April 6-8, Rodriguez went 5-for-11 with three home runs and eight RBI. In the April 7th game, the two-time American League Most Valuable Player hit a two-run shot in the first inning. Then, trailing by a run with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, the 10-time American League All-Star hit a walk-off grand slam home run, marking the third game-ending grand slam home run of his career.
This is the 11th weekly award of Alex's career.Recent forum talk: A-Rod, forgiven?
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Labels: Alex Rodriguez, April, awards, Player of the Week
Posted by Steve Kenul at 7:09 PM
Saturday, April 07, 2007
A-Rod Pulls Through
"...A one-two. Driven deep to center field, going back Patterson, still back. See ya! A game-winning, walk-off grand slam for Alex Rodriguez. And for one Saturday afternoon here in the Bronx, A-Rod answers the critics with a huge, huge grand slam to win the game for the Yankees!"
-John Sterling
Photo courtesy of NewYorkNitty-Gritty.com
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Labels: Alex Rodriguez, grand slam, John Sterling, walk off, win
Posted by Steve Kenul at 4:34 PM
Blog Awards
BronxBloggers has been nominated for a slew of awards over at
The Best of Blogs, and at
Bloggers Choice Awards.
Please, click on the badges on the right sidebar and place your vote. Every vote is appreciated and will help greatly to bring BronxBloggers to the top.
Thank you for your time.
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Labels: awards
Posted by Steve Kenul at 1:28 PM
Friday, April 06, 2007
Woe is Us
After three games into the season, a lot of questions have been replaced by new questions.
What happened to the defense?
What happened to the pitching?
What happened to A-Rod? -Wait, that's the same one as before...
So far the Yankees lead the majors in errors with six , three in back-to-back games, the first time since 1926.
Gold Glove shortstop Derek Jeter is responsible for three errors including two tonight in a loss against the Orioles. The other three were split among A-Rod, Meinty, and Josh Phelps.
Wether it is the cold air swooping down from Canada, the moisture in the air, or the Yankees failed to realize the season started, something needs to be done.
The Yankees pitching answers seemed to have solved with the signing of Pettitte and the return of Pavano, but that was the opposite.
No Yankees pitcher this season has yet to reach the five inning mark and all three starters so far have allowed more than 4 runs each.
Mariano Rivera has lead the team in strike outs with three that he earned on the season opener while pitching one inning. Mussina passed that mark today with a fourth K.
So the question is raised again, how are the Yankees going to solve their pitching problems if their starters can't go past four innings?
The middle relief is so-so with Luis Vizcaino garning the only win only to suffer a loss in his next outing.
Kyle Farnsworth has so far made a impression in his outings not allowing any runs.
Alex, Alex, Alex. You hit a home run on Opening Day, got a standing O, but it was not clutch. Last night you had two chances to win the game including a bases-loaded situation in which a base hit would have won the game, but instead you pop out.
Tonight, with two men on and two outs, same thing, same results.
I am not going to put the full blame on A-Rod, since there are 24 other players on the team who are equally responsible in the Yankees recent failures.
Week one has come and gone, three games have passed, and the Yankees are not fully aware of their surroundings. It's the regular season, time to play ball.
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Labels: Alex Rodriguez, fielding, hitting, pitching, questions, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 10:52 PM
Monday, April 02, 2007
Opening Day 2007
One down, 161 to go.
Jason Giambi drove in three runs and Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez both homered as the
Yankees defeated the Devil Rays, 9-5, giving them their 10th straight Opening Day victory.The 83rd home opener at Yankee Stadium saw New York score the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, as Giambi singled off Tampa Bay right-hander Brian Stokes, scoring Rodriguez.
Trailing by two runs, Derek Jeter tied the game in the sixth with a bases-loaded single to center. Bobby Abreu added insurance with an RBI single in the eighth before Rodriguez blasted his first homer of the year, a two-run shot off Mark Salas.
Yankees starter Carl Pavano received a no-decision in his first career Opening Day start.
Making his first Major League appearance since June 27, 2005, the right-hander worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits.
Pavano was staked to a two-run lead after the first inning, when Giambi brought in a pair -- the Yankees' first runs of the season -- with a single to center.
B.J. Upton singled home Tampa Bay's first run in the second, and the Devil Rays roughed Pavano up for four more runs in the fifth.
Elijah Dukes logged his first Major League hit and home run on the same pitch, slugging a solo home run, and Rocco Baldelli added a RBI single. Delmon Young tacked on the last run charged to Pavano, singling home Baldelli while facing reliever Brian Bruney.
Posada slugged the Yankees' first home run in the fourth, a solo shot to right-center off Scott Kazmir. The Devil Rays left-hander allowed six hits and five earned runs in five-plus innings, walking four and striking out five.
Kyle Farnsworth held the Rays scoreless and handed the ball to Mariano Rivera for a typical three-out ninth in a no save situation.
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Labels: Alex Rodriguez, Carl Pavano, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Opening Day, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, win, Yankees
Posted by Steve Kenul at 4:47 PM
No teams gather as much attention as the Yankees and the Red Sox, and nothing gets the baseball world more excited then when these two play each other.
Jan. 3, 1920 “The Curse of the Bambino”
May 30, 1938 “The Original Brawl”
1941 “Williams vs. DiMaggio”
Oct. 1 & 2, 1949 “The Pennant Race”
May 20, 1976 “Munson vs. Fisk”
Oct 2, 1978 "Bucky Bleeping Dent"
Oct 11, 2003 “Martinez vs. Zimmer”
Oct. 16, 2003 “Aaron Boone?”
July 24, 2004 “Yet another Brawl”
Oct. 20, 2004 “Redemption”
August 19-23, 2006 "The Sweep"
The Yankees have had some tough breaks with their pitching.
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Vladimir Guerrero have been named co-winners of the Bank of America Presents the American League Player of the Week for the opening period of the 2007 season, ending April 8th. Bank of America, the Official Bank of Major League Baseball, is the presenting sponsor of the American League and National League Player of the Week Awards, which reflect Bank of America's long-standing tradition of promoting and recognizing higher standards of accomplishment.
Kokoyaku
