HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

Here is an e-mail I got today from Adam, a Yankee fan who saw the Yanks get no-hit in person:

I was at the game last night – it was even worst in person. Besides Posada swinging 3-0, and the obvious no-hitter, here are some other things that helped cause a sleepless night.
1. Other than Soriano’s sinking liner and a fly out to the warning track by Giambi, there wasn’t really anything close to a hit by the Yankees all night. The Yankees are flailing, and usually missing, at everything. Four strike outs in one inning, seven in a row at one point, thirteen for the game.

2. Jeter looked completely overmatched. He struck out three times, and, while it’s tough not to look bad while doing that, he looked like a rookie flailing away in his first at bat. Twelve strike outs in nineteen at bats, me thinks Mr. Jeter needs to do some help.

3. Soriano forgetting to cover first on the bunt. This is simply inexcusable, I’m not sure if this is a result of poor coaching or Sori’s spaciness, either way it was painful to watch.

4. Weaver stinks. He got booed and rightly so. He wasn’t fooling anyone on Houston, every hit was hard and usually in the gap.

5. More bouncers up the middle. It’s amazing how many singles up the middle the Yankees give up because neither Jeter nor Soriano can get to them.

6. Al Reyes – meet Acevedo Part Duex.

7. Pinch hitting Bubba Trammel for Ventura. Nothing like taking a guy who hasn’t played in about a month and asking him to break up a no-hitter.

8. Todd Zeile. Maybe it’s me but it seems like he’s in the hole 0-2 as soon as he steps in the batters box.

9. Juan Rivera is completely overmatched.
This is as low as it gets, I hope.

I hate to sound like a downer, but I think it get definitely get lower. Fortunately, it can also get a heck of a lot better too. Adam sent me another e-mail (which I inadvertantly erased) and added two more gaffes—Jeter’s throwing error, and the you-got-I-got-it-nobody-got-it dropped-fly ball between Juan Rivera and Hideki Matsui.
Here is another note regarding the game. According to Lee Sinins in his ATM report today:

None of the 6 pitchers the Astros used gave up a hit.

It was the first time the Astros didn’t give up a hit since Darryl Kile, on September 8, 1993.

It was the first time the Yankees didn’t get a hit since Melido Perez did it on July 12, 1990. It’s been inaccurately reported everywhere that the
last time was by Hoyt Wilhelm, on September 20, 1958. However, although the game only lasted 6 innings, let’s look at that game. Perez pitched all of the innings. He got credit for a complete game, he got credit for a shutout. He also didn’t get any hits added to his season total. If that’s not a no hitter, then no game in baseball history could qualify a no hitter.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Replacement Level Yankee Blog for an hilarious and insightful take on the Bronx Zoo.

BERNIE, MY DEAR

With his first full lenth album set to drop in a couple of weeks, Bernie Williams has just signed a deal with Paul McCartney’s company MPL Communications. McCartney’s company will market Bernie’s music for commericals and movies and anything else they can think of.