King of Chill
New York magazine features an excerpt from Buster Olney’s forthcoming book about the Joe Torre Yankees (“The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty: The Game, The Team, and the Cost of Greatness”) this week. The excerpt in question profiles Mariano Rivera. What makes Rivera so special? Olney writes:
Where other relievers are crushed after giving up a game-winning home run (the emotionally wrecked reliever is a baseball clich
As I mentioned the other day, I don’t look forward to the annual Subway Serious. I can’t speak for other Yankee fans, but considering how heavily-favored the Yankees usually are, it’s more of a relief than anything else when they beat the Mets. It’s not nearly as gratifying as when the Yanks defeat the Sox or the A’s or even Anahiem as far as I’m concerned. (They are 28-13 against the men from Queens since this nonsense started.) I don’t hate the Mets or Mets fans, though I’ll be rooting hard against them this weekend. And yeah, when the Mets beat the Yankees, I do get extra vexed. (How can I forget Matt Franco’s game-winner off of Mo.) But while some of the newer Mets are amped about all the hoo-ha, the veteran Yankees have grown weary of this match-up. Joe Torre hit the nail of the head when he told the Times:
“It’s not a rivalry,” Torre said. “It’s a rivalry more to management than it is to me or the players, because you don’t have to beat them out for anything in terms of the division. It’s more a battle for recognition in the city – not in the standings, in the city. I still put it in the exhibition category. Not that you’re not trying to win, but you’re still playing a team from the other league.”
The Mets get a break of sorts as they’ll face a rookie and Jose Contreras. The Yanks are fortunate to miss Tom Glavine. Regardless of what goes down, be sure and check out the host of great Mets sites linked on the right-hand column, inlcuding The Eddie Kranepool Society, The Raindrops, Jeremy Heit’s Blog, The Shea Hot Corner, Saber Mets, and of course, the fellas over at Yankees, Mets and the Rest.
The Yankees finished their nine-game road trip with a 5-4 record as they return to the Bronx tonight for a three-game series against the Mets. (It is supposed to rain today so we just may be looking at a double-header tomorrow.) Javier Vazquez gave up a two-run homer in the first and that was all the Orioles would get for the duration of the game. Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter both hit two-run dingers of their own and Kenny Lofton had a nifty assist in the seventh inning which proved to be the defensive play of the game. (By the way, not for nothing, but Bernie Williams actually had an assist the night before…though throwing out old man Raffie isn’t exactly something to write home about; that’s probably why I neglected to mention it yesterday.)
Coupled with a Red Sox loss, the Yankees are now five-and-a-half games ahead of the Bostons. The Twins won in ten innings, aided in part by a critical error by Nomar Garciaparra. As Tony Massarotti notes, Boston is 25-25 in their last 50 games. The Yankees scored a moral victory of sorts against the Sox yesterday as well when Carlos Beltran was traded to the Astros and not to Boston (shows you how much I know). Houston moved Octavio Dotel to Oakland, which should help a lousy bullpen plenty.
