Where’s the beef? Right here, dog. Yankee sirloin was in full effect last night, as Carl Pavano, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, and Jorge Posada powered the Bronx Bombers to their tenth straight victory. A night after hitting a grand slam, Bernie Williams was back on the bench. Characteristically, he took the news in stride, telling the Daily News:
“At this point in my career, who cares what I do?” he said. “All we care about is winning games and getting to the postseason.”
Speaking of meat, today, is the 18th. As a kid, this day had special meaning for me, because it’s Reggie Jackson’s birthday. Funny, how other people’s birthdays can make such an impression on you when you are growing up. For the rest of my life, I’ll never forget how meaningful this day used to be for me.
1. Hey Alex, all,
Reggie Jackson's birthday has been a holiday in my house since I was 10 years old. Another holiday? October 18. "Reg-gie Reg-gie Reg-gie"
I always notice those two days on the calendar year after year.
2. Bernie Williams should make the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, in my opinion. It has been said before, but he is as responsible for the Yankee success as any other single player. It is a shame he can no longer play effective defense, but he is still the guy I want up when the chips are down. A true gentleman and a great guy; I hope he gets another chance to be the series MVP.
3. I've often been critical of Williams for his lack of throwing arm and baserunning acumen, but I'd be hard-pressed to find too many times when he's acted like anything other than a gentleman. His handling of the recent demotion and being restricted to platoon status at DH is an ideal example of how an aging player (or any player for that matter) should put the team first ahead of individual goals. In addition to being one of the most likable Yankees among his teammates, he seems to be well-liked by players on other teams. One of the good guys.