Sometimes, in my more wistful moments, I feel kind of bad for Carl Pavano. Who knows how different the public view of him would be if the Yankees had attributed his 2006 spring training injury to, say, a strained lower back, instead of the infamous “bruised buttocks”? His old teammates openly mocked him and his ex-girlfriend is calling him a headcase in press conferences (albeit a competitive one). Pavano just grinned when he was booed during Cleveland’s introduction on Thursday, but what else could he really do?
Still – you don’t get the sense that he actually feels too much regret over taking $40 million from New York, and giving back a 9-8 record with a 5.0 ERA. Maybe that’s because he gave it his all and was just the helpless victim of cruel circumstance… or, maybe it’s because he’s a complete jackass. The mystery endures.
Anyway, Pavano pretty much dominated the Yankees for six-plus innings today, in what could have been a completely excruciating, soul-sucking loss, had things gone a bit differently. A.J. Burnett did not have his good control, walking six, hitting a batter, and letting fly a couple wild pitches, but he kept things from getting out of hand – and when the mighty Pavano left the game, the Yanks were able to rally, thanks to a key home run from Jorge Posada in the seventh. (I imagine that Jorge Posada, of all people, was not going to deal particularly well with losing to Carl Pavano).
At the end of the day it was a 7-3 win for New York. I suppose the outcome is all that matters, but it’s still too bad the Yankees couldn’t take their revenge on Pavano – and this was probably the last chance they’ll get, since one can only assume the guy will be back on the DL by the end of May.
To recap: the Indians drew first blood in the second inning, with a Shin-Soo Choo homer to (surprise!) right field; two innings later, Ryan Garko hit a two-run shot, though at least for variety’s sake this one was to left. Maybe all the balls flying out of the new Stadium like bats out of hell are just a fluke, but it makes me wish I knew more about physics and wind dynamics and whatnot; here you have two similar structures, just across the street from each other – is it really possible for them to play this differently? I hope not, because I’m not a fan of bandboxes, but I do find it fascinating.
For a while there it looked possible that Carl Pavano was actually going to no-hit the Yankees, which would definitely have led to some talk of curses and karma. Fortunately New York eliminated that horrifying possibility in the fourth inning, when Derek Jeter doubled and Mark Teixeira singled him home. That was the only run the Yankees would get off their former teammate, even after he loaded the bases in the sixth, and Tribe manager Eric Wedge walked out to the mound, and then left him in – the only point this afternoon at which I seriously considered committing an act of violence against my TV.
So Pavano left the game with a lead; it was the Indians’ Rafaels (Perez and Betancourt) who finally coughed it up. Cano doubled, Matsui singled, and after poor Cody Ransom failed to even bunt properly (though that’s as much on Matsui’s lack of speed, and/or Girardi declining to run for him, as on Ransom), Jorge Posada hit a long fly ball that – as near as anyone could tell – just cleared that right field fence for a go-ahead, pinch-hit, three-run homer. It was a tricky call, as a fan grabbed at the ball and it ended up bouncing off the top of the wall and back into play; the Indians argued, the umpires consulted… they went off to check the replay… they consulted with the managers some more… and finally they upheld their original decision.
The Yankees tacked on some insurance in the bottom of the eighth when Cody Ransom hit a fly ball to left that Choo should have caught fairly easily – but the Indians’ right fielder lost it in the sun (as least I assume it was the sun), and was nowhere near the ball when it fell in fair, and so it counts as a double and three RBIs. Mariano Rivera then came in and did what you would expect him to do, even though his velocity is a little off its usual mark, which makes me a little nervous.
But not nearly as nervous as the prospect of losing to Carl Pavano.
A few other thoughts:
*Albaladejo was the hero tonight in my book, relieving Burnett with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, and somehow wriggling out of trouble. And Brian Bruney was great again too. Can he actually keep this up?
*The Yankees got some nice defense in this game, especially from Ransom and Teixeira. Cano started a nifty DP as well.
* At one point Pavano hit Damon with a pitch, and under the circumstances it was probably an accident, but they weren’t what you’d call close, so I did kind of wonder.
*Related note: I know it doesn’t matter all that much, but it just doesn’t feel right to me, having Damon bat third. Come back, A-Rod! We’re sorry we made fun of you! You can make out with your own reflection as often as you want, I won’t say a word!
*Is there any pitcher in the big leagues you would hate to see throw a no-hitter against the Yankees more than Carl Pavano? Anyone?
[0] I would have to retreat to a Buddhist monastery if Josh Beckett no-hit the Yankees. The smug-o-meter would reach new heights for him..
7 walks for AJ..not too nice but he "kept us in the game" so no complaints.
Pavano hit his spots today. But as Pauli and Singleton pointed out he was leaving plenty of stuff up in the zone as the game moved into the middle innings. The Yanks just didn't capitalize.
Watching Pavano, I see at best a back-end of the rotation NL guy who must hit his spots. The low to mid 90's fastball is long gone. 85-88 with his fastball and slider, and the occassional low 80's change. Many more years in the majors is probably not in the offing. If he wants to pitch and make a few more bucks, he might try Darrell Rasner's route to Japan.
But as we all know too well, he probably will not need the money...
[0] Emma in regard to the physics, Cliff had a good point yesterday about the open concourses. Its possible that those allow for a more coherent airflow, which could make the stadium play like a bandbox. However, I want to wait awhile before determining that for a few reasons:
1. Its been 4 games, and the Indians were supposed to hit this year anyways. There was a short game stretch where Shane Spencer looked like Roy Hobbs come to life, how'd that work out?
2. The wind currents could change drastically as time goes on in the season. Maybe its just the prevailing winds in April, or hell this week.
3. There's no telling what will change when the old Stadium is torn down (sob).
The much bigger problem I have with the stadium is seeing empty seats behind homeplate, the dugout etc. Its criminal that the Yankees have priced out the real fans, only so people can buy up season tickets and not come to the game. Its embarassing to watch on tv, I feel like I'm watching a Rays game before they were good or something. Then you look at the upperdeck shots and they are full. Its just...sad....I guess. I hope they get their heads out of their asses.
"The mighty Pavano!!!!!"
haha hah ah ahhaguffawguffawha ha ha ha ha guffaw, ow my sides hurt ha ha ha hah ah !!!
Well, this four game series was probably as close to "complete fucking debacle" as you can get while actually winning two games. I can't imagine anyone on that team is happy with his these last four days went.
[3] Watching Mo close it out in the 9th..the seats were almost completely empty behind home plate. How do you NOT stay to see Mariano? It's blasphemy!
[6] they weren't there to begin with...that's how!
[7] exactly, the "high-roller seats" were 30-40% empty the entire game.
i know the yankees were only trying to attach themselves, tick like, to the insanity that surrounded the peaks of the financial madness that infected everyone, so it's not vindictive, but i'm kinda enjoying the slapdown their pricing plans have gotten so far.
they willingly chose to dick a bunch of fans in chasing the almighty dollar and frankly, i have little sympathy for them being caught in bed with a naked recession.
[3] Yes, definitely all good points... it's much too soon to say how the new park will really play. I just find it fascinating that it's even possible that it will be so different.
As for the empty seats, I meant to write about that in my game recap -- I actually think as painful as it is too see, it could actually be a good thing, IF (big if) it forces the Yankees to rethink some of their pricing. Before the season started I thought demand would be so high that they'd get away with charging so much, but it seems that's not the case. So while it's obviously awful that they're pricing out their fans (including me), if they keep seeing those big empty swaths of blue, perhaps they'll be forced to change. I guess we'll find out.
(Not like I'd be buying those field level seats even if they halved the price - they'll always be too expensive for me. But there would be a ripple effect, I'd think, that might make more of the affordable seats available.)
[8] Cult beat me to it (and was more succinct to boot).
[10] i just spent the day getting drunk and watching the last couple of episodes of "Bus of Love" with friends ... i just felt the need for crass references and poorly phrased "entendres" ...
oh, Brett Michaels, how poorly do you know your own heart ...
[12] Never heard of "Bus of Love" but sounds like one of the all-time worst names for a tv show..right up there with Emereson, Lake & Palmer's album "Love Beach" for worst name, and genre!
[12] er.."any genre"..me no type good..
i never heard of bus of love either, but that's not saying much.
i do know, however, that Bret spells his name with only one "t"!!! : )
i'm not familiar w/ that ELP album. can't be as good as Tarkus or Brain Salad Surgery!
"... caught in bed with a naked recession."
shrinkage?
[14] Oh man, check out the album cover of "Love Beach" on the web somewhere, it's hysterical.
Was "Tarkus" the one about the armadillo-tank machine? ELP were pretty lame looking back now, chops or not. Too many concept albums!
[14] did i mention i was DRUNK today?!?!?
=)
imagine BreT Michaels with about 20 alcoholic, insane strippers, cooped together for 10 weeks and you begin to guess at the rampant lunacy of the proceedings.
[14] just borrowed a copy of John Mayer's "Live in Los Angeles" ... the "trio" set is really quite good!
I'm just sayin'. nice turn of phrase, cult >;)
[16] yeah, that was Tarkus. i hear ya about ELP. at least they were better than ELO!!!
[17] yes, and you're lucky! but i got good and drunk late last night after me gig!
that show sounds, um...well...i'm sure the girls were hot as hell!
[18] i'm not really familiar w/ Mayer but he was an Atlanta cat. years ago, someone mentioned setting up an audition for me. i had never heard of him before and the audition never came to fruition. i don't know his music, but i'm sure it's a good gig! i played in a group that did a cover version of one of his tunes, but i learned it on stage and never heard it. i hear he's a good guitar player though...
Ah... I must be pitching a no hitter right now. Okay, gnite... >;)
[20] well ...
if you like hard, dumb, skanky strippers, "Bus of Love" would be Paradise ... if not, well, the enjoyment comes from schadenfreude ...
the Mayer stuff was surprising ... he's been known to throw in the occasional nod to Phish in his sets, but the "trio" set has 2 quality Hendrix covers ... which is a pretty direct route to getting my attention.
[21] my destination as well ... g'nite all!
[22] i just picked up and spun Round Room a coupla weeks ago. and i got an album flat of Rift and put it up at my drum studio. that album is still one of my all-time favorites - any genre!
neh, i'll take emily procter, thank you please! : )
Choo Garko sounds like something you find at Mos Eisley, not in the middle of a baseball lineup. "Coming up in the Cleveland half of the 6th, a Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy."
great comments today... haha.
[5] Well, this four game series was probably as close to “complete fucking debacle” as you can get while actually winning two games. I can’t imagine anyone on that team is happy with his these last four days went.
Close as in Jorge's ball gets caught close? There I'd agree. But with the win and a split and +.500 I diagree with your conclusion ... I'd say professionals are entirely happy to take the last game and move on. Blowouts happen. They won the close ones. The concern will be a Wang issue now, and Matsui, to a lesser degree (and I think Marte matters, and his track record suggests he'll get it back together). There are in-house ways of trying for a 5th starter, but if Godzilla is going to have his knee flare up DHing there's a trickier issue. (Pinch run him before bunts maybe? But realistically, a ballplayer has to be able to play through basic baseball plays, no?)
Perspective? Rays, Bosox, Angels, Tribe ... thinks fans are happy either? It is April 20th. Twelve games (?) to Alex for Ransom, a slight uptick there. And 'normal' progression means major strengths from Sabathia and Teixeira as it warms up.
I think yesterday was close to a nightmare, and ended up not being one. I'll take the W, pass on desired revenge. I think the team has already moved on from the blowout L and bet they feel just fine. Not smug, not gloriously happy, but aware things aren't a disaster and likely to get better.
We should all send a Yankee hat to Randy Levine and the Mayor. And let's not forget the last leader who will soon occupy again one of those empty seats when he needs some face time.
I don't even have such nice or comfortable seats in my living room as they have in the Legends area. And, sorry, I never enjoyed sitting in the upper deck. I felt too far away from the field. I even sat in Uke's seat for a Ranger game. Couldn't see part of the field. Not fun.
The team cannot reduce the seat prices. How will they pay the salaries of the alleged superstars, many past their primes, who regularly dissappoint us. Not sure I remember the last Championship. Not going to happen soon, and if it does, I won't be invited.
Who can afford the seats, yet alone the food and drink? Seriously, WHO can afford to go to games? Do I know any of you?
The time it takes to get to a game and then home, assuming you stay for the entire game, makes it difficult to include a sit down dinner into the mix, not to mention the cost. If you don't live conveniently nearby, its a drudge to go to a game anyway. And voila, after most of the games, people have to get up and go to work the next morning.
[8] Here, here.
[28] Ouch. Who can really argue though?
There are thousands of very affordable seats in the new place. If one thinks it's too much of a burden to get to and from the Stadium, then perhaps they are simply better off staying home.
As for cutting the price of the Legends seats, I don't really see how the "average fan" with his family of four will benefit from those seats dropping from $2,000 to $1,000. The reason they aren't selling is because of the economy. If things rebound, the Yankees will likely make a small adjustment; if things continue to plod along, they'll have to lower the prices significantly.
[1] Does anyone know exactly why Beckett's suspension was lowered from 6 to 5 games? I looked around and couldn't find any info. The Sux didn't even appeal, and the suspension was lowered.
[16] It was the 1970s. Which royally sucked.
[31] Beckett did appeal.
[30] I was just pointing out the number of considerations that go into a decision to visit the park rather than watch at a bar or at home. I don't know what is considered an affordable ticket. Is $50 affordable? And if I take my family, is that $200, $400 or $600 for the day or evening. What's the risk it rain or is cold? How far in advance do I plan for this?And I question whether, assuming that I would accept the price as being within the reach of the working fan, whether the ticket would allow the fan to actually see the game. For one who likes seeing the players sweat, I doubt that these affordable seats allow for any personal observations.
I spent $200 a ticket to sit in the front row of the right field boxes for a Cubbiy/St. Louis game in red hat land. Saw the whole field, but couldn't follow the game. I could afford the ticket, but how many others can? My wife, who is not a knowledgeable fan, had no clue what was going on. She was just happy the Cubbies won. Don't get me wrong, I liked being there, but I didn't see a ball game.
And I think the reason the seats aren't selling is because the price offends the average person. You could have teeth fixed, a refrigerator replaced, or feed some of the forty% of children who go to school hungry everyday. The outrageously exhorbitant charge comes with all the food and booze you can drink, also. How much can you eat and drink. They are seats for Bernie Madoff and his ilkers.
It just isn't offensive to people who have a lot of money and don't watch what they spend. The President wants the country to move away from the consumer economy. Tickets at these prices step in the wrong direction.
I was pretty impressed by this win. Despite being frustrated by Pavano (which had to be especially frustrating for at least some of the players), they continued to play good D. Ransom made a few really nice plays, Cano and Jeter turned a great double play to end an inning/rally, and Teixera made a great play to end an inning as well. Burnett battled effectively, Albaladejo was clutch, even Matsui was clutch (and finally got a hit.) I watched the game later on DVR (I was at the Stadium), it was pretty cool to see Teixera whooping at Ransom after he made that great bare handed play in the 9th.
As for the new stadium, they gotta lower those field box seat prices. Those are 1/2 full (on a Sunday) and are really killing homefield advantage (excepting fans in right field). Otherwise liked the place fine. Miss seeing the courthouse, miss Bob Shephard. They gotta get rid of the goof doing between frame family friendly entertainment crap. If it turns out to be Camden II that'll need to be changed.