Another scorcher here..and due to my lady being sick as a dog I'm stuck at home instead of in the park at the Indonesian Festival...at least the Yank's - M's are on at 11am! Let's hope Tejas takes care of business too..it seems Josh Hamilton's bat is wasking up a bit which is huge for them..

[1] "waking" up..I need a remedial typing class..

Bad Vlad just singled over the Orioles shortstop's head. Oh, the ball bounced in front of the plate first. Crazy. 3 more hours til game time. D'oh!

[3] Vlad would have been an awesome cricketer had he been born in Jamaica or T&T instead of the D>R///

Watching Rags's July 4th no hitter. In the first inning, White asks Scooter if he has ever seen so many home runs fly out of the Stadium in a series (Rice had 4 HR in the first 3 games). Scooter says no, and then comments on how he's never seen so many home runs fly out of the Stadium ever before.

I smiled.

per pete:

R - Jeter SS
L - Damon LF
S - Teixeira 1B
L - Matsui DH
S - Posada C
L - Cano 2B
S - Swisher RF
R - Hairston 3B
S - Cabrera CF

No A-Rod. Gotta figure he's going to be avail off the bench, though. I guess for tonight the Matsui cleanup experiment continues.

I'm in Connecticut so watching Red Sox on NESN. Pretty trippy. I didn't realize they're 1-5 vs the Rangers, their main Wild card competition. That's unacceptable.

Chiming in on Girardi's bullpen acumen, if it weren't for Hughes I don't think Joe would be getting so much credit. The bullpen was not good prior to Phil's arrival. Then again Girardi's use of Hughes has been maddening at times so who knows.

Hopefully the Yanks jump out to a big lead and maybe Jeter can get another few innings off. Meanwhile, the Jays are putting a hurtin' on the Rays.

Alex begged out due to back spasms. Pete has the story further down, and I've got it linked on twitter.

I see the Mitre Gaudin swingin' tandem plan has been put op on hold for the weekend.

Millwood just whiffed JD to end the first in Tejas..for some reason I find both those guys easy to root against...

we should have had about 4 innings of baseball already!!

[10] below are the pitching projections according to petey. looks like mitre is being skipped after this start as well.

Today at Seattle: Pettitte
Tomorow at Seattle: Mitre
Sunday at Seattle: Chamberlain
Monday at Oakland: Burnett
Tuesday at Oakland: Sabathia
Wednesday at Oakland: Gaudin
Thursday: off
Aug. 21 at Boston: Pettitte
Aug. 22 at Boston: Burnett
Aug. 23 at Boston: Sabathia
Aug. 24: off
Aug. 25 vs. Texas: Chamberlain

Texas up 2-0

If you ever get to that market in Seattle, watch out! The fish fly off the shelves there, literally!

: )

[12] I wonder if the nix on cutting Joba's start came from above Girardi. Not that it really matters, but it would add a certain i don't know what to the complexity of Girardi's place... a la Torre 2006.

[12] If I had to guess, when Marte is eligible to come of the DL after this weekend, Mitre will be the one who goes down. As best I can tell, Mitre should have one option year left, though I could be wrong.

The New York Mets are wearing throwback New York Giant uniforms. As they play the San Francisco Giants.

I don't understand this franchise.

[12] As well? He's on turn for Sunday, then skipped, yes.

[14] Been there, they do!

[17] Seriously. I thought they were the old Dodgers.

; )

[18] sorry wasn't clear - the "as well" meant in addition to the mitre/gaudin tandem being broken up mitre is also being skipped next time through the order

shaun might have it predicted [16] that marte might displace mitre (and say it fast)

[11] Kevin Millwood seems like that guy for the last several years who wins despite who he is. You can imagine a good hitter or a young buck going up against him, then striking out and walking back with this look on their faces saying, "but dude, you're Kevin Millwood..."

Hey man, have you or thelarmis heard of a band out of Japan called Asian Kung Fu Generation? They remind me of a metal version of The Seatbelts. Their song Rewrite is the intro music in the third season of Full Metal Alchemist and is on my list of very favorites! Know any more about them?

Continuing the trippiness from [7], seeing Texas score so quickly and easily against Lester is surreal. Hell if they can do it then the Yanks can.

[17][19] Mets fans should storm the castle and demand 1969 and 1986 be better represented at Shiti Field..two great championship teams and their owner still feels he has to play up the Dodgers/Giants angle? Odd...

[23] Its absolutely bizarre

[21] Yes, I know them, been around for maybe 10 years or so?? I think they were very "indie indie" at first but now have had quite a few big hits..maybe try rockofjapan.com for more info?

[19] They're a little of both, actually; consider Willie Mays playing his last years there, and Gil Hodges managing. But really, the colors and fancy-schmancy interlocking NY are representative of both clubs.

Fwiw Heidi Watney > Kim Jones.

[25] Ah, indie is definitely a better word for their sound. I'll check 'em out, thanks! And yeah, the Wilpons should be flogged and rolled around in a huge pan of cooking bacon for ignoring their own team's history.

[28] Chyll, thanks for hipping me to that Tank Anime cartoon earlier today. Between that and the Bikini Police it's a wonder Mr. OK Jazz has time to banter.
: D

[29] I make it a rule to do as little work as possible at ACME Investigations, Inc, leaving plenty o' time for baseball, jazz and the Miniskirt Police!

[29] No prob; Cowboy Bebop is top choice in anime and a damn good soundtrack as well.

[30] Damn. I need to make a trip there; if for nothing else but to give a better idea to our fellow Banter fans on the Pacific Rim what the hell I'm talking about (or likely confuse them even further! >;)

[29] Also noteworthy: Samurai Shamploo, Bleach, Death Note, Code Gaess and my current love, Full Metal Alchemist. Guilty Pleasures: Shin Chan, Fooley Cooley.

Will the Yanks make the playoffs?
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_oddspec.php

[32] Oh, and of course on the top shelf: Afro Samurai both the first season and Resurrection. The only thing I will say about that is: Samuel L. Jackson is the lead and a supporting voice. Go get it...

[33] so that predicts that the Yanks have a 99% chance of making the playoffs, and an 88% chance of winning #27 (and lead the percentages in both categories)?

[34] You found Afro Samurai in the US? Wow..did you hear about the anime & manga Expo in LA last month, more than 35,000 people attended..

Oh man, just as I'm gloating to my girlfriend about Ortiz's batting average, he ties the game up with a two-run homer... She's a Red Sox fan.

[26] I know that the colors, etc. are supposed to capture a sense of both "lost" NL NY teams, but that only underscores the weirdness of the Mets franchise. Both the Dodgers and Giants are alive and well someplace else--same names, same colors, and (presumably) same histories. Meanwhile, the Mets were left with borrowed history.

But what makes it worse, in my opinion, is that the Mets are now going on 50 years old. They are franchise with their own history and tradition, that traces back farther than many current franchises. They have WS titles and NL pennants to celebrate. Yet they have an owner who seems set on forgetting all of that and pretending that his franchise is the Brooklyn Dodgers (or tonight, the Giants).

What a weird identity crisis, IMO.

[34, 36] Those are worlds unbeknownst to me.
It's nice to see to O's putting a beat down on the Angels.

The Damon Decision
http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com/?p=6543

Well, that could have gone better

[35] "...and an 88% chance of winning #27"
No, I think thats 88% chance of winning the Division. Same as the Angels.

I Iove Ichiro.

[42] Okay, I get it now. It's div champion, wildcard, and overall.

[42] The Nats and Padres have been eliminated?

dammit.

Well then.

notsogoodsofar.

Griffey's can is as wide as my apartment..

oh shut up Flash, he stinks now! his job was to get a hit, not ground out weakly!
I hate tv announcers..

We're bringing the infield in in the first?

If the line is a HR, I think its over the line.

Above the yellow line is a home run no?

3rd HR review for Jorgie.

Upon further replay, it clearly hit the line and didn't go over.

I still hate the stupid yellow line though.

4-2 Rangers now, bottom 7th..

Evening folks!

Ron Washington for President.

Been mentioned here before I know but..with all the rubbish in Seattl's lineup now they could really ise Adam Jones..

That was quick

[36] Sorry 'bout the wait, Jazz. Yeah, It's been here the last couple of years; premiering on Spike TV and eventually landing on home video. I bought the director's cut, of course...believe it or not, I've never been to L.A.; I know I have to take my career through Hollyweird at some point, but there's no crew work out there right now with the special production discounts over here and in a growing number of other regions. I missed the New York Comic Con because I was on a gig, too...

Hmm. it's hard to stay alert for games this late, even as the M's are showing some chin after all, after having their asses handed to them last night.

[57] I came in the door
I said it before
I never let the Sox
magnatize me no more
But their fightin' me
bitin' me
invitin' me to rhyme;
I can't hold it back
I'm looking for the line...

>;)

Yikes. That's some tightrope walkin', Andy.

Sox have 1st & 3rd no out bottom of the ninth.

[61] Nice! Is that an original? You're inspiring me.

Fuck you, Stupid sox
In fenway or here
where Summer dreams of yours die

Check that, one run in, 1st & 2nd no out. 4-3 Texas

My old man and brother in law are at the game in Texas. Looks like an entertaining one.

WOWWWWWW!!!!!!! Sweet play.

Craaaaazy shit in this Red Sox game. Bucholz pinch-running; out at the plate on ball off the wall, running from second!

[64] Oh heyy-ell no >;) That's a classic from Eric B & Rakim: Eric B Is President, I was inspired by Hawk's comment...

Turned Sox on. Looking bad

I hate the Red Sox

BASTARDS.

Sox take two run lead. Martinez pays off tonight.

[69] Hee-hee, if Fearless Leader were here, I'll bet he he would've picked up right where I left off. There are a few other Old Skool heads around Banter as well. If you want original, you have to pair me up with Sliced Bread... >;)

Awful job by Francisco. Frank Viola rules, though.

[71] Professional Hitter V-Mart...

[60] Really more anime available in US these days..but i don't know Spike TV..good films on there too?

Drew with two run HR

I'm pissed too, Nick...

Jesus, 6 run 9th for the Sox.

8-4 Sox

[74] I knew that one too! I just know the classics though...

Damn Rangers, they'l get swept now..

F#$%ING 6 runs in the 9th. Nice job, Francisco.

Well, the bottom certainly fell out in Texas, didn't it?

Red Sox looked AWFUL until the ninth. Francisco must be in Epstein's pocket.

Francisco's ERA just went from 2.01 to 3.65 with inning...

Nice of Johnson to kind of meander after that ball

Yay!

Francisco was ONE strike away but VMart doubles in the tying and leading run. Sox will win.

The Mariners aren't known as an outstanding defensive ballclub?

Jeter has great Karma. He gets SOOOOOOO many seeing eye hits.

[76] Funimation has been making a big splash in the US the last few years; most of the stuff I see is shown on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network's nighttime programming), but Funimation's library is amazing. Spike TV is a few years old; they have a movie programming slot called Movies That Don't Suck and you can't argue with the selection; they showed Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon last time I watched. They are a PG-13 or more kinda cable network.

[91] Have you ever seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force? Cracks me up. : D

(Psst! has anyone been slowed down by tracking software here when they refresh?)

This might be the worst good pitching performance I've ever seen.

[92] Meatwad RULES!!!

[93] How can you tell?

How many strikeouts is that for Pettitte tonight? I can't find that stat anywhere on gameday.

It's cool that the Red Sox broadcast is only concerned with the Wild Card race. Heartening, really.

How many times does Posada strike out looking per year?

[97] 8