Even a good sacrifice, with Granderson’s speed, would have put pressure on them.

There are many situations where I am not a fan of the bunt, but that situation cried out for that strategy.

Is it his thumb? Is it worse than we’ve been led to believe? Does he risk serious injury if he aggravates the initial condition? If he needs to preserve the thumb for hitting, that ain’t working out so well these days, anyway, so…

To banterize it, this is a serious series, btw.

I ran numbers with home and away splits and remaining schedules, as there is just about 1/3rd of the season left.

The Red Sox had the hardest strength of schedule left, and the Yankees and Rays remaining schedules were almost a statistical dead heat. But so much of the opponent winning % for the Red Sox was based on them having to play at our place seven times. One down for them.

As I said to a friend, if we can’t make our home field worth a damn versus the Red Sox, this team is in serious, serious trouble.

The whole thing for first, second, and third is going to come down to common opponents, btw.

I could lay it all out for everybody, but I never post such things after losses. Probably because I feel like if the team is just going to do a bunch of losing, none of that stuff means anything.

It feels like a broken record saying certain guys have got to get going. And with those guys, it’s starting to feel like holding out hope for something that’s never going to happen.

Cervelli. Oh, how something so right has gone so wrong.

Granderson. I have had it up to here with him.

Berkman. Already.

Joba. I almost don’t care what he does anymore. The fear in his eyes when he’s out on that mound makes me want to vomit. The difference in his facial expressions on the mound right now versus what he looked like during his rookie year is incredible. And sad.

Javy in any big game. I felt no confidence in him pitching against the Red Sox – and you could have put eight kids from a Massachusetts high school in their uniforms up against him and Javy still would have taken it sweet and hard.

Kerry Wood. To paraphrase Major League, “Man, he looks shitty.”

Gardner when he’s on first base. Against Victor Martinez? Are you fucking serious? Steal. the. fucking. BAG.

Things I will never get tired of:

Robbie’s perfect swing

Robbie’s sick arm

That throw he made to get JE at first may have been the laser-iest laser I’ve ever seen a second baseman throw.

The rest of those guys, though? Fuck. Them.

i think most everyone thought javy would pitch at least a little better than he has. he’s had his moments…

i was always with you in retaining damon (and hinske, who homered on his birthday yesterday), but i was also excited in getting granderson (would’ve rathered in addition to johnny…). i’m surprised he’s been this bad, injury not-withstanding…

we gotta win tomorrow…

Meanwhile, the pop up definitely extended the inning, but as usual, Javy came up small in a “big game”. I hate to say it, but if Ozzie has been right about one thing, it’s Vazquez inability to pitch when the spotlight is on him. I don’t see how anyone could have confidence in him in the postseason, so if the Yankees make it, they could find themselves scrambling for starters. The bottom line is the Yankees not only need Pettitte healthy, but pitching as well as he was before the injury.

Finally, as if Vazquez’ performance didn’t do enough to further impugn Cashman’s offseason, there were the four horrendous ABs of Curtis Granderson. All season, Granderson has poor AB after poor AB, and in a game like this one, the Yankees lineup gets exposed as a result. The drop off from Damon to Granderson has been stark.

big donkey with another multi-homer game. he now has 30 on the year.

Piano is the *only* instrument that belongs to 2 “families” = percussion (hammers) and strings (strings). huh, i wonder about the hammer dulcimer. but that’s not “symphonic”…

as my grandma used to say: “these are the things. i don’t know what things”! : )

dear Cozi Von Sackbutt:

um, yes, they actually do! these are the things i learn when studying to be a band (orchestra/choral) conductor. there are indeed strings within the valves. i had to play pretty much all the symphonic instruments. not well, mind you. but i had to learn how to set them all up, proper technique, scales, etc. learn ‘em well enough to teach kids properly (and fix the damn things). there really are strings on a french horn! [i'm NOT kidding!!!]

Michael Kay is on the other line…something about fallacies and predetermined outcomes.

And minus the funny music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpc5_3B5xdk