So, this is the game thread, up early, I take it? Can Moseley capture some lightning (or lightening) in a bottle?

I agree on Berkman...he'll start hitting soon. But man, he has been brutal so far.

He has, but he had some good swings on Friday. He'll come around.

I think I have this album in my closet somewhere...

I had a feeling Burnett vs. Beckinstocks wasn't gonna work out today. But to be honest with you, I don't think I even want to turn on the radio now...

Burnett has “tightness in his back” and has been replaced by Dustin “FBI Agent Alonzo” Mosley.
Burnett has “tightness in his asshole" and has been replaced by Dustin “FBI Agent Alonzo” Mosley.

There.... fixed.

Let's keep in mind that Lance has seen VERY little of these pitchers he's facing. Swapping leagues mid-season can sometimes be difficult.

Wow.... Brandon Morrow's 1 hitter: 137 pitches and 17 Ks.

[4] There is only one tight asshole allowed in this series, and that has to be sphincter face who closes for the BSox. ( I finally spelled sphincter right!)

Melky Cabrera must love that southern cooking. He looks like he's put on a million pounds.

7) he was a fun player, but I think that in the end Yankees fans will be happy, or at least not disappointed, that he was traded.

It's pouring here in Montreal. What's the weather like in the Bronx?

Melkdud's OPS+ is up to 90, a shade above his career mark of 88. At $3m/yr, I don't think he will be missed.

[8] I found him a pretty annoying player, actually. But I still wish him well. At least until we face the Braves in the postseason. ;-)

[10] Wow, really? He's really improved from his terrible start, then. Talking Chop used to have a sign up which they claimed was Melky's motto: "Make LOB, not WAR."

So, Posada is catching tonight with Moseley pitching. Girardi had planned to catch Cervelli with AJ, part of the now more or less fixed rotation: Posada with CC, Hughes and Pettitte/Moseley, Cervelli with Aj and Javy.

Now, I am thrilled not to see Cervelli, but this really confirms that the cstcher rotation is not only about resting Posada but also about using the catchers exlusively with specific pitchers--that is, establish each catcher as a personal catcher for a subset of the pitching rotation.

So, if this personal catcher business is codified this early in the regular season, what can we expect in the playoffs? Is the team saving Posada in the regular season in order to...bench him during the post season? Hoo boy.

Indeed, from Lo-Hud:

• This rotation adjustment leaves Burnett pitching back-to-back with Javier Vazquez. Those are the two pitchers who Francisco Cervelli has been catching, leaving Jorge Posada to catch three days in a row immediately after. Girardi said he hasn’t plotted out any sort of changes to that catching rotation, but it’s hard to believe he would suddenly let Posada catch three straight.

Hmmm...it will be interesting to see.

11) well, yes, I was never the biggest Melky fan. But even I enjoyed that henwas homegrown. But let's just say I don't miss him much at all.

Yikes, Joe Morgan is spewing gobbledegook and the game hasn't even started yet. This could be a long night.

[15] He was homegrown, but he was a homegrown bonehead. I don't mind when players make mistakes, especially young players, but I hate it when they make the same mistakes over and over. Melky just didn't seem to learn.

Here we go...it's LIAB time!

Ellsbury is some kind of awful.

holy hot blonde in the glasses. 2nd row, maybe. seeeeexy!!! ; )

[4] It shouldn't matter that much anymore in this day and age.

[9] Weather's wonderful here. Beautiful summer evening.

what! no gold gloves for jorgie? i'm shocked! ; )

One thing you have to give Ortiz credit for is hustle.

melky - i was watching some of the game today. yeah, he's put on a bunch of weight. he's been doing a bit better. i always kinda liked him - even have the got melky? t-shirt - but am glad he's no longer in pinstripes. i am also glad i get to see him on a regular basis, here in hotlanta, where the weather is very nice this evening. too humid, but what else is new...

Not a ground ball on the first pitch, but still...

In what may be a Banter first, I am posting from a plane as we sit on the Tarmac waiting for the game to become available. ... Go Yankees

right, joe. the club isn't scoring any runs. we only have scored more runs than every single team in mlb.

That's GATE

Did Morgan just say that the Yankees are not like last year's team which scored a lot of runs??

27) thank you.

[26] oh no, you're still sitting on the plane? i thought your flight was like 3 hours ago! i hope you haven't suffered thru a ton of delays. i also hope you enjoyed your time here in my wonderful adopted city and that sabr was well worth it!

FLY SAFELY!!!

[23] Give him credit or handicap?

really really late on that, alex.

Slide-piece? Is Carson Cistulli in the booth?

27) and that comment followed hot on the heels of Morgan's observation that Jeter has not been as aggressive this year and is taking a lot of pitches.

He's in rare form tonight.

[35] there's a reason that on the cover of the Baseball For Dummies book, there's an inset picture of Joe Morgan.

Phew...no two run HR. The Yanks have this one in the bag.

where is everyone?!

[35] And five thousand husbands sigh, grunt, get up and leave...

38) i'm here, but you already knew that.

Maybe everyone is taking in the all important NFL preseason game.

[38] Watching football? I can't believe football season is (sort of) here already.

[39] oh, good - company! i was about to type - it's just me and my monkey(pants).

[sorry.]

it's football season already?

ugh.

at least college basketball is long over!

[34] Maybe, he was in NYC for the fangraphs event.

[42] I'm here too...

I was reminded of the unfortunate proximity of NFL football when yesterday, during the MLB game of the week, Tim McCarver demonstrated the importance of sliding feet first into the base by analyzing sever clips of...NFL quarterbacks sliding.

Mosely looks ... Mussina-like?

He's only 5 outs into it, but I suspect we'd have much more aggravation from Burnett right now.

Agree?

[42] (Hey, no spanking allowed!)

orel with the 666!!!

nice, dude. all of us here, south of heaven, appreciate the shout out!

m/

SWISH!!!

[46] man, do i miss mikey moose. i still have a yankees baseball card of his my fridge. '05 topps

Hopefully Moseley can keep up the LIAB routine. My biggest fear is that he runs into a few bumps or gets unlucky, and then we get to see Unlucky pitch.

lucky stop by the professional hitter.

we're hitting the ball hard. hopefully we'll get something out of it here soon...

In all seriousness Jorge WAS hustling down the line on that play.

[45] Last year he demonstrated the technique of snatching a homer from beyond the centerfield wall by showing several clips of Dikembe Motumbo blocking shots near the rim (finger-wag included)...

Berkman is going deep here.

[51] LIAB?

55) or not. But not bad.

puma!

Lightning in a Bottle.

I'm trying hard to promote this pet name that I came up with. Lame, I know.

fuckett sure does play the game right.

Someone needs to punch Beckett in the mouth

[59] ah. isn't it "lightEning"? ; )

i'd be fine w/ moseley channeling aaron small...

[61] agreed. i nominate shelley duncan. if he's busy, kyle farnsworth.

62) hey, i'm trying. But see 1).

he missed his location on that bigtime.

RUN PREVENTION!!!

[63] Actually, I was a bit surprised Shelly didn't go off.

Still looking for that blond in the glasses you mentioned. Yellow shirt? Next to some kid?

[59] Honestly, it's better than the nickname Salvatore Bonpensiero ended up with...

now THAT's the gritty, gutty type of play we saw from Gardner earlier in the year.

[62] No, it isn't.

Please fucking steal.

Not even close.

Atta boy, Brett!

[67] yeah, i, too was surprised shelley showed constraint.

yeah, i think it was a yellow shirt. sleeveless. long, curly hair. i haven't seen her again. she was on the end seat. i thought it was her (ridiculously lucky) b/f with her, but i wasn't really looking at him! ; )

speed kills!

That's the way!

The march to 3,000 continues

[74] (restraint)

[70] i know! it's been a running joke between RI and mp...

Congratulations, Captain!!! : )

this is fun.

more runs, please!

I like this sort of inning.

Keep it going, boys

[77] (yeah, that too!) : p

78) I think I'm the only joke in that exchange. I can't type, spell or proofread. Hilarity ensues!!

how do you not swing at that with 2 strikes?

damn.

Not optimal, but at least they made Beckett throw almost fifty pitches in two innings.

He's a cat on the mound

[83] (institutes legal proceedings >;)

that was a very strange looking play...Teix was actually confused and screwed up a bit. Oh well, got the lead runner.

Instinct play by Teix

Ellsbury is bad...real bad.

That first out (hot shot up the middle, great play by Mosely): More Moose!

there she is, raf. not yellow shirt. greenish/grayish, maybe. i think i see the yellow shirt in the front row and that's a winner, too!

Way to make him work...

batting title.

We'll take it!

the speedy puma!

thankfully, jorgie didn't hit that. he'd be putting on his shin guards...

Speed, grit and hustle > run prevention

Martinez is not near as good falling on the ball as Teix!

lowell looks like he's 100 years old.

Granderson is killing me.

The Grandyman can't...

[100] The Yankees too.

that woulda been really close if, you know, jorgie actually caught the ball...

great positioning, robbie!

102) so true

the extremely hot concession stands girl - who the yankees smartly place in clear view of the tv audience for all national broadcasts - looks like a young robin givens.

where was that, blue???

liab!

siddown, you fat fugly fuckface!

[97] Shaolin monks say that all the time!

Settle down, Moseley.

siskel and fucking ebert up in the booth.

[110] Er, that too [109] !

[111] ease on down, moselely!

first free pass...

Rule #38: if you talk about how much you love a movie, and you also introduce the topic, you should know the title of the film.

there she is again, raf. super sexy! she's on the end, 2 guys next to her. she's behind the plate on the 3rd base side...

[115] i was thinkin' that...

Dustin Moseley is a Jerk.com

ugh. 2nd free pass...

red bank - hometown of the great Count Basie!!!

way to get out of it, dude!

Man, I just got here (well, I saw Papi strike out). Oh, okay. I was going to say I came for the worst part of the game, but it's worked out.

[106] I've seen the concession stands girl, haven't seen the blonde yet.

[121] it's about freaking time! where's your late pass, young man?

ahem.

I don't know what this kid Moseley has got going for him, but whatever it is they should, you know, bottle it.

Yes, Tito and Joe and Jon, Dustin Pedroia is also annoying me.

Bunt hit would be nice right now

126) very gritty

[123] Sorry.
I took the boys to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Now we're west of Albany in a hotel. Cooperstown tomorrow!

[119] A few nice theaters down there; sort of an arts hot spot in the middle of nowhere. Kind of place you can get away to for the weekend (but that's all)...

Pedroia gets 'special treatments' according to Miller. Hm. Does that also involve specially marked balls?

Off the plate, but still a pretty tough pitch.

[122] i always love seeing the concession stands girl. she's special! they showed a profile shot of her before that was to die for...

they showed the blonde during jete's at-bat...

[128] I'm jealous. I'd really like to go to Cooperstown sometime.

One more inning, LIAB, then anything more is gravy.

[128] oh, wow. that's an excused absence. very cool trip! where exactly is the basketball hall of fame? i think the only time i was ever in albany was in 8th on a school band trip. i played snare drum for gov mario cuomo. iirc, he was a minor league outfielder in the pittsburgh system...

[129] oh, cool. i don't think i've ever been there, or even through it. "the kid from redbank" - count basie theater has gotta be a cool place!

133) All those years I lived in upstate NY and I wonly went to Cooperstown two or three times. I haven't been there in almost 20 years.

oh no.

136) only

I never won anything when I was there.

waaay too many cheers for my liking.

at least we got another shot of the blonde...

i have family in binghamton. when i went to cooperstown, i was really really young. so, i don't remember much. i was even kinda bored. i'd like to go back as an adult. i have to grow up first... ; )

Ellsbury = bad

140) ah, Binghamton. My home town.

Bill Hall, Yankee killer.

Come on bats, let's give the kid some breathing room.

[141] remembah when everyone was calling him a star and how he was waaaaay better than gritner?

big babi to lead off the next inning...

let's get that run back now...and then some!

[135] The Hoops Hall is in Springfield, Mass.
Right on the way -- well, three or four miles off Route 90.

Yeah, that's right, Cuomo was in the Pirates' system. I don't remember what position. Besides Governor, I mean.

[142] seriously?! i used to go all the time. binger, vestal, endicott, johnson city... my brother went to school there and so did my best friend and a million other people i know. my aunt & uncle are still up in b'ham/vestal. i haven't been there in ages and ages...

[145] Yes. In fact, in New England they didn't even bother saying he was way better than Gritner because it seemed much too obvious to say. (Now they'd love to trade him, but they know he isn't worth much.)

[146] coolio. i'm pretty sure he was an outfielder...

c'mon Tex!!!

Oh yeah!
"Well, we know who won that battle."

damn tex crushed that shit.

i called that in my head!

if i typed it, i woulda jinxed it...

TEX GOES BOOM!!!

there's that run back. now, for the "then some" part...

raf - the blonde is no longer wearing glasses. still sexy though! she's right behind the old guy w/ the white hair and white shirt...

147) yep, born and raised there, and still visit family in the area, but i haven't lived in binghamton since I was in college.

[135] I went to Red Bank some years go to audition for an indie film; the theater was under renovations and there wasn't really a whole lot to see otherwise. I imagine it's grown since then; quite a few famous folk have come through there (including director Kevin Smith who lived there while working to become theKevin Smith). They have an international film festival and jazz concert series there too.

good job a-rod.

i know you have leg issues, but - STEAL YOUR 300TH BASE ALREADY!!!!

(damn you...)

oh, fuck you, plays the game right.

beckett hits too many god damn people, i don't care if it is not on purpose.

[158] Exactly what I was just saying to my son.
He isn't trying to hit Cano there, obviously, but he's just too willing to throw heaters where they will in fact hit the batter if they drift in a little.

Berkman becomes a true Yankee this inning. Come Po keep it moving.

[155] i don't know kevin smith - sorry, not a film guy! - but joe jackson played there somewhat recently. he's one of my all-time very favorite musicians ever ever.

[154] i wonder if you were you in school at binghamton the same time as my brother. it's quite possible there's some overlap there...

if victor was behind the dish, i'd double steal. even with those slowpokes on the bases...

[158] with his pinpoint control and such few walks, there's gotta be some "purpose" in there. not robbie just now, but in general...

161) I was in HS 1985-89...and that's all you're getting out of me. : )

[162] So would I. Just to drive them nuts.

Shame on you, Po.

hey way to go big puma!

Eat it, bitches.
We love Lance!

PUMA!

ARod was really limping, no?

Puma's 3-3

[164] unless you skipped a ton of grades that's all we need :}

[164] you're right in between my brother and me! your last 2 years of HS were his first two years of college. would you remember any of the local bar bands from around there? they were pretty big for the area...

i take it there's a binghamton hs & vestal hs? i think my cousins went to vestal, but i'm not positive. 2 of my cousins are right at your age group...

[160] true yankee!

At least get the runner home, Grandy.

i want both of these runs plated.

since it's grandy, i'll settle for one.

and expect none...

Your turn, Grandy

Yes, walk him! Set up the DP! Do it!

this game looks like it is going to be a joe west special.

None of those pitches were close in that AB

aw yeah.

98 pitches.

let's go, gritner!

Squeeze play?

172) i wasn't too much into the local bar/band scene in those days. I might remember the name if I heard it, though.

Yeah, separate VHS and BHS, but in fact I went to neither (or any of the other public HS in the area).

[180] yes!! it is the perfect time.

180) only a good manager would do that. ; )

I love it, they cannot play at DP depth.

Did that graphic say that the Yankees have 9 grand slams this year??

I'd be thrilled with a flare to LF

[181] oh, okay. so you prolly wouldn't know my cousins. unless you played tennis with them in town, or something...

Rock-a-saurus = big classic rock cover band in town, late 80's...

Run prevention!!!

Run. Prevention.

RUN PREVENTION!!!!

at its finest...

robbie getting beaned this inning ; )

Same effect as a squeeze.

We'll take that instead...

[173] Well, that's ONE way to do it ...

Sweep the leg, Captain!

Gardner really is just so gritty and gutty and scrappy, he simply willed that bad throw to third.

[187-9] we just rock, is all.

ok jetes. give us one of your inside-out specials!

Very very sweet.
Thanks, Cap.

nice cut there jeter.

that's my captain!!! : )

yay Jeter, that wasn't even sad!!!

hey there folks ... I finally made it home, and so it appears did the Yanks

suckett, fuckett!!!

That'll do pig, that'll do ...

Goddam. That was just awesome.

Bye Josh! Poor Josh. I feel bad for him.

Hi Diane, welcome home!

i savor that the yankees are "beckett killers"

I am confused. How did the Yankees score several runs AFTER Teix's rally killer to lead off the inning? As RIYank says, baseball is hard.

Me likey. Now I gots to go back through 200+ to find out what's happeing.

[192] cult!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[200] glad you're home safely!

now, this is more like the Banter i was expecting! : )

that is just unfair.

the concessions girl bending over in the front row, i mean... : ~

oh clearly jon miller does not understand the fotp-do.

and thanks to ESPN and the 2 teams (Joe West who) ... I only missed 5 innings

Now maybe, maybe, maybe they can get six or seven innings out of LIAB?

[206] Yeah, good thing Timmy Mac isn't calling this game or he'd have a real big headache.

14 baserunners for fuckett. half of which scored...

Jeez.... we wonly got 5 wittle runs there

[208] A working Score Truck helps to lighten the mood...

[212] oh, totally. he's only at 69 pitches!

[208] Whattup yo?

I finally get to see a game!

Been off for a week on vacation seeing Teh Phish!

217) though i doubt they let him go much more than 85 or 90 pitches, so he needs to stay efficient here. Girardi will have a quick hook, methinks.

thelarmis. your'e killing me. I notice that young lady working concessions evey game. Beautiful. Robin Givens has nothing on her. : )

I gotta photo with THE Bill James ... that made my week (well ,that and meeting thealarmis)

that was ugly. the batter and the fielding...

Rob should have had that. Sorry, Rob, it's true.

Run a post, Alex. I'll hit ya' on the run.

Hell yes.
Good hustle, Dusty!

Sergio who???

And on cue, that was very efficient.

L.I.A.B.

[218] oh, cool - good for you, man! i haven't seen 'em since like '96/'97...

[220] yeah, i notice her every game i can see. drop dead gorgeous.

[221] thelarmis. nothing to be "alarmed" about! ahem.

Tex takes cover!

ARod should get a standing O for catching that popup. Or... at least a sleepover at Jeter's.

226) seriously, moseley simply has to cause the end of mitre or gaudin. I suspect the latter, because the former is, well, er, um, unlucky.

8 pitch inning. moseley 'em down. keep it goin', man!

I have to admit, I've always kinda liked Wakefield.

Nothing beats watching the Yankees pound Josh Beckett. It's so much fun to watch him stomp off the mound.

[230] hopefully, we'll have another decision to make with Ace coming back...

[228]

my apologies kind sir

[228] Well, check them out next time around. The shows were FANTASTIC.

Languedoc built Trey a new guitar and it sounds *great*.

VERY good times!

[232] He's impossible to hate. Also, he's older than you.

How did we get Moseley? Waiver pickup?

With Phil going tomorrow, we may actually take this series.

[235] how was sabr and the rest of your trip? did you go to the braves hall of fame at The Ted?

[236] trey's guitar tone *always* sounds great. beginning of "horn". aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!! : )

234) it will have to be when Ace gets back, because I don't see the team bumping anyone from the current roster. Moseley makes the at least one of the other two redundant, of course, but the team seems unwilling to call up, say Albie, and DFA Mitre-Gaudin.

I mean, cripes, it took signing Kerry Wood to finally push out CHoP.

Run, Alex, Run. Stick it in their f%$#ing faces.

[233] Well, to me watching them beat Papelbon would just edge out watching them beat Beckett. Of course, this does have the advantage of lasting much longer. Slow, painful roasting over the spit for Beckett.

237) and almost as fat! He's awesome.

THREE HUNDRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thelarmis! He did it!

# 300. Someone's long nightmare is over.

this is my favorite game EVER!!!

300-300!!!!!

talk about it, you fucking useless pieces of shit in the booth!!!

SEVENTH player EVER!!!!

[240]

I'll have a write-up on the trip later this week .... lots of fun ... except for the foul ball I muffed at Turner

Wait, they didn't even mention it on the air, did they?

Who are the 7 300-300 guys?

[232] I seem to remember when he pitched for some organization called the Pittsburgh Pirates, or did I dream that part?

I could never get over the fact that the section of the Bronx I lived in for five years have the same name. If he were on the Yanks, that would be a positive boom! >;)

WAHOO!!!!!!!

I am soooo happy!!!!!

[even if publishing my music is a nightmarish process]

Mays
Bonds I
Dawson
Bonds II
Finley
Sanders
A-ROD!!!!!!!!!!

congrats, alex!

talk about it already, fuckers!!!

[238] mosely was a spring training invite. the angels non-tendered him. he had some clause in his contract that if he didn't get called up by a certain date he could become a fa.

[252] yes, that was a tribute to you, my friend >;)

Okay, Miller did mention it.

[240] It *was* great, NOW it's better!

Seriously.

So.... only 3 guys with 600 and 300/300.
[254] Thanks.

254) interesting. I had just assumed Cashmanwnet out in a field during a thunderstorm with an empy chianti bottle--you know, the kind with the wicker mesh on the outside--and then...well, you can figure out the rest.

Nice throw by Gardner.

Steady, now, Moseley.

He's the 4th to do it by age 36 ....Bonds father and son and Dawson

[256] he didn't mention the exclusive club....

next up possibilities:
boBBy
beltran
cameron
soriano

[258] yup. mays, barry, a-rod all 600/300.

there are a lot of near misses in the 300/300. rickey comes closest. biggio right there, too. i've written a bunch of "articles" on this...

LIAB!!!

[259] i think something like that happened when mosely got to the bronx.

Those 3 defensive replays of Mosely were tight.

Alex is the only infielder on the list. the next one with even the remotest potential is jeter. he needs 67 homers...

oh no.

what now???

Uh oh.

Oh for pete's sake...

dont' break the bottle!!

oh good...

what was that???

Oh man, that sucked.
Well, let's get a DP and get out of this thing.

moseley's tall.

it's okay, a-rod - you're 300-300!!!! : )

Crap...nice pitch, poorly struck, wrong result.

i hope to never hear jon miller say "bell-TRAY" again.

I should know this, but who is the third announcer (besides Jon and Joe)?

Argh. Bullpen roulette. Oh well, plenty big lead.

i gotta say that was much more enjoyable than god knows what we would have seen with aj.

I'd have liked to see him finish the inning, but probably best to err on the side of caution here. It's Joba, yes?

that standing o had to feel really really good.

i wonder if he's alright...

[276] Orel Hershiser. aka Bulldog.

[276] orel hershisher.

[276] hershiser. why would anyone name their kid orel? just terrible...

276) Orel.

He trails their idiocy, but not by too much.

300+ HR, 300+ SB, .300+ BA, 450+ 2B .... Mays, A-Rod

Something tells me it's Orel Hershiser. Don't know, just intuition I guess.

and they STILL haven't mentioned the 300-300 club. : /

little joe was pretty close. 268 homers...

i remember when lowell was the first to homer off joba...

[142], [147[ My wife is from Vestal, and we were in the area for a family party a few weeks ago just over the PA border. Still a beautiful area, and there is a gold rush mentality now with land owners in that part of PA with the Natural Gas extraction going on. Three years ago they couldn't give land away, now it's boondoggle.

Also, love the Speedies (a type of lamb or chicken skewers).

And, this game has been a pleasure to watch, piling runs on Beckett and such. All hail Mosley, he gets another start. Now Jaba better shut them down.

Oh, man. Kind of ridiculous.
Well, Ellsbury will make an out for us.

[284] i wonder how long a-rod will keep that .300+ career average...

[259] He became the ambassador to the French court!

Very nice, Brett. CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP.

[288]

Was she a Vestal Virgin?

nice catch, gritner.

best part of this game: alex's 300th stolen bag, of course!!!

286) Morgan was a truly great player. Imagine if he hadn't played over 1000 games in the sixties and for the Astros. Not a real good hitting environment.

[288] I played a big all-star game in Vestal when I was about 12. I hit an inside the park homer. : )

288) Please, please, please...it's properly spelled SPIEDIE. : ) My family used to enter the local Speidie Fest for years...won it a couple of times.

http://www.spiediefest.com/

One of my SABR friends tracks pinch-hit grand slams ... everyone needs a hobby.

Not good. I don't get that at all.

I am having an awful vision.