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Saturday Night Special

Jason Varitek and Jonathan Papelbon were kicked out of the game this afternoon in Boston. The Sox blew a 7-3 lead but eventually won in extra innings. Meanwhile, out west, Dan Haren was scratched and Ervin Santana will start in his place for the Angels. He’ll face this line-up:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Brett Gardner LF

Good ol’ C.C. goes for the Yanks. Never mind the preamble:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Categories:  1: Featured  Bronx Banter  Game Thread  Yankees

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116 comments

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1 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 7:47 pm

[0] That photo reminds me of the California of my imagination, as a child. Rather than surfing, blondes and Hollywood, I was always into the California I saw on 70s & 80s cop shows. Colombo, Hunter, etc. Dusty, endless strip malls and industrial areas; Chevy Novas and Dusters; hazy skies; Eagles on the radio. (Man, I HATE the fuckin' Eagles..) Just seemed like a different planet from my neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Michael Mann's "Heat" kind of captured that LA feeling, I thought.

2 Alex Belth   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:04 pm

Yes, I found it at THIS ISN'T HAPPINESS, which is a great site. Sorry I don't have a photo credit. It does suggest "Heat," and something seedy at night when the sun goes down...

Let's hope the Yanks are hitting some seeds tonight.

3 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:27 pm

I FUCKING hate palm trees.

Lived in SoCal for almost 20 years and every I come to despise them more.

No shade, no fruit, no flowers and every year they shed heavy, nasty fronds when the winds come.

Fuck 'em.

4 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:28 pm

[2] Or, "To Live and Die in L.A."

5 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:35 pm

Aww, CC went to hang with the little leaguers!

That's awesome.

6 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:36 pm

[3] Agreed.

7 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:38 pm

[1] Nice.

Yes, I remember my first visit to southern California (I grew up in Yonkers). I was in college and drove from Iowa to Thousand Oaks with a friend of mine and I remember feeling like it was, indeed, a different planet. In fact, I talked to some guy who was doing housework for the family and it turned out he was from Brooklyn, so understood my astonishment: "When I first came here, I thought I was on the moon."

8 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:39 pm

And of course, my response and repulsion was pre-conditioned by "Annie Hall."

9 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:47 pm

[7] Grew up (12 years) in SE Asia and then (6) years in northern New Jersey. Came out to SoCal for college.

The 1st year was ridiculously weird, but after I adapted to the West Coast, the East Coast seemed like the Dark Side of the Moon and Mars.

I'll never go back ...

10 Alex Belth   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:50 pm

I only lived in L.A. for four months--November through April. Seems like the ideal amount of time.

11 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:51 pm

[8] Totally!
[9] Where in SE Asia?

Great "leadership" by Captain Varitek getting tossed in the 9th inning on ball-strike calls. Pitches weren't even close. Umpire a bit confrontational with Papelbon to be fair.

Let's Go CC!

12 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 8:56 pm

[10] I'd like to live in the Bay Area for awhile. SF is amazing.

13 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:00 pm

[10] Yeah, but you were in the "business", so I don't blame you. For the rest of us, LA is (usually) a fantastic place. I mean, if we're going on the scouting scale, it's an 80 place for film, a 60 place for stage, an 80 place for comedy, a 70+ place for music, an 80 place for food, an 80 for sports, a 60 place for culture, a 70 place for weather. There's decent skiing and surfing within a 3 hours drive of each other. L.A. is one of the greatest cities in the world (especially if you learn to live near where you have to work).

[11] Born in Hong Kong (5) and then moved to Malaysia (KL)(7).

14 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:04 pm

[12] 'Frisco' (they HATE being called that) has a *REALLY* bad case of "teh smugs". But, that aside, it is a GREAT city (something, of course, you'll never hear anyone there relate in return).

15 Mattpat11   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:06 pm

My food is taking forever to come, so I'm going to be in a very grouchy mood if we don't hit Santana

16 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:08 pm
17 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:08 pm

[13] Yeah but any city with little to no public transport is no-good..ain't got a license..

Both HK and KL are great cities.

[15] Espresso and mueslix set here, Jazz Princess snuggling and sun shining outside. Sunday morning baseball!

18 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:09 pm

[15] Man, Santana could use a good smacking ... Carlos, that is ...

19 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:10 pm

[18] You don't like Carlos Santana??! Why not??

20 Alex Belth   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:11 pm

There you go, Curtis.

21 Mattpat11   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:13 pm

[18] Musician or catcher?

22 Alex Belth   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:13 pm

Lame

23 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:13 pm

[13] Eh, they're just different. I wouldn't live in KL without a car. I'd have a car, if I lived in SF, if parking wasn't a complete, insane bitch.

24 Mattpat11   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:13 pm

Foods here

25 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:19 pm

[19] Uh, because he's a sad, pathetic shadow of who he was? Seriously, '74-'75 Santana Band *might* just have been the "Best Band in the World".

And now?

Well, he's fallen far.

FAR.

Not that that doesn't mean he can't play great music when he's challenged (e.g. the show he played with the Trey Anastasio Band at the Warfield ((IN FRISCO!!!)) back in 2003 ((which I was at, dead center, front row)), he's just not challenged at all anymore ...

26 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:20 pm

Sterling's Law, Flash.

27 Diane Firstman   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:25 pm

evening folks ...

I have Santana on my roto team ... I sat him down as I knew he never pitched on 3 days rest .... so of course ... he looks sharp so far ..

28 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:26 pm

[27] He's on normal rest, I believe, I think they had a day off (Thursday?).

29 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:26 pm

It's really past time for Robbie to go on a tear.

He has no business hitting .278 this late in the season.

30 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:30 pm

[29] He's swinging at anything within the same zip code.

It's weird, he spent the offseason preaching the gospel of St. Long, he's spent the *season* pissing on the saint's icon.

ROBBIECANODONCHAKNOW?!?!?!?!?!?

31 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:33 pm

Man. Martin's mask appears to have some sort of foul ball attractor ... at-tractor beam, if you will) built in.

32 Diane Firstman   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:33 pm

[28]

ack ... you're right .... sigh ... I only read they were moving him up a day ....

33 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:40 pm

Was that a curve CC got the third out with?

That was a great pitch.

34 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:41 pm

[31] Heheh.

35 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:42 pm

Well struck, Nick.

36 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:43 pm

Hey all -- I'm skipping this baby because I'm watching hockey again. Yeesh. It's a disease. Also, June. I'm watching hockey after Memorial Day. Great game, though.

37 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:44 pm

Jorgie! Wow, two well struck balls in a row!

38 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:46 pm

Gah.

PUSHUPS, SLAPPY!

GRRRRRRRRRR.

39 randym77   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:47 pm

Gardner's really struggling. He's not getting on base at his usual clip.

40 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:48 pm

Good boy, Derek...

41 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:49 pm

Nice work, Derek.

42 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:49 pm

A;ight, CG, make 'em pay!

43 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:50 pm

Damn.

44 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:50 pm

Well, FUCK that.

45 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:55 pm

Fucking Bobby.

46 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:55 pm

That was such a nice swing.

47 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:56 pm

DAMN YOU, Attack Hamster!!!!!!!

48 randym77   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:56 pm

What a half-ass tag. He didn't even try to make it look good.

49 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:56 pm

FUCKING Cano.

50 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:58 pm

Wow, CC. Nice.

51 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 9:58 pm

At least C.C. showed up tonite ...

52 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:07 pm

That was wacky.

And talk about speeding up a guy's bat.

53 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:07 pm

ROBBIECANODONCHAKNOW?!?!?!?!?!?

54 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:09 pm

Robbie is so exasperating.

There's nothing wrong with his swing, as you say, cult.

His mechanics are so fucking sound that it's maddening he can slump as badly as he does.

55 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:11 pm

Shit.

56 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:12 pm

Melky would have thrown him out.

57 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:12 pm

Ohhhhh, Derek!!!!!!!

58 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:14 pm

Fabulous.

One out.

59 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:15 pm

Mathis still starts? Nick Punto of the Angels, easy out!

60 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:22 pm

I remember Baylor most of all for leaning into all those pitches.

And for his stance, practically entirely vertical.

61 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:23 pm

Who was *that* fat, troll-like creature at the end of the bench near the bat rack?

62 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:24 pm

[60] Don Baylor would lean into a frickin' BLITZKRIEG.

63 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:26 pm

[62] Heheheheh! No kidding. Awesome, right? He set a record, didn't he? 26HBP or something?

64 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:27 pm

Oh, Derek, you're killing me.

65 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:35 pm

Identical to the last one.

That's what Robbie needs to be doing way more often.

66 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:35 pm

ATTACK JAMSTER!!!

67 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:43 pm

I really thought that was going to travel a lot farther, too. It's like it just died out there.

68 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:45 pm

Very nice, Alex.

Very nice.

69 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:45 pm

YAY-ROD!!!!!!

70 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:45 pm

Ahhhhh.

71 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:45 pm

Such an effortless swing.

72 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:47 pm

[71] I wish he'd make an effort once in a while. Effort is what matters.

Morally speaking.

73 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:47 pm

Heehee!

74 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:53 pm

Hockey's going to OT.
They take a huge intermission before the overtime begins.

75 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:57 pm

[72] Just doesn't play the game the right way.

76 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 10:57 pm

GGBG!!!

77 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:00 pm

No, Flash, the thing about GGBG is that he approaches stealing bases like he approaches hitting ... he's always waiting for the perfect pitch.

It ain't bad, but it's often sub-optimal ...

78 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:02 pm

GGCG.

FUCK.

79 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:02 pm

Well, the OT did not last long.
Eleven seconds.

80 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:03 pm

[79] Trust in outs, always put your trust in outs ...

81 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:05 pm

Doesn't matter how hard you throw it afterwards, Alex, you still suck at pop-ups!

=)

82 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:07 pm

Wow, that was very efficient. CC could get a CG.

83 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:08 pm

[80] Oh, yeah, but they don't have them on ice, you know.

84 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:13 pm

God, Alex!

Wtf?

85 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:13 pm

[84] Uh, looking for something else?

86 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:15 pm

The bats are regressing.

87 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:16 pm

[85] I know, I mean, obviously, but you can't sit on something with two strikes. I know he'll do that but I don't like it. The ball was right down the middle. At least make an emergency hack.

88 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:20 pm

Unbelievable.

That's three in a row.

89 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:21 pm

[87] Eh, batters get fooled. Sometimes, even the best ones, badly. Shit happens.

90 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:21 pm

Pfew!

91 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:22 pm

Mo ought to be getting up.

Now.

92 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:23 pm

Mo time?

93 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:23 pm

[87] I wouldn't call that getting fooled, almost by definition. It was a fastball down the middle. But whatever.

94 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:24 pm

[93] You're looking for one thing and adjusting to the other. If you get the other and you can't pull off a swing, you got fooled.

This ain't brain surgery, y'know?

95 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:24 pm

Diving Teixeira!

96 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:25 pm

[89] I'm really not trying to belabor the point, but the point being that if you have a defensive swing with two strikes, that simply doesn't happen. My criticism, therefore, is of his not having defensive swing with two strikes. I'm just against that on principle.

97 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:27 pm

[96] It's reprehensible. Such a shame the Players' Union insisted on that No Flogging rule.

98 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:27 pm

[94] I know, I get it, but that's why you're supposed to work off the fastball, is my only point. I'm just talking about fundamentals.

99 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:27 pm

[97] No. It's because they're against DECIMATION!

100 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:28 pm

[97] It's just not how I would teach players to play the game, is all.

Show/Hide Comments 101-116
101 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:30 pm

In short, it comes down to how far do you think a player should go to avoid a K. I personally think players should value making solid contact more highly than they do. You sacrifice the likelihood of hitting the ball out for the increased likelihood of hitting it hard, where it's pitched.

I'm sure I don't need to explain any of this, though.

It's a question of philosophy. I don't like Ks.

102 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:30 pm

[96] And my point is, simply, horseshit.

Defensive or not, if you're sufficiently fooled, you can't pull off the swing.

103 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:31 pm

[101] Of course you do, but then, again, most of us disregard your outdated conceptualization of scoring theory.

You, know, because of the facts?

104 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:33 pm

In hockey they also swing at things with sticks.
Just saying.

105 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:34 pm

[103] Why are you being combative, exactly?

106 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:36 pm

"most of us disregard your outdated conceptualization of scoring theory.

You, know, because of the facts?"

Whether this is true or not (and more or less it is), it's hostile.

Why are you being hostile?

107 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:37 pm

Kid can still play, that third baseman.

108 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:38 pm

Plus, I wasn't talking about "scoring theory."

But whatever. I'm bored already.

109 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:38 pm

Yeah, this is the last batter for the Big Man.

110 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:39 pm

Oh, bullshit! What a crap hit.

111 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:41 pm

[109] I'd go with boring already ...

112 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:42 pm

And I've said this before but I suppose it needs to be said again: I watch the game as a coach and as a player. You can say it's as a bad coach and as a bad player, but quite simply, from my perspective, you don't just shrug and say "shit happens" when someone takes strike three down the middle.

If I had a player who did that, I'd try to get to the bottom of it, figure out what the player thought he was doing, etc., and attempt to redress it.

Whether it's outdated or not, that's simply how I experience the game of baseball.

Why do I have to apologize for that?

113 RIYank   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:42 pm

Thanks be to Mo.

114 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:42 pm

Praise be to MO.

115 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:44 pm

And I've played ball and coached ball ... and sometimes you get beat.

Sometimes, you look for a pitch with a reason and you get beat ... and ... that happens ... how is that hard to understand???

116 cult of basebaal   ~  Jun 4, 2011 11:45 pm

[116] Awwww, will you be my Huckleberry???

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver