Eduardo Nunez hit a double and home run in his first two at bats last night. So David Price threw one high and tight to start Nunez’s third at bat. Nunez jerked his arms back and let go of the bat. It popped in the air and fell on the ground.
That amusing moment is all I’ve got from last night’s game. Oh, there’s one more memory. The sight of Phil Hughes sitting in the dought, pulled early again, embarrassed and mad, looking as if he was about to cry. He’s had an awful season and he lost his manager’s confidence. Watching him pitch this last month is like being a student driver with the instructor sitting next to you, their foot inches away from the break.
I felt for him.
The Rays beat the Yanks 8-3. Evan Longoria hit two home runs, giving him nine against the Yanks this year.
It’s official, the Bombers won’t be in the playoffs. Now, all that’s left is to play the next four games like professionals.
That said, it wasn’t a season without some pleasure. And I am looking forward to the playoffs. So long as the 2013 season doesn’t end with a championship in Boston I’m cool with whatever happens.
[Photo Credit: Christophervu]
I only REALLY lost interest in this season after going 1-6 vs Boston over the last few weeks. The team basically held my attention all summer, which is fairly impressive considering everything that went wrong. Girardi won't win MOTY, but it would be nice to see him get a little bit of support.
I'm on the A's bandwagon in the AL (I want to see Beane win one), and the Dodgers for obvious reasons in the NL.
[1] I'm on the Pirates' bandwagon, and I don't know who's in the AL. A friend mentioned that having the Francona-managed Indians go into Fenway and beat the Sox would be quite delicious, and I agree. Not sure I'm behind the Indians otherwise, though.
I frequently wonder what would have happened to Hughes if the Yanks had told him, "Kid, you're a starting pitcher, go out and pitch - everyone takes time to get acclaimed to starting in the bigs", and then followed through on it. Like the Reds did with Homer Bailey, who once had all the promise of Hughes, and once had all the problems of Hughes (nibbling, too many HRs in a homer-happy home ballpark), and after a couple of years of just working through it, has now spent the last 2 years throwing over 200 innings of damn fine ball.
It really pisses me off.
I don't know how they fix it, but the Yanks have developed just one decent starting pitcher since they drafted Pettitte - Worm Killer Wang.* That's horrible.
*We'll see on Nova, though I am hopeful. Still, 3 in 20 years is not going to cut it in the days where almost every team locks up their good young pitchers.
2] I feel for Hughes too, and to a lesser degree Joba, because of the crap Joba pulled with Mo this season when Mo was being interviewed, I have less sympathy for him. (Joba seems like a man/child). Both were screwed around and were coddled at times with innings limits and not allowed to blossom naturally. The Yanks are almost always in a win now mentality, and next year might be different, but they have no patience to let someone struggle. This year they let Hughes struggle through it, because they didn't have better options, but it was too late as his problems like Joba's seem to be mental, and he needs a change of scenery. It's a shame as a few years ago those 2 could have been packaged to get back some quality player or players, but who can see into the future? And we might have ended up with Doc Halladay on the DL?
This season wasn't really a disappointment because as a Yankee fan from way back the postseason wasn't always a given. It may take a while to unwind this team and shed some bad contracts and bring in younger players, but what a ride it has been since '94 (strike shortened, but a great team).
Maybe the Yanks can find a sucker like the Dodgers to take over some of their bloated contracts like the Red Sux did? I know the Pirates are always big spenders.
Pirates Indians would be a dream. A's Reds would be cool, too.
What do you think about Cano wanting 305 mil for 10 years? Bye bye Cano?
I think he's an exciting player, but the Yanks are unlikely to be competitive during his best years of that proposed contract.
Not sure that I would pull the trigger on that, or even in that vicinity.
5) I feel like laughing like DeNiro in "Cape Fear"
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/26/robinson-cano-reportedly-seeking-a-305-million-contract-um-ok/
Hughes will leave... next Kennedy. A year or two of excellence in the NL and then a decent #4 for the rest of a mediocre career. Jobs ought to ho NL too, where he just might morph into a closer... or another #4-5 starter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm81LSKJC2k