Blog Archives

If we are to believe that this is the post-steroids era, how much more can we reasonably expect from Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez? Sure, it is the middle of August when it makes most sense that older players–and in the Yankees’ case, younger ones too–slump. Still, Jeter and Rodriguez are both on the wrong side of 35 and are having the worst seasons of their respective careers. Older than 35, that used to spell the begining of the end of most players.  (Let’s not consider Mr. Rivera, okay; there are always exceptions.) The natural course of things.

Is this just a lull? The dog days of August when most every bat goes into a temporary funk? Will Jeter and Rodriguez finish the season strong and play deep into October? Can they bounce back next year? I think they’ve both got some good ball left in them, and perhaps even some surprises. But I also think it’s getting late early or at least earlier than it did ten years ago.

Four game series against the Tigers starts tonight. Over at PB, our man Cliff breaks it down like only he can do. In the same space, Jay Jaffe takes a look at the Yankees’ catching situation. Not to be left-out, dig Steve Goldman’s post on Alex Rodriguez’s blustery RBI total.

Over at the Times, Ben Shpigel writes about Rodriguez’s season as well.

A friend passed along this cool tidbit from Jayson Stark (behind the paywall at ESPN):

Love this incredible note from the geniuses at our new favorite blog, You Can’t Predict Baseball: When Mariano Rivera gave up a leadoff ninth-inning triple to Elvis Andrus on Wednesday and then stranded him on third, it preserved one of baseball’s most amazing streaks. In the entire career of the great Mariano, when he’s allowed the tying run to reach third with nobody out, the other team has never gotten that run home.

[Picture by Bags]

Take it away, Jackie (and thanks to joejoejoe for the link):

Here’s another ideal spot for you sandwich heads.

Amazing, really.

What annoys New Yorkers the most?

The Gothamist has some fun with our daily pet peeves.

Joe Posnanski talks about Heart and Derek Jeter. He also talks about hustle (grit and guttiness!) and all sorts of words full of integrity signifiying…? You tell me.

Yanks look to win the series today. AJ Delight is on the hill.

C’mon Score Truck, bring ’em home.

[Picture by Bags]

Two of my favs…

Lean Back…

For the first part of the game tonight, the Yankees hit one fly ball after another deep into the outfield at Kaufman Stadium. They just didn’t hit anything hard enough or far enough to carry over the fence. Whole lot of warning track outs. Mark Teixeira kept the Yankees in the game with a series of brilliant fielding plays–leaping, diving, picking–and eventually the fly balls started to carry. Alex Rodriguez broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth with a solo home run to dead center. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson added solo shots of their own and the Yanks were up by three.

The Royals scored a couple to make it a game but then Rodriguez hit a pair of two-run homers (another one to center—the “lean back” shot pictured above,  and finally one up in the water fountain in left field). That was more than enough to finish the Royals. All three of Rodriguez’s homers came off fastballs, low and over the plate.  And that’s the fourth three-dinger game of Rodriguez’s career. He DH’d tonight and now has 21 homers on the season, to go 97 RBI.

Final Score: Yanks 8, Royals 3.

[Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images]

After last night, let’s hope the Yanks have a big, ol’ feast tonight.

Pile it deep and high.

Let’s Go Yan-Kees!

And here, dig this barbeque tour from Anthony Bourdain:

Part Two:

In the Summer. In the City. In the Summer…

[Picture by Bags]

A few weeks back, I was hanging out with my six-year-old nephew over at his house. He was sitting on the floor, working on a puzzle when his mother started singing “Empire State of Mind.” At first, he sang along, and then, by the middle of the son, he stopped and looked irritated. “I KNOW that song already!” he said. You know you’ve reached a certain stage in life when you get annoyed by a song because you’ve heard it too much.

Well, I’ve had no need to hear “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas again, ever, in my life, until our own Hank Waddles dubbed Dustin Moseley, “Dustin, the win” Moseley.

That’s Alonzo, who?

Ol’ Mosie’s on the hill in KC tonight.

Let’s Go Yan-Kees!

Dig this fun piece at the Smithsonian on the origins of food idioms:

Sowing your wild oats: According to World Wide Words, a blog written by British lexicographer Michael Quinion, this expression dates to at least the 16th century, and refers to the worthlessness of wild oats (the probable precursor to cultivated oats) as a cereal crop. Therefore, a young man who sows wild oats is—ahem—spreading seeds without purpose, or otherwise pursuing idle pastimes.

Upper crust: In olden days, the top half of a loaf a bread was considered better, and was served to the nobility. (Source: Mad as a Wet Hen!)

Over at PB, Jay Jaffe takes a look at the two-halves of Phil Hughes’ season:

On both sides of the line, Hughes has received virtually identical defensive support from his teammates, above-average support at that, given that the league batting average on balls in play is .294. He’s got two main problems: he isn’t striking out hitters at nearly the same clip as early in the year, and his home run rate has more than doubled. The latter is a byproduct of him generating fewer groundballs (which don’t go for homers) and getting a bit more bad luck on his increased number of fly balls (which do, given enough of ‘em).

Man, is it ever pleasant in the Rotten Apple today. The humidity is gone. Cool breeze, sun peaking out. Oh, yeah…

[Picture by Bags]

Everything’s up to date in Kansas City…

…where the eats am good…

…and the ball park is lovely:

The home team is scrappy but remain kind of blue, stuck in last place again:

The Royals are 47-67.

Our old pal, the Ace of the Staff, is on the hill, and I figure he’s gunna have worked-up an appetite. Especially against freakin’ Bruce Chen.

Sure would be nice to see the Score Truck make a pit-stop in town for the weekend.

We’ll be watchin’ and rootin.’

Our boy Cliff does like he do in his new digs:

Let’s Go Yan-Kees!

The Red Sox coughed-up a four-run lead in the 9th inning today and lost to the Blue Jays.

Over at the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo writes:

Another Jonathan Papelbon meltdown in the bottom of the 9th and another reason to question why on Earth was John Lackey taken out of the game? In the end, Fred Lewis’ bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Daniel Bard won it for the Jays. Tough, tough loss for the Red Sox. To backtrack: Lackey had thrown only 98 pitches and was on his way to a complete game after two subpar performances in a row, but after allowing a solo homer to Jose Bautista to open the 9th, Terry Francona brought in closer Jonathan Papelbon. Lackey didn’t seem fatigued, but on came Papelbon and on came near misery with it. Vernon Wells doubled and scored on Adam Lind’s RBI since to center. After a stolen base, Aaron Hill reached on a linedrive hit off Papelbon putting runners at first and third. He struck out Travis Snider. But Edwin Encarnacion doubled down the third base line. Tie game. Runners at second and third, pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay was walked intentionally to load the bases. Interesting move here, Papelbon yanked for Daniel Bard. Infield in with one out and the bases loaded. Lewis strikes with a sac fly to medium center and with Ellsbury’s below average throwing arm no chance to make a legitimate throw to the plate.