Blog Archives

Tonight’s pitching match up pits Greg Maddux against Mark Prior, and it has been receiving heaps of hype. And why not? Maddux is a Hall of Famer, and Prior is just about the best young pitcher since Tom Seaver. I’ve been asking heads around the office today who they think will be stronger, and to a man, they’ve all said Prior. Maddux’s reputation as a seven inning pitcher figures heavily in this line of thinking, but dag, can’t the man get any respect at all?

I agree that it’s easier to put your stock in a power pitcher than a soft-tosser when it comes to the post season. Still, I would love to see Maddux pitch a great game, win or lose. I also hope it does turn out to be a classic duel, but quite frankly, all the hype makes my skeptical.

Either way, all eyes will be on Wrigley Field tonight. For all the latest—at least from the Cubbies pernt of view, be sure and check in on Ruz’s Cub Reporter blog.

The Yanks play tomorrow afternoon at one. I’ll most likely be back with a post late tomorrow or sometime on Sunday.

Enjoy the Serious’.

There was a report in Newsday yesterday that Andy Pettitte is leaning towards leaving the Bronx at the end of the season, when he becomes a free agent:

Since last offseason, and continuing through this 2003 campaign, Andy Pettitte has told friends that he will leave the Yankees when he becomes a free agent this winter. In these conversations, he has expressed a desire to escape the Yankees’ increasingly chaotic atmosphere; he has lamented the departures of teammates such as Paul O’Neill and Scott Brosius, whom he considered good friends; and he has longed to be closer to his Deer Park, Texas, home, where his family resides.

Clemens, his best friend on the current team, intends to retire. Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, with whom Pettitte has developed a father-son relationship during the past eight years, could retire, or he could be fired. Torre also could be let go, if the Yankees fail to meet chaos-starter George Steinbrenner’s expectations this postseason.

Funny, but Pettitte had a lot of pressure to prove himself this year, and he did just that by winning 20 games and having a great second half. He pitched a great game last night. If there are a handful of teams fighting for his services in the off season what are the chances that the Yankees will over pay to keep in him pinstripes?

Derek Zumsteg of Baseball Prospectus wrote a touching—and fitting—tribute to Edgar Martinez a few days ago. If you missed it, I suggest that you give it a look, as it illustrates what a terrific player Edgar has been—even if you are prone to frown on the DH:

There are hints that Edgar might not retire: he wanted to hit .300, and he missed it by three hits. He wanted to retire to spend more time with his family, but his son told him he’d rather see his dad play. Edgar’s said he’ll talk to his wife, and it’ll be a while before he makes any decisions. He probably won’t even hold a press conference.

Some time this winter, one of the thousands of people who stood and applauded and would not sit down Sunday will walk by Safeco Field some cold, drizzly afternoon and hear a crack every couple of seconds, and curious, they’ll walk around the stadium for a glimpse inside to see Edgar, bundled up, pitching machine set on the mound with a huge bucket of baseballs, practicing his swing, roping balls down the left field line, double, double, double. And the fan’s going to watch for a minute, take out his cell phone, and start calling everyone in the city. And if it doesn’t happen, we’re still going to walk by and listen for it, and if there’s nothing, well, maybe he’ll be there the next day.

And if he doesn’t come back, at least we told him we loved him.

Every organization should be so lucky to have a trooper, and a champ like Edgar star on its team for the better part of 20 years.

Rich Lederer has been writing pointed and convincing player analysis’ for the better part of the summer, and he’s back with two more: one on the AL MVP, and the other, on Mr. Cub, Slammin’ Sammy Sosa.

Both pieces are winning as always.

Christian Ruzich, The Cub Reporter, who runs all.baseball.com has added Mike C of Mike’s Baseball Rants to the roster. Mike offers great baseball analysis and biting send-ups of the baseball media. He’s a top notch blogger, for sure. Welcome aboard, brother.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire attributes his cherce to pull Brad Radke out of last night’s game on the lengthy 7th inning “God Bless America” stretch at the Stadium:

“It’s ridiculous that my starting pitcher has to wait six, seven minutes before he pitches in the seventh, and their guy gets the normal break,” Gardenhire said. “What happens? He’s throwing great, and he goes out there and the first hitter . . . he plunks him right in the rear end.

“That’s the second time it’s happened to us here. We had a pitcher going great, and then he comes out after the extra-long break and he’s not the same.”

Gardenhire has a point, but it also makes me wonder if Joe Torre will find something to bitch about in the Dome? Not that it is any kind of advantage for the home nine or anything.

Oh, yeah…

Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the Yankees-Sox one-game playoff game. It is famously known as the “Bucky Dent” game, but it was much more than that, at least as far as the Yankees are concerned. Lou Pinella made two plays that were just as important to the Bomber’s victory, and oh, by the way, Reggie Jackson’s 8th inning solo bomb to straight-away center turned out to be the difference.

Blaming Dent is like blaming Buckner. It sounds great but doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Red Sox fell to the A’s (5-1) for the second time in 24 hours yesterday afternoon in Oakland and now face an uphill battle to make it past the first round. Barry Zito, last year’s Cy Young award winner, pitched seven effective innings, with a devastating curve ball that vexed Red Sox batters all day. Oakland scored all of its runs early off Tim Wakefield, aided by poor fielding from Manny Ramirez and Todd Walker.

But as bad as things may look for Sox Nation, the A’s have been in this position—up 2-0—before. Oakland hasn’t won anything yet, and the Red Sox have played well at home all year:

“They may be jumping off bridges,” Garciaparra said [of Sox Nation], “but I guarantee they’ll get out of the water and they’ll be out there supporting us on Saturday.”

Still, the Sox are going to have to ‘Cowboy Up’ with the quickness in order to get back in this serious. Just ask the rifleman, Kevin Millar:

“What’s left is we’re going back to Fenway Park, where we kill the baseball,” said Kevin Millar, the verbal leader of Papa Jack’s Band of hitters. “What’s left is we’re ready for our fans to be behind us. Sox Nation. We’re going back to our place, and I think it’s going to be a different atmosphere.”

Trot Nixon isn’t ready to pack it in just yet either:

“This loss today shows you how important the first game was,” added Nixon. “Now our backs are against the wall, but it seems like in the past when the Red Sox’ backs were against the wall, there’s been times they saddled up the horses and rode into battle.”

The Fens will be rocking tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if they go home to the all-too familiar silence of a New England winter, or if they send their team back to Oakland in wild style. Stranger things have happened.

About a month before September 11th, 2001, a new spanish restaurant opened on Broadway between 231rst and 232nd streets. It is one of at least a dozen joints in the city called Malecon, which I believe is a beach town in the Dominican. This particular Malecon was a cleaner and smarter version of the rice and beans place directly across the street—naturally the food wasn’t as good.

But no matter, it became my new stop for chicken, plantains and rice. Run by two brothers who love the Yankees—or J’ankees as it were—we spent a lot of time during that emotional 2001 post season talking baseball. But the day after the Diamondbacks tripped up the Bombers in Game 7, Javier, the good looking brother–well dressed, and heavily cologned—was devastated.

Of course, I had been up half the night myself, but come the next day, I tried to put a positive spin on it all. And I put all my hopes in one basket: the Yanks needed to go out and sign Jason Giambi. I pleaded with Javier to relax because the Bombers were going to get this slugger and we would be OK.

But he didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to feel better. So I left him alone. During the following weeks, when I came through to get some grub, I kept up the Giambi talk. Pretty soon, everytime I walked through the door, Javier and the boys working the counter greeted me as Giambi.

Except it sounded more like, “G’om-Bee.” Then of course, Giambi signed with New York, and the nickname stuck. As time passed, the pronounciation became more exaggerated, more sing-songy. Each time I stepped foot into the Malecon, about eight guys greeted me with a chorus of “Gee-oh’mm-beee.” I felt like Norm from “Cheers.” I called each one of them “G’om-bee” in return to make all things equal. It reached the point where they didn’t remember what my real name is and vice versa. We were all “G’om-bee.”

I’ve pulled for Mr. Giambi hard, ever since he came to New York. In fact, I wrote him an eight-page, welcome-to-New York letter during his first spring training. It was the first fan letter I’ve ever written to a ballplayer. I can’t fully explain why I felt the need to connect with the big lug, but perhaps after losing key figures like O’Neill, Martinez and Brosius, I wanted to believe the Yanks would be in good hands.

I’m proud of the way Giambi has played through injuries this season, and hope that the whispers of his decline are premature. But as one AL scout told Ken Rosenthal this week:

“He’s starting to break down physically

The Yankees received a visit from Mr. October, Reggie Jackson at practice yesterday. The legendary pressure performer chatted with Jason Giambi and Nick Johnson.

Joe Torre spoke with the team briefly before practice, and the Yankees sound as if they are loose and confident; expect some line up changes in Game Two.Andy Pettitte takes the ball tonight and makes another huge start for New York.

I know this is a bit belated, but there are some great blog writers who are covering this serious: Jay Jaffe, John Bonnes, Larry Manhken, Aaron Gleeman and Irina Paley. Oh, and my man Cliff has a thing or three to say as well.

Game One between the Red Sox and the A’s lasted well over four hours, and when it was all over—at approximately a 2:45 am est—Red Sox fans were not going to fall asleep easily. Pedro Martinez threw 130 pitches and left with a one-run lead, and Boston was one out away of putting the game away in the ninth, but Eubiel Durazo smacked a game-tying single off of Alan Embree to force extra innings.

Derek Lowe, Boston’s Game Three starter, pitched two innings. In the bottom of the 12th, with the bases loaded and two out, Oakland catcher Ramon Hernandez pulled the rug out from everyone by laying down a bunt. The squeeze was on, and Eric Chavez—who may have saved the game in the top of the 12th when he robbed Gabe Kapler of a double—raced home from third with the winning run. Oakland takes Game One in dramatic fashion, 5-4.

It was a familiar theme for Boston: the bullpen failed. According to The Boston Globe:

Kim blew the save by striking again – literally. After walking Jermaine Dye with one out in the bottom of the ninth, he drilled Chris Singleton on the left arm with a pitch to push Eric Byrnes, running for Dye, into scoring position at second base. The Sox protested that Singleton was swinging and should have been charged with a strike, to no avail.

Kim retired the next batter, Mark Ellis, before Little summoned Alan Embree to face the lefthanded hitting Erubiel Durazo. No sooner did Kim, visibly upset either at creating the mess, being lifted or both, depart than Embree let Durazo rip a 94-mile-an-hour fastball to left-center to knock in Byrnes and force extra innings.

Martinez and Oakland starter Tim Hudson were far from brilliant, but they pitched admirably all the same. Todd Walker backed up his boasting in a rather royal way, slamming two home runs.

While this can be seen as another devastating loss for the Red Sox, Boston has rebounded from tough losses all season long. They won’t have to wait long to bounce back, as Game Two will be played later this afternoon. But after Martinez threw so many pitches, I wonder how effective he will be if he started Game Four on three days rest. Derek Lowe also pitched last night, but I don’t think that will effect his Game Three start terribly.

For complete coverage of this series be sure to check in on Bambino’s Curse, Elephants in Oakland and The Universal Baseball Blog, Inc.

The Yankees kicked away game one of the playoffs yesterday afternoon at the Stadium. The Twins scored all three runs off of sloppy defensive plays, and their bullpen shut down the Yankee bats; the Bombers were 1-10 with runners in scoring position.

Bernie Williams played a single into a triple, and tripped over first base, reducing a sure double into a single. Jack Curry lectured Bernie in the Times this morning:

Outfielders are taught to surround the ball from the time they begin playing Little League. It is a basic task. If an outfielder cannot corral a liner or a fly ball, he must at least get himself into position to retrieve the ball as soon as possible. Again, basic stuff. Letting a ball rattle in the outfield gaps like a pinball can be as dangerous as losing the opener of a three-of-five-game series at home.

But this should not come as a great shock to Yankee fans. Dig what Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus wrote in his playoff injury report yesterday:

Bernie has knee and shoulder problems that have not significantly impacted his ability, but if he comes up a step short of a sinking liner or a ball into the gap, just nod your head knowingly.

Alfonso Soriano was no better, and he doesn’t have any excuses. Jason Giambi was clearly pressing, swinging at several pitches out of the strike zone. Combined, Giambi, Nick Johnson and Jorge Posada were 0-12. Derek Jeter was his usual self, collecting two hits and a walk. But it wasn’t enough.

The Twins deserve some credit too. Johan Santana was good before he had to leave with a tight hamstring; LaTroy Hawkins was nasty, and they survived a rough 9th inning from their closer too. Shannon Stewart made the catch of the game, robbing Godzilla of a double, but probably saving the Yankees from a lot of embarassement.

Directly behind Stewart, in the first row of the left field seats, was a shmuck fan, leaning onto the field with his glove, ready to catch a ball that was in play—the photo is splashed all over the papers today. If Stewart doesn’t come up with the ball, this dumb ass probably does. But he wasn’t sly like J. Maier. It wasn’t a night game, it was the middle of the afternoon. No way he would have gotten away with it. Can you imagine what the reaction would have been if this putz cost the Yankees an out?

I followed the game at work, periodically checking into a conference room to sneak a peak. It was a tense, exhausting way to follow a disappointing performance. The worst part was hearing all the Mets fans heckle and gloat, which brought my emotional maturity back to its sixth grade heights.

Game Two is now a must-win for the Yankees. Maybe it’s good that they got a swift kick in the ass. I think Pettitte will pitch a good game and then the Yanks can go to Minnie in a better frame of mind.

Bob Ryan has a piece on the Yankees today in the Boston Globe, and remembers how excited New York was when the Bombers finally made it back to the playoffs in 1995.

Ben Jacobs offers his analysis of the Yanks-Twins Serious, and he is on point as usual.

If you have some time to kill before the start of the game today, go over and check out Jay Jaffe’s last posting of the regular season. It is a treat (so what’s new?).
Also, if any readers are watching the game today, if you would be generous enough to give me updates and details via the comments section below, I sure would appreciate it. It’ll help me fill me in when I have a moment to sneak a peak at the score.

Thanks, and let the games begin.

I know this may not be the right time for non-baseball stories, but I did want to mention the passing of Elia Kazan. Kazan was one of the most influencial theater and film directors of the 20th century. A member of the Group Theater in the 1930s, Kazan was one of the founders of The Actors Studio. He directed the stage versions of “Skin of Our Teeth,” “Death of a Salesman,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Kazan also made his mark in the movie world, directing the film version of “Streetcar” as well as “On the Waterfront, ” “Viva Zapata!” and “East of Eden.”

Kazan is perhaps most famous for naming names during Communist witch hunt of the early 1950s. The Times had an excellent, and even-handed appreciation of the director, who was 94, in yesterday’s paper. It’s well worth reading, as Kazan is well worth remembering.

If you haven’t seen “On the Waterfront,” I suggest you rent it once the season ends. (Check for Fred Gwynne–aka Herman Munster—in a bit role as a gangster in the begining of the movie.)

It isn’t chilly this morning in New York: it’s cold. But the skies are blue and it should be an absolutely beautiful day for playoff baseball. I’m going to be stuck at work, so I’ll miss the damn thing. But if I have to miss one game, I suppose Game 1 is a safe bet.

The Yankees have been playing well and so has Minnie. New York isn’t overly confident, and the Twins aren’t cowed. Mike Mussina has owned the Twinkies during the course of his career, and Johan Santana is a devastating young pitcher who seems to be unfazed by the pressure he faces this afternoon. All the makings of a good game, right?

The local papers are filled with special sections today. Most of them aren’t telling you anything you probably don’t already know, but if you are interested, head over to BaseballNewsstand.com and check it out.

Peter Gammons gives the Bombers “props”—heh heh—in his latest column. He also hits the nail on the head when he writes about the great expectations facing this year’s squad:

The greatest barrier facing the Yankees is that they have to win. In George Steinbrenner’s world, losing is not an alternative. If they win, they did their job, like a GM assembly worker, or a toll taker on the Garden State Parkway. If they lose, Phinneas T. Boss will …

… be quoted a lot.

Man, it’s tough to find a good barber. I’ve lived in the Bronx for three years and I am still having issues. When I have the time, I still travel two plus hours round-trip on the subway to see my old barber in Brooklyn.

This past Saturday I figured I would try a joint that I spotted on Broadway and 240th street. This is a few blocks from the end—or the begining—of the IRT, Broadway local 1 and 9 trains. Manhattan college is a short walk up the hill, and even further up the hill is Riverdale, where I now live. There used to be a row of bars on Broadway, but there was constant trouble between the locals and the college kids; things got nasty at one point and the city shut many of the places down.

As I walked from my neighborhood down the hill, I day dreamed about the coming playoff games at the Stadium. At one point, I took a short cut through the woods. (This was the first time I made the trip, so it felt like an adventure.) When I got to the bottom of the hill, I noticed a young kid with a Yankee cap, and a mitt, having a catch. I couldn’t see who he was throwing the ball to at first, and when I got closer, I realized he wasn’t having a catch with anyone: he was pitching the ball against a big tree.

He was a thin, fair-skinned kid with bright eyes. He missed the tree, and as he went after the ball I called out to him. “Getting ready for the playoffs?” Indeed he was. We chatted for a few minutes. He told me that he favorite pitcher was Mike Mussina and that Jason Giambi and Alfonso Soriano were his favorite players. I asked him a few more questions. It’s amazing how a kid’s face will light up when you aske them what they think.

I didn’t want to make him feel strange, so I kept the conversation brief and continued on, walking past the train yards, down to the barber shop. The moment I walked in, I knew I was in the right place. A black guy and a big Latin guy were cutting heads; hip hop music was pounding on a stereo.

I had a nice conversation with big Looie, and he gave me a good buzz. I don’t need to go to Brooklyn anymore.

On the way home, my new friend was still pitching. I saw him wind up and miss the tree once again. Got to work on his control, I thought. When I reached him, he was poking around the woods, looking for the ball—an old, muddy ball. God, that brought me back. How familiar was that sight?

I couldn’t resist, so I asked if I could have a catch with him. We hung out for about fifteen minutes and talked a lot about baseball. I obviously didn’t have a glove, but that was OK. He was careful not to throw the ball too hard, and each time he made a poor throw he follwed it with an immediate apology as he ran after it. He was 13 years old, and plays center field. But he wants to be a pitcher. I told him about some of the pitchers I like and asked him a lot of questions about who he likes, and why.

I could tell he was energized by our conversation and that made me feel good. I felt boss about making a connection with a kid, and I felt good that it clearly meant something to him as well.

Baseball doesn’t seem to matter to kids the way it used to. At least white and black kids. (I was spoiled living in a Dominican neighborhood for three years.) But if you look hard enough, you’ll still see the die hards playing whiffle ball with tied up socks, or a ball of tin foil. Or you’ll see a kid pitching by himself on a Saturday afternoon, gearing up for the playoffs.

As I walked away, back through the woods, I heard the ball miss the tree again and crunch through the leaves. The air was getting crisp, and the fall is almost here. He may keep missing for a while, but he’s showing up. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Tom Boswell previews the playoff match ups in The Washington Post. He is excited by many of the possibilites and with the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and A’s all in the mix, it is easy to see why. The one thing that would make the post season a bummer, according to Boswell, is if the Yankees win it all.

Ah, go peddle your papers, man.

I’ve been gearing up for the Yankees-Twins serious since I woke up in the middle of the night unable to stop thinking about it last Thursday. The Twins are a good team, but I think the Yankees should be able to beat them. If Minnie pulls off the upset it won’t exactly be the Jets over the Colts–the Twins have good pitching, stellar defense and a decent offense.

After losing to the Angels in the first round last year, it is hard to feel too confident in the 2003 squad. These Yankees have to prove themselves. Still, I won’t lie. If they lose in the first round, it would be a disappointing way to end the season. What worries me even more than losing however, is what will happen after they lose. Here is a portion of a letter I got last week from Alan, a Bronx Banter reader:

…There’s King George lurking in the background, and I’m just terrified of what the crazy man might do if we fail to finish in the money for the third straight year. He’s been held marginally at bay since returning from his most recent lifetime suspension, largely because the Yankees were awful when he left and successful when he came back. But it’s obvious that the meddling has increased in recent years — and it can only get worse.

The Boss George Hot Stove Show is an annual event. It cannot be avoided. I just hope that it doesn’t get too ugly. But if the Bombers lose, it undoubtedly will. The only way to prevent heads from rolling, is for the Yankees to win.

Or else. (Cue cliff hanger organ music.)

Be sure and check out Twins fans Aaron Gleeman and John Bonnes analysis during the serious. Both have indepth previews of their sites now. Don’t sleep; take a peek.

The Yankees ended the season taking three of four from the hapless Baltimore Orioles at the Stadium over the weekend. Andy Pettitte won his 21rst game on Friday, and then Jorge DePaula threw a gem in the second game of the twi-night double-header. But the Yankees couldn’t hold on for the win. Roger Clemens won his last regular season start in New York on Saturday, and yesterday, Boomer Wells collected the 200th victory of his career. Derek Jeter fell short of the batting title, but considering how his season began, he had an admirable season.

The Yankees final record is 101-61, which tied the Braves for the best in the game. The Bombers led the majors in attendance, and broke the team’s all-time mark, which was set last year.

I saw a sound bite on EPSN this morning that might be of some interest to the Oakland A’s. It was after last night’s game in Boston, when infielder Todd Walker told the TV cameras—as well as the Fenway Faithful: “We’re going to roll into Oakland and whip some ass and move on from there.”

Hmmm. He’s got the nerve to say it, let’s see how he backs it up.