The Yankees played two seasons at Shea Stadium in the mid-’70s. For the next 3 days, they will play against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citfield but they will be the visitors. Certainly a strange turn of events but sensible considering everything that has happened in Florida with Irma.
Never mind the Shake Shacks:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
One of the occupational hazards of being a writer is being friends with other writers and feeling an obligation to not only read their work but enjoy it. It can be tricky business.
I’ve known Jay Jaffe almost as long as the Banter has been around. While John Perricone (Only Baseball Matters) was the first baseball blogger I met online, Jay was the first one I met in person—lunch at Christine’s, an old Polish diner down on 2nd Avenue. This was back in 2002. As you probably know, Jay went on to write for Baseball Prospectus and SI.com where he has become the expert, the guru of all things involving the baseball Hall of Fame.
Jay wrote a book that was published this summer. It is called The Cooperstown Casebook. And I am pleased to report that I felt no awkwardness reading it, wondering how I could sugarcoat my response. Because it is everything you want a book like this to be—informative, challenging, irreverent, definitive. I didn’t lack faith in my old chum, but when you see what he delivered, well, it is hard not to be thrilled for him.
This book belongs on your bookshelf. Go get it.
The Yankees play like they’ve got a frog in their throat. We keep waiting for them to go on a run but it just hasn’t happened yet. They blew a game Friday night and then came back and swiped one yesterday.
Every day is a big one.
Never mind the brisket:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
R.I.P. Stick Michael, Yankee utility infielder, Steinbrenner whipping boy, architect of a dynasty, lifer.
He will be missed.
Yanks and O’s this afternoon.
Never mind nuthin’:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Photo Via: Baseball Hall of Fame]
Well, that worked. The Yanks hit 3 solo home runs against Chris Sale (Matt Holliday, Chase Headley, Todd Frazier), who labored and didn’t make it out of the fifth. Gave one back the next inning thanks to a few errors and then scored 6 runs in the bottom of the sixth to put it away. That was the ballbreaker for the Sox, who got jobbed on balls and strikes, had a crucial third out at first base (correctly) overturned, and then saw Starlin Castro deliver a big bases loaded knock. Aaron Judge followed with a much-needed 2-run blast and the Stadium got good and loud.
The final was 9-2, bringing the Yanks 3.5 behind Boston. Nice job.
No time to gloat as a quick turnaround has our boys down in Baltimore against the surging O’s this afternoon, their stud Dylan Bundy on the bump. Nope, no time to get too happy at all.
Time for another win. Roll on, men.
Never mind the self-congratulations:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
After the old win one, lose one, here we are, Sunday night, and Chris Sale stands in the way of the Yanks winning the series. A split is the difference between trailing Boston by 3.5 or 5.5. So yeah, it’s a big deal, far as these things go. Chris Sale, oy.
Again, the Yanks turn to Luis Severino to step up.
C’mon, kid.
Go get them, guys!
Never mind the nerves:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
A 6-1 lead turned into homina-homina-homina in the 9th inning when Dellin Betances was wobbly as Hell. C.C. pitched well and then threw a snit after the game. Touchy-touchy, Big Fella:
“It’s not that it’s out of bounds, I guess,” Sabathia said. “That’s just me. It doesn’t matter who is bunting or who I’m playing. I get pissed when people bunt, period. You’re going to get a reaction out of me. Everybody knows that. And they got the reaction. We could be playing a Little League game. If my son bunts on me, I’m going to cuss him out. That’s just me. So it is what it is. I’ve always been like that. This is nothing new, and I think a lot of people know that.”
Gary Sanchez homered and Greg Bird had a big knock, and the Yanks hung on for a big 6-2 win.
More tonight. It is bright and cool—playoff weather a month early.
Sonny Gray on the bump.
Never mind the standings:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
The Red Sox arrive with the Yanks reeling. Our boys need to sweep this weekend and that is just unlikely. Let’s just hope Boston doesn’t bury ‘em with another series of beatdowns.
Never mind the other guys:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
A rainout last night gives a double header today. It is gorgeous, sunny and brisk in New York.
Gonna be a long one.
Never mind the picnic:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
Yanks host the Indians. First of three tonight. Kluber vs. Severino. Luis has a chance to really step-up. This is a big one.
Never mind the nonsense:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
The Mariners kicked the ball around in the first inning to the tune of 5 errors. The Yanks scored 6 runs and that would be more than enough for Masahiro Tanaka (10-1 was the final). Coupled with Saturday’s win and the weekend turned out okay, particularly with the Red Sox on a 4-game losing streak.
Will only get more intense this week: First, Cleveland, then Boston.
Get your Bromo ready.
Greg Bird—my Dude!—returned yesterday, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a 3-run home run—and had 4 RBI in all—as the Yanks downed the Mariner’s 6-3. Thank you for your support, Sonny Gray.
With the win the Yanks gained ground in the Wild Card and the Al East—they are only 3 behind Boston in the loss column. Let’s not give it all back today, huh, fellas?
Never mind the sunshine:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
Last night baseball was terrible. Today it might be ice cream and gravy and all sorts of other wonderful things. So we’ll be watching and rooting.
Get over yourselves, guys, and get right, right away, would ya, hah?
Never mind the spilt milk:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
C.C. Sabathia was great and the Yankee bullpen held their own but the offense was horseshit and that’s why they lost a ball-breaker to the M’s, 2-1. Sure, it was Aroldis Chapman who got tagged with giving up the game winner but the Yanks had a million men on base all night and couldn’t do dick. They had fat pitches to hit all night and didn’t do dick. By the end of the game every damn one of them was jumping out of their shoes trying to hit a home run.
They played tight. And on a night that the Red Sox got pounded, the Yanks suffer a regrettable loss because it seemed so avoidable. Baseball is stupid.
So Gary Sanchez gets a four-game suspension and Romine gets two. That sounds about right. Alex Wilson gets four and the instigator of it all, Miggy Cabrera, is nailed with a week. Naturally, he served up a hot dish of Crybaby Souffle to reporters after he got the news.
Mike Axisa has the lowdown, as alway.
Never mind that, now duly bonded in brotherhood, let’s see how our boys handle the Mariners this weekend back home in the Bronx. It is uncommonly lovely here in New York, a slight chill in the air hinting at the fall ahead of us. Beautiful night for a ballgame with our old pal C.C. on the hill. Not only that, but Starlin Castro makes his return to the lineup.
Never mind the lumps (or the goofy-ass jerseys):
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
The Yanks got themselves good and galvanized yesterday in an old-fashioned boys-will-be-boys series of bench-clearing interruptions yesterday in Detroit. Who was to blame? The umpires for one. Miguel Cabrera and Gary Sanchez, too. You could throw in some other folks for good measure, like say how about Michael Fulmer, who started it all by plunking Sanchez after the Yankee DH homered against him in the previous at bat.
It got out of hand. That goes on the umpires. After that, everyone’s pride got in the way and nobody wanted to back down. The Yanks came together as a team—as many of the players alluded to postgame comments to the press—but it will cost them. A big suspension is looming for Sanchez, who would have made Mickey Rivers, Craig Nettles and Darryl Strawberry proud with his flurry of jabs.
Oh, and the Yanks lost the game, too—10-6.
Well, that was nice, a 13-4 beatdown. Gary Sanchez hit a pair of home runs—the first one was a whiffle ball BOMB—and after 4 productive at bats (3 walks and an RBI base hit) Aaron Judge was yanked, thus ending his strike out streak. Done and done. He can start a new one tonight. Last night he was smiling. And so were we.
Tonight gives Luis Severino:
Never mind the accolades:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
The Yanks limp to Detroit after dropping the weekend series in Boston (5-1 was the sorry final on Sunday afternoon). They hope recover against a mediocre Detroit team before returning home to face the Mariners, Indians, and Red Sox.
Tonight gives the return of Tanaka.
Never mind the complaining:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Picture by Bags
