The Yankees got back at the Orioles today, winning 8-5, but it wasn’t Randy Johnson that allowed the Yanks and their fans to forget about last night’s drubbing. Rather it was a five-run seventh inning at the expense of the Oriole bullpen that saved Johnson from what would have been his first loss as a Yankee.

Johnson pitched well, throwing 66 of 100 pitches for strikes, but couldn’t get the job done in the fourth inning. With the score even at 1-1, Javy Lopez lead off the fourth with a double deep in the gap in left that fell in front of the 399 foot sign, a shot that likely would have been a homer in Camden Yards. B.J. Surhoff–the lone lefty in an Oriole lineup that included Lopez at DH, Geronimo Gil behind the plate, and Chris Gomez at first–followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Frustrated, Johnson then started Luis Matos off with a wicked slider that broke under the strike zone and hit the Baltimore centerfielder in the left foot. Matos crumbled to his knees in pain. For a second I thought his foot had been broken, but he turned out to be fine and trotted to first to load the bases. Johnson then fell behind Gomez 3-0 on a couple of borderline pitches on the outside corner (his second pitch looked like a clear strike to me) before walking him on five pitches, forcing Lopez home. 2-1 O’s. Gil followed with a single to plate Surhoff and keep the bases loaded. 3-1 O’s still no outs.

Then Randy got serious. He struckout Brian Roberts, who fouled off three pitches before going down. Then he struckout Melvin Mora on three pitches. All that stood between him and escape was Miguel Tejada, but Tejada, in a great piece of hitting, cracked Johnson’s first pitch the other way for a clean single to right, driving home Matos and Gomez. Finally Sammy Sosa flew out to Sheffield to end the inning. 5-1 Orioles.

(more…)

The Yanks got tooled by the O’s last night. Just generally manhandled. Jaret Wright, by his own admission, had nothing. An off night that resulted in 6 runs on 8 hits in four innings (though his 4/1 K/BB ratio and 62 percent strikes were solid).

The bullpen didn’t fare much better with Steve Karsay bombing in his first appearance of the season. Karsay actually did a decent job coming in, striking out Sammy Sosa with runners on second and third and no outs and allowing just a sac fly before escaping the inning. In the next frame, however, he gave up three straight hits, including a Luis Matos triple, and was yanked before recording an out. Paul Quantrill then made his 2005 debut, allowing a run (plus a runner inherited from Karsay to score) on three hits (all singles) and a balk in two innings of work. Felix Rodriguez uncorked his second wild pitch in as many outings this season (this one ruled a passed ball on John Flaherty) and also hit Sammy Sosa in the process of giving up a run on two hits in 2/3 innings. Mike Stanton cleaned up Felix II’s mess with one pitch in the eighth, but then gave up a run of his own on two hits in the ninth, one of them a triple by the en fuego Brian Roberts.

The offense only did moderately better. Derek Jeter is officially on fire, going 3 for 3 with two walks he’s 7 for 14 with a .650 OBP in the Yankee’s four games. Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui both crushed deeep homers, Sheffield a two-run jobby into Monument Park. Matsui’s, coming in the ninth inning, was an absolute bomb, way back into the centerfield part right field bleachers. Tino and Jason Giambi both went 1 for 3 with a walk each.

John Flaherty got the start at catcher last night to save Posada from the day game after night game thang, allowing Jorge to catch Randy today. Flaherty went 1 for 3 with a walk. In the ninth inning, Joe Torre emptied his bench, giving Rey Sanchez another inning in the field and Ruben Sierra pinch-hit at-bat (he struckout). He also got Andy Phillips his first game action, putting Our Hero in for Tino at first. In addition, Bubba Crosby got his first at-bat . . . against left-handed Orioles closer B.J. Ryan . . . against whom lefties have hit .156/.255/.248 (.177 GPA) in 302 at-bats over the past three seasons. Poor Bubba looked utterly bewildered at the plate missing badly on three straight pitches after a first-pitch ball. That was the last out of the game. Andy Phillips was on-deck.

Today Randy Johnson helps us forget last night. Lefty journyman Bruce Chen takes the mound for the O’s. Think Joe might start Andy Phillips in place of Tino, Jason or Tony Womack? Yeah, me neither.

Carlos Lugo interviewed the great Juan Marichal earlier this week over at Baseball Prospectus. Here’s one bit that may be of some interest to Yankee fans:

If you’re a starter, try to study or learn about the opposing hitters and follow your preparation routines between starts almost religiously. The same thing for the relief pitchers, although they must be prepared to do this on an everyday basis. If you have a good fastball, try to learn and develop a second effective pitch. It is almost impossible to be successful in the big leagues with just one pitch. Maybe a Mariano Rivera or a guy like him. I’ll tell you something, one of the most effective pitches in baseball is the change-up, and the changeup is one of the easiest pitches to learn. You don’t need to have a Pedro Martinez or Eric Gagne changeup to be effective. Sometimes an average change, combined with a good fastball and other average pitch, could mean a big difference in a pitcher’s performance. Also, dedicate your time to learning the art of pitching. When you can throw ninety-six or ninety-eight miles per hour, but are not able to make outs consistently, what’s the velocity good for? You need to have common sense and say to yourself, I’m going to learn to pitch.

I’m going to tell you a story. A few years ago I was in San Francisco and Orlando Cepeda and I were talking with Felix Rodriguez. I remember that Orlando told him, “Felix, when you return to the Dominican, look for Juan and he’s going to help you to learn another pitch. You’ll see that with your fastball you’re going to be one of the better closers in baseball.” Well, even though he promised to call me, I never heard from Felix or saw him again during the winter. That young man, with another good pitch, would be a phenomenon as a closer. But sometimes I guess they don’t have enough time to learn a little bit, or are not proud enough.

Or perhaps too proud. Or maybe just too stubborn.

Speaking of stubborn, ex-Yankee Hideki “Boo-Boo” Irabu is calling it a career. Irabu always cracked me up. He seemed so out-of-place on those Yankee teams. He was a genuine screw-up, but I always liked him.

It’s not surprising that everyone and his uncle has a theory about Mariano Rivera and his struggles against the Red Sox, is it? After all, sportswriters get paid for thier opinions, and sports editors must have a story. Tyler Kepner asked Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers what he makes of Boston’s success vs. Rivera:

“Every ballplayer has a certain ballpark or a certain team they have a problem with,” said Fingers, the first pitcher to save 300 games. “Mine was the Minnesota Twins and Metropolitan Stadium. When I pitched in Boston against the Red Sox, I had good luck against them. Same with the Yankees. That’s just the way baseball is sometimes.”

…”He gave up five runs [on Wednesday], but four of them were unearned,” Fingers said. “If they make the play at third base, he’s in the clubhouse with a save. I don’t think anybody should have any reason to worry about Mariano Rivera. He’s 35 years old – he’s in his prime. Just because a guy has a couple of blown games, you can’t discount the other 300 or so he’s saved.”

(more…)

Baltimore Orioles

2004 Record: 78-84 (.481)
2004 Pythagorean Record: 82-80 (.506)

Manager: Lee Mazzilli
General Manager: Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan

Ballpark (2004 park factors): Oriole Park at Camden Yards (104/103)

Who’s replacing whom?

Sammy Sosa replaces Jerry Hairston and a chunk of David Newhan
Bruce Chen takes over the starts of Eric Dubose and Matt Riley
Steve Kline replaces Buddy Groom
Steve Reed replaces Jason Grimsley and Mike DeJean
Chris Gomez replaces a long list of spare parts
Geronimo Gil replaces Robert Machado and himself

Current Roster:

1B – Jay Gibbons
2B – Brian Roberts
SS – Miguel Tejada
3B – Melvin Mora
C – Javy Lopez
RF – Sammy Sosa
CF – Luis Matos
LF – Larry Bigbie
DH – Rafael Palmeiro

Bench:

L – B.J. Surhoff (OF)
L – David Newhan (UT)
R – Chris Gomez (IF)
R – Geronimo Gil (C)

Rotation:

R – Rodrigo Lopez
R – Daniel Cabrera
L – Erik Bedard
R – Sidney Ponson
L – Bruce Chen

Bullpen:

L – B.J. Ryan
L – Steve Kline
R – Steve Reed
L – John Parrish
R – Todd Williams
R – Jorge Julio
R – Rick Bauer

DL:

R – Jason Grimsley
R – Kurt Ainsworth
L – Val Majewski (OF)

Typical Line-up

S – Brian Roberts (2B)
R – Melvin Mora (3B)
R – Miguel Tejada (SS)
R – Sammy Sosa (RF)
L – Rafael Palmeiro (DH)
R – Javy Lopez (C)
L – Jay Gibbons (1B)
R – Luis Matos (CF)
L – Larry Bigbie (LF)

There was a lot of talk going into the season that the Orioles had an outside chance to slip into second place in the east if one of the Big Two fell on particularly hard times. Most of the motivation for this comes from those infatuated with the Oriole offense. The thing is, the only change the O’s have made to their line-up since last year is the addition of Sammy Sosa, and while that would seem to be a huge upgrade, the numbers just don’t support it. Sosa replaces Jerry Hairston and takes away a significant chunk of David Newhan’s playing time. Hairston was good for 2.2 WARP (Wins Above Replacement) in 2004 and Newhan was good for 2.4. Assuming Sosa takes just half of Newhan’s 373 at-bats (which combined with Hairston’s 287 would give Sammy 473 in 2005, just five fewer than in 2004), Sosa would have to replace 3.4 wins.

(more…)

Yes, Mariano Rivera did hear the boo birds as he walked off the mound yesterday in the ninth inning. But as Cliff already noted, TV cameras showed many fans standing and clapping too (and no, they weren’t all from Boston).

(more…)

It was a beautiful day in the Bronx yesterday, or at least it was for eight innings.

Bathed in golden sunlight on a still, 67 degree day, the Yankees and Red Sox played a nice taut 3-2 game through eight. Tim Wakefield’s knuckler was dancing as he allowed just five baserunners in his 6 2/3 innings of work, facing the minimum through 3 1/3 thanks to Doug Mirabelli nabbing Derek Jeter, who had singled, as he tried to swipe third with one out in the first.

Jeter probably spent more time on base than any other Yankee during the first seven innings. In the fourth, Alex Rodriguez lifted a lazy Wakefield curve into the lower part of the black section in center for the Yankees first run. An inning later, Tino Martinez creamed a knuckler that stayed up around his shoulders into the right field seats for what remains his only hit of the season. Bernie Williams followed Tino with a five-pitch walk. Bernie remains hitless this season, but has a .308 on-base percentage thanks to four walks and a sac fly. Jason Giambi was the fifth man to reach against Wakefield, drawing a full-count walk in the seventh. Giambi has just one hit this year, but a .455 OBP thanks to one walk and three hit-by-pitches and a single.

Speaking of hit batsmen, Derek Jeter, who has now been plunked twice, was hit in the left shoulder by a Mike Timlin pitch in the eighth. The pitch actually glanced off Jeter’s shoulder and hit the bill of his batting helmet, sending Jeter to the ground in a loud and scary moment. Jeter got up and ran the bases–avenging his first-inning caught stealing by making it to third, though no further–but he was replaced in the top of the ninth by Rey Sanchez (wearing 26, despite being listed as #14 on the Yankees official site). After the game, Jeter was taken to the hospital because of a ringing in his ears. A CAT scan came back negative. There are no cats in Derek Jeter’s head.

(more…)

It’s another beautiful day in New York, even warmer than yesterday. Some kind of day to be at the ballpark. Mike Mussina will pitch for the Yankees, and Tim Wakefield goes for the Sox. Mussina has a history of pitching well against Boston (especially when Pedro was involved), and Wakefield has vexed the Bombers for years. I’m not going to be able to catch the game. Anyone watching, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

After an Opening Day blowout, today offered something more like what we’re used to seeing from the Yankees and Red Sox: a close game, decided in the final at-bat. Yankee-killer David Ortiz hit a home run (for a change), as did Red Sox-killer, Godzilla Matsui–who had three more hits today. Mariano Rivera blew a save opportunity in the ninth inning when Boston’s captain Jason Variteck slapped a line-drive homer off of a cutter that just didn’t cut (Rivera wasn’t terrible, but the Red Sox hitters are extremley comfortable in the box against him; Jim Kaat suggested a little intentional wildness could go a long way…the pitch Varitek hit was straight-as-a-string). Derek Jeter, the Yankee captain, led off the bottom of the inning and returned the favor, belting a full-count fastball over the right center field fence to win it for the New Yorkers.

Matt Clement didn’t pitch particularly well for Boston, but man, he’s got a live arm. His pitches move a lot. In addition, the ball kind of whips out of his hand at the last moment, which must be brutal for right-handed hitters to pick up. He doesn’t look like he’s fun to bat against at all. As Joe Sheehan noted over at Baseball Prospectus, Clement has the same kind of sinking fastball that has made Kevin Brown a lot of money over the years. But his control was suspect and he never quite looked comfortable. The Yankees didn’t help themselves by leaving a bunch of men on base; not surprisingly, Bernie Williams’ timing is all out-of-whack.

Clement looks very much like one of those great line drawings by David Levine. He’s got a pointy chin and a wide jaw, and has a certain birdlike quality to him. He reminds me of one of those kids that were a pain in the ass to play pick-up football with as a kid. It’s not so much that was hard to tackle because of his speed or weight, but because he’s all knees and elbow. Clement also looks very much like a boy, somewhere in the developmental ages between 8-14. He’s sporting a goatee, but I get the sense that he doesn’t know what his true style is yet. I was talking to Alex Ciepley this evening, and he said that Clement is one of the most uncomfortable players he’s ever seen.

Pavano, on the other hand, is a complete load. I keep forgetting how big the guy is. With blunt, dark features, he has a deliberate move to the plate, and a long, bulky motion. I know Bobby Valentine nicknamed him “The Italian Stallion” over the winter, but the only name I can think of when I see Pavano, is “Meat.”

Anyhow, it was a warm and sunny day in New York, the best day of the spring thus far. The final score made it even nicer.

Today marks the American League debut’s of both Carl Pavano and Matt Clement, as the Yanks and Sox play this afternoon at the stadium. It is hazy but bright and sunny this morning and it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day here in New York.

Both Cliff and I felt the Yankees made an error in not signing Clement. He may be gargoyle-ugly, but he’s got “nasty stuff” as they like to say. He could very well be the key to the Red Sox season. Numbers aside, I don’t know so much from Pavano. He’s seems appealing enough, but I don’t know how effective a pitcher he is going to be for the Yanks.

Which pitcher would you rather have?

Baseball is back in the Bronx, and boy does it feel good.

Becky and I headed up to the stadium early last night. The idea was to beat the traffic, nab a choice parking spot, and hightail it to Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too in Harlem for some down home cooking before the game started. Best laid plans, you know.

We hit the road about 4:30 and didn’t have too much traffic to deal with across the GW, but our preferred parking lot was full by the time we drove by around 5:40. We eventually settled on a lot in front of a strip mall further up 161st and caught the 4 and the 2 down to Miss Mamie’s, arriving at about 6:15. After inhaling their complimentary cornbread (served too hot to touch) and devouring some fried (for me) and roasted (for Becky) chicken, mac n’ cheese, collard greens and cornbread stuffing, washing it all down with a couple of Stewart’s rootbeers and some of Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Punch, we dropped our green on the table and split for the Stadium at about 7:10.

We then waited for the 2 train for 25 minutes. You see there was some sort of watermain break in midtown and the northbound trains just weren’t running with any sort of regularity. After a 3 train finally showed up at 7:35 (we needed a 2), we bolted for the B & D two blocks across town, only to find out that we’d have to go downtown one stop to go uptown at all, and those trains weren’t exactly running on a rush hour schedule either.

(more…)

Open Thread

So Cliff and his girlfriend are sitting out there in the bleachers. It’s raining lightly here in the Bronx, but you know they are going to get this game in. Emily and I are making homemade pizza, chillin in the crib, amped for another season to commence.

For those of you who are surfing around tonight, feel free to leave your thoughts and observations in the comments section below. As Aaron Gleeman likes to say, “Happy Baseball.”

Let’s Go Yan-Kees.

On Friday I wrote in this space that Kevin Brown’s achy, breaky back was acting up and could lead to his being moved into the delayed fifth spot in the rotation with Jaret Wright taking over his starts against the Orioles on Friday and in Boston a week from Wednesday. Yesterday that switch became official. Today, WFAN’s Sweeny Murti reports that the Yankees have placed Kevin Brown on the 15-day disable list. Some may take this as a sign that Brown’s back is in particularly dire shape, but it’s actually an excellent job of roster management on the part of the Yankees and, if Brown is able to come back (no pun intended) on schedule (don’t hold your breath), could work out better for the team than their original plan to have Jaret Wright hang around doing nothing until April 15.

You see, Wright’s (and in turn Brown’s) first start was supposed to be April 15 in Baltimore. In reality the Yankees wouldn’t need a fifth starter until April 17, as Pavano and Mussina can pitch on the 15th and 16th on full rest as the rotation is currently set up (swap Wright and Brown, of course). Of course, Brown will not be eligible to come off the DL until April 18, so the Yanks will need a spot start out of Tanyon Sturtze in Baltimore, but that seems a small price to pay to have a full 25-men at Joe Torre’s disposal over the first 12 games of the season.

Best of all, that twenty fifth man will be . . . Andy Phillips! Hot diggity dawg! I suppose it would be too much to ask for Torre to revise his Opening Night line-up one more time to have the hot-hitting righty Phillips start over either the left-handed Giambi at first or the left-handed Womack at second against the left-handed David Wells. Still, look for Phillips to pinch-hit for Womack if Not My Wacko comes up in a key spot tonight. Meanwhile, let’s hope that, during this early part of April, Phillips is given the first base starts against lefties (the Orioles have two in their rotation: Erik Bedard and Bruce Chen) over the struggling Tino Martinez. Any opportunity for Phillips to prove himself with the big club can only be a good thing for the Yankees, so while there should be legitimate concern about Brown’s back, this shakes out as a pretty good deal for the Yankees, at least for now.

For those looking for tonight’s final 25-man rosters, just click below.

(more…)

The rain has calmed down significantly. Saturday was bananas here in New York city. Not only did rain steadily all day long, but the winds were brutal, leaving the streets paved with broken, and subsequently, abandoned umbrellas. Still, there was a warmth in the air that we haven’t felt yet.

It’s colder this morning and the drainage system at Yankee stadium is earning its pay today, let me tell you. With the NCAA men’s finals tomorrow night, you know that MLB wants to get this game in this evening. Cliff C will be in the house, braving the elements, as well as Red Sox Nation (although I don’t know how many Sox fans make their way into the bleachers…actually, I’m curious if there will be fewer Dominican fans rooting for Boston now that Pedro is gone, all due respect to the home town kid, Manny Ramirez).

Joe Torre has made out the starting line-up that will face Boomer Wells:

Jeter SS
Rodriguez 3B
Sheff RF
Ruben, Ruben DH
Godziller LF
Jorge C
Giambi 1B
Bernie CF
Womack 2B

Of course, tonight is the New York debut of The Big Unit. Here’s to a good game, and kicking off what we all hope will be another compelling season!

Happy Opening Night Eve, everybody!

The Yankees dropped their final spring training game yesterday afternoon, optioned and reassigned the remaining players who failed to make the 25-man roster which was set in mid-February, and high-tailed it for the Big Apple. Now nothing stands between the team and Randy Johnson’s first pitch, which will kick off the season sometime after 8:00 tomorrow night.

With that in mind, here are some quick notes to get us all in the same shape:

Before Thursday’s game, Andy Phillips, the Official Lost Cause of Bronx Banter, was given the James P. Dawson Award as the top rookie in Yankee camp this spring. I’m sure he’d rather have been given a spot on the 25-man. For those who can stand it, his final spring stats are:

.324 AVG (12 for 37), .730 SLG, 13 R, 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 27 TB, 1 SB, 1 HBP

Don’t get me started on the fact that they keep HBP stats for spring training, but not walks. No word on who on earth James P. Dawson is/was.

If Andy Phillips is taking his undeserved demotion in stride, NRI LOOGY Buddy Groom, who was also sent to Columbus, is not. Groom was stellar this spring. Final stats:

1.13 ERA, 7 G, 8 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K

But with seven relievers signed to major league contracts, there’s no room in the pen for him. The NRI contract Groom signed with the Yanks allows him to bolt if he’s not on the 25-man roster by May 1, and he plans to use it. Sez Buddy: “I’ve got nothing to prove to them and no reason to stay down there after May 1.”

One player who’s not going anywhere, surprisingly, is Alex Graman, despite his being out of options like Wil Nieves trade bate (how’s that for a distinction?) Bret Prinz. Graman actually cleared waivers and was outrighted to Columbus, proof of how far his stock has fallen. His final spring stats:

7.62 ERA, 13 IP, 18 H, 12 R (11 ER), 4 HR, 9 BB, 7 K

Avert your eyes! Ye horrors!

(more…)

It is supposed to rain all weekend here in New York. Opening Night could be a long, soggy affair. But that won’t stop the hype. Today, Godon Edes examines the difficulties that the Sox face in trying to repeat; Jack Curry has a feature on David Wells; Joel Sherman and John Harper profile Alex Rodriguez, and Lee Jenkins has a piece on why New York baseball is better than ever.

Actually, the Times is in rare form this morning. Alan Schwartz, who wrote an excellent article about steroids for ESPN earlier in the week, celebrates the 20th anniversary of George Plimpton’s Sidd Finch hoax for Sports Illustrated. I remember when that issue came out. I was in middle school, hanging out in the library when the rumors started buzzing around that the Mets had some yokel with big-ass feet that could throw the ball 168 mph. Natrually, I got caught up in the excitement. I don’t remember how long the ruse lasted; I think it was a couple of hours. Then of course, we all learned that it was an April Fool’s joke. I just recall thinking, “How could I have fallen for that. Duh, nobody can throw it that fast. Nobody could be that good.” But 1985 was Doc Goodon’s rookie year. While he wasn’t exactly mythical, he was damn close, especially that first year.

(more…)

PART TWO

(Click here for Part One)

Here more of my conversation with historian Chuck Korr. Enjoy.

BB: Ralph Kiner writes about the early days of the Players Association in his new book. But for the most part, did the older generation of players, who grew up during the depression and who played in the 40s and 50s genuinely believe they should be grateful for playing the game, forget about getting involved with a union?

CK: Yes, they did like both the money and the adulation that came with being a major leaguer, but few bought into the idea that they should be grateful. They knew that ownership would get rid of them when they were no longer useful. We also tend to forget that many of these players had also come through World War II and they knew the importance of fighting for themselves.

BB: When did that attitude start to change?

CK: The changes started in the early ’60s. A couple of features are responsible for that. The most important was expansion, since it made even marginal players feel more secure. The corporate entry into baseball (CBS) also showed a lot of players the business dimension of their sport/occupation. Jim Bunning made that point forcefully to me when we talked. Finally, it’s impossible to overestimate the general climate that marked the ’60s–the questioning of authority on previously accepted norms. The idea in baseball of “owner knows best” or someone will “take care of you” was both untrue and was out of step with so much of what was happening in
the country.

(more…)

I had my first real good laugh of the baseball year tonight. It was just a small thing, but sometimes, well, it’s the little things that do it to you. Erstwhile Yankee first baseman Travis Lee–we hardly knew ye–was batting against Mike Mussina in the top of the fourth inning of the Yankees-Devil Rays exhibition game at Legends Field. I was only half-watching when Mussina delivered an 0-2 breaking ball that just missed the outside corner for strike three. Mussina glared in at the home plate ump. He came back with the same pitch, only this one was lower, and well out of the zone. Lee did not chase it. So Mussina comes back and floats a change-up around Lee’s eyes. Lee swung and missed and I instinctively started laughing. Anyone who has ever taken a Conan swing in whiffle ball could empathize with what Lee was thinking. How do you lay off such a pitch? And how do you have the chutzpah to throw it?

Emily didn’t get what was so funny. Man, baseball slapstick can be so obvious (the blooper reels they play between innings on the Jumbo Tron), and yet so subtle, the ultimate inside joke. I couldn’t help but immediately jump to the fantasy of Mussina getting a quality lefty like David Ortiz out on a bullcrap pitch like that sometime, oh, round October. Yeah, I’m about good and ready for the season to start. You?

The 1977 Yankees have been written about to death, but there is a new book which incorporates the Bronx Zoo antics of George, Billy, Reggie, Thurman and company, into the social dynamics of New York city during the Summer of Sam. “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Buring: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City,” by Jonathan Mahler received a mostly favorable review in the Times yesterday from William Grimes:

The city needed a win in the worst way. If the Bronx was burning, so were large swaths of Brooklyn, notably Bushwick, which had imploded in a frenzy of looting and arson when an electrical failure plunged the city into total darkness on July 13. All summer, a crazed killer dubbed Son of Sam had preyed on young couples in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. There were not enough firefighters or police officers to deal with either problem, because the city, virtually bankrupt, had laid off thousands of workers. There was an edge of desperation when New York fans chanted “Reg-gie, Reg-gie.”

Grimes is impressed with Mahler’s writing skill but doesn’t believe that the author’s themactic ambitions work in the end:

…In a last-ditch effort to tie up loose ends, Mr. Mahler anoints Mr. Koch, Mr. Murdoch, Mr. Steinbrenner and Mr. Jackson emblematic figures of the new New York. The idea is not nearly as compelling as the stories in which they have played pivotal roles, and which Mr. Mahler tells with such skill. In the end, the Yankees, however heroic, cannot carry the conceptual weight assigned to them. It’s probably better not to think too deeply about Mr. Jackson’s three home runs in Game 6. Just savor the moment.

In a very crazy year, oh, what a moment it was. I’m putting this one on my wish list for summer reading. Looks highly entertaining at the very least.

Jay Jaffe is an admitted fair-weather fan when it comes to the New York Yankees. Jaffe grew up in Utah rooting for the Dodger teams of the late 1970s, so it’s natural that he was no fan of the boys from the Bronx. But when he moved to New York city in 1996, Jaffe fell fell for Joe Torre’s Yanks. Jaffe then rooted for the Bombers during their recent glory years, but now, the affair appears to be over. What gives? Well, it mostly has to do with the way the Yankee front office has operated for the past several seasons. In a recent article for Baseball Prospectus, Jaffe writes:

It’s painfully clear the Yankee front office is, if not out of ideas, then at least at an impasse as to how to implement the ones they have with creativity and foresight. In this regard, the pesky Red Sox have not only surpassed them, they figure to hold a distinct advantage going forward. Nowhere was that more clear than last October’s LCS clash. Sox GM Theo Epstein and his charges created a big edge for themselves in constructing and deploying their roster, while the Yanks drastically misused theirs. Emblematic were Game Six’s flailings of Sierra and reserve first baseman Tony Clark–two aged hitters with more than a few holes in their swings–which occurred while reserve outfielder Kenny Lofton looked on from Torre’s doghouse. Can’t anyone here run this team?

…As a fan, I look over this expensive Frankenstein knowing that it’s laden with superstars, even future Hall of Famers, a team projected by PECOTA to win 95 games, second-best in all of baseball, and likely to provide a good run in October. The Big Unit aside, however, this has the feel of déjà vû all over again. It’s not too difficult to imagine either Pavano or Wright as the next episode of Mystery Stottlemyre Theater, in which a previously effecive(ish) starter falls apart on the Yankee watch. Beyond that, it’s even less difficult to envision injury-induced collapses, major or minor, of a few older vets, the kind that can turn a 95-win wild-card team into an 87-win squad making tee times in October.

Jay isn’t the only member of Prospectus who is down on the Yankees. Joe Sheehan, a native New Yorker, and lifelong Yankee fan, has them missing the playoffs for the first time since 1993.