Never mind Nuthin’:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

This has the makings of a long weekend. But that’s cause I’m never much on confidence when it comes to my sports teams. I still remember those horrible late-season series vs the Jays in the mid-’80s. Screw those guys and screw these Jays, too. Upstarts. Fuckos. Douche Knots. They are a perfectly agreeable team to dislike–even though I like a bunch of their players (Martin, Donaldson, Price, Tulo). Their manager looking like a tin-cup-spitting-bar-stool-sitting hard ass pal of Brian Dennehey’s. Goddamn crotchy fucking goat.

The  Yanks had done reasonably well against Price and that’s a concern. Figure he’s due for a good one against them. Only hope Nova is up to the task.

Ah, never mind my gloom–it’s a gorgeous day here in New York:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

The Mighty Mighty Blue Birds are in town this weekend; next weekend, the Yanks go up to Toronto. Be interesting to see what shakes out. From the looks of it, there should be many runs scored.

I’ve doubted Nathan Eovaldi many times this season only to be pleasantly surprised. Tonight, with Toronto’s Gashouse Gorillas on a roll, I just can’t see him doing well. Again, hope I’m wrong.

R.A. Dickey, another infuriating knuckleballer, goes for the Jays. Hey, so long as the Yanks don’t get swept, we’ll be able to digest.

Never mind the Heebie Jeebies:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Diebs]

We love CC around these parts even if he’s struggling. Even if he’ll never be an Ace again.

Not sure how much he’s got left, but I do know how much of a boost it’d be to the team if he could be even decent down the stretch.

Dream big, right?

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Chris Young RF
Chase Headley 3B
John Ryan Murphy C
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind the standings:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Tonight, the Yanks counter with a pitching prospect of their own. Luis Severino makes his big league debut.

No pressure.

And don’t forget to have fun.

Meanwhile, Brian McCann is gimpy and won’t play tonight. Also, good news: Garrett Jones is back. I like that Garrett Jones and was bummed to see him go. Think if these 2015 Yanks are gonna do something, he’s going to have a little cameo role.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Stephen Drew 2B
Didi Gregorius SS
John Ryan Murphy C

Never mind the nagging injuries:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Painting by Roger Eliot Fry.

Ackley’s hurt and so is Big Mike. Enough to be worrisome, of course.

It’s Tanaka Time as the Yanks return home to face the Red Sox. Henry Owens, one of their pitching prospects, makes his first start in the majors tonightski.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind those chirpin’ birdies gainin’ on ya:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

A win today and the Yanks’ll go 6-4 on the road trip; lose, and they’re 5-5.

They look to get some length from Mr. Nova.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Stephen Drew 2B
Didi Gregorius SS

Never mind the room service:

Let’s Go Yankees!

Picture by Bags

The Yanks are in for a fight these last two months of the season and I suppose that’s how it should be. Let’s see if they’ve got enough grit and good fortune to get their asses to the ALDS. Brian Cashman held on to his prized young talent as the trade deadline came and went.

Last night, our boys beat the bejesus out of the White Sox in Chicago by the tune of 13-6, thank you very much. Mark Teixeira hit a grand slam early and then one later. Alex was 2-2 with 3 walks and 4 runs scored. Brendan Ryan and Carlos Beltran had 3 hits, Chase Headley, John Ryan Murphy, and Chris Murphy Young (everyone wants to be a Murphy sometime in their lives) all had 2.

Next.

[Photo Via Aberrant Beauty]

Not much doing for the Bombers today. They did let Garrett Jones go, which is a drag cause I always liked him–my ideal of what the average Elmore Leonard hero looks like.

Yanks in Chicago tonight.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
John Ryan Murphy C
Brendan Ryan 2B
Didi Gregorius SS

Let’s hope they get back in the groove.

Never mind the deadline:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Gotta figure the Yanks are going to do more than bring in Dustin Ackley.

We wait, we wonder.

Meanwhile, the Yanks’ve got a game tonight.

Never mind checking Twitter:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Tom Pennington]

…and two more to go. The Yankees send Masahiro Tanaka to the bump tonight to extend their modest, but spectacular, four-game winning streak. His fly balls turn into homers with enough frequency that this could get dicey. He faces off against Colby Lewis, who never seems like much and the Yankees have handled pretty well throughout his career. So do we even need to reverse jinx this one? The 2015 Yankees have earned the benefit of the doubt in a game like this. Make it so, fellas.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Garrett Jones 1B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

And we cannot ignore the trade deadline. The Tigers just spiced things up by announcing they will be listening on David Price. This gives the Yankees a lot to consider in a short space. Between Cole Hamels and a decent contract for three years or David Price and no commitment after 2015 or just going with internal solutions, that’s a meeting I’d like to attend. Or at least get the jist of.

Patch work night in Arlington. Feels like a game the Yanks should lose. It’ll say something about being on a streak they win tonight. Don’t know why I’ve got that feeling, just do.

Will say this, though. I liked the fire from Teixeira and Headley last night. This team has been too sloppy–on the bases, in the field–all year long. Hope they manage to correct that.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Chris Young RF
Chase Headley 3B
John Ryan Murphy C
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Cappy gets the start but it’ll take a group effort outta the pen.

Never mind the heat:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Ivan Nova goes tonight.

Brett Gardner CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind the brisket:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Will Sanders/Getty Images]

You must forgive me for taking so long to get to last night’s happy recap. I think it’s just part of the deal when you’re in your 13th year of blogging. Some days the writing falls through the cracks. There are other commitments–other work, a wife, exercise, cooking–that get in the way. And that’s cool because I know you guys saw that game last night. Or if you missed it, I know you checked it out later, looking at the box score, videos, game recaps.

We all know it was one of those nights you get a handful of times each year–one to savor, one to remember. And it wasn’t just that Alex Rodriguez hit three home runs to keep his team in the game, he hit three absolute bombs. He crushed those balls, each well over 400 feet.

Course a natural reaction is to be suspicious. That’s the price all modern players have to pay, but especially a two-time loser like Rodriguez. And that’s just always going to be part of it for some people with him. I get that. But I’ve always enjoyed rooting for him so I feel as if this has been his most joyous season as a Yankee. Maybe he was really a good guy when he was really young with the Mariners too. But now, at the end (he’ll turn 40 tomorrow) he’s doing an Edgar Martinez impression and it’s a reminder that he is one of the great players. Total cheat, screwed up dude, but also great at baseball.

He’s got the day off today and so does the other hero, back-up catcher J.R. Murphy, who had the game winner. If Rodriguez’s home runs were no doubters, Murph’s looked like a long fly ball at first, good to get a run in from third, but then it just kept going and suddenly it had cleared that very high wall out there. Hilarious back-up catcher home run. He was amped like Tom Cruise in Taps when he got back to the dugout, too. That was pretty funny.

Now, let’s hope Sweet Nathan Eovaldi comes through with a big performance today. He’s got something to prove. Would’t be surprised if he tossed a dud, but I’ll be here rooting for him.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Mark Teixeira DH
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Garrett Jones 1B
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the comebacks:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn | USA TODAY Sports]

The Big Bopper’s on the hill tonight against the Twinkies.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
John Ryan Murphy C
Brendan Ryan SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind Father Time:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Ah, Phil Hughes, we hardly knew ye. Be nice to see him tonight and also nice to see the Yanks beat on him some as they start a three-town road trip. He’s had moments of very goodness since leaving New York but hasn’t shown too much of that season. Interesting to see what he’s got tonight. Same goes for Big Mike who has been good but not great for a while now.

Like to see Ellsbury get on a roll here…

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the room service:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags 

Who needs one-run games when you can win by six? That’s just what the Yanks did yesterday afternoon putting a 9-3 beatin’ on the Orioles. Tanaka pitched well and the Yanks leave town heppy kets.

It’s Tanaka time this afternoon in the Bronx.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Brett Gardner LF

Alex Rodriguez DH

Mark Teixeira 1B

Carlos Beltran RF

Chase Headley 3B

Didi Gregorius SS

John Ryan Murphy C

Stephen Drew 2B

Never mind the standings:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Wonder if it’ll be another one run game?

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Stephen Drew 2B

And our dude Nova.

Never mind prosperity:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

The Big Question Mark takes the hill against the Orioles tonight.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Brett Gardner LF

Alex Rodriguez DH

Mark Teixeira 1B

Brian McCann C

Chris Young RF

Chase Headley 3B

Didi Gregorius SS

Brendan Ryan 2B

Never mind the moisture:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags