Game 1 of the NLCS. Dodgers vs. the Cards.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Nick Gerber]

For our man Ken:

Let’s Go A’s!

[Photo Via: It’s a Long Season]

Never mind nuthin’:

Let’s Go Buc-cos!

Joe G is coming back.  Jon Heyman tweets that it is a 4-year deal worth $16 million.

Couple of Game 4’s today in the ALDS. I say the Tigers force a Game 5 and the Red Sox finish off the Rays.

Hope I’m wrong, of course, on both counts.

Never mind those nerves:

Let’s Go Base-Ball!

[Image Credit: Churchman73; Mike Sudal/WSJ]

There are 23 large iron lamps affixed to the ceiling. The tints of neon light they throw down into the indoor batting cage, a concrete room tucked deep into the guts of Yankee Stadium, vary according to when they were last smashed out by errant balls and replaced. Under these lights, largely out of sight, Bam Bam (or “Sir Bam Bam” – but we’ll get to that later) is at the pinnacle of the game that promised much, disappointed more, and then came through for him after all. Across the street, the much brighter lights under which he and all that he was supposed to be receded and then disappeared have been leveled, along with the rest of the old Yankee Stadium.

From up close, the blunt crack of a Major Leaguer striking a ball with a bat – even on a tee – will startle almost anyone every single time. Not Bam Bam. He doesn’t even flinch anymore. He watches, and then places yet another ball onto the batting tee for his latest charge to smack into the netting that encases them both.

It has been 24 years since he first arrived at Yankee Stadium; 20 since the Yankees pawned their phenom off to Japan. This is his first time back, the culmination of one of the most interesting journeys in baseball, a bridge from the place baseball was to where it seems headed. His family is in town from Curacao on one of the last days of a season long since lost, with another loss a full seven hours away. But Bam Bam, who wore World Series championship rings on both his middle fingers before changing into a pair of San Francisco Giants shorts and a T-shirt, is mending the mechanical defect in the swing of a 27-year-old backup catcher five at-bats – one hit – into his first big-league call-up.

That’s the beginning of Leander Schaerlaeckens’ fine portrait of Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens. Head on over the SB Nation Longform and dig the rest of it.

Rainy Monday in New York but today gives four playoff games. A’s and the Tigers up first. Then Pirates, Cards. Tonight gives the Rays trying to extend their season and later, the Dodgers try to move on to the NLCS.

Have at it, folks.

Let’s Go Base-ball.

[Photo Credit:  Jared Wickerham/Getty Images North America]

Four games today on Funski Friday.

Have at it.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Via: It’s a Long Season]

The beat goes on for Alex Rodriguez vs. MLB. 

Meanwhile, if you’ve never seen this legendary bit of hambone acting, you’re in for a treat.

Arthur Kirkland’s Legendary Opening Statement from gwenie on Vimeo.

Ah, 2004, when the Yanks decided not to sign Carlos Beltran. It was a move we talked about over and again in this space. And so yesterday, there was Beltran, still playing well, hitting a home run against AJ Burnett, who is still doing his thing.  Burnett was a mess in Game 1 of the NLDS and while I felt bad for him and the Pirates fans I also felt relieved that he was someone else’s headache.

[Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images North America]

The National League plays today. Cards vs. the Pirates, Braves vs. the Dodgers.

Enjoy it, y’all and:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Painting by Aleksander Balos]

I’ll be rooting for the winner of tonight’s game vs. Boston so in one way I don’t care who wins. Ideally, whichever team matches up better against the Sox, right? But Hell, I’m pulling for the Indians. Nineteen-forty-eight? C’mon. Gotta go for the Dream.

[Photo Via: Seconds from Disaster]

Mr. Pettitte as drawn by our pal Larry Roibal.

I’m quoted a few times in Richard Sandomir’s article about the YES network’s declining ratings this season:

As a corporate progeny of the team, YES needs spectacular, star-driven winning as its business rationale. Fans have come to expect the same.

This season might have stripped YES’s Yankees viewership to its core viewers, without casual and fair-weather fans.

“It’s like the N.B.A. after Michael Jordan,” said Alex Belth, the founder of the Bronx Banter blog. He added: “There is an apathy that takes place when a team is so successful for so long. And this coincides with the end of the Jeter-Rivera era.”

Not to rub it in or nothing but it sure was nice to see ol’ Russell Martin hit two homers last night wasn’t it?

[Photo Via: The Redhead Riter]

It’s the Pirates hosting the Reds. I like Cincy, they are a fun team but my heart is with the Pirates.

Everyone loves the Pirates, so says our pal Emma.

Never mind tomorrow:

Let’s Go Buc-cos!

[Photo Credit: TS Flynn]

As in Anybody But Boston. That’s the playoff motto round here where we hate cause we love and we love to hate.

Tonight gives the Rays in Texas.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America via It’s a Long Season]

Specially tailored for Bronx Banter, dig this awesomeness from our man Craig Robinson:

Eh, it came out in ’85, and that’s how many wins the Yankees end the 2013 with. So, I’m not clever, I know, I know.

It wasn’t easy today, hell, the game went to the 14th inning tied 1-1. But then the Yanks scored four runs and won, 5-1.

A rough season for our boys but in some ways an admirable one. They showed fight and perhaps the blame should be laid on the front office and not on efforts of the players or their manager. We also got say goodbye to our man Mariano who went out on top. How many great players get to say that?

I know some fans dig the off-season almost as much as the games and this winter will bring lots of change so the Hot Stove should be entertaining.

This is the 11th season of following the Yankees here at the Banter. Man, this year has been as fun as ever, at least for me. I don’t concentrate as much on the Yanks or baseball as I once did but in this space they still get plenty of burn and I’m grateful for all of the regulars–and semi-regulars–who drop by, whether you are part of the commenters or not. Thanks for continuing to make this a pleasure.

And, as always, I ain’t going anywhere. The shop will be open for the playoffs and beyond.

This ain’t football, y’all, we do this every day.

Love ya,

AB

The Yanks go for win 85 today in a meaningless game in Houston. How’s this for a B Squad?

Eduardo Nunez 3B
J.R. Murphy C
Curtis Granderson CF
Vernon Wells LF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Travis Hafner DH
David Adams 2B
Brendan Ryan SS
Zoilo Almonte RF

Chad Jennings has some good pre-game notes.

Meanwhile, the Rays scored 6 runs in the first inning; the Indians and Twins start at 2 and an hour later the Rangers host the Angels. Those are the games that mean something.

Plus football, sunshine, food and other assorted Sunday distractions.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Czlowiek Kamera via MPD]

Derek Jeter’s season has been over for a long time–it was over before it got started really. Mariano Rivera is not pitching this weekend. Alex Rodriguez isn’t playing either, he’s getting ready for his case against MLB which is sure to grab headlines and spoil some of our playoff fun. The Yanks are playing out the string against the worst team in baseball. But last night, Andy Pettitte pitched his final game in the big leagues. He had a 2-1 lead after 8 and it was good to see him go back out in the 9th. After getting two fly ball outs he gave up a single on a 1-2 pitch and Joe Girardi came out to talk with him.

Don’t yank him, Joe, don’t. Girardi left it up to Pettitte who wanted to stay in the game. He got a ground ball to Cano who threw to first to end the game and Pettitte’s career, on a high note.

Final Score: Yanks 2, Astros 1.

It didn’t have any of the ceremony of Rivera’s long goodbye but there was plenty of symmetry to it–in Houston before his former team, in his home town. Chad Jennings has the happy recap here and here.

Perhaps it’s the last smile we’ll have this year as Yankee fans. But it was a good one.

[Photo Via: The Minimalisto]