Rebecca's Regular Season Awards, 2007

Backbone Award, given to the player whose continual performance provided a backbone to the team:

Jorge Posada. Sure, Alex Rodriguez has the MVP numbers, but he went through cold streaks, especially in May (only five home runs), in between 499 and 500, and in the middle of September. Posada, meanwhile, hit at a near .340 clip the entire year, and to hit that, you can’t have any slumps.

Most Likely to Make Me Have a Heart Attack Award:

Mariano Rivera, for his performance on 16 September 2007, against the Boston Red Sox. With the Yankees up by two and the bottom of the Red Sox order up, you would have thought that the Yankees had it in the bag. Rivera, however, allowed Boston to pull within 4-3, then proceeded to load the bases for David Ortiz. Ortiz popped out, ending the game, but it took about a week for Yankees hearts everywhere to return to a normal beat.

The Clone Award, given to the rookie who bears an uncanny resemblance to a Yankees’ legend:

The July of Shelley Duncan bears an uncanny resemblance to the September of Shane Spencer in 1998…


The Odd-moment-that-changed-the-season Award:

“HA!”

(nothing else needs be said).

The My-Rookie-is-Better-than-Your-Rookie Award:

Joba Chamberlain. Sure, Clay Buchholz threw a no hitter, but Joba’s 0.38 ERA is simply unreal.

The I-Am-So-Not-Clutch Award:

It’s tempting to give it to Kyle Farnsworth, but I have to go with Sean Henn. Extra innings against Angels and Tigers in consecutive series, Henn gave up the game winning hits.

The Instant-Yankees-Classic Award:

14 September 2007 against Boston. Yankees score six runs in the eighth to beat Boston 8-7, in Fenway, no less.

The Okay, You’re-Supposed-to-Take-BP-Before-the-Game Award:

The Yankees’ 21-4 rout of Tampa wins this one, as it’s the most runs the Yankees scored in one game in a season.

The Irony-Is-Bliss Award:

The Yankees hit eight home runs off of seven different bats on 31 July against the Chicago White Sox. Alex Rodriguez, who was sitting on 499 home runs, did not hit one—though he got progressively closer in his first three at bats.

The Irony-Is-Not-Bliss Award:

I went to three games this season. Game one was the day after Clemens returned; Game three was the day after Phil Hughes returned and A-Rod hit 500.

The Irony-Is-Not-Bliss Award Part II:

Kei Igawa pitched five shutout innings against Tampa Bay, as the Yankees spotted a 5-0 lead…and STILL, walks and the long ball made the Yankees lose the game.

The Yankee-Stadium-Ghosts Award:

Goes to the reincarnated spirit of Phil Rizzuto as Scooter, the Right Field Foul Poll sitting squirrel, who helped the Yankees 1) beat Boston, and 2) beat the Mariners to start a seven game win streak

The Baseball-is-Cruel-and-Unusual-Punishment Award:

In late August, the Yankees went to play Detroit. Game one of the series didn’t start till after a four hour rain delay, at eleven PM…and, just because, the game went extra innings, not ending until 3.30 in the morning.

The Baseball-is-Bliss Award:

The Yankees as a team: coming back from the dead, to take a playoff spot no one thought they would get. Well done!


As with any awards, these are open for discussion and debate!