Off Day Observations

With today as an off day, I thought it'd make sense to go through and address the Yankees, and issues surrounding the Yankees, thus far. We're only in Week Three of the season, so many issues now may not actually be issues over the long run while other larger issues have yet to reveal themselves.

First, the Lineup

As a whole, the Yankee offense has been largely dependable. They have scored four or more runs in all but one game, and that includes the 22-4 and 15-5 losses. Whatever the faults of the pitching in those games, the offense, by and large, did its job.

There are some concerns about the ability to score with RISP, but I still think it's a little too early to be overly concerned. Perhaps a little concern, but I think it was a much bigger issue last year when the offense struggled to score runs at all. It's also worth remembering that the Yankees have not had A-Rod in the line up yet this season, and they have been performing without Xavier Nady's bat for a week, and they've still won more games than they've lost.

• Derek Jeter: He was mired in a mini-slump of sorts to start the season, but whereas last year it took him until May to notch his first home run, this year he has four already. You can't even argue it's the new Yankee Stadium's fault as the Yankees have played more games on the road than at home. Jeter's always had a knack for being clutch, but it seems, perhaps this year more than others, he is providing the right hits at exactly the right moments.

• Johnny Damon: Seems to be doing fine as a two-hitter. At the very least, he's not GIDP'ing, which was the worry with Jeter in the spot. He still has the eye of a lead off man, and between him, Teixeira and Swisher, some of the younger guys may never know what it means to swing at a first pitch.

• Mark Teixeira has admitted to being a slow starter, and his .222 average points to him being a man of his word. Even with the low average, however, he still has 9 RBI and if you haven't noticed his awesome defense, dude, you must have never watched the Yankees with Jason Giambi.

• Jorge Posada: Shoulder? What shoulder? He is playing as though 2008 was just an illusion, picking up right where he left off in 2007. Despite his .286 average, he is tied for the team lead in RBI with Nick Swisher (yes, you read that right), which suggests that he's making the hits he does get count. What's more, and I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, his throwing arm seems to be stronger than it was back in 2007, when it was supposedly healthy. I know 37-year-old arms aren't supposed to magically get better, but in the world of baseball, that is hardly the strangest thing to have ever happened.

• Robinson Canó: What a difference a fast start makes! Last season he got into a hole he could not get out of; this season he is playing like the all star everyone expected him to be. Whatever the wake up call, whether it was the benching or not, it worked. He's still not hitting a ton of home runs, and he probably never will, but getting on base is still getting on base, and right now, leading the Yankees in hits and BA, and second (again, to Swisher) in OBP, he seems to be doing that just fine.

• Nick Swisher: Most people guessed that Swisher's year last year was simply a fluke, except, apparently, the White Sox. You probably can't call Swisher-for-Betemit one of the most lopsided trades ever, since it's not, but through the first couple of weeks it certainly seemed like it. Even while Swisher's BA comes back to earth, he still leads the team with a .433 OBP because, hey, a walk's as good as a hit in this game. He is perhaps not the greatest right fielder in the history of the game, but given everything else he's given the team this year, from his rock star personality to his 0.00 ERA, it seems not to matter so much. Anyway, since every ball that's been hit to right field at the new Stadium seems to be a home run, you could probably put an ornamental fountain in right and not even notice.

• Hideki Matsui: Mired in an awful slump at the beginning of the year and looked awkward and uncomfortable at bat, but of late seems to be coming out of it. An effective Matsui, even if just as DH, is an invaluable resource and depth-stretcher for the Yankees. Right now he looks best not playing every day and that may simply be what the Yankees need to do to keep him effective.

• Brett Gardner: All you usually ask of your nine hitter is to not be an automatic out. Gardner, for the most part, is complying. If he had just that little bit more power it would be all things awesome, but as it is, he provides speed on the bases and gets on base just often enough to matter.
  

• Cody Ransom: The anti-Brett Gardner, or so it would seem. It'd be one thing if he was a pitcher and then a team could carry his non-existant bat, but as it is right now the answer to the question "why do you miss Alex Rodriguez" can be summed up in two words: "Cody Ransom." Dude's got a mean vertical, but he hasn't even played the type of defense you need for a 3B and that probably explains why he is a career minor leaguer.

• José Molina: Just as he was last year, all catch and no hit. Once Alex Rodriguez comes back the no-hit bit may not be such a big problem, but right now the Yankees can't really afford to keep both him and Ransom in the same line up. However, with A-Rod due back in a week, I am fairly certain the Yankees will survive.

• Melky Cabrera: All you need to know is that despite hitting two HRs yesterday, he still struck out twice including once with the bases loaded and nobody out, where he swung at a pitch way, way out of the strike zone. He has pockets of brilliance but hasn't (yet) shown enough to be the everyday starting CF, especially after last season. Still, it's far too soon to give up on him. If Canó can turn it around, than maybe so can Melky. His ceiling isn't nearly as high, but it really won't take much for him to be better than he was last year.

• Xavier Nady: Nady is the guy whose bat you never notice when it's in the line up, but made all the more noticeable by its absence. Losing his bat may not have the same repercussions as losing Teixeira's bat or Posada's bat, but it would be folly to think that there are none. Lucky for the Yankees, he supposedly doesn't need surgery and with luck will be back before the fourth of July.

• Ramiro Peña: Billed as all-glove and no-hit, and so far, in his limited appearances, has lived up to exactly that. I wouldn't mind seeing him kept on the roster for late inning defense once A-Rod returns, but he would benefit more by being sent down and getting a chance to play every day.

Next, the Starting Pitching

Thus far the starting pitching has varied from being so-horrible-it-would-be-comical-if-it-wasn't-so-horrible to pure clinics that all high school players should be told to watch.

The horrible starts are almost all the responsibility of one Chien Ming Wang, while right now Andy Pettitte, who has been as solid as he's ever been, and AJ Burnett, who varies from spectacular to spectacularly wild, are carrying the rotation. For their parts, CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain are both doing enough to give the team a chance to win every time they are out there, even though the bullpen has, on more than one occasion, rendered them decisionless, and not in a good way.

In other words, with the exception of CMW, there is no need to worry too much about the starting pitching. CC and Joba should only get better, and if Andy and AJ keep doing as they are doing, there is no reason this team shouldn't win four of every five games.

• CC Sabathia: As his 13.50 ERA last April would attest, this simply isn't his month. His start yesterday was actually worse than his Opening Day gig in terms of runs allowed, but the Yankee offense bailed him out every step of the way so one might be forgiven if he or she doesn't notice. Still, the Yankees have won two of his four starts and in all likelihood should have won a third, and that's what a true ace does: give you a chance to win, even on his bad days.

• Chien Ming Wang: Ayayay. IMO, it's probably still the foot--MLB TV had a great piece on how his delivery's altered because he won't put the same pressure on his injured foot--but now one has to ask if there's a confidence issue as well. Guys that win 19 games two years in a row don't suddenly forget how to pitch; there is an underlying cause somewhere. He will get back to normal eventually, but for the moment the Yankees have to play as if he won't.

• AJ Burnett: Is just really fun to watch, even if he's walking seven in a game. He's been the Yankees' stopper every step of the way, and while that's not necessarily fair to him, he is excelling in that role. He will lose a game eventually--even Cliff Lee did last year--but until he does, one can just sit back, relax and enjoy it. His start against Boston on Saturday should be great baseball.

• Andy Pettitte: Over the offseason I kept saying that it would be foolish to expect Pettitte to pull a Mike Mussina in 2009. I was right, except I was wrong. Pettitte hasn't exactly pulled a Mussina--he was never as bad in '08 as Mussina was in '07--but he was pitching on a sore shoulder (apparently) and at the end of '08 it showed. Now that he's healthy again, he's pitching like vintage Pettitte, getting the outs when he needs them, never trying to do too much, and backing up AJ's starts with poise and awesome Pettitte-ness.

• Joba Chamberlain: What does the poor kid have to do to get a decision? Okay, so we're only three weeks into the season...but hey, you know what? He's doing exactly what your fifth starter should do: giving the team a chance to win, and he will (or should, anyway) only get better from here on out. The argument now isn't whether or not he has the 'stuff' to be a starter but whether or not his arm can hold up, thus the innings limit. So far, so good.

Next, the Bullpen

Bullpens are finicky things. One year they're fine, the next they're not and you, dear GM, may have not even lifted a finger.

In 2008 Girardi was almost universally praised for his handling of the bullpen; in 2009 he's getting chided for micro-managing and thus invariably running into the one 'pen guy of the day that simply doesn't have it.

Still, for every 15-5 or 22-4 loss, there's the 14-inning win without a bona fide long man.

What this means is that right now, it is utterly impossible to make any sense out of the bullpen. They're either being really really good or really really bad, and not really much in between. Go figure.

• Jonathan Albaladejo: Has mostly been great. The one bad outing is, alas, the one you tend to remember, but he seems to be turning into a very dependable arm from out of the bullpen. He started the season fairly low on the bullpen ladder, but is working his way upwards.

• Edwar Ramirez: I haven't seen a whole lot of him this season. Maybe it's just that I'm missing the games where he comes into pitch, I don't know, but the old rules with him seem to be in force: when someone guesses right on the change up, it's usually a home run, and he's pretty much okay as long as he's not facing the Angels.

• Phil Coke: Had a rough, and I mean rough, start to the year, but he has seemed to calm down in his more recent appearance. Could it be nerves? I still think he needs some more time before we can pass judgement on him. At any rate, he's another lefty out of the pen, and one seemingly much less fragile than Dámaso Marte.

• Dámaso Marte: May yet be okay, but his struggles right now are a little worrying given that he is supposed to be the lefty specialist. It's a little to reminiscent of Mike Myers in 2007. However, he's signed for three years (and probably really glad he signed when he did), so whatever's going on, the Yankees will try to fix.

• José Veras: Yesterday's three inning stint could be billed as the redemption of José Veras. He has filthy, nasty stuff when his command is there, but as we all know, that's not always the case. With luck, yesterday's affair got him back on track. If he's pitching well, and Bruney and Mo do their thing, the Yankees are back to six inning games, and we know how well that turned out the last time they could do that...

• Brian Bruney: Has become the go-to eighth inning guy. Something happened between 2007 and 2008 where he made himself over, and one could very easily see 2009 as a progression of what he was doing in 2008 at the very beginning and end of the year when his foot was healthy. He's probably bound to give up a lead sometime, as every reliever is, but what will be more telling is how he bounces back. For the moment, he has made the set-up decision much easier for Girardi and co. to make.

• Mariano Rivera: So I want to say he seems to be getting hit a little more this year than last year but last year was so unbelievable that he'd have to be utterly perfect not to be getting hit more. What matters is that he hasn't walked anyone or given up a run, and given that he always seems to struggle a bit in April, before it really gets warm out, there's no sense worrying. He pitched a scoreless inning in a tie game yesterday, which might even suggest that he may yet be better this year than last year.

Finally, we have Other Yankees Issues

• Empty seats at Yankee Stadium: If the Yankees haven't taken notice that no one can afford the $2500 seats behind home plate, they probably should, and soon. However, before one freaks out about empty seats in the rest of the Stadium, please remember it's April. The weather's still more crap than nice in New York and school is still in session. If the seats are still this empty in June, then the Yankees have a major issue. Another question: why haven't they sold the SRO tickets yet? Granted, it's only recently that the Yankees were selling out each and every game. They probably would still be doing so this year if not for that nasty little thing called the Recession.

• The Bandbox: There are all sorts of reasons for the home runs flying out of Yankee Stadium. The answer is probably a little bit of everything-sloped angle of the seats, a wind tunnel created by the old Stadium in the background, running into a very good Cleveland line up (even if their record indicates otherwise) and, until the last couple of days, exceptionally dry air. Again, it's early. If the home runs are still flying out like this in June, then eyebrows should be raised. I don't mind the home runs, but in the long run it could be harmful towards building a pitching staff-just look at the Rockies.

So that's it for now. Enjoy the off day.

Joba and Lester Dish at Sacred Heart

Tonight I went with Andrea and her friend Jared to see Joba Chamberlain and Jon Lester do a Q+A moderated by Andrew Marchand at Sacred Heart University in Farfield, CT.

The event got off to a somewhat inauspicious start when they kept replaying country music on a loop, but the place--the William Pitt Center--was absolutely packed, and there seemed to be a majority of Yankee fans--not all of whom may have been entirely sober, mind.

Joba and Lester answered a wide array of questions, which ranged from the locker rooms, to the "welcome to the Big Leagues, kid" moment to questions about things off the field, such as Joe Torre's book, Lester's cancer and Joba's DUI.

Joba commended Lester for his conquering cancer, and, like the 12-year-old boy who asked the question, was fascinated to hear Lester talk about his no-hitter.

As concerns the DUI, Joba stated that he could either be a man and face it or run from it, and that he's chosen to face it.

The entire thing lasted maybe an hour and a half, which is good, because the bleachers were fairly uncomfortable.

Anyway, I have pictures, but my camera battery died, so they will have to wait a day or two.

Who's got the better line up--Yankees, Sox or Rays?

Yesterday both Pete Abraham and River Ave Blues did a great job comparing the Yankees-Red Sox and Yankees-Red Sox-Rays rotations if the season was to start today.

So today, I thought I'd do a little line up comparison.

To note: the line ups are based on current rosters; I have no idea if this is where these players would hit, nor am I advocating it...Also, here I am comparing offenses, not defenses.

Anyway, to start with, you have the New York Yankees:

1) Johnny Damon
2) Derek Jeter
3) Mark Teixiera
4) Alex Rodriguez
5) Xavier Nady
6) Hideki Matsui
7) Jorge Posada
8) Robinson Canò
9) Brett Gardner


Any time you've got a line up where Robinson Canò hits eighth, you've got a really potent line up out there. That said, everyone listed here except for Teixiera and Nady underachieved last year, and Nady wasn't on the team for half the year--and Teixiera at all!

That said, I think there's an argument to be made for hitting Teixiera fifth--to me, at least, he'd offer better protection for A-Rod than Nady. However, Nady's not really a three hitter and until Canò gets his act together, he's also a risky proposition for that spot.

Here I like Gardner over Melky-he might not have Melky's power, but you're not looking for power in a nine spot, and Gardner offers a better eye and better speed on the bases. If he can find just a little bit of power, having him and Damon as nine/one would mean a circular line up with no real landing spot for the other pitcher.



Next, let's look at the Boston Red Sox:

1) Jacoby Ellsbury
2) Dustin Pedroia
3) David Ortiz
4) Kevin Youkilis
5) Jason Bay
6) JD Drew
7) Jed Lowrie
8) Mark Kotsay
9) Josh Bard

Now, if we ignore the fact that I haven't the slightest idea in hell if this is how the Red Sox would really structure their line up, Boston's got a couple guys in Ortiz Bay, and in a good year, JD Drew that can mash, but their better strength is the speedy guys at the top of the line up that wreak havoc when they get on base, and the fact that Ortiz, Youkilis and Bay all have a very good eye.

The Sox have a weaker bottom of the line up, in part because they've had no real solution to the departure of Jason Varitek, and even if Varitek returns, he's not really a much better hitter than Josh Bard-last season, Varitek was even more of an automatic out than Melky Cabrera, and that's saying something.


Last, we have the Tampa Rays:

1) Akinori Iwamura
2) Carl Crawford
3) BJ Upton
4) Evan Longoria
5) Pat Burrell
6) Carlos Peña
7) Dionerr Navarro
8) Matt Joyce
9) Jason Bartlett

The Rays, like the Red Sox, make good use of speed at the top of their line up, and the addition of the power of Pat Burrell is an excellent offseason move, as it means other teams will now have to navigate through Longoria-Burrell-Peña in some order. Given that Upton and Longoria are still incredibly young, it's a line up that will likely only get more powerful as the season progresses.


If we are to compare all three line ups, my results look something like this:


Jacoby Ellsbury > Johnny Damon > Akinori Iwamura
Derek Jeter > Dustin Pedroia > Carl Crawford
Mark Teixiera > BJ Upton > David Ortiz with a bum wrist
Alex Rodriguez > Evan Longoria > Kevin Youkilis
Pat Burrell > Jason Bay > Xavier Nady
Carlos Peña > JD Drew > Hideki Matsui
Jorge Posada > Jed Lowrie > Dionerr Navarro
Robinson Canò > Mark Kotsay > Matt Joyce
Jason Bartlett > Brett Gardner > Josh Bard.

If we are to assign a point scale, with three for first place, two for second and one for third, we get:

Yankees: 21
Rays: 17
Red Sox: 15

Of course, the above doesn't take into account Posada's bad shoulder, Matsui's bad knees or anyone underachieving, like Canò, Drew and others have all done. Nor do we know if these are what the opening day line ups will look like.

That said, if the Yankees are healthy and not underachieving, they clearly have the most potent offense in the AL East. As to who is second, the Rays or the Red Sox, it's a closer call. Right now I would have to say that the addition of Burrell for the Rays coupled with Ortiz's less-than-Ortiz-like numbers last year would make the Rays a favorite over the Red Sox.

Feel free, of course, to disagree. Having a potent line up does not automatically make the Yankees a favorite to win the AL East-all three teams have excellent pitching, and both the Red Sox and the Rays are better defensively. However, the Yankees are known as the Bronx Bombers for a reason...

Yankees' non-roster Spring Training Invitees

Per the Yankees and Lohud, the Yankees have invited 20 to take part in Spring Training.

The list includes:

Catchers: Kyle Anson, Kevin Cash, Jesus Montero, P.J. Pilittere and Austin Romine.

Infielders: Doug Bernier, Angel Berroa, Shelley Duncan, Justin Leone, Eduardo Nunez, Ramiro Pena, Kevin Russo

Outfielders: Colin Curtis, Austin Jackson, Todd Linden, John Rodriguez

Pitchers: Kei Igawa, Jason Johnson, Mark Melancon, Sergio Mitre

Top prospects are in bold; those that have previously appeared in the majors are in italics.


Notes: Sergio Mitre will miss the first 50 games after a suspension for PED use, Jesus Montero will be the youngest present (he's 19!) and Shelley Duncan apparently cleared waivers and will be outrighted to AAA.

Most of these players will end up in the minors for most, if not all, of the year, but it should be fun to get another look at Montero, Jackson and Melancon.

Why Ben Sheets Does Not Belong in Pinstripes

There has been discussion over the offseason about whether or not the Yankees should sign Brewers' Free Agent Ben Sheets.

At the beginning of the offseason, before the Yankees signed either CC Sabathia or AJ Burnett, the discussion was somewhat more prevalent, but even now, there are still a surprising number of Yankee fans that are part of the Sign Ben Sheets movement.

Before any analysis of Sheets is gotten into, one basic idea needs to be stated:

Everyone is available for the right price.

In some instances, prices might be prohibitively expensive--for example, if the Yankees wanted to trade for, say, Tim Lincecum (note that I am only using Lincecum to illustrate a point and not seriously proposing an offer!), it would likely take a deal including Joba, Austin Jackson, Mark Teixiera, Chien Ming Wang, Jesus Montero and Robinson Canò, not to mention the Yankees paying the rest of his salary and signing him to a long term, 10, 15 year contract--and that's just for starters.

On the other hand, had Bobby Abreu been willing to accept a one year, perhaps $10 million (instead of $16 million) offer, the Yankees may have elected to re-sign their right fielder.

So, the basic premise here is not that Sheets is not a good pitcher and it's not that Sheets wouldn't help the Yankees win more games; rather, the point is that for the money that Sheets, as an all-star, would likely command, is prohibitive for the risks that would be involved in signing him.

If you haven't, go and read this article from Hardball Times that was published last May. It does a great job of analyzing Sheets, including the number of injuries he has had and how the injuries may be related to his mechanics.

I am far from a baseball mechanics expert, and I can't tell you whether or not the high arm slot is absolutely necessary for Sheets to pitch well.

What I can say is this--Sheets, when healthy, is a great pitcher. There is no doubting that--just think about his performance in last year's All Star Game, for starters.

So, there's a bit of a Catch-22: if one is tempted to alter Sheets' mechanics to save his arm health, one risks possibly losing what makes him a great pitcher in the first place.

More importantly than that, however, is the following:

Why do these injuries continue to mount for Sheets? The culprit appears to be his high arm slot. Although it’s partly responsible for the large 12-6 curveball, it’s also responsible for taxing the rotator cuff to the max. As a rule of thumb, the higher the arm slot, the harder the rotator cuff and biceps must work to stabilize the head of the humerus. This places stress on the rotator cuff interval, which includes ligaments in the front of the shoulder that also add stability.

As some have attested on other blogs, the MRIs of Sheets' shoulder sent to various teams have not looked good, and is, in all likelihood, the number one reason Sheets has yet to be signed when combined with the salary a starter of his caliber could rightfully desire.

Had the Yankees not been able to sign Sabathia or Burnett, the question of whether or not Sheets would loom much larger. As it is, the Yankees still need another starter--unless the Yankees resign Pettitte, they are looking at a 4-5 combo of Joba Chamberlain and one of Phil Hughes/Alfredo Aceves/Phil Coke/etc.

However, the risks inherent with signing Ben Sheets now seem that much more unnecessary to take on when one considers that the Yankees have Chien Ming Wang--their "ace" last year--slotted in the three spot!

Sheets will find a home, for sure, but whatever team that takes him is taking on the risk of him never being able to pitch a full season. After the Pavano disaster, the Yankees probably don't want to go down that road again...

Pettitte Rejects Offer and a Vexing Question

Andy Pettite has officially rejected the Yankees' $10 million offer.

The Yankees probably still want another starter, so it will be interesting to see which avenue they pursue.

However, you can read about that on pretty much every Yankee site in existence, so I won't bore you when I just posted about it a couple days ago.

***

A more vexing question:

Tonight I went to the New Jersey Nets/Sacramento Kings basketball game--I go to Nets games about once a year; I went more when I was younger.

Anyway, my party (myself, my brother, my boyfriend and my brother's friend) had Row 1 tickets, but they weren't courtside seats--that is, we were behind the wall that demarcates where the hockey rink would be if we were at a hockey game.

So, when people in the courtside seats got up to use the restroom or get a snack, they would walk past us. Being the stalker I am, I was on the lookout for anyone famous, and while I did not spot Jay-Z or Beyonce, I did see something also interesting:

A man, the same man, walked past me twice, on his left hand wearing a 1998 Yankees World Series ring.

He walked past so fast that I could not grab a picture (anyway, it would have been rude to do so), so I am at a loss as to who said person was, if his ring was an actual 1998 series ring (he's got courtside seats...so...that lends me to believe it is) and what the heck is he doing at a Nets game?

I can only offer vague physical details, but:

Said man was bald(ing), wore glasses, medium height (on the tallish side of medium) and looked fairly out of shape--not horribly out of shape, but not in shape, either.

He had a fairly medium skin tone--at least, as far as I could tell.

So, on these details alone, who did I see?

My guess would be someone on the coaching or front office staff as opposed to a player, but I don't have the 1998 roster memorized and my first guess was off the mark.

So, Yankees' fans, who did I see?

Viva La Bronx

By popular demand, the extended version of my guest post here.


*****

How do I write about this place??

I’ve been here for five months, and still I haven’t tried it — it seems a task too daunting for a graduate student, much less a baseball blogger. I'm a rich white girl from Jersey. What the hell do I know about the Bronx?

When I walk to the grocery store on Arthur Ave, and I pass the cathedral, bells ringing and all, I imagine I am somewhere in sixteenth century Spain or eighteenth century Mexico. When I can smell the freshly baked bread and I see the fresh seafood lying on display in front of the fish market, I may as well be in Florence.

The language of this place slowly filters in — a Puerto Rican/Dominican blend of Spanish spoken so fast that despite my years of study, I have to strain to understand it. I begin to spot the bodegas that are on every street corner, which sell the essentials: Agua, cerveza, galletas, dulces and the Daily News. More often than not, the News is flipped over so that the back page — the sports page — is what greets you. Every bodega I’ve been in sells the News; I’ve only found one that has the New York Times.

After all, things like the mortgage crisis and the credit default swap don’t mean much to a lot of the people here, not when they’re too busy making sure they have enough money to pay for a gallon of milk and a carton of eggs.

Most of the people I meet could never afford to go to a Yankee game even in the old Stadium. I almost have to wonder if the Yankees even belong here. How could the Yankees be a part of a neighborhood that seems so far off from the baseball team?

The Yankees are a symbol of rich America, right? A symbol of corporate-types and their excess, while the Bronx is a grind of poverty, right?

And then …

Then I remember that night in The Jolly Tinker, a dirty, dark, dank place that calls itself an Irish pub. I am sitting at a table with three classmates. We're discussing plans to submit to a conference--at this point in time I have no idea that I'll have to withdraw, after tripping over my computer cord and shattering the laptop's hard drive, thus losing my paper. There are two pitchers of beer, and J. is busy telling us his life story, something that involves parents in a rock band, Katrina, bartending in Ireland while speaking fluent Gaelic, and living homeless in Manhattan for three months. One of the pub regulars walks over to our table and points out his hat, one commemorating the 2008 All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. The same one I am wearing.

“You go to the game?” he asks. His manner betrays a lifetime in this borough, hard work while the world passes him by. In his FDNY fleece with his slurred speech, he is every bit the stereotype. A baseball fan from a generation that no longer matters, his opportunity spent.

“Nah,” I say. “Couldn’t afford the tickets.”

J., sighing because I am again talking about baseball and not medieval England, slams his beer on the table, and then, in his thick southern drawl, says, “All right, that’s it, I have to say it. I hate the Yankees.”

“You’re from the South,” I say. “You don’t get it.”

The man in the hat looks at me and smiles.

I've never seen this man before and I probably won't see him again, but for that brief second, we are as united as close kin.

And then I realize something.

The Yankees do belong here.

This is a neighborhood that teems with life. People stop into the bodegas to chat with the owners, restaurants are (still) packed with university students and even tourists, and old women sit and talk outside their doorman-less apartments on a warm summer day, with Italian accents so thick I can't even guess at their conversation.

This is a place where I can get freshly baked bread from Madonna Brothers, fish from the fish market next door and produce from the covered market in between, and then purchase my toothpaste and shampoo from the dollar store. I haven't been to the Modern grocery store in months. I don't need to go.

Other neighborhoods have their teams, other teams have their neighborhoods. The Red Sox have the University capital of the world in Boston, the Giants have the Bay, the Cubs have the North Shore...but only the Yankees have the Bronx.


And, as I look at the man in the hat and my other compatriots in the Tinker, only the Bronx deserves the Yankees.

Bobby Meacham Fired

Bobby Meacham has been fired.

This move was not unexpected, though what is perhaps most interesting is to see how Girardi deals with the loss of one of his hand-picked coaches, the other being bullpen coach Mike Harkey.

Much of the in-house criticism leveled against Joe Girardi had to do with his over reliance on Meacham and Harkey to the exclusion of his other coaches; perhaps part of the thinking is that removing Meacham from the fray will force Girardi to better utilize his other coaches.

That, or Meacham simply was that bad as a third base coach.


No replacement has been announced of yet.

Musings with a Broken Keyboard

So I have a confession to make.

Earlier today, during halftime of the Jets/Bengals game, I caught the ninth inning of game five of the 2001 World Series on TV.

For various reasons, it was the first time I'd actually seen the top of the ninth inning--and the chanting of Paul O'Neill's name.

The moment gives me chills, of course, but this was the first time I'd heard it without any embellishments, any retrospective announcing or music, and I realized that while there's a lot of the 2001 World Series that I remember, there's a lot that, at the time, I simply didn't understand.

I'd only started following the Yankees in 1996--when I was 10--and thus the significance of the dynasty teams was largely lost on me. The Yankees were good, I knew, and I'd thought it wasa right that we were in the World Series nearly every year.

I kind of took it all for granted. I know better now, of course, but that's not the point.

The point is, when Brosius hit his home run in the ninth inning of Game Five, I knew it was incredible, but I didn't realize how incredible.

When you consider that the entire thing happened only about six weeks removed from 9/11, it takes on an altogether added importance.

More than winning, New York needed the Yankees to play those few games in October and November. Play the game well, and you'd prove to the world that you cannot bring New York down.

The Yankees, in true Yankee fashion, just happened to make sure that those games were unforgettable.

2009 Draft (or, Procrastination is Fun!)

Baseball America has published a projected 2009 draft order:

Protected First-Round Picks
1. Nationals (59-102)
2. Mariners (61-101)
3. Padres (63-99)
4. Pirates (67-95)
5. Orioles (68-93)
6. Giants (72-90)
7. Braves (72-90)
8. Reds (74-88)
9. Tigers (74-88)
10. Nationals (compensation for failure to sign 2008 first-rounder Aaron Crow)
11. Rockies (74-88)
12. Royals (75-87)
13. Athletics (75-86)
14. Rangers (79-83)
15. Indians (81-81)
16. Diamondbacks (82-80)
Unprotected First-Round Picks
17. Dodgers (84-78)
18. Marlins (84-77)
19. Cardinals (86-76)
20. Blue Jays (86-76)
21. Astros (86-75)
22. Mariners (compensaton for failure to sign 2008 first-rounder Joshua Fields)
23. Twins (88-75)
24. White Sox (89-74)
25. Mets (89-73)
26. Yankees (89-73)
27. Brewers (90-72)
28. Phillies (92-70)
29. Red Sox (95-67)
30. Rays (97-65)
31. Yankees (compensation for failure to sign 2008 first-rounder Gerrit Cole)
32. Cubs (97-64)
33. Angels (100-62)



Multiple sources have stated that the 2009 draft class is a thin draft class, so this, combined with the late first round selections, seems to make it that much more imperative that the Yankees go hard after one of CC Sabathia/AJ Burnett/Mark Teixiera/your big free agent signing here.

Many are considering the 2008 draft a failure as the Yankees' first round pick Gerrit Cole failed to sign, but it's important to remember that Cole wasn't the only guy the Yankees drafted, and sometimes it's the unheralded picks that end up becoming the most effective.

Random Baseball Trivia I Don't Expect to Find

How amazing is this game?

I was in Vermont over the weekend to attend a cousin's wedding--hence the lack of updates.

I had never before been to Vermont, and for a city kid, the fall colors are striking. Everywhere you look it seems like a suitable place for a photograph. There are yellows and oranges and reds in New York this time of year, sure, but it doesn't compare. The colors in Vermont are brighter, fuller, more vivid...as though someone has used a paint brush to accent each and every tree leaf.

I had never before been somewhere where the local news on the radio advises citizens that the year's firewood is too green for use, and that if there is anyone with spare firewood, to please donate it.


So I was there with the family, downstairs in the hotel/motel bar, drinking and catching up with people I see at weddings and bar mitzvahs but not really anywhere else, and eventually we start talking about baseball.

I'm not sure how the conversation arises, but it does, and someone--maybe me, I don't remember--mentions something about the Rays and the White Sox playing, so the hotel clerk/bartender, who sports a Rollie Fingers-like mustache, turns the TV on and mentions that he prefers the Red Sox.

So, of course, I start talking, and he starts talking. The rest of the gathered family moves upstairs, but I remain there for just that extra minute because I can't refuse a baseball conversation--even if it involves the Red Sox.

The man, whose name I don't know, imparts a nugget of knowledge--an answer to a trivia question, perhaps--something inconsequential to probably everyone else in the motel except for him and me. Him, because it involves his family, and me, because, well, I live for such things.

He says that his grandfather, the first name I can't remember, but the surname being Pope, played for the Yankees.

He was a pitcher in the days before relief pitching--a utility pitcher, they were called.

You won't find him in any of the books, and baseball-reference has nothing on him, because back then, in the days between the end of World War I and the beginning of Yankee Stadium (the Original), they didn't keep stats for relievers.

It's not surprising that baseball can reach rural Vermont--in fact, I'd expect it. This is, after all, not unlike the town of Cooperstown.

Still, baseball is timeless here.

The man's grandfather retired and set up a butcher's shop, or so I am told, and if not for the memories, he is lost to the world.

I'm not sure if I'm struck more by the power of the game or the power of the memory, but it's a moment I won't forget.

I can't.

Not Dead Yet

The Yankees will have another few hours in contention as the Cleveland Indians hung on to beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3.

It would take a miracle on a legendary scale or a collapse worse than the 07 Mets or 64 Phillies on the part of Boston, but it is some comfort to know that the Yankees weren't eliminated on a night they weren't playing.

Meanwhile, the Mets are doing their best to repeat 2007, and the Jets don't seem to understand the concept of what to do with a football once they have it.

Grading the Trade Deadline

One day removed from the most interesting regular-season day of the year, one can begin to analyze the moves the Yankees have made as buyers at the Trade Deadline.

To recap:

Bought
Dàmaso Marte, LHP, Pirates
Xavier Nady, OF, Pirates
Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, C, Tigers
Jhonny Nuñez, RHP, Nationals
Matt Cusick, 2B, Astros

Sold
Ross Ohlendorf, RHP
Jose Tàbata, OF
Jeff Karstens, P
Dan McCutchen, P
Kyle Farnsworth, RHP
Alberto Gonzalez, INF
LaTroy Hawkens, RHP


By the above lists alone, once can see that in the trades the Yankees did make, they came away very well, getting an outfielder having a career year, the best left-handed reliever on the market and a hall of fame bound catcher, for what looks like little cost (unless Jose Tàbata's power magically develops ad he becomes the next Vladimir Guerrerro).

The Yankees filled some of their most glaring needs--a right handed bat, a lefty reliever and a catcher to help take the strain off of Jose Molina--but there is one area that they were not successful: they did not get a starting pitcher.

While one can argue that the Yankee rotation as is can suffice, just remember that tonight Sidney Ponson is pitching against the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim of the USA of the Milky Way of the Universe...)

Now, just because the Yankees didn't get a strting pitcher at the deadline doesn't mean they're out of option--there's still the waiver deadline later this month, not to mention certain available free agents and Ian Kennedy, Alfredo Aceves, et al, in the minors...

The Yankees were much more active this year at the trade deadline than they were last year, and on the surface it looks as though they pulled off a coup, but all of their needs have not been solved yet.

It's up to the Yankees now to make something happen with the pieces they've gotten.

Behind Enemy Lines

Well, hello there!

I am just back from a weekend spent deep in the heart of enemy territory in the great city of Boston.

While the game on Saturday was the major attraction of the trip, just being in the city, was an experience in itself.

On Friday night, I wasn't planning on being able to catch the game; dinner with friends certainly took priority, but as luck would have it, we ate at a restaurant in Chinatown called Shabu Zen, and managed to nab seats at the bar, where the game was being broadcast on a very big, very fancy TV.

I was a little worried when Wang got a lot of fly-outs that one inning (I know, I know, I can't remember which), but through the wonder of the internet on my cell phone, my fears abated when I saw the final score.

Alas, my tickets were not for Friday night, so the majority of this post is about Saturday.

Saturday began with a great start. My friend Dan, who is the one responsible for the tickets, had a job interview at Boston University at noon, so after that was over, we walked the ten minutes (not even) to Fenway.

The weather, then, was gorgeous. Normally weather is just for background description and a way to fluff writing, but yesterday, the weather was an important factor. So, let me state, that around 1.30 PM, there were sunny, clear skies and it was warm enough that I was seriously worried because I didn't have sunscreen and I burn easily.

Given that there were a few hours before the start of the game, and that we were a little hungry, we stopped in at Cask N' Flagon, because, well, if you're going to have the Fenway Park experience, you might as well make it the Fenway Park experience. Citgo Sign included.




I was a little nervous about wandering inside with my Yankees shirt on, but as it turns out, there are quite a few Yankees fans in Boston. So I unzipped my sweater and let fly.



Myself, and Dan. I know I look horrible, but that's not the point. I know Dan's allegiance is misguided, but you can't blame him; he's from the area. If people from New Jersey are allowed to like the Yankees, people from eastern Massachusetts can like the Red Sox.




The park is gorgeous, even on the outside, even near its centennial.

We got there in time for batting practice; the Green Monster actually doesn't look that huge in person, but then again, I'm not sure Jacoby Ellsbury/Coca Crisp/whoever's in left field there would agree with me.



The John Hancock board is the only one in the park with a monitor/digital date and time. It really did feel like I was stepping back in time.



Someday, I will have to come back just to sit in the Monster Seats:



When I took this next shot, the clouds were already beginning to roll in a little--in the ten minutes it took for me to take this shot and walkover to where the Yankees were taking BP, the temperature dropped from about 75 F to game-time 61 F. I had previously thought that temperature drops like that only occurred in front of massive storms. I was right.



I wasn't able to get a whole lot of good shots from where I was standing--I made it to the first row behind home plate, near the dugout, but there were so many people on the field that I was just really thankful my camera has an amazing 12x zoom.


A-Rod


Jorge. Jorge, I think, more than any other of the Yankees, looks a lot bigger (as in more muscular) in person than he does on TV. He wasn't smiling at me, but I can pretend.


Looks like Cash, smells like Cash....


Johnny Damon taking BP. Robinson Canò is on deck; either he or Johnny hit some massive BP home runs, but I forget who it was--could have easily been neither of them. In the corner you can see Peter Gammons talking to Derek Jeter.


Bobby Abreu throwing catch. You can see the Yankees fan behind him. I was very much not alone.


You can see how much darker it was at Fenway by the time I reached my actual seat. I've seen day turn to night plenty of times, but the way it did yesterday was scary.


When I say Fenway Park is old, I mean that it looks like the seats haven't been cared for at all since 1912. It's kind of cool, actually--they say people were smaller back then, and the size of the seats makes you actually believe it.


I spy...people in the scoreboard. I was telling Dan that as far as summer jobs go, scoreboard operator at Fenway Park would have to be on the top of the list of any baseball fan. At least, it should be.


The sun came out again. It was like some weather deity spent a little too much time at Cask n' Flagon, which, if he's a Sox fan, makes sense, given Friday's two-hitter.


A-Rod and Giambino talking...about something.


The Umpires, deciding how, exactly, they were going to annoy fans who were probably a 5:1 ratio of Sox-Yankees faithful.


Some dugout action. A couple comments: 1) the road jackets are awesome and I want one. 2) the dugout is tiny for grown men.


The Sox take the field. As you likely know, Beckett was on the mound for the Sox.


Johnny Damon


Melky Cabrera.

I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed that in the Yankees' starting line-up yesterday there were only two righties--A-Rod and Alberto Gonzalez.


The Yankees take the field.

Mike Mussina did not pitch (that) poorly; it was just that Beckett was better, as generally is supposed to happen when a two matches up with a five. Mussina got some very nice double plays to help him in the early innings, but Manny Ramirez must hate me, or something. He homered for Cleveland at the very first Yankee game I ever went to, and he homered again yesterday.



The hawk that attacked Alexa Rodriguez.


Moose in action.


Robinson Canò. He had one of the better offensive performances for the Yankees yesterday.


Yankees with men on first and second. You'll notice that now the lights are on, a portent of things to come.


The (former) Attorney General on the basepath.


Clutch situation.


Yankees with lead. It didn't last very long, but it was nice when it did.


The other side of Fenway, just because I don't have a picture of it.


The bullpen.


Bruney comes on and attempts to save the day. He doesn't, but it's not for lack of effort.


The press box. I wonder how many are actively writing about the game, and how many are messing around with Spider Solitaire during the delay...


Okay, so this is where it gets interesting. Right now, you see the tarp is on the field. This should not be a problem, except for the fact that A-Rod is at bat, there are two Yankees on base, the Yanks are down by one, there are two out and it's the top of the eighth. You would think they would let A-Rod have his at bat.

You thought wrong.

In the umpires' defense, it was raining a monsoon, and even if they let A-Rod bat, they would have probably put the tarp on the field anyway, especially after the lightning. For those of you not into weather-related phenomena, just remember that baseball players wear metal spikes in their cleats, and thus lightning makes for a potentially dangerous situation--it's why after the sight of lightning you have to wait at least a half hour before pulling the tarp off.

Eventually, as is normal, the rain stopped.

The skies cleared.

The temperature rose.

The tarp stayed on the field.

No amount of yelling "TAKE IT OFF" or "PLAY THE D*** GAME" or "WHAT THE F-ING HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU THE SKY IS CLEAR" could rouse the grounds crew out to take the tarp off.

Had the sky stayed clear for only about ten minutes before becoming ominous again, it would not have been a big deal, but the skies stayed clear for a long time. I didn't time it, but it was at least three-quarters of an hour. More than enough time to take the tarp off and start playing again.

Eventually, the grounds crew came out and began to remove the tarp. They got most of the way done.





However, as you can see, the sky has again gotten that dark-and-stormy look. So the grounds crew stood around for a while, doing nothing, until some of the scariest lightning I've ever had the fortune of seeing live, lit up the sky. Thus, the tarp went back on the field.

At this point in time, Dan's friend had been waiting outside Fenway for us to meet him at the end of the game, and Dan and I felt bad for him having to wait, and also really angry at the umpires, for not taking the tarp off while the sky was clear, so we left.

By the time we got to Cambridge, where we ate dinner, the game was in the bottom of the eighth. It was on a large TV in the front display window of a wine and cheese shop, so a crowd gathered around on the sidewalk to watch.



We stayed--and attempted to stay through the ninth, and saw Papelbon get the Yankees to within their last strike, before FOX decided that the Heidi Game would make a great broadcast journalism role model.



So even though the Yankees didn't win, and the weather deities don't like me very much, I had a wonderful time.

They say if you're a baseball fan, there are three ballparks you have to visit before you die--Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, Fenway Park.

So far, they're right.

A Preview A Day Keeps the Winter Away #YANKEES

Here we go. Last one.

NEW YORK YANKEES

Once upon a time, eight years ago, the New York Yankees finished the season with 87 wins. Though this number was significantly less than either of the last two years, the Yankees still found a way not just to win their division and advance to the World Series, but they beat the New York Mets in five games.

In 2008 87 wins could maybe buy a postseason berth in the weak NL Central, but it won’t even get the AL Wild Card. To win the AL East, the toughest (even if not the most wide-open) division in baseball, 95 wins is often cited as the minimum needed to even have a reasonable shot at it.

There’s an easy explanation for the 95 win mark: in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees, there’s also Baltimore and Tampa Bay. When a legitimate playoff team plays Baltimore and Tampa, it’s newsworthy if the O’s or the Rays win. When you get to beat up on Baltimore and Tampa 19 times a year each, well, that’s 38 games, 38 wins right there. Of course, it never works out quite that way—Tampa likes to give Boston fits and Baltimore was a thorn in the Yankees’ side all the way until September.

Still, while some may say that 95 wins is because of a lack of competitiveness from many AL teams—the O’s, Rays, White Sox, Royals and Rangers will probably be written off from playoff contention at the beginning of May—you still have to find a way to beat the Red Sox (or Yankees), Indians, Tigers, Angels and Mariners.

Can the 2008 Yankees do it? Yes.

Will they? That’s another question, entirely.

At first glance, if you just look at 1-9 in the batting order and 1-5 in the rotation, the roster doesn’t look much different than 2007. In fact, with the exception of the manager (which I’ll get to in a second), the biggest off-season moves were Re-signing players (A-Rod, Posada, Rivera) and a trade they didn’t make. You know what I mean.

However, if you look a little closer, you’ll see that there are some noticeable differences.

The most obvious difference is that there’s a new Joe at the helm. Instead of the man sitting at 2nd place all-time on the managerial wins roster, there is a guy younger than my parents who has exactly one managerial season behind him. A guy that I remember as a (very solid) player, and I’m only 21. Okay, so I turn 22 in two weeks, but that’s not the point.

With a new manager, there’s a new coaching staff, as well. The most satisfying name to hear on the list is probably that of Dave Eiland as pitching coach. Eiland worked with Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain in the minors and knows them best, and whatever you call them—the Big Three, the Three Amigos, the Holy Trinity, the Three Musketeers, Menage a—their performance will likely be a crucial pivot to the Yankees’ season. If they’re successful, the Yankees’ 08 season could be one for the ages. If not…it could be a long summer. Eiland’s been successful with the youngsters, and you know what they say about if it’s not broke and whether or not you should fix it.

The bench this year is different, too. Instead of Miguel Cairo and Wil Nieves, we have Jose Molina and Shelley Duncan. While Cairo and Nieves are good guys and we certainly wish the best for them, which pair would you rather have hitting in a tight spot?

The biggest difference, however, has nothing to do with who is on the team, but everything to do with the health of the team. This season, it exists.

This season, not only is Carl Pavano not our Opening Day starter; he’s not even in the rotation. Same can be said of Kei Igawa in the two spot. Bobby Abreu doesn’t have a strained oblique. Jason Giambi doesn’t have a weird foot problem.

Right now the Yankees very strongly resemble the team that played from July-September in 07, a team that had to play near a .700 clip just to make the playoffs.

That said, there are some large, looming questions that need to be answered. Just a few of them here:
+ Can Mike Mussina have a bounce-back year?
+ Can the youngsters—including Melky, Shelley and Robbie as well as the pitchers—play to their full potential?
+ Can A-Rod and Posada come close to repeating their monster years?
+ Can the middle relief hack it?
+ Can Joe Girardi survive a New York baseball season?

(first guess: yes, yes, no, not since 1999, yes)

Opinions you read on the Yankees will vary everywhere. Pete Abraham says the Yankees will miss the playoffs. Tom Verducci has them out in the ALCS. The Sporting News doesn’t have them in October. Lindy’s has them at Wild Card.

However hard it is to predict what the Yankees will do this season, there is one thing the Optimism Campaign cannot deny: for a team that thrives on the historic, and legends of October ghosts, 2008 is not just any other baseball season.

FOR THE FANTASY BUFFS

Buy: Robinson Canò, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Joba Chamberlain
Sleepers: Ian Kennedy, Shelley Duncan

PREDICTIONS

Team MVP: Robinson Canò
Team RoY: Ian Kennedy
Team Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Giambi
Team Gold Glove: Melky Cabrera
All Stars: A-Rod, Jeter, Canò
Team we love to play: Kansas City Royals
Team we can’t stand: Toronto Blue Jays
Best months: July, September
Worst months: April, August

AMERICAN LEAGUE—How they’ll finish

EAST
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles

CENTRAL
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers*
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox

WEST
Seattle Mariners
LA Angels
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers

Yankees over Tigers
Indians over Mariners

Yankees over Indians

(Do you honestly think I’d pick different?)

Optimism Campaign 2008

After hearing about George King's article today, and reading the ESPN capsule preview, I've come to one conclusion:

It's time to launch the 2008 Optimism Campaign: Mission 27/08


What's the Campain?

The Optimism Campaign is a campaign to spread an optimistic outlook on the New York Yankees, to focus on what's right, and not what's wrong, but what can be improved. It is a campaign to spread the belief...nay, the knowledge...that the Yankees are fully capable of their 27th World Championship, and that intangibles, the things you can't get from sabermetrics matter. It is a campaign to appreciate the glorious history of the franchise with an eye on the well being of our future. It is a campaign that recognizes that while the team will make mistakes, it does no good to dwell on them, and, instead, to focus on how we can prevent it from occurring again.

What do we believe?

• There are 27 outs to a baseball game and you must play all of them before the game is officially over.
• Everyone on the Yankees roster has the capacity to be the hero of that game, regardless of past actions.
  
• That intangibles, such as clubhouse chemistry and ability to perform in the clutch, matter.
• That whether or not Joe Girardi is the right choice of manager isn't the big issue (even though he is), but that we will support him throughout the season in one of the toughest jobs in all sports.
• That, whatever comes out of his mouth, Hank Steinbrenner (and his siblings) know what he (and they) are doing.
• That the youngsters, here defined as Melky Cabrera, Robinson Canò, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Shelley Duncan, may go through harsh growing pains, but that their upside is tremendous and that not trading any one of them has been a good idea.
• That Jason Giambi and Mike Mussina will have bounce-back years.
• That Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Chien Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte will continue to perform at a level appropriate for their position.
• That pessimism is a product of tabloids and certain broadcast media that exists to provide entertainment and rile emotions.
• That negative opinions have every right to exist as long as they are expressed in a civilized and reasonable form, even if we do not hold them ourselves.

How can I be a member?

All you have to do is say you're an optimist, and you're in! While you don't have to agree with every single bulleted point above, the first one is absolutely crucial.

What are the perks of membership?

Sharing a bond with Yankee fans just like yourself, and scientific studies have shown a positive outlook increases life expectancy.

What is Mission 27/08?

It is the mission for 27 Championships in 2008.

Hope, Memory

Today I went with Brent from The Bronx Block and my friend Dan D. to the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York.

It was the third time I've been, but the first time I went with people as interested in baseball as I am, and, without the summer crowd, we were able to take in everything, and appreciate all of it.


Going through all of the exhibits, there were two things that came to mind:

Hope, and memory.


Hope. The hope at the beginning of a season. The hope at the beginning of a game. The hope at the beginning of an inning. The hope of a single at bat. The hope of a single swing. The hope, in the end, that summer will come again.


Memory. Memory of the game's beginning, when it cost no more than $.50 to see a game. Memory of when it was free.

Hope. The hope that maybe somewhere, somehow, you'll be able to play in the bigs. It won't matter what color your skin is, or what gender you are; the only thing that will count is how well you play the game.

Memory. Memory of moments that passed us by--the Polo Grounds. Ebbets Field. Comiskey Park. The Washington Senators. Boston Braves. St. Louis Browns.


The memory of hope. The hope of memory.


It's not just baseball.

It's America.



Some pictures, and explanations.

It starts with a sword.

Let me explain.

Yesterday, it snowed, and iced. A lot. To the point that it buried my car. So, today being the designated Cooperstown day, I had to scrape the ice off my car. I have an ice scraper thingie, but after fifteen unsuccessful minutes, something had to be done to speed the process up--Cooperstown is a two hour ride through rural upstate NY from Syracuse.

So I remembered that I had a sword, and suggested to Brent that we try using the sword. He was worried I'd break the sword. I was worried I'd dent the car. I was REALLY careful, believe it or not.



However, as it turned out, the sword worked marvelously to break up the ice on the top and then the scraper was able to brush the rest off. However, by this time it was getting a little late, so instead of putting the sword back in my apartment, I tossed it in the back seat.

Not the most brilliant idea ever, but a functional one.


So after that fun adventure, we picked Dan up at his dorm, and drove the two uneventful hours to Cooperstown.


When we got there, we had to find a place to park, and as I'm utterly afraid of parking tickets, we ended up parking way down by the lake. It was gorgeous in the winter snow.




(Dan and myself, credit Brent Nycz)




It was then that Brent decided he wanted a picture of himself with the sword, and I was happy to oblige as swords really are that awesome.




While holding the sword, Brent made a comment about how he was holding the sword a là Paul O'Neill, his favorite Yankee. He started to swing the sword like a bat, and the thought came to him that it'd be pretty cool to turn the sword into a bat given the location and occasion.

It was then that Dan produced a shiny, green apple.

So the stage was set: Game seven, 2008 ALCS, Jonathan Paplebon (played by Dan) versus an unretired Paul O'Neill (Brent in the Oscar performance of his life), and myself, fellow picture-taker.

The first pitch was a foul ball, as Brent sliced the top off of it. Literally.



The second pitch was a...well, what do you call it when you slice an apple completely in half with a sword?

Brent says it's the 'Shot That Sliced The Big Apple In Two'


At this point, we decided it was getting a little chilly, and our best bet was to make the short walk to the Hall of Fame and venture inside. Thus we did. We did put the sword back in the car, for those of you curious.

Dan used his AAA membership card to get us each a $1.00 discount on the admission price. Cool stuff.


Now, as you probably know, I like old things. Lucky for me, the HoF is arranged in a mostly chronological order, so it's like taking a journey through history.


See?

All right, now, so we start with the game's beginnings (Doubleday may, or may have not, actually invented the game).


The oldest surviving baseball for a scheduled game. I don't know about you, but it reminds me more of a shot-put ball than a baseball...then again, people 150 years ago also believed women shouldn't vote or run for office, so who knows what they thought.



Old woolen Reds jersey. I can knit in wool, but I've never made a baseball jersey.



The tools of ignorance, old style. I'm not sure about you, but given Yogi, et al, I think catchers are probably some of the smartest guys on the team. They just also happen to be slight masochists, but that's the spice of life.


Oldest surviving baseball contract known to exist. I doubt those guys knew just quite what they were starting...I can imagine them now, coming back from the other side, looking at each other and going "oops."


Babe Ruth's bat. It's actually fairly small for a bat, but at the same time...dude, it's Babe's Ruth bat. I mean, that's like saying it's Harry Potter's wand or Frodo's ring, except that Babe Ruth actually existed. Maybe it's more like King Arthur's sword. Oh, fictional again? Damn. Umm. Sorry, I'm at a loss for a reasonable comparison.


Babe's glove. Personally, I'm more impressed in the bat, but if you wanted to get me this for my birthday I wouldn't complain. It's like asking if I'd rather go to France or Spain. I'd prefer Spain (because I can semi-speak Spanish and they have better swords), but I wouldn't say no to France under any circumstances.


Myself in front of Babe's locker. The back of my shirt is actually blank, so I don't have to worry about players leaving or getting traded; as long as the Yankees don't suddenly move to Boston, I'm set.


Brent at Babe Ruth's locker. It was really that awesome.


Babe Ruth's original contract with the Red Sox. We know what happened next.


Chicago White Sox apparel and equipment from the Black Sox era. LET SHOELESS JOE INTO THE HALL! Ahem. Anyway, could you imagine if a Black Sox-ish scandal came about today? It'd blow 'roids out of the water.


Part of the exhibit on the Negro Leagues. It is utterly amazing how much the story of baseball is like the story of America, unified after the Civil War. Maybe that's why this game means so damned much to us.


Jackie Robinson's apparel and equipment. If there was ever a saint in baseball, it's him. Or maybe it's Rickey, for signing him. Or Landis for telling them that for all he cared they could sign 25 black players. Or maybe it was all three, coming together, to do what should have been done at the game's start.



I just like the pink.

Anyway, it's at this point that my wonderful camera, home to over 2520 pictures, decided that it was time for the battery to decide it wanted to be recharged, so thus all following pictures are credit Brent Nycz, some rights reserved



There's no cryin' in baseball! Okay, I lie. There's actually quite a lot. Mostly from me but maybe from you on occasion as well.


The Yankees have a lot of stuff in the Hall of Fame. But you know that.


Bats from Tino Martinez and Aaron Boone. Tino's bat he used in game four of the 2001 World Series, when had that two-out-bottom-nine-down-by-two home run that sent the Stadium in a frenzy. I am, however, slightly surprised they don't have Brosius's bat from when he repeated the feat the next night. As for Aaron Boone, well, you know why that bat's there. I really shouldn't need to elaborate.


A-Rod's batting helmet from when he hit 500. I can't wait for them to have his batting helmut when he hits the WS-winning grand slam to close out the old stadium.


Memory.


Hit this. Or, as it were, don't.


I can hear my dad yelling from so far away: get your hands off the glass!. But dude, they're so shiny....


There's gaudy. There's ostentatious. And then there's the 2003 Florida Marlins World Series ring.


The bloody sock doesn't, in fact, look all that bloody in person. Still, though, Joe, why didn't you BUNT?!


The three of us. I'll let you guess who's who, and if you can't get it, you probably don't read PBP very often. I guess it's not that often that you get two Yankee fans and a Red Sox fan sitting together, all smiling and not actually chanting 19-18 or whathaveyou. I know the black and red scarf I'm wearing is huge, but a) I made it, b) it's warm, c) it was 18F outside.



Vaca Sagrada.


They were ball players, not saints, but if not for them, we would not have the memories. Some are hope, some are memory, but all knew it was more than a ball and a stick.


For some moments, the less words, the better.


A photo of part of the original payment from the you-know-whom to the you-know-whom in you-know-when for you-know-who, which spawned the you-know-what.



The Hall of Fame, as seen from the outside.


So the Hall of Fame was a great experience, and once again I was a sucker for the gift shop, as I purchased a shot glass (I collect them) and a Yankees' Hall of Fame members' shirt (and I hope it fits).

Despite this, there was one caveat: Having left Syracuse at 11 AM and gone to Cooperstown stopping only for five minutes to get fast food/vending machine food, and then staying in Hall of Fame until near closing (at five in the winter), we were hungry.

Okay, hungry is an understatement. I felt like my insides were eating themselves for want of food, which may have been a little more graphic than you wanted, so I apologize.

Anyway, we headed to the Doubleday Cafe, which was very decent, and hey, we saw highlights of SYRACUSE BEATING GEORGETOWN! GO ORANGE!



After about four or five giant glasses of water, I had to use the restroom. To my amusement, the restroom had a chalkboard...and chalk. So I drew.


(I did not draw the kitty, alas, but the url to this blog and the 'let's go yankees', completely my idea.)

I came out of the restroom and mentioned it to Brent, and then Brent decided to do a similar thing, linking to his blog. Seeing as his url is easier to remember (sorry!) and his handwriting is a lot neater, I expect he'll get a lot more hits.




So there you have it. After that, it was a two hour ride back to Syracuse and whatnot. I could elaborate on what I've done since getting back to Syracuse with Brent, who's come up from New York to spend the weekend, but as it's mostly meaning 'this post', I'll spare you.


I know I owe a Season update, but this post took two hours to write, so the Season update is going to wait till tomorrow afternoon. Don't worry, it's written, but hopefully you all will enjoy this.

The Hall of Fame is an amazing experience under any circumstance, but for something really special, bring a couple friends that are as big of fans as you are, of the same team or your most hated rival. Come on a frozen winter day when the snow coats everything. Park down by the lake. Stay until closing, and revel in the definitely-not-filled-to-capacity galleries. Get up so close to Babe Ruth's bat, if just for that little bit of plexiglass, you could touch immortality.

Swords are optional.