Ponsanity (Postgame Notes 6 September 2007)

Wait for it...wait for it...

Sidney Ponson pitched well.

He made one bad pitch and got burned for it, but he pitched well and, at least against the Mariners, the Yankees were able to take advantage of the weaker team.

The offense wasn't great, especially in the early innings, but they took advantage of a bad Seattle bullpen and was able to put enough distance between them and the Mariners that even when Joba struggled, their lead was still fairly comfortable.

Now, with Mike Mussina on the mound tomorrow the Yankees have a legitimate shot at leaving Seattle with a 5-2 record on the road trip so far, which is already a lot better than 3-7 and would guarantee at least a .500 record on the trip.

While at this point it might be considered too late to do anything other than hope for the Yankees, there are still intriguing storylines: Mussina's quest for 20 wins is alive and well, Jeter is thisclose to being the Yankees' hits leader (at least at Yankee Stadium), and every home run Alex hits now seems historic.

***

In other news, I would pay Syracuse good money to get rid of Greg Robinson, and I am very much looking forward to the first Jets game of the season tomorrow.

It's a Hitting Holiday (Postgame Notes 1 September 2008)

There's that old saying again--they don't have to be pretty, they just have to be wins.

Such was the case today.

Unfortunately, while the good ole' slugfest was fun to watch, for a while, it may be a case of too little, too late.

Losing two out of three to Boston was bad enough, but two out of three to Toronto as well was a dagger--and I had the honor of seeing the 7-6 loss on Saturday in person.

As far as today's game went, however, one has to wonder where this offense has been the entire season. Games like today were games the Yankees were supposed to have in spades this year, and they simply have not.

This game would have fit in nicely last year, with the Yankees winning in spite of their pitching staff, and not because of it (okay, Phil Coke had a very nice debut, but that was about it in terms of pitching).

The Yankees now head to Tampa for three before heading out to Seattle and Los Angeles.

O-ffensive (Postgame Notes 1 August 2008)

If the offense doesn't care, why should I?


Sidney Ponson pitched the best I have ever seen him pitch. Can't have asked him for more than that.

The Yankees have to stop using Mariano Rivera in tie games.

It's now up to Darrell Rasner and Mike Mussina to avoid a sweep.

Fenway Fizzle (Postgame Notes 27 July 2008)

Find a comfortable seat and sit down. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and open.

Right.

Are you thinking rationally yet? No? Repeat the above until you are.

Thinking rationally now?

Okay. Good. So you will agree with me: yes, that was an ugly loss, yes, Sidney Ponson had me reaching for the first alcoholic beverage I could find, yes the offense seemed to revert back to the way they played in the first half...but in the end, all it is is one loss.

The Yankees weren't going to win every single game after the break, nice as the thought would have been.

Let's consider what the Yankees have done since the break, though, shall we?

1) They won their first eight games, sweeping two teams--Oakland and Minnesota--that have remained in contention in the process.

2) They took two out of three from Boston at Fenway, a place where the Red Sox have won three out of every four games they've played.

3) They signed Richie Sexson for an amount lower than the league minimum.

4) They traded for Xavier Nady and Dàmaso Marte, two of the most sought after players this deadline, while surrendering two AAA and two AA players in the process.

4a) By getting Marte, they strengthened their strength (the bullpen), and they kept the Red Sox from addressing their weakness.

4b) By getting Nady, they ensured that Christian/Gardner can remain in a role in which they are much more useful--pinch runners off the bench.

So yes, Sidney Ponson got absolutely hammered. The offense only managed two runs with the bases loaded and no one out in the fifth (though two runs are better than none). Dan Giese did not have the greatest outing of his career.

It could be a whole lot worse.

Sidney Ponson on the mound, Win in the column (Postgame Notes 21 July 2008)

Somewhere, in Yankeeland, apparently, there is a switch.

It's just like a light switch, with an on-off choice, and underneath the switch there is a label that reads:

New York Yankees

Underneath the label, there is a sign that reads:

PLEASE TURN ON SWITCH AFTER THE ALL STAR GAME AND LEAVE ON FOR REMAINDER OF CALENDAR YEAR

Someone turned that switch on, again.


Sidney Ponson was not great--5.2 innings, nine hits, two walks, two strikeouts and three earned runs--but he was able to Houdini himself out of a couple of tight spots and after the Yankees re-took the lead in the bottom of the second, he never looked back.

It's almost as if on the days that Ponson starts, the Yankees get an extra urge to win--of the four games he has started so far, the Yankees have scored at least nine runs, and in the one they didn't, they still won the game, anyway.

The Yankee offense was, simply, on fire tonight.

Every Yankee hitter except for Jason Giambi (who needs to dye the 'stache again) had a hit; even late inning replacements Wilson Betemit, Justin Christian and Richie Sexson reached base.

Alex Rodriguez had a two run home run with two out in the first; Robinson Canò and Derek Jeter each had solo shots as well, but perhaps what is more impressive is that eight of the Yankees' 12 runs were scored on hits that were not home runs.

The Yankees bullpen continued their stellar season--allowing just one run in 3.1 innings pitched. Even LaTroy Hawkins had a 1-2-3 eighth inning--as if to put a stamp on how well the bullpen is pitching.

One has to wonder if they add something to the water in New York in July--the Yankees have won four in a row now, eight straight at home, seven of nine, and eight of ten. Even in their last two losses--against Toronto--only one of the losses was really a "bad loss".

It happened last year: the Yankees went on an utter tear to come from 7.5 games out of a playofff spot to take the wild card. They're chasing more teams right now, but if they keep playing like this, it's not a question of if they'll make the playoffs, but when.

Power of the 'Stache (Postgame Notes 09 July 2008)

I have a confession to make.

I went to the Yankee game today.

I was at the Yankee game, and for the first time since August 5th, I witnessed a Yankee victory. It was my first win this season (on my sixth try), and I have to say, it was a quality win as well.

I wasn't expecting a whole lot from Sidney Ponson (I mean, dude, he's Sidney Ponson), but he did ore than exceed my expectations in only surrendering one run over six innings. That's not to say Ponson didn't flirt with disaster throughout a couple of those innings, but he was able to reprise his Houdini act from his start against the Mets and give the Yankees what they needed.

It proved to be important as even though Edwin Jackson wasn't anything special, the Yankees again had trouble scoring with runners in scoring position.

It's probably fitting, then, that on Mustache Day, Jason Giambi had an RBI single in the first, and that, after making an excellent catch in the 8th, Bobby Abreu had the double in the tenth to win the game.

Don't look now, but the back end combination of Veras, Farnsworth and Rivera looks unhittable. Granted, Mo's Cy Young season helps, but that's not the point.


Anyway, I've got a few pictures from the day.


Outside Gate 6


My brother, having fun with the 'stache.


My friend Andrea and her friend Alisa 'staching it up.


Ponson walking out to the bullpen to warm up


John Sterling with some more facial decoration. Waldman had one, too.


Brett Gardner warming up. He did successfully steal second the one time he reached base.


View from our seats


The 'Stache after the RBI single in the first


The Spanish language broadcasters pushed the button to 32 home games left.


Well, what are you waiting for?


Jose Veras. The back end of the bullpen has really become something.


Enter Sandman


Exit light, enter night.


Walk off celebration


Mobbing Bobby

Found in New York (Postgame Notes 2 July 2008)

FOUND IN NEW YORK

The missing offense advertised last night has been found today, at the corner of 161st Ave and River Avenue. It was found in a condition healthy enough for 18 runs on 16 hits and 7 walks.

The offense was returned by pitchers L. Mendoza, W. Madrigal and J. Wright and hitters J. Giambi, B. Abreu, A. Rodriguez, R Canò, and B. Gardner.

The reward for the tip will be given to one Hank Steinbrenner, whose pre-game comments were instrumental in the offense's return.

Pitchers Mendoza, Madrigal and Wright have the thanks of the Yankees' pitching staff, and Sir Sidney Ponson would like to offer his own personal "thank you" as well.

******

NOTICE

WARNING: On 3 July, a group of baseball players known as the Boston Red Sox will be arriving at Yankee Stadium. Said group of baseballers are known to be unwelcome in the city of New York, and fans of the New York Yankees are asked to exercise all due caution in watching said baseball games.

Known consequences of watching Yankees-Red Sox include: heart arrythmia, hyperventilation, compulsive nail biting, exclamation of vulgar remarks, alcoholic beverage spillage and minor property destruction.

Casual baseball fans are advised not to watch said games unless under proper fanatical supervision.


(actually, you might want to reverse that)

Day and Night (Postgame Notes 27 June 08)

Day

I don't know why my karma is so bad, but I am now 0-5 at Yankees games I have been to this year. One had the sense after the Mets took a 3-1 lead that there was absolutely no way the game was going to end at that score.

It didn't.


It just didn't end in a score to the Yankees favor. It wasn't that the Yankees didn't hit...they did...but each pitcher they had was progressively worse than the one before. Dan Giese threw too many balls, Edwar was not sharp, and Ross Ohlendorf was bad enough to get himself optioned back to Scranton.

However, there were a few bright spots (and the part where I was on the DiamondVision doesn't count)...like, as shown in the picture above, when a fan came out of the right field bleachers and ran onto the field.

I'm not quite sure it was worth the getting arrested part, but it was the highlight of the first game (at least from the Yankees' point of view).


Night

What a difference a...bus ride (?)...makes!

Everything the Yankees didn't do in the first game, they did in this one.

Poor pitching with men on base in the first game?

The Yankees escaped bases loaded, less than two out jams twice in the night cap without surrendering a run.

Poor hitting in the first game?

Every Yankee starter--yes, even Sidney Ponson--contributed offensively in the second game.

Speaking of Sidney Ponson...

...The first few innings were certainly a roller coaster, but in an old Sports Illustrated article I have hanging on my wall, New Jersey Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur is quoted as saying that a roller coaster ride is okay, as long as you end on a high, and Ponson certainly ended on a high.

Six innings, five hits, no runs and four strikeouts certainly qualifies.

While he certainly can't expected to escape bases loaded situations without surrendering a run every time, Ponson has earned himself another start.


Do Not Go Gently...

The Yankees have Andy Pettitte on the mound tomorrow, against Johan Santana, without question the marquee match up of the series. He's working on a streak, of sorts.


Also of note--Hideki Matsui has been placed on the 15 day disabled list, though that is not exactly a surprise.